Life Changes!! Where have I been!?!?

Oh my have I been neglectful!!!! I have not posted here in an embarrassingly long time! In case you were wondering I am still here! Haha! I have been keeping up on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube but have been horrible with keeping up with the blog. Well a lot has happened since my last post. I took the plunge and created a YouTube channel!!! I have never really shared my art but while I was taking plunges I thought what the heck! I also created an Instagram account. If you have not seen them check them out! I will add the links below. I also joined the Amino Art community. If any of you are part of the community check me out. Come say hello and share your art!

Instagram information.....https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/papertothread/
I am still active on my Facebook page as well.

As far as life goes, there have been a lot of changes there as well. Since our littles were preschool aged I have homeschooled them. Life was good. We lived in sunny Florida, had our kids and chickens at home, and were content......or so we thought. Florida is ok but something was missing. Mr. Wonderful was great at his job but that did not mean he nessarily loved it. The state is ever growing more populated and the heat is a lot if you have lived in it for a while. 15 years was a lot! Haha  We really thought about it and decided our hearts were in his home state of Alaska. We came up with a game plan and made it happen. Now we are by no means rich or have amazing connections. We simply figured out what we wanted and worked hard to make that dream a reality. So here we are on our new journey establishing in the beautiful Alaska! 💖 We could not be happier! You can seem pictures of our trip on my Instagram post!

Hopefully I will be more current here and post more often. Let's see if I can make it happen. 😉 Maybe get some of my art posted! I need to figure out how to upload my pictures from here. Hehe! I am working from a different source that what I was use to and it looks like changes were made to posting. I will figure it out. I hope everyone has a great week! Drop in on Instagram and YouTube to say hello!!

Aqua Chevron Wallet Giveaway!!!

This is a picture of Jenny's work. You can find these wallets in her shop SincerelyJen

Hi all!! Who doesn't love a beautifully constructed wallet in the latest fabric trend!?! Every woman is in search of the perfect wallet. You know that one that will hold all your cards, receipts, moneys, and various must haves but still look  beautiful.  We all want that! Beauty and functionality! Well I have found them!! My sweet friend Jenny @ SincerelyJen has opened a shop in Etsy selling just that. Her wallets are impeccable! She chooses the latest and greatest fabrics and gets to work. Her attention to detail is meticulous.

 A must have for every woman's accessory collection!!

Well guess what!? Jenny is giving one away!!!!! Check out her facebook page Here  and here is the link to enter her giveaway http://bit.ly/198Pwkt. The wallet she is giving away is from the stuff women dream about.....CHEVRON, OMBRE and AQUA! Ahhh! I know right! Isn't it fabulous!  It is absolutely gorgeous and you can bet it is as sturdy as it is beautiful.  So go check out Jenny and her shop! She really has a lot to offer with her beautiful wallets! So make sure to check out her on FB and Etsy. Don't forget to enter this wonderful giveaway! Again the link is http://bit.ly/198Pwkt and the giveaway will be open until Friday night at midnight. Good Luck!!

 

 

Check back soon for Japanese Stand Bound Book Pictures! They will coming to the shop soon! Good luck with the giveaway!

I'm still here...I promise! :)

Hey there!! Sorry I have been MIA lately. Loads of stuff going on. Had a wonderfully hot summer (could you hear the sarcasm) LOL Now we are onto Home Schooling! Yay!! It is only preschool but I want to be as organized and  efficient as possible so that I can  adjust to schooling before Kindergarten. So far it is a blast! K loves it! E, well sometimes he participates. He is not quite 3 yet so really isn't interested. We let him follow along when ever he feels the notion to. On sunday nights I sit down for a couple hours and prepare the next weeks work. I  had no idea  how much work goes into home schooling. Oh my goodness it is a lot but I feel like you get out what you put in. The extra time spent is well worth it. Loads of crafts and fun things. I was worried at first but I really enjoy it. Right now I am very happy with our decision. We will see how I feel by the end of the school year. Ha!

I have been binding and sewing. Japanese Stab Binding is my latest venture! I conquered it!! Will share pics when I finish a couple more. Really loving it! For sewing just stuff for friends and family. I have the most wonderful network of ladies I met through Baby Center and we all just finished a quilt for one of the girls in the group. It came out beautifully and is full of love. I am sure when it is all said and done we will each have a quilt that each of us contributed to. I will pee my pants if I get one! hehe Those ladies mean the world to me. Seriously like sisters. Anyway, I am rambling and I should be doing something else I am sure. You know sewing, binding, or dare I mention house work. :P I will try my best to get a new post up asap with pics of the latest binds, sewing, and maybe throw out some ideas for pre k homeschooling!

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer!!

Free Printable Planner Pages!!

So as of lately I have added a little more to my plate with the shop and trying to be better about the blog and social media. With all that plus starting to home school things have been a bit scattered. I have felt that I am burning the candle at both ends trying to make things work and still have plenty of family time. My problem was there was no set plan or schedule. Organization is key. When I feel things get too hectic and chaotic I shut down and can't think. So I decided to grab the bull by the horns and get my crap together. Haha! So started the search for a planner. I found this good one and that good one but none of what I was looking for exactly.

Mr. Wonderful purchased Adobe Elements for me a few years ago and I decided to give it a go and see if I could create my own. I started with a list of what things I need and made my way from there. I knew right away a monthly and weekly calendar were needed. I meal plan so there would also need to be a meal plan page, grocery page, and holiday page. We host at least one big holiday a year and having a list keeps me on track. Then I started thinking of my chaos with blogging, the shop, and my mountain of WIP's and UFO's in my craft area. This called for a blog page, shop page, and craft page.

So after a few nights of playing with adobe I finally figured it out. After picking colors, fonts, and asking my friends a million times if this and that looked good I was happy with what I came up with. Guess what......I am sharing it with all of you for FREEE!!! :) I struggled to find one that was just right for me so hopefully this will help the next person who was in the same boat as I was. I hope you guys like them!

 

 

 

These are in no way, shape, or form perfect but pretty good considering it is my first time designing anything like this. I really like it and it is working well for me. I left things very open on every page so it is easy to customize it for your own needs. That was one of the problems I ran into looking for a planner. Most of the were beautiful and well thought out but some of the stuff I would never use. With mine I have put each page on it's own pdf so you can print exactly the ones you need. Now I am not charging anything for these. They are free to anyone who would like to try them out but I do ask that you use them for personal use only. It took a lot of work getting these together so please do not print and sell these. They are not for commercial use.

I have a picture of how I use my meal plan if anyone is interested. We do two weeks at a time and I start buy filling in the things I know that we need and are out of. Eggs, Milk, Cheese, you know the staples. Then I go through my sales paper and build meals by the proteins that are on sale. I usually shop at Publix. I know they can be on the higher end but if you shop wise and shop sales you really can save a lot and still get good quality food. We eat very little processed food and almost every meal I make is from scratch. Even quick mac and cheese. My grocery list may not reflect everything on my meal plan because I like to buy when things are on sale so I may have had things already. Take chickens for example, if there is a good deal I will buy a couple whole chickens and then break them down myself. Saves a ton of money. Now you will have to excuse my photos of the pages. I remembered to take the photos after I had been to the grocery store. Grocery shopping for me involves a 4 yr old and a 2 year old so I am lucky they are in one piece. Ha!

So I will share the pdf's below and if you try them out let me know how you like it. Who knows maybe I will print and bind some ready made planners for my shop.;)

 

Click Here to download the Planner Calendar

Click Here for Weekly Planner Page part 1

Click Here for Weekly Planner Page part2

Click Here for Meal Plan Planner Page

Click Here for Meal Plan Planner Page {Printer Ink Friendly Version}

Click Here for Grocery List Planner Page

Click Here for Holiday List Planner Page

Click Here for Blog Planner Page

Click Here for Craft Planner Page

Click Here for Shop Planner Page

 

Ok that is everything. I hope you enjoy them! There is a Printer Ink friendly version of the meal plan for those of you who do not want to use all that red to make the pink. It does use quite a bit of red ink. Again this is for personal use only. Please do not print for commercial use or to sell. These are property of PapertoThread.

 

Happy Planning!

Don't forget to check out my previous post for a chance to win a Jaws inspired cloth diaper!

 

Edited: There was a problem with the settings on sharing the pdf. I think all is cleared and anyone with the link should be able to download the pdf. So sorry! Thank you Shameaka for letting me know! If anyone else should have any problems please contact me and let me know. I am sorry for the delay.

 

Linking Up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cloth Diaper Giveaway!!!!!

 

Hi guys and gals!! Do you cloth diaper??  I think it is a wonderful thing. I know recently cloth diapering has come a long way as far as products on the market. Well, I think I just found the new big it thing amongst cloth diapers. My friend Tori over at  Nerd Fluff  makes some of the most amazing Cloth Diapers. Not just any diapers, custom character diapers!!!! So far she has released sneak peeks of Spiderman, Batman, Jaws, and even a cute Suit Up fluff! She will also be taking custom orders for special designs. She is so very creative. Her work is impeccable!  I really have never seen anything like these. I know she has a few more in the works that are a must see. So check back Here  to see her latest and greatest.

To celebrate the grand opening of her shop she is holding a giveaway. A "Jaws Butt" diaper will go to one lucky participant!!!!  She will be holding a week long giveaway for this little cutie. How fitting that it is also Shark week.:) This will be held from  July 28th until the 31st. So get over there and check it out. Do not miss out on this awesome giveaway! The Rafflecopter link will appear at the bottom of this page.

                                                 

     a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

P.S. The Free Planner Pages will be up in the next post from me. I was having a technical difficulty loading the pages but it has been all cleared up. I will be getting the post together asap! Sorry for that small hiccup but that is modern technology for you.:)

Handmade Soap & Lip Balm Review!!!!

My sweet friend Sarah @ Spicy Pinecone sent me some fun new skin care products that she has just released in her shop.  They are Ah-Mazing!! Handmade soaps and lip balms!! I think I squealed like a little girl when I opened the box.  I have terribly sensitive skin. When I say sensitive I mean sensitive. Recently I tried the honey, lemon, cinnamon facial scrub that has been floating around pinterest and my face looked like a glowing Jack-O-Lantern in under two minutes. Needless to say I was so eager to try her products. And boy did she deliver, not one single irritation from any of her products!!!!! My skin has never felt or smelled better!:) All of her soaps smell just as pretty as they look.

Now I want to add I am not being paid for this post and nor do I work for Sarah. These are simply my own opinions on products that I love. Keep in mind all skin types are different so my experience may not be your experience.

So let's get to some photos and what my favorites were. I really love them all but of course there are a few that I use every single day. Like her Oatmeal soap. Heaven in a bar!! This is on my sink in my bathroom. I wash my hand with it every time I am in the bathroom. It leaves my skin so soft and smells divine. All her soaps are really great on the skin. You can tell she takes great pride in her work and the products she puts in her work. She uses high quality organic ingredients and you can really tell the difference. I also use the Calendula soap quite often on my face. It is full of those wonderful dried flowers that are great for exfoliating.



In this photo, starting at the top from left to right working your way down are : Calendula, Dragon's blood.
Next row: Rose Petal, Marrakesh. Third row: Oatmeal, Plumeria. Last row: Snicker Doodle.
 

 The Oatmeal has the such a sweet pleasant smell. I really love this one. The Marrakesh has a beautifully rich color to match it's scent. Plus when you lather it up you get these wonderful pinkish bubbles. Don't worry though it won't stain your skin or tub. :D I was hesitant to try the Rose Petal soap because I have a few family members who abuse rose perfume but I was really blown away with how subtle and pleasing the smell was. Sarah really has a nose for matching these scents. She matches and creates each individual soap. You will not find these anywhere else! P.S. I have a sensitive sniffer as well and can tell you that this will not over power or overwhelm you. They are just the right amount of perfect!;) Mr. Wonderful really liked the Dragon's Blood. He said it had more of a manly scent. I have used it and thought it smelled great for women too.

 



 

Since my skin is so very finicky I tend to stay away from too much product on my skin. Even shaving creams and gels irritate me so I usually just use soap. Well I can say these worked amazing well for shaving. They lather up beautifully and leave my skin oh so soft afterwards. No razor burn either!

 

In this photo there is: (Pink,Yellow, Blue, Green) Unicorn Poop (hehe my kids love this), (Red, White, and Blue) Freedom Soap (amazing lather and scent), (Crème and Brown marble) Lemon Poppy Seed Cake soap (smells like a baked good with real Poppy seed exfoliators!), (Green, Crème and Pink) Fruit-Plosion (amazing fresh fruity scent), (Orange, Blue, White, Lavender) Peacock Swirl (Nice clean scent), Last but not least is the (Brown, Green, Gold) Exotic Spice (heavenly scent!).

 

Oh and Check out this little cupcake above. Looks Yummy right.......It's soap!! Chocolate Biscotti to be exact and it smells scrumptious. I wouldn't recommend eating it though. ;) How cute is that!! Soap Cupcakes!

 

Onto her lip balms.  Now I am warning you, try these and you will never go back to any other lip product you used before. These are amazing!! The scents are dead on as far as their description. Again using all organic oils these are really great quality lip balms. She also just uses a scent and not a flavoring so you are not tempted to lick your lips. I use them all but think my two most used are Pink Frosting and Snow Cone. My lips are in heaven!

 

 

So if you really want to treat yourself or a friend (these make wonderful gifts) to some amazing products try these out. Your skin will thank you over and over again. I am in love with them and will be buying more when I run out for sure. I don't think I could ever go back to my old soap and balms now. These really are wonderful products filled with lots of love.

 

She also has some other amazing items in her shop so check her out Spicy Pinecone!!!!

 

Stay tuned my next post will be for a FREE PLANNER PRINTABLE! So excited for this one. It will include planner pages for your blog, shop, crafts, meal planning, weekly planner, and a calendar. Oh and did I mention it is FREE! Plus I will be release I sneak peak at a new shop item or two!! Keep an eye out for a giveaway post as well next week!!

 

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Milk and Cuddles Mommy Link Up Club

 

Video Tutorial of the Pamphlet Style Children's Art Book ** Not a craft for children**

 

Hi all!! Here is the video tutorial as promised!!! Please go easy on me this is my first got at this. Ha Ha! I hope it is informative and very helpful. Any questions or comments please feel free to leave it in a comment or email me. I apologize for the less than stellar lighting a thunderstorm started just as I started recording. Please watch the video before attempting your own so that you are prepared. This will make for an easy and successful book.:)

 

 

 

I hope you all enjoy!!!

Oh and here is the link for CraftyLoops that I mention in the video CraftyLoops Youtube Channel

 If you would like to see the picture tutorial for this please click Here

 

Thank you all for watching!!! Feel free to leave me a massage, like or pin the video!

 

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                                             Milk and Cuddles Mommy Club Wednesday