Obsessively Organized

That's not what I was going for...

2012-01-17T15:26:00.001-08:00

Yeah, those are supposed to be hearts...

The inaugural run of my new cookie press left a little to be desired (to say the least), I followed the recipe and instructions to a T, but the whole process was very different than I remembered as a kid. I think next time I will plan to add a little more flour and refrigerated the dough for a while before actually using the cookie press.

BUT, the cookies tasted AMAZING, and I have a plan for all of those funky looking pink cookies: Valentine Cookie Ice Cream - YUM!

Thank goodness I have fun kitchen gadgets to save the messes that I make with my other fun kitchen gadgets!

Super easy wreath

2012-01-16T17:24:00.001-08:00

I've never been one of those people who decorates for every single holiday, I go all out for Christmas, but the rest of the year my house looks pretty much the same, with the exception of some small seasonal changes, and the occasional switcharoo when I get bored with a vase or candle. I just don't see the point in having all those cutesy holiday decorations when my place already looks so great (plus I'm all about matching color schemes, so throwing in some pink for Valentine's day would totally clash with everything else that I own).

That said, I have also been feeling as though I've neglected my front porch, which is, you know, a pretty average front porch, except for the fact that no one ever uses it. The sidewalk from our driveway leads to our backdoor, and there is no sidewalk to the front door, so basically it's a wast of space. BUT it is the part of the house that you see when you drive by, and I promise I'm going somewhere with this incredibly long rant... where was I?

Oh yeah... anyways, I decided that the solution to my neglected front porch was a cute wreath, since I'm obsessed with the super-versatile Styrofoam wreath trend that is blowing up on Pinterest. And since nothing else that I own is seasonal, this seemed the perfect place to celebrate all of those random holidays.

Here is the super cute wreath that I made this afternoon

the base is made from 2" strips of burlap wrapped around a Styrofoam wreath form. The heart designs are hearts that I cut out of random pieces of cotton fabric that I had in my stash. After I cut them out I sewed them to cream colored fleece scraps to stiffen them a bit and add texture. And of course I used my hot glue gun to attache them to the wreath. Add a few bows and there you have it!

Valentine's day...already?

2012-01-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I have fully embraced the craziness that is Valentine's day (and yes, I do realize that it is a month away, but you know me... obsessively organized...). Anyway, I spent the evening contemplating what I would create for Valentine's day this year. It all started with my hankering to bust out the cookie press that I received as a Christmas gift.

My parents had one of these, and as a kid I loved that thing, but I've always been just a bit to cheap to purchase one for myself, because I know that it would only get used a few times a year (a la all the other random kitchen gadgets that I own). I was more than overjoyed to get one as a gift, however, and Valentine's day seems like the perfect excuse to bust that baby out.

Therefore the first holiday treat on my V-day list is pink and chocolate heart spritz cookies, just like these:

From there my mind wandered to marshmallows... I know, random, but ever since my first attempt at making them, right before Christmas (and my surprise at how easy the whole process was) I have been looking forward to doing it again - this time I want to cut them with a heart shaped cookie cutter, because duh, Valentines day, just like these:

However I am leaning towards pink, and possibly on a stick, oh, and drizzled with chocolate - so much for that whole eating healthy thing...

Finally, sensing a theme here (heart shaped and gadgets that I don't use nearly often enough) I'm feeling the urge to dust off the awesome Message-in-a-cookie Cutters that I purchased from Williams Sonoma and used to create last years V-day cookies (not to mention all of our wedding favors - see picture!)

Latest etsy splurge

2010-10-18T18:18:00.001-07:00

I bought these adorable vintage spice jars on etsy and they came today, I love that, coming home to a little suprise. I spent the evening cleaning my cute new jars, and making room for them in my kitchen! What is the last thing you bought on etsy?

Moving day crafts

2010-10-17T12:37:00.001-07:00

Yes, you read that title right, and no, I'm not getting crafty with my boxes. I'm putting away all of my stuff in my new place (yay!) and I am so not one for having things that don't go well together, I am also not a fan of things that look sloppy or unfinished. That said, I had to take some time out from cleaning and unpacking to make sure everything looked like it belonged in it's new space.

The major focus for this activity were my magazine holders, which are now at home in my studio. I have had these particular plastic magazine crates since high school, which means numerous labels have been applied and removed, so the fronts are just a bit gross. I took care of that by covering them up entirely with their new labels (which took a whole 15 minutes to put together.

These labels couldn't be easier to make. I measured the front of the magazine holder and cut a rectangle that size from my bright green polka dot paper. The rectangles got inked with a black stamp pad, then I added the purple strips on top. Finally I used my oh-so-wonderful Martha Stewart Crafts scalloped circle punch to cut circles from white card stock, my favorite black Sharpie Pen to write the name of the magazine on the circle, and finally, I inked the edges of the circles. Oh, and then I added a leaf stamp on top for a little extra decoration. Super simple!

Seasonal decorating

2010-10-13T19:22:00.001-07:00

Some people go all out over decorating for different holidays and seasons, me, I'm a Christmas decorator, but the rest of those holidays, not so much. Now don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that I don't change things up as the seasons change, I think it's natural for us to want to make changed to make our homes more comfortable for the changing seasons, I just like everything to flow well all of the time.

For example, for fall I add a few gourds and pumpkins, in the same baskets that I have out all year long, and I might switch out floral arrangements to include dried wheat, but I'm not one to go over the top with garlands and banners and little witch figurines or fake scarecrows. Personally I think that pulling out the cozy blankets to lay over the edge of the couch says "hello chilly weather" just subtly enough, I really don't need fake leaves all over the place... Sorry, just my own personal rant, tell me how you feel about holiday decorations!

Organized chaos

2010-10-13T18:44:00.001-07:00

I have discovered a new way of organizing my thoughts: my journal. To some people this would seem obvious, but I've never been much of a journal writing girl, my calendars have always been my journals, I can look back at them and remember exactly what happened that day, but in the last year I have made my daily journal entries my "me time". I get to work 20 minutes early every morning and sit in the parking lot, in my car, completely alone with my coffee, and just write. With everything that has been going on in my crazy life (because really, who doesn't have a crazy life), my journal has become the perfect place for my to-do lists and reminders, and I always have my journal in my purse, so anything that I write down is always right there when I need it, plus I can add my random little thoughts, that I might not have room for in my calendar. Do you journal? How do you use your journal? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Awesome Saturday!

2010-10-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

This has been such a wonderful day, I have been so productive! I'm not used to that at all. But seriously, I cranked out a ton of wedding stuff, I wish I could have more days like this, but its going to make my winter break so nice to have all of this stuff already taken care of. I finished organizing all of my centerpieces (finally - I only started working on that in August, but it is soooooo nice to not have vases all over my floor, maybe I can finally sweep now, ooooo and I wont cringe every time the dog runs in), started cutting out pieces for invitations and programs, finished all of my bridesmaid bouquets, and worked on my garland (which is no longer a giant tangle mess because I gave up on that one and threw the whole thing in the garbage, because really, sometimes that is the only option). Here are some pictures from my day

The last photo is the cover of my programs, I was inspired by papercrew, and of course mine aren't finished yet, because I don't have the inside pages ready, but I am so excited to put them together because there is absolutely no glue involved, when they're ready to go, I'll just run one edge through the sewing machine and voila!

I hope you had a wonderful day, I would love to hear what you accomplished!

Free day

2010-10-08T17:57:00.001-07:00

I was planning on going to ikea with my sister tomorrow, now we're going on Sunday, so I have a free Saturday! I'm still trying to decide what to do with it, this doesn't happen very often. Right now my choices are: work on wedding stuff, work on Christmas gifts, or go shopping. I'm leaning towards wedding projects (I really want to finish my garlands and work on my guest book) but I think I'll see how I feel when I wake up. Enjoy your Saturday! I'll post pictures of whatever I end up doing.

Sunday is soup day!

2010-10-03T20:37:00.001-07:00

I love fall, and now that the weather is getting cooler I am ready to jump head first into all things warm and cozy. I have broken out the sweaters and coats, snuggled into all my cute boots, and stocked up on apple cider - because hot apple cider almost beats out the pumpkin spice latte. So it only seemed fitting to make up a huge vat of soup. I really wanted some white chicken chili, but seeing as we just finally finished the leftovers from the last time i made that I decided to try something new. Tonight was vegetable soup, I didn't love the recipe, I will have to start looking for another one, but it did inspire me to keep trying, I have officially declared Sunday "soup night" (although i'm going to have to remember to cut the recipes in half or else every other night of the week is gonna be "leftover soup night"). I'm already looking forward to next week - tortilla soup!

A chill in the air

2010-09-30T19:47:00.001-07:00

Each year I feel compelled to make myself a new scarf. Now, I'm not a knitter, and I would consider myself a beginner crocheter, seeing as I only know one stitch, but I enjoy crocheting because it allows me to sit in front of the tv for as long as I want, while still managing to accomplish something. What was my point?... Oh yes, anyway, seeing as it's beginning to get chilly here in Ohio I finally broke down and bought a new winter coat, and of course the thought of a new scarf planted myself in the back of my head. I was determined not to make another scarf this year, I think I have 12 in my closet at the moment, and yes, I do live in Ohio, but really, no one needs that many winter scarves. However, while cleaning my closet tonight I came across my crochet hooks, and that was all it took, I dropped everything and went out to buy some new yarn. So this is what is currently keeping busy, even though I don't need another project or another scarf, I just can't help myself!

Call for followers & Finally finished my tote!

2010-09-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I am so proud of myself for posting more often, (goal number 1), so now it's time to work on goal number 2: get more followers. I would love to up my numbers, if you know of any other bloggers/blog readers who love crafty stuff, reading about weddings, the occasional recipe, and some general randomness, please please please recommend that they read my blog, I love my followers and I would really appreciate some more love! If you have any tips for gaining more followers please leave me a comment and let me know!

To totally change the subject, I finally finished my new purple tote bag, sorry ladies, this one's not for sale!

I was so proud of myself for not rushing it and doing it right (I usually get antsy and start to cut corners), it's adorable, but unfortunately it turned out a little big to use for an everyday purse, that's fine with me though, because my original plan was to use it as my tote bag for the educational conference I get to go to in November, typically I wouldn't be so excited about a conference, but considering that this particular conference is in Anaheim California, and it includes a trip to Disneyland, I am giddy like a little kid, I can't wait! This Midwestern girl has never been to California and I am ecstatic!

Here is a close-up of the flower and beaded embellishment that I added

Fall = apples

2010-09-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Fall is in full swing in Northwest Ohio, and September always means apples. Apparently I have caught the bug, because I was ecstatic to start my Saturday morning off with a giant mug of hot apple cider. This was perfect because yesterday was so cloudy and blustery, for the first time, it really felt like fall. This afternoon I revisited the bag of apples in my fridge. I never use all of my produce before it goes bad, and this time I vowed that I would not be cleaning rotting apples out of that drawer three weeks from now, so I peeled some, cut them into chunks, coated them with cinnamon and sugar and baked them for half an hour, viola, yummy baked apples. They were supposed to be dessert, but I couldn't wait, they smelled too good! In a couple more weeks I'll be all about pumpkin flavored everything, but I still have half a bag of apples to use up!

Something different

2010-09-22T18:23:00.001-07:00

I really needed to take a break from the wedding stuff for a bit, so I decided to make something for myself - because I never do, do you do that too? I always make things for other people but rarely for myself, although I am getting better at doing things for me... But I digress. Anyway I am making myself a new tote bag because I have a bag obsession, and as much as it pains me I cannot afford a new Vera Bradley or Coach bag at the moment. But I figured my purple floral that I have been saving for something special was the perfect fabric. I quilted it tonight, that's as much as I had time to accomplish, but it is lined and bound with a white cotton with tiny lavender polka dots. I can't wait until saturday morning when I have time to work on it again!

Weekend accomplishments

2010-09-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

I got so much done this weekend, and I have been trying to figure out how I wanted to share the pictures of what I got done, do I show you everything all at once because I am so excited about all of it, or do I save it and dish it out in tiny little pieces so I can stretch out everything that I have to show you????

Becky at farmgirl paints helped me make my decision. Today in her post she was talking about how she is constantly posting pictures of herself, and some bloggers never do. I realized that that's me, I never post pictures of myself, typically because I'm the one taking the picture, but it reminded me that I have a really cute picture that I took this weekend of the boutonnieres I designed for the guys to wear in the wedding, and Aaron and I are in the picture.... kind of:

The framed picture in the background is one of our engagement pictures (taken by my best friend, Amy). This was my favorite picture from the shoot because it was totally natural and not posed, he just stuck his tongue out at me, and I cracked up, but that's typical for us.

Here is another picture of the boutonnieres (I apologize for the blurriness, that's the best I could do with the camera on my phone - thank you Samsung).

I was going for a very laid back, natural, not too girly look. What do you think?

Too go to be true

2010-09-19T19:17:00.001-07:00

I was so excited about my paper garland that I came home from the 5k I walked Saturday morning, went straight to my shed, and sat down to sew. I was ecstatic! It was so easy, and I had the whole thing done in less than twenty minutes. That is, until I began to wrap it up and realized that it was one big, giant, tangled mess.

It is still a giant tangle mess on my sewing table, I had to walk away. But otherwise I have had an extremely productive weekend, and I can't wait to show you what I accomplished, tomorrow, but now, I am exhausted and you better believe as soon as the clothes in the dryer are done, I am going to bed!

HUGE SALE!!!

2010-09-16T20:18:00.001-07:00

This is major news people! Obsessively Organized on etsy is having a huge sale -that never happens!

Recently people have begun to request calendars for the 2011, and while I am so flattered that you all like your planners, I'm just not as excited about making them as I used to be. I see this as a huge problem, because the last thing that I want to do is grow to hate papers and new layouts. If I am pouring this much of my soul into something, I want it to be something I am super passionate about, I need to shake things up! I want to throw In some variety!

No worries, I will still have some of the favorite products, including a second edition of my wedding plan workbook. Now that I am using it to plan my own wedding I am finding that some changes could be made to improve it.

Until I have the new products available, enjoy the sale! First edition wedding plan books have been marked down to $25. Notepads and notecards are a steal at $4 and $5, they make perfect stocking stuffers and teacher gifts so stock up before they're gone!

I have accomplished some things...

2010-09-15T17:30:00.001-07:00

My last post was just a touch negative, and occasionally I have to remind myself that there are actually quite a few things that I have gotten accomplished. One of the projects that I've managed to finish is an adorable wreath which I plan to hang on the doors to the church (of course I've only finished one, so I still have one more to do). It is a styrofoam wreath form wrapped in yarn, and embellished with a couple of purple felt flowers and some green silk hydrangea blossoms leftover from the bridesmaid's bouquets, so yes I do have something done, actually I've accomplished a lot more than that thank goodness! But there's an example

Only ideas...for now

2010-09-13T19:58:00.001-07:00

So I showed you those super cute wedding ideas that I found last night, but ever since I have had wedding decorations on the brain. I cannot wait to get my hands on some cute papers and get to work because right now all I have are ideas and a bunch of computer graphics, I so badly want to actually make something. Unfortunately there is this thing called work, you know, the place that I have to be for 9 hours a day, so I can't make anything at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, and I definitely feel like it is a part of me, but we all have days where we would much rather shut ourselves away and craft all day. Since I couldn't do that today I went to Hobby Lobby on my lunch break. It didn't quite satisfy my urge, but I was able to get some supplies, so at least I have them when I so finally have time!

Tell me how you satisfy your crafting urge, and how in the world do you finish big projects in time to meet deadlines?! I would love some suggestions!

Wedding Inspiration

2010-09-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

I was completely exhausted from my hours of laundry (don't you just love unpacking after vacation? Ummm no.) so I walked out into my studio to work on something mindless, but when I saw the disaster area that is my studio right now I just wanted to cry. We're talking pieces of centerpieces, bouquets, and invitations everywhere! Yea, I turned around and when back in the house, where I made a big giant list of every thing that I have to get done in the next 8 months, and after I finished my four-page list it dawned on me that maybe I really don't have to make everything myself (gasp!). So here I am, trolling etsy for ideas, and things that I really might be willing to pay someone else to do for me.

I was originally planning on doing these myself, but when I saw how much they cost, and I thought about how much of my time they would consume, I think I'm going to order them after all. PartyPoms has a huge color availability, and her photos make me drool!

This incredible idea is from KristinaMarie. Oh I have died and gone to heaven, this is exactly what I was looking for! I want to drape these beautiful garlands over our church pews. However I think I will make my own because I have got to try this out! How easy could you get, paper circles and a sewing machine, I just got a scalloped circle punch from Martha Stewart's craft line that will be perfect for this. Granted, I'll let you know how easy it is after I try it...

Vacation is exhausting!

2010-09-11T19:47:00.001-07:00

I am wiped out, who knew that vacation could completely wear you out. But honestly I'm not suprised, we did a lot today. We started bright and early (not so much, we didn't leave the campground until 10) in Berlin Ohio, which some cute shops, but for the most part has become overly touristy. I did get a couple of things, some new towels for the kitchen, one of the best stores is Berlin Bulk Foods, which is filled with baga and bags of noodles, cake bread and muffin mixes, dried beans, seasonings, flour, and candy. I picked out a cinnamon muffin mix, along with some pumpkin cappucino mix, which I was super excited to find.

From downtown Berlin we headed to a place we always hit, no matter what; Heini's Cheese Chalet. We never eat all of the cheese that we buy there, but it's so much fun to sample all of them! And then we drove 15 minutes to Charm Ohio. It's not even a town, more like a tiny speck on the map, but it Is home to my very favorite Amish bakery, Miller's Bakery. We walked in the door the minute that they pulled a tray of giant cinnamon rolls (I'm talking the size if my face giant) out of the oven, and the scent hit me like a ton of bricks. Needless to say, we bought one of those, along with a variety of cookies.

We went back for lunch at the camper, and then headed into town for the fair. We were hoping that the forecasted rain would hold off, but no such luck, we left the fairgrounds soaked to the bone. Luckily Aaron's brother lives close by, and we were able to throw some things in the dryer while we visited. When we finally left at 9 we still hadn't had dinner, so we ended up at the applebees in Wooster. I could've cared less about my food, I was too busy savoring my giant glass of Red Apple Sangria, which was absolutely to die for!

Now I'm back at the camper, and I'm completely content. I'm warm, dry, and full, and feeling like a bit of a party pooped because I am so ready to crawl into bed! Pictures will be up soon!

Yummy camping goodness!

2010-09-10T20:44:00.001-07:00

So yes, I fully realize that this picture looks like chewed up mush, but it's not, I swear, and I felt so bad about not posting pictures that I went ahead and posted it anyways, but, I digress.

Last year at this time we went camping in Amish country and I posted one of my favorite camping recipes, campfire pies, this year we are again camping in Amish country, so I am sharing my new favorite thing with you, dump cake, or heaven in your mouth!

Two cans of fruit pie filling, we used apple, a white cake mix from a box, a can of mountain dew, and approximately 2 tablespoons of butter all cooked in a Dutch oven over hot coals. It's incredible!!!!

Chili!!

2010-09-09T18:59:00.001-07:00

I apologize for two posts in a row without a picture, in my defense I did take a picture for this one but the lighting was horrible and it didn't make my super yummy chili look very appetizing at all.

Anyway, I am addicted to elephantitas alegras, I read kate's hilarious posts every day, and she has got me craving chili. I'm not typically a chili person, but I couldn't get it out of my head so I did a quick google search and found a recipe for a creamy white chicken chili, which has officially become my favorite dinner recipe EVER! Here it is:

1lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2inch cubes
1 med. Onion - chopped
1 1/2tsp. Garlic powder
1tblsp canola oil
2 15oz cans great northern beans
1 14oz can chicken broth
2 4oz cans chopped green chilis (I could only find a 7oz can, but I only used 2/3 of it)
1tsp salt (I used 1/2)
1tsp ground cumin (I used 3/4)
1tsp dried oregano
1/2tsp pepper
1/4tsp cayenne pepper
8oz sour cream
1/2cup heavy whipping cream

In a large saucepan sauté the chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.

Add beans, broth, chilis, and seasonings, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in cream and sour cream. Serves 7

I don't know about where you are, but it's definitely going to be chili weather in Ohio this weekend! Enjoy!

Super cuteness!

2010-09-08T15:51:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to show you the gifts that I just ordered for the girls in my bridal party, until I realized that would totally ruin the suprise for them, so that picture will have to wait, but I can definitely tell you that I got them from a very talented (and ingenious!) etsy seller and I am so excited that I bought one for myself too! The hardest part is going to be not giving them to the girls before the rehearsal dinner, which is not for another 8 months. I am so the kind of person who gets more excited about giving gifts than about getting them!

Good intentions

2010-09-07T16:06:00.001-07:00

I had every intention of finishing my overwhelming project that has become tagging and cataloging all of my beautiful glass, but when I walked into my studio tonight I was so not feeling it. So instead I went back in the house and filled in my planner for this week, it didn't take long to fill up a whole week, but that's the story of my life. Now I'm off to finish some laundry (so very exciting) and start getting ready for our camping trip this weekend. We're making our second trip of the summer to Amish country, I love Amish country, it's the perfect place to get in the mood for fall!

Two Words: Wireless Internet!

2010-09-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

I swear my life is a million times easier (not to mention a whole lot quicker) now that we finally have wireless at Aaron's (and therefore in my studio)! Needless to say my ipod has been glued to my hand ever since, and I am back to reading blogs religiously (o how I have missed you)!

Some of my favorite bloggers have inspired me to get back to my own, and I really want to turn this little blog of mine around. It is so much easier to write everyday when I share stories and info from all aspects of my life, as opposed to the segment that is my craft - mania. But the title still fits perfectly, because I am, of course, obsessively organized in every possible way.

For example, wedding planning has consumed my free time, so I wanted to share with you what I did this weekend (thank God for three day weekends), so that you can get a picture of how ridiculously organized my brain is.

This all started when I decided that my wedding centerpieces were going to be a collection of randomly assorted vintage glass vases (thank you design_sponge). I had already begun collecting pieces that grabbed me, so I was excited to indulge myself, and I went a little crazy at goodwill, savers, and garage sales. I now have over a hundred and fifty glass pieces in my possession. I was lucky enough to find a florist who is very excited about my vision, and I can't wait to see what she does with it (and now I'm going to plug the very talented Mary Ann at the Flower Basket in Bowling Green Ohio). But she can't give me a quote until she has a clear picture of the number and sizes of the pieces I want to use (entirely understandable). Therefore, the floor of my studio now looks like this:

But it's worth it because I finally feel like I have an understanding of what I have, whew. Plus each piece has a label on the bottom that gives the piece's item number, and the number of the table grouping that particular piece belongs to, and I have corresponding spreadsheets. Is it sad that I'm excited about my spreadsheets?

Plus, after I created a grouping, I took a picture of it, so that I can print the pictures and take them with me when we set up the hall. Here is one, it doesn't look like much now, but imagine it with flowers and candles (in 8 months I can show you pictures of the really thing!!!!!)

It was a little sad how tired this made me, but i definitely felt like I accomplished something!

Excuses Excuses

2010-06-13T11:34:00.001-07:00

Yes, again, I have been away for a long time, but this time I have a number of very legitimate excuses (as opposed to before, when I was just being lazy).

Excuse #1: I got engaged!!! Yes after 6 years Aaron finally asked, and it was so cute too. We were finishing up some little things in my studio before I moved all of my junk in, and he was helping me stick a beautiful decal pattern on one of the walls. This should've been clue number one because he never would've offered to help me do that otherwise. anyway, here's a picture of the wall we were working on:

When we were done we stepped back to admire our work and he pulled the ring out of a drawer!

So, needless to say I have been frantically trying to secure wedding vendors, and get myself organized, luckily I had already picked out one of my wedding plan books (available on my etsy shop)and I can wait to share a few posts on specific pages in my personal book!

Excuse #2: I have been moving all of my fun crafty stuff from my parent's house, to my new studio at my fiance's. But, my gorgeous studio is now completely done and I have been spending all of my extra time in there. Of course I never imagined that it would turn into wedding planning central quite so quickly, but I am so enjoying it! Here are some pictures of the finished product:

Excuse#3: I was on vacation. Aaron and I made another trip to Ohio's Amish Country, luckily we found a much better campground this year. So after a long weekend of s'mores, fabric shopping, antiquing, and a little sprint car racing action, I didn't have a ton of time for blogging, but I do have pictures to share:

Excuse #4: Some of our very close friends just got married, and though I started a quilt for them in January, somehow I was still finishing it up just this week. But I was able to finish it in time for the wedding, and as much as I love it, I was so glad to give it to them because I have spent so much time looking at it that I would be happy if I never saw it again! And in keeping with tradition starting with the last wedding quilt that I made, I of course forgot to take a picture of the finished product.

So yes, I realize that I have a lot of excuses, but I also have a lot more to share, so I will keep you updated on wedding details (I am already planning for a post on the special invitations that I have created for the members of our bridal party!), and I will definitely continue to focus on wonderful etsy vendors, whose beautiful work makes me fight the urge to whip out my credit card!

I have new pictures!

2010-05-13T16:33:00.001-07:00

That's right I have new pictures of my studio, which will soon be fully functional. The construction is done, now it's my turn to take over. Luckily I have a day off on Monday (I love compressed summer work weeks!!!!) so I will be moving in this weekend. Of course, when that is finished I will have some more pictures for you.

Up to this point one of my favorite activities has been collecting wonderful finds to fill up this space. The most important factor in my purchases has been the purpose of the item, and I have really focused on collecting items that are going to help me keep the space organized. Here are some of the storage solutions that I am currently drooling over (all are available on etsy!).

A gorgeous trinket box from KypresjackDesigns. Completely my style, a little pricy, but absolutely beautiful.

This is actually a drawer from a vintage sewing machine, which would be completely perfect for a crafting studio. Available from RiverBendRanchStudio

I think these little felt bins are my favorite, and I am so going to make a set of these myself, although, if I can't find the time I just may buy them from sewingmomma

New Remodel Pictures

2010-04-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, I fully realize that I am a blog slacker, but I do have new pictures of the studio, it is actually coming along very quickly, now that the average temperature is over 60 degrees it is much easier to work on!

Today's pictures are of the new siding, and I do admit that some of the character of the building was lost when the new siding was put on, but on the bright side, it doesn't look like it's going to fall over anymore!

And yes, I even managed to get the man at work! It is so close to done that I can feel it. As I type the interior paint is going up, and the best part is that I haven't even had to pick up a brush, I guess that's my reward for painting his entire house, he paints my tiny little shed for me, but I'm not complaining!

I have a trip to IKEA planned, and I am super excited to go pick out a counter top and some cabinets, then all that will be left is the decorating!

Scrapbooking fever

2010-03-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

The scrapbooker in me has been somewhat stagnant lately. I really didn't have anything that I was excited about scrapbooking, it seems that I just do the same themes and events over and over again. But we all got together for scrap night last night after work and I really challenged myself to do something different that would spark my interest.

Then it hit me, I am so stupid, of course I have something that I want to record and remember - my studio! Not only can I create a scrapbook of the experience, but it can also serve as a place to keep all of those photos and fabric swatches that inspire the interior design of the studio.

The scrapbook pages that I did last night turned out so beautifully that I wanted to share them. Hopefully you will be able to see my vision for the finished space!

These are the photographs that have given me inspiration. Many of them are from one of my all time favorite blogs - design sponge while others are from products for sale on Etsy, other blogs, and DIY websites. I especially love the photo of the kitchen with all of the white cabinets, the cabinets have been painted lime green on the inside, what a great idea, and a great way to use such a bright color so that it doesn't overwhelm.

Here are some of the fabrics and papers that I have collected to use for different decorative elements, curtains, cushions, picture frames, and other fun stuff that I haven't even thought of yet.

I chose to do all of the actual photographs in black and white because I didn't want any of the colors in the photos to distract from the color scheme that I had chosen for the design, and for the scrapbook. My intention for the studio is to have a place where everything belongs, where everything fits harmoniously. I really wanted to convey this in the scrapbook too.

I had the hardest time finding an album for this scrapbook, I looked everywhere, and in the end I never did find one. So I am planning on spiral binding these pages the same way that I bind all of my planners, but I can't do that until I am completely done, so for now I will just pray that nothing happens to my pages.

Studio remodel - New pictures!

2010-03-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

The weather here has been unseasonable warm, and we have been taking full advantage of all of this time to work outside, which has been perfect considering that the my soon to be studio is nowhere near ready to be heated. So I have some new pictures to share with you.

Aaron finished hanging the drywall today (yay!), and though it is basically still a shell of a building, I am really beginning to see it all come together. Here, check it out for your self!

I have also become somewhat obsessed with decorating my little unfinished space. My latest great idea has turned into an unexpected new hobby, as if I need another one of those. I really want to be able to display all of my supplies, especially the smaller notions and embellishments, in clear containers so that it is easy to see what I have, and I cannot resist unique glass vessels, especially vases and canning jars, so I have begun a collection that is growing rapidly.

I've never been much of a collector, even as a child I didn't really have any collections, but now I can see how they can consume you! But at least my collection of glass containers will be functional. I hope to be able to share some of my favorite finds with you. currently my favorites are the decanters with really unique stoppers, but I also enjoy the simpler milk bottles. I love to check out all of the photos on etsy, search vintage glass bottles and you'll be amazed, but I'm really cheap, so I've been scouring the local Goodwill store. I can't wait to fill them up, but I'm beginning to think that I'll have more jars than supplies to fill them up with!

A relaxing afternoon...what's that?!

2010-02-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

After such a crazy month, there is nothing that I appreciate more than a relaxing Sunday afternoon, although I must admit that I am not totally sure what to do with myself, and I am working to restrain myself from freaking out about the projects that I really should be working on.

I know that I have things to do, that's almost an understatement. But I definitely understand the importance of taking some time out. Yesterday was extremely productive, I managed to post four new weekly planners and update photos for four of my wedding plan books (all can be found at Obsessively Organized on Etsy), but instead of showcasing the work that I was able to finish up yesterday, I think I will stick to the spirit of relaxation and show you a few incredible Etsy finds that celebrate what it means to really relax.

The first item is Dream Balm from Lilith's Apothecary . Not only is it beautifully packaged, but it is also supposed to banish stress - sounds good to me!

The second item is this gorgeous cardigan by Hackwith Designs. The best thing about this insanely gorgeous article of clothing is that it looks super comfortable, yet you could definitely dress it up to go out. I am seriously contemplating a purchase...

Finally, one of my favorite things, slipper boots! My feet are forever freezing cold, needless to say I do not walk around my house without a pair on, these are essential. This pair is by marissaann.

Now, if I can tear myself away from Etsy, I am off to curl up with Eclipse (for the fifth time) and spend the afternoon reading about someone else's drama!

Bridal Show Update!

2010-02-21T17:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of my adorable table from today's bridal show:

If you look really closely you can see my boyfriend Aaron in the background. He gets major brownie points for sitting with me at a bridal show all day - what a trooper!

I think that it was a pretty successful day, I made a couple of sales, and if nothing else I passed out a ton of business cards, which is never a bad thing.

I have been home from the show for four hours now, OK, that's not completely true, I did take a two hour break for drinks at the world's best Mexican Restaurant (El Zarape in Bowling Green OH), but anyway, I just finally finished updating my Etsy page. I had to take off a couple of things that I sold today, but I also added a lot of new items that I made specifically for today's show. For example I have this gorgeous set of note cards that I had to put away as soon as I got home so that I wouldn't use them myself:

I also have some really cute new recipe cards, a new purple notepad, and three new wedding book designs. Take a minute to hop over to Obsessively Organized on Etsy to check it all out!

What have I gotten myself into?!

2010-02-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

I swear it's always something, half of my problem is that I can't say no, especially to a certain best friend. I know, I know, you have no idea what I'm talking about, but no worries, I will gladly fill you in.

One of my very best friends in the world is a wedding planner, needless to say, for someone who is neither engage or married, I probably know more about weddings than I could ever want to just from listening to her talk about work. Any way, the banquet hall that she works for is hosting a bridal show, and she asked my to make the all of the signs for the event. In return she is giving me a space at the show to set up and sell mainly my wedding plan books, but I will also have other items with me (because they make great shower gifts and bridal party favors!).

This sounds super exciting, and it could really bring in a lot of business, but I am so not prepared, oh, and did I mention that this event just so happens to be on Sunday? As in THIS Sunday!

I am the type of person who plans for things like this months in advance, not days. So I have been working my butt off to get it all together. Luckily I don't have very high expectations, and I doubt that I will sell too much, so at least I have enough items in my stock that I don't have to actually make too much more.

I don't have very high expectations, if a sell four books I'll consider it a great day, but then there's also that little voice in the back of my head that says "what in the world am I going to do if I get too many custom orders?"

I suppose I'll just have to wait and see how it goes, I certainly won't know until I try!

Snowed In!

2010-02-10T17:22:00.000-08:00

We just got 12 inches of snow in the last 29 hours, so needless to say I am stuck inside. On the bright side, I've had a day and a half off of work, so all things considered, I'd gladly take the snow!

My favorite thing about snow days is that they are a complete surprise, it's like the gift of extra time. So today I spent the entire day frosting valentine's day cookies, something that I never would have actually had time for, which means this weekend I don't have to frost cookies, and I can do other stuff, you know, that I actually really want to do.

Don't get me wrong, I do love to frost cookies, but when I have a million other things to do, spending four hours with sticky frosting fingers isn't as fun as it sound. I know, this is a completely random rant, but I've been in the kitchen all day by myself, so you'll have that. Any way, here are a couple of pictures that I took today, first some finished cookies, just in time for me to take to work tomorrow, and then one of Allis playing in the snow drifts!

As far as the studio remodel, it has been slow going lately, a foot of snow tends to put a damper on outdoor projects. Luckily we were able to get two new windows and a new door on before the snow started falling, and most of the studio has been insulated, unfortunately I'm going to have to wait until after northwest Ohio thaws out a bit before I can add any more pictures.

Studio update - I have a floor!

2010-01-18T11:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, well I have a sub-floor, but it's a start right?! So far, the floor has been raised and leveled, and outlets, lighting and electrical wiring has been installed. You should see all the outlets in this tiny little building, I am ecstatic! Hmm... I wonder if that's his plan to make me pay the electric bill...

Here are some new pictures, it's finally starting to look like a building, you know, as opposed to a dirty garden shed that looked like it was ready to fall down. It'll be a while before I get to the fun part, picking out flooring and counter tops, I'm trying to restrain myself from buying too much in the way of decor, but I've already stocked up on picture frames and candle holders - my weaknesses!

In addition to this craziness I am also working my butt off on new wedding plan books. I have been invited to do a bridal show in February, I'm not sure if I will or not, but I'm starting to beef up my inventory for it, at least this means I get to spend time in my very favorite place, the paper aisle at Hobby Lobby!

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, thank goodness for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I don't think I could make it through a dreary month like January without one little break!

Up and running

2010-01-10T20:10:00.001-08:00

Before Christmas I splurged and bought myself an itouch. I swear this thing is incredible, I am still discovering all of the great things that I can do with it and it just so happens that some incredibly smart people, who are obviously better with technology than I am, have created apps that will let me add blog posts and check up on my etsy shop. Hello efficiency! Now I can blog anytime, aren't you all so lucky! Please let me know I'd there are other apps that you swear by, I'd love to hear all about them!

A dream come true...I hope

2010-01-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

You may remember, early last summer, I posted some great photos of the shed that I was dying to convert into a studio (if not, you can view that post, and the photos, here). Anyway, by some miracle I was able to convince my boyfriend, ok I had a little help from his mother, that it really would be better as my studio than converted back to the working chicken coop that it had once been.

This doesn't happen very often, the whole me being able to convince him to do something my way, so needless to say, I am ecstatic! Not only am I finally getting a studio, a complete dream come true, I also get to share the who process with all of you!

Today I want to show you a few more photos of the space as it was when Aaron bought the property, just so you can appreciate how much work we have to do.

ok, I lied, I only have one picture of the shed, because at the time, I couldn't imagine why I would want more than one picture of the inside of this thing. The picture is a little dark, so I'll do my best to describe it for you. Originally this building served as a chicken coop, it was then converted into a garden shed, which explains all of the miscellaneous pots. It is dark, and currently missing two of the six windows. There is a racked cement floor, which is not level, and btw, it floods when it rains.

The plan is to raise and refinish the floor, insulate and finish the walls, finish the ceiling, paint and finish the exterior, install new windows and doors, and wire the whole place for electrical, and that's just what has to be done to the structure. After all of that is completed I have free range to work my decorating/organizational magic, and I could not be more excited!

I will certainly post pictures of the whole process, please let me know if you have any tips or tricks, or products that you could not do without. I am looking to make my studio the most organized, efficient workspace that I possibly can and I would love to know what works for you!

New Product Showcase!

2010-01-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

As promised, today I am featuring a new product available in my Etsy Shop! Many of my friends and family members received these from me at Christmas time and they were definitely a hit, so I decided to go ahead and try them out in the shop.

Introducing the Obsessively Organized Re-fillable Notepad:

Not only is it adorable, but it is incredibly durable, and re-fillable, and therefore, environmentally friendly. Check out the listings:

Berry Citrus Notepad

Purple Paisley Notepad

Let's get back to business

2010-01-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

Since my life has been just a bit stressful and out of control lately, my recent break from work was exactly what I needed. A week and a half gave me just enough time to indulge myself, while still allowing me to appreciate how wonderful a little break can be. I must say that I am very proud of myself, even though I had a great deal of time to relax and spend with friends and family, I also managed to find time to volunteer and create some adorable new items for my Etsy shop.

As tonight is my last evening before I have to get back to the real world I definitely find myself wishing it could last just a little longer, so I thought that this would be the perfect time to share one of my holiday ideas with you.

One of my favorite activities this holiday season was gift wrapping. I know that some do not look forward to this particular activity, but because I do love any kind of paper craft, gift wrapping puts me totally in my element.

Call me crazy, but I love to mix and match paper styles and ribbon, and each year I challenge myself to create a gift tag that doubles as a special keepsake. This year I cut each recipient's first initial from stiffened felt. I used a fine-tip permanent marker to write their whole first name on the letter, and then I punched a hole in the initial and added an eyelet. When it was time to wrap I simply slipped the ribbon right through the eyelet. It was a great time saver!

Another great gift wrap tip: I loved my wrapping paper so much that I decided to use it as the background for my holiday related scrapbook pages. In order to make the paper stiff enough to hold photos and embellishments I simply wrapped a piece of card stock just like I would wrap a gift. Now I get to showcase my favorite holiday photos and have pieces of my beautiful gift wrap to remember forever!

I have a great deal of holiday photos to share with you, keep checking in, as I plan on sharing photos of gifts that I made for others as well as new items that I have recently added to my Etsy shop!

All these great projects...that I can't tell you about

2009-10-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

This time of the year is so frustrating for me. I love to make Christmas gifts, and I have to start right now so that I have time to finish them, BUT I can't write anything about them, or talk about them to be sure that the recipient doesn't figure it out.

I don't know if it's harder for me to stop myself from telling others about the projects I'm working on, or to keep them from catching me working on it! So, even though I have not posted a lot recently, trust me, I am super busy, and I have the week after Christmas off, so there will be tons of time for me to update you all on what has been keeping me busy.

Right now I am preparing for Halloween, just like everyone else. Now, I don't craft or decorate for Halloween like some do, I'm not big on skeletons and ghosts, sure we'll carve pumpkins, but I enjoy the day after Halloween the most. My home is decorated in beautiful, rich, autumn colors (we moved in in the fall and I was inspired), so for the entire autumn season I am on the hunt for decorator items in those colors that don't scream "FALL". I love these colors all year round, but I don't particularly want to see pumpkins and scarecrows all year round, so I get to be very creative.

The day after Halloween is my bargain paradise. As soon as Halloween is over all of the autumn items are liquidated to make room for Christmas stuff, that's when I really go on the hunt!

I hope that you all enjoy your Halloween festivities, be safe and check in for updates on my post-Halloween bargains!

Comforting finds for cold and flu season

2009-10-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

Cold and flu season has officially arrived, and I have spent the last three days doing anything that I can think of to ease my stuffed up head. Unfortunately I will spend a lot of time sniffling this winter, but fortunately I understand that sometimes my body just needs to rest. So that is what I'm doing tonight, just resting.

Luckily I can take time to rest, and sitting around catching up on my favorite blogs is the perfect relaxation technique. There are a few other essentials that I need when I feel like this, so I thought it would be great to feature some Etsy artists who create just what I love to have around me to make me as comfortable and relaxed as possible.

The first necessity is tissues, and a lot of them. Many tissue companies offer some really cute box designs, but if you are looking for something to match your decor, and make that necessary tissue box seem like it really belongs in the room, check out Fondue. This gorgeous (and completely un-tacky) tissue box cover can be found in their Etsy shop.

Another absolute necessity is a great coffee mug. Whether you like coffee, tea, or my favorite, spiced apple cider, a warm drink makes a sore throat feel better every time. The bigger the mug, the better. Here some sophisticated handcrafted mugs from JustWork.

Nothing beats a great blanket for curling up on the couch with my coffee, tissues, and General Hospital. I have a couple of criteria for what constitutes a great blanket. First, it has to be fleece, because fleece is always fuzzy and warm, it doesn't take on the chill in the air. Secondly, a great blanket has to be extra large in size, so that all of me, from my neck to my toes, can fit underneath the blanket. Here is a super cute blanket from katesblankets.

These three things may not actually make me feel better, but they do make me more comfortable. Now I'm off for some good old fashion R&R, let me know what you need when you're sick and I'll post it for everyone!

A new take on a familiar project

2009-10-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

I can not believe how long it has been since I have posted. When I first started this blog I could not understand how someone could go for weeks without posting, but then again, when I first started this blog my only job was my small business and my blog was a part of my job, now it's something that I get to add to when I have time and something to share.

I had been taking some time away from Obsessively Organized to jump into my new job wholeheartedly, and to attempt to catch up on some personal projects that really needed to get started (Christmas gifts!). During this time I have barely been online at all, which is completely strange to me because I was online almost every minute of every day over the summer. However I have been spending more time with my trusty computer recently because I have been working on a custom order.

This order is important because it is for someone who is just as specific as I am about what they want in their planner. Many people will get a new planner because it looks cute, or they have every intention of getting organized, but then the novelty wears off and they forget where they put the darned thing. Custom orders are all special to me because when someone requests a certain kind of planner I know that they understand exactly what they need a planner to do for them, and I know that it will be useful for them because they are getting exactly what they want. This is why I started creating planners in the first place!

I was weary of taking on such a specific order, because I knew that I didn't have much time to work on it, but I am really thankful that I did, because it gave me the chance to remember what I love about this business - the creating. I got the opportunity to spend all day in front of my computer formatting pages, and I was given a new challenge - tab dividers for each month. This is something that I have been avoiding up until now because I couldn't seem to find a way to make them work, but for some reason it was so simple when I finally sat down to do it. I'm very excited about the tab dividers because I have a project that I would like to make for a friend for the holidays and the dividers are completely necessary (I won't say anything more, but I will be sure to let you know how it turns out).

I am so glad that I was given the chance to work on an Obsessively Organized project again. I am certainly not ready to get it back up and going at the rate that it was this summer, because I value my sleep far too much, but I will definitely be taking on a few more projects now that I know I can fit them into my schedule.

Here are a few pictures of the custom order that I just finished. I was so honored that she chose one of my original designs for the cover. How could I say no to that!

Time to rejuvenate!

2009-10-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

Image from justnaki

I have so missed my blog! Isn't funny how the first things that we push to the side when we run out of time seem to be the little things that truly make us happy? While I have not been able to blog as much lately (a direct result of the fact that I am rarely able to make it to my computer) I have certainly been using my journal more often. I am proving to myself that writing is one of my favorite therapies (writing and coffee!).

I have been so busy getting used to my new work schedule, and now it is time for me to work on my new personal schedule. I get so easily distracted because I have so much less time to work with. I get online to check my email, and I find myself on the computer for two hours because I keep thinking of things that I really need to catch up on, none of which were on my to-do list to begin with!

I am trying to rejuvenate myself by jumping back into my favorite projects. I have some wonderful Christmas gifts that I have started for my friends (I am super excited about them, but not sure when I will find the time to finish them, I am supposed to be working on them now...) which I will certainly share pictures of after Christmas. I also have a surprise for those who have purchased from me, just a little thank you for helping me get off to a great start (yes I will post pictures of those too). Finally I am beginning to get back to my Obsessively Organized products, and I can't wait to ship out some more calendars before the new year!

Now I just have to find some time to sit down and read some of my favorite blogs, that may prove to be a true indulgence, but maybe I can make it part of my Sunday morning routine. I will keep you posted on my fun new projects and deep musings!

It's time to re-evaluate

2009-09-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

If I was looking for a sign I got about 10. I was bound and determined to continue working on my Etsy shop at the same pace that I had been before, while starting my new full time job. I am positive that a higher power was encouraging me to slow down with the Etsy stuff, and when I didn't pay attention to the first sign, he sent me a second, and a third, and a fourth. Well I am certainly not going to stop, but I can definitely recognize when I need to take a break. I still have all of my wonderful planners and notebooks in my Etsy shop, but I am going to stop creating new inventory and taking custom orders for a couple of weeks while I re-evaluate the direction of my business.

The most important thing for me to remember is that I loved working on projects for Obsessively Organized, but during the last couple of weeks all I have been is frustrated, it seems as though nothing has gone right. I really want to get back to that place where I enjoy what I do, and I enjoy checking my email to look for a sale.

Hopefully things will slow down a little once I get adjusted to my new work schedule and I can pick up my Obsessively Organized projects again and add to my inventory before the holiday season. I will definitely keep you all posted! I so enjoy having a space to share my little dramas!

Rain and Football - Just my luck

2009-09-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend, I had a great time at the Ohio State football game (it was a shutout!), but we got completely soaked. It rained all day, and the worst rain came at the beginning of the game. My best friend, who hasn't missed a home OSU game in the last 4 years, swears she has never sat through such a rainy game. That would definitely be my luck, I officially apologize to anyone who attended the game on Saturday, it only rained because I was there. But it was still a ton of fun, we couldn't do anything about the weather, so we enjoyed it, how often do you play in the rain?! Here are some great pictures from the game:

We sat in the south stands, with a great view of the entire field.

Script Ohio! The football team is great, but it's worth going to the game just to see the band do the script Ohio in person.

Even in the rain it's a sea of red.

Check out that nasty cloud, I promise it was 10 times darker in person, I of course had no idea that it was supposed to rain, so taking rain gear never even crossed my mind, but it certainly wouldn't have been the same experience if I had stayed dry!

Sweet Treats

2009-09-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

I have been super busy, but I can definitely make time to do Sweet Treat Friday! I have been noticing that the sweet treats I have featured have really reflected what is going on with me currently, and I think that is great because as someone who really loves to bake I can appreciate the idea that there is a treat for every occasion.

I just found out that I get to go to the Ohio State Football game this Saturday, which is a huge deal, because around here, OSU Football is a way of life. I'm not a die hard football fan by any means, but I'm definitely looking forward to the experience, so in honor of my big weekend today's treat is the BUCKEYE!

(Image from BirdMom). These incredible little bite sized candies are like heaven! Creamy peanut butter centers dipped in chocolate, what more could you ask for. They get their name because of their resemblence to the nut of the buckeye tree, Ohio's state tree, however, a buckeye (nut) is poisonous, and a buckeye candy is only bad for you if you eat too many of them (which I have done on a number of occasions!)

Enjoy your weekend, I will post pictures from the game as soon as I have a chance.

On a completely unrelated note, I am so frustrated by issues that I have been having with my printer. I have a wonderful Brother Laser Printer, and I love it, but the toner is incredibly expensive, so I have tried a couple of different options for cheaper toner cartridges. First I ordered a supposedly compatible generic toner cartridge, which of course was not actually compatible, so I had to send that back and I am still waiting on a refund, then I ordered from an online discount ink supplier. Ha this has been a joke, first my ink was back ordered, then they promised they would overnight it, then it got sent ground "by accident" so I am still waiting for it almost two weeks later. I've learned my lesson, next time I'll just go pick it up from Office Max, it's more expensive but the service is worth it!

Just a quick thanks!

2009-09-21T19:45:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, it has been an insane day to say the least, and a bit of a downer. This is why I was so happy to check up on my blog and see some really sweet comments and new followers. Thank you all! Here's to hoping tuesday will be a better day!

I love fall!

2009-09-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

I love autumn in Northwest Ohio. This is without a doubt my favorite time of the year. This past Saturday was especially gorgeous, it was sunny and 70 degrees, and all of the wonderful harvest colors had just started to change. I couldn't resist the incredible views, so I took some pictures:

I think I only have fall landscape pictures, the colors are so vibrant that I feel like I have to capture them, and I love to use them in my decorating projects. I can't wait to print all of these!

To completely change the subject, I start my new job tomorrow, and while I'm really excited, I'm not nervous, which is unusual for me because everything makes me anxious! I hope that this means this new job is a perfect fit. But the reason that I'm telling you all of this is because I will not have as much time to blog now that I am back to working full time. No worries, I will certainly continue sharing my stories and photos (I'm very excited to tell you all about a craft show that I might get to do later this fall, I'm sure that my preparations for that will be a learning experience!) so please keep checking, I truly appreciate everyone who reads my blog because I so enjoy writing it!

Friday nights

2009-09-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

Goodness my Friday nights have become incredibly predictable! Tonight we went out for ice cream (my favorite peanut butter cup sundae from my favorite ice cream store ever, Mr. Freeze) and then watched Dateline. Ha, how exciting! But, at least it was relaxing. Now I am reading blogs when I know that I should either be doing something productive or heading to bed.

My plans for tomorrow include a little crafting (or maybe I'll do some of that tonight still...) and then I'm going to check out the Harrison Rally Days festival in Perrysburg Ohio. I'm excited to see a lot of crafters and artists and hopefully get some inspiration!

I hope that everyone has a great weekend!

Seasonal Treats!

2009-09-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for a pretty cookie. Yes, taste is incredibly important, but the way that it looks has to draw you in before you will take a bite. These gorgeous cookies from SomethingSweetShop fall into the "too cute to eat" category. I have no idea how they taste (I am a bit picky about my cookies) but they look incredible, and they remind me that I really need to start thinking about making my autumn sugar cookies.

The perfect cookie always needs the perfect drink, and in the Autumn there are only two choices, hot apple cider, or chai tea. Both drinks are a great complement to something sweet, and they add to the autumn atmosphere. This Vanilla Bean Chai mix is available from goodforyou.

If you need a little pick me up today I suggest you head over to the plants and edibles category on Etsy and do a quick search using the term "autumn" oh my goodness the results are all incredible, yes it might make you crave something sweet, but it is also a feat for the eyes!

On that note I am off to spend my last day before I start working doing one of my favorite things in the world; outlet shopping! Enjoy your Friday!

Get Organized!

2009-09-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hi all, it's Wednesday and that means it's time for the organizing tip of the week. This one is very simple, but has also proven to be very useful.

If you are anything like me your space is covered in to-do lists, shopping lists, post it notes, order confirmations, receipts, and cards. It gets a little overwhelming, and it leaves me with absolutely no room to work.

In order to combat all of those little notes that clutter up my work space I have begun writing everything down in a mini notebook. I put all of my phone messages, to do lists, shopping lists, and random notes in this one little notebook, and I stick all of the loose addresses, business cards, and receipts in the pocket. This way my mess is confined to one area, and I can pick it up and throw it in my purse so I always have my lists with me.

Here is my notebook (on my far too cluttered desk):

This is also helpful because I have a tendency to get easily frustrated by the clutter and get into a cleaning rage, where I unknowingly throw away a very important piece of paper (it's happened more than once), this way all these notes will still be there months later.

Shameless promotion: I have many mini notebooks just like this one in my Etsy shop stop by and check them out!

Pictures from Amish Country

2009-09-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some of my pictures from my trip to Amish Country. Please excuse the poor quality as most of them were taken while we were driving, and a moving vehicle is not exactly conducive to incredible photography. I took a ridiculous amount of landscape photos. I could not get over the hills. In my part of the state everything is flat flat flat, so the views from the hills were completely breathtaking for me. Enjoy!

I'm Back!

2009-09-14T10:34:00.001-07:00

I'm back from my little mini vacation, and while it was wonderful to go do something new I now feel like I have so much catching up to do! I have some pictures from my trip that I will post at some point, either today or tomorrow.

While I was away I received a job offer, which made my vacation a wonderful celebration and a last hurrah for summer since I will be going back to work next week. I have a lot to prepare before then, so my posts may be less often than they had been previously, but I will definitely continue blogging and selling on Etsy, no worries!

Check back for my vacation pictures, they will be up soon!

Sweet Treats!

2009-09-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

I know that it's not Friday, but as I will be on the road tomorrow I thought I would share my sweet treats today. I'm going for a camping theme with this one, I love fall camping, It's not too hot, and the evenings are perfect for gathering around the campfire!

We have a great set of antique pie irons that we always take camping with us, they were my grandmother's and you can make so much with them, this sweet treat is one of my camping favorites, and it's super easy. Today I'm making Campfire Pies!

To start, take 2 slices of bread and butter one side of each slice. Open the pie iron and place the buttered side of one slice against the metal pie iron. Top this slice of bread (non-buttered side) with any type of fruit pie filling, my favorites are apple and cherry pie filling. Then place the second slice of bread (non-buttered side) on top of the pie filling, and close the pie iron. The butter helps to keep the bread from sticking to the pie iron. Then you stick the iron in the fire. According to Andrea Meyers at andreasrecipes.com it should remain in the fire for 2 to 3 minutes. Let the iron cool a little, then open it up (carefully!) and voila!

Visit Andrea's website (linked above) and check out some more of her gorgeous photos! I've got pies to make!

Vacation!

2009-09-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

Yay! I leave in just 3 hours for my only real vacation this summer. I mentioned the other day that Aaron and I are taking his new camper to Amish Country for a long weekend. Some may not consider camping a vacation, but I hardly consider this camping. The new camper is 800 times nicer than his old pop up. We now have running water, electricity and air conditioning, not to mention it is ridiculously clean. So no, I don't consider it camping I keep telling people that it is much better than staying at a hotel because I cleaned it myself!

So in honor of my trip I have found some wonderful Amish Country-type items on Etsy for you all to drool over.

I know, it doesn't make sense, the Amish don't even use electricity, so how do they have stuff on Etsy right? Well this first item is not made by the Amish, but uses genuine Amish ingredients. handsatwork make this super yummy looking Amish Cinnamon Loaf using an Amish Starter.

This adorable sunbonnet is available from dewdrophandmades. A few of the items in her store are made by an Amish woman, and dewdrophandmades sells them online for her.

CountryDreaming has listed this photograph, titled Amish Farm Through Sunflowers. My favorite thing about visiting Amish Country is that landscape photos always turn out wonderfully because there are very few power lines.

Finally, this Amish Friendship Bread soy candle is available from lilyladyscreations . I would absolutely buy this candle, I'm adding it to my favorites as we speak. If you have never smelled fresh baked Amish Friendship Bread then you are definitely missing out, and friendship bread has a wonderful story. You receive a friendship bread starter mixture in a plastic baggie from a friend. It comes with specific instructions of what to do with the starter each day, some days you stir it, some days you add different ingredients, and some days you just leave it alone. After 10 days you bake your own loaf using only one or two cups of the mixture. The leftover mixture is then separated into three starters, which you give to three friends. It's a really cute idea, if you remember to check the instructions everyday.

I also appreciate that lilyladyscreations makes soy candles, farmers right here in Ohio grow a lot of soybeans, it's one of the three major crops of this region - Support our farmers!

I hope that you all enjoy these wonderful Amish themed products, I can't wait to share all my pictures when I return!

Weekly Organizing Tip

2009-09-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday! not usually something to get excited about, but I'm excited to share my weekly organizing tip with you. This is one that I have been using myself, so I promise it works.

Who has too many magazines? Everyone, you know, the old issues you're saving because there was something really cute in that one, and you wanted to try a project from this one. The problem is, you can never remember which issue the article that you want is in, then you have to search through all of them. Plus thos magazines take up a lot of precious space!

My solution is to create a project book or idea book by tearing out only the pages of the magazine that you want and placing them in a three ring note book. I personally have way too many craft magazines, and I love all types of crafting, from crochet, to paper craft, beading, quilting, etc. So my project idea book is divided into sections.

Every couple of months I go through all of my magazines and tear out all of the projects that I think are cute, would like to try, or might want someday. I organize them into groups by the type of craft, and insert them in clear page protectors. Then I place them in my idea book. THis way instead of going through all of my old magazines, I just have to flip to the section that I want and look quickly.

Here are some pictures of my project book:

You could purchase tab dividers from the store or from talented etsy artist ormolu, I just whipped up my own really quickly with some paper, markers and clear packaging tape.

Busy Busy Week Ahead

2009-09-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

Well, my last day of summer was not quite as exciting as I had hoped, actually it wasn't that great at all, it rained, all day, and my computer almost died, but I spent the whole day trying to clean out all the old files and junk that seems to appear from no where and It is finally back to normal, so crisis averted, yay!

When I got it up and running again I did manage to list a gift card in my Etsy shop. It is good for $25, the perfect gift because then the recipient can choose their own planner from Obsessively Organized!

Today is being devoted to getting myself back in gear for my busy week. I am starting a new project today, making a baby quilt for a friends' mom to give to a relative. It is wonderful to be able to help people with all of these projects, maybe that's a direction for my business to go I could be a crafting consultant, well it would never get boring!

I am also going to spend the week packing because Thursday night I am going on vacation! My boyfriend, Aaron, and I are going to take his new camper out for the weekend. We are going to visit his brother in Wooster Ohio and then spend some time in Amish country.

I am off to run some errands, I cannot put off buying printer toner any longer unfortunately, have a wonderful day and check back tomorrow for organizing tips!

Desperately Clinging to Summer

2009-09-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

I am not ready for summer to end, it has gone way too fast, but unfortunately, today marks the symbolic last day of summer, so I thought I'd say goodbye by featuring some of my favorite summer themed items from Etsy sellers.

Enjoy these items and then get outside for a barbeque or something summery while you still can!

These adorable strawberry hair clips are by JoyfulJessica, ahh fresh strawberries...

Sea glass from westcoastseaglass, hmm maybe I can talk my sister into going to the lake with me today, I haven't made it over there all summer.

emmadreamstar has got it right, ice cream is fun!

Nothing says summer like a great road trip! These craft embellishments are available from endofthedaycrafting.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone is having a relaxing long weekend. I have done some serious damage in the shopping department, and I think I have enough clothes to get myself through the winter, although that doesn't mean I won't buy more...

Now I'm off to do some of those chores that I can just never seem to find time for during the week, like washing the dog!

Have a wonderful extra day off!

It's Friday!

2009-09-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

That's right it's Friday, do your little celebration dance. That also means that it's time for me to post some yummy seasonal treats, so I have two for you today (well technically one of them isn't seasonally, but it's definitely a guilty pleasure, so I'm posting it anyway).

The first treat is available around the country, and I generally would rather post something that you can make yourself, but this is my all time favorite fall treat, so I have to share it with you. This past week has been wonderful because I had my very first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season!

That's right, I know that it's the very beginning of September, but Pumpkin Latte's are now available! (the image is courtesy of Starbucks.com, but I really don't recommend visiting their website because it gives you the nutritional information for their products, and there are just some things that I'd rather not know). You can find tons of recipes to make your own pumpkin latte, but I haven't tried any of them, so let me know which ones are good, I'd love to share them!

My second treat is not exactly seasonal, actually, these are wonderful all year long, and I am actually going to make some as soon as I get done posting this, so I present to you, Monster Cookies! (photo courtesy of the Food Network)

Monster cookies are giant, wonderful goodness. When I first saw the recipe I couldn't imagine that mixing all of those things together would actually taste good, but they are incredible. You can also find a ridiculous amount of recipes for monster cookies, but the one that I have always used is from Paula Deen (one of my favorites). Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies (M&Ms)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

They are super easy to make, this is definitely a recipe worth printing for later use! Just a note, this is Paula Deen's recipe, directly from foodnetwork.com, when I make these cookies I personally do not use salt, or raisins, and I have seen other variations of this recipe that include walnuts. Fell free to tailor them to what you like, baking is all about your interpretation of the recipe.

Ok I'm off to make some cookies, have a wonderful Friday and a safe Holiday weekend!

New Designs for Fall and Winter 2009!

2009-09-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Before I start I have to apologize again for not having these up yesterday like I said I would - I had some serious printer issues, and we all know that when you are in a hurry everything that can go wrong will go wrong!

Here are my first ever completely original cover designs! These will be available as covers to my planners, wedding books, teacher planners, travel planners, and address books in my Etsy shop (http://obsessivelyorganized.etsy.com/) for the upcoming holiday season. No worries, these are not the only covers that I will have, I will still have the gorgeous covers made with my favorite scrapbooking papers, but the designs that I am introducing right now are done with my own hand drawn images.

The name of the line is "Sass", it's very contemporary, definitely a reflection of my personal style, and they just feel fun:

This is the label for the line. I love it because it incorporates parts of each design!

Feisty is the design that I featured the other day, it is the first one that I finished, and after I got it done I was on a roll! The image on the right is the full cover, while the one on the left is a close up of the embellishment.

Classy is elegant, but still fun, and very flirty. Each flower is attached with a silver eyelet.

Lively is a lot of fun, and a lot to look at! It has a very sweet feel and each leaf is attached with a green eyelet.

Playful is really great because the polka dots make you think sweet and innocent, but the black lace adds a little mischief! This is the design that I used for the travel mug that I blogged about yesterday.

I can't decide which one I like the best, it depends on what mood I'm in, but that's a good thing I guess. Let me know which is your favorite, I would love to hear from you!

A great advertising idea - and it's free!

2009-09-02T07:36:00.000-07:00

I thought of a great advertising idea last night (actually I'm pretty sure it was early this morning, I was only up until 3am...). This is so easy I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.

I have a design-your-own travel mug (mine's a cheap one from oriental trading, but nicer ones are available from starbucks, among other places) and I decorated the insert using papers from my new line (which will be unveiled right here later this afternoon).

Here's my mug, and a sneak peak of my new line:

Now wherever I take my coffee I also take a conversation piece which gives me just one more reason to talk about my business.

It's Wednesday - Let's Get Organized!

2009-09-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

That's right it's Wednesday, which means it's time for the first post in my weekly feature. Each Wednesday I will post ideas for keeping organized. I have two for you today:

When I started my Etsy shop one of my issues was what to do with the items that I've made and listed, but haven't yet sold? I found my answer at Michael's:

Great boxes and containers are perfect for a multi-use space because they give you a place to put thing that need to be kept safe and clean, but it's alright if they do not fit in the closet because they add to the decor of the room. I love these boxes so much that I would keep them out even if they were empty (ha! that would never happen!).

Some other great places to look for containers that are both functional and attractive include The Container Store and Hobby Lobby.

Organizing tip number two is a bit more crafty. If you are anything like me you have a bunch of little items floating around your workspace (paper clips, pushpins, beads, bobbins, safety pins, the list goes on and on...). Here is an idea for corralling all of those items, and recycling. I love flavored coffee, so I had piles of these containers:

This type of container is perfect for this project because it is sturdy, and it has a lid. Here is a picture of the finished product:

This is one of those great projects that you can modify to fit your personal style and the decor of your space. You can start with any kind of container.

First, measure and cut scrapbooking or craft paper to fit all of the way around your container.

Use Mod Podge or decoupage glue to coat the container, and attach the paper. Make sure to rub over the entire surface to remove air bubbles. Set this part of the container aside, it is important to let the first layer of Mod Podge dry completely before moving on.

While you are waiting you can begin painting the lid of the container. I used acrylic craft paint. Because it is a plastic lid it will take several coats. Make sure you let each coat dry completely before applying the next coat (this is a difficult project for me because I am not a patient person!).

Once the original layer of glue on your container is dry you can cover the paper with another layer of Mod Podge or glue, for a shiny protective coat. At this point you can also add any additional embellishments.

Finally, once each coat of paint on the lid of your container has dried coat the lid with Mod Podge also, this will help keep the paint from chipping off. Remember, don't put the lid on the container until the glue has dried completely!

Ok, now go get organized!

Hard work can really wear you out - who knew?!

2009-09-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

I am exhausted! Have you ever gotten so into a project that you literally can't stop? That was my morning. I woke up with the intention of printing a couple books and then binding a whole pile of items, but my attention was caught by the paper design project that I have been working out (without a lot of luck) all weekend. Before I knew it I was cutting out tons of tiny paper flowers.

I worked furiously for hours, I didn't even stop for lunch! So now, I'm not only exhausted, but starving, it's time for me to take a break, but before I do I have to start a new sketch - something outside my window just caught my eye...

Then I promise I'm going to take a break - I need to start planning for my vacation! My boyfriend and I are taking his new camper out for the first time next weekend. We are going to visit his brother and then spend some time in Amish Country. I have been dying to get over there all summer, so I can't wait!

New Cover Designs

2009-08-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

I spent the entire day on the computer trying to digitally enhance the designs that I drew over the weekend. I finally came up with a couple of images that I cannot wait to use as covers for my lovely books! Here's my favorite:

I owe my sister a huge THANK YOU for helping me figure out the editing program I've been working with, she's much better at it than I am!

I have a ton more work to do, but I think it's going to be tomorrow's project, my poor computer is begging for a rest, and so am I for that matter. Hopefully things will go a little more smoothly tomorrow, but I can't complain, because I have accomplished a lot today.

Please let me know how you feel about this design, and look for others to start showing up in my store (http://obsessivelyorganized.etsy.com) !

Saturday Sketches

2009-08-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all, happy Saturday! I splurged this morning on some new pens and have spent the entire afternoon drawing, something that I haven't done in years. I am hoping to use my own designs to create papers for my Obsessively Organized items (http://obsessivelyorganized.etsy.com/). Here are some pictures of the work that I did today:

I'm going to play with my designs on my computer and see what all I can do, but I will certainly share the finished products!

Now that my afternoon is gone I'm off to get ready to head out to the German American Festival. August and early September are the best in Northwest Ohio because it is prime time for fairs and festivals. Already this month we have attended the Ottawa County Fair, the Wood County Fair, the Henry County Fair, and the National Tractor pulling Championships. Next month we will visit the Fulton County fair and check out the Black Swamp Arts Festival and the Luckey Fall Festival. It certainly makes weekends fun!

Seasonal Treat Friday (slightly belated)

2009-08-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

In honor of the first friday night high school football games here in northwest Ohio I am featuring these gorgeous cookies from Sugar & Flour on Etsy (http://sugarandflour.etsy.com/)

I'm not a huge football fan, but there's nothing like the atmosphere of a local football game, and here in Ohio, high school football is always better in August and early September - when it is still warm enough to sit through the whole game :).

New Weekly features

2009-08-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

I've been inspired by one of my new favorite blogs "Shop Friends" (http://shopfriends.blogspot.com). Each week Shop Friends has "Cupcake Friday" and they feature a different picture of a cupcake each week. It's such a cute idea that I've decided to create my own take on this idea. Unfortunately, I am in love with baked goods of every kind, I do not discriminate :) so I am going to be sharing "Seasonal Treats" every Friday.

I am also going to take a note from the title of my blog and offer a new organizational tip each Wednesday. I love to try new products to keep myself organized, but I especially love crafts that help me to get organized because they combine my two favorite things - crafting and ultimate organization!

Hopefully you will all enjoy these features, and if you come across ideas for either feature please do share them with me!

I'm in the news!

2009-08-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Today I was featured in the BG News, the newspaper for Bowling Green State University. I graduated from BGSU in December, and I started making my planners while taking classes there so this is a big deal for me.

On Fridays they run a special art section called the Pulse and this weeks feature was local Etsy sellers.

You can read the whole story at http://http//www.bgviews.com/our-views/entertainment/getting-artsy-with-etsy-1.1823716#3

I'm so excited - thanks to Alaina and the rest of the crew at the BG News!

Adventures with a lightbox

2009-08-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

I used my white laundry basket as a make-shift light box last night, it was the only way that I was going to get some good pictures. I had been wary of actually making a lightbox because to be honest I don't have the space to store one, and the last thing I need is one more thing sitting on the floor in my room, but the pictures turned out pretty well. Here are a couple of them:

These note cards are available on my Etsy site (Just click the Etsy mini to the left) in a variety of colors.

My cats also really enjoyed my lightbox, but then, they generally have to check out anything that they will fit inside of.

Roy (gray) and Chester (orange) rarely get this close to each other, so I had to get a picture!

It has character

2009-08-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

I love my boyfriend's old tool shed. For some reason I am drawn to it. It's old, and mildewy, it smells funny, and it looks like it could fall down, but there is just something about it that I am absolutely in awe of.

I secretly (ok maybe not so secretly) want to turn it into my studio. My boyfriend laughs at me everytime I mention this. He says it floods when it rains, it has no electricity, and no heat, "how are you going to work in a studio with no heat in December when it's snowing?". But for some reason all of this doesn't really matter to me.

The point is that I think my instincts are telling me that this dumpy little shed could eventually be the perfect place for me to create. It already has a ton of character!

I love to compete - with myself

2009-08-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Do you ever see something that someone else has done and say "I could do that" ? I do, all the time. Today I had the opportunity to look at some business cards that others on Etsy had designed for their own businesses and I started to compare mine to theirs (I compare myself to other people A LOT my boyfriend will be the first one to tell you that), but in this case it was a good thing because it made me challenge myself.

I looked at those business cards, and I looked at my old business card and I decided that I could do better.

I'm no graphic designer, but I play around a lot, and I spent a ton of time on my computer tonight working on a new business card. Now I do have to warn you that the layout is basically the same as the old one, and the picture is the same, but the background is new and I LOVE IT.

Just so you can compare, I'm going to post both the old one (top) and the new one (bottom):

I love looking at these two pictures next to each other, because not only does my new business card look more professional (and shows off more of my personality) you can clearly see that I have been working on the quality of my photos!

My very first Etsy Purchase!

2009-08-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

I just bought this beautiful Vintage cocktail ring from Etsy seller MissesBird (http://missesbird.etsy.com/)!

I have been on Etsy for almost 2 months but I had never bought anything before. Believe me I have been trying to talk myself out of buying for the last couple of days, but this particular ring caught my eye and there was no turning back.

Now I can't wait to get it I don't know if i'm more excited to get the ring, or to get a package in the mail!

Ladies Who Launch

2009-08-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have just started reading the book "Ladies Who Launch" by Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt. It is not really a book about starting your own business, it's more about the idea that launching your life (i.e. doing what you want to do with all aspects of your life) is not just something that you do, but a mindset and a lifestyle.

I certainly don't agree with absolutely everything that Colligan and Schoenfeldt have to say (being the critical, educated thinker that I am - thank you liberal arts education!), but they do introduce a lot of interesting topics that make me feel a lot better about my current lifestyle.

Basically the authors say that women, especially those who work in non-corporate settings, conduct business very differently than men (duh!).

A couple of times while I was reading I found descriptions of myself. According to Colligan and Schoenfeldt "Women are more likely to have a creative idea when out in the world circulating." Thank you thank you thank for validating my need to get out, move around, and see more than the same four walls all day every day!

I cannot sit behind a desk all day. I cannot even sit in my studio (ok my bedroom, but it really does double as my studio/office for now...) all day. I need to go run errands, I need to go out for lunch, I live for taking packages to the post office!

Another thing that they mention is that many women complete tasks during their work day that others view as play (i.e. meeting friends for lunch, writing this blog!) but these things are important because they allow us to connect with others, and those connections can have a huge impact on our work. I just caught myself doing this. I was browsing the forums at Etsy and I told myself that it was time to get back to work. But then I had to remind myself that for me, those forums are productive. I learn things there that I cannot find anywhere else.

So these are just a couple of nuggets of wisdom that I have received from this book so far, but I will continue to keep you posted because I find it absolutely fascinating that someone understands the way that I work, and I will definitely be suggesting this book to all of those people who still think that I don't have a job!

Is this success?

2009-08-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

I am exhausted! I have had an insanely busy weekend, but I am so excited because I sold two planners in the last two days. Is this what it feels like to be successful?!

In honor of my recent sales I want to feature some other Etsy sellers who have also made sales today. I used Etsy's Pounce feature to locate other sellers who have just made a sale, here are a couple of really cute items:

These adorable Halloween Fun Mini Notecards were just sold by CardsandNotes (http://cardsandnotes.etsy.com/) This shop is full of cute cards and note cards, they even have pot-it note holders, perfect for someone like me, I LOVE to make lists.

BernioliesDesigns (http://bernioliesdesigns.etsy.com/) Just sold the pattern for this absolutely gorgeous Elegant Gray Capelet. Who wouldn't feel like a million dollars while wearing this! I love to crochet, but unfortunately I've only mastered the straight line, I am in awe of anyone who can make something so incredibly beautiful out of yarn.

Finally, this Smaller Eternity Ring with Crystals necklace was just sold by cinnamonsticks (http://cinnamonsticks.etsy.com/). I love it because it is stunning, eye catching, and personal, yet simple enough to be worn every day. I had a necklace similar to this one when I was in high school (it said "dance dance dance" because I was the captain of my high school dance team) and I wore it all of the time!

Check out these incredible sellers on http://www.etsy.com/ and if you're bored give the Pounce feature a try, it could keep me entertained for hours!

Full Pull!

2009-08-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures that I promised from the National Tractor Pulling Championships:

Welcome to my hometown!

2009-08-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

I am from Bowling Green Ohio - otherwise known as Pulltown USA, home of the National Tractor Pulling Championships, which is being held this weekend.

For anyone who has never experienced a tractor pull before your really must go to understand what i'm talking about, it's an incredible atmosphere. (Before I get too far, for an overview of the sport of Tractor Pulling visit the website of the National Tractor Pulling Association www.ntpapull.com, and www.pulltown.com has a great video of the sport).

Now i'm not what you would call a Tractor Pulling fanatic by an means, I do admit that the noise and the smoke is a little exciting, but I am going to the pulls tonight to engage in my favorite sport: People Watching. And I promise that this is the best place in the world to people watch. Think NASCAR race meets Daytona Beach during Spring Break.

I will definitely post pictures from my adventures!

My new favorite website

2009-08-21T08:04:00.001-07:00

I have to tell you all about my new favorite website. I am currently addicted to shabby blogs (www.shabbyblogs.com) they have absolutely gorgeous backgrounds, buttons, and more, AND it's all free!

I discovered shabby blogs while reading forum posts on Etsy (another addiction) so major thanks to blueberryshoes who linked shabby blogs in the forum! As my thanks to her I am posting the link to her shop: http://blueberryshoes.etsy.com go check it out!

2009-08-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

I LOVE blended iced coffees. They are my major weakness, and I know this is completely random, but right now I am totally bummed because I drove through one of my favorite coffee shops after I shipped out my last sale and whoever made my coffee completely messed up. I mean it tasted like i was drinking the flavor syrup right out of the container.

Of course I didn't take a drink until I was halfway home, and I hate hate hate confrontation so I wasn't about to go back and ask them to fix it. Instead I did what I always do, I tried to fix it myself when I got home (thank goodness I was on my way home).

It definitely tastes better, but it still isn't very good, and I'm super bummed.

So there's my random rant for the day.

Another Sale - Finally!

2009-08-19T08:39:00.001-07:00

I made another sale - yay! Its so exciting, I never get tired of making a sale, and after a slump I was super excited to make another one.

I was in the forums over at Etsy the other day and someone had asked if sellers who have hundreds of sales still get excited. I thought it was a great question, because I'm still a newbie so every sale is exciting to me, but aomeone who had over a thousand sales said that she still gets excited at each one, and that gave me a little more hope.

I guess if I ever don't get that giddy feeling when I make a sale then that shows me that it is time to try something new.

Right now I appreciate my buyers so much, I am amazed and humbled by every sale because it means that other people, people that I have never even met like my work enough to pay for it. That i've done something right.

Major Annoyance!

2009-08-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

As much as i need, and love, and absolutely rely on my printer, IT IS DRIVING ME INSANE!!!

Did I make that clear enough?! lol Lets just say that my printer hates heavy paper and, well, since I do most of my printing on heavy paper, this is a bit of a problem.

So jobs that should take two minutes end up taking 20 minutes because I see the following message about 80 times:

And even though there isn't really a paper jam I have to open the tray so that it thinks that I have removed the jam that was never there in the first place.

I really hate to complain about my printer, because if there is any kind of printer Karma then I am in super huge trouble, I swear sometimes it can hear me because now it is spitting all of my pages out backwards. What did I do to deserve this!? Really, it's 11:45 at night and I just want to go to bed!

Tell me about your biggest technology annoyance, I know we all have them!

Keeping Motivated!

2009-08-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

I have absolutely decided that the most difficult aspect of having my own business (and working at home) is keeping myself motivated and not letting others distract me. I have lost so much precious time in the last few weeks because I am not able to say no to other people, but also because I find myself getting bored with my work, and there is always something else to do.

I am trying super hard to stay motivated, which is extremely difficult for me, a person who craves instant gratification and has not had a sale in over a week!

But, I have started some new projects, which have really sparked my interest. They say that inspiration comes where you least expect it, and that has certainly been the case. My latest project came to me from doodles that I made when I was bored during my shift in a concession stand at the fair last week. It's amazing what you can do with a scanner. Check out these adorable notecards. The design on the back side is my doodle!

These notecards are for sale on my etsy site (http://obsessivelyorganized.etsy.com/)

County Fair Recap

2009-08-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

I had a super busy week at the fair. I work hard and got some serious sunburn! It was an interesting experience to juggle my new little business with a hugely important personal interest, but i made it work and now I have a ton of catching up to do.

I plan on getting a new fall line started this week, and hopefully I will have new items on my Etsy page (http://obsessivelyorganized.etsy.com) by the end of the week. I will also be posting pictures of my work in progress right here.

I also wanted to follow up on the post that I wrote about my entries for the county fair. My adorable birthday card (picture with original post) took home third place, and my sculpey bracelet came in second place. I was disappointed that some of my other items did not finish higher, but then I have to remember that these types of handicrafts are all very different, and placing depend on the judge's personal tastes, which were obviously very different than my own.

A Picture of Me

2009-08-11T13:48:00.001-07:00

I took this picture at the fair this week and it has fast become my favorite photo ever. It is a perfect picture of me! Sitting on the grass, in my favorite jeans, with the quilted bag that I made in my favorite color. I have a ton a pictures from my busy week, here is another interesting one.

This picture is a close up of a rusted livestock trailer, who knew that something so practical, like a livestock trailor, could be so beautiful.

I'm off to the fair!

2009-08-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

It's time for our local county fair, and I have dusted off my boots! I will be spending the next week helping with 4H events and working in concession stands, so my posts will be few and far between, but only for a week.

I am especially looking forward to making the fair work for my business. This is the perfect place to promote Obsessively Organized, as it is the one place where I will see everyone that I know. The fair is a big deal aroound here, even those who have moved away tend to come back for the county fair, so this will be a great opportunity for me to use the best marketing tool known to man - word of mouth. I will also be handing out business cards (but not in an obnoxious way). I am looking forward to seeing everyone that I have not seen since the fair last year, and I am excited to tell them about all of the work that I've been doing (however, if they would just read the blog then I wouldn't have to tell them!).

While I'm away having fun (and working too!) take some time to check out http://buggabugs.etsy.com/ they have an adorable pattern for County Fair Treats made from felt. Also take a look at http://yeehaw.etsy.com/ where you will find some hilarious letterpress signs, including one advertising "mule sniffing" and "squirrel tossing" at the county fair.

Other Projects

2009-07-31T11:22:00.001-07:00

After working my little butt off all week I had to make some time to work on some of my other projects. Our County Fair is next week and I had a ton of entries to finish so I made some time to work on them yesterday and I had to share a couple of them with the world.

Here is my handmade birthday card and envelope. How cute!

I am also entering a decorated journal cover, handmade jewelry ( a gorgeous necklace that I hope does really well because I absolutely love it), a decorated picture frame, and a handmade welcome sign.

The other project that I had to finish was a baby quilt. Every year I work with a 4H club that makes quilts to donate to different organizations, this year we are donating our quilts to the neonatal unit at the local children's hospital. The quilts were so little and quick that I made two, one to donate and one for a friend (I still have to finish the one for my friend). here's how my hard work turned out:

It was great to be able to take time to finish these projects, but I sure have been running around all day trying to make up for the time that I lost yesterday. I have listed the wedding book that I was working on a few days ago on my Etsy site (http://obsessivelyorganized.etsy.com) be sure to stop by and check it out, it looks gorgeous! Ok, now I'm off to take care of some binding issues!

Business Cards!

2009-07-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

I have been working on my business cards for weeks, and I have printed at least 4 different styles, but I think I finally got it right! They are simple, but still cute, and they have a picture so that everyone can see exactly what I do.

I am so proud of them because I did them myself, but I would love to hear what you think, and please be honest!

End of the Day...Finally

2009-07-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is 1am, and yes I am still working, but I made a to-do list for the day and you better believe that I'm going to finish it *yawn*

Really, I don't mind staying up late, I always have been a night owl, and I just have to finish printing one more calendar. It doesn't seem like it would take to long to print just one calendar, but even though I love my printer, my printer doesn't love cardstock, and seeing as that is what I always print on, well you get the picture, lets just say I've gotten really good at removing paper jams. Anyway, I give it about another half an hour before I can crawl into bed.

I really did get a lot accomplished in the last two days. I finished three custom orders and I prepared two calendars and two wedding books for binding, I should be able to list everything tomorrow, and all of my custom orders will be delivered friday.

I should feel good about all of my hardwork, but I still feel like i'm playing catch up. Every time that I finish one item I think of four more that I have to get started on. I'm just a little overwhelmed, and this is even more difficult because the items that I sell are dated. I don't want to have a ton of left over academic planners after school starts, but I do want to have enough to get through the back to school season, but I have no idea what enough is.

I could babble about this forever, but let's be honest, we would all get bored, and my printer is about to be shut down for the night so I am off to bed!

My Latest Project

2009-07-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

My latest project has exploded! There are pieces of the wedding book that I am currently working on in my kitchen, my living room, and my bedroom. It's a good thing that I am working at home because I obviously need room to spread out!

I am absolutely in love with the book that I am working on right now. It is a beautiful creme and baby blue wedding book, the cover has green and gold accents, and features machine stitching embellishment. All of my divider pages have blue or creme borders with machine stitching embellishment. I still have to finish attaching the ribbon tabs and then I have to sew all of the pockets but it will be gorgeous when it is done.

The accent papers are all from Martha Stewart's Craft Collection, which is probably why I love them so much. I love her designs, they are so simple, but that makes them so elegant. I could (and have) spend hours on her website! But really that has nothing to do with what i'm trying to write, can you tell I haven't been able to focus today?!

Ok, ok, I really do need to get back to work, tabs don't attach themselves, unfortunately, but I just had to share my pretty project with you. Check my etsy site http://obsessivelyorganized.etsy.com soon for the finished product, and while you are waiting check out some work by two of my favorite etsy artists: http://pinklilypress.etsy.com and http://michelesessentials.etsy.com

Go Ahead... Splurge a Little

2009-07-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

I made myself a new calendar the other day, I make calendars and planners for a living, so this shouldn't have been a huge deal, but I cannot tell you how excited it made me! I was giddy like a little kid on Christmas, I had to show everyone my new planner. I even have a picture, so you can see it too

This got me thinking, why in the world was I so excited about a new calendar?! I am such a nerd! Part of me knows that I was excited about filling in all of the blank spaces and laying all of my to-do lists out in one spot. It didn't take me long to fill in the first few pages and stock up the pockets. I really do have a crazy passion for organization, something about listing every thing that I have to get done, and then checking them all off one-by-one gives me a feeling of control.

Another part of me realized that it has been an incredibly long time since I have made something for myself. One reason that I was so excited about this planner was that it was something that I made that I actually get to hold onto, I can share it with others, and I get to use it.

This reminded me just how important it is to treat myself every now and then. It has been at least a week since I finished my new planner and I am still excited about it. That little bit of excitement goes a long way. So my suggestion to is is to splurge! Do something for yourself. Little treats have a way of turning your day around, and they serve as a reminder that you are important too.

I am a giver. I would do anything to help others, and to make sure that others are happy, so often so that I sometimes forget about myself, and what makes me happy. One thing that I have been working on is remembering myself, and doing little things for me.

These little splurges don't have to be expensive, and they don't have to take a lot of time. A splurge can be as simple as carving out half an hour to read a book, or trying out a new recipe for dinner. I love making lists, so while I was thinking about treating myself I took a few minutes to make a list of ten things that I love, that are simple, silly things that let me feel like I have really indulged myself. Here's my list:

Take a minute to make your own list, 10 things that you really truly enjoy doing. Feel free to use my list for inspiration, and don't forget, taking time to make the list is great, but you can't just think about doing the things that you wrote down, you have to actually do them!

Leap of Faith

2009-07-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to decide if I am going to take the leap. To really jump into the process of being a small business owner 100%. I started selling on Etsy as a way to earn some money while I tried to find a full time job, but I've found that I truely enjoy the work I have been doing. It doesn't always feel like work. As I get more and more interested in my little business I find myself making excuses for not looking for a full time job.

As much as I love the work that I am doing right now I have the same doubts as anyone else in my situation. That little voice in the back of my head that says "are you sure this will work?" and "Can you really make enough money doing this?" But the question that I ask myself the most is "do I believe in myself?"

I was having a conversation about this particular subject with one of my very best friends earlier today. Brooke and I are in a similar place, we both just recently graduated from college, and neither of us have been able to find jobs (even though we were both very good students with very good resumes). She told me that something would happen for me when it was supposed to happen.

Now I have said this very same thing to myself numerous times, but it really helps to know that I am not my only cheerleader. And I have gotten completely off subject...

Anyway, Brooke told me that something would happen for me when it was supposed to happen. Now this saying is extremely vague, and a bit cliche, but sure enough, I made a sale that very day. Now I am a huge believer in signs, and if that wasn't a sign, then I don't know what would be.

So, here I go, I'm going to do it. I'm going to take that huge leap of faith and give this my all. And most importantly I am going to believe in myself (well, that's a process, so I'm going to work on believing in myself, really, I am).

Mother Teresa said "Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and let your wings grow on the way down." This is my reminder that no matter what I happens, I will absolutely learn something from this experience.

What quotes keep you going? I would love to hear them!

My Distraction

2009-07-22T21:20:00.001-07:00

My puppy Allis plays a huge role in my entrepreneurial experience, she is my distraction. Thank goodness for her, she gives me something else to worry about. Mostly I worry about making sure that all of her shedding hair disappears from the furniture before people come over. But in all honesty it is important for me to have other outlets for my energy, so that I don't go crazy, and walking Allis can be very therapeutic. Some of my other outlets include baking, quilting, scrapbooking and reading but I have to watch my time very closely, or I will spend the whole day working on those projects and not get much accomplished for my actual business.

This bring me to another issue that I have been dealing with. Many people seem to equate working from home with doing nothing all day long because they assume that I have time to run this errand, or do that favor, or help with this committee. Learning to say no is something that I am still working on. This is especially difficult for me because I am, by nature, a people pleaser, I just have to keep reminding myself that there is no way that I can do it all, and if I want my own business to be a success, then I need to focus as much energy on it as I possibly can.

I would really appreciate a little help here, how do you say no to people? Does anyone have a strategy for dealing with people who don't understand that you really are working too? Please share, and while you're at it, tell me about some of your outlets, what kinds of things get you through the day?

Pictures of My Creations

2009-07-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

These are just some pictures of my planners and organizers. To see inside pages, and more designs, please visit my shop at http://obsessivelyorganized.etsy.com/ .

All About Me!

2009-07-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

Who am I? That's a great question, and I could give you a generic answer that doesn't really tell you a lot about who I really am, but seeing as this blog is about my experiences as a new business owner, it helps for you to know a little about me. The more that you know about me, the more you will understand what I have to say. I'm Erin. I graduated from college in December, and I was ecstatic to be offered a full-time position as a preschool teacher right away. Unfortunately, at the end of the school year the school was forced to downsize, and I was suddenly out of a job, which is a pretty familiar story right now.

I understood that there was a possibility that I could be looking for a job for quite some time, so in the meantime I needed something that would keep me busy, and hopefully bring in a little money. I have always thought that it would be wonderful to work for myself, and I know that I may never have this opportunity again, so faced with a whole bunch of free time and some creative inspiration, along with that little voice in the back of my head that keeps saying "you can do this", I've started my own small business.

I run Obsessively Organized (a name that describes me pretty well), a paper goods organization which produces weekly planners, academic organizers, wedding plan books, journals, and teacher lesson plan books. At least, that's all that I make right now, who knows what my business will grow into (I hope it grows into something!). All of my layouts are completely original, I've designed them all myself, and I've used many of them in my own personal calendars and planners when I was in college.

As if my own business wasn't enough to keep me busy all summer, I have spent a huge amount of my time volunteering for my favorite youth development organization. Some people think that I have spent my summer being a lazy bum without a job, but you can tell that those people don't know me too well. The word "lazy" is not a part of my vocabulary. I've learned a lot in the month since I started Obsessively Organized, but I know that I have just barely grazed the surface of the knowledge that I will accumulate as my business grows. So follow along through all of my ups and downs. I can assure you that it will be entertaining, i'm generally good for the occasional laugh, especially at my own expense. And don't forget to check out my shop at http://obsessivelyorganized.etsy.com/ !