Owl I got from Chrismas, nestled in by some books, and a Sweet Briar blank book from Anthropologie. The package of 3 is 12.95.  I put them in Christmas stockings this past year.  Such beautiful colors.

Photo/Class:  Red Velvet

I am really excited to take this class done by Elsie and Rachel over at Red Velvet.  Its only $30 and has 52 different prompts for ideas for your art journal for the whole year (or 52 days in a row if you are so inclined).

This course offers 52 art journaling sessions, giving you a weekly challenge for an entire year! Each session includes: a journaling challenge, encouraging you to write and stretch your journaling skills; as well as an art challenge, pushing you out of your comfort zone and helping you create beautiful pages you can cherish and be proud of.

For the past three years, I have been using EcoSystem Artist Notebooks for my art journals/idea books.  I was originally attracted by the bright turquoise color of the almost 8 x 10 book (they have a lot of fun, bright colors), and as an added bonus, they are 100% recycled.  They also have a code inside the book that you can register and if you were to loose it, then person finding it could go to the site, plug in the number, and find you. Its soft bound with a flexi-cover and lends well to over-stuffing the pages with clippings, art, etc.

They used to sell them at Barnes and Noble, but this year I ended up purchasing mine online at Amazon.  Here’s a few iPhone pix of years 2010, 2011, 2012 (the flat one that I haven’t started.)

I am not much of a journaler, so most of my pages are magazine clippings and art from various sources, mixed in with movie tickets.  I cut out snippets from magazine articles that i like, recipes, etc.   To do list for parties and home decor projects that I am working on often make it in. I love to garden, so different things I find on cool seeds, flowers and plants are also tossed in there.

Sketch of the tables for graduation party along with the prices, then below is a picture from the actual event.

Mostly the journal holds on the inspiration I find in print media and scraps from daily life.  I am looking forward to taking the class above though to help me think outside of the box and add even more creative things to it.

I am so excited about this latest find.  It was in Goodwill.  We went in and as I walked up I always do my usual game of “wonder how much it will be” and I probably shreaked in delight when I saw this one was low-balled at only 9.99.  Its hard to tell in the picture, but it is almost three feet wide at the greatest part.  I think it was probably once part of this kind of vanity

It was one of those buys where I was thinking, ” I don’t know what I am going to do with it, but I am buying it anyway and will FIND something.”  The mirror is in relatively good shape with only a few parts that have lost their mirror coating, but I think it adds to the piece.  I figure if I can’t figure out a way to add it to a dresser, I could always just use the round mirror on its own.

Anyone else find any good finds this weekend thrifting?

Etzcetera Magazine.

Need some crafting inspiration for the cold winter days?  Here is a free online craft publication from Australia.

We have had an incredibly mild winter so far in the Carolinas.  So much so that I am still harvesting things from the garden. Radishes, carrots, lettuce, cilantro, are still growing and hanging in there despite some dips into the 30s at night.  I took advantage of a free afternoon and the last of the warm weather to put the neglected pomegranate and blueberry bushes into the ground.  I will say a little prayer that it wasn’t too late for them. I need the next few quiet months of winter to figure out all I want to accomplish in the garden this spring.  With our new fence, the possibilities are endless for our little oasis of a backyard.  The goal is finding a way to organize my ideas and make them a reality.

So even though Spring is appearing in the retail stores, I am happy its a few months away! I always enjoying the “nesting” that happens in January and February.

Happy 2012!!!

Cookies inspired by Amy Atlas’ goodies to ring in the new year.  Using prebought sugar cookie mix, a little frosting, and gel pen.

Last’s weeks drop by into Goodwill was a good one.  Let me start by saying, it seems that the Goodwill I go to doesn’t really have much rhyme or reason for choosing their prices on furniture items that come in.  My first stop is always the frame sections and as I was looking, there were framed prints and empty frames priced 7.99-18.99, etc.  I pulled back this cool mirror expecting a 20+ price tag to find it to be $5.99.  SOLD.  Its almost 3 feet wide at the biggest part and in perfect condition.  Next, its hard to see, but there is a cream and green pottery planter beneath the plant.  It was priced at a little higher 1.99, but it matched my color scheme perfect and I figured why not with the savings off the mirror.

Does anyone else have Goodwill’s that seem to have an arbitrary pricing system?

Photo: Crate&Barrel.

I love these owl ornaments from Crate & Barrel.  I think they would be so cute tied on gifts!

And hellloooooo lovies….

Also from Crate & Barrel …. Gnome ornaments!  So cute, but already sold out online or I would definitely be ordering.  LOVE THEM.

Okay, I will admit … when I ordered the cupcakes it was a toss up.  Did I order them to eat, or just so I could take tons of photos of them. This little bakery in Davidson, NC, does the cutest and equally yummy cupcakes.  I am hoping to actually spend some time in their new eat-in shop, but today was a parade and if I didn’t hightail it out of there right after purchasing, I would have been there for the duration of the parade, and who knows what would have happened to these cupcakes then!

I found an amazing smelling 24″ wreath today while out shopping to hang over our fireplace.  I think its a noble fir wreath with some other natural greens mixed in.  Our mantel is done in mercury glass and white, so I was excited when I found these little mercury glass ornaments on sale at target a few years back.

I was trying to hang the ornaments on it while laying it on the floor, but things look a little wonky, so hopefully I can arrange things more once up on the wall.   I thing it really could use a bow as well, hopefully I have something in my Christmas boxes.

We have a fake retro white tree, so I always love to have some real greenery in the house.