Quite Unique!

I just love hearing about new businesses created by people who think a little more out-of-the-box and this morning I discovered just one of those type of companies! YEA!

Many of us are addicted to sites like Groupon that allow us to pre-buy goods and services at a great discount. With deals like the one I scored last week (two movie tickets and a large popcorn for only $10.) What's not to love?!! Well, now there is a daily deal site for handmade goods called Quite Unique! How cool is that?! Getting great deals and supporting our fellow crafters at the same time!

Here is just one example of a previous deal....
A charming necklace to benefit Japan Disaster Relief. A unique handmade item with 100% of profits going to Japan...even cooler!!!


enjoy shopping and helping others at the same time.
-dw.

It's that time of year again....

You know...that one particular holiday that is suppose to be all about love and romance, but usually ends up being about over-priced roses and long waits for restaurant seating.

I love Valentine's Day, I proudly admit that, but I do not love the over-hyped, over-priced pressures that have been put upon this day by the retail industry (candy, card, and jewelry sellers alike). Who would have thought that one little, non-federal holiday could create such high levels of stress and anxiety between couples everywhere?! But it does.

Women start daydreaming that this is the year their favorite, romantic movie scene will play out. Her prince charming will sweep her off her feet and fulfill her every fantasy. Okay, ladies.....it's time to WAKE UP! Even the most-romantic men rarely (if ever) show up with a white, horse-drawn carriage to whisk you away to a private, candle-lit restaurant, while a pianist plays and you sip wine and dance the night away (unless you're suddenly cast in As the World Turns.)

It's time to quit setting ourselves up for disappointment and it's time to let the men in our lives breathe a little easier. It's time we take a bit of the pressure and expectations off of this holiday.

 After reading a Cosmo article featuring what men wanted us to know about Valentine's Day, I had an epiphany. The article quoted one man as saying he wanted his girlfriend to be honest about what she wanted from him this year. Previously she'd said she didn't need anything for V-Day, then when a co-worker received a larger bouquet of roses (36 to her 6), she got bent out of shape!

It got me thinking. Thinking about what I would say I wanted. But, what did I really want this year? I wasn't sure. I hadn't really thought about it until that moment.

Times are tougher for us this year and I don't want money spent simply out of obligation. I've had the "it" thing the jewelry store was promoting just because it's Valentine's Day. It isn't as special when women across America all get the identical necklace! Truly! What I really want is just a cozy, romantic evening. Something he puts his own thought and effort into. So, I headed home to tell him, straight-up, what I wanted this year.

I told him about the article I had read and about my thoughts that followed. Then I added a little twist. I said, "I want creativity, effort and romance. So, to ensure all of that, I'm setting a $20 expense cap on the evening!" He about fell out of his chair! Certainly a budget like that wouldn't allow fancy restaurants or elaborate floral arrangements. My thoughts exactly! He agreed and we decided he would take Sunday the 13th for his creative endeavour and I'd take Monday the 14th.

In the end we'll get two days of romance for a mere $40! It will take plenty of effort on both our parts to pull it off, but knowing we put aside the commercialism of the holiday to return to the true heart of the occasion will be priceless.

I'll report back on how Operation 20 turns out! ;)

enjoy your celebration of love, however you choose to spend it!

-dw.

Scrapbook Product News

Tim Holtz's Ideaology line, along with 7gypsies, is for me what I covet most in the scrapbook embellishment world. I love the retro, urban chic look that somehow combines romantic nostalgia, wordly travel, and simplicity all at once. My mind races with ideas and projects every year when he unveils his new line. This year is no different. Here is a sneak peak and a link to his website where you can see even more from the new line.

  

enjoy all the new inspiration heading our way!

-dw.

A Fresh Start for the New Year!

Happy Twenty-Eleven!

I want this new year to be a total success. I want this new year to be fabulous! So, to help make it happen, I decided to set some life goals......eleven of them to be precise. I'm not calling them New Year's resolutions because, well frankly, I never seem to take that term seriously enough. The list contains things that will improve my overall life and bring me greater joy, so I'm calling them Life Goals. It's like a one-year bucket list! While some will be easier to achieve than others, I am hoping a strong commitment and lots of determination will have me crossing each one off the list throughout the coming year.

I won't share the entire list right now, but I will share the one that has to do with blogging. One of the goals on the list is to reformulate the way I've been (or not been) blogging these past few years. I've sporadically shared all sorts of topics from the very personal moments in my life to new recipes, organizing, decorating and even sale announcements. But I feel like it's become to disjointed. So, while I do not have the technology-side of things worked out just yet (although I know it's possible), I have the details of what I want to accomplish all ironed out. Instead of writing in five or six different blogs (to cover all the things I want to talk about and share), I will dedicate one specific day of the week to each topic. In the end, I will have "category" buttons across the top of my page for quick access to the topic(s) readers care to follow along with.

The daily topics will be:

On the Menu - Monday (recipes, menu planning, and food and restaurant specials)

Oh, 2B Organized - Tuesday (craft room and home organization tips, examples, and storage solutions)

World of My Own - Wednesday (the personal side of life, MS, my goals, projects, and daily doings)

Thrifty Decor & More - Thursday (home decor ideas, re-purposing, thrifty finds, and what's hot)

Time to Get Fit - Friday (exercise, weight loss, diet and nutrition)

Writing five times a week will be a challenge for me, but it is officially on the goal list and I want to make it happen. I can't promise to be perfect and never miss a day, but I am renewed in my desire to write and share more in 2012. Okay, there's no turning back now....it's out there...in black and white...for everyone to see! Wish me luck! ;)

enjoy setting goals that make you push yourself!
-dw.