DJ's Sundries

Despite the focus that I love to place on my paper planners, I also understand that we live in a world that relies heavily on technology.  Though there can be a downside in the constant use of technology, there can also be an upside.  I have found that technology helps keep my husband and I on the same page in keeping household and family responsibilities in order.  Please enjoy the video below that shows my favorite apps to keep us Thank you so much for stopping by today.  Remember to take some time to enjoy the little things.

I love Thanksgiving and everything about it.  I love fixing a table full of food and surrounding that table with family and friends.  Some years I have had more than 20 people in my home and other years it has just been the four of us.  Either way, it is a wonderful time to gather and not only to eat, but to thank the Lord for all that He has given us and all that He does for us.  He is truly good and has given me more than I can ever fully thank Him for.  Thanksgiving isn't the only one time of year to do that, but I believe it is an important time of year to do so. No matter how large or how small of a gathering I host, I have to be organized.  I have always been a list maker for events, but I have found that Thanksgiving is one time that I want to not only be organized but I also want to preserve memories.  That's what I am using this Thanksgiving Planner/ Journal/ Memory book to do. Thanks for stopping by today.  Remember to take some ...

I'm not one to rush the Christmas season before Thanksgiving.  I think that we really need to take time to focus on being thankful.  However, I know that there are some things that I have to start early or I won't have time to finish without becoming too rushed.  Christmas crafting is one of those things.  This is especially important this year as I'm working on a huge project for our families in addition to the large amount of Christmas cards that I try to get done annually.  This year I decided to organize a little differently. I have a 3 level crate that I store my Christmas paper and embellishments in.  It helps keep them organized and not mixed into all of the crafting goodies.  I started by pulling them out and going through the craft room, grabbing anything Christmas related that wasn't already in the crate.  I then pulled the crate and and sorted everything into piles.  Though I left a few ribbon spools on the holder, I even found s...

Sshhh!  I have a secret, but you can't tell anyone.  Can I trust you? Okay, I'm convinced, so here goes - Life is busy and it only seems to get busier during the season surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas. Okay, so maybe that's not such a huge secret.  If you are older than 10, you have likely felt your stress level increase throughout this season, but that brings me to my second secret - It doesn't have to be that way. We put so much time into the stress of it all that we forget the true reason for Christmas and quite frankly Thanksgiving as well.  I'm preaching to myself right now as I type.  For me, it's not about spending lots of money on things, but I instead fall into the trap of perfectionism.  I want so much to please everyone and make sure that they are happy while at the same time not wanting to embarrass myself by leaving that cobweb behind the china hutch or  allowing someone to become bored.  That's so silly!  It's...

It feels so good to be back into planning mode.  I have all my supplies organized and am ready to go.  I love the feeling of seeing tasks completed and checked off the list.  I'm currently using 4 different Foxy Fix TN's for different things.  I show you three of them in this video and the fourth is my work planner.  I mentioned it in the previous post. I am using my Ikea Raskog cart to organize my supplies.  I picked up some plastic containers at Walmart and added some other storage items that I've had in my craft room. On the top part of the cart, I keep my stickers and other embellishments that I can use in my planners. I also keep extra inserts and dashboards for my #7 planners as well as extra notepads. On the second shelf in the cart, I keep my extra #2 inserts and dashboards, some sticky notes and extra stuff I might find useful in planning. The bottom shelf holds extra pens, my fountain pen supplies, planner stamps and other t...

Since it's been more than a year since I posted a haul, there are a few things that I've picked up since the last one.  In fact, though I haven't had much time to craft, I did find some items to prepare me for the day when I would have time to be back in my crafty zone again.  In order to see them though, you will have to watch the video.  Who knows?  Maybe you will find something in there that you just "have" to add to your space. Thanks for stopping by today.  Remember to take some time to enjoy the little things.

So much has happened in the last month and a half.  Besides getting the craft space organized and most of our pictures hung around the house, we have made a couple of trips.  I have also spent quite a bit of time sick.  I'm so thankful to finally be feeling better.  However, the time down was not without some good things.  In fact, I had time to watch some YouTube videos, organize my planner supplies and really start using my planners again. There is a video posted below, but there is one planner that didn't make it into the video.  My work planner was sitting on my desk when I made the video so we will start with it before moving on to my personal planners.  I use a Foxy Fix #5 at work and I absolutely love it.  I keep a month on 2 pages calendar from the 1407 planners and then I print inserts from Etsy for the daily pages.  This layout is perfect for work since it doesn't include Saturdays or Sundays.  It is undated and I use it on...

WOW!  You would not believe the changes around here.  In fact, I have a craft space!!!!  I should add that I have been able to use this space since early in September.  If you look at the last post, I mentioned a gift from my husband.  Well, it was a great gift - the gift of organization.  We had a professional organizer come in and help me get the space usable.  Let me back up a bit. When we moved to our new home, life was so busy.  In addition to the normal stuff of getting into a new home, I also was very busy with work.  Nearly a year later I still had several boxes to unpack in the craft room and I didn't have the energy to do it.  That's where the organizer came in. I will start by saying that the experience was completely different than what I thought it would be.  That's not a bad thing.  In fact, I think that is part of the reason that I didn't have the energy to get the space ready.  I was so worried abo...

What was the best gift that you ever received?  I've received some pretty spectacular gifts.  I've also received some little gifts that became dear to my heart. **Spoiler Alert** In fact, this past week I received a big gift from my husband that I will post later. However, none of these gifts compare to the greatest gift that I have ever received - the gift of eternal life.  I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  Shhh.... Don't tell......... I'm a great big sinner! (#1) Yes, that's right.  I was born a sinner and I sin often.  Unfortunately, that sin prohibited me from the greatest, most precious relationship I could ever imagine.  This relationship was with a God who loved me, but more on that a little later. You may not desire such a relationship.  You may not even believe that God exists.  Why would I want a relationship with someone that I can't see, touch, or hear?  Why does it even matter?  Oh my dear friend, this r...

Do you have friends or loved ones going through a rough spot right now?  I do.  You don't have to look hard to see people who are hurting.  Crafting is a stress release for me.  I can get lost for hours creating something while forgetting about the day's frustrations and hurts.  Long ago, I learned that an hour or two spent in the craft room after a tough day in the ER helped me relax enough to get the rest I needed. While this is important for my own well being, I also need to look outside of myself or  I will quickly become self-centered.  This attitude does not honor Christ and it does not help those around me who are hurting.  It is amazing that when you open your eyes and use your skills to help those around you you, how much your own emotional and spiritual well being is blessed. Today's project is a great picture of this.  I needed a sympathy card but I also know others who are hurting and I wanted to have something for them as wel...

Have you joined the Rae Dunn frenzy?  I have not nor do I plan to, but there is just one piece that I want to get.  I decided to hit some of the stores near me to see if I could find it.  I didn't but I did find three others.  Now don't think I'm joining the frenzy.  Honest, I'm not, but I do know what I like and as I am working towards getting the craft room ready to work in, I know that these will fit perfectly. What do you think?  Will these work in my new space?  I do believe they will.  The countdown is on.  Expect to see the finished room in less than a week.  I'm so excited and can't wait to share! Thanks for stopping by today.  Remember to take some time to enjoy the little things!

Now that we are rounding the corner to fall, it is time to update the decor around the house.  One of the things that I have in my new home is a small entryway.  I love this little space that has a closet on either side of the front door.  I have found that it works great to use one for winter coats and one for lighter jackets.  The best thing about this area though is the small space that just cries out to be decorated each season. Near my new home I have found a fabulous store called Old Time Pottery.  This store makes it easy to decorate for the seasons without breaking the bank.  I don't need to add much to my fall decor as I have spent the last several years building up decorations.  However, I decided I needed a new treasure for that little corner so I was off to Old Time Pottery. A few bunches of flowers, a couple of styrofoam blocks and a cute box later, I had what I needed to fill my corner while still be able to easily...

For most of my adult life, my favorite season has been Spring.  However, I have felt that shifting in the last few years to Fall and I can't explain why.  Maybe its the settling into life after the busyness of Spring and Summer.  Perhaps it the beautiful leaves and the crisp air that hints of cooler days to come.  I really don't know, but it is something that I have felt. Maybe Fall represents where I am moving in life right now.  The last year and a half  have been filled with more changes that I would have dreamed.  Our youngest child graduated from high school and we moved half way across the country and became empty nesters.  Our eldest child then finished college and settled into her new life in a different state.  I have been working a very challenging job.  Don't get me wrong.  Each of these have been good things and blessing from the Lord.  That doesn't mean they have been easy. I feel myself settling into a new sea...

I recently read through the Psalms as part of my daily devotions.  As I was nearing the end of the book, I came to Psalm 136.  It was such a blessing and it took me back more than 20 years ago when this passage came to me at a very vulnerable time.  Shortly after  finding out that I was pregnant with our second child, I began having signs that I was having a miscarriage.  Losing that precious baby was difficult, but my God was bigger.  He had just the words for me when I needed them the most: "His mercy endures forever".  No matter what, He is bigger than my problems.  He is bigger than my pain and His mercy endures forever. Do I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if that baby had been born?  Sometimes, but not often.  I know that I will see that precious one someday. In my heart she was a girl we have named Brittany.  His mercy has endured and will continue to do so.  Since I that day so long ago, I have specificall...

I love to read.  Unfortunately, I don't spend nearly enough time doing so at this stage of my life.  However, when I was recently sick for a few days, I spent some time reading.  I also spent some time journaling and working on my insert. Hmmm..... journaling, reading and decorating.  What else could I do but...  Of course I needed a few supplies.  For that I grabbed my Rusty Hinge Distress Crayon, the lettering stencil from Hero Arts, some stickers from the Reset Girl and my 01 and 05 Micron pens. I also grabbed some Dr. Seuss quotes to add to the bottom.  I am definitely not on track for my reading goals so I guess I need to play catch up.  I have to say that this layout is the perfect place for me to keep track of where I am. Thanks for stopping by today.  Remember to take some time to enjoy the little things.

Front Cover As promised in the last post, I have my decorated insert for my current journal.  You may notice that there is a lot of empty space and that's just fine with me.  I may find I love it and just leave it.  However, I may also decide that I need to fill some of that space as I fill the insert with my words. For the covers, I pulled out the Tim Holtz Distress Crayons #5 set.  I then went to work scribbling on lines - both straight and circles.  I then took a baby wipe and softened it to create a watercolor effect.  This was all done using the watercolor paper from Close To My Heart. I then started playing the stencil from the Tim Holtz mixed media spray kit and layered pattern onto the the front cover.  This too was done with the Distress Crayons and baby wipes.  Then it was time for the details which were created with simple Micron pens in sizes 01 and 05 and the Hero Arts number/letter stencil set that I have. Near the...