a spring tea

so this is my first take on a tablescape! I just picked up a bunch of new jars and glasses at Goodwill, saw {THIS} contest over on Maddycakes Muse and decided it would be a fun way to try out my new wares :D Figured I'd join in on the fun whilst I was at it ;)

So I went for the theme of a high tea. Being Irish, and Saint Patrick's Day is fast approaching, and well since DH and I have a lush supply of tea, I thought it would be fun to do a tea time! Not to mention I had just made some maple buckwheat scones, which made the perfect centerpiece! I was originally going to add in some flowers or namecards or something, but decided instead to keep it simple, just a few white candles, so that the focus was rather on the tea and yummy scones! I also went with spring colors- using the light spring green table covering, which plays well with our green ladderback chairs and pairing with natural, neutral tans and browns. Unfortunately we live in an apartment {hazard of Army life}, so we only have one table and one room to play with, so you get some of the wall hangings and maroon curtains in the photos- not to mention variable lighting at best, but we work with it! Enjoy :)

{above you'll find some white chocolate chips, cracker assortment, and dark chocolate wafers in the jar}
{below are some honey lemon sticks and a chest of Numi tea}

{above you will find a tray of sugars- your standard white granulated, turbinado, and natural cane sugar}

{below you will find an assortment of various teas- Stash, Celestial Seasonings, and Republic of Tea}

{above is the cream and sugar accompanied by a Numi flowering tea}

{below is our Nikko "Moonstone" china, which I l-o-v-e!}

Thank you SO much for joining me on my first journey in tablescaping {is that a word? well.. now it is!} and I do hope you'll come back soon as I begin this fun journey on my homemaking blog.
God bless- Shauna

show me your lists

so Tip Junkie posted the other day "Show Me Your To Do Lists" and I'm totally one of those "list" people, I work well being able to check things off throughout the day- gives me a sense of accomplishment seeing all the checks and reminds me in case I've forgotten something, as I frequently do! So, anywho, I decided to show you two of my master lists! :) Feel free to email me if you'd like a blank copy of either for yourself! And head on over to Tip Junkie to see more great list ideas!!

PS. If anyone knows of coupon clipping sites that do NOT require you do install their third-party printer junk, PLEASE let me know ;)

NOTE:: we live in an apartment, so the cleaning is much less than if we had a whole house, hehe. this is a list that will grow as our home and family size does ;) umm, and we're also a bit OCD about some cleanliness, so some chores may be done more often than normal :P

.: Monthly List :.
Here's my monthly list- it keeps track of the bills I have to pay monthly and also any chores that I do on a monthly basis. This is an altered copy of my original, made suitable for online posting :)
.:. the first of the month is a full cleaning of the kitchen and bathroom
.:. the big box below the calendar keeps track of our credit cards- how much we owe, how much we paid off this month, etc.
.:. the bills in red on the calendar are the ones that are constant each month, say are paid on the 15th every month
.:. bills with a ".A" after the amount are those that are set up for automatic withdrawl each month
.:. the "other bills" box is for the monthly bills that have a different due date each month, so at the beginning of the month, or as soon as I get my online statement for the month, I fill in the date on the calendar that those bills are due

.:. click on photo to enlarge .:.



.: Weekly List :.
Here is my weekly list- keeping track of chores and other such "to do" items for each day of the week. I print out this weekly list and have it on my fridge. There's more on these lists, but this is an altered copy made suitable for posting online :)
.:. the top of each list is pretty constant, stuff to do each day- work on my thesis, work out, Quiet Time reading the Bible, etc.
.:. the chore section is for cleaning and tidying stuff mostly
.:. the bottom section is blank, writing things in by hand that I need to remember that are unique for the week- get togethers, meetings, etc.

.:. click on photo to enlarge .:.


as I've worked more with these lists, I've altered the monthly one a bit- I'll post my newer version soon! :)
cross-posted on my crafting blog {here}

how to negotiate with your cable provider

So, I just received my bill for this month's cable and internet, provided by a major national cable company. For those of you who do not know our family, my husband serves in the United States Army, and thus we are a proud Army family. So we moved to our current post about a year ago.

Moral of the story, we've been here for a year, thus we've had all our utilities for about a year. Well for those of you who have gotten a great deal on cable may have had the same experience that I had today. I open my cable bill, and it's about $45 dollars more than what we usually pay! I am perplexed, call our cable provider, only to find out that our "great deal" was only a 12 month deal. Ugg, now I sware that they never told us that it was a 12 month-only deal, and I told the nice lady on the other end of the phone as such. I also told her that if I HAD known that, I would have looked at other providers. Thinking back on it now, there's a small chance they did mention it, or put it in tiny writing somewhere, but I have the memory of a goldfish {and for those of you who don't know, that's a whopping 3 seconds}. Anyhoo, I ask the lady, "well, is there any way I can get back our 'great deal' or do you have any other discounts available?!" I might have been a bit brusk, but she went ahead and there was indeed two discounts available to us. Whoohoo! Now it only saves us $15 a month over what we would have been expected to pay, but it also means our cable/internet bill only went up $30 as opposed to $45. So it's certainly better than it could have been.

My thought process through this whole thing was, "now just a month ago I was paying X dollars, and the cable company was doing just fine. Thus there is no reason I should be now paying X + 45 dollars, because obviously they can still provide the service without the extra $45." Am I wrong? Ridiculous. Oh yes, and I may have told the lady on the other end of the phone at some point that this was indeed ridiculous... maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that, but, well, I was heated at the time.

So what can you learn from my experience? What can you do if your rates for a particular utility go up unexpectedly? Well, let me share!

• wait a while to cool down before you make any phone calls, you get more flies with sugar than vinegar
• do your homework, look at other potential providers you could switch to that have better rates
• do your homework, check if your OWN provider has a discount or promotion currently going on
• ask if there are any new discounts available that you can take advantage of
• mention that there are indeed other providers you could switch to, but that it would certainly be easier to keep your business with them

Now these are just a few things that can help you if your rates suddenly jump, and all because a promotional period has expired on your current contract. Hey, it's worth a shot, right? And hey, we're now saving $180 a year just by making a 15 minute phone call. It may not seem like all that much, but that's money we can instead put toward tithing, missions trips, or other disasters, such as Haiti.

participating in

>> Frugal Friday @ life as mom

>> Super Savings Saturday @ Money Saving Mom

frugal servant

About the title of this blog:

I am a Christian, and, as such, a servant of our Lord God, Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are not called to be in debt, and thus comes the frugal part.

The Bible states that we are slaves to those who lend to us {Proverbs 22:7} and also that it is a blessing to not have to borrow {Deuteronomy 28:12}. Here are a few links on debt and frugality from a Christian perspective:

• the Bible and debt
• ways to cut your expenses
• saving gas while driving
• winter energy saving tips
• conserve energy and save money
• paying your bills on time

*please note: the views expressed on the above links are those of the writer and may or may not completely align with the views of our family*

Our family is a family of sinners, as are all of us here on earth. My husband and I weren't frugal in college, and thus we've started our married life together with some lingering debt {not to mention college loans}, but we have a plan to repay our debt, living frugally while still having fun, and awaiting the day when we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing we no longer have the burden of debt! :) And not to say that we won't still be living frugally, I have no doubts that I will always be a "penny pincher" but once we are out of debt, we'll be living frugally so that every extra cent can be used to further His Kingdom and give to those in need.

Whew, that was a lot of debt and frugalness in one paragraph... let's end with a lighter note... cookies!

cookies!

Yes, cookies! Yum :) I just made a batch for my inlaws to bring to their Bible study this evening {I'm bunking with them for a bit, my DH is deployed so I'm visiting family for a bit}. But, oh, yes! Comestibilis! I know, co-mes-ti-what-lis?! Yes, I know, strange name, awesome blog! Along with some great friends of mine, we post great recipes, some tried and true, some that we found online, will be trying, and then updating with our input. It's great! I'm posting the recipe for the Cran-Oat-Choco Cookies over on that blog now! :D

new blog!

wow! new blog! :D well really this is an offshoot of my crafting blog, but this one will be a bit different. I decided to create a separate blog dedicated more towards my homemaking: cooking, organization {outside of the craft room!}, frugality, housework, etc. Some of my posts may be cross-posted to both sites, such as organizing my craft room, maybe some projects where I used my scrapbooking supplies to make the item but, say, it's a calendar for organizing our family's schedules, you get the idea! So I hope you enjoy my journey on this new blog! Feel free to follow along, or just pop by when you feel like it :) I'm an avid fan of Google Reader, my one stop space for all my favorite blogs! Welcome :)

Here you can find all the links for my holiday planner printables! Click on any of the titles to be brought to my Scribd page to download them. If you have any problems with the site, send me an email, and I can send them to you via email. Also, if you would like a customized version of any of the below documents, please do send me an email and I can customize them for you! :)

.: Cover :.

view full post with details- {here}

.: downloads :.

Holiday Project Tracker &

Gift Lists

.: downloads :.

Thank-You Card Tracker &

Christmas Grocery List

.: downloads :.

Room Decor 2010 &

Room Decor 2011

.: downloads :.

Thanksgiving Menu &

New Years Eve Menu

.: downloads :.

Christmas Budget Planner &

Christmas Menu

.: downloads :.

Thankgiving Grocery List &

Gifting Lists {to keep track of what sizes friends & family wear, their favorite colors, etc}

.: downloads :.

New Year's Grocery List &

Gift Closet Inventory

.: downloads :.

Christmas Card Tracker & Autumn Project Tracker

A Christmas Apart

so holidays are a bit depressing when half your heart is half way around the world. I am eternally grateful for our Lord's birth and the Salvation that He brings. That is indeed the meaning of Christmas, and so that is something that will always be alive in my heart, especially around the holidays. Though I'd be lying if I didn't say that it's hard to get into the festive decorating and merriment when there's only yourself to share it with. It is purely through His Strength and Comfort that I am able to move from day to day while Steven's away, and though there's a hole when Steven's away, He is what fills that gap and carries me through the moments where I just want to curl up and fade away until Steven comes home :(

well, enough of the moping I suppose. I did do some minor decorating, mostly just so I could send Steven a picture. I'm pretty sure his room in Iraq is more decorated than our entire apt here, hehe. Me and his family and others have sent him trees and decorations and such, so I'm glad he has a bit of "home for the holidays." He enjoys it too. I'll be spending Christmas and New Years with my parents {weather permitting!}. So anyways, here is a look at my apt "decorations." I actually really like this nativity set, and surprisingly it was from walmart.


click on the photo for larger view

.: left to right :. nutcracker music windup, Christmas ribbon tree {the "star" at the top is an OIF ornament, Operation Iraqi Freedom"}, vase with cinnamon scented pinecones and ball ornaments, nativity, another vase, and framed Christmas engagement photo by Sarah Ortiz. strewn along the front are ornaments and gold chain amongst tree springs from a lil Christmas tree I had growing up :) it lost two of its three feet so it wouldn't stand up anymore, so I repurposed the branches

Baby Shower on a Budget

So this is part C of the series on planning a baby shower... this is where it gets a little crafty... ;) i've added prices along the way, they're rounded a touch, but it all comes out even in the end. there are some miscellaneous costs that I've added at the end of the post as well, mostly if say I bought a whole roll of ribbon but only used a foot of it, or I used something from my huge crafty stash. Items that you could probably substitute for cheaper or make yourself from things around the house, but in case you wanted to go exactly the route I have, I've included the cost. Thus I'll have two totals at the end of the post- one including these extras and one without.

*************************************************
:: Altered Tea Tins :: {for flower vases}


- empty tins: FREE
- grey ribbon: $4
- discount paper: $7 per pack
- flowers: $10
TOTAL: $21

*************************************************
:: Framed Art ::


- inspiration: FREE @ stem parties
- clipart: FREE {elephant}
- made in Photoshop: FREE
- frame: $6 @ Michaels
TOTAL: $6

*************************************************
:: Stuffed animals ::


- pattern: FREE {from here}
- 1/2 yard grey fleece: $2.20
- yellow fleece from remnant bin: $2.40
- batting: $8
- green ribbon: $1
- tags: FREE {or see misc costs}
TOTAL: $14.60

*************************************************
:: Towel Cake ::


-- {top layer} --
- elephant: {see Stuffed Animals}
- bamboo skewers: FREE {for support, also see misc costs}
- discount onesies: $5
- burp cloth: $2.50 for two {dollar bin @ Target}
- clipart: FREE {see Framed Art}
- yellow ribbon: $2.50
- grey ribbon: {see Altered Tea Tins}
-- {bottom layer} --
- baby blanket: {see Baby Blanket}
- burp cloth: $2.50 for two {dollar bin @ Target}
- ribbons: {see above}
- clipart: {see above}
TOTAL: $12.50

*************************************************
:: homemade cupcakes ::


- ingredients: FREE {or see Cupcake Costs}
- icing: FREE {or see Icing Tool Costs}
- cupcake liners: $2
TOTAL: $2

Cupcake Recipe:
- coming soon!

*************************************************
:: Favor Cake ::
*** photo coming soon ***
- cardstock: $5
- grey paper: $1.20
- stamps: $1 {and see misc costs}
- tags: FREE {see misc costs}
TOTAL: $7.20

*************************************************
:: Baby Blanket ::
*** photo coming soon ***
{this is my gift, so it's only included in the "extras" total}
- discounted dotted fabric: $12.50
- discounted striped fabric: $12.50
- yellow ribbon: $4.70
- embroidery floss: $1
- batting: {see Stuffed Animals}
TOTAL: $30.70

*************************************************
:: Guestbook ::
*** photo coming soon ***
- old notebook: FREE
- stickers: $3
- clearance stickers: $0.80
- rub-ons: $1
- stamps: {see Favor Cake and misc costs}
- paper: {see Altered Tea Tins}
TOTAL: $4.80

*************************************************
:: B-A-B-Y letters ::
*** photo coming soon ***
- letters: $1.50 {x4}
- paint: $1 for two
TOTAL: $7

*************************************************
*************************************************
Miscellaneous Costs:
- tins of tea: $10 {x3} from Republic of Tea
- discounted letter tags: $10 per pack of 120 sheets
- grey ink pad: $4
- yellow ink pad set: $10 for four
- bamboo skewars: $1 for 100
- baby stamps: $10
- old notebook: $1 {dollar bin @ Target}
TOTAL: $65

Cupcakes Costs:
- coming soon!

Icing Tool Costs:
- icing tip: $1
- icing bag: $5
- cake sparkles: $3.30
- icing color: $1.70
- icing bag couplers: $2 for four
TOTAL: $13

*************************************************
*************************************************
*************************************************

TOTAL: $88.10
TOTAL: $196.80 {w/ extras}

Baby Shower Idea Boards

So this is part b of a series I'm doing on planning a {frugal/spender savvy/creatively inexpensive/etc} baby shower. So after you've narrowed down your ideas, this is where Idea Boards can come in handy for choosing a final theme. My friend had her top 3 and I took it from there and put together a bunch of photos that tried to reflect the overall "feel" of each theme!

**please note: these photos are NOT my own, I picked them up at various websites but unfortunately did not keep track of the URLs. If you know where they're from {some can be seen in the links from Part A, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due! thanks :) **

(1) Elephant Alphabet {yellow, grey, white}

Decor:
- towel/diaper cake
- citrus centerpiece
- flowers in tea tins
- wooden letters
- framed letter poster
- advice/note-to-baby book
- favor cake display
Games:
- baby word scramble
- toilet paper momma
- guess the number of candies in the baby bottle
- bingo
Prizes:
- elephant-theme card set
- "O" cookies
Food:
- tea
- lemonade
- fruit / veggie tray
- scones / finger sandwiches
- cheese / cracker tray
- cupcakes
Favors:
- chocolate kisses
- tea


(2) Spa Treatment {white, vanilla, sage, tan, brown}

Decor:
- white fabric draped
- candles
- monograms
- flowers in tea tins
- washcloth candy
- citrus centerpiece
- towel/diaper cake
- advice/note-to-baby book
Games:
- toilet paper momma
- guess the items in the bags
- guess the number of candies in the baby bottle
- how well do we know the momma?
Prizes:
- handmade stationary
- baby-theme cookies
Food:
- tea
- personalized water bottles
- fruit / veggie tray
- scones / finger sandwiches
- candy bar
- cupcakes
Favors:
- tea bags / tea mugs
- bookmarks


(3) Monkey Letters {bright- green, blue, yellow, brown, orange}

Decor:
- towel/diaper cake
- wooden letters
- framed letter poster
- advice/note-to-baby book
Games:
- baby word scramble
- toilet paper momma
- baby bottle bowling
- bingo
Prizes:
- mod card set
- "O" cookies
Food:
- tea
- punch / cherry limeade
- fruit / veggie tray
- scones / finger sandwiches
- chocolate bar
- cupcakes
Favors:
- rose topiaries