EEK! LOOK WHAT I FOUND AT MY FRONT DOOR.

EEK! I am so excited! Look at what I found at my front door today. No it isn't a cricket.....but it is a Cricut. A Cricut is an electronic cutting device that helps you to make craft-a-liciously wonderful things like handmade cards, gift tags, signs, home decor, bulletin board cut outs and so much more. I have wished for a Cricut for a long, long time but it was never in my budget to get one. A (not so) secret admirer who knows of my love for crafting has blessed me with one and I am feeling like a kid at a candy store. My first project will obviously be a THANK YOU card. But first things first. I have to figure out how to use the thing. Inside the box, there is a DVD with instructions but for some strange reason, the DVD doesn't seem to be helping me much. I must admit that the hostesses on the DVD were a bit monotone and I may have zoned out a few times. Maybe I will have to watch it again and this time I will know what to do. Have any of you CRAFTY DIVAS ever used a Cricut before? If so, send me an email and kindly help me out or share some of your Cricut crafting ideas. If you do, I promise to make YOU a THANK YOU card too. :0)

SCHOOL DAYS

Today the children in my area started back to school. The sound of the buses rolling bright and early this morning let me know it was that time again. Next week my son will be starting his first day of college and I was overcome by a tad bit of nostalgia as I looked out of the window and viewed a Mother video taping her daughter getting onto the school bus for the very first time for her very first day of Kindergarten. My how the time goes quickly. Before that Mother can blink, she will be attending her daughter's High School graduation and sending her off to college as well.

In a month or so, I will be opening a half-day preschool learning program from my home to prepare 3 and 4 year olds with the skills they will need for Kindergarten. As I have been busily working on setting up my classroom, I have been put in the mind of the one room schoolhouses of days gone by. I thought I would share a few with you. Aren't they adorable? Enjoy!

VINTAGE INSPIRED BOTTLES AND TINS

Many people who enjoy a bit of nostalgia are choosing to collect, display or decorate by using true vintage bottles and tins. A vintage bottle or tin used as a vase with flowers in it is simply adorable. Those of us who may not have the time to go to an antique shop or flea market just to hunt for a few bottles or tins can still easily re-create the look. Turn a bit of trash into treasure by saving a glass olive oil bottle, vinegar bottle , mayo jar or tin with a lid that held nuts. Clean your bottle or tin and remove the old label before decorating. Print out a free vintage label from the internet. There are many sites that have free labels. Just put FREE VINTAGE LABELS into your search bar and you will find the sites. Make sure the ink is dry after printing and then adhere your label onto your bottle or tin by brushing the back with a thin layer of glue or Mod Podge. Next, seal your label by brushing the front with Mod Podge. You may stop here or you may decide to embellish your bottle or tin by adding ribbon, raffia or any bits and bobs like glitter, rhinestones or sequins. A glue gun works great for adding the bits and bobs. Also, if you don't happen to have a working printer to print out labels, another idea is to use an old piece of sheet music, or a page from an old, worn book as a label. It will still have that nice vintage appeal. Use the pictures as an inspiration and enjoy your vintage bottle or tin.