StockingStuffer

Stocking Stuffer Swaps

I had to make this blog post today! I totally love all the stocking stuffer swaps at swap-bot. I've been participating all year long in every one of these swaps that I could find. Halfway through the year I ran out of room in my stocking and had to switch to a basket. I also joined two advent swaps. Actually one is of the swaps was a 12 Days of Christmas swap hosted by CraftyMommaOnABudget.

This woman is one of the best people I've "met" and has become a sweet friend of mine. 

Even though my husband and I decided not to exchange gifts this year and just focus on our sons, I will still have a wonderful Christmas morning with all the goodies from my friends. 

30 Questions

I’ve been kind a slacking on the whole blog lately so I thought it would be nice to post the answers to the latest Swap-bit electronic swap that I recently joined. There are 30 questions that we needed to answer for this swap, so here I go. Enjoy!!

Here are the questions: What bill do you hate to pay the most?   A consolidation loan that I took out over a year ago that has a high monthly payment. I feel like it sucks our bank account dry each month lol When was the last time you had a romantic dinner?  It has probably been a couple years ago to be honest. What do you really want to be doing after answering these questions? Decorate our Christmas tree!! How many colleges did you attend? Zero, I started working right out of high school. Why did you choose the shirt you have on now? It was one of the only two I took with me to my mom’s house this weekend. Thoughts on gas prices right now? Not too bad but could be better in my opinion. It’s around $2.34 a gallon here. First thought when the alarm goes off in the morning? Ten more minutes please! Last thought you have before you go to bed? 7 am will be here too fast. Do you miss being a child? Not really but I do miss my twenties. What errand/chore do you despise the most? Washing dishes, even with the dishwasher I still hate it. Do prefer to wake up early or sleep in? Sleep in if I was able to. Found love yet? My son is the love of my life. Favorite meal to eat for lunch? Some kind of sandwich or leftovers from dinner.  What do you get every time you go grocery shopping? Milk, eggs, bread, cheese, pizza Ocean, river or lake? Ocean. I like to walk along the ocean's edge and if I go into the water I don't get that slimy feeling like from a river or lake. hahahaha Is marriage overrated? It can be the greatest heartbreak or the best thing ever. Depends who you marry. Ever crashed your vehicle? Not personally but I’ve been in a few car crashes. Somewhere you've never been, but want to go? Hawaii is a dream destination and Ireland also. At this point in your life, would you want to start a new career? No, but I’d like to keep this job until I can retire. How many days until your next birthday? 41 days!!  Who is your go-to person when you need to vent? My journal. It keeps secrets and doesn’t judge. Are you where you want to be in life? Not even close. Growing up, who were your favorite cartoon characters? Scooby-doo and the smurfs. I also liked the Thundercats. What do you think has changed about you, since you were a teenager? Everything. Appearance, temperament, patience etc Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life? Not even close. I hated high school. When do you still feel like a kid? When I am playing with my son.  What was the make, model and year of the first car you owned? A chevette with rusted floor boards. Were you the type of kid you'd want your children to hang out with? I think so though I was very clingy and I also was too empathetic.  I would become who my friend was.  What radio stations did you listen to when you were a teenager? Didn’t listen to radio. But I do remember listening to records with my Mom.  Who was your high school 'crush'? Didn’t have one honestly.

Getting To Know You #3

Another round of getting to know you questions hosted by yvonne401

The picture above is a picture I colored from a adult coloring book and I love the way it came out so much that I decided to use it as my page picture. So that's one extra freebie "getting to know you" fact that you may not have known about me.  I love to color 😊

On with the questions and answers. Have fun!

1. What is your favorite family vacation? 
 When I was 18, my family went to Disney World. That is the only family vacation that I really remember. Most summers we spent with my grandparents while my Mom had to continue working.

2. If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking or yard work?
Neither, we would hire a handyman to help finish a bunch of half started improvement projects at our house.  We want to enclose the side porch, install a bathtub in our bathroom and patch a hole in the ceiling of our kitchen where my husband had to tear the ceiling out because to remove a hive of bees last fall!!

3. Have you ever had a nickname? 
Yes, my dad called me Ali, and I had a friend that called me Kat for a bit.

4. In the evening would you rather play a game, visit a relative, watch a movie or read? 
How about all four? I've done that before. But if I only can choose one it would be, watch a movie.

5. How would your friends describe you? 
I'm not sure, you'd have to ask them. hahahaha

6. Whart are your hobbies?
I love to crochet, make homemade cards, play adventure/problem solving computer games, read and do other paper crafting.

7. What is the best gift you have been given?
I really can't remember past gifts to be honest. My favorite swap-bot gift was a miniature teddy bear that I got. Oh and a miniature deer.

8. What is the worst gift you have received?
A powder blue track suit with butterflies embroidered on the leg and shoulder.


9. What's your favorite zoo animal?
The elephant. I love elephants.

10. How many pillows do you sleep with?
A lot. I sleep sitting up. I actually sleep with a sofa cushion/pillow and then another pillow on top of it.

11. Would you rather trade intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence? 
That is hard to choose. I'd hate to be ugly or stupid. But I wouldn't mind being highly intelligent and rather plain looking. I don't need to be pretty.

12. What's your favorite holiday?
Christmas without a doubt.

13. What's your favorite snack?
I love soft pretzels with honey mustard.

14. What's your favorite type of foreign food?
I really love chinese food but only restaurant chinese food. If I try to make it at home I never like it.

15. What's your favorite fast food chain?
I would say Burger King's burger, Mcdonald's Fries and Wendy's baked potatoes.

16. What's your favorite family recipe?
Chicken and Dumplings. I always ask my Mom to make it for me for my birthday. Her version is always best.

17. Do you love or hate roller coasters?
I like junior rollercoasters but I hate adult roller coasters where you loop upside down.

18. Do you collect anything?
Yes; salt and pepper shakers, lighthouses, windchimes, anything miniature.

19. How many languages do you speak?
Only speak English fluently but I love playing with Duolingo. I took 4 yrs of spanish in high school but I don't remember much of it other then the basic phrases. I want to learn Swedish and Spanish fluently. I'd also love to learn mandarin.

20. What is the one thing that you will never do again?
Get married.

Book Questions

Another Electronic Swap. Another Set of Questions. Another Set of Answers 😃

Name of this swap:

Book Questions - Your Opinion

Host:

JJean

The details:

We each were assigned three partners to send our list of questions and answers to. We can either email our parnters the answers or send them a link to our blog if we post our answers there (here). 

My partners For This Swap Are:

Sending To:

 SleepingRover2010

 KSENiA

Cafloarea

Receiving From:

 AnnSo

 SassyGreen

 Miamorswife

As for all my electronic swaps you can click on the (receiving from) names above to see the answers I've got from my partners.

Now It's My Turn, Read on to see how I answered the swap questions. 

What book would you recommend to read?

I've given this answer before in other swaps I've done in the past, but I will give it again here. One of my favorite books I've read in the past year has been Rick Yancey's  Fifth Wave. I don't know why I love it so much but it's become one of my favorite books. I've actual purchased three formats of this book. Hard copy, e-book and audible book. I also really like the adaptation of the book into the movie called by the same name, even though they cut major parts of the book out but that is expected because they do that to all movies made from books. 

Do you keep a record of the books you have read? If so what format do you use?

Well to be honest I started keeping track of my books a half a year ago because I joined a Reading Quarter Log swap but after two quarters I got bored with the swap and stopped keeping track. I even have an entry here of what books I read in a past quarter. I just found that I read too much and too fast to keep up an accurate log. Also, sometimes I start a book and don't care for it and so I just stop reading it. Now I just kind of keep track of what books I've read on my Kindle app by moving them from "device" to the "cloud" when I finish a book. In as far as physical paper books, I have a pile of books that is unread or to read book and when I finish a book I move it to a completed pile. hahahaha. 

Do You Have A Favorite Book Blog? 

I signed up for Goodreads but I got really annoyed at the people who thought they were geniuses trying to review books in an overly intellectual manner. I don't mind true intellectual reviews. I just hate the people that think they are being smart and trying to write "down" to the little people. Also, some people just don't know how to write a book review with spoiling the book for others that have not read the book yet. Now I just have certain authors that I follow their blog. That is about it. 

Name Your Favorite Author:

This one is easy. Hmmm, I think. Okay, I will say Dean Koontz. I've read every book that I've found of his and I own most in the hardback edition. Also, I've subscribed to his blog so I know when he has new books coming out. I've already pre-ordered his book that is coming out in June 2017.

Do You Have a Good Crime/Mystery To Recommend?

Yes, Lately I've stumbled upon the author Julie Hyzy and I've become quite addicted to her mysteries. She has two series that I am reading right now. One is set in the White House and involves the white house chef who solves murder cases. I think it is called the Inaugural Chef Series. The other series is the "Grace..." series.  "Grace Sees Red" "Grace Against The Clock" etc. These are a good sets of books for those that don't want a heavy crime drama. They are lighthearted mysteries without bad language or graphic sex scenes.

A Great Romance?

I really truly hate romance stories to by honest. The only romance you will find me reading is by Nora Roberts and normally only her trilogies based on the supernatural. 

Name a Great Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book:

See question one.. hahahaha. Rick Yancey's, "Fifth Wave". I have two Fantasy series I like, too. Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders Of Pern (whole bunch of them) and Christopher Paolini's "Eragon" trilogy. 

Would You Chose A Book Based On The Cover?

I have in the past. That is actually how I found Julie Hyzy. I was standing in the checkout line at the library and looked at the bookshelf of new books available and saw the beautiful cover to her "Grace Cries Uncle" book and decided to pick it up. I usually do pick YA books bases on the cover work. 

Have you been to a book signing? 

No never. 

Name a book that you could read over and over again:

Um. The Fifth Wave? lol  Also, any book by Dean Koontz. 

How Many books are on your nightstand/table to read?

No physical books right now. But I have a stack of 5 books on my stairway to read. (That is where my "to read" pile is stored). I also have about 50 books on my Kindle App that I need to read. 

Do You Collect/Use Bookmarks?

I make bookmarks for other people but it's funny that I don't use them myself. I usually grab whatever piece of paper is handy at the time and use it to hold my place. I read A LOT of electronic books so I really don't need too many paper bookmarks. I do like to make the metal sheperds' hook bookmarks that have the bead dangles. Though I consider them more book jewelry then book marks since I don't use them while reading the book. I only put them into the book after I've read them and placed them on the shelf. It looks so pretty seeing all the beads and crystals hanging from books on my shelves. 

Getting To Know You #2

Hi Folks! Another Survey/Question swap. This one hosted by Yvonne401. I have to say that these are my favorite types of swaps. Well this and the Junk Journal swaps :)  Below are my answers.

1. How would you explain love to somebody who had never heard of it before? A feeling of intense longing to be with someone. To get to know them. To take care of them. I care about them no matter what. 
2. What toppings do you like to put on your pizza? Pepperoni or Ham.  I'm a one topping at a time kind of girl. 
3. Where are you most likely to be at 8:00 on a Saturday night? Honestly, probably home watching tv or reading a book. 
4. Where is the funniest place you have ever fallen asleep? Hmm. On a bus on gourmet trip to New York City. I snored and drooled and the whole nine yards. Totally embarrassing. 
5. What is your favorite thing about your dad? I was never close to my dad. 
6. What is your favorite thing about your mom? That we like to do the same kind of things. 
7. Who was your best friend growing up and are you still friends? I didn't have best friends. I find that girls have always been a backstabbing gossipy type people and that was long before the term, "mean girls" came about. Every time I tried to make a BFF I would find myself getting stabbed in the back and picked apart. I gave up after awhile and decided to just have acquaintances. 
8. What job did you have that you would never want again? Working in a sewing factory inspecting shirts. 
9. Would you rather be rich or healthy? If I could be 100% healthy that would be awesome.  
10. What did you do during your childhood summers? When I was younger we spent the summers with my grandparents because my Mom still had to work full time during the summers. Once we got older we would go to Church camp for part of the summer and then Mom would pay a lady in town to keep an eye out for us but we mostly just played outside all day until she got home from work. 
11. What do you do now during your summers? Work. I really don't care for summer. I don't take my vacations during the summer because I don't do well with the heat at all and I don't find it enjoyable to be out in it. I'm not a pool girl or beach girl or anything like that. I stay in the A/C as much as possible. 
12. What is your favorite season of the year? I love Fall and Spring. That is when I do all the fun things!
13. How do you manage stress? Read, Sleep, Craft
14. Have you ever been on TV? Not that I know of. 
15. Who taught you to drive? Well my ex-husband tried to teach me to drive but that was a disaster because he would yell at me every time I ground the gears. I refused to drive until I was 21 or even get my license until we got an automatic car. Then I think it was my Ex-husband's grandpa's wife Barb that gave me the pointers and confidence that I needed and I eventually taught myself. 
16. Would you like to know ahead of time the day you were going to die? No because then I wouldn't be able to live because I would always be counting down the days or worried about it. Stressing out over the day. 
17. How old do you want to live to? If I have my health and ability to take care of myself and live a long active life then I would love to live a long time.  If I get too invalid or start losing my mind I would want to stop living and just move on to the next chapter of my life in Heaven. 
18. If you were going to skip one meal, which one would it be? Breakfast. I usually skip breakfast because I am too busy working. 
19. What to you remember about your grandfather? He would take me on grocery shopping trips and he would teach me to calculate the exact purchase price of things. Like one brand of paper towels had this many sheets and that roll of paper towels only had this number of sheets for the same price.  He was very frugal. He would also take us the the diner where he and his croneys would meet daily for coffee and catching up on the news. I remember fried bologna sandwiches. I also remember watching John Wayne movies with him. 
20. What do you remember about your grandmother? Sitting in the kitchen with her watching Nick-At-Night and snacking on ritz crackers with cream cheese.  Making my grandma a glass of tea with lemon in it. I remember her telling me that when you get to be her age that you can say and do what you want. Also, I love the memory of us all sitting around the kitchen table after Sunday dinner playing cards and pretending like Nanny wasn't cheating.  She said it wasn't cheating that it was "Florida Style". 

Junk Journal Creation

I had a swap where I had to create a Junk Journal for my partner. I've really gotten into making junk journals. I now keep a project drawer in my craft room where I store bits and scraps of paper for future junk journals.  They are so fun to make.  Below are a few pictures of my recent journal creation. 

1st Quarter Reading Log - 2017

1st Quarter Reading Log -- 2017

I joined a swap on swap-bot called 1st Quarter Reading Log - 2017. For this swap we have to keep track of all the books we read and then do a short review of each book. Last quarter I wrote everything down in a notebook and had a page for each review. I wanted to try things a little different this time around and do an electronic version. I'll still need to print this out and mail it to my partner(s) at the end of the quarter but I also thought that keeping everything here would make things a lot easier for me. I can print this blog post out and also share the link if they want to see the online version. I have two partners for this swap and the quarter goes from January 1st to March 31st and needs mailed by April 3rd.  Below you will find which books I read this quarter and my review and rating of each. I also include all forms of books that I read and LISTEN to.  I listen to a lot of audiobooks while I am working. It helps me to tune out distractions around me and keeps my mind occupied as I am processing the work I know by rote. I also read a lot of e-books so that is why you will find my list may get a little longish.

Before I start this list I should tell you that I rate on a 1 to 5 method.
♥ - Didn't care for the book.
♥♥ - It was okay but nothing to write home about.
♥♥♥- I liked it but there was something about it that bothered me.
♥♥♥♥- I really liked the book and recommend it.
♥♥♥♥♥- I LOVED the book and you HAVE to read it :)

1. The Book of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West 
 ♥♥♥♥ 4/5  I really thought this was a cute book. It is meant for the age range of somewhere between a tween and a teen. I still enjoyed the book if though it was meant for a much younger person. There are additional books in this series and I think I am going to look into trying to find them at the library.
The premise of this book is that there is another world ELSEWHERE of our own world that you can get to through mirrors. I read this one at the beginning of January so I can't exactly remember all the details but I do remember that it was really interesting.

2. The Creature Department by Robert Weston

ERRR. I totally messed up with this one and forgot to finish it. I started this book and for some reason I thought I was done and I passed it on in my book exchange. I am totally bummed out because I was enjoying it immensely and have no idea why I gave it away. I'll have to go to the library and borrow this book, hopefully they have it. Then I can finish this review. 

Pen Pal Bag Swap

Pencil Bag Penpal Bag Swap

+Jaimie Randolph held a swap over on swap-bot. 

For this swap I had to send my partner a pencil bag filled with at least three $1 stationary items from the dollar tree. My partner was TwoTurtles and she sent a wonderful package of great items. 

Below are a few pictures of the items I received. I am so happy!

Random Survey No.2

Hi Folks -- Another round of random questions so I thought I'd use a random photo off my camera. This is a picture I took last year at my house. I thought the prettiness of the flower was so intriguing against the roughness and the old ladder. My husband has had that ladder in that place so long that the flower actually grew up and through the rungs of the ladder. It was kinda cool. 

What are you afraid of?

I am deathly afraid of deer. More explicitly I am afraid of driving at night because I am scared a deer or herd of them will be in the road or run into my car again. 

Have you ever been searched by the cops?

Not ME explicitly. But I did have the cops looking for me because of a abandoned car that my ex-husband left on the side of the road for over a week and the car was in my name. I got a dang fine for that one. 

Do you close your eyes on roller coasters?

I don't go on roller coasters so the answer would be moot

Strangest place you've gotten romantic?

Baseball dug out in the middle of winter

When's the last time you've been sledding?

Eons ago. At least it was the last time I purposely went sledding.  There was that time a few years ago when I was 6 months pregnant and slipped on the ice and went sliding down a hill on my butt. lol No one was hurt and it was kinda funny to see.

Would you rather fall sleep with someone else, or alone in bed?

With someone else. Since I've been married it is hard to sleep alone. Is probably why I have a problem with my 4yr old still sneaking into my bed at night. 

Do you believe in ghosts or poltergeists?

It is hard to say. On one hand I believe that there are evil spirits that haunt the earth so I guess that would be a poltergeist right? But I don't believe in ghosts I guess because a normal ghost is a benevolent spirit right? My faith says that when you die you go to heaven or hell. If you are a good person why would you stay on earth when you have heaven waiting for you? 

What is your favorite song right now?

Chain Breaker by Zach Williams. 

Do you consider yourself creative?

I consider myself a copycat creative person. I have trouble coming up with my own fresh ideas but I am able to take inspiration from someone else and make it my own and sometimes put my own spin on it. 

Do you think O.J. was innocent or guilty?

I don't care regardless. It is the past. 

Do you care about any celebrity gossip?

Not at all. It actually irks me to be honest. They are just people doing a job for goodness sake. 

Can you honestly say you know ANYTHING about politics?

I stay out of politics. I hate politics. Hate hate HATE!

Do you play poker?

I know how to but I've not played it in probably 20 years. 

Have you ever been awake for more than 36 hours straight?

Yes, the whole giving birth thing takes awhile. hahahaha

Do you have a favorite commercial?

I know I do but I can't think of it right now. 

Do you remember the name of your first love, and if so who?

Yes, Keith Stockton, I was 5 and loved him from Kindergarten to First grade. 

If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around you, do you run a red light?

Nope there are too many idiots out there. 

Do you have a secret that no one knows but you?

There is probably a lot that nobody knows about me because I don't share personal stuff with other people. Well other then these random question survey things but these are things you can learn from a conversation. I don't share important stuff with anyone. 

Are you into sports, and if so do you have a favorite team?

Abhor sports.

Have you ever been streaking?

Not in the lifetime or the next. 

How often do you remember your dreams?

Usually when I wake up but if I don't write them down then I forget them. 

What's the one thing on your mind right now?

Hoping to finish this survey and be able to watch a few episodes of Person Of Interest on Netflix before my son wakes up and wants the TV.. lol

Do you have a favorite restaurant?

Yes, I have a few:

Sandwich place: W.G. Grinders - The closest to me is 45 mins away :(

Steakhouse:  The Brown Derby also 45 mins away from me in the opposite direction.

What talent do you wish you had?

I wish I could sing. I love to sing but my son always asks me to stop lol

What is your best feature/talent?

My best feature is my hair. It is really thick and grows FAST. I could cut it today and by summer it will be halfway down my back.  My best talent... hmmm telling detailed stories. 

Do you like sushi, and if so what is your favorite?

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...Yuck!

What do you wear to bed?

pajamma pants and a tshirt. I'm pass the sexy nightwear phase. Especially when a 4yr old sneaks in bed all the time. 

Favorite TV show?

Currently: The New McGyver!

If you could sleep with one famous person, who would it be?

I'd like to cuddle with John Cusack but that is all. Not wanting anything else. Happily married. I think it would be AWESOME to be his friend. :)

Do you know anyone in jail?

I might, I don't know if any of the people I know are in jail. 

How often do you drink [alcohol]?

Very rarely. I once had a bottle of wine in my fridge for over 2 years. I'll buy one of those frozen drink pouches once in a while but after I drink it I don't want another one for a year or so. 

What food do you find disgusting?

Seafood! Do you know that Lobster's are related to cockroaches!! OMG!

Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back?

No! I'll make fun of them to their faces though. But it's teasing and not serious. 

Have you ever been in a fight?

Fist fight? No. If I've fought it  has been with words. I have a very acerbic tongue when I need it. 

Do you believe in angels or demons?

More then anything! I believe they are all around us constantly waging battle for our souls. 

Favorite color?

Pink -- Purple close second.

What is your favorite store to shop at?

Online I love shopping at Amazon. In person I would say any of the craft stores. Though I prefer Hobby Lobby over Michael's and Jo-Anne's

What's the worst thing you've done and gotten away with?

Dating a couple guys at one time and them not knowing about each other. 


My Partners for this swap were:

User4532
Scrybe
Aspens
Visukiki
Pelgrim

Those sending to me are:

BlueCrayons
SpiceMom
Julez13
Cafloarea
Janevey

Mail Call 02/27/2017

I totally love Etsy! It is one of my new favorite places to find vintage stationary. Especially postalettes. I got a package in the mail and thought I would share my newest finds with you. If I know..errr remember the etsy shops I bought the items from I will link them at the end :)

This totally cute kitty stationary. It consists of 12 pages and 6 envelopes and matching envelope seal stickers.  My only problem is that I never write a 2 page letter. More often I write a 10 page letter..hahaha. Oh well, I can always use the leftover envelopes in envelope swaps with friends from Swap-bot. 😉

This next set of stationary is a set of 12 postalettes. I thought I would use these for Notecard exchanges or those Quick Note swaps that I like to join. I think this design is absolutely beautiful and I love the blue coloring. These were made by Hallmart and I think they are from the 80's? But I could be wrong. I couldn't find a date on the package anywhere. 

Here is my second set of postalettes that I was able to find. I don't think they are quite vintage but I love the victorian feel with the pink roses and the ecru colored background. I just feel so elegant when I use these. I really need to step up my fancy handwriting so I feel worth of using these papers. 

My Third set of postalettes are these pretty vintage butterfly cards. I think they are so pretty.

Last but not least. I am a stickler for stickers..hahahahahaha! I love love love buying cute stickers and some of my favorites are stickers of owls and peacocks. I was just browsing through etsy and stumbled across these and knew I just had to have these.  One of the things I love to do is decorate happy mail when I send it out. I think adding these stickers to my outgoing mail will brighten someone's day. I especially love the foiled owls. They are so adorable!

Where I got everything: Etsy

You can click on the store names to go directly to their shop :) 

The Kitten Stationary -- UniqueJapanDesigns

Vintage Hallmark Postalette (Oriental Design) -- JuntiqueJunction

Rose Fold-over Postalettes & Vintage Butterfly Postalettes -- MaggiesMedley

Cute Kawaii Owl Stickers, Peacock Stickers & Foiled Owls -- ILuvDesign

Recipe Journal Swap

I just finished the recipe journal swap that I signed up for on Swap-bot. With this swap you have to send your assigned partner a notebook or journal of some form that has 50 hand wrote recipes in it. I decided that I wanted to make the journal for my partner a little bit special so I took an tutorial that I found on MayMayMadeIt and used her ideas to make my journal extra special.  I really really love the paper that I used to decorate this journal and I will include links at the end of this blog post on where you can find this paper pack if you wish to purchase it for yourself. I will also link the MayMay's tutorial at the end so you can go and check out her youtube channel.  She is totally wonderful and awesome and I've learned so many crafty things by watching her videos. You should really check her out and subscribe to her if you've not heard of her before.  Now on to the photos of the journal I created for my swap partner, BrooklyBunch. I am hoping she will like this and appreciate all the hard work I put into making it for her. 

Funny story though, I first started out this journal swap just writing random recipes in a notebook then decided I wanted to separate them all into categories, so I started over again. Then once I had a bunch of recipes in the notebook I decided I wanted to add Tabs and such to make it easier to look through, so I added all that.  Then I stumbled upon MayMay's tutorial and decided to order the paper pack she showed so I could decorate the journal. While I was waiting for the paper to show up I decided to finish writing out the recipes. But when I got to the end of the notebook I realized that I loved most of these recipes and I liked having them written down and on hand instead of stored online that I decided to keep the original (second one..lol) for myself and start totally fresh with the journal for a THIRD time.  The pictures you see below are my final project that I will mail out to BrooklyBunch.   I hope you like what I've made! Enjoy!

I wanted a simple cover. One that was pretty but at the same time not too frufru. I just layered a couple layers of the pattern paper from the paperpack and then used one of the cut outs from the kit as the main image of the book. I did the same thing with the back cover and used another pretty pattern. For the spine of the book I didn't want to cover it and cause problems when trying to flip through the book so I just decided to use some sticky back fabric tape to cover the seam between the front cover and and the spine of the composition notebook. Then I added a pretty sequin ribbon to the the front to add to the look. (see close up of sequin ribbon below)

I also made these cool tabs dividers using my WeRMemoryKeepers envelope punchboard. This is something I learned from maymay's video. (see very end of blog for tutorial).

I covered both the inside and back cover with plain white cardstock, thereby covering up all the conversion charts that you normally see in the inside covers of all composition notebooks. I then added a pocket to both the front and back covers to give my swap partner a place to tuck in random things. There are several pockets throughout the journal that can be used for storing more recipes and whatever else Susan may wish to add to this to make it her own. 

Using the patterned paper from the paperpack I decorated both the front and back of every divider. Some have pockets for tucking items and some are just accented with the matching stickers from the kit.  The below picture of the Table of Contents, I used my label maker to add the page numbers to ever page and on the Table of Contents page.  The camera actually added a glare to the labels but seeing them with your normal eye, they actually blend into the page.  I also used my label maker to for all the tab descriptions.

Several of the pockets contain tags that also came from the paper packet and I added them to the pockets with the thought that Susan could add her own recipes to these cards or maybe pictures of things she's cooked. 

I hand wrote all the recipes in the journal. I thought it added a more personal touch and I am hoping that she will be able to read my handwriting. hahahhha I tried to take my time when writing everything out so that it didn't look chicken scratchy. :) I did switch back and forth between printing and cursive and I changed pen colors several times to keep things interesting.

At the end of the recipe journal I had several pages left over that I didn't want to leave blank. After I added the Index to the very back of the notebook I decided to look up and include several ingredient substitution pages and also a Measurement Equivalent chart.  I thought these things would be handy to keep in print where you wouldn't have to look them up.  Things like what is a dash or pinch equivalent to in actual measurements. lol 

The paper pack that I bought for this project is called: " Home Sweet Home" by Carina Gardner and is created by Carta Bella paper company. It is a whole scrapbooking kit and came with 12 double sided 12x12 heavy cardstock papers and a couple pages of cutouts. One being the recipe cards that I used at pockets and the second cut apart page being the tags that I used throughout the journal and put in the pockets I created. You also get a 12x12 page of element stickers that you can see from above that I used as embellishments throughout the whole journal. 

I purchased this paper pack off of Amazon for $9.98 and you can find it by clicking the below link.

Home Sweet Home by Carta Bella Paper Company

The tutorial that I used for inspiration to make this recipe journal I found on MayMayMadeIt's youtube channel. Below you can find the link to take you to part one of the tutorial. From there you can find parts two and three. 

Altered Recipe Journal by MayMayMadeIt