GIFT IDEAS - WEEK TWO - PERSONALIZED PLANNER

 As the search for the perfect gift continues I ran across a website that helps you to create your own book.  It was a great find. You can make anything from a photo book to a bound novel you want to publish and sell. For a reasonable price they provide you with the software to create the book, then print and ship it to you.  They will even help you sell your books if you like. The layouts are fun and easy to use. The instructions are humorous and useful and the end product is something you can be proud of. Think snapfish for writers.  

My friend’s birthday was coming up and I thought it would be fun to create a personalized planner for her. It seemed like a fun, personal way to share some of the great pictures I had taken of her and her baby over the previous year. I highly recommend that you give this a try this year.

First, log in to www.blurb.com and download the BookSmart program. When you open BookSmart it will walk you thru the steps to create and order your very own book.  It’s as easy as pie (Which by the way is a saying that has never made sense to me. If you have ever made pie you know there is nothing easy about it. Shrug.).

I chose to make a Planner (with a Notes page instead of the Month at a Glance) as it appealed to my sense of order and my creative side. The pocket size seemed the most practical as she could carry it in her purse (again my sense of order) so I chose that.  I then downloaded 13 images - one for each month and a cover. I chose images I had taken from each month that year, such as a picture of her son at Christmas and one of him in his Halloween costume. I thought it would be a sweet reminder of what he had looked like at that time the previous year. Then I clicked and drug the images to the appropriate pages. The program gives the option to edit the layout of the image, choosing one that has text space or just an image. I chose the image layout that included text and put headers for all the pictures. You could choose to add fun quotes or sayings. For example, for November there is this little tidbit from someecards “I’m so happy the family is coming over so we can all talk over each other at extremely loud volumes” that definitely reminds me of the holidays.

 

The book took me less than an hour to create and was very reasonably priced. With shipping and tax it was just over $30. For less than I would normally spend on a present for one of my closest friends, I created a personalized, fun heartfelt gift that will remind her all year of the happiest memories from the previous year. The gift was such a success that I plan to do this soon for another friend.

I hope you are all enjoying the ideas from this blog. I know I am having fun writing them. Be sure to follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SignatureServicesLA and Twitter @castuttle for daily tips and ideas to make life easier and more fun.

ORGANIZATION WEEK TWO – YOUR CLOSET

There is nothing quite as beautiful as a well-organized closet. Seeing all of your clothes neatly lined up on beautiful hangers, your shoes marching in a row and your bags and scarves perfectly stored is the ultimate organizational high. This state of nirvana is not easily attained but once you reach it you will never leave. 

Being a “neat nick” at heart I have tried many ways to hang, fold and stash my clothes. My closet space has ranged from the size of a small door to the walk in I have now. I have bought rack systems, hanging pieces and shoe organizers by the dozens. But still it seemed as if the clutter in my closet was multiplying. I swear it was channeling those Tribbles on Star Trek that reproduce every time you turn your back. I would open my closet door and my wardrobe would attack me. I kept saying, someday I will have a big enough space to organize everything. But that “someday” never seemed to come.

Then the most amazing thing happened. A friend of mine bought me a starter set of wooden hangers for my birthday. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with my closet (yes, I quoted Casablanca on purpose). I wanted my closet to be worthy of those wooden beauties so I set out to create an organized space that adapted to any size closet and didn’t involve thousands of dollars. The result is what you see here, an inviting, accessible system that can adapt to any space or shopping spree.   

 

 

 

Let me walk you through the basics:

1. Make your closet space inviting by painting it a pretty, soothing color that will showcase your wardrobe. I happen to love blue.
2. Purchase good, matching hangers. Why matching you ask? It adds to the overall feeling of uniformity and style and helps your eye to focus on your clothes and not the jumble of different hangers.
3. Invest in bins – clear, wire, with lids, without it really doesn’t matter. The key is to find the right sizes for your needs and to be able to see what they hold without opening them. My bins hold my t-shirts, workout pants, scarves and undergarments. Everything else I hang up as I like to be able to access my daily wear clothes without any fuss.
4. Make space for your shoes. This may involve allocating existing shelves like I have done or purchasing good shoe racks. It is important to store your shoes neatly to help them retain their shape and last longer. Some people like to go the extra step and put them all in bins with pictures on the front to identify what is in them. This is a good option if you don’t mind un-stacking and opening bins every time you get dressed. I suffer from “shoe indecision” so I would undoubtedly end up with 20 bins and 20 pairs of shoes strewn over the closet floor every time I get ready. Knowing this about myself, I keep it simple.
5. Finally, take the time to put up pictures, find interesting knick knacks and line drawers with scented paper to pretty up your closet. This makes it more than just a space to house your clothes. It makes it somewhere you enjoy hanging out while you play dress up.  

Once you have all this in place you can get down to the business of hanging, folding and stacking until your closet is just the way you want it.

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter this week as I post ideas for great bins and hangers to set you on the road to the perfect closet.

http://www.facebook.com/SignatureServicesLA

@castuttle

A few years ago I ran across a great craft idea in a Real Simple magazine. They had taken a simple dish towel and by adding buttons and ribbon, turned it into an apron. I decided to try this idea and make them for my friends and family. That year I made 25 simple and stylish aprons.

Over the years this craft has changed and grown into the sassy apron pictured here. If you are at all crafty you can create your own Signature Apron. For those of you who don’t have the necessary tools (or know how) here is the link to buy one on Etsy. www.esty.com/shop/SignatureAprons

First step – Gather your tools

One sturdy dish towel. I like to use white cotton waffle weave towels as they last forever and the weave gives you a nice pattern to play with.

Four to Six feet of ribbon. You can use whatever ribbon catches your eye. There are double faced satins, gross grains and single face satins to name a few. I have upgraded to double faced satin.

Thread. You can choose to match or coordinate with the ribbon and towel.

Embellishments. There are so many to choose from – buttons, roses, decals, appliques and more.

Sewing implements. If you want to make a simple apron with two ribbons you will only need a needle. If you have a sewing machine and know how to use it you can upgrade to designs and full ribbon coverage across the front.

 

Second step – Find a quiet, safe place to sew. If you have kids you know this is the most important step.

Third step – Determine your design

It is important to always lay out what you want to do and pin the pieces in place, even if you are going the simple route. When I first started sewing I made a blouse and skirt combo. The blouse took me two days, endless muttered swear words (well I was 14 so they were euphemisms) and several spools of thread. Why? Because I refused to pin the sleeves on prior to sewing and managed to attach them inside out REPEATEDLY! No joke – one sleeve took me 6 tries before I got it right.

If you are going the simple route you only need to measure the amount of ribbon you will need to attach two inches in from the top corners of the towel and wrap around your body with enough ribbon to tie. Remember – MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE or you might end making several trips to the fabric store. Add a few cute buttons as fun anchors for the ribbon.

For the more intensive option you need to create your design and lay it out accordingly. I’ll leave that up to you or this posting will be too friggin LONG.

Fourth step – Get to sewing.

If you are going simple you only need to thread your needle and sew the buttons in place. Remember to double your thread and make several passes thru each button hole to ensure the thread holds thru multiple uses. Now… I have been sewing for a long time and still have a hell of a time with buttons. I inevitably get the thread tangled, or don’t pull it all the way thru and leave a loop on one end. So again it pays to go slow and be methodical.

For the sewing machine option, I’m going to assume you know what to do. But if not, give me a holler and I’ll send more detailed directions.

These beautiful aprons will take you anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours depending on how crafty you want to be. The end result is a fun, sassy apron that your friends will want for themselves.