Stockings and So Much More!

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. I did and am now ready to jump into another fun-filled week of getting and giving creative ideas. Hopefully you are too.

I know I need to jump right into today's blog and save announcements until the end, but today I'm going to indulge myself and make one announcement up front. The rest will be at the end. If you did not read Saturday's blog (Zip-a-dee-do-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay), please go back. There's a proposition in there that I hope everyone will consider.

Ok... If you read yesterday's blog, you know the theme for the week is, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." This week we will look at a few things I have a really hard time getting rid of... and why. Maybe as the week goes on you will also share some of the items you consider treasures that others might consider trash.

At the expense of repeating myself... I like paper. I am not especially crafty or artistic, so stiffy bow baskets, needle point, crochet, pottery... none of these things are in my future. I do, however, get a charge out of making use of paper products that I collect along the way. Below are some examples...

The best part of wearing stockings (from my perspective, not my husband's) is the white piece of cardboard that comes in the center. That is, of course... unless you buy your pantyhose in an egg. I love those pieces of cardboard. They are the perfect size (6" x 9"). Crisp and white. Sturdy, but not so thick it feels like a clumsy piece of brown corrugated cardboard. I've designated an old magazine holder to collect these and other pieces of cardboard just like it (bedding usually has great cardboard inserts too).

Today in less than five minutes I combined: (1) Talbots Mircorfiber Opaque (control top... of course) Stocking cardboard insert; (1) quickly taken photo for the purposes of this project; and (1) advertisement from a magazine featuring a picture of an ornate gold leaf frame. Put them together and in less than five minutes, I voila... I have this fun little pic to send my mother. I added the yellow ribbon later.

Nothing stupendous, but it will be a nice little pick-me-up when it arrives in her mailbox in New York.

Here's another one... Nothing is cuter than a baby in a crisp and clean onesie....chubby legs showing for the world to see. Imagine my excitement the first time I bought a package and found narrow white pieces of cardboard rolled into each shirt. The pieces of cardboard are

1.5" x 5.5." The first time I laid eyes on one... "bookmark" immediately came to mind. I love them and think they make great homemade accents to accompany a top-selling birthday book. Today, I set five of them in front of Matthew with a big box of markers. It was just the right amount of coloring for him... and in the end, he made something functional.

So you see... I have a hard time throwing away cardboard, card stock, or any other piece of paper (magazine ads, decorative catalog pages, etc...) that I think can be used to make something fun. Granted, I could easily go buy a big piece of poster board and cut it down to size, but what fun would that be? This is all about finding the perfect use for the perfect piece of cardboard.

How about you? How do you reinvent your "garbage?"

Announcements:

• Today begins week #2 of Taste of USA. Last week was fun, thanks to the hard work of Cheryl and Katie and still... I know we can do better with regards to our participation. Let there be no confusion... Here's all you need to know: (1) Today, tomorrow, and Thursday residents of the featured states AND non-residents should feel free to comment. (2) On Friday, only residents of states featured this week should post their favorite thing about their state. The winning state, receives a fun-filled afternoon of brainstorming, prize-winning, and community building!


• This week's states are: Idaho, Alaska, New York, Tennessee, and Michigan.


• On deck for next week: Illinois, South Dakota, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Arizona.


• Matthew's first puppet show was a hit last night (for background, see Monday's blog, Scene Three, Take Two).