tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76226127647530724052024-03-06T00:32:51.088-05:00Deesigns by Nina DeeNina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.comBlogger833125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-72805342531226322202020-07-27T09:00:00.047-04:002020-07-27T09:11:08.924-04:00Naki & Nina's Double Dare Challenge<div>Well, hello there! It's been a long time since I shared some paper crafting of my own, but I'm here today with something fun! My dear friend, <a href="https://notesfromnaki.blogspot.com/">Naki</a>, has recently been in a bit of a crafting slump as well, so we did what we do best - challenged each other! That's right! We've brought back Naki and Nina's Double Dare Challenge! Haha!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFUMTI2sqRH1grAIh7E5cgrkANv8uZsxCj_yRHvk297rcuoRQ1ctnkjcoIJeZkV9_Y9MH3Smsk3gSo_zOp0mxWe52BWnSlO0A-674zRk2qir_s__yFlfsefuHKOf3Hhdj70hoAgr639I/s450/Double+Dare+Challenge.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="450" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFUMTI2sqRH1grAIh7E5cgrkANv8uZsxCj_yRHvk297rcuoRQ1ctnkjcoIJeZkV9_Y9MH3Smsk3gSo_zOp0mxWe52BWnSlO0A-674zRk2qir_s__yFlfsefuHKOf3Hhdj70hoAgr639I/w400-h241/Double+Dare+Challenge.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our Double Dare Challenge was something silly we came up with ages ago to inspire each when our creativity was feeling a little low. We've turned to the challenge before when we have needed a creative boost and we knew we needed something again to get us back into our craft spaces! Believe it or not, this is our 35th challenge! Whoa!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We each pick a challenge item that we combine together to make a Double Dare Challenge. We've sometimes come up with some crazy combinations! Our picks for this round were lots of fun!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ssgOoveBqfFXzOqMXYe2GvCHnLe9BHGnQOvWwDBwHkkY4Pe_LkUnFChfGrvyaNcX0m_-6iJrZfGUZSe-VvOX8Q4bg8cVmawVA5WU1jRtJ0bk8W9eDnQx_P9IBTZmZ583s-0lPLwcf5k/s450/Naki%2527s+Pick.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="450" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ssgOoveBqfFXzOqMXYe2GvCHnLe9BHGnQOvWwDBwHkkY4Pe_LkUnFChfGrvyaNcX0m_-6iJrZfGUZSe-VvOX8Q4bg8cVmawVA5WU1jRtJ0bk8W9eDnQx_P9IBTZmZ583s-0lPLwcf5k/w256-h93/Naki%2527s+Pick.png" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">improve one of your old designs from the past (the older the better)!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLSK54RkK4NjCt45jjLV4G3FNyBUkAIGrw18Q01Cq9D-AWPaqkRDvuK1mBXAsyRD_GoUQyJwttQh1Ei3yfkFSspifkb6vnxOp6lmRnGzGH9JMFgrn94b6fCeNhEISHhiQur_iLsOEh9c/s450/Nina%2527s+Pick.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="450" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLSK54RkK4NjCt45jjLV4G3FNyBUkAIGrw18Q01Cq9D-AWPaqkRDvuK1mBXAsyRD_GoUQyJwttQh1Ei3yfkFSspifkb6vnxOp6lmRnGzGH9JMFgrn94b6fCeNhEISHhiQur_iLsOEh9c/w256-h93/Nina%2527s+Pick.png" width="256" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">use something you have been hoarding in your stash!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Are you ready?! Let's get crafty! T</span>o get started on this challenge, we both had to take a trip down memory lane and look at some of our oldest cards and creations to inspire us. I decided to use one of my favorite first challenges as my inspiration! <a href="http://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2010/01/">Here's the original post from 10 years ago</a>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even after all this time, I still think this inspiration photo from Moxie Fab is so beautiful. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvytrQsKgGr41Wz5rHVm8ab1n2ZIU5TE82COKkhLjkU0DO22dmVf6BI0v4B8SiKcWS5J8z1wLodc-94DFWIoRx5fRG4WrVdsCWghp1wPmUGfU9_UR1imFSrX0YNF44P6l1ohcFtB4sxqI/s400/decorpad.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvytrQsKgGr41Wz5rHVm8ab1n2ZIU5TE82COKkhLjkU0DO22dmVf6BI0v4B8SiKcWS5J8z1wLodc-94DFWIoRx5fRG4WrVdsCWghp1wPmUGfU9_UR1imFSrX0YNF44P6l1ohcFtB4sxqI/w400-h400/decorpad.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here's the card I made for the challenge!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvHuqUyRyNYtfUmu1KxtJH3RJUs6e3181QM3rJmG6nlTgF_Y_RYVRd3gCEfpCviXgmWdSPYp35tun3yQCXPYQV0ifH5P4BbZVgNEepDn1EnydnnzHn8qHzcdmcsGo0-aHLGPlVgTq3ng/s2048/IMG_1077+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvHuqUyRyNYtfUmu1KxtJH3RJUs6e3181QM3rJmG6nlTgF_Y_RYVRd3gCEfpCviXgmWdSPYp35tun3yQCXPYQV0ifH5P4BbZVgNEepDn1EnydnnzHn8qHzcdmcsGo0-aHLGPlVgTq3ng/w500-h375/IMG_1077+%25282%2529.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here's a peek at my original card design! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpHdXvgLloPKr5Rda7Qu3wmvLCW4AYhHjF4p9nQbYvi-NWfNnj3T6M6A1-SjBSUOEucET-xaYEZPQePOZfmKolv7kQ_-DqLc_9X9ntyw7u-z2xdwVL87UPTwO1vj6sqQUq84RXzg2WFo/s320/DSC02768w.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpHdXvgLloPKr5Rda7Qu3wmvLCW4AYhHjF4p9nQbYvi-NWfNnj3T6M6A1-SjBSUOEucET-xaYEZPQePOZfmKolv7kQ_-DqLc_9X9ntyw7u-z2xdwVL87UPTwO1vj6sqQUq84RXzg2WFo/s0/DSC02768w.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I've destashed so much since I haven't been crafting as much. I don't even own the stamps that I used on this card anymore! I still love the white stamped image on kraft paper and knew I wanted to create a similar look. <div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrnMbaV8wSteqpbz5sa9h1j8tMVxETp-J1NJI66XPYgkSppbthU1_kVLhUrByVLNVm_zI7rpIeYJgjLNwNqmlWECCvrAR-l1d7BjWmuvluE6Ehwc4mIeC7_l4ww-_LjzS3Yguzg9QrrM/s2048/IMG_1079+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrnMbaV8wSteqpbz5sa9h1j8tMVxETp-J1NJI66XPYgkSppbthU1_kVLhUrByVLNVm_zI7rpIeYJgjLNwNqmlWECCvrAR-l1d7BjWmuvluE6Ehwc4mIeC7_l4ww-_LjzS3Yguzg9QrrM/w500-h375/IMG_1079+%25282%2529.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had fun creating the background for my updated card using some beautiful floral stamps. In hind sight, I do wish I added a little more of the blue/teal color to my card. It ended up looking a little more for a bride than a birthday girl, but I'm still loving this! The hoarded item I decided to use was my Nuvo Crystal Drops! I'm not actually hoarding it, but I've been unsure of what to do with them, so they've been sitting up on my shelf until now. The Nuvo Drops were actually a gift from Naki and happened to be the perfect color for this card! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here are the DEEtails:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Paper: Baked Brown Sugar cardstock, Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock, White Vellum cardstock</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Stamps: Bigger Blooms (Papertrey Ink)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Ink: VersaMark</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Embellishments: Neptune Turquoise Nuvo Crystal Drops, white scalloped ribbon (American Crafts) White Stampin' Emboss Powder</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJAyumJsg6bbZ0OnoQCGkV8xvtGewX3uT59AAhgSk40jNoHxh1WnDsNI2k6nUCS8Mma31FWDEKh7auI7IMlP-KgHgl99NbndNCu0TByn7u3oRV3mVK_-sqWMtvD74Iyj1xgPw5CG7XBw/s2048/IMG_1080+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJAyumJsg6bbZ0OnoQCGkV8xvtGewX3uT59AAhgSk40jNoHxh1WnDsNI2k6nUCS8Mma31FWDEKh7auI7IMlP-KgHgl99NbndNCu0TByn7u3oRV3mVK_-sqWMtvD74Iyj1xgPw5CG7XBw/w500-h375/IMG_1080+%25282%2529.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope you like it! We'd love for you to join us in the challenge too! You can link your card in the comments below or join us on Instagram by tagging us @deesignsbyninadee and @notesfromnaki with #nnddchallenge. We Double Dare you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-14813328009319932242020-07-15T07:00:00.001-04:002020-07-15T15:26:13.332-04:00Christmas Part 2<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU3pwgJVJ1d5YCHzUJNLEw-OTgLqWhMvw6RlxDHPvEikOENai1bQ73hWRB7QaUE3FIVzmuX3Is5d7DxVNKdkCPy7Xdbsbyz8qqm7GEjCaiZGx-KBGF8kYUzXjb0WnbAWH_81KsKdxHfU/s2048/IMG_1062+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU3pwgJVJ1d5YCHzUJNLEw-OTgLqWhMvw6RlxDHPvEikOENai1bQ73hWRB7QaUE3FIVzmuX3Is5d7DxVNKdkCPy7Xdbsbyz8qqm7GEjCaiZGx-KBGF8kYUzXjb0WnbAWH_81KsKdxHfU/w500-h375/IMG_1062+%25282%2529.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm back today to share the rest of our daughter's Christmas pocket pages. These pages are her favorite photos from December and Christmas at home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphAkwWbOvZtfMwysIUYyUx5cdyPGO7klvWs8spxs2RzmHC87rHOByCL6uf3Xwc8aDhRMDMu4qu2xHRrINsLW5DO9msKMtuQwauRSWX6pN_IiH5P8Gg2K2nsc7-xjG8vhZHiNBPFkDjdM/s2048/IMG_1064+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphAkwWbOvZtfMwysIUYyUx5cdyPGO7klvWs8spxs2RzmHC87rHOByCL6uf3Xwc8aDhRMDMu4qu2xHRrINsLW5DO9msKMtuQwauRSWX6pN_IiH5P8Gg2K2nsc7-xjG8vhZHiNBPFkDjdM/w375-h500/IMG_1064+%25282%2529.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lots of puffy stickers on these pages! These are some of the goodies that she got with her gift card she received from Easter. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMV4IwMV0nxjQvektpYMjWlQSzRrJqkjd5gxRVMrP7HEKEbfV0CxN6RioAIRG6iSCTm01WfN8dqBFqpLdd-8s4QX9s6n5hkBAKO8BfPW4pV1LFysDA8uWUZePHptlTDbjgNjxlrfZ1-DQ/s2048/IMG_1063+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMV4IwMV0nxjQvektpYMjWlQSzRrJqkjd5gxRVMrP7HEKEbfV0CxN6RioAIRG6iSCTm01WfN8dqBFqpLdd-8s4QX9s6n5hkBAKO8BfPW4pV1LFysDA8uWUZePHptlTDbjgNjxlrfZ1-DQ/w375-h500/IMG_1063+%25282%2529.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our little girl is always confused and finds it kind of humorous when she sees stitching on scrapbook pages (because sewing if for fabric, of course!) but she's getting adventurous with her pages and asked me to sew lines across her tab on this photo! Let me tell you, I'm kind of a nervous wreck doing stuff like this for her! I'm so scared I'm going to mess up her beautiful work! </div><div><br /></div><div>She's on to the next project now... I can't wait to share! This blog may soon turn into DEEsigns by Audra Dee since this little girl is doing way more crafting that I am these days!</div>Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-22876566738797264162020-07-06T07:00:00.005-04:002020-07-08T21:49:45.617-04:00Christmas in JulySince she's all caught up on her four year old photos, she said she ran out of photos and asked what she should scrapbook next. Hahaha. Our little girl was thrilled when we told her she could start working on photos from last year! She immediately asked if she could print Christmas photos first!<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIjU4k5VV5yR2mq0nZY26tCarkYxESNw87Z-g_ObiD13VComumkARKx2XF1GqDt71ZHJX_wp5tp16RIL_SkI2F2B8bnfvF-19jgPyEuJLwQTEHeCKmB2tI0bZZbpISfADZT036o3ZQJ0/s3070/Christmas+Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2303" data-original-width="3070" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIjU4k5VV5yR2mq0nZY26tCarkYxESNw87Z-g_ObiD13VComumkARKx2XF1GqDt71ZHJX_wp5tp16RIL_SkI2F2B8bnfvF-19jgPyEuJLwQTEHeCKmB2tI0bZZbpISfADZT036o3ZQJ0/w500-h375/Christmas+Page.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For Christmas, we traveled to Ohio to visit family. When she was working on her pages, she decided to show the different activities she did with each set of grandparents on each page. The left side shows photos with her Grandma and Bumpy and the right side shows photos with her Grammie & Grampie. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtTkaGonhDNbJjiXuUtLsY4nMZ4jtWAt6FBEc8sFDcQT7jAyEdH6qdt1AHurrsSingmxjce0kdXFctwA6xlHEjJnfhuT5yFnGkk_J5Yg-oXhbQTIEAqvgKgKVzQ2zRJFccSxTyeTQvq0/s2742/IMG_0946.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2742" data-original-width="2056" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtTkaGonhDNbJjiXuUtLsY4nMZ4jtWAt6FBEc8sFDcQT7jAyEdH6qdt1AHurrsSingmxjce0kdXFctwA6xlHEjJnfhuT5yFnGkk_J5Yg-oXhbQTIEAqvgKgKVzQ2zRJFccSxTyeTQvq0/w375-h500/IMG_0946.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">She received a gift card to <a href="https://felicityjane.com/">Felicity Jane</a> for Easter from her Grandma and spent it on some Christmas goodies to decorate her pages. Of course, she dug through my stash to find some fun stuff too, including the snowflake sequins and fake snow, which she requested to be made into another "sprinkle pouch" so it would look like snow on the photo of her and my mom in matching winter coats. It's hard to see, but she added the "Brrr" to this photo which makes her giggle so much.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiLDfm8yrXKOrQHU14WIHdsaKEmNZXJiWvOTdmCxmbp2lyu_PVy9pcYmKre1ounzUiuUwnP_igAJJ9270Z_V4d7STiBhujtOwUAzGaPWTOBOAspLuH-OwTTVatvjvOKjHyhEqRbdB590/s2855/Christmas+Flip+Up.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2855" data-original-width="2141" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiLDfm8yrXKOrQHU14WIHdsaKEmNZXJiWvOTdmCxmbp2lyu_PVy9pcYmKre1ounzUiuUwnP_igAJJ9270Z_V4d7STiBhujtOwUAzGaPWTOBOAspLuH-OwTTVatvjvOKjHyhEqRbdB590/w375-h500/Christmas+Flip+Up.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This page is the one she is most proud of. She studied a video from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0iSiZIuAXXi0YlmkWHyMg/featured">Sheree Forcier</a> to learn how to make a "flip up". She is a mega fan of Sheree and was so excited to learn this technique! She also asked me to sew the ribbon for the tag on this card, which I love. I just adore all her little hearts and stars that she sticks here and there on her pages. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So proud of this little girl and her work! I'll be back soon to share more!</div></div></div>Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-87157117478438209742020-06-29T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-08T21:20:48.758-04:00BlankieBefore our daughter was born, I had an idea that I wanted to make a blanket out of her baby clothes. I just adored all the teeny tiny outfits that we were accumulating. I knew that she would only wear her clothes for such a short period of time and I wanted some way to preserve her adorable outfits. So, as she outgrew her outfits, we carefully stored our favorites in a bin to someday be made into a blanket. Fast forward four years and I am finally done! <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJoqA11lJAnl7R8XsPSCgMwSfAsPEbOUEtollGUsq6KB0l7kK37RFnldRiwSSS7Edcpbb0rXk006Gy59rbDqiCN36HRw5OgI-jdFtTsxga-rkrADxfb5epWjKdG1OaTW7xx9PiKqEHLA/s3732/IMG_0846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2799" data-original-width="3732" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJoqA11lJAnl7R8XsPSCgMwSfAsPEbOUEtollGUsq6KB0l7kK37RFnldRiwSSS7Edcpbb0rXk006Gy59rbDqiCN36HRw5OgI-jdFtTsxga-rkrADxfb5epWjKdG1OaTW7xx9PiKqEHLA/w500-h375/IMG_0846.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I've actually been working on this project for quite some time. In fact, I'm pretty sure that my hubby and I started pressing, cutting, and planning shortly after our daughter's first birthday. We decided we wanted to stick to a black and white color scheme with dog prints scattered in here and there to match her bedroom decor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp1d5vVV6UtO_MjZTwG6c7-kxcQsF6WoP474mEqhznyvrqoDCZujcX8qgKjICzvFuQHOBGV25811vN8y9VwVRyyt4gHgfu8r6JppdC5iOD9liopu5TckyYgn_rb22NXqLipHpxTfb7QI/s4032/IMG_0844+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp1d5vVV6UtO_MjZTwG6c7-kxcQsF6WoP474mEqhznyvrqoDCZujcX8qgKjICzvFuQHOBGV25811vN8y9VwVRyyt4gHgfu8r6JppdC5iOD9liopu5TckyYgn_rb22NXqLipHpxTfb7QI/w375-h500/IMG_0844+%25282%2529.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We searched all over Pinterest as we were planning out a design, and decided we liked a plus sign design, a nod to our little girl's initials - A.N.D. We also played around with dimensions and liked having 1 solid panel on the back, 11 squares across, and 16 squares down - these numbers were picked specifically to correspond with her birth date. Yes, I suppose you could say that we're super sentimental!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc7RhMIN1HAmYoT-AXDlzzG-g4ZgQBE7nMdEfRf-gXwLQ-qOZdgv14DGOU8btI5qrV6Iv2txDpHeHtGjBi4_fWccTihKXehJDAHK0qhJtTtABZq4F-3qp36-_Bx2paf9kKFTC4zuKN3U/s4032/IMG_0845+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc7RhMIN1HAmYoT-AXDlzzG-g4ZgQBE7nMdEfRf-gXwLQ-qOZdgv14DGOU8btI5qrV6Iv2txDpHeHtGjBi4_fWccTihKXehJDAHK0qhJtTtABZq4F-3qp36-_Bx2paf9kKFTC4zuKN3U/w375-h500/IMG_0845+%25282%2529.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The overall size is a little smaller than a toddler flat sheet, which is also almost the exact same size as my own blankie that our little girl stole from me a long time ago. It worked out perfectly because I used her black and white poodle flat sheet from her toddler bed as the backing for the blanket - a perfect match! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_aoRnVHujQoWIsOBJUGA7fDKT71mmGajKOPMV90rblQJY-MLvVtg6zQJTlHFxr1b1XE7sa85zoFj3dPbKuR1t2WLyo4tErsErcMTmqDfWIxCe7GSxczbkBbgy4VagZpvmFtJdCsyLBI/s3811/IMG_0840+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="3811" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_aoRnVHujQoWIsOBJUGA7fDKT71mmGajKOPMV90rblQJY-MLvVtg6zQJTlHFxr1b1XE7sa85zoFj3dPbKuR1t2WLyo4tErsErcMTmqDfWIxCe7GSxczbkBbgy4VagZpvmFtJdCsyLBI/w500-h375/IMG_0840+%25282%2529.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our daughter seems to love it. In fact, when I laid it out onto her bed for the first time to take some photos, she peeked in to see what I was doing. As soon as she saw the blanket and her monkey family, she dove onto the bed and started snuggling everything! I kind of love it too! </div>Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-86292128133536938202020-06-01T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-07T17:25:12.108-04:00An Easter PageOops! I can't believe I forgot to share the pocket page that our little girl did for the <a href="https://felicityjane.com/blogs/felicity-jane/kids-challenge-creative-team">Felicity Jane Kids Create Challenge</a> here on the blog! I've been starting to post a little bit on Instagram, actually starting off with this page, and have neglected to keep up on the blog!<div><br /></div><div>Our little girl has been watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0iSiZIuAXXi0YlmkWHyMg/featured">Sheree Forcier's</a> pocket page process videos and was super excited when she saw her Easter pages. She could not wait for Easter so she could scrapbook her own photos! Normally, our little girl loves planning and celebrating holidays, but this brought an extra element of excitement for her. It was so cute watching her as she went around the house snapping photos to document the event.<div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CI0ILYkD_sDdpifxd_H0mEP-ER9iqMLN0yjNcxEgacEkVXpsXvdUOMV-lsYuLzToJkrgXtTS6AKO1PHNmXQp1N6FHJBFm_XrCRDPcG4LqYaGrdLgrcnvX5AL0lFtkEpPf0EYc-lICnc/s4032/IMG_5256+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CI0ILYkD_sDdpifxd_H0mEP-ER9iqMLN0yjNcxEgacEkVXpsXvdUOMV-lsYuLzToJkrgXtTS6AKO1PHNmXQp1N6FHJBFm_XrCRDPcG4LqYaGrdLgrcnvX5AL0lFtkEpPf0EYc-lICnc/w500-h375/IMG_5256+%25282%2529.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When she found out about the F<a href="https://felicityjane.com/blogs/felicity-jane/kids-challenge-creative-team">elicity Jane Kids Create Challenge</a>, she immediately announced that she would be working on her Easter page. She got to work right away and was so focused. She was so proud of her completed project! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The egg photo was one that she snapped herself. She added the cute little sequins to decorate it. She also drew that little chocolate bunny and cut it out to make her own little embellishment. She wakes up early each morning, usually before anyone else, and will go into the office to work on her little scrapbook. Or she'll ask to watch a "Licity Jane" video on her iPad to learn some new ideas. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I may be a little biased, but her work is so adorable, I can't get over it. I absolutely love the days that she brings out her scrapbook and wants to sit down and read it together. We still read every single caption on every single page. </div></div></div>Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-83957591800448434382020-04-04T07:00:00.001-04:002020-07-07T12:42:18.903-04:00A Little Project Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hello! I hope you all are healthy and safe out there! </div>
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I wanted to share a bit of craftiness that we have been up to while cooped up at home. </div>
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I bought a few new things from Felicity Jane and brought out my Project Life supplies, with the intention to start working on scrapbooking some baby photos. But, I actually haven't had a chance to use any of it, because my little girl has taken over my craft space!</div>
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My little girl has recently discovered YouTube, which I know most kids enjoy. But unlike most four year olds, I'm sure, she has been watching ladies who scrapbook. Her favorites to watch are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0iSiZIuAXXi0YlmkWHyMg/featured">Sheree Forcier's</a> pocket page process videos. Of course she wanted to try her hand at making her own pocket pages.</div>
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She received <a href="https://www.amazon.com/beiens-Digital-Cameras-Include-Birthday/dp/B07W4QH9YX/">a little camera</a> for her birthday, so scrapbooking her photos seemed like the perfect next step for her. I printed out a few photos for her and she got right to work! She started on the photos she took on her birthday when we took her to National Harbor to ride the Capital Wheel as a birthday surprise. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XTkJqsqFEq9hG2_NlNY9KTj4ZDPKAR9LXyNYXJAah4DRrxZLxJKwQNIG64F-9_CrPLbqBDMmbpYWp-PSCuz1HFJM7Fl6m5EVb__UQUOc4uO34FxG10Ot5DynW7UzQoD9-hUvNcd30Q8/s1600/IMG_4949+%25283%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XTkJqsqFEq9hG2_NlNY9KTj4ZDPKAR9LXyNYXJAah4DRrxZLxJKwQNIG64F-9_CrPLbqBDMmbpYWp-PSCuz1HFJM7Fl6m5EVb__UQUOc4uO34FxG10Ot5DynW7UzQoD9-hUvNcd30Q8/s640/IMG_4949+%25283%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I must admit it was a little painful to watch her dive right into all my new <a href="https://felicityjane.com/">Felicity Jane</a> goodies and just slap them onto her pages, but but I loved that the fact that it was getting used (and not hoarded!). Her favorites are the <a href="https://felicityjane.com/collections/jenny/products/jenny-word-stickers">Jenny Word Stickers</a> and the <a href="https://felicityjane.com/collections/jenny/products/jenny-chipboard-stars">Chipboard Stars</a>. I might have to order her some more! I guess now I have a good excuse to buy some more stuff, right? </div>
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She had so much fun with her first pocket page spread that she was eager to print out some photos from her birthday party. I made the little sequin packet during her nap to surprise her. She was quite thrilled. She wanted to make presents for her gift table, since she took the photo before any guests had arrived, so I helped her tie little bows onto pieces of paper that she cut into present shapes. I've gotta say, I envy her decisiveness when it comes to crafting. She is definitely a girl who knows what she wants. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy6VYfEyDC4hXHvFHN_8uy8Pe0veHC6tWX2fU1-FOdmB4WDMfRWAD4Jyty9bOY5J1KGX7bU1Q0QaFUcoF8ApiInOwW2UrbLCDkb4KL4YXBYBr6PVnv2tIdC8NpBRwIPLaCnM6amVhREE/s1600/IMG_4950+%25283%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy6VYfEyDC4hXHvFHN_8uy8Pe0veHC6tWX2fU1-FOdmB4WDMfRWAD4Jyty9bOY5J1KGX7bU1Q0QaFUcoF8ApiInOwW2UrbLCDkb4KL4YXBYBr6PVnv2tIdC8NpBRwIPLaCnM6amVhREE/s640/IMG_4950+%25283%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm so thrilled to watch her through this scrapbook process. The smile on her little face each time she finishes a card or picture is priceless! She's now working her way through February and told us that once she is done with her four year old pictures, she will be scrapbooking her baby pictures. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get some time to play too! </div>
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Her scrapbooking has brought us a lot of smiles, too. We love that she frequently brings out her scrapbook to share it with us (and with anyone she FaceTimes). We look at the pages with her and read all her little captions. Yes, all two pages! Hahaha. Hoping to be able to share more pages soon! </div>
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Take care!</div>
Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-90558343056171801282020-02-17T07:00:00.000-05:002020-02-18T21:58:09.524-05:00You Are My Sunshine<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Qsh8QART9q28GUsvPM4P5xfDssraG0JD04IdaAwdmbZbyneh8QEnW2Tj84QToE8RHs-uFHB2I_Z4X3kU6GevrfPRnAdTlP8NmzMQ29DcDjiAoX8TezXYX6BU4zJUNryH0nuxWmGRgPY/s1600/IMG_4685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Qsh8QART9q28GUsvPM4P5xfDssraG0JD04IdaAwdmbZbyneh8QEnW2Tj84QToE8RHs-uFHB2I_Z4X3kU6GevrfPRnAdTlP8NmzMQ29DcDjiAoX8TezXYX6BU4zJUNryH0nuxWmGRgPY/s400/IMG_4685.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I've been feeling crafty lately so I'm here with another card today.<br />
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Our little girl is super duper into reading. She has always loved sitting and listening to stories and from a very young age, scolded us for not teaching her all the letters so she can learn to read. In fact, she recently received the 500 by 5 award (for reading 500 books before the age of 5) from our local library and is now on a mission to read as many books as she possibly can on her own (it's been a month now and she has already read 24 books).</div>
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We've been so proud of her so I made her this little card. I also wanted to surprise her with a little bookmark, since she is always trying to steal mine! I love this stamp set that I won from a card making challenge last year from Paper Smooches. It was perfect to make a card to celebrate our little girl.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoix1P8UPdrtdWD_AGoJYAePDFsoXkL9o5FvySDhZNatl2qdmaeQeZY7wBKIX1ENkt2W2-meNJP6ndd0VKqC4DqrtUQzbU85wwEbPhu9LOvQ6t8fEvHMsAgHnIMFbLoWFP7Gb9ny9vg8/s1600/IMG_4686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="1495" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoix1P8UPdrtdWD_AGoJYAePDFsoXkL9o5FvySDhZNatl2qdmaeQeZY7wBKIX1ENkt2W2-meNJP6ndd0VKqC4DqrtUQzbU85wwEbPhu9LOvQ6t8fEvHMsAgHnIMFbLoWFP7Gb9ny9vg8/s400/IMG_4686.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here are the DEEtails:</div>
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Paper: Artist's Loft 140# Watercolor Paper, Crushed Curry cardstock, Pacific Point cardstock, I Am... paper pad (Simple Stories)<span id="goog_1524655807"></span></div>
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Stamps: Sunnyville (Paper Smooches)</div>
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Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark</div>
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Embellishments: Black Stampin' Emboss Powder, Daffodil Delight 1/4" Cotton Ribbon, Daffodil Delight Pompom Trim, Daffodil Delight 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, White Stampin' Emboss Powder</div>
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Tools: Kuretake Gansai Tambi, laminator</div>
Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-57868192777882818852020-02-10T07:00:00.000-05:002020-02-18T21:37:16.808-05:00You Make My Heart Happy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXOq-AKkDlR96KQAZhsqPqfERYotV7CTX0WlqU4cYc-tu0tcmZgAwN3paIYkncaowGrtZzHa0-V18n_86nzJ1yz9bHAzl9IMDTcsZBvWx6E-0OOOekmy4ZugPY7wZeo-N2yb5A6hhJeA/s1600/IMG_4683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXOq-AKkDlR96KQAZhsqPqfERYotV7CTX0WlqU4cYc-tu0tcmZgAwN3paIYkncaowGrtZzHa0-V18n_86nzJ1yz9bHAzl9IMDTcsZBvWx6E-0OOOekmy4ZugPY7wZeo-N2yb5A6hhJeA/s400/IMG_4683.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I can still hardly believe it, but our little girl recently turned four! She definitely makes our hearts happy!<br />
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For Valentine's Day, she has been asking for a chocolate heart and a card. She enjoys all things crafty and loves handmade cards, so I thought I would surprise her with a handmade card this year.<br />
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Her favorite colors are pink and purple so it made sense to incorporate both on this card. The hardest part was probably finding a sentiment that I knew she would enjoy. She has recently taken an interest in cursive writing, so I thought she would be tickled to see some on her card. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJmF9XEMkDrPihZkxTJ5vmCxiXNItCBvKMf2f9v6aKdS7XFJsWslvhALfai3ChSqm3bXUE5da1Xxcawk6f-EQEu5g-1UoR-BHw-RtHCbAA_lws3HigaZPbEAC4J9lZGG18fWKDmdBkvg/s1600/IMG_4684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="938" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJmF9XEMkDrPihZkxTJ5vmCxiXNItCBvKMf2f9v6aKdS7XFJsWslvhALfai3ChSqm3bXUE5da1Xxcawk6f-EQEu5g-1UoR-BHw-RtHCbAA_lws3HigaZPbEAC4J9lZGG18fWKDmdBkvg/s400/IMG_4684.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here are the DEEtails:</div>
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Paper: Artist's Loft 140# Watercolor Paper, Blackberry Bliss cardstock, Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock<span id="goog_1524655807"></span></div>
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Stamps: Lovely Amazing You (Stampin' Up!)</div>
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Ink: VersaMark</div>
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Embellishments: 4mm Marshmallow Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), White Stampin' Emboss Powder</div>
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Tools: Kuretake Gansai Tambi</div>
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Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-26608887058608369552020-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:002020-01-01T19:11:36.054-05:00Happy 2020!<div style="text-align: left;">
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!</div>
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And just like that, it's 2020. WOW. How did that happen? </div>
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As usual, school started, life got busy and I just dropped everything, including this blog and all my goals... But I'm back again. I can't promise much, but I'm here at least for now! </div>
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I'm working on finalizing my 20 for 2020 challenge. I have so much fun with these, even though I don't ever finish all of them. I'm still making my way through 19 for 2019 and 18 for 2018, but having fun the whole way.<br />
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I'll be back soon, but for now, here's a recap of the challenges for the past two years...</div>
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<b><a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/02/19-for-2019.html">19 for 2019</a></b></div>
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<b>1. Be the ultimate villain - </b>DONE!</div>
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<b>2. Get a mani/pedi - </b>DONE!</div>
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<b>3. Replace clothing basics - </b>DONE!</div>
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<b>4. Make a capsule wardrobe - </b>not started</div>
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<b>5. </b><b>Read 6 new books - </b>DONE! <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/04/six-books.html">See what I read here!</a></div>
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<b>6. Find a planner I like and use it - </b>in progress</div>
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<b>7. </b><b>Make a home binder </b><b>- </b>in progress<br />
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<b>8. Fix or r</b><b>eplace something old in our house - </b>just getting started</div>
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<b>9. </b><b>Sell some stuff on ebay - </b>DONE!</div>
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<b>10. </b><b>Get a new plant - </b>DONE!</div>
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<b>11. Decorate the play room - </b>not started<br />
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<b>12. </b><b>Hang up artwork and photos - </b>in progress</div>
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<b>13. </b><b>Organize photos - </b>just getting started</div>
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<b>14. Make 2018 photo books - </b>DONE!</div>
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<b>15. Update our family blog - </b>DONE!</div>
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<b>16. Make a quilt - </b>in progress</div>
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<b>17. </b><b>Try a no spend challenge - </b>DONE!</div>
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<b>18. </b><b>Save an extra $500 - </b>DONE x 2!</div>
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<b>19. </b><b>Take a vacation - </b>DONE!<br />
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<b><a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2018/02/18-for-2018.html">18 for 2018</a></b></div>
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<b>1. Build LEGO Disney Castle - </b>DONE! <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-lego-castle.html">See details here!</a></div>
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<b>2. Find pants that fit and look good for work - </b>DONE! <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2018/10/fancy-pants.html">See them here!</a> </div>
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<b>3. Create artwork for our home - </b>DONE! <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/07/painty-by-girl.html">See it here!</a></div>
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<b>4. Get e-mail inboxes to zero - </b>DONE! (and undone...)</div>
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<b>5. Konmari - </b>almost done!</div>
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<b>6. Make a card organizer - </b>not started</div>
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<b>7. Paint a room or closet - </b>not started</div>
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<b>8. Read 4 new books - </b>DONE! <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/02/four-books.html">see what I read here!</a></div>
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<b>9. Start Project Life - </b>not started</div>
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<b>10. Sell stamps and craft supplies </b>- in progress</div>
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<b>11. Clean the attic - </b>just getting started</div>
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<b>12. Make something from Pinterest </b>- DONE! <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/07/summer-to-do-list.html">Check it out here!</a> </div>
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<b>13. Complete an <a href="https://www.schoolcounselor.org/">ASCA</a> course - </b>DONE! <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/03/asca-u.html">See the not so exciting details here!</a></div>
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<b>14. Finish 2016 & 2017 photo books - </b>in progress </div>
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<b>15. Set up the Craft Room/Office - </b>almost done!<br />
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<b>16. Make 12 cards - </b>in progress</div>
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<b>17. Organize my School Counseling Curriculum </b>- in progress</div>
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<b>18. Change my name - </b>DONE!</div>
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Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-89147536793173479992019-07-26T07:00:00.000-04:002019-07-26T07:00:02.737-04:00Painty By A Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We finally hung up a piece of artwork in our living room! You may recall that one of my goals this year was to hang up artwork and photos. And one of my goals last year was to create a piece of artwork for our home. I guess I can't really take full credit for this one, because the art was made by our three-year-old. </div>
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She has been begging to paint on her easel so I finally dragged out an old canvas that I had basically ruined when I tried to start a painting last year. I gave it a fresh coat of gray paint one night and put it out for her the next morning. She was thrilled! The colors she used were pretty limited since I have mostly neutrals, but I mixed up a little bit of red and blue paint that I have left over from one of her birthday parties and made a muted pink and a bluish gray. A few days later, when she was itching to paint again, I brought the same canvas out and let her layer on some more colors. The original painting had a LOT more pink and blue on it, but she decided to cover a lot of it the second time. </div>
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Since it was our daughter's artwork, we let her decide where to hang it. She scoped out some blank walls in our house and decided on this one for her masterpiece. It sits directly across from our front door, on a small wall between our living room bookcases and the hallway and the opening to our dining room. It's so cheerful to be greeted by her painting when we come home and she is just tickled to have contributed to the decorations in our home. Best of all, when we asked her to name her painting, she immediately announced, "It's called <i>Painty By A Girl</i>." Love it. </div>
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Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-52569127606467078092019-07-22T07:00:00.001-04:002019-07-22T07:00:02.350-04:0019 for 2019 Progress<div style="text-align: left;">
Halfway into the year and I'm excited to share my progress so far on my <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/02/19-for-2019.html">19 for 2019 list</a>! I know it technically isn't the halfway point in the year, but today is my birthday, which I always consider the mile marker for the halfway point in the year! So, Happy Birthday to me and let's see what I've been up to this year...</div>
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<b>1. Be the ultimate villain</b><br />
I did it! I've beat my hubby with all the villains! Earlier this year, we also got the <span id="goog_390090393"></span><a href="https://www.target.com/p/ravensburger-disney-villainous-wicked-to-the-core/-/A-75662692">expansion pack</a> and I've already mastered 2 of them! Woohoo! This was has been lots of fun and I'm glad to have included a fun challenge again this year.</div>
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progress: DONE!<br />
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<b>2. Get a mani/pedi</b><br />
So I didn't actually go to a nail salon to get mani/pedi, but I did my own fingers and toes using <a href="https://www.mycolorstreet.com/13506">ColorStreet</a> (one of my dear friends is a Stylist). I think that counts!</div>
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progress: DONE!</div>
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<b>3. Replace clothing basics</b><br />
Recently when I was in the dressing room with my mom, she poked fun at my unraveling undershirt... So I guess this was one that was overdue. Haha! This weekend, my hubby took us out shopping with the main intention of buying basics and I'm happy to report that we found some stuff that I like!</div>
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progress: DONE!</div>
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<b>4. Make a capsule wardrobe</b></div>
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My plan for the summer is to figure out what I need to add for a functional wardrobe. I just need to spend some time with this.<br />
progress: 0%</div>
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<b>5. </b><b>Read 6 new books</b></div>
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DONE! <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/04/six-books.html">See what I read here!</a><br />
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<b>6. Find a planner I like and use it</b></div>
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Last week, when Target had their teacher discount for school supplies, I picked up some different planners to try out. Of course, I got some other fun planning supplies :) Can't wait to play with them!<br />
progress: 10%</div>
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<b>7. </b><b>Make a home binder</b></div>
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My home binder is coming along...<br />
progress: 60%</div>
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<b>8. Fix or r</b><b>eplace something old in our house</b></div>
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We desperately need to replace the sliding glass door in our dining room. Last week, I bugged my hubby enough to go out and start window shopping. Literally. LOL<br />
progress: 10%</div>
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<b>9. </b><b>Sell some stuff on ebay</b></div>
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DONE!</div>
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<b>10. </b><b>Get a new plant</b><br />
At the end of the school year, I acquired a plant from one of my friends as she was cleaning her classroom for the summer. Though this wasn't quite what I had in mind, I was happy to adopt her plant, so technically, I would say I completed this one! LOL. </div>
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progress: DONE!<br />
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<b>11. Decorate the play room</b></div>
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My brain has been working on this one... I'm super excited to start planning!<br />
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<b>12. </b><b>Hang up artwork and photos</b></div>
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We're working on this one!<br />
progress: 25%</div>
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<b>13. </b><b>Organize photos</b></div>
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Making very slow progress here too. I've gathered all the photos in one central location (our bedroom closet) and I want to try to pull out a small stack each night to sort. I just haven't quite made a habit of it yet.<br />
progress: 5% </div>
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<b>14. Make 2018 photo books</b></div>
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Earlier this year, our daughter discovered our past photo books and has been really enjoying them. It was just the inspiration I needed! I made our photo book from our Disney trip along with a couple others from past years, including our Japan trip in 2017, and we are loving them! I think we are just going to make one more for the year and then we'll be done for 2018!<br />
progress: 50%</div>
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<b>15. Update our family blog</b></div>
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I'm pretty pleased with the updates I've made and am happy to say that I'm done!<br />
progress: DONE!</div>
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<b>16. Make a quilt</b></div>
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I've been working on this one! I spent a LOT of time planning the design on the quilt and collecting the fabrics that I wanted to use. Everything is cut and pinned and I'm ready to start sewing! Now I just need to set up my sewing machine...<br />
progress: 50%</div>
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<b>17. </b><b>Try a no spend challenge</b></div>
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Back in May, Hubby and I tried a no spend challenge. I honestly thought that it would just be a silly little experiment since we are pretty frugal people. Our total spending for the month of May ended up being $700 less than our average monthly spending! Holy smokes. I still have no idea where we managed to save $700! I actually did the math several times because I couldn't believe it was right. It's made us become a lot more mindful of our spending for sure! I actually think I want to do it again.<br />
progress: DONE!</div>
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<b>18. </b><b>Save an extra $500</b></div>
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DONE x 2!<br />
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<b>19. </b><b>Take a vacation</b></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">We're going in September! WOOHOO! Hubby just renewed his passport and our</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> itinerary is planned. W</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">e've started gathering what we need for the LONG day of travel and making lists of all the cool stuff we plan to buy. We're getting excited!</span><br />
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progress: 25%<br />
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I'm pretty pleased with the amount of progress I've made so far... Here's to a busy summer!</div>
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Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-44536849932535534532019-07-19T07:00:00.000-04:002019-07-19T07:28:58.903-04:00Thanks a Bunch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I did it! I finally made a card! It seriously took me about three days to make, but I did it! I even snapped a quick photo so that I can share. </div>
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As I've been cleaning, decluttering, organizing, and relaxing over the summer, I've been itching to get crafty. I had a little basket of goodies that my friend, Naki, sent to me last year when I declared that I would try to make 12 cards in 2018 (I only made 3). One of those goodies was the Paper Smooches Best Buds stamp set with this cute jar of blossoms. My original plan was to go vibrant and whimsical, but Naki suggested I try a metallic embossing powder with light watercolors. Boy, was she right! Thanks, Naki for your insight and advice! :)</div>
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I'm finally entering a challenge as well, which is something I haven't done in FOREVER! <a href="https://papersmooches.blogspot.com/2019/06/july-2019-anything-goes-challenge.html">Paper Smooches has an Anything Goes challenge this month</a> which makes it super easy and super fun to play along! </div>
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The DEEtails:</div>
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Paper: Artist's Loft 140# Watercolor Paper, In Color 2014-2016 DSP, Lost Lagoon cardstock, Sahara Sand cardstock, White Vellum cardstock</div>
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Stamps: Best Buds (Paper Smooches)</div>
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Ink: VersaMark</div>
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Embellishments: Winnie's Sparkly Shaker Selection (Little Things from Lucy's Cards), DMC thread, Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder</div>
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Tools: Kuretake Gansai Tambi, Many Thanks Die-namics (MFT)</div>
Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-35738790135303343622019-07-12T07:00:00.000-04:002019-07-12T07:00:08.694-04:00Summer To Do List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I finally did it! I sat in my office (crammed in a tiny corner) and made something!<br />
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I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm not a big fan of the phrase "bucket list"... call it what you will, but this is our Summer To Do List, our Summer Fun List, or our Summer Wish List. I was inspired by <a href="https://momruncraft.com/2013/06/12/2013-summer-bucket-list/">this project that I found on Pinterest</a> and was determined to make one for our family.<br />
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My little girl requested a floral pattern/theme, despite my gentle push towards some other summery patterns and prints. We sat down together as a family and brainstormed some fun activities and then I made them into tags. It took me a while and I was actually a little worried for a bit that the summer would be over before I even had a chance to finish, photograph, and post this project, but here we are!<br />
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I dug through all my supplies and gathered whatever I could find to create these little tags. It's been such a long time since I've sat down in my craft space that I honestly didn't even remember a lot of what I had! I've been weeding through my stamps and supplies and selling things on e-bay little by little, but I still manage to have TONS of stuff!<br />
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The tags that we have are as follows:</div>
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<li>blow bubbles</li>
<li>pick berries</li>
<li>make ice cream</li>
<li>swim</li>
<li>board game</li>
<li>pick flowers</li>
<li>tea party</li>
<li>have a picnic</li>
<li>visit a museum</li>
<li>visit the library</li>
<li>ride bikes</li>
<li>fireworks</li>
<li>paint</li>
<li>catch bugs</li>
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Now we just have to go do all these things before the summer is over! Thankfully we were able to knock off a few during our recent trip to visit family. I'll be posting some pics soon!</div>
Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-12973744444637975932019-07-09T07:00:00.000-04:002019-07-09T21:22:18.036-04:00Currently... July 2019Hi there! We were out of town last week so I'm a little behind on blogging... I'm officially on summer vacation and loving every moment! Here's what we have going on around here...<br />
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WATCHING: <i>Music???</i><br />
<i>LOL. We are so behind the times around here when it comes to media and technology... After a big storm, the sound on our TV cut out, so we ended up getting a new one a few weeks ago. We aren't big TV watchers, but our little one loves to watch Disney movies and hubby plays games at night, so a working TV is helpful. A TV with sound is also a plus. We got a smart TV this time around and linked our Pandora account to it and our little girl is constantly requesting to "watch songs on the TV." She literally plunks down in front of the TV to watch it flash the album cover of her favorite Disney songs. What a silly girl!</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hands-Free-Life-Overcoming-Distraction/dp/0310338158"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zETOHMmPA4qS6CqBO5b6GiKdSiLpIH9TBP3uN7Io8o3R0XR3deRw61z66iyQ0AhDiBLC-qosR2HBy4EgyZbRovNtodNR7mYGjA6M6WvT8joZ_xoudhnB06Y33Xos5xbEGtZjvWJCB34/s200/HandsFreeLife.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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READING: <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hands-Free-Life-Overcoming-Distraction/dp/0310338158">Hands Free Life by Rachel Macy Stafford</a></em></div>
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<i>I just finished this awesome book. I absolutely HATE doing things out of order, and I was frustrated with myself when I realized that I accidentally got the sequel to </i>Hands Free Mama<i> before I read the first one. But quite honestly, I couldn't make myself stop. It took me a long time to read the entire book, mostly because I just wanted to sit with each story and let it resonate. I finally finished it last night. I just loved it and I can't wait to read the first book now.</i><br />
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LISTENING:<b> </b><i>to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi0vNpDrBJPdGH3LoC85PgixsOq5vDUV3">The Greatest Showman Soundtrack</a></i><br />
<i>I haven't seen the movie, but the songs have been stuck in my head. I think the kids at my school were singing them and they just kind of got stuck in my head since school let out. Anyway, I sort of became obsessed and now I'm listening to the soundtrack. non. stop. Sorry, Hubby. ;)</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Campfire-Giant-Roasters-Premium-Quality-Marshmallows-24-oz/51923014"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YteBhjXc3mIp1UjL5HoQqoGf9sI10shGNO4oMx45teKqLIyCZtnHTOd7wusg-OVxleHRA2V_AoNJxINq9UcpMOtLYbOqLiyITkPItt5o9WMkKYbI7EJ4hiYP1v5fDregF334goa85EE/s200/campfiregiantroasters.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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EATING:<em> <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Campfire-Giant-Roasters-Premium-Quality-Marshmallows-24-oz/51923014">giant marshmallows</a> (*I don't know if these are the actual ones we got)</em></div>
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<i>That's right. You may remember back in May, our daughter was on a mini marshmallow kick. Well folks, we have upgraded to GIANT marshmallows! LOL. They are still a "special treat" for days that she has good table manners and the thought of them make her so giddy. Love that little girly! </i><br />
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DRINKING: <i>lots of water... again!</i><br />
<i>So long ago, I only drank water. It has been so inspiring watching our daughter truly love "fresh, cold water." Recently we decided to buy a large <a href="https://www.target.com/p/brita-extra-large-18-cup-bpa-free-filter-water-dispenser-with-1-standard-filter-gray/-/A-10997241">Brita water dispenser</a> and start filtering water from our tap. We used to drink only bottled water, because I just didn't care for the taste of our water. We started to take an extra step in boiling our water before filtering and I can honestly say that our water is delicious. Plus our daughter loves that she can dispense "fresh, cold water" whenever she wants. </i><br />
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<a href="https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=390739112#pdp-page-content"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="520" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhyphenhyphen5Qf_OG6aesc0Egc0jRMn3Ilc9RGXF43CGz6PNxW19Wk_rsY3oL0TipTqMewVKO1UUQ8n24GKD_blJ1C6e5ZnbNnptEUOgOzMha4HQqOlIb03rwpCcxccsfrnQ7tdR1if-yEKG82T0/s200/JerseySwingDress.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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WEARING: <i>this <a href="https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=390739112#pdp-page-content">sleeveless jersey swing dress</a></i><br />
<i>I've talked about how I got a few of these sleeveless jersey swing dresses from Old Navy </i><i><a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2018/09/currently-september-2018.html">last summer</a> </i><i>and they've become a staple for me again this summer. They are simple, comfortable and cool to wear. I usually pair it with a fun necklace and am good to go! I am such a black dress girl, but there are lots of fun patterns and prints if you want more variety! I'm also eyeing <a href="https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=394662032#pdp-page-content">this one</a> to add to my closet...</i><br />
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MAKING: <i>progress on my <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/02/19-for-2019.html">19 for 2019 list</a>!</i><br />
<i>I'll be sharing details soon. I'm excited to report that I'm about halfway done with my list, which is pretty fitting since we are halfway through the year!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdkx3cmw4DQ1aqgahCX1nojTA_7OvbnHdoQ9rOEKj1Ep841GKzZDbVIE7BTcxBB9o52IDlqlqpGGDGxCJrrX3QGxDY8wECFDpZPPr-J7rn2_KVhssDXwwso2oy5VCuamdTWEGhF_rAvE/s1600/IMG_7186+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdkx3cmw4DQ1aqgahCX1nojTA_7OvbnHdoQ9rOEKj1Ep841GKzZDbVIE7BTcxBB9o52IDlqlqpGGDGxCJrrX3QGxDY8wECFDpZPPr-J7rn2_KVhssDXwwso2oy5VCuamdTWEGhF_rAvE/s200/IMG_7186+%25282%2529.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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PLANNING:<i> our trip to Japan</i><br />
<i>(The photo above is from our visit in 2017 to Tokyo Disneyland - my FAVORITE place on Earth)</i><br />
<i>We'll be heading to Japan in the fall and I'm so excited! I'm slowly starting to plan... rounding up my shopping wish list, putting aside things to that I need to pack, buying a few necessities... On our itinerary so far is Meiji Temple for Shichi-Go-San (the reason we are going to Japan), Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea (reason #2 & #3 LOL), and Arashiyama Monkey Park (have I told you our daughter is obsessed with monkeys?!?) </i><br />
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TRYING:<em> </em><i>to clean up my office</i><br />
<i>I know... I know... I keep saying that I'm working on my office and really, I am! It's just always difficult because it easily becomes the dumping ground for anything and everything we don't want little toddler hands to get into! I am really making an effort to get it craft-ready because I'm really itching to craft!</i><br />
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WANTING: <i>a new desk???</i> </div>
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<i>I don't know if this is a move in the right direction, but I'm wondering if a new desk will help make my office space more productive. It might make it feel more like an office space and less like a dumping ground... Hmmm... I'm on the hunt!</i></div>
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FEELING: <i>relaxed</i><br />
<i>After a busy and stressful school year, I'm glad to be having the time off and am feeling a bit more relaxed. </i><br />
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ENJOYING: <i>summer!</i></div>
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<i>We just got back from a visit with family and it has been such a nice way to start off our summer. Our daughter is at such a fun age and I am really trying to soak it all in!</i></div>
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Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-14295024127573081602019-05-13T07:00:00.000-04:002019-05-13T21:50:31.522-04:00Roses Again<div style="text-align: left;">
Our daughter received a fun little paint with water set for Easter. I mentioned before how she has been enjoying doing little "art projects." Painting is sometimes one of the things she chooses to do. She has inspired me to get out my watercolors too and I recently sat down to paint some roses. </div>
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I scrolled through some old photos on my phone to find just the right inspiration and came across this one again. You may recall that the same photo inspired me to <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2018/07/roses.html">make a card last year</a>. Apparently I still love this photo. I think that may have also been the last time I brought out my water colors. </div>
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Our roses just started blooming last week and we have been thoroughly enjoying the hint of pink in the morning and the heavenly scents. We have been loving having fresh flowers from our garden in our home. Our little girl has even been asking for her own roses for her bedroom and requested to take two small vases of flowers to her teachers last week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-_hB95lRSxk05JfrhyKhSfp0Z576R5A-v_emPKaxyM0wAgF8rbx_-RSCoUlzVxQMyuZpWNo3hHzQLBh9wx2afIVZUdrKZbtFTsKfu72IRvHj6v0vyeSX15pXG6PoWUk_F-K_YiTGu2M/s1600/IMG_9742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-_hB95lRSxk05JfrhyKhSfp0Z576R5A-v_emPKaxyM0wAgF8rbx_-RSCoUlzVxQMyuZpWNo3hHzQLBh9wx2afIVZUdrKZbtFTsKfu72IRvHj6v0vyeSX15pXG6PoWUk_F-K_YiTGu2M/s400/IMG_9742.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I am no gardener and will be the first to confess that I have killed many a cactus in my lifetime. It was my hubby's idea to plant three pale pink rose bushes to celebrate the birth of our sweet baby girl three years ago. I never expected for them to be so gorgeous and bring such happiness to our home. It is extra sweet to see our daughter so joyful about our roses that we planted just for her. </div>
Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-26203613683329286602019-05-06T07:00:00.000-04:002019-05-06T07:00:05.049-04:00Currently... May 2019Hi there! Has 2019 been flying by for you? Last month was a blur, especially because I spent half of the month sick - I honestly can't remember what was happening while I was so out of sorts. I'm feeling better and trying to get back into the groove of things. Here's what is going on with me (at least for now!)<br />
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WATCHING: <a href="https://video.disney.com/watch/cars-2-blu-ray-and-dvd-4be386f262538a0e1266b068">C<i>ars 2</i></a><br />
<i>I've told you before how our daughter loves Cars. For her birthday, she asked for Cars 2 and Cars 3 (we had been watching Cars 3 on Netflix and the original Cars on DVD, but had never seen the second movie). Let me tell you, Cars 2 was a winner! She loves the fact that they travel, especially when they go to Japan, and loves the spy movie action. It's a favorite around our house. </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://curiousexperience.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/my-first-little-people-big-dreams-board-books">source</a></i></td></tr>
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<em>READING: <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/little+people+big+dreams+series/_/N-1z141pjZ8q8">Little People Big Dreams Board Books</a></em><br />
<i>Our daughter loves to read. She takes two books to bed with her every night and "reads" in bed until we tell her lights out. We've collected a few books from the Little People Big Dreams board book series and they are currently her favorites. She asks us to read them to her constantly, offers to read them to us, and always has two of them stacked next to her bed. The illustrations are mesmerizing and the stories are engaging. They have been a huge hit around here and we are excited to add to our collection!</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.younghouselove.com/young-house-love-has-a-podcast/"><img alt="YoungHouseLoveHasAPodcastJohnSherryPetersik450" height="200" src="https://www.younghouselove.com/wp-content/uploads//2016/06/YoungHouseLoveHasAPodcastJohnSherryPetersik450.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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LISTENING:<b> </b><i>to <a href="https://www.younghouselove.com/category/podcast/">Young House Love has a Podcast</a></i><br />
<i>I've been a long-time fan of YHL; in fact, I used to read their blog back when they were "This Young House!" I always enjoy their podcast antics and love hearing what they are up to. </i></div>
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EATING:<em> mini marshmallows</em></div>
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<i>Somehow our daughter is convinced that mini marshmallows are a "special treat" so we munch on them as dessert after dinner on days that she has good table manners. They are so special to her that they are on front and center display in our glass cabinet. Being three must be so joyful!</i><br />
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DRINKING: <i>various teas</i><br />
<i>I finished off my favorite <a href="https://www.republicoftea.com/downton-abbey-english-rose-tea/p/v20177/">English Rose Tea</a> that I shared with you previously and now am on the hunt for a new favorite. I've just been trying out whatever sparks my interest, but haven't found anything quite as lovely yet.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/105130972533885094/"><img alt="Yup!" height="189" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c2/17/ea/c217ea16955aa5f654394524a1d9939d.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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WEARING: <i>a lot of black</i><br />
<i>You know I love black. I've been reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Curated-Closet-Discovering-Personal-Building/dp/1607749483">The Curated Closet</a>, which has encouraged me to feel even more comfortable wearing what I love. </i><br />
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MAKING: <i>wedding signs</i><br />
<i>I've been working on some weddings programs, menus, signs, and more for a good friend who will be married at the end of the month. I am so loving how everything is turning out so far!</i></div>
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PLANNING:<i> to fix up the blog</i><br />
<i>I know this blog is due for some major updates. Now that I'm sort-of back to blogging regularly, I think I really need to get to it!</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.edensgarden.com/collections/ok-for-kids-1"><img alt="OK For Kids" height="120" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0380/8537/collections/ok-for-kids_2048x_538b9cb4-d982-4cb3-9d20-4a4e626e67c3_2048x.jpg?v=1556312330" width="320" /></a></div>
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TRYING:<em> essential oils</em><br />
<em>I really have no idea what I am doing, but we have recently started trying this OK for Kids essential oil line and our daughter just loves it. She loves to put "<a href="https://www.edensgarden.com/collections/roll-ons/products/calm-em-down-roll-on">beach</a> on her feet" as part of her after-bath routine. </em><br />
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WANTING: <i>to write some better posts</i></div>
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<i>I may be being hard on myself, but I honestly haven't had many blog-worthy moments. I'm trying to get back into the groove of things so that I can share some of my life but it's honestly just as exciting as I've been able to share. Haha. I've been cleaning out some photos and such and found some stuff that I never had a chance to blog about, so I'm hoping to find time to share some blasts from the past. Stay tuned :)</i></div>
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FEELING: <i>curious...</i><br />
<i>I've started to become more and more interested in Instagram. I don't really do any social media, but I keep getting drawn to various IG accounts. I'm thinking I should join at the very least so that I can follow some of my favorites... What do you think? Should I make the plunge? Or is it too dangerous? Will I never look up from my phone again? LOL!</i><br />
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ENJOYING: <i>"art projects" with our girly</i></div>
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<i>Recently, our daughter has been carrying armloads of papers, stickers, and all sorts of other goodies, and says "Are you ready to do an art project?!" They mostly consist of drawing something, adding stickers,and taping pieces or paper (or sometimes whole notepads) together. I love her spirit and she inspires me to want to do REAL art projects with her soon!</i><br />
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Hope your year has been enjoyable so far. I still can't believe it is May already! What's new with you? Do share!</div>
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Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-60336958694059559732019-04-22T07:00:00.000-04:002019-04-22T07:00:01.719-04:00Six BooksHello! I promise that I haven't gone missing... I've just been sick for the past couple of weeks and it has been kicking my butt! We are finally on Spring Break and I've been able to rest a bit. I'm back today with an update on my <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/02/19-for-2019.html">19 for 2019</a>.<br />
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It doesn't seem too long ago that I posted about finally finishing my 4 books for my 18 for 2018 project. This year, I challenged myself to read 6 books. And I'm done!<br />
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Remember when I told you I wasn't really a reader? Guess what! I've become a reader! Granted, I mostly read kids books, but I'm reading... In fact, I finished one of these books in 3 days. THREE days! It used to take me an eternity to finish a book. And here I am a quarter of the way into the year, having read 6 (actually 9) books.<br />
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Here's what I've read so far:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozxd1_drP78PZViA3Jfn0KwA4CNQu1xJFSpvABEPKw-ODmeTCQWpQbk5cSlVgnRyQP-LRJNEEH3z1eyC3NPXIkcPgzj98lCXlaVQYlTTLq6HSSxO9EOmsEieD-fMPOJjv9WR0KkSRaPA/s1600/lifechangingmanga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="484" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozxd1_drP78PZViA3Jfn0KwA4CNQu1xJFSpvABEPKw-ODmeTCQWpQbk5cSlVgnRyQP-LRJNEEH3z1eyC3NPXIkcPgzj98lCXlaVQYlTTLq6HSSxO9EOmsEieD-fMPOJjv9WR0KkSRaPA/s200/lifechangingmanga.jpg" width="147" /></a><br />
Book 1. </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Manga-Tidying-Up-Magical/dp/0399580530/">The Life Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story</a></div>
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by Marie Kondo<br />
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I've mentioned before that I'm a fan of Marie Kondo. I decided to read the manga version earlier in the year. It was a fun and quick read. From a marketing standpoint, it's pretty brilliant, since you can basically understand the whole method without reading the full book. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyejELqRQwcnAT1EQoQ24X4U_aCxZFxBuGxhIU0QlA5dWqtkVp7zIuKoJDoGnryUqtJANG6wmOrGRNHlsM8KAIIqxxUP3V5cBN4Nf_LSQftWWlJII02OeOEW5eGdz2I1RrTbsUKky562I/s1600/asoldastime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyejELqRQwcnAT1EQoQ24X4U_aCxZFxBuGxhIU0QlA5dWqtkVp7zIuKoJDoGnryUqtJANG6wmOrGRNHlsM8KAIIqxxUP3V5cBN4Nf_LSQftWWlJII02OeOEW5eGdz2I1RrTbsUKky562I/s200/asoldastime.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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Book 2.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/As-Old-Time-Twisted-Tale/dp/1484707311/">As Old as Time: A Twisted Tale</a></div>
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by Liz Braswell</div>
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I can't tell you enough how much I love this series. I'm sorry if you're tired of hearing it. What amazes me is that each book is written in its own unique way. I can't explain. You'll have to pick them up and read them for yourselves!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzDQywtu3vWHGZRAQRn2IPF_OMQuC6Yrx7h7ImV5oioXrprIlMkS4bwe4tMOftNjSThfnlOVcc21vVWSSh9lH4ueHt4TLTGhYMgmbJjWFgHuQ4jfuXEQRn1Jl6Lwn4VOrvFqUq0w2Imo/s1600/cozyminimalisthome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="483" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzDQywtu3vWHGZRAQRn2IPF_OMQuC6Yrx7h7ImV5oioXrprIlMkS4bwe4tMOftNjSThfnlOVcc21vVWSSh9lH4ueHt4TLTGhYMgmbJjWFgHuQ4jfuXEQRn1Jl6Lwn4VOrvFqUq0w2Imo/s200/cozyminimalisthome.jpg" width="147" /></a></div>
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Book 3. </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Minimalist-Home-Style-Stuff/dp/0310350913/">Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff</a></div>
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by Myquillyn Smith</div>
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I got this from the library on a whim. I wanted something to read while I figured out what I wanted to read next. I used to follow <a href="https://thenester.com/">The Nester's blog</a> when we lived in our apartment and always enjoyed her outlook of looking for temporary fixes in our temporary home. I really like the way she talks about the order of making a room in this book. I've always wanted a rug in my space, but now I'm desperately needing one in our home! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RBwhSEXBvNnflScR27pLL72kO2tQh_QNL9cXWLRyyzWvw_7Z7PHCCksFnQyV2MTkv-U2dtBmstDYAqds8VUrk0pf9iLYkRldYutdv9iVmgqIL-4pS0ZWxkGUhiVMSYC5Mksfbbmpfug/s1600/magicmisfits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="446" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RBwhSEXBvNnflScR27pLL72kO2tQh_QNL9cXWLRyyzWvw_7Z7PHCCksFnQyV2MTkv-U2dtBmstDYAqds8VUrk0pf9iLYkRldYutdv9iVmgqIL-4pS0ZWxkGUhiVMSYC5Mksfbbmpfug/s200/magicmisfits.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
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Book 4.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Misfits-Neil-Patrick-Harris/dp/0316391824/">The Magic Misfits</a></div>
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by Neil Patrick Harris</div>
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I like Neil Patrick Harris and was curious to see what his book would entail. It is exactly what I would expect from him - the magic, the humor - it's all very him. Hahaha.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREh3qx3q0TWMHQVRbAeAq9jnXoP2D2uccG0x4roEFeWieVEzYuNbptULOEI7a7SRi1mxgckaNDY5S8fEWEaVKzKDBCUxfyJhUE1YkgQ_naynbnnps9kcjyuOxGU0GlBHgQXc-qnFnrSI/s1600/fairestofall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="504" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREh3qx3q0TWMHQVRbAeAq9jnXoP2D2uccG0x4roEFeWieVEzYuNbptULOEI7a7SRi1mxgckaNDY5S8fEWEaVKzKDBCUxfyJhUE1YkgQ_naynbnnps9kcjyuOxGU0GlBHgQXc-qnFnrSI/s200/fairestofall.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
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Book 5. </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fairest-All-Wicked-Queen-Villains/dp/1423106296/">Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen</a></div>
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by Serena Valentino<br />
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You know I love a good twisted fairy tale, so I was excited to read this one. It was more of a pre-quel and a glimpse into the life of the villain. This one had me on an emotional roller coaster in an unexpected way!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFSTLjqbfJTprUaBx6ILbIZ-P0wCyCy3tAOkCanPzpEhrpl8YqSp6h_rObHGogODmxhFL1PKctUIcvUQmC1DhkU5lfV86wOxmUMMnC-DCFuZpYft-QsNuNrUFtJ3AvCcOF5m98KUL8BA/s1600/betterthanbefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="424" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFSTLjqbfJTprUaBx6ILbIZ-P0wCyCy3tAOkCanPzpEhrpl8YqSp6h_rObHGogODmxhFL1PKctUIcvUQmC1DhkU5lfV86wOxmUMMnC-DCFuZpYft-QsNuNrUFtJ3AvCcOF5m98KUL8BA/s200/betterthanbefore.jpg" width="129" /></a><br />
Book 6.<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Before-Habits-Procrastinate/dp/0385348630/">Better than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits</a><br />
by Gretchen Rubin<br />
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I'm a fan of Gretchen Rubin's podcast, Happier, which prompted me to read her book, The Happiness Project, last year. My hubby actually gifted me with The Four Tendencies for Christmas, but I wanted to read Better than Before first.<br />
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Other Books I've Read:<br />
These are other books that I've read cover to cover. I just didn't include them in my official list because of the format of the book. Clearly I'm into home organization and decorating right now!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQf7kQNT5KaXDYUxhcPPP1-wIxc-Qvp19vZ-zvNJHYFHhzwGB-BNUZjRBvQsQzFvAjjVwDyjKbLtEyiR9FPAe5aOlsY5XyEfT7LjqWAE62_c1ZKbOz4E6nwtgf3IA10AhGM0D-OFoLLRk/s1600/completebookofhomeorganization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="254" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQf7kQNT5KaXDYUxhcPPP1-wIxc-Qvp19vZ-zvNJHYFHhzwGB-BNUZjRBvQsQzFvAjjVwDyjKbLtEyiR9FPAe5aOlsY5XyEfT7LjqWAE62_c1ZKbOz4E6nwtgf3IA10AhGM0D-OFoLLRk/s200/completebookofhomeorganization.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Home-Organization/dp/1681884100/">The Complete Book of Home Organization </a></div>
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by Toni Hammersly<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YEzZhZo8n-MX1IolyMw_EYKPuL-8z1P2wJY2bz3nvn7INf22PDKdYIT8YhULJKMKdW5uWh_VzFlJ0cUYK12xQjXuNndxpg-Psw7rqjmJhV4LVQ5hb9kfHV9gvc5SKqQ4ph5m1oC3F2w/s1600/homeedit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="456" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YEzZhZo8n-MX1IolyMw_EYKPuL-8z1P2wJY2bz3nvn7INf22PDKdYIT8YhULJKMKdW5uWh_VzFlJ0cUYK12xQjXuNndxpg-Psw7rqjmJhV4LVQ5hb9kfHV9gvc5SKqQ4ph5m1oC3F2w/s200/homeedit.jpg" width="139" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Home-Edit-Organizing-Realizing-Refrigerator/dp/0525572643/">The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals</a><br />
by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrweHyTwKe77sw4Re9uDNqHysJJVj0_3GWVkcuk5woquZUsoAzMsP3wGHK6EbfgmKigcRwiudQrEhMjfGlfV0KC0QXQ6FcZyqNh-qeyAKxws-uTuxKYlh6LKKhyphenhyphen2SmNHtj7gWRbIp57OY/s1600/robinhood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="429" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrweHyTwKe77sw4Re9uDNqHysJJVj0_3GWVkcuk5woquZUsoAzMsP3wGHK6EbfgmKigcRwiudQrEhMjfGlfV0KC0QXQ6FcZyqNh-qeyAKxws-uTuxKYlh6LKKhyphenhyphen2SmNHtj7gWRbIp57OY/s200/robinhood.jpg" width="130" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Puffin-Classics-Adventures-Robin-Roger/dp/B00DIKZLIK/">The Adventures of Robin Hood</a><br />
by Roger Lancelyn Green<br />
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So this is a real novel, but the reason why it didn't make my official list is because I didn't read it for myself. Most evenings, we read a few pages from a classic novel to our daughter. She is amazingly interested and our novel collection is growing. We love these Puffin Classics because they look so beautiful on our bookshelf.<br />
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So there you have it!<br />
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The six, no, NINE books I've read so far this year. Perhaps I will be back again with an update of even more books... What have you been reading and loving lately?</div>
Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-11394466421804156292019-04-01T07:00:00.000-04:002019-06-15T08:25:18.456-04:0019 for 2019 Progress<div style="text-align: left;">
It's April, which means it's time for me to share my progress on my <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2019/02/19-for-2019.html">19 for 2019 list</a>!</div>
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<b>1. Be the ultimate villain</b><br />
I'm making good progress on this one! I only have 2 more villains to go - Captain Hook & Jafar. But did you see that there is an <span id="goog_390090393"></span><a href="https://www.target.com/p/ravensburger-disney-villainous-wicked-to-the-core/-/A-75662692">expansion pack</a><span id="goog_390090394"></span>?!? So excited for more <a href="https://www.ravensburger.us/discover/disney-villainous-game/index.html">villain goodness</a>...</div>
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progress: 67%<br />
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<b><b>2. Get a mani/pedi</b></b><br />
I'm currently working on growing out my nails. They were kind of a mess and kept splitting during the winter months. They are finally growing again!<br />
progress: 0%</div>
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<b>3. Replace clothing basics</b><br />
I haven't quite started this yet, although I've kind of started to mentally take inventory of what I need to replace</div>
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progress: 1%?</div>
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<b>4. Make a capsule wardrobe</b></div>
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I mentioned that I've done a lot of purging of my closet and I'm living with just a handful of favorites right now, but it's not an official capsule wardrobe. Recently while we are in the middle of weird spring weather (you know the days that are cold, but not so cold that you need all the layers) I sometimes feel like I don't have enough clothes... I might have to rethink some of my options here.<br />
progress: 0%</div>
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<b>5. </b><b>Read 6 new books</b></div>
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I've been on a reading frenzy lately and am already halfway through my sixth book!<br />
progress: 83%</div>
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<b>6. Find a planner I like and use it</b></div>
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I've been super busy at work so I haven't had a chance to even think about this. For now, I'm still using Office365 and using it the best that I can.<br />
progress: 0%</div>
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<b>7. </b><b>Make a home binder</b></div>
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I've actually started putting things together in a binder. I'm still trying to test things out and then need to finish labeling stuff. So far it has been really nice keeping everything together!<br />
progress: 50%</div>
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<b>8. Fix or r</b><b>eplace something old in our house</b></div>
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Nothing yet...<br />
progress: 0%</div>
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<b>9. </b><b>Sell some stuff on ebay</b></div>
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My hubby and I have been working on this and we have already sold some items and we're still going strong! Since I set my bar low and the goal was just to sell SOME stuff, I'm happy to announce that I've officially checked this one off my list!</div>
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DONE!</div>
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<b>10. </b><b>Get a new plant</b></div>
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nope.<br />
progress: 0%</div>
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<b><b>11. Decorate the play room</b></b></div>
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While we're still in the midst of selling stuff on ebay, we've been using the play room area as a sort of sorting and staging area... Eventually we'll be able to take back the play room and decorate it!<br />
progress: 0%</div>
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<b>12. </b><b>Hang up artwork and photos</b></div>
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I made a little print for my husband for our anniversary and we hung it up right away. Other than that, we haven't hung up anything else, although we have some plans...<br />
progress: 10%</div>
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<b>13. </b><b>Organize photos</b></div>
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Nothing yet...<br />
progress: 0%</div>
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<b>14. Make 2018 photo books</b></div>
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I'm about halfway done with one of them, so hooray for progress! Not sure how many photo books I had intended to make, but I'm going to go with two - one for the year and one for our Disney trip.<br />
progress: 20%??</div>
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<b><b>15. Update our family blog</b></b><br />
I recently went on there and updated the format of the blog. I think I'm liking it...? More updates will be made soon!</div>
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progress: 50%ish</div>
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<b><b>16. Make a quilt</b></b><br />
I haven't touched it yet!</div>
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progress: 0%</div>
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<b>17. </b><b>Try a no spend challenge</b></div>
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Hmm... I should start thinking about this one soon...<br />
progress: 0%</div>
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<b>18. </b><b>Save an extra $500</b></div>
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Since selling stuff on ebay, I'm happy to say we've put the extra money in the bank already!<br />
DONE!<br />
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<b>19. </b><b>Take a vacation</b></div>
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We just bought our tickets for our trip to Japan, so it's official!<br />
progress: Can I count that as 25%?<br />
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So there you have it! My progress so far this year. I feel like I'm leaps and bounds ahead of where I was last year. How is your list coming along?</div>
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Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-36507105695454120592019-03-25T07:00:00.000-04:002019-04-01T21:59:28.673-04:00Spring Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbRO1U8UcP-lNO_3PmpCDIYH060pKWt9TPW-rvbmniBirdf0lCj2b8hoz8Ig3H_xK2bBj9ppNR4k2HXwvnISwSZHy-Gjk6pTBixcT1iEF0Xu2p0dMKQELojPQwrN_3UlckkaK2Yn044E/s1600/Easter+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="900" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbRO1U8UcP-lNO_3PmpCDIYH060pKWt9TPW-rvbmniBirdf0lCj2b8hoz8Ig3H_xK2bBj9ppNR4k2HXwvnISwSZHy-Gjk6pTBixcT1iEF0Xu2p0dMKQELojPQwrN_3UlckkaK2Yn044E/s400/Easter+2019.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Today I thought I'd share a few spring things that we've been collecting for our little girls' Easter basket along with a few wish list items... She is three and is extremely practical. She doesn't usually ask for a lot, so we sometimes have trouble figuring out what to get her! These are the things she is loving right now.<br />
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<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/llama-llama-easter-egg-anna-dewdney/1119671404?ean=9780451469823#/">Llama Llama Easter Egg</a> & <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-spy-little-bunnies-jean-marzollo/1100569332?ean=9780439785358#/">I Spy Little Bunnies</a><br />
Our daughter LOVES to read! She takes two books with her to bed every night and will lay in bed "reading" until we tell her lights out. Some of her favorites are the Llama Llama board book series and the I Spy Little Series. These were no brainers for us.<br />
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<a href="https://www.target.com/p/yum-earth-easter-gummy-bunny-5oz/-/A-53960102">Yum Earth Gummy Fruits</a><br />
She received some of these Yum Earth gummy fruits from a friend for Valentine's day and has been wanting them ever since. We found a big bag of bunny shaped ones and thought they were perfect!<br />
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<a href="https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.0686318006.html">Swimsuit</a><br />
We love a cute little suit like this one. We'll probably gift her some swim lessons too.<br />
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<a href="https://www.carters.com/carters-toddler-girl-pajamas/V_26697411.html?dwvar_V__26697411_color=Color&cgid=carters-toddler-girl-pajamas&dwvar_V__26697411_size=2T">Pajamas</a></div>
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Our daughter adores "zippy jammas," as she calls them. I adore the way these short sleeve ones look like a little rash guard swim suit. </div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/232637886/blush-leather-snap-clip">Hair Clip</a></div>
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Our girl has wild hair that falls right into her face. I haven't tried these Ryan and Wren clips yet, but I've heard good things about them and they look so well made. We got her a few of her favorite colors.</div>
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<a href="https://www.target.com/p/piggy-paint-non-toxic-nail-polish/-/A-53733071?preselect=51475990#lnk=sametab">Piggy Paint</a><br />
"Painty nails" has been frequently requested around our house. This will be our first brave attempt at trying out nail polish!<br />
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<a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Green-Toys-Jump-Rope-Pink/26872729">Jump rope</a><br />
Our little girl recently told us she wants to jump rope and then proceeded to use my husband's belt to attempt to show us how. We're not sure where she picked this up, but we're game for a simple toy, especially if it keeps her from whipping dad's belt around. Yikes.<br />
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<a href="https://www.target.com/p/band-aid-disney-princess-bandages-20ct/-/A-13404358">Disney Princess Band-Aids</a><br />
Because what three-year-old doesn't love Band-aids?<br />
PS. If your child ever puts bandages on a stuffed animal friend and it gets completely stuck in their fur, rub lotion in it to get it off then wash as directed. Trust me. We've tried it and it works!<br />
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What are you adding into your Easter Basket? I'd love to hear!Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-89795200805898840332019-03-18T07:00:00.000-04:002019-03-18T20:35:54.944-04:00A Practically Perfect Party<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
How embarrassing... I never posted this LAST YEAR!!! Oops!<br />
I guess it's better late (really late) than never!<br />
Back in January of 2018, we celebrated our sweet daughter's second birthday with a little party.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvAju9f9plHUdjRVQ9CB5yopc29bFeV94WQbW4WGGp1XxhPq-J47nVl4Splp5SsiB4uB9P1Qbu1n9NcRFUBRxvFkY0eXWH0C2eIIl0iBcIqfchXhHOW49RHJsKQk8AMk6P_4tb3_i20A/s1600/IMG_3244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvAju9f9plHUdjRVQ9CB5yopc29bFeV94WQbW4WGGp1XxhPq-J47nVl4Splp5SsiB4uB9P1Qbu1n9NcRFUBRxvFkY0eXWH0C2eIIl0iBcIqfchXhHOW49RHJsKQk8AMk6P_4tb3_i20A/s400/IMG_3244.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We were all pretty excited, since this would actually be her first birthday party... Two years ago, we had a fun "One-derland" themed party prepared and hubby and I both started throwing up the night before the party. Yuck! So when she turned two, we were determined to celebrate! We loved our "One-derland" theme, but wanted something different for her second birthday. I still managed to re-purpose quite a bit from the party that never was...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoaJagwmrEy6iebFJ2cl2Kqwm6pbVmpmczFDcmGI3RxIlNwRAdxsNixmu-us6Whv9q3uQ2kTpGl164cHXkjl6uQD9Xipg2bn-znPOmmkoBGPQkzXIr2-wpCdIrHS-xAuGr6S7FBQ3GLo/s1600/Jolly+Holiday+Invitation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoaJagwmrEy6iebFJ2cl2Kqwm6pbVmpmczFDcmGI3RxIlNwRAdxsNixmu-us6Whv9q3uQ2kTpGl164cHXkjl6uQD9Xipg2bn-znPOmmkoBGPQkzXIr2-wpCdIrHS-xAuGr6S7FBQ3GLo/s320/Jolly+Holiday+Invitation.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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Being the crazy Disney fanatic that I am, we chose Mary Poppins as our theme. Hubby and I like to choose a theme that is meaningful to us, but has a bit of Disney whimsy. Every evening at our house, we read a little bit of classic children's literature and the story by P.L. Travers was one that we read last year. We love combining Disney and the original classic (which is what sparked the theme for the first birthday as well). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDsvVVexqmNX8q9Ya_WerTp7w6cNr_Lm8mgvaGUk3U3F6v11vCCMmcLV6GKiS6dzMEo0T-cEhDPkuAZM-niRF8F1xLu02N4r6GFify6A5Aq_AqZeaYxkdGLMf7l2vpnpS4BqjwN1sDj0/s1600/IMG_3161e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDsvVVexqmNX8q9Ya_WerTp7w6cNr_Lm8mgvaGUk3U3F6v11vCCMmcLV6GKiS6dzMEo0T-cEhDPkuAZM-niRF8F1xLu02N4r6GFify6A5Aq_AqZeaYxkdGLMf7l2vpnpS4BqjwN1sDj0/s400/IMG_3161e.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This easel was a birthday gift from my parents. I decided to add a bit of chalk art and a nod to Bert's chalk paintings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaPxKMTrCuL4WVudD66z-GDSvBZ_x92ppihEuWm0eWJdYrg_T4r6ISJjenrqsMRj_LCKsNXcCHMgeYytvfE2ghxf9d2f6NSE4nRhlUqNTP6mRBzu0OulOZYGduPqe0X3fzzvrXP4l2hY/s1600/IMG_3160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaPxKMTrCuL4WVudD66z-GDSvBZ_x92ppihEuWm0eWJdYrg_T4r6ISJjenrqsMRj_LCKsNXcCHMgeYytvfE2ghxf9d2f6NSE4nRhlUqNTP6mRBzu0OulOZYGduPqe0X3fzzvrXP4l2hY/s400/IMG_3160.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We served a spread of tasty desserts for her "Spoonful of Sugar" celebration:</div>
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<i>Admiral Boom's Cannon Balls - melon balls</i></div>
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<i>Mrs. Brill's Vegetables - veggie tray</i></div>
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<i>Spoonfuls of Sugar - chocolate spoons dipped in sprinkles</i></div>
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<i>Bert's Chimney Sweeps - chocolate dipped marshmallows on sticks</i></div>
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<i>Mrs. Cory's Stars - shortbread cookies</i></div>
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<i>Michael's Strawberry Ice - Italian ice</i></div>
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<i>East Wind Jell-o - blue Jell-o with whipped topping, topped with an umbrella</i></div>
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<i>Jolly Holiday Penguins - penguin shaped gummies</i></div>
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<i>Mary Poppins Corn - kettle corn</i></div>
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<i>Cheese Umbrellas - Babybel Cheese with straw umbrella handles</i></div>
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<i>Uncle Albert's Cherry Cheesecakes - mini cheesecakes</i></div>
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<i>Jane's Lemon-Lime Tarts - mini lemon and lime desserts</i></div>
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The funny thing is that our daughter didn't even eat sweets at the time! But we sure enjoyed sugaring up all the other kids! Hahaha!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPU0JuVC46e-p-LjW95eiKFH6ToUxxKhbDwfKClH_Q4tPh3eKhIU4gov23NAyzcbhWXtVOIFGqRNiTyd8y75hgWR08pzBb1Qqf3niElk-Uc5IFY2nvlsCrbpHo1rZLl-WAC1ijo1xcroM/s1600/IMG_3157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPU0JuVC46e-p-LjW95eiKFH6ToUxxKhbDwfKClH_Q4tPh3eKhIU4gov23NAyzcbhWXtVOIFGqRNiTyd8y75hgWR08pzBb1Qqf3niElk-Uc5IFY2nvlsCrbpHo1rZLl-WAC1ijo1xcroM/s400/IMG_3157.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Above the drink station were some adorable paper kites, but I completely forgot to get a photo of them! The fun labels say "Something is Brewing," "Rum Punch (but without the rum, so just plain punch)" and "Barley Water". The glass bottles and straws are from my dedication to Starbucks coffee, and recycled from the first party. My mom tied a different red bow to each bottle so people could keep track of their drinks. We also brought out an assortment of beautiful and dainty tea cups that my grandmother passed down to our daughter.</div>
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For dessert, my hubby made Merry-Go-Round cupcakes and a special cake for the Birthday Girl.</div>
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I re-purposed some of the giant flowers from the "One-derland" party and added some daisies in the spirit of Mary Poppins.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCemF38uRG_uav4B1uDqwDIqs1PYmc_lP-7fOkHckie5KLSDx2sdyHIEoloo8_J2JGStGfPSTBTiw-Zi4XesZhoT4pWkEMj8j6Cd5pDkeL4EeUWUrIC1-1y7r70VoCUaMRN6b1LmZkZw0/s1600/IMG_3778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCemF38uRG_uav4B1uDqwDIqs1PYmc_lP-7fOkHckie5KLSDx2sdyHIEoloo8_J2JGStGfPSTBTiw-Zi4XesZhoT4pWkEMj8j6Cd5pDkeL4EeUWUrIC1-1y7r70VoCUaMRN6b1LmZkZw0/s400/IMG_3778.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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This cake stand belongs to my dear friend. It's actually one of those three-tiered cupcake stands. I took it apart, and configured it to use just the bottom and top tiers, then added some paper and ribbon embellishments. </div>
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I'm not sure what we were thinking when we decided to have black icing for our daughter's first bite of cake, but she did really well with it - she's a very neat little eater! Also, are we evil parents for depriving her of sugar for so long?! It wasn't even a real cake - it's banana bread under there. My hubby added chocolate covered blueberries and a candy daisy in the fashion of the famous hat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UYrUhg37ygxKgiHD2HLRcspUQ3S0Rc9US5KRBQ_uPbZvwUVUlu4twBWBABZ5kk-gTSA3nyZVXxYHgcZCUYJZbWXd2dTtexkDFxH5znC_84HX-fLVwmGDdckTQHCZ8Xt-HjhvC-UGvok/s1600/IMG_3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UYrUhg37ygxKgiHD2HLRcspUQ3S0Rc9US5KRBQ_uPbZvwUVUlu4twBWBABZ5kk-gTSA3nyZVXxYHgcZCUYJZbWXd2dTtexkDFxH5znC_84HX-fLVwmGDdckTQHCZ8Xt-HjhvC-UGvok/s400/IMG_3845.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Other decorations included a giant silhouette of our daughter in our entryway. It sat above the present table alongside framed silhouettes from our trips to Disneyland at 8 months old and Tokyo Disneyland when she was 18 months old. We may be crazy for taking an 18 month old on a 24 hour trip to Japan, but that's a story for another day...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgALZTrwdK166vf8nS3s5K1kIzyvkEssT-DJ_iTlYT88fKjvBgbmQ-PirKTdhvwDxNNK6IayZaaMCRK0T8LY1XPdtIxGUSYuSMekUwQlScmh0oLveTi1BRzbAnMN7nlZAGXByTnnZKeI/s1600/IMG_4067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgALZTrwdK166vf8nS3s5K1kIzyvkEssT-DJ_iTlYT88fKjvBgbmQ-PirKTdhvwDxNNK6IayZaaMCRK0T8LY1XPdtIxGUSYuSMekUwQlScmh0oLveTi1BRzbAnMN7nlZAGXByTnnZKeI/s400/IMG_4067.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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We set out a little mailbox where guests could write a birthday wish for our little girl. These adorable cards were from a time capsule gift from a sweet friend of mine for her first birthday. We didn't make much use of it for the original intention, but the bird cards were perfect for this theme! </div>
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Also, I am so terrible about taking photos and forgot to take a photo of our hallway lined with a city skyline to resemble the rooftops of London. Or the frame on the bathroom mirror to resemble Mary constantly checking out her reflection. I love adding little details in unexpected places!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBD0Bdx83bLo4DjzEitV1iWPbX4H87LZLSa9thzEOBk-Qff8kXfCYNL74HS6SyXh263QQdLejJx-rvCjGtRolDfe0RFr3OufgGVyi-K7X9RxaUli7CT7Cz-fMVdGNepUyGy1CBTQw-tsM/s1600/IMG_3111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBD0Bdx83bLo4DjzEitV1iWPbX4H87LZLSa9thzEOBk-Qff8kXfCYNL74HS6SyXh263QQdLejJx-rvCjGtRolDfe0RFr3OufgGVyi-K7X9RxaUli7CT7Cz-fMVdGNepUyGy1CBTQw-tsM/s400/IMG_3111.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made this mini hat headband for the birthday girl, with some random supplies I had in my craft room. She was pretty excited when I let her wear it! It was so fun to make... I secretly wish I could make tiny hats for tons of other occasions too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPWI_A_lq7NzZuiaDqyoupuuBcBCT46fJPfW85uQHkOzpKZM57VBSBPi0WtYHg5Smh1hXn_lSy2_uE77AUdHltcZIsYqN3ZsTeeSzapLKXOitBEPLfkcV6Mg4kKPyp2p9M0SSc1bXQDE/s1600/IMG_3091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPWI_A_lq7NzZuiaDqyoupuuBcBCT46fJPfW85uQHkOzpKZM57VBSBPi0WtYHg5Smh1hXn_lSy2_uE77AUdHltcZIsYqN3ZsTeeSzapLKXOitBEPLfkcV6Mg4kKPyp2p9M0SSc1bXQDE/s400/IMG_3091.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I also re-created the famous parrot umbrella! I used a dowel rod, handkerchief, felt, ribbon, paint, and hot glue. It sat in our window with the cardboard carpet bag that I saved from my first trip to New York when I went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway many years ago (scroll to the top to see)!</div>
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For favors, I had these berry baskets, leftover from the first party, and added some tuppence (chocolate coins), a handmade bird feeder ornament, since our daughter loves birds, some sidewalk chalk, and a giant balloon, all references to either the original story or the Disney version. Of course I forgot to photograph the final product... (this is the lame, late night photo I took when I was asking my friend, Naki what else I should add to the baskets!)</div>
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I hope you enjoyed this very belated post and the very haphazard photos. I never claimed to be a photographer! Haha. I'm hoping to be back soon with details from this year's party! </div>
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TTFN (ta ta for now!)</div>
Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-1510685096822546372019-03-11T07:00:00.000-04:002019-03-11T07:00:01.659-04:00ASCA U<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/professional-development/asca-u"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="216" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgburyYQmQO5z38M4erKNXZ0gf1BlTGFkH-CDyi5TcpNhKbC7wjA5PBBvUA4dJjEhxJnZWS683Y32G4FpYDOynWpV_Sz4kzalArsZfaHfEzTU-YBlpkR7ZepEKeQHnAZrQke5FWkWZ4K_8/s200/ascau.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I did it! Finally!</div>
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It's not very exciting, but I promised to post an update, so here it is...</div>
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One of my goals last year was to complete an <a href="https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/professional-development/asca-u">ASCA U course</a>. I told you that I was still working on completing my <a href="https://deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/2018/02/18-for-2018.html">18 for 2018 list (see #13)</a> and I've kept my word. </div>
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The truth is, I'm a little embarrassed to tell you that what I started last year actually expired (Eeks!) and I had to start from the beginning again. But I did it! I hunkered down and completed the training! I am now an official <a href="https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors/professional-development/asca-u-specialist-trainings/trauma-and-crisis-management-specialist">Trauma and Crisis Management Specialist</a>. Sounds fancy, doesn't it?</div>
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Feels good to have another thing checked off the list! </div>
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The crazy thing is now that I completed one of these, I kind of want to do another one... Hmm... It's interesting how these lists are making me want to accomplish more! </div>
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How about you? Is there anything that you've been wanting to do? Today is the day to start! I'm cheering you on!</div>
Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-84327803503140789702019-03-04T07:00:00.000-05:002019-03-08T21:01:26.245-05:00Currently... March 2019How have you been, friend? Here's what's new with me!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3ojTLS1YLP6beq-0pDDjDOFIyUN3ZneCCriq-EgbQfWTBmDOiK62NeS5dMfmAf-QXC2KUMPSNY6b8WDIlXQ38rTEn5t9tT9GvYvxNjFE7NdhqYTVJkq_xoYkKmeGROuC2oxntWgbu5o/s1600/bigbangtheory.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://movies.disney.com/ralph-breaks-the-internet-wreck-it-ralph-2"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfOwMGt-bEytiAhAIyZ7V8Dr5J-8Xqpq2xiVDOwG2q2Q7Ktwq9f2isHbymO2hyphenhypheneI6uUS2Fjc6xRHJrPUPTBYWoILDXyP4X-8zQ8elhlgOMDRHfiww19-CdGtysECwoDeXht45CDUzkAk/s200/ralphbreakstheinternet.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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WATCHING: <i><a href="https://movies.disney.com/ralph-breaks-the-internet-wreck-it-ralph-2">Ralph Breaks the Internet</a></i><br />
<i>As you may know, we are huge Disney fans around here. Our daughter was so excited to see this movie because she wanted to see the princesses in different clothes. She cracks us up. I'll have to admit that there are some parts that I wasn't sure about for her, but she loved it all the same. I'm still in awe that Disney was able to figure out a way to animate what the internet is like on the inside! </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyejELqRQwcnAT1EQoQ24X4U_aCxZFxBuGxhIU0QlA5dWqtkVp7zIuKoJDoGnryUqtJANG6wmOrGRNHlsM8KAIIqxxUP3V5cBN4Nf_LSQftWWlJII02OeOEW5eGdz2I1RrTbsUKky562I/s1600/asoldastime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyejELqRQwcnAT1EQoQ24X4U_aCxZFxBuGxhIU0QlA5dWqtkVp7zIuKoJDoGnryUqtJANG6wmOrGRNHlsM8KAIIqxxUP3V5cBN4Nf_LSQftWWlJII02OeOEW5eGdz2I1RrTbsUKky562I/s200/asoldastime.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<em><br /></em><em>READING: </em><i style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/As-Old-Time-Twisted-Tale/dp/1484707311/">As Old as Time</a> by Liz Braswell</i><br />
<i>I recently shared that I'm reading the </i><i style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/As-Old-Time-Twisted-Tale/dp/1484707311/" style="text-align: start;">third book in the Twisted Tales series</a>. I just finished it and loved it! What should I read next?</i></div>
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<a href="https://beckyhiggins.com/podcast/"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2k1Dmouf1EKMREL983GZKyBxn8_4XQY8_AErawpb6HAh1kQWPZfXrmnmaeFEUhGNJmzC4r7ZRV_qCgzeJ7kKxrFY6-9lBRQVB10if93q6to8zVl6Yb2RyR88tUfCj-QczlyP0C3AjFZI/s200/cultivate.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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LISTENING: <i>to <a href="https://beckyhiggins.com/podcast/">Cultivate a Good Life</a></i></div>
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<i>I only just discovered this podcast and am just a few episodes in. You guys, it is SO good. It has given me much to think about. My favorite episodes so far? <a href="https://beckyhiggins.com/podcast-show-notes-episode-004-kids-technology/">Episode 004: Kids + Technology</a> and <a href="https://beckyhiggins.com/podcast-show-notes-episode-006-check-marriage-temperature/">Episode 006: Check Your Marriage Temperature</a>.</i><br />
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EATING:<em> waffles</em></div>
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<i>My daughter gifted my her daddy a <a href="https://www.target.com/p/dash-mini-waffle-maker/-/A-53177555">mini waffle maker</a> for Christmas (she makes me laugh so much) and h</i><i>e has been spoiling us with waffles on special mornings. </i><i>At first he thought it was a totally lame gift, but I think he secretly loves it. It makes her smile to get waffles, which she claims is one of her favorite foods (along with donuts and soup) and it makes him smile to see her eat her breakfast with such enthusiasm. </i><br />
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<a href="https://www.republicoftea.com/downton-abbey-english-rose-tea/p/v20177/"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="325" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQis1dklNKOmHM0ycwSyQlFseUATX0JwVzk_T9g4zWppeoikjrOxosB61Jbk2_uNB-HpOh0RG5H1iE-uhIlCuo3C2ayHogGRGxDY8_jeaqkbSHyUCqBfP_P7pl7jzj1XFhV2_EZSRYn8/s200/englishrosetea.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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DRINKING: <i>tea</i><br />
<i>I shared this just last week that I'm enjoying tea in the evenings to relax after a long day of work. Currently, I'm enjoying this <a href="https://www.republicoftea.com/downton-abbey-english-rose-tea/p/v20177/">English Rose Tea</a> from Republic of Tea.</i><br />
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WEARING: <i>Dr. Seuss inspired outfits</i><br />
<i>Last week our school celebrated Read Across America and we have been wearing some fun outfits. I love spirit weeks. It seems strange to think of it this way, but it is kind of a no-brainer for when it comes to outfit planning if it is spirit week. The photo above is my fellow school counselor and I twinning on </i>Thing 1 Thing 2<i> day.</i></div>
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MAKING: <i>time to read</i><br />
<i>I just recently blogged about how I'm not a reader... Since then, I've been reading up a storm! I've already finished 3 books within two months and am halfway into another! I think I'm going to try out <a href="https://books.disney.com/book/serena-valentinos-villains-box-set/">these Villains books</a> next...</i></div>
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PLANNING:<i> a trip to Japan</i><br />
<i>We're heading to Japan this fall and we are so excited. We are going to celebrate the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shichi-Go-San">Shichi-Go-San festival</a> with our daughter. I know it's a while away, but we are starting to make our plans!</i><br />
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TRYING:<em> to keep up with blogging! </em><br />
<em>I know I haven't been very good at blogging (for several years...) and I'm trying to get back into the habit. I hope that one day I will have more inspiring and encouraging content for you... For now, I'm just trying to keep up with my life!</em><br />
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WANTING: <i>a good night's sleep</i></div>
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<i>Our little girl has recently been waking up a lot in the middle of the night. We're trying to figure out the best formula to get her to sleep soundly through the night. </i></div>
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FEELING: <i>a little tired...</i><br />
<i>see above</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ceaco-Thomas-Kinkade-Collection-Multipack/dp/B07B4SM3WD/"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="425" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOaxgHyuHgsbGlATbiW4WfRxzhyBj0UuW5Y0VTgGA_FHKHQWZtYK0u3aeR32o00CR4CVu0qcN1IKYNuPuSyji9MU-VkbiGv8kG4agLJe-EzPeDGewQBnyRvGZrcBCmApOxt69Gg47wbs/s200/ceacopuzzle.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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ENJOYING: <i>lots of puzzles</i><br />
<i>Our daughter is on a huge puzzle kick right now and we are having so much fun! We recently got <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ceaco-Thomas-Kinkade-Collection-Multipack/dp/B07B4SM3WD/">this 4 in 1 box of Thomas Kinkade Disney puzzles</a>. After completing <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ceaco-Thomas-Kinkade-Collection-Disneys/dp/B075WWBVFP/">a 750 Dumbo puzzle</a>, these smaller ones seem much more do-able! </i></div>
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So... what's new with you? </div>
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Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-66025966617411630442019-03-01T07:00:00.000-05:002019-03-01T07:00:05.032-05:00Friday Favorites: Snow DayI know it's March, but last week, we enjoyed a snow day here. Outside it was wet and yucky with snow, followed by freezing rain, followed by rain, so we spent the day indoors. I thought I would share some of my favorites for a lazy day at home on the blog today...<br />
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<a href="https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women-ultra-stretch-tunic-long-sleeve-set-416130.html?dwvar_416130_color=COL01#start=11&cgid=women-loungewear"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="734" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5TfJgPM-sBaBHX3s4IyBvGm5CuuTqj0uH5ajWUS-dthLMifeKHrqzzuM85Uqmd8U3mgKEd5lzq-0svJB8WHEhxSWEiPvSylIG8wTLphAjD4HxU1yqx285nxDTzQQgunxybPwzFXWz1M/s200/uniqlo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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1. Cozy Pajamas. I feel like this one is kind of a no-brainer, but staying in pajamas all day is my favorite thing to do on a lazy day! Our daughter even requests to stay in her "jammas" regularly. I really like the <a href="https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women-ultra-stretch-tunic-long-sleeve-set-416130.html?dwvar_416130_color=COL01#start=11&cgid=women-loungewear">loungewear from Uniqlo</a> - they are comfy and a good price point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtZVeAoupYGIZ0T_E4sbNR4T_GslqV8dheNFiKP_val6SeWkk6rfQWMHBA3jLeBOse2L6EEP3kNUc5lXO9p0rPSQuKln-zmKywy8YmF19idE9mU4VBcEO4ru-PY8iij012k87yZWWm3w/s1600/IMG_8947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtZVeAoupYGIZ0T_E4sbNR4T_GslqV8dheNFiKP_val6SeWkk6rfQWMHBA3jLeBOse2L6EEP3kNUc5lXO9p0rPSQuKln-zmKywy8YmF19idE9mU4VBcEO4ru-PY8iij012k87yZWWm3w/s320/IMG_8947.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. Our three-year-old daughter is obsessed with puzzles and has been begging us to do a "big puzzle with tiny pieces." We realized that we only have two sizes of puzzles in our house - 24 pieces and 1000 pieces. We pulled out this puzzle that I got at Disneyland a few years ago when we went for their 60th Anniversary Celebration. It was a ton a fun for our family to do together! I'm also a big fan of the Disney Fine Art puzzles. The Toby Bluth ones my favorite, although his puzzles are hard to find! Since completing this puzzle, we've been searching for a more reasonable sized puzzle to do with a three-year-old. I think we will try our hand at 300 pieces...<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/As-Old-Time-Twisted-Tale/dp/1484707311/"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lylKLuGNoJOkmLNSzorf3QGOp_0-UhCdZN3FAMlVsdTJD0tIQQlZQaY8HCNL5s6Inx-szyEP_WCwStzjKHACfL0ctSnX1my7ptuS2_G-lADRh5brc_m8dLqy468MnVLGprSIe8j4Tis/s200/asoldastime.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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3. We also love to spend some time reading. On this particular snow day, we all snuggled up in our bed with a book. My husband is currently re-reading the Hobbit, I'm halfway into the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/As-Old-Time-Twisted-Tale/dp/1484707311/">third book in the Twisted Tales series</a>, and our daughter sat with a stack of her favorite Llama Llama board books (she loves <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Llama-Llamas-Little-Library-Dewdney/dp/0670016489/">these</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Llama-Llamas-Holiday-Library-Dewdney/dp/0425291820/">these</a>). It's so nice to cuddle up together and sweet to see our little girl enjoy "reading" independently.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9yl7BW3xN92VXBGuR8qJLOKg5Yg1iaL0GN_yYZzd_ZTHhpusNWZF_jXSokoIUKX5GqbFW_TqdhGuLr3vU5_nW6EqdTlFJr_qU38kmJ43CJWXz7paeFlZIC3dLRhO_VnmC28JKnAMylE/s1600/weightedblanket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="564" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9yl7BW3xN92VXBGuR8qJLOKg5Yg1iaL0GN_yYZzd_ZTHhpusNWZF_jXSokoIUKX5GqbFW_TqdhGuLr3vU5_nW6EqdTlFJr_qU38kmJ43CJWXz7paeFlZIC3dLRhO_VnmC28JKnAMylE/s200/weightedblanket.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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4. A snuggly blanket is a must for a cold day indoors. My hubby gifted me <a href="https://www.target.com/p/twin-12lb-weighted-throw-blanket-gray-tranquility/-/A-53691535">a weighted blanket</a> for Christmas and it is lovely to sit under while reading or lounging on the sofa. The one we have is 12 pounds, which I really like since most that we have seen are 15lbs. One not so great thing is that it isn't machine washable... We haven't found a cover for it that we like yet, so we are just careful and usually have a thin blanket underneath it. I've been considering getting a smaller and lighter one for our daughter as well.<br />
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<a href="https://www.republicoftea.com/downton-abbey-english-rose-tea/p/v20177/"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="325" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3UJkRs9dZToFsGEk2FrayxUeuEDGY7HRfZZqwf4rn6Mo4YQAJlvrVzK6ROl4M8IzVjbXTirP89UbQnzU7ojNNb5Vkt-5hDyyfSEo4l0-lY3s4oo4zSwx0CTymTzh1jyQVbfl6Zkhp4w/s200/englishrosetea.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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5. Recently my hubby and I have been enjoying a cup of tea in the evenings. It's especially nice on a cold day indoors! My current favorite is this <a href="https://www.republicoftea.com/downton-abbey-english-rose-tea/p/v20177/">Downton Abbey English Rose Tea</a>. It's beautiful to watch as it steeps and has a lovely rich flavor.<br />
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So there you have it! Five of our favorites for a cozy day indoors. What are your must haves? Hope you are staying warm!Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-7736653024647109092019-02-26T07:00:00.000-05:002019-02-26T07:00:03.258-05:0019 for 2019<div style="text-align: center;">
Last year I embarked on a challenge to complete 18 things for 2018.<br />
I learned a lot from that challenge and although I'm still working on that list, I've created a new list for 2019!<br />
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<b>1. Be the ultimate villain</b><br />
Hahahaha. Let's start off with something fun. My hubby got me the Disney Villainous game for Christmas and I just love it. (Have you noticed that I'm on a villains kick right now?) The funny thing is that I am actually REALLY BAD at the game. Hahaha. I am good at almost all things Disney, but he kicks my butt at this game. Every. Single. Time. My goal this year is to beat him at least once with each villain. This will be a fun challenge!<br />
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<b>2. Get a mani/pedi</b><br />
Who doesn't love a good pampering? I want to either get a mani/pedi or give myself one - that counts, right? - because that sounds maybe a little more realistic and do-able.<br />
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<b>3. Replace clothing basics</b><br />
I've done a lot of purging of my clothes and realized that I need to start replacing some of my basics - like camis and layering tees and that sort of thing. Nothing fancy. Just all that stuff that is really boring to buy.<br />
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<b>4. Make a capsule wardrobe</b><br />
The idea of a capsule wardrobe sounds fascinating to me. If you know me, I usually wear the same outfits on rotation every week, so I basically have a capsule wardrobe. Hahaha. I want to work on refining it and making the contents meaningful.<br />
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<b>5. </b><b>Read 6 new books</b><br />
I had a similar goal last year to read 4 new books. Since then, I've been hooked on reading! This year, I've upped the challenge and hope to read 6 new books!<br />
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<b>6. Find a planner I like and use it</b><br />
I've always loved the idea of writing things into a daily planner, but sometimes I'm not very good at keeping it up. Right now I keep everything in my Office365 calendar and it works pretty well, but I don't know if that's the right thing for me. I want to find something useful that will help me stay organized and be more productive. I'm not exactly sure what that will look like. It might just be some tweaking to what I already use or a brand new paper planner... We'll see!<br />
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<b>7. </b><b>Make a home binder</b><br />
I'd love to get all my papers organized into a reference binder of some sort.<br />
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<b>8. Fix or r</b><b>eplace something old in our house</b><br />
There are lots of things in our home that could use a bit of sprucing up - both big and small. Our driveway, the back door, the interior doors, the entire bathroom (haha), the closet shelving, the sofa, the piano... the list goes on... If we can fix or replace one thing, even a small thing, I'd call it a win.<br />
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<b>9. </b><b>Sell some stuff on ebay</b><br />
After doing a lot of decluttering and organizing, we've found a lot of stuff that my hubby and I are ready to let go of. We donated a ton of it, but we kept a handful of boxes in our closet that we want to eventually sell on ebay. This is the year!<br />
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<b>10. </b><b>Get a new plant</b><br />
I've been longing for more greenery in our home. Should be simple enough. Just gotta find something that I can't kill...<br />
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<b>11. Decorate the play room</b><br />
When our daughter turned one, we designated the spare room as a play room and cleaned it up so it was usable. It really is a great play room, but it doesn't have any decorations nor is it very cute. I'd love to spruce it up a bit - maybe with a fun Disney vibe! :)<br />
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<b>12. </b><b>Hang up artwork and photos</b><br />
There are a few blank walls in our home that are still begging for something. I have some idea of what I want up there, I just gotta get around to doing it.<br />
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<b>13. </b><b>Organize photos</b><br />
This one might be one of those things that I regret putting on this list, but I really want to sort through our photos. We still have some boxes of old photos to organize as well as lots of digital photos that need to be purged.<br />
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<b>14. Make 2018 photo books</b><br />
Last year my goal was to get caught up on 2016 & 2017 photo books. I'm not done yet, but I thought I'd go ahead and add 2018 to my to-do list to keep me from getting too far behind. One day I am sure I will have a better system for this!<br />
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<b>15. Update our family blog</b><br />
I've talked before about how we have a private blog where we post photos of our girly to keep our families in the know of what's happening in our life. I've done a mostly good job of posting sort-of regularly for the past 3 years. I think it's time for a bit of sprucing up though.<br />
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<b>16. Make a quilt</b><br />
Last year, my daughter stole my blankie from me. We knew this would happen eventually... Since stealing mommy's blankie, she has been asking when she would get a blankie of her own. I've had this dream since before our little girl was born to make a quilt, so that has kind of been the push that I've needed.<br />
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<b>17. </b><b>Try a no spend challenge</b><br />
I'm not exactly sure what this will look like for us either, but I'd love to try out a no spend challenge and just see what that is like for us.<br />
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<b>18. </b><b>Save an extra $500</b><br />
Perhaps this will come out of the no spend challenge or from ebay sales (fingers crossed!) Either way, it would be nice to put aside some extra money for a rainy day or maybe the next item on our list...<br />
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<b>19. </b><b>Take a vacation</b><br />
Can't wait for this one! I think we will be heading overseas this year!<br />
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So that's it! My 19 for 2019 list. And of course, I will do my best to chronicle it here on the blog (along with updates as I still finish up my 18 for 2018 list...) How about you? What's on your list for this year? </div>
Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622612764753072405.post-81754433689310308612019-02-18T07:00:00.000-05:002019-02-18T07:00:10.974-05:00Four BooksGuys. I am not a reader. I hate to say that. But reading is not really my thing. I love books. I love knowledge. And I love the idea of reading. But most of the time when I sit down to read, I wish I wasn't reading. I'm slow. And I need to really focus and concentrate. And usually my mind wanders so I have to read something over and over.<br />
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Still. I do my best to give the love of books and reading to our daughter. Let me say this. Our daughter LOVES to read. We literally take away books from her as a punishment. And it works. So whatever we are doing, it works.<br />
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In 2018 I focused on one reading goal. To read 4 books. That doesn't seem like a major number, but trust me, it took me all year to read just four books. I tend to read books that I already know that I like. Really, this translates into me reading the Harry Potter series over and over again. So this year, I focused on reading 4 new books. And I loved them.<br />
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Here's what I read:<br />
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<img height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81ffw1TjHoL.jpg" width="131" /><br />
Book 1.<br />
<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Little-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/150113163X/">How to Talk so Little Kids will Listen </a></b><br />
by Joanna Faber and Julie King<br />
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If you spend any time at all around kids and haven't read this I highly recommend it. No little kids around? Read How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk by Adele Faber (that's Joanna's momma). I read both and they are so good.<br />
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<img height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xTQwG04qL.jpg" width="132" /><br />
Book 2.<br />
<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Project-Revised-Aristotle-Generally/dp/0062414852/">The Happiness Project</a></b><br />
by Gretchen Rubin<br />
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I listen to Gretchen Rubin's podcast and enjoy the way she thinks about things. She talks about her books pretty frequently so I was tuned into this one. I actually considered doing my own Happiness Project this year... I loved her writing so much that I have more of her books on my reading list!<br />
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<img alt="A Whole New World: A Twisted Tale (Twisted Tale, A) by [Braswell, Liz]" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VlD8oqoAL.jpg" width="132" /><br />
Book 3.<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whole-New-World-Twisted-Tale-ebook/dp/B00WLEEJKK/"><b>A Whole New World: A Twisted Tale</b></a><br />
by Liz Braswell<br />
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I am a huge Disney fan and also love twisted fairy tales. This book is amazing because the author writes a twisted tale of the Disney story. In fact, there are parts of the book that are written from different points of view using scenes from the movie. I just loved what she did with this.<br />
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<img height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81uTnBgqNML.jpg" width="133" /><br />
Book 4.<br />
<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Dream-Twisted-Tale/dp/1484707303/">Once Upon a Dream</a></b><br />
by Liz Braswell<br />
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I loved reading book 3 so much that I had to read the next book in the series! This one was a little harder for me to get into. But mostly because I didn't understand what was happening at first... Once I figured it out, I couldn't put it down! Can you guess that I already started reading the next book? :)<br />
<br />Nina Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689693134239668158noreply@blogger.com0