My Life in Pictures: Fun With Supplies - Affiliate Post

You may remember this photo from last week's post about organizing a shared space.  Since I was already in the photo taking mood and had just completed the photos for the organizing post, I thought I'd go ahead and share some of my supplies as well....that's code for "I wanted another excuse to play with my collection" 😁😁😁

As you saw last week, currently everything lives within three stacks of bins.  The florals and greens are carefully nestled in piles, but the smaller items (beads, buttons, glitter, etc) are divided by color and stored within jars and plastic containers.

Eventually, when I have space for a crafting studio, I would like everything to be displayed prettily on shelves that line the room.  With that goal in mind I make sure that all of my storage pieces are similar in style and pleasing to the eye, so that when shelving is available everything is organized and ready to go.

The white lidded glass jars and small storage containers (beads & glitter) can be found at Dollar Tree for $1 each.  The larger storage containers (sequins) can be purchased at various craft supply stores for around $5, but I've been finding mine treasure hunting and at Goodwill for $2.  Seriously, every time I find one it's $2 and usually filled with random odds and ends 😎  But enough with that, read on to see some of my current supply collection:



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Disclosure- This post contains affiliate links.  If a purchase is made through an affiliate link then (at no additional cost to you) I will receive a commission.  Affiliate links are noted below.

You can click the affiliate link to shop Dollar Tree online now

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Buttons

This is just a small portion of my button collection.  In truth, I haven't really used buttons for anything yet, but I have a hard time passing them up when I see them 😃

Glitter

You can't go wrong with a nice supply of glitter in various colors 😉

Tip:  Look in the nail polish section of Dollar Tree to find a greater selection of glitter colors and textures.  All of the glitter shown in the top photo was found in that section.

Beads

This particular set of beads came already sorted into individual containers, but the rest of my beads are organized (by color) into divided plastic boxes.

You can click here to read more about my bead sorting

Seashells

Every craft room should have a nice supply of seashells, mine are in one of those white lidded jars.

Sequins

I just began my sequin collection, so for now they all live within one divided box (similar to my bead storage), but I can see them multiplying nicely in the future 😉

Faux Gemstones

These items are large enough that I have them stored into separate jars as well.  I keep thinking that I'll make those golden gemstone brackets into some hair accessories for my Baby Girl, but I haven't gotten there yet.

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And that's a little bit from my supply collection.  I hope you enjoyed this photo post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

Make it Work: Organizing a Shared Space

An Old Photo

It's been about five years now since I started creating and selling wedding florals as a way to earn income as a stay-at-home mom.  What began with one small bin of supplies (and a dream) has grown into many bins full of supplies as well as boxes and boxes of finished orders....and the need to find a way in which to store it all!

Which brings me to the photo you see above.  I haven't shown a great deal of my closet room here on the design blog, but when I do, the photos are carefully constructed convey the best overall look.  What I'm trying to say is that what looks like a room completely devoted to clothing storage and getting dressed has become filled with all the necessary items of running a business.  Since I don't currently have a separately defined space to store supplies or work, I've had to resort to stacks and stacks of plastic bins to keep everything organized.  But that's ok and I'm sharing these photos today for two reasons:  One, you can absolutely do a lot in a little space if you organize it well and two, the space can still look great  so long as everything is neat and tidy 😉


(You can click here if you want to read more about the lamp featured in this photo)

Reality

Here is how the closet room actually looks, with stacks of bins tucked in behind the island.  It hasn't taken away from the closet part of the room too much, other than the fact that I can no longer completely walk around the island.  Getting to supplies however is another matter altogether, and takes a bit of juggling 😃

Tower 1

Here we have the first stack.   Starting at the top there is a bin for current projects, bouquet holders, tulle & ribbon and lastly, a bin of business related supplies (the office stuff).  

I recommend bins that are clear as it helps to more quickly identify the items inside.  I still label them however, as you can't always see everything without opening the lid.  I also recommend using bins that match the overall decor of the space that they are being stored in.  For me, that's nice and clean white lids but any color will do.  I will say though, that limiting the range of colors to one or two will minimize the likelihood of things looking overly busy or cluttered.  I prefer simple, so white and clear it is 😊

Side Note:  Can you see Sir Lancelot in the corner there?  Click here if you want to know more about him.

Shuffle, shuffle!

In order to get to the second tower of bins, the first tower gets shoved across the room over by the door.  This happens any time that I need to work (or play 😁).  Once things have been moved all around however, I'm left without any workspace.  For this reason I usually end up working at the dining table or on the living room floor, which isn't all bad - it's a lot easier to keep up with the kids when I'm not shut away.

Tower 2

With the first tower out of the way, I can reach the second.  This stack contains general craft supplies in the top bin, beads, buttons and jewelry making tools in the second and photography supplies at the bottom.  There are two mini bins that usually sit on top of this stack but didn't get pictured.  One of them contains wedding tools (glue gun, glue, wire cutters, floral tape, etc) and the other is my shipping box (tissue paper, tape, tape measure, business cards, etc)

Tower 3

For the third tower, I don't need to move anything around.  Instead I just walk around to the other side of the island.  This stack is organized by season with each bin containing florals that correspond to a different time of year.  The very bottom bin is full of greens.

Side Note:  This closet room has an actual walk-in closet as well.  For me, that's where all of the boxes of completed wedding sets wait until they are ready to ship out.  If you are someone who ends up selling online, I recommend packing every item immediately once it's ready and storing them away in a closed off room or closet.  Our home is free of pets and smoke, but there is always the risk of cooking odors penetrating finished goods.  Sealing your merchandise in plastic bags, boxing them up and keeping the boxes in a closed room will keep everything fresh and protected.

Playtime!

Now that things are all moved about and out of the way I can play with my toys 😆

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And that's how easy it is to organize a space for more than one purpose.  I hope you enjoyed this how to post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

My Life In Pictures: Spring 2018

Spring is definitely and finally here so today I'm sharing a few recent photos from my camera roll.
 I left off my usual watermark, go ahead and save or use them as you wish 😎

Beautiful trees covered in flowers.

Turkey hunting season was here and my Dad likes to hunt down state.  He always brings back specialty chocolates, which I appreciate much more than wild turkey 😉

One of the best parts of spring?  Morrell season!  These wild mushroom are absolutely delicious.  You can purchase them (expensively) in some restaurants and grocery stores, but finding them yourself is a lot more fun.  This batch was found by my Dad and he gave them all to me 😁😁😁

My Mom's pretty pansies.

We have some new friends in one of our front yard bushes 😃

My babies are making sure that I always have a vase full of flowers 😍

These photos were taken by Husby.  It's not uncommon for him to bring me home hand picked bouquets, but sometimes he can't get them to me in time before they would wilt.  In that case, he snaps a few photos and sends me those instead 😍😍😍

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I hope you enjoyed this photo post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

Coloring Eggs - 2018

With one of my nieces in town this week I knew we had to begin our Easter fun a little early.  Together the three kids and I baked an Easter surprise cake, played with glowy eggs and I supervised while three dozen hard boiled eggs were artfully designed 😍

(You can click here if you want to read about glowy eggs)

  I'll have a new post coming soon featuring our Easter surprise cake, but for now check out these photos from our afternoon coloring eggs:

We used standard egg dying kits to create the base colors before adding additional details with markers and stickers.  Bubby preferred  a simple solid layer of color for his eggs, but the girls created layers of color by dipping the eggs in more than one hue.

The eggs in the photo above were all decorated by my Bubby while

the photos below contain eggs designed by the girls. 

The kids did a great job and had a lot of fun....especially when my two started experimenting with different ways to waste, I mean crack and peel their eggs....It's the memories that count, right? 😊

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I hope you enjoyed this holiday post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

Valentine's Day and Actual Birthdays: 2018

The past couple of weeks have been busy with celebrating Valentine's day and the guy's (shared) actual birthday.  Here are some photos from our fun:

The kids enjoyed cutting out and decorating these heart shaped cookies for Valentine's Day.

My Baby Girl also had a good time creating valentine's for her classmates, but I forgot to get a pic😕

The holiday fell on a school/ work day this year, so we waited until afternoon to exchange valentines.  I did manage some time to myself in the morning and had a hot bath, some time to read and my very own heart shaped box of chocolates....until my Bubby caught me.  Then I shared, of course 😁

Bubby's Actual birthday was marked with another cake and a few gifts.

He was very excited to choose the Ninja Turtle wrapping paper himself 😁

He also requested that a dinosaur be on top of his lemon birthday cake and I was happy to oblige  😊

We can't forget that the same day is also Husby's birthday 💕
-he got a German chocolate cake and sugar cookies.


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For brunch Husby wanted crepes and Bubby requested bacon .  They are starting to strategize, asking for all of the unhealthy things at once, but I was accommodating 😁

After brunch it was boys choice, so we went to check Husby's beaver traps as a family.  The traps were empty that day but we did spend quite a bit of time exploring the nearby woods.

Back home for dinner it was steak for Husby and hot dogs for Bubby.  All in all it was a very busy and very fun day!


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 I hope you enjoyed seeing how we've been celebrating, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

How We Celebrated: Christmas Cookies 2017

Welcome back to our holiday kitchen!

A few days before Christmas the kids and I spent an afternoon in the kitchen baking up our holiday cookies.  Check out these photos from our fun:

Supplies

This baking adventure started out with several cookie mixes (the gingerbread failed 😖),  a cake mix for Mamaw's birthday (dark chocolate & Andes mints 😊), a gigantic pile of sprinkles, M&Ms, icing, color gels and the crock pot. 

I included the crock pot in the photo because after four hours of baking, there was no way that I was cooking dinner.  I can't remember what I had in the crock pot, but I was glad it was there! 😁 

Sprinkles!

I love having a large variety of sprinkles for decorating my baked goods, but they can get expensive really fast. My strategy is to wait until right after a holiday and buy them when they are 75% (or more) off. 

Tip:  Check the 'sell by' dates to be sure, but usually they are good for a year or two after purchase.  Store them in a cool, dry place and you are good to go 😉

Little Hands

My Baby Girl and my Little Man had different 'techniques' when it came to 

rolling out dough, but both had a lot of fun 😀

Sugar Cookies

Tip:  We cut and baked our sugar cookies first so that 

they would have time to cool before decorating.  I highly recommend having a set of cooling racks on hand if you are going to be baking a lot of anything at once.  It doesn't take long to run out of work space and stackable racks are a life saver!

Sprinkle Tray

In the past I've set all of the sprinkles out on the table and let the kids shake them out as they wished.  It worked but a whole lot were wasted on the floor 😏 

This year I decided to take a couple of mini muffin tins and use them to create sprinkle palettes.  Each of the kids got their own tin and spoon and had a much easier time.....Well, my girl did.  The Little Man just sat there eating sprinkles with the spoon, but that's ok 😀

Santa Cookies

Each of the kids made a special cookie to be left out for Santa on Christmas Eve.  The rest they divided between themselves and Daddy 😉

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Here are the rest of the cookies we made that day:

Chocolate chip with red sprinkles

Double chocolate chip with Andes mints and green sprinkles

Chocolate chip with M&Ms

Snicker doodles with red, white and green sprinkles

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Those were our holiday cookies this year.
I hope you enjoyed the baking post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

My Life in Pictures - Christmas Decor 2017

Right after Thanksgiving I managed to put up all of the holiday decor - just in time to get hit with the flu and a cold😖

Needless to say, it's taken me awhile to find the energy to take and edit my holiday decor photos.  I'm happy to say that here they are today though, along with a few 2017 decor updates.  Enjoy!

The stockings were hung with reckless abandon...ok... not really.  In fact, I carefully placed each one.
But ever since I heard a guy on tv say that (during my days and days of sick-girl-couch-time), I've been dying to say it myself.  So there you go.  😁

Christmas bulbs and glassware in the dining room.

Dining Room Ornaments

You might remember these from previous posts.  My dining room tree is my decorative tree and features only chocolate and gold ornaments.  Originally, these ornaments were individually hung on ribbon loops, but the white color of the ribbon was bugging me.  I also didn't like the way that having so many ornaments of the same size all over the place made a bit of a cluttered look, so I decided to cluster them into groups of three with pipe cleaners.

Clustered Ornaments

Dining Room Tree - Day

I think that having the ornaments clustered made a big difference (to visually picky people like me, anyway- regular people probably don't mind one way or the other 😁).

You can click here to see last year's tree with the ornaments hanging individually.

Dining Room Tree - Night

Colorful Village Lights

I added a few colored lights to the under tree village this year.  I think I would prefer that they were all rainbow, but for now this will do.

You can click here to see more about this village.

Golden Garland

I found this garland over the summer while treasure hunting and
decided to add it to the living room tree.

Living Room Tree

Here you can see the living room tree with just the new garland, chocolate and gold ornaments and gold snowflakes.  I like to use these decorative ornaments as the base and then layer all of our sentimental ornaments on top.

You can click here to read more about the chocolate and gold ornaments and the golden snowflakes (that used to be birthday party decor 😎)

Living Room Tree - Day

Here is the tree all finished and complete with our sentimental ornaments.  We had quite a few days with weather mild enough to keep the door open, it was divine 😍

Elfie has been hanging out below with the gifts 😊

You can click here to read about some of Elfie's adventures
You can click here to read how to make Elfie's skirt.

Happy Gingies

I tucked my faux gingerbread cookies into the top shelf dishes of my china cabinet.  I got these last year (along with my glasses of fake milk) and decided to keep them up out of harms way.  They are made of a spongy material and I can guarantee that if certain little hands get a hold of them....bye bye gingies!

You can click here to read more about my artificial milk and cookies.
You can click here to read about my china cabinet.

Cupcakes & a Gingy

This friendly face tucked away in a corner makes me smile and I love the soft light from the tree.

Kitchen Tree

Ahhhh, my candy tree - absolutely packed with sugary goodness!
I added a few new tasty ornaments to my kitchen tree this year which I'll share in an upcoming post.

You can click here to read more about this yummy tree.

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I hope you enjoyed this holiday post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2017