Simple Stockings

How thrifty is this?  Using old sweaters and flannel shirts to make stockings.  When I originally saw this image on Pinterest, I was instantly sold on the recycled, hand made holiday aesthetic.  But being the purger that I am, I didn’t have any old sweaters or flannel shirts sitting around in storage.  Several trips to Goodwill later, I was able to successfully stock up on a pile of cable knit.  The problem?  It’s still in a pile.  I never got around to the project.  Sigh. 

But thanks to my friendly neighborhood Target, I got off the hook.   So much for the “recycled” aspect.  But it still looks “homemade holiday”, especially  mixed with our unfinished staircase.  ;) 

The stockings were around $12 a piece.  The monograms add a personal touch, and each letter is on sale for $2.50 in the ornament section… thrifty! 

I simply tied the pompom strings around the ornament string.

If you ever get around to the recycled stocking project, I have some old sweaters you can use.  :)  

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I LONG TO BE ONCE AGAIN IN THE SEA

dagdraumar from Allan Wilson on Vimeo.

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OZ MARINE PARK: BIGGEST, BEST, OR BUST?

Part of the Coral Sea off the Queensland coast of Australia. Credit: NASA.

 

The Australian government announced last week a proposal to create the world's largest marine protected area in the phenomenally biodiverse richness of the Coral Sea.

Too bad no one's happy with it.

Of course, it's in the nature of protected areas to make people unhappy for a good long while before there's any hope of making them happy.

Bison, Yellowstone National Park. Credit: Daniel Mayer via Wikimedia Commons. 

Yellowstone, the world's first national park, might have triggered part 2 of the Civil War if there had been more people living in the West at the time. Here's what Senator Cornelius Cole of California had to say about it during legislative debate:

I have grave doubts about the propriety of passing this bill. The natural curiosities there cannot be interfered with by anything that man can do.... I cannot see how [they] can be interfered with if settlers are allowed to appropriate them....  I do not see the reason or propriety of setting apart a large tract of land of that kind in the Territories of the United States for a public park. There is abundance of public park ground in the Rocky Mountains that will never be occupied. It is all one great park, and never can be anything else.... There are some places, perhaps this is one, where persons can and would go and settle and improve and cultivate the grounds, if there be ground fit for cultivation.

Australia's Coral Sea draft marine reserve covers 989,842 square kilometers (382,180 square miles). Courtesy Commonwealth of Australia.

In Australia, some fishers are mad as hell about the proposed new park. For brevity in reporting, nothing beats this article, in its entirety, from the Queensland ABC:

Commercial fishers in the Coral Sea claim they are being made scapegoats despite a long history of sustainable fishing. Rob Louden is a licence and quota holder in the Coral Sea and East Coast sea cucumber fishery. He says the proposed Commonwealth marine park will put valuable and productive fishing grounds off limits for no apparent ecological or biological reason.

Man, sea cucumber. Credit: Fritz Geller-Grimm via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientists and conservationists are equally unhappy with the Coral Sea proposal. From Nature News:

Hugh Possingham, director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions at the University of Queensland, points out that little more than half... of the Coral Sea reserve is proposed as a 'no take' area, in which all fishing would be banned. The world’s largest existing marine reserve, established last year by the British government around the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, spans 544,000 [square kilometers] and is a no-take zone throughout. An alliance of campaigning conservation groups, including the WWF and the Pew Environment Group, argues that more of the Coral Sea should receive this level of protection.

Blue starfish (Linckia laevigata) resting on Acropora coral, Lighthouse, Ribbon Reefs, Australia. Credit: Richard Ling via Wikimedia Commons.

The fight is fierce—and important. Australia is struggling to create meaningful protection for much of its waters. 

But its weak draft proposal last May for a southwestern Australian marine park prompted 173 scientists to write an open letter to the government in protest. One of the co-signers, CJA Bradshaw, wrote at his blog Conservation Bites:

Basically, the proposed parks are merely a settlement between government and industry where nothing of importance is really being protected. The parks are just the leftovers industry doesn’t want. No way to ensure the long-term viability of our seas.

Barry Wrasse is a stakeholder too. Here's what he has to say.

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Allure

Isn’t it pretty?  I love it.  We would have preferred to lay true wood  flooring, but the kind we wanted was way over our budget (of course).  So, it came down to choosing between cheap hardwoods, laminate or Allure vinyl flooring.  I know, I know, vinyl sounds absolutely horrid right?  But have you seen the Trafficmaster Allure selection at Home Depot?  So beautiful! 

I chose the color, “Limed Oak”.  I like the variation of warm tones throughout it, and I especially love how it looks pickled in spots.  The fact that it doesn’t go clickity-clack when you walk on it is also a plus (like laminate would).  With it being vinyl, clean up is a breeze. 

Not only is the floor down, but I finally finished one wall in our foyer.  It’s so wonderful being able to look at this one spot in our house and see it complete.  Look to the left or the right or above… and not so much.  All in time.

We decided to keep the plank walls and caulk in between them.  Thanks for your votes on that one!  It helped tremendously.  The planks are painted “Clean White” (Valspar) flat, and semi-gloss for trim and baseboards.  The doors are painted “Cottage White” (Behr). 

I found the drawer pulls at Anthropologie, but they work just as well for door pulls set vertically. 

I’m enjoying my new finished spots, however small they might be!

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Shaklee Fundraiser Booth

Every year, I have a Shaklee Booth and my Church for a fundraiser.  This year, I did it with my friend.  I wanted to share my event with you.

We had cute packages for people to buy for themselves or for others.

We had a dish package.

A Laundry Package.

A Household Package.

We made a nice Shaklee board with pictures.

We had a couple of giveaways.  One of them was for our Herbal Blend All-Purpose Cream.

We also had Children’s Health Products.

We talked about our top selling supplements.

We informed mother’s about the importance of using safe products for their kids.

We also talked about the Shakee Opportunity.

We had a lot of fun and helped our Church at the same time.

This is my friend, who is also a Shaklee Distributor.

Here I am.

Do you own your own business?

Have you ever done a booth before?

Have a great day!

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12 Advent Calendar Ideas for Craft this Christmas!

Advent Calendar is THE way for count down until Christmas! There are some terrific ideas in this post for crafting your very own Advent Calendar. I love the little surprises tucked for every day, it makes waiting for Christmas so much more fun and exciting.

Easy Advent Calendar craft. Tiny gift bags and scrap booking supplies is all you need to make this modern elegant table centerpiece/decoration.

Love this adorable birdhouse Advent Calendar. I would be thriller every morning just pulling out the little cubbies :)

Cute, inexpensive and clever craft idea! Stash your surprises in this matchbox Christmas Tree. Let each kid make their own unique one :)

Beautiful uber stylish! Pick an ornament each day till Christmas to decorate your tree. You can even hang jewelry and mementos.

Repurpose a ladder into an Advent Calendar. Sew little bags and tie them with ribbons for a clever crafty Advent Calendar idea.

The simplicity of picking a present each day is so fun. Don't mark the day, enjoy the random draw each morning!

Advent Calendar cube cubby. This is a perfect way to decorate mantel for Christmas. Little reminders of the season and holiday cheer!

Great way to decorate small space. Tie a ribbon and hang vintage cards spelling 'CHRISTMAS' and matching decorations. Love how it ends with the Christmas tree right below.

This is my favourite, a beautiful Advent Calendar made of felt and gingham stars! Easy sew for someone crafty or just use 'no-stitch' fabric glue.

Easy Advent Calendar idea,ready in no time! Small cloth bags, ribbon and tack pins is all you need. Put it up on a wall or board. Cheat: Use glue instead of stitch and pop a bead to sinch the ribbon.

Wool and felt are the perfect fabric for winter. These felt mittens strung together is an awesome idea! You could even make some out of old sweaters or single/out-grown gloves. Shabby chic!

Paste a paper cut out Christmas tree on a door or wall. Use lots of sticky glue dots (removable) and pop the gifts on it. Instant colorful and fun Advent Calendar!

Can't wait till Christmas! Having an Advent Calendar will surely make the wait a little more bearable :) Enjoy every day of December with a little surprise for you loved ones, kids specially love Advent Calendar! Enjoy the Holiday season everyone!!

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