Craft Closet and Linen Closet - ORGANIZED!

So my goal for January was to organize the guest room closet as my craft closet and to also organize the linen closet. I'm glad to say they are both officially organized. Not only do I enjoy the actual organizing it is also a stress reliever for me to organize. It's been pretty stressful at work, so this was a great weekend project. I am thinking I need to be making things and working with my hands on a regular basis to help keep my stress level down...it really helps. So here are the before and after pictures of the closets.

Guest Room closet before pictures:

The plastic under the bed storage bins (which aren't even under a bed), made it difficult for me to easily access my crafts supplies. There is a lot of fabric beginning to accumulate because of my increase of sewing projects, not to mention I have crochet supplies & other craft items in other rooms.  I also wanted to cover the electrical box just to help make it feel more like a craft closet with inspiration not just the guest room closet.

Craft Closet (with other storage needed) after:

 

 I'm really happy about how this turned out. Many of the organizational bins are from Joann fabrics thanks to Christmas money from Josh's parents. I also had to use some some shelving units and the table that we already had to give some height so that I wasn't bending over for everything. I love the pattern canvas totes.

I found the fabric covered bulletin board that matched the colors for $2.99 at Goodwill:)  Along with the small blue box on the top shelf with alpha dividers inside that I can use for pics, cards, small cut outs, or whatever other small things that I would like to keep organized better. One tote is for craft items to be completed or for future. Another tote is for sewing, fabric and year for crocheting. The other tote is for vases, candles, small picture frames that I may rotate through the year or use for center pieces. The plastic bin in the very middle standing up is for my scrapbooking stuff. This is AWESOME! It has a handle so I can carry it into the living room or another location to scrap on the go. I used it last night to work on a project and the start up and clean up was so much easier because everything had it's place in that case! I also have two plastic divider bins with handles that stack easily. These are great for things like glue gun, buttons and clips, small craft tools, paint brushes, etc.

I kept one of my under the bed bins for gift bags, tissue paper and wrapping supplies as I like to recycle those and this bin works best for the big bags and boxes. My cutting mat and sewing machine fit nicely on the side and in reach. On the top shelf (with room to grow if needed) I have my larger pieces of extra fabric, a small basic form the dollar store (which I now have some small vases in that can't be stacked with the others) and of course my organizing utility tote for traveling with crafts from Thirty-One Gifts. I can't wait to get some ideas for future projects up on my bulletin board and enjoy my organized craft closet!!!

Linen closet before:                                                     Linen closet after:

                                                                                            

The Linen closet was not on my priority list to invest much money, just to get it organized so it was so cluttered and messy. The dollar store was what helped me get this closet in to shape. The green and blue plastic totes and two black baskets cost me $10. So with 10 bucks and some of the bins I already had this closet made a vast improvement with some fun colors:)

Christmas 2011

We traveled to Traverse City to spend the week before Christmas with my family.  On our way we stopped on Josh's sisters to help babysit and celebrate the Christmas season with them. Josh was very creative and thoughtful to pick out some crafts for the kids to make for gifts for their parents. The kids really enjoyed making their gifts and the girls were especially excited to put them under the tree. We enjoyed spending time with the Weis' and having Mike join us for a day as well. We even got a game of Ticket to Ride in!!!

 The girls were fascinated with the hot glue gun which only Josh was allowed to touch, so they helped hand him the Popsicle sticks and watched.

Charlie WOULD NOT take off this hat and he pulled in on so far it would make his ears stick out. What a cutie (even though he's looks a little sleepy right here). He is coloring his magnet crosses for mommy and daddy.

The girls decorated pencil holders made of cans and Popsicle sticks and then painted flower magnets for mommy and daddy. They both did a great job painting with brushes (might have been the first time). Josh made sure no paint got on anything else and surprisingly it didn't:)

It was nice to spend time with family as well. We hung out with my parents in the evenings after work and it was great to relax and take a break from school and work.  We had a yummy lunch at my grandma's house on Wednesday.  It was nice to spend some time with her and enjoy her company. We went out to lunch one day at a local Louisiana style cafe and I ate alligator for the first time. It tasted good, just a bit tough. I'd eat it again! We went to dinner with Jon, Tara the kids and my parents on on Thursday night. Josh and I shared a table with Alyssa and Jacob and it was fun to catch up with them and hear about the books they're reading, choir and band concerts and their tween/teen perspectives. Love those two:)

Friday night we celebrated Christmas with a nice turkey and ham dinner, stopping by the live nativity at church (where the young girl who played the angel was tired and ready to go home, pics to follow because it was too funny to pass up), opening presents, darts and XBox Kinects.  Our gift from my parents this year is our upcoming trip to Disney and Shades of Green. We can't wait for that trip in March!!!

Tara and I were going to take a picture of each other and apparently decided at the same time...lol.

 

Alyssa loved the donkey at the live Nativity and couldn't wait to get her pic with him.

Usually the Angel, as I know from experience taking part in the live nativity, stand and holds the trumpet pretending to sound the horn. It had been a long night for this Angel...

 Sitting down...checking out the horn...

 ...leaning on the horn and had just asked what time it was, lol...

 ...making sure her gloves are holding up...

...no playing the horn but leaning on it wondering when they will be done.

This young girl was a trooper and I am glad she was able to take part in the event as many people in the community come to see the live nativity and remember Christ's birth during this season. When it's cold and standing for a half hour at a time for multiple shifts can be long for a kid:)

Josh was really wanting to do some work with his hands since he had the time and break from school. So he had the idea to make an entryway table for my parents. They just recently got a new front door and have been working on redecorating the living room and entryway. Josh did most of the work of course but I helped with some small cutting, drilling, sanding and taking pics for the blog:) The only thing I realized is that we didn't take a finished product picture because we left in a rush to head home a day late because I was sick on Saturday.

I drilled those holes:)

So the final product looked like the table Josh originally made for our hallway in our apartment at the seminary. Nice slim look with a dark stain.

Here are a couple pics from the kids concerts and Christmas celebrations before we arrived:

Congratulations to Jon and Tara! They got engagement on Christmas morning:)

January Goals

I enjoyed the creativity, expanding my experiences and challenging myself last year by setting goals each month.  The only difficult part was that I set up all the goals for each month at the beginning of the year and then life circumstances change through the year causing some goals to be less realistic than others. So this year I am going to make a goal one a month at a time. I am even getting Josh in on the action:) He has a goal for January as well.

Jenean's January Goal: Organize my crafts items in our guest room closet and organize the linen closet.

Josh's January Goal: Make a wooden dart board box (for the dart board I got him for Christmas)

Keep posted to see pics of our January goal results:)

Merry Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas Family and Friends,

Thank you for following along with our blog this year.  We have so much to be thankful for in 2011!

Josh is in his 2nd year working on his doctorate in Physical Therapy at Concordia University.  We are so thankful for him to have over a year completed and looking forward to his 2nd clinical in January.  He is doing a great job in the midst of very busy class schedules and reading, breathing, eating and sleeping studying (if that's possible:) Other class mates are often looking to him for guidance and understanding of assignments and he is a trusted leader within his class.  In the beginning of the year he enjoyed a tad bit of stress-free time, by playing basketball and indoor soccer intramural sports with classmates. Hopefully he will get the chance to fit this into his schedule again this coming year. I am very proud of his hard work and dedication to this journey towards his PT career.

I started a full time job as administrative staff at a mental health clinic about 10 minutes from our house. After looking for a job for 7 months, I was glad to finally get back into the working game. I am very thankful to have a job and I have been challenged in many ways through this position.  We continue to have changes in the office. Myself and another new full time employee from 2 weeks before me have been learning how to create a more efficient office with limited direction.  I am very thankful for this employee, who has become a great friend and is also a sister-in-Christ. What a blessing to share work frustrations with a believer and also be able to pray together about our roles in the office (not to mention we laugh a lot!). I have also received my training license in WI to purse my clinical hours to become a Licensed Professional Counselor.  In January I will begin earning hours towards the 3,000 hours required.  This will be a marathon process taking several years, but at this point I believe the Lord surrounded me with great professionals and resources at the clinic to get this part of my career started.

Josh and I enjoyed time with his family over Thanksgiving week and we look forward to time with my family the week before Christmas.  We are also looking forward to an addition to our family...a NEW CAR! I couldn't resist. No children on the way, but we are in need of a second car.  We are currently car pooling to school and work, which is easy to do because they are 1 mile apart. However, when Josh starts his next clinical in January he'll be in Milwaukee everyday and carpooling will no longer be possible.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  May you remember Christ's birth this month and enjoy the gift of His love! Many blessings to you in 2012!

j & j moore

A slideshow of our favorite moments in 2011:)

Photo collage made with Smilebox

Thanksgiving at the Weis'

Thanksgiving was a full day of various events.  The day started out with the guys running the Turkey and the Fox race in Batavia. After surviving the cold we headed back to the Weis house to finish preparing Thanksgiving dinner. We had a delicious Thanksgiving meal with all the usuals. It was wonderful to spend time with family and to catch up with one another.

The afternoon brought pie, naps, looking through Black Friday ads and enjoying each others company around the fireplace. Later in the evening we celebrated Chuck's birthday!!! Maddie and Hannah were especially excited for grandpas birthday and for him to open all his cards.  Maddie was making the rounds having each of us read grandpas birthday cards to her:)

Josh and I were able to stay for a few days at the Weis' house.  We had fun playing with the kids, shopping on Black Friday, watching a Christmas movie, and eating more food! The guys took the kids outside to play on Friday because it was sunny and beautiful outside. The outdoor play time turned into guys cut down part of the dead tree time. They were making Sharon and Eric a bit nervous. But the large hollow branch came down with no injuries.

Josh and Mike were hauling the wood to the other side of the yard and then Hannah took a small stick and held it above her head just like the guys...LOL! Maddie had to be strong too:)

We had fun drawing with sidewalk chalk that afternoon as well.  Saturday was cold and raining so we took a trip to the mall. The Weis' got family pics in a photo booth which they really had fun with. The kids had some time playing on the indoor play area and Josh and Mike became snowmen:)

Thanks for a wonderful visit Weis Family!!!

Movember & The Turkey and the Fox Race

You may think I spelled November wrong, but I did not. I meant to write "Movember" Not sure what Movember means? Here is a quote from us.movember.com:

"During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men."

As you can tell from the above picture Josh, Mike and Eric grew moustaches in honor our Josh's dad, who had and recovered from prostate cancer over a year ago. The guys were also planning on running the Turkey and the Fox race on Thanksgiving morning so this made the race and the pictures more interesting:)

Getting ready for the race 

Their back number tags say " I am running for DAD" hence the pointing at Chuck! 

 Josh's dad ran the race as well will was a great accomplishment for him. Way to go Chuck! Marilyn, Melissa, the kids and I picked a good corner to watch the race from because they all ran through that intersection two times.

The first pass I tried to get a video of each of them. Apparently Chuck was pacing faster than he had practiced because we were not prepared for his first pass and I didn't get a video. In fact we almost missed him if Hannah hadn't kept screaming at the top of her lungs "grandpa, grandpa!"

Mike in the lead with a few other guys!

Josh in the front of the pack, looking good:)

 Eric making sure to wave to his kids!

Mike almost to mile 4 marker, in the top 10!

 Josh in good form running hard...Great Job Hun!!!

 Chuck in the grey sweatshirt, never giving up:)

 We enjoyed watching the guys run the race! It made for a fun morning regardless of the cold weather.

Waldo ran the race too! LOL

June thru November goals update

So I am WAY behind on posting especially on my monthly goals.  The first half of the year was going well for my monthly goals and for posting the goal updates.  Once June hit, things started getting harder to stick to and time was getting away from me.  Part of the issue might be that I made my goals during the time in which I was still unemployed and had plenty of time on my hands.  After I started working in April, the reality of working full time started to settle in and impact my motivation and energy level towards my monthly goals. So next year, my goals will better reflect my busier schedule.  For now, I am glad for the six months in which I was highly successful with my goals. Especially since this was the first year I tried to set and complete a goal for each month. 

June Goal: Make something homemade for each of my nieces and nephews

I made monogram shirts for Maddie, Hannah and Charlie...and look adorable in them!

I made a handbag for Bailey and a shark pillow for Braden's ocean bedroom!

I made some items for Alyssa and Jacobs rooms.  I had pictures of each of them with their room accessories, but I cannot find the picture at the moment.

I made a big monogram "A" framed picture, painted pink wooden hooks for hanging jewelry or clothes and a collage covered memory box for Alyssa.

I painted some wall box shelves in navy and funky green to match Jacobs room for storage, painted an old wooden unique "Private" road sign in green and also made Jacob a collage covered memory box.

I love each one of my nieces and nephews very much. I wish I could see them all more often, but I cherish the moments that I do get with each of them as if they were my own!

July Goal: Read 2 Max Lucado Books

So I thought July was the goal I actually had for September, my biking goal, tried biking a couple of times and my allergies kicked my butt so hard that I wasn't about to try to go 20 miles on the trail. Unfortunately, maybe it Sept. when I actually planned it, might have been a better time of year.  I never did read 2 Max Lucado Books (in July or later)

August Goal: Create a project to show the best/most significant moments of my life = 30 years:)

I did A LOT of reminiscing about my 30 years on this earth and thought and even started several different projects related to this goal. But they seemed so overwhelming and wouldn't not capture all 30 years to my satisfaction.  So instead I started creating a modern, abstract family tree that only consists of the names of family members on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper that I would like to ultimately have printed on fabric and framed. So this is still a work in project, and I'll post pics when I finish this creation.

September Goal: Take a 20 mile bike ride on the Ozaukee County Interurban Trail

As I mentioned before, I thought this was my July goal in which I decided would not work in July. So when September came around I was busy and by the time that I check the goal for the month and realized my mistake, the month was mostly over. So I abandoned this goal all together.

October Goal: Learn all the official NFL calls/penalties, what they look like & what they mean

So after my confusion with July and Septembers goals, I jumped back into the goal game with October.  I spent time researching and studying the officials NFL calls. I even downloaded an app on my  iPod touch that acted as flash cards of pictures of what a call looks like by a ref. I was much more in tune with the calls while watching football and I would often tell Josh what the call was (even though he always knows even before the refs make the call) in order to show him how much I was learning and taking in. At the end of the month he gave me a little quiz by naming a call and I would give him the signal. I would say I at least got a B+ on the quiz, which is a passing grade and that is good enough for me:) Plus I now can watch the Steelers play and understand what is going on much better with flags are thrown or whistles blown.

November Goal: Make 4 new crock pot recipes

I actually had thought that my goal was to make 2 new crock pot recipes until I just now looked at this goal.  Either way 2 or 4 I didn't make any new recipes. I had one planned for White Chicken Chili, but ended up not having the time to make it in the crock pot so I made it over the stove. At least I made something I have not made before:)


I do intend to attempt my December goal of making a gingerbread house with homemade gingerbread.  I'll let you know how that turns out!