Thanksgiving Weekend || family, pets, crafts

Happy (late) Thanksgiving!

If I could describe the perfect way to spend Thanksgiving weekend, it would involve lots of family time, sleeping in and making something crafty with my mother. Guess what--I accomplished all of those things--not to mention the plethora of good deals I snatched shopping on Friday with my sister.

After we had Thanksgiving food ALL day on Thursday in Fargo, and shopped a bit on Friday, my parents, little bro, and I headed back to Devils Lake.

One of my favorite parts about coming to DL is being greeted by this lovely face:

Maizey

Here's a goofy photo of my other cuddly friend:

Kiwi

I had a coworker order some hand-made cards to send to her family for Christmas, so my mom and I tackled that this weekend. Take a peek!

I had tons of fun hanging out with my mom in her craft room all day! It's always fun to share our ideas, and for me to soak up some of her creativity! 

I also spent some time today at my dad's work (the college auto department), cleaning my car--inside and out! 

All in all it's been a fantastic weekend, and it's only Saturday night!

"So take a swing and here's your chance;

You got nothing to lose so make a stance"

jm

Thanksgiving Eve || craft time

It's Thanksgiving Eve, and I'm home alone being crafty!

Long weekends have a way of making everyone much happier--at work, at the grocery story, everywhere! I love it when people are cheery. It makes life so much more wonderful.

Tonight I worked on restocking my blank cards collection, which was originally and wonderfully established by my mother via last year's Christmas present!

I was also chopping celery for tomorrow's feast, when I discovered that the end of a head of celery looks like a flower, so I decided to make it into a stamp!

Celery art!

I decided to get a head start on Christmas presents, so let's hope the recipient of this gift doesn't see this post!

One of my favorite verses to put on gifts!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving; what are you thankful for?!

"All that matters is that you recognize that it's just about respect."

jm

Creativity || life's natural entertainment

"Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up."-- Pablo Picasso

I love making things! I love coming up with new ideas, decorating stuff, and creating something amazing from something boring. Recently, the magazine I work for decided to profile a few employees. I think my entry pretty perfectly describes me:

  

Jenessa McAllister
Senior Associate Editor and Account Manager

Hobby: Crafting! I love painting, sewing, scrapbooking—everything that involves glue, paint, glitter, paper, Mod Podge, photos, ink, etc.!

Why do you love crafting so much? I love being able to turn something drab into something fun and funky. If I see a blank space on my wall, I immediately start thinking of a project so I can fill it! I also love being able to personalize gifts for friends and family by making them something unique.

How long has it been? My mom has been a scrapbooking and crafting fanatic since I can remember, and I started helping her and learning different techniques at a very young age. That, combined with my dad’s construction and welding expertise, led to a creative and encouraging household.

Does your love for crafting extend into any other area of your life? I like to combine my passion for crafting with one of my other favorite hobbies—bargain shopping. I often find inexpensive decorations and pieces at second-hand stores and in clearance sections at retail stores, and I love to turn them in to personalized craft projects. Some of my favorite and most recent projects include a jewelry organizer, different wall decorations, an updated coffee table, painted wine glasses and several desk accessories. Many employees at craft stores here in Fargo know me by name, and I’ve been known as the go-to person at the office for creative advice and/or suggestions on projects!

While the above photo was a gift to my sister, here are a few of my other projects, that I made for myself!

Besides loving crafts, I also love jewelry! With a little help from Pinterest, I decided to combine things and make both a decoration and a practical jewelry organization station. 

I'm not sure this actually is considered crafting, but I love my wall decor! I bought a bunch of random frames and mirrors, and arranged them in this fancy way on my bedroom wall.

I made this creation out of an old T-shirt, which had the print on the left down the front of the shirt, and the print on the left on the back of the shirt. I stapled them to a few pieces of wood, and slapped a couple of cute flowers on top! The verse reads: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4

"The world can be a very big place; So be yourself, don't get out of place"

jm

Post numero uno || Yakima vacation

So this is it, huh? The world of blogging. I'm now a part of it! I've been inspired by my sister's blog, which is awesome. I've also been inspired by the fact that I'm on vacation, and have done nothing but shop, sleep and watch The Office for the last six days. It's time to change that by doing something somewhat productive.

I'm in Yakima, Wash., which is located about 60 miles southeast of Mount Rainier. Wikipedia tells me Yakima is the state's eighth largest city by population, but it feels much smaller than a giant city. Everything is spread out, and people are so kind!

The view from Kathryn's back porch is stunning! In the morning, fog fills the valley, and it looks magical!

Washington is absolutely gorgeous. My friend Kathryn--who is attending medical school here in Yakima--and I went to Seattle for the weekend, and had an awesome time.

Kathryn and me at the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.

I just love traveling. It's such a neat way to try new things, experience different cultures and take a step back from daily routines. Obviously, it's also important to take a vacation and relax every once in a while!

It's so easy to get caught up in day-to-day tasks--work, make supper, watch TV--and to take it all for granted. There are people out there who don't have the opportunity to do ANY of those things. In Seattle, we saw plenty of homeless people and street performers, and nearly all of them had surprisingly fantastic attitudes. They sing/perform/beg for their wages every day, and yet I complain when my car doesn't start, or when "there's nothing to eat" in my fridge. Seems a bit strange to me! Be thankful, people, for the gifts and opportunities God has blessed you with.

"They say life is a battlefield; I say bring it on."

jm