My 2nd Pocket Letter!

My First Pocket Letter

Just this past weekend, as I was browsing YouTube for ideas, I stumbled upon pocket letters. After watching several videos on pocket letters, I just had to make my own! So, here's my very first pocket letter and I have plans to make many more. This first one is for my 9-year-old grandson. I'm mailing it tomorrow.

Pocket letters are made from trading card pages, which contain 9 pockets per page.

You can meet the gal who came up with the idea and watch her very first pocket letter video here.

I can see myself adapting pocket letters for all kinds of occasions! This was so much fun to make.

Here's what I did:

Here's the front of my pocket letter:

I used Close To My Heart's Picture My Life cards to create all my inserts.

Here's the back of the pocket letter:

I cut the inserts to fit the pocket, which is 2.5 x 3.5". 

I learned to make the little book inserts in this video.

Inside this little booklet, I wrote my grandson notes, one on each page.

I thought it was just enough that he wouldn't be bored with a long note from his gramma.

Inside other little booklets, I left out the pages and inserted a small envelope with a couple dollars in it, then called it money for ice cream.

He can lift up the flap and get the money.....and hopefully catch that ice cream truck in time!

On one page, I glued a snack sized chocolate bar.

In another insert booklet, I wrote out 10 things I love about him, one on each page.

I actually ended up doing 11 things!

In this booklet, I inserted another snack sized chocolate bar. Sorry this pic is so fuzzy:

I stamped a bit:

I sure hope my grandson loves his pocket letter! 

He does not know it's coming as I wanted it to be a complete surprise. 

Have you heard about pocket letters? 

What a great idea! 

I encourage you to watch the attached videos, search and watch some that you find, then make your very own pocket letters to send to those you love!

Happy Paper Crafting!

~Tricia

New Craft Space

Craft Room, I Miss You!

I am definitely having some withdrawal and sadness over having already packed up my craft room for our move.

I had to get it packed up, that's not really up for debate, but I have so many projects in my head that I long to get busy crafting!





But I can't because it's all packed up.

I think, once the kitchen is workable, my 2nd priority will definitely have to be my craft room once we move to the new house.

I will like my new craft space better, no doubt. It will be in the basement of our new home and while the basement is not completely finished, it is clean, dry and painted. We will be setting our home office and my craft room up in the same space, giving my hubby and me the opportunity to work together at times. Bonus!

For now, these pictures show what my craft space looks like. In one week (from tomorrow) we will start moving boxes to the new house. I can't wait to get crafting in my new space! In the meantime, Pinterest will help!

Happy Crafting!
~Tricia

Small Michael's haul!

Join Me on YouTube!

I have finally ventured deeper into the world of YouTube and I'd like you to join me! I'm currently making videos about packing up for our move. I've included some packing tips I'm learning along the way. Some of these things have really helped me as I've been packing up this big house. I also make videos about food.

So, join me on YouTube! I'd love to see your comments, questions, suggestions and for you to share your YouTube channel with me.

I'm not seen on my videos yet. I'm hoping that will change, but currently, I hold my camera in my hand to shoot my videos and my arms are too short to take a video of myself. Believe me, I've tried, and all you can see is my teeth or a close-up of my nose. I won't put you through that! So, until I can upgrade to a camera that can be mounted on my tripod, I'll have to keep holding my camera, which is my phone, and shooting all things except myself.

See my videos here.
Thanks for watching!
~Tricia

Walk Through My New House with Me!

I have decided that, since we're moving yet again (our landlords are selling the house we rent, so we have to move) I thought it would be fun to take you on the moving journey with me. Besides already uploading a video showing some of the move, I plan to upload more videos as I go through the packing and organizing process of this move. I have the help of one daughter and 2 teenage sons, but not my husband.

My husband has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. If any of you have had chemo, you know why he can't help. For those of you who have not, let me tell you, there is no way he can help. It's all he can do to go to work and get through the day.

Now, on to the move and our new house. You can watch my starting video here.
Below are pictures of our new house, labeled accordingly. As we move in, I'll show you how I decorate and change things up, making this new rental house a home.

The exterior front:

The den, which sits right off the kitchen and has a working fire place:

The dining room, looking into the kitchen. The doors on the left open up to a deck outside:

The dining room from the kitchen door, with a view into the living room:

The front entry. There is a closet and half bath to the right, beyond the window you see:

Kitchen, view one....a gas stove! YaY!

The kitchen, view two, toward the dining room. The refrigerator will be replaced with our 

water-and-ice-in-door side-by-side. This refrigerator will be moved to the basement as a back-up frig:

Living room with a view to the dining room on the left and the front entry on the right:

Master Bedroom, view one:

Master Bedroom, view two, showing walk-in closet and behind the open door is the master bath:

Basement, which will be transformed into a home office, craft space and spare bedroom. The laundry area is to the left, behind the stair wall:

And, finally, this is the back of the house:

So, there you have it! I did not post pics of the kids' rooms for privacy reasons. 

I'm excited to get to decorate a new house!

Come along on this ride and even feel free to share your ideas with me.

~Tricia