What gets me out of the house at 9:30 PM?

I must be a changed woman.  I rarely ever go out at night and NEVER by myself.  At least not in the last few years anyway.  I was actually headed out much earlier, but then someone came with an emergency to the offfice.  What would be so important to get me out at that time of night?  The threat of an expired Rewards coupon from Walgreens and another from Albertsons.  Now, just let me tell you, this is not a nice town to be out in by yourself after dark.  Just this week someone was shot and killed behind TOPS grocery store, which is right next to Walgreens.  But you know... a buck is a buck!  And this was worth 6 bucks!  LOL  okay, I'm a little over the edge, but what can I say?  I bought a few sale items, ended up saving $26.39 on two purchases totalling $21.31, and got an additional $6.25 for my next purchases. What did I get for my money?  Here it is:

5 cans of White solid albacore Tuna
Crest Toothpaste,
Toothbrush
Dove Shampoo
Gallon on Milk
Golden Graham Cereal
2 half gallons Tropicana Orange Juice
Half gallon Breyers Ice Cream
2 Pounds Seedless Grapes

 Now if Walgreens would just start selling stamps, it would be heaven!

Day 69-82

This was a terribly busy week, ending in a near catastrophy, but hopefully next week will be better.

I finally got back to making some cards today.  I did 13 today, and a couple of these were from earlier.

I really like the geat enbossed ones.  They go so fast and I think they are really pretty.

Top left is the latest Unity Stamp of the Month set. 

I don't like this one, but thought I'd post it anyway.  It is one of the CardMaker Card club cards.  I am going to cancel my membership in this one.  I found out that I really don't like quilling too.

I think I missed one of the red heat embossed cards, since I see two of the same kind. 

Taking a Break

I did a card tonight, but I'm not happy with it. I don't know what is the matter with me, but I'm just not enjoying it all of a sudden.  There is so much going on with my work-life right now.  Usually when things are going crazy in the office I find solitude in stamping, but not this time.  Next week is going to be absolutely crazy.  I have so much outside the office that I will only be in the office one day.  King Country Courthouse on Monday, Kent Courthouse on Tuesday and Training with Tacoma Police on Wed and Thurs.  By Friday I should be happy to be in the office again.

More savings

This was a SWEET DEAL!  Albertson's has Post cereals on sale for $1.59, I had a $2 off of one box, and I got a $4 coupon for next purchase.  Average price per box .39.  Jose Ole's chimichanga's on sale for $1 each, bought 10 got the Big Chill Promo for $10 off next purchase, final cost a big ZERO!  It's these kind of deals that make all the work of saving coupons etc. WELL WORTH the time.

Coupon Savings

I am really loving this couponing!  I started yesterday at Target and spent $15.24, saved $41.36 in store and manufactured coupons, plus all the items I bought were on sale.  I received $10.00 back in Target gift cards.  Today went back to Target with more coupons, manufactured and store.  Didn't have quite as many coupons this time, and it was $16.63, used my $10 in gift cards from yesterday so it was $6.63 out of pocket.  Then I got two more $5 gift cards.  Then to Albertson's where I bought sale items and used manufacture coupons and store doublers coupons and spent $6.00.  Then to a different Albertson's and ended up spending $1.76 for 4 cans of soup, a package of Keebler cookies and a box of Keebler crackers.  Total out of pocket for all trips was $29.63, minus the $10 in gift cards, and a savings of $85.74.  Now all I have to do is put it away!  Won't be needing any cereal or soup for a long time now.

Another really cool thing about this is that it makes me so much more aware of what I am buying, and I found out that I can actually go to the store and get only the items on my list.  Our spending had really gotten out of control.

Here's what it all boils down to: 

8 Boxes of Kellogg's cereal

8 boxes of Nutrigrain bars

2 Nutri Air starter kits (free after coupons)

16 cans of Campbell's soups

1 Package Keebler crackers

1 Package Keebler cookies

Card a Day 68

Only 5 days late, but better late than... you know the rest.  It's been an incredibly stressful week and it felt good to be stamping again.  Even though I did wake up at 5 this morning, and unable to go back to sleep, but then went back to bed at 7 and slept until 8:30, so guess that made up for it.

The stamps are Heidi Grace.  I bought this set on clearance and almost gave it away, glad I didn't.  Background paper is DCWV.  Picture came from Stamping Matilda (Godelieve).  I spent a good amount of time this morning just browsing her blog and getting lots of inspiration.  If you ever need inspiration, go there, she is fantastic!

The die cut background is one that I actually miss-stamped on the lower corner, but you know that stampers and paper crafters never throw anything away!  We just repurpose it.

Day 67

If Friday is TGIF, what does that make Monday?  WTHM?  Can you tell it's been one of those days?  It's a good thing I did my card last night.

I didn't realize until I photographed this card, but I put the embossed vellum on upside down.  It doesn't look bad, just 'different'.  The bird has rock candy distress crackle on him. 

Day 65 abd 66

I had this card done last night, but was too tired to photograph it and post.  Started it the day before by making the flowers with flower soft and they had to dry.  The vase is stamped and cut out and the stems go under the pop dots.  I'm not real happy with the colors, but I was so tired I didn't feel like re-doing it.

This is my Sunday card and I'm happy with it.  It has flower soft on the grass.  With the sentiment it reminds me of Paul Harvey's "the rest of the story."  It is intended to be a wedding card, but I think with the house and the heart on the door, it's like after the wedding, they are home and the grass is growing and they are still happy.

House stamp is Unity, sentiment and sun are CTMH, different sets.  Roof was colored with watercolor pencils and water.

TGIF Day 64

I certainly am glad that it is Friday.  It hasn't been a bad week though, so I'm not complaining.  I am just looking forward to a weekend of rest before the big week coming up.  We made a bid on a home for the community and it was accepted.  Dave started preparing the lot today and I started doing the permit stuff and finding movers etc.  Next week we meet with the movers to find out how hard it is going to be to move.... it will be hard.  Then submit the paperwork.  Get bids on painting.  It must be painted immediately as it is PINK.  And not just a light shade of pink, but a very very pink.  Then find some carpenters to build decks and do the skirting.  Fortunately we have several carpenters/painters right here in the community to draw from.  Have to locate a truck so that we can haul out the shrubs and cherry tree that are in front of the home to be moved that we have to take out. 

Ok, so enough of that, here is my card for the day.

I've been wanting to do the bird with this particular stamp.  Then thought about using the script background.

Then I decided to do a third layer of heat embossing with the leaf.  I kind of like it.

Building up my pantry

Here are my coupon savings for today.  This is from Albertson's.  I struggled to keep strictly to my list and I made it!  If you've ever seen Dave and I shopping, you've got to know that this is a monumental accomplishment.  The first help was that I left Dave home....haha.  So.. Albertson's had a "Big Chill" sale and if you bought 10 specfic frozen foods you get a $3.50 Catalina (a coupon to spend on your next visit for anything, it doesn't have to be a specific item).  Everything here except the ice cream bars (which were still on sale) had a coupon, and the three big coupons had double coupons from Albertson's with them.  When all was said and done, I paid $11.20, had a total savings of $26.85, and got a $3.50 catalina, so in the end it was like it cost me $7.70.  Pretty cool, huh?!

Day 63

I had to do another with Flower Soft.  I really love this stuff.  I don't have a lot of stamps that will work well with it, so will be looking at buying stamps with another eye now.  I have had this one for a long time and really like it.  It's a woody, but I think it would be nice if it was acrylic and you could bend the stem a little bit.  Guess that will be the next one...haha.

I was so anxious to use the Flower Soft though, that I didn't ink the paper first.  I know... I know.. you don't HAVE to have it inked, I just prefer iet to stark white.  But I think I like it this way anyhow, I think it highlights the flowers a little better.  Flower stamp is Rubber Stamped, sentiment CTM, flourish T.H. Stampers Anonymous.

Day 62

My new found love... Flower soft!  I love this stuff.  I think you'll be seeing a lot of it here o my blog.  Only have three colors so far.  The Scrapbook Nook, the ONLY scrap store in the area just started carrying it.  They also just got copics, and I'm still thinking about them.

Stamp is Unity.  Corner was cut (painfully) from my Cuddlebug.  Background was inked with T.H. new distress ink color Victorian Velvet.  I know that it is just a "color" but in real life it actually looks velvety.

Day 61

Yes, I'm still playing with paper, besides saving money!  haha.  The second half of my Orange phase.  Stamp is February Unity Stamp.

More Super Savings

I realized that I had two more Purex coupons.  So this is today's booty.  Four bottles of Purex and two bags of Nestle's candies and I paid $4.14! Each bottle of soap is normally $5.99 each, but were on a Buy one Get one Sale at Wahlgreens, and I had two manufacturers coupons for buy one get one Free, so they were free except the tax of $1.14.  Candies were on sale and I had two coupons for $1.00 off of 2 packages.  Wahlgreens Rocks again!  Total savings on this purchase was $27.94.  So just at Wahlgreens in the last two days I have saved $59.19 and spent $14.18, of which $1.92 of that was tax.

Savings

I have always followed the sales at Grocery stores and used coupons when it was handy, but when we were visiting Christy she showed me how you could get your groceries for practically nothing.  Last week I did really good at Wahlgreens but didn't post exactly what it was, so this week I will.  It will take a while before my groceries bargains really start adding up like this because I don't have a lot of the ads (coupons) needed to make them super deals yet.  Christy can go to the grocery store and get over $100 worth of groceries for $10 or less, don't know if I will ever get there, but I'm striving towards it anyway. 

So this is my Wahlgreens deal for this week.  I could have done better, but just learning and made a couple buys this week that we one sale, but not double coupon deals.  I spent $10.04 and saved a total of $31.25.

The soap was free because it was buy get one free and I had a manufactures coupon for buy one get one free.  The Klenex were buy one get one and I had a coupone for .50 off.  Not a big savings, but it made the cost .85 each.  You can't buy even the cheap stuff for that.  Altoids, no coupon just on sale for .59.  Don't think I did the Starbucks stuff just right, but hey, it's good and it was pretty cheap.  Olives were double coupons and Dave loves the green ones and rarely get them.

Anyway, some mistakes, but i'm learning and will save even more in the future.

It's Orange...Day 60

My first 'on-time' card in some time now, and it's quite orange, along with tomorrow's card.  I got a couple of lovely orange papers at Ben Franklins and thought this resist technique card worked well with it.  Distress inks are Shabby Shutters and Dried Marigold.  Stamp is Rubber Stampede and is heat embossed with clear EP.  The card based is inked with Shabby Shutters also, but hard to see in the scan.