A beach bag I won't be afraid to use!

Tonight I decided to take an old shirt that I haven't warn in YEARS (seriously, I got this shirt in grade 10, and have only kept it around because it's from newfoundland) and turn it into a new beach bag! 

The shirt was pretty long which was nice, and the bigger the shirt you have, the bigger bag you'll get! I LOVE how it turned out, good up-cycle to this old piece of junk! 

1- I cut off both sleeves just around the seam.

2- I cut the neckline off as evenly as I could on both sides of the shirt.

3- I laid the shirt out as flat as I could, and made cuts about half an inch away from each other up the shirt about 4-5 inches.  

4- Taking the strands I had just cut, I pulled them all out to stretch them out

5- I tied the two sides of the shirt together with the strands, and then double knoted them with the strands beside to make a stronger hold. 

6- DONE

How easy is that? Thank you pinterest. You have good ideas. I am excited to use this bag, and maybe make more! That is all for now, just thought I would share. 

Cheers!

Cover it up!

         Last night we decided to go through our million (actual number: 22, 24 including the ones on our beds) blankets and sheets and sleeping bags and things we just don't need!! As I collected blankets from EVERY room and closet in the house I realized quite quickly how much space these were taking up! We kept 4 for sentimental reasons, gave some to MCC, some went in the trash, and the rest went in a bin we have for blankets, and the top of 1 closet that STILL has room for other stuff. It feels so good to go through things and simplify our life! I am happy to say we now only have 9 blankets! Still sounds like a lot, but for now... I think we did pretty good :)

Jackets

Why so many jackets? I mean.. why must I own 13 of them?!?! Seriously? I didn't even realize it until I counted. Needless to say, we quickly zipped through them all and tossed the unwanted. Does your home want them? They will be going to Sally Ann's home soon... so speak up :)!

My husband And I have taken some loverly photos to display them... haha and yes, in one picture I am wearing 2 coats.

This is just ridiculous.. I feel disgusted at myself for owning so many. I am glad we have started to do this "Simple Lifestyle" thing, it is making me think more about what we have, what we buy and what we need. God has blessed us with so much, I want to do good with what we were given, not spend it aimlessly and without cause or reason.  Lesson today: If you are cold- find a jacket you own, don't buy a new one.

I should also say that this lovely brown coat you see me wearing ^^ is actually awful and you shouldn't want it because it feels terrible.. it's like.. fuzzy like velvet but not. I've never warn it and don't know why I have it. Just saying. 

My thoughts at 6:00am

 We must live simply so others can simply live.

To grow old is a privilege denied by many. 

{Be thankful}

It is better to be hated for what you are, than to be loved for something you're not.  

{Be yourself}

Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs. 

{Be courageous}

Think positively. Find the light. 

{Be that light}

Be the change you want to see in the world. It starts with you. 

{Be greater}

We have been given the choice of how to live, where to live, what to do, how to do it and who to do it with. Yet so many of us feel weak, beaten down, unhappy. Change that. If you are unhappy or feeling stuck... change something. You aren't on this earth to live a miserable life... you are here for so much more.  Believe in yourself, do great things.
       

A little goes a long way..

Tonight Neil and I did a little organizing and tossing. Like these pillows for example. Or the 4 notepads we had and weren't using. Or the bag that has no purpose! Why do we keep these things that are cluttering our lives, making things messy and unorganized! It feels good to get rid of things we don't need, and organize what we do have. We live in a tiny little basement suit that doesn't have room for a cluttered mess. It only takes a few things to get it looking like a tornado went through. But after a few things in the trash and a few things put in place.. It's starting to look like home. A good place to be. 

Who needs all these?

As our first act of 'simplifying' our space, we have decided to get rid of many of our DVDs. We kept a few I must admit, but with Netflix and time we don't have... Why keep these on our shelf?  If you want one... Speak up... Off to MCC in a few days!

Blog about what?

           I have decided to change up my life through the simple things and of course, blog about it. Why? Because that's what the cool kids are doing. That and I think blogging is a great simple change to make that will help me keep in the practice of writing and learning as I go.
           WARNING: If you continue to read my blog you are sure to find gramatical errors, misspelled words, a few puns and hopefully some encouragement along the way.


          So let's begin. I have decided to blog about 3 main things but am sure to post a random one here and there as well. Lets face it, my brain doesn't always function the way it should and sometimes it's hard to stick to the layout. I also will probably rabbit trail as I tend to do so in conversation. One thing reminds me of the next and before you know it, we're all lost. But the 3 things I will try to focus in on are these...

Music Lifestyle: What am I up to? Have I written lately? Am I playing any shows in the near future? That kind of thing. If I have an update music-wise, you'll be the first to know! I wil also post any new poetry or spoken word here.

Healthy Lifestyle: I have decided to take the simple step and get myself healthy. This includes a Personal Trainer that I see three very bright and early mornings a week, changing my eating habits slightly to give my body what it actually needs, start drinking more water, and even thinking more positively.

Simple Lifestyle: Neil (my lovely husband) and I have decided to simplify our lives of THINGS. I don't know about you, but our small basement of a house is packed to the ceiling with things we never have used, don't watch and will never need. So we are starting a journey of giving! Giving away these things to places like MCC, Salvation Army, or the Church if they could use it. Maybe you see something YOU would want... you can have it. Just let me know! We are trying to create a healthier, less stuff atmosphere.

So with that, I end my first post. And I will leave you with a thought.

I wonder if tap dancers ever walk into a room, look at the floor and think... "I'd tap that" :)

Cheers!