What would we do without magazines? Finding one rolled up in my mailbox is enough to set my heart aflutter when they begin rolling in at end of each month. Last year I think we had nine or ten subscriptions coming to the house between the three of us: Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Martha Stewart Living (with a free year of Everyday Food), Midwest Living, Family Circle (which was the poor stand-in the publisher issued to those of us Country Home subscribers when it kicked the bucket without warning. It was my favorite! so sad . . . ), so anyway . . . where was I? . . . National Geographic (a gift from Grandma Darlene), Wired, and Your Big Backyardfor Little Nora.
This year, we're tightening our belts, and that means goodbye to Martha and most of the other subscriptions. To satisfy my cravings for all of those glossy pages filled with beautiful rooms, DIY ideas and expensive accessories, I've decided to dig into my stock pile of back issues--pulling a stack of not-quite-outdated volumes at the end of each month. I have really been surprised how fresh and new most of these magazines have seemed to me! This month when I leafed through the pages of an old Better Homes and Gardens, I found a great idea on one of my dog-eared pages.
I had a eureka moment and pulled out a rainbow package of crisp, heavy tissue paper I'd picked up in Nashville last fall and went to work snipping ropes and ropes of hearts in all sizes from red and pink paper. I don't remember ever making those strings of paper dolls when I was little. Oh the fun I missed! Instead of draping my hearts over a table lamp, I festooned my pendant shade with them. I think it will make a very romantic canopy for a valentine fondue date I have planned with a special guy (and little gal) next weekend.
I even added a few strands to the boring brown paper bag I took to the baby shower. I didn't spend a dime on the gift or the packaging. Shhhhh!
I never knew budget living could be so much fun!
