A Scheduled Life...and Blog

I'm working on part 1 of my New Year's challenge to prioritize my commitments. I've decided to give myself a set blogging schedule that even I can follow. {And possibly even get ahead on!} My plan is to post at least once every day, Mon-Fri., under the following themes... MONDAY MUNCHIES...I love to bake almost as much as I love to play with power tools. And food can be a very amazing form of "crafting". So from here on out, Mondays will be dedicated to fun with food! Recipes I love, ones I want to try, and ones that are just plain  fun to look at! I'll post 2 recipes or food ideas each Monday, one "meal" recipe and one "dessert/munchie" recipe.**the first two recipes follow this post** TUESDAY TREATS...are going to be all about featuring other crafty people and their amazing ideas.{Like all of you!} My blogging purpose was about making and meeting new friends and what better way than to show them off and tell you why they're great! I've even added a new "featured on Craft Goodies" button just for this purpose. What does this all mean? It means PLEASE send me your ideas so I can share them here! WHAT WENDY DID WEDNESDAY'S...are my day to share things I've done, things I'm working on, or just whatever comes to mind!  THURSDAY THREADS & THRILLS...I am most definitely a multi-crafter, meaning I don't just enjoy one form of creating, I'm a sewing fool too. It is very satisfing for me to bring something to life via fabric and thread, so Thursdays will be dedicated to those projects involving any and all forms of needlework! And we'll end the week with T.G.I.F.{Thank Goodies it's FRIDAY!}...one super terrific linky party! One that will {hopefully} grow big enough to give us each a fun way to spend our weekends-checking out each others craft goodness. So get thinking, and crafting, and be ready on Friday to link up! Anything "crafted" is welcome.{This is also a fantastic way to increase your own blog traffic as well as get you noticed for other blogs to feature. WINK, WINK!} I can't do this without you! I need your ideas, recipes, and tutorials, don't be shy, email me the links to your projects at:wmgar@comcast.net *Please note I have also opened up my blog to sponsors and sponsor giveaways. If you're interested you can find more info under the "contact" page or just email me your questions. Thanks SO much, it's going to be a great year-Happy Crafting! 

$2 Dresses and a Purpose

I really haven't been doing nothing over the holiday break, just not as much as I probably should...I have it in my head that when my girls are on break, so too am I. I think it comes from so many years of teaching, but they head back to school Tuesday and I'm back to getting ready. I wanted to share a few things with you this weekend. First, these {pillowcase}dresses... 

I love the simplicity and look of these and have wanted to make some forever.

These were supposed to be done for Christmas, but they became New Year dresses instead, whoops!

 I used the term "pillowcases" lightly because I used the pattern behind a pillowcase dress but used bandannas to make them instead of pillowcases.

I found such a fun selection of them for a dollar piece!{HobbyLobby and Wal-mart} 

Making each dress only $2!

I had all the ribbon so I didn't factor that it to the cost.

Look past the road rash on her chin-bad collision with a chair!

So cute, seriously SO easy. 5 seams total. That's it. I totally winged the first one, and then got nervous if I'd done the ties right. I found these 2 tutorials that helped.

JenLeheny

Mama's Doodles

To bad they don't make bandannas in mommy sizes!

On to the second part of this post, a purpose!

I was having a bit of a panicked moment the other day about this blog. I'd lost a follower, yes 1 person out there made a choice that set my mind plummeting into "I can't do this, I've let someone down" land. Just part of who I am, little things stick with me forever.

{So trust me when I say your sweet comments mean the world to me!}

Long story short, I happened across a fantastic post by Ashley over at Little Miss Momma

that brought it all back to me, this is what she wrote:

"WHY: Why did you start this blog? Was it to make money, to make friends, to share ideas, to promote your business, to vent, or to tell your stories. Now, write down your reason {and be specific}--because there will come a day a few months down the road when you will forget why you ever started this whole blogging thingy--you will lose sight of your original vision, your original plan, your reason for doing this in the first place--and on that day you will go back and read what you wrote down today, and you will remember why this is important to you. Let your "reason" be the guiding force behind your blog content--don't lose sight of what's important to you, or your readers will know, and they will stop reading."

It was exactly what I needed. So I am sharing with you the why's behind Craft Goodies, so when something silly or awful happens again, I'll know where to go to get over it...

I had two reasons in starting this blog, one WAY more important to me than the other.

I had planned on opening an etsy shop but wanted a way to show some of the possibilities of what you could do with what I was selling so a "craft blog" made sense. A fun way to help promote my little store and to give me a place to share all things crafty.

But the second reason, for me, was the more important. We had recently moved from a wonderful, small town in Washington state to a wonderful, not so small town in southern Texas. And as fantastic as College Station and the people here were and are, it wasn't home, and they weren't the friends I had left. I felt so lonely. So alone.

I needed friends, I needed people that counted on me to do something, and I needed people to appreciate me and what I could do.

So out of all that, this little blog was born. It gives me something to do, and gives me a way to feel important. I was thrilled when I hit 10 followers! Ten ladies thought I was worth their time, and they would leave me comments, so I had someone to talk to! It was working, I was making friends.

 My heart swells every time I see that my follower counter has grown, not because I want a million followers, but because it means someone out there thought enough of me to place me in their day.

So there it is, my purpose in blogging is a need of friendship and a fun way to share each other and the things we create with a bit of business on the side.

I do truly appreciate all of you that stop by to see what's going on, and I  LOVE it when you leave comments or send me an email. It makes my day to hear from you!

On that note, I have plans in the works to start featuring more of you and your ideas-I have learned there is no way I can do this alone!

I'll end this monster post by saying Thank You for sticking with me this far. I'm excited for the year to come!

Happy Crafting...