Getting Crafty- Burlap Wreath Edition

I'm not usually that crafty. I spend a lot of time on Pinterest admiring things other people have done, but rarely do I give those crafts a try myself. But one of my co-workers recently got into making wreaths. She showed me how she made them and I decided to give it a shot. This is how it turned out:

Not too bad if I do say so myself.

I didn't take pictures of the step by step but I'll try to explain it. I took a wreath frame like this one ($4.99 at Michael's): 

I bought two rolls of burlap from Walmart ($3.47 each) and two rolls of black mesh ribbon from Michael's ($9.99 each).

All I did to make my wreath was feed the fabric, burlap/ribbon/burlap/ribbon/etc., up through each of the three layers all the way around. The closest tutorial I found is the one below:

http://www.kenarry.com/diy-summer-burlap-wreath/

The M was actually attached to the bow at the top and was given to me by my boss for Christmas last year. I think she got it from Kirklands. I attached it to the top with pipe cleaners. 

It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. I did make it twice because the first time I made it too tight. I like wreaths to be floofy. All in all it took me about an hour and a half, but that was making it twice. 

Even if you don't think you're crafty, give it a shot every once in a while. You might surprise yourself.

The Art of Not Being a Loser + Money Saving Tip

Do you ever feel like a loser? Do you ever see an article about someone your age or younger doing something extraordinary and think to yourself, what am I doing with my life?

For instance, I saw two articles today that gave me pause. One talked about a 30 year old woman who was just elected to congress. Personally, I would never want to be elected to congress but I feel like that is a major achievement for someone so young. 

The other article I read was about a 27 year old man who is now a millionaire. He began planning ahead when he was a teenager by saving all money he made in high school, joining the military (free education and life skills), and investing. Once I read about him, I could understand and accept that his path would not have worked for me. But why haven’t I managed to forge my own path? I want to be a millionaire too dang it! Actually, I'm not sure I do.

I suspect that much like people who don't have money worry about getting it, people who do have money worry about losing it. If I ever won the lottery I would tell no one. People already ask to borrow my money and I don't even have that much.

Such a materialistic world we live in. I can claim no innocence though. I love things! Actually, my love of things is why I'm having a bit of trouble saving $$'s right now. 

Since most of you are like me and like to spend money so much more than make money, I want to share my current method of saving. Bear in mind this comes from a single gal in her mid-twenties who lives with her parents.

This past year I've been completing a 52 week money challenge. One of my co-workers introduced me to this last year. Basically, you put back $1-$52 each week for one year. Here's a chart:

Actually, this is a reverse chart. The original chart I found started at 1 and went to 52, but I thought it would be better to start high and end low as I usually have less money at the end of the year.

It’s actually easier than I thought to stick to it. Instead of putting money aside weekly, I have been transferring the amounts per month from my checking to my savings account. (It's all about the interest. I've already earned $0.06!!) I've put my money in for November, only $26. Only $10 left to go for December.

Sure, it’s only $1,378, but that’s $1,378 that has been put aside and not spent on (maybe) unnecessary  things like new clothes or Nook books (I have an addiction to buying cheap Nook books). Eventually I plan to move into my own house and get a new car. My savings this year might not get me that, but it’s an excellent start. Saving this way can also be a good way to ensure you get that vacation you want to take. Now you can afford to take off work and travel to the beach or mountains for a few days. Or help you pay for that Hawaii trip you've been dreaming of forever. (My exciting life adventure next year!)

I’m not sure what my saving plan for next year will be. Maybe I’ll do a repeat of the 52 week challenge. If any of you have tried any other methods of saving that worked out, let me know!

Or maybe I should start trying my luck with the lottery.

It’s like Eddie Popko once said, “Somebody’s gotta win it. Might as well be me.” 

So yeah, it's easy for me to feel like I'm a failure when I look at other people's successes. I'm constantly reminding myself not to compare me to other people, whether it's because they are more or less successful than I am. I try to remind myself how fortunate I am. Count my blessings instead of my shortcomings. It's easy to say that we shouldn't look at these people with a feeling of resentment and jealousy. We should feel a sense of admiration and determination to follow our own dreams. But sometimes following through can be the hardest part.

Actually, in my case, figuring out my dream is the hardest part. 

But I'm still young and have plenty of time to figure it out. I may still be envious of others from time to time, but will strive to remember that my time just hasn't come yet.

So perk up! We’re not losers just because we’re not well on our way to congress! What makes losers is giving up! 

That book pictured above was written by a kid, btw.