Favorite Product Series - My Paper and Paper Cutter

As a reminder each Wednesday this month I am sharing a product that I am so pleased I purchased.  If you missed the first product, it was the Elfa Door Organizer and you can look back to read it.

But now on to this week's product.....

In 2015 my mother-n-law gifted me a very nice Amazon gift card.  I knew exactly what I wanted to buy.

This paper cutter

Yes, I worked several years at Parisian.  You guys remember Parisian, right? Well those were the good old days.  They actually had a customer service desk and they wrapped any purchases for FREE - might this be the reason they don't exist anymore ----eeehhhhh maybe.

Well my favorite department to work in was gift wrap.  Honestly, it was so much fun.  And when you have the right equipment - even gift wrapping is enjoyable. Well Parisian had vertical gift wrap cutters.  I chose the horizontal one.  You simply load your paper roll, pull off what you need a get that qqqkkkkkkttt sound as you cut it one fluid movement......did that give you chill bumps...it totally did me.

I went with a 765Ft Brown Kraft Paper. The particular one I ordered is currently unavailable but all you have to do is make sure you get a roll no wider than 36 inches to fit on the cutter.  And, yes, 765 ft. is a lot of paper.  I have wrapped 2 years of Christmas gifts, and practically every  birthday, wedding and graduation.

Look at how much is still left

One year I bought various rolls of traditional ribbon - a red check, a solid red, an emerald, a plaid.  You can put any ribbon with this paper

I have also used baker's twine.

And for other holidays I have used all kinds of different ribbons.

This year I found these little snowmen, gingerbread men, ric rac and Ho Ho Ho and I can't wait to use them.

We wrap Christmas gifts on July 25th.  It is our traditional Christmas in July.  I take off from work, we wear Christmas PJs and eat chili.

It literally takes us all day to wrap.

Remember the whole Christmas planner post? I am about 75% done with gift buying this year.

Get your gifts.  Get your wrapping supplies and join us July 25th getting slightly way ahead on Christmas this year.

Even if you don't want to join in the early Christmas wrapping, you will still enjoy the paper cutter whenever you choose to wrap.

Give to yourself and to someone else...

Bonus Post this week!!!!!  I don't usually post on Tuesdays but this was too good to keep to myself.

Do you have a trouble area in your home that you don't know how to decorate or organize?

How about a room that needs new paint but you can't even think about those millions of color options you have to narrow down?

Or those bookcases.....how do people get them to look so pretty and orderly?

Listen, if you have a design dilemma, I've got a girl for you.

Katy Forester Brooks who blogs at hope-overflowing.blogspot.com is a wonderfully talented interior designer.

To help her sister raise money for an upcoming adoption, Katy is doing an interior design fundraiser.

So there you are........ a little professional design for you and a donation to the great cause of bringing a baby home to Abby and Nick.

If you know of anyone else who could use this great opportunity, please pass this along to them.

March Book Review

I'm just saying.........

So here is what I managed to read in March.

First up, If Only by Richard Paul Evans.

Apparently this was previously published under the title Grace so perhaps the story line might ring a bell. It is a quick easy read.  Not graphic. Clean. But as my current trend has gone, it has a pretty heavy ending. It is the story of a young boy with his own struggles trying to resolve the issues of a troubled girl at his school.  It is a good quick read.

Secondly, The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty.


I honestly thought I would not get through this book in time to review it.  I am not a fast reader but felt this one took even longer than my usual.  It is almost 500 pages and I really felt it had some small font so there were a lot of words on each page.  The story was good.  I could not guess what would happen next.  In fact, I thought I had figured out the ending but my prediction happened about 3/4 the way through.....so I knew there was a lot more to come.  Now I would classify this book as PG.  There are not blatant, in detail, you know what scenes.  But there are definitely some pre-marital relationships.  There were exactly 2 sentences that I could have done without but in the grand scheme of nearly 500 pages, I guess that is not terribly bad.  But y'all there is this one character in the book that you just continuously get surprised by - she is a hot mess! I enjoyed the story line, the characters and the ending was very satisfying.  Don' let the title fool you - It is not a love story.  Nope this is not a mushy and romantic tale.  This has a little family dysfunction, suspense and hilarity all in one.  Rather than a love story I would say it is a life story.....and I am really glad it is not mine.


And lastly, I read The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth.


Ok, I liked it.  I really did.  But let me just say, my kids think I am weird.  I love emotional stories.  If you like the movie Beaches, I think you will enjoy this book as much as I did.  It is not that I like sad stories.  Honestly, I really just like stories about strong females supporting one another.  It just so happens that these stories often involve the loss of someone.  Well this book has some similar traits....there's some illness, three unlikely women who are brought together through this illness, a social disorder that complicates everything and a serious twist that I did not see coming.  If you cry easily, this one could get you. Be prepared, when the brother comes on the scene he has a potty mouth but he is not a main character. So the bad language is minimal.

I am hoping April brings me a little lighter read.  If you have some suggestions, please let me know.  I have already started my first April book and well it's off to quite a start.  Come on happy ending.....I need you!

Remember to join me back here on Wednesday for the second installment of my Favorite Product Series.

Oh and in bonus book news.....check out Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.  This is a program that allows you to sign up a child who is 0-5 years old and they get mailed an age appropriate book each month for FREE!  These are all across the country so you an put in your zip code and find one in your area.  Check it out and sign up a kid today.

Friday Fun

Welcome to Friday, friends.......pat yourself on the back, high five someone, get yourself to the nearest ATM.  Whatever your Friday ritual is......go for it!

As usual on Friday, we deserve a little retail eye candy.  So here are some things I think are worth a look.
It is time to start thinking about the Belk Spring Charity Sale.  It will be on Saturday, April 29th which means pre-selling will begin any day now.  So let's take a look at a few things Belk has to offer.

I love this ruffle sleeve top.  It comes in blush and ivory. But I do believe it will need a cami.




And this floral top would be so cute for this summer.  It is definitely saying "hello vacation". I am on the fence about off the shoulder tops.  But there are so many this season.  And I feel like this may be an easy one to wear.


This little striped dress comes in navy, black and coral






How about an update on pjs....This is a cute little set




I will be back on Monday with a March Book review.
Have a great weekend.
Talk to you then!