Want to Make: Wallet or Checkbook Cover

cute checkbook cover idea.
I've made this one. Neglected to make one for myself!
here's a wallet idea. Looked complicated.
with ribbon scraps! Love it.

Organize My Craft Supplies

for ribbon scraps; using clothespins for ribbon scraps
Ribbon Organizers: uses a photo box and grommets; this one is from Martha Stewart.

I am making rough plans for building a craft hutch (I found some plans). I have an old radio or TV cart (from the 60's or 70's) and want to make a top for it. I found some old bathroom hardware like towel racks I can spray paint and attach to the sides. Stay tuned for my big idea!

Other things that would be useful for craft organizing:

Wall Organizer.
Art Table Storage for kids (or big people!)
slipcovered plastic crates! no more hurt fingers.
A mail organizer!! Seems like you need a lot of supplies, though. Maybe I need to modify this for the frugal people in the crowd...!

Reupholstery Project

We found this rocker in my parents' attic. It was my mom's when she was a kid...and probably my Aunt's before that. And then my cousins used it, and then my brother and me.

After we found it, I put it in her car to take to Goodwill.

But then rescued it. I do want to reupholster, so why not start with something small? My little boy can probably use it for awhile yet!

Stay tuned for the project to begin...I have to figure out what tools one needs to take out the tacks.

The Mortgage Tax Deduction Myth

I am so tired of hearing about how mortgages are "Good Debt". I have a few articles I wanted to point my readers toward in case anyone was interested in hearing the other argument, that the amount of interest paid to the lender far outweighs the tax deduction the borrower receives from the government.

The Simple Dollar

-Most people don't take deductions anyway! They use the standard deduction. He claims 70% of people use the 1040A to file.

This is on Yahoo

Also, let's explore the differences between a tax deduction and a tax credit. A tax deduction just reduces your tax liability. The TurboTax Blog (I have used Turbo Tax for 6 years to do our taxes myself and NO they are not paying me to say that!) specifices that "a tax credit is something that directly reduces the amount of taxes you owe".

So here's the deal. If you are in the 25% tax bracket and paid $100 of interest on your mortgage (remember, you can only deduct the money you paid in interest, NOT the full mortgage payment) then you can deduct $25 from your adjusted gross income (aka your taxable income). And remember, that's if you aren't part of the 70% of taxpayers who take the standard deduction. So you'll end up saving $6.25 (which is 25% of $25) on your taxes.

So here's the deal. I know most of us want a house. That means we likely need a mortgage. But I don't like when people call it "good debt" just because we have our taxes reduced by a tiny amount to keep paying money to a bank.

I'd rather put down a more substantial down payment so I can own more of my house and throw less of my money toward the bank for interest. This is the opposite of what our financial planner suggests we do. She uses the 'good debt' argument.

More Skirts!

I made two more little yoga skirts.
One of them is (possibly) for my cousin who is five. I'm not too sure of the fit.

We'll have to have a fitting session.
I put some elastic into the waist of both of these. I just did a fold-over waist and stuck the elastic in before I sewed the waistband to the skirt.

No applique on this one yet. I need some new ideas.