My soon to be 80 year old father told me I needed a Cricut. I had no clue what a Cricut was. I thought maybe it some kind of tool since my father collects every new, trendy, make-your-life-easier tool that comes across the TV. So I sat with him one day in front of the TV and waited for the commercial. It was an infomercial that showed the many ways to use a personal electronic cutter, or a Cricut. A Cricut Expression to be exact. At first I thought, "I don't need that.", but as I watched I thought of all the things I could use it for. I have to admit the possibilities intrigued me so much, I bought one.

In the four months I have had my Cricut Expression, I have used it for several things:

• Lettering for my daughters Science Fair Projects. Finding a neat way to make letters big enough for their projects had always been difficult. The Cricut made it easy. I only cut out the letters they needed instead of having to buy whole alphabets. Plus, I could make them the exact size they needed to be.
• Several Birthday cards. The Cricut can cut whatever size card you desire, AND an envelope to match. My daughters had fun picking out the embellishments to decorate the cards. It made each card more of a personal gift.
• Birthday Invitations. I love planning birthday parties, but sometimes it's hard to find ready made invitations to go along with the theme. The Cricut has made it easy for me to make my own invitations, without ever leaving my house.
• Gift bags for treats. Need a quick small gift? Cut out a gift bag. Glue it together. Stuff with candy, candles, or other small trinkets.
• Mask making. My niece needed to make a mask for a school project. She cut out a butterfly design big enough to fit on her face. Then cut eye holes and cut out several other designs to add as embellishments on the mask.
• Decorative frame. One of the sample projects that was included with a cartridge booklet was a Fleur de lis frame. I followed the steps and made my own. It was a simple project that turned a plain wooden picture frame into beautiful home decor. The same steps could be used on other household objects opening even more possibilities on how to use a Cricut.

The Cricut Expression is easy to use. I would recommend watching the video that comes with it first. It shows simple projects to get you started and how the setting buttons work.

The Cricut machine itself, does nothing with out the cartridges. There are many different themed cartridges available. My Cricut came with several cartridges which allowed me to start crafting as soon as I opened the box.

My 12x12 cutting mat is finally starting to lose it's stickiness, so it needs to be replaced soon. The cutting blade is another part that needs to be replaced, but can be done easily.

I also purchased the spatula tool. This is very helpful in removing intricate designs from the cutting mat.

All the accessories can be found at most craft stores.

While I know the difference between wants and needs, I'm still glad I bought the Cricut. I could have lived out my life happily without a Cricut, but I do use it often. So for me, it was definitely worth the money. Anyone who has ever had to use a manual die cut machine will tell you it's worth every penny. Technology is a wonderful thing. I just wish I would have had it sooner.