Out with the Old, In with the New...

As 2009 draws to a close and we enter into the New Year I wanted to take the time to write one last post. In this last year I have gotten rid of some old things, old habits and sadly even some old friends have been lost. The New Year brings the promise of new friends, new adventures, a new job, a new beginning. Old friends will bring new flavor into our lives as well as we continue to grow closer and support one another in our times of need and even in times of prosperity. So, here's to the new!

A few new things I want to do with my blog is have a different post each day showcasing different things such as eco-friendly crafts, eco-friendly businesses, eco-friendly blogs, and more. I would love to feature crafts from around the world and my new friends' blogs and Etsy shops. Write new articles and feature new tutorials using the new sewing machine I received for Christmas! I would also like to feature local events having to do with crafting and a special day for kids' crafts every week.

I hope that as 2009 draws to a close we can all remember the good times we had and go into this new year with a renewed sense of hope for a better and brighter future! I would like to thank my friends Tom Minter and Rich Taylor at Socks For Happy People for their continued inspiration toward making this world a happier place one pair of socks at a time; Megzy Tred for sharing her brilliant photographs and being such a great new friend; Olivia Wilder for having such a fun show and making us all feel like we're involved; Marianne Baird, Debra Cincioni and Blanca Raygoza for constant fun and encouragement (no one else grooves to Craig David like these ladies!); Laura Hillman of the Rockstar Group for the great business tips and the wonderful new #BizRes (Business Resolutions) for the New Year program on Twitter (you can follow them using: @Rockstar_Group); Lalia Helmer for the constant encouragement on this blog and for her great business posts on Business That Cares and to the countless others who have touched my heart this year and will continue to touch it in 2010.

Special shout out to Laura (@gr8kidsmom), Jennifer (@vitality4all6 and @ReedWhatMatters), Margaret (@MJ_Beauty), and all my other Twitter friends and followers! May this coming 2010 be the best year yet!

To my wonderful family, I love you all and am so grateful for all your support as I pursue my dreams. You are all my shining stars!

Happy New Year to all!

Love, Happiness, and Prosperity-

Nadia Marie

Happy Holidays!

Greetings to my fellow readers and bloggers! Christmas is just around the corner and I couldn't be more excited! I love the holidays because they are the best time to have fun crafting, making handmade gifts, great cards or wrapping those store-bought gifts with style! I have recently gotten into online shopping, particularly on Etsy.com. I love the handmade, vintage and funky items I have found there! Someday I hope to have a shop on Etsy but for now I am content to just shop and support the artisans out there! I recently received an e-mail from the {NewNew} with loads of great links I've been checking out and my newest fave is Funky Finds which I have actually added a button to on my blog, so do click and enjoy the Daily Finds and all the great Indie Shops they showcase!

Two of my favorite ways to spread holiday cheer are making cookies and making cards! I have done both of these things with my niece these last couple of weeks! Today I made a delicious banana bread if I do say so myself! Yum! I've been snapping many photos as well since I have a new little niece who arrived on December 7th (which is why I am where I am and not in the City). My two nieces are wonderful and I am so happy to be an Auntie! The day after Thanksgiving, Alyssa (my eldest niece) and I made Turkey Hand Cookies and they were very pretty! We got the recipe and idea from NickJr. It was fun and messy but best of all, Alyssa helped and that was great for her! We had tons of fun tracing her hands, rolling out the dough, cutting out the hands from the dough and then decorating them afterward with the funky neon colored icing we'd used!

Making cards with children is one of the best ways to let them express their creativity. Alyssa and I set out to make some funky cards with several different crafty papers and embellishments. I got a lot of the embellishments we've been using from the Dollar Tree, you'd be amazed what you can find for a dollar! I like to use different types of embellishments in my card making and often reuse things I have lying around or use the most unlikely embellishments. I found a couple of cute rolls of wrapping paper with winter wonderland scenes which I used for cut-outs, got a funky pom-pom garland as well as many other things such as foam letter stickers and the like! The card stock I got at Michael's which is really one of my favorite shops. Making cards really takes very little effort when you look around and see what you've got! A shiny gum-wrapper can be cut into Christmas ball shapes and added to a card with glitter and other such embellishments. Printed/stamped ribbon also works as a great embellishment. The key to a great Christmas card is your own personal touch! That's always the best thing!

For my next post I will do a card tutorial with more photos and links to some of my favorite crafting sites! I hope that you all enjoy this special holiday season and that the love of family and friends warms your hearts! Don't forget to be on the look out for Socks For Happy People's launch in February! 'Tis the season of giving and socks are a gift that keeps giving for this company as they have plans for Buy One Give One Free! Check out their blog posts for the latest news on my dear friends!

Happy Holidays!

XOXO- Nadia Marie

Ecouterre's Launch Party and my new life as an Eco Chick!

There is nothing finer than walking around Manhattan on a crisp autumn afternoon, or is there? Perhaps there is, if it includes meeting up with a friend to partake of an eco-friendly event at a cute eco-fashion boutique! That is just what I did yesterday afternoon! I took the train from Princeton into Manhattan at a little after two pm and arrived at Penn Station at about a quarter past three. I had not eaten lunch so I went on the prowl looking for something tasty and healthy. After seeing about a million packed Starbucks walking down from 32nd and 7th, winding through parts of 6th Avenue I finally made it to 5th avenue and somewhere between 25th and 22nd I found a shop with a cafe! A veggie burger and lemonade later I was back to my quick walk down 5th Avenue in search of Kaight for Ecouterre's Launch Party.

Yes, you read correctly! I walked all the way from Madison Square Garden to Lower Manhattan, to a small boutique on Orchard between Broome and Grand. Even though my feet were killing me by the time I arrived at my destination, I must say that a more romantic walk I could not have had. Some may be shocked when I say this but it was my first time ever going to the City alone. How freeing and exhilerating it was! My eyes were filled with wonder as I walked, as though I were discovering great treasures along the path to the greatest treasure awaiting me. I wandered through some very beautiful places, stumbled upon Washington Square Park and saw a myriad of fun boutiques the closer I got to my destination.

Having fullfilled my first mission as an eco-chick (to walk everywhere whenever possible), I was ready to meet the wonderful people from Ecouterre and meet the purveyor of wonderful eco-fashion garments at Kaight. The evening promised to be ecclectically wonderful and so it was! I arrived at my destination a bit early so I got some coffee next door first. At last I could not wait any longer so I approached the shop and was greeted by the smiling faces of Kaight and the Ecouterre crew and what a fabulous bunch they were! Wonderful extroverts, eager to chat and so full of wonderful information from the eco-fashion world! Walking into Kaight is an immediate delight for the eyes. All of the properly placed items for sale look great in the simple and minismalistic way they are arranged, giving enough room to walk around the store while drinking it all in at the same time.

I was very drawn to the scarves pictured at left and some really great vegan boots that were too cute to be true! I have to say that Ecouterre's staff were as down to earth as you would expect them to be and quite fashionably dressed. Their bright smiling faces lit up the room and the event by all accounts was a success. Being the first guest to arrive I was able to get some much coveted face time with the honorees of the event, a fact that I must say was very important to me. For some time now I have been drawn to all things eco-friendly and when Ecouterre began about a month ago within the Inhabitat family I was immediately hooked. Add to that the fact that my friends at Socks for Happy People also love Ecouterre, there was nothing better than to go and put in a good word for them at this most iconic event! And so I did.

One of the hi-lights of the evening for me was to be able to speak to Ecouterre's managing editor, Jasmin Chua. So approachable and easy to talk to, she is the type of person any writer would want to work under. I found her to not only be kind but encouraging as well. Also, quite the social butterfly! It was loads of fun talking to her about how Ecouterre got started (for those of you who do not know much about Ecouterre's parent website, Inhabitat, it is mostly dedicated to eco-friendly architecture and there were some who found the mention of eco-fashion in the weblog not in keeping with its original focus, thus the birth of Ecouterre), the vision of the weblog and how the content is judged. Jasmin is quite the visionary and it's no wonder the others were happy to see her when she arrived. It was a real honor and privilege to be able to have such a great conversation with her.

I was also happy to share this wonderful shop and these wonderful people with my friend Andrea who came to accompany me on my quest for more insights into the eco-fashion world. The event was full of pizzaz, from the wonderful vodka and lemonade drinks to the dainty vegan thumbprint cookies (which were delicious, by the way) to the raffling off of that most amazing Circle Cascade Necklace by the Andean Collection. Designer Amanda Judge was there and her pleasant smile could be seen as people approached her to talk about her beautiful creations. It was an event not to be missed. Another hi-light was getting to meet and speak with Jill Fehrenbacher, founder of Inhabitat. Not only is Jill super down to earth but she is amazingly great at connecting people with each other. Had she not introduced me to Jasmin I would not have had such a great conversation. Of course, talking to Jill at the onset was inspiring as well and showed me that when there is great talent and passion for what one does one can really go far and that is what Jill has done.

A few other people from the Ecouterre team I met include Yuka Yoneda, Rebecca Paul, and Daniel Mendes-all really great people! You can read about all of these incredible people on the Ecouterre page in the About section. All in all, the event shined with a bright light and I acquired an interesting little book called The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green by Starre Vartan, on sale at Kaight. I highly recommend it to the eco-fab fashionistas everywhere. So many amazing things at Kaight and such a wonderful evening were topped off with a great slice of NY pizza with Andrea on West 4th. I went home happy, with a beaming smile on my face and eager to learn more, do more and write more about the world of eco-fashion!

Want to see more photos from the event? Click here --> Ecouterre Launch Party @Kaight. These are my own photos, hopefully I will be able to share the link to the professional photos soon! Enjoy!

Cheers,

Nadia Marie

All Around the World...Blog Action Day 2009

October 15th, 2009
Today bloggers all around the world unite under one cause: Climate Change. As individuals we can take many different steps to reduce our carbon footprint and help curb the effects of climate change. Together we can do anything, let's remember that this is not just for us but for our children, our children's children and all of earth's posterity. So, with that in mind, I want to hi-light things that we as individuals can do to reduce our own carbon emissions and encourage those around us to do the same! 

Moving closer to work is just one of the many ways we can help reduce our own carbon emissions. The second leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US is transportation. So, if you move closer to work you can take mass transit to get there (i.e. the bus), walk, cycle or use any other alternate mode of transportation that requires only human energy for power. You'll cut emissions considerably and guess what? It's better for you too! You'll feel better, happier and fitter!

Shopaholic much? I know I love to shop so this one goes for me too! CONSUME LESS!!!!Ouch! I know this one may seem next to impossible but fear not, it is possible and will make a huge difference! Don't you want your kids to still have a place to play in and a place to raise their own children in someday? "The easiest way to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions is simply to buy less stuff. " According to scientificamerican.com, cutting back on consumption results in fewer fossil fuels being burned to extract, produce and ship products around the globe. So get out those funky canvas bags you have lying around and start using them when shopping for food and other items to reduce the amount of plastic we use. Don't use the gas-guzzler unless absolutely necessary, walking feels good, gets your heart pumping and will be better in the long run for everyone! A couple other things, think green when shopping around, when it comes to groceries try to buy either in bulk (to use less packaging per shopping trip) or get things sans packaging. Do we really need all that plastic just lying around not going anywhere?

Ever stand in front of the refrigerator staring at its contents for 5 minutes with the door open only to shut it and go back to doing something else? Yes? Stop it! Those 5 minutes are a huge waste of energy which only add to your carbon footprint my friend. Have all the lights blazing in every room of your house? If you ain't in it turn those lights off. Get rid of high energy appliances and replace them with energy saving ones to limit the use of electricity at home. Weather-proof your home so you reduce heating and cooling costs as well impact.

We LOVE food! Who doesn't love a big old New York top sirloin? Or you Texans with your 4 pounders...gotta love beef, right? Another tidbit I found on scientificamerican.com: "Corn grown in the U.S. requires barrels of oil for the fertilizer to grow it and the diesel fuel to harvest and transport it. Some grocery stores stock organic produce that do not require such fertilizers, but it is often shipped from halfway across the globe. And meat, whether beef, chicken or pork, requires pounds of feed to produce a pound of protein."

An interesting fact regarding what most of us eat (I include myself because I am definitely not a vegetarian but after learning all of this I may make the transition, slowly but surely): "University of Chicago researchers estimate that each meat-eating American produces 1.5 tons more greenhouse gases through their food choice than do their vegetarian peers. It would also take far less land to grow the crops necessary to feed humans than livestock, allowing more room for planting trees." What do you think of that? There are so many ways for us to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to go into every single one on this post would take quite a long time but the beginning is clear: we need to change now. If you want more than just the hi-lights I have included in this post you can check out the article I got some of these points from: Ten Solutions for Climate Change.

There are numerous sites and social networks now offering people the resources to transition into a more sustainable lifestyle. Here are a few that I am connected with and you can connect with too--> 350.org, noimpactproject.org, oneclimate.net, 1010uk.org and so many more! I cannot impress upon you enough how helpful these sites are. Get connected, get ideas, talk to others about what they are doing globally. I would like to take the time to mention some noteworthy blogs participating today as well: my friends at Socks for Happy People and Business That Cares. Check their posts out and hey, post a little diddy of your own! Let me know if you do so I can check it out and give you props!

Here's to sustainable living, combating global warming/climate change together and leading happy lives along the way!

Cheers,

Nadia

The Business of Moving and New Beginnings...

I have been wanting to write for some time now about the move my family and I made up to New Jersey this autumn. Being busy prevented me some from doing so, moving is a very tiresome business. We rented a Penske truck which my Dad drove and my brother came to help us make the move from Florida all the way here, to the Princeton area. The worst thing about moving is packing but we are experts now at this, having moved more than 10 times before (close to 20 really). To the left you can see a picture of some of the boxes we used to pack books and other such things.

We have found that the liquor boxes are the best for packing books, especially books that are going on shelves within their boxes while in the truck. Still, the packing itself has a thrilling side to it, crazy as it may sound, it does...at least for me! Everytime we would find the perfect spot for an item or a book I felt like a treasure was being hidden and couldn't wait to unveil my treasure once the unpacking begins. I have to say that the most exciting part of moving is the knowledge of a new beginning which is what I really want to focus on in this post.

New beginnings are great, whether a change of location, a change of job, or just a change of pace they allow you to take a step back and look at what you have done and accomplished and then give you the courage to continue the course you have embarked on. This is a new beginning for me, the chance to start afresh in another place and follow through on some goals. It is not easy when you have been unemployed for a long while. You begin to feel discouraged and sometimes even down-right depressed but faith kept me going and the encouragement of my friends. Particularly my friends on twitter (which are all newly found ones): @Socks4HappyPPL, @RiWrites, @ReedWhatMatters (who is also @vitality4all6), @OliviaWilder, @VermontClothing, @gr8kidsmom @sewbutterfly and many more. They encouraged me by wishing my family and me well on our move and for that I am truly greatful! They are such great and wonderful people and I hope that someday I will meet many of them in real life.

Like many new beginnings, things are not always as easy as we would want them to be. We are currently without a home and living in an apart-hotel but have faith that we will find a place soon. There are quite a few places for rent but budgeting and all that can be a bit hard with the prices of everything being a bit higher than what they once were. Still, there is hope in this new beginning, hope in my new friendships and love to be shared with all! Just being in Princeton gave me a renewed sense of hope, I know that this is where I am supposed to be and that I will be used as an instrument of that hope. I love sharing with you all because what you share with me is so positive that how could I not love you all!

So, here is to new beginnings, to new friends, to love abounding in joy! May you all truly be blessed now and always!

Love from my heart,

Nadia Marie

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." -Pericles

Climate Change Anthem

I cannot say it enough, friends: Climate Change is no joke! We have less than 100 days until the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen and we need to raise all the awareness we can! Below I am posting the Climate Change Anthem video by Kofi Annan and Duran Duran. It features many artists and the message is quite clear--TIME is of the essence.



Climate change is not something to take lightly. We must take action now! Please repost this video in your blogs so that others can have the opportunity to view it and repost as well! Thanks for reading and spreading awareness as well! Together WE CAN make a difference before it is too late!

If you have not already done so, please check out my previous post about Blog Action Day 2009 on October 15th and join us in this effort to change the world dramatically! It's for your children and for our future generations!

Cheers,
Nadia

Let's Take Action: Blog Action Day 2009- Climate Change

This video pretty much says it all, friends! Climate Change is an urgent issue. I saw this on the Socks For Happy People blog and have decided to join the blogging effort on October 15th as well. I do not know how many people my blog reaches but even if it reaches just one person on that day I hope that it will impact them in such a way that they will see just how important it is to curb climate change before it is too late.

For our children and our children's children, for our entire posterity--let us band together on October 15th and blog about something that affects us all! Look forward to seeing you on the world wide web blogging right along with us on that day. For more information and to join please click on the following link: http://www.blogactionday.org/.

Thanks again, friends!

Cheers,
Nadia

The Choice to Be Happy...I am feeling inspired today :-)

So, many of you who have read my blog lately know that I have been going on about Socks for Happy People and there is a major reason why. When I opened my twitter account and began to look for people and organisations to follow their clever sock logo and name caught my attention because a) I love socks, I live in them and b) I consider myself a happy person; and that is what I wish to talk about.  You see, everyone is out there wanting happiness, desiring it, asking how to acquire it and the common questions come to mind: What is happiness? How does one obtain happiness? Can anyone truly be happy? These are all questions that people ask themselves all the time. There are even books written on happiness like Gross National Happiness by Arthur C. Brooks, which claims that Americans are basically the happiest people on earth (though I have yet to see this proven).

As I searched for images and quotes about happiness there was one underlying theme which came to mind which is exactly what I had been thinking the entire time: happiness is a choice. We choose to be happy. I am happy not because I have a perfect life or a perfect body (I have neither of those and I do not believe that anyone can brag about having either), I am happy because I choose to be. I choose to look beyond circumstances and lead a happy life. So, when I saw Socks for Happy People and read their blog and talked to Tom and Rich I thought to myself, these people have chosen to be happy and share that happiness with others. This got me to thinking about happiness and how we measure it.

You see, there are those who would tell us that happiness is found in shopping, music, religion, riches, material wealth and all sorts of things but I have seen that these very things often cause bitterness rather than happiness and I have to ask myself why. This is why I believe that happiness is a choice because both a very rich man and a very poor man can be happy no matter what their situation in life if they choose to be. The above quote by Helen Keller is great because this often happens to us. Rather than choosing to look through the open door we pine for the closed one which can lead to bitterness and loneliness. I'll take the open door any day! There are things that add to our choice to be happy--a smile from a stranger, a song on the radio, a colorful hat in a store window, a call from a friend, a proverb, etc. All of those things enhance our happiness. What about those who live in such dismal conditions that there seems to be no hope for happiness among them? Can they choose to be happy and if so, how do we help them to do so?

I think that there are ways to help people to choose to be happy even when in the bitterest and dire of circumstances. This is where ingenuity comes into play. A letter of hope can bring forth a choice to be happy, a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on. There are many things we can do to help people choose happiness. All I truly know is that when I wake up every morning I have a choice to make: I can wake up with a smile on my face and choose to have a happy day or I can wake up moody and crabby and creep toward a bitter outlook. Personally, I think I would rather choose happiness.

My life has been everything but perfect, even so, I choose to be happy and I know you can too! I encourage you to look on each new day as a fresh new start. Wouldn't you like to be happy today? Even if the toaster burned your whole wheat bread and the coffee was a bit weak this morning, you can still choose to be happy with everything and each opportunity you have. It's ultimately your decision to be happy, so what will you decide? I hope that, like me and countless others, you will this day decide to be happy everyday. Come rain or shine, in good times and in bad times. May you always be happy!

Just think of it this way, you will be healthier if you lead a happier life and both things are your choice to make. The decision is yours! Decide for happiness, it will be the best and wisest choice you will ever make! So, be happy and live long!

Cheers,
Nadia Marie

I love photography!

幾個月前送自己的禮物..,
originally uploaded by i'm Jac.

I just want you to check this picture out that I found on flickr. I love anything that looks interesting and this is definitely one of those things! Polaroids have always called my attention and I am even thinking of getting a polaroid camera for my own projects. Tell me what you think of this photo!

Also, check out my flickr photos!

Cheers,
Nadia

Happy Sunday Afternoon and Shout Outs...

Sundays are always a pleasant day for me and I would like to start this one by giving a shout out to my new friend on twitter, Stacy Casselberry. We were suggested to one another by Socks For Happy People, another of my twitter pals whose socks I am very excited about as you know from a previous post! I want to showcase Stacy's blog today because I think it is absolutely fabulous! Here is the link to her blog: http://sewbutterfly.blogspot.com/, I suggest you follow it because not only does she show some of her awesome work but there is so much life in her blog. There is everyday life in it, there is past, present and yes even a bit of future--things we do and hope for are always a futuristic thing.

I just have to hi-light right now the amazing photograph I saw on Stacy's page of the most gorgeous sewing machine I have ever seen! I love all the photos on her blog and cannot wait to peruse her Etsy and Artfire shops! Reading her blog is like having a delicious slice of homemade apple pie a la mode! Seriously, go and follow Stacy's blog, you won't regret it! I already love it and can't wait to see more of it! Here's to happy Sunday afternoons and new friends!

Cheers,
Nadia

The Things I've Made....

I love to make things with my own two hands and when I learned to knit starting with a basic scarf I began to wonder what else I could make with the same pattern. I first made a little placemat but wanted to make something else that I could wear. That's when I thought, if I can make scarves with this pattern can't I make headbands using the same tecnique? Thus the headband in the picture was born! It is a bandana style head band because it has two thinner strips attached to the ends, cord-style, to tie on underneath. I think for my next headband I will attach an elastic for easier use.

Besides knitting I have many other hobbies which include baking, cooking and decorating pretty much anything! I decorate my own composition notebooks. Here is a notebook I decorated for my Italian Language Studies (I am teaching myself the language). I have a lot of cardstock and patterned paper that I have collected over time (seriously, when I have money and see something I like there is not stopping me, I have been working on exercising self-control) so for this notebook I chose cardstock in the colors of the Italian flag and cut strips of equal length and width for the cover. I pasted them with a normal gluestick and for the tag I just used a sticker tag I had lying around.

As for baking, there are many things I have tried my hand at! Since I am moving soon, my Dad asked me to make some brownies for the road so I have been baking those a lot lately. I love baking breads, particularly Irish ones, and cookies as well though. Here I have decided to share a picture of the Spotted Dog I made last month. It was delicious and really quite easy to make. Soon I will be sharing recipes with you all as well as other tips. I cannot wait to be able to get back into the swing of things!

More later, though, as we are pretty much down to a few plates and things while we have only about 6 days left here in Florida before leaving for New Jersey!

Cheers,

Nadia

The Things I Use..

Here I am once again to showcase some of my materials:

Above: The things I keep in my desk which I use pretty much for everything! My room is my creative station, my office and my sanctuary all in one!

Below: My ribbon box--this box holds all of the ribbon I have collected over the years, whether bought or gifted. It also holds fabric and felt scraps...I have yet to decorate the box but I love knowing where my supplies are! The box is an old Rebok shoebox which actually has a flip top so it is perfect!

I love the boxes the soaps my parents buy come in! Below you can see how I have made use of one of these Italian soap boxes from the saponifico. I have bits of paper ribbon stored in there. This collection is not as large as the other collection but I am sure it will become larger as I collect and find more!

I will soon post pictures of my paper collection and as I settle into my new life in New Jersey I hope to be able to do more tutorials! For now, enjoy the posts I am doing about materials and old projects as well as the publicity I am doing for the companies that I am beginning to love like Socks For Happy People!

Cheers,

Nadia

Socks...yes please!

Ok, so you might be wondering what socks have to do with creating and crafting...tons! I have been chatting up the creator of Socks for Happy People, Tom Minter on twitter and can't seem to stop thinking about socks! I am eager to see the unveiling of their new website: http://www.socksforhappypeople.com/. They're still working it out!

In the meantime, follow their blog: http://www.socksforhappypeople.com/. According to what Tom told me, Rich is the design genius in the company so I cannot wait to see what his socks look like! I hope you all check these 2 sites out and let me know what you think!

Peace and lollipops!

-Nadia

Tweeting my way on up...

Hello friends! I am officially on twitter so follow me there if you want: http://twitter.com/VeneNadia28. I will be following many people and of course I will follow you if you follow me! Can't wait to tweet you!

Research...

So, I don't know about you guys but in my crafting adventures research is quite helpful. How do I research? I check out other crafter's blogs (on my list of favorite sites I have included a few of the blogs I check out and I have begun to follow some other blogs), look up online tutorials on websites, look in magazines, old books wherever I can find interesting crafts and projects. I find that children's activity books often have a lot of interesting crafts to make that you can tweak to make them more grown-upish!

I love reading other blogs because they are always informative, interesting and most importantly its other people sharing their experiences with you and me, I find that to be the most sincere form of humanity. I love it! I share on here not because I want to make myself look good but because I want to contribute to society and encourage others to do the same. So, come on folks! Let's get crafting and have fun!

PS: I love comments, so don't be shy!

My Favorite Things...

I love my room and making it my own. My favorite piece of furniture is my desk. It is where I place the majority of my arts and crafts supplies, such as stickers, pens, colored pencils and more.



Below you will find several different things that inspire me and how I have arranged my things. I have a toy collection which I love and are often the inspiration for the color schemes I use in my crafts. As you can see, I love color contrasts. They just speak to me!



One of my favorite crafts besides scrapbooking and card making, is knitting. I do a little bit of everything but knitting is so theraputic and I love to just be able to put on a movie and knit a bit while watching. I also knitted on the bus and even on the Metro in Caracas many times (the bus in Spokane--in Caracas it would have been impossible but on the Metro on my way to work it was easy).



I was given the little dream pillow below by my sister-in-law and just loved the color and look of it! Below and surrounding it are some of my scrapbooking supplies. The big pink box is full of papers! All kinds of papers!



Well, I hope that sharing these with you encourages you to take a look into how you decorate and find your unique style!

Cheers!

Scrapbooking and recycling...

Here is a video I found on youtube with ideas on how to use "non-traditional" papers for scrapbooking. You can use them for making cards and for other crafts as well but I love this ad because it is basically what I do! So, enjoy it and get creative!

Looking for Shell Necklace Instructions Found This...

So, I was just looking for ideas or instructions on how to make a necklace using the shells I have found on the beach that already have holes in them and I found this great blog on typepad called Vintage Chica. This lady has all sorts of wonderful projects and great images! The images are copyrighted so you must ask for permission to use them but she seems to have no problem giving the permission so long as you ask. I have included the link to her site on my links list but will add it here just in case: http://www.vintagechica.typepad.com/. I love to share what I find with friends and this seems like a great find! Check it out!

If I find anymore interesting sites I will place them in the links section so you can check them out as well! I hope to soon be able to make some necklaces with the shells I have found and post the instructions on here. In the meantime, enjoy the pics I took of the ones I found which I will be using for crafting purposes. Cheers!

Mom holding some shells she found, me holding two cute little shells....

Pencil Holder Craft

I love recycling things that one uses daily and am constantly collecting papers, clippings, cardboard and the like! Yesterday I recycled a can of salmon and made it into a cute pencil holder. I used the following materials so you can do the same if you like:

• cleaned can of salmon (taller than a soup can and more slender at the bottom)
  
• 3 shades of fibrous tissue paper- teal, blue and purple
  
• circle and flower clippings from decorative papers
  
• Elmer's Craft Bond: Paper Craft Glue Gel
  
• PROART White Bristle Paint Brush #10
  
• small piece of brown felt, for bottom
  
• small piece of self-adhesive corkboard for inside bottom
  
  

Stage 1:

Make sure you start with a clean and completely dry can. Begin to glue down shredded pieces of tissue paper.

Choose the papers and pattern according to your taste. I used 3 tones of the tissue paper that would be dark on the background so that the dots and flowers would stand out and have a bit of a contrast. I like vivid colors, you might want to try earthy tones, primary colors or pastels. It just depends on your taste. Go wild!

The papers I used you can find at any crafting/scrapbooking store. For the flowers I used a scrap of wrapping paper. You can use magazine cut-outs, you can choose a theme. For the dots I cut around the circles on the designer scrapbooking page choosing a few of each size.

Stage 2:

After you have glued down all of the tissue paper pieces, brush over them a bit of decoupage such as Mod Podge or make your own using 2/3 parts craft glue and 1/3 part water. Apply a coat over top with the paint brush. Let dry completely.

Pictures: can as it dries, can with Craft Bond

Decoupage glue mixture

Stage 3:

Once the can is dry you can begin to apply the embellishments, in this case I chose to use the dots I cut-out and the flowers of various sizes. Apply the decoupage glue to the back and extend firmly over the surface of the decoupaged can. Repeat until you have reached the amount of embellishments you desire. Coat with another coating of decoupage glue mix and let dry.

Dots and flowers for embellishing

Can with decoupage and embellishments

Stage 4:

Lastly, once the can is again dry, trace a circle with the bottom of the can on the piece of felt and then cut-out. Glue the circle to the bottom with silicone glue. Trace the same bottom on the piece of self-adhesing corkboard and cut within the traced circle to fit inside. Take adhesive backing off and place carefully inside. Then step back and look at your wonderful finished product!

Felted bottom, Finished product on display