A Workshop Wednesday

What's been keeping my fingers busy these days? A cupcake scarf!! I've had such fun making this, and I'm finally in the home stretch. I have 4 more cherries to add, and then one more full cupcake (I made one too many to begin with and didn't notice until I saw that the sides were uneven so I've gotta balance it out).

I know summer isn't exactly the time of year for crocheting scarves, but this project was just so delicious that I couldn't resist! Sometimes you just have to take a break from creating for others and create something for yourself.

You can find the 'recipe' for yummy cupcakes like this by following this link to Rock 'n' Roll Bride! You'll see the pattern for the cupcakes, but also instructions on how to turn it into a garland! Fun stuff!!

What's on your worktable this Wednesday? I'd love it if you shared in the comments :)

*Maria

DIY Jewellery Frame

This DIY jewellery frame project has been making its rounds of the blogosphere and the internets, so I finally broke down and gave it a try myself. Until now, I had been storing my jewellery in a very classic three-tiered jewellery box, cream coloured on the outside, red velvet inside. I'd had enough of it taking up two-thirds of my dresser space and getting this project done was part of an initiative to create the same sort of bedroom space that I'd enjoyed as a teenager- you know what I mean... the place where it's safe to dream and write in your journal about your hearts deepest desires- where your mind and spirit are free to roam and adventure and you don't have to answer to anyone else. So here we go!

 Nothing beats wearing a bowtie while you're crafting ;)

Supplies:
-wooden frame; any size you like. You won't need the glass or the backing so don't spend lots of money on an expensive frame. Check out dollar stores, garage sales, flea markets, and second hand stores like Value Village or a Salvation Army. *The thicker the frame is the better so you have some flex room with your aluminum mesh and won't have to worry about any of your screws going right through the wood*
-crafters acrylic paint and a brush or spray paint if you want to co-ordinate the frame with your room, etc. Mine was already gold.
-small screw hooks, I used 5 along the bottom for my necklaces
-2 small closed loop screws (to hang the frame)
-aluminum mesh/screen, of dimensions a little larger than your frame
-staple gun
-wire cutters or strong exacto knife (the dude at the hardware cut my section with an exacto knife)

Time Required:
About 20 minutes to put it all together, and then it took me around a half hour to get my jewellery transferred on to it. Don't forget to include drying time if you choose to paint your frame.

What to do:
1. Measure the size of the frame around the outside perimeter and cut your aluminum mesh to approximately that size.
2. If you want to paint your frame, this is the time to do it! Let it dry completely, according to instructions on your paint or spray paint.
3. Starting at a corner, use the staple gun to attach the aluminum mesh to the back of the frame. Make sure the mesh is taught, you don't want any big folds showing up in the middle.

I'm screwing in the necklace hooks!

4. Once the mesh is attached, screw in the hooks that you want for your necklaces along the bottom of the frame. You can screw them so that they are pointing down, or so that they are at  right angle to the frame and pointing outwards. Mine point down because there was a stylish bump around the front of the frame. Space them equally, whether you are using, 2, 3, or 5.
5. Add the two closed loop screws to the top of the frame, to use to hang it on your wall. When you're ready to hang it, you can either put hooks in  your wall, small nails, or even a length of wire between the two loops to hang it from the center.
6. Hang it on the wall and add your jewellery!

*Maria

Pinterest Pleasures

I live in an area that enjoys all seasons and most standard weather types that go along with it. We had a wicked thunderstorm last night that came along with tornado warnings, and I woke to a lot of debris in the streets and many downed trees. So today I thought I'd share with you some tranquil places that I would have loved to have woken up in this morning. Enjoy!

*sigh* wishful thinking! Happy Wednesday!

*Maria

What About Today?

Some of you may have noticed that nothing has been posted here in a while. For this, and the lack of explanation I sincerely apologize. So I thought I'd provide that now.

In April I applied to a self-employment program offered by the government and administered by regional business centers. It has pretty strict restrictions about qualifications and disqualifications, and to get in one of the main things is not having done anything in the way of starting a business yet. So after I applied, I stopped listing new items in my etsy shop, put my blog posts on hold, and stopped giving updates on my facebook fanpage. I was thisclose to getting into the program, but in the end the presence of an etsy shop with sales disqualified me. :(

During the time that I was going through all of this, I was also reviewing just what it is that I'm trying to do with February Jones, got a part-time job, starting taking my step-daughter to her first season of house league soccer games and practices, began planning my life over the next few months because my fiancee will begin collecting employment insurance and using the next year to plan out his dreams and fins something that he loves to do... So as it turns out, I really needed that time-out to prepare for more changes that are on their way in my life.

Some people are completely paralyzed by the prospect of living a life with less security- no drug or dental plans, no mainstream career path, no regular 9-5 job, and a fluctuating income. But I think that sometimes people put too much emphasis on working away their hours and days just so that they can have a safety net for the future. What about today? What's the point in ensuring that your future is taken care of if you don't ever get the opportunity to enjoy the present moment in which you find yourself? There's nothing wrong with eschewing an all-work-and-no-play career path in favor of working at your local coffee shop, or in my case local lighting fixture store. It means that I have a low pressure flexible job that provides me with the mental serenity to continue exploring my interests and developing those passions which make me truly come alive. And that's what life is about... Living.

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today."

-The Buddha

Invest in your todays so that you have something worthwhile to bring into your tomorrows.

I live each day with heart and enthusiasm and my hours are filled with laughter, love, smiles, and passion. When I go to bed exhausted it is because I have worked hard day following a dream that makes me feel fulfilled, or because I have been busy all day making sure that my family has what it needs to be a happy one (whether that entails slicing up a massive watermelon, scrubbing the kitchen floors, hanging the laundry out to dry, or planning out our expenses so that we can afford a day trip to take 11-year-old Abigail somewhere she's never been before).

A happy life requires more than just money and 2 weeks of vacation to recharge. I encourage you to find more ways to ensure your enjoyment of life in the the present, and I hope you'll stop by the blog every now and then to peek in on my adventures. What do you do to make sure that you enjoy and invest in your todays? I'd love to hear about it in the comments :)

*Maria