Two Book Recommendations, Decoupage

Just this summer, I finally read, "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. It's a FANTASTIC book and I can't believe I've waited so long to read it. I won't be giving too much away by mentioning that the plot revolves around a circus. Reading it lead me to re-read a favorite of mine, that is also circus themed, "Wonder When You'll Miss Me" by Amanda Davis. I highly recommend both. So I happened to be at Micheal's the other day, shopping for scrapbooking paper (and no, I'm not a scrapbooker, but am a little obsessed with papers-you should see my notebook collection-and have recently taken up decoupaging) and came across a circus print!! It immediately made me think of these books, but then I put it back, telling myself that the last thing I possibly need is more paper. But before leaving the aisle, saw it again and told myself I could have it (especially given that we're talking about .69 a sheet, not a huge expense), but I had to actually DO something with it. So, this is what I came up with. I had bought this little galvanized bucket over the summer, fully intending to put a plant in it. But when I got it home, realized that it was much to small. It's just been sitting there on my window sill for months. I decoupaged it with my pretty circus print (and a sheet of a coordinating print) and now I have a new little pot.... Think I'll use it in my kitchen for a pen holder.

If you haven't tried decoupage, you must! It's such a quick (if you don't consider the drying time), easy (if you have the patience for cutting) and satisfying project. Messy, too. I don't mind it, but I wouldn't recommend that you do with with, say, freshly manicured nails. I've even recently come across a blog entirely dedicated to Mod Podge (a decoupage medium), Mod Podge Rocks. I will caution you, after you've completed your first decoupage project, you start feeling compelled to cover everything you own in paper.

**Decoupage tip: I've discovered that covering your work surface with wax paper keeps everything clean and your project will not tend to stick wax paper as it would to, say newspaper. Wax paper will also keep your project clean (as opposed to newspaper). That Mod Podge...it shows EVERYTHING.