Rise Above the Little Things

“One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: to rise above the little things.”
- John Burroughs

I love great quotes.  I have notebooks full of them. A whole pinterest board dedicated to them.  And spout them off to people whenever I see fit.  This one is pretty simple, but meaningful enough to me, stitch down and frame. I had embroidered this little saying a few months ago and finally got around to adding the little bunting across the top.  (I just cut out triangles and sewed them on with my sewing machine.  Nothing fancy.)  I hung this in my workspace this week.   A simple embroidery project, serves as a great reminder.

Stenciled Fabric: Summer Tote!

Earlier this week, I stenciled some fabric.  And what do I do when I have some extra fabric around?  I make a tote!  For the tote, I used this tutorial from Megan Nielson Design Diary.  Very quick and easy.  I did add a lining for stability and a pocket for my phones.  I've been carrying it all week to work.  I love the sunny yellow print, perfect for summer!

Printing Fabric: Stenciling

I bought this craft kit, Lotta's Printing Studio, several months ago at Nordstrom Rack, of all places.  Written by Lotta Jansdotter, a popular textile designer.  It was only about $5.00.  It contains about 5 stencils, linoleum cutting tools, a couple of sponges and a small instruction book.  Today, I gave fabric stenciling a shot.

The stencils in the kit, unfortunately were made of paper.  So, they really couldn't be used over and over again.  So...

 I used this paper stencil to cut a stencil out of acetate.  I purchased the acetate in the "stencil" aisle of the craft store.  About $3 for three sheets and easily cut with an xacto knife.

 I had a few bottles of fabric paint on hand.  Also purchased at the craft store.

 I applied the paint with a couple of different tools.  I tried a stencil "brush".

 And I tried the sponge that came with the kit.

 Here's my palette.  I usually just use a paper plate when painting.

And the outcome!  Turned out pretty well.  I think I liked using the brush better than the sponge.  Yet another quick and easy project.  I can see how you could produce prints very quickly.  This would be a great avenue to produce items for a craft show or something like that.  Stay tuned for a future project using these prints.

Owl #2 (Embracing the Neon Trend)

Last month, I bought a creepy owl at a flea market and turned into an adorable knick-knack.  This past weekend, I found this little owl and while he was pretty cute as is, knew that he would make a wonderful addition to my owl collection.  (I've been wanting to collect something for quite a while now.  Perhaps this is it!)  So, I decided to give him a couple of coats of neon pink paint (neon is all the rage these days).  It took about 4 coats of paint.
I used this "Sizzling Pink" neon paint by Americana and applied the paint with a sponge stencil "brush".  It really helps lay the paint onto a rough and uneven surface like this little guy.

The finished product!!  

(Neon does not photograph well, this picture does not do him justice.  Much cuter in person!)

Summer Statement Necklace

I have not tried a tutorial around these parts for a while, but when I saw Making It Lovely's post on a Statement Necklace, I knew it would be my next attempt.  (In an effort to give all credit it's due, the author of the tutorial writes her own blog at For the Love Of...)  I purchased all of the supplies at Michaels but have to admit that I went to three area locations to actually find these specific beads.  And then could only find them in one size (it is suggested to use three different sizes).  I bought 4 strands of the bead as well as all of the findings and chain for about $15.  It took me one evening of television watching to complete.  I love the way it turned out!  I can see this becoming my new summer statement necklace!

Flea Market Finds from the Funky Flea

On Saturday morning, I went to the Funky Flea!  It's an annual flea market at a shop called The Pink Cabbage in Ellicott City, MD, benefitting the American Cancer Society.  I went with my friend, Heather.  She purchased the first item pictured below and perhaps the best pick of the day!  When I saw this vintage doll house for $5, I knew we could not pass it up!  But I really don't have the room for it.  Luckily, Heather did!  Not sure what she'll do with it, but so happy that we didn't leave it behind!  I am so in love with it!

 Since I am a former St Louisan, I could not pass up this adorable little Spirit of St Louis mug.  

 I love old maps.  This one was in pristine condition!

 Apparently, I also love owls.  How many items do you need to have for it to count as a collection?  I bought one a couple of months ago and turned it into a fun little turquoise knick-knack.  I couldn't pass this little guy up.  Stay tuned for his make over!

I also picked up these two little punches.  I have a project planned for the bow punch.  I had been on the hunt for one of these and couldn't pass this one up for only .50!!

I also purchased this little frame.  So cute and only $1!

And finally, my favorite pick of the day.  Purchased at an antique mall in downtown Ellicott City.  Only $5!  No idea what I'm going to do with it.  But loved it!

Nicaragua. Part 2. (of 2)

 We worked most of the time we were in Nicaragua.  But we left a couple of hours early on our last full day in the office and headed out to do a few tourist activities.  We were in Tipitapa (where the factory was located) and we headed to Mombacho Volcano Natural Park.  Mombacho is an extinct volcano that is now overgrown with vegetation, 50 species of mammals, 174 species of birds, 30 of reptiles and 750 species of flora.  In order to reach to top of Mombacho, you had to have a 4x4 vehicle (we were in a Jeep) and they even checked to make sure that we had enough fuel!  It was a challenging climb up to the top, at times the road was at least 45 degrees. On the way up we heard monkeys (unfortunately, didn't see any), saw lots of butterflies, flowers and birds, as well as some coffee plantations.  The view from the top was amazing!  These pictures do not do the view justice.  It was cool and breezy (a welcome change from the 100 degree heat!) and you could see Granada and Lake Nicaragua from the top.  

This is what got us to the top of the volcano!

Peering into the volcano.  

The view!

On the way down, we stopped at a local coffee plantation's shop for some coffee.  I'm saving my purchase for my coffee loving mom and her husband, but it smells amazing!  After we surpassed the difficult terrain, it started to get dark.  It was impossible to take pictures of this, but the fireflies started to appear.  There were  millions in the fields!  I can't even express how beautiful it was. I have always loved and been mesmerized by fireflies and seeing this many in one place, is something I will never forget!   Simply magical.

A Nicaraguan sunset.

From Mombacho, we headed to Granada.  (About 10 km away.)  Unfortunately, it was at night time and rather dark, but I could still see how charming this town was!  It's the oldest european-founded city in Central America (founded in 1524) and the 2nd oldest city in Central America!  We visited the Cathedral of Granada.  It was a night, so I only have pictures of the inside, it was so beautiful!  I love color and this church had a lot of it.  

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Beautiful tile floor.  

After visiting the church, we stopped for a quick dinner before heading back to Managua.  We had an early flight in the morning.  Here are a few pictures of the street, around the square.  

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I read about Nicaragua before traveling there.  I read that it was a frustrating, bewildering and most difficult to navigate location in Central America.  While that may be true, it was so much more than that.  Beautiful landscapes, beatiful people.  This is what I will remember.