Bloomin' Philly

Possible exciting news…

Also, this Summer crafting may be even easier for us… 

Because Katie got accept to an internship in Jersey! Which is less than two hours from me, which means I can see pretty much every weekened….

2 hours is waaaay better than 12, my friends. :D

Coasters!

Katie and I finally, finally…. after months of saying that we were going to skype and do a craft together, DID IT. 

It doesn’t help that I have a full time job plus lots of side things going on and that she has two jobs and goes to school full time. We want to make time but it’s not always possible. 

Making coasters is super simple. 

You need: 

Mod Podge 

Felt 

Hot Glue Gun 

A paint brush or applicator (for mod podge) 

Tiles (4x4 ceramic, super cheap at any home goods store) 

Prints: Scrapbooking paper, or any photo or theme for your coaster

Then all you do is coat your paper with mod podge and place is on the tile and make sure it’s smoothed out with no bubble, and then put three layers over top covering the entire tile to seal it. 

Cut your felt into fours and hot glue a piece to the bottom of the tile to prevent the tile from scratching your table. 

This is a fun, easy craft and makes for an enjoyable evening with a glass of wine chattin with your old friend… and of course a great gift! 

Alright folks, I’m new with all of this so bear with me :)

I’m so giddy with excitement over this new special way of spending time with Shazana!  We spent our first Skype session drinking tea, chatting away like two old hens, and setting up my twitter account which was an absolute blast. I can’t wait for the many more fun times that are sure to follow!

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately and with the beginning of this New Year, I figure what better time than now to make some much needed changes in my life. 2010 was a complete roller coaster ride. It was filled with a handful of happy moments mixed in with a lot of heartache, hurt, and loss.  I’ve learned more about myself in this past year than I ever could have imagined. I’ve grown truer to myself, my beliefs, and my values.  Most importantly of all, I’ve learned just how special close family ties and honest, true friendships are and will always be. 

I’ve decided to celebrate this new year by making my own little list of priorities and goals that I would like to accomplish throughout this year.  Crafting, hiking, and chasing thrills are exactly the kinds of activities that I hope to spend this next year doing. I’ve decided that it is finally time to say “so long” to my heartache and instead focus my time and energy on crafting instead.   Life is too short and too precious to not be living and loving every moment and opportunity that comes my way.

Crafting is simple and mindless as well as exciting and challenging.  There is nothing better than the self-satisfaction of holding a finished product in your own two hands and knowing that you created something amazing and unique all on your own.  My current projects have included knitting headbands, crocheting slippers, making jewelry, and much, much, MUCH more. 

Things that I’ve learned from my recent crafting experiences:

·         Crafting can lead to sticky situations much like relationships can as well.  Word to the wise, be careful with the super glue. It is an incredibly terrifying moment, when you suddenly realize that you have super glued your fingers together and/or to your craft.

·         The joy received from giving away your homemade crafts is way more fun and thrilling than you could ever imagine.

·         Crafting is a wonderful way to keep busy. When dealing with heartache, it is good to keep your mind pre-occupied with happy and healthy activities. 

·         Practice runs are always helpful. As much as you’d like to hope that things are going to work out awesome on the first try, they rarely ever do. Practice makes perfect. (This little tid-bit applies to both crafts and relationships.)

Tomorrow night Shazana and I will be having our first Skype/crafting session.  Blogs posts and pictures will be sure to follow. GETTTTTT READY FOR IT!

Till next time,

        Katie

Update

Katie and I are going to have our first craft session on Wednesday. Really excited! 

She is also making me some surprise but won’t tell me what it is even though I told her that she should take pictures and make a blog posting out of it…. but she was on to me and figured I just wanted to know what my surprise was… she’s right :) 

I’ve also purchased a few canvases so I can keep myself busy during these terribly cold and icy and snowy days that January has been graciously giving us. 

Tonight I’m making a huge pot of my famous Chicken and Dumpling soup, I can’t wait because it’s really going to hit the spot tonight :) 

I’ll post the recipe for it later because it’s stuck in my head and I need to write it down as I cook. 

It’s super simple and delicious and I’ll also post some pics as well. 

Ta-ta! 

Great Ways to Stay Busy in the Winter

I’ve had a bout of cabin fever lately with all the snow and unbearable cold weather. 

To keep myself busy I’ve been painting and crafting and redecorating. 

What do you do to stay busy in the winter? 

Joining a gym is always great because we don’t have the luxury of working out in the sunshine riding bikes or taking walks because the bitter cold makes it so much easier to stay glued to the couch… 

Reading, learning to cook new recipes, taking up new hobbies (i.e. belly dance and the ukulele) 

Find your passion. Don’t let the lack of sunlight get you down! 

Start a book club, or a film club, or any kind of club that meets once a week so you can keep in touch with all of your friends that are most likely also suffering from cabin fever (scientific name: Cabineous Feverousesness)

Don’t worry Spring is right around the corner. 

This next week I’ll be rearranging my apartment, hanging up new art, changing around the curtains, sometimes a little change like that can brighten up the coldest winter days. 

Don’t forget to make sure you have a hot cup of cocoa or the tea kettle on during your activities to keep your warm and toasty. 

Good luck!

<3

Shaz