Crafty Moments: Baked Sharpie Mug

I have this thing where I automatically assume I’m going to be bad at something and avoid doing it. It’s really silly.
Here’s an example: I used to hate going bowling because, every time I went bowling, I would end up throwing gutter balls left and right. I found it very discouraging and decided it would be better if I just didn’t do it at all. But I got sick of sitting on the sidelines or feeling sorry for myself, and asked for a little help. The problem was me. Not my bowling skills per se, but my mentality. If I think I suck, I suck.
Like with anything else. Think on the negative side, and you’ll feel negative.
I realized I had to take my time if I wanted to get better at the game. I’d have to pick the right ball, take aim, and take my time. I’m not saying I never get gutter balls anymore (I most definitely still do), but I have broken 100 a few times, had a fair share of strikes, and now the only reason I’d turn down a night of bowling is if I already have plans. It’s just too much fun.

The reason I’m telling this story is because I’ve always felt that my sister got the crafty genes and I didn’t.
It’s 100% true true TRUE that my sister is amazingly creative. She taught herself to knit/crochet using YouTube videos, she’s always been an excellent drawer/painter, and she just has a hands-on mentality. But thanks to some of my favorite blogs and Pinterest, I realized I wanted to be crafty too! It’s fun to be hands-on, to get a little messy, and to take something simple and turn it into something special.

I don’t know if it’s the time of year or just the fact that so many amazing crafts catch my eye on the interweb, but last week I went to
Hobby Lobby (a store recently opened a little while away) and found myself wanting to try so many different projects. I grabbed a couple of things I will try and use in the near future (and hopefully they will turn out well!), but I decided to settle on a simple project to start, an idea I got from one of my favorite blogs, A Beautiful Mess, who’s directions I also followed.

I’m not going to lie, my mug didn’t turn out too successful. This was the before. Perhaps my first mistake was not using actual Sharpie brand markers. Regardless, these are still permanent markers. And I know this because I got the blanket I was working on dirty and it didn’t want to come out, haha. I didn’t realize it didn’t work to my advantage until after I had already baked the mug and went to wash any residue off of it.

Still, here’s what I did.

I made this mug for Brad, so I took a lyric from a song he once played for me to make it special.
Then I played around with some trim and design.

Even though it ended up rubbing off a bit, I still loved making this project, and Brad liked it too! So bonus!
Still, I would love to make something and actually have it last. So next time, I’ll either try some strong Sharpies, or I might go ahead and buy the special markers. Still, I have a few other projects in mind. I just wanted to share my little attempt.

A Wedding Weekend

As expected, this long weekend (I didn’t have to work today, Columbus Day) was pretty beautiful. Shawn and Rebecca had a gorgeous ceremony and reception. Rebecca is a personal hero of mine for putting together such a wonderful wedding with lots of cute personal touches. I’m so happy I got to be a part of some of the moments leading up to the special day, from the bachelor party to the little photo/program meetings between them and Brad (he did such a great job, no surprise there). So I was so happy to see the end result, watch them get married, and cry way more than I expected to at a Best Man speech. Here are the photos I took via Instagram.

1 wedding down, 1 more to go for the year! 3 weddings in one year is the most I’ve done so far in my life, and I have a feeling it’s just beginning. But it’s exciting, and it’s so much fun to witness two people in love come together and begin to build a new family.

Bits and Pieces of the Week.

In Bleubird fashion, I thought I would share some bits and pieces of this past week.
I can’t believe the first week of October is coming to a close. But it was a really great week. It went by so fast!
And to top it off, we have a great weekend ahead. Brad’s cousin Shawn is getting married to the sweetest little lady and I’m so excited to be there and celebrate it with them! I have seen little glimpses into the wedding prep and I just know it’s going to be lovely.
Can’t wait to share pictures with you later. For now, here’s a glimpse at the past week.

The Oatmeal Cookie Crunch candle I’ve been burning all week.
A quick walk in the rain.
Delicious pumpkin spice cupcakes from my favorite spot, Canteen 900.
A new corkscrew and some super sweet wine from the Finger Lakes.
Multi-colored, fiery leaves. It really is Fall around here.

Have an awesome weekend, guys!

Recent Reads: Little Bee

I remember the first time I heard someone talk about Little Bee. I was sure the woman was talking about a children’s book (especially since she said she was reading it because it was her granddaughter’s favorite). I forgot about it for a while, but then I saw it at Target and read the back to see what it was all about. This is what I was greeted with:

“We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn't. And it's what happens afterward that is most important. Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either.
The magic is in how it unfolds.”

As intended, my interest was immediately piqued.
It took me a while to get around to reading it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to, if it was going to be worth it since they felt the need to hype it and be secretive as a means of promotion. Eventually, while perusing a used book store, I came across a mint condition copy and I just had to get it. It stayed in my pile for a month or so, and I finally got down to reading it last week.

I hate to repeat the quote above, but it’s true. Not knowing what was going to happen makes it that much more special (I don’t like spoilers of any kind with my TV shows, movies, or books). But I still want to tell you what I thought about it.
Much like my little review of Gone Girl, in which I made sure to share as little as possible.

The only thing those two books have in common is that we are guided by two different narrators, Little Bee and Sarah, who take turns by chapter to explain their lives and their stories. It made their story and their connection that much more compelling. I like the idea of alternating narrators, and I love how it works to make us feel anger, betrayal, love, and faith in the other characters through different eyes. This device has been used in a few books I’ve read, and I’ve enjoyed it every single time.

There isn’t a second of Little Bee that I found predictable or boring. I was consistently entertained throughout.
And considering Chris Cleave is a white British male, he portrays the voices of two completely different females (one a 16 year old African girl, the other a 32 British mom and working woman) very delicately and beautifully. I imagine it would be hard enough writing about a culture you aren’t a part of and have to do research on, but to do that and use the voice of the opposite sex is, as Little Bee would say, a good trick.

I would definitely recommend this book.
For a book that’s under 300 pages long, it manages to be touching, thought-provoking, and absolutely beautiful.

(If this helps, it was originally printed in the UK with the title The Other Hand.)

A Look Inside My Nail Polish Addiction

If you read my blog regularly/follow my Instagram/know me, you will have come to find that I have an obsession with nail polish.
It started last year around this time. I never used to paint my nails, but Sally Hansen nail polish strips and a discovery of nail art and techniques that stray from a simple one color nail changed that for me. Now, it’s become a weekly necessity to paint my nails, to challenge myself with new designs I find online, magazines, or concoct in my brain. It’s one of the few ways I feel I can creatively express myself since I currently work a job that requires a glorified uniform. I have so much fun (okay, sometimes it’s really frustrating) testing myself.

And don’t even get me started on my need to hop on OPI collections as soon as they come out. Skyfall, I’m waiting for you!

Over the next little while, I want to share with you a glimpse inside my collection, my favorite polishes and tools, some places I find inspiration, and a general look at why I love nail polish and how much it has infested my life. But in a good way.

I created this silly little GIF to give you an idea of what my collection looks like. I also wanted to show off my cute Lazy Susan that I use to organize and hold my favorite polishes. You have Brad to thank for this piece. He completely surprised me last Christmas by giving me this handmade gift that has become a necessary piece on my dresser. One day, I’d love to get a couple of clear plastic shelves like they have at the salons to display my polishes in a more organized fashion. I still love this piece, though. I really need to decorate it…he left it white for that simple reason, and I’ve put it off. The most important thing is that it’s being put to a lot of use.

This is what it looks like stationary and from above. You can already see I love my OPI. But I’m not biased.

I can’t wait to share more of my obsession with you readers!

Oktoberfest

This past Saturday, I had a lovely evening with my dad, sister, Josh, and Brad at the Berwick Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest. It is not comparable by any means to the massive Oktoberfest that just occurred at the casino a couple of weeks ago…but it was so much fun.

My dad works in Berwick, and that’s how I got familiar with Berwick Brewing Company. They make and serve all their own beers. To top it off, they also make amazing pizza. We split 3 pies of Curd and Jäger (as in landjäger sausage) pizza, and it was to die for. Mmm.
The beer was great, too! I think it’s important to drink locally and explore what your area has to offer.
Just like with my love for Stegmaier (Hello, Lionshead and Pumpkin Ale!).

The best part was sitting in the biergarten with people I love so much, my family and my man.
It was a beautiful fall evening, with great food, beer, and jazzy music.

September Photo a Day Challenge: Completed

Wow, guys. I love putting these challenges together at the end/beginning of the month, but it seems to happen all too quickly. It’s OCTOBER.
And this month is a busy one. I have two Saturday weddings and, when I’m not at those, I’ll be working. It’s going to be exhausting.
But fun, at least!

Here’s the Fat Mum Slim challenge list for September.

 

1. For my You,Now, I shared this picture of me eating a sandwich in bed. Hangover recovery.
2. I bought Rogue’s Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale at the same place as my father. Still haven’t opened mine. Nervous.
3. Walking towards an Italian Food Festival that seemed far away.
4. There wasn’t anything fun in my mailbox on that day.
5. There was a very bright sock monkey at the store and it made me smile.
6. I make sure to have a book on hand every day. And it just so happened that I had just finished the book Every Day by David Levithan.
7. The OPI polish “Just Spotted the Lizard” from the Spider-Man collection is anything but natural.
8. At night, Brad and I spent time with his cousin and his fiancée with wedding things (the ceremony is this Saturday already!).
9. Enjoying a drink and a cigar and always canoodling with my boyfriend are things I do most weekends.
10. A sweet black and white photo of my cousin’s baby son, Niall. LOOK AT THOSE CHEEKS.
11. Remembering all the heroes who sacrificed their lives and safety on 9/11/01.
12. Cali and I together and actually getting along for once.
13. Put breakfast for dinner on the table that evening.
14. My favorite boy and I on the road to upstate NY for wine country bachelor(ette) party!
15. White hotel comforter and sheets were the first things I saw in the morning while away.
16. There are lots of strange things in the backseat of my car. And it’s a mess. Ew.
17. I keep a few coffee creamers and beverages in Brad’s fridge (I don’t really have my own).
18. This was the price of two days worth of soup and yogurt for lunch at work.
19. Enjoying some yummy ice cream underneath my cozy Slanket.
20. “Manmade” corn muffins from a box of Jiffy.
21. Sometimes I take the time to put on a nice outfit, some makeup, and hit the town.
22. Waking myself up with some coffee.
23. Before bedtime, I like to read a little, enjoy a glass of water, and light a scented candle.
24. 3 things in this salad. Croutons, fresh grated parmesan cheese, and Caesar dressing.
25. A photo from my trip to London in 2008 in a polka dot frame.
26. Fall foliage is near.
27. Love that fall is here, hate that eventually all of the leaves will be off the trees and winter will arrive.
28. Falling asleep early is a good thing for me.
29. No errands to run. Just enjoying some coffee and reading.
30. Me, then. I had very short hair in 2008.

And, as always, I’ll be starting October’s Photo a Day challenge today!