Let's Fly Away

Wow, I just saw that the Pinterest Challenge post had over 300 views. How exciting! If you found this blog through the Challenge, and decided to come back and read again - thanks! I am still checking out all of the other projects that fellow pinners did. And of course trying to figure out what to DIY next....

Anyway, I am sort of a terrible gift giver.

In fact, most of the time, I do not get people birthday gifts anywhere near their actual birthday. Most often, they get them about 2-3 months later (okay sometimes more like six). They are also usually not wrapped, but rather, held behind my back and then handed over with a dramatic, "TA DA!" Does anyone else have this problem?

I have such an admiration of folks who are good at giving gifts. And so I was so totally blown away by the Mother's Day gift that Bethany from Rinse. Repeat. shared on her blog. She always has the most thoughtful ideas, and this one was so good, that I had to copy it. I hope she doesn't mind! (I know I'm not the first to copy one of her ideas...her bridesmaid boxes have ended up on tons of wedding web sites, and I keep seeing them pinned all over Pinterest).

You see, my original plan for Chris' birthday, which was June 23rd, was to take him to Door County for the weekend (which I have since told him). I'm all about experiences, rather than gifts, especially since he is hard to shop for. Unfortunately, I procrastinated and missed the window for getting an affordable hotel, and then he wasn't able to take off work. So instead we had a weekend of adventures in Milwaukee, including running the 5K. And I gave him a t-shirt. Nothing fancy.

So when I saw Bethany's gift, I knew that getting him a passport would be a great option. I had actually considered it for a gift awhile back, but wasn't really sure how to execute it, without just giving him an envelope of cash. Plus I was fairly cash poor at the time. But this time, I was able to put something together that I am really excited about. And can give him a proper gift, more fitting for a major birthday. Here is my finished product:

The envelope included:

• A passport application (plus instructions...gotta make this as easy as possible).
• This awesome passport cover from ideaka's shop on Etsy.
• The money to cover the application costs.
• A map of Europe - since our likely first trip together will be to Ireland and London. Woo! (Since it was just a sad printout from a teacher web site, I jazzed it up a bit by adding some colorful thread going from country to country...embroidery is clearly not one of my skills, especially on cardstock). 

Now he just needs to apply and we need to start planning/saving for a trip!

Oh, and I probably should renew my own passport...

Homemade Gifts 2011: Etched Initial Jar

I decided to stick with the initial theme this year for my sister, and crafted another project - this cute initial jar!

I had seen the process for etching your own glass on Young House Love. They did this cute project last Thanksgiving, and I thought: Hey, I could do that!

I started by purchasing a lidded jar from Target for just $6. I thought it would be great for the kitchen, bathroom...really anywhere!

I then purchased a jar of Armor Etch from Michael's. It is not exactly cheap, but it will last forever.

I also bought some of the big sheets of duct tape (awesome invention!). I couldn't find contact paper or the specific stencils that are suggested by the brand, so this seemed like a good alternative to create my own stencil.

I then went on the computer and printed off a lowercase "r". I looked through a bunch of different fonts, but ultimately decided that the Times New Roman was the cutest, with the serif. I sized it up to just fit the jar, leaving enough of an edge.

Next I cut out the "r" and traced it onto the duct tape sheet using a Sharpie.

Then I carefully cut out the duct tape stencil with a craft knife. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.

Then I applied the duct tape to the jar, keeping it as straight as I could. I pressed it down as tightly as I could, so that the cream wouldn't ooze through.

I painted the cream on, being very careful not to get it on anything else. Newspaper underneath is a must!

The jar gives some time specifications for how long the cream should be on, but I wasn't really sure for the duct tape, so I sort of winged it, per John and Sherry's instructions. I initially washed it off, but decided it needed a little more time and did a second coat.

Unfortunately, a few of the edges didn't stay as strong as it hoped, and so it's definitely homemade looking, but that's okay!

After washing and drying, I just added a fun ribbon.

Cute, right?

Homemade Gifts 2011: Initial Letters

Now that the gifts have been given, I thought I'd share the details on the ones I made.

Last year, I made my mom some big initial letters to go in her kitchen. I picked the paper because it reminded me of vintage aprons. My sister moved into a new apartment last August, and had been asking for some of her own. Perfect Christmas present for her for this year.

I headed over to Michael's, and picked up some cheap wooden letters. These were slightly different than the cardboard ones I had purchased at Hobby Lobby for my mom's (and a set I made for myself). I was actually really excited about these because they were already painted white, which meant less work on my part than the cardboard ones. And they are a bit smaller, which I thought would keep it flexible, in case she wanted to take them to her office.

I also picked out some cute craft paper to use. The colors reminded me of some flowery tops that she likes to wear. The nice part about the Basic Grey craft paper line (my absolute favorite) is that the sheets are double-sided, two fun patterns in one!

I then used a pencil to trace the letters on the craft paper. I had to go back afterwards and erase the pencil lines that may have ended up on the letters (don't forget this step).

Next I carefully cut out the paper letters, and glued them down.

Ta Da! Cute and quick project. And a great gift!

Happy Birthday to Boo

My fantastic boyfriend celebrated a birthday last month, which prompted a extended hunt for the appropriate gifts. My funds are a little tight right now, which meant that I wasn't going to be able to do anything big. But I definitely wanted to find something special.

I asked him for his input, and he responded by sending me links to a superman t-shirt (he's a big comic book fan), and several pieces of art found on Etsy that paid tribute to his previous home, Providence, Rhode Island.

I've been on kind of an art kick. I hope to someday move beyond apartment decor that consists of posters that I bought in college. And because we are in the process of planning our move together, I would love for our new place to feature things we both love in a wall of photos and art.

I recently framed this cute St. Louis print that I found on Etsy:

(Ignore my reflection in the frame)

In my Etsy search, I stumbled upon the perfect print at ReStudios' shop. 

Not only did I like the idea of word art in the shape of the skyline, but I knew it was perfect when I saw some of Chris' favorite places already in the print. Nick's on Broadway is owned by Chris' fraternity brother and good friend, and was one of the first places that he took me when I first visited him in Providence.

It was definitely a success! He was so excited about the print and had fun finding different places throughout. I can't wait to hang it on our walls - once we figure out where exactly we will be.

Flower Girl

If there is one thing that brightens my day, it is fresh flowers. I am so thankful for having great friends and family that like to send them as gifts. I thought I'd share some of the pictures of my beautiful bouquets.

Sorry about the grainy quality of the photos - most were taken on my iPhone.

I have the best boyfriend. I really do. He is so incredibly sweet and he likes to send me flowers. For special occasions, when I'm having a bad day, and my favorite - the "just because" flowers. I love the multicolored roses. So does my cat - he chewed them all up, so unfortunately they didn't look like this for too long.

I love fresh vibrant colors, so I was so excited to receive the bouquet at my office from the BF. The colors match the yellow accent wall in my office perfectly. I really miss those flowers...they certainly brightened up the place.

Within the same month, I received this bright bouquet from my mom, who also likes to send "just because" flowers. (Don't you love the beading around the vase!) I kept these in the office to keep them away from Bucky, the chomper.

This next gorgeous arrangement arrived last summer after I had a minor surgery. What a fantastic way to say "get well soon." Thankfully my mom was on hand to do the arranging!

What's even better than being sent flowers? Arriving home to find them! After a long weekend of working, I came home to my apartment to find a lovely fall arrangement on the shelf. What a sweetie!

Flowers are a great thank you! One of the student groups that I advise sent this really artistic arrangement following a successful event. Isn't it amazing?! (please ignore the piles of work on my desk...that just shows how hard that I work, right?)

If you haven't sent anyone flowers in awhile, think about doing so. It will really brighten their day!

K

Tis a Gift to Be Simple

I'm approaching a birthday, and received my first gift last week. My mom likes to send me my presents well in advance of my birthday, and she has no problem with the fact that I open them immediately. 

My mom has this knack for keeping birthdays and other celebrations simple but meaningful. She manages to choose cute things, without going over the top. We were never the kids to receive oodles of presents, but we always appreciated the ones that we got. I really appreciate that quality about her, as I see friends' birthdays being overrun with designer bags, jewelry, and other items that just don't seem all that important.

I received two books, one of which I am reading right now. It is called To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal About Us by Sasha Cagen. It is a really cool concept, and it reminds me of one of my favorite web sites that also gives us a peak into other people's lives, Post Secret. Com.

I also got a Ralph Lauren Romance Body Wash - something I was a little surprised by, until I found out that it was marked "free." Apparently I am the only one who had not heard that the major department stores were required to give away millions of dollars in cosmetics. My mom, who is not usually one for free stuff, happened to be in Macy's at the time, and scored a free gift. I think the story behind it makes it a much cooler gift. 

I did receive some birthday money, and decided to treat myself to a watch that I'd been eyeing for some time. Although it was more than I would typically spend on a watch, I felt like it was still a fairly practical gift. I'd like to be able to keep time on my wrist, versus checking the time on my cell phone while in meetings. I think it is a good gift to myself, and one that I was able to check off my list of things that I want (when I actually have the money to pay for them). Next on the list: Electronic Monopoly (yes I'm a board game dork).

My actual birthday is still a week away. I'm not one who really likes to celebrate birthdays. I try to keep them simple and/or avoid them all together. No need for a big fuss. 

On a side note...I have done really well packing my meals lately. Over the past two weeks I have consistently eaten what I brought for lunch (either frozen dinners or leftovers). I've also done fairly well eating breakfast at home, although I have been buying plenty of coffees lately. Dinners have been hit or miss, but I'm definitely working to cut back on the money spent on food.

   

Peace,

K