Gift Wrapping tips for terrible wrappers. A pleated and ribbon wrapped gift

I don’t like to admit it but I have never been very good at wrapping gifts. Most of the time, you could count yourself lucky if your gift was wrapped in one continuous piece of paper rather then a patchwork collection because I sized things wrong. Yes, I was that terrible at it. If I did size things properly then the corners always ended up bunched and bulky looking. Enough was enough! This year I sat down and studied some gift wrapping tips with the intent of attempting to learn how to gift wrap properly. Was I successful?  To some degree! It turns out that giftRead More →

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the benefits of starting a gratitude journal or jar

We all know the benefits that come from keeping a journal or following a planner when it comes to achieving goals. Writing things down truly has the power to influence our likelihood when it comes to getting things done! Part of it is the satisfaction that we get when we mark things off as completed and part of it is just the way our brains work. By writing things down we are telling ourselves that this is important and we want to remember it! This keeps our goals at the forefront of our minds throughout the day. But what if we want to remember more thenRead More →

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face painting tips for halloween

It’s no secret that I love working on art projects! Oil painting has been a love of mine for a while and my foray into pour painting was great fun as well! It seemed only natural that I have some face painting fun come Halloween and while I have done some face painting in the past I have gone out of my way this year to try a different type of paint and some new techniques! This makes it worthy of a Learn Something New article for face painting tips in my opinion! My kids love going out on Halloween with face paint. Not onlyRead More →

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A set of plaques for hanging medals done using my pyrography tips for beginners

Pyrography is one of those hobbies that I have watched others try with a wistful expression. I wanted to create beautiful signs and fill my house with rustic wood-burned images. I don’t know exactly why, but its also something that I never got around to trying. Instagram and Pinterest are loaded with beautiful creations made by artists who swear it’s not as hard as it looks and yet here I was. A Wood burning virgin. Terrible right? I thought so and if this blog has been good for anything it’s pretty great for pushing me to try new things. This month I finally took theRead More →

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should runners be strength training? #running #weights #exercise #fitness #healthy #healthylife #activelife

Strength training is something that I have been neglecting but as I progress with running it’s also something that has started entering my mind more and more. Should runners be strength training? Honestly, after doing some research it seems like we should be. Although some runners shy away from the prospect of strength training, afraid that too much bulky muscle might slow them down this is probably more of a myth than reality. It would be extremely difficult for a long distance runner to become muscle bound enough that it affected their running. I admit that I have always been slightly against the idea ofRead More →

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design your own earrings header

I have a confession to make. When I was younger I had my ears pierced. But, somewhere along the way I let them grow in and now I am far to chicken to get them re-pierced. This never used to bother me because I rarely wore makeup or earrings. However, part of the positive changes I have been making in my life includes feeling good about myself. It turns out that I like feeling pretty and I have discovered a love for fun earrings. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to make many cute clip-on earrings so what’s a girl to do? The obvious answer is to designRead More →

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Diamond Dot Painting

Diamond dot painting is a new trend that’s been going around. Or at least I hadn’t heard of it until a fellow blogger (@KissedDaisy from Fairy Kissed Daisy) mentioned it on twitter and shortly afterward my mother mentioned it in a phone call. At this point, I knew I had to give it a try. Diamond dot painting seemed like the perfect addition to my monthly learn something new feature. If you have ever done a paint by number and enjoyed it then you will like diamond dot painting. I happened to love doing paint by numbers as a teen. Diamond dot painting is simple, fairly cheapRead More →

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faux stained glass

Stained Glass has been one of those artsy projects I have wanted to try my entire life. Of course, it’s not exactly something that you can do from home. At least not my home. I have neither the tools or the space to figure out how to cut glass. Never mind the leading! Imagine how happy I was to learn that I could make faux stained glass! It might not be real stained glass but I wanted to give it a try anyway! Sometimes when you try new projects things go as planned, other times there are challenges. Faux stained glass turned out to beRead More →

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macrame wall art header

When I started this blog I had no idea the directions it would take me. I have always been interested in art, crafts and DIY projects. But my knowledge was limited to the basics – reading, writing, drawing. Now don’t get me wrong, I adore those basics, but this monthly feature has really opened my eyes. There are so many fun and exciting projects out there waiting to be attempted! I certainly promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle as a part of becoming a healthier happier you. But I feel its also necessary to feed our souls and our minds. Trying something new orRead More →

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acrylic pouring

Almost a year ago I was given three large panel canvas. The idea was to create a unique piece of artwork for our living room. Rather than being used, however, they have been sitting and gathering dust. Why? Because I couldn’t come up with something I wanted to paint on them. Finishing this painting is one of my year-end goals! I really want to get it done. We considered scenes from places we have been, I considered Star Wars – because I always consider painting Star Wars! I even considered attempting portraits but that seemed crazy given my current art skills. That’s when I ranRead More →

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