Photo a Day recap (Days 7 - 13)

Day 7

January 7, 2013

"Favorite"

I like to watch sports - especially football - especially SEC football.  Any guesses on my favorite team ... only the best college football team there is.  And it was proven Monday night when Alabama blew Notre Dame off the field.  It was good for Bama - bad for Notre Dame.  Roll Tide!!  Go Amabala.  I mean Go Alabama - I took the pic in the mirror, thus the backwards lettering :-)

Day 8

January 8, 2013

"Your Sky"

This is the view that I saw when I stepped off the bus Tuesday morning.  Completely perfect for the photo prompt :-)  My friend Dianne wrote a blog post that pretty much sums up the wonders of a pretty sky.  Check it out HERE.

Day 9

January 9, 2013

"Daily Routine"

I wake up  open my eyes,  roll out of bed, shower, start coffee, and drink coffee while I put on make up.  And then I am awake enough to function :-)

Day 10

January 10, 2013

"Childhood"

Do you remember these glasses?  They are from Pizza Hut.  These are not the ones from my childhood, but I have been collecting them over the years and it makes me happy to see them in my pantry.  The most recent addition is the Funshine Bear glass that I found at Goodwill a few weeks ago for $1 - thrift store score!!

Day 11

January 11, 2013

"Where you sleep"

I sleep on a bed that has these really cool ruffle pillow shams.  I happen to have designed and created those awesome ruffle pillow shams all by myself :-)  I actually took a bunch of pictures to post a tutorial. Hmmm, maybe I should write that tutorial someday :-)

Day 12

January 12, 2013

"Close - up"

I pulled out my colored pencils to start my current work in progress project.  I am making a planner because I can't find the design that I like anywhere.  I was inspired by this post by Alisa Burke and set about making my own.  It's about half way done.  Here's a little sneak peak :-)

Day 13

January 13, 2013

"In your bag"

I carry lots of stuff and these are the things that I always have with me:

1.  Kindle:  I love that I can have tons of books with me at all times.  Before my Kindle, I would always carry at least one (usually more) book in my bag.  I love love love that I can have multiple books on one device and it saves my back from carrying around all the weight of a book.  I do miss actual pages sometimes, so I tend to have my Kindle that I read during my commute and a book on my bed stand that I read at night.  Reading is fun :-)

2. Watercolor field kit:  I love this thing.  One of the best buys that I have made.  It has vibrant shades and the brush has a water reservoir that it attaches to, so you don't have to have a cup of water in your possession.  The paint dries pretty quickly too.  I love that I have the option to paint whenever I want to. 

3. Make up bag: pretty self explanatory :-)

4.  iPod:  I like to always have some tunes with me.

5.  Journal:  My journal is not just a place where I write down thoughts.  I paint in my journal and stick random things (like the sticker I got for voting and post its where a cute 4 year old wrote his name for me) in my journal.  I like my journal to be think from paper crinkled with paint and bulk from random items.  So, there is also a rubber band that holds my journal shut tight :-)

Photo a Day challenge recap (Days 2-6)

I am doing a photo a day challenge that I found on Pinterest:

Source: instagr.am via Melany on Pinterest

I thought that I would do a recap of each week here on my blog.  So here it goes:

Day two (because that is when I actually started)

January 2, 2013

"New"

This is a new bowl that I bought at Anthropologie (My favorite store.  I love you Anthro!).  They have had all their clearance marked an additional 30% off.  That sale ended today (sad face).  

Day 3

January 3, 2013

"Something I adore"

I had a lot of difficulty with this photo prompt.  I struggled because "adore" is such a strong word and seems a little much to describe a thing.  So, I went with something that I really enjoy and I do really love the display that I have on my bedside table.  I like decor with an antique/vintage feel to it.  The lamp is something that I found at a thrift store and you can tell it is vintage just by looking at the plug.  The photo is one of my favorites of my Mama Doris and Papa.  I just love old photos!!  

The photo sits on top of a stack of books one of which is a very old copy of "Kim" by Rudyard Kipling.  It caught my eye when I was at my grandmother's house.  I just loved the old vintage binding, so she gave it to me.  

The crystal votive holder is the first gift that I ever received from Tiffanys.  There is actually a cool story behind it.  

One year for Christmas my mom started this thing called a "theme gift".  Basically it is a bunch of gifts in a bag that all have a common theme leading to the last "big gift".  For this gift, first I opened a pair of really long black opera gloves and thought perhaps there would be tickets to a show at the end.  Then I opened a tiara and thought, "Um, ok."  The next gift was the movie "Breakfast at Tiffanys" and I thought I had reached the end.  "Oh, I get it - Breakfast at Tiffanys.  The gloves and tiara like what is on the cover of the movie.  Cool."  But my mom told to keep going - there was one more.  And then I saw it - the blue box with white ribbon.  At that point, I did not even care what was inside the box :-)  I just exclaimed "Is this really from Tiffanys?"  To which my dad replied, "It better be." I think he was thinking of the price tag :-)  I opened the box to reveal the crystal votive with a Tiffany scented candle.  The candle is long gone, but that little votive holder is pretty special to me.  I love how it looks with my pearls sticking out of it.  I like pretty things especially when they come from Tiffanys :-)

Day 4

January 4, 2013

"Letterbox"

This box is my most treasured possession and I will probably get a little teary eyed just writing about it. This box holds notes and letters from very special people.  Each piece of paper in this box has words of encouragement written on it.  When I am feeling really down about myself, this box helps to remind me of who I really am and what people think of me.

This box got started on my 21st birthday and I am going to tell another story about my mom that is going to make you wish she was your mom :-)

For my 21st birthday my parents took me to a fancy restaurant to celebrate.  It was a very special evening.  I received this gift containing a box of notecards and it made me cry right there in the middle of that fancy restaurant.  

My mom had contacted all my friends and family and asked them write "My favorite Melany memory".  That is what each note card said:  

She made all these cards, embossed the word "Memories" on the front of each one, sent them out to people with a return envelope, and put them all in this box for me.  The first note that I opened was the following:

That's when the waterworks started :-)  I was so overwhelmed as I sorted through the many cards inside.  There were too many to read sitting there in the restaurant so I finished them when I got home - and got no sleep that night :-)

It is by far the best gift that I have ever received.  Over the years I have added to this box.  In fact it is so full that I need a new box :-)  It is one of my most treasured possessions and I will tell you about my other most treasured possession in a little bit :-)

Day 5

January 5, 2013

"Something you wore"

A smile.  It's the world's greatest accessory.  It looks good on everyone and makes the world a brighter place.  I was listening to the following song when I took this picture:

Give it a listen.  It will make you smile :-)  And while we are speaking of smiling ...

Day 6

January 6, 2013

"Makes you smile"

This is my other most treasured possession - my journals.  I am a huge advocate for journaling.  More on my journaling journey here.  These notebooks tell my story - and what a story it is.  I love reading through my journals.  It reminds me of where I have been and how God has always come through for me.  There are lots of smiles and lots of tears poured out in these journals.  There is lots of triumph and lots of heartache.  Each story ends with God's faithfulness shining through and when times are tough I like to look through them and be reminded of how my Father in heaven will never leave or forsake me.  He has been and always will be good. 

There is week one of the Photo a Day Challenge.  I think that when all is said and done, I am really going to love having this to look back on.  Fun times :-)

Wrap it up - washi style

I love wrapping presents .  It's one of my favorite holiday activities.  It's actually even possible that I dream of someday working at the gift wrapping center in a department store (sigh).

I have a definite process that I go about in wrapping my gifts (more on that here).  The paper must always meet on an edge - none of this tape down the middle business.  Every crease has to be perfect.  And watch out if I have paper with lines - I will spend the extra time making sure that the lines are perfectly straight and all line up.  I might have a slight problem :-)

I always do something a little different with my gifts each year.  Last year it was yarn pom poms in lieu of bows.  This year it was washi tape and embroidery thread.  My friend Karisse and I got some cute Christmas washi tape at Michaels for wrapping - cause we looooove it and we neeeeeded it :-)

Washi tape is pretty paper tape  - think masking tape, only CUTE :-)

Here is a pic of my wrapped presents:

See the cute red tape with deers and herringbone.  That's washi tape.  I love how it gave me so many options for placement.  A great thing about washi tape is it can also be easily removed and replaced.  

If you are wondering about the gift tags, they are made out of clay.  Yes, I roll out clay, bake it, and decorate it.  Crazy me can't just slap a sticker on a present.  Nope, I have to spend an hour creating gift tags.  That's just how I roll :-)

This year for my gift tags, I gathered inspiration from Anthropologie - of course :-)

Source: anthropologie.com via Melany on Pinterest

The fact that I have to ship my presents home means that I need to do simple wrapping - no big pretty bows that will get smooshed in a box.  So the washi tape works well.  

If you want to find your own washi tape, there are many options on Etsy.  I love the birds on a wire tape below:

Source: etsy.com via Melany on Pinterest

Now all my presents are wrapped and at their destinations far away.  I was sitting here earlier feeling sad about not having anything else to wrap.  I might start searching for empty boxes.  See, if I had a job wrapping presents at a big department store this would not be a problem :-)

DIY - Mason jar snow globe

I love mason jars.  They are just so functional.  

There is their primary function - canning (which is something I want to try).  

You can use them to store food (I love the way they look in my pantry).  

You can drink out of them (a friend of mine got me the cutest mason jar mug for Christmas).  

There is also a world of crafting possibility offered by the little mason jar.  This past week I made a mason jar snow globe.  I love it!!!

This is an Anthropologie inspired craft - because Anthropologie is amazing.  It's my inspiration place.

I did not want to spend money on one of these when I knew I could make one.  This is a super easy craft and does not take a lot of time.

Here's what you need (all my supplies were bought at Michaels):

Mason jar:  Mine was about $2

Glue gun:  This was given to me by a friend

Itty bitty Christmas tree:  These can be found with the accessories for Christmas Village figures.  My tree was about $7, but I had a 40% off coupon.  I rarely buy anything full price at Michaels.

Fake snow:  This was also found in the Christmas Village section.  It was $3.50.

A word about the fake snow:  This stuff is messy.  I think there are other fake snow products (I have even seen some at Target) that are not as messy.  However, I have to say that I do recommend the one that I used (picture below).  It is almost like shredded styrofoam.  You probably can't tell by the pictures, but it has a slight sheen to it like real snow.  I also like the way that it sticks to the side of the mason jar.  So, the mess is definitely worth it.

I tested my tree to make sure it would fit in the jar before I pulled out the glue gun.  I realized that I wanted my tree to be a little bit taller to provide more room for snow.  So I began searching for things to put a little height to my tree.  I tried a tea light candle, but that was too tall.  Then I realized that I had a cardboard box in my closet so I pulled it out and cut out some circles.

Two cardboard circles made the tree to tall, so I just glued one to the lid of the mason jar:

Then I glued the tree to the cardboard circle:

I forgot to take a picture of the next step - sorry.  I poured snow into the mason jar.  Then (after making sure the glue is dry), I turned the lid with the tree upside down and screwed the lid onto the jar.  

After assembling the snow globe, just turn it up right and shake the snow into place.  You might also need to tap the side of the jar to sift things into place.  If you find that you need more or less snow, you can take the lid back off and adjust the snow.  (Note: if you need to take the lid off, do it over a trash can.  Like I said, the snow is messy)

And there you have it.  One super fabulous - I made it myself - little piece of handmade Anthro inspired goodness - mason jar snow globe.

I love mine so much that I had to take it to work so I can enjoy it all day long.  I put it with "Anthro the seal" a little desk mascot that I bought at Anthropologie a few weeks ago.  You can get your own here. I love her and I am sure that she feels more at home now that she has a snow covered tree nearby :-)

I'm freaking out

Have you ever had a moment in life when something happens that causes you to stop, take a step back, and realize that this is not in a million years where you thought your life would lead to?  That's where I am right now - and sometimes it makes me hyperventilate a little bit.

So what has led to my grand moment of realization? - a change with my job.  It was a temporary job and now it has become permanent.  I have reached the moment with this job that I have been waiting for months to see come to fruition.  Now here it is - so why is it freaking me out so much?

I'll tell you why.

It makes me feel like this is where I am settling down.  And I never would have thought that I would settle down here - Washington, DC.  I was supposed to be passing through for one year.  That was the plan.  One year - then off to Asia ... I have been here 3.5 years.  

Over the past few days it has really been hitting me hard that my accepting a permanent position at work means that I intend to be in this job for at least a few more years.  That means that this is my home - and I don't quite know how I feel about that.  Don't get me wrong - DC is great, but it is definitely not where I pictured myself for a lengthy amount of time.  

My life plans and expectations are rarely met the way I envision they would be.  But when things don't go the way I thought they would, it's always because there is something better waiting on the horizon.

Years ago, there was an event that turned my world completely upside down.  After learning that I was being laid off from my job, God led me to Isaiah 55: 8,9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  God wound up taking the event of me losing my job and used it to launch me on a journey into destiny - a journey that literally took me around the world.

Honestly, I don't fully know where my place is here in DC.  But the way I see it - God has me here for a reason, He is keeping me here for a reason ... and I look forward to seeing what the future unfolds :-)

Source: lustlovepain.tumblr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I'm just a thingamabob on a journey of faith

Warning - this post is pretty honest ... but it ends well :-)

Lately life has been less than wonderful.  I have struggled against a deep desire to throw my hands in the air and scream, "I give up."  My faith has taken a beating and there has been a battle that has found me faced with a decision.  Do I keep pressing on or do I give up?

"Giving up" came close to winning.  Life has been hard, frustrations have been mounting, disappointment has been rampant ... I have been weary.  There's tired and then there's weary - I have been weary and losing the will to fight for the fullness of life.

I began to consider, "What would it mean to give up?"

I realized that giving up would mean that the last 20 years of my life have been a lie.
Giving up on my faith in God would mean that I had given myself to something that was false.
But I have a lifetime of experiences that prove that this journey I have walked with the Lord is real and it is truth.

My faith is the very center of who I am.  Without it, I am skin and bones with no life, no breath.  That might be difficult for some to understand.  I can't explain it other than the reality of my own experiences.  It is my truth.

A little story of faith lessons in car problems:
Back in June I had some car problems.  I had to get a new battery for my car.  It was pretty frustrating, especially when I thought that everything was fixed and then my car stopped working again.  I popped the hood of my car and noticed something.

The thingamabob (I'm pretty sure that is the mechanical term) was not connected to the terminal.  Therefore there was no charge to power my car.  Somehow it had come all undone:  

So I fixed it.  I scrubbed the terminal with a brush doohickey (there's another mechanical term for you):

I gave it a good tightening: 

(and yes, I did actually take these pictures months ago to document that I can be a grease monkey)

Made sure it was good and tight - and I have not had another problem with it since then.

This car problem (which took place in June) was the icing on the cake of a really really bad week.  I was discouraged.  But as I was fixing my car, I felt the Lord speak to me:  He is the battery that charges me.  I have to connect myself to the terminal.  

I am the thingamabob :-)  

If I am not being charged by the Source, life just does not work.  Without my faith in God, life does not work.  I can't walk through this world without God by my side.  

I am so thankful for how God has poured encouragement into my life during the last week.  Through encouraging words from friends and even fun packages coming to my home, God has whispered: "I am here."  And that is a truth that I can count on.

It's been awhile

I felt the need to post something on my blog.

Since I don't really know what to say, I thought that I would share a project that I am working on.

I am making one of these:

Source: blog.craftzine.com via Melany on Pinterest

I am really excited because:
A.  I just really like to cross stitch
but
B.  I don't really care for how it looks in the end
so
C.  I was thrilled to find something that I actually think I might like

I am going with a chevron pattern for my necklace.  Updates coming soon.

I also want to make this:

Source: etsy.com via Melany on Pinterest

I think it kinda looks like granny squares and I love granny squares.

Yeah, fun projects!!