I have a creative, joyful, beautiful friend named Ali (who has no idea that I totally stole her pic from Facebook.)
She is heading to Haiti on a building mission in March, and is using her heart and talents to raise funds to get her there.
I just grabbed myself one of her darling banners and it is happiness on a string.

My favorite projects involving burlap involve other people cutting it for me.
In my pretend life, I will invent a burlap that isn't messy or scratchy, go on Shark Tank to pitch it, Mark Cuban will give me a million dollars, and crafty people and Joann's employees everywhere will thank me.  Until then, I will let my friends be the burlap crafters.

Circling back to the point of this all... because I love Ali, and Haiti, and missions, if you purchase a banner from her shop Hatched from the Heart, I will send you the file to my newest rainbow heart happiness printable.

Add some love to your space and help send Ali to Haiti.

(Just email me a copy of your Etsy receipt and I will send the file your way.)


I am in this GLITTER ALL THE THINGS phase, all of them.
Especially golden silhouettes of my Golden State.
Or a golden reindeer turned Valentine's Day venison.
 (That was a good one Lena.) 

Ready to get sparkly?

Supplies:
Mod Podge (I prefer matte, it smells way less and is easier to work with than the other kinds)

Glitter (I have a major crush on the chunky kid craft aisle glitter right now.  The super fine Martha kind is lovely, but the cost and the cleanup of microscopic glitter dust is just exhausting.  Plus, what is more glittertastic than the old school gold?)

Big and small stiff paintbrushes

Some sort of simple shape or silhouette.
This project is quick, with a big impact.  You do not want to be fussily filling in a complicated scene.
Google your favorite thing (squirrel, narwhal, Darth Vader, cupcake, etc.) followed by the word silhouette and you should have a bunch to choose from.

I have a super low tech way to get your silhouettes the size you need.  I suppose that you could print them out and piece them together, but I am perpetually out of printer ink, and that just seems too complicated.

This is what I do instead:

Find the shape I want.
Zoom (Command + on a Mac.  Don't know and don't care what it is on a PC.  Sorry.) in on it until it is the size I need (even if it doesn't fit on my computer monitor), tape printer paper together, tape the paper to my monitor, and trace it directly from my monitor, scrolling down and moving the paper down accordingly.

Does that make sense?  My brain doesn't always translate things in normal human language.

Lastly, you need a pallet.  I make little ones up out of scraps from all of my other projects and have them ready to go when I need a quick gift, like thirty minutes before a party sort of quick gift.

If you have never made one before, this tutorial is much better than one I could write, and I love how she uses normal wood, which is what I do.  Breaking up a pallet is HARDCORE.  Plus you could totally make it without power tools.  Just don't sue me when you smash your thumb with a hammer.  I'll be to busy with my rad new nail gun.

Ready to glitter?
I promise you won't even believe how fast this goes.

 1.  Trace your shape.

 2.  Working in sections, quickly spread a thick, yet even coat of Mod Podge on the boards.  Use a bigger paintbrush for the insides, and a smaller brush for the details.
DUMP glitter on the glue, then repeat for the next section.

 3. So, so, so much glorious glitter.

If you hate glitter how stressed out are you right now?
So stressed.
You need to get over it.  Glitter is awesome.
But then again, if you hate glitter, there is no way you are even still reading.  
You are hiding in a corner chanting serenity now.
Sorry.  Send me your therapy bills.
I'll make them sparkle.

 4.  Let this blob of golden goodness dry for an hour or so.

 5.  Don't worry about the huge pile of glitter that fell through the cracks in the wood.  That is why brooms were invented.

 6.  Take your new sparkly sign outside and dump off the remaining glitter in a flower box that is bare and mocking your inability to keep any sort of plant alive.  Glitter is way more fun than needy plants anyway.  Your friends will be astounded and wonder how you are suddenly so rich, that even your dirt is made of gold.  They are totally going to hit you up for a loan, or expect you to treat them to Starbucks at the very least.

7.  Another grand option involves pouring it on your daughter's head.  Especially if her love language is glitter.  That and chocolate.  I like her.
Or, if you are all responsible, smart, frugal and such, carefully collect it and pour it back into the container.  Boring.

8.  If you are still a little stressed about the whole glitter might fall on all the things in your household deal, grab your hairspray and pretend like it's 1989 and your sign is going to prom.  A lot of hairspray goes a long way in gluing any rogue sparkles down.

That's it.
What in your life is begging for a little sparkle?


So much to say. So much will wait.

December was crazy.
Slab leak, mold, holes in my house, weeks of round the clock mind numbingly noisy fans... 
Add in Christmas, New Years and two birthdays.
Yep.
But we are here.  So far no critters have made their way through the gaping holes in the house, our insurance company is covering the damage, and it is weirdly warm lately, so if you need to have a mid winter slab leak, I suggest planning one in Southern California. 

What does one do when they are overwhelmed?
For me, I need to stop eating my feelings, fielding calls from insurance adjustors, restoration companies, asbestos testers, and think outside of myself.  Mainly because myself is rather complainy and dramatic right now.

My dear friend Lena is bravely walking fifty miles in two days again, to raise money for Acres of Love, a non-profit that provides Forever Homes to orphans in South Africa.
{Click here to hear her heart for the project.  Love her.}
While everything in me hoped to be walking with her this year, I had to drop out.
Sigh.
Until I can walk, I certainly can sit at my computer and make a few prints to help raise money for Lena to reach her $2,000 goal.
Prints that are available in her shop as instant downloads, and 100% of each purchase is donated to Acres of Love.
The Campfire album from Rend Collective Experiment has been playing constantly for the past month. In the car.  In the kitchen.  In my dreams as I sleep.  It is that good.
Lena asked for a print using words from this song.  Perhaps my favorite from the album.

So much truth in those words.
Please watch and listen and let the words encourage your weary heart.

I  am ever so thankful for my countless second chances.  Because I need them every day, every hour, every minute.
{Last year's print is still available as well.}
Visit Lena's shop And Be Glad In It here.
While you are there perhaps grab some other handmade goodness.
Pray for her as she continues training.
Pray for the children who will have a home and a family in part from your support.