Tattoo Inspiration

I need a new tattoo. Pinterest isn't helping. There are so many beautiful things out there.

I need a tattoo of a bird, probably on the inside of my left bicep.
Like this:

But more like this:
 

I also need this on my shoulder. My mom needs this, too:

 

I also need some lines, cause I'm a writer:

 

 And some words on top of my shoulder, probably "Try again, Fail again, Fail better."

 And some words on my back:

And on the back of my right arm:

All of these photos and their links can be found on my pinterest.

Anyone else craving tattoos?

Unique Jewelry Organizer Tutorial

For a while now, I've been wanting to craft up a unique and beautiful way to organize and display my jewelry. Well, folks, I've done it! And you can do it, too. I've seen a lot of tutorials on how to make tiered dessert and cake stands lately, and this tutorial is no different... except at the end, you put earrings on it instead of cupcakes!
Basically, I pulled together 2 plates and one small bowl that I bought at yardsales randomly, along with the 2 candlestick holders my mom got me for my bridal shower.
After that you just need some glue! I used E-6000, which worked wonderfully.
I glued the first plate to the first candelstick and left a heavy book on top over night.
The next day I added one piece with glue and left the book on overnight.
All in all, took about 4 days because I wanted to be sure each piece was secure!
Here is how lovely it turned out :)

Time to get crafting - Tutorials

To continue my love of pinterest, I wanted to share with you some amazing projects I have pinned that I just can't wait to start on! (Click on the photos for links to the tutorials)

1.

Super easy tiered dessert stand. Glue. Plates. Candle Stick. Cheap and easy! Just how I like 'em.

2.

I recently received a few burlap sacks. I intent to make LOTS of these pencil bags.

3.

I bought a whole set of vintage silverware at a yard sale. I think I will paint mine bright colors instead of sticking to all white. I don't have that much class.

4.

This one I want to make as a wedding gift. I think I will do each of their last names on the sides (she's going to hyphenate).

5.

Just adorable. And useful! Actually, I will probably just write inappropriate comments to my husband.

6.

What a cute trivet! I used to hand weave like this when I was younger. Believe it or not, I did learn a few Cherokee traditions! I have some t-shirt yarn I think would be perfect...

7.

AMAZING! I want to make 3!

8.

I actually already made one of these. I think it is dying though. Fail.

9.

This is something that I will always love but never make because I do not own any power tools :(
Look on the website for the video tutorial as well.

What are you crafting (or drooling over) these days?

Anchor Earrings Giveaway Winner!

Good morning, all! I have been in Chicago for the past week on vacation/professional development. We stayed in a Hyatt near downtown, thanks to Priceline Bidding, which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to anyone going anywhere. It was absolutely fantastic.
Now back home, back to reality. But someone out there is about to get happy. The winner of the giveaway! It's always hard to choose a winner subjectively. It was really hard to decide! But in the end I had to go with the post after my own heart... (anyone who knows me knows I love me some Buddha...)
So, the winner is AvroraD! Congrats!

AvroraD said...

I shamelessly stole this one from joke buddha:

A young naval student was being put through the paces by an old sea captain.
"What would you do if a sudden storm sprang up on the starboard?"
"Throw out an anchor, sir," the student replied.
"What would you do if another storm sprang up aft?"
"Throw out another anchor, sir."
"And if another terrific storm sprang up forward, what would you do then?" asked the captain.
"Throw out another anchor, sir."
"Hold on," said the captain. "Where are you getting all those anchors from?"
"From the same place you're getting your storms, sir."

source: http://www.jokebuddha.com/Anchor#ixzz1Tk4n4xIb

Your earrings are awesome - hope I win! :)

Well you did win! I will be emailing you today. :)
Thanks so much to everyone who entered. I will be posting a new giveaway soon!!!

Books for Kids! and {giveaway reminder!}

In addition to all the wonderful and amazing things my husband is, he is also a teacher, which might just be the most amazing and wonderful thing about him. He teaches 10th grade literature in an urban school and his kids are generally struggling to get by. He puts in huge amounts of time and effort to make sure his kids are learning something interesting, something that might just make them come to class (enter movie with Hillary Swank...)
So let's hear about his newest project! Weeeeeee!

Salve! As my beautiful wife mentioned, I teach at an urban school. Unfortunately, that school is in Oklahoma, where state budget cuts have made it impossible to bring resources into the classroom for the past few years. I'm trying to supplement the out-dated textbook with a novel called Sophie's World, which follows a young girl as she learns about the history of philosophy through a series of mysterious letters. The novel is on the AP reading list, and it follows the 10th grade history track perfectly with its emphasis on Greek and Roman philosophers. I've posted a project through DonorsChoose, an incredible website that helps teachers raise money for classroom resources. If you're able, please check out my project here and pass it along to everyone you know! We only need 12 people to give $10 and the entire project will be funded! :)


Thanks, hubby! Please visit his project and donate a few bucks if you can!

Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway before August 1!

Amuse me - Giveaway!

I've been on a jewelry-making kick lately. What fun!
I have an awesome pair of earrings to give away. Hooray! However, this giveaway will not be decided randomly. It will totally subjective, determined by none other than me. Muhahahaha! I am sick with power.
Post something awesome. A recipe, a joke, a story, a compliment, whatever you think will win you this giveaway! The top post will win a pair of earrings. Make sure you LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS!
This giveaway will run until August 1. Now dance, monkey! Amuse me!

Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

As a new lover of Pinterest, (feel free to follow me!) I have discovered many wonderful things lately. One of these favorites is originally from Sugar Derby ... Cheesecake-filled Strawberries! Well holy crap, yes!

These were really easy to make and came out looking super fancy, so this will be my new go-to dessert for all parties. I didn't follow their recipe, though. Here's what I did:
Bought a 16oz box of strawberries (afterwards I realized I could have bought 2 or 3 boxes and had plenty of filling)
Sliced off the leafies.
Used a peeler to core out the white center of the strawberry, being careful not to cut all the way through.
(I saved all the strawberry cores for later...)
Bought a box of no-bake cheesecake mix.
Prepared the cheesecake filling according to the box's directions.
Got a ziploc bag and cut the corner off (very small cut! You don't want a gaping hole. You need to be able to fit it into your strawberry)
Scooped some filling in the bag and used the bag to fill the strawberries.
I also bought a box of raspberries and filled those, too. No coring required!
I poured some of the crust powder from the box onto a plate and dipped the tops of the filled-fruits in that.
Refrigerate at least an hour.
Voila!
As for the left-over strawberry cores, the hubby put them in the blender with some Nutella to create a dip. aaammmmmaaaazzzzziiiinnnnnggg. Gotta love brilliant hubbies.