Etsy Finds || Tea Time

Etsy Finds || Tea Time

Top L-R: Tea Cup Candle, Tea Time Banner, Cupcake Wrapper

Middle L-R: Tea Cup Stickers, Floral Tea Towel, Cosmos and Tea cups Art Print 

Bottom L-R: Silver Tea Set, Tea Party Sugar Cookies, Wooden Tea Box 

My birthday is coming up.  #justsaying

;)

Note: This is not a sponsored post

Etsy Finds || Home Decor

Top Row L-R: Rustic Wood Large World Map, Reclaimed Hardwood Coasters, Vintage Stoneware Pitcher
Middle Row L-R: Set of 3 Painted Wooden Vases, Metal Fox Bookends, Minimal Wooden Clock 
Bottom Row L-R: Burlap Deer Pillow, Reclaimed Pallet Wood Sign , Silk Peonies Arrangement

What are you inspired by in home decor these days?

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DIY Glass Jar Lanterns || Dollar Store Craft

I can't give credit to myself for this idea.  Jamie, who writes the blog Anderson + Grant, posted the tutorial on Craftberry Bush.  Both are blogs I follow and love.

This project was inexpensive and quick.  I got all the supplies from the dollar store.

Three jars - $3
Two packs of 2 LED lights - $2
One package of rocks - $1
Hot Glue Gun - Already had
Twine - Already Had
Total for 3 lanterns = $6 or $2 each.

While I didn't invent the idea, I can certainly show you some ideas for how I'm displaying these cute jars around my house.

You can vary the size and amount of twine you use.  You don't have to use rocks and LED candles - fill with colored sea glass, seashells, or other trinkets you want to display.  Other ideas include filling them with succulents, using real candles, hanging them from your porch, putting them outside your front door, on your night table, any end table, next to your kitchen sink, basically anywhere you can think of.

Going on a picnic?  Take a few of these.  Having a BBQ?  Put a few of these around your grill.  Having some friends over?  Scatter some large and small lanterns, with real candles, around your house for a relaxing vibe.

On a countertop with lights off:

Lights on:

"Mood lighting:"

In the bathroom:

On a bookshelf:

On a corner of your coffee table:

My husband loves how these turned out and wants me to make many more to put around the house.  

Do you think you'll give this super easy diy project a try?

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Art Journal || Week 5 || Update - Flower Garland

I can't believe I've already finished 5 weeks of summer vacation!  Where does the time go?!?!?!

This past week I didn't really work in my art journal very much because I was too busy with diy projects.  The one project that I was able to finish was inspired by this post.  I made a small paper garland to hang on my gallery wall.

I used the templates provided by the original post, but I made it uniquely my own by watercoloring each flower (instead of using card stock or construction paper).  The only flowers that are not watercolored are the yellow ones and the leaves.  I probably spent way too much time on this project and paid way too close attention to details that no one will ever notice now that it's on my wall, but I had fun doing it and I'm glad I finished without giving up!  I think I might need to add a couple more leaves and sprigs in there, but so far I'm liking it.

Don't judge my wall, it's not finished yet!!!

This week I am planning on finishing this diy and hanging it above my bed.

Hope you had a great weekend!  What are your 4th of July plans?  I'm going down to Florida to visit family and enjoy some beach time!

P.S. The lettered art work is from this Etsy shop.

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Art Journal Challenge

Week 1 Update

Week 2 Update

Week 3 Update

Week 4 Update

Linking up with Anderson + Grant and Craftberrybush

Unsplash

This is not a sponsored post.

If you're a seasoned blogger, you may have already heard of Unsplash.  It's a website that provides "Free (do whatever you want) hi-resolution photos."  They're great for making blog images (I used some here) or for printing and using as art in your home.  They have a wide variety, from oceans to cities, people to countryside.

There are so many good ones to choose from.  I would love to (and just might) frame and display some of these:

I could go on and on and on...

This is not a sponsored post, but I highly encourage you to have a look around the site.  Let me know which ones are your favorite!

XO,

Julie

Souvenir - Paraty Watercolor

Peter picked out this watercolor of the church on the bay in Paraty.  I would have gone with a different scene (maybe the rows of colorful buildings) but he loved this one, so this is the one we got.

close-up

I can't wait to get back to the States and figure out how to display and use all of our cool souvenirs.  I think a mat to match the church roof would look nice, with a green frame?  Brown frame?  Gold?!

We have 30 days left in Brazil, assuming the airport doesn't shut down.  Which reminds me to please ask you to send prayers to Brazil.  Tomorrow the police are going on strike (not working) in four different states, including the beautiful city of Rio, where I live.  You can imagine what happens when desperate people realize there are no policemen to stop them.  When this happened in other cities recently, there was massive chaos and crime in the streets.  

Brazil has been under a lot of stress recently.  The citizens are aware that eyes are on Brazil for the World Cup, so they are using this as an opportunity to make their demands known, hoping that the government will appease them to avoid national headlines.  In the past couple of weeks we have seen protests, strikes, buses not running, buses being burned, streets being shut down, and now the police are not going to work.  The Federal Police (different than the ones striking tomorrow - the Fed Po deal with all customs and everyone entering and leaving the country) are threatening to shut down the international airport during the World Cup.  We are supposed to leave June 20th (right in the middle of the Copa), so a Fed Po strike could seriously ruin our plans. 

It is a stressful time for all involved, and for those of us observing, since we realize how this has the potential to unfold into a very serious problem.  We are hoping for the best and that everything will be resolved quickly, but in the meantime, please pray for Brazil!

Today I'm participating in Travel Tuesday.  Click on the link to see other cool blogs and posts about travel.

XO,

Julie

Swiss Village in Campos do Jordao, Brazil

I just realized that I didn't finish posting pictures of our trip to Campos do Jordão, Brazil, over New Years.  I posted about the wild hydrangeas, water lilies, and a video of our visit to a state park, but nothing of the actual Swiss Village!  So, even though this was over a month ago, here are the pictures!

Photo of bottle tops by Peter Arthur 

Carved Wood Sign

Christmas decorations over a doorway

Flirting with the nutcracker

It was wet from the rain, so we didn't want to sit haha. Awkward photo!

Chocolate fondue with fruit mixed right in

Adorable stray dog

I've never been to Switzerland, but now I really want to go!