50 Things That Make Me Happy

I've stolen this idea from Daydreams of Summertime.  :)

50 Things That Make Me Happy

In no particular order

1. Pink flowers
2. Yellow Flowers
3. My doggie
4. A FRIENDS Marathon
5. Tea in the morning
6. Afternoon tea
7. Tea at any time of the day!
8. Brunch
9. A really good steak
10. Hanging out with my hubby

11. Doing absolutely nothing
12. Ralph Vaughan Williams
13. Airports
14. A clean house
15. Being organized
16. Pretty tea cups
17. A freshly stocked fridge
18. Sunsets
19. Ocean breezes
20. The smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls

21. Poetry
22. Spontaneous creativity
23. Good grammar
24. Bosom friends
25. People who understand where "bosom friends" comes from
26. Betsy-Tacy (and Tib)
27. Sunny days
28. Exploring new places with my husband
29. Finishing a tough project and knowing I did it well
30. My iphone

31. Instagram
32. Baby goats
33. Baby puppies
34. Renaissance music
35. Meeting another musician and having nerdy conversations about music history and theory
36. 1960s fashion
37. Freshly washed bedsheets
38. The feeling after a good yoga session
39. When my clothes fit
40. A really, really, really good book (I'm picky)

41. Canoe rides
42. Learning new languages
43. Beach vacations
44. Photography
45. Mild days, cool nights
46. Finding the best lipstick color
47. Long, hot baths on really cold days
48. Good hair days
49. Family
50. Sparkling water

Honorable mentions: My daily planner, Painting with watercolor, Funny movies, The color yellow, Easy DIY projects, My nieces and nephews, Singing in the Rain, Game nights with friends, Cheesy chick-flicks, and so on and so forth...

And I still have more to add!  So, what are the things that make YOU happy?

Make sure to follow my Instagram.  It's a private account but I will add you if you request.

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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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Weekend Browsing || A Few Happy Links

Weekend Browsing || A Few Happy Links

I'm attempting to make this paper garland, but with watercolored flowers instead of card stock.  I'll post pictures when I'm done.

I'm really into garlands these days.  I'd love to make this one to hang over my bed... that is, if I can convince Peter to let me!

Summer break is when I think I'm going to accomplish all sorts of cute and crafty things, but I never find the time.  Meanwhile my DIY Pinterest board is filling up!

I pinned this 2 years ago but now that I finally have an iphone I need to start taking better pictures!

I've wanted one of these bags for ages, but I wasn't convinced they're my style, plus I never had that much money to spend on a purse.  What do you think?

I'm going to give myself a "uniform" for work this year... I'm thinking this top (multiple colors) paired with these pants  (in black) will look professional, yet still be comfortable.  I'm a music and drama teacher, so I have to be able to lift things, climb around the stage, build and paint sets, all while wearing "business casual."

What have you been browsing these days?  Anything interesting?

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Healthy Resources

Healthy Resources

I suggest pinning these.

ANTIBIOTIC SALVE

BREATHE JAR TO RELIEVE SINUSES

HOMEMADE BODY BUTTER

DIY NATURAL ROOM SCENTS

HOMEMADE BODY WASH

HOMEMADE CLEANERS

HEALING BALMS

HEALING BATHS

You can find more like these on my Pinterest boards.  Follow me.

XO,

Julie

I Knew It! - "Why tea makes you happy, healthy, and smart"

Maybe you've seen this article on Yahoo?  It lists some benefits of drinking tea.  According to the article, tea "boost productivity... makes you happy... helps you lose weight... builds bones... is heart healthy..." (Eloise Sole, Yahoo)

We all know I don't need any more reasons to drink tea.  But now, what's your excuse?

Here are some cute, tea-inspired, do-it-yourself Christmas present ideas for the tea-lovers in your life.  Or make them for yourself, no one is judging! ;)

Homemade Tea Bags by Songbird, via Pretty Handy Girl

Tea cup journal cover by Born in '82

Adorable sugar cubes by Nifty Thrifty Things

How cute are these vintage inspired tea tins?!?! By Damask Love

This idea has been floating around for awhile, but I'm still in love with it!  Tea cup candles via Martha Stewart

Customize your tea bag holders!  Free printables via Mino Paper Sweets

Tea party printables by Arian Armstrong via Heart Handmade

I hope you're inspired to brew a pot of tea!  We're coming into summer now, supposed to be 100 degrees Fahrenheit today, so I have a feeling most of my tea consumption will be in the iced form!

Pin-spiration

Here are a couple of projects I'm hoping to get started this next week.  I'll be sure to post pictures of my progress.  I'm always looking for more *cheap* projects that I can do to decorate my house.  Send your ideas my way!!!

I would love to have these flowers lining our entryway, but I don't think I'll be able to convince Peter!

from Design*Sponge

I intend to make watercolor portraits of us.

from Grow Creative

Already got started on this one and will show results later.

from grey luster girl

Friendship knot rug

from The House that Lars Built

It's very frustrating because I find all these cute ideas on Pinterest and then all the materials are so expensive here, it's not even worth it to DIY.  Often, in the States, DIY is cheaper... that is not always the case in Brazil.  I'm excited about the above projects because I happen to have all the materials on hand.  

A blog tour

Today I thought it would be fun to share some past blog posts that I love rereading.  I love to be inspired by past bursts of creativity, I love to relive the memories, and I love to see how far I've come.  I hope you enjoy looking around!

***From the Atelier tab***

DIY Heart Garland

The Americas Art Journal

Flowers and Music Collage

***From the Wanderlust tab***

My first attempt at macro photography

My first visit to Brazil

Beautiful San Diego

I love the jungle

A South Korean Palace

Check out the Inspiration tab for other blogs that I love.

Also, check out the Behind the Scenes tab for who I am and why I do what I do.

Thanks for reading!

DIY Watercolor Map "Guest book"

For my wedding, I didn't want a traditional guest book.  I knew it would end up closed, sitting in a cupboard or on a bookshelf.  I wanted something I could look at daily and remember the the loved ones who helped celebrate our day.

I have always loved maps and have always planned to decorate my house with maps.  So I decided to make a large watercolor of the world, which the guests would sign.  I decided to keep it simple, since the writing needed to be the focal point.

Read on for the DIY

Thoughts 'n' Things: Music, Art, and Classical Sculptures

Thoughts:

I was doing some "summer reading" of late.  Well, trying to anyway.  And I stumbled upon this quote.  It spoke to me, so I thought I'd share it here.

"Works of art and the work of artists did not exist in a protected vacuum; they were part of the fabric of life, and life is a mixed-up mes that gives us incredible richness and beauty and lovingkindness but also Dachau and Golgotha."

I read the above quote in  Choral Masterworks: A Listener's Guide by Michael Steinberg.  This appears in a passage where he is discussing Bach.  How does a devout Jew appreciate Bach?  Bach - whose Lutheranism was his entire being...  Steinberg realizes that, as a Jew, he can't chose to separate Christianity from Bach.  He chooses instead to notice the other, very human themes that appear in this music - such as Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial.

Steinberg says, "I don't believe there is a single person who has ever heard one of Bach's Passions who has not at some time committed some act of betrayal, great or small, and felt remorse for it, even lifelong remorse.  This is music addressed to all of us.  And have we not all known love, sacrifice, compassion, awe, transcendence, and the other facets of experience we encounter in the Passion story?  The great works of sacred art are not exclusive.  In that sense, too, they are transcendent."


Things:

I want to make this

(From HERE)

and these

(From HERE)

You should read this

(From HERE)