Fun Paper Projects

Paul and I have returned from our epic road trip of 1,776 miles in 4 1/2 days. I will post all the images and a full detail of our journeys, but in the meantime I thought I would post some fun and easy ways to create pretty things out of paper.

Enjoy.

Banner of Flags

Pom-Poms and Luminarias

Joyous bursts of color dance above a table, imparting a cheerful radiance to a rehearsal dinner or casual reception. The dahlialike pom-poms appear to float in the air; in reality they are hung from the ceiling with monofilament. Echoing the vibrant hanging puffs, pom-pom napkin rings in citrus shades adorn each place setting. Square glass vessels in various sizes line tables. Covered in sunset-hued tissue (cut to size and secured with double-sided tape), they cast a soft glow.

How to Make the Pom-Poms
You'll need tissue paper and 24-gauge white cloth-covered floral wire.

Hanging Pom-Poms
1. Stack eight 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. Make 1 1/2-inchwide accordion folds, creasing with each fold.

2. Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over center of folded tissue; twist. With scissors, trim ends of tissue into rounded or pointy shapes.

3. Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time.

4. Tie a length of monofilament to floral wire for hanging.

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: Pom-Poms and Luminarias

I heart Maine

If you have ever been to Maine you know what I am talking about and if you haven't been I recommend that you go. Paul and I drove down from Quebec Canada to Portland, Maine and arrived on Saturday night. I have lots of great photos of our trip and when I can upload them to the computer I will.

Today you get a picture of what I am told is the most photographed lighthouse in Maine, the Portland Headlight.

Montreal and Quebec City

Hey friends, have any of you traveled up to Quebec in Canada? It is very beautiful and I say that you should go immediately. Paul and I went to Montreal yesterday and happened to find one of the hippest parts of town. We had to go to the Starbucks so that we could get free internet to plan the next leg of our trip since our iphones wont work here. My french has been somewhat helpful. This trip has made me want to become fluent or at least a lot better than I currently am at speaking la Francaise.

Here is a picture of Montreal

And here is where we are going today, Quebec City. I am so excited.

We will be in Portland Maine tonight and will be attending a Roller Derby (think of the movie Whip It)

Au Revoir.

Boston In the Fall

Beautiful. Have a Happy Weekend and make a yummy treat like one of these from Martha Stewart tonight. Yum.

I Want To Go On a Road Trip

I can not even contain my excitement for the fabulous East Coast Fall. I want to pack up the car and head on a Fall Foliage adventure hunt up the New England coast. No exact plans, but I have a couple of ideas.

I want to go see Salem, Massachusetts where the Salem Witch Trials were cause I hear there is a really spooky haunted house thing called the Witches Cottage and it details the evil of the Salem Witch Trials.

Also, I want to go apple picking in Sleepy Hollow, NY and eat pizza at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn and maybe walk across the bridge.

And see Boston and Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod and end up in Portland, Maine. Whew this is going to be a busy trip.


(I stole this picture from my friend Jo's Blog and I don't know where it is from--thanks Jo)

It is Sweater Season

Yippee Skippee it is sweater season. I really need a new sweater that I can wear with everything. I had this great sweater, but sadly last autumn my doberman, Jack, decided it would make a better chew toy and I found it missing an arm and it had a huge hole in the back.

So I have been looking for a great cozy sweater. Anyone seen a reasonably priced one while they have been shopping?

These are a few I have found online that I really love, the only problem is that I was looking for more of a $30-$35 sweater. Maybe I need to just hit up the outlets.

Nordstrom

NEW!Kensie 'Nomad' Shawl Collar Cardigan$78.00


Gap
Safety pin cableknit cardigan Regular Price $69.50

Banana Republic
Double cable placket shrug Regular Price $140.00

Which one do you like? I really like the first one.

Remebering Alec

As a voice teacher I am blessed to work with thousands of people from young to old. There is a moment of pure magic that happens in my studio, where kids open up and let me see a bit of their soul. They remind me of the excitement and love found in music and in life.


Alec Henriksen was one of these students to me. I taught him for about a year in singing and guitar and was continually excited to banter with him about life. We laughed a lot during lessons and I watched him become more sure of himself as he would play and sing for me. When Alec was just 15 he helped me with my first website of my business. Such talent. Such a brilliant kid. One of my fondest memories is when he and Breezy, another student, baked me a chocolate birthday cake and brought it to the studio to wish me a happy birthday. That is just the kind of kid he is.

I was devastated to hear of Alec's death. My heart goes out to his family. I knew them fairly well, as we grew up in the same neighborhood and we went to the same church together. I remember Alec as a baby with his twin bother Landon. I am very sorry for your loss and I pray that you will find comfort at this time.

Here is a link to Alec's obituary. Alec you are loved and thank you for touching my life.

This song reminds me of you Alec, not because of the lyrics, but because I think we worked on it for maybe 2 months or more and the difficulty of the guitar didn't get you down, you just kept on trying. Even years after I taught you, every time I hear this song I still think of your fabulous blond hair and that cute smile probably teasing me about something.

Please feel free to leave a comment or memory about Alec, as I will make sure his family sees it.

Audrey Hepburn & Ip the Fawn

Did you know Audrey Hepburn had a pet baby fawn named Pippin, nicknamed Ip? I didn't until I read on Lisa's History Room blog.

Audrey Hepburn in her dressing room during the filming of "Green Mansions." She is feeding Ip the fawn while her Yorkshire terrier Mr. Famous looks on from the left.

This is an excerpt from,”Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn is still full of surprises“:

[The book] Remembering Audrey, features candid portraits by Bob Willoughby, a photographer on the set of many of Hepburn’s films who became close enough to the beauty to literally follow her home.

His visual account of Hepburn’s private life and career is peppered with unexpected moments, such as cameos by Pippin, nicknamed Ip, the fawn.

When Hepburn was making her 1959 flick “Green Mansions,” directed by then-husband Mel Ferrer, the animal trainer on the set suggested that she take her on-screen sidekick, a baby deer, home with her so that he would learn to follow her.

“It was truly amazing to see Audrey with that fawn,” remembers Willoughby in the caption alongside a photo of Pippin cuddling up to Hepburn like a lap dog as she naps on the couch. (Her pet dog, Mr. Famous, is curled in a ball at the other end of the sofa.)

quote by Patrick Huguenin

Audrey Hepburn shopping in Beverly Hills with her pet deer and costar, Pippin, known as “Ip.” (1958)

In another shot, the fawn inspects a box of Honey Grahams, shopping with Hepburn in a Beverly Hills supermarket.

How fabulous is this? I would love a pet deer. So cute.

Banana Cream Pie Tradition

Every year on the first weekend of October, Paul's family gets together and makes Banana Cream Pies. I don't just mean like one pie---I am talking like twenty plus pies. They deliver the pies to neighbors and friends.

Well Paul and I have missed the party two years in a row now, so last night Paul and I made our own Banana Cream Pie.

If I had my way the pie would have lots of chocolate in it, but sadly Paul is a purist.

I can't find the exact recipe we used, but this Martha Stewart Recipe looks tasty plus it has chocolate on top so I vote for you to try it. We have already eaten over half of our pie.

Do you have any family traditions? What is your favorite kind of pie? I think mine is maybe Key Lime or apple or maybe some kind of chocolate goodness.

Charlie the Scootering Dog

I guess I am not the only one who travels with her dog everywhere.

Click HERE to see how crazy people travel with their dog on their scooter.


Click HERE to see how Charlie goes to school with me via scooter.



Happy Saturday!

I have lots of homework to do today, but only 11 more weeks of Hell.

PS. If you live here in Virginia go check out Alexandria's Fall Festival or other fun fall activities going on today. Click here to see info.

This afternoon I am going here with Paul, Jack and Charlie.

Hanging With Baby Farm Animals

On Wednesday Paul and I went to the Cox Farms Fall Festival. There was like a million little kiddos running around and I assume this Festival is designed for children, but hey I felt like one of them all day and it was great. I was running around and screaming with excitement at all the baby animals, and we did potato sack slides, a corn maze, and a hay ride.

Here are some adorable 2 week old piglets. Doesn't the Mama's boobs look like they have got to be in pain. Ouch.



And I met Butternut the Cow

and I got to tug on her nipple and meet her adorable babies.


And of course I fed baby goats.

I was the most popular one in the pen. They kept jumping on me and one even tried to ram me with his horns, which kind of hurt and then of course they all got crap-literal crap- on my clothes.


I also bought myself a huge bag of Kettle Corn, Paul got a half gallon of yummy apple cider, and we got 2 free pumpkins when we left. I love being a kid sometimes. Happy Fall! Go do something fun this weekend. Paul and I are going on a date tonight to Ikea. Fun for me and Hell for Paul. What are your plans?

How to Make Beautiful Poppy Flowers

I found this amazing tutorial on Grosgrain Fabulous Blog. Click HERE to go to the link to see more pictures and the tutorial and also check out below.

Materials:
1 yard of either Linen, Cotton or lightweight solid colored material
1-2 pin finding bars (I found mine at JoAnn fabric)
Fray Stop Spray (I found mine at Hancock fabric)
3"x3" felt
2"x2" piece of contrasting fabric for center
Thin tipped marker
iron
scissors
hot glue gun and glue
newspaper

Feeling Inadequate

Grad School is hard.

I have a professor who I think is not my biggest fan, and that is putting it lightly. Every time I speak up in class and try to give my not so eloquent answer to her confusing questions, she makes this face and says something like " That isn't what I was looking for. What does someone else think?" or "Hmmm...well kind of. Did you mean to say this..." and then she says something totally different and way more philosophical than anything I could ever muster up.

I also have to write papers for her class. I have to turn in one a week. Every week that I get mine back it is covered in red pen as if my paper was so horrible that she stabbed herself out of shear terror of my stupidity and bled all over my work. I look around at my classmates work and see comments like "nice work" or "good job" but my paper never has anything encouraging. I have always thought of myself as a pretty decent writer. I usually get great grades on my essays and papers and even scored 5.5 out of 6 on my GMAT writing section. (yeah me)

So why, I ask, do I suck so bad at this class? I have had this teacher before and got the same remarks. I have her for two classes this semester. I just wish she could maybe boost me up a bit after she bludgeons me into the depths of inadequate despair.

Is anyone out there an amazing English major/philosopher? Could someone please help me to maybe get a paper back with a smiley face or a gold star?

I think I am going to have my teacher read this article. Maybe at least then my paper will look like blueberry swirl.

A Free Giveaway

I got this coupon in my email today and I thought I would pass it along to you.

Just click HERE for the full coupon and then print it out. Expires 10/12/10

If you order online use the code LOVEFALL otherwise print coupon out and take it into your nearest store.


Have a beautiful fall day. My day is very very rainy-kind of like a monsoon. What is the weather like where you live?

Birdcage Chandelier

I want to make a cool art piece for my bedroom or dining room, and I found this cool bird chandelier idea online and thought "hey I want to make that."

The chandelier was part of an "eco makeover" of Kerry Washington's apartment for the June issue of O: The Oprah Magazine by the green living expert Danny Seo and his inspiring makeovers at his blog dailydanny.com.

This is how Danny says it is done...

I took a $9.99 paper light fixture from Ikea and ripped off the paper to expose the wire ribs. Then I wrapped the frame in chicken wire from Lowe's and added branches and craft store birds from Michael's.

"It was inspired by a $2,000 version I saw in an antique store and thought . . . 'I could make that.'"

Isn't this cool?

Don't Squish the Baby

Click HERE to see more funny dog and baby photos.

Happy Sunday. What are your plans today?

photos from Dirty Blonde Blog

Beauty and the Beast a la Vogue

Okay okay. I will stop with the Vogue photoshoots but just for right now. Once I find another magical piece, which I am sure wont take long, I will post it.

Here is Drew Barrymore in a beautiful piece done by Annie Leibovitz.

Editorial: Beauty & the beast

Magazine: VOGUE
Model: Drew Barrymore
Photographer: Annie Leibovitz

Wizard of Oz a la Vogue

Here is another amazing photo shoot from the extremely talented Annie Leibovitz. This Wizard of Oz shoot stars the adorable Keira Knightly.

So Magical. Such talent. Apparently I need to get a subscription to Vogue.

Have a fabulous weekend.