Snail Mail

 Snail mail has lost its way in the past years.  Many of us sit at our computers or devices to say a simple "hello...how are you".  For centuries, our universal mail system has strengthened the bonds of friendship, family, and community. Our system has encouraged civil discourse, disseminated information, and bolstered the national economy {both as the hub of a vital industry and as a trusted courier of the nation’s and world’s business}.  

 A home-made card or telegram is a fun and creative way to honor and show someone you value them.  You can pick up card stock, envelopes, decorative tape, and string in the dollar bins, or at least on sale at your local craft store. {Even cheaper for teachers like me!}

I printed the text using a typewriter font, which you can download for free, on rough newsprint paper {purchased in the dollar bin}. 

Then, I used double-sided tape to adhere after using the end of the table to create the rough edges.  

Then, I used a black marker to forge a burnt look.

From there, you can go crazy with stamps and stickers and tailor your creation to the person you are sending.  

 Always remember to add love to your project...your recipient will remember that for years to come.

 Use a pre-printed ephemera sheet and glue it to the front of your blank card stock.

Tie with rustic string for that old look.

 Your loved-ones will remember and cherish the time you put in.  I always say, that the best expression of love is time.  When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life...we can always make more money, more food, or buy a store-bought card...but time can't be bought...it is our most precious gift.

The Local Bean

Coffee plays a role major role for many of us.   For some, it's an encouragement to get going in the morning.  For others, it's a life-style, like a wine connoisseur. 

My local coffeehouse {the only one in town} buys their beans straight from the farms in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and locally.  The owner makes sure she is buying the highest quality and even follows the climate and weather patters of the particular area in order to get the best bean possible.  

My original idea for walking the bean {back in 2006} was going to be a blog about coffee.  These local beans were grown and harvested right here in the Houston area.  This particular brew is a Texas French Roast {sounds like a war between the states} this is one of the darker roasts. Do you have a favorite coffee?

Love Notes

 
It is surprisingly difficult to communicate the depth of your feelings in short notes, but when you honestly articulate what's in your heart, it comes across as pure, primal and passionate.
The best love notes are filled with warmth, affirmation, encouragement and optimism through music. They address different themes: romance, joy, risk, courage, wholeness, growth and commitment.
Love notes given are an expression of what is in your heart and those received are to be heard each day, whenever you feel the need play the love notes and hear the music and your serenity and peace will be restored.

Look ahead;
There is no black sinner.

Look behind;
There is no white saint.

Look above;
There is no grey sky.

Look below;
There is no gold joy

We walk through calligraphy of colorful music, the rhythm in the wind rippling through breezes in choirs of trees, where hints of sunlight dance across trees and leaves, and hundreds of sounds from dark branches of the night, comes trumpets bursting in the sky. With a hint of urgency we reach out to dance with them in fear the music will stop. So where do the tumbling notes spend themselves after they have spent all meaning residing to us in music, after they have slipped from our lips unto the instrument? Reach and touch the trumpet, dance with it...reach, reach, reach and feel pure clarity of its musical sounds.

  

School's Out for the Summer

Our last day of school was May 25th and I've enjoyed my time off so far {76 days left of vacay!}

I've been looking at the selection of commercial stickers on the market...while they are pretty, many of them just don't reflect what I am looking for.  I began a process of trying to make my own stickers at home...{daunting task and a brain twister}.  I considered purchasing labels made for a printer and using my own words/pictures.  Then, I thought about just printing fun ideas using newsprint paper {it's a bit thinner} and literally cutting them out or using a fun punch shape...and either gluing them or using double-sided tape.  This is a fun idea because I'm all about having something unique and something that a million people can't go get in the stores.  I started with emoticons and will work my way to original pictures or drawings.  What do you think?

 I also like the idea of making my own envelopes and stamps inspired by these originals from the 1950s.  Any thoughts?

 

Victorian Bookmarks

Here is the latest series of Victorian bookmarks...these are perfect for the high school or college graduate or just as a gift for friends and family.  I made these in less than two hours and the materials are easy to find and are not that expensive...best of all, you can customize it for that particular friend or loved-one.
So many of us use technology {nothing against technology} for our reading.  I still like the satisfying feeling of a hard-cover book in my hands and the joy of a bookmark reminding me of where I left off in the journey.  

Kid's Crafting

It's a fact that kids love to do activities...especially together.  Their creativity comes to life when you get them started and let them go!  While school is out, you can purchase {or make} these fine blank cards and envelopes {usually in the dollar bin!} and the kids can create their own cards and letters to give to loved ones.  You can even show them how to make a mobile for themselves or if they have a baby brother or sister in the house.  Stamps and stickers can also be purchased or made for an extremely low price!  These paper projects make very little mess and is easy to clean up. They will have hours of fun as will you seeing them create and grow...Enjoy!

Materials needed:

~Store-bought envelops and cards {Dollar bin}

~Card stock if hand-made

~Stickers can be purchased by the hundreds in the dollar bin at     Target or Michael's

~Embroidery floss {purchased in bulk is cheap}

~Hole punch

Don't Worry

Happy Mother's Day!

One of the things that good moms do is nurture and care for their children. But often, that care and concern can come with another thing that we all do, whether a mom or not. And that is WORRY.

Worry fills our minds with useless chatter that leaves no room for anything else. When this happens, we can become anxious. Perhaps you may have trouble sleeping that night?  And many times, we create more worry and anxiety ourselves and it begins to snowball.

Be thankful and do what you need to do to change a bad situation but be sure to give that worry up so your mind, heart, and body can rest.

Our Hobbies

We all have hobbies...some possess more than just one.  I love learning, collecting, researching and developing new skills. Some of these skills have proven useful in my career, and some are just for me to enjoy.  Perhaps you collect coins, stamps, or even shoes!  Or maybe for you it's cooking.  Recently, coloring has sparked an interest {even before it was hip}...verything from the quality of the pencils to the paper really makes a difference.  I've seen many of your hobbies {and life} interests here on blog.  And I think our blogs are the root of our hobbies and part of who we are. Here are a few of mine...enjoy!

Little Treasures

Sending snail mail has always been an all time favorite of mine.  These cards are a great idea for any occasion from "thank you" to "just because".  And you don't need to spend a ton of money to create these...AND the person who receives it will have a unique one-of-a-kind treasure! Try it!

Hand-made journals are another unique gift...especially for those who love to travel or document their every day lives.  These were handmade by me and will be sent to loved ones.  Enjoy!

Let's Play...You Serve

 I love how children, (for the most part) will do just about anything you ask of them...especially when it comes to helping... (crayons, materials, trash, etc).  They love to feel affirmed and normally don't ask of anything in return.  I think as adults, we ourselves sometimes need to feel affirmed and know that we are making an impact on something or someone.  Jesus modeled serving. He told us to serve, told us He would bless us if we serve but for some of us it is surprising that this may not be enough to motivate us today.  Perhaps we want a reward of some kind for our service?  There are real needs out there.  There are real people who are hurting. There are real people who need our help.  Serve as if it's your last day on earth.  You'll be surprised what you get in return!

Amazing Grace

Easter should give us great optimism. It’s life over death! But sometimes it’s hard to find optimism when everything in our life seems to be negative, and we are always the victims.
For some, there are words that describe the dark cloud in your life right now: recession, furlough, lay-off, disease, aging loved one, death, divorce, depression. These words can describe our lives, and
indeed we can feel this is a season of dark clouds in our lives.
But there is good news...The wonder of Easter is that dark clouds can be changed into silver clouds! The silver clouds won’t be because we deserve them or because we necessarily worked for them, but because we are given them in grace.
During this Easter-tide, remember the wonderful blessings we have.

 I spent my Easter Sunday writing in my journal, reading some of my favorite books, and giving thanks for the many blessings.{In addition to my lesson plan for the week}.

The girls had fun helping with the Easter decorations and hunting for eggs. {MEOW!}