bliss bloom {blog} ~ a craft and lifestyle journal

Upcycle // Cool Jar Series - Part I

2013-06-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

My stash of recyclable jars and bottles has grown out of control. It's time to do something with them!! After sorting through and discarding many in the recycle bin, I thought I would try to make something decorative with the remainder. I love to try out new techniques and new-to-me products, and these free vessels are the perfect guinea pigs.

If you've been following this blog long enough, you've probably picked up that I love anything translucent-- gemstones, votives, stained glass... They just catch my eye-- I must've been a magpie in a former life. :) Anyhow, when I stumbled upon alcohol ink and their translucent qualities, I knew that I had to try them out on glass.

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Inspired by // Red White Blue

2013-06-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Click "HERE" for the full post

Father's Day // "King for a Day" Duct Tape Crown

2013-06-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

Father's Day... It's this Sunday!!! How did it sneak up like that? This year it happens to coincide with my kids' last week of school-- I.N.S.A.N.I.T.Y.

I usually have the boys make something special for The Mister, but it's been busy and I hadn't given it much thought... Until about 10 PM last night when I had an A-Ha moment (don't you love those?). I quickly grabbed some scrap paper, duct tape and scissors. And that's how these "King for a Day" Father's Day crowns came about...

I made a couple of extra mini-crowns and decked them out with some Mod Melts, the new embellishment tool from Plaid. The Mod Melts were originally intended for another project but, since I have the "Royal Icons" mold, I kinda had to use them on these crowns.

The kids will decorate this full-size crown for their Daddy. Hopefully they'll be able to agree on a design...

Click "Read more" for the details

Make // Flag Table Runner

2013-06-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

July 4th is coming soon and I'm feeling patriotic. I've been wanting an American Flag Table Runner to use for the Memorial and Independence Day holidays but have never gotten around to buying or making one. Until now!

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

In the Pipeline // 6.5.13

2013-06-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

This month has been extra busy, but I've been determined to push through a creative slump (ever get those?) that has been hanging over me like a dark cloud. So I decided to tackle a couple of projects that have been on the back burner for a while. It's slow going, but I *think* I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel... Which is always a good thing, right?

Anyhow, I plan on sharing these project over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Our Lives // Two More Weeks! and a Top Chef

2013-05-31T23:28:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but my boys have just two weeks of school left before summer break. Call me crazy, but they've had a wonderful year and I'm a little sad to see it end! The last few weeks have been crazy busy though-- baseball championship games, field trips to the zoo, school performances, birthday parties and more. It's to the point where I think I may have dropped the ball somewhere along the way... but I have no idea where. So yeah, I'm a little sad... but it's good to see the light at the end of the tunnel too.

On a fun note, we got to meet Michael Voltaggio of Top Chef fame (season 6 winner and owner of ink. in West Hollywood) and were able to partake in his innovative molecular gastronomy-style cuisine. The dishes were delicious, fun and beautifully plated.

I didn't want to interrupt him while he was working-- he has that intense, focused look... just like how he was on Top Chef. But when there was a lull, I got a quick photo and chit-chatted with him for a bit. He was pretty chill and asked us how we liked the food. It was all delicious and, just as you'd expect, every dish had that little "something" that made it unique. Obviously taste was important, but also creative presentation was key. And you know I like creative. I'm pretty sure that I was the only guest flipping over the mini hamburger boxes and oval tins trying to figure out where they can be purchased. :)

I'm so looking forward to this weekend. We are celebrating my FIL's 80th birthday! It'll be nice to celebrate his amazing life and spend quality time with close family and friends.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Buh-Bye Point & Shoot

2013-05-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

I finally did it. After a 5 year delay, I put away my old, trusty point & shoot camera (aka The Crutch), and decided to learn how to use my DSLR. Cold turkey. In manual; Pshht... none of that automatic stuff. :)

It was a hard thing to do-- especially since I've grown rather attached to the point & shoot that I've been using for the past 7 years. But it was necessary. And by god... It was TIME! So, with the help of the University of Google and this user-friendly book, I was able to figure out a few basic things. I won't attempt to explain things in detail because, trust me... you don't want that. But I did want to share some of the things I was able to do with my limited knowledge.

If there are any remotely professional photographers out there reading this, you probably want to look away at this point. :) However, if there are any newbies like me that want to switch it out of automatic into the wild world of manual... Read on! If I can do it, anyone can. I won't say that my photos are magically perfect, but they are so much better than before.

ISO-- aka high ISO = more grain/noise. If you want a straight-up photo and are not going for artistic, try to keep ISO low (100-200). I don't have a great example, but there's one here. BTW, Click it Up a Notch is a great resource for photography novices like myself.

Aperture-- aka, make the subject sharp and the background blurry by using a lens with a large aperture (low f stop). To get a photo where everything is in focus, use a smaller aperture (high f stop). Here's a good layman's description of aperture.

not bad considering the lighting was not very good and i had the ISO pretty high (800).

aperture: f/1.8

again... bad lighting. actually really bad lighting. i increased the f stop so that the entire bunny is in focus. I tried a lower f stop and the only thing in focus was his face. Could be sharper but.. meh, trial and error folks!

aperture: f/5

Shutter Speed-- aka, capture fast moving ~~creatures~~ kids by increasing shutter speed. use slower shutter speed to capture movement... good example here.

these were all taken at 1/1000 shutter speed

I know it doesn't seem like much, and I'm not striving to be a professional photographer... But seriously? I'm just amazed and happy that I got the camera to work!

Camera equipment is expensive and still foreign to me, so I'm thankful that my dad loaned me his zoom lens. It's so much better than the kit lens that came with the camera... or at least it seems that way to this newbie. I also bought a 50 mm f/1.8 lens (a mother's day present to myself), which I used to photograph the "aperture" shots above. Since I usually shoot my blog project photos indoors, I figure it'll really come in handy. Evidently I need a tripod and probably another lens or two to be fully functional, but I feel so much better that I'm using this camera that was gifted to me so many years ago! It's ridiculous that this awesome tool was gathering dust in our closet.

Obviously I still have a lot to learn, but it's a START! I hope to shoot my next project with the "new" camera. Which, uh, means, I need to start on my next project... whatever that may be. Wish me luck!

Memorial Day Weekend

2013-05-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day... A time to relax and spend time with family and friends; A time to remember the sacrifices that were made (and continue to be made!) so that we are able to live our lives as we do.

poppies at flanders field, water color by kay smith

Have a wonderful weekend!

Party // Modern Soccer 7th Birthday Party

2013-05-22T10:44:00.003-07:00

We celebrated Smarty Pant's 7th Birthday with a Soccer Party. It wasn't what I had originally planned, but it all worked out and kids & adults had a great time. So here's what happened... four days before the party, I was notified that the Indoor Soccer Venue that I had booked two months prior was unavailable due to issues with the landlord. I'm a planner, not because I'm super organized, but because I don't do well in last minute, stressful situations... Sooooo.... Yeah, all that planning was for naught... I was more than a little stressed out!

Thankfully, with a friend's help, we were able to secure a park with a field, pavilion and picnic tables (btw, easier said than done). The weather even cooperated-- It was warm but nowhere near the 100+ degree temps of the previous weekend. Hallelujah!

pros: The kids got to play soccer, tug-a-war and dodgeball on the field AND play on the park equipment. The parents got to enjoy the beautiful weather and relax in the shade.

cons: I didn't get to hang-up the decorations that I made for the party. Bummer.

Later that day, Smarty Pant's asked why I didn't hang up the decorations for his party. I was surprised (and secretly pleased) that he cared/noticed, so I decided to surprise him on his actual birthday. I hung up the decorations on our family room mantel.

the tutorial for the hexagon paper medallions can be found here

Click "read more" for the full post

Our Lives // Happy 7th Birthday!

2013-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Smarty Pants! It's hard to believe that this cute, little guy is now 7 years old!

Our oldest, our thinker, our driven one, our guinea pig...

Seven. Definitely a big boy now. And what a year! It's like all the stars aligned and the developmental milestones just clicked into place-- reading, writing, independence, a deeper understanding of the world around... I wish I could slow down time so that I can really cherish and remember these amazing moments. But since that's impossible, I try to remember to really take in and enjoy the present. It is a joy to watch him grow and develop into a kind, smart and caring young person. I'm looking forward to what this next year has in store.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Party // Hexagon Paper Fans

2013-05-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

This month we'll be celebrating my oldest son's seventh birthday. He loves sports so we're throwing him a soccer party. He's not into any characters or movies these days and shrugged when I bugged him for input, so I decided to draw inspiration from the humble and wonderfully geometric soccer ball. Not a bad theme actually-- black, white and hexagons would work for many non-kid, non-soccer parties as well.

Since paper medallions (aka paper fans) are a big bang-for-your-buck party staple, I wanted to see if I could come up with something in a hexagon shape.

After a little trial and error, I figured out a way to make Hexagon-shaped Paper Medallions.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Inspired By // S-S-S-ummer!

2013-05-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

It's May and we're still in the thick of Spring. It should not be 100 degrees. Nope. Don't like it. To quote the wilting Daisy Buchanan "...it's so hot"... "and everything's so confused." Yep, Daisy and I both don't do well in heat-- Perhaps the only thing we have in common. :)

Here are a few things that get me inspired for the hot and carefree days of summer...

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Make // Sunglasses T-Shirts

2013-05-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

My boys are almost seven and almost five. They sorta care about what they wear, but... not really. Their fashion sense became noticeably worse when they started wearing school uniforms. In fact, one day I asked the almost seven year old to change and he came down with his brother's red athletic pants (only 5 inches too short) and a green stripe button down shirt... N-I-C-E!

So Mama had to do a fashion intervention. I bought him some trendy jeans (um, not pictured below... those are his grass stained uniform pants. slight oversight on my part) and made him this cool, on-trend, age appropriate t-shirt. I'm mean... look how happy the kid looks. All dancin' and posin' and stuff. And I didn't even have to shell out the big bucks.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Happy Friday // 5.10.2013

2013-05-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

What makes you happy? For me, it's the little things-- Beautiful blooms in our yard, two brothers enjoying each other's company, a school play...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Inspired by // Agate

2013-05-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

I'm drawn to agate; the semiprecious stone with variegated lines that comes in a variety of colors and patterns. With it's one of a kind shape and marbleized look, it is striking, contemporary and unique. While I love the actual stone, when done right, I can appreciate the faux just as much.

waterproof faux agate wall by alex turco via houzz

created with an enlarged photo and acrylic!

framed marbelized paper via kristen f davis designs as seen on little green notebook

agate druze rings via radlabs

while this looks like stone, it's actually part of a layered wax type piece by keetra dean dixon and jk keller

click "Read more" for the full post

Make // Velvet Paper Spring Flowers

2013-05-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

I first shared this tutorial at SEI Lifestyle...

Mother's Day is next Sunday! I'm sure it's already on your radar but it always has a way of sneaking up on me. If you're into making things and need tabletop decorations or a gift topper, try these pretty Spring blooms. They'd also be perfect for a bridal shower, girls' birthday party, Teacher Appreciation Day... any event that goes hand-in-hand with flowers.

To create the form, I decided to use plastic eggs leftover from Easter. I've used plastic eggs before (for these fabric pinecones), and they're no-fuss and easy to work with.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Our Lives // Fire Distraction

2013-05-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

We're close to one of the wildfires that is burning in Southern California. We're not currently in harm's way but have several friends who have been impacted by the evacuations and smoke. Suffice to say, everyone's nerves are jangled by the uncertainty that accompanies natural disaster.

view of the fire from our home, 12 pm may 3rd

doesn't it look like the smoke is pointing?? taken may 2nd

smoky air and falling ash. taken may 3rd

sunset may 3rd

Before I sign off... A huge thank you to the fire fighters and first responders who are protecting thousands of homes and lives. We are lucky to have such outstanding, well-trained individuals who go into danger to protect lives and property. As of the last update, the fire is 30% contained, there are 1,900 firefighters on scene, 28,000 acres have burned, 4,000 homes threatened and no injuries or casualties caused by the fire. The weather is significantly cooler, the winds have died down and the moisture is back. Thank God!

Our Lives // Epic Playdate

2013-05-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

What makes a playdate EPIC?

Hmmm... good question. After ~~a couple of minutes~~ much thought, I narrowed it down to 3 things...

1) An Epic playdate usually takes place in a new (to you) locale. It doesn't have to be pricey or hard to get to, just somewhere that your family hasn't been before; The mystery of a new and undiscovered place just adds to the excitement. In our case, we drove up to Dos Pueblos Ranch in Santa Barbara. Who knew such rustic beauty exists just a few miles away from UCSB (not to mention Isla Vista!!!).

2) An Epic playdate differs from traditional playdates because there is much planning involved. No sending the kids outside and saying "go play!". Darn. For our Epic playdate, activities were organized by popular bloggers (including oh happy day, dooce, oh joy!, yes to hoboken, how to be a dad) who know a thing or two about creativity, event planning, and building cool stuff.

3) You have confirmation that the playdate is Epic when... the kids who never leave your side, forget that you are there (or at least it seems that way). Everyone gets along. There is no whining (not even a little!). The kids can't stop playing long enough to eat. And the number one indicator that a playdate is EPIC? No one wants it to end!

** If you've made it to #3 without #1 or #2 then... What do I know??!! You've already experienced an epic play date!

Our Epic playdate looked a little like this...

>> building compressed air rockets <<

The rocket launchers were awesome. When built right, the paper & masking tape rockets were flying 100+ feet high! When built wrong, the tops of the rockets popped. If you're interested, the full how-to is here (it's way over my craft-making head, but you engineer-types will dig it).

>> participating in a massive paint fight <<

(the kid version of a color run)

Paint-filled squirt guns, paint-filled sponge bombs, paint-filled water balloons... you get the idea. Most of the parents stayed out of the war zone and crossed their fingers that Tide would make it all better again. Luckily our only casualties were a pair of socks.

>> creating sand art <<

The kids had a great time contributing to this vibrant and large scale sand art. Happy Vee wanted to take it home with him... Luckily he was happy with a photo.

>> tinfoil viking whip cream beard races <<

After making viking-wear out of tinfoil, the kids participated in a whip cream beard relay race. Yup, you read that right. Smarty Pant's team won and received the illustrious tinfoil viking bust as a prize. As you can probably tell, the guys from how to be a dad were hilarious.

>> playing epic volleyball <<

Smarty Pants loves sports and made some like-minded friends. He spent most of his time playing epic volleyball. I'll have to remember this the next time we go to the beach.

>> balloon twisting classes <<

Er, I feel like I should apologize to the balloon guys. Four year old Happy Vee is a tad obsessed with balloons (as well as bubbles, gummy bears and water guns), and pretty much wouldn't leave them alone. We came home with about 15 balloon creations. :)

My kids had an awesome time, got dirty, made friends, hardly ate and after seven straight hours, were still begging for more. We ALL slept very well that night. A special thanks to CGC and Hyundai. We had a fantastic time!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Make // Mother's Day Gift Boxes

2013-04-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

I first shared this tutorial at SEI Lifestyle.

I have a confession to make-- I am a gift wrap slacker. I'll buy the gift then set it aside and forget about it. Then the day of the event I'll panic a bit, and stuff the gift into a bag. Sometimes I'll throw in some tissue paper. I'm fancy like that.

So this year I thought I'd be proactive and get a head-start on my Mother's Day gift wrap. Sometimes presentation is key and I think Mother's Day is one of those occasions. I had fun dreaming up these boxes that pretty much scream "Happy Mother's Day!" and "Spring is here!".

click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // Water Lilies

2013-04-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

With Earth Day earlier this week, and since I had a lot of milk jugs leftover from these votives, I decided to try my hand at another "milk jug" project.

Water lilies are one of my favorite flowers; They're beautiful, vibrant and they grow in ponds. Awesome. My love for water lilies goes way back. My 14-year old self had a bedroom decorated with Monet's water lilies prints (I even had an impressionist water lilies bed spread!) and when I first traveled to France 15 years ago, visiting Monet's home and gardens was one of the highlights of the trip. It was at his home in Giverny that Monet maintained a beautiful water garden which inspired his famous Water Lilies (les nymphéas) series.

So with water lilies and dreams of outdoor dining on the brain, I decided to come up with a centerpiece for our patio table.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // Milk Jug Votives

2013-04-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Since today is Earth Day, I thought I'd dig into our recycle bin and come up with an upcycle project.

Most upcycle projects that I see are glass-- wine bottles, jars, even beer bottles. Not too many pretty projects with plastic milk gallon jugs though. I wonder why? ;) I guess they aren't the most exciting in their original form, but with their vellum-like quality, I thought they would be perfect for a votive project.

click "Read more" for the full post

Happy Earth Day!

2013-04-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have a project for Earth Day that'll be ready to share later. In the meantime, I raided the archives and pulled together a round-up of several upcycle projects.

Have a wonderful week!

Visual World // Stripes + Florals

2013-04-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

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Beauty // The War Against Aging

2013-04-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

I've always felt like a young person. Then, while pregnant with child #2, I was tagged "advanced maternal age". Ouch! Well, child #2 is almost five years old. What does that make me now? Middle aged. Nooooo!

I've always told myself that, barring invasive surgery, I would do whatever I needed to do to maintain and preserve my skin. I'm lucky to have genetics on my side (my Grandmother had beautiful, smooth skin until she passed unexpectedly at the young age of 96). However, my Grandmother stayed out of the sun and covered-up whenever she was outside. I, unfortunately, did the opposite. If only I had known better! I've been pretty good to my skin the last 15 years or so-- sunscreen, good moisturizers, removing make-up at night, eating relatively well, etc. But it's time to up the ante.

After a bit of trial and error, I think I finally found the perfect "preserve & protect" program for my skin. I still need to find a good vitamin C eye cream to tame the under eye circles though. I never had those before and they definitely add to the tired/old look that I'm trying to avoid.

My skin's main issues-- sensitive, usually on the dry side (t-zone in warm weather), melasma (aka skin discoloration leftover from crazy pregnancy hormones and sun exposure).

I use some of the same products in the morning and at night. You may have noticed that I don't use too many "corrective" creams... In the past I've had bad reactions to prescription and over-the-counter products to correct skin discoloration. They made my skin look worse-- dry, flaky and irritated. So the current battle plan is to keep my skin moisturized and protected from the elements.

Believe it or not, although there are many layers of product going on, I don't spend a ton of time "pampering" myself-- 15 minute max in the morning, which includes applying make-up; and 5 minutes during the evening, which usually includes brushing and flossing my teeth. I guess I've become efficient in my middle age. Ha!

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Make // Faux Batik Circle Scarf

2013-04-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging over at SEI Lifestyle this week. There's also a giveaway going on right now. Stop by and say hello! Here's one of the tutorials that I'm sharing...

While I love to make things, I don't have the kind of space where I can make huge messes-- no cement floors in my home, my laundry room is the size of a postage stamp and the garage is the Hub's domain... So a "batik" type project was out of question until I stumbled upon an easy & mess-free method.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial