DIY Donut Coasters

If you know me even a tiny bit then you know I love donuts.

I love these doughy, frosted wonders so much that when I saw this DIY the other day I knew I had to have a set of my own.  So I frolicked to the store, bought 4 cork coasters, and got ready to work!

Here is what you need:

-fun paint colors
-a large and a small paint brush
-craft blade
-cutting mat (not pictured)
-small cork coasters


Step 1: Use something small and round to make the hole in the middle of the donut.  Trace it out with a pencil.

Step 2: Use the craft knife to cut out the circle in the middle.  Make sure you cut on your rubber craft mat. I did a rough cut of the circle just to get it started and then perfected the edges afterwards.

 

Step 3: Use the paint of your choosing and the large brush to make the 'frosting'.  I went with pink! Flip over the coaster beforehand so the pencil marks are on the bottom and out of sight.

Step 4: Paint on the sprinkles!

After this you are good to go! You may want to coat them in Mod Podge if you have it just to ensure that the paint stays on.

So fun right? Another way you can go about this is painting larger cork boards and using them as bulletin boards. I chose to go with this version though 'cause I love me some funky donut coasters :)

Coffee Talk

If we were to meet for coffee....

...i'd take you to the coffee shop I work at, show you around, and introduce you to my great coworkers

...i'd order a medium roast coffee (black) and probably a yummy muffin!

...i'd ask you how your summer is going and maybe vent about the humid weather a little bit

...i'd tell you that I am obsessed with the Real Housewives shows and I'm not ashamed

...i'd show you the awesome new planner I bought that makes me smile (found here)

...i'd tell you that I just baked chocolate chip banana bread muffins and they are killer

...i'd tell you about this new singer I discovered that sings beautiful songs

...i'd talk to you about God a little bit

...i'd tell you that I am learning that having a relationship with God is based on more than just feeling        his presence, and that even when you can't tell he is there you have to have faith that he is

...i'd tell you that I'm going to Oregon soon and I'm SOOOO EXCITED

...i'd ask you if you have any pets, and if so i'd ask you to show me every picture you have of them

...i'd say we should hang out again :)

DIY Word Magnets

I had a good friend when I was younger who always had these awesome word magnets on her fridge. Every time I walked past I would string together a phrase or sentence - the weirder the better. I loved them so much, but I never found myself investing a few bucks in my own set. Just the other day I happened to see this tutorial on A Beautiful Mess for making fridge magnets, and I knew I had to make some of my own.

All you need to buy is:

-clay
-letter stamps
-magnet tape

You will also need:

-rolling pin
-craft blade (or sharp knife)
-a baking sheet and parchment paper
-an oven

First thing to do is start rolling out your clay. I had to really mold it with my hands because it was extra stiff. Once it becomes pretty soft, start rolling it into a long rope.  You are then going to flatten it out with the rolling pin. I made mine about 1/8" thick.

After you've rolled it out you will want to cut it.  I used my magnet tape as a guide. Simply place it on top and use the craft blade or knife to cut around the tape. My tape left kind of a mark on the top side of the clay, so if yours does the same just flip it over and use the clean side for stamping!

Next is the fun part...stamping out the words! Obviously you'll start thinking of awesome words like chocolate cake and bacon (or at least I did...).  Just make sure as you're stamping your words you throw simpler ones in like and, or and a few a's and s's. I happened to look online at the pre-made word magnet sets and it gives you a list of all the words in the set. You can find it here. This is a good guide :)

Once you have stamped out your words, cut them out and place them on the baking sheet.

After you have cut out all your stamps, you are going to want to cook it in your oven at 275°F for about 15 minutes.

Once they have cooked and cooled all you'll need to do is attach the magnets to the back of your clay. You may need to glue the magnets on just for extra security.

This was a super fun DIY to do. The hardest part was making sure I got all the words I needed! Other than that, it was really easy and totally worth it in the end. I am super excited to bring these to school and see what my roommates and I can come up with :) 

Music Favorites

I love music. It is something that speaks to me in a way that not much else can. I listen to all different kinds, with playlists on my iPod that suit every mood.  One band that you can currently find on my playlists is Kye Kye.

The first time I had ever heard this band was at a Gungor concert (if you don't know who they are, I would suggest you check them out as well).  They came on stage and I was immediately entranced - the stage was dark apart from a soft red glow that came from behind.  You couldn't see their faces, just their silhouetted figures playing this beautiful music.  The lead singer had a really great presence and they did an incredible performance.

That was way back in February. I meant to look them up after that but never got around to it. Then, just the other day a friend mentioned to me if I had heard a band by the name of Kye Kye, and I immediately freaked out and told them this story.  I ran home and listened to their albums on repeat.

Their sound is kind of this ethereal, electronic mix.  The lead singers voice is beautiful and the lyrics are great. They are Christian, with some of their songs centered around their religion and others not. These are some of my favorite songs....

I hope you guys enjoy them as much as I do! If you know of bands with a similar sound please let me know because I love this kind of music :)

Happy Days

I follow a great blog called The Girls with Glasses.  It was created by two awesome girls who are cute, quirky, and both wear glasses like me!

Their latest blog post is a video they made titled "How To Be Happy".  Obviously the name gives away the main idea, but it essentially talks about finding your 'happy tools' for when you're having a bad day.

Sometimes life just has you down and its important to know what things can pick you pack up again.
I decided to sit down and make my own list of happy tools.  Here are the ones I was able to come up with:

Nature

This has got to be the biggest one for me.  Getting away from everything and retreating into the wilderness really brings you back to who you are and reminds you of what a beautiful world we've been given

Wear a Flowy Dress

When in doubt, slipping on a nice twirly dress and doing a few spins can really brighten up any boring old day!

Reread an Old Book

One of my favorite things to do is go back to an old book, preferably one I read in my teenage years. Reintroducing yourself to the old characters hidden between the dusty pages and coming back to a comfortable story you have heard before is a lovely thing.

Listen to Music 

I especially love Sara Bareilles when I'm in a funk. Her music is very fun and empowering. Pumping up the volume when her songs come on (preferably when wearing a flowy dress) can cure any bad day!

Bake a Cake (Then Eat It) 

Creating something yummy out of nothing more than a few ingredients you have in your pantry is slightly awesome.  Especially when you get to lick the spoon and eat the finished product a short time later!


What are some of your happy tools? I'd love to hear!

Embrace the Change

I have two weeks left of school.  Well only one, if you want to be technical, because after this week comes the dreaded finals.  Where has the year gone??

As my sophomore year of college comes to an end, I have found myself thinking a lot. I've been experienced two mind sets; the "oh my gosh its almost summer I'm so excited and next year is going to be great!" mindset versus the "holy crap I only get two more weeks with these people and next year is going to be WAY different" mindset. It's been tough because most of the time I think about the fun stuff, but then I stop myself and my mind wanders to things like change, and life, and how everything will soon be very different.

I'm not a big fan of change. I can handle it most of the time, I can tolerate it, but that doesn't mean I like it. Being a creature of habit, I thoroughly enjoy my routines and rituals and when these get thrown off by any degree of change I get slightly uncomfortable. Thinking about all of the things that will be different next year makes me excited, but it is after all change, so I am also wary.

But thats life, isn't it? Life is encountering change to further who you are.  If you avoided change your whole life you would be nowhere. You would be at home, with no schooling, no job, no social life, nada. Change may be hard, but it gets you places. It takes you on a journey to a more exciting and vivacious life.  If I avoided change I would not be anywhere close to where I am today.

So while I do fight with these two mindsets, I have come to terms with the fact that I am feeling both ways. My adventurous side is saying "Melissa, this is a new chapter of your life and its going to be awesome!" and my cautious, comfort-seeking side is saying "AHH CHANGE!!".  Thats okay, though, because those are both a part of who I am.

So, for now I am planning on finishing off the school year strong.  I am planning on soaking up as much of this chapter of my life I can, including seeing friends that I may not see as much next year and jumping in the pool every day at our apartment complex. Soon these things will change, but thats just a part of life. Luckily, I can know and trust that God is guiding me on my life journey, and that next year will be infinitely more fun, crazy, and spirit-filled than anything I could've hoped for.

I will embrace the change, and with a smile on my face no less! :)


“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.” 
-C. Joybell C.