Rainy Day equals craft day

A blessed day free from any duties..... and it is pouring down rain

And a bored puppy who really wants a walk

So the best thing to do on a rainy day is something crafty- or several crafty things. I had a lot of little charms and pendants from old necklaces that i never wear anymore, and i've been wanting to combine them and make a new necklace for some time. So, today was the day. 

I went to Joann's and got some cheap silver chains and clasps (on sale!). 

And made this:

But i also had gold charms and finding a cheap gold chain was harder. 

So, i found a great alternative: a gold glasses chain (yes, like the one a grandma would wear). The charms were an old watch, a little gold locket and a four leaf clover pin that had all belonged to my grandmother. The chain was perfect!

The other rainy-day project was an old powder case i "borrowed" from my grandmother. It's gorgeous red leather with gold flowers and leaves on the cover. I found it in her attic and loved it, but had no idea how i could use it.

Until I thought about a picture frame. All i had to do was remove the pad and filter (and clean the make up out), cut a picture of me and Ben...

And now I have a new frame with old memories!

And, yes, Bailey did get her run- in the rain

How to not dehydrate your dog at the beach...

Monitor how much sand she eats,

Keep an eye on her in the ocean,

Make sure she finds a buddy (or two) to play with,

Force her to drink non-salty water

Once she stops throwing up, she'll have the time of her life!

Bailey and bugs

By the way,
I know i just wrote a whole touching blog about my carving a block...  but i have to write one more little thing-
Since it's spring and my roommate and i have turned off our air, i open my windows at night to cool my room off. Of course, since i live in a ghetto house, i don't have screens. So my nightly entertainment now is to watch Bailey watch the bigs that fly into my room.
It really is quite hilarious. She's fascinated.
Sometimes she jumps after them but mostly she sits on the floor (or my bed) and watches the bugs fly around my room. For hours.
It's the little things in life, right?

Reflection art project

I had to do an art project for my internship as a reflection of the internship. 
Hmmm.......
Interesting. How to describe the drama? The chaos? The girls? The past three months?
I found this quote in my favorite magazine Real Simple. It's by Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

"What is a weed? A plants whose virtues have not yet been discovered."

When i read it, i thought how perfect to describe my feelings not only for my clients, but also for my internship. I have been frustrated throughout this semester and this internship hasn't been easy for me. This quote really nails my feelings because it made me realize that while my internship has seemed like a weed a lot of times, that doesn't mean that it is without virtues. I did learn a lot, and i did make a difference in a few girls' lives. 
The process of carving the block also mirrored my internship in that it was slow and took a lot of time and patience. Draw, trace, heat, carve, heat, carve, heat, carve... you get the picture. The whole process was therapeutic for me as i reflected on my last day at the internship, and what it's been like for me. I know that the more i think about it, the more virtues i'll find. 

Wallpaper, wallpaper, wallpaper

I have discovered a new love- wallpaper. Usually when i thought of wallpaper, i remembered the peach and baby blue floral design in our living room.... it was a decorating disaster. 

I remember going to this wallpaper store with my mom in the town i grew up in, and looking at all the sample books while she decided what would look best on our walls. I remember the plaids, the florals, even the pearlized seashells. 

Now, wallpaper has gotten a facelift, and i'm in love! I especially love the designs by York Wallcoverings. They're amazing! Check some of these out: