Confetti Popper Rockets Tutorial

I came across this tutorial for confetti popper rockets from Brenda Ponnay at alphamom, and it looks like such a cute and fun party decoration. The rockets seem easy to make (so kids could help out) and would be perfect for 4th of July parties. I think my niece and nephews would go crazy for these. And actually, I would too! :)

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And now for the winner of the Tiffany & Co box...it's Jenna!! Congrats! I'll send you an email shortly.

Scenes from Life

I'm going to miss looking out these windows, getting lost in my thoughts.

A horribly tangled crafty mess, otherwise known as the story of my life. I've since bought some tackle boxes from The Container Store in an attempt to keep things more orderly. We shall see...

Wild bunnies live in our neighborhood. I get so excited every time I see them, but I'm never able to get a decent photo. This time, however, the bunnies were eating dinner and content to let me get fairly close, under watchful eyes, of course.

Aptly named and delicious. The potato chip clusters are a bit too crunchy for me though.

Trying to get back in the habit of sketching on a regular basis; I'm rusty.

Passed this building on our walk and thought it looked interesting. I like the red brick peeking through the white facade, ivy-covered balconies, and twisting tree limbs.

These are the haunted steps from the film, The Exorcist (the scene where the priest busts through a window and tumbles all the way down to his death). This is the first time I've taken a photo of the staircase, despite having lived here for 12 years. The steps are very steep, by the way, supposedly five stories high. It's hard to tell from this photo, but they're definitely steep enough to give you the shakes if you're at all acrophobic.

And now for the winner of the Harry Potter giveaway...it's Janet!! I'll send you an email shortly.

Also, today is the last day to enter the Tiffany & Co box giveaway. I'll announce the winner tomorrow!

Let's Go Camping

I should get one thing straight from the start: I do not like camping. Don't get me wrong, I like nature...I just don't want to sleep in it, go to the bathroom in it, or get bitten, stung, or attacked by it. I do, however, love s'mores, ghost stories, lanterns, looking up at the stars, and having a good time in general. So what's a girl to do? Have a camping party of course! There's nothing wrong with setting up camp in the backyard, or if you live in an uncomfortably hot climate, the living room.

First, you need invitations:

(printable party kit from partysweet)

Next, decorations:

(orange cotton bunting from murdockdesign and paper garland from aLittleCard)

Punched ceramic lanterns make the light dance around:

(punched ceramic lanterns from Pottery Barn)

You can make your own pup tent:

(fabric pup tent tutorial from ReadyMade)

You might need an extra table or chairs:

(ponder table from stevechamberlainart and vintage folding chairs from theartfulcodger)

And of course, lots of pillows on the floor:

(crochet floor cushions from lacasadecoto)

Next, you need drinks and snacks:

(chilled mint lemonade from Martha Stewart and mini grilled cheese and tomato soup from fresh tart)

(apple chips from vittles and bits and striped popsicles from butterflyfood)

And what would a camping party be without s'mores?

(s'mores cake in a jar from how Sweet it is)

Next, you need games:

(1972 Clue game from Capzilla and vintage Sherlock Holmes game from MemorySaver)

And ghost stories, of course:

(Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories and Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural)

And last, party favors for everyone:

(miniature playable harmonica from paperfacestudio and red harmonica and whistle necklace from Azeetadesigns)

Doesn't that sound like fun (even for the indoorsy at heart)?

Now, on to the more serious business of announcing WINNER #2...it's Ren!! Yay! I'll send you an email shortly.

Also, today's the last day to enter the Harry Potter giveaway. Winner will be announced tomorrow!

I do! I do!

A couple of months ago, a groom-to-be contacted me on Etsy to say that he liked my "peppermint" brooches and asked if I could make seven of them for his wedding party. I was beyond excited and honored that he chose my pins for his wedding. How cool is that?

I got a little overzealous taking photos before I sent them off, like I was sending my babies off to school for the first time. I'm hoping if I ask extra nicely, he might show me some photos of the wedding, which is in October. I think fall weddings are lovely by the way.

And now for the big announcement of WINNER #1...(making obnoxious drumroll noises)...it's Grace! I'll send you an email shortly.

Also, today's the last day to enter the art giveaway; the winner will be announced tomorrow!

Yes- But No.

(Source: yes- but no.)

I laughed out loud when I saw this a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure you can imagine that my name, Mary, is in about a hundred songs, and I've probably had some guy come up to me and sing every one of them at some point or another. Not that I don't appreciate being serenaded, but it does get old.

In other news, today is the last day to enter the summer accessories giveaway. I'll be announcing the winner tomorrow!

Happy Friday

(Source: Sakurako Shimizu)

Isn't that the cutest face you've ever seen? Hope everyone has a great weekend! I will be busy making things and hopefully catching up on some sleep. Hope you guys enjoyed my giveaway week. There's still time to enter! I'll be announcing a new winner each day next week. In the mean time, I'll be back to blogging about art and design and etsy and all the other inspirational things I find on the internet. Plus, I have a few photos to share of recent crafty projects. xo, Mary

Giveaway!!! #4

I'm getting to be a pro at these giveaways! Haha. Anyway, today I have a really BIG giveaway: a Tiffany & Co signature crystal box. It was given to me as a gift, and I never even took it out of the box (except to take these photos of course). I decided this box is far too pretty to be left alone in a closet somewhere and neglected. It should go to the home of someone who will properly appreciate it and use it to hold jewelry or other pretty things!

To enter:
-follow my blog (if you already follow, tell me which reader you use);
-and tell me what's the nicest gift you've ever received?

Optional entries (leave a separate comment for each one):
-tweet this giveaway (please tell me your twitter name)
-mention this giveaway on your blog
-follow me on twitter
-follow me on bloglovin
-follow me on pinterest

*Open to US residents only (sorry international folks; I'll include you in one soon).

The winner will be announced next Thursday, June 30.

Giveaway!!! #3

I know there must be some Harry Potter fans out there who are as excited as I am for the final film to come out in less than one month!! To celebrate, I've got a giveaway for you: a Hogwarts tapestry-style pillow and Conversations with J. K. Rowling, which is a biography/interview of sorts.

I know some fans are equal parts excited and sad for the series to finally end - all the better to have a pillow to cushion the blow while you flail around sobbing. ;)

My brother has just started reading the books to my niece and nephew, and it's cool to see a whole new generation discovering the world of Hogwarts. Incidentally, my niece is not happy that Hermione has chosen Ron as her love interest, though, and said, "Hermione should like Harry, and they should get married." I'm not one to argue with her! All this to say that you can always win the giveaway for a friend or family member if it's not your thing (although how could it not be??? :D).

To enter:
-follow my blog (if you already follow, tell me which reader you use);
-and tell me your favorite character in Harry Potter.

Optional entries (leave a separate comment for each one):
-tweet this giveaway (please tell me your twitter name)
-mention this giveaway on your blog
-follow me on twitter
-follow me on bloglovin
-follow me on pinterest

*Open to US residents only (sorry international folks; I'll include you in one soon).

The winner will be announced next Wednesday, June 29.

Giveaway!!! #2

Today's giveaway is for the art lovers! (To enter yesterday's giveaway, click here).

Included in this lovely giveaway are:
-two postcards from Ashley G;
-a sheet of hand-drawn stickers by Tali from Tush Tush and TOSYA;
-a Keith Haring flip book that's really cute;
-and a poster of Alfred Stieglitz's photograph, Spring Showers, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

To enter:
-follow my blog (if you already follow, tell me which reader you use);
-and tell me your favorite artist(s).

Optional entries (leave a separate comment for each one):
-tweet this giveaway (please tell me your twitter name)
-mention this giveaway on your blog
-follow me on twitter
-follow me on bloglovin
-follow me on pinterest

*Open to US residents only (sorry international folks; I'll include you in one soon).

The winner will be announced next Tuesday, June 28.

Check back tomorrow for more giveaway goodies!!!

Giveaway!!! #1

Today, I'm excited to share the first of several giveaways going on this week. We're starting off with some cute accessories for summer.

Included in this fabulous giveaway are:
-a Beatrix bunny pin from My Hideaway;
-a papillon (butterfly) pin from My Hideaway;
-a sparkly headband from ModCloth;
-and a vintage-inspired cocktail ring from Forever 21.

To enter:
-follow my blog (if you already follow, tell me which reader you use);
-and tell me your favorite place to shop for accessories.

Optional entries (leave a separate comment for each one):
-tweet this giveaway (please tell me your twitter name)
-mention this giveaway on your blog
-follow me on twitter
-follow me on bloglovin
-follow me on pinterest

*Open to US residents only (sorry international folks; I'll include you in one soon).

The winner will be announced next Monday, June 27.

Check back tomorrow for more giveaway goodies!!!

Giveaway Week!

(Source: Mike Hiatt)

Just wanted to let everyone know that I've planned several giveaways (at least three) for next week. The fun will start on Monday! (And my giveaways will be a lot more awesome than smells, I promise.) Hope everyone's enjoying their Saturdays!

Wishful Decorating

Just a few things I'd love to have in my new apartment. Clockwise from top left: They tied their hopes to a string... by Theater Clouds; vintage Arne Vodder chest of drawers from Bukowskis; Color Study 306 by daintytime (Sherri Lynn Wood); and Eames Eiffel Side Chairs from CoMod.

Hope everyone has a fabulous, fun-filled weekend!

Scenes from Life

Lovely colorful bundles of felt. Little do they know they're about to be cut up into many tiny pieces. [Insert maniacal laugh here]

I love polka dots.

Rereading Cannery Row by John Steinbeck for the first time since high school in my pjs. I love the illustrated cover. I've now moved on to St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell, which is excellent so far.

This ladybug lives in my window. We met at a craft fair in Baltimore about 10 years ago, and she's been with me ever since.

We've been eating way too much pizza lately. This one was made by the lovely people at the Lost Dog Cafe and was delicious.

My boyfriend and I were walking on a nearby trail and came across a spider weaving a huge web. It might be hard to see in this photo, but trust me, it was spectacular and scary.

What have you guys been up to lately?

Roman Diaz

I came across these amazing little creatures by Roman Diaz when I was browsing flickr. I did some digging and found that he's actually authored two origami books, Origami Essence and Origami for Interpreters. I read an interview about him, and my Spanish is not great, but I think it said he was a veterinarian in Montevideo, Uruguay and had been designing and making his own origami animals since age 10 or 11. No doubt his scientific knowledge of animals helps his origami. I think he is incredibly gifted!











Click here to see more images of Diaz's origami.