Merry Monday!

Hello, How was your weekend?

We had a very nice one with temperatures no higher than 80 degrees.

For us, that's nice, Summer lows are usually 90 degrees at 4 am!

Are you ready for the very first 

I'd like to say again, that this is a lot like Haunted Humpday..

without the creepy stories, haha!

I want to write about things that bring me joy,

how there is magic in almost everything..

and gratitude is the secret to happiness.

I have a recipe to share,

some craft ideas,

 and a couple of books I think you should take a look at if you can.

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A few years ago I had a weekly post called Guerrilla Friday.

I created small pieces of art,

 (little dolls, cards, tiny birdhouses..)  

I'd write inspirational messages on them, and "abandon" them somewhere.

I've left trinkets at parks, bike trails, parking lots, bus benches...

my theory is, what if someone is really down, or wondering if they need a sign of some sort...

and they just happen to find a little card that says

'Believe in yourself"....well it might just help them out in some small way.

If nothing else, it might provoke a smile.

I always write:

'this is for you' 

on the back..just in case someone feels like

 they are taking something set there for someone else.

So we started the weekend with a walk at a nearby park.

We took a small paper mache heart we painted, with us.

We added a couple of phrases to it.

(stand tall/you got this)

I hung this on a large rose bush, then we ran off!

You'd be surprised how good this makes you feel!

Have you ever had brownies with Andes mints in them?

It's super simple to make

You need some brownie mix, I use this one:

And these mints,

prepare according to the directions on the box,

 mix in a teaspoon of peppermint oil.

then add half the batter to an 8x8 pan, 

press in as many mints as you want across and down.I usually use 20.

Cover them with the remaining batter and bake.

(via pinterest)

They taste like mint cocoa & are perfect for the holidays!

By now, you all probably know that I greatly admire

Lisa Kettell.

Her awesome book

inspires me every time I open it.

I bought this book one day (about 8 years ago) at Barnes & Noble..

The colorful story book projects and the easy to follow instructions 

captured my imagination.

After pouring through the book several times, I was curious to see

who this author was.

I found her beautiful blog and just could not get over how 

cute her creations were.

I was very happy to find out she had an etsy shop

selling many fanciful items.

After purchasing a few, I found out that

Not only is she incredibly creative, she's kind.

Over the years we have become friends,

and a couple years ago, soon after my dad passed away,

 I was able to go visit her and her wonderful mom, in New Jersey.

It was an amazing trip that helped me clear my head

and shake off the grief that was surrounding me.

We went sightseeing,

visited the jersey shore,

We crafted.

I also learned that family doesn't have to be people you are connected to genetically.

I'll always be grateful.

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Ready to create some fun?

These ornaments are super easy to make!

This is Marion Macaron:

 

To create Marion, you need

 a Charlotte doll head from Lisa's shop

A soft squishy (foam) macaron backpack charm from Michael's craft store 

4 pink pipe cleaners

pink fabric paint

white glitter

pink glitter

white glue

hot glue

pink beads

tooth picks

scissors 

scrapbook paper

ribbon

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Remove the clips from the macaron charm

insert pipe cleaners through the macaron, to form arms and legs.

 since it's foam, the pipe cleaner wire should be easy to push in. 

cut to size

hot glue the Charlotte doll head to the charm

cut out a chef hat from the scrapbook paper 

hot glue to Charlotte's head

Add hot glue to tips of the 'hands' secure a pink bead to it.

Do the same to the other hand.

put a small amount of hot glue on a toothpick that has been cut in half,

add to pink beads to create a 'candied apple' look 

dip feet in white glue

sprinkle pink glitter on them.

cover hat in white glue and add white glitter.

use fabric paint to cover the gap between the head and the macaron.

when she's dry, hot glue a short loop of ribbon to the back of her head to display her.

This is Beulah Bon Bon

You will need 

Bon Bon back pack charm from Michael's craft store

 A China doll head from Lisa's shop

(you can get her pre painted or ready to paint)

light brown pipe cleaners

silver tinsel

red glitter foam

scissors

ribbon

hot glue

clear glitter

green glitter

small cookie eraser or a sticker that looks like a sweet

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Same as before, remove the clips from the charm

push pipe cleaners through the foam

cut to size

hot glue the china doll head to the bon bon 

cut out a hat from the red foam

hot glue in place

hot glue silver tinsel to tip of hat and both feet

add glue then sprinkle green glitter to hat

add sticker 

or

hot glue little cookie to her hand.

you can also make teeny little sweets out of oven bake clay

cover cheeks in white glue

sprinkle white glitter on her face

hot glue loop of ribbon to back of her head

Has anyone read this yet?

If so, did you enjoy it?

If you read the Practical Magic book,

 I've heard this is a must read.

The amazing Ricki Jill at The Sketchy Reader is going to 

write a review soon and I cannot wait,

Her book reviews are thorough and honest.

you should give her blog a visit if you can,

it's filled with photos of her gorgeous home too.

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Okay, that's all for today..

Thank you for stopping by..

If you would like to participate by writing your own

Merry Monday post

you can leave a link in the comments.

Remember,

this is just a weekly post on people/things that bring me joy and make me feel grateful.

you can post anything you like, a photo of something that makes you happy

a recipe you would like to share..

some artwork, 

something neat you bought..

or a story about someone or something that inspires you.

Also, if you decide to abandon some art, let me know!

I'm going to end this with three things I'm grateful for:

1.Helena

                                  2. The current book I'm reading

            3.Cooler weather

See you later!