Instagram Photo Coasters

A few years back I made these coasters, and loved how simple they were. Recently I wanted an upgrade and I thought it would be fun to make instagram photo coasters. I had all the supplies on hand, except for the tiles, so the whole project only cost me $0.64, which makes my frugal heart happy!

Supplies:

• 4 small ceramic tiles (4.5 × 4.5, can be found at Home Depot or Lowes)
• 4 of your favorite instagram photos, printed and cut to about 4×4 (I printed mine at home on photo paper)
• 1 foam sheet
• Mod Podge
• Clear Acrylic Coating
• Paint brush

Directions:

Cut the craft photos very carefully with a paper cutter or scissors. Then spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on the tile (with a paint brush or foam roller). Carefully position the photos, and add one or two coats of Mod Podge over the paper, letting dry between coats.

Cut 16 small squares (four per coaster) out of the foam sheet. Then glue them, using a hot glue gun or strong adhesive, to the bottom corners of the tile.

Then simply take the coasters outdoors and spray with a water-resistant Clear Acrylic Coating, following the directions on the can. I did two coats, which seemed to work out fine.

Note: If you want finished edges you can sand the edges of the tile and paint white

Joshua Tree National Park

Earlier this week Ryan and I went on a camping trip to Joshua Tree National Park with a group of people from our church. It was an amazing trip filled with a few “firsts”. Our first time going to Joshua Tree, our first time camping as a married couple, and my first time going real rock climbing (not indoor). It was so refreshing to get away and get some time out in nature. We may not have slept very well (not sure how people camp for long stretches of time!) but it was a great trip! Hope to go back and explore again soon. 

   

Gallery Wall

I’ve pretty much always wanted a gallery wall in every place we’ve ever lived. But I knew it would be a big project, taking both time & money. When we recently moved into our new place, we decided to go for it. A gallery wall would be perfect for the wall behind our couch, and would add interest to the space. So we started googling ideas and tried to nail down what what look we wanted (which took some time). We decided to go with white frames and to add a few “intrigue” pieces to add depth. We headed over to ikea and purchased several assorted frames, and then from there we searched for the other pieces. We found the block letters at Anthropology, and the beveled mirror at Target.

Then we moved on to the daunting task of arranging and rearranging the pieces into a shape that we both liked. We must’ve sat on our living room floor for 2+ hours trying to figure it out. Once we finally got an arrangement we liked, it was time to hang. God bless my sweet husband. That was quite the task and he handled it well.

We filled the frames with some pieces we made ourselves, some we bought, and some we found online. Ryan designed a print for our wedding vows, which we now have up in the two smaller frames.

It was a big project, but we love how it turned out and think it was worth the hard work! ♥

Letting Go

I love starting the day off with my devotional and a cup of coffee. It sets the tone for the day and helps me focus on what truly matters. Something I struggle with and am working through is learning how to let go. Letting go of control can be one of the hardest things to do. I want to trust God and trust his plans for me, but that means handing over control to Him. Trusting Him with my dreams, my future, my relationships. Most of the time I am clinging on for dear life, mostly due to fear. Fear that things won’t work out, fear of being unhappy, fear of failing, fear of succeeding, the list goes on. I’ve always been a “worrywart” as they say, and so living in the moment has always been a struggle. Instead, I try to think and plan for the future. Imagining every possible outcome of events so I can try to prepare myself for them. This usually leads to my feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

But the thing is…. I don’t have to have it all figured out. I can take it one baby step at a time and see where that leads me. This concept does not, however, come easy for me. It is something that I will have to work on every. single. day.

Right now I am choosing to let go and see what happens. To live in the moment and Trust Him.

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34 (The Message)

Family Adventures

I am blessed in that I married into one of the most loving, fun, goofy families ever. It’s hard living so far away from them (they’re in Florida, we’re in California), but living far apart has helped us to cherish the time that we do have together.

Christmas 2011 the whole family came out to visit us. We had an amazing ten days together and we made the most of it. We showed them all of our favorite places here in Southern California (quite possibly in an attempt to lure them out west). We played in the snow in Big Bear, paddle boarded in Dana Point, hiked in Hollywood, and wine tasted in Temecula Valley. So many great memories that I will treasure for years to come. 

Sidenote: my nephew Sawyer is pretty much the cutest thing ever. His parents, my brother and sister-in-law, just recently welcomed their second child (a precious baby girl named River) into the world! Cannot wait to meet her & snuggle.