diy rosebud mason jar

      Lately I have been obsessed with sheet music. It may or may not have anything to do with my semester at WorshipU.  So when my brother’s birthday party was cancelled due to some snow, I knew I had to do some crafting!

    

Materials:

1 wide mouth jar (Unless you have freakishly small hands. Trust me on this.)

1-3 pages of sheet music (the older the better)

Mod Podge

Jute

1/8^th of a yard unbleached muslin, or the fabric of your choice.

      First, you need to take a piece of unfolded paper (you can rip off folded portions) and coat thinly with Mod Podge.

Folded and impossible to smooth.

Ahh, folded portion ripped off.

Coated "thinly" with Mod Podge.

Next, you will stick it on the jar. I like to paint a little bit of Mod Podge on the Jar as well as the paper.

      Continue doing this all the way around the jar. make sure to smooth out ALL air bubbles. They make the Mod Podge dry really, well, bubbly.

This is where having a wide mouth jar is important.

      Once you reach the top of the mason jar, try and use the littlest pieces of paper posible. It is definitely a learning curve to get the sheet paper around the curve. If you don't want to Mod Podge the bottom of your jar, it isn't necessary. I like my projects to look good from all angles, so I just did it. after this, you are done decoupaging. Yay!

      There will undoubtedly be some remains of the Mod Podge stuck to the outside of the jar. Yuck! to get it off, I wrapped it in a wet towel for about 15 minutes, and then I wiped off the remains with the same towel.

You can either use this time to wash the Mod Podge off your hands, or to check Facebook. Sometimes it is so hard to tell which is more important.

  Once you have wiped off the external Mod Podge, you get to tie the jute around the jar.

Get a piece of jute approximately2 1/2 feet long (give or take) and wrap it around the jar evenly. (See this wonderfully drawn diagram) Criss Cross Cris Cross.


Now it is time for the rosette! Take a strip of the muslin about 1 inch wide by 8 inches long, or bigger, depending on what size you want your rosebud. I just ripped it off, I like the threadbare feel. To make my rosette, I cut a small circle of paper and put a dot of hot glue on it.

Working quickly, start twisting your fabric around the dot, adding more glue every 2-3 twists.

After that, all you need to do is tie the jute in a bow, position the "leaves", and hot glue the flower onto the bow!

 This should take about 24 hours to completely dry.

Now pat yourself on the back. At least eight times.



Libbi H.

For lack of a greener dress.

Hello all! I hope this lovely Tuesday afternoon is as relaxing for you as it is for me! I have been gone for a couple of days, so I haven't been able to post my outfit pictures from St. Patrick's Day.

Dress:Target//Shoes:Target//Bolero:Kohls//Bracelets:Charming Charlies (I think)

 I have nothing green in my closet. The closest think is a teal dress. Also, I wasn't about to wear my green sleep-shirt to church! I wasn't sure how I felt about hi-low skirts (or mullet skirts ;), but after wearing one, I am pretty sure they are the greatest thing ever. I can bend over without the back being too short, and for some reason it is way easier to wear than a maxi dress.

 See? I made an effort to wear green. I really love these sandals. I bought two different colors last year, and if they start selling them again, I will probably buy two or three pairs.

 

My day consisted of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and dodgeball.

How was your St. Patrick's day?

Book Review: Outrageous Courage by Kris Vallotton and Jason Vallotton

"Contained in these pages is a story that will change your life. Consider yourself warned."

     Tracy Evans is what some would call an adventurer, a thrill seeker, or even crazy. I would call her a woman who is not afraid to relinquish her life to God. So many Christians are miserable in life, living out a boring existence with the monotony, and safety, of a steady job, a house payment, and insurance. Although the former things are not bad, what has happened to risk? In this skillfully written book, Tracy Evans, missionary extraordinaire, shares her story. From a sickness filled dump in the Philippines, to an orphanage in Africa, Tracy shares about God’s unending love, and perfectly timed provision.

     I loved this book. I think Kris and Jason are extremely talented writers, and Tracy is one incredible messenger! She has such perseverance. Just reading about her time in the Philippines, I was amazed at the love she had for the lost. This book challenged me to look at my life, and make sure I am living it to the fullest. This book helped me to realize that I have had some trust issues with God. Tracy needed thousands of dollars worth of baby formula and God provided. If God can do that, why can’t I trust Him for something as simple as tuition money? Overall, I would recommend this book to literally anyone. People of all ages can benefit from this life-altering book.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Mystery of The Heart by Jillian Kent

     When thrown from a boat, and washed ashore in England, Lady Mercy Grayson is catapulted into an unexpected friendship with Lord Eden, her rescuer. When she arrives at her home, questions start coming from all sides. When Lord Eden shows up at her doorstep, she is staggered to see that he is near death. When Lord Eden tries to deliver an ancient relic, he is stunned when he is badly beaten, and he loses the spearhead to a distinguished enemy. Together, they must fight both physical and spiritual enemies to bring peace and love to the king, and ultimately, to each other.

     I thought this book was very interesting. I loved the idea of what the relic was, and I loved the theology of the book. It did seem like there was not a lot of suspense. There were short spurts of suspense, but not really enough to keep you reading throughout the night. I did not really relate to Lady Mercy, but that is mainly because I have no ambition to become a doctor. I really enjoyed the cover; I thought it was put together beautifully.  I enjoyed the family dynamic, and I plan to read the first two books in the series as soon as I can. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in archaeology, or those who enjoy English fiction and suspense.

I wrote this review in exchange for this book from the publisher.

eBook Review: Grave Consequences by Lisa T. Bergren

      Fleeing Paris for their lives, scarcely escaping an attempt on their lives, Cora Kensington and her family endeavor to leave their attackers behind them. On their way to beautiful Austria, the Kensingtons cannot seem to escape trouble. With frightening men on the loose, as well as the growing love between Cora and Will, it seems that their tour might be cut short yet again. With Cora and her half-sisters and half-brother beginning to grow closer as a family, they want to stay on this expedition if it kills them; which might be an existent possibility.  Will the Kensingtons become a real family, or will their love be trampled by the looming storm?

 

      Is it possible to love a book too much? I sure hope not. This was a fantastic read. I think I read the entire, 450-page book in less than 36 hours. I loved the vivid descriptions of Europe, and the experiences that the author portrays. It made me want to go on a “Grand Tour” myself! In addition, isn’t the cover fantastic? I am astounded at how beautiful the covers in this series have been.  What is my critique of the book? That the final installment does not come out until October, I almost cried when I found out how long I would have to wait. Overall, this is a fantastic book for ages 16+, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves to travel, or who likes a suspenseful read!

Thanks to the publisher for giving me the eBook in exchange for this review.