My Personal Excellence - 21 day journal challenge

OK, so I just found this website called Personal Excellence. Its really about helping us live our lives to the greatest possible potential.  And since I've been trying to live my life more consciously and thoughtfully, this site really resonates with me. So, they have a 21 day journal challenge and I thought I would participate.  I am a few days late in starting it, but all the questions are posted online, so I figured I'd give it a go. So day 1:
What Would You Do If You Have 1 Million Dollars?

I find this question really difficult to answer, because there are so many possibilities!! Pick and choose... My first goal would be to pay off my credit cards, my car and my educational debts. I would like to pay off my boyfriend's debts as well as my parent's debts. I would take some time off work, maybe even quit my job, and do some extensive travelling. I would like to go to Europe, especially Italy, France, Ireland & Scotland. I would try to go cheaply, but take lots of picture. Speaking of pictures, I would be getting myself a fancy new Digital SLR camera to take along on the trip.

After I got back from the trip, I would purchase a house for myself & my honey somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. I would move my parents out there with me too. Most likely buy some land and some small farm animals like chickens & goats. I would invest in composting equipment for my land. I would probably go back to school, either grad school for some sort of public service type career. Or maybe go to pastry school. And I would use some money to start my own business.

I would donate some money to diabetes research because I've lost too many relatives to this terrible disease. I would also invest in wind & solar power.

I am not sure how much that would use up. But, that's what would make me happy right now.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's question: If You Are To Do Something For Free For the Rest of Your Life, What Would It Be?

Dia de lost Muertos - getting crafty

Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos or "Day of the Dead" is a mexican celebration honoring those that have passed on. Its celebrated around Oct 31st to November 2nd and is related to the Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day. But these days are for celebration and playfulness, not of darkness or sadness. Here's a little blurb from Wikipedia:

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality of a National Holiday. The celebration takes place on November 1st and 2nd, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts.
Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl. In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

I have been fascinated by the artwork of Dia de los Muertos for many years. And I've finally gotten around to making some of the essential decorations, Sugar Skulls!

These skulls are used to decorate for the holiday and are used on altars that are dedicated to ancestors. In the homes, family members honor their deceased with ofrendas or offerings which may consist of photographs, bread, other foods, flowers, toys and other symbolic offerings.

                                    

Below are some pictures of the 1st stage of my sugar skulls. If you want to make some for yourself, check out this website, Mexican Sugar Skulls. I have prepared the sugar and molded it into skull shapes. Now it must dry for 12 hours. I will then prepare a "glue" to attach the back of the skull to the front.

The next step is to make several different colors of royal icing and decorate each skull. I hope to have a few friends over to complete this task!!  I am really excited to finally be making these skulls for my Dia de los Muertos altar.






For more info about Day of the Dead celebrations, check out these links:

• Day of the Dead sayings
• Musings from Ladi Loera, day of the dead artist (My fav!!)
• Folk art gallery
• Article by Judy King
• Masquefaire - etsy page with some amazing day of the dead masks
• Just do a google search, and you'll come up with some really awesome pages.

Want to win a Raspberry Ice Kitchen Aid??

One of my favorite blogs, Sweetopia, is giving away two of these babies!! Click here to read the post and to enter!!

Man do I want to win one, not only is it dreamy, its for a great cause, fighting cancer!!

Sisters in the Kitchen: Key Lime Cupcakes

Sisters in the Kitchen: Key Lime Cupcakes: " I fell in love with the taste of key lime when I made my Bite Size Oreo Key Lime Pies . I needed to use up some more key limes and w..."

Austin's Renegade Craft Fair

Coming up next weekend is Ausin's Renegade Craft Fair.

(I would have posted this on the sidebar, but I can't figure out how to do so... any thoughts??)

Here's what I've been working on

I am in the midst of several crafy projects. Here's a peek at what I've been working on.

This is a chair that I am re-upholstering for a friend. These are the before pics.

This is the back side with most of the layers removed. It's been interesting seeing what's underneith the outside fabric. Hence the pink fabric layer I found, see below!

And here's the bustle/ apron/ cape I've been working on. I got the pattern from "Craftovision" on youtube. I put the link to the video below.  And I have to share that because the video does not mention the length of lace that you need, you should over-guestimate. I unfortunately underestimated and had to go back to get more lace. And much to my chagrin, the store did not have anymore of the pretty lace I first picked out. Lesson learned... Of course, can you really tell which layer has the different lace?? I'm still very happy with how it turned out!

Fabric pieces cut out

Closeup of the lace

Two of the layers ready to sew together.

The finished product.

I will get motivated soon and post a pic of me wearing the bustle.

Here's the youtube, in case you want to make a fancy bustle for yourself!!

Thursday's Findings

For today's findings, I wanted to share with you a site called Pinterest.  Its basically a site where you can grab something that you love, from the web, and pin it to your Pinterest page. You share it with the other folks on Pinterest.  Here's the blurb from their website:

What is Pinterest?

Think of Pinterest as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can create collections of things you love and "follow" collections created by people with great taste.
People use Pinterest to collect and share all sorts of things -- wedding inspiration, favorite T-shirts, DJ equipment. You name it, people are pinning it.
We know you have great taste in something. Our mission is to make Pinterest the best place for you to share your taste with the world.

Check it out and request an invite.  They are still in the beginning stages, so they are still picky about who they let join.

Here's what I "pinned" today:

Its from a blog called Simplesong. Don't those chocolate cups look delish?