It's the Little Things

My very first pair of trail running shoes

Chicken tacos with brie and sweet potato fries

Jones Valley Farm radishes

Fresh cut flowers

Baby Francine

Surprises in the mail from Jennifer

Homemade chocolate chip cookies

A box of wild lavender from Beth's garden for On.a.Whim heating sachets to be

Perch Bead Studio

On a recent trip to the “Loveliest Village on the Plains,” Allison took me by a whimsical bead shop she thought I would enjoy. Almost two hours later and laden with hand-stamped necklaces, we were both sold.

Perch Bead Studio prides itself on being a community studio and artisan jewelry store --

"A place to create, collaborate and inspire with an emphasis on having a good time."

A creative gal's dream world.

Only downside - not being able to choose everything!

Perch offers workshops, parties and drop-ins. We thought it would be great fun to throw a shower there. 

Allison was extremely meticulous about her stamping. She chose the date of her and Bradley’s anniversary to imprint into her charm.

Feather Pen Craft

Apparently feathers are this season’s accessory of choice. I’ve seen them entwined in jewelry, clothes and even hair. They were also the inspiration for this very easy and fun On.a.Whim craft project.

My sister wanted to use a certain brown, felt-tipped pen for their wedding guestbook. When she asked me to make the exterior of the pen pretty, I was happy to acquiesce her request.

Jen's feathers of choice: Classic wedding-day cream. I bet bright peacock feathers in vibrant shades of blue and green would make for a nice special occasion pen. You can find feathers at any craft store. These were purchased at Michael's. 

Trim to desired length with a handy set o' pliers.

OR 

Tightly wrap excess wire around the base of the pen. It's up to you whether you want to cut or wrap the wire stem. I finally decided to keep and wrap it so that the feather would be more secure. If you have a feather without a long wire stem, just make sure the feather is firmly inserted into the top of the pen with the floral tape + hot glue.

Click play to watch next step of the process. Beginning at the top of the pen, where feather inserts, firmly wrap floral tape around and around the pen to cover and hold.

Glue a couple dots of hot glue on the top of the pen.
Insert craft rope at top. Let dry for a few minutes. 

Firmly wrap craft rope around and around the pen. 

Still wrapping! Cut and tuck end of rope at bottom of pen.
You may want to use hot glue to fasten snuggly.

And voila, you have a handmade feather pen in minutes!

Elbow Grease

Each morning the journalistic nerd in me shivers with excitement to retrieve the day’s A.Word.A.Day. The simple truth is I. Love. Words.

I love stringing words together in sentences (syntax); I love learning the history/origin of words (etymology); I love studying the pronunciation of words (phoenetics). I confess that I would love to be in a perpetual linguistics class. Please sign me up. Yesterday.

There is a wealth of knowledge that can be derived from language, and I believe that we should be constantly enriching and broadening our understanding of it.

Por exemplo, did you know that thistledown is the soft feathery material that protects the fruiting part of a thistle? And that it’s often used in bedding and nightgowns?

Or that the word druthers is a jocular formation of “I’d” and “rather.” That it is an American term created in 1895 meaning one’s own way, wish, or preference?

Hopefully I haven’t lost you with my cerebral ramblings before I can impart today’s word.

Our gal Rosie the Riveter serves as the perfect ambassador for this kicky term – elbow grease.

PRONUNCIATION: (EL-bo grees)

MEANING: noun: Hard work; vigorous exertion.

ETYMOLOGY: Originally elbow grease was a metaphor for manual labor, as in elbow grease is the best wax for polishing furniture. Now in an extended sense it can refer to any effort, physical or mental. Earliest documented use: 1672.

From here on out, in all my noteworthy endeavors, I hope they will be executed with ample elbow grease!

Do you have a favorite word? If so, please share so that our linguistic banks may be aggrandized.

Coffee Cup Art

If you're in search of some original artwork to adorn the walls of your living room, office, nursery/child's room or any other blank wall, look no further! I'd like to introduce you to Mrs. Lisa Tew, my artist auntie who has quite a knack for making canvasses sing!

In her own words: "A recent relocation to Birmingham with my wonderful husband of 14 years and two beautiful girls (12 and 11) has given me my dream of painting full-time and sharing the journey as I go." Join in Lisa's artistic journey at http://coffeecupart-lisat.blogspot.com/.

Check out some of her work below:

You can purchase any of these pieces or place custom orders on her Etsy account:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LisasCoffeeCupArt

Whimsicals

These are a few of my most recent favorite things:

Baby Rollins.

I'm in love! He turned one month this week. Who knew babies could be so much fun!

Anthropologie's Seahorse mugs ($10/each): http://www.anthropologie.com/

Free Amy Butler patterns. I love this Mid Mod Quilt pattern: http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/pdfs/Amys_Mid_Mod_Quilt.pdf

This trench coat pattern is NOT free, but HAVE to make it. So cute!

Blabla dolls. A special little lady under a year old will get one of these in the mail box very soon:

http://www.blablakids.com/

Clementine the Monkey
Prudence the Owl

Love Happens: What a little joy. This rental stayed at my house six days too long and was actually re-rented yesterday by my roommate. I highly recommend this unexpectedly poignant flick starring my favorite gal.

Easter Happies

Easter is my favorite holiday. It represents the sacrifice of our Savior, our rescue from eternal darkness. Too, for me, it is an ushering forth of my favorite season: S-P-R-I-N-G! Here are some cute On.a.Whim baskets and bowls that I've been delighted to share with sweet friends and family the past couple of weeks. I love gathering little tidbits of joy (lotions, tea bags, eggs, magnets, postcards) and arranging them all together. Enjoy!

Hand-Written Letters

Receiving a hand-written letter or card via "snail mail," may be one of my most favorite things!

Sure, emails, texts and phone calls are always nice, but there's just something about receiving a personal card or letter. Instead of snapping a way a couple of lines through an instantly received email or texting an abbreviated one-liner, hand-written letters speak of intention, thoughtfulness and 44 cents!

I get tickled picking out that special card for whoever I'm wishing to mail happiness to.

And, I especially appreciate the time, effort and creativity expended on handmade cards.

If you get a chance this week, make time to send someone you care about a hand-written card. They'll be thrilled to pull it out of their mailbox and see your name on the return addy! Happy Monday!