DIY Door Mat

 Well Fall is here... like as of yesterday!

Summer was slow to come...

& Slow to go which i am very grateful for!

With Fall comes my weird - pre-hibernation nesting stage (do other people go through this I feel like my habits change with the seasons & Fall is always one of: Suzy Homemaker with a dash of Frantic Cleaning Lady. 

I was feeling like our front door could use some switching up // a cozier fall feel 

I got as a much larger shoe-storage for all of the boots & bulkier winter footwear & put out a basket full of hats and mittens. Then I sat down on the floor... right in front of the door...like in that stupid spot where if you sit there you are liable to get shmucked when the door inevitably opens & painted a mat that I picked up at the Dollar Store Poetry Club Snaps Dollerama Home Organization Section!

This isn't so much a Tutorial ; it's pretty self explanatory. So ill share what you need & then skip the step by step & share some photos I took.
& if a picture is truly worth a 1000 words then get ready for my 7000 word Tutorial!

What You Will Need:

• A Mat 
• Paint Brush(s) 
• Acrylic Paint (black)

DIY Summer Door Mat
(updated June 2018)

Doughnut

Popsicle

 Dilly Bar

 Fruit

 Philodendron

A few of my favorite things welcoming me home!

Fall Bucket List FREE Printable

Today is the first official Day of Fall !

The start of what I consider 'Celebration Season' ! 

There are so many exciting things coming up ... 
The 1st being my Birthday
Followed by Thanksgiving
... & Halloween
& so many fun things To Do:
Apple Picking
Carving Jack-O-Lanterns
Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
Fall Walks
Baking Pies
... the list goes on & on!

You guys are on board with the Bucket Lists after recieiving so much great feedback about his previous Summer Bucket List! Cody made this one for Fall to share again as a FREE PRINTABLE 

& will make another in time for Winter, so be sure to keep your eye out for that come December 21st.

I will be sharing pictures to the Upcy Instagram as we cross things off our Fall Bucket List over the coming months & share pictures of your Bucket List with #Upcy; we would LOVE to see you Crossing stuff of yours too!

A massive ThankYou goes out to my dear friend Justine for letting me snap pictures of her as she wrote out her Fall Bucket List!

Get your Own Fall Bucket List printable by Chopfyt / Upcy ;

As easy as clicking HERE & clicking PRINT

DIY Halloween 'BOO' Cross Stitch

I understand that this may seem pre-mature;
However I struggle with this unique balance where I both ~ refuse to accept that it is Fall prior to September 22nd & the fact that I pretty much start thinking of Halloween the second I hear the first leaf crackle under my toe. So I decided on this years Halloween Theme. One where I could have the best of both worlds!

UnDead Mermaid & Unicorns... It's going to be the perfect merging of everything pretty & pastel ... gone gruesomely wrong right!

Below I have shared my inspiration & if you scroll to the end you will find a Written Tutorial for the Mermaid Skull - BOO Cross Stitch.

What You Will Need:

• I picked up this little 4" diameter Loom for under $5
  I liked the look of the round wooden lume, so I decided to just keep it in ( I simply gathered the excess piece of fabric towards the back and secured it with safety pin - so still have the option to Frame it in the future if I decided that was something I wanted to do) 
• Skull Bead - I took apart this skull necklace - from some Witch costume of the past maybe?
• Cross Stitch / Edging Floss in a mix of colours
  (Neon Yellow, Pink, Violet, Teal Blue, Light Violet)
• Seashell Charm 
• Fabric - while they do sell great fabrics intended to be stitched into - I went with a piece of one of Cody's old T-shirts... 
• Large Needle
• Scissors
• Metal Jewelry Fasteners 
• Pliers

How To:

You are going to want to begin by securing your Fabric into your loom using the screw pin on top.

I suggest using a pencil first and gently writing out your word or phase to ensure you have the spacing right. While you can go back & un-stitch stitches... it isn't the easiest thing & it can take a long time!
Select a colour & cut a length about twice the length as you feel confident stitching with - Or use a series of smaller pieces to switch the colours as you so chose!
I just went with a straight stitch & kept the stitches from pulling by going in every other stitch & then passing back underneath the previous to fill the gap prior .

To create a small Tassel wrap your coloured thread around a fork. Oh ya I guess you'll also need a fork. Feed a piece of thread through the top prong & tie tight!
Before removing from the fork use Pliers to add a Jewelry Fastener to the top of the Tassel.
Cut the other end of the Loop to create your Tassel.

Lastly... Thread your Skull bead if needed and secure that your tassel & charm to the screw at the top of the Loom using one of your Jewelry Fastenings and Pliers.

This project is a bit time consuming & is a great evening // before bed project if you are someone like me who finds sitting down // unwinding a challenge!

The Process of Art // A Labour of Love

I decided at the start of 2017 that I was going to quietly step away from running the Upcy Shop. While I was still (up until the end of last week) accepting some Custom Orders, I had completely stopped listing & removed ALL the existing items on my Shop Page.

I don’t know if it was the entire concept of accepting or having to ask for compensation in exchange for my Art, knowing full well that I enjoy the challenge of Marketing & Sales in general (as many of your know Cody & Myself also work a Health & Wellness N.M. Business from Home which we truly enjoy!)
or the idea of having to do it... that robbed me of the very reason I dove back into exploring my creative side. The more orders I attempted to fill, and Items I listed online or in a Co-Op Shop - I also had a small Pop-Up style Booth in at the time - the more I felt drained by the whole process.
I used to spend hours creating things & I would document the process as I did so. I made things I wanted to create. Things that I used and wanted to have in my life! I love reaching for something old and forgotten, the process of turning it into something beautiful and new fills me with a deep sense of joy and accomplishment! It became more about creating things I thought other people would want or had asked me for. I stopped getting the same amount of joy from the process of creating when it became all about a perfect end product. What felt worse, was when I realized I was no longer reaching for my paint brush or any art supply as a way to seek peace, calm or express myself.
Cultivated Through The Process of Art.. meaning the practice of being present in the moment & embracing your creative side, Not obsessing over perfection. The Name Upcy came from 

 up·cy·cle 
ˈəpˌsīkəl/

verb

reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original.

I truly believe that it is not just materials that can be 'reused to create a product of higher quality,' but also our Mood, lifting the spirit to a higher happier level!

this summer (2017) smiling in front of a tassel & sprinkle photo wall I made for my best friends birthday!

circa summer of 2014 - Shamelessly Happily waving tassels in the wind in front of a hedge on the side of one of Ottawas busiest streets.

To Inspire people to create their own ART, To Share the peace, calm, self expression & love I get from the Process of Art in hopes that it may encourage others to find it too

With today being the First day of the 2017 School Year, I decided it was as good a time as any to officially put a close to that chapter (at least for now)! Never say Never right!

There are so many reasons why I have made this decision but that was probably the biggest! My intention was never to Profit off of or sell my Art. The entire concept of my work (being up-cycled / unique pieces), also makes it very difficult (most times impossible) to re-create.I am always working with new materials & very rarely have access to more of anything I use!
So while I learned a LOT from the experience, I will no longer be listing items for Sale on the Upcy Shop! I will still be Blogging, Styling, & Creating in many ways. I love collaborating with others, to create a Vision! Sharing what we know with one another & learning a new skills together! I want to get back to that! 

summer 2016 in front of wall of my Art cody & I built before moving from Ottawa 

 

I will however have a Studios Worth of Items//Photo Props that I will be looking to get rid  of as I do not have a Studio to store them in! (I have not quite decided on how I am going to go about organizing that however but be sure to keep an eye out for that if you are a fellow Blogger // content creator // lover of All Things Aesthetically Pleasing!)

Cheers to another change of Season! 

Self Love Cultivated through

The Process of Art;

The Practice of Self Care;

 & An Attitude of Gratitude

Discovering Canada's First Railway Tunnel [ & my Hometown Summer Favourites List ]

It felt like we had traveled back in time when we attended the Grand (re)Opening of Canada's First Railway Tunnel !

The Downtown core of Brockville was filled with the Modern appeal & swarms of people crowding towards the Massive Duck & Ribfest. Simultaneously taking place, a celebration for the Re-Opening of Phase 1 of Canada's First ever rail way tunnel. The back drop, a Traditional Carnival equipped with a carousel & vintage Ferris Wheel, which was also celebrating that weekend (its 100th year)!

(if you follow on Instagram you may likely saw the photo of my first bowl of Dip & Dots...
which got pumped out of my hand & ended up on the ground like a pile of very sad melting glitter)
Being that we live so close & will have lots of opportunities to go after it isn't quite so busy... when we set out in the morning to the Market we hadn't intended to walk through the Tunnel. We had been watching all the work take place though since moving downtown & wanted to experience the unveiling of it all!

We hadn't considered that by placing ourselves near the front to take it all in we were also some what volunteering ourselves to enter & walk the Tunnel... As the crowd of people behind us pushed us up towards the opening we realized now was our opportunity & so I am proud to say (& have the sticker to prove ;) ) that Cody & I were two of the first 100 people to walk it!

Above Photos ^  By: Cody Humble

It truly felt like we had traveled back in time while walking on the board walk. Surrounded by the Historical Architecture of downtown Brockville, the cobble stone street corners, & the Market (which has been in existence in one from or another even prior to the original opening of the Railway Tunnel back in 1860!) & abundance of local & Family owned businesses, I relished in the beauty of my Hometown.

I linked some of my Absolute Favourite Spots below! 

(Please Note: This is in No Way a Sponsored List, & all opinions are my own! 

... & No I didn't eat all of these Sweets in one day, it is a amalgamation of past photos)

The Farmers Market is home to so many amazing Local Business including but certainly not limited to Primrose & Willow which I talked about a bit in my DIY Mini Vase Floral Wall Hanging  post.

Gibson Family Farm (which I could not find a link for) they make the most delicious Maple Sugar & BEST Dark Amber Maple Syrup I have ever tasted!

O'Mally Kourt Fudgery has a flavour of Fudge for EVERYONE! & if for some unheard of reason that you do not like Fudge... they have just about every other Sweet Treat you can fathom too!

At Richards Coffee House I recommend the Frozen Coffee, while Cody goes for the Fresh Fruit Smoothie!

Sam & Harry's Place is a bit of a ways away from the Downtown core however it is worth the short trip up King St for what I consider to be the BEST Chip Truck in town ... Not to mention the Fact they have a Snow Cone Shack in the back, A bean bag toss , FREE Water & Coffee.. & the most generous and kind owner(s)!

Cowan's Dairy Bar is essentially a Hometown Hero... while this business isn't even downtown there was just no way I could make a list of my Favourite Spots & NOT include this heaven of a place!

The Tunnel is FREE to the Public to Enter & is Open Daily until September 30th from 9am - 9pm! If  this hasn't already been crossed off your Summer Bucket List...Don't miss your chance before they close it again to start work on Phase 2 & if you happen to check out a New spot off my list, be sure to leave a comment about what you got!
 The perfect excuse to sneak in one more Summer activity with your Friends & Family OR if you haven't made plans yet for Labour Day! Head downtown before back to School! 

Don't forget your walking shoes!

DIY Mini Vase Floral Wall hanging

This is such a simple summer DIY decor project! We haven't had a tun of great weather this Summer, so when not at work I have been doing my best to live in the moment and soak up as much of the sunny days as I can. This however is a great rainy day or evening project! The entire project takes about 5 minutes to put together & it turns out so pretty hanging with some fresh blooms!

Supplies Need: 

• 2 - 4 Mini Vase(s)
• Rope
• Hot Glue Gun
• Fresh Flowers (if you are local to Brockville be sure to check out Primrose & Willow )

How To:
Step #1. Start by cutting 8" lengths of rope (one per vase)
Step #2. Tie one end of a piece of rope to the top of each vase. Leave about 1 inch of overhang on the shorter end of rope with 6(ish) on the other (depending on the width of your vase
Step #3. Wrap the short end of rope around the top of the vase & secure using your Hot Glue Gun
Step #4. Tie the other (long) ends of the rope together staggering / layering the lengths they hang.
Step #5. Create a small loop (which will be used to hang) & secure in a tight knot.
Step #6. Trim off any excess rope from the top.
Fill each vase with a small amount of water, insert your Fresh Flowers & hang it somewhere that it will get some natural light! 

Cheers to soaking up the last Month of Summer!

Get out and pick some fresh flowers, OR head to the farmers market & support a Growing Local Business!!

5 Tips for the Thrift Shopping Minimalist

 I sat down to write this at like 11:59pm on Thrift Shop Day... does that count for anything?... didn't think so. . . 

I shared a post a while back that I got a tun of questions about that included a bunch of outfits and pieces I had thrifted, & so I have decided to put together a list of tips to keep in mind when heading to the Thrift Shop!
As a minimalist heading to a Thrift shop is not something that is done with the intention of bringing home a SLEW of new Items! I really don't like clutter and avoid owning any unnecessary items, so the Thrift Store can be a dangerous place if you don't keep the right mind set! Below are a list of things I keep in mind when heading out to find my next Thrifted Treasure!!

None of the photos in the compiled sets were shot for this Blog, which goes to show just how much wear I get out of some of my absolute favourite thrifted pieces!

#1. Go through your closet. Check out what you already have, to create the Outfits you'd like to have. Weather you are looking to create a capsule wardrobe or not this is a great tip to avoid heading home with something you don't end up wearing because you don't have anything that compliments it well. Or worse... finding out you already had something similar, tucked in the back of your closet.

#2. Prepare a List in advance. Jot down a list of items you'd like to add to your wardrobe. This will help you stay on track or head home with a bunch of items you don't have much use for.

#3. Do some research on different styles or outfits you might like to wear for the coming season. Scroll through Pinterest or flip through some magazines and get an idea of what looks you like or think you would like to try on. Thrift shopping is a great time to take risks and try different pieces without blowing your budget if it turns out you don't LOVE it as much as you originally had thought.

#4. Look for Fabrics, Colours & Sizes! Don't let the abundance of stuff become daunting. Avoid searching through every single article on the rack by looking for high quality fabrics, avoid cheap or thin feeling fabrics or anything that is visibly worn. Keep your eye on the colour, scan over the racks & look for colours that you wear frequently, or that catch your eye! Lastly take advantage of sizing organization! Stick to browsing items in your size! A good fit is key in an item looking great to skip anything that doesn't fit GREAT!

#5. The 5 Outfit Rule - Think to your self if there are 5 different ways you could style or wear the article with items you already have in your wardrobe. If not consider leaving it behind!