DIY Upcycled Animal Jewelry Tray

Winter may have been slow to start this year, but it's here now & with all the time spent cooped up indoors there is no better time to work on a DIY Project!

This Elephant Jewelry Tray was upcycled out of plastic toy elephants {can be found at any toy/hobby/dollar store}, an old Square plate { I have no idea where this came from but It has been lying around my apartment for the past few years collecting dust but never being used due to its strange shape and size } and a few coats of paint! 

 You are going to want to start by painting your Animals - feel free to get creative with your design! I started with a matte white as the base, with gold Polka Dots. 

Tip(s) : Be sure to allow each coat of paint to dry completely before applying the next. 

If you are doing an all over pattern like I have, do only half at a time so that you always have a dry surface to hold onto and you won't risk smudging!

Once your Animals are painted play around with them on your plate to find the positioning you like best!
Tip: Keep in mind how you plan on displaying your jewelry on the animal(s) when doing this.
 I choose Elephants because I have always loved them, and their trunks work fantastic as ring hooks!

 Set on your Vanity table and display the Jewelry you wear (or want to wear) most often.
OR Leave it empty and ready to catch the mess at the end of the day.. or week!

I hope that you enjoyed this simple DIY & remember...
Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

Lips are Red, Eyes are Blue; Springs 2016 Trends for You

These two colours - Classic Red (for the lip) & Cobalt Blue (for the eye) have paired up & are taking over Spring 2016.

But Please try to avoid these looks together!

The Red Lip, always Classic, always Polished, always appropriate. There is a reason ladies (& before that men) have been wearing it since the mid century! The lipstick shown here is Hibiscus which I really like because it has a really smooth application & Satin finish!

Tip. To achieve a beautiful, clean lip line always outline your lip first, fill in with the lip colour & then trace around the outer edge of your lip with your foundation/concealer for a flawless lip line.

Try to push the horrible blue eye shadow of the 80's & 90's & your childhood face out of your mind! 

I am a bigger fan of the Blue Eyeliner, it looks more wearble to me! If you are more into the Blue Smokey eye be sure to blend the colours profusely! always remembering to have fun with it - It's all about personal expression!This Eye Shadow by Arbonne in shade Blue Slate is perfect for creating any of the above looks!

Tip:Less is absolutely More when it comes to this look & aplication is key! 

• Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

Two Best friends Overcome Canadian Winter Elements For Their Annual 'Winter Wonder Land' Photoshoot

There is something really special about having a childhood friend follow you into adulthood. She was born before I was so I can safely say she has been by my side since MY first days. From diaper / crib buddies, to playing childhood games in the country we were always making messes and creating our own world in which we would play.

We were are some how both polar oposite & the exact same person. Though full of sarcastic humour and whimsy at her core - She is unarguably shy at first and takes a while to take off her coat of comfort so to speak...

I on the other hand while admittedly more shy in reality, have a cruel way of torturing myself slowly (and those who have to witness it) during moments I feel the most awkward with relentless chatter that only gets higher in tone the more 'hyped' up I get! The truth is if I can just sit quietly next to you, this is quite possibly the true testament of my comfort & contentment.  To say we have both been through a lot over the years would be an understatement, but never alone. Over the years we have developed a somewhat sixth sense when it comes to one another - like twins who can feel one another's pain & happiness even if miles away.

Despite it all, we have managed to some how (at 24 years old) still find comfort and joy in playing in our own world together the same way we always have & this is a glimpse into that world. Welcome to our Private 'Winter Wonder Land'.

 

 

  

 

 

Photos By: KM Photography

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

14 Random Acts Of Love In the Name of Valentines

1. Volunteer your services - We all have our own personal skills, why not Volunteer them & your time; It's something literally only YOU can offer!
2. February is very cold here in Ottawa & the weather can be very unforgiving! Donating Socks, Hats, Mitts, & Scarves goes a LONG way! OR Shovel your local sidewalk (things like ice or mounds of snow left behind by snow plows can make it very difficult for some people to get around).
3. Give Flowers to a stranger - How cute is this idea??
   
4. Treat a stranger by buying Coffee, Toll, or Buss Fair for for the person behind you. OR Leave an envelope with 1-2 Dollars at a Dollar store or Vending machine with a cute note for someone to get a treat for them self!
5. Send hand written / paper thank you notes!
6. Make a conscious commitment to be 100% Present & Unplug for the Day!
7. Let the person who seems in a rush cut ahead of you!
8. Know someone who has just had a baby or other major life event - Prepare and Deliver a home cooked meal!
9. Is there a chore your partner hates doing - Or show they LOVE to watch that you hate isn't your favourite, Why not do it for or With them? Wash the Dishes, Take out the Trash & sit down to some "Life And Times Of Tim" 
10. Give Free HUGS!
11. Show LOVE to the Earth by doing a community or park clean up!
12. Say Thank You - everyone is doing their best and working hard - Thank them for their efforts!!
13. Show LOVE to yourself by treating yourself to whatever it is that makes you happiest & do it with no Guilt!
14. Leave a thoughtful note on the mirrors through-out your neighborhood or school! It will put a smile on the face of whoever finds it! ~ This is what I plan on doing to share love this Valentines Day!
    

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

Protein Pancake Recipe

This week has a lot going on Today (Tuesday Feb. 9th) is shrove Tuesday & This Sunday (Feb. 14th) Will be Valentines Day so what better time to share this super Simple 3 Ingredient Protein Pancake Recipe! They are super very nutritious so you won't feel bad at all for having them for all 3 meals today! You can make them even better by cutting them into fun shapes using cookie cutters!

 All You Will Need: 

1 Scoop Protein 

1/2 cup of Oats

about a 1/4 cup of Almond Milk
Makes a single serving (2 small / I large pancake(s))

 I chose  Arbonne Vanilla Protein because It think it tastes like cake The Arbonne Chocolate Protein would work as well!

 (Use your preference, though you may need to adjust the amount of Almond Milk needed.) 

 Mix all (three) ingredients (feel free to add more protein or almond milk to get the right texture... mine was probably a little bit thicker than I would have preferred, thankfully I will get to try it out again tonight!)

 Pre-Heat your element (at a low temperature 3-4) & Poor in your batter & cook like you would any other pancake! It will be cooked through & golden brown when done! 

Top with your Favourite toppings - Mine is just classic Maple Syrup!
 ENJOY!

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

2 Years of Lessons Learned Blogging

I started this blog two years ago today. Let me just start by saying that I had no idea how to Blog, and I still hardly do but I knew that It was something I was interested in trying for the sake of transparency. I Also thought that it would help me to get my name & business to people who cared to read them.

I had no idea how much this whole Blogging thing would actually teach me & I have decided in true blogger fashion to compile a list & share them.

• My spelling and grammar have improved if only slightly. Once you misspell a word enough times, and are scolded with the 'Teacher's Corrective Red Marker' squiggly mark enough times you will learn how to spell the word correctly. If you care that is... which in Elementary School I frankly did not!

• My confidence in my ability to write has improved - this is something I yo-yo on. Sometimes I feel really good about what I am writing, or making and other times not so much. where it feels alot more like I am falling short. I often wonder if I am over analyzing things to much, sometimes I look back on old posts and think "Wow that was such a good genuine post I should get back to that" and other times I look back on an old post and think - "why did I even blog that - not even I care to read this.." 

• Often times the reason I choose the topics I am going to write about are based on what it is I am needing in my life at that time. I started this Blog two years ago when I was going through a very hard transitioning period in my life. I truthfully didn't even know it when I started doing it, but I was using art as therapy (I was lucky to have very observant people around me who helped me to see this). I have written about this in more detail in the past which you can view HERE . 

• Anyone who knows me well knows that while it may seem like I am doing a LOT - know that there are a ton of other projects I start and never finish. I am notoriously guilty for starting & not finishing. This Blog is helping me be accountable to my self and the projects I start.

• I never liked writing in school because I never got to write about what I found interesting. I also never liked reading in school. When my feelings about writing changed so did my feelings for reading & you might not believe me but I actually have three novels on-the-go at the moment... which is something I can assure you is a phrase I thought would NEVER exit my mouth. I never read a single one of the books assigned to me in school... Spark Notes & my trust in my much more intellectual older brothers (I might add, he is a teacher now) knowledge in the novels plot line & my ability to memorize facts would get me as far as I had interest in going - as far as English Class was concerned. 

• The community is supportive as &*#%! I have met so many inspirational women & men doing this blog. Sharing wisdom, tips, advice, guidance, support & I have even had the pleasure to work with some of these people! There are going to be ups an downs in everything you do and these amazing people have helped me through the not so fun days & for that I Thank You ALL!

• I don't know what it is you want to see on my blog. I have a lot of interests and as far as traditional blogging goes - which I truthfully never set out to do - I share way too many different posts on far too many different topics... I am working on better organization and quality of posts all the time but can always use some constructive criticism or feedback!

• Being your genuine self does not have to mean sharing every aspect of yourself. This is something I had a really hard time coming to terms with and wrapping my head around. I think this ties in if not entirely to my anxiety. Am I being my honest self? Am I being authentic? Am I boring? The truth is, it's probably a balance!
  
  Yes I am being honest with my thoughts and feelings.
  No I do not post/share very single thing I do in a day. There are certain things we do daily that I do not feel are relevant. I share things that I love, find inspiring, want to share or want to remember. We have all heard the term "Highlight Reel" & it's a real thing! This can make it seem like things are always hunky-dory but I assure you this is not the case. Sometimes I will write up a blog post and have it ready to go days ahead of time, and then when that day rolls around I sometimes feel less inspired than I did the day I wrote the post. (this is why I write them ahead of time - take advantage of the good days!) I guess what I am trying to say is - No, I don't share every bad feeling, sick feeling, anxiety attack, cry session, every meal, or bathroom visit here... & though some of these things take place daily, you will not find them here!
  
  Yes my photos are often staged (I don't typically lay out all of my supplies before creating something, I more or less run around my house like a mad lady searching for "that thing I used last time".
  No I do not have a professional Camera, Nor am I a professional photographer. Worse than that 90% of the projects I work on I do in the middle of the night, with little light, so No you will not find perfect and pretty pictures here & if you do they are almost guaranteed to be shot by someone who is not me!
  
  Yes there will be mistakes made along the way. But I mean this all add's up to lessons learned! & You will probably still find spelling errors.
  No I do not get paid for my postings, I have received Free products in exchange for testimonials, but I am always transparent about it. If you see me sharing or talking about a product, event, or business those are My personal and genuine feelings on the topic :)
  
  Yes I do post about way to many topics than any blogger should & no i have no organizational system so feel free to shoot me any tips / advice about that my way!
  I did not have any idea what I was doing when I started this blog, but I am having lots of fun learning along the way !

A Party without a Cake is just a Meeting 

 

Last but most importantly, I am Grateful for all of YOU!

 Those of you who read my blog. Those who like share and comment. Those who send or tag the shop in your creations. Everyone who entered the Upcy Enthusiast Search. Those who have purchased from the Shop / made Pre-Ordered the Gratitude Bracelets. Those of you who have written Take-Overs, Hosted Giveaways. Not to mention the phenomenally talented Contributing designers to the Shop. Everyone who has helped behind the scenes in any way - designing graphics, assembling tassels, helping with deliveries, capturing photos, spell checking, (just to list a few).

To say it wouldn't be able to happen without you all would be an understatement. This was never a solo effort & I can't thank you all enough! 

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude