Somebody has been thirsty!

I am not saying we should all have a huge elephant yard sculpture made out of plastic recyclable bottles... I am saying though that there are ways to avoid putting them into the trash!
Millions and millions of one time usage products go into our landfills everyday. Again, I am not asking you to re-do your whole lifestyle and keep every plastic bottle, but re-think throwing them away!

Here someone has taken an empty water bottle, and snipped some fresh flowers to display in their home. Quick, Easy, Simple!

Look at this!!

You should never have to buy another food organization product again! Just make sure you use dried goods, and thoroughly clean the bottles, with soap and warm water before storing anything in them.

Ah ha! Cut two simple ovals, poke a hole through the top add some string and you have a plastic bag organizer. Just keep filling them up and make as many as you need to tuck away, or give away! (Not recommended as a birthday gift!!)

The last Idea I have for you today is this here on the right!

Any plastic bottle + Discarded cork = great bathroom storage!

Hemp Happy! =]

I started making hemp jewelry when I was thirteen. My first necklace took me over four hours, and I wore it everyday for years. These days I can whip out a necklace, bracelet, anklet, and matching earrings in less than two hours. I find it very relaxing to work with hemp and when I am stressed I like to see how creative I can get! A.K.A: Hemp-Therapy!! =]

Since then I have made numerous hemp pieces. Some I have worn, some I sold, and some I gave as gifts.  I have also used hemp in many craft projects, when I needed something sturdy. If I could figure out how to manipulate hemp into other types of textile you best believe I would!

When you open your mind up to all the things hemp can do for us it is amazing. They can manipulate hemp in so many different ways that we could literally stop cutting down trees for paper, and it lasts so long.  As you see some of the pictures I have added to this blog show the wide variety of things that hemp can be made useful for.

 

When using hemp to make fabric, it is one of the softest things you will ever feel. Hemp can also be dyed or stained, and painted (like canvas) into almost any color imaginable.

Below is an image depicting a wide variety of things that Hemp can be made useful for. Think about how quickly cannibus grows, how it will grow in almost any climate, and then think about how many forests we are cutting down for use on some of the same things... idk something to think about!

Photo Credits:

http://www.hempnecklacestore.com/5970-749-large/fancy-black-rainbow-hemp-bracelet.jpg

http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2011/02/03/sir-tom-hand-printed-hemp-clutch-2_lSVKx_24429.jpg

http://hempstersstitch.com/shop/images/hemp%20twine%20misc.jpg

http://www.dhreck.com/images/hemp-mote/hemp-mote-01.jpg

http://sp.life123.com/bm.pix/hemp-bracelet.s600x600.jpg

http://www.sneakerfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/air-jordan-fusion-3-ajf-3-hemp-reed-white-dark-oak-medium-brown.jpg

http://www.hemphousemaui.com/shop/avactis-images/hemp-sandals.jpg

Bamboo Love!

 I love Bamboo! One of my favorite things about my apartment is the bamboo forest behind it. When a piece breaks off, I look for a unique and cool way to use it. It really is as strong as they say it is, and you can do almost anything with it.
       The pictures I am posting today are all pictures that I got off of the internet for inspiration! I can't wait to utilize the bamboo that I have dried out! I will definitely add any project I complete to the My DIY tab as soon as I get one done. I have already used a peice of bamboo as a curtain rod, and built a trellis for my sweet peas that I have been growing. I think the next thing I am going to attempt is the bed! I am not good enough yet to make one like shown in the pics below, but it will definitely be special and look great! I am so excited to be able to begin that project. Its going to take a lot of measuring and probably will in tel some cuts on my fingers, but it will surely be worth it!
The archway, and the birdhouse would be fun projects for a rainy day, not a must do project though, and the video below shows you the view from our bedroom window at seven a.m. I am not sure if you can hear it, but the birds are going crazy with the sun coming up and it almost sounds like a rain forest! SO soothing! Yea I guess you can say bamboo makes this girl happy! =]

p.s. I almost forgot this project that my awesome husband helped me out with below. It is a wreath made out of bamboo and hemp with glass beads spelling out our last name! Like I said I am not great at working with bamboo yet, but it makes me happy! =]

The touch, the feel, of Fabric

As a child, anytime I would go to my great-grandmother's home, I would dig through her fabric cabinet. All of the remnants that everyone thought she should throw away were like hidden treasures to me. Like these pictures, I want my home to be a place where I am surrounded by soft, colorful, exoticly patterned fabrics.

 I have a body scarf that my mother brought home from aruba hanging at the end of my bed. I love waking up to those colors, and catching a glimpse of it every time I walk through the house. Nate Berkus says we should live beautifully in our own homes, and that my friends is what I intend to do.

My husband and I have our goals set on travel. I can't wait to travel to all of the earths nooks and crannies, and mail the linens I find home to await my arrival. I like finding vintage scarfs at Goodwill and hope to have enough one day to furnish my couch, cuddler, and bed with pillows made of the scarfs. I have always thought when decorating you need to stick to a couple key colors... not anymore! I have so many different patterns and colors all over my tiny apartment, and I love it!

Another thing I like about fabrics are the stories they can tell. I have a bag, that my great-grandmother and I made out of some of her remnants, and I will NEVER get rid of it. I love how we made the bag specifically to fit my bible! HAHA, now I use it to help keep my home organized beautifully! In my next post I hope to show you how being organized can be a beautiful process. Stay tuned, and wrap yourself in fabric!

Home Made Pizza

FRIDAY NIGHT!- Since my husband works a full time job, and were both full time students, Friday nights are looked forward to all week!

A couple weeks ago (like always) he wanted little ceasars pizza, "it's quick and cheap" he says... I am sick of eating greasy pizza, with pepperoni's that you can see through... "wait" I said... "what if I make a pizza?"  At first he was not thrilled with the idea, and then he said "well if you mess it up, will you go get little ceasers?"

I looked up a pizza dough recipe, and a pizza sauce recipe. Figured out that I had most of the ingrediants and the ones I didin't have were very inexpensive. After a quick trip to the store (which was really a quick trip because we live in town and have three grocerie stores in a five mile radius) I came home and in forty minutes had a grease free, thick peperonied home made pizza. I have made pizza using the same recipie at least fifteen times since. It is definitly a favorite around here, and definitly a Friday must!

This Friday we are entertaining some of our best friends in our tiny apartment. I really think a life of home made goodness and great friends is one to be lived! Hope you have a great Friday! If you would like my recipe send me an e-mail, I will gladly share. The timer just went off, that means the pizza is ready... and Friday night has begun! =]

Living the Life

           Turning twenty one marked a new chapter in my life. I started realizing what life should really be about. In the last year I have had to learn (and re-learn) many things about life. As my twenty second birthday nears, I look back and for the first time in my life I can see measurable growth in myself. My husband and I are also coming up on our one year anniversary and though we may not have much, I feel like we are living the life.
            What is "the life", you may ask? One of faith, love, hope, and satisfaction. I am not the religious type, nor do I condone anyone for their beliefs. I find, if you are connected to a higher being, or want to be, your relationship with that being is that of your own, and no one else can determine what that relationship is about. Faith is a big word, and in the last year I have not only found a solid faith in spiritual way, but I have found a faith in myself.
            Love is another big word. Before you can experience true love with someone else, you must first love yourself. I am not saying that I don't have insecurities or self-esteem problems from time to time, but I do love the person I have become. Looking back on my past I can see how every little experience I have been through and any flaw that I have acquired, have brought me to this place. A place in life where I am comfortable with who I am. With the help of my husband I have also learned how to love others. When I quit looking for love, love found me. With that love came trust, strength, and honor. When you put those qualities into a relationship, something beautiful is sure to come of it. There is no one else (even after three years) that I would rather spend my time with, he is truly my best friend. We have each others backs, even when the journey seems to harsh, we support and encourage each other along the way. Neither one of us grew up around successful marriages, and we knew if we were going to make it we had to learn the ropes on our own. We are still on our journey and know that one of the only constants in life is change. We are ready for change and embrace it with open arms. I love love. <3
            Hope; 1. (sometimes plural) a feeling of desire for something and confidence in the possibility of its fulfillment. As a child, I hoped for many childish things. As an adult (and a realist) I hope for success, and dream of possibilities. My husband and I both grew up in the land of misfit toys. We have both been given chances, some taken, some failed and decided that this time it was up to us, as a team and individually to take those chances and make a difference with them. We are both students at an online college, and talk often of our hopes and dreams together. Hope is a survival mechanism, I think, and if you utilize hope it will carry you through to your dreams.
             I never felt satisfied before. I always sought out satisfaction in the wrong places, and now know if you can't be satisfied with the basic essentials of life, you will never be satisfied with a life full of luxuries. As a teenager I thought satisfaction would be attained if I was the perfect person, had the perfect job, and was able to live a life of lavish luxuries. As an adult, I find satisfaction in the life I currently live (in the present moment), and I realize that you don't need any of those "things" to find satisfaction. It is also true that satisfaction can be obtained at any age, but I recommend that you find it soon. You only have one life to live!
           Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain!