a gift for a friend + diy = love

Buying a friend a gift for any occasion can be difficult. I usually want my gifts to be special and have meaning, but sometimes it’s tricky to pin point exactly what will suit them.

Pinterest has made discovering new crafts and DIYs sooooo much easier. Finding these crafts often leads to creative ideas for a gift. I am incredibly thankful for this. 

I love, love, love exploring the crafts/DIY section, because I feel like I can create something beautiful if I simply follow the directions listed on my computer screen. I truly adore the fun and quirky ways other pinners use materials to make the most useful objects.

When it came to picking out a “going away, I will miss you dearly” gift for one of my best friends, I automatically turned to Pinterest. Like a kid in a candy store, I became very excited about all of the gift possibilities Pinterest would have to offer me. 

In the past, I have seen crafts for a person's home. Ashley was about to move into her new apartment, so I wanted to make her something that she could use in her new bungalow.

Once I spotted the DIY painted coffee mugs, I couldn't resist clicking on the directions. Ashley loves coffee, which is something that she, my best friend Dana and I have in common. I figured if she loves the taste of coffee in Michigan, she can definitely use a mug to drink out of, and if she loves original works of art, this is will be the perfect gift!

So, Dana and I traveled to Michaels and Target to pick out our plain white mugs and Martha Stewart paint supplies. Once we got to my house, we splattered our tools across the table and began creating our masterpieces. 

Great mug shot, right? :) The mugs are from Target.

Here is how we made the mugs, just in case anyone would like to give it a shot.

Martha Stewart paint is awesome! It is dishwasher safe, which is a plus when painting ceramics or you know, the occasional mug. We used a purple and a mint green/teal color. The two complemented each other very well.

We also bought a Martha Stewart foam pouncer set and stencil set which is what we used to paint the mugs. There are many stencil kits to choose from. We chose an elegant set, which added a sophisticated but fun look to the mugs. These products and the paint can all be found at Michaels.

Applying the paint onto the stencils was very easy with the pounce set. The tricky part was getting the stencils to align with the mug. The back of each stencil is sticky, which allowed them to stay in place. Once the stencil was placed correctly, we started to paint. We stuck the pounce set into each dab of paint and lightly pressed down onto the stencil. These steps can be repeated with as many stencils as you desire! The sponge pounces are also very easy to clean up. Just run through water, and the paint is gone. I would suggest rinsing the sponge through water right after using it, just in case the paint decides to stick.

Once you are done applying the paint, you can remove the stencil quickly by peeling it off. 

And here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. The final product...

There you have it. Simple. Elegant. Fun. 

I loved crafting with Dana. It was a very fun way for us to be creative together. What made the experience better was making this for Ashley, and being able to accomplish #5 on my list!!

Well Ash, I hope these mugs bring you loads of coffee and happiness. We miss you already. Best of luck to you at Michigan State. Rock it girl!!

Stay beautiful,

Marina

Me

So, I had an epiphany the other day. It was one of those moments where a light bulb went on in my head, and I felt more content than I've felt in a long time.

I've realized so much within these past couple of months. I've found it can be so difficult to balance life, relationships and work, which can cause someone to lose sight of what is important. When time is precious and limited, people tend to spend their time working on routine tasks. We feel this need to get the "important" stuff done on our lists of to-dos. We also try to surround ourselves with people most of our lives. This may be because we love these people, or we simply do not want to feel alone.

I have thought up until now that getting these tasks done, and relaxing with my family, friends and boyfriend was the greatest way to spend my time. I was incorrect in a way. Don't get me wrong, I love being surrounded by others and making memories with the people I love. My desire for that will never stop. But, when my free time became more limited a couple of months ago, I forgot another desire that is very important to me. The desire to spend time with myself and spend time doing what I love.

So, this is where my "epiphany story" starts... I work at a PR agency, and I decided to participate in a mentor program. I set up my initial meeting with my mentor, and I was very eager to hear about her career path and her current job responsibilities. I had no clue that the conversation I had with her might change my perspective on how I need to live my life.

We started talking and tried to get to know each other as much as we could. As we were about to get up from the table and leave she asked, "What do you like to do in your free time?"

My first thought was, free time - what's that? Then I sort of felt my face turn blank and I wondered why I didn't have an answer, and why I was not enthusiastic talking about what I love to do.

I used to have so many answers to that simple question. But for some reason, I had lost that. During these past couple of months, I have been so caught up in finding a job and working that I lost sight of some of the most important aspects of my life.

Now, once that conversation ended, I knew I had to do something about this dilemma. I started thinking about goals I would like to reach and I started to create a mental list for myself. The list I came up with is filled with activities and hobbies that I already enjoy. I also have a few new hobbies I would love to try.

Through this list, I want to learn from others and become more of a curious person. I want to find who I am again. But, I also spend this experience with people I love. I'm hoping this will challenge me and allow me to grow.

Blogging about this experience is scary, because it means I might have to keep up with my goals. But hey, more of a challenge for me! In the past, I've written a couple of blog posts about weddings. I want say, I am still SO interested in the wedding planning arena, and I would love to continue that blog in the future. For now, this is something I need to focus on, and I would much rather write about that subject when I have more experience in the event planning industry or when I have the personal experience.

I would now love to take the time to share my beautiful, wonderful 16 goals! (Hopefully more to come.) As you can tell, I decided to get crafty and create my own "goals board". Hope you enjoy the pictures below!

If you feel like following me along on this journey, I would love for you to join me. If not, that's perfectly fine. Before you go, I'd like to encourage you to make your own list, filled with challenges and dreams.

Thanks for reading! Stay beautiful.