Photo Fun

Gifts can sometimes be challenging, especially guy gifts.  So when it's time for a gift for my dad, it's hard to find some material thing to give him to convey my love - that is, other than two jars of yummy olives from Corning, California which I picked up on the way back from my road trip to Canada.  (Thanks for your patience while I was away :)  )  My sentimental gift idea for awhile now has been memorable or special photos either made into a card, a book or simply by adding text to them.  

So this is what my Daddy received this week.  

(I left off the mushy hand written words on the back)

I've had a few conversations lately about photo editing and while I will proclaim loudly that I certainly am not the authority on this, I have had people ask how to do this.  So I decided that instead of going back and re-creating something, I'd make something new.  Also, on my dad's card I had used a photo editing program, and I wanted this post to cater to those of you (you know who you are) who just want to do something quick and simple, who don't have a photo editor and are not quite ready to try all the wonderful free ones you can take advantage of online.  I actually use this way a lot for quick cards, gift tags etc.

• Choose a picture from the library on your computer, or you can scan one to your computer as well.

• From the edit menu choose “copy”, and then open a word document and paste your  photo by choosing “paste” from the edit menu.

• From the insert menu choose “text box”.  A + sign will appear.  Click and drag it to give you a text box.  You can then click in this text box and type whatever text you want.

Now I have a Mac, so I’ll give you directions for a Mac.  

If you have a PC, just experiment a little, it’s very similar. 

• From the formatting palette, Ordering will come up under text box, once you have clicked on the text box.  Click on “arrange” and choose “in front of text.”

• Considering the colors on your photo, choose a text color that nicely contrasts and start typing.

• To make things fit, you may need to drag the margins of your text box, and be sure to experiment with different fonts as well as font sizes and colors.

Depending on your photo, you may consider cropping it.  On my dad's card, there were other children in the photo, and I chose to crop them out, since I was focusing on the relationship between my dad and I.  On this photo of my daughter I loved the vastness of the beach and the smallness of her so I left it un-cropped.

Once I printed the photo out (card stock works nicely) I decided that the words were hard to read, so I changed the the font to bold and it turned out much better.

This one's not actually a gift as they usually are.  This one is for me.  This photo was taken on the way to bring my daughter to stay with her dad for the summer.  We stopped in Oregon for two nights and spent some precious summer vacation time on the beach.  I wanted this one on my desk reminding me that for as much as I love her and care about her welfare, God cares more.  He delights in her, will always be with her to comfort her and quiet her with His love, and He even rejoices over her with singing!!  I had not known of this verse till it was pointed out to me by Emily.  If you click on twirl on her blog page it will take you to a beautiful posting she did about it.  "Twirl" by the way has become one of my new favorite words after reading her blog.

So, I am about to conclude my weekend by going to bed early.  I wish all of you a good week ahead. We'll chat again soon.

Affectionately, Miss. Worm

Special Beads

Hard to believe that my little one graduated from kindergarten yesterday.  

Yes, they actually "graduate" now-a-days with cap & gown and everything.

My darling daughter had picked out these round light pink beads

 for a bracelet a few weeks previous,

 but the night before I decided they would make a nice 

graduation gift that she could wear to her graduation.

    

so I paired them with these sweet orange beads 

which have imperfect spots of pink in them

and got busy making her a beaded bracelet.

I made it adjustable so that she won't grow out of it any time soon

by adding this little chain with a sweet little fob on the end.

finished project - the bracelet.

I do make custom styled jewelry when requested (I received an order today)

so contact me if you want a special order.

 So here she is on our way out to graduation

  

oh, is that a matching necklace?

yes, it is.    :)

Hey, I only have one child and she loved it.

I thought it looked so sweet on her.

 She was a very happy graduate

we saw lots of these smiles.

 

So, tonight I was at the pre-grand opening friends & family night

for the Scout Living.

Tomorrow, Saturday 5pm-9pm

is the Grand Opening!!

They are open every day 11am - 7pm, 

so this grand opening just stays open a little later

and sounds like it's going to be a fun little social time as well.

(I think I heard something about catered food)   :)

This is a beautiful store with a great diverse selection.  

There is really something for everyone.  

Come check it out!

affectionately,  Miss. Worm

  

Dreamy Whites Giveaway

Just started following

Dreamy Whites

and they are currently doing a pretty sweet giveaway.

Check it out, her blog is simply adorable.

affectionately, Miss. Worm

A sailor's delight

So, I live in a tiny one bedroom guest cottage 

with my five year old, and often find it challenging to create a space that

is not only beautiful, but super functional as well.  

Everything that comes through the door must

thoroughly justify the space required, especially if it's furniture. 

I'll admit to you upfront - it's a work in progress!

I've started taking "before" pictures of areas that I am going to start

working on, but they are just a little too embarrassing to post

without the "after" picture.

So instead, I'll start sharing a few areas that maybe aren't quite

the way I totally want them, but at least make me happy

and bring a little sense to the "project guest house."

This should be fun, because as my budget is close to zero,

it's going to have to get really creative.  I hope to have this place 

whipped into shape sooner rather than later.

This little dresser is by my front door.

The floor space is totally justified, because this dresser is jam packed full

of beads, jewelry findings, thread, needles, scissors, fabric, and all

kinds of misc. crafting tools or supplies.  

When I moved in they were all stacked

in little boxes here and there, but I was able to score this adorable, perfect blue/green colored dresser from the lovely Vintage Bricoleur which is not 

only one of my favorite places to shop, but completely inspiring as well.

One of the few things that equals my love for antiques 

and vintage inspired goodness, is anything from the sea shore.

There is always room for another sea shell or split of drift wood,

and most definitely always room for my all time favorite: beach glass.

So between the bottle of beach glass, starfish and vase of 

beach combed treasures this is a little happy place in my house.

The box earlier this year was broken down and in really bad shape,

but I couldn't let it go, because my Nana had stored some of her jewelry in it.

So, a fresh coat of paint, a screw and some general tlc, and now I'm using it

to store all sorts of things.

How does the weekend go by so quickly?

I can't believe I'm pulling out clothes for work tomorrow and 

making a school lunch for my five year old.

She specifically asked for a hand packed lunch for tomorrow,

so I've done my best.  :)

I realize this is probably not the best photo you've ever seen,

but in light of all the recent cool and stormy weather, I just had to share.

It made me think of the fisherman's proverb that goes:

"A red sky at night is a sailor's delight,

A red sky at morning is a sailor's warning."

Although I didn't photograph it very well, we certainly did have a

red sky this evening, so I am taking that as a sailor's delight.

(which, by the way means good weather)

Here's to hopes of a little better weather this week.

(I checked the forecast, and it's in favor of the sailors too)

affectionately, Miss. Worm

I 

Let me introduce you to my necklaces

A few necklace's I've just added

to my space at

Scout Living

I love, love, love jewelry,

and these necklaces have been a lot of fun.

Each one is completely unique.

I try not to photograph them too much,

only because then it's so tempting to look at my 

pictures for inspiration and end up with duplicates.

I'll have to get some close up pictures for this blog though.   :)

All my necklaces seem to end up with at least one bead, 

and range from filigree pieces, to found objects like vintage keys 

and my newest ones are hand stamped metal 

with sentiment ranging from sweet words like "gorgeous" or "beautiful',  

to a little more fun like "spunky", a little thoughtful like "strong" or "loved."  

I have other styles in my collection 

and even more on my idea table that I will feature in a later post.

But for now, I wanted to mention that:

Scout Living

is officially open

They are open 11am - 7pm daily!!

Here is what the store looks like from the front.  

You can find it at:

1215 18th Street • Sacramento, CA • 95811

The store is so welcoming and also very

diverse - there is something for everyone!!

Of course, I'd love for you to stop by my space

it looks like this:

for now, anyway.

I hope to get a large space when

one comes available!

(fingers crossed)

Thank you to everyone that has signed up to follow my blog!!  

It has been one week, 3 posts 

(that includes my internet being down almost all week) 

and I have 11 followers!  Yay!  Thank you!!

I have received notes on face book and otherwise from people saying 

that they are reading the blog but not officially "following."  

Let me take this opportunity to say "follow!"  I am cooking up ideas 

for a giveaway as a celebration when I reach a certain number of followers.  

(although I haven't come up with a firm number yet)  

SO, sign up, stay tuned for a giveaway, and remember

 you'll have to be signed up to win.

Hopefully it is warmer and less rainy where you are today 

than it is here at my little house.  

Enjoy your day, be thankful, smile, compliment others, 

trust and above all, love.  

(even when it's difficult . . . ahem, especially when it's difficult)

(even if you've been burned and don't feel like it . . .  

ahem, especially if you've been burned and don't feel like it)

affectionately, Miss. Worm

Be Inspired

Dear, internet/phone/cable provider.  Good timing.  Just kidding.

So I start this blog and most of this past week I have not had internet service (or phone), but I’m glad to report that I now have internet and phone.  So, thanks for your patience waiting for my second post.

I want to encourage you to be inspired.  

If you have things you love, use them!  

Don’t save them for that perfect thing.  

I sometimes hang onto treasures 

and then get tired of them after shuffling them around.  

A perfect example is this little stack of treasures.

I’m into canvas right now, and I had some left on a bolt I had purchased.  

Then the linen was beautiful, 

it was the only piece of linen I discovered in a sweet quilt shop in Vancouver.

It was high quality and made me feel happy.  

Lastly, the vintage sheet music which I also love 

(and there are so, so many things 

you can do with perfectly aged sheet music.)

First I made these adorable little flowers out of the sheet music, 

and they’ve been quite the conversation piece 

just sitting in this bowl in my house.  

Next I started ripping the canvas in strips 

and also a little bit of my prized linen.  

The linen became a bow 

and the canvas I loosely hand gathered

and then hot glued onto a wreath. 

Now, accent with the linen bow and sheet music flower, 

and I have a sweet little wreath which I have hung above my bed.

So, take the things you love, and use them.  

This wasn’t originally what I was thinking of for these little treasures, 

but I used them while I still in love with them, 

and it has made a nice little addition to my home.

affectionately, Miss. Worm