Crafting in January

As soon as Christmas gets all wrapped up - presents unwrapped, decorations boxed up, the tree thrown out, the food all eaten - I get itching to craft every year. Call it nesting, winter hibernation, shack-happy, whatever, but all I want to do is create with my hands. There is an innate desire in me that screams "let me craft!"

I chose four colourful projects that are from my DIY Pinterest board to make this month. The monocromatic winterscape outside makes the colours stand out even more. I've had each of these projects pinned for a long time, and now that I'm writing down that I'm making them, maybe I'll get committed :)

The first project? A pencil stand from an old chunk of wood. I have lots of art supplies that need to be organized, and this free craft project would be both quick and useful. This supply stand could be used in countless ways - pencils, pencil crayons, markers, paint brushes, make-up brushes, you name it. You get to use hand-tools while making the stand as well... can it get any more fun?

I've had lots of vintage fabric scraps saved over the past few years. The pillowcase project would make great use of those vintage fabrics, and bring cheery comfiness to the bed linens. I don't think that I'll tackle the crocheted edge, but bright colours? That I can manage.

The third project is one that I have wanted to do for quite some time. I may paint Mason jars with bright colours, but chances are I'll use a metallic paint or two for this go-round. Timeless storage solutions that are inexpensive (read: free) and easy rock my boat. Just need to grab a jar or two from the recycling bin. Eco-friendly at its finest.

The last project is one that I will tackle on a smaller scale. Colourful paper flowers would be right at home in our rearranged living room. I'm getting tired of some of the darker artwork that's displayed in our home (I may list some pieces on Kijiji) and the paper flowers will be nice free placeholders until I decide what I want to do.

How about you? Are there any craft projects that you are tackling this month? Let me know if you think of any cool ideas! I'm always up for something new and cheap.

(Sources: Image 1; Image 2; Image 3; Image 4)

Happy Tuesday!

Multitude Monday : January 7, 2013

Whew wee, the first week of 2013 has flown by! I've got a funny feeling that this year will be one of the fastest moving years of my life. That being said, I think that now, more than ever, it's crucial to keep up with my Multitude Mondays.

What is Multitude Monday, you may say? Thanks for asking! Each week, I like to list ten items that I'm currently thankful for. Our lives surround us with positive and negative experiences and as humans, we tend to dwell on the negatives. This blog series is my effort to reign in Negative Nelly. Feel free to join in our your blog, in this post's comments, or in your personal journal or diary. Let me know if Multitude Monday takes you in any interesting directions!

This week, I'm thankful for:

621- crisp winter air that feels refreshing when I take a walk outdoors
622 - the feeling of getting back into classes - it's comforting to be back in the classroom, shockingly.
623 - spending lots of time with family over the break and realizing that even half-hour visits count for something
624 - getting back into a healthy routine and learning to balance school, home, and my lifestyle efficiently
625 - having supper prepared by my husband on weeknights - he received an awesome new cookbook for Christmas that he's making fantastic use of
626 - having a treadmill, however old and rickety, set up in our basement for my personal use
627 - a hand-me-down desk that fits perfectly into my rearranged living room, creating a terrific workspace for me
628 - the little things. I ran out of windshield wash on the way to school today, but there was an extra bottle in the trunk and a handy husband on the phone :)
629 - learning a new skill - putting windshield fluid in my car for the first time. I know, I know... I should have been doing it before now.
630 - shimmery pink nail polish on my nails that glistens as I type. Gotta keep a computer geek happy!

What about you? What are you thankful for this month, this week, today, this very minute? Do share!

Happy Monday!

Free Download: JRR Tolkien Quote

Before last fall, I didn't pay much attention to my desktop background. I generally used a system default image or a photo that I liked. I didn't put much thought into it because I honestly didn't feel as though it mattered. Once I started school and began to spend my time on my laptop, it was a little boring to flip open the same old screen. A classmate of mine uses inspirational quotes and gave me the idea. It's a great way to feel motivated, inspired, or even to give yourself a little giggle every time you look at the screen. I sometimes take images that I find on Pinterest (where else, really? Am I the only one that's addicted?) but this month I created my own image.

The quote from JRR Tolkien that I've shown above is one of my favourites. I took a little creative liberty and rephrased it a bit - the original quote is "not all those who wander are lost." Such a great sentiment for the dreamy wanderers amongst us. I created a nifty desktop picture from it and thought that you might like it, too. To use as your background:

1. right-click on the image
2. use image as desktop picture
3. adjust your desktop as needed - you can right-click when you are on your desktop to do so
4. this image looks best as a centered image - choose an appropriate background colour and you're all set!

I'd love to hear from you if you use the image in another fun way, too. Here are some ideas: print it off, make a card, create a multimedia piece of art, stick it on your refrigerator, give it to a friend, sky's the limit. Just make sure to only use it for personal use. Thanks for being a dear :)

Happy Thursday!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all of my readers - looking forward to another exciting year with you here on Polka Dot Soup! DIYs, design, recipes, adventures and more are in the works for the upcoming year. My love of colour and thrifting, as well as saving money and being eco-friendly are all key components to the next twelve months of fun here on the blog. I'm hoping to put my new design skills to work within the blog - have you noticed this week's graphics that I've made? Stay tuned for the most exciting and interactive year yet.

I hope that you got to ring in the new year with the ones that you love the most. All the best in 2013!