When in Rome...

TBS... Yes, throw back Saturday! A year ago this month I went on a trip of a lifetime. My family and I traveled to Rome, Italy. I thought what better way to spend a beautiful Saturday morning/afternoon than to take you all on a tour of Rome.

 Passport in hand...

Oh, and stamp for entry... Let us begin our journey!

St Paul Outside the Wall

Monument to Garibaldi

Janiculum Hill which is the 2nd tallest hill in Rome.

A view of Rome

St. Peter's Basilica

Papal Tombs under St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica entry doors from the inside. What's really cool about this photo is the trademark/signature from the tradesman and his workers that designed the door.

Michelangelo's Pieta at St. Peter's Basilica

    

Views from inside St. Peter's Basilica

Swiss Guard

Colosseum

Assisi,Italy

Views of Assisi

I wish I could say the picture tour could come close to the most beautiful historical buildings, statues, and paintings that are burned to memory. I finally succumbed to the beauty, stop taking photos, and just enjoyed the moment of being in the presence of true artistic greatness. My mind was overwhelmed with awe inspiring beauty. When in Rome...do as the Romans do and live in the moment. Wishing you an awe inspiring... live in the moment Saturday!

Charmed...

I do believe most girls would agree bracelets are a fashion accessory must have...right? Thanks to my beautiful cousin, my love of making jewelry began at the age of 8. By the age of 9, I had made so many bracelets that anyone who crossed my path would receive a bracelet and a smile. I even made business cards because I was certain by the age of 10, I would make my first million!

In my mind I was saving the world one bracelet at a time. Little did my cousin know in an effort to keep an inquisitive (okay, maybe annoying) little ankle biter off her back, she created a crafting monster! My mother would agree that while most parents are stepping on LEGOS; she had the pleasure of stepping on beads, vacuuming up beads, and yes, spending some of her retirement money on BEADS!!!

One bracelet that fascinates me is the charm bracelet. These bracelets tell such amazing stories of travel, hobbies, family, love, and my favorite... friendship. Charms have a way of chronicling memories in your life. What's really awesome, is you can make your very own charm bracelet and swap out charms for the price of one charm at a department store.

  

Here's everything you'll need to get you started on your very own charm bracelet...

 All of these items can be purchased from Michael's or any craft store. You'll need:

1. E6000 Glue
2. Set of Bangles
3. Jump Hoops
4. Variety of Charms
5. Embroidery Floss 
6. Toothpick
7. 2 pairs of pliers
8. Scissors

Directions

Gather glue, toothpick, embroidery floss, and a bangle.

1. Place a drop of glue to the tip of the toothpick. Take the toothpick and place a drop of glue to one end of the bangle.
2. Place the end of the embroidery floss on the glue and start wrapping tightly around the bangle.
3. Continue wrapping until you reach the end of the bangle. If needed push the sections of floss together. Once you've reached the end place another dab of glue to the end of the bangle and finish wrapping.
4. Using the pair of pliers, start attaching the jump rings and charms.
5. Enjoy your bangle!
6. You can use a variety of colors and charms.

What story will your charm bracelet tell? Wishing you a CHARMED Saturday!

Litte Ray of Sunshine

Last year my birthday started out quite depressing because I was on a school sponsored trip out of state. School...sponsored...school...yes, so not happy! I had no idea the worst start to my birthday would end up being one of the best ever. For whatever reason the stars and planets were in alignment...oh, and with a little bit of help from my handsome cousin who unknowingly set the stage for the most awesome present ever. My cousin made quite a special purchase in California and unfortunately wasn't able to keep it. 

My mother was convinced... more like... strongly encouraged by my siblings the California purchase would be a really awesome birthday gift for me. My mother succumbed to my siblings nagging and welcomed a little white Maltese mix to our family.

Imagine my surprise when I was greeted by this "Little Ray of Sunshine". Allow me to introduce "Sunita" aka "Sunny". Sunita has awesome Saturday adventures with "Grandpa" and "Grandma". She's earned the nickname of "Baby Puppy" because she's the youngest of 4 grand doggies. Her sunny and clumsy disposition has been a welcomed addition to our family. Wishing you all a little ray of sunshine for your Saturday!

Penelope here...

Hello my name is Penelope and I'm an Arizona native. No, I'm not a VALLEY girl (totally...like I'm not), however, I did have an opportunity to spend 5 years in the valley before I moved to location in Arizona that actually experiences all 4 seasons! On a day like today, I have the pleasure of being SNOWED in!

What's a girl to do being snowed in... be a couch potato watching Netflix? I think not! My favorite thing to do is to create something really awesome with materials that can be found around the house. Hmm... what shall I create? Bobby pins come to mind as I find one on the floor, in almost every drawer I open, and on my desk. My solution to this problem is TIC TACs. Before you think I'm off my rocker, allow me to introduce you to the TIC TAC bobby pin holder. 

To create this little gem you will need the following materials:

1. Spray paint (Any color of your choosing)
2. An empty TIC TAC container 
3. A paint pen (Can be found at Walmart, hobby store, or any fabric store)

 

Directions:

1. Find, buy, or borrow a TIC TAC container.
2. Peel the label off the TIC TAC container.
3. Remove the TIC TAC lid.
4. In a well ventilated space, spray the lid with spray paint, and allow to dry.
5. Pick a design...any design...and grab bottom half of container and paint pen.
6. Now create your design on the bottom half of the container with the paint pen.
7. Allow the bottom of the container to dry.
8. Add bobby pins to container and snap lip onto the bottom of the container.
9. Ta-dah you are now the proud owner of a designer TIC TAC container.

Enjoy your weekend...see ya next SATURDAY!