Hand-made envelopes

What easier way is there to add a little flair to your thank you cards, invitations, or birthday cards?


* These particular envelopes were made with old Magazines

I started making my own envelopes a couple months ago and I got so many compliments on them, I decided to make more. Some other great mediums to use are: newspaper, maps, old book pages, and anything else your mind can think of! I even made an envelope out of Duct Tape!

There are only a few steps and you'll be on your way to getting compliments from all of your friends about how much they love your creative touches :)

First, Begin by taking apart an envelope and making a template. I would recommend making sure that your envelope fits onto one sheet of paper before you get started on your template. Trace your template out onto Cardstock and then cut out. (This can be re-used, so don't throw it away when your done!)

Then pick two magazine pages you like. I really like using Martha Stewarts Living Magazines because they are larger then the standard magazine pages.

Glue the two sheets together so that both pictures you chose are on either side. I used a glue stick, but spray adhesive would work really well too if you have it. (when you are using maps or other items to make your envelopes this step can be removed, but because magazines are so flimsy you will want to double up the pages to make sure they don't rip during mailing) Although it is an added step when using magazine pages, I found it fun to mix and match pages, so that the inside of the envelope is just as fun as the outside.



once your two pages are glued together, you'll want to trace your template onto the sheet of paper, and then cut it out.



Fold the two outside flaps in first and use a glue stick to glue the bottom one to them. Then one more step and your done! Just fold the top flap down and when you are ready to mail it, glue it shut. VIOLA, you now have a wonderfully personalized envelope and you saved a tree while doing it!



* I like to use maps of peoples city or state or make an envelope with a map from a trip I went on.... there's endless possibilities to how creative you can be with this fun little craft!

Reuse and Recycle

Need an easy craft idea and something that will liven up that drab wall in your bedroom??? I have just the thing.

With recycling being the new "trendy thing to do" I thought I'd show this easy pick me up for your room.

First, I must give props to my friend Nikki who gave me this idea. With just a few steps you can create one person's garbage into your own art work!

The hardest part of this project will be finding the actual windows. These were found on Blake's property in Pittsburgh, where there are many more waiting for me to save them :) Just the other day I saw some sitting out on the street ready to get picked up by the garbage men!!!!! Some dumps will let you walk in and take what you want, others may make you pay 5-10 bucks for an item. You can also find these at flea markets, garage sales, and like I said before, the side of the road.

The most important thing to do is take the glass out of the window frame. Most of these windows are 50 years old, and the glass is no longer secure. Taking the glass out will also make it lighter and easier to hang on your wall. I simply screwed right through the window frame and into the wall, but you could also pick up brackets at your local hardware store.

After taking out all of the glass, put on a mask to prevent inhaling any of the paint chips. Scrape off as much excess paint as possible and finish by sanding. After scraping off the excess LEAD paint, wash it thoroughly (WATCH OUT FOR SPLINTERS - I would recommend wearing work gloves at all times). Let the window frames dry completely for at least 24 hours or more.



After the window frames have dried completely, spray a thin layer of clear varnish (I went with the spray paint style in Satin). You'll also notice that I left on some of the existing paint to keep the vintage flair. If you wanted a specific color window you could always scrape off all of the paint, re-paint it the color you want, and then sand off spots to give it the antique feel.

If any of you try this out, let me know how it goes!

Never Forget

Three days ago I had a dream that I was on one of the planes destined to hit the World Trade Center. There was one thing different though, I was able to wake up from that nightmare.

I am numb as I watch the images before me on the television. How can I, in any way, be able to feel the way those people in New York felt that day? I like to believe we all have this feeling of togetherness as we see the images replaying from nine years ago. Will we ever forget? I hope not. This attack, no matter how horrific, should never be forgotten and those who lost their lives deserve to be remembered.

Put yourself in the shoes of those people stuck at the top of the buildings, possibly knowing there was no way out. Who would be your first call? Your mother, father, wife, husband, children? What would you say? I love you, I'll see you soon, don't worry? This is impossible for me. I cannot fathom being in that situation. Being forced to come face to face with your greatest fear. Death.

It will forever be seared into my brain the images of innocent people falling to their deaths whether by choice or by force. The fire was hot enough to melt the steel structure of a building and some people were only feet away gasping for fresh air through broken windows. People said they could hear the sound of the plains crashing into the towers from miles and miles away. I can only hope that something like this never happens to this nation again.

Let us not forget about the brave souls on all of the planes that crashed that day. Some gave up their lives to save hundreds. Tears helplessly flow from my eyes as I listen to loved ones calling their significant others and children telling them goodbye and I love you. Telling their children to be brave and that they'll see them again someday.

Watching this footage makes me angrier and angrier every year. When the world trade center hit nine years ago I was merely sixteen with not a care in the world. My biggest concern was volleyball practice and whether my make up looked okay. I had no notion of how all of our lives truly changed forever that day, but with each year I get older I understand more. Now that I'm growing up getting closer to having a family, I understand. I try to understand. I realize now that in twenty years or more I'll be discussing this with my children who were lucky enough to not live through this terrible tragedy. They will interview me and ask me questions like, where were you when you saw the planes hit the World Trade Center? How did it make you feel at first? What scared you the most? Did you know anyone that died that day? My answers will be simple, direct, and meaningful. Sophomore year, second period Biology Class. Unsure. The unknown. Everyone.

The people that died that day were just like us and it could have been any of us. Maybe a different turn we took in our lives, a fork in the road that led us away from that building instead of into it made the difference, we'll never know. One thing is for certain, the lives that were lost that day will always be with us. They will always be in our hearts.

Home...home on the range...

Thus far,

Total Miles driven:1,300
City's we've slept in: 6
Animals seen (in the wild): Buffalo, Mountain Goat, Prarie dog, Bald Eagle, Antelope, Burrows, and Mule Deer

It's day six in the Wild West, and so far it's been an amazing trip. We created Native American Indian names for ourselves (yes I know it's stereotypical and may not be socially apropriate but i say F#$% that and have fun!) All of our names were created because of something we did on the trip.

My dad = "Chief Rolling Thunder"
If you know my father you will understand when I say this name was created because of his tendency to saw wood while sleeping and keeping me up all night even when I'm wearing ear plugs or listening to my I-pod.

My mother= "Mother trails behind"
For some reason my mom was moving at a snails pace throughout this trip... therefore we decided to name her for her slow moving feet and how she was constantly trying to catch up to my father and I.

Me= "Princess running water"
As you can imagine by the name I had to use the restroom about every hour. This was only an issue while driving from Denver to South Dakota because unlike Michigan there are not gas stations ever 5-10 Miles and instead are about every 100. There was even one instance in which I fell asleep only to wake up RIGHT after passing a rest stop to inform my dad that I had to pee.


Overall, this trip has been amazing! I was able to drive through a herd of 500-600 Buffalo this afternoon and Custer State Park. It was unreal! I cannot imagine being alive during the 1800's looking over the plains to see herds upon herds of these massive animals. They are beautiful and obviously use to people being around because they were not the least bit phased by the people taking their pictures or driving their cars right up next to them. We were also lucky enough to feed some Burrows from our car window. Of course it was made completely clear that we SHOULD NOT feed the animals, but I couldn't resist. I was also able to get out of the car and walk right up to a group of them. I do consider these animals to be in their natural habitat but I'm also aware that under normal circumstances these animals would never tolerate us being so close. There are advantages and disadvantages to these animals being in this state park. It gives people the opportunity to see how beautiful they are, yet it makes them completely vulnerable to them as well. I was very pleased with the afternoon we spent in Custer State Park.

We were also able to visit the Mt. Rushmore Memorial. It was BREATHTAKING! I had a few people tell me it was smaller then they imagined, and I have no idea how you could ever feel that way. it's amazing how you can see it when driving up the Black Hills and how beautiful it is when the light hits it. we were even able to see a Mountain Goat while we were there, and the 693 steps throughout the memorial were totally worth it! (Yes I counted them) It honestly did make me proud of our country and although we had a few speed bumps and didn't always go about things the right way, we wouldn't be where we are without doing it.

I would never say Crazy Horse was a dissapointment, because when you compare the fact that Crazy Horse's face is the size of Mt. Rushmore alone, you realize how amazing it really is. The only downfall was that we had to be so far away because it is still being worked on today. The man that created Crazy Horse worked on his own for years carrying his tools up and down hundreds of stairs everyday, so that alone gives you a great appreciation for the monument.

The Corn Palace I will tell you, was a bit of a let down. We drove 500 miles to see it and there was absolutely nothing else to do in the town. After spending an entire day driving out there we then had to turn back around and come at least half way back. Thankfully, the next morning we were able to go to the 1880's town which was a great time. They had memorabilia from "Dancing with Wolves" and even had a Camal, Mule, Long Horns, rabbits, and kittys! It was a pretty good time and I would definitly recommend it to anyone with children.

The Byway. This was a road created by Norbeck to let people enjoy South Dakota's lands by being able to drive slower and with many roadside pull off's. It was great and they even had some one lane tunnels where you had to sound your horn to let anyone coming the other way know you were coming through. We went through the one that was in Badlands National Park and Also through the Black Hills Byway. Both were great and you were really able to take a look at some of the worlds greatest creations.

This has been an amazing trip and it's not even over yet! Tomorrow is Denver and I promise photos are coming soon!

Dish - Grosse Pointe

Looking for a new and unique place to eat lunch? If you're ever around Detroit or Grosse Pointe, you'll need to stop by at Dish.

This weekend, after spending some time at the Detroit Historical Museum, Blake and I drove to Grosse Point to eat at a little restaraunt called Dish. Little is definitely an understatement, because this place could not have been bigger then my kitchen, which only adds to the uniquness. This restaraunt is carry-out only, so keep this in mind when you go. If your going during the colder season, be sure to have a place to eat. Blake and I just popped a squat next to our car and ate on the curb. It was a beautiful day out, and it was like having a classy picnic. I found out about this diamond in the rough from Groupon, where I got a half off coupon.

If you love salads like me, you can try the Cobb sandwhich, which is loaded with Chicken, avocado, bleu cheese, and egg. You'll get the lightness of a salad but the fullness of a sandwhich, best of both worlds! Blake had the Havarti and Beef sandwhich, which came with a lovely surprise of diced apples on it. Each sandwhich is served with lettuce and tomato, and comes with the side salad of the day. Dish also serves pasta dishes, salads and soup. This place is a complete and utter hipster joint, and everyone that we met in there was beyond friendly. This restaraunt has of course, 100% biodegradable plastic bags, water bottles, and to-go boxes. I would recomend this place to everyone!!! If it was closer to where I live, I'd be there everyday trying something new. Be sure to check it out if your ever in the area. The only reason that this restaraunt doesn't get 5/5 stars, is because I think it would get more business if they at least had a few chairs and tables outside.

My Final Rating: 4/5 Stars :)

I'm falling in love....

I bet you thought this would be some cheesy blog about how I've found the person I'm meant to be with,and how I've fallen in love, blah, blah, blah..... don't worry it's nothing like that.

What I am amazed by though, is that I am absolutely and utterly falling in love with DETROIT!!!! I know I know... I honestly cannot believe I am saying this. I was that typical high school kid that wanted nothing more than to leave Michigan and go as far away as possible. Once I became a college graduate, again all I wanted was to leave Michigan. I applied to out of state job openings in Indianapolis, Vermont, Florida, California, and anywhere else I could find a job opening. The only thing that was keeping me in Michigan was Graduate School, money, and Blake.

Since getting an education in America costs an arm and a leg, I couldn't afford to pay double for my Masters and was forced to apply in State. Blake and I found a nice little apartment in downtown Northville where anything we could need is only a few steps away from our doorstep.

Recently, Blake and I have really been exploring South East Michigan. We go on walks, to Tigers games, to the Eastern Market, Slows, Walled Lake, and so on. And for the first time I might be seeing what I refused to see before. I will agree that winters here suck. I absolutely and utterly hate snow, unless I'm looking at it through a window while sitting next to a fire place. I do however love Christmas and snuggling under a blanket. I love going to Target and any other store filled to the brim with ornaments and wrapping paper. The snow really makes me appreciate the summer. I never complain about being too hot, or about it being muggy. I live for the 3 months I can spend at the pool or a lake, and if I had a boat I'd be even happier.

Now that I've opened my eyes to what SE Michigan can offer (other then a real job market of course), I realize there are things all around Detroit that you can do.

- Canoeing/lakes/beaches
- Comerica Park
- Eastern Market
- Frankenmouth
- Root beer Stands :)
- Detroit Zoo
- Summer/winter/fall/spring - That's right all four seasons!
- People BBQ'ing 24/7
- Kensington Park


I think initially, yes, Detroit doesn't seem so great, and it will probably never be a place where people flock to live. You will never be able to walk down the street by yourself at night and not worry, even just a little, that you might get jumped. You wont be walking down any dark alleys anytime soon, but that's okay. It doesn't mean Detroit doesn't have other things to offer. If you only look from a distance you will never see what Detroit can give you. One thing I've come to learn is that people from Detroit are loyal to their city. People come together every Saturday morning to sell locally grown fruit and vegetables and to socialize with others that are proud of their town. Detroit is a diamond in the rough and it just needs some help from everyone to clean it up. How we go about that I don't know, but hopefully we can turn it around and make Michigan a place where people want to come and live again.

Come on people!!!!

I'm fully aware that all of you out there that are still on the smoking band wagon feel the need to rebel now that you've been banished to the streets to smoke. That is however no reason to not join on the new an improved bandwagon of 2010.

I understand if you don't want to buy a Hybrid car, reusable grocery bags, and you want to continue to purchase cases upon cases of bottled water. BUT.... as most of you have noticed, people of America want to save our planet. We are now educated in the benefits of recycling and using fewer products. We now know what we have done to our planet with the billions of cars and trucks pumping out fumes upon fumes each and every second.

So why is it then, that you do not feel your cigarette butts are not garbage?? Why is it that I cannot take a walk to my mailbox without finding at least 5 or 6 butts laying in the crevices of each cement square? Today while driving home from seeing Eclipse, someone threw their half smoked cigarette out of their window, which then landed on my car. It's disgusting, and irresponsible. Take care of your shit please. Some of us would like this planet to be here for our grandchildren and in better shape then it is in now.

It's terrible when I see animals picking at them, or when I'm playing with my kids at school and I find them scattered throughout their play place?! If you want to have a smoke box in your car then fine by me, but clean up after yourself. Or on that note, why not just take some control of your life and wait to have a smoke at your house or once your out of your car and standing next to a trash can!?

Get it together!

Should we Boycott BP???

My obvious answer would be yes.

I understand that it could have happened to any one of the hundreds of gas companies but... it didn't. It happened to BP and they need to take some accountability for their actions. It is not the governments responsibility to take care of the situation and I don't think I or anyone else can even fathom the side effects that we will see from this disaster.

First lets start by remembering the lives that were lost in this explosion. It seemed to be completely brushed over, and it's not fair to the families that have suffered such terrible loses in the recent months. Articles claimed that some of the survivors of the oil rig explosion were forced to stay in a lifeboat only a few feet away from the burning rig for 10 hours while they had to watch their friends and coworkers die. One man has even suffered from severe smoke inhalation after being forced to stay in the lifeboat for such a long period of time. Although I am most effected by the pictures I see in the media of animals suffering a slow and painful death, I am also affected by the fact that there are children out there that have lost their fathers, wives who have lost their husbands, and mothers and fathers that have lost their sons. If this couldn't get any worse, I read that BP has never offered an explanation and has never offered these families a proper apology.

I'm sorry to say that it took me this long to realize how terrible this situation really is. I try my hardest to not watch the news, as I find it terribly depressing and every night it seems like the world is one step closer to imploding on itself. While at my parents house the news had an update on the oil spill and how it has reached Louisiana and Florida. Pictures of birds not being able to move because they were covered so heavily in oil flashed on the screen in front of me. It took all I had to not cry and scream at the television. Instead I sat quietly without saying a word, wondering how did we get here? How does something this extreme even happen? Why was no one prepared for something like this to happen? Why is no one saving these animals and why is it taking so long to find a solution?

As these thoughts raced through my mind, anger also began to emerge. I am angry that these oil companies are not monitored by the government. There should have been back up plan upon back up plan already in place in preparation for something like this to occur. We should not just turn a blind eye and fix it only once we realize it is broken. There should have been a back up off switch or at least a plan for when an emergency oil leak happened. Instead we are still trying to find ways to stop the oil from pouring into our ocean. We have completely and utterly changed the ecological balance of our world for the rest of our lives.

In a year or two this may disappear from our view, but we will never see exactly how it has affected the wildlife. Birds are drowning as the oil is counteracting their waterproof feathers. Birds and fish are starving because they cannot fly and get food. Dolphins are being poisoned from the gallons upon gallons of oil flowing in their world. We are at war with this oil leak... and we will see the consequences for a very long time.

BP is not the only one in the wrong. We as a community would never have thought about this if it hadn't happened and we all use gas to drive our cars, mow our lawns, or heat our homes. I hope this will change the way companies plan for emergencies and I hope it has brought it to the attention of every human being in the world that we must do all we can to fix this. This disaster has only just began and it will take a very long time to overcome it.

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

When I got home from work today and was ready to sit back and relax with a nice television show,I obviously chose "Dr" Phil (yes, I like Dr. Phil, please don't judge me for it), and the entire episode was about confronting animal abusers.

I knew the next hour was going to be a rough one, and I got my tissues ready (aka my sleeve). I was right, of course, it was intense and hard to watch at times. There were excerpts about animal hoarding, dog fighting, and abuse for no apparent reason. I cried a few times, felt angry, sad, and forlorned, but I kept watching, because I was hoping for some answers of why these people did this, and what they could have possibly been thinking.

They had some scum bag, which is an understatement, on to talk about why he felt dog fighting was not inhumane. Clearly the entire audience disagreed along with "Dr." Phil, and he honestly made no sense. He explained how they had bait dogs and how if the dogs didn't "want" to fight he would keep them as pets. He also explained that the dogs had a wonderful life, and they were able to be pets for the first two years of their lives before they fought to the death. It was hard to not buy a plane ticket to CA, fly over there, and beat the shit out of this so called "man".

I really didn't get any answers of why a person feels no remorse for these voiceless animals that cannot defend themselves, or why they feel the compulsion to kick and beat or even just neglect a life, but I was pleasantly surprised by one of "Dr" Phil's guests for the day.

A group called "Rescue Ink - New york" was the guest for the day, and they were an interesting group to say the least. They ranged in age and appearances, but one thing they all had in common was their many tattoos. They've dedicated much of their free time to rescuing animals and being the voice for the voiceless. I commend these motor cycle men and would have probably, in all honesty, judge them a little differently if I had just come across them on the streets of New York. These men were more of a man then that pathetic dog fighter, and they had plenty to say to him. I'm glad there are other's out there that believe in saving and helping all these helpless animals. It takes a sick person to pick on someone who cannot defend themselves whether that be animals, children, or just a regular person. I wish all the best to these gentlemen and hope they keep up the amazing work!

Go check out Rescue Ink's website at www.rescueink.org



Remember you can save a life too, adopt!!!! Thousands of animals are up for adoption everyday through the Human Society or even the LCR (Last Chance Rescue) Give an animal a second chance at life.

My Job is crazy!!!!!

I know it's probably against protocol to write about my job, so I'll be sure to not state anyone's name or any child's name while I bitch and moan about my day today.

Everyday I leave work and know that I made a difference. I know that even if it was just a little, I helped to better a child's life. I know that even though it can be exhausting and feel like your going in circles some days, the kids are improving each and every day. I love seeing the kids, and miss them when they leave our school or end up going back to public school full time. I've made real relationships with these children and can honestly say my life is better because of it.

With that said....

There are also those days, where you sit back, and think.... and I mean really think... "what the FUCK am I doing here?".

I had one of those days today. Even though I know these children don't know any better and aren't hitting and having behaviors because they have a personal vendetta against me, it doesn't make it hurt any less. A new student that has just recently started has every behavior in the book: biting, pinching, scratching, kicking, hitting, punching, tantrums, and falling out. I experienced each and every behavior, and I have the wounds to prove it. My arms are bruised and at one point, I even had blood on my shirt. I was sweating, and exhausted by the time it was 3:00. There were moments that I wondered if I would actually be able to keep my cool and not lose my patience. Finally, after dropping her off with her parents, I realized... I made it. I did it. No matter how hard or how thin my patience ran, I was finished.

Until next week of course.

Even after everything that happened and after I saw all the bruises and welts on my arms and legs, I realized that we were getting closer with this new student. The children try everything they can to get out of working. They don't know any better. They don't want to work, and they cannot verbally tell anyone "I don't want to be here", so they have to use the only other thing they have, their physical abilities. Seeing how different this child acted since the day before shows me that we're going to get this under control, and that her parents are going to be able to enjoy their child's company more. I'm not saying they don't enjoy being around their kid, but it would be so painfully hard to know that you were under your child's control. How hard would it be, to know that you don't know how to handle your child's behaviors, and that yelling at them or grounding them wont work!?

I don't have any children but I have to imagine it would be horrible and hard to deal with. That's why, I know that soon enough, after a few months of ABA, this little one will hopefully be more patient and willing to work, and their parents will know how to better handle their child's behavior.

I guess I've really only convinced myself even more that I love my job. I was going to explain to everyone that yes, it sounds so terrible to be scratched and bit, but I didn't need to. I love my job, and although I'm going to dread the day that I have to work with this kid again... I'm going to do it, because I know it will improve their life, even if it's just a little bit.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Yesterday was the first day of the no smoking ban. I'm sure all you cancer puffers out there are pretty pissed that you have to go outside every fifteen minutes to smoke your cigarettes, but it can only help you in the long run.

I woke up this morning and I didn't feel like I had caught the black lung, and my hair/sheets didn't reek of smoke. For the most part everyone seemed to enjoy it. I heard very little complaining and figured there were going to be more people trying to smoke in the bars anyways... god forbid we infringe on your civil rights! I think for now everyone will think this is great and we'll probably have very few smokers complaining... that is until the snow returns and all of them are freezing their asses off outside .... I guess we'll see.

For now I'm welcoming this new law with open arms... it certainly took long enough and I don't feel sorry for any of you that are pissed about it. I am glad that I don't have to worry about getting a seat for a table while the smoking section is completely empty. I'm excited about not having to worry about my sheets smelling after going out for a couple drinks or worrying about whether or not I'm endangering my self and health by entering into a bar or working at one for that matter. It's a wonderful change and I'm so happy it's finally here!

Get off your a$% you lazy couch potato

Most people would probably start their first blog with a "get to know you" post, but since I'm convinced no one will ever read this, and if they do it's probably my mom or some other family member, I don't think it's necessary to tell you what my favorite color is or my favorite musician, because they all probably know this.

Instead I'll be writing about all the lazy people which are giving the United States a bad rap. In other words people, get off your ass and do something!

A few months ago after work, I forced myself to go to the gym as I usually do. I was tired, and wanted a nap, but instead decided to work out for a few before heading home and making some dinner. I walked up to the treadmill's the back way so I could fill up my water bottle and jumped on the only open treadmill available.

Being that my gym is located in the middle of Northville, it is filled to the brim with senior citizens and pubescent teenagers. I was smack dab in the middle of both. walking at a brisk 2.4 the grandma next to me was not hard to keep up with. I paid her no attention as i normally do and cranked up my ipod playlist.

After only a few minutes of running the grandma next to me slowed down and SLOWLY got off the treadmill. I gave her credit, at 24 I was clearly tired from working all day, but how can I complain when someone four times my age is next to me working out???

Here's the topper, she then walked over to where the cleaner spray is to get her... wait for it.... WALKER!!!! that's right people, her walker.

Now I don't think I need to explain this any further... please next time you think... "should I go to the gym? or should I watch E news/The Hills?" Just think about how embarrassing it is to have an 80 + year old woman make you look bad! Please stop making America the fattest country in the world... it's sad, and I can't explain how much I'm judging you for not making it to the gym at least once.