René of the Day // 12.4.11 // Pinterest Crafts

What was going to be a boring, rainy afternoon turned into a fun and crafty afternoon at my Haley's house. Her family was in town from Illinois and I'd had the pleasure of meeting them at her birthday party at Coney Island in the summer. She and her sister had chosen a few Christmas crafts from Pinterest and they invited me to join them.

First we made Christmas wine bottles - super simple and affordable. Soak the labels off empty wine bottles with hot, soapy water. Spray paint them white or silver. Allow to dry. Spray with adhesive. Roll in a cookie pan filled with epson salts. They sparkle! Stick festive floral arrangements or other decor inside.
[Note: they do tend to "shed" a lot, so place on a pretty tray or prepare to clean up some salt.]

Get full instructions with photos here.

Our other project was Starched String Ornaments - or string balls, you know, whatever. This was a bust (pun intended for the Beck girls but it worked for me!) Blow up a balloon and wrap string all around it... once it's densely covered, paint craft glue over the string until it's saturated. Hang dry then pop the balloon and pull out with a pair of tweezers. (I think because they were hung outside from the porch while it was raining they stayed moist. I took mine home and hung it over the tub then took a blow dryer to it for a few minutes.) It was a little lumpy on one side but depending on how it's hung, you can't see it.

This can also be a great idea for wedding decor and you can make them large enough to slip a light bulb inside for a pretty hanging lamp.

Get the full instructions with photos here.

And to take a break from our busy projects, Haley's husband George made Skinny Taste zucchini enchiladas which are amazing!

Get the recipe here.
[Note: buy enchilada sauce in the can at the store. The time and effort aren't worth it - the can is super cheap and has the same ingredients.)

Enchilada break!

Final product

René of the Day // 10.28.11 // 52 Weeks of Mail

I can't recall how I came across this brilliant idea but I absolutely adore it. 52 Weeks of Mail encourages people to send a letter, card or piece of mail every week for 52 weeks. Staying in touch this way helps us to become more intentional about our relationships, and as I've mentioned before, everyone loves to receive something thoughtful in the mail. (Bills, move aside.) The project initially began on October 9 but I encourage y'all to begin with your Christmas cards - that's easy enough. Maybe split the bulk into groups for a few days to get into the habit of visiting the post box and go from there. Your next week could be thank you cards for holiday parties and/or gifts you received.

I've blogged about it before but I've fallen into the nearly 52-week plan by sending MR a card after every weekend we spend together to say thank you and capture the memories as our relationship grows 300 miles apart. I also love sending notes to say thank you for dinner parties and as a little hello to friends out of state (or the country, for that matter.) It's an easy and inexpensive way to make one's day and gives your own heart a little squeeze! (squeee)

An idea from 52 Weeks is to include a brand new card and envelope with a stamp to encourage the recipient to write back. You could foster a new pen pal relationship - my late grandmother and I did this and I really treasure those letters now. It enhanced our bond in a way I hadn't realized was possible.

So good luck! Send a photo, a long love letter or make a list of birthdays to send cards for. You'll be pleased with the response to your correspondence.

Learn more about 52 Weeks of Mail here.