Glitter Bangles

I've already got my Christmas sweater picked out and ready to go (I got it at an end of season sale last year).  It's red, it's sparkly....it's perfect for Christmas.  Only one more thing could make it even better....more GLITTER!

This project is a little messy, but it's worth it~

Here's what you need to make your own Glitter Bangles.

Supplies:
-old set of bangles from the thrift store (I picked mine up at a garage sale for next to nothing)
-Mod podge
-paint brush
-piece of scrap paper
-GLITTER!

Steps:
1) Pour a generously thick line of glitter onto your paper.

2) Paint Mod Podge onto your bangle, leaving about an inch or so bare so that you can hold it and set it down to dry.  You can go back later and touch up this spot.

Sorry for the fuzzy pic.

3) Gently roll your bangle into your glitter.

4) If any glue and glitter squashed over the edges just wipe it off to create a nice clean edge and then let bangles sit for a few hours to dry.

I use this piece of styrofoam as a drying rack
but an even better solution would be to hang them.

5) If you had to leave a spot bare make sure you go back and add glue and glitter before you move onto the next step.

6) Once everything is fully covered and dry just go back over top of everything with another layer of Mod Podge to seal it all in.  If you miss this step, I guarantee you will be leaving a trail of glitter behind you everywhere you go.

7) Leave your bangles to dry overnight and voila!  The Mod Podge will dry clear and you will have some lovely (and glittery) new jewellery for the holidays~

Do you usually have a special Christmas outfit or does your family stay casual for the festivities?  Leave a comment below~

Tell a Tale: The Perfume Collector

Take a stroll in the not so distant past~

Summary (from Goodreads): An inheritance from a mysterious stranger . . .
An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank of Paris . . .
And three exquisite perfumes that hold a memory . . . and a secret

London, 1955: Grace Monroe is a fortunate young woman. Despite her sheltered upbringing in Oxford, her recent marriage has thrust her into the heart of London's most refined and ambitious social circles. However, playing the role of the sophisticated socialite her husband would like her to be doesn't come easily to her—and perhaps never will.

Then one evening a letter arrives from France that will change everything. Grace has received an inheritance. There's only one problem: she has never heard of her benefactor, the mysterious Eva d'Orsey.

So begins a journey that takes Grace to Paris in search of Eva. There, in a long-abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank, she discovers the seductive world of perfumers and their muses, and a surprising, complex love story. Told by invoking the three distinctive perfumes she inspired, Eva d'Orsey's story weaves through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London.

But these three perfumes hold secrets. And as Eva's past and Grace's future intersect, Grace realizes she must choose between the life she thinks she should live and the person she is truly meant to be.

Illuminating the lives and challenging times of two fascinating women,The Perfume Collector weaves a haunting, imaginative, and beautifully written tale filled with passion and possibility, heartbreak and hope.

Review: I loved this book! Sometimes authors have a difficult time telling a story that switches main characters from one chapter to another as the story unfolds along different timelines but Kathleen Tessaro handles this with ease.

I enjoyed all of the characters and loved how each and every one of them evolved throughout. Perhaps Eva's development was rather sudden but I think it was meant to be that way. I was able to fully immerse myself in all of the different worlds that were described, never questioning the validity of the scenarios, only anticipating the moment when everyone's secrets and true desires were finally going to be unveiled for me.

This book makes me long to return to Paris to start a new life with a new outlook someday. If only I had an inheritance from an anonymous benefactor to get me started on my way~

Have you read this book?  Leave a comment below~

Cupcake Holders

Every month I get a nice little package in the mail from Wholeport.  Usually I ask for fabric or jewellery making supplies, but last month I ventured into the baking section of their website and found all kinds of fun items.

I know it's all very spring timey for this point of the year, but I couldn't resist all the prettiness.  I was going to invite the ladies over for cupcakes and tea but I just can't find a hankering for cupcakes right now.  So instead, I filled them with my all time favourite home-made cookie...haystacks (aka unbaked cookies).

Not only was I shocked that the beautiful ceramic stands got here in one piece, but I was also very impressed by the type of paper that Wholeport uses for the butterflies and cupcake wrappers.

12 pretty fluttery butterflies come in the package.

It's a gorgeous thick pearlescent card stock.  See how it shimmers?!?

You get 12 cupcake wrappers in the set!

And the wrappers are nice and thick too!

You get 4 mini cake bases all together!

There are sooooo many choices for colours and different designs on the Wholeport site.  I can't wait to show you the wrappers I got for Christmas!

I know you might be thinking you could just make these on your cutting machine at home, but I know that with the state that my mat and knife are in, I'd never get the clean precision cuts that these pieces have.

So, the lesson is, even if you're not a baker, go check out the baking section because you never know what kind of fun goodies you'll find there~

*This post is sponsored by Wholeport however I have received no compensation other than the product shown and all opinions are my own.

Reign

You know how much I love to read historical fiction, so it shouldn't be any surprise that I also love watching historical fiction.

Reign is meant for the teenagers out there, but I can't resist watching it.

It's about as far from historically accurate as you can get but you'll still get drawn in.

The acting is good, the costumes are gorgeous (even though as mentioned, they are completely inaccurate for the times), and Megan Follows plays the Queen of France!  How can you not watch something with Anne of Green Gables in it?!?!

The main character is Mary, Queen of Scots (Adelaide Kane).

She is joined by her four BFF's who act as her ladies in waiting while hanging out in France, waiting to marry her betrothed and avoid getting killed.

There are parties...

and cute boys...

And Anne of Green Gables, er, I mean Megan Follows, as Queen Catherine.

I'm watching it on MM3 here in Canada but I think it actually plays on the CW in the states.  The series only just started a few weeks ago and it's pretty easy to catch onto the storyline no matter where you start.

If you can let go of historical fact and just enjoy being taken back in time I think you'll enjoy this new show.

Anyone else out there watching?  Leave a comment below~

Scalloped Circle Treat Box

'Tis the season for family get-togethers and here's a great little project to personalize your table.

Make sure to visit Jessica on YouTube to see more fun ideas.

Faux Gilded Antique Frame

If you follow me on Pinterest than you may have noticed a new little obsession of mine...printables.  Well, I decided to stop collecting and start using and came up with this great little frame for an old world map I found online.

Here's what you need to get started on your own frame:

Materials:
-a wooden thrift store frame
-a great printable image like THIS one
-Mod Podge or leafing adhesive and sponge brush
-gold foil
-optional: paint and a burnishing tool

(I know I could do all of this with real gold leaf but I'm trying to use what I have on hand, and besides, gold leaf is a bit on the messy side.)

Steps:
1) I picked up this great frame at the thrift store because I liked that it already had colour on it.  If you're using an unfinished frame add a coat of a nice dark colour like navy, black, or burgundy.  Or course,
don't forget to pop out the glass and backing materials before you get started.

2) I ran out of leafing adhesive ages ago and have never been able to find it since, so I decided to try out Mod Podge, and guess what!  It worked!  Now, it's not as good as leafing medium but it'll do in a pinch.  Just dab the Mod Podge on all around your frame, focusing on the edges and all the places you want your gold to show up.

3) Let the glue sit for a few minutes.  Once it gets to a tacky stage pull out your gold foil.  Keep in mind that I'm not using actual gold leaf.  This is just a foil that I got in a crafting kit (again, it was ages ago), and figured I'd see if it would stick...and guess what!  It did!

Really rub it on.  Don't be afraid to press too hard.
Once you see your frame showing through
then you know it's sticking.

4) Keep going all around your frame.  When you're done that, move onto the glass.  Do the exact same thing.  If you have a burnishing tool it will come in handy for rubbing the foil onto the glass.

Press hard but make sure you're on a flat surface so that you don't crack or break your glass.

Cut your printable to size, replace the glass in the frame, add your printable, and throw on the backing because you're done!

Just like that you've got a very antiquey, very golden looking piece to hang up on your wall.

I've got photos from my trips around the globe up all around my house (which at least one of my friends has insinuated is slightly narcissistic, but I don't care).  I think this old map makes a nice addition and tells people how I see the world...just one great big place to explore!

I've got a couple of trips planned and I can't wait to tell you about them once I get things in place.  It's been awhile since my trip to Thailand so I'm really looking forward to getting away again.  Do you have any vacation plans this winter?  Leave a comment below and tell us where you're going!