DIY Project: Stars Art Installment

Upon doing some decorating in our master bedroom during my 4 Simple Goals before 2013, I realised that the art that I had painted to hang over the bed no longer fit with the vision that I have for our bedroom. So I came up with a project that I called "The Art Installment" because it is art, but not in the classical sense, and I really could think up no other name to call it besides "The Star Project." Anyway, I had this thought floating around in my head of many stars hanging from a wire above our headboard, and the idea began taking shape.

Materials I Used:

Cereal Boxes

Star Template

Fishing Line - 4lb tension

16 Gage Wire - or a bit thicker

Krylon Gold Spray Paint - Matte

Martha Stewart Crafts Florentine Gold Glitter and White Gold Glitter

Elmer's Clear Glue

Tiny Hole Punch

Once I had my collection of cereal boxes, the rest was quite simple. I printed off various sizes of stars, traced them onto the previously flattened cereal boxes, cut them out, and spray painted them gold. I did save out five stars that I put some glitter on to add something a little extra to the project -- so it wasn't all gold stars. It's a lot of work, but it's easy.

After the glitter was set, and the paint was dry, it was time to thread the stars onto the fishing wire. I laid the stars out on the floor of our bedroom to arrange them in the way I thought would look best on the wall. Once I was happy with the way it looked, I measured out the 16 Gage wire for the fishing line to hang from. Then I used the tiny hole punch to punch out holes at the tops and bottoms of the stars for the fishing line to feed through. I fed the fishing line through, looping it and tying it at the bottom of each star to make sure it wouldn't just slip down to the bottom, and then I attached each fishing line to the wire that I had pre-measured.

Once the art installment was hanging up on the nails, I had to do some adjusting to make sure the fishing line was in just the right place, the wire was not twisting every which-way, and the stars were hanging nicely. It took me a little while to get used to it after having paintings hanging there for three years, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out and the boy is fascinated by the stars.

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Recipe: Grilled Lemon Chicken

While my husband and I will use the barbeque any time of the year -- unless it is covered in 2 feet of snow -- Summer is the time when the barbeque really starts working over-time. In the past, I've only ever added salt and pepper to meat and then grilled them, but this year I wanted to start breaking out of the box because we were getting really bored with our dinners. Pinterest came in very handy. Any time I wanted to find something new to make, I'd usually find some really good recipes -- and almost always more than one that I wanted to try that day.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Some of the recipes that we have tried this summer and really enjoyed are a grilled honey lime chicken breast, a steak marinade that reminds me of one my Mom made when I was younger, these BBQ pork chops, and these shish kabobs. But, one of my favourite recipes for chicken that I created myself is a souvlaki type recipe that I have added some extras to over the past couple of Summers with the help of my husband.

I Use:

Lemon Juice from 1 Lemon

Garlic Powder

Sea Salt

Pepper

Oil

Parsley or Oregano 

Sorry, I don't have any specific measurements other than the use of 1 lemon. I usually just eyeball everything as I put the ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, mix it all around with the chicken, and let it sit for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator. Then grill it up!

Have you been grilling a lot this Summer? What's your favourite recipe?

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On Broadway

I mentioned Broadway early last week, but want to tell you more about it as there is more to it than just the Fringe Festival. The Broadway Area is a very popular place in the city. It is where you can buy handmade noodles, organic soaps, beautiful furniture, as well as spices imported from Mexico, and then eat a delicious lunch while listening to a local band. It is a mish-mash of shops, restaurants, art galleries and theatres, and a wonderful place to go for a walk. Most every one in the city has a special place in their heart for Broadway, and each for a different reason.

A few of my favourite places on Broadyway are the Bulk Cheese Warehouse, Crave Cupcakes, Calories -- a restaurant that serves local food -- and The Better Good -- where I purchase a lot of my organic and socially responsible goodies. I discover new places and shops each time I go back -- most recently it was the market that sells goods imported from Mexico where I bought a Coke made with real sugar. I look forward to each trip I take to the Broadway Area.

Do you have a special area in your city?

In This Post:
Crave Cupcakes
Cate & Levi Hand Puppet
Unicorn Head Wall Mount
Table Lamp

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What I Wore: The Little Jean Dress

Dress: Mossimo for Target
Bag: JoTotes Rose Camera Bag
Shoes: Aldo
Earrings: Aldo

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The Fringe: When Things Get A Little Strange

The Fringe Festival is the time of year when things around here start getting a little strange, but also very exciting. It's a street festival that shows off local talent as well as talents from around the world, and it's the only place where you can buy a cupcake and watch a man juggle fire while laying on a bed of nails, or a zombie bride wander the streets and take photos with children. It's the place where you can purchase the work of local artists that have set-up their wares, and it's the only time of year where you can walk down the middle of the street without being hit by a car. It's starting to becoming one of my favourite parts of summer.

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Fashion: What's Caught My Eye

I'm trying my best not to buy anything until I go on vacation, but I have been shopping a lot in my mind while browsing Pinterest. There are so many amazing ideas and pieces of clothing out there right now. I'm really excited with the direction that fashion is taking, I think it's made a lot of the right turns.

For now, my mind has been shopping for lace shorts, a seersucker blazer, leather sandals, an Aztec print skirt and a crochet top -- check out what else I love on my board Fashion, Ho! We'll see what I can find when I finally get to spend a little money!

What has caught your eye in fashion recently?

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