It's a wrap...

Don't you just love to buy presents for the people you love? I have so much fun finding and selecting the perfect gifts for certain people in my life. And what better way to present the perfect gift to your loved one than wrapped in hand-decorated paper?

I wanted to make a present extra special the other day, so using a few items I had in my house I set about to decorate my own wrapping paper. I started with a role of plain paper, paint, sponges, a marker and some scissors.

You can probably tell where I'm going with this: I decided to sponge paint the paper. I drew some shapes on the sponges...

And cut the out using my scissors. (I wanted to go for a bold, abstract design, so I decided that the more rudimentary shapes were more to my liking.)

When I had the shape just right, I slathered the sponge piece in paint...

And pressed it to the wrapping paper. And after a few more pressings...

I had a sweet, rustic flower shape.

And while the paper looked okay with just the flowers, I couldn't stop there.

So I cut up some more sponge, only this time I used green paint...

And I added some leaves to my flowers!

Of course, what's a flower, or in my case a daisy, without a center (or, as wikipedia tells me: disc florets)? I couldn't cut the sponge into a circle very well, so I resorts to an old wine bottle cork I had lying around.

And a few dabs later (with a lovely, sunny yellow paint), my wrapping paper was complete.

After the paint had dried, I used it to wrap up a couple of very important presents.

I love how the texture of the sponge comes across in these prints.

I also love all the color that these big, bold flowers add to my gift!

So there you have it- a very inexpensive and fun way to personalize the perfect gift: hand-decorated wrapping paper!

Thanks for visiting- I hope you have a great day!

"I will touch a hundred flowers...

And not pick one."

-Edna St. Vincent Millay (Afternoon on a Hill)

One of the grocers in my neighborhood keeps their flowers displayed outside...

And I get to gaze at the blooms every time I walk by!

As you can imagine, it takes pretty much all of my willpower not to bring home a bouquet of buds everyday.

So I must admit: over the weekend, I broke down and plucked up a pot of tulips.

My love of tulips have been well documented on this blog, so it should come as no surprise that this would be what finally made it home with me.

I just love them- and for a couple of bucks, I get to enjoy these blooms for days!

Aren't they lovely?

In fact, I'm so smitten with these flowers that I've decided to make them into my new computer wallpaper. Here's a hi-res image to use on your monitor if you'd like:

Thanks for visiting- hope you had a great weekend!

Rain, sleet, hail... OH MY!

We had hoped that spring was here to stay... but we were sorely mistaken!

I awoke yesterday to the patter of rain on my roof.

By the time I made it to work, small flakes of snow were drifting down.

It was a pretty grey day- and by the time I was headed home...

It was hailing!

I couldn't believe it... but there were little white balls covering every surface!

So much for spring, eh?

"Mirror of Heaven"

One of the last stops on our vacations in the Upper Peninsula took place just a few miles northwest of Manistique.
After a brief walk through the woods...
We reached our destination!
That's right: we visited Kitch-iti-kipi!
"KITCH-i-tee-KI-pee" is Michigan's largest natural freshwater spring (measuring 300 by 197 feet).
Of course the best way to see the spring is via the self-powered observation raft!
So we climbed aboard and I scored a spot next to the viewing window at the bottom of the raft.
The spring is just amazing- can you believe the water is constantly 45 degrees (7 degrees Celsius), no matter the time of year?
Along the shore are ancient tree trunks encrusted in minerals...
While at the bottom of the spring (40 feet below) the sand is in constant motion as freshwater flows from the aquifer through the limestone.
Can you believe the state of Michigan bought this property for only $10?
That's quite a deal if you ask me!
Luckily, the state passes along their good deal to the public and entrance to the park only requires a state park sticker!
As we made our way back across the spring...
We realized that we weren't the only living things enjoying the crisp water on a hot day. Check out that giant fish on the bottom of the pond!
What a lovely little spot for a final memory of our family vacation!
Thank you for slogging through all these vacation photos with me- I've had an absolute blast reliving our travels! I hope you have a great afternoon!

"It might as well be spring..."

Well folks...
Spring arrived a bit early this year...
And boy, is it beautiful!
(SFS totally agrees with me!)
I could hardly believe it, but the temperature hit some lovely digits on Saturday afternoon, necessitating a stroll in Astoria Park, the lovely bit of land along the East River.
From the park, you can look directly over to Manhattan... see the skyline way back there?
As you can imagine, we weren't the only ones out and about on such a gorgeous afternoon... here's a shot along the waterfront.
This is the underside of the Hell's Gate Bridge.
It was completed in 1916- almost a hundred years later it still looks pretty good!
As we walked we spotted some local wildlife, out for a late lunch of algae... YUM!Meanwhile, I wore a tank top for the first time this year and didn't get any sunburn... YAY!
SFS carried the camera for a while, and took some really interesting shots- from garbage...
To things a little more artistic- including this shot through my earring!
I was so glad to see so many people enjoying the lovely weather...
Like all these peeps in line for Mr. Softee (that's what our ice cream trucks are called in NYC).
So with a sky full of sunshine...
And a beautiful view...
SFS spent our first spring-like afternoon is idyllic bliss!
Followed promptly by the rainstorm we're expecting for tomorrow! :)

Thanks for joining me on this little stroll through my neighborhood- I hope you had a wonderful weekend!!