In Honor of Ice Cream Month...



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The last day of National Ice Cream Month has arrived too soon. Not only does it also mean the end of July (and consequently the first month of school) but it also means that I let all 31 days of National Ice Cream Month pass by without doing anything at all to celebrate.

But not to worry. I have decided to do something that will make up for my celebration procrastination. The ultimate way to show ice cream my unconditional devotion and love.

I will buy an ice cream maker. 

In fact, I can't believe I haven't bought one until now. Homemade ice cream on demand? It's the greatest thing ever! I have chosen one from Amazon after some tedious research and brand comparison...but I feel confident that this one is the best for the price. Of course, there are better ones out there... But I'm not willing to pay $200+ at the present... So $53.99 it is. Here's the one I got (click on the picture for the link to Amazon): 

Wish me luck on this new ice-cream-making adventure! Expect some ice cream recipes up on the blog soon!

And happy last day of National Ice Cream Month!

P.S. So usually I only post on Sundays, but I'm considering breaking that habit. I'll still post on Sundays, but I may add some other posts during the rest of the week. We'll see how it goes!

Sew Your Own Pencil Pouch!

The start of school is coming up.

There, I said it. Hold your moaning and groaning, for I have an idea for making the transition back to the classroom slightly more enjoyable.

Here it is: fun school supplies. Even better: fun, handmade school supplies. The best: fun, handmade, colorful school supplies. This pencil pouch fits all those requirements! And it's really easy to sew, even if you're not an avid sewer. Can you sew a straight line? Good. Then you can do this, no problem.

Don't let the zipper scare you away either. You don't need a special zipper foot. Your regular one will do just fine. Also, there's no need to shorten your zipper or use a fancy bar tack or any of that jazz. Straight lines. That's it, I promise.

Camping Trip!

Well, I've returned safe and sound from yet another summer adventure. I came home just yesterday after five days in the mountains. It was refreshing to retreat to the wilderness and do nothing but paint, read, and sit with my thoughts. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to finally take a shower and sleep in a real bed when I returned. 

This week, I'm just going to share some pictures of my trip -- from a foot selfie to roasting marshmallows to the gorgeous wildflowers growing at 8,600 feet elevation.

How to Carve Your Own Stamps

Hello hello!

One of the best things about summer is having time to do all sorts of fun DIYs. Hmm... What should I do today? Carve my own stamps? Sure! Why not?

This was actually a lot of fun. At first, it seemed like a rather difficult craft, but if you have the right tools and a pinch of patience, the stamps turn out great.

My England Adventure

Guess what? I just took a trip of a lifetime.

For nine days, I was in England. I spent three days in the bustling city of London and the rest in the beautiful vivid green English countryside. It was, to sum it up in a word, incredible.

I was travelling with nine other people, for a total group of ten. Plus our guide and driver. So I must say that it was a little crazy at times, particularly in the airport and on the plane and rushing about from place to place. Nevertheless, it was definitely an amazing experience.