diy floral headpiece

I love crafting, my latest atempt was creating a floral headpiece while watching Silver Linings Playbook I might add >>> cutest movie ever!

Where did I get my inspiration... well I love Anthropologie, Free People, and bhldn so I was surfing the web an stumbled upon this >>> Super Expensive Headpiece it is gorgeous I will admit, but I am so not willing to pay $400.00 for it when I can make somthing that looks similar for $20.00.

So here you go >>>

INGREDIENTS:

• Silk flowers with leaves in colors of your choice
• Feathers
• 1.5" or 2" wide elastic headband
• Hot gluegun
• Gluegun refills
• Jar or bowl to use as a stand for your headpiece while your working

DIRECTIONS:
Turn on a chick flick (very important!), and separate the flowers from their stems. Make piles of different colors and shapes of petels, leaves, and feathers. Put the elastic headband on a jar or bowl to hold it while you glue. Hold the items up to the band to see what it looks like before you glue. Glue the back of the item and then pinch it with the headband material... repeat all the way around the band leaving a 2" or 3" space at the back. And Ta Da! there your go a beautiful halo.

Have fun creating and good luck!

Remember To Notice

There has been a whole lot of darkness in my life latley, things from the news and world in general, as well as more personal realities. It's easy to get depressed or to feel like giving up. What's comforting to me though is seeing the beauty in everyday things, it helps me realize that there is something much greater and much more beautiful then all of the horrible things that constantly demand our attention. So to celebrate that, here are some pictures from a walk with my love at Kelsey Creek Farm when there was an amazing rainbow.

This week make a note to yourself to "remember to notice" look for the good things no one can take away and take comfort in that.

Grandma Cook

~ My Memories of Grandma Cook ~

My Grandma has struggled with all different forms of cancer for many years. She would never let you know it nor could you have guessed, which is why I will always refer to her as the strongest woman I know. Here are some memories I have of Grandma Cook...

Grandma to the Rescue:

When I was little my Mom used to have Andy and I (the twins) eat at a kids table in our laundry room. One morning Grandma Cook was on her way to our house to visit, while my Mom was finishing cleaning up the house all of a sudden I screamed, "watch out its gonna tip over," and lifted up the little table we were eating our cereal at. Andy my brother grabbed his cheerios and saved them, but I forgot about my bowl and it slid across that table right into his face. I thought I was a goner as my Mom grabbed a white towel, which we hated because she almost ripped off our skin every time she wiped our faces, poor Andy. While I was standing there crying, and explaining it was an accident, good ole Grandma Cook walked in with her booming voice, "where is everybody" she then began to take my side and explain to my mom it wasn't my fault (which she couldn't prove) and then gave me a bag of m&m's which may have started my insane addiction to them.

A Field of Four Leaf Clovers:

We used to go visit Grandma Cook in her old yellow house every once in a while. I remember one time visiting her and Grandpa Cook, when my mom just didn't want us kids around. She told us to go outside and leave the adults alone. My Dad tried to help and said, "you can come back in once you have found a four leaf clover." So what did Grandma Cook do, she came outside to "check" on us and brought us a scotch tape dispenser with which we taped together a bunch of "four leaf" clovers. Once again Grandma Cook to the rescue.

Bridal Shower and Wedding:

I would be kidding myself if I tried to portray my family as put together or the least bit normal, and Grandma Cook always knew that, but this never stopped her from attending ever big life moment I ever had. Grandma has been in the crowd for me and showed support of me through all of my graduations, concerts, through my wedding, bridal shower, and all of my birthday's. Grandma Cook saw me as me, Ash, and I only hope that I will be able to live my life as courageously as she did not ever letting anyone limit who I am and can be. 

P.S. 

This has always stuck in my mind and is something I am proud of Grandma for. She was the first Female Bus Driver in Clark County she drove a bus load of kids every day down rural roads and was offered less pay then a man. She demanded equal pay and was granted it! Classic Grandma Cook. 

I love you Grandma I know you will be in a better place, and with Grandpa Cook. You are by far the strongest woman I know and I can only hope that one day I will be as great a grandma as you were to me. Thanks for always having my back and creating a sense family when I know it was hard to.

Love you always

Ash

what is a narm?

I have to share the miXmedia membership to the Bellevue Arts Museum. It is a membership that costs $100.00 for two people when purchased through BAM. This membership grants you access to over 550 museums across the United States as part of the NARM or North American Reciprocal Museums >>>Click here to see all of the Museums covered by this!!!!!!<<<  It really is a deal and I think more people should know about it.

Because Paul and I are members we were able to visit the new Museum of History and Industry in Seattle. Honestly, I would have totally paid for this museum experience even if it wasn't on our card. The fact that it was though was a major plus. Paul and I stayed at MOHAI for about two hours and could have been there even longer reading about Seattle throughout history. 

Some of our highlights from the Museum was the film and music section- there was a great replica of the Fraiser Show set! My favorite part by far was John Grade's "Wawona" sculpture you can see the pictures I took of it below along with a short clip of it in the making.

enjoy...

easter sunday

A Call to a Living Hope

3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of His great mercy He gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living Hope, 4 and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessing that God keeps for His people. He keeps them for you in Heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. 5 They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God's power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time.

6 Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad a while because of the many kinds of trails you suffer. 7 Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure, Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 You love Him, although you Have not seen Him, and you believe in Him, although you do not now see Him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express. 9 because you're receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in Him.

A Call to Holy Living

13 So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant. 15 Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy.

Today was a beautiful day to celebrate Easter Sunday. Paul and I spent Easter in Tacoma going to Church with his parents at Skyline Prysbyterian. I haven't been to Church as much as I should lately (mostly because I work on Sundays) but every time I go God meets me there and speaks through the service. I hope you were uplifted by the verses above as I know I was.

After Church we spent the afternoon with my Grandparents, Noni and Pa at C.I. Shenanigans My favorite restaurant! and afterwards we all went to the Tacoma Art Museum. There was no one there because of what a gorgeous day it was, so we had the whole museum to ourselves for about an hour. We took this great shot below with the Tacoma Dome, Mt. Rainer, and the Glass Museum in the background.

Overall it was a beautiful Easter Sunday... I hope everyone else had just as an amazing day!

At the Tacoma Art Museum

On The Tacoma Waterfront

Leroy at the Tacoma Art Museum

A San Francisco Adventure

In the Spring of 2011 Paul and I visited San Francisco. I had so much fun and enjoyed the city so much I didn't want to ever come home... but we did. We traveled to San Francisco for a quick trip as Paul was invited to tour Skywalker Sound and I was checking out an MFA Program at the Academy of Art Institute (still happy I decided to go to Seattle University) In three days we ventured all over the city. From the Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Park. One of my favorite adventures was visiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and although I especially loved Eadweard Muybridge Mahomet, from the series The Horse in Motion, I have to admit it was pretty exciting to see Marcel Duchamp's piece in person even if it is just a urinal. It's amazing how excited I get over certain art pieces just because they have been on enough of my art history tests. 

One of the main reasons for our San Francisco adventure was so that Paul could visit Skywalker Sound, and man was it so incredibly gorgeous! >>> Click HERE to see what I mean. I wasn't able to tour it with him- it's a pretty exclusive place, but judging from the never ending smile he had when I picked him up after his visit it was worth the trip.

I look forward to my future with Paul and possibly venturing back to the Bay Area as the Arts are defiantly flourishing there... the Museum is even building on an additional wing >>> Click HERE.

trip clips

I have been day dreaming about our 1 year anniversary trip to Kauai and I ran across some various clips from our adventures... so here you are some little snippets from all our travels on the island.

Helicopter ride along the Napali Coast Line

Our hotel on Coconut Beach, Kauai

Tropical Bird Songs

The famous Eucalyptus Tunnel of Trees

Sorry about the angle but this is of the gorgeous Hanakapia'i Falls... 

P.S. this was quit the hike :)

On our way to the Fern Grotto

I can't wait to go back! maybe after graduation and next time we need to explore a volcano ; )

Aloha!