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| Chalk Plate |
While I have never blogged before I have recently started reading others blogs and they have greatly inspired me. I often enjoy writing and sharing my ideas with others. The blogs that I have started reading are quite inspiring and I hope that I can be inspiring to others as well! While I have many interests the things that are of greatest interest are travel, fashion, music, crafts, and books. For me each one creates a different outlet for my imagination.
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| Greeting Sign |
This past week I have been most focused on crafting and travel for two different reasons. Crafting because of Christmas of course! I wanted to give gifts to people this year that were going to be meaningful and cost effective therefore I crafted. :) I researched different craft ideas and then put the Kellie twist on them. My best friend for this Christmas crafting? Chalkboard paint. Chalkboard paint can be used on almost anything. It makes a great gift idea because then people can use your gift and put their own twist on it as well. For my grandmother, known as Momba to many, I made a plate that you are able to write on with chalk. This is especially useful at parties when people may want to know what a certain cheese or cookie may be. You can write beneath it in chalk and then just wash it off after the party. For my mother I made two chalk items. One more for decoration the other more for use. For the decorations gift I sprayed chalkboard paint on three wooden slats. After they were dry I hot glued the three slats on to a long piece of ribbon so that it is able to be hung. The sayings on the slats can be changed to correlate with the season, holiday, or just a warm friendly greeting welcoming someone to your home. For the more useful gift I bought little jars from Ikea and spray painted the tops with the chalkboard paint. Then you are able to put different spices or loose leaf teas in the jars and easily change the label when you change the spice or tea.
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| Close up of the Tea Jars |
As for travel, it has been constantly on my mind because of my upcoming trip to Italy. I will be studying abroad for about six months in Italy. I am so very lucky to have this opportunity in my life. I will be living in a university town and trying to completely immerse myself in the Italian culture. I am so excited to try their food, listen to their music, speak their beautiful language, and whatever exciting adventure comes my way. To travel is to learn first hand what you may have read in a book. It will be very exciting to put the knowledge of the Italian language to use, as i have been studying it for a while now. I have to admit I am a little scared though, going to live somewhere where I do not know anyone and everything will be in a different language. I know that the best will be to keep a positive attitude and take each day as a new adventure and learning experience. Thanks to the Christmas party at my work, I know have a beautiful leather journal and travel book for the tight budgeted people. It will definitely come in handy, as I hope to travel around Europe to visit different friends that I have. I am lucky to know so many people already in Europe. My family has hosted exchange students for the past ten years so I have been able to make great connections all around the world. I am happy that I will be able to visit some of the exchange students we have had for the first time ever. I hope to be able to visit at least six of them. Two of them live in Italy so that might make it a bit easier.
Anyways, that is a little about my current life but I will definitely be keeping up about my life in the future. Hopefully I may inspire you all too! Have a great day. <3 Kellie
