And Just Like That...

Well, hello there! Yes, I know it's been awhile.  Almost two months to the day, in fact, since I've written a blog post. In those two months I took a trip with my family to Canada, got the kiddos ready for school, decided to get a puppy, read everything I could get my hands on about training a puppy, and got a puppy!

This is Dakota. I hadn't planned on abandoning Hello, New Day.  It just kind of happened.  I feel a little bit like Forrest Gump when he decides that he's done running.  Remember that scene in the movie? 

I started Hello, New Day in February of this year.  I blogged about photos and crafts and loved every minute of it!  And it was so exciting to know that people actually read what I wrote.  I appreciate so very much the love and support I've received from my readers!  ♥ Thank you! And while I've loved Hello, New Day, I've also enjoyed not blogging.  It takes A TON of time!!  So, while I'm not ready to completely end my blogging, I am very content to blog only on occasion.  In the meantime, I'll continue to train Dakota, and enjoy reading the many blogs that I follow. If you're a Facebook fan of Hello, New Day or a subscriber by e-mail then you'll be sure to see any new posts I write.  And until then, have a wonderful Fall and thank you for stopping by!

Love Story Distressed Wood Sign

Eighteen years ago today, I married my best friend.  Jon and I had dated for seven years before we tied the knot.  As I reflect back on the past 25 years of ups and downs, tears and joy, adventures and everyday life that we've shared, I cherish the love story that is ours.

A few weeks ago I saw a sign at my friend's house that had this wonderful quote on it and I knew instantly that I wanted to recreate it for myself.

I bought a blank wood sign at The Wood Connection here in Utah, painted it with an ivory craft paint, applied vinyl lettering that I'd cut out using my Silhouette SD machine, then put three coats of red craft paint over the letters.  Once the paint had dried I peeled the vinyl letters off, drilled some holes in the top for the ribbon, and used a fine sandpaper to lightly sand the surface to give it a distressed look.  The iron scroll hanger also came from The Wood Connection, but you can buy them online here.  EASY!  And a perfect reminder of a wonderful life that Jon and I share.

Thanks for stopping by! 

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The Versatile Blogger Award and One Lovely Blog Award

I am so honored and excited that Hello, New Day has been given two blogging awards!
The Versatile Blogger Award
The Versatile Blogger Award is a wonderful way for bloggers to share their favorite bits of the blogosphere  with their readers and to support their fellow bloggers.
The adorable Kjerstin from The Way I Am gave Hello, New Day this award way back in May.  (Sheesh! Time sure has a way of slipping away from me.)

Kjerstin from The Way I Am

I am sooooo thankful and grateful to Kjerstin for this recognition and for her support.  The Way I Am is a fun place where Kjerstin shares random tidbits of her life.  She often participates in a weekly series called "Friday's Letters" where she writes little letters to anyone and anything that may have impacted her that week.  Check it out when you have a minute!
Life is full of rules and regulations, and The Versatile Blogger Award is no different.  Upon receipt of this award (or two months later ☺), here's what's required:
The Rules

1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to up to 15 blogs you enjoy reading.
4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.

Seven Things About Me

1. I'm allergic to shellfish.
2. I've seen the stage production of Mamma Mia 5 times (twice on Broadway, once in Las Vegas, and twice in Salt Lake City.)
3. I always wanted to skydive - until I took my first flight on an airplane and realized I have a fear of heights.
4. I never graduated from high school, but I have 2 Bachelor's Degrees from the University of Utah.
5. I love board games, especially Pictionary (does anyone even play that anymore?)
6. My nickname is Beppo.
7. I met my husband when we were both teenagers working at McDonald's.

And the Award Goes To...

I would like to present The Versatile Blogger Award to:

Gary from Being Gawee

Being Gawee - Musings from an Everyday Life is a fun blog written by a charming fellow in Australia.  He participates in Fat Mum Slim's Photo-a-day Challenge with me and he posts his daily photos along with entertaining, often witty, commentary.   

And

Stephanie from From Ice Cream to Belly Rings

Stephanie is a sweet, endearing girl from South Carolina who blogs about everyday life as a twenty-something.  Her honesty and sincerity are heartwarming, and her posts are delightful to read.  Her blog's title is a testament to the versatility of her blogging topics - everything From Ice Cream to Belly Rings!

One Lovely Blog Award

And speaking of Stephanie, she has given Hello, New Day the One Lovely Blog Award!!

Thank you so much, Stephanie!  Your kindness and support mean so much to me!  Here are the rules for the One Lovely Blog Award: The Rules

1. Post the award logo and link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to up to 15 blogs you enjoy reading.
4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.

Since I've already shared 7 things about myself, I'll get right to the award presentation.  I would like to give a One Lovely Blog Award to:

Lori from A Speck of Dust

A Speck of Dust - Scribbling Down Our Life Stories is a lifestyle blog where my beautiful, talented, funny sister scribbles down her life story.  It's entertaining, motivating and definitely One Lovely Blog.  She doesn't post terribly often, but when she does, it's worth reading.  Stop by and say hello when you have a chance.

And

Kjerstin from The Way I Am

 As I mentioned above, The Way I Am is a fun place where Kjerstin shares random tidbits of her life.  She often participates in a weekly series called "Friday's Letters" where she writes little letters to anyone and anything that may have impacted her that week.  Her posts are fun to read and you can tell by reading her blog that she is a sweetheart and definitely deserves this One Lovely Blog award.

And last, but certainly not least,

Ruby from Fuchsia Vision

Speaking of sweethearts, Ruby writes a blog called Fuchsia Vision where she shares photos, poems, printables, and little glimpses into her life in India.  Her writing style is so serene and beautiful; her blog is absolutely One Lovely Blog.

Whew!  I didn't know this would be such a looooong post.  If you've read this far - I'm impressed.  Congratulations to all of you award-winning bloggers!  And to my wonderful readers, thanks for stopping by!

Better Late Than Never? 4th of July Painted Flag and USA/Declaration of Independence Sign

Another July 4th has come and gone.  I finished these patriotic projects just a little too late to share with you before the Independence Day holiday, but they are beautiful enough to display year-round.  Make them now or pin them to your 4th of July Pinterest board to make for next year!

Creating both of these projects was easy.  Let's start with the Pottery Barn Painted Flag knock-off.

My inspiration was this beautiful flag from Pottery Barn.

But at $129, I knew I could make my own.  I started by finding a piece of  alder wood in our garage (left over from our fireplace remodel) that was 26 inches wide (the Pottery Barn flag is twice as big as mine).  Then I did a bit of research on the U.S. Flag because I wanted to make sure that my flag was proportionally true to the real flag.  Using 26" as the width for the flag, I used the dimensional information from usflag.org to figure out the rest of the measurements (i.e., width of stripes, size of stars, etc.).  Here's what my kids who are better at math than me I came up with:  

Next I lightly sanded the wood and rounded the edges a bit (that alder wood is super easy to "shape").  I then painted the entire board with white craft paint and let dry (this was like a primer coat).  Then I applied a coat of antique white craft paint and let that dry.

Using blue painters' tape and a ruler, I marked off the area that would be blue.  Then I used tape to mark the red stripes.  Before I painted the red stripes I applied a coat of Martha Stewart Weather Crackle Effect and let that dry.  Red paint is then applied and when it dries, the cracks in the paint appear!
When the red stripes are dry, mark off the white stripes with painters' tape.  Apply the crackle effect, let dry, then apply a pure white paint.
For the blue Union part of the flag, tape it off once the stripes are dry, paint the crackle effect first, let dry then paint the blue.
For the stars, I created a stencil using my Silhouette machine.  The dimensions are 10.4" wide x 7.4" tall (the same dimensions as the blue union on the flag).  Each star is .84".

I cut the stencil out of vinyl, weeded out the stars, and centered it over my dried blue area of the flag.  I painted one coat of Antique White, then a coat of Crackle Effect, then a coat of white, drying each coat before applying the next.  Then I simply peeled off the vinyl to reveal the white stars.

For the song lyrics, I again used my Silhouette.  I used the font Minya Nouvelle in a size 62.0 pt.  I cut the letters out of red vinyl and adhered them to the flag using transfer tape.

The U.S.A./Declaration of Independence sign was an easy project as well (and less time-consuming than the flag.)

I got the 3-photo wood board and the U.S.A. letters from a local crafting woodshop here in Utah called The Wood Connection.  They do not ship their products, so if you're not in Utah you'll need to check Michaels or Jo-Ann for similar products.

The board measures 16.25" x 8".  The one I got from The Wood Connection has 3 raised panels, but you could accomplish the same look with a flat piece of wood.  
The letters measure 4" x 6".
I painted the board black and the letters red.  The Wood Connection has a great tutorial for applying the glitter here.

For the Declaration of Independence background I downloaded a copy of the document and sized it according to the measurements of the 3 raised panels.  You can download the pre-measured sections by clicking on each one's caption.

Declaration1

Declaration2

Declaration3

I printed these on Strathmore 140lb Watercolor paper because I wanted the paper to have a heavy texture.  Once printed, I cut them out and adhered them to the black board with Elmer's Glue.  Then I glued the letters onto the paper with Elmer's Glue.
Please let me know if you have any questions about either of these projects.  I didn't take photos as I went because I didn't think I'd be sharing tutorials (but I've had enough requests, so there you go!)
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

4th of July Banner Tutorial with Printable

I love our country's Declaration of Independence.  I love it because it's a cherished symbol of our nation's freedom, a national treasure that was written over 200 years ago bravely declaring our independence from Great Britain.  The 56 men who were part of the Continental Congress in 1776 signed their names to this document and by doing so were considered traitors by the King of England.  They were risking their lives and their honor for freedom for the United States of America.  I love it also because it is so beautifully handwritten.  Notwithstanding its content, the handwriting itself is a work of art.

I wanted to use this beautiful text somehow in a fun piece of decor for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.  I created a simple banner that I hung on the mirror over my sideboard.  If you'd like to make one too, here's a step-by-step tutorial:

Step 1.  Download* these three 8.5 x 11 pages and print them on heavy paper (I used 140 lb. Strathmore Watercolor paper because I wanted the flags to have texture and sturdiness.  I trimmed the 9" x 12" paper to 8.5" wide so that it would fit into my printer.)

*To download, just click on each thumbnail image and the full-size image will open.

Right click on the full-size image and save to your computer.

Banner Printable 1

Banner Printable 2

Banner Printable 3

Step 2.  Cut out the 9 Declaration of Independence flags that you just printed on heavy paper.


Step 3.  Cut out 9 strips of blue glitter paper (the length of each flag top by 1/2 inch wide).

Step 4.  Repeat step 3 with red glitter paper.

Step 5.  Glue the blue strips to each flag top, leaving a 1/4 inch of the strip showing at the top.

Step 6.  Repeat step 5 with the red glitter paper.


Step 7.  Download* the star and print on regular paper; cut it out and use it to trace stars on the glitter paper.  I used 5 red and 4 blue stars.  Cut out the glitter stars and adhere to flags (I used 3D tape so they would have a bit of dimension).

*To download, just click on the thumbnail image and the full-size image will open.

Right click on the full-size image and save to your computer.

Banner Printable 4

Step 8.  Punch holes in the banner tops and string bakers twine or other string through the banners.

Thank you for stopping by, and have a happy 4th of July!

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