The Life of Mrs. Miles

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Today’s element is inspired by a craft. It’s a THANK YOU gift to all of you who have been supporting me here, and (as OLIVIA DORAZIO) at the Sophia Sarducci Shop. Its in recognition of your investing in me. As my designing grows, I want to always be able to ‘give back’. Without your support, I would not be able to do this.

Its not often I see AND DO a craft. Mostly I breeze through the magazines, hoping to pick up some fresh ideas to share with you, but once in a very small while I find something that I actually decide to do. This is what happened recently when I saw this cool Martha Stewart idea for a paper lantern decorated with butterflies (among a whole BUNCH of other great ideas, like the silk flowers light string, shells light string... OH MY!)

Well, as fate would have it, I saw a plain white paper lantern at a junk sale and scooped it for 50 cents, so I figured it was meant for me to make this project.

Miss Becks and Belly!

My good (and very pregnant) friend Becky came to share my Wednesday with me, and we visited the dollar store to gather the needed supplies – after a picnic lunch on the lake walkway in the sun and a whip creamy coffee out too) We actually used some gift bags to cut the butterflies out of, as the scrapbook papers there left a lot to be desired. I’d only intended on being oh so frugal, but just HAD to have the extra little green lantern I spied in there too.

I was so excited to find my little green lantern that I SQUEEKED! It LIGHTS up, using a set of triple a batteries. I put a candle in the big white one, VERY secured onto the frame in a glass holder. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. I wound up adding sparkles all over them too, securing them on with a good shot of hairspray – no I will NOT light it till its totally dissipated.

Here's a silly little slideshow of my creations:

My Butterfly Lanterns

Speaking of summer & lanterns, my friend Kristin CB has a new kit out. When I ‘grow up’ in my designing I aspire to even come close to the talent of Kristin. She has such a fine touch, an eye for even the tiniest details, and I always want to reach out and touch her products to see if they are real or not. Truly if I came into a large sum of money I would want Kristin to design my wallpaper (the kind that goes on real walls) for my new home.

I met Kristin a few years ago and we struck up a friendship right away. Being a fellow Canadian, even living within the same province, we found ourselves having lots in common. One summer Kristin and her family stopped by for a visit/picnic, much to my joy. Passing this way again, my friend? There’s always a room for you!

Kristin is sweet and shy, HUGELY talented, both with photography and design, but she’s also a beautiful person, inside and out. She’s been a great mentor in my life and even tho we don’t get to chat like we used to, she’s always got a special place in my heart. I don’t know how she manages her young family (new baby VERY recently) AND designs like she does.

Party Out Back by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

Without further ado – if you plan on scrapping Summer ‘stuffies’ I’d suggest you check out and buy Kristin’s Party Out Back Kit by clicking HERE. Jennilyn made a drop dead gorgeous desktop using Kristin’s kit to share with you. You can also keep up on whats new in Kristins designs by visiting here blog HERE.

I have a new kit coming out on Monday, but I will share more about that with YOU on SATURDAY. Stay tuned here, if you drop in on SATURDAY, I’ll have previews and ANOTHER FREEBIE awaiting!

Thats all my big news - well this besides my darling husband finding a TICK on his body at like 5:30 a.m. today, waking me up in a frantic flurry (I'm NOT a morning person at the best of times) and me staggering into the bathroom where I had to go at him with tweezers. Luckily it was not buried and we flushed it away. EWWWW! I was so brain-dead I went back to dead and upon REALLY waking up not remembering if it was real or a nightmare...