DIY: Bottlecap magnets

“Create what sets your heart on fire and it will illuminate the path ahead.” – Karma Voce

Hello beautiful people! It is good to be posting again! I had a crazy week getting ready for a craft booth Saturday. Of course, my sister and I stayed up ALL NIGHT Friday night, stressed about everything looking perfect…. And no one showed up to the sale we were in. Oh well! We are ready to go for next time and got a good laugh out of it. I am super grateful to have a sister who can laugh with me when we are running on nothing but coffee and positive attitudes!

Today, I thought it would be fun to share a quick tutorial on some of the magnets we sold at our craft sale. We seem to go through a lot of bottle caps in my house (I don’t know how that happens…) and we thought it would be fun to make something craft with all these extra caps. Magnets sounded like a fun idea. Plus, they are SO EASY!

Supplies:

•  Bottle caps
• Scrapbook paper
• Magnets (I used ¾ “ceramic)
• 1” circle punch
• Craft adhesive (I used E-6000 and tacky glue)
• Diamond glaze (I used glossy accents)

Steps:

Clean the bottle caps! You don’t want your magnets smelling like old beer. Not cute!

Cut out your scrapbook pieces using the 1” circle punch. I chose scrapbook paper with small patterns, so I could see the complete patterns in my 1 inch circle.

Use an adhesive to attach the scrapbook paper to the inside of the bottle cap.

Allow the glue to dry prior to using the diamond glaze. The diamond glaze should be spread evenly on the top of the scrapbook paper, making sure to fill it in all the way to the edges. Allow this to dry COMPLETELY before taking the next step. I would allow a couple of hours. (You can use this time to fill up your wine glass!)

Use a strong adhesive to attach the back of the bottle caps to your magnets. WARNING: Make sure to place your magnets a few inches apart from other. Otherwise, they will merge together and may ruin your glaze if it isn’t fully hardened yet.

Once they dry, they’re ready to use or to be packaged into super cute gift sets for your friends! This is a great idea for stocking stuffers, housewarming gifts, teacher gifts, etc. We packaged ours in matching sets of three in small treat bags.

Let me know how it goes if you try it out!

Yours truly, Taryn xoxo

Roasted Salmon and Brussels Sprouts

” If I know what love is, it is because of you.” – Hermann Hesse

Happy Monday y’all! I hope you had a fabulous Valentine’s Day! Our Saturday was lovely. I scheduled us for a couple’s massage, which was completed with chocolate covered strawberries and a champagne toast (delicious!). Then, we went on a triple date with some friends to one of my favorite restaurants, The Cheesecake Factory. I get the starter kale salad. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I seriously dream about that salad….

I was super excited to share this easy recipe with everyone (which I made last weekend). I am really blessed to have married a man who likes most veggies, especially when they’re seasoned with garlic and lemon. I love “one dish” kind of dinners and was very impressed with this simple recipe for Salmon and Brussels Sprouts from Eating Well. It was the perfect amount of seasoning, not too much or too little. Plus, the prep time was minimal.

The salmon practically fell apart and each bite melted deliciously in my mouth. So good! I paired this recipe with a mix of brown rice and quinoa, along with some fresh cherry tomatoes. I like having a colorful plate 🙂

It was the perfect meal to end the weekend. My hubby and I ate dinner in front of the TV (like we were back in college ) while watching Emerson Eggerichs’s Love and Respect video series. I really suggest his work for all married couples. We are learning so much!

And of course, you gotta top off the weekend with something delicious: a homemade strawberry mojito. Mmmm!

Thanks for reading y’all! – Taryn xoxo

Update on Growth: Backyard Love

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever.” – Alfred Lord Tennyson

In part of my goals to work on personal growth this year, I really wanted to take my word literally as well and plant new seeds. My sweet angel of a puppy has made a wreck of our backyard over the past year. Seriously, only the trees and the fake grass survived his destruction! I have been eager to replace the plants he had ruined, scatter some bright colored flowers, and get my garden beds ready for veggies this spring.

Of course, I was blessed with the help of family again. My hubby was up North hunting for the weekend, but I had the help of my father and my in-laws. Irrigation lines had been destroyed and I was not quite sure what I was doing, but I am grateful for the men in my life who act as patient teachers. I got married without any knowledge of maintaining the landscaping of our home and I am constantly learning new things.

Here are my before pictures. Everything is pretty barren and there are nice sized pot-holes all over the yard (thank you Wesley).

First step was a trip to the local Ace Hardware store. I was able to get a lot of help picking out low maintenance shrubs and flowers and they were having an awesome sale. I walked out of the store with nine shrubs and over two dozen flowers, only spending about $35! I was a very happy girl. Some of the things I purchased were: lantanas (both in lavender and red/gold), yellow oleanders, orange jubilee, blue morning glories, pansies, stock, carpet roses, etc. I had too much fun at Ace:

Then, everyone showed up at my house and we got to work fixing irrigation, raking (and raking and raking), and chasing the dogs away from the mud. It was a lot of hard work, but I honestly enjoyed the process. The weather was beautiful (80 degrees already) and I was very proud of our work. Check out all my helpers:

I absolutely adore my father and father-in-law and am grateful they have become friends!

It is still winter, so it will take a while to really feel the effects of the new plants and see the new beauty in the yard. I am so anxious for March! Here is a little taste of the clean backyard (more to come in a month of so):

In addition to getting some plants added to the backyard, I have been eager to get my garden beds back in action. It is still a little cold at night to start planting some of my favorite herbs outside, so my mother-in-law and I made some small planters for the little windows in home. The great thing about these windows is that they’re out of the way for the dogs to get into and they will get a lot of sun for at least half of the day. We planted: parsley, oregano, cilantro, chives, sage, spearmint, basil, and rosemary!

Again, expect more to come on the backyard transformation. I am hoping to find the time to construct a bench under our patio, plant some tasty vegetables, and possibly add to the plant life in the yard.

Bring on the springtime! Love y’all, Taryn xoxo

Getting my Business Organized

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful. Or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris

Happy Thursday everyone! Sorry I’ve been on hiatus for a week. I have been incredibly busy this week with the Super Bowl (here in Phoenix, AH!) and getting things done for my businesses. I also was invited to a concert with my hubby on Monday night…. a “screamo” rock band concert…. and I survived! Actually, I had a lot of fun living on the edge of danger (er… mosh pit). I felt like a kid again! My husband was pretty amused with me.

Anyways, back to getting things done for my businesses… [DISCLOSURE: I promise to not turn this blog into an advertisement for our business; I’m simply eager to share the progress.] I currently have two different ventures going on apart from my full-time gig as an administrative assistant. I have previously shared information on the small business I started with my sister, Inspired by Sisters. We have been working furiously to get our business licensed and registered locally. We are officially on Etsy!!! We just started this week, so there is not much listed, but please check us out. I am, also, pleased to announce our work is currently being showcased in a local pop up gallery in Maricopa, AZ.

I am also enthusiastic to share the start of my yoga business. Taryn Raine Yoga is now on the web, both on Facebook and Weebly. Mind you, I just built these pages yesterday, but I am eager for feedback. Please check them out and let me know what you think.

Check out my website

Check out my Facebook page

Of course, all these business ventures need to be organized, right? I spent most of the weekend re-organizing my multi-purpose room (aka my  craft room/yoga studio/home office). The room I use was originally designed to be a bedroom, so I have a great closet in which I get to store my endless supply of craft items. From scrapbook paper, to gift wrap, fabric, paint supplies, and more, everything now has a place! I, also, sorted all my magazines to make it easier to find what I am looking for.

In addition to everything having it’s own tub or drawer in the closet, everything is labeled! I adore labels because a busy gal like me does not have time to guess and dig through multiple boxes to find a simple glue stick. Labels are the BEST! I simply typed all of mine up on the computer and printed them onto Avery address labels. Added bonus, the address labels are easy to remove from the plastic bins/drawers in case I ever need to update the contents.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to work a lot better when things are where they belong and my work space is free of clutter. I love bright colors too, because it puts me in a happier mood to get things done. Family art (including scribbles from my younger siblings) also help to create an inviting, fun space.

There you have it! You have had a peek into my favorite room in the entire house. What are your favorite ways to organize your work space? What do you need in your space to be fully inspired?

Lots of love, Taryn xoxo