Retirement, Independence and NYC

On any other day you might think you could have guessed where this post was going....retirement, to some, means independence and NYC may seem like a great place to retire (though, for me, I'd prefer something much sandier.) But alas, this is simply a page of general craftiness that, individually, didn't warrant separate posts. However, when put together, they create one super amazing, mega-post. That really felt like way too many commas up there...I may need to look into an editor.

So back at my old job, a really sweet lady was leaving for her retirement and a group of people all got together and threw her a party. They were collecting money for gifts and when I found out about it, they asked me to make a card for her. As I've mentioned before, word of my 'arts & crafts' skills spread quickly around my old office and I became a go-to person, or SME (subject matter expert) if you will, of all things crafty. When they told me about the party and the card, I was reminded of the hundreds of cards I've received over the years and how most of them eventually make their way into the trash. I mean how many card binders can you really have. Plus, this lady worked for the company for more years than I'm sure she cares to admit, so the amount of people who would want to show their appreciation for her would definitely not fit on one card. Sorry Hallmark, you just don't make them big enough for some events. So I thought of the idea below:

She loves the beach, so I went onto google images and found the one above. I played with the lighting and edging a bit in photoshop, added the quote "Life Begins at Retirement" then sent it over to Staples and had it printed on an 18x24 poster. I have a business account there so it was pretty cheap, maybe $20-$30. Not too shabby for a card/gift. Don't get me wrong, I love getting cards in the mail, but for such a milestone, I would think the recipient would want something they could look at all the time, and treasure always. I had a Michael's coupon so I picked up the frame pretty cheap as well, probably less than $20. We brought the poster to her luncheon along with my collection of sharpies (an obsession I may dedicate a separate post to, lol) and had everyone sign it for her. After the party, I brought the frame down and we put it together for her. Such a special gift and one that can be used for any occasion. 

 In the last few weeks at my old job, a chick on my new team was leaving the company to begin anew in NYC. My old company thrived on "food days" and looked for any excuse to throw a party so, of course, we celebrated her departure with a New York themed party. Everyone was asked to either donate money or bring in NY food. First of all, what is NY food really? I mean honestly, Ellis Island was a landing point for people all across the world who brought with them an array of different cultures, traditions and customs. In any short trip to NYC, you can find food from any corner of the globe....Having family from NY, the few things that come to my mind though are pizza (thank you TMNT), hot dogs (ala Coney Island) and bagels. So I decided to sign up for bagels, despite the fact that there is not a single place in PA where you can find bagels that are an eighth as good as on Long Island (which is odd since Philadelphia apparently makes the best cream cheese.) But anyway by this point, if you're still with me (bless you, if you are, lol) you're wondering what all of this has to do with the picture above. Well, I wanted to do something more creative than just getting below average breakfast food, so I figured I'd make carmel apples and slap an I <3 a="" amanda.="" and="" at="" bottom="" box="" but="" carmel="" do="" easier="" est="" get="" href="http://eatpraywearlove.blogspot.com/2012/10/harvest-party-fun.html?m=1" i="" just="" kit="" ll="" luck="" made="" myself="" next="" ny="" of="" on="" probably="" says="" sticker="" target="_blank" the="" there.="" time="" way="" yellow="">this idea

instead. The plastic stuck a little to the carmel, and it didnt harden quite right. But hey, they looked damn good! lol oh well...

This one was awesome. I'd do it again for any occasion and it was super simple. This wreath is made from coffee filters that were dyed in paint. The blog where I got this idea is no longer active, so the link doesn't work but it's pretty simple and cheap, which is always a plus!

Creative Ingredients:

1. Paper coffee filters: I got mine in bulk from Costco, since I didnt know how many I would need, plus it depends how tight/thick you want the thing to be...

2. Wire wreath frame from michaels or Amazon - size depends on your door

3. Cheapest craft paint you can find, I used Apple Barrel red and blue. No need for white, obv, but if you want to make it even whiter, I guess you could totally dye them white....

4. Hot Glue - like a TON

5. Cloth - I used a few of my husbands old, ratty white button down work shirts to glue the coffee filters on

6. 4th of July Ribbon to hang

7. String and clothes pins

Directions:

1. Pour paint in disposable cups, or reusable tupperware if you want to be green and water down. I'd say a 

maybe about a 2:1 ratio...for every 1 part paint, double the water. I just squirted paint in the bottom of a red solo cup and filled half way with water....very technical I know....

2. Shove as many filters in there that will fit. I think I used about 10 cups, 5 blue and 5 red and shoved about 10 in each. I let them soak in there for a good 10 minutes or so...

3. After they're done, and look like they have enough color (or theres no water left) pull those bad boys up and hang 'em to dry with the string/clothespins. Word of warning...the paint drips, and doesnt come off easily. I did these on my front porch, figuring they'd dry better in the sun, and while this is absolutely true, it also absolutely stained my porch while drying....

4. While they're soaking or drying, wrap the cloth around the wire frame. The idea is to leave as much surface area as possible. 

5. Once they're dry just start crumpling them up and gluing them to the frame in whatever pattern you like. Confession: mine has more white because I didnt dye enough red or blue, lol...

6. Slap the ribbon on there and hang away. 

A Few Notes: 

1. Theres no wrong way to do this, and you cant mess it up. I had the help of my 11 year old sister-in-law... and it looks phenomenal

2. You will be the only one to see the mistakes, holes, nobody else can so quit your whining

3. The paint will get all over your hands, and table, and floor, and wherever else you do this project so prepare well with newspaper and gloves...unless you're like me and find the mess to be the best part of any project :)

So looking back, I probably could have separated these into 3 different posts, but I'm too lazy to copy and paste them now into individual ones so here you go. Just remember the best part of any project is the fun you have doing it, and for the feeling you get when the recipient is in awe with your talent. If you get frustrated, hey- it happens. Walk away, take a breath and go back to it later. If you're not having fun, then move on to something else- the project definitely isn't worth it. TRUST ME. 

Thats all she wrote kids. So Live Zen, Be Happy and never forget your smile when you leave the house!!

xo

Jen