Her words!

Today I awoke to the sad news that Dr Maya Angelou passed away this Wedneday May 28, 2014. I was immediately filled with emotions. Selfishly I thought darn I will never meet her but in an instance I thought how her words have shaped my life. How I meet her the day I read " I know why the caged bird sings." I gobble books and reading through the night is a norm to me. Once I finished I wanted to read more of her books. 

Her words pierced my heart and awoke my writing bug. She showed me I could release my pain in my writing. I grew up in the era where writing was done by hand or with a type writer. Still to this day I don't traditional type so I hand wrote all my poems then. Thinking back to my earlier writings I would compare myself to Taylor Swift because if you were in my life good or bad I was writing about you. Actually I was more at peace back then because I wrote it out instead replaying the situation over in my head. (Note to self start writing again)  Also the physical act of writing helped me release whatever emotion I was working through. 

Dr. Angelou's words pierced my heart because the were familiar to me. This familiarity brought an instance connection to her. I was like "she went through what I went through" and immediately knew I would be okay.  I also started to love me more.

( www.graphicsheat.com)

After reading her books my life wasn't magically changed but I now had some powerful tools to cope with my journey. The quote above is one of many from her that inspire me to love me as I am. Embracing my perfect for Aurora imperfections help me stop beating my self up for every little thing I did or didn't do. These words encouraged me to start looking at what I did like about me. Her conviction that God made me this way and loved me just as I am strengthen my relationship with the heavenly creator. This way of thinking help me not take life's bumps so personal.

( pin by Joni Brasnscome on Pinterest )

The above quote re-enforced that not taking it so personal attitude. Once you realize everything happens for a reason ,even the most painful things you will eventually see the purpose. I fall short here but her words once again pulls me back up. 

(www.heartsfile.com)

To me her words could wrap you in love, being there right when you need them. 

Dr Angelou you words made me feel love and understood. I am thankful for it and smile knowing future generations can know you in this way too.

(www.gowomango.com)

She was so honest and in that honesty she empowered several generations of young women to be strong. The awesomeness of this is that her words will continue to empower young women for generations to come.

(www.quotesinfinite.com)

When you like yourself you're happy. When you're happy positive things comes your way. Man, everything she said made so much sense and if you listen she could change your life.

Last night I came across this picture on the http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com/p/freebies.html website and saved it for no other reason then I thought it was cute. This morning when I came across it I knew why I had to save it. 

An angel writing heavenly words. 

I can't help but image Dr Angelou up there writing just like this. Maybe I will draw my rendition of it with Dr Angelou typing.

(www.slowbuddy.com)

I have a song and I am singing! When I am down I sing uplifting songs, not necessary spiritual music but songs that make me feel good about me. I never understood when people were sad that had to play sad songs. To me this just makes you sadder and no one has time for that! 

(www.freshrag.com)

On this last quote I leave you with "Let's enjoy the beauty of all the butterflies in our life and respect the journey they took to get there" .

RIP Dr Maya Angelou your physical body is gone but your spirit burns bright through out this world crossing many color and ethnic lines. Love you and respect you for all that you given me.

Love and Light Beautiful Ones.

Aurora Sara

The Crafty Owl Mami

GUBlife: Growing Up Blackxican™: Memorial Day Weekend: Berry Picking with the Famil...

GUBlife: Growing Up Blackxican™: Memorial Day Weekend: Berry Picking with the Famil...: We hope you had a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend! Our family went berry picking as we have made a tradition and luckily this year we were...

Love to check in on this awesome family!

Faux Mexican Embroidery Tank

Good Morning Beautiful Ones, 

Like as promised I will do my best to post everyday.

As you read from my previous post I follow a lot of crafty bloggers. 

Well now I am trying out their DIY projects that peak my fancy. 

Today I will be featuring the Glittery Fabulous Crafty Chica

Kathy Cano-Murillo. This women has no idea how much she has been a pillar in my foundation for like almost 8 years. Just to give you a little back story to why that is, I will tell you how I found her.

Born and raised in the multi cultural spicy Bay Area, California it was hard finding myself on the Oregon coast with it's lack of visible cultural. I am a brown Latina (and proud of it!) so I am use to (especially from Caucasians) people wondering what I am or choosing my enthincity. Well this feeling of lack and loneliness was weighing heavy on my heart on the Oregon coast and to top it off the Latino community was barely visible. Okay let's be serious it wasn't there and the lack of acceptance there had those of Latino heritage to claim native heritage because that was the brown norm. While in the library with a heavy heart I found Crafty Chica and her glittery self brought so much delight my hubby wanted to get everything she has written. The library didn't carry everything but we could special order it. That's right if your local library doesn't have a book you want they can check if it's in the system. If it is they can borrow it from another library. How cool is that!

I have to say thou the Oregon Coast lacked a variety of cultural presence their library rocked! My hubby and I use to check out like 20 books at a time. The day I found Kathy (Crafty Chica) she came in two packages. 

1. In the awesome Mark Montano Big Ass Book on Crafts. This is a great series and for all those crafters out there a must read. www.markmontanoblogs.blogspot.com

2. The second is Kathy's book Artful sewing.

It was so funny because I thumb through library books but don't really get into them until I get home. I has no clue that one would lead to the other. I immediately found Kathy's contribution in Mark's book and said I would have to look her up next library visit. Then I discovered I had one of her books, score! 

There will be future post from this book so check back soon to see. Also please go out and get this book. Sewing for me is a wing and a prayer , but Kathy's direction can walk you through a successful project. 

The Crafty Chica has a huge smile filled with all this love and light. You will hear/read/see it in everything she does. It was that spirit that reminded me of all the beautiful, strong and crafty women I grew up with. Her books gave me a feeling of home, especially her fictional books. Every character remind me of a family member , so in a nutshell she brought my family to me all the way to the Oregon Coast.

Here are all the books she has written to date according to her webiste. www.craftychica.com

The library is great but I had to have these for my own library and No you can't borrow any! Just kidding but I treat books like my children. You can't borrow them either. 

Okay let me get to the project at hand and thank you for your patients with my long windedness! 

This is Crafty Chica's version

please go to her blog and see all the instructions she gives. 

Here are the steps I took to come up with my tank. 

I try to use the things I have instead of going out to buy any.

Awesome lesson I learned from The Crafty Chica's online course call the Crafty Hustle. 

It makes so much sense and you never realize how much stuff you have on hand. Especially crafters be it a hobby or professional we have a lot of supplies.

Just following that simple of rule to create from on hand before I buy has kept my crafting flow going. 

Ha you though I was going to say save money, I am a crafter that create everyday who is always in Joann's or Michaels. Okay you get the picture now back to the Faux Mexican Embroidery tank.

I have issues with puff pant, I love it but my heavy hands really pours it on. I use stencile first then accent free hand.

I use Scribbles paints by ilovetocreate , they are my go to for all my fabric painting.

That is just some , rest in storage until we move. 

I carefully remove stencile while wet because it is tricky when it dries , at least for me.

I will be honest I was very torn here. I loved the simple look but it didn't have the embroidery feel to it.

So I added some more

Not to shabby. I feel I would have made a shirt a lot closer to Kathy's version if I used a shirt. Which I just found a bag of plain white Tshirts. So I will not chalk this up as a fail. Plus like I always say when you follow someone else's tutorial you add your own flair. 

I had a lot of fun doing this and I know you will to. 

Now go to Kathy's website www.craftychica.com and catch the craft bug if you don't already have it.

Surrounding you with love and light 

Plus the encouragement to be your own kind of beautiful.

The Crafty Owl Mami 

AuroraSara

Ring a round the ocean floor.

Hey Beautiful ones,

Sorry it's been awhile since I last posted but a lot has happen for our little family, yes very positive! 

We are now living in sunny California amongst family and new awesome crafty friends. Miss my Oregon Family but we will visit each other soon. 

I will post another time about our move and new relationship with California.

Ring a round the ocean floor bracelet.

This 9 1/2 inches upcycled vintage bracelet is created from 9 inches of antique silver link chain, that was taken from a mulit strand antique silver link necklace. 22 aqua crystals recovered from broken crystal necklace. 2 antique silver conch seashell, 1 double side charm "Love Much" and "Laugh often", set of silver wings and antique silver anchor centering this bracelet. 

9 1/2 inches from clasp to link.

Better close up bracelet and my new toasted California tan. 

The inspiration for this piece came from a blog post by the asweome Jaderbomb .

http://jaderbomb.com/2013/06/05/12-months-of-martha-diy-ring-around-the-rosie-bracelet/

I have been making jewelry since my late teen but her tutorial is very well written that a newbie could make their version. 

If you are like me don't be hard on yourself if you are not happy with whatever you make from a DIY tutorial. I have learned when I am not happy with a piece it could just need a little Aurora sprinkled on it.

This is a picture of what I did before I added the charms.

Hubby actual loved the plain version the best. He with the lavish taste sometimes falls in love with simplicity. He would love to see me replicate the tutorial in a necklace.

Well it's Memorial Day and I need to be present with my family. So go spread Love and Light while you Live Wild and Live Loud. (Ryan Cruz <3)

I go sending you Love and Light!

Aurora

The Crafty Owl Mama