White and Gold: Cork Coasters DIY

For me, when it comes to craft/DIY projects, it's a case of the simpler the better. I don't do them as often as I'd like, but when I do I'm always impatient to get to the end result so I end up taking shortcuts on anything even slightly challenging -  and it shows in the finished product. That's why these little painted cork coasters are my kind of DIY - easy, fast and cheap as chips! I'm sure they'd have turned out better if I'd slowed down and put in a bit more thought, but with some leftover white paint and a few items from the two-dollar store, they look perfectly fine and I now have something cute to rest my cuppa on. It barely needs explaining but here's what you do:

1. Get yourself some cheapo cork coasters, a small tube or tub of acrylic paint in a colour of your choice, leftover wall paint (I used primer too but I'm sure this isn't essential), a paintbrush, a stencil brush, masking tape and some clear gloss spray (also from the $2 store).

2. Paint on a layer of primer (if using), leave to dry for half an hour to an hour, then paint on a coat of white paint, leave to dry and repeat until you have enough coverage.
3. Once the final coat of paint is dry, take your masking tape and mask out simple patterns on your coasters - stripes are by far the easiest.

4. Squeeze a small amount of the coloured acrylic paint onto the stencil brush and dab on newspaper to work it into the brush a bit. Dab the brush onto the coaster until all the gaps are covered. Leave to dry and repeat until you get the coverage you want.

5. After you have applied the final layer, peel off the masking tape while the paint is still wet.

6. Once the coasters are dry, spray them with a coat of clear gloss spray to protect them and make them more waterproof.

And voila! Time for a cup of tea...

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Shine Bright Like a Diamond

Catching my eye today is anything gem-shaped. Maybe it's the weddings I've been to lately that have put diamonds on my mind - the boyfriend better watch out! Luckily I'd be perfectly happy with any of these four faceted favourites!

Diamond Hemmeli Light Pendant by Panselinos via Etsy | Hanging Planter by Raw Design via Etsy - $52.69 | Diamond Box in Natural by Areaware via Safari Living - $20 |  | Shine Bright Like a Diamond print by Michaela via Society 6 - $15

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Somewhere Over the Rainbow

It didn't occur to me until I was walking home from work today that seeing a rainbow in the stormy sky yesterday afternoon was actually wonderfully apt. With it being Remembrance Day today, my thoughts turned to my Grandad, who served in the RAF during WWII, and whose favourite song was Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland. During the war, his plane was shot down and, according to Grandad, he sang this song as it descended the sky. He survived the crash and spent the next few years as a prisoner of war in Germany, in conditions I have difficulty imagining. He gave us small snapshots of what it was like when we were children, but being so young I couldn't fully comprehend the magnitude of it and now my memories of his stories are faint. I'm certain that so many grandchildren feel this way - I wish I could speak to him now that I am older to try and understand and learn from what he experienced. It's strange because I remember knowing back then, as I listened to him describing his past to me, that I would feel like this now. I do still hold an image in my mind of Grandad returning home after the war, weak and shockingly thin, a stark contrast to the Arthur his family would have remembered. In spite of this, Grandad recovered and he went on to raise two wonderful daughters and live long enough to see his grandchildren through their childhood. So as well as remembering his service in the War,  this is how I'll remember Grandad:

He loved being outdoors in the sunshine - in the summer he would sit for hours under the shade of a tree, reading his books.
Whenever he could, he would listen to classical music.

He loved birds - there would always be a collection of well stocked bird feeders dotted around his garden.

He had a talent for 'magic' tricks - as children he would inexplicably pull sweets and coins out of our ears, which naturally scored him major brownie points!

He was a great story teller - he must have been good because he made a story involving a robin and cucumber sandwiches seem like the best thing ever!

Who are you remembering today?

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Weddings Galore

I've totally abandoned Into the Bright over the last few weeks, partly (ok, mostly) due to a prolongued bout of procrastination and partly due to distractions in the form of two lovely weddings that saw us heading West to good old Toowoomba.  I'm finally back online and I've sorted through a sea of photos to share some highlights with you. Both weddings were held at Preston Peak Chapel, which is the cutest, picture-perfect location and the weather couldn't have been better for both couples. I love being a wedding guest - the atmosphere is always so warm and friendly and uplifting. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting glammed up, spending time with my partner's family, meeting new people and sharing in a HUGE number of toasts! Here's to the fizz, to my beautiful partner for delivering a killer Best Man speech and, of course, the happy couples!   

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