My painting + Joy's Salon Wall

What a fun treat to check out Frock Files this week and find a beautiful salon-style gallery wall (and awesome tutorial) that included one of my paintings (top left).

What a striking room and wall - it all looks gorgeous! I love that most of the pieces that Joy hung have a special significance - pieces from friends from different walks of like, or collected on trips to favorite and sentimental places.  

For me, the art that we hang and collect is much the same way - it all has a story, and is tied to a place or memory.  I'll have to share an "art walk" around our apartment sometime to show you some of our favorite pieces and the stories that go with them. 

Do you have a gallery wall?  I've always wanted one, and have a random assortment of photos and small paintings that we haven't been able to find the perfect homes for.  They are currently living in boxes and waiting for frames... but I think that at some point, a gallery wall is in their future! 

Photo by Joy Uyeno - Frock Files

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A Weekend Challenge

I realize it's Sunday, not Saturday, but I do things on my own time.

Great things about 2 blog friends:

Lately, Lauren from Seventeenth & Irving has been really inspring to me!  I loved this helpful and honest post that she wrote about conquering your closet.  

Along the same lines, I'm currently reading The Happiness Project which Joy and M.J. both raved about.  I'm excited about conquering my closet and clutter, and applying helpful, practical pieces of advice to my daily life that will make me and other around me a little bit happier.  Today, K.C. and I tweeted about working on our own Happiness Projects.  Hopefully we can make them happen and can hold each other accountable! 

Do something nice for a stranger.

Today I'm going to go onto Tripadvisor and airbnb and write positive review of hotels and apartments I've stayed in and loved over the past year:

• Tamarind Beach Hotel - Canouan, St. Vincent & The Grenadines
• Rosalie Bay - Dominica
• Beautiful apartment in Trastevere - Rome, Italy
• La Tonnarella - Sorrento, Italy

I should have done this a while ago because all of these places were really, really wonderful! 

One of my best qualities:

Probably my eternal optimism.  I always tend to look on the bright side, and Katie recently told me that I "love to give pep talks." I hadn't realized that I did that, but I guess I do. Need a pep talk? Apparently, I'm your girl!  

I'm thankful for...

My health, my family, and the chance to travel. Seriously, I am so lucky and so thankful for all of these things!

The highlight of my week: 

Traveling to Guyana with Charlie to visit my sister!

Last Sunday in Guayna, I visited the most incredible waterfall that I have ever laid eyes on: Kaiteur Falls.  It was seriously so unreal!  Kaieteur Falls is 741 feet tall and is the largest single drop waterfall in the world.  Kaieteur Falls is about three times higher than the Niagara Falls and about two times the height of the Victoria Falls in Africa.  Impressive, no?!?

{golden frog}

We also saw a tiny Golden Frog (the size of a fingernail!), which only lives in the bromeliads by Kaieteur.  Isn't that crazy?  The Golden Frog doesn't live anywhere else in the world.  So, so cool!

Also, in case you were wondering...

Thanks to Paige for creating this fun link-up.  I've been in a blogging funk lately - I haven't felt like sitting down and writing, and have been much more excited about getting out and doing things.  So thanks for giving me a few prompts to help me put together this post!

I hope you're all enjoying the weekend!

Fonts used (in order of appearance):
NeoRetroDraw
NeoRetroFill
Stefffont
Vibur
Amatic SC
Two Stick

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Only in Dominica...

...will you find this sign beside the airport. 

...does the water turn brown when it rains. 

...can you choose from 3 types of snake infused rum. 

...can you live in the fanciful London House apartments. 

...are the sayings on the backs of trucks this awesome. 

...do plastic drawers serve this purpose. 

...will you see a political slogan like this. 

...is this sign on display at the local credit union. 

...can you shop from a junk shop on wheels. 

...does your hairbrush grow mold. 

...is this sign displayed in your kitchen. 

...is this sign is displayed in your classroom. 

...is your friend's neighbor's house this scary. 

...is this sign on your college campus. 

...is this my favorite car.  Don't hate. 

Anyone foreigner who has spent time living in Dominica has probably come to know and love the "only in Dominica" moments. Katie put together a great post today sharing some of her favorites only in Dominica moments, so I thought I'd join her. Be sure to check out Katie's awesome post as well!

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W

Getting Crafty with Artsy Anthropology

Remember last week when I posted my favorite things about life in Dominica over on Artsy Anthropology?  Well, today I'm lucky enough to have Paige here sharing a fun tutorial!

Hey there C Squared W readers, my name is Paige and I have a little blog called Artsy Anthropology - on which I have fantastic people like Clare guest post, or where I share recipes, tutorials, shop coupons and other such things.

This tutorial is for fun craft storage - the squishy top mason jar with a chalkboard label...

Supplies:

• Mason Jar (for larger label, get one without writing)
• Chalkboard paint, paint brush
• Masking/painter's tape
• Fabric (about 10 sq. inches)
• Stuffing (I took apart an old pillow...)
• Hot glue gun and scissors

(You will need to do about 3 layers... for prepping the paint, read the directions for your particular paint)

You need a large circle about 2 times larger than the pop-out section of your jar's lid

You also need a small circle just smaller than the pop-out section

You need to glue the large piece almost all the way around (see below) and then stuff in the stuffing... then finish gluing.

Then you glue the smaller piece on to finish up...

Stuff the pop-off part back into the jar lid and that part is finished!

Then fill your jar, label it with the contents and be happy with your next project... Clearly I have a few of these... in which I store: glue sticks, "Bitty Bow" pieces, buttons, bobby-pins and feathers.

Hope you all have fun trying this at home! I'd love to see what you come up with!

Thanks so much, Paige, for sharing this fun tutorial.  I can't wait to try this out myself!

Be sure to check out Paige over at Artsy Anthropology.  You can also visit her cute Etsy shop and find her on Twitter. 

Thank You Notes

Growing up in the South, it was always important to write thank you notes after Christmas, birthdays, and other special occasions.  My thirtieth birthday is no exception, so here goes... 

Dear Besties who happen to be ridiculously awesome cake masters,

Thank you for the amazing, chocolate, big-headed ant cake. It was so weird and so delicious. I am pretty sure it takes the cake (hardy har har) for my best birthday cake of all time.

To my sweet Doctor in Training, 

Thank you for taking me out for a fun evening and for the creative gifts from the Chinese Store. I'm glad you ripped the plastic bows off of my new, red, jelly shoes; they are so much cuter without them.

Lovely Island Friends,

Thanks for spending my birthday with me. We had some fantastic adventures. Y'all are the best!

Dear Chen of Chen's Tattoos and Haircut,

Thanks for the free henna tattoo on my birthday, that was so nice of you! Also, your baby is really cute.

To Tomato's and Tulip's,

Thank you for the free birthday drinks and pizza {Tomato's}; and for putting on the Nicki Minaj DVD at my request, even when a basketball game is on {Tulip's}.

Dear Bruno,

I'm sure you already know this, but you are our favorite driver. Thanks for letting us drink mimosas and mix drinks n your bus. Also, you are the best because you blast the air con for us and you let my friends transform your van into da party bus for my birthday.

Dear Owl Buddies,

Thanks for making cameos for my birthday all weekend long. Love ya!

To friends and family near and far,

Thanks for all the birthday love! Y'all seriously made my day!

Resources
Blank Polaroid Frames from Fuzzimo.

Washi Tape:
Southern Stumble

Twist + Snag

Sara Shmutz
jessicaNdesigns

Photos courtesy of Kristen Morgans.
Other photos by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

Bright Lights

Happy Monday, friends!

This weekend was a fun one: a Friday dinner date with Charlie; a birthday brunch and wine cruise for Rachael's birthday on Saturday; and hiking, lunch, and a sunset swim with Charlie on Sunday.  Plenty of photos coming soon!

Today I am thrilled to be featured on Joy's blog, Frock Files, where I'm sharing a little bit about myself and a few of my favorite things.  Do you know Joy?  She shares her love for fashion on her blog, in addition to writing beautifully and sharing thoughtful posts and book reviews, among other things.  Head on over to Frock Files and show us some love! 

 

Blog Café

Recently, a few of my blogger friends here in Dominica got together for a little blog café.  It was a fun morning: we enjoyed coffee, made a breakfast treat, talked blogs, did a little blogging, and just hung out.  

All of these friends are also excellent cooks and bakers in the kitchen, so it was especially fun when Chris taught us how to make mulasadas, a favorite donut-y breakfast treat that he and his family enjoyed when he was growing up in Hawaii.  Mulasadas, fresh fruit and delcious coffee? Yes, please!

Rachael has worked in kitchens and was a pastry chef for a while, so she and Chris talked technique and figured out how to fry up the mulasadas to perfection.  Crystal, also a wizard in the kitchen, is an awesome photographer, so she documented our morning with some gorgeous pics, in addition to lending a hand making the yummy treats.  Katie shared her knowledge about blogging and design with the group.  And I did the dishes, because I'm so domestic.  It was a great morning, spent with creative and interesting friends.  Thanks so much, Chris, for having us!

If you are interested in the delicious treats that are malasadas, check out the malasada recipe on Chris's blog.  Crystal also posted a great step-by-step photo tutorial for the Malasadas on her blog!    

Fonts used:
AW Conquerer {Inline}
Sophia
Cool Stuff

Arrow Brushes from Creature Comforts

Photo by Crystal Durrant

Jazz Fest

Yay, the weekend is here! Today I am off for a fun adventure, canyoning, with Charlie and some of our island friends.  We're pretty excited!  The weekends have been fun lately, and last weekend was no exception.

Before I tell you all about last weekend, I'd like to thank Whitney for featuring me on her blog yesterday.  Whitney is so sweet and I love her gorgeous blog!

Last Sunday, Charlie and I spent the afternoon with friends at Dominica's Jazz Fest.  Held outdoors at Cabrits National Park, we enjoyed live jazz music from a handful of bands in addition to some delicious local food and drinks.

* In Dominica, never leave home without bug spray or those mosquitoes will eat you up!

It was such a fun afternoon, and reminded us all of summer back in the States, enjoying an outdoor concert and a cold beer with friends.

Also, Charlie didn't really drink Magnum Tonic Wine, (doesn't that sound scary?!!), although he did trick me for a few minutes and tell me that that's what he was enjoying.  Those were just the cups that were used for all of the drinks.

Here is what we actually did eat and drink, in addition to a peek at the local menu:

The fish was absolutely delicious and the beer was nice and cold.  A Ginger Shandy is always a treat (it's like a barely alcoholic ginger ale), it's so refreshing!  It was a perfect afternoon.

Cheers to jazz and Sunday fun days!

Fonts used:
Forty Second Street
Pea Roxy Girl 

Arrow Brushes from Creature Comforts

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W

Internet & Starfish

Hello, friends!

Sorry I have been a stranger this week, but we've been sans internet at our apartment for a week now, and it is starting to get to me.  Oh, Dominica.

Oh, Dominica is one of my favorite expressions to say down here, mainly to describe those frustrating experiences that are a small price to pay for living this adventurous island life.  It's similar to only in Dominica which refers to those extremely bizarre moments that can be explained in no other way.  My other favorite thing to say down here is white people, said in a Dominican accent, appropriately used when a Dominican (or three) is staring at you with bewilderment over something you're doing that they think is ridiculous.  (Don't get me wrong, I love it here, but these are just funny things I like to say!)

While I'm at it, only in Dominica is rain an excuse for your internet not working, even when it hasn't rained for five days... Oh well.  White people and their internet, right?

Anyways, here's what we've been up to this week:

Monday was a Dominican holiday, Whit Monday, which most Dominicans will you tell is just a "beach day." So we lived it up and spent the afternoon at the beach.

We ran into these two little friends from InLightIn on the beach and took them to lunch. Cokes, french fries, and chicken wings? They were such happy campers.  After lunch they joined Charlie and I for a "sea bath" (a swim!).  They swam in their underwear (as most boys in the Bahamas and Dominica do) and had a blast jumping off of Charlie's shoulders and standing on his submerged back like it was a surfboard.

While swimming, we spotted a student from CALLS on the beach who joined us for a swim. He found an impressive starfish in the sea that we all admired.  The boys loved playing with it and checking it out.

Charlie has been down at the hospital several days this week and has gotten to have some great experiences working with the doctors down in Roseau.  He's performed exams on patients, conducted interviews, given shots, written prescriptions, and removed stitches.  Not bad for his first two weeks!

I've also been teaching at CALLS, checking my email at Katie's apartment, hitting up the gym in the evenings, and gearing up for InLightIn tomorrow.  I also gave in and started reading 50 Shades and have been flying through it.

How's your week going?

Font used:
Pea Annie

Photos by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W