Aday Photo Project

On May 15th I participated in the worldwide Aday photo project where people around the world were asked to photograph their daily life on this one particular day and then share their photos online at aday.org. The project was created to explore worldwide views of a single day and to inspire future generations through these photos.

I found this project to be so inspiring on a personal level. Even just at the end of the day I enjoyed being able to look through my photos to see what my average day looked like. The experience was so unique because it allowed me to look at my daily life in a new way, a chance to stop and smell the roses if you will. Although May 15th has come and gone for the Aday project, I encourage you to try this for your own personal experience. Pick up your camera (no need to be a professional photographer) and capture a day in the life of you.

Here are some of the photos I took for the Aday project...

Ahh the commute to work. I never noticed that my mornings were full of so many signs telling me where to go and where not to go! Walk. Stop. Go!

Springtime in the city means Farmer's Markets! 

And street performers!

Numbers guide me back to the office after lunch break. 

Bikes in the office...

and bikes outside.

My ride back home. Anyone who takes the redline home during commuting hours knows that this empty platform is quite deceiving. 

My day ended with dinner and a visit with my Nana where we spent hours chit chatting and looking at old photographs. She was so proud to show off this picture of my Papa from his days in the US Navy. 

I spent my day taking photos to inspire future generations only to end it inspired by a photo from a past generation. How perfectly fitting! 

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Beeswax Candle

Have you ever made your own candle? Turns out it's super easy if you've got the right materials. The inspiration for this project came from my younger sister's pottery work that you may remember seeing HERE. The piece she made reminded me of a beehive, so I came up with a way to make it seem even more like one. And I did so by using beeswax of course! 

First stop, Utrecht Art Supplies on Mass Ave in Boston. The people working here were very friendly and happy to help! 

I bought a 1 pound block of Jacquard Beeswax for $12. Not too shabby. And as a bonus, it already smells like honey, so it really goes with my bee theme!

The other supplies I needed were candle wicks, Krazy glue, crayons, and a mason jar. 

I opted for wood wicks because I love the crackling sound they make when they burn. All you have to do is place the wick in the metal clasp then trim the wood to the size you want it. Superglue the bottom of the clasp then attach it to the bottom of your candle jar. Obviously I'm using Carolyn's pottery piece for my jar, but a mason jar could be a great substitute. 

Next you have to prepare the wax. Start by cutting the block into smaller pieces.

   

Put the pieces in a jar that you don't mind ruining because it's going to end up covered in wax. I used a mason jar which worked out well. 

  

Boil water in a pot and then place your jar with the wax into the water to create a double boiler. You're going to want to keep an eye on the wax the whole time it's melting because word on the street is beeswax can be highly flammable. 

If you want to add some color to your wax, just add some crayons to the mix! I wanted my wax to be really yellow so that it would look like honey so I just added 2 yellow crayons. Keep the temperature on high until the wax melts all the way. This took about half an hour. 

     

   

Once the wax is melted, stir it a little to make the color consistent then turn the heat off and pour the melted wax into your jar - or beehive pottery!

Let the wax cool until it's hardened and then your candle is ready to use!

UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that wood wick candles don't tend to work well with beeswax. So if you want to use beeswax make sure to use a regular wick, or if you want to use a wood wick you should use different candle wax.

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Happy Memorial Day

Taking you into the long weekend with a view of the Garden of Flags in the Boston Public Garden. What a beautiful way to honor our fallen heroes. Wishing you all a safe and enjoyable holiday.

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Contest Winner & Boston Architecture

Congratulations to Bren for winning the first Creative Soul Spectrum Giveaway Contest! 

Many thanks to those of you who entered. Keep your eyes peeled for future giveaway contests! Also, if you really had your heart set on the Make Way for Ducklings frame, contact me at to find out how to purchase one. 

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And now, for your viewing pleasure, some photos I've taken of beautiful buildings in Boston. This first building is the Trinity Church located in Copley Square. This church offers a beautiful view from every angle and is especially impressive when you catch a glimpse of it in the reflection of the John Hancock Tower.

This second building is The Mother Church located on Huntington Avenue. Something about the architecture just screams "Beauty and the Beast" to me, but that could just be because my mind loves to find a way to reference any 90's pop culture. Nevertheless, isn't it pretty?

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GIVEAWAY!

Want to WIN this Make Way for Ducklings Frame?

All you have to do is go to the Creative Soul Spectrum Facebook page and "LIKE" it. Then leave me a comment there letting me know you did so, and voila, you're officially entered!

DON'T HAVE FACEBOOK? You could still win! Just leave me a comment on this post answering this question: What has been your favorite project that you've seen on the Creative Soul Spectrum blog?

One winner will be chosen at random this Thursday, May 24th.

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P.S. I've heard from a few people that they've had difficulty 

leaving a comment on the blog. So, here are step by 

step instructions that I hope will help you out :)

Underneath the post click on the word "COMMENTS"

When it says "Comment As" choose the type of profile you're using.
If you don't have one, choose "Name/URL"

Type your name under "Name" and click continue.

Type your comment in the box and the click "Publish"

That's all there is to it!

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Nana's 80th Invite

This month my grandmother will be celebrating her 80th birthday! I was recruited to design the invite that would call our family to gather together to celebrate such a wonderful lady. A mother to 8, and a grandmother to 44, she's provided such a love-filled foundation for our big family. I thought the best way to recognize this milestone birthday would be with a look back to where she started. With the help of my mother and uncle, we scoured through old photos until we found the perfect one for the invite. There were some photos that came in a close 2nd, but I think we chose the right one.  

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Welcome to Squantum

  Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Quincy anymore...

The other night I looked out my window and noticed that the clouds were up to something. In true 'storm chaser' fashion, I grabbed my camera, hopped in my car, and drove along until I found a good spot to capture them in action. That spot turned out to be Squantum: a Quincy neighborhood bordered by Dorchester Bay, Boston Harbor, and Quincy Bay.

These 2 photos (above and below) were taken over by the Squantum Marshes and show off a unique view of the city.

As the sun started to go down, I made my way over to Nickerson Beach to snap a few more photos.

There are those clouds I was talking about!

I wandered a bit beyond Nickerson Beach and out to a little peninsula that juts out into Boston Harbor for an even better view of the city. All the shades of blue were so beautiful.

I made my way back to the beach and got one final shot of the peninsula and skyline as the sun ducked below the horizon. I was glad that those clouds didn't let me down!