[love] New Blog Layout!

Isn't she pretty?

Gorgeous colors, beautiful font, a touch of leopard print (of course)!

I am adoring my brand spankin' new blog layout. I knew I wanted to have something one of a kind, so I referred to my dear friend Savannah. You may have heard of her. She blogs at OH SO PRETTY: the DIARIES with Casey. I know, I have famous friends :)

Anyways, I told Savannah my vision and she created this gorgeousness you see! Didn't she do a great job?! TELL YOUR FRIENDS. She's so easy to work with and totally cool about making corrections or editing something. She is one of the most creative people I know and she will do great work for you! She has a design website too where you can check out all of her info, pricing, portfolio work, etc.

Let's go over some new tidbits, shall we?

My new header is above, obviously displaying the blog name. Here is my button where you can add it to YOUR blog and share the love.

 

Here are all of the ways you can keep up with me and this ol' blog via the web. Bloglovin' (another way to follow blogs), Facebook (for post updates), Follow (via Google Reader, I believe, which is how I follow all of my blogs: super easy!), Instagram (where you can see extra photos from my everyday), Pinterest (so you can see what I'm stalking), and Twitter (to read my random tweets and thoughts about nothing). Click away- located on the right hand side of the blog!

New labels! "To Dwell" will contain all of my posts having to do with my house, our dwelling place if you will.

"To Love" will have posts pertaining to my life: things I am loving at the moment... basically, everything else that doesn't fit in the other categories given :)

"To Make" of course will hold my crafts and DIY endeavors, along with sewing projects!

"To Teach" will be all about KINDERGARTEN! And school in general :)

And you know I have to have a "Photo a Day" button! No one has joined my party yet... maybe because I haven't offered a "link" party option, but we comment to one another, ladies! You can use this button to share your photos from everyday and I will feature you!

So there you have it: a new glimpse into the brand new "Everyday with the Jays". Professional, fun, sleek, and classic. Love it!

Happy Tuesday! My orientation at school went AMAZINGLY last night and I'm so excited to teach and begin the year with my new babies!

"We are His portion and He is our prize, drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes. If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking. So Heaven meets Earth like an unforeseen kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest. I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way that He loves us. Oh how He loves us. Oh how He loves us. Oh how He loves." -David Crowder

[make] Pinwheel Wreath

Yes, yes. Another month, another wreath! This month's inspiration came after directing and decorating for our church's VBS. Thanks Group Publishing!

First, a recap of previous month's wreaths: remember, I use the same burlap-covered foam wreath and add various adornments (except May/June's fabric scrap wreath). So easy and cheaper that way! Click on the picture to head to its specific post.

Okay, ready to learn how to make pinwheels out of cardstock?! Let's get started!

Find adorable cardstock: you could even use scrapbook paper if you'd like, so the possibilities are endless!

Cut to appropriate size, however big you want your pinwheels to be. It needs to be shaped like a rectangle in the end, so however you need to cut :)

Next are your cuts. You will cut from each corner diagonally down to the center, but DO NOT cut the center! Here are some lines to show where you will cut:

When you are finished cutting four lines, it should look like this:

The next step is kind of tricky to explain online. From each "triangle" you cut, you are going to grab one corner (right or left, it doesn't matter but it needs to be the same corner for all four sides) and fold it to the center. When you are finished, you should have all of the same corners on top of each other... See if these pictures help!

I grabbed the left corner of the top triangle that I cut...

Then I moved to the triangle on the left hand side of the paper. I grabbed that left corner as well, so the corners on the right side are still poking straight out

Finished! Basically every other corner, grab and fold to the middle. Now it looks like a pinwheel!

I poked holes to show which pieces get folded to the center (and because these pieces will need a small hole poked in them for the next step: I used a pen to poke my holes).

Next, use a brad to secure your folds. You can use the brad to poke your holes but you will just end up getting frustrated because your brads will keep bending on you. Ask me how I know :) Poke it through all the holes in the correct folding pattern and flatten the back side.

Voila! Pinwheels!

I trimmed mine because they were a bit too large for my wreath. Next get your ever-so-trusty foam wreath covered in burlap and use your favorite tool ever, dress pins, to secure your pinwheels to the wreath! The layout of my wreath ended up being not even, which for this Type A personality drives me up the w-a-l-l. But it's the beginning of the school year this week and I just don't care that much about wreath layouts :)

Hanging outside all pretty-ful and full of colorful sunshine for the August month!

Have you done any craftiness lately?

Happy Monday, you can do it! I'll be in meetings all day and then I have a two hour break until orientation night at school (basically Meet the Teacher)! Wish me luck as I meet my new 21 Kinder babies!

"Hungry, I come to You, for I know You satisfy. I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry. So I wait for You, so I wait for You. I'm falling on my knees, offering all of me. Jesus, You're all this heart is living for."

See where I link up: Blog Hop @ Naptime Review, Tips & Tricks @ Stringtown Home, What I Whipped Up Wednesday @ Sugar and Dots, Craft-O-Manic Monday @ Craft-O-Manic, Link Party @ Uncommon, Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts, Show Me What Ya Got Linky Party @ Not JUST A Housewife, {Wow Me Wednesday} @ Ginger Snap Crafts, Link Party @ Destination: Craft, The Creative Spark @ Clean & Scentsible, Before & After Party @ Thrifty Decor Chick, Weekend Wrap-Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello, What I Wore Wednesday @ The Pleated Poppy