Does it not royally whomp when a good friend moves away?

A very good friend of mine moved at the beginning of the summer, and I couldn’t help feeling like Red from The Shawshank Redemption. Despite the obvious similarities that Red and I both share  (our magical voices for one), the most striking was when we were both working in a field and narrating our sadness with the same words: “I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they’re gone. I guess I just miss my friend.”

Okay, so maybe,I am not in prison, and  I was not working in a field and narrating my friend’s absence like Red, but we both do have wonderfully soothing voices (I mean I do, I can’t speak for Mr. Freeman … His voice is alright, I guess) and we both miss our friends.

I digress. Bottom line: Just like Red, I do miss my friend, but I am happy for her. I think that is the way with all of us who have friends who move away. We are sad and lonely for selfish reasons, but find joy in the joy our friend is experiencing.

This experience with change and distance becomes quite real to a lot of youngins’ in August when their childhood and high school pals move on to college. It’s sad, exciting, and new. I get their mixed feelings.

To cope with the change, we make gifts and tokens to remind the person moving: “Hey, remember me!”

A high school graduate and friend of mine and I made our “Hey! Remember Mes!” in the form of coffee mugs.

We had seen these DIY Coffee Mugs all over Pinterest. My friend Bailey and Nicole made some beautiful ones a while back. And most recently, Rona posted a tutorial on DIY Sharpie Coffee Mugs.

We did not use Sharpies on our mugs, instead we used oil-based paint markers. We found the color to be more intense, and we hope that the designs last longer as a result.

However, the curing process for both Oil-based paint markers or glass markers are the same as Rona’s instructions here.

By the way, we got our mugs at The Dollar Tree! Here’s the link to buy the ones we used.

Check out our cute variations on long distance friendship mugs!

DIY Coffee Mug #1

“Life’s truest happiness is found in the friendships we make along the way.”

DIY Coffee Mug #2

“Best Friends Forever, never apart. Maybe in distance, but never in heart”

Like Rona said, personalized mugs make sweet little gifts!

Most Marylanders love the state flag. We proudly wear the flag on our socks, shirts, flip flops,  belts, bathing suits, etc. In the market for all things Maryland? Check out Route One Apparel– an apparel company that specializes in Maryland Pride apparel, which includes a heavy emphasis on the MD flag. People even have baby pacifiers emblazoned  with the Maryland Flag.

Smathers and Branson Needlepoint Belt

And it is no wonder, as it has been described as the perfect state flag (Check out the history of the flag here).

However, there are some that do not get our love for the Maryland flag (gasp). I know a few who do not share the same sentiment as I. I would name names, but I fear the backlash and vitriol that these “friends” and my husband (wait, what) would receive.

As for me, I love flags. I mean, my favorite holiday is Flag Day (check out my patriotic mantel).  I like the history and symbolism behind flags (I smell a lesson on symbolism and flags coming to the classroom this fall– educators, stay tuned…), and Maryland’s flag is rich with both. It symbolizes state sovereignty, struggle, challenge, loyalty, and unity. What’s not to like?

Okay. Enough with the state flag love. Let’s get to the project.

Besides the MD flag, the Chesapeake region has a strong affinity for crabs (they’re delicious, for one), so I combined the two for this project.

What You’ll Need:

- Print out of the Maryland Flag. I used this one ; and this one.

- Print out of the Maryland Blue Crab

-Assorted Paint Brushes

- Acrylic Craft Paint in MD flag colors (I suppose you could adapt this to another state flag…)

- A Sharpie

- Burlap— my burlap was from http://burlapfabric.com/– I can’t say enough great things about that site!

What You’ll Do:

- Cut out the Maryland Crab

- Trace the Flag template with your Marker– I do this so it is easier to see under the burlap.

- Tape the flag onto a surface, and place your burlap over it.

The flag is under the burlap, which will serve as your guide when painting. I tape both the burlap and the template so nothing shifts.

- Place the cut out crap in the center of the flag (stick some tape under the crab, so it doesn’t shift while painting).

- Begin painting.

- Be as precise as possible along the crab outline– You want your lines to be crisp and your paint to thicker here.

- Doneso! Peel off the crab and admire your beautiful Maryland Pride work.

-Frame it.

If you don’t like the crab, you can always just complete this project without the crab– It is just as lovely.

What about you? Do you share my affinity for your state flag? Or is the Maryland Flag just like snowballs (a delicious summer treat– not a winter weapon), and only natives from Maryland share this obsession? Please tell me you know what a snowball is (and what your favorite flavor is, and if you add marshmallow or ice cream on top)!

You, guys! We have some big burlap news for you. A couple of weeks ago, we were contacted by burlapfabric.com. Because of the burlap and natural fiber lovefest that happens here (like the burlap bubble wreath, St. Patrick’s Day Banner, or twine and jute covered eggs), burlapfabric.com generously asked us to peruse their site and select a couple of items.

Can you imagine the squealing that took place when we received this news?

Now, the hard part was deciding what items to choose because this site has it all. It was a burlap dream come true.

They have a wide range of burlap widths, so if you are making a table runner, you can order burlap that you will not have to cut, and if you are making curtains or something of a grander scale, you have options to GO BIG (to 72″ wide). BurlapFabric.com also treats/sanitizes some of their burlap, so if you hate the smell of burlap (I don’t, but I’m weird), but love the look, then you’ve got yourself a winner.

While we mulled over what to order, Rona and I really loved the selection of totes.

Some of the totes come in packs of 6 or 10, which would be great for favors, etc. I would love to slap a nice monogram on those totes!

BurlapFabric.com is also a leading provider of jute fabric, and I was pretty jazzed about their variety of jute twine– at a bargain price, I might add.

And if you love banners, but don’t like cutting them out, they also sell burlap and linen banners with the option of printing on them for you.

I could go on and on about the diversity of burlap, linen, duckcloth, jute, twine, sisal products, etc. that this site has, but check it out for yourself. Shipping is super fast, and they are very helpful and sweet!

In the end, after much deliberation, Rona, Lisa, and I decided upon some very cool coffee bags, webbing, and some natural burlap (we got table runner width –it was sanitized– and also 72″ width)! We cannot wait to show you what we are cooking up. Burlap for days…

In the meantime, feast your eyes on a burlap fantasy come true!