Download a free printable calendar for my favorite season right here. Happy Summer!

Sling Chair Serena & Lily Citronella Candles Terrain Tiered Plant Stand World Market Glass Beverage Dispenser CB2

And a few fun summer DIY projects for your outdoor space:

Beach Towel Cushions

Mason Jar Hanging Lights (Spanish)

Floating Citronella Candles

Recycled Wood Planter Box

Planting an Edible Garden

Ceramic Planter Side Table

Simple Summer Hammock

Here are a few photos from my recent visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. I love that you can view sea life from all different regions of the Pacific and it’s a great place to take pictures- plenty of underwater inspiration! It’s also near lots of great restaurants in downtown and close to the arts district. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area…

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It’s supposed to hit the high 80s in Southern California this week. I think it’s safe to say that summer is on its way! Here’s a free nautical note card for you to download. Just print it on card stock and pair it with a 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 envelope.

Tangy Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

With avocados in season and Cinco de Mayo on the way, it’s the perfect time to make guacamole. Guacamole deviled eggs? Yes, please!

1. Tangy Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole
2. Spicy Guacamole with Mango
3. Seafood Guacamole
4. Guacamole Crostini
5. Guacamole Hummus
6. Guacamole Deviled Eggs with Bacon
7. Guacamole Cups
8. Sweet Peach Guacamole
9. Guacamole Italiano
10. Chunky Citrus Guacamole
11. Ranch Guacamole
12. Smokin’ Hot Guacamole
13. Guacamole Enchiladas
14. California Style Guacamole
15. Smoked Salmon Involtini with Guacamole

A few pictures here from Craftcation, a creative makers/small business conference in Ventura. The weekend was such a great balance of information and hands-on activities- one hour I was taking notes on advanced WordPress features and the next I was rolling candles! The location is sandwiched between the beach and downtown, which makes it central to restaurants, shopping and their offsite sessions (ex. rustic Italian cooking at the fairgrounds…yum).

Be sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming Patchwork Shows put on the by same organizers- spring dates are here.

Lamp My Urban Child | Mermaid Print Land of Nod | Octopus Clock Graphic Spaces | Starfish Pillow Posh Tots | Seagrass Baskets Serena & Lily | Striped Rug Dash & Albert | Sailboat Print Minted | Whale Print Modcloth | Wave Sheets Land of Nod | Beach Chair Giggle

Here’s a tutorial for a handmade card that features one of my favorite tropical flowers- plumerias! The flower’s pretty shape and soft pastels definitely remind me of spring.

I really enjoyed making this card because it uses a range of basic techniques, from origami to watercolor lettering. And for those of you who tend to run out of space when writing cards (me!), a simple stitched binding allows you to include as many pages as you want…

Supplies

• Kraft cardstock (8.5 x 5.5 inches)
• Light-colored textured paper (8 x 5 inches)
• Square of textured paper or origami paper for flower (3.5 x 3.5 inches)
• Crochet thread or similar
• Needle
• Yellow stamp ink
• Tissue paper
• Optional: paper cutter, scoring machine, bone folder

Making the Card

• Fold the kraft cardstock and large textured paper in half (a scoring machine and bone folder help to make really good creases). Line up the crease of the texture paper with the kraft stock crease and poke 4 holes along the center line with a needle- 1 close to the bottom, 1 close to the top and 2 about a centimeter apart in the middle. Poke from the inside out.
• Bind the 2 pieces together using crochet thread. Starting from the inside on either the top or bottom, weave the thread in and out of the holes and tie double knots on the top and bottom. Trim thread.
• Optional- add more pages! I used just 1 here, but the binding option allows you to add as many pages as you’d like. Perfect for making a small journal.

Origami Flower + Lettering

• To make the flower, I followed the directions for folding a cherry blossom. I did modify the part where you cut out the flower so that the petals would be more rounded at the end like a plumeria. Either way looks nice! If you find that a 3.5 inch square is too small to fold, try a 4 or 4.5 inch square. A bone folder also helps a lot.
• Press the finished flower in a heavy book so that it lays as flat as possible on the card. I put a fine cloth on my finger and used yellow stamping ink to make the plumeria’s colorful center. Colored pencils or chalk pastels also work nicely.
• Once the stamp ink dried, I attached the flower to the card (kraft part only) using crochet thread. I tied a double knot on the flower and the backside of the kraft paper to secure.
• I used white watercolor to paint “Aloha”, although white colored pencil or paint pens would work just as well.

This project can be modified in so many different ways by changing out the paper type/colors or origami design. How about a heart for an anniversary card or a sun for a mini summer travel journal? Just remember that flatter origami designs tend to work best. Enjoy!

1. Lamp West Elm 2. Shell Shadow Box Z Gallerie 3. Embroidered Linen Pillow Emma at Home on Beyond Half 4. Striped Placemats Anthropologie  5. Linen Tea Towel Pillow Pine Cone Hill

I’m such a fan of these linen pieces- especially that amazing drum pendant lamp! Linen is a great material for coastal-inspired interiors. Plus it’s durability makes it ideal for home accessories like pillows. It’s also one of my favorite fabrics to craft with because it dyes really well and can be fairly inexpensive. A few DIY projects to check out: Dyed Linen Home Projects, Memo Board, Napkins, and Stenciled Linen Pillow.