This weekend has been wonderful. My wonderful in-laws are in town and we’ve been spending time together while also attending a couple of Portland events.
Saturday was the West Elm Meet & Make “Crafting a Summer Gathering: Making Your 4th of July Party Pop!” I had the opportunity to teach local crafters how to make some party items for their upcoming 4th of July parties. Look forward to Tutorials and free printables this week!
Connect with the West Elm Portland Facebook or Instagram accounts to stay updated about future events. They’ve always got fun and affordable events going on such as my meet and make or paper flower crafting with Lia Griffith and more.
Today my mom-in-law joined me for a sneak preview of the Portland Flea and Rejuvenation collaboration Sunday Emporium. We shopped some adorable local hand-crafted home decor items as well as vintage decor. I bought an amazing little collection for my kitchen– I will have to share when it’s up on the wall!
Head out to Sunday Emporium the last Sunday of every month from 11 am to 5PM.
As a fair and freckly skinned individual descending from a family of red-heads, I have always been aware that the sun and I aren’t the greatest of friends. I’m the girl that will wear nothing less than SPF 30 and will consistently re-apply sun cream throughout the day and annoyingly remind others to do the same.
But last summer, my awareness of just how dangerous sun damage can be to a human became even more heightened. Unfortunately my lovely Dad was diagnosed with and subsequently died from a malignant melanoma, the most fatal of skin cancers.
I knew about skin cancer of course. I knew to wear sun cream, I knew that you should check moles and I knew that skin cancer could be removed. What I thought I knew about skin cancer, was what I knew about Basal Cell Carcinoma, a common skin cancer that is terrifying for those who are diagnosed but can be treated if caught in good time. I didn’t understand malignant melanoma and I didn’t know that it was deadly. Not only was I upset about how ignorant I had been about the disease in general, I was upset about how ignorant everyone seems to be about the disease.
I was surprised by how little research has been done into any type of skin cancer and the lack of treatment choice that there appeared to be for my Dad and the type of skin cancer he had. Having so many friends and relations with fair skin, our family wanted to do what we could to make sure that this changes for the future. We raised money in memory of Dad for The British Skin Foundation’s Skin Cancer Appeal, which directly supports research into this ‘Cinderella’ (or poor relation) cancer. It is the only UK charity to do so. (I’m pleased to see that in the US there is more than one charity supporting skin cancer research.) Since supporting and following the British Skin Foundation, I have far more appreciation for their cause. They are getting some good exposure across the national media, but they rely on others, like my family, to help them spread the word too.
Sun safety is more than just putting on sun cream. It’s about raising awareness of the dangers that can come with exposure to too much sun. If we all know how to act, what to do and how to protect ourselves from the heat, perhaps cases of skin cancer will be reduced and the more support there will be for finding a cure.
Thank you to Laura Farrar for sharing her story of why sun safety is important to her and her family. This post is a part of an ongoing series here on A Well Crafted Party in honor of Skin Cancer Awareness. I’d highly recommend checking out Laura’s great blog Farrars Further Afield for updates on her fabulous adventures including her home updates and recipes.
Connect with Laura on Instagram and congratulate her on her brand new baby!
Tomorrow, June 21, is the official first day of Summer! While some parts of the country are probably already HOT, HOT, HOT… it still feels like the late Spring here in Portland. The sun is beginning to come out and I’m sure we are well on the way to enjoying a gorgeous Summer season. I’ve been daydreaming about my Summer bucket list and wanted to share a few of my Summer To Dos for 2014.
My Summer Bucket List: For The Home
Paint! I’ve got about 8 pieces of furniture that I’ve been meaning to paint. The thing is… we use this furniture already and can’t go several weeks without it while it cures in our garage. Thankfully, the warm days of Summer will help speed the curing process along! Look out for some “A Well Crafted Home” updates this summer.
Clean up our yard. We rent so our yard hasn’t really been a priority other than making sure it looks reasonably maintained. We’ve decided to stay in our rental for a while longer though and want to spruce up the yard a bit. I can’t wait to share the details of our upcoming porch re-vamp!
My Summer Bucket List: Foods
Homemade Spiked Ice Creams! Okay, so… technically I’ve already checked this one off the bucket list. I’ve really been wanting to make my own ice creams, especially some fun adult concoctions. I bought a Hamilton Beach Ice Cream Maker to test out a few recipes. This past weekend I created a few different cocktail inspired pints for my hubby’s birthday party. (See photo above! Those cute little ice cream containers came from online and Portland area party shop Fancy That!) I hope to perfect a few of the recipes and get them blog ready soon. They were super tasty and a big hit at the party!
Grill Often. I pretty much like to grill all Summer long. I love our George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Grill
for frequent use. But, I really want to buy a new grill this Summer that will allow for more food on the grill at one time and cooks with FIRE instead of electricity. What do you suggest…. charcoal or gas?
Enjoy more food from our garden. Last year was our first year to have a garden. This year we are seeing a LOT more of the vegetables that we love. So much so that it has been difficult to harvest and eat it all. I’m looking forward to a full Summer of garden-fresh vegetables.
My Summer Bucket List: Outings
Coast. I must go to the Oregon coast… we try to go at least once a season. This Summer we are planning a couple of different trips out with visiting friends and family.
Camping. Camping is one of my favorite things to do during the Summer. We haven’t had the opportunity to go camping for over two years and I’m itching to get out again. We have visitors most of this Summer… but, we are hoping to get out at least once.
My Summer Bucket List: The Blog
Consistent Posting. I’ve been terrible at consistently posting since I’ve began working full time. I’ve been at my job for over 7 months now… it is time to get back in the swing of things. I love writing and creating for this space and want to make it a priority. I’ve got some posts lined up for the next couple of weeks that will hopefully get me back on track!
Redesign? I’d love to freshen up the site with a redesign… but, we will see about this one!
My Summer Bucket List: Teaching
Teach a DIY party class! This one I’ll be checking off my list next weekend. West Elm has asked me to teach a small Make & Meet class at their Portland location. I was thrilled to say yes as it is one of my goals to get out and teach more. I’ll be sharing some DIY crafts to help make a 4th of July Party that pops! Check out the West Elm Facebook for more information.
Online courses. I’m working hard on creating some online courses. I hope to be bringing these to the website at the end of the Summer!
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