Introducing...my new blog!

Hello there! I'm so glad you're stopping by today :) This blog will no longer be updated, so please come visit my new blog...

 Jar Full of Stars

Have a beautiful day!

Some Blog Changes

Hi there and happy day lovelies! Maybe you've noticed a bit of changes around this blog here. This explanation is a bit overdue, but the time has come to share what's going on behind the blog these days. 

It's time for a major revamp! 

*  Transfer web hosts. I've decided to take a daring step into the world of WordPress! *takes deep breathe* It was a bit quite intimidating at first, but step by step I'm getting there. There are a lot of things to explore and learn! And it just seems too awesome to miss out on the fun and possibilities. Plus, I like that it will give me more ownership over my blog and more options for customization. 

*  Name change. I've loved creating this blog and I have fun sharing through it. But I have to admit, that I wasn't planning on it becoming such a big hobby of mine. It kind of happened once I started blogging more regularly. And it's been really neat meeting other ladies from around the globe, so I kept working on it. Back when I started on Blogger, I had no idea about html code, branding, blog etiquette, etc. So it's been a huge learning experience for me. 

New goals:
    --> Transfer everything over to WordPress in the next week or so. 
    --> Streamline and connect everything - i.e. URL, blog title, etc.
    --> Become MORE connected tech-wise! I've been behind on technology for awhile (I'll blame living in Peru, where Facebook is still a rising fad)...but I'm going to give Twitter a go. And Pintrest, which shouldn't be hard because it's awesome! 
    --> Get out there, meet people, and explore the blogging community. I want to try sponsoring and promoting awesome ladies and their businesses, as well as giveaways, and guest posts. 

On that note...if you are interested in connecting or creating something together, please get in touch in the comments below or at [ jarfullofstarsblog@gmail.com ]. I can't wait to join our inspirations!

2013 Blog Recap

Happy 2014 everyone! I love seeing all the recap posts from last year so I'm sharing some of my favorites today too. 


Most popular posts:
1. DIY: Tin Can Lanterns
2. No 'poo (shampoo that is) for 1 month!
3. Dear 2013 + The 24 Things Challenge

Exploring Barranco by night with the hubby and some friends. (Dear 2013...)

My favorite posts:
1. Ch-ch-ch-chia
2. Photographic Ode to Nature
3. The Boy Behind the Blog {2}

Orchid in Hawaii. (Photographic Ode to Nature)

Funniest Search Keywords:
1. puerto ocopa tarantula. Maybe that's the type of tarantula that was in my shoe, but I didn't know at the time... 
2. acra costarica ex-pat blog
3. sa,mmmm,sw,w,w,e. I have no idea.

Awesome crafty DIYs (the first 2 were wedding projects):
1. Paper Mini-Lanterns
2. Break Bottles with Fire
3. Up-cycled Plastic Bags

(Paper Mini-Lanterns)

Yum yum recipes:
1. Chickpea Paddies
2. Pumpkin Cheesecake
3. Sweet Mango Salsa

Chickpea Paddies

Travelin' shoes and Expat blues (not too blue really, but for the sake of a rhyme...):
1 5 Tips to a New Language
2. My Top 10 Peruvian Foods ~ Expat Diaries
3. Expat to Expat: Yummy Food




Timeless Tuesday Tunes (a musical discovery series I started back in the beginning of August)
1. The T Sisters
2. We Were Evergreen
3. Nahko Bear

Thanks for coming by. And if you'd like to share one of your favorite posts from your blog...well, I'd love to see it! Have a beautiful day and start to the year!!

Sunshine Award

Good morning all. And wow, it's really December already! It's exciting and slightly nerve-wrecking because so much is happening this month - my birthday is just around the corner, then helping Rafa get ready to move us to a new place, saying goodbye to him,  flying to good old Cali for holiday madness, catching up with family and friends, etc. etc. Doesn't the end of the year always end with a bang? This year feels especially like that.

So, awhile back I was nominated for the Sunshine Award by the lovely Nicole over at Letters from Nicole! I'm so glad she tagged me to participate, thanks Nicole! So here's a whole lot of things about me:

11 Random Facts: 

1. I really love avocados. So delicious in so many ways :)

2. Street art mesmerizes me. {see my Graffiti in Granada post}

3. One day I am going to write a children's book!

4. I am terribly torn between simplicity and excessivity (new word!). I love the feeling of purging things and not having much of anything. But at the same time, I like having little trinkets and art supplies, books. It´s all about balance for me...

5.  One of my favorite hobbies is jewelry-making. I love designing and creating something with my hands.

6. I wear skirts more than pants. They're just so comfortable and feminine!

7. My middle name is Margaret - I was named after both my grandmas (it's their middle name too).

8. I was my own wedding designer {some of my wedding DIYs}

9. In 2011, I posted  a Rock Wrapping video and it seems to have a lot of attention in the YouTube world. 

10. I married my Peruvian sweetie this year.

11. I often smile or laugh to/at myself.

11 Questions from Nicole:

1. What is one thing that defined your childhood?
Rolly-pollies, butterfly catching, and playing in the plants.

2. What is the last book you've read?

The Language of Flowers - this is such a wonderful book! It's about a woman who grew up in foster care and learned to communicate through the meanings of flowers. 

3. What is your favorite holiday and why? 

I love all of the fall/winter holidays. It's just a cozy time of year to be together with friends and family. Plus, pumpkins and peppermint!

4. Which fictional character would you love to meet? 

Hmmm...The Little Prince :)

5. What was your favorite activity in gym class? 

Probably playing volleyball and learning different kinds of dances.

6. Would you rather vacation in Hawaii or Alaska and why?

Oh! I'd say Alaska because I've never been there and would love to experience the desolate whiteness that I imagine. After I experience it once I'd choose Hawaii - I love it's tropical weather/plants and the relaxed lifestyle.

7. What would your perfect day consist of?

Taking a hike up to a beautiful lake with friends. Also, cooking a nice meal with my husband and watching an interesting film.

8. What was your first job?
My first job was when I was probably in 8th grade. I started babysitting and tutoring younger kids.

9. Gold or silver?
Silver. I like gold sometimes but not as jewelry - for some reason it seems tacky to me. 

10. Do you collect anything?
Why, yes! I love collecting jars! And I also started a little tea pot collection a few years back.

11. What's your zodiac sign? Do you 'believe' in it?

I'm a Sagittarius. I definitely believe that it can help to understand people and relationships.

Last year in the paradise of Hawaii! 

Bloggers I'm Tagging:

Anna @ Eat, See, Do.

Laura @ The Pink Herbivore

Bri @ Pocket Full of Pollies

Angela @ The Clutter Box

Claire @ Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Diane @ The Sweet Catastrophe Blog

Megan @ Neither Here Nor There

Jamie @ Ink + Adventure
Any- and everyone else who'd like to join in!

11 Questions.

1. What is one thing you couldn't live without?

2. What's one thing you LOVE about yourself?

3. If you could learn any skill or hobby, what would it be?

4. Where is your 'happy place'?

5. Favorite kids book:

6. A quotation:

7. Piece of advice to a younger you:

8. What song/artist is currently playing?

9. Favorite thing about winter:

10. What's something you aspire to do one day?

11. Where would you like to travel to?

Here are the rules to participate:

Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you

Share 11 random facts about yourself

Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you

List 11 bloggers

Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate and let them know they have been nominated

Well, I hope you enjoyed learning about me. What's a fun/weird fact about you??

Liebster Award again :)

Super excited for my number 2 Liebster Award, from Leia! She's got a adventure-filled blog and is another lady traveler, currently in Tennessee. I love reading her travel, food, and life adventures on her blog Latitude Adjustment. 

So this award is given to new and upcoming bloggers who want to build their audience and exposure, which is just what I'm working on these days! If you want to see Part 1, it's right here.

11 Random Facts:
1. I love world music - from African drum beats to Irish tin pipe and Andean flutes! 
2. I was in Central America 2 times, both in Costa Rica. Love that place!
3. One day I'd love to have a large garden and teach about herbal remedies.
4. Dr. Seuss(Theodore Gissel) was a genius! One favorite of mine is The Lorax.
5. I haven't shampoo'ed my hair in over a month {read about that here}
6. I feel lucky that my husband is my encyclopedia on all wonderful films :) (ok maybe not all)
7. Currently loving: almond extract and chia seeds (not together...but I should try that too!)
8. I could really go for some deep bass dub step these days. Oh, South America, can you provide this?
9. I can't wait to bring my husband to the US for his first time!
10. I'm reading a historical novel called Pope Joan. It's about a woman in the priesthood who pushed the social norms back in the day. It's really good.
11. I like insects. 

11 Questions Given:
1. What do you do to make yourself feel better after going through a hard/tough/sad situation? Make sure I've had a good cry to get it out. Remember than things are always changing is a reassuring thought. And going out in nature or being with girlfriends helps too. 

2. What are three songs you absolutely love & would listen to over & over again? 
     Enya, just so relaxing :)
     Ootischenia - The Be Good Tanyas
     The Trapeze Swinger - Iron & Wine

3. What is your idea of THEE ultimate vacation?
 That would be a day filled with nature adventure, finding a little quirky local place, and eating some delicious food. Somewhere tropical :)

4. If money & jobs weren't a factor, what's one place in the world would you live?
Maybe in a jungle of Thailand - I'm dying to explore Asia! 

5. If you had to watch one television show for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I haven't watched many shows since Boy Meets World and Sister Sister days (oh, classic 90s shows!). Actually I hardly ever watch TV. But...a friend did recently introduce me to How I Met Your Mother and I'm guiltily loving it.

6. What is something you can do really well?
I'm told I'm really good at listening. 

7. Where in the world would you NOT want to live? Why?
I don't think I'd like to live in a very isolated place for too long. Hick towns that consistent of gas stations and WalMart. To me it's important to have the aspect of community and be close to natural beauty. Plus, WalMart is just awful and I would be horrified to have to only shop there!

8. What is a craft/hobby/interest you wish you were good at?
I like this question...I'd love to learn to be skilled at card and paper making :)  

9. If you could have dinner with any 4 people, living or dead, who would they be?
I'd love to meet some of the classics: Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Ella Fitzgerald...and Savion Glover, tap idol!

10. What is the best food you have ever tasted?
Holy moly. There's such dee-licious food out there. I love love love the taste of sweet coconut curry. Pretty hard to beat.

11. What do you do with “me” time?
I love "me" time! It's when I will watch said TV show (my husband teases me about it), read, work on a project, or blast some music. 


My Questions for Others:
1. What's your middle name?
2. What's the newest blog you are excited to read?
3. What's your favorite dessert?
4. What was your best costume (Halloween or otherwise) EVER?
5. If you could speak another language what do it be? Why?
6. Your dream vacation:
7. Share one aspirations you want to complete in your life.
8. Where are you most content?
9. What song makes you really happy?
10. What song is playing now or the last song you listened to?
11. Where do you prefer: city, country, mountains, or beach? Why?


This time I'm tagging:
Megan @ Neither Here Nor There
Kerry @ Till Then Smile Often
Whoops, who else would like to join??

Blog Lovin'

Happy day lovelies, from the foggy humidity of Lima!
I'm so glad to have some time to really work on my blog. It's been a long time coming to actually learn some html and designing. But it's all paying off. If you'd like to follow me on Blog Lovin' it's now available(!!) Just click here 
More fun updates on the way ~

 

Tuesday Tunes #1

Hello, hello! I've been busy around here updating and working on this here blog. Thanks to YouTube tutorials and Kira's Pimp my Blog I'm making some good progress. Hope you like the changes :)

So I've also come up with a weekly music post: Tuesday Tunes! Catchy name, now I'll explain...I love music, from indie to bluegrass to hip hop to all fusions in between. Also, I tend to like music that isn’t always played on the radio, which can sometimes be more challenging to find. I have always loved discovering new music through YouTube, itunes, or local shows. So I thought I’d compile some of my favorite and new musical discoveries. On Tuesdays (theoretically every Tuesday), I’ll be sharing a song I recommend by a recent artist I've found. Feel free to join in the fun on your own blog too!

To kick off the week, I’ve chosen a low-key reminiscent artist who goes by The Tallest Man on Earth. His whole album (also entitled The Wild Hunt) is perfect and very worth checking out. I've yet to hear his other albums.

Artist/Group: The Tallest Man on Earth 
Recommended song: The Wild Hunt
What it reminds me of: roadtrip in the rolling hills.

Leave a note below, I’d love to hear what you think! 

I'm back, with a new prefix!

Hey all, so I've been on blog hiatus the past few weeks because a lot was going on: wedding crafting, coordinating and organizing details, friends and parents flying in... It all turned out wonderful and I am so excited to announce that Rafa and I are now married!

So, I am back and trying to post more frequently. Very unfortunately, my camera was stolen last month so you'll have to excuse any low-quality pictures until I find a better alternative. 

More posts comin' your way, have a lovely day!

Liebster Award

Wow! I've been blogging every once in a while, for awhile but am just seeing how big and wonderful the blogging world is. I didn't even know there were awards haha! Thank you Leia @ Latitude Adjustment for passing this onto me:) She's a constant inspiration and has really good tips from travel to DIY to recipes, so check out her blog!

The Leibster Award is a way to connect and get to know other new bloggers. It's passed onto other bloggers who have less than 200 followers and helps them get exposure. I've been blogging awhile, but it was never really an interactive process, so this is a good way to get out in the blogging world and meet others.

Here's how the Liebster Award works:
1. Post 11 random facts about yourself.
2. Answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you.
3. Pass the award to 11 other blogs who have less than 200 followers. You cannot pass it back to the person who nominated you.
4.  Ask them 11 questions.

Random facts:
1. I love love animals. 
2. I´m adopted.
3. Getting married with my Peruvian love.
4. Jars are a fetish of mine. I use them for everything.
5. I love tea (in jars).
5. I speak English an Spanish and want to start a 3rd language.
6. Nature is my religion.
7. ´Re- or upcycle it´ is my motto. 
8. My fiance and I met on a bus.
9. I have traveled 4/8 regions of the world. 
10. For the past year and 1/2 I have been living in Peru.
11. The jungle is somewhere I´d like to live for awhile.


11 Questions from Leia @ Latitude Adjustment

1. What is the story behind your blog's name?

I'm a butterfly on an adventure! It's just kind of a fun name that came to me :)

2. What is your all-time favorite food?

Coconut vegetable curry and rice mmm!

3. What countries have you been to?

Us, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands.

4. What was your most enjoyable trip/vacation/holiday?

My first trip to Costa Rica with best friends and boyfriend of the time. We rented a car and had an epic trip, forging a river, to get to an isolated beach. And also, stayed on a magical organic farm!

5.  If you could choose anywhere in the world to live, where would you choose and why?

My fiance and I would like to live in Asia - either S. Korea, Japan, or Thailand. For the food and very different culture than we´ve experienced before.

6. What do you think the world will be like in 25 years?

Either much better than it is now, or much worse. Technology will keep growing. Hopefully our hearts can catch up with our minds.

7. What is your favorite word?

Quintessence (the most perfect embodiment of something)

8. If you could learn another language, what would it be?

Good question! I would like to learn an Asian language if we live there for a few months. Also, French!

9. What's your favorite city?

Granada, Spain always has a place in my heart. 

10. What's something that annoys you?

When people lie in front of you.

11. What's a passion of yours?

Jewelry-making!

I'm passing this onto...

The Married Couple
Tales of a Kitchen Herbwife
Wildcraft Vita
Hearts'n Crafts Boutique

...goodbye, yellowbrick road

I'm still finding blogs to follow, so just 5 for now!

11 Questions to ask:

1. What´s your middle name?

2. What´s your favorite mode of transportation?

3. What inspires you?

4. What´s one of your quirks?

5. What is your favorite place?

6. What country would you like to live in?

7. What´s your favorite book?

8. What are your hobbies?

9. What do you think of religion? (in a few words)

10. What culture interests you?

11. If you could choose a super power, what would it be?