Hiya, friends!! How are you? I'm still in a bit of a fog from an active weekend of sports, spring cleaning, and one of my very favorite places... Lake Michigan. The Lake is a fabulous source of renewal for me amidst this land-locked farmland (which I also love).

Friday night left me a few moments to craft and create, and today I'm sharing a super easy DIY with you! I picked up some vinyl letters from Michael's during a great sale - and in one of my fave fonts, Helvetica - and I thought they'd be perfect for the packages headed out to the great ladies of the For the Love of Blogging series.

I kept the text simple to accentuate the fun of thick, vinyl letters.

Super easy, full of wit. Just my style.

I can't wait to send these on their way! .

Join me back tomorrow for a very special Tuesday post, inspired by the awesome Ann and her fabulous new series.

Let's get our game faces on for a week of big, big joy.

xoxo, MJ

P.S. A little later this week, I'll be showing you what else is in the mail for these wise women!!

Amidst the super cute, heart-shaped posts and the irresistably pinnable pink and red vignettes floating around the interwebs, I'd like to offer a DIY to break you into... Lent. For those of you who may be confused, this year Lent (the season leading up to Easter) began yesterday with Ash Wednesday and will continue for the next forty days. It's a time of reflection and growth, where we reserve our Alleluias and songs of praise, and focus inward on the change within ourselves. So why not have a DIY to accompany it?

Tell me you've seen this technique on Pinterest... The one where you use a canvas painting and adhere text, like vinyl lettering over top of it, paint over the entire surface to then remove the vinyl letters and reveal the great quote constructed from the colors and strokes of the painting underneath? Yes? No?

So that one got me thinking... how about a little Lenten project?

Here's what you need (or what we used): 8 x 10 canvas, assortment of your favorite paint colors plus black, brushes, vinyl letters.

My daughters were d-lighted to be involved with this one. I asked each girl to paint one half (diagonally for interest) in five of their favorite colors. As we brushed on the brilliant and quiet tones, we talked about our blessings, many of which the girls represented in their pictures. After the paint was definitely (ack, so much patience required) dry, we added the vinyl lettering, careful to place each one squarely in place.

Before adding a black layer over the entire top surface, I used a pen to press down the letter edges to be sure no sneaky paint would leak underneath. Here's our creation, full of color and blessings.

Time to cover up the Alleluias and keep them in waiting until Easter. Check out the cool texture that's revealed.

And then it's all covered.

So.. in another 39 days, I can give you the grand reveal.

Wait, wha? Seriously? A DIY cliffhanger. Here's what we'll have on our table throughout Lent, reminding us of all that we've been given and reminding us to let our goodness shine through the darkness.

The final product will be reposted here on Easter. Happy Lent!

xoxo, MJ