thoughts for a weekend.

A few months ago, I put together a post on "unslumping the creative slump" where I talked a bit about getting through creative block. One of the big things I mentioned was not overloading on "inspiration". Again, I love, love all of the inspiration waiting to be found right at our fingertips here on the internet. But. Sometimes you need to put down the mouse and live.

I find that the more engaged I am with living my life - building and nourishing our family, building and nourishing a meaningful relationship with my husband, and building a nourishing my creativity using real life activities, the more creative I become. And the more creative and innovative my own my work is. I don't have to copy anyone. My own creative ideas are flowing out of who I am, because I'm nourishing and taking care of her. And I am always uniquely me.

{source}

I think the same could be applied to social media in our lives. Melody Ross recently started sharing her experience of a 90 day facebook detox. I love that these media outlets give us such an opportunity to connect with others globally that have the same interests and loves that we do, but it's so easy to overload. It's such a delicate, delicate thing to balance. Inspiration, exposure, community. But when we start to sit in front of a computer too long, it can really suck the life out of us. Nothing compares to real life experiences and interactions with people face to face. And making something for yourself, rather than just looking at what others are making and saying, "What if?" 

 {source}

I definitely have times in my life when I cut off the media. I remember that not too long ago, we logged on the check email once a day - or maybe once a week! And we definitely didn't feel the need to constantly be connected to something like facebook! I usually catch up for an hour or so in the morning - while I do my blog posts, etsy shop listings, catch up on group contacts, etc. And then, just peek in a few times throughout the day. Mostly checking for messages, etc. It's so much easier to stay on top of other tasks for business, hobby, and home that way. I try so hard to stay mindful of just how much time I'm spending on each of them! And I've never played online games. That helps lots. I suppose they could be fun, but they can also be serious time suckers...

So go out this weekend and live your life. Be with family. Be with friends. Nurture the things you value the most, and guess what? You might be surprised to find the creativity fills you up and overflows. 

All images were collected from my pinterest boards. Feel free to check it out and follow for more inspiration!

good busy

This week has been busy. Good busy.

Getting ready to launch a new product! Hopefully tomorrow. Working on plans for a new website. Ordering new fabrics. Pushing new ideas out. Love.

Gave all of our doors a fresh coat of paint. Or two. Trip to ikea:

Now that I've seen this, I'm wracking my brains for a place to put it. Not happening so far! lol I love that it's got a touch of  modern to it with the steel frame. 'Cause I'm not really a girly girl...

It's been a good week so far! Hope your's has too!

Tuesday Inspiration

I have always, always been obsessed with the woven patterns used in classic woman's suiting materials. Houndstooth, herringbone, beautiful woven diagonal stripes... and chevron, though technically NOT suiting - I've loved it forever. When I was designing digital scrapbook kits over a year ago, I had a hard time NOT including at least one of those in every kit that I made!

So when I was at the fabric store last week, I just had to grab some of this to play with. I have a feeling you'll be seeing some items in my shop featuring this fun fabric soon...

On a side note. I forgot coffee filters when out doing errands yesterday. I woke up so bleary eyed this morning I knew I needed some form of coffee... so thank God for facebook. I posted that I forgot my filters, and a friend told me to throw a paper towel in there - I figured I had NOTHING to lose at that point, so I tried it!  And wha-la! Perfect cup of coffee. Great tip when you're in a pinch.

Have a lovely Tuesday!

fun ideas for celebrating independence day

/this is something I haven't had the chance to try out yet - we usually drive in the car and sit in the air conditioning to watch the fireworks along the beach, so I don't really have the opportunity to set up a tripod and stuff. But a couple of my favorite sites were offering tips for getting great shots and I had to pass them along!

photojojo: 11 tips for sparkling fireworks photos:

The article also links to a bunch of other fun things like fireworks photos on flickr, tips from smithsonian photographers, and an article on the origin of fireworks. Fun reading. Well, in a geeky sort of way. {which I will unashamedly admit to being}

creativeLive is offering a free, hour long video on photographing fireworks. I ALWAYS learn tons when I pop in and listen to their webinars. There really isn't anything that can compare with insider tips from people that have been shooting for YEARS. Both as a hobby, and then commercially.

Of course the holidays aren't complete without food! I've been peeking around looking for ideas and here are a few that I've found.

{meatless grilling ideas from Martha Stewart}

For those of you that don't know, I'm a "mostly" vegan - 98% of the time. I eat very little meat, dairy or eggs. Dairy and eggs mostly just through the occasional baked good. 

{healthy red, white and blue popsicles}

This is from a new favorite site - cook it allergy free. If you or a family member have any food allergies, it's great to check out! I'm actually thinking about checking out their iphone app as well...

{glorious red, white and blue cake}

I love, love this idea, and I'm SURE the recipe is fabulous - though the amount of  food coloring always gives me the shivers, in spite of the fact that I love to indulge in it occasionally. Our youngest son is really allergic to it, so that's a no for us as a family! But I've also looked up this all natural version of red velvet that you could try!

{red velvet cake, all natural, no red dye}

I'm really looking forward to trying this - really. You'll never guess what it's colored with! One of my favorite veggies, of course.

Last but not least, my choice for our holiday picnic this year:

{summer shortcake}

The strawberries and blueberries are gloriously ripe right now, so I couldn't resist! Enjoy your Independence Holiday!!

last minute father's day ideas

I admit it. As much as I really try - there are still a quite a few things that end up last minute. I'm a great planner, but when you fill your days with more than is humanly possible to accomplish, it happens! lol

So today I wanted to share some fun ideas I've come across for Father's Day giftwrap + cards. 

{bow tie giftwrap}

genius. And totally cute. But not too girly {that's essential}They suggest using a new or thrifted bow tie - but you can also get directions to make your own here. They also have fun tips for tying a bow tie if you're like me and don't have a clue...

If your man's just not the bow tie wearing type, here's a fun set of direction to make neckties! I've actually made these before, and it's really fun. I love the look of a high quality cotton fabric - just like they suggest in this post. Anyway. Fun twist on the classic - give-dad-a-necktie-it's-father's-day thing.

{pattern and directions}

Sweet and simple bag idea. This person used these for party favors, but I think it'd be fun however you choose to use it. She actually has a bunch of fun stuff that you could adapt to father's day in this post - like the necktie bunting banner and and chocolate mustache lollies! Mmmm...

{little man party ideas}

Love this lapel card. Classy a sweet. I was thinking there might be a fun way to slide a giftcard in there somehow...

{pocket lapel card}

I thought this off the cuff card was a nice little twist as well. Simple and classic

{shirt cuff card}

And here's one I made using Noel's Mary Ellen kit:

This post was fun! I totally reminded me of the "inspire me monday" posts I used to do. I think I need to make the time to do those more often again. :)

i love this.

It really touched me deeply. And spoke to me on a bunch of levels. Met me where I was at. Helped me see where I am going. It totally hit on a bunch of things I've already been thinking about. Big thanks to Virginia for posting a link to this article...

You see, I've been thinking about a few things recently, and suddenly realized something.

I think too much..

Should I move this direction, should I move that direction? Should I do this? Should I do that? Open my Etsy shop? Keep my digital scrapbooking shop? Travel to teach classes? Teach classes locally? Get into photography? Make jewelry? Sewing? ALL things I love, but I just don't know where they would take me once I get started. Then it dawned on me.

It doesn't matter.

Where it takes me, that is. I need to just try it. Do it. Be it. I'll find out where it takes me when I get there. Some of the people I admire the most, have done a TON of different things. And done them well. And chosen to pursue the ones they really loved.

So. Look for new things from me soon. Because I'm trying new things. To see where they take me.

un-slumping the creative slump

So, I took a few moments hours last night to just sit. And think. And plan. Sometimes being in the creative industry has it's ups and downs. Moments when you're feeling really inspired, and then others... not so much. But you still grind it out because things need to get done. Deadlines have to be met, and projects must be submitted.  But somehow, if you can't rediscover that inspirational spark in there, it stops being as much fun as it used to be and becomes, well - work. I really hate when this happens, and somehow, it leads me to want to crawl in a hole and not do anything creative at all. Avoid that chaos that I left the last time I created {an unorganized mess of supplies is my quickest creativity killer}, and just watch a movie or read a book.

But then I find that I'm missing out.

I'm missing that feeling of accomplishment that I get when I create something that I love. That rush of inspiration that makes you want to toss whatever you're doing aside to make something lovely. Creativity make me complete as a person - without it, something's just missing.

So today I wanted to take just a moment to share a few tips for things that I do when I find myself in the creative lurch. The dumps. A slump. Because un-slumping yourself is an important part of life, and the creative process.

Clean up your space.  I say that as I sit surrounded by boxes of unsorted supplies. But I'm speaking from experience. Not everyone is like that - but most people find it hard to work when they can't clear a space on their desk or table, and when they have to keep searching for what they're really looking for. It kills the process. The flow of the thing is gone. I try to take a few moments for clean up and organizing each time I create, and then purge out extra supplies every few months.

Don't overload on "inspiration." In the modern age that we live in, we have websites devoted to cataloging things that catch our eye {yes, I LOVE pinterest}, galleries overflowing with the creativity of others, and even phone apps that are all waiting to give us inspiration. But sometimes that's not always a good thing. Learn to set yourself limits on how much time you spend with these things. I know you've experienced that "I have so many ideas, where do I start!!" feeling that can sometimes become paralyzing. Forget it. Pick one or two ideas and make them your own. Otherwise you'll end up flipping channels on the tv.

Sometimes you just do it. No, don't force it. I mean this in a different way. Gather some supplies that you find inspiring. Don't set yourself a time limit, but set a direction. Relax. I discovered this one for the first time last night. I just started working on something. And you know what? I remembered. I remembered how relaxing creativity is to me. And how much I love it. And how good I feel when I finish something. This one is still in progress, but what can I say?

I think I re-discovered the joy that creativity gives me. And that's what it's about.

inspiring words

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

– Ira Glass

I still have plenty of moments when I feel this way about my work. The important thing is to push past with these important words.

Happy Thursday!

inspire me...tuesday?

Been getting back in the groove of things this week with school + juggling lots of plans for Christmas. It's busy, but it's good! So this week, instead of inspiration on Monday, it's on Tuesday. We can always use inspiration, right?

Can someone throw me an awesome birthday party like this? HeeHee. You know my birthday is just a few days before Christmas, so I've had a grand total of three birthday parties in my life. ^_^ It's ok. I'm all good.

{source}

And a special thanks to April, for pointing out that website! WooHoo!

Another fun diy for the holidays. I love the twist with the yarn, instead of plastic or glass...

{source + diy}

Love. Totally fun gift. Plus, as my friend Sasha pointed out, they sell in sets of 8-10, so they'd be great for party favors!

{source}

Holiday cuteness from Paiges of Style:

{printable}

That's all for today! I'm busy, busy putting together a list of holiday goodies that I'll be making for gifts this year! On the list: Homemade Twix Bars {my recipe that I'll be sharing after they're made}, Red Velvet Cake Truffles {sort of based on this recipe, but my own cake + white coating}, Rum Truffles {sort of based on a recipe from an old issue of Martha Stewart's Living}, my grandma's recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies,  Gingerbread Cookies in the shape of stars, Dipped Pretzels, and Sugar Cookie Cutouts {family recipe}. I'll also try to share sources that I've found for brands of chocolate and candy coatings that are safe for peeps with a nut allergy. If you don't have the allergy, you don't know just how hard it is to find chocolate and candy products that are safe for them to eat...

Well, anyway! Have a lovely Tuesday! Hope you're a bit inspired!

christmas cards - going halfway

Yes, even I recognize that I can't possibly go 100% handmade all the time for Christmas. So sometimes, I take it halfway - like with our Christmas cards. And this year, I'm pretty happy with the result. There are so many reasons to argue in favor of something like this. I always have a tough time handmaking cards that take a lot of time and effort, only to give them out to a quite a few people that won't appreciate the effort and love that went into each one. They will toss them. Ouch. I decided that this year, my efforts would go elsewhere. On things that won't be thrown away. :)

I did come up with a nice compromise, though. I found a cards that I love. {Plus, I love the fact that they're really eco-friendly.}

And then decided to dress it up a bit:

Now it's all set. And it won't take me long to apply the little rhinestones. I'll address the envelopes in red,  and we've got a beautiful compromise on our hands! Love.

Have a happy, creative Saturday!

inspire me monday - felt obsessed

I don't know why, but I just keep coming back to all this cool stuff made with wool felt. You might have noticed the little trees and poinsettia I made and put in my December Daily album, but I've also got other stuff floating around made with it, too.

Anyway. Thought I'd share some of my fave ideas recently found that are made using wool felt. And yes. It has to be wool. It just isn't quite right otherwise.

Forget giving these as a gift. I'm keeping 'em. My toes always freeze in the winter. Welllll. Maybe they won't look as cute on my feets, though!

{instructions + templates}

And tell me this is not genius from the girls over at PurlSoho. It looks like candy canes. Yum. {That's also one of the best places to find the lovely said felt...}

{instructions}

Tomorrowland trees by Blair Peter. Amazing. 

{instructions}

Very bright and festive. And fairly easy with lots of ways you could use these... I can see some with felt or the paper of your choice, like the ones they were inspired by...}

{instructions}

Ok, so I know the color palette hasn't been that unified so far, but I love the projects. What can I say...

I think this has to be my fave...

{instructions}

Can I get a collective sigh? I adore her color choice. For some reason, I've really been loving those softer colors lately. Still very bold, but soft as well. Definitely not a fan of the neon stuff. All those fashion and design mistakes of the '80's and early '90's do NOT bear repeating! LOL I'm not stepping off of my soapbox...

Hope you enjoy a lovely, inspired Monday! I'll be doing one day of schoolwork with the boys, since we missed so much due to the yucky sickness everyone has had, and then we'll be off to pick up our turkey and a few trimmings at our local Whole Foods! The buzz of the holidays is totally in the air. Love it. Plus, I came to the sudden realization this evening that my hubby has some time off for this holiday, and then nothing until Christmas Eve. When am I supposed to Christmas shop sans boys?! Apparently... this week! Eep! Good thing my list is really short since I'm making lots of things on it!

good thing

I make the best chicken noodle soup ever. Since we're still all sick.

D is finally on the mend, but the rest of us are still fighting... It's definitely cold and flu season! I am super grateful that it's been cool enough outside that we can have the windows open, airing the place out - I hate having everything shut in when all those germs are floating around. {shiver}

Speaking of shiver - I've been thinking about undertaking my first ever sweater. Yeah. I know. I've been knitting and crocheting for a really long time - but I typically undertake smaller projects that I can complete in a few weeks with just a little daily commitment... hats, mittens, socks, scarves. For crochet - even a couple of doilies and a bit of lace... Not anything that requires serious commitment. LOL Well, I've currently been utterly enchanted by a few really clean looking sweater patterns on Interweave. If it doesn't bore you to death, have a peek at what I've found. ^_^

So very me. Love.

{pattern}

Yum. Love the texture and the style and the RED.

{pattern}

And this cute little one:

{pattern}

Annnndddd.... I have a sweater here at home that I absolutely adore. But it's pretty much bit the dust. I can knock around the house in it - but wouldn't dare wear it out. Maybe I'll try making a new version? That might be a bit ambitious for my first shot, though...

So - anyone else a knitter/crocheter? Have a fave spot for patterns?

one more thing - I've been sorting and purging my scrapbook space. Which means I'll have a bunch of things for giveaway soon here on my blog! I have small packs of open embellishments along with papers - and some brand new things. :) I'll most likely put these together into cute little kits of coordinated items that will be listed here once a week for a little giveaway!

Oh - and last thing! I forgot last week with all of the  excitement + plus everyone being sick to mention that I've been invited by miss Noel Fabri to join her design team at NoelMignon.com! 

My first kit arrived this week and all I have to say is WOW. It's for December, and she went really traditional with the kit she's called Bedford Falls. {being a huge fan of It's a Wonderful Life, I perked up at that pretty quick! lol} Here's a peek at some of the goodies included:

I'll be posting sneak peeks of my projects soon!! ^_^

Hope you're having a great Monday!

inspire me monday - more holiday ideas

Believe me. I haven't forgotten about Thanksgiving at all {I will in fact, be ordering our turkey today}, but Christmas requires so much more planning, and I guess I get a jump on it out of necessity. :) After my ornament post on Saturday, I've been looking around for other ideas as well. But lets's start with the gift wrap.

Be still my love of the monochromatic. I'm not sure why I'm in love with this look at the moment, but so be it. :) This is originally styled for a winter wedding, but I love it. LOVE.

{source + diy}

And Jennifer McGuire has shared some awesome inking ideas at two peas in a bucket this year! LOVE these ornaments:

{source + diy}

Though I have to be honest - I may allow my love of the monochromatic dictate my choices on this as well! ^_^

And another one with felt. I love, love these:

{source and kit}

And I adore these. I think they'd be fabulous with the felt ornaments. BUT, you'd definitely NEED to use the proper type of chenille stems. NOT the kind you find at Walmart. LOL

{source + diy}

And yes, I've been thinking about our Christmas cards today. Trying to decide. To handmake  or buy. Or a combination of both... I'll let you know what I come up with!

Oh, and I started another scarf this weekend using the same pattern that I love...

Have a lovely Monday!

handmade holiday gift ideas

Well, we woke up to a bit of a chill in the air this morning - and guess what? That has everyone running around the house thinking about Christmas!

I'm busily working away on handmade gifts in my free time! Finishing this beauty up today or tomorrow...

You can't see most of it, but it's a 1'x6' scarf with a really pretty diagonal pattern {this is the backside}.

I also wanted to link up to a couple of my fave sites for sewing - Sew, Mama, Sew, and Purl Soho. They're GREAT places to find tutorials to create fun handmade gifts and decorations for the holidays! In fact, they're both having special series' on gift-making on their blogs right now! There are tons of great free patterns, tutorials and ideas. I've come up with some of my own inspired by them! I may be sharing a few in the upcoming weeks, but I don't want to give away surprises to any family members who read me blog!

Have a fabulous Friday!

inspire me monday - baking trends

While the cupcake still reigns supreme,

{source}

I've noticed a few other fun things starting to pop up on the regular! Like these guys:

{source}

Ok, so I've seen these guys floating around for a while, and they've finally piqued my interest. Now I need to find an alternative to the candy melts for coating. Yep. You guessed it - processed on the same equipment as nuts. I'm searching out white chocolate, and methods for making it great for coating stuff.

{While I would absolutely would love to try Parisian style macaroons - the other blossoming trend in baking,

{source}

one of their key ingredients is almonds. Which, in my mind makes them sound heavenly - but also means they're a no-go in our house with the nut allergy and all. sigh.} There are tons of brightly colored ones floating around, but I tend to prefer the softer tones. There's something about unnaturally colored food that freaks me out. Well, unless it's Red Velvet - and actually, I cut the food coloring in half when I make that as well!

I really wanna give these red velvet ones a go as well! I think they'd be perfect for Christmas! I mean, how great would it be to send a tray of these in to work for my hubby's co-workers? I always try to put together a fun tray of homemade goodies for them {it's honestly something they look forward to each year! I make homemade rum truffles, and various small holiday cookies.}

{source}

Hope I've inspired you with some baked goodies today! I'll be sharing my pumpkin muffin recipe later this week! ^_^

inspire me monday - a tribute to all things round

Today is definitely a Monday. I'm surrounded by junk that needs to be done, and thinking about all of the tasks ahead of me this week. Plus, I'm a wee bit bummed due to the fact that my tummy has been giving me trouble which means I need to cut down on the coffee consumption. Noooooo....

So to distract me from my ever growing pile of things to do, and my need to de-caffeinate, I thought I'd share some inspiration this morning!

I love circles. They may come and go in my layouts, but honestly, some of my all time faves include them. They're an awesome design element that give great movement to any piece that you work on. All shapes also have a subtle subconscious message that they silently whisper to us. Circles bring to mind things like unity, togetherness, and completeness. They can also denote motion - think wheels,  balls or a carousel... Circles are great in just about anything that involves design, though. Not just scrapbooking!

Love. This is almost enough to get me to start collecting plates to create a wall arrangement...

{I can't find the original source for this photo...}

And how fun is this?!

{found here}

What a great reminder. I think I needed this one today. :) I needed to remind myself that I'm living what I love - and sometimes a little bit of stress is worth it...

{here}

Yum. That's all I'm gonna say about this one:

{here}

And now that I've counted my blessings, and achieved a bit of calm {yes, all the hard work I do as a mom, scrapbooker, digital designer and getting my business ready for launch is worth it. Even when I'm tired. Because I'm living what I love - and not everyone is given the opportunity to do that}. I'm ready to tackle a busy week. Up for today - coming up with a Biblical costume for D for awana tonight, getting cookies ready for PE class on Wednesday, and getting something together for an assignment. 

Have a great Monday!