a love affair with paper

Creative Project: Project Life Week 5

2012-02-13T10:00:00.006-05:00

I'm finally caught up with Project Life! Whew...I can definitely see how getting behind could be extremely frustrating & difficult. I was only a week behind & I thought I would never catch up ;). What ended up happening is that I devoted both days this past weekend entirely to this & I am going to have 2 separate posts on it this week (so hopefully you don't get bored with my posts). I've really appreciated your kind words & encouragement with this.

So here's week 5:

The entire spread

The left side

The top left is my Trader Joe's tribute

The middle row: the left has highlights from the
week, the 2nd is of a gift from a friend, then my
favorite B&J ice cream flavor (red velvet) & the
last slot holds the temp on Jan 31 & Feb 1.

The bottom row: on the left are pics of my Martha
Stewart/Avery labels & some collage ephemera
I got from my fave scrap-booking store, along with
my mini Moo card from my now defunct
Etsy shop.

The right side

The top left is our hotel room we stayed in 2
Thursdays ago & the right is of the trees still lit
up right by the hotel.

The middle row: a pic of Vonnegut, a pic of the sky
framed between my parking garage & another
building, a self-portrait at the hotel & lastly,
an online class I received a scholarship for.

The last 2 pics are of brunch on Friday & then
of me going through the car wash.

Five Favs Friday

2012-02-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

So glad it's Friday. What are your weekend plans? I have a mile long to-do list, so I'll be tackling that. I've got Project Life to catch up on, 52 Weeks of Mail cards to make & some assignments to catch up on from my coach. I'm her guinea pig/volunteer for a new & incredible program she's testing - talk about awesome. I will write more on that once it's finished & she's ready to roll it out.

And now on to this week's list. Enjoy & Happy Friday!

These post-its. The first is my fav one (hee hee).
This stationary (via Linda who received it from a friend)
This DYI - what a lovely surprise for a friend
These umbrellas because if it's raining then might as well make the best of it (and then buy #2 on the list)
This before & after

Where I Create

2012-02-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to share my studio/office space with you because this is where I make all the creative projects I post about.

I love this door. My dad had it
special ordered at Home Depot &
then installed it for me.

View from just inside the door. That's
chalkboard paint on the wall.

That's magnetic paint on this wall & works
really well. I just cleared off most of the
stuff I had on it so that's why it's pretty sparse.
I like to switch stuff out each season to make
way for new inspiration.

I'm spoiled - I have Direct TV & Netflix in there for
when I don't want to listen to music. The glass
"whiteboard" was also just cleaned off, waiting for
new notes & to-do's.

The built-in shelves were from the previous
owner & I love them. You may recognize them from
my blog banner.

And back full circle.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Creative Project: Project Life Week 4

2012-02-06T10:00:00.002-05:00

I am a week behind but that's OK. I'm still loving this project so very much.

Here's week 4:

This is the entire spread - if you click
on it you should be able to view it larger

The left side

My NY manifesto is on the top right.
The card on the left lists all the mail I received &
the pictures in the middle are of the mail.

The bottom left is a pic of a creme brulee
cupcake I had & on the left is of a package
from a blog contest I won & a letter from a
new friend/pen pal.

The right side

The top left is of my one little word album &
the right is of my collages for the altered art
journal round robin. In the middle is the
envelope I received from Urbanic Papers. The middle
card says that I had a stomach bug & the last card is of
Mad Men Season 4, what I watched on Sat, while sick.

The bottom left is the invite to my friend's 1st
year birthday party, which I missed because of
feeling sick. His dad sent me a pic of him playing
with the present we bought him. On the right, is
the tag from having my car worked on & behind
it is the receipt for how much it cost.

Hope you had a great weekend & here's to a great week. Thanks for stopping by.

Five Favs Friday

2012-02-03T10:00:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends. Happy Friday! What are your plans for the weekend? I took today off so right about the time this posts, I'm probably finishing up brunch at my favorite restaurant :) And hopefully we are headed to a movie soon. Enjoy today's Five Favs & have a wonderful weekend!

Wes Anderson! (via Caiti)
Ira Glass on producing a film
This statement
This necklace
These office supplies

Right Now

2012-02-01T10:00:00.003-05:00

Around here lately:

A package all the way from
Singapore

Which contained
a beautiful necklace & earring set
that I won from Leena.

Received a new journal to
work on for the altered journal round robin

An amazing heartfelt & genuine
letter from a new friend.

A creme brulee cupcake

My New Year's Manifesto
redesigned & made into
an awesome print by Caiti

More cards received from
Linda & Urbanic Paper

That's all for now. I'm still battling this stomach bug. I think it may be time to see the doctor :( I'm just hoping that I'm feeling better by Friday because I have the day off for an important brunch date with M.

Creative Project: One Little Word

2012-01-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Normally, I would have a Project Life post for today, but since I've been sick with some type of stomach bug/virus, I am using a post that I had scheduled for Wed instead. Enjoy & I'll have my PL update later this week once I'm feeling better & can get to it.

You may remember that my One Little Word for 2012 is possibility. I'm also taking Ali Edwards One Little Word 2012 class. This consists of a monthly prompt/creative assignment & at the end we will have created an entire album devoted to our word. I wanted to share January's assignment. I still have to include a self-portrait...

We received a bunch of printable
elements to create a 4x6 page with
our word on it. I added stickers to spell
out my word. The other side of this is where I
need to include my self-portrait.

The 2nd part of the prompt was to create
a series of small collages that welcomes
your word into your life. Ali gave us several
writing assignments - include a definition, synonyms,
a quote, what we hope to invite into our life
& the reason why we chose our word. The rest of
the 4 cards were open for whatever we wanted to do.
I chose to make mini collages.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you all had a good weekend!

Creative Project: Altered Journal Round Robin

2012-01-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

Five Favs Friday will be back next week. Today, I wanted to share the latest collages I did for the altered journal round robin. This was the 2nd round & I had Mary's journal.

Love the bright yellow she used
for her cover

And her dedication page to the 3
of us. Brilliant! I told her that I wished
I had thought of doing that. I will
add it in when I get my journal back
at the end of this project.

Her first spread. I just adore her color scheme
So vibrant.

Her 2nd spread. The ink sketch on the left is
amazing. I would never have the patience for
all the detail.

Here is my first spread. I used paper
because that's been my focus lately.

A close up of the left side

A close up of the quote which was a clear sticker

The right side.

For the 2nd spread, I used gesso, paint, & washi tape.
It felt good to take a break from using paper
exclusively. I also added in some collaged stamps,
stickers & this genius product for those of us who don't
sew but like the look of it.

A close up

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cool Creative Chicks - Heather/Shop Embo

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the third interview in my new monthly series (to be featured on the last Wed of the month) – Cool Creative Chicks. I am fortunate to know so many CCCs & wanted to share these gems with you & foster community. That’s why we’re all online right? So hopefully, you will connect with one another & make new friends or even just take away something from each interview

Today’s guest is Heather George, the owner of the fabulous eco-friendly store EmBo. Heather & I became close friends our senior year of high school & unfortunately lost touch over the years as happens sometimes. We just recently connected on Facebook & I can’t say enough how grateful I am to have her back in my life. She is amazingly talented, supportive, smart & not to mention gorgeous (all the boys were in love with her in high school).

Bio:

East coast transplant loving the Midwest. Undecided between country girl and city girl. Likes to be herself and follow her passion. Doting mom of 2 pups. On a search to fulfill her soul. Oh yeah, and small business owner since 2011. :)

You can find Heather: Web, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: shopembo

Those cute pups

You chose to leave your successful job in the finance industry in order to chase your dream of opening a brick & mortar boutique. This must have been somewhat terrifying, though exciting of course. Can you describe why you made this decision & the steps you took in becoming an entrepreneur?

It was terrifying, and some days it still is. For as long as I was old enough to think about it, I have always known that I would work for myself “some day”. And everyone around me knew it too. It is just part of who I am. I can analyze a million different things to identify why that is, but my assessment leads me to believe that it basically comes down to a few characteristics:

Confidence: the unwavering belief in yourself that you are smart enough to learn anything and that you truly can do anything if you want it badly enough. Part of this is innate (thank you Mom & Dad!) and part of this gets reinforced through life experiences.

Over-the-top Work Ethic: I don’t have any idea where this comes from. I suspect it’s part of my family’s ancestral genealogy. I guess that’s a fancy way of saying that perhaps it is genetic. It seems that everyone in my family has some of this. It comes from both my Mom’s and my Dad’s families. It’s a natural drive to do what it takes to not only get the job done, but to do it to the best of your ability. I say that very seriously. It has to be your best. You have to want that. And the reality is that it often means that other areas of your life can get neglected, but I just know that I don’t know any other way to be.

Open-mindedness: What I mean here is that you have to be able to put your ego in check. You have to be able to downright push it aside. You need a natural willingness to learn from others and believe that you can and should grow as a person. This means that you readily ask for help and feedback when you need it. It means that you really listen to other’s opinions and ideas and you actually ponder them and take them into consideration. Believing in yourself doesn’t mean that you believe that your natural inclinations are the only ones or are always the best ones.

Owning a store devoted to eco-friendly fashion requires major creativity. Can you share your process of how you designed your store concept/decor/layout & how & why you choose the pieces of clothing, jewelry, handbags, shoes, etc..that you feature.

What I do know is that there is no magic formula. What I aim to do is to create a space that I feel is beautiful and magical and offer things that people can love and feel good about. I once described it as a place where I want people to feel at home and feel like they can be themselves. Where they feel like they can be open and true to their choices and desires. If everyone that leaves my shop could have the same joy that you get from petting an adorable puppy, then I will be happy! I work towards that every day. How people feel in my shop is very important to me. That said, there is a ton of work that goes into it.

Designing EmBo.’s retail space - this was tricky. I only used vintage, antique, repurposed and pre-loved furnishings and fixtures as much as possible. This takes time. Time to search for things. Time to create things. Time to flush out the design process. But what I did all along is trust my gut and use things that I think are special and beautiful. Eventually it comes together.

Regarding merchandising the store - this is even trickier. Search and network is the only way to do that. I hand select every item I sell. It has to be environmentally friendly and from a company that I believe in. I have to understand their mission and trust in their ethics and social responsibility. The hardest part is finding items and designers that are a good fit for EmBo. I can’t carry an item just because it’s cute and I think people will buy it. I have to ask myself: Is this item produced in an eco

You described a portion of your creative process above. Now, we’d like to know how you combat creative ruts/blocks.

When I am in a rut, I feel like I have a few choices. First I can get quiet with my thoughts and let ideas flow. This is also a reason that I always carry a small notebook (yes, pen and paper!). I jot down anything that comes to me for the business whenever it comes. And you never know when that will be. Second, I look to others for inspiration. The web is a wonderful tool for this. People share their work, their vision, their creative efforts online. Blogs, articles, websites… all of this inspires me. Generally, however, I try not to create a pressured environment. If I don’t feel inspired today, it’s okay. It will come to me tomorrow. :)

How do you keep organized & find balance between work & your personal life? How do you carve out time to create? Also do you have any words of wisdom for inspiring entrepreneurs?

I wish I were a more positive role model in this department. Remember the work ethic I described above? What I do make time for is enjoying time with others. Enjoy the company of strangers and new acquaintances, of friends and loved ones. Talk to them. Spending time with them. It is good for the soul and good for the creative piggy bank. Share your ideas with others. Ask for suggestions and opinions. You never know what you’ll walk away with if your heart and mind are open. Let others help and inspire you!

What/who inspires you?

So many people everyday inspire me. I don’t have a single role model or hero. I am inspired when I share experiences and ideas with others. I am inspired to grow as an individual, friend, family member and partner.

What are some of your future goals? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I will always be on the path and the journey to be happy. To experience happiness now and follow my heart and soul to happiness in the future. I am open to the universe to evolve. In 5 years hopefully I am still following my heart wherever it may lead me!

For fun (you know how had this is for a girl that doesn’t like to declare favorites :) ):

Favorite beverage: My ole faithful is Diet Mountain Dew, but we are trying to break up right now.

Fav dessert/snack/food: Cheez-Its (salty) and Double Chocolate Klondike Bars (sweet).

Fav music band at the moment (I know its hard to pick just one): While I always enjoy discovering new artists, my favorites will always be classic. I am a die-hard Bruce Springsteen fan.

Fav book: Oh my… my reading interests are so diverse. I always have a dozen “in progress” at any given time. But I have loved anything by Kahlil Gribran since I was 14.

Fav movie: Baraka (an earth peace film from the 90s)

Fav boy celebrity crush: Jude Law

Fav celebrity girl crush: Charlize Theron

Hope you enjoyed this interview & thanks so much Heather - you are the quintessential cool creative chick. XO my friend! .
*All pics used are property of Heather/Embo.

Creative Project: Project Life Week 3

2012-01-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

Another week of Project Life completed. Before I share, I wanted to talk a little about my process. When I first decided to take on this project, I read a bunch of posts on other bloggers' processes, organization & thoughts on it. I thought it would help but instead, I ended up feeling somewhat overwhelmed & I have to admit intimidated. I couldn't help but compare my skills to theirs & felt that I came up short. But, I forged ahead & let all those feelings of inadequacy go. I mean, there is no right, wrong or "perfect" way to do this. And once I started, I instantly felt better. Because this was all mine.

So, getting back to my own process...I have decided to choose the pics I want to use on Sat, print them all out & lastly figure out my layout. I don't use a separate planning map of the pages, like I've seen others do. I print the pics that I like the best or that will print out the most clearly as 4x6 & then all the others as 2x3. On Sunday, I pick the coordinating cards, ephemera & then start putting everything together. It takes me a couple hours to complete just this last part. Hopefully, as I continue, this entire process will be faster.

Now on to this week's spread.

The entire spread

Left side

This is M's rental car covered in snow on the
morning he had to drive to N.H. & the bottom pic
is of the temp on that day. I printed out a map & added
an arrow sticker to show his route.

The card on the left is just a list of highlights
from my week & the card on the right is of one the pups.

The left pic is of a banana & almond butter smoothie
I made & on the right is a desk shot of me getting
organized & figuring things out.

This is my fav pic of the week. This is how I was
woken up last Sun morning. He climbed up
on my chest & just stared at me until I gave him
permission to give me a kiss.

These last 2 pics are of a cute movie theater & church
that M took in Montpelier, VT. I am so grateful that he took
all these pics & is actively participating.

The right side

Love the sky on this day - the label says it was
in the high 50s that day & rain was expected
later in the evening.

One of my fav teas. The pic on the right is of the
quote on the tea bag (sorry for the blurriness) & the
journaling says that I always have 1 cup after my lunch
at work.

On the left, M's tickets & the paper clip says joy.
On the right are the TV shows we've been watching.

On the left is an envelope holding the TSA
notification that M's luggage was searched & on the
right is M's gate # (the journaling underneath says that
there is only one terminal at the Manchester Airport in
N.H.) & the moon from the plane

This final spread is of M finally returning home.
The sunset pic was taken in our grocery store's parking
lot & on the right are a few things M brought home for
my parents.

Thanks for stopping by & see you here on Wed for the return of the Cool Creative Chicks series.

Five Favs Friday

2012-01-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

Hello Friends. Happy Friday! I'm so excited because the two weeks is up & M will finally be home. There will be lot's of snuggle time & movies I'm sure. And I'm so looking forward to some home-cooked meals as I've been living off of Amy's & Trader Joe's already prepared meals or in plain language, pre-packaged foods ;)

Enjoy today's links & have a wonderful weekend!

Repurposing vinyl = awesome
These legos - how I wish they were for sale
This memo block because you know how much I love paper
This print - because it's true
These necklaces - any one of them would make me happy

52 Weeks of Mail - Jan Cards

2012-01-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share my cards for this month for 52 Weeks of Mail. As you may remember, when I first announced my intention to participate in this, I said I would hand make cards for 26 weeks & then use store-bought stationary for the second half. Well, I've been going strong since Oct, so I'm going to revise that statement & try my best to hand make all my cards (I do reserve the right to change my mind). I am surprised at how much I've enjoyed this & look forward to sending them out. I've also loved the responses I've received & some people claimed not to know that the were handmade. I'll take that as a compliment :) Hope you're week is going well & see you on Fri for my Five Favs post.

Creative Project: Project Life Week 2

2012-01-16T15:15:00.001-05:00

Week 2 finished. Still loving this (though I will admit that the true test will be week 25). What I love about this spread are the pictures from M who was in VT this past week. I love that he is involved in this so that it can be a true representation of our life. I can't wait to see what he sends from NH for week.

Trying different techniques to taking pics. I took
the cards out of the pockets to lessen the glare but
the lighting outside was nil, so still using my office
overhead lighting, which casts a yellow light.

Behind the time card is some personal
journaling.

The quote says: Without you life is not
complete...With you it's an open door.

Bottom left card has days of the week stickers & a brief
recap of my week. Next to that is a pic from the hotel
M was staying at. Very Shining-esque.

The bottom right pic shows the VT sky & the bottom
shows the OH sky. Love this contrast.

Five Favs Friday

2012-01-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

Five Favs Friday is back! With the Holidays, my blogging break, & then trying to catch up with posts, it got left behind. Same with the Cool Creative Chicks series. That will also be back this month & I can't wait for you to meet my special guest.

So without further ado...enjoy & have a wonderful weekend (especially if you're lucky like me to have a 3-day b/c of MLK day). I plan on holing up in my office to work on all sorts of creative projects, going to my parents for dinner, exercising - hopefully going for a couple runs; weather permitting, & just enjoying the time to myself. What are your plans?

This print - good motto for the New Year
This celebration idea - you know how I love snail mail
This necklace
These lists from famous people
10 tasty mug cakes that take a few minutes to make

Right Now

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Around here lately:

There's the early morning commute - love
the blurriness to this

There are 2 pouty pups who miss their "papa."

There's a full moon in the morning sky (pic
doesn't do it justice)

There's me wearing my new fav belt (can you
even tell its a large bow?)

There's getting back to working out

And not pictured:
There's Trader Joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cups (1 a night for a treat)
There's working on my altered journal for the round robin
There's lot's of tea - green, chamomile & red velvet chocolate. Always tea.
There's me missing M but seeing this time to myself as a great opportunity to do some major self-reflecting & creating
There's coaching with one of my favorite people

What is there for you? Hope you're having a good week.

Creative Project: Project Life Week 1

2012-01-09T10:00:00.004-05:00

Week 1 completed. I couldn't wait to get started on this but it definitely is a time commitment. I ended up printing out all the pictures on Sunday before I started adding ephemera & figuring out the page layouts. I thought maybe I would print pics out daily but then I'm not sure that will work depending on the amount of pics I have at the end of the week. So there will definitely be a learning curve & constant change.

The full spread

Today begins my 2 weeks of being on my own. M got a big promotion - congrat's babe, I'm so proud of you! - and will now be traveling quite a bit. I'm really excited for him but also because he is over the states of VT (where I grew up) & N.H. in addition to Ohio & West Virginia. It looks like I will be going with him in February & I can't wait since it's been about 8-9 years since I've been back.

Hope you had a great weekend & thanks as always for stopping by.

You've seen the pic of the egg before - my OLW &
my New Year's manifesto

The middle row

Black-eyed peas on New Year's & a little bit of
journaling about the day.

The last row

Close-up of M & I

Right side

The top left is of the first real snow & on the top
right is a beautiful sunset. I've asked M to take pics
& collect ephemera as well. He took the sunset, soup
& beer pics. What a great husband!

A new soup recipe, my fav Trader Joe's spinach
salad, one of M's holiday beers, & my new booties.

Back to work & some pics of myself.

The bracelet was a X-mas present to
myself & the other pic is of my hair up &
wearing earrings, which I never do. Trying
to make sure I include pics of myself, even though
I don't want to :)

Creative Project: Project Life

2012-01-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

My next creative project is a year-long commitment of documenting the every day moments & it's called Project Life. I actually bought the kit in July of '10 (no longer sold as a complete kit), intending to start in Jan '11, but never followed through. So riding off the high of finishing my December Daily coupled with finally having got my creative mojo back, I'm completely committed to this & super excited.

At the end of December, I created my title page in order to be ready to dive right in when the first week of Jan was over. Since this is a weekly project, I will be posting updates every Monday. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this & maybe I will inspire some of you to join in.

The full title page

In the top left slot -I printed out the the hours,
minutes & seconds from this Russell &
Hazel notepad set.

In the top right slot I printed out this quote:
"Every day life is the prayer. How we conduct
it, cherish it, celebrate it, consecrate it."
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

The picture of M & I is from my Dec Daily album
& is dark but that's the most recent pic I had of us.

You can find more info about Project Life here & see all the products I used below. This weekend M leaves on Sunday for a 2 week business trip. So our weekend will consist of spending major quality time together. Have a great one, whatever your plans are & I'll see you back here on Monday.

Creative Project: December Daily Album

2012-01-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share the last pages of my December Daily album. You can see my other pages here & here. I was really proud of myself for completing it & can't wait to do one next year. It was such a wonderful way to record the month/season & I know that I will cherish these albums in the future. For next time around, I plan on going to a bigger format; possibly to 8x8. The 4x6 was a great beginner size but I did find myself wishing for more space. My apologies & warning in advance for the picture heavy post.

Days 14 & 15 - Target for some decorations. A coffee date
& the cutest mini snowman candle & candies from my
hair stylist

The ink smeared on this tag. It basically says
I went to Target to get some decorations but they didn't have
the candle lights I wanted. The metal Smith & Hawkens
tag was from a white ceramic pine cone.

Days 15-16. This is the back side of Day 15 & consists of
the cute gift bag those goodies from my hair stylist came in. I love
that she & her mom made the penguin tag.
So creative & cute. And our decorated tree & mantle.

More decorations. This was one of the times I wished that I had
a larger space to work with so I didn't have so many extra pages.

The lights are staying in my office year round.
Sorry for the bad light quality.

Days 17 & 18 - our first light dusting of snow & a trip to the
North Market with my parents.

Day 19 - a beautiful handmade scarf from my friend
Abby (check out her shop). A handmade card from Kathy &
another card from Monique (all 3 are fellow bloggers I met this
year - lucky me)

Day 20 is a movie theater gift card we received
from M's Dad & step mom.

We saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol & The Adventures
of Tin Tin in 3D. Both were very good in different ways.

Days 21 & 22 - It was 55 degrees at 7:30 am. 7:30. A.M.
Definitely not Christmasy weather. Picture of our candle lights
on the night of the winter solstice.

Day 23 - wrapping presents & packing
them up to take to my parents.

This is the back side of Day 22 & is just some info I printed about
the meaning & origin of the solstice.

Days 24 & 25. Christmas traditions with my parents & their tree.

From my Dad's side of the family- we always
have New England Clam Chowder on Christmas
Eve & strawberry shortcake on Christmas morning.

More of my parents' decorations & the cutest picture of my
parents opening one of their gifts from us.

I am so glad I took this & have it documented.
It makes me smile.

Day 26 & the final pages - More Christmas lights
around Columbus

This holds a few odds & ends I didn't find a place for in
the book but wanted to keep.

And this envelope holds the calendar I used to take notes &
plan my page layouts

Pretty thick huh?

This is the side by side comparison so you can see the

before & after.

Phew. That was a lot of pictures but you were warned. :) Thanks for your comments, support & encouragement. Now that this is finished, it's on to the next big creative project, which I'll be sharing with you on Fri. Until then...take care & Happy Wednesday.

One Little Word & A New Year's Manifesto

2012-01-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite end-of-the-year rituals is choosing my new one little word (from Ali Edwards). In 2010, I chose beginnings because I found myself unemployed & in a new chapter of my life, where I started blogging & working on opening an Etsy shop. In 2011, it was momentum because I wanted to continue moving forward & expanding on all that I had started during the previous year.

And now for this year, I've chosen possibility. Because after realizing & admitting that my previous goal of having an Etsy shop wasn't right, I've found myself back at square one. I still haven't figured out what my next big goal/purpose is but that's ok. I've released any shame, frustration & sense of failure I may have felt. I'm turning inward. Focusing on listening to what my heart says, how my body responds & reacts to things. I’m ready for the next new stage & I know its coming, but I’m not forcing it. I've accepted that this is exactly where I am supposed to be & am excited for what's next. For possibility.

To go along with my OLW, I have started
a tradition of getting an egg from here.

Also, I wanted to share my New Year's manifesto with you. Instead of setting resolutions, I decided to switch it up with a manifesto of sorts.

Please share what one little word you would use to summarize this past year and/or your new word or manifesto for 2012. On Wednesday, I'll be sharing the last pages of my Dec Daily & then it's on to the next big creative project for the year. Can't wait to post about that. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T19:52:00.000-05:00

So long 2011. You were rough & I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being a little more than happy for the New Year. However, I'd thought I'd do a quick recap of the past year because I want & need to focus on the good/positive to serve as a reminder that my life is wonderful. The good the bad & the ugly.

JANUARY

There was a funeral (but we got to see the Nelson side of the family & that was good)
The beginning of a battle with a health issue
Opened my (now defunct) Etsy shop

FEBRUARY

A-Day
Feeling quiet

MARCH

Major house renovations
In a slump/rut/funk (only blogged 2x that month)

APRIL

Joined another postcard swap
A mini road trip
A new endeavor for M & I.
Creative tithing

MAY

Hosting my very first postcard swap
Discovering a name for what I have - Bitchface
M's birthday

JUNE
Getting some serious business motivation
A new blog series
A fresh start

JULY

My 1 year blogiversary & 1st giveaway
My 35th birthday
Vintage goodness
A spark of creativity

AUGUST

Just pictures
Seeing with new eyes
A new family member

SEPTEMBER

Another new blog series
Joined twitter & facebook
52 Weeks of Mail
An amazing husband
Acceptance & letting go

OCTOBER

A little bit of sparkle
Moving forward
Besotted - yes indeed
Interview with one seriously cool creative chick

NOVEMBER

Back to square one & a new focus
Bitten by the ballet
A fun guest post
A new collaborative project

DECEMBER

Create & simplify
My first Dec Daily Album
Making peace
10 glorious days of vacation

I'll be back on Monday with my One Little Word post for 2012. Until then, Happy New Year my friends! Here's to a beautiful & fabulous 2012!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-21T18:36:00.000-05:00

Our Christmas tree - love the blurriness & how
the lights turned out.

If you follow me on twitter or FB, you may have seen my re-tweet of this quote on Tuesday from @SimplyLeap – “Don’t rush 2012 just yet. Make peace with 2011 to make room for what’s to come.” This floored me & hit close to home. And most importantly was such a greatly needed reminder. Because I am guilty of this. I've been thinking how done with 2011 I am & how I just want the New Year to start; ripe with fresh possibilities & a blank slate. But by putting all my energy towards the future, I am ignoring the present & letting my life slip by. No matter how difficult this year has been, this is my life right now & wishing for things to be different is a waste. So I’m changing my attitude & enjoying today in all it’s glorious messiness.

With all that said, I’m going to be taking a week or so off from this space to renew, recharge & enjoy this time. I've got a mile long year end to-do list that needs tackling, toasted marshmallow & salty caramel hot cocoa to drink, movies to watch & snuggling up with my mister to do. I want to wish you all a Happy Holidays & will see you soon.

Creative Project: December Daily Album

2011-12-19T19:48:00.000-05:00

Another weekend gone by in the blink of an eye. And Christmas in 6 days?! How did that happen? Here is my weekly update for my December Daily album. I realized that I'm focused on pictures & ephemera but not really any journaling/text. And I am surprised by that because that's not usually my style.

Day 10 - Dinner with my parents (sorry Dad, you're kinda
cut out a little) & my Uncle & Aunt.

Day 10 Continued.

Day 10 close-up - the top pic is of our courthouse &
the bottom is of the tree reflected in the restaurant window

Day 10 still - M next to a snowman in front of a store

Day 10 - Me with a snow fairy in front of an antique store
Day 11 - A trip to West Elm for a snow globe & some other decorations,
plus a Russell & Hazel notepad set.

Day 12 - a pic of all the 52 Weeks of Mail/X-mas cards I made.

Thanks for stopping by & here's to a good week!

Five Favs Friday - Holiday Gift Edition

2011-12-16T10:00:00.004-05:00

Hello friends. I still can't get over how fast time is going by. About a week left before Christmas!!! I thought that I would do another Holiday Edition, this time focusing on gift ideas (if anyone is stumped I love them all *cough, cough*) for those last minute shoppers. Or treat yourself. You deserve it ;)

SOURCE

For the tea drinker
For the beauty maven
For the stationary lover
For the doodler
For the workaholic
For the eco-fashion conscious

Thanks as always for stopping by & have a fabulous weekend!

52 Weeks of Mail-Dec Cards

2011-12-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

Normally, I would only give you a sneak peek of my cards until I was sure that they had been received, but I'm going to share them in their entirety because they are going to people I know who don't read my blog :)

Sorry for the poor picture quality. Taking pics at night, in my office, with florescent overhead lights, makes for a yellow cast. I need to stop being lazy & use my light box that M made for me. Currently, it's to large to fit in my office, so I have it stored upstairs in our joint office & I am to much in a rush to lug everything upstairs (insert sheepish grin).

This was for my godmother & was
sent out a couple weeks ago.

The rest are all Christmas cards

Thanks for stopping by!

Creative Project: December Daily Album

2011-12-12T10:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a good weekend. I wanted to give you my weekly update for my December Daily album. I spent all day Saturday fighting off a cold & working on this. There's nothing daily about this for me, besides keeping notes on the days' events & planning layouts. And I knew that it wouldn't be.

Here are Days 4-9. You can see my previous pages here.

Day 4 - I made maple whip & we've been
using it in our coffee daily. I included the recipe
& a tag that says "new tradition," as I plan
on making it for all Holidays.

Day 5 is about the weather - rainy & in the 50s.
The next page is a card I received from April
with Blacksburg Belle (I've bought a
bunch of classes from her).

Day 6 are decorations on the CCAD
building, which I pass on my way to
work everyday.

Day 7 is a pic of our work decorations & Day 8
is of an 80s movie night we had (except for the
Muppets, which was from '08)

Here is Day 7 close up. This is my fav pic so far &
it was taken with a Polaroid app on my
camera phone. I didn't do any editing to it,
except to crop it & remove the white Polaroid frame.

The other movie from Day 8.

Day 9 I started fighting off a cold & these three
things from Trader Joe's made me feel
better. Especially the Cookie Butter :)

Thanks for stopping by.

Five Favs Friday - Holiday Edition

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

16 more days til Christmas...Wow. So I thought that I would share some fun Holiday DIYs & an incredibly curated gift guide (for all you last minute shoppers) for this week's Five Favs. This weekend I plan on catching up on my December Daily album, decorating the house, & getting dinner with my family. What are your plans?

Source

This gift guide is Ah-mazing! Even if you've got all your shopping done, take a look anyway. I found so many things for future gifts & for myself ;)
This DIY snow globe gift wrap for those of you who would like an alternative to store bought wrapping paper.
These super cute DIY lollipop ornaments.
This DIY snowman kit from Caiti (In case you missed it - read my Creative Cool Chick Interview with her here).
This cookie recipe b/c Eeny always has the best & I know from experience as I've made several of her breakfast ones & they are awesome!

Have a fantastic weekend & thanks for stopping by!

Creative Project: December Daily Album

2011-12-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

I have been wanting to do a December Daily album ever since I discovered Ali Edwards a couple years ago & finally decided to take the plunge this year. Basically, it’s an album documenting your stories for the month. Not just Holiday stories either, but whatever you want to capture. Some people go for 25 days & others go until the New Year.

I had started collecting various ephemera about a month & ½ ago, when I made the decision to do this & couldn’t decide on the format & size I wanted to use – binder, album cover with book rings, blank journal, etc. But that decision was made for me as I just won Elise Blaha’s Holiday mini book & received it the day before Thanksgiving. That took a lot of the stress away of having to cut my own paper & make a cover.

Sorry about the blurriness.

As you can see from the pic above, the book has a stamped embossed cover & includes 25 red, green & metallic 4x6 papers. I left the cover as is, because I like the simplicity but who knows, I could decide to alter it down the road. I will be adding my own papers & various other ephemera, so I am super relieved it has book rings. I am also taking Shimmelle’s Journal Your Christmas online class, which has daily prompts for writing ideas, photo tips & journal page examples. That way I’m guaranteed to never run out of ideas.

Here are some examples of the papers included.

Since I didn’t have to make a cover, I made an intro page (supplies used: Lost & Found Christmas 6x6 designer paper pad, my own buttons to make a Christmas tree, some ribbon, an Ali Edwards stamp & a Lost & Found Christmas brad).

Here are Days 1, 2 & 3 (sorry for the bad lighting & blurriness):

Used my new cannon 4x6 selphy printer for these pages

Day 1: A Christmas Manifesto is from
Journal Your Christmas

Day 2: This is a pic of my Pure Barre location
& I wrote with a white sharpie paint pen that
exercising "keeps me calm & grounded."

Day 3: Pic of M & I with our 3D glasses for
Hugo. The silver sticker is from the Limited & says
make a wish & take it home. Used my new Polaroid
Pogo Instant Mobile Printer to print out the camera phone
pic of us.

Really enjoying this process so far. Thanks for stopping by!

Products used for all three pages: 25 Days of Christmas Countdown Cardstock Stickers, Lost & Found Christmas Adhesive Chipboard, a Lost & Found Christmas brad, Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Filmstrip, & not sure where the be positive strip is from.

Hello December

2011-12-05T10:00:00.001-05:00

The average woman today, I believe,

would do well to appraise her interests,

evaluate the activities in which she is

engaged, and then take steps to

simplify her life, putting things of

first importance first, placing emphasis

where the rewards will be greatest

and most enduring, and ridding herself

of the less rewarding activities.

~ Belle S. Spafford (via Becky Higgins)

Hello December. How quickly you arrived. So this last month of the year has me thinking about the upcoming New Year (not that I’m not focused on the present moment too) & how a lot of my goals & intentions have changed 180 degrees from this point about a year ago. Normally, I am all about making resolutions/goals & I’d already have them listed by now, but I’m thinking that I might change things up this year. I’ve been tossing around the idea of a manifesto of sorts & perhaps doing monthly goals, which would tie in to the intentions I set forth in the manifesto. I also have yet to choose my one word for the year too & order my new egg .

My focus for the last month of this year is to CREATE & SIMPLIFY. I have my December Daily Album & Journal Your Christmas class (combining the two), 2 other online classes – Reclaiming My Time & RoadMap (the first is more creative-based & the latter is more practical but both are about time management and productivity). And of course, my altered journal round robin started, along with the usual suspects like 52 Weeks of Mail, blogging & perhaps most importantly, enjoying the Holiday Season. As for simplifying - this means getting rid of unnecessary stuff - both mentally & physically.

I will be sharing the progress of my December Daily album weekly & the first post will be this Wednesday. Tell me my friends, what are your goals for this last month of the year?

Five Favs Friday - Beauty Edition Guest Post

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time again - another Five Favs Friday. This week I've asked my friend Abby to guest post on her favorite beauty products because she's gorgeous & has gone to school for cosmetology. I'm going to sit this one out & will be back next week with some Holiday links. Have a great weekend & Happy December! And thanks Abby - I really appreciate that you agreed to do this.

Hi there my name is Abby and I currently run Dirtontherocks.com Thanks to Ms. Danielle she invited me to write a little guest post for her. Due to being busy I had to postpone this post a bit later. Thanks again Danielle for understanding.

Ms. Danielle asked me to post about five beauty products I enjoy and why. However, seeing as I have so many favorites or a certain routine daily I decided to cheat a little and break these down into two categories which is Hair and Makeup. I decided to break it down between those two categories because that’s what really matters to me in the morning.

Hair – Besides that I’ve gone to school for cosmetology I can honestly say that I’ve lost interest in my hair when it was a lot longer. I pretty much got bored with my hair and would just straighten it daily. With that said having shorter hair means that it’s more maintenance. This is true, because with long hair you can just let it air dry and tie it in a pony tail. With short hair if you don’t do anything about it all the strands will just fly everywhere. Taming shorter hair is a pain. Here are my top three picks for hair products:

Conair Infiniti I-Series Folding Handle Dryer - Blue What I love about this blow dryer is that you can fold it up for easy storage. I also love that you can purchase this at Target or Walmart. Unfortunately, I don’t remember how much I bought this for. The site has this product out of stock and so I’m not sure how much it is. It’s easy to use. The blow dryer doesn’t have a lot of knobs to configure. Just a hot or cold switch and 3 switches how strong you want the air to be. I just put mine on the highest speed and on hot air.
Metal Round Brush – I always use a metal round brush when blow drying my hair. It adds volume to my hair and it also adds that shine I’m looking for without any products. I don’t use the brushes that have the plastic bristles because it’s messed up my hair in the past. I’ve even gotten my hair tangled with the plastic bristles. That’s never fun. The round brushes vary in sizes and in price. You can get the round metal brush that I use at Sally’s beauty supply or at any drugstore. They’re affordable and durable as well. Just a quick tip: If you have long hair don’t purchase the round brush with a rubber grip. My hair used to get caught on the grip while drying my hair and it was so painful.
Hana Pro Flat Iron – I’m all about purchasing affordable beauty products. However, I love my hair and I’ve seen my hair at its worst. I’ve even had my hair break off because of so much damage done to it. I’ve been using a different flat iron before the Hana Pro for the last several years and let me tell you paying a good amount for a straightener is well worth it. My flat iron still works today and it’s lasted me years. It has helped me from completely damaging my hair endlessly. With this new Hana Pro flat iron it’s easier for me to use because I have shorter hair. My old flat iron is a lot wider and it was hard to get the smaller strands. The Hana Pro is a bit pricey, but from what I can see this product will last you a good while. It looks durable, and I love the sheen it gives my hair when I straighten or curl it. Spending a little extra goes a long way when it comes to taking care of your hair.

Makeup:

Sonia Kashuk eye definer in Taupe - This is what I use to stencil or draw my eyebrows on. I know that sounds weird to say, but I have really sparse brows and I need something that will help the eye shadow I place over adhere properly. It works well for me and it doesn’t smear easily. I like that it’s affordable and you can pick this up at a local Target of yours. I’m not sure that they have this at Walmart. It’s very affordable at $5.99USD. What’s great is that one pencil can last me a year if not longer. A little goes a long way with this eye liner. Yes, it’s eye liner not brow definer.
Mineral Blue or eye shadow in pinched – I had the opportunity to try out Pinched from Southern Magnolia Minerals a while ago. I’m not a fan of mineral makeup, but I fell in love with the blush. I just love rosy cheeks. This color is very, very pigmented and a little definitely goes a long way. What’s great is that you can choose the size of product you want to buy and therefore you’re not overpaying for something you might not like. SMM Cosmetics is also a treat! They took care of me well and shipment was fast. I love that I didn’t break out with the sensitive skin that I have. That’s always a plus! A very huge plus for me.
E.L.F Essential Waterproof Pen – I love this pen. Not only is it cheap I think that dark pigment is great. I know a lot of people don’t like this product for being cheap, but honestly I haven’t had issues with this eyeliner. It’s a pen, it goes on dark and it’s easy to use. I’m not picky with eyeliners, and that’s probably why I don’t mind using this. It doesn’t smear as much on me like other people have reviewed it to be. It’s a great product overall.

These are my top picks. I hope you all check out my favorites! Possibly purchase some for the holiday as a gift or even for yourself. Thanks again Danielle. I enjoyed writing this post. I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy beauty products.

If you want to check out my other sites you can find me here:

http://dirtontherocks.com – main site.

Cool Creative Chicks - Caiti

2011-11-30T18:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the second interview in my new monthly series (to be featured on the last Wed of the month) – Cool Creative Chicks. I am fortunate to know so many CCCs & wanted to share these gems with you & foster community. That’s why we’re all online right? So hopefully, you will connect with one another & make new friends or even just take away something from each interview.

Today’s guest is fellow blogger Caiti. I have been following her blog for over a year now & what I love the most about her is that she promotes creativity as an everyday action. Also, she's got a great sense of humor.

Image is property of Caiti

My name is Caiti, and I blog over at Life is a Canvas: Musings on Creativity, Good Food & Mindful Living. I am a designer, a writer, a wife, a dreamer and a healthy food-loving chef. I am committed to the notion that we are the artists for our lives, and I know that I want to create a life full of color, vibrancy, passion, exploration, and authenticity. I believe in always surrounding yourself with inspiring people and beautiful objects, and in expressing the authentic YOU. Aside from my blog, you can find me hanging out on Twitter @CaitididDesigns, or on Etsy, Flickr and Pinterest.

Your blog focuses on cultivating & celebrating everyday creativity – cooking, careers, daily interactions, shopping with intention, in addition to “artistic” pursuits. Could you please explain that concept in more detail, as I think that there is a huge misconception that being creative means traditional artistic activities like drawing, painting, sewing, etc.

When people hear the word "creative," I think they automatically think of artistic or crafty activities. Many think of "being creative" as an output-- a crocheted scarf, a scrapbook, a painting. I'm all about bringing creativity back to the root of the word: the verb "create." Creating is something that we are all doing, everyday. Every action, every decision that we make is creating our life. I think it's a really empowering sentiment because it gives us the power to shape our experience through our intentions, actions and openness.

What kind of life do you want to create? Asking yourself this question forces you to examine your intentions. It identifies areas that you may need to let go of if they aren't serving your vision, and focus more deeply on what matters. These thoughts are all summed up in my blog title, "Life is a Canvas." Cheesy as it might be, our own lives are the biggest work of art we will ever create, and I think it's worth putting the time and thought into the "materials" (our careers, our health, our friendships and relationships, our hobbies, etc.) as well as the overall story we want to tell.

How do you keep organized & find balance between working full-time, being a blogger & an entrepreneur? How do you carve out time in your very busy schedule to create both for Caitidid Designs & for pleasure? Also do you have any words of wisdom for inspiring entrepreneurs?

I don't know that there's such thing as balance, I think that it's just a matter of priorities. You have to ask yourself what's important to you in this moment, and go do those things. Sometimes this has meant days where I spend 12 hours on the computer, or times when I let my blog posting slide because it's important to me to spend more time with my husband and my family. It comes back to intention again and again. On a pretty regular basis, I take the time to think about what's important to me, both in general terms and a few specific ideas for ways I can fulfill those desires. And then I see what I can do to achieve or incorporate these things. There's a constant ebb and flow in every area rather than an even-keel sense of balance.

My advice for entrepreneurs would be to channel Nike and "Just Do It." At least for me, it's so easy to get stuck in the planning and research phase. This is something that can be (and IS) very useful, but be careful that you aren't using research/planning as a security blanket and a way to procrastinate on your entrepreneurial goals. You learn so much as you go that it's worth it to dive in and work from there. You will always have the time and opportunity to grow and evolve once you put your ideas out into the world. You won't grow nearly as much if your ideas only exist inside your head.

Describe your creative process & how you combat creative ruts/blocks?

My creative process almost always starts with words-- I think this comes from my background in journalism; I love to write! I'm a crazy list-maker/note-taker, so I have a big blank sketchbook where I constantly jot down ideas for blog posts, projects or designs. Later, I do some rough sketches or thumbnails before turning to the computer. More recently, I've turned to visual inspiration much more frequently through Pinterest and Etsy treasuries. I find that it is a great tool to identify themes and color schemes I'm drawn to, but I have to be careful that I don't over-do it with the online inspiration or my work starts to look a little too much like the images I'm viewing, and my brain starts to fry from inspiration-overload.

My way of combating creative ruts almost always includes a break. I take lots of breaks for tea throughout the day, and I also have multiple projects going on at the same time so that I often just switch to something else for a while when I get stuck. I also embrace my variety of hobbies including yoga, cooking, crocheting and reading because they let my creative brain take a rest for a little while.

What/who inspires you?

I'm inspired by so many women I've been exposed to through this crazy online/social media world who have created their own unique life that works for them-- women like Elsie of A Beautiful Mess, Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks, Kyla Roma, Kris Carr, Elise Blaha, Sarah Von of Yes and Yes. I'm inspired by their determination, focus, style and creativity.

Other inspirations include: browsing through people's Flickr favorites, Pinterest, taking photos, taking e-courses, long walks outside, the sound and smell of nature, people's stories and the art of storytelling, podcasts, college campuses, browsing bookstores, Squam Art Workshops, trying new restaurants.

What are some of your future goals? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I hope my husband and I can relocate to another city, preferably Portland or Seattle . I hope that my family will have grown to include a little one. I hope that I will still be blogging. I hope to be living authentically, challenging myself, and growing.

For fun:

Favorite beverage: Water and tea {the only two beverages I drink!}

Fav dessert/snack/food: Mac and cheese or mashed potatoes {carbs are my guilty pleasure!}. My favorite healthy treat is veggie sushi with brown rice

Fav music band *at the moment* (I know it’s hard to pick just one): Florence and the Machine's new album Ceremonials

Fav book: A tie between The Time Traveler's Wife and The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Fav movie: Amelie

Fav celebrity boy crush: Scott Speedman. I'm rewatching "Felicity" on Netflix right now, and I'm reminded of how firmly rooted on Team Ben I was back in the day.

Fav celebrity girl crush: Amy Poehler. Or more accurately, Leslie Knope.

Hope you enjoyed getting to know Caiti. And a big thanks Caiti for taking the time in your busy schedule to do this interview!

Creative Project: Altered Journal Round Robin

2011-11-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

Hello friends. I know it's been a while since my last post. Hopefully, you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of food, family & relaxation. And just in case you were wondering, the Jay-Z & Kanye concert was so incredible, even with the 2 hour late start time. ;)

Today I wanted to share details about one of my creative projects.

I have always wanted to participate in an altered journal round robin, but I just added it to my list of creative goals & never took action. Then, I met 3 really talented women & I just knew that I had to make this goal of mine become a reality. So I asked the 3 women if they would like to join me in a round robin & together we came up with a manageable schedule that takes us into mid next year & has us working in each other’s journals 2 times each.

I wanted to tell you a little about each participant & why I am honored & beyond excited to be doing this.

I met Mary through a post card swap, where she was one of my recipients. Then, she joined the post card swap I organized & this time, I received one of her cards. We have kept in touch ever since through each other’s blogs. I am in awe of her work & as I have told her on numerous occasions, each time I see something new she’s created, I get crazy excited that I’m going to have her original work in one of my journals. Here are some examples of her altered journal pages (the first 2 pictures are the property of Mary & are used with permission). You can visit her here.

Source

This is the post card I received from Mary - amazing right?

I also met Sophie through the same post card swap as Mary & she was another one of my recipients. And she also joined the swap I hosted. Sophie has a variety of interests & besides loving her altered journal pages, she makes the cutest Kool Kreatures, Zentangle coasters & writes all her posts in both English & French. Here are some of my favorites (all pictures are the property of Sophie & are used with permission). You can visit her on her blog, twitter & Art Fire Shop.

Source

Lastly, Robin & I met in an online class & instantly connected. She is so much fun & was very supportive when I had my Etsy shop. Not only is she extremely creative she reads voraciously & I really enjoy her book reviews on creative/handmade/business books. Robin blogs, is on twitter, facebook & has an Etsy shop (all pictures are the property of Robin & are used with permission).

All 3 - source

And lastly, I wanted to share my journal spreads with you. We all agreed to use a 5x8 journal & to do 2 full page spreads in each journal, twice around, beginning with our own. I have to admit that I left both spreads unfinished. At first, I kept ripping things out & layering new stuff on top of old stuff in order to “get it right” but I never ended up being satisfied. So I decided that I would just leave it as is & then when I got the journal back next summer I would finish it. Or who knows, maybe I won’t want to by then.

Thanks for stopping by & see you tomorrow for my next Creative Cool Chick interview.

Happy Turkey/Tofurkey Day

2011-11-23T10:00:00.002-05:00

Credit

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving (if you're in the States). Unfortunately, I have to work on Friday but that's OK because I'm taking Monday the 28th off to see Kanye & Jay-Z's Watch the Throne concert in Pittsburgh on Sunday!

On Thursday, we'll be going to my parents. What plans do you have? Hopefully, you're planning on eating a lot & enjoying the day!

And for those of you who don't eat bird - here's something for you too.

Credit

52 Weeks of Mail - Nov Cards

2011-11-21T21:09:00.000-05:00

As I said last week, I made my Nov cards for 52 Weeks of Mail & I wanted to share them now that I know they were received. As you can see they were very Autumn inspired - golds, yellows, oranges & browns. My plan is to have a monthly theme for all of the cards. Makes it easier when using my stash or buying new products. Happy Monday & thanks for stopping by!

Products used: We R Memory Keepers Autumn Splendor-Ginger, Happy Harvest & Orchard. Lost & Found Two - My Mind's Eye Sunshine Decorative Brads, Sunshine Lovely Plaid Paper, Sunshine Forever Label Stickers (not the same pack but the same sticker) & Breeze Accesories Pack.

Five Favs Friday

2011-11-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

Can you believe there is only 43 days left in the year? I'm pretty excited for 2012; not that I want time to go by faster or anything. But I love the all the freshness & possibility of a New Year. Anyway, so glad that it's Fri. Our weekend will consist of brunch, preparing my journal to send off for the altered journal round robin I organized & maybe a movie. What are your plans?

There has been a change to today's Five Favs Fri post. Originally, I had a guest lined up to join me, but she is terribly sick, along with her son, so I offered to postpone her contribution until next Fri (feel better my friend). So without further ado - enjoy this week's links & have a good weekend!

These alfabet earrings - would you wear your initials or get the same 2 letters?
This jewelry line - so minimalist yet beautiful.
This wristband that monitors your sleep cycle, tracks calories burned, has social apps, & types your blog posts for you (ok so the last one is not true, but this thing is amazing & affordable).
This members only site for up to 60% off of crafting supplies.
This site because if you've heard of Gilt Groupe (luxury fashion brands at a discount), well you won't want to miss Gilt Taste - dedicated to all things sweet. Don't mind me drooling all over the place.

29 Ways to Stay Creative

2011-11-16T10:00:00.003-05:00

Wanted to share this list because I found it very helpful & also I love how there is a typo & the artist decided to just let it be. Can you spot it?

Source

Do you have any advice to add? I would say read other's blogs for inspiration & try a new blog that isn't normally in your area of interest. Go for a leisurely walk. Take a bath. Hope you're having a wonderful week. See you on Friday for another special guest on my Five Favs Friday post.

52 Weeks of Mail - Nov Update

2011-11-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Over the three-day weekend I made my cards for this month's 52 Weeks of Mail. Here's a sneak peek of some of the paper I used. I will share the actual cards, once I make sure that they have been received as I do not want to spoil the surprise.

And just a reminder, if you missed my most recent Five Favs Friday post - I had a special guest & we both listed our 5 Fav books. Would love to get your recommendations. Hope you had a great weekend & Happy Monday.

Five Favs Friday - Books Edition & Guest Post

2011-11-11T10:00:00.008-05:00

Hello Friends. Today, I'm super excited to have my friend Linda join me & share her Five Fav Books. We first met almost a year ago during Reverb10 & have been friends ever since - even becoming pen pals. I knew that she would be a perfect fit for this topic because of her fabulous book reviews & because of our shared love of reading. Thanks Linda for agreeing to this - I really appreciate it! And please share your fav books in the comments. I'm always on the look-out for new reads.

Photo Credit

Hi there! I'm Linda and I blog over at Curious Notions and vlog in collaboration at Totes Awesome Channel. I make a reading related resolution each year. This year, I resolved to read 40 books by the end of 2011. I'm currently at 35 books and you can see the listing of books here. When Danielle invited me to do a guest post for her 5 Fav Fri series and gave me the theme of books, I immediately thought I should make it easier on myself and limit it to just the books I've read this year. Thus, I leave you a list of my 5 Fave Reads from 2011 (thus far.)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: I loved this book, a biography of the life of both Henrieta Lacks and the immortal life of her cells. A true story that needed to be told. It's about an African American woman named Henrietta Lacks who was treated at John Hopkins Hospital during the 1950s for cervical cancer. Unknown to her and her family, the hospital took live cancer cells from her cervix and it became the first immortal line of cells still grown today for research. This is the story of her life and the life of her cells and what happened to her family after her death. Not only is the story gripping, it satisfied a long time interest of mine in bioethics.

Polysyllabic Spree: "I suddenly had a little epiphany: all the books we own, both read and unread, are the fullest expression of self we have at our disposal." - Nick Hornby, Polysyllabic Spree. This is the first of three compilations of Nick Hornby's (author of High Fidelity, An Education, and About a Boy) monthly column about reading. Every month he lists out books he bought and then books he read. He then opines about his reading. Such a simple concept but his humor will not only make you laugh out loud, but also search for the nearest person so you could read to them his funny snippet. You can read some snippets I pulled from his first collection (I loved all three) here, a book review I posted on my blog.

Garlic and Sapphires: In Garlic and Sapphires, Ruth Reichl, famous food critic and editor, chronicles her tenure as food critic for The New York Times. It was a hilarious read as she shared stories of all her disguises used to dine at restaurants anonymously. As someone who loves to write about food, this was also a source of inspiration for me.

The Hunger Games: I have a personal bias against fantasy. I have a long history of having trouble suspending disbelief. I've been tentatively dipping my toes into the genre the last couple of years, so when Ashely offered to send me The Hunger Games series, I was excited! I've heard so much about it and from what I could tell, there were no magic (yuck), dragons (yuck), or wizards (yuck)! To my pleasant surprised, I was completely hooked and had trouble putting down the first and second books of this three book series. I'm currently in the middle of the third. Suspenseful! I can't wait to finish the third book and see the movie next year.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: I've had this book on my to-read list for a long time. What finally pushed me was one of the Nick Hornby books I mentioned citing this book as one of the best books he has read capturing what it's like to be autistic. (Nick Hornby's son is autistic.) The story is engaging and the autistic teen narrator really just charms you deeply. My heart was so warm reading this book. I highly, highly recommend it.

What are some of your favorite books you've read this year?
Thank you for the opportunity!

Thanks Linda for those great recommendations! And now for my list. I also decided to pick my favs from this year too:

The Last Town On Earth: This was so beautifully written first & foremost. The excellent story was a plus. It is set during the 1918 flu epidemic & is about the ramifications of a town that completely quarantines itself in order to stave off the threat. Besides the flu, America is involved in a war & tensions are high as people are divided & question each other's patriotism/loyalty. This story was inspired by a little known fact of an actual town that did isolate itself & I happened to have gone to college there.

The Hunger Games: Just like Linda, I'm not really into "fantasy" books either & I've always had a bias against teen lit for some reason. But this book was just incredible. I think I read it in a day & a half. I couldn't stop & stayed up into the early morning hours to finish it. Believe the hype & for those of you who don't like sci-fi, post-apocalyptic books, please give this a chance. It's so much more than that.

The Little Stranger: This is an excellent take on the gothic novel. Beautiful, eerie, & elegant. We're talking 1940s Britain, sinister presence/haunted house, a family with a sad history which makes for all the elements of an old-fashioned psychological ghost story.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice: This is a new take on Sherlock Holmes, where he plays a side character to Mary Russell, a 15 year old woman who becomes his "partner" & helps him solve cases. It is such a fun book & I've read the second in the series too. I'd recommend it for light summer reading - highly entertaining.

Crazy Sexy Diet: Big fan of Kris Carr. Carr shares her vision for a vegetarian or vegan diet that emphasizes balancing the pH of the body with whole and raw foods, organic green drinks, and smoothies. Additionally, she shares the steps of her own twenty-one-day cleanse, and sample recipes. I don't plan on following her recommendations 100% but picking & choosing the ones that work with my lifestyle & goals. In fact, that was the one thing I really appreciated about this book was Carr's insistence that you can't be perfect & that you shouldn't try to follow everything but adapt it to fit your needs & wants (like if you don't want to go veggie or vegan, then she suggests meatless Mondays).

Hope you enjoyed today's edition & stay tuned for next week's list & another special guest. Have a great weekend & as always, thanks for stopping by.

I Love Paper - Studio Calico

2011-11-09T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today I wanted to share with you the first kit I received from Studio Calico's monthly scrapbooking kit.

It arrived in a cute pizza box

I'm a sucker for simple yet cute packaging.

All the goodies were wrapped in a kraft bag sealed

with a sticker that tells you the name of the kit.

Included in the kit were all these delicious papers.

I think the clouds one is my favorite.

And all these collage ephemera - washi tape, stickers,

a couple stamps, etc.

Lastly, there was this adorable card.

I am really pleased with the kit, especially for the price. You can get details here if you're interested. Happy Creating!

Moments in Photos

2011-11-07T19:36:00.000-05:00

This past Friday night, we went to see the NEOS Dance Theater perform "Count...The Legend of Dracula," at the Midland Theater. The classic horror story was re-envisioned as a multi-media event combining rock, pop & industrial music with video imaging & very few props. It was really unique & the ballet was beautiful. Note to self: if there is a possibility of the use of a smoke machine, DO NOT sit in the second row from the stage.

2 of the pictures above are from the inside of the Midland, which was restored in 1992, after having sat vacant for 14 years (first opened its doors on December 20th, 1928). The renovation was an $8.5 million investment & took over 8 years of meticulous restoration. We live about 10 minutes away from the theater & have seen several shows like Robert Cray & Second City.

This last picture was on my drive into work this morning. Thanks for stopping by & Happy Monday.

Five Favs Friday

2011-11-04T10:00:00.002-04:00

2000 suspended dandelions - yes 2000. Absolutely gorgeous.
This is my dream library (via: lemon & raspberry)
This e-mag on design, fashion & inspiration. It is Ah-mazing! (via: Decor 8)
These necklaces (for the day when I have some extra cash lying around) (via: Design Sponge)
These amazing paper cuts - I mean absolutely incredible. What patience...

Have a fantastic weekend! And feel free to provide links in the comments (I can't get Mr. Linky to work right for some reason) of things you've found online.

Welcome November

2011-11-02T10:00:00.001-04:00

Aren't these clouds beautiful?

So November already. Wow…2 more months until the end of the year. That's pretty crazy. Thanks everyone for your comments on my Halloween cards. They were a lot of fun to make & I’ve loved the responses from those who received them.

Since starting fresh & finding myself back at square one, I’ve decided to spend these last few months focusing on creativity.

I organized an altered journal round robin with three very creative & talented women which begins now (more on that later this month).
I am finally going to make a December Daily album & will start putting it together in the next couple of weeks.
Of course, there’s this month’s cards for 52 Weeks of Mail. Will you be a lucky recipient? If I don’t have your address & you’d like me to send you some snail mail, email me your contact info at: aloveaffairwithpaper@yahoo.com

Starting this class on Dec 1.
Still have this class to start – thank goodness it’s available for a year.
Thinking about turning my blog posts from the past year into a Blurb book. I love having a blog & while I understand that there is a digital record of it, I will always be a paper/book lover first & foremost. Having my posts in one physical book makes me giddy. And yes, I am that person who gets excited to visit the office supplies store too.

I think I have plenty to keep me busy until the New Year. What are some of your goals for the next 2 months?

52 Weeks of Mail - Oct Update

2011-10-31T10:00:00.003-04:00

I ended up sending out all my 52 Weeks of Mail cards at once for the month of Oct (I showed a sneak preview here). Now, that everyone should have received them, I wanted to share in full.

Can't wait to begin the Nov cards. Be on the lookout; you could be next!

*Supplies used: My Mind's Eye Mischievous Halloween Collection & Chipboard Accessories Stickers, & Anna Griffin Halloween Border Stickers.

Five Favs Friday - Scary Movie Edition

2011-10-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

Friends, just wanted to take a moment & thank you so much for liking my Facebook page, following me on Twitter, posting comments here & just stopping by (even if you don't comment, I still appreciate you - I know you're there, the stats don't lie). It means the world to me! Have a wonderful weekend doing whatever makes you happy. Our weekend will consist of spending major quality time together since M has been gone on a business trip since last Sat.

Photo Credit

Now on to this week's list. In celebration of Halloween & all things creepy, macabre, & ghoulish, I’ve listed my favorite “scary” movies. Due to Mary’s awesome suggestion (great idea – thanks!), I’ve added Mr. Linky below so that you can share your favorites too on your blog. And for those of you who don’t like horror movies [we can still be friends ;)] you can list a movie that scared you, perhaps being the reason you don’t like them now or any old regular movie that was so bad it warrants being in this genre.

The Exorcist – Straight-up scary possessed girl. Check. No stupid looking CGI effects. Check. Best use of a can of pea soup. Check.
The Others – I feel like this didn’t get the attention it deserved. Nicole Kidman is
fantastic. The story is chilling in addition to the beautiful cinematography. Highly recommend for those of you who can’t stand gore or violence. It delivers just the right amount of scares in a completely subtle & clever way.
Poltergeist – This list wouldn’t be complete without a cheesy 80s movie thrown in. And it scared me when I was just 6 years old. As in I attribute my fear of clowns to this movie. Useless info: I was good friends in college, with JoBeth Williams nephew (she played the mom).
The Descent - Spelunking, group of women, scary creatures that can see you in the dark. Beware - pretty violent & gory but not gratuitous.
The Ring - This was the first of the Japanese remakes & the only one that was done well. Super creepy girl (hmmmm...what's with all the scary girls), Naomi Watts, Seattle as the backdrop & even though a little too slick & somewhat gimmicky, it delivered on the creepiness factor.

Bonus links (because 5 just isn't enough):

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown – OK so this isn’t scary at all, but it’s a classic for sure & a fav since my childhood. The Simpsons parody on this was cute too.
Anything by Hitchcock – Psycho, Rear Window, The Birds. He changed the face of horror movies & movies in general. "The Master of Suspense" indeed.
Southland Tales - This is my contribution to a non-horror movie that should have been b/c it was so bad.

***Don't forget about Mr. Linky and/or leave a comment with your faves. Have a spooktacular weekend (sorry, couldn't resist)!

New Series - Cool Creative Chicks

2011-10-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

Photo credit

Welcome to the debut of my new monthly series (to be featured on the last Wed of the month) – Cool Creative Chicks. I am fortunate to know so many CCCs & wanted to share these gems with you & foster community. That’s why we’re all online right? So hopefully, you will connect with one another & make new friends or even just take away something from each interview.

Today’s guest is Woz Flint. You may recall my post here gushing about her & I thought she would be the perfect person to kick this new series off with. I was fortunate to have had a free session with her through Artella's ARTbundance Coach Training & we really clicked. Then I hired her as my coach when she launched her business. She is super fun, super smart, a fellow animal lover, & really just a genuinely sweet person.

And there's that little cutie of hers.

Bio:

Woz Flint is a writer, mama, and creativity coach. She can down a jar of green olives with the best of them and rarely has a good hair day. Feel free to drop her a line to say hey at woz.flint@gmail.com, follow her on twitter @wozflint & catch up with her on her blog.

You’ve owned several businesses, one being a brick & mortar store, why did you decide to be a life coach & writer? Also do you have any words of wisdom for inspiring entrepreneurs?

Coaching was something that was actually starting to take form before I opened my health and wellness store. I'd just read so much about the field and wondered if I had a place in it. For a long time I wasn't sure since things seemed so general but then I came upon a certification program that would give me the tools to be a family coach which, at the time, was perfect for me as my heart was in coaching teens. Later, I went on to work with creative women as they embarked on starting their own businesses. As far as becoming a writer, I don't know that I ever decided that one exactly. Ask the five-year-old version of me who declared herself to be a writer and illustrator after penning a poem about bubblegum based on the gum ball machine she drew. LOL

Inspiring words for entrepreneurs? Just freaking do it. Seriously. You will find a million and one reasons NOT to do what you want to do, so instead of wasting your time checking off reasons you aren't fit, make the most of your time and get your dream going. In my experience it has ALWAYS been worth it.

How do you keep organized & find balance between being a new mother, working full-time, writing & having a side business?

Balance. Ah, such an elusive idea, isn't it? Honestly, I'm still in flux after becoming a mommy eight months ago. I'm finding some things, like writing because I can squeeze those minutes (yes, minutes!) in little spaces here and there, easier as the little guy gets older. Other things, like coaching, are a little more challenging as I have to schedule those and my son doesn't always check my day planner before demanding dinner, playtime, or spontaneous drooling attacks on my keyboard. *grin* Overall, I guess I'm just learning to be flexible and patient with myself and with life. Both are new virtues that I'm trying on for size.

How do you carve out time in your very busy schedule to create?

Again it's just being flexible. I used to need to have at least an hour set aside for creative work. If I didn't have that hour, I just wouldn't even bother thinking I couldn't get in the groove without that time allotted. What I'm actually finding is the opposite. Since I'm now creating in the "spare moments" I'm actually doing more creating that I did before. I'm finding that it's not this huge event anymore and since I'm doing things more often without all the pomp and circumstance, I'm just going for it instead of obsessing about creating the perfect scenario to do my work. Turns out that perfect scenario was pretty rare and I'm getting far more imperfect ones to get creating. :)

Describe your creative process & how you combat creative ruts/blocks?

I wish I had a distinct creative process to gush about but I don't. I used to think that made me a "fake" but now I'm just seeing that means I'm open to whatever comes my way. When I've tried to force a certain process, I noticed that my work fell flat. Now, I'm open and my ideas and work really thrive because of it. As for those creative ruts, I just keep going. The longer I sit and obsess about not creating, the even longer I sit and obsess. I try to do something, if even for two minutes, every single day. Get a timer, set it for two minutes, and go. You'll be amazed how much can happen in those two minutes if you just allow it. Who doesn't have two minutes?

What/who inspires you?

At the moment I am wildly inspired by Goddess Leonie Allen. Her work started out as a little blog where she just felt drawn to share what was being created in her life. That little blog project is now a HUGE and gorgeous business that sustains her family, her ever growing dreams, and inspires so many other women to find the goddess that lives within themselves. I'm a member of her Goddess Circle and the inspiration on that "online sanctuary" as she calls it truly runs wild.

In general, what never fails to inspire me is going to see live music. There is something very intimate about witnessing a performance as it unfolds. There will never be another one just like it ever. I love just hanging out, singing along, and if I'm really lucky, having a nice glass of red wine to go with it all. If you ever have a chance to see Over the Rhine live (they are an Ohio band), I would tell you to run, not walk, as you will be filled with inspiration after leaving one of their shows. Genius.

What are some of your future goals? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I would love to see myself out of Corporate America and being sustained fully by my work. I've done it twice before so I know that it can be done; I just have a little more to sustain now with a mortgage, a son, etc. I hope to have a solid circle of women who I can call my creative soul mates. I hope to be spending my Saturday mornings eating cereal, watching cartoons, and finger painting with my son. Anything more than that will just be icing on the cake.

For fun:

Favorite beverage: Hot Dr. Pepper with lemon

Fav dessert/snack/food: vegan sushi. Actually anything I can drench in soy sauce is a really good thing.

Fav music band *at the moment* (I know it’s hard to pick just one): Over the Rhine is my all time favorite band but at the moment. I have this love affair with Maroon 5's song "Moves Like Jagger" in an unhealthy way. *plays for fifth time today*

Fav book: I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb

Fav movie: Garden State

Fav boy celebrity crush: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (meow)

Fav celebrity girl crush: Zooey Deschanel (could she be any cuter?!)

Hope you enjoyed this interview & thanks so much Woz for finding time in your busy schedule to answer these questions! Show both of us some love by leaving a comment here or visiting Woz.

Bare Walls

2011-10-24T10:00:00.001-04:00

Since making vast house renovations (see some projects here & here), we haven't really focused on decor yet. Specifically, our walls are still bare, even though all the painting has been done & we've bought prints & "inherited" some oil paintings. So we have many items waiting for frames & matting. Truth be told, I think that the renovations & then buying furniture just wore us out.

Imagine my excitement then when I found a Living Social Coupon for MyPix2Canvas. I ordered 2 11x14 1 1/2 inch deep canvases & one 16x20 1 1/2. My thought was that we wouldn't need to frame them & thus could get something on our walls STAT. Also, we could start a tradition of having a canvas done using pictures from our travels.

11x14 of the view from our hotel room in Hawaii -
we were lucky to have a deck & a room right next
to the water

11x14 of Italy - can't remember which place this was
specifically :(

16x20 of our pups. Yes, we are those people -crazy about
our dogs. This was originally taken with my cell phone & the
lighting is yellowish but the quality still came out terrific.

The canvases exceeded my expectations, especially considering the one above was taken with my cell phone. We'll be hanging the travel ones in our stairway/upstairs hallway. Happy Monday & thanks for stopping by!

Five Favs Friday

2011-10-21T10:00:00.002-04:00

It's that time of the week again. Here's to a relaxing & fun weekend! And as always, thanks for stopping by.

This quote (via ebb & flow).
This INCREDIBLE blog post about shifts in life, transformation & moving forward. Amanda is one of the most eloquent & powerful writers/bloggers I've come across.
This 40 foot slide.
These minimalist children's story posters (via a cup of jo) - my fav is Red Riding Hood - the wolf's paw is a nice touch.
This super cute polka dot clutch.

* Did you know that you can find me on FB, twitter & pinterest.

Halloween Spirit

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

As I've said numerous times, Fall is my favorite season. But I especially love October & Halloween. It's the time for scary movie marathons, big bags of candy, Halloween costumes & the usual comforts of cooler weather - scarves, sweaters, dresses with tights & boots, s'mores, hot chocolate, apple cider, pumpkin flavored anything & snuggling.

We actually don't get any trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood, since we live in a valley & our house is located on the top of a very steep hill. I guess the kids don't want to make the trek up each driveway. So I celebrate/pay tribute in other less obvious ways; like decorating my office with little trinkets & making cards.

I've been sorta obsessed with mummies. I got this mug at
our local grocery store & this mummy is part of the
Tim Burton's Tragic Toys for girls & boys Collection.

I also pulled out an old favorite from last year. As for the cards I mentioned above, for 52 Weeks of Mail, I decided to make all Halloween cards & sent them out together instead of sending one per week. That just works better for me. I've shared little sneak peeks below & will share them in their entirety in another post once I know that they have been received (as I don't want to ruin the surprise).

How do you celebrate Halloween?

I Love Paper - Besotted Brand

2011-10-17T13:44:00.000-04:00

Today, I wanted to share with you a new shop that I am absolutely in love with. I was the very very lucky winner of one of Miss B's contests for the debut of her gorgeous new shop - Besotted Brand. The giveaway was a 'Fig. 1' wood handled stamp & came wrapped up in a beautiful package with some other goodies.

I can't wait to use this in my collages & journals.

This wooden box is going to be a great addition to my office. I
love when packaging is both beautiful & useful.

Look at all these extra goodies she included! ~Swoon~

Ultra luxe cardstock, Archive labels, heart stamp, &
pigment ink.

Included in my gift box was her ultra heavyweight cardstock flats. I know
that this picture doesn't do it justice, but the flats are such high quality - thick, smooth &
creamy. Plus that little heart stamp will be the perfect addition to personalize
them a little more. I almost don't want to use them & keep it all to myself :)

Besotted Brand is not just dedicated to luxe stationary either. Miss B offers custom designs & on the horizon are an apothecary, fine jewelry & home goods. If these lines are anything like her stationary, then I know that I will be a BIG fan of everything she does. Please visit her at her blog, shop or on Twitter. I've been following her blog for quite a while now & find myself constantly inspired by her good taste.

Five Favs Friday

2011-10-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend & enjoy this week's links.

This roundup of s’mores recipes. Because Fall is NOT complete without them.
This article on the reason why some people don’t have one true calling - why that’s normal & even why we’re better off that way. A must read for those of us still searching for our “one” true calling & feeling frustrated for not finding it yet.
This monthly subscription service for personalized stationary – notebooks, journals & assorted unique stationary. I. Must. Have. This.
This Alice teacup drawing.
This entire line of clothing. I first wrote about Emersonmade here & have purchased several items since. Love.

This Weekend

2011-10-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

This weekend there was:
Brunch
A trip to the bookstore
A leisurely drive on the back roads by our house to look at the changing leaves
2 early morning runs
A delicious homemade breakfast courtesy of M
Finishing a book that was taking me too long to read (even though I thought it was excellent)
Catching up on DVR'd shows
Some ok movies
A massage
Relaxing & enjoying the extra day off

What did you do over the weekend?

Five Favs Friday - In Pictures

2011-10-07T10:00:00.002-04:00

I enjoyed last week's picture edition so much that I decided to do it again this week. Enjoy!

1. This picture because it made me SMILE & giggle.

2. This pig. Enough said.

3. The World's Biggest Summit - health, wealth, spirituality, creativity, business & illumination. And did I mention it's FREE?!

4. So excited for this to start next week (I know I did a post on it already but it bears repeating just in case you missed it & because it's gonna rock!)

5. This pen (via Life is a Canvas). AH-MAZING. Watch the short video.

Hope you have a good weekend (especially if you're fortunate enough to have a 3 Day because of the Holiday). Also, just wanted to give a birthday shout-out to my dad (his birthday was yesterday) - Love you so much!

Moving Forward

2011-10-05T10:00:00.006-04:00

Credit: Helga Weber via Crazysexylife

"Before I can tell my life what I want to do

with it, I must listen to my life

telling me who I am, to the truths and values

at the heart of my own identity."

~ Parker J. Palmer

After finally admitting that I wasn't happy with my current goal and then accepting that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be (read original post here), I've decided to focus on getting my creativity back & finding my "passion." And with a new month just barely begun & the start of autumn, change is practically a prerequisite of the season.

I signed up for Onward & Upward - a 6 week online workshop that will help me identify the GREAT WORK that brings the most joy to my life & work toward making it a larger part of my life. It began on Monday & so far so good.

I just started reading this book & am HOOKED. Kris Carr is funny, smart & inspiring. Part of being back at square one means a renewed focus on my health.

Last night, I started my couch to 5k program (you may remember that I did this last year as well. But after I completed it, I just stopped running). Normally, I hop on the treadmill, but since its currently not working, I had to take to the road & it was incredible. The fresh air, the cool breeze, & being surrounded by trees & leaves. Why didn't I do this before? Coupled with my Pure Barre classes & a healthier "diet," I intend to get back into shape.

Life is good. Thanks for stopping by.

Sparkle Swap

2011-10-03T20:15:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago, I joined Kaileen Elise's Sparkle Swap 2011. For this swap, we were tasked with sending a fellow blogger a package with 4 gifts: a bit of sparkle, a treat that soothes, something sweet, and a surprise. Today, I wanted to share the incredible gifts that I received from this lovely lady.

Look at all those goodies!

And my favorite part - all that paper ephemera

Thank you so much Jamie - I love everything! Here's to a great week.

Five Favs Friday

2011-09-30T10:00:00.001-04:00

Hi All. Today's Five Favs Friday is going to be in pictures. Enjoy & Happy Friday!

1. This appetizer of melted pecorino cheese,
with crostini, apples & truffle honey

2. This picture because Fall is my favorite season

3. These tea bags because they came 2 days in a row
& after I wrote this post (very appropriate timing-wise)

4. This cookie jar

5. These FREE printables -
Get Well Soon Mini Cards from Mayi Carles

Acceptance

2011-09-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

Credit: Black Apple via Design is Mine

Feeling the need to let things go. Not just physical objects either. What I’m talking about mostly is goals & dreams & things that I’ve been holding onto & not doing anything with. A big step for me was finally realizing & admitting that I didn’t want an Etsy shop. When I decided to let that go, not only did I feel an immediate sense of relief & like a weight had been lifted, but also a shift in my thinking. By releasing that goal, I had made room for new ideas & dreams to take its place & that was a good thing. I felt an initial surge of enthusiasm & new found hope but now that has faded. I know that life is cyclical; that there will be ups & downs, stagnation & growth. But right now, I’ve felt like I’ve been in a rut for a majority of this year & that’s disappointing, frustrating & upsetting.

I’ve always had a problem with managing my expectations & learning to listen to what my heart tells me. I have many intentions & desires but none that have made me feel truly passionate or as if there was no doubt in my mind that this is what I’m “supposed” to be doing. I love making handmade “stationary” but I should have listened to that tiny but persistent voice of doubt (and I’m not describing fear of failure or procrastination) that was there all along. Because then I wouldn’t have made myself almost miserable with trying to achieve something I didn’t even want in the first place. Once I declared that I wanted to make it a business, I stopped enjoying it & that’s a BAD sign. Now, I’ve given myself permission to just let that be a hobby & it feels right.

What I’m saying is that instead of feeling guilty or ashamed or mad even, I’m just going to release all of those tired, old goals that I think I should want & think I should do. I’m going to turn inward & listen to what my heart says, how my body responds & reacts to things. I’m ready for change & I know its coming, but I’m not forcing it. I'm just accepting that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now.

Tell me dear friends, how do you deal with ruts, stagnation & feeling lost? Your tips would be greatly appreciated & are much needed.

Gentle Reminder

2011-09-26T15:21:00.000-04:00

Credit: Elise Blaha
Needed to read this today & thought I would share.

Five Favs Friday

2011-09-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

1. These tree houses because tree houses are cool (via Oh hello friend).

2. The season premieres this week of these 3 shows.

3. This website because their tag line (is that the right word?) - It's not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. So much good info.

4. This exercise class because it's killer & works me HARD.

5. This blog post because she's brilliant & awesome & I may have a girl crush.

Hope you're still enjoying this series. Have a great weekend!

52 Weeks of Mail

2011-09-21T20:20:00.000-04:00

Credit: Handmadeology

Seeing that I have a love affair with all things paper, it wouldn’t surprise you then that I love sending & receiving cards & letters. Yes, the internet has made the art of sending electronic messages easy, free & convenient, especially when in a time crunch, but really is there anything better than opening up the mailbox to pull out an envelope with your name handwritten on it?

So, you can imagine my extreme excitement when I discovered that World Post Day is coming up on Oct. 9^th (which marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union’s establishment in 1874) & that the Etsy Greetings Team, has issued a challenge called 52 Weeks of Mail. The goal is for people to commit to sending at least one personal note, card, postcard, or letter to people they know, once a week for a year. They have suggested that when you send your card that you enclose a second card with a stamped envelope so that the receiver can become the sender & pay it forward. I am tweaking this challenge somewhat & only sending one card, because my plan/goal is to send out a handmade piece of stationary for half of the challenge & then store-bought cards the rest. So this way, I get to say hello to my friends & family but also get back into creating (something I’ve been lacking in lately).

If you want to join in, you can find the details here & if you want something from me, send me your address. And if I already have your address, you may want to check your mailbox in the near future.

Hello Monday

2011-09-19T21:00:00.000-04:00

Found via beauty girl musings

Hi friends. Did you have a good weekend? Excellent here. If you follow me on twitter, you may know that my one & only tweet today was about this movie. We saw it early Saturday morning & spent most of the day talking about it. Here it is, two days later & I'm still thinking about it. That's how good it was. Highly recommend you run to the theater to see this (be forewarned: it is violent).

Finished this book yesterday & will start the third tonight. This is my first foray into young adult lit & I'm hooked (nope, sorry I haven't read the Harry Potter books, but I enjoy the movies).

We're on Season 2 of this show & I'm blown away by how much I like it & how incredible Bryan Cranston is. I didn't put 2 & 2 together that he was the father in Malcolm in the Middle until recently & that he has appeared on one of my favorite shows - How I Met Your Mother.

So besides our usual place for brunch & a trip to the bookstore, that was our weekend. Would love to know what good movies you've seen or your favorite TV shows.

Five Favs Friday

2011-09-16T10:00:00.015-04:00

Hi there. I was so excited with this new series that I had my new list finished at the beginning of this week. I am thinking about doing some specific lists (i.e. my fav cd's/songs of the week, articles, tutorials or handmade products). Speaking of handmade products, the Handmade Wednesday Love weekly series is temporarily on hold, while it gets a much needed face lift. Look for that to begin mid-Oct, while I work on making it even better.

Have a great weekend! As always, please feel free to share any fun or interesting links you've come across or let me know your weekend plans. Thanks for stopping by.

1. The Candy Room - so much fun & so creative. Anyone want to go?

2. This book. Wow. I devoured this in 2.5 days.

3. These DYI bookshelves.

4. This free e-mag I forgot to include before: Rue

5. These fun paper tutorials. My fav is the tiny envelopes.

*You can read the first post of this series here.

Moments in Photos

2011-09-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

I want to continue the practice of taking pics from The August Break so I will be dedicating one post per week to just photos.

Lights at a restaurant

M
*Pics taken with my camera phone

Thanks for stopping by!

Drinking the Stars

2011-09-12T20:27:00.000-04:00

Tartella via Matchbook Mag

Thanks everyone for your sweet comments on my new 5 Faves Friday series. I’m really excited & already have my list for this week ready to go.

This weekend there was a lot of eating out, buying of books, & a low-key celebration for my mom’s birthday (Love you mom!).

And in store for this week: voracious reading of this book, enjoying a night to myself while M is out of town for work, & getting some ideas down on paper. Happy Monday friends!

What are your plans for the week?

Five Favs Friday

2011-09-09T10:00:00.003-04:00

So here is the debut of one of the new weekly series I was talking about the other day. I thought it would be a fun way to round up some of my favorite things I've gathered from around the internet. Hope you enjoy.

E-mags (free): Lonny, Matchbook, Kinfolk, Paper Runway, Est
Pinterest: You can find me here (loveaffairpaper).
This photo (via a cup of jo) - SCARY. If you hate links or are in a rush, then just click on this one! They had no idea what was happening when it was being taken. There's also a brief explanation of what happened. Again - SCARY.
The first 2 books in this series.
This T.V. show.

Would love to know what your favorite links/things around the internet are. Have a great weekend!

Hello September

2011-09-07T19:26:00.000-04:00

Credit: Brown Dress With White Dots Tumblr
via Matchbook Mag

Wow. September you came in like a lion (forget whatever you've heard about March) & roared in my face. Here I was, all hopeful & excited for the onset of my favorite season & its fresh possibilities…and well…you slapped me upside the head & literally spit on my leg (Yes, there was spit involved. Don’t ask). I don’t know what type of message or lesson I was supposed to be taking from this but thank goodness my incredible husband saved the day & reaffirmed my faith in humanity. There’s nothing like coming home to a “suited-up” husband with flowers in hand, waiting to take you on a date.

So now, I’m amazed by the new & numerous ideas I have spinning around when just a few days ago seemed so bleak. There is going to be a complete makeover. A whole new approach & as the incredibly smart & awesome Danielle LaPorte pointed out:

Even destiny has an expiry date. This is such primal wisdom. I’m all for a relentless dreaming & a fierce faith. But if you’re spending an overly long time trying to wish, hammer, hope, push & ploy things into form, maybe it’s time to point your dream in another direction. If a crop isn’t growing, the farmer doesn’t keep wasting water & fertilizer on it. He yanks it out, tills the soil & plants a whole new kind of seed. Let ‘em go. Kill the project. Shut down a division. And take that same longing for love, or creative fulfillment, or phat cash & face forward!

So I hope that you’ll stick around & join me on this new journey. There are major changes planned for this space & A Love Affair with Paper. I will be sharing bits & pieces as I fine-tune them & get my plans together. Some of these changes include: a new weekly series & a focus on creativity & community. Tell me, do you like the Handmade Love Wednesdays series? Do you find it helpful, relevant, fun? Or are you ready for something new? Lay it on me.

By the way, hope you liked the August Break series. I really enjoyed taking a mini-vk from blogging words & focusing on pictures instead. I want to keep up the practice of photo-taking & am thinking of starting a weekly post dedicated to just a pic.

Have a great day & welcome September.

a love affair with paper

Creative Project: Project Life Week 5

Five Favs Friday

Where I Create

Creative Project: Project Life Week 4

Five Favs Friday

Right Now

Creative Project: One Little Word

Creative Project: Altered Journal Round Robin

Cool Creative Chicks - Heather/Shop Embo

Creative Project: Project Life Week 3

Five Favs Friday

52 Weeks of Mail - Jan Cards

Creative Project: Project Life Week 2

Five Favs Friday

Right Now

Creative Project: Project Life Week 1

Creative Project: Project Life

Creative Project: December Daily Album

One Little Word & A New Year's Manifesto

Happy New Year

Happy Holidays

Creative Project: December Daily Album

Five Favs Friday - Holiday Gift Edition

52 Weeks of Mail-Dec Cards

Creative Project: December Daily Album

Five Favs Friday - Holiday Edition

Creative Project: December Daily Album

Hello December

Five Favs Friday - Beauty Edition Guest Post

Cool Creative Chicks - Caiti

Creative Project: Altered Journal Round Robin

Happy Turkey/Tofurkey Day

52 Weeks of Mail - Nov Cards

Five Favs Friday

29 Ways to Stay Creative

52 Weeks of Mail - Nov Update

Five Favs Friday - Books Edition & Guest Post

What are some of your favorite books you've read this year?Thank you for the opportunity!

I Love Paper - Studio Calico

Moments in Photos

Five Favs Friday

Welcome November

52 Weeks of Mail - Oct Update

Five Favs Friday - Scary Movie Edition

New Series - Cool Creative Chicks

Bare Walls

Five Favs Friday

Halloween Spirit

I Love Paper - Besotted Brand

Five Favs Friday

This Weekend

Five Favs Friday - In Pictures

Moving Forward

Sparkle Swap

Five Favs Friday

Acceptance

Gentle Reminder

Five Favs Friday

52 Weeks of Mail

Hello Monday

Five Favs Friday

Moments in Photos

Drinking the Stars

Five Favs Friday

Hello September

What are some of your favorite books you've read this year?
Thank you for the opportunity!