Archive for February, 2012
February 29th, 2012 | 3 Comments »
I have a love-hate relationship with February 29th! As a kid, I loathed leap years (cue the crying). A leap year meant that I had to wait a whole extra day to celebrate my birthday, March 1st. Now, I actually enjoy the extra day before my age changes (i.e., goes up a bit higher).
With every birthday, I realize just how quickly our lives move. But even more than that, I acknowledge how lucky I am to be here to celebrate this birthday. I remember all of the friends I lost far too young in life who would have done anything to reach this birthday.
Today, I want to cherish this extra day. I want to mark this day with leaps—little and big.
Today, I take a leap…
… outside my comfort zone
… towards a dream
… beyond a fear
… towards something I normally wouldn’t do, something indulgent
… towards self-compassion and practicing self-care
How can you take a leap today?
Pin It
Tags: comfort zone, leap, leap year
Posted in: Authenticity, Personal, Treasure Chest
February 27th, 2012 | 6 Comments »
… more inspiring quotes
… i received a few requests to add a “pin it” button to the posts. i tried doing this (see little “pin it” icon below). let me know if you have any issues using it!
Pin It
Tags: ambiguity, gilda radner, Quote, uncertainty
Posted in: Creative, Defeated, Overwhelmed, Treasure Chest, When You Feel
February 23rd, 2012 | 10 Comments »
This week, I’m focused on all things move related. The journey of moving comes with its ups and downs (a whole other post!). What I’ve loved the most about this process has been the purging of SO MUCH stuff! My life feels a bit lighter :).
When I lived in Boston, I missed natural light. In the new space, I am excited to use a more neutral color scheme with added pops of color—creating a very bright, clean, and cheerful effect. As such, my eye has been pulled towards neutral colors like shades of beige (a color I equated with “boring” before thinking about my new space). The greatest part of using a color scheme composed of neutrals is the ability to use the furniture in different spaces in the future (we’re currently renters). Add a little paint to the wall, hang some art, or get a colorful area rug to easily change the feel of the rooms. I’m excited to play (i.e., decorate) with my blank canvas!
sources: wedding gown photo (via the berry)|ceramic heart dish (karoArt ceramics on etsy)|bow shoe clips (No144 on etsy)|pattern circle (designed by carolyn)|twine photo (lynda naranjo on etsy)
What do you think of using a neutral color scheme with added pops of color? Do you find beige to be boring (like I did!)? What color is currently inspiring you?
more color inspiration: color me happy on pinterest
Tags: beige, collage, color, color me happy, decorate, Inspiration Board, interior design, karoArt, Lynda Naranjo, mood board, moving, No144
Posted in: Creative, Creativity & Inspiration, Random, Series, Treasure Chest, When You Feel
February 21st, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Welcome to this month’s Pen & Paper: Living Between the Lines written by the amazing Hope Wallace Karney. To learn more about Hope and the column, please check out the announcement post!
5 Blogs for Journaling and Story Catching Inspiration
After talking about Ali Edwards in last month’s post, I realized that there are so many inspiring blogs—many that you may not know about. This month, I am sharing with you 5 blogs for journaling and story catching inspiration that I enjoy!
Pam Garrison (blog | etsy)
Pam’s style is amazing—beautiful, colorful yet reserved in color at the same time, vintage yet modern.
Marcy Penner (blog—hello forever)
Marcy has a way of creating clean layouts with lots of information on them. I love her Project Life pages.
Samantha Kira Harding (blog—Journal Girl)
Kira creates bold, colorful journaling spreads.
Art Journaling (blog| journal image)
Pure eye candy. You never know what you will see! This blog contains user submissions of art journal spreads.
Amanda Johnson (blog—Here’s Looking at Me Kid)
I love the quirky style of journaling Amanda does!
What about you? Any journaling/story inspiration links you want to share?
images: links to sources within post
Tags: Ali Edwards, Amanda Johnson, Art Journaling, Besottment, hello forever, Here's Looking at Me Kid, Hope Wallace Karney, Inspiration, Journal Girl, journaling, journaling blogs, Living Between the Lines, Marcy Penner, Pam Garrison, Paper Relics, Pen & Paper, Project Life, Samantha Kira Harding
Posted in: Creative, Creativity & Inspiration, Guest Bloggers, Inspired, Pen & Paper, Random, When You Feel
February 15th, 2012 | 8 Comments »
A reminder to never underestimate the power of one action to change your life. Often, the greatest changes in life occur quite naturally—due to a simple intrinsic change that has a ripple effect in other areas of your life. If your inner voice is begging to be heard, take a moment to listen to the message. The message may be the spark that changes your life.
more inspiring quotes: quoted on pinterest
Tags: change your life, leap of faith, Perception, Quote, Robert Holden, surrender
Posted in: Creativity & Inspiration, Defeated, Random, Treasure Chest, When You Feel
February 14th, 2012 | 5 Comments »
How do you procrastinate while moving? You decide to make a giant ombre heart composed of >160 mini hearts!
Wishing you a happy day, filled with lots of happy hearts :)!
Tags: happy, heart, ombre, Valentine's Day
Posted in: Treasure Chest
February 13th, 2012 | 9 Comments »
I don’t watch American Idol and hadn’t watched The Voice until this weekend. Wow, I am so grateful that I got to watch Chris Mann audition for the judges on The Voice. Not only is his voice powerfully unique, but his spirit and message are so inspiring. I was able to find a video of these four inspiring minutes via NBC and hope you can take a few minutes to watch it. Watch his body language—notice how beautifully vulnerable he lets himself become when talking with the judges.
After you watch the clip, let me know what you think. What parts did you find powerful? What resonated for you? Did you get chills while watching it (like me!)?
If you can’t see the clip above, you can try viewing it on The Voice’s website (direct link). Also try refreshing your web browser to see if the video appears.
image: found via pinterest
Tags: #thevoice, Authenticity, chris mann, nbc, the voice, Video, vulnerability
Posted in: Creativity & Inspiration, Defeated, Random, Treasure Chest, When You Feel
February 10th, 2012 | 14 Comments »
While I normally work on these color boards for at least a week before posting (since I’m a newbie at photoshop and pretty much all things design/creative), I began this board yesterday. I thought it would be a great test to see how my skills and confidence have progressed (failed test!). I would love to fiddle around with this board some more, but will resist my perfectionist tendencies :).
For this color board, I chose pink blush. I have been so drawn to this soft color recently. And just so you know, I completely forgot when working on this board that next week is Valentine’s Day and everyone is experiencing pink + red overload. Hopefully, this board doesn’t scream Valentine’s Day and provides a quiet respite for your eyes and mind. Are you experiencing pink + red overload this week? What color is inspiring you?
sources: button badges (eva juliet) | ombre blush silk headband (mignonne handmade) | candle centerpiece (martha stewart weddings via pinterest) | gorgeous gold glitter with blush bow shoes (found via pinterest) | gift with magnificent ribbon (this is glamorous – thank you jack germain for the recommendation!)
p.s. i’m moving next week (to miami) and hope to continue posting as usual, but if I go missing, just know that I’m buried in boxes and wish i were here :).
–> find more color inspiration on my pinterest “color me happy” board!
Tags: collage, color, color board, color me happy, Etsy, eva juliet, Inspiration Board, jack germain, martha stewart weddings, mignonne handmade, mood board, pink, pink blush, Pinterest, this is glamorous
Posted in: Creative, Creativity & Inspiration, Random, Series, Treasure Chest, When You Feel
February 8th, 2012 | 9 Comments »
I am a creature of habit. I crave structure, routine, and certainty. I love to create plans and maps that enable me to align my actions with my intentions and goals. Lately I’ve noticed that I’m feeling adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Hearing myself say “I don’t know” so much leaves me cringing.
My story is changing—the story I wrote so long ago. And the little girl within me doesn’t want to let that story go. Yet, the woman I am today knows that this story no longer fits. It is time to begin rewriting the story, one single step at a time.
I’ve shifted my thoughts from what “I don’t know” to what “I do know.” I created a list titled “What I Do Know” and surprised myself with the security I feel in so many areas of my life. Now, when I begin to focus solely on the unknown, I shift my focus to the wonderful things I do know. It’s a quick and simple way to float along the sea of uncertainty.
Below you can download a simple index card like template to jot down what you DO know. Try it. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your perspective will change!
What I Do Know (PDF Download)
image: type + image
Tags: change, Download, printable, Transition, uncertainty
Posted in: Authenticity, Defeated, Tips + Techniques, When You Feel
February 6th, 2012 | 12 Comments »
This quote is one of my absolute favorites. It never loses its significance. Whenever you feel overwhelmed or uncertain, choose to bring your focus to your next step. Take a single step and then begin again. As you take single steps forward, your perspective will shift providing a new vantage point from which to assess your journey.
photograph: found on pinterest (pinned by liz schneider) via live creating yourself
p.s. more inspiring quotes
Tags: journey, lao tzu, Quote
Posted in: Creativity & Inspiration, Inspired, Overwhelmed, Random, Treasure Chest, When You Feel
