bonjour!

Hello! Hello! It's so good to be back. Paris was amazing! I've come back SO inspired by everything I saw. If you followed my Instagram feed during the trip you got just a glimpse of the 2,887 photos I took. It's very difficult to summarize the whole experience so here are just some impressions and a few more photos.



Best comment (even it is in jest) of the trip:
Daughter in "anguish": "How could you do this to us?!"
Me: "Do what? What do you mean?"
Daughter: "We're actually learning!"

Most predictable behavior at the Musee de l'Armee:
- Son: loved every second of seeing real armor, canons, weapons, etc.
- Daughter: Got bored within 10 min. and literally was dragged through the rest of the museum in protest. She was cute however by going a bit ahead of us to explore. Whenever we were about to walk into a room she knew her brother would love she'd make him walk into it with his eyes closed and give him a Ta-da! moment. :)

Two moments that took my breath away:
- Walking into the Salon du Glacier at the Place de l'Opéra - wow! (above - any photo you see doesn't do it justice)
- Standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower - not a bad view from any side. No surprise there, but still so, so great to be taking it all in.

 Voted as the most fun by all four of us equally:
- Renting a car on a whim to go see a stage of the Tour de France in Tours (a city that's 2 1/2hrs away from Paris). We were only 400m from the finish line and saw them whoosh right past us for the take off of the final sprint. They really were that close to use as you see in the photo—we could've touched them! Having seen this race on TV ever since I was in high school made this extra special. Bonus: Seeing a bit of the French countryside—beautiful!
- Seeing the Bastille day parade. Very majestic!



Loved my family for patiently putting up with my one day of paper/crafty store excursions. I followed Dawn's awesome list and saw all but one of the shops. Everything was so beautiful and the craftsmanship was incredible.

Also loved that our combined knowledge of English and Spanish really helped us with French. We could really get the gist of things we heard and read. I really, really want to learn French properly now.

Obtained proof several times over that:
- The French people are wonderful hosts and very, very friendly. The most memorable one was a gentleman that could obviously tell we were a bit lost as we looked at one of our maps. He came up to us (without us asking) and with his zero English and our zero French we managed to understand one another and he let us know what direction we needed to take to reach the place we were looking for. That was just one of other similar experiences. Les Français sont des gens magnifiques!

Most surprising thing post-trip:
This jet lag thing! Holy molly it's kicking my butt! I feel like a truck ran over me. Today is the first day I feel semi-human. Not 100% but getting there quickly.

Now to get all this inspiration on to paper and into real projects. CAN'T WAIT! But first I must continue the glamorous job of tackling our mountain of laundry. I couldn't start until yesterday when we finally got our suitcases—a couple of days after our arrival!

I hope you're all doing well!
- Patricia

a mini-me?

Our daughter inherited my old Cricut Expression and yesterday she simply had to have it all installed and ready to go in her room (we had the day off for parent/teacher conferences).

After a while of working in her room alone she came up to me with something behind her back. She told me to close my eyes. When I opened them my gazebo was inhabited by her two creations! She created little paper kickstands to make the people stand and she cut out double outfits so that the backs wouldn't be just their plain bodies (it's all in the details!). It makes me all smiles every time I look at it.

She's discovered sewing, she loves paper, she LOVES journals, notebooks and pads, she loves to color, she loves her dolls—all at random times and in spurts. She reminds me SO much of myself when I was her age, except for the fact that she has one artistic talent that I do not have—she has a good musical ear (which reminds me of my brother). She's taking clarinet lessons and doing really, really well. I took piano lessons at her age and let's just say it wasn't exactly a lot of fun. Lol.

She's my little renaissance sweetie! Love her.

6 reasons why children need art in their lives

I've been thinking about this a lot because our daughter (9 almost 10!) has been gradually getting more interested in making well... anything. I couldn't be happier.

Since I'm so involved in making myself I've tried not to push it on the kids. I've always made the basics available (and trust me they raid my "work" stuff too), but I've never pushed them into creating something because it's 'crafty time' or anything like that. I've always had a feeling that if they felt inspired it would come—and it does—in spurts.

Purely based on my observations of our kids this is why I think that all kids should be exposed to art  from the moment they can hold something (and not swallow it!).

1. Creativity = A nose can be red
During the Christmas break little C and I went to paint Santa mugs at a ceramics shop. She painted her own and I painted one for her brother who I knew would want one but hadn't been in the mood to go with us that day. She decided that Santa's nose needed to be red. I made the comment that I thought Rudolph was the only one with a red nose. No. She said I was wrong and that Santa had a red nose too—and that was that. Okey. Dokey.
(She did such a good job with her painting that the only way we can tell the mugs apart are the noses!)

Kids are open to all possibilities and show it in their projects. A nose can be red, hair can be purple and skin can be green. No big deal. Why not? Why not indeed.

Tip for the adults (and a reminder for myself):
Don't question a child's choices. If you're genuinely curious about something ask questions instead of trying to "set them straight". I was kicking myself after the 'red nose' comment I made because I always tell the kids that in art there are no wrong answers. I never... almost never question their choices. Oops.

2. Confidence = I can do this!
Our little C just learned how to use my sewing machine this past weekend. She knows how to thread the machine and even though she still needs help with the bobbin she's off to the races! For now her only project has been making small pillows (see above?). I gave her some lavender and she also made us a couple of sachets! She's been making the cute pillows over and over again and is completely thrilled with her progress. As the days go by she seems more in command of what she's doing. She's developed a rhythm to her work—she totally knows what's she's doing.

Learning how to use one tool makes her braver to try something else—something new. I've noticed it every time she tackles a new medium. It never fails.

Tip for adults:
Within reason and keeping safety in mind let kids try out things that you don't think they may be ready for—they may surprise you. My daughter definitely surprised me with the way she picked up using the sewing machine. I honestly didn't think she was ready for it.

3. Problem solving = I figured it out
I remember that a few years ago our son decided that he wanted to make a garage for his little cars out of a cardboard box (just remembered! I blogged about it here). He tried to use scissors to cut the box apart. A combination of old scissors and cardboard that was too thick made the task almost impossible. He opted for the "tear with my own two hands" method and he was done. The cardboard was all jagged and taped together in a haphazard way but he couldn't be happier with the results.

In crafting something can go wrong at any point for a myriad of reasons. What to do? The kids either ask for help or figure it out on their own. Either way they are digging themselves out of the hole they're in.

Tip for adults:
If the kids get frustrated I typically don't let them give up on their idea. There's always a way through or around a problem. Occasionally there may be an idea that is just a complete flop. That's OK too. You all at least learned a way NOT to do something. This is when I typically tell the kids that art is fun and there's NO reason to stress over it (says the woman who often fusses and wonders whether a project is really done. Ha!).

4. Understanding processes and planning = One thing at a time
You can't touch it until it's dry!
Wait the glue isn't set yet!
The bobbin needs thread. That's why the machine is no longer sewing.
Clean the brush with water before dipping it another color.

You get the picture, right? The kids learn that there is a method to the madness—whatever that madness (project) may be.

Tip for adults:
Sometimes it's OK to skip a step or two or three. Maybe your child has a better way of getting from A to B. You never know! Exploring is half the fun.

5. Pride = I did it! 
Finishing a project is so fulfilling and watching the kids running around showing it to the world is the best. "Look what I made! Look! LOOK!"

Tip for adults:
Be genuine in your praise. Kids can tell when you're just being nice to be nice.

6. Having Fun = Having Fun! 
And I'll say it again... Fun! Making is simply entertaining, engrossing and relaxing. Why wouldn't you want your kids exposed to that? They also learn that it's good to take some time off—that it's good (healthy) to take a mental recess.

Tip for adults:
Let the kids lead. You are only a guest or a helper if you're invited to jump in. If they want to tackle a project alone don't take it personally. Remember the last time you wanted to enjoy YOUR book/craft/TV show/whatever without a child on your lap or interrupting every few minutes. You just wanted some alone time. Maybe they just want the same.


Bonus = art + kids is good for YOU 
By being around kids and their art you get to spend some time relearning or remembering your own carefree hands on times. The kids may even teach you a new way of doing something. You will also be lucky to witness a little mind at work—fascinating!

Art made in good company spurs on conversations that you wouldn't otherwise have and it gets your mind off of everything else going on in your world. Any way you look at it, you get something out of it too.


Learning about creativity, confidence, problem solving, understanding processes, pride and simply taking some time to have fun sounds so clinical and dry. Yawn! But in the context of arts and crafts these lessons simply seep into a child's daily experiences and will most definitely bear fruit in other endeavors.

• • •

Phew! I didn't expect that to be that long. But at least it's out of my head and on 'paper'. I know I didn't reveal anything ground breaking but I think it can serve as a reminder for of all us that art IS important.

So who wants to take a crafty break now?
Me!
But maybe later since it's 2am and I got up to write this because I couldn't sleep!

get out of your comfort zone - i went skydiving!

[climbing, climbing to 14,000 ft. my brother in blue]

Something a little different for today.

Shaking up things a bit can be a good thing. A really good thing.

I did it by skydiving on Saturday and it was SO, SO AWESOME! However many hours later and I still feel like I'm running on the effects of the jump. I want to hop on a plane and do it all over again. It was the most fun experience I have ever had.



My advice for whoever is thinking about doing it—just DO IT and if you can convince family and/or friends to go it's even better. I'm glad that I got to share the experience with my brothers and sister-in-law. It wouldn't have been the same if I'd gone alone (the original plan).

Mr. Z, the kids, my parents and my other sister-in-law also went for moral support. Our daughter was seriously upset that she couldn't jump with me (even at 9 she's definitely our little daredevil—oh scary!), but I promised her that we'll go together on her 18th birthday.


[if I look like I'm in a crazy position, what about the photographer?!]

Things I didn't really expect because I hadn't thought about them:
- It's pretty cold at 14,000 ft—more than I would've thought but it didn't phase me. I was more concerned with other things!
- Free falling is loud... like REALLY loud—like having all your car windows open while driving down the freeway x10!
- The stopping force when the parachute deploys is incredible! Wow.
- I thought I'd scream at some point and I didn't but like my DD said I was probably screaming on the inside all the way down—not out of fear but just out of shear excitement.


[free falling at 120mph!]

But... I'm no daredevil. Today I was asked if I would:
- Bungee jump — Nope! Never. It scares me to death and I don't see the point.
- Go down a zip line — Nope! Something just freaks me out about hanging by a 'thread'.
It doesn't make sense does it?

Oh and I don't like roller coasters although I've been on several. I keep thinking one will help me understand what everyone likes about them—still waiting. For those that have asked, no, skydiving doesn't feel like that at all. No yucky stomach upturn feeling.


[the best view of a sunset- EVER!]

What you don't see... At least 5-8 minutes of dropping peacefully with the parachute and looking out as far as the eye can see (our side of Texas is so boringly flat!). It's as peaceful and quiet as I imagine what a hot air balloon ride would be like. It gave us enough time to have a conversation with my instructor about how people react to the experience so differently. His weirdest experience = in midst of the serene descent his jumping partner started crying and said that she needed to ask her husband for a divorce! What!?


[whew! made it!]

I seem too calm in the video—it's not a reflexion of what I was really feeling. After the jump I wanted to literally scream my head off, jump up and down and high-five everyone. The adrenaline rush was just incredible and the feeling of just WOW was overwhelming—it's hard to describe. I couldn't even come up with anything other than "awesome"-ha! I don't know how I kept it all in check. Thank you to my instructor Kieran and videographer Nick for making the experience so incredible (really nice guys!).

You may not want to go the skydiving route but I highly recommend getting out there and just doing something different. It's so worth it! What are you waiting for?

In the video, right before I start speaking, you'll see my younger brother (blue suit), my sister-in-law (long hair and in red) and her husband/my brother (black suit). Oh and please ignore the crazy hair—quite justified right? ;)

Have a fantastic day!

(All photos and video taken by Nick at Skydive Spaceland)
The video is embedded below. If you are reading this post in a reader you may not see it but you can click here to see me in all my craziness.

sometimes you just have to jump

Sometimes things line up in such a way that you can't deny the path that you're supposed to take. I've been coming across articles, ebooks and had conversations that have all led me in a weird (but cool) way to the same thing—I need to take the next big step—and I'm going to do it.

I will share what I'm up to when the timing is right but for now I just wanted to share this much. It also explains why I'm not blogging as regularly. I'm up to my eyeballs in work!

Wee! Exciting times!

• • • 

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt

• • •

The flower is an orchid—part of an arrangement I got from Mr. Z on our anniversary. Love, love the texture. Isn't it incredible?

what summer should be about

Sometimes there are weekends you just want to do over simply because they were so much fun. This past one is one of them. 

We went blueberry picking! It was insanely hot out there (even though we made sure to go at 6pm) but it was a lot of fun. To top it off we now have berries to eat for days and days (they're organic and only $2lb—at Moorehead's Blueberry Farm). 

Random thing I'll remember: The kids would yell "Marco" and strangers among the trees would yell back "Polo". Everyone was laughing and we had no idea who was answering. Funny how sound travels in a field. 

I'm taking it slow this week and getting ready for our trip. I can't wait! 

I hope you all had some rest and fun too. Ta-ta!

when in doubt...

I was talking to someone this week about creativity and self-doubt. We were both having our own personal battles but talking it over with someone else is always such a relief. We know we're not alone but until we hear it from someone else it feels like we are. Don't you think?

I just think that creativity and self-doubt is something that just goes hand in hand. It's good to have some of the latter because it makes us really analyze what we are doing. The trick is not to get on the roller coaster where those feelings prevent us from making forward progress with our ideas.

If you're in the same boat, talk to someone about it. I typically check in with my husband. He offers me a different perspective and he always straightens me out. If you don't have someone handy then just ask yourself, "what is the worst that can happen?". The answer to that question, when it's put into actual  words (not feelings) is generally something much smaller than we imagine.

So just get to it—that's what I'm doing this week!

If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint,"
then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.  

Vincent Van Gogh

• • •

NEW in the shop: tea bags (love them!), matching journaling flat cards, fans for the crazy heat and photo corners. Enjoy!

lemons and such

I hope you forgive me if things are a bit slow on the tutorial/paper crafty side of things this week.

Our very dear next door neighbor passed away on Saturday and I just got back from her Memorial Service. She was 85 but full of wit, charm and gusto fit for a person half her age. Her passing was not a surprise but it doesn't diminish the sadness that we feel. We will miss her so much.

Fortunately we will have the flowers that you see above (photo taken in the early spring) that will always remind us of her. She's the one that gave us the bulbs that started our Amaryllis patch.

The symbolism/meaning of the Amaryllis is: pride, determination and radiant beauty.
So fitting because that describes her so well.

• • •

On top of that I was in a minor car accident on Sunday which left me with some back pain—still feeling it today. So there's that...

What is exciting?
- The kids will be out of school on Friday. We are SO ready for summer around here!
- My first nephew will be born at any minute now or at the latest will be here on Thursday. We can't wait to meet him!

So, like many things in life there are ups and then there are downs. Or in this case downs and then ups?

For now I have just drowned my sorrow in some crafty retail therapy—a sure sign that what I do is truly what brightens me up. How else could I explain that I'm happy that I have a new black ink pen (for Lori's LetterLab class!), some paper, Mod Podge and glue?!

Today is probably one of those days when I shouldn't be blogging. But oh well.

Have a beautiful afternoon!
XO

simple monday: a tap on the shoulder

"Kids nowadays have a lot of crap and even though we were poor we had more. We all sat together at dinner time. None of this business of one here and one there. We had family. We had more."

A bit of what an 85 year old sweet lady said to me in the grocery store (yep she told me her age too). She stopped me to ask if I was cold. She said that my shawl reminded her of her grandmother who was too poor to afford a jacket. She has vivid childhood memories of her visiting them with her snow covered shawl—so vivid in fact that she got teary eyed as she told me her story.

After she walked away I was left wondering why I had run into such a random moment and conversation. It felt like a little reminder to stop and be grateful for what I have.

Happy Monday!

an open letter

Dear creative colleague,

I want you to have your own journey. 

I want you to enjoy the discovery of your own strengths and talents. 

I want you to look forward to developing your next idea. 

I want you to relish the start of a new project. 

I want you to succumb to failure so that you can learn how to stand up again. 

I want you to feel stuck and discover what it takes for you to get going once more.

I want you to feel accomplishment and pride after a job well done.  

I want you to understand that the creative process can only start with your own hand and end with it as well. 

I want you to realize that you are depriving the rest of us of your treasures when you only offer glimpses of your talent.
I really do want all this for you.

Be inspired by those around you. Absorb everything. Reinterpret what you see, hear, feel, taste and smell. Reinterpret. Do not reiterate. Experiment, explore and grow. Develop your own voice and delve into the creative path you are on. You won't regret the steps that take you forward. And not even those that take you backwards. Aside from shortcuts, they will all be valuable to you.

Just let us see what you can really do. More importantly, show yourself what you can really do. 

Sincerely,

Me

• • •

PS. Before you ask - This is not directed to anyone in particular at all. It isn't written because of any specific event or issue that has presented itself recently. It is simply something that I've thought about for a long, long time and just now, when I'm in a good place, do I feel that it is right to put it into words. It is my way to put some thoughts to rest—and yes that sounds totally vague, but just take it at face value. No mysteries here!

the heart of the matter

I went through my Flickr sets and decided to pick out my absolute favorite pieces and here they are. The fact that they are all white is no coincidence. I love white (surprise, right?). Interestingly our house and my wardrobe are anything but just white. I'm not afraid of color per se. I think that I just really like working with shapes and seeing how far I can take them. It's almost like color gets in the way of that—it's a distraction.

I've been thinking about the progress of my work and I feel like I've taken a bit of a detour. I need to get back on track. Taking stock and looking at what really interests me is the first step. If you notice some changes around here you'll know that this is why. I've been thinking about this so much that I even have had the urge to just delete my entire blog and start from scratch. Can you imagine that?! The scary thing... I'm still tempted. Very tempted.


Friday tidbits
The weather has finally cooled and I've started using my crocheted slippers. I just love them! They keep my feet so toasty and warm. I can't share that particular pattern with you, since it's copyrighted material, but maybe this one will work for you.

Spooky Halloween Silhouettes: Punch-Out Window Shadows for a Haunted Home - This book looks like it would be a fun and easy way to make something fun with the kids. I already showed my little C this and she begged me to do the same. The author, Jeff Rudell used to do some amazing work for Craftstylish.

Wendy Jung - My favorite find of the week. I absolutely love this shape–and yes, it doesn't hurt that it's white. Too bad she has nothing for sale at the moment.


Have a great weekend everyone!

• • •

Blog change —I've decided to stop using Disqus for the comments area. Disabling it means that I will unfortunately lose all the kind words that you've shared with me since I started using it. They will all be gone once the code is removed from the blog (it still is active as of this post). I regret the loss of your comments terribly, but I think that in the end it will be better for the blog. Please don't take it personally—I hope you understand.

EDIT - Ok... you can comment on my blog again! All I have to say is that I never should've used Disqus. Ugh.

reflection

I sat here for a while trying to express what I feel about Steve Jobs passing away and the words wouldn't come (at least not coherently). I think my reaction, is stronger than I expected and is also tied into the "aha! moment" I had last month and what I'm doing about it. Much of what he said in this commencement address, has resonated so much with me.

My first experience with a Mac: the computer lab at the University of Houston graphic design department. We had a cot on one end of the room so that we could take turns on the computers (not enough for everyone) and sleeping. Fun times that also included floppy disks and SyQuest cartridges (anyone remember those?). That feels like a lifetime ago.

And yet, I'm still on a Mac.

Holly's post is the best I've read today. In her words...

Have a great day everyone and thank you Steve!

• • •

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs

remnants

I was in a bad spot today. Very bad. One of those that freezes you up and nothing gets accomplished. The reason? My brain was working against me—completely.

It's scary when the very thing that lets me soar in creative moments, is also the one that sabotages me when the floodgates of self-doubts are open.

On the other hand, if I don't have doubts, I can't perfect my craft. I can't close the loopholes of my ideas. The trick is not to let the sabotage get to the point where I'm not moving—like today.

Instead of rambling about how awful that feels (you've read that before, if you've been here long enough) I thought I'd better come up with ways to get over this.

This is what I have so far:
1. Just assume the rest of the day is going to be out of wack. Take the day off.
2. Get out of the house—see other people. Working solo is great 90% of the time. This is part of the 10% when alone doesn't work.
3. If the above isn't possible call a good friend—those that are totally willing to hear your bla-bla-bla, not bat an eyelash and give you a wise word or phrase like: "snap out of it!"
4. Better yet, call your sweet and patient Mr.—who has heard you go through this many times.
5. Do homework with the kids. Nothing like the reminder of real life issues, like rounding to the nearest hundred.
6. Stay away from the internet, although some twitter chat is ok.
7. Indulge in a yummy dinner and go to bed early with a good book in hand.

Hopefully, what is left behind is a clear mind and enthusiasm for a fresh start.
Cheers to that!

• • •

Funny that this sheet of paper came out of the "nothing" that got done today! It's the leftover of a project—which looks 100 times better than what I was working on. Ha!

light

I'm not that great at asking for help. Today I got some without asking.

I met with a friend that wants to start her own blog (you go J!) and although she wanted my advice, she ended up helping me. She gave me ideas to act upon and now I'm going to be held accountable to someone other than anyone under our own roof. That's lighting a fire under me!

So, today's lesson is...

If you're stuck—reach out to a friend or just talk about it with someone else. You'll be glad you did. Go do it!

• • •

It was time for a new tealight cover, right? I was in the mood for something that would require little to no thinking, so this is a redesign of the Pillar Tealight Cover found on page 60 of my Home, Paper, Scissors book. I added triangle cutouts and made a simpler base. Presto!

happy accident

In my head it was one thing. Once it was cut, it was completely another. It took me by surprise—a good surprise.

It is, once again, proven that stepping up to the plate is better than not doing so at all. A surprise, good or bad, is better than the lull of nothing.

New work is always so refreshing!

it's all in my head

There's a fine line between taking a break and just not wanting to jump in and just swimming. That's where I'm at right now. Have I enjoyed my time away? Yes and no.

Yes, I loved having more time with the family and getting the school schedule going again. It's so nice to be back to our lovely routine! We're like a well oiled machine and I've also managed to work on a fun project I'll tell you about when the time comes.

No, I didn't enjoy having the scare of the year by taking my Mr. to the ER because of chest pains (thankfully nothing serious—but still!). We have had some emotional days around here and frankly I'm still in recovery mode.

But, back to my first thought. I've been wavering about when to get going again with blogging and just being online in general. I'm considering the idea of putting a summer digital sabbatical on the agenda for next year. Sadly, the unproductive air has slid into work as well.

So, this morning these are my thoughts...

What's with all the excuses?

Just move forward!

Let go and make.

Stop with the over-thinking.

The sketchbooks are there for a reason—pick something already!

More coffee won't help.

And making this list any longer won't either.

But posting this strangely does.

• • •

Oh and random thought... Have you seen the new Martha Stewart Crafts products? I'm not a paint and brush kind of person but the colors have seriously have me excited to come up with some excuse to use them. I couldn't resist and I bought some adhesive stencil film. I'm going to experiment!

[strange but cool looking berries I saw the other day—anyone recognize this plant?]

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

do what you love

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Do what you love. There is simply no other way to put it. When you're finally on the right path the work doesn't seem like work. It feels like it's what you're meant to do and it is reflected in the opportunities that start peeking around corners.

I can't give you details yet, but I feel like things are turning around for me. As much as I love what I do, I have to be honest and say that there have been times (even recently) where I just want to throw in the towel. Not because of what I do, but because of the results. And when I say results, I really mean to say financial gain, because part of me needs to stay tethered to the ground and face the facts. Loving what I do and contributing to our family funds are two things that, frankly, are many times at odds.

When I celebrated my 6th blog anniversary in May I thought that it would be a good time to give it up and walk away but I couldn't do it. I've been stubborn in staying because I feel like I still have more to share, more to do.

It's hard to see that there are people that have been more successful at this than me, in a shorter amount of time (or at least it appears that way). However, I keep reminding myself that I didn't push as hard as I could've on purpose. I wanted to focus on our family and didn't want to get sucked into work, work, work. I slammed the breaks on many times and the price I've had to pay is tangible. Regardless of that, I have no regrets and I'd do it the same way all over again.

You know me, I'm not that prone to write these types of posts often but sometimes things are more than pretty pictures and projects. The not-so-rosy is part of this creative life too. It's a choice whether to push through or not. I'm ready to plow forward and the balancing act will continue.

If you need some inspiration to move forward with your own ideas and dreams, here is a great article that may help you out. This one is great in regards to challenges.

Do what you love! Do it!

this is what I call research

When time is of the essence you try to do as many things as you can in one place. When we went with D to our local hardware store to get materials we needed for his school science project, I did just that. The nursery, which is right next door, was buzzing with customers and pretty blooming flowers. It was too tempting not to go in a take a peek.

I pulled out my iPhone and started snapping left and right. My D, who is used to me going on a tangent, asked what I was looking for and decided to help once I told him that it was a bit of research for a project. I really wasn't after specific flowers per se, I was after interesting shapes. He got the idea and started pointing out what he thought would work. Funny how the word "helper" can work it's magic!

Remember this flower? I saw these leaves a few days after making it. I had to smile when I saw it. I'm sure it was something that may have lingered subconsciously from a previous visit.

So that's how part of last weeks' Petals Collection came to be. I always say that bookstores, libraries and walks in the neighborhood are good to clear the mind. I'll have to add nurseries to the list too.

Oh and a cup of coffee in hand also does the trick!

How about you? What helps you light the spark for new ideas?

Psst! Come back to tomorrow for a tutorial on how to make that flower I mentioned!

how to make time for crafting

I've been thinking about this more and more, as your comments on my previous post keep rolling in. You all have such lovely ideas and projects in the works and I sure wish you can eventually get to start them.

I happen to be in a business where I get to be crafty. But to be honest, it's just fun to make something for me and just for fun—like my crocheted slippers. It's hard to find the time to get to personal projects—isn't it?

I'm just as guilty as most of you about not making enough time for my personal crafting—so I'm not an expert on this subject by any means. I'm not only talking to you, I'm reminding myself that it can be done—because, I've done it before.

So, here are some of my ideas on how to make time for crafting:

1. Ask for time as a gift.About three or four years ago, I asked my husband not to buy me anything for my birthday. Instead, I asked him to give me the gift of 'just me/alone' time. I specifically asked him for Wednesday nights after 7pm. I asked for that particular day because it gave me a break between the weekends, it didn't take away from family time and we never went anywhere on Wednesday evenings. Mr. Z took care of everything after dinner including bedtime.

I explained that I needed the time to recharge and just do whatever I wanted without feeling guilty about anything at all. I would go to the bookstore, coffee shop with a book or sketchbook in hand or stay home and go to our bedroom and simply close the door—no kids or husband allowed. It worked like a charm and if truth be told I didn't always craft. It felt so luxurious to have that free time. I felt so recharged and centered again and that made me a better mom & wife. The routine gradually slipped away once the kids where old enough to be in school all day and my schedule changed dramatically.

2. Set up a craft appointment in your schedule.We all keep appointments for all sorts of things like the dentist, doctor or other people's invitations to events, birthday parties and such. Why not make an appointment with ourselves? Pick a day when you think you would normally be able to yes to someone else's requirement for your time—but this time you're asking yourself to do it for YOU.

Making the proactive effort of carving out time for yourself is like practicing preventative medicine. Isn't that what we do when we take time to go to the gym? We're working on keeping our bodies healthy. Crafting is just another way to do the same—it affects us physically (maybe a lower blood pressure) and mentally (feelings of relaxation, pleasure and satisfaction).

3. Use down time for crafting.Sitting in a waiting room is a perfect opportunity to have a knitting, embroidery or crochet project handy. If you're like me and prefer something a bit simpler to carry around, take a sketchbook to draw and plan future project ideas or a book about a new craft technique you're interested in learning.

Do you travel by train or bus on a regular basis? Wait for your child to finish an after-school activity? Maybe that's the time you can work on a small project. Do you ever sit in front of the TV and wonder why you just wasted that time watching something so mediocre? If you craft while watching television at least you'll have something to show for it in the end.

4. Use crafting as your personal reward system.Let's say you are just really overwhelmed with a long to-do list (hello, house chores!) and you simply can't do any of the above—why don't you work a bit on your to-dos and reward yourself with a bit of crafty time? Look at your list and choose how many items need to be done before you reward yourself with an X amount of craft time. Any little bit of time helps and it will do wonders to your productivity. You'll want to really be quick about everything else in order to get back to your fun project.

Some additional thoughts:- Before you start trying any of these ideas, write out a wish list of what projects you'd like to tackle. Make sure you have the materials you need and be ready for either that gift of time, your scheduled crafty appointment or that unexpected moment of downtime—you'll be ready!

- Do this with no guilt attached to it. If you make craft an important part of your life, then you won't see it as a frivolous waste of time. Consider it an investment in yourself and know that it's part of your plan—part of the way you want to live. Why feel guilty about that?

- Don't think you need to finish a project in one sitting. Unless it's something that involves drying time (paint, glue), there really is no need to finish, for example, a scarf or skirt in one sitting, is there? Even if you just do a little bit each time, that's better than not starting on the project at all.

- If it helps you in terms of commitment, set up your crafty time with another friend or group of friends. Form a craft group that meets on a regular weekly or monthly basis.

So how about it? Do you think you can use any one of these ideas this week? Do you have other ideas?

Happy Monday!

[Photo - Mod Wall clock project on page 52 of Home, Paper, Scissors]

leaving facebook

I don't care for what Facebook does to my sanity, my time or my image.

Before I dive into explaining all that, please don't take this personally if you're someone that enjoys Facebook. These are simply my ideas and experiences with the site. I don't aim to be a know it all on the subject. I simply am sharing my thoughts because I don't want those of you that have seen me pop in there to wonder what happened.


[our table runner was made by the very talented Heather Moore - love it! - appropriate photo simply because I happen to be writing this here]


So back to my opening comment...

How FB affects my sanity. ('sanity' may be stretching it, but it's close enough)
I'll be honest and say that I joined because I felt compelled to do so. It is considered a major online business tool and a lot of my friends are there. Yes, I fell into the peer pressure hole. But I've never felt genuine there. I've never felt at ease.

The privacy changes —
I consider this is a major issue. I don't like to be concerned about what information I'm sharing with who and what information or photos should be private, which shouldn't, etc. Who has time to go from drop down menus to check boxes because of ever changing policies? I can't even find them half the time! Which leads into...

Design and interface—
The fact that this site is so popular and yet so confusing perplexes me to no end. I don't find it pleasing to the eye or mind. I don't know why there isn't talk about it. Why is it so accepted just as is? I think we've definitely settled on that score and in the process sadly misinformed the masses as to what is an acceptable user experience.

Who to friend and who not to friend—
I'm not out to offend anyone, so at the beginning I tended to add friends that I barely knew online because I couldn't say no. Now it's too late and un-friending people would just be mean. I would just rather keep FB to the people that I actually know in person—but it's too late. It's such a waste of my energy to even think about all that.

How FB affects my time.
From the beginning (because admittedly I wasn't really sure what I was doing), I've had a mess of personal friend followers with online followers and business vs. more personal relationships. Now, I even have two pages (one for business and one for personal). Yes, I have folders and whatnot. I organized it all, but there's still too much to keep up with. Aside from the fact that I'm back to being a watch dog of the privacy policies thing.

I feel like I'm repeating myself too much—
How annoying is that? I figure, if you're interested in my work and my blog then you follow my posts through a feed on a reader or come here directly—why bother and post that on Facebook again (which is what I've been doing)? I feel like a tacky sales person. I'd rather offer new information, interesting links and have my water cooler moments too—which is what I do on Twitter. I realize that FB has worked for many in this way, but I haven't devoted enough time to cultivating relationships there because, again, I'm just not into the site at all. I try to get in and out as fast as I can. I'd rather hang out where I feel comfortable and that's where Twitter comes in.

How FB affects my image.
Like I said, I don't feel quite at ease there. I post and run—and that just isn't me. I like to interact and/or answer questions, but my lack of inspiration for the site makes me appear like I'm not the same person wherever I go. I've always thought that the people that only know me through FB aren't getting the full picture. They don't know the real me. They don't know that I try my best not to do things in a half-baked way and that's what I reflect on FB. Oh, how that bothers me!


Simplicity is what I'm after. I want to enjoy the time I spend online, keep it streamlined and be more efficient. I really enjoy online interaction but I also need to allot enough part of my day to my true passion of creative pursuits. FB is simply something that drags on with no happy ending in sight and it drains energy that I could be using elsewhere. Why waste time with something that literally makes me squirm?

And that my friends, is the reason I will no longer be updating my Facebook pages. I will keep them open, but that's it. I'm out.

Will leaving FB harm me in some way? Maybe. But I don't see the value in continuing. I've come to the realization, once again, that it's best to follow my own instincts. My blog and Twitter feed are my two major online presence tools. Leaving FB will only make me more available to remain in the spaces where I feel comfortable and more 'me'.

• • •

For anyone wondering why I'm not completely deleting my account— I decided to change my Twitter name from A Little Hut to my actual name a long time ago. When I realized that I should have kept my business name (just in case), it had already been taken, in a just a matter of a few hours. I'd rather keep my account in the unlikely event that I want to return to FB some day—when and if my opinions drastically change.