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April 22, 2016

Earth Day Projects

As a mom of a one-year-old, wife of a husband, nursing a full-time nursing career, and trying to keep up with the hair balls that roll away when I walk down the hallway (thanks dogs!), I am finding myself not spending much time writing on this blog (or shaving my legs, really). Time is such a precious thing.  Just yesterday I told my husband that our daughter is no longer a baby. She is a straight-up sassy toddler! She has perfected her fake cry, learned how to body slam herself on the floor when she’s upset, and jibber-jabbers like it’s no one’s business. Man, she is growing fast and I love her so much, my heart could just burst out of my chest!

Well, over the past several months, I’ve been thinking hard about unnecessary consumption and (almost always) this comes back to clothing for me. I feel like there are a hundred ways I can be more responsible in my consumption, but the area that interests me most is clothing.  That could be due to the fact that my closet seems to be quite full, and yet I am constantly wanting new.  And I think I may not be alone in this, as our culture is constantly trying to tell us to wear the newest trends and colors. This steady demand for new and lower cost clothing means that someone somewhere is paying a high cost (low wages, questionable work conditions, etc).  I want to clarify that there is always a balance (one of my mantra words for life right now).  I am not intending to put a guilt trip on anyone here.  So I say, find balance. Buy that new dress for the upcoming wedding, but see if you can find an accessory or shoes at a consignment shop.
With all that said, I have found a way to harness some of this energy on this subject into a fun hobby.  About 4 months ago, I purchased a screen, some ink, an x-acto knife, and a self-healing cutting board.  I started cutting out some of my doodles, and with the first print, was hooked.  And side note here, if you have a chance, read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.  This book was not only enjoyable to read, but also such a great encouragement to grasp any artistic inspiration and run with it! 

Here a few samples of some of the prints below. I am constantly thinking up new ‘messages’ or designs, and am open to suggestions.  And due to some mild interest, I am going to be selling these prints on a custom basis for $15.00 each, meaning I will find a secondhand shirt in good condition (or item of your choice), print using eco-friendly, solvent-free ink, in a color of your choosing. Please comment below if you are interested!


First project, 'mug of steaming liquid' on tea towel.
 

 
 
 A logo and shirt to support my sister's new personal training business, 'creative energy wellness'
 
 
 
 
'dreamcatcher'


 
'there is art in the earth'




'Micah 6:8'




 'downward dog recycle sign'
 

As always, thanks for stopping by my little world.
 I am hoping to spread some secondhand love on this earth day.


 

January 19, 2016

Christmas recap

Hello there! I hope this past Christmas season was a time of joyous celebration and peace with your loved ones.  I find it hard to believe it is already the start of another year, a time to reflect on the past and prepare and dream of what may come in this new year.  


I recently posted about alternatives to big box Black Friday Christmas shopping for gifting this season and was challenged by a friend to write about which, if any, of these I actually ended up using, so hence, a recap tonight.  And I want to be clear that I don't intend to write this recap in a "look at what I did" way, it is more an intention of personal accountability to the purpose of this blog. 

For starters, I didn't actually end up participating in small business Saturday this year. Truthfully, I didn't even go as far as looking at the local businesses participating. Later in the season, I did check out a local kids' consignment shop for some fun gifts for our nieces and nephews and a Christmas dress for Beatrice. 

Etsy is an amazing hub for hundreds of small businesses selling artsy, unique gifts.  This year, I found several gifts on Etsy, some that were able to be monogrammed for a personal touch. Just make sure gifts like this are thought out ahead of time, to account for personalization and shipping time. 

Pura Vida Bracelets were given to a few people this year. It is nice supporting a company that also gives proceeds to various charities. 

A few of my favorite gifts to give this year were paintings for two of my nieces.  Partly because their family is in the midst of moving, so they have been planning new colorful bedrooms, but also because painting is such a luxurious activity.  

Lastly, I bombed the original "experience" gift my hubby (story for another day), but we are hoping to get out on the slopes for a day this winter instead. Experience gifts are so fun, especially knowing it is something that will feed a relationship well. 

What fun gifts have you given or gotten this year?
Any from the list of alternative ideas?