And If I'm Still...

 

Learning to be intentional with my time and my energy... a lesson that I thought I had mastered. Thought being the keyword.

 

It has been forever since I last posted, April 17, 2015 to be exact. I have a bajillion topics, pictures, unfinished projects laying around to prove that I have been thinking about writing.

 

I just haven't.

 

Why? I'll tell you why. And why it can be a little, actually a lot, uncomfortable.

 

My little business has been cruising along at a comfortable pace. But then uneasiness creeps in {especially thanks to social media}. It's the tale as old as time, you're minding your own business, feeling good about your life and then you pause to take a look around...

 

And there it is. The gobs of people shouting from the roof top about how wonderful their life is because they got that huge promotion/new house/new workspace/picked up by a huge brand/insert your own good news here...

 

And you're in the same space and you're suddenly feeling like your dreams, your desires, your talents are falling on deaf ears. That maybe this is as good as it's ever going to get for you...insert the feeling of defeat. The wondering if this is where you throw in the towel.

 

When I can remember, I have been listening to a fantastic series that the uber talented, Jeanne Oliver has on her creative classes page, Listening Finding the Quiet. {It's a free series, but you will need to set up a free account with her network to access it.}

 



 

The world can be so loud and we desperately need quiet. We need time to think, process, pray, worship, plan, dream, forgive, heal and find direction.  To just be still.   Do we give ourselves this time to be quiet and truly listen to the voice of the Lord?  Are you striving and trying to navigate life in your own strength? Are you tired?  Do you know that the Lord pursues you?  Do you know that he wants to carry your burdens? Do you know that he deeply longs to communicate with you and have a relationship with you?  Are you ready to find the quiet and listen to his voice?

 

The description above is exactly what you get. 20 amazing people talking about that moment in their life that they asked, "Is this where I am supposed to be? Am I doing what I should be doing?"

 

I asked myself one day if I would even know how to listen for an answer. I also thought what an amazing experience it would be to ask and get an answer as clear as some of these people were getting.

 

For several months I would half heartedly ask, especially when business would slow down and I would start my cycle of worrying and trying to fix everything. Business would pick up and I would think of how easy that was.

 

A few months later I felt like everything had stalled. Business seemed off. My fitness journey felt like it was going no where. And everyone online seemed to be thriving. Every post seemed to start with "Fantastic News!!" and "I'm so excited to announce..." and I'm just over here like blah.

 

After spending a week or two convincing myself it was just a slow period, everything is totally going to be okay, something big is coming and my usual pep talks, I was frustrated. Defeated. Thinking I had reached the end of this dream and I needed to put an exit plan in place, even though my husband was encouraging me to keep going. It had been a solid 3 weeks since an order had been placed. Even longer than that since I had felt truly inspired to sit down and create something that felt good.

 

My husband was out of town for work and I sat one night as I was getting ready for bed and asked {very clumsily}, "What am I supposed to be doing? Have I given enough? Am I using my talents the way you have always intended me to? IS THIS WHERE I AM SUPPOSED TO BE?" There were tears and I kept playing this lyric over and over in my head.



 

The one thing I never expected the next day was peace. A peace that told me I was exactly where I was intended to be, just be patient and listen. Which can be the hardest part, because the answers don't always come fast, they come when needed and they are not always the clearest answers.

Like the pull of Facebook constantly showing an ad preview for your business page and the only part your eyes see is the "occasional blogger" part you just added to your profile.

The feeling to share your worries and frustrations on your personal Facebook page and that you truly know deep in your heart that better things are coming.

When your email is filled with previews of blog posts and podcasts of people sharing their stories of how they learned to stop and listen. And most importantly, trust the plan that has been written for their life by someone that is so much bigger than them. And encouraging others to share their stories with their followers.

Share. Share. Share.

Hint taken. And I knew exactly what words to share first.

I want to inspire. I want to make things that make people feel good. I want my girls, my family, anyone to look at my journey and know that I'm not using my talents, my God given talents, for fame and fortune. That my story is inspiring someone to listen and to take a chance with that wish that has been written on their heart.

I know this could have easily gone the other way. Instead of confirming that I need to continue on this path, He could have easily said no and pointed in a different direction. I think the peace that comes with asking with an open heart and then patiently listening would have made that an easy path to follow also.

Truth be told, this path is terrifying for me. I like to share the happy moments, the happy, sunshine unicorns and rainbow moments. I have always felt that sharing the insecure, doubtful moments equal me whining. But these are also the inspiring moments. The moments where if your story helps one person realize their dream or confirm that they are not alone with their feelings, you are on the right path.

And now my path is leading me to get these bajillion projects and ideas done. ;)

A Vintage Inspired Halloween

Browsing around blog land I have come to realize that I may be the only one that has not decorated for Fall yet. Why not? For 2 simple reasons:

1. I find it hard to get in the Fall spirit when it is still the temperature is still hovering between 90 and 100.

 

2. My family really loves for me to decorate for Halloween.

One year I didn't put anything up for Halloween and that was pretty scary. My now 8 year old has always loved to watch the transformation and she threw a full on fit that year that it was Halloween and we didn't have one single Halloween decoration out. Now she's sure to remind me that it is coming up and will even ask her father to get the Halloween bucket out of the attic as a visual reminder that I need to put the decorations up.

This is our mantel from last year, it's been the typical Halloween mantel for us...

 

 

Some dollar store items mixed in with some pumpkins and lights. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less... and sometimes is nothing :) .

 

This year I'm wanting to change it up a bit. If you know me, you know that I am a vintage lover to my core. I'll take dusty and rusty over brand new and sparkly any day. I was absolutely tickled to see that Hobby Lobby had some vintage reproductions in their Halloween section. I need to set a week aside to go in daily to use my 40% off coupon. Scratch that, I just realized they have marked Halloween 40% off!

 

I decided to browse Pinterest to get some ideas...

  

 

 

 

I pinned all of these that were linked back to various blogs and websites but soon found out that they all came from the very talented Johanna Parker Design. I love how authentic they look, I'm sure they look even more like actual vintage pieces in person.

 

I also found some really fun collections that are displayed beautifully. This wall collection would be so fun above the mantel or as a display wall for your trick or treaters to drool over when you open the door.

 

 

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And I love this collection of crepe paper characters. I'm learning that crepe paper was essential when it came to decorating.

 

 

 

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And I love how this one mixes some Halloween in with their dishes and everyday things. {And the link leads to a slideshow with some other great ideas!}

 

 



 

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Have I got your vintage loving creative juices flowing? Well, then here are a couple vintage themed printables that I found and will be definitely using somehow with my decorations.

 

 

 

 

Click here for the fun cupcake toppers and here for the vintage Halloween banner.

 

I'm looking forward to using some of these ideas I've shared with you to bring a little Halloween in to our home. I have already asked my husband to save all the tree branches he plans on trimming off our tree this weekend for my Halloween decorating. Stay tuned and I will be posting pictures soon! 

 

 



 







Tales From a Paper Hoarder

I, my friends, am a paper hoarder. I have known this for a while and have come to accept it. And if pretty paper makes your heart go pitter patter and anxious that if you don't buy it right then and there, the giant stack will be sold out tomorrow...welcome friend. There is nothing but love and acceptance here {and maybe some paper envy!}.

For those of you that can walk down the scrapbooking aisle without noticing which paper is new, here is what it looks like.

This...this is my 2nd {!!} trash stack of the year. {That I may or may not have been hanging on to for a few weeks...}

My drawer for scraps...because the world might end if I throw away a usable piece of paper.

My 8.5x11 papers...

Which sits on top of my 12x12 paper holder...

That is filled to the top...of course.

 

 

 

Why do I have all this paper? Back in the day I was an avid scrapbooker and then I started my journey of making photo blocks with the scrapbook paper. Then I started painting signs and that part of my business took off and the paper was pushed to the side.

 

 If you read my post "Spreading My Wings" I mentioned that I missed working with paper, I really do. Last month, without even giving myself time to talk my self out of it, I signed up for a mail swap that was paper themed. This is exactly what my creativity needed.

 

The person I was matched up with listed fun and bright paper as one of her favorites, as well as flowers. While digging through my stash of paper I found a really fun flower print. Then I found a polka dot paper that coordinated with it and decided instead of just filling her box with paper, why not make a little something that she could hang for inspiration. I found a print that Kristi at I Should Be Mopping the Floor {and my blogging mentor} had posted on her blog and after a quick email to see if it could be resized to a smaller size {Yay, it could!}, she sent me the file which I printed.

 

Now let me tell you, I am one lucky girl. One, because I have a great friend that is also creative and was willing to help. Two, because I had decided on papers to use with a print forgetting that sometimes what you print from your computer does not match the colors you see on the screen...this time, they matched perfectly! Phew!

 

 

Do you love?! I had grabbed some sparkly Duck Tape earlier in the day, I thought it would be fun to use to go along with the shine part. I haven't sat down and crafted with just paper like this {outside of school projects with my girls} for a few years now and I forgot how much fun it is to just sit and put papers together. To brainstorm about what to use them for.

 

 

Like I had hoped, this mail swap, and other new creative things I have been trying has begun to open me up a little more each day to get my creativity going again. If you would like to print out an 8x10 Rise & Shine print from Kristi, you can click here. Like I mentioned earlier, she has quite a few printables and I'm sure you'll find something!



Spreading My Wings

I have been working my way through the Building a Creatively Built Business 2.0 courses in my free time. It is a series of videos made by Jeanne Oliver, Jennifer Rizzo and Miss Mustard Seed {aka Marian Parsons} and the information these ladies have to offer is incredible. Really. Like make you break down in tears incredible because you realize that you are not the only one that has ever faced whatever growing pains you may be going through at that point.

You can click here to go directly to the website to find out more about this class as well as all the other wonderful classes Jeanne Oliver offer {I have my eye on a few other ones at the moment!}.

I just finished the chapter about diversifying your business and that is one that struck a chord with me. I have always felt that because my signs sell so well, I should just stick with making and selling signs. But the creative person inside of me isn't happy. There are so many other things that I would like to try, so many other things that I enjoy making, so many other items other than paint and wood that I enjoy working with. And at times...well...I've thought that I would be perfectly fine with never having to paint another sign. And that, my friends, has lead to quite a few periods of being burned out and even more periods of not being able to create new designs because my creative side feels trapped.

 In the videos the ladies talk about how branching out, creatively, has helped them fall back in love with what they originally started making. Yes, it was another one of those tears streaming down the face moments.

So I've decided, I'm going to do more of these.

I've always enjoyed making wreaths and they actually help me decompress and relax when making them. {I'm weird, I know, I've accepted it!}

I'm going to play with paper more.

I have always wanted to try making cute tea towels. I've been working on a line of vinyl wording to go on your front door.

I may even get a little crazy and try sewing some things...maybe...like really easy things.

But don't worry, I'm not quitting the sign business. The funny thing is that just working on some other things has sparked my creativity again and for the first time I sat down and started designing again. So be on the lookout for some new signs coming as well as lots of new stuff! And maybe even some pictures of some flops, I have lots of those from time to time!

Fixer Upper and Chapel Rd.

If you follow any blogs about home décor, chances are you have heard at least one of them talking about HGTV's new show, Fixer Upper. I decided to see what the fuss is about and I am hooked. I spent a whole day, while working, watching any episodes that were On Demand with Time Warner. The best part? The show is filmed in Waco, Texas which is an hour north of where I live. (My friend Kristi from I Should Be Mopping The Floor and I may or may not be planning on how to stalk meet Chip and JoJo.)

Why is this the best part? Because so many shows that I fall in love with for inspiration, for my own house, always seem to be on the other side of the country. I have come to believe that the New England/East Coast area and the Oregon/Washington area have the most fabulous areas to junk in and that it is hopeless to decorate my home the way I want, within the budget I have. To see a show that is filmed an hour away with the style I would love to have in my own home, that gets the creative wheels spinning.

And did they start spinning.

A while back I bought an old street sign that caught my attention.

It wasn't as old as I would have liked it, so I took a sander to it, roughed it up and then lost all inspiration and it sat in a closet.

After my Fixer Upper marathon I decided to pull it out and dig through my scrap pile. After I found the perfect piece I decided to give this stain color a second chance.

I want to love this shade, I really do, but it has too much red in it for my liking. I let it dry a bit and then started sanding it down some.

One of my favorite things to do with stain is to layer it to either get a custom color or make it look like an older piece that has been handed down. Before the first coat dried completely, I added a coat of a new shade called Weathered Oak, hoping that it would make it look like I had found the wood out in a field.

Nope. I think every bit I put on rubbed right off after letting it sit for 5 minutes. I knew I had to break out Old Faithful...

Dark Walnut. I don't know how many shades I have tried and I always go back to Dark Walnut.

Now I have the shade I want and layering it over the Gunstock gives it some of the depth I was looking for. I even used the stain left over on the rag on the street sign to give it an older feel.

My original plan was to screw the sign directly to the wood, but when I laid it down on the wood I decided I didn't want to lose the rippled shape it had developed over time. I dug through my husband's collection of hardware (I hoard wood, he hoards screws and building hardware...it's a match made in heaven) and found these black plastic pieces that were the perfect height for how high I wanted the sign to sit off of the wood.

Now if the sign was made out of wood I would have used regular screws. Since the sign is metal I had two options, drill a hole for the screw or use these...

Self drilling, or self tapping, metal screws. The funny tip on the end basically drills a hole as you are screwing it in. They are made especially for when you are working with metal and are a lifesaver, especially if you don't have a set of metal drill bits on hand (or you can't remember which set of your husband's is for metal.)

I first drilled the screws in to each end of the sign and then placed the black riser under each screw and attached it to the wood backing.

It's hanging right by our French doors that will at sometime lead out to a covered patio and deck. My plan is to make a collection of signs, as well as some unusual antique finds, to hang on the wall. I'm also working on a fun coffee bar/patio drink server idea to put underneath!