Happy Marigolds

Simple & Sweet

2012-02-21T15:44:00.000-08:00

Remember this when you feel stuck...

"You are not stuck. The changes have already been made. You just have to slow down in order to see them and let them become part of you."

Happy Valentine's

2012-02-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

In clockwise order:
Bunny Loves Bear necklace by Brooklyn Charm
Heart garland banner by PaperPolaroid
Raccoons 8 x 10 matted print by papersparrow
Custom family tree by cozyblue
His and Her Bicycle print by TexasGirlDesigns
Personalized paper doll by Jordan Grace Owens

Visual Treats: Mincing Mockingbird

2012-02-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

I thought this might lighten the mood up around here. I have been feeling contemplative lately, but I still maintain my sense of humor. The point of this blog is to have a space to keep track of things that inspire me and make me happy. Art by The Mincing Mockingbird is one of those things.

Magnets by Mincing Mockingbird on etsy (above)

I have been a fan of Mincing Mockingbird since I first saw them at Renegade a few years ago. I love the simple composition and the use of color in their prints. They are also affordable prints, which makes it even better.

Reveling In The Enjoyment Of Her Material Pleasures - 11 x 14

Another Drink Wouldn't Hurt - I Only Live Two Years - 8 x 10

Shifting Perspective

2012-02-11T10:24:00.000-08:00

"It's hard to take risks with a pessimist." 

- Menomena

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the messages that I send myself. I can be a huge pessimist, but only about my own life. I would never intentionally fill a friend's head with self doubt, so why do I do it to myself? It's natural to feel frustrated or sad, but instead of weighing myself down with negative statements, I need to shift perspective. It's just another form of exercise. It takes awhile to to shed negative weight in order to build up positive thoughts. I know there are a lot of new age books out there that say we can transform our mind and never have a negative thought again, but this is just not realistic for me. So, instead, I will revise my statements in order to move forward with less negativity.

Here are a couple of examples. #1 is obviously the negative thought and #2 is the revised, positive version.

#1: "I did not accomplish as much as I should have today. I am wasting time and am lazy."
#2 "I took a break today to enjoy my friends and family without the distraction of projects. I can work on this project tomorrow."

#1: "I should be more successful and have a concrete plan for my future at this point in my life."
#2: "I am where I need to be now and I can keeping working on my future one piece at a time."

Well, here's to trying new approaches! I will see how it goes.

Inspiration Board: Positive Affirmations

2012-01-31T20:57:00.000-08:00

Positive affirmations really do work. It can be hard to believe in them at times. Just keep saying it over and over until it becomes the truth.

"We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same."

- Carlos Castaneda

Today Will Be Awesome by MyZoetrope

via FFFFOUND

Scott Albrecht Print at Little Paper Planes

via typeverything.com

Happiness: Making a Nest

2012-01-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Here are my wishes for 2012 and beyond.

This will be the year of forgiveness and moving forward. I will forgive myself for not being perfect and just love myself for what I am good at. This will be the time to let go of perceptions of what others expect me to be and just honor who I am. I will focus more on being in the moment, while still trusting in my future. I will teach myself to create and believe in a non-traditional career path, instead of agonizing over it (I think it's the trend now anyway). I will embrace my creativity, instead of hide it due to fear. I will choose to see the good in others and let go of petty things. I will not gossip and will instead focus on helping others. I will do my best to not waste time, but still allow time to relax without guilt. I will cut out the excess and have a more authentic experience with less. I will use the resources I have to make the best possible life and not always wish I had more of this or that.

We recently went on a nature walk to show our daughter about birds and trees. (I was also on a mission to track down the snowy owls that I kept hearing about. We found him!) We came across a lot of bird nests and creative building materials. It's really interesting to see how resourceful these city birds are. They got me thinking about using what we have and making the best of what is around us. They just build. They are not waiting for a better job, higher degree or nicer home (or nicer tree to build in). They just go out there and find what they can. It's pretty simple, but it inspired me. Birds are awesome!

Spring in January.

Caution tape is even fair game as far as materials go.

The Tribune recycled into nest materials.

Super chubby cardinal.

Close up of nest materials.

A really colorful and creative nest.

Nest materials, AKA coupons.

Simple & Sweet: Summer Fades to Fall

2011-09-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Visual Treats: Woodland Cuties

2011-09-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

I think we should start our morning with some cuteness in honor of Fall. Check out other adorable prints by Brooklyn designer, Michelle Cavigliano, in her etsy store. Her store features some very affordable artwork and sweet little notecards.

Fall Foliage Cuties

Oh, and who can resist two bears in love?

Bear You're The One

Simple & Sweet: Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

2011-09-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Visual Treats: Always Room for More Owls!

2011-09-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

I really should be working, but I got distracted by Pinterest. It combines two of my favorite activities: list-making and curating, so it's not surprising that I just devoted two hours of my life to it. It is amazing how much time can be wasted online, but it is fun to discover new things!

Mr. Snow - Limited edition archival inkjet print of snowy owl with scarf

While browsing on pinterest, I was reminded of Chicago illustrator, Diana Sudyka's work. I saw her work at Renegade Craft Fair and was really impressed. My friend has the Yeti drinking tea print, which is even more adorable in real life. I would love to get one of the owl prints, but I fear that our home may already have too many. I know owls are all over the place, but I still love them and secretly want to hoard all things related to owls. Although, having worked with collectors, I have seen firsthand what obsessions can lead to, so I try to be careful. I may end up like the woman in Maine, who has collected over 18,000 owl items. Well, I guess we can always find some more room, right?

Long-eared Owl Visitation

I also have to say that owls hold a special place in my heart. On September 13, it will be my third anniversary with my husband. A few years ago, we went camping outside of Portland, OR. and he said beforehand that he really wanted to see three owls - preferably baby owls. Well, strangely enough, his wish was granted. We arrived at our campsite and three owls were sitting on a branch looking down at us. (Too cute.) We had no clue that we would become parents a few years later, but now it all makes sense. We are a happy family of three.

and baby makes three

Happiness List: Lessons Learned

2011-08-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things that I have learned this week:

1) It's easy to fear rejection, but if we let that stand between us and what makes us happy, we end up nowhere.

2) I think what really drives me to take pictures is finding beauty in unexpected places. With my camera in hand, I often discover things that I would not have noticed otherwise. I have trained my eye to recognize beauty in even the most mundane or unusual places. This practice has helped me recognize how fortunate I am. I may not have the perfect home or perfect job, but I have do have a lot of beauty around me. I just need to accept that it's OK if nothing is perfect. Perfect might even be boring.

3) Sometimes we just need to look at the rusty parts of our life from a new perspective in order to move forward. Beauty can be found.

Photos were taken at the Forevertron in Wisconsin.

Happiness List: Summer Love

2011-07-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

1) Enjoying the beautiful colors of summer

2) Watching my daughter explore and grow

3) Relaxing by a lake

4) Wandering through my garden

6) Staring up at the summer clouds

7) Making sandcastles and seahorses

Simple & Sweet: Spring Mix

2011-06-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

It is really difficult to maintain a bad mood when happy flowers are everywhere. I absolutely adore the Spring and am often reminded of one of my favorite quotes. I know this quote often appears on greeting cards and things along those lines, but I still find it to be quite true.

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." — Anaïs Nin

Happiness List: The Little Things That Make a Day

2011-06-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

The Little Things That Make a Day:
1) Delicious blueberries from the Farmers' Market.
2) Fresh flowers on the table.
3) The first cup of coffee in the morning.
4) A happy, healthy and slightly wild garden.

Happiness List: The Feeling of Freedom

2011-06-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

I find it challenging to come up with a list like this when I am in a bad mood, but it really does seem to improve the situation. Focusing on the negative is so boring and really counterproductive.

The Feeling of Freedom That Comes with Spring:
1) Drinking iced coffee
2) Making hibiscus sun tea
3) Working on the garden & seeing it come to life again
4) Feeling the warm Spring breeze after a long winter
5) Looking up at the flowering trees
6) Taking long walks without a particular destination
7) Eating more local vegetables
8) Using fresh herbs from the garden
9) Starting to read books on my summer reading list
10) Getting inspiration for projects (I just need more time to do them!)
11) Being able to work outside on the porch
12) Camping
13) Spending more time outdoors
14) Enjoying a glass of wine on the porch with Mike
15) Taking Isabelle to the park
16) Not having to bundle up in a ton of layers
17) Looking forward to traveling to Maine & New York

The last one on the list is definitely exciting, but I have been trying to keep my mind in the present moment as much as possible. Don't you find that makes life a bit easier? Of course, it's necessary to make plans for the future, but putting all of our energy into future plans can lead to missing out on the good things now. It's so simple and straightforward. I wonder why it's so hard to actually put into practice. The mind certainly can be tricky.

Simple & Sweet: Spring Sky

2011-04-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

Today, the branches looked like lacy veins against the cool spring sky. It was actually Isabelle who pointed it out and I was reminded to look up more often.

Happiness List: Focus on the Good

2011-04-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

I have been so bad about keeping up with my blog. I started it to keep my mind in a positive place, since I tend to get caught up in negative thought spirals. Overall, things are good, but I do catch myself dwelling on negative things and wasting time worrying about this and that. In fact, I was looking at pictures from a few years ago the other day and I realized that it was such an amazing time of my life. I hate to think of how much of that time was spent worrying about things that hardly matter now. So, with that in mind, I plan to continue focusing on the good (even the simplest things) and letting the rest of the noise in my head fade to the background. Ha! Easier said than done.

Here are four things that I am happy for. I am sure I could come up with more, but have decided to aim for four things per week.

Four Things for Now
1) Spring is on its way! After a long, cold winter, there is nothing better than seeing hints of color breaking through.

2) Thrift store finds! Yes, I do love thrifting, especially on my current budget. It is so much fun to find a treasure or two. I got Belle a really sweet dress with birds on it. I also found a bunch of mugs for $2 that match (or rather mix and match) with my other dishes perfectly. I have so many scarves already, but I could not pass on this polka dotted one.

3) The power of wishful thinking. I was feeling under the weather and wishing that I had a ton of fresh veggies to make a soup with. My refrigerator was looking pretty empty. A few hours later, a friend gave us a huge amount of produce left over from a photo shoot. Thank you!

4) Unexpected friendships. I love that my cat and dog share a bed and get along so well. They are ridiculous!

Inspiration Board: Garden 2011

2011-02-27T11:10:00.001-08:00

I can feel Spring coming, despite the fact that it is about thirty degrees out and it is a very grey and somber day. I also realize that the ground is still covered with snow, but starting to plan our garden always gets me through the last stretch of the winter. I am still learning about gardening and it is always an experiment. I did learn a few things from the past two years and hopefully, we will expand our garden more this year. We started slowly. It will be fun to see what returns from last year! I planted a bunch of perennials and I honestly forget what I planted. I was just happy to have gardened at all, considering we had our hands full with a new baby at the time. Here is my inspiration for 2011.

1. Stone path through shade garden lined with caladiums, 2. Wildlife watering hole in the shade garden, 3. "Drowning in the Mondays" ~2., 4. Backyard Garden, Buffalo, NY, 5. Backyard Vegetable Garden, 6. Backyard garden, 7. the backyard, 8. Finally painted, 9. Bennings Green Pattypan Squash, 10. A Little Amelie, 11. secret garden, 12. Garden and Carriage House

Inspiration Board: Winter Hobbies

2011-02-23T18:17:00.001-08:00

This image has two of my new favorite things: embroidered art and silhouettes. I am learning to do both. Yay for hobbies! I have too many to really excel at one, but at least I try.

Image & project credit: miniature rhino

Inspiration Board: Put a Bird On It!

2011-02-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

Get inspired. Go ahead and put a bird on it!

Flowers and birds from Victorian-era postcards from piddix on etsy.

Inspiration Board: Home Sweet Home

2011-02-22T19:39:00.000-08:00

Inspiration Board: An Apple a Day

2011-01-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

More info....

Visual Treats: Beat Up Creations

2011-01-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

I am in love. Need I say more?

Altered antique plates by Beat Up Creations on etsy.
Above photos are from their etsy page.

Simple & Sweet: Blue to Green

2011-01-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

Visual Treats: Turquoise Treats on Etsy

2011-01-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

Etsy finds. Click here for more info on where to find these items.