tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73130559226449638412020-02-28T21:03:50.733-08:00inspirationCOOPTheresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.comBlogger514125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-24412822225229486942014-01-21T05:00:00.000-08:002014-03-11T20:31:04.494-07:00{the latest}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YU9UYydvYCE/UtwZ9wV-WII/AAAAAAAADFk/tGUnuihOW6g/s1600/inspirationcoop_work.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YU9UYydvYCE/UtwZ9wV-WII/AAAAAAAADFk/tGUnuihOW6g/s1600/inspirationcoop_work.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just wanted to pop in and share some fun projects. In addition to these projects, life and volunteer work have been happily filling my dance card these days. Though, if you do find yourself missing inspiration COOP, you can find me on <a href="http://www.beachcitylifestyle.com/">Beach City Lifestyle</a> (twice monthly) and, most recently, <a href="http://www.parscaeli.com/home/2014/1/21/a-warm-welcome-to-alt.html">Pars Caeli</a>. And, of course, you can always send digital love notes.</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">** i miss you all very much. sending all my best and lots of love your way. xo **</span></span></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-45303145042686408702013-05-01T04:00:00.000-07:002014-03-21T17:02:28.249-07:00{indulging}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ootwbGKws4c/UYAdx0b2fnI/AAAAAAAADBU/RBlhlw5WR_o/s1600/inspirationcoop_Loving.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ootwbGKws4c/UYAdx0b2fnI/AAAAAAAADBU/RBlhlw5WR_o/s1600/inspirationcoop_Loving.png" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm just going to come clean and tell you that this post is completely indulgent. It's a bit gray and chilly outside, and I really needed to look at some pretty things. Let's call this a mood booster post. I hope you'll play along. Lately, I've been loving*:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>R O W O N E</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">~Laid back cool dressing via </span><a href="http://store.jennikayne.com/collection/detail/c/dorsay_flats/rel_dorsay_flat28" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Andy Heart</a> <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(</span>Hello, Celine cross body!</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">)</span></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://store.jennikayne.com/collection/detail/c/dorsay_flats/rel_dorsay_flat28">~D'orsay flat by Jenni Kayne</a> <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;">(These will be mine, as soon as they're marked down 75%.)</span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">~Floral photography by Kari Herer, especially <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66418108/botanical-no-4190?ref=shop_home_active">botanical no. 4190</a>. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I just discovered Herer sells prints via Etsy, with pricing that's easy on your wallet.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>R O W T W O</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.dwr.com/product/salt-chair.do?gclid=CMjZsIOK87YCFYF7QgodRxUA7g">~Salt chair via DWR</a>. Simple, modern, and black. Pair six of these with a weathered French farm table and I'm already thinking about the dinner menu. (Our current dining situation needs a change and this is the new look I'm after.) </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/129667660/retro-badge-stationery-custom-stamp?ref=shop_home_active">~Custom made rubber stamps by Besotted Brand</a>. I'm thinking of making one for the new and improved logo. Then, I'm going to start stamping everything in sight. Watch out! </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>R O W T H R E E</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">~The illustration work of <a href="http://paperfashion.net/">Paper Fashion</a>. And she teaches an illustration course via <a href="http://skillshare/">Skillshare</a>! I'm thinking of signing up. Have you taken a Skillshare class yet?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/224124518927769486/">~French farm table</a></span><span style="font-size: small;">. See DWR salt chair above. Who's coming for dinner?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">~Portia de Rossi and Ellen Degeneres's newly renovated ranch home nestled in the Santa Monica mountains via </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.elledecor.com/celebrity-style/homes/portia-de-rossi-ellen-degeneres-santa-monica?link=rel&dom=glo&src=syn&con=slide&mag=edc#slide-11">Elle Decor</a></span><span style="font-size: small;">. Have you seen it?! Brace yourself. From the description, the ranch is perfect for a (bloggers) retreat with eight outlying cabins, barn, stable, and pasture. Can you even imagine?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks, everyone, for letting me share some pretty with you today. I hope you found something amongst this group that made you smile. Now, it's your turn. <b><i>Tell me what you've been loving lately.</i></b> Come on, the sky's the limit.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">PS~Oh, in case you missed it, I did a fun interview over on <a href="http://www.notmerelyliving.com/not-merely-living/2013/04/blog-crush-inspirationcoop.html">Not Merely Living</a>. Pop over if you get the chance. (Thanks again for having me, Mere!)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">*and hoping I win the lottery. [smile]</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-452825565545727272013-04-29T04:00:00.000-07:002014-04-08T11:06:59.817-07:00{mini-view: krochet kids}<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The week before we left for our annual family trip to Oahu, our friend, Jared (you may remember his <a href="http://www.inspirationcoop.com/2012/07/mini-view-jared-abe.html">Mini-View here</a>), traveled to Peru to document the <a href="http://www.krochetkids.org/vans/">collaboration between Vans and Krochet Kids</a>. (Yea, Jared has a pretty cool job.) <a href="http://www.krochetkids.org/">Krochet Kids</a> is a company founded by a <a href="http://www.krochetkids.org/who-we-are/our-story/">group of high school friends</a> who desperately wanted to find a way to empower the women of Peru and Uganda after learning about their plight and struggle. When Jared returned from his trip, we sat together and poured through all the photos that he took. In the photos, he pointed out one of the co-founders of Krochet Kids, Kohl Crecelius, who was along on the trip. It was clear to me that Jared was inspired by the work that Krochet Kids was doing, and found Kohl's passion and spirit infectious. He said to me, "T, you have to interview Kohl for your blog. He is such a great guy doing amazing work in these countries." Well, my arm needed no twisting and, fortunately for me, Kohl graciously made time to answer the Proust Questionnaire, from high above the air on a plane and signing the email, "From my iPhone to your heart." Let's just say, I now understand Jared's admiration. Without further ado, herewith is Kohl's Mini-View:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VDzUQShImmk/UX2BGBcNp8I/AAAAAAAADA0/cSwyKGk2cn8/s1600/inspirationcoop_KrochetKids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VDzUQShImmk/UX2BGBcNp8I/AAAAAAAADA0/cSwyKGk2cn8/s1600/inspirationcoop_KrochetKids.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kohl, thank you so much for stopping by today. It was a pleasure and an honor. Keep up the powerful work that you're doing with Krochet Kids! <i>And</i> a big thank you to Jared for sharing this amazing journey with me and the corresponding images above.<br /><br />Folks, if you're interested in learning more about <a href="http://www.krochetkids.org/who-we-are/our-mission/">Krochet Kids' mission</a> "to empower people to rise above poverty," please visit <a href="http://www.krochetkids.org/">their website</a> where you will find inspiring story after inspiring story and where you can actually <a href="http://www.krochetkids.org/projects/ladies/">meet the women</a> who are learning to proudly stand on their own. Such good stuff!<br /><br />Happy new week, everyone! Let's make it count.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">image source: all images c/o Jared Abe</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ps~Christine of <a href="http://www.theplumednest.com/">The Plumed Nest</a> also wrote a wonderful post about <a href="http://www.theplumednest.com/2012/12/the-gift-of-giving-krochet-kids.html">Krochet Kids here</a>.</span></div><br /><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-66301155429121877332013-04-24T04:00:00.000-07:002014-04-08T11:07:26.249-07:00{at this moment: quiet}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bey8Joptr8A/UXbSiu3pYFI/AAAAAAAAC9g/yDokyZaqdk4/s1600/inspirationcoop_Quiet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bey8Joptr8A/UXbSiu3pYFI/AAAAAAAAC9g/yDokyZaqdk4/s1600/inspirationcoop_Quiet.png" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I often struggle a bit with how much I want to share and promote. "Struggle" is the perfect word to use in my case because I really do want to be more gregarious, chatting everyone up on Twitter and joining conversations. I want to join social campaigns that bring communities together. I want to go to cocktail parties and work the room, engaging in lively conversation. While I certainly have my moments in the sun, when they do happen, I find myself needing quiet reflective time after. To be social or not to be social - this is my tug of war. I'll be honest with you, I berate myself whenever I lose the battle. I mean, isn't the whole point of blogging and all the social platforms that exist to be more social, not less?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />At the beginning of this month, I read the book <i>Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking</i> by Susan Cain. I was prepared to read this book to gain a better understanding about the differences between extroverts and introverts. Before reading this book, if I had to casually put myself into one camp, I would reluctantly peg myself as an introvert. However, something I wasn't prepared for as a result of reading this book was understanding myself better and realizing that being an introvert isn't a bad word. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /><a name='more'></a><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />I guess I don't have to tell you that I found this book fascinating. Not only does it explain the difference between extroverts and introverts, and how each has their own unique benefits, the book also debunks some popular social myths. I'll give you one example, many offices around the nation are transitioning to open floor plan spaces - "The Rise of the New Groupthink". Research has proven that open floor plans are not conducive to employees' best work efforts, especially in terms of introverts who need quiet time and solitude to think. The book also points out the many ways in which our culture is extrovert-driven and how it tries to make introverts more extroverted. A slippery slope considering our nation's most recent financial collapse was driven by what seems to have been an overabundance of extroverts in charge, or at least according to the book; a balance of the two traits is what makes our culture thrive as we need one who is ready to take action and another who is researching all the what-ifs. (Interesting, right?)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Anyway, I'll give you a quick synopsis of each personality trait as defined by the book and then let you decide which camp you fall into:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><i>Extroverts are the people who will add life to your dinner party and laugh generously at your jokes. They tend to be assertive, dominant, and in great need of company. Extroverts think out loud and on their feet; they prefer talking to listening, rarely find themselves at a loss for words, and occasionally blurt out things they never meant to say. They're comfortable with conflict, but not with solitude.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions. A few things introverts are not: The word introvert is not a synonym for hermit or misanthrope. Nor are introverts shy. Shyness is the fear of social disapproval or humiliation, while introversion is a preference for environments that are not overstimulating.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />So, I'm curious, are you an introvert of extrovert? Remember, neither is better than the other. The book even explains that there are some who don't fall squarely into one camp - they can be a little of both depending on the situation. I think understanding the two and which one best describes you, will allow you to feel comfortable with who you are and how you choose to engage with the world. Well, it did for me anyway. I can feel equally good about being social and as I do about needing solitude, and not fault myself when I need the latter. I really can't recommend this book enough. What I offer above is a very minuscule sampling of what the book has to offer in the way of understanding the attributes belonging to both the extrovert and introvert. I leave you with this:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A species in which everyone was a General Patton would not succeed, any more than would a race in which everyone was Vincent van Gogh. I prefer to think that the planet needs athletes, philosophers, sex symbols, painters, scientists; it needs the warmhearted, the hardhearted, the coldhearted, and the weakhearted. It needs those who can devote their lives to studying how many droplets of water are secreted by the salivary glands of dogs under which circumstances, and it needs those who can capture the passing impression of cherry blossoms in a fourteen-syllable poem or devote twenty-five pages to the dissection of a small boy's feelings as he lies in bed in the dark waiting for his mother to kiss him goodnight... ~Allen Shawn</i></span></div><br /><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-79644816950445945382013-04-22T04:00:00.000-07:002013-04-22T04:00:10.167-07:00{monday muse: the selfless}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DlvIl7xA5xU/UXSdVjLNReI/AAAAAAAAC9M/_KUlHW7_stI/s1600/inspirationcoop_MondayMuse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DlvIl7xA5xU/UXSdVjLNReI/AAAAAAAAC9M/_KUlHW7_stI/s1600/inspirationcoop_MondayMuse.png" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sometimes an event takes place in our nation that holds us all captive.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are struck speechless and stunned.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Such was the event that happened one week ago today.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Out of this tragic event, we witnessed courageous acts of selflessness.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Man helping their fellow man. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">First responders and Good Samaritans. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The people of Boston and the greater Boston area. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Federal agencies coming together and working together. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The fallen and the injured.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had planned a whole other Monday Muse for today. <br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, these people and their stories are inspiring me.</span></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is there a moment from last week that has stuck with you? </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is a beautiful post written by <a href="http://www.onfourthstreet.com/2013/04/this-weekend_19.html">Fourth Street</a> regarding the different ways you can help.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy new week, everyone. Let's make it count. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">image source: Boston photographed by Bram Platel via </span><a href="http://500px.com/photo/7517748?from=upcoming" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">500px</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-49782240658035388582013-04-17T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-10T17:16:47.523-07:00{quotable + notable}<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1YnLY4y4ko/UW2mXCO8dYI/AAAAAAAAC88/QgZGBrZ-8OE/s1600/inspirationcoop_Happiness.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1YnLY4y4ko/UW2mXCO8dYI/AAAAAAAAC88/QgZGBrZ-8OE/s1600/inspirationcoop_Happiness.png" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Q U O T A B L E</span> - I found this quote via Oprah a few months ago and it rang so true. If you're anything like me, it's easy to find yourself caught up in working towards that next big idea or exciting adventure or something you've been coveting for a long time, and maybe you even lose sight of the specialness of the small things in between. Appreciating the little things</span> will ensure that you feel happiness every day, rather than some day when/if you achieve those larger goals.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">N O T A B L E</span> - Speaking of happiness, renowned graphic designer <a href="http://www.sagmeisterwalsh.com/">Stefan Sagmeister </a>"spent ten years exploring happiness in preparation for <a href="http://www.moca.org/museum/exhibitiondetail.php?&id=480">The Happy Show,</a>" an exhibition being held at Los Angeles' Museum of Contemporary Art. </span>"...Sagmeister has gathered the social data of Harvard psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Steven Pinker, psychologist Jonathan Haidt, anthropologist Donald Symons, and several prominent historians ... [including] a personal narrative, as Sagmeister's individual experience is portrayed beside social data detailing the role of age, gender, race, money, and other factors that determine happiness."<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Sagmeister's name will sound familiar to many of you if you attended Alt Summit as he was the keynote speaker, and/or if you're interested in design. I hope to make my way over to MOCA to see Sagmeister's exhibition before it leaves on June 9th. Museum visits definitely make me happy, and Sagmeister's thematic exploration sounds fascinating.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Is there anything you do each day or on a regular basis to ensure your own happiness?</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Update: In light of Monday's tragic event in Boston, I'm sending thoughts and love to all those affected. Boston was a city I once called home and I lived only a few blocks away, on Marlborough Street in what's known as the Back Bay, from where the bombs were set off. It saddens me whenever anyone (or a group) feels compelled to kill innocent people to slam their message down our throat. At the end of the day, Boston is a resilient city, full of unbreakable bonds and an immense love for their fellow Bostonian. Happiness is fleeting: from Monday's event alone we know this for certain. However, this fact should encourage us to make each day, each happiness count. </span></i></span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">image source: The Happy Show via <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://specials-images.forbes.com/imageserve/07QO45ugxw7o1/0x600.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale%26background%3D000000&imgrefurl=http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fhfi45eklk/the-happy-show-at-moca/&usg=__0F1pVSBYG8blaKKB12Rc1whmkxk=&h=600&w=900&sz=77&hl=en&start=8&sig2=xXjtId58Oqh6ItDlRAH-QQ&zoom=1&tbnid=TnZzb_2hFyDWmM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=146&ei=7ZFtUdauIuinigLruYDICQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimages%2Bof%2Bstefan%2Bsagmeister%2Bat%2Bthe%2Bmoca%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hl%3Den%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&sa=X&ved=0CDoQrQMwBw">Forbes </a></span></span> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-30817820917828105722013-04-15T04:00:00.000-07:002013-04-16T13:13:41.371-07:00{musicality: stay}<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JF8BRvqGCNs" width="560"></iframe> <br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Stay</i> by Rihanna. If you been following along here for any length of time, you know that I once had a series titled, Musicality Mondays. When I settled into an abridged posting schedule, I decided to let this series float off into the distance. However, every once in a while a song comes along that stops me in my tracks and I'm compelled to listen to it until my ears bleed, and then share it with you. I've been listening to <i>Stay</i> on repeat for the last couple of weeks. Before this song, it was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhnZkNj7kAo"><i>Intro</i> by The XX</a>. I'm not sure what these two songs have in common except that they both make me reflective and get me into a nice flow when I'm creating. (I also listen to a lot of classical music.) While I realize, some (most :) of you won't share my taste in music, I am curious to know if there are particular songs you listen to for inspiration. The only time I can't listen to music is when I'm commenting on your blogs. I need silence so I can concentrate on your words and the comment I want to write. How about you? Do you listen to music when you write and/or create? I would love to know which songs or type of music helps you create and propels you into a creative flow.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Happy Monday, everyone! Let's make it a great week.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">ps~</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">H</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">ey, everyone, we decided to get out of town for a few days. Regularly scheduled programming won't be interrupted, but if i'm a bit quiet on the airwaves, you'll understand why. xo</span></span></i></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-40124362884147657552013-04-10T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-10T17:20:03.551-07:00{doing good}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7aXzaUua_iw/UWRkIqU9m2I/AAAAAAAAC8M/dGiEivm3u_Q/s1600/inspirationcoop_DoingGood.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7aXzaUua_iw/UWRkIqU9m2I/AAAAAAAAC8M/dGiEivm3u_Q/s1600/inspirationcoop_DoingGood.png" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">On <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2013/04/at-this-moment-spring-break.html">last Wednesday's post</a> I wrote, "I sometimes think whether the time I devote to this blog might be better spent working on a worthy cause or for an inspiring business." I've had this feeling that's been gnawing at me for quite some time - the wanting to give more and have the time I spend here mean something.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">W H A T G O O D S H A L L I D O T H I S D A Y ?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">This question is handwritten on a piece of paper and pinned to my inspiration board. I am fair and realistic with myself. Most days, the best "good" thing I can muster is being a mama to my little ones. However, there's a constant part of me that wants to do more, give more.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sometime after publishing Wednesday's post and the dinner dishes were washed and the kids were upstairs having their bath, I sat down at my desk and read an achingly beautiful post written by Erin (of <a href="http://www.ilikewantneed.com/">Like / Want / Need</a>) about <a href="http://www.ilikewantneed.com/2013/04/the-lost-boys/">The Lost Boys</a>. (If you get the chance, please read this post and watch the videos.) Reading Erin's post and watching the accompanying videos directly touched that gnawing feeling. There are so many people that need voices in this world. Like all of us (and more than us), they need platforms to tell their stories. It got me thinking, wouldn't it be amazing to find a way to use our platforms for social advocacy? While the inspiration sharing is part of the journey, I would love to find a way to counterbalance all the pretty with something more meaningful.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In fact, over the last couple of months a friend and I have been brainstorming ideas on starting a site that highlights and brings people doing good things (to put it in simple terms) together into one space; People who are making a difference in their community and/or empowering people who need it most. (I'm not void of ideas, just the time and energy to implement them.) </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hope you won't read this post and think of me standing on a soapbox. (I <i>am</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"> the person who wasted hours trying to change a blog URL. Oi!). </span><span style="font-size: small;">You know I'm always just trying to think about things out loud and share them </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">with you here.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I know each of you has a cause that's dear to you and you do what you can in your own way. If you feel comfortable sharing, I would love to hear about them. Do you ever feel like you want to give/do more with your social influence?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">image source: Sign from </span><a href="http://www.bestmadeco.com/products/what-good-enamel-steel-sign" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Best Made Co.</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> found via </span><a href="http://www.designformankind.com/?s=what+good+shall+i+do+this+day" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Design for Mankind</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-42741430910752579062013-04-08T04:00:00.000-07:002013-04-08T04:00:09.690-07:00{moodboard / april}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RJD-bCPGntY/UWIwj_JioWI/AAAAAAAAC7s/HhBJEN3Bvpc/s1600/inspirationcoop_AprilMoodboard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RJD-bCPGntY/UWIwj_JioWI/AAAAAAAAC7s/HhBJEN3Bvpc/s1600/inspirationcoop_AprilMoodboard.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Happy April! I would have posted this salutation on the first, but I didn't want you to think I was pulling your leg. Did you pull any pranks on April 1st? I'll admit, the day slipped right by me. (<a href="http://www.altitudesummit.com/blog/2013/4/1/5-best-practices-for-monetizing-a-personal-blog.html">This prank</a> was pretty funny.)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This month... </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>I've got flowers on the brain</b> and <a href="http://www.kariherer.com/">Kari Herer's</a> floral photography takes my breath away. Actually, I love flowers all year long. I don't save flowers for special occasions and, for me, I don't need anything fancy. A small bouquet from the farmers' market or Trader Joe's is perfectly satisfying. Do you buy yourself flowers? </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I can't seem to put my finger on the reason why I love this <b>all white ensemble</b>. Perhaps, it's because the season has me craving lighter colors. Everything about this outfit is so clean and minimal. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">So, in June, there's this little thing called Alt NYC happening and I need to start thinking about <b>business cards</b>. <a href="http://designspiration.net/">Designspiration</a> is dripping with inspiration. Get ready for some stationery suite porn.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My daughter is 3.5 years old and we are finally transitioning her toddler room into a "big girl" room. One of the things I want to create for her room is a <b>gallery wall</b>. I just need to decide what art should go in each frame. This gallery wall that we saw on our trip to LACMA last week stopped me in my tracks. It sure does take all the work out of having to find art for each of the frames, now doesn't it? (Speaking of which, how to <a href="http://frockfiles.com/2013/04/03/gallery-wall-part-one/">create</a> and <a href="http://frockfiles.com/2013/04/04/salon-wall-part-two/">hang</a> a gallery wall.)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Find your thing</b>...The next time I'm feeling fearful and/or doubting myself, I'll be sure to read this quote, and all your helpful comments on <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2013/04/at-this-moment-spring-break.html">this post</a>. (Thanks, everyone!)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Happy new week!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Oh, in case you missed it, I did a fun post about Living with a Boy over on <a href="http://www.lovecreativeblog.com/2013/04/living-boy-advice-inspiration-co-operative-tenderness.html">Love Creative</a> and discussed what I'm currently reading over on <a href="http://suchsmallsteps.com/2013/03/28/what-were-reading-theresa-of-inspiration-cooperative/#comments">Such Small Steps</a>. Pop on over, if you get the chance. (Thanks for having me, Amanda and Erin!)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Update: You may have noticed that the site was down all day Friday and at different times over the weekend. I was finally trying to change my blogspot URL to a custom URL. After countless attempts at trying different processes and calling Go Daddy, blogger wouldn't redirect for whatever reason. So, I'm back to the blogspot address. One day, I'll have that custom URL. Someday.</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">image source: flower photography by <a href="http://www.kariherer.com/">Kari Herer</a> via <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/23055902/peony-no-3240?ref=shop_home_active">Etsy</a> / <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/429882726900987361/">A.W.A.K.E. SS 2013</a> via <a href="http://apartment34.com/2013/03/monday-work-wear-white-is-rather-nice/">Apartment 34</a> / black and blush business card via <a href="http://designspiration.net/image/3732401435046/">designspiration</a> / gallery wall taken by me at LACMA / <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/202450945719265963/">"find your thing..."</a> quote via <a href="http://lalalovelythings.com/">La La Lovely</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-384597240204832562013-04-03T04:00:00.000-07:002014-01-19T09:33:54.537-08:00{at this moment: spring break}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7sTHJJ6vSHk/UVuzoDkMo9I/AAAAAAAAC64/ZIta5tdQXIA/s1600/inspirationcoop_family.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7sTHJJ6vSHk/UVuzoDkMo9I/AAAAAAAAC64/ZIta5tdQXIA/s1600/inspirationcoop_family.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">You may have heard me mention that the kids are off from school this week for spring break. Playing on that theme, and since I seem to be <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2013/04/mini-view-jenni-kayne.html">breaking rules this week</a>, I wanted to share a rare family photo moment. Rare because I don't normally share family photos here and rare because it's a small challenge to get our whole family into one photo. As I look back through this blog, my role as mama and wife gets buried a bit. However, that's me in that photo as mama and wife, and that role is 100% of who I am outside of this blog. It's a full time job (as many of you know) and utilizes all of my resources. There are so many ideas I have for this space and my creative self, but my role outside of this blog pulls me in the other direction. I find myself in quite the conundrum as I try to honor this creative outlet and nurture my creative interests while embracing the gift I've been given to stay home with my kids. Just the other day, I was telling a friend that I'm desperately trying to work my way back to a MWF post schedule, but two per week seems to be the magic number right now. At the same time, I think about all the time I spend on this space and, if I'm being <i>real </i>honest, I sometimes think whether the time I devote to this blog might be better spent working on a worthy cause or for an inspiring business. This space is a labor of love, for certain. And I <i>am</i></span> still in love with it. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's the other thing, I feel as though the story I want to share here has gotten watered down. I know why. Fear. Fear that it has already been said, fear that no one is interested, fear that I might offend someone, fear that I will be seen as a narcissist…Fear. It's a tricky and risky thing to put all of yourself out there. Even sharing a family photo here has me fearful. Let's just say self-promotion isn't my strong suit. I would much rather highlight and promote someone else. As my husband advises: People want to see and know more about <i>you</i>, not the filtered version - The real you. Hmm...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with all of this except to say that I have to believe my feelings aren't novel or unique, and I thought they would be worth sharing. Like kids in school, perhaps sometimes we need a spring break in order to get perspective. I'm curious, have any of you grappled with any of these feelings? How do you ensure you're living a life worth sharing while maintaining a blog? Do you struggle with how much to share about yourself? Have any of you ever taken a break from your blog or toyed with the thought? </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, just doing a little free associating here. I suppose spring break has got me thinking that I want to live more. As always, thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate you guys, <i>a lot</i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some required reading that has been helping me sort through these feelings:</span></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The importance of <a href="http://www.thefreshexchangeblog.com/2013/01/alt-summit-taught-me/">being authentically you</a>.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://pjrvs.com/rally/">This post</a> about telling your story and using your true voice*.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Can't wait to dive into Melanie Biehle's new ebook, <a href="http://www.genuinemix.com/shop/blog-with-purpose">Blogging with Purpose</a>.</span></li></ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*Found via </span><a href="http://www.notmerelyliving.com/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not Merely Living</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Thanks, Mere! </span></span><br /><br /><ul></ul>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-727542350735767642013-04-01T04:00:00.000-07:002013-04-02T22:48:12.585-07:00{mini-view: jenni kayne}<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. I thought I would break away from regular programming to bring you another great <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/search/label/Mini-Views">Mini-View</a>. I know, two in a row! It <i>really</i> couldn't be helped as this Mini-View goes hand-in-hand with <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2013/03/mini-view-estee-stanley.html">last week's Mini-View with Estee Stanley</a>. Please help me welcome <a href="http://www.jennikayne.com/">Jenni Kayne</a>, the other half and co-founder of <a href="http://ladysandgents.com/">Ladys & Gents</a>. Like her close girlfriend, <a href="http://www.esteestanley.com/">Estee Stanley</a>, Kayne is a hard working mama of two littles and juggles many successful ventures, including her eponymous clothing line (that she founded at the age of nineteen) and amazing lifestyle blog titled, <a href="http://ripplustan.com/">Rip + Tan</a>. I'm telling you, I'm floored by the amount of talent these two women possess. Well, without further ado, herewith is Jenni's Mini-View:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vyg26XwieJU/UVkhW5ZiufI/AAAAAAAAC6k/EGr9fqZGWeI/s1600/inspirationcoop_JenniKayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vyg26XwieJU/UVkhW5ZiufI/AAAAAAAAC6k/EGr9fqZGWeI/s1600/inspirationcoop_JenniKayne.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I chuckled when I read Kayne's answer to "What is your most marked characteristic?" My sister is a Virgo and I have known many Virgos throughout my life, and I'm all too familiar with their need for organization and things in their life to be a certain way. Have you seen Kayne's highly organized kitchen as <a href="http://www.refinery29.com/jenni-kayne-martha-stewart/slideshow#slide-1">featured in Martha Stewart</a>? For the curious, you can see the rest of Kayne's jaw-dropping home in <a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2012/jenni-kayne-los-angeles-house-slideshow#/slide=2">this Architectural Digest feature</a>. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Jenni, thank you so much for taking the time to share these answers and this tiny glimpse into your world. I'm thinking the OCD is nothing you need to deplore. [smile]<br /><br />Happy new week, everyone! </span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>ps~Hey, everyone, just a gentle reminder to get your <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2013/03/project-postal.html">Project Postal</a> pieces in the mail as some people are still anxiously awaiting their snail mail surprises. Remember: Your piece doesn't need to be elaborate. Whatever you send </i><i><u>will</u> make someone's day, and that's the whole point. Thank you, thank you! xo</i></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">image source: all images unless otherwise noted c/o Jenni Kayne | profile pic via </span><a href="http://www.jennikayne.com/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">JenniKayne.com</a></span>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-6648099799446367962013-03-27T04:00:00.000-07:002013-03-27T04:00:01.716-07:00{wear in the world: easter brunch}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1pMueKY7nXs/UVIyfCW51tI/AAAAAAAAC6I/Wtfhr8od0zU/s1600/inspirationcoop_EasterBrunch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1pMueKY7nXs/UVIyfCW51tI/AAAAAAAAC6I/Wtfhr8od0zU/s1600/inspirationcoop_EasterBrunch.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, this Sunday is Easter and I've been busy putting together baskets for the kids, among other things. Tradition holds that we hop on over to my parent-in-law's house. There is an Easter egg hunt for thirteen cousins, all under eight years old. Yep, we've got a small village. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Growing up, my family wasn't surrounded by a large extended family unit. I had an uncle (who was really my dad's first cousin, but I knew him as an uncle), aunt, and three cousins. They lived in a beautiful brick house in an affluent area known as Friendly Hills (pretty name, right?). The spread always consisted of the best (and unhealthiest) Southern food - ham, green beans with ham hock, cornbread, and pecan pie. Those are some great memories. Eventually, my uncle and his family moved back to Alabama (my dad's home state) and the tradition ended.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Besides the Easter egg hunt and scrumptious food, I also enjoy having a reason to dress up. Even now, it's nice to depart from my usual preschool pick-up outfit of boyfriend jeans, tee shirt, and tennis shoes and put on something a little more shmancy. In a perfect world, I would find a perfectly draped dress and pair it with a chunky sandal. In a perfect world. In my world, I'll be putting the bow on the Easter baskets as we're walking out the door. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Do you do anything special for Easter?</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">image source: <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/91620173641369279/">tablescape</a> photographed by <a href="http://ryanrayphoto.com/">Ryan Ray Photography</a> via <a href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/#picture/857847/">Style Me Pretty</a> / <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70724289/pale-pink-geo-earrings?ref=v1_other_2">earrings</a> / <a href="http://www.whistles.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/dept/clothing-dresses?resetFilters=true#product=903000059649">dress</a> / <a href="http://www.shopbando.com/metallic-mini-pom-pom-flower/prod/533?rc=9">pom pom</a> / <a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/accessories.jsp?iNextCategory=-1">belt</a> / <a href="http://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/JEWELRY/bracelets/PRDOVR%7E96528/96528.jsp">bracelet</a> / <a href="http://www.whistles.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/dept/shoes?resetFilters=true#product=903000059968">sandals</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> </div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-82485792745735136372013-03-25T04:00:00.000-07:002013-04-02T22:40:53.834-07:00{mini-view: estee stanley}<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy last Monday of the month! I am happy, no thrilled, to bring you this month's <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/search/label/Mini-Views">Mini-View </a>with <a href="http://www.esteestanley.com/">Estee Stanley</a>. Is there no end to this woman's talent? Stanley is a stylist extraordinaire to the likes of Jessical Biel and Lea Michele, an <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/esd8714/estee-stanley-design">interior designer</a>, and one part of the new home line, <a href="http://www.homemint.com/">Homemint</a>. As if all that wasn't enough to keep this hard working mama of two happily busy, she recently launched a new children's blog with her long time friend and designer, <a href="http://store.jennikayne.com/home?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand_core_la&utm_term=misspellings_jk_high_ex">Jenni Kayne</a>, called <a href="http://ladysandgents.com/">Ladys and Gents</a>. Imagine a blog dedicated to street style for kids and you will have the essence of Lady and Gents. It's a really fun site with a ton of style inspiration for the littles, and it's receiving some great buzz. Well, without further ado, herewith is Estee's Mini-View:</span> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idckgo6UWkU/UUy7iKQhvDI/AAAAAAAAC5k/mcrlBalh6DE/s1600/inspirationCOOP_MiniView_EsteeStanley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idckgo6UWkU/UUy7iKQhvDI/AAAAAAAAC5k/mcrlBalh6DE/s1600/inspirationCOOP_MiniView_EsteeStanley.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Estee, thank you so much for stopping by today and sharing your answers with us. I can think of a handful of people who would agree that Paris is their favorite city in the world.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy new week, everyone! </span></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">image source: interior shot and profile pic c/o Estee Stanley | photo of the Oscar de la Renta gown that Lea Michele wore to the 2010 Golden Globes via <a href="http://www.thecoveteur.com/estee_stanley">The Coveteur</a></span></div><br /><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-57805104586873159422013-03-20T04:00:00.000-07:002013-06-18T11:28:58.269-07:00{the moment has arrived...}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PPRiuUWycS8/UUj4in7gsyI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/iVdBgnmDE4s/s1600/inspirationcoop_Spring%21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PPRiuUWycS8/UUj4in7gsyI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/iVdBgnmDE4s/s1600/inspirationcoop_Spring%21.png" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy first day of spring! Out of the cold depths of winter, we made it to spring. I know there is still a portion of us trudging through snowy sidewalks, but I'm hoping the official calendar change of season is enough to get you into the mood.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Spring immediately conjures up thoughts of new beginnings, fresh growth, and revived ideas. In my romanticized conception of the season, the landscape begins to look like a Claude Monet painting and everything appears to be lighter and in a beautiful state of flux." ~ written by Danica Van de Velde via <a href="http://www.kinfolkmag.com/">Kinfolk</a> magazine</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm eager to shake off winter's coat and I'm looking forward to: celebrating Easter with the whole family; spending spring break with the kids; picking up fresh flowers; honoring Mother's Day; having picnics at the farmers' market; slipping away with friends and family for a mini holiday in May; embarking on our annual camping trip; and, teetering on the edge of summer, attending <a href="http://www.altitudesummit.com/alt-summit-nyc/">this conference</a>. [!!]</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are you looking forward to in spring?</span></span></i></div><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-72589663292259021212013-03-18T04:00:00.000-07:002013-03-18T04:00:07.865-07:00{my monday with...frock files}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2vLmCRE5Zio/UUPMuui1pjI/AAAAAAAAC3U/drh7TBuE3ds/s1600/inspirationcoop_FrockFiles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2vLmCRE5Zio/UUPMuui1pjI/AAAAAAAAC3U/drh7TBuE3ds/s1600/inspirationcoop_FrockFiles.png" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09286408924765999" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Happy Monday, everyone! Look who I'm spending <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Monday...">My Monday with</a> ... I thought it was time you all met Joy of <a href="http://frockfiles.com/">Frock Files</a>. You know, the other half of <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2013/03/project-postal.html">Project Postal</a>, the woman who makes these <a href="http://frockfiles.com/category/simple-recipes/">yummy dishes</a>, creates these <a href="http://frockfiles.com/category/lets-get-crafty/">clever diy's</a>, and does it all with her wonderful aloha spirit. I can't recall how we first found each other or where it all began, but boy am I ever grateful that our worlds collided. I have a hunch you will feel the same. Let's get to know Joy a bit better through her favorite things, shall we:</span></i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09286408924765999" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a name='more'></a> </span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09286408924765999" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09286408924765999" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When we were looking at engagement rings last year, we bought one on a whim but quickly discovered that no one would be able to size it down enough without warping its shape. I was heartbroken. Then, I visited a small jeweler in Boston and together we designed this ring. I’ve never been in love with a piece of jewelry before, but I am completely head over heels for this ring.</span></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The first time I bought this perfume it was on sale for $5 at Sephora. When the bottle broke on the floor of a hotel bathroom one day, I went in to the store to find it was no longer sold there. Months later, I went on a search for it online but had forgotten its name. I looked for days before finding it – and now I’ll remember that it’s called </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stacked-Style-Dolce-Parfum-Spray/dp/B000UUXXJA"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Dolce Dew</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, forever.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Calvin Trillin wrote </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/About-Alice-Calvin-Trillin/dp/1400066158/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362678481&sr=8-1&keywords=about+alice"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">this funny, charming, sweet book</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> after his wife, Alice, passed away. One of Trillin’s fans wrote a condolence letter that said she occasionally looked at her boyfriend and thought, “But will he love me like Calvin loves Alice?” It’s a perfect reminder of what love really is: good humored and unfailing.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><a href="http://www.sephora.com/product/productDetail.jsp?keyword=smashbox%20bb%20cream&skuId=1387000&productId=P300339&_requestid=64955"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">BB Cream</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> seemed like all hype until I tried it – now I can’t live without it. With moisturizers, sunscreen, great coverage, and no greasiness, it fulfills my need for morning efficiency.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Because I lack a prominent bridge, I have a hard time finding glasses that don’t touch my face. I expressed my concerns to the very kind Portuguese man who runs the glasses shop nearby, and he handed me this pair from </span><a href="http://www.chanel.com/fashion/7-optical-chanel-accessories-6,4#7-optical-chanel-accessories-6,4"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Chanel</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Of course, they fit perfectly. I will probably never buy another pair of frames.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">James and I have a morning ritual of drinking coffee in bed every morning. He drinks his out of a giant mug, and I drink mine out of </span><a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-glassware/B26321562.jsp"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">teacups</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">*. This thimble full of coffee is all I can manage before I turn into a jittery Chihuahua. (I’m also in love with my </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VPXEBU/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese cold brew pot</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, which makes the smoothest coffee ever.)</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My best friend sent me </span><a href="https://missionarychocolates.com/drupal/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">these chocolate truffles</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> from Portland, Oregon. They’re the creation of a naturopath, and they’re vegan. This was a little frightening until I realized that they’re also the best chocolates I’ve ever had.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Everything about </span><a href="http://riflepaperco.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Rifle Paper Company’s</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> products are </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">just</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> right. I love keeping this notebook on my desk because it doubles as décor.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I have slept with a sheepskin under my toes for my entire life, so it’s lucky that they’re a current chic trend, since I already have a few handy.</span></span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">- -</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Joy, thank you so much for putting this post together for us today. </span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I always enjoy seeing what people choose as their favorite things and seeing them captured all in one shot for this series. Joy's post is no exception, and it definitely made my Monday. Happy new week, everyone!</span></span></i></div><br /><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-23321097978568584562013-03-13T04:00:00.000-07:002013-03-14T13:57:11.066-07:00{creative space}<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-trjLHra7i8g/UT-dRLJ_HCI/AAAAAAAAC3E/XrCHH7Ozop0/s1600/inspirationcoop_WorkSpace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-trjLHra7i8g/UT-dRLJ_HCI/AAAAAAAAC3E/XrCHH7Ozop0/s1600/inspirationcoop_WorkSpace.JPG" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is the space where I write and create most posts for the blog. Right above the computer screen is my real life mood/pin board, which is full of sketches, magazine tear sheets, ideas, words of advice, and inspiring quotes. Speaking of which, this space is where I will most likely work on my quote for <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2013/03/project-postal.html">Project Postal,</a> or I'll venture to our big dining room table so I have ample room to spread out and create. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">We had a really great turn out for Project Postal. A big thank you to all those who signed up! (<a href="http://frockfiles.com/">Joy</a> and I really appreciate your shared love of mail.) In case you might be wondering who all is involved, please step right this way and find all the participants (plus their respective sites, if applicable):</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Christie Jones of <a href="http://bedsidesign.com/" target="_blank">Bedsidesign</a> | Sarah Wimer | Amber Carlson of <a href="http://a-thoughtful-blog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Thoughtful Blog</a> | Trude Ellingsen of <a href="http://www.ellingsenphoto.com/" target="_blank">Ellingsen Photography</a> | Giova Brusa | Tasmin Holland of <a href="http://heyholland.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Hey Holland</a> | Meredith Nguyen of <a href="http://www.notmerelyliving.com/" target="_blank">Not Merely Living</a> | Andrea Victoria of <a href="http://lifebyandreavictoria.com/" target="_blank">Life by Andrea Victoria</a> | Erica deMasi | Clare Wilkinson | Lindsey Holcomb | Ashley Weeks of <a href="http://blogalacart.com/" target="_blank">Blog a la Cart</a> | Mina Brinkey of <a href="http://www.minasdecorandfashion.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bohemian Vintage</a> | Mary Louise Edu of <a href="http://laidoffmom.com/" target="_blank">Laid Off Mom</a> | Stephanie Rufener of <a href="http://prettyanddelectable.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Pretty and Delectable</a> | Becca Coursey-Rugh of <a href="http://pomegranateandseeds.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pomegranate and Seeds</a> | Lauren Keim of <a href="http://laurenlkeim.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">Still + Life</a> | Christine Dinsmore of <a href="http://www.theplumednest.com/" target="_blank">The Plumed Nest</a> | Nina Clasen of <a href="http://livingin40.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Living in 40</a> | Erin Wurzel of <a href="http://www.ilikewantneed.com/" target="_blank">Like/Want/Need</a> | Jen Ahn | Jennifer Cops of <a href="http://awellnurturedlife.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Well Nurtured Life</a> | Leah Deighton of <a href="http://sangthebird.com.au/" target="_blank">Sang the Bird</a> | Mills of <a href="http://heronandhibou.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Heron + Hibou</a> | Raluca State of <a href="http://whatwouldgwynethdo.com/" target="_blank">What Would Gwyneth Do</a> | Ruth Yen of <a href="http://amiusmie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Miusmie</a> | Paige Ray of <a href="http://paigemeredith.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Approaching Joy</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> | Santa Martin of </span><a href="http://www.homestilo.com/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Homestilo</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> | Linda Khoe of </span><a href="http://theurbanmrs.com/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Urban Mrs.</a></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, and some have wondered if there is a deadline for mailing out the quotes. We didn't designate a deadline. Though, if you send your special quote out within the next week, that feels about right.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">So, have you already thought about what you'll create and picked a beautiful quote? I'm curious, do you have a favorite resource for quotes?</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let the creative fun begin!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-4867458101047639422013-03-11T04:00:00.000-07:002013-03-11T11:06:14.421-07:00{quotable + notable}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IwRhLpihpA0/UTqRGxYdvdI/AAAAAAAAC20/Ytt1Ectf4h0/s1600/inspirationcoop_NoraEphron.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IwRhLpihpA0/UTqRGxYdvdI/AAAAAAAAC20/Ytt1Ectf4h0/s1600/inspirationcoop_NoraEphron.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Q U O T A B L E</b></span> - I found this quote by Jihan Zencirli of <a href="http://geronimoballoons.com/">Geronimo! Balloons</a> when I was reading a great <a href="http://theeverygirl.com/feature/jihan-zencirli-of-geronimo/">interview she did with The Everygirl</a>. If Jihan's name or her company sound familiar, it's most likely due to <a href="http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=geronimo+ballons">this amazingness</a>. Aside from the wonderful, magical creations Jihan dreams up, this interview is a wonderful look into how a loving gesture to a friend turned into a thriving business. The interview also includes honest tips on owning a small business and building solid relationships with your community, no matter what your service or product.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>N O T A B L E</b></span> - Nora Ephron. <a href="http://frockfiles.com/">Joy</a> recently sent me an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/magazine/nora-ephrons-final-act.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">article from the <i>New York Times</i></a> written by Nora's son, Jacob Bernstein. The article details Ephron's last days before her death and is a beautiful tribute to a mother from her son. Please read when you get the chance. The article reminded me of one of my favorite books that I read last year, <i>The End of Your Life Book Club</i>. It also reminded me - please don't throw tomatoes - that I haven't read any of Ephron's work. Well, so as not to continue living in shame and embarrassment, I immediately went to the library the next day after reading the article and checked out all the Ephron books they had in stock. So far, I was able to check out <i>I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections</i>, and I have the book, <i>I Feel Bad About My Neck</i>, on hold when it's returned. I can't wait to dive in. Tell me, do you have a favorite Ephron book, or movie?</span></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">image source: Nora Ephron from <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cdn.theatlanticwire.com/img/upload/2012/06/26/AP101103036089/large.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/06/wowowow-prematurely-publishes-nora-ephrons-obituary/53949/&usg=__DjQx-3hDQGSC-9hc3HFC1IlbSSc=&h=383&w=614&sz=63&hl=en&start=60&zoom=1&tbnid=SAVv1YnP3aNyvM:&tbnh=85&tbnw=136&ei=kUo6UayBGOWsyAHG7ICwAw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnora%2Bephron%26start%3D40%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&sa=X&ved=0CFAQrQMwEzgo"><i>The Atlantic Wire</i></a></span></div><br /><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-41475485725877655632013-03-06T04:00:00.000-08:002013-04-10T12:34:32.048-07:00{project: postal}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9f6SKi2IX4/UWW-RWVN5XI/AAAAAAAAC8c/0nkLK2XFZCA/s1600/inspirationcoop_ProjectPostal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9f6SKi2IX4/UWW-RWVN5XI/AAAAAAAAC8c/0nkLK2XFZCA/s1600/inspirationcoop_ProjectPostal.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hi everyone! Joy (of the wonderfully delightful blog, </span><a href="http://frockfiles.com/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Frock Files</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">) and I have teamed up to bring sexy {snail mail} back and spread some love. This month, Joy's blog theme is friendship and to honor that theme, we thought it would be fun to invite you all to a snail mail party where each of us will send a special someone encouraging, uplifting words via the good ol' United States Postal Service. As many of you know the act of handwriting a letter and sending it in the mail is a dying art. Joy and I are avid snail mail fans and we want to do our small part to keep the art alive. Plus, who doesn't get excited to receive something special in the mail? (That's a rhetorical question.) Here are the details:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Leave a comment either below or on <a href="http://frockfiles.com/">Joy's post</a> by this Friday, March 8th to be included in Project: Postal </span></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Once all comments have been collected, Joy and I will coordinate sending each of you one person's name and address</span></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- The person chosen for you will be your lucky recipient. Please mail to this person a beautiful quote of your choosing, something uplifting and encouraging. If you know this person, perhaps you can even pick a quote specific to them, something you know they need to hear. You can embellish, handletter, typeset, watercolor, write on a paper napkin...the quote anyway that your heart desires. (Perhaps the recipient will even hang it on their inspiration board.)</span></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Extra credit and optional: Once you've received your beautiful quote in the mail, take a snap via Instagram and/or Tweet it using the hashtag: </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#ProjectPostal</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. (It will be so lovely to see everyone's creations in one place.)</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ok, my friends, are you ready to give the USPS a little extra business and make someone's day? Ready, set, go!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">image source: <strike>envelopes via Style Me Pretty</strike> update: I had to change out the photo I used previously because the link was broken and I couldn't find the image. new image source: via <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/102713554/hand-calligraphy-envelope-addressing?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_query=modern+calligraphy&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=9&ga_search_type=all">Lavender Calligraphy</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-62234857174556839662013-03-05T04:00:00.000-08:002013-03-05T04:00:09.300-08:00{moodboard / march}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U9pYZdbzVqs/UTVqEpfUYTI/AAAAAAAAC2U/US2sbx4Z2Ps/s1600/inspirationcoop_moodboard_march.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U9pYZdbzVqs/UTVqEpfUYTI/AAAAAAAAC2U/US2sbx4Z2Ps/s1600/inspirationcoop_moodboard_march.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">H A P P Y March, everyone! Let the official countdown to spring begin. Slowly but surely, flowers will start to bloom, layers will be shed, and the light of the day will grow increasingly longer. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This month seems to symbolize renewal what w</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ith the change in the season, time springing forward, and Easter. ...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Can I be honest with you? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have started, back spaced, started, and deleted the words of this post so many times. I've actually considered throwing in the towel. I'm a jumble of thoughts right now. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Perhaps I'm overly excited about spring arriving. Or perhaps I'm relieved that (the worse part of) the winter months are becoming smaller and smaller in the rear view. I simply don't know how to adequately and properly convey these emotions to you. If I was speaking to you in person right now, I would simply give you a big bear hug and do a little happy dance.<i> Maybe</i> these emotions I'm feeling are so good that I'm afraid to speak them out loud. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever felt so happy that you feared it might be snatched right out of your hand? Or, am I the only crazy one?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No matter, I'm running with scissors and wishing you all a H A P P Y March!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">image source: flowers photographed by </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23244857@N03/8044085071/in/photostream" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">miss. tristan b</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> | woman photographed by nastia vesna via </span><a href="http://500px.com/photo/3398984" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">500px.com</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> | quote via </span><a href="http://www.inspiredtoshare.com/2012/08/down-to-business-08/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">inspired to share</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, handlettering by </span><a href="http://www.mollyjacquesillustration.bigcartel.com/product/einstein-print" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">molly jacques</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> | flowers and vases via </span><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/869084/fall-flower-arrangements/@center/867185/flower-arranging#925395" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">martha stewart</a></span></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-12369615713377897462013-03-01T04:00:00.000-08:002013-04-02T22:41:45.770-07:00{at this moment: miracles}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eA8h8PJQAiM/UTAKtOI8O6I/AAAAAAAAC10/zeg-tRtH_7Q/s1600/inspirationcoop_MayCauseMiracles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eA8h8PJQAiM/UTAKtOI8O6I/AAAAAAAAC10/zeg-tRtH_7Q/s1600/inspirationcoop_MayCauseMiracles.png" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I haven't been doing much writing here. I have been doing plenty of writing elsewhere, in my Moleskine to be exact. (Shh, don't tell my blog.) I am half way through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=may+cause+miracles&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=14473018884&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=45342441215939353&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_2vtwtgsv5r_e"><i>May Cause Miracles</i></a>, a book* that requires me to open each morning and close each night with a meditation. It is here that I've been devoting my time. The book promises subtle shifts to achieve more happiness. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was skeptical. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, here's the thing, when you wake up each day with the intention and promise to experience the day with mindfulness and gratitude and peace and love instead of fear, and you do this practice for 42 days straight, subtle shifts <i>do</i> happen. I have felt them and experienced them. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I confess, I'm forever on a quest for aha moments - big, mushroom shaped explosions of awakening. While those moments are wonderful, I am appreciating even more the subtle shifts - in my perceptions and acceptance. They seem to have longer lasting effects. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't doubt that most of us on this earth are on a similar journey. We all have struggles and we all have insecurities. We all want to feel appreciated and loved. We all want to feel connected to each other and understood. In this, we are all equal. And in these moments of equality, we truly see each other. I want more of these moments.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy weekend, my friends!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">In case you were wondering: No, I haven't joined a cult. [smile] I know many of us have experienced a rough start to the new year. However, today marks the beginning of a brand new month; A month that ushers in spring, don't you know. As such, I just wanted to send you some LovingKindness (a beautiful word I learned from my friend, <a href="http://laurenlkeim.squarespace.com/">Lauren</a>). </span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*Which came highly recommended by <a href="http://www.notyouraverageordinary.com/">this wonderful soul</a>. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Oh, and a big, loud happy birthday to this <a href="http://inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2012/07/mini-view-jared-abe.html">wonderfully creative friend</a>!! </span></span><br /><br /><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-60271903787858275502013-02-26T04:00:00.000-08:002013-02-26T04:00:15.438-08:00{quotable + notable}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xAhWZ1-gMLg/USu2p5u2HoI/AAAAAAAAC0s/VN6B1PNW_CM/s1600/inspirationcoop_VanityFair.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xAhWZ1-gMLg/USu2p5u2HoI/AAAAAAAAC0s/VN6B1PNW_CM/s1600/inspirationcoop_VanityFair.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q U O T A B L E :</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I love a good quote. Don't you? I have been jotting down quotes for as long as I can remember, or more specifically since I </span><a href="http://inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2012/01/art-of-journaling.html" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">started keeping a journal</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> in middle school. (Holy moly, that's a long time!) I was drawn to the quote by John Keats above for the beautiful sentiment, yes, but what really caught my eye was the hand lettering created by illustrator <a href="http://mariondeuchars.com/">Marion Deuchars</a>, which I found as I was reading the annual Hollywood issue of <i>Vanity Fair</i>. Deuchars' lettering is endearing and imperfect, like reading a letter from a friend. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">N O T A B L E :</span> </span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of Hollywood, the Oscars happened last Sunday. Did you watch? Were you cheering for anyone? Of the movies that were nominated, we managed to see <i>Silver Linings Playbook</i> and <i>Argo</i>. I was thrilled when Ben Affleck won for best picture. He has certainly come into his own since <i>Good Will Hunting</i> (still one of my favorite movies). Coincidentally, <i>Good Will Hunting</i> came out at the same time that I was living in Boston, which made me love the movie even more. Since we're speaking about quotes, my favorite from the movie: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"See, the sad thing about a guy like you is in 50 years you're gonna start doing some thinking on your own and you're gonna come up with the fact that there are two certainties in life. One, don't do that. And two, you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a f***ing education you coulda got for a dollah fifty in late charges at the public library."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Remember that scene? </span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">image source: John Keats' quote scanned from the March 2013 issue of <i><a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/">Vanity Fair</a></i></span></span><br /><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-15319971154074452862013-02-20T04:00:00.000-08:002013-02-20T08:45:21.599-08:00{shooting into the sun}<div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TrDvZFf9eDI/USQNSaMclXI/AAAAAAAACzY/vhglrtrwkAc/s1600/inspirationcoop_Hawaii_Sun.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TrDvZFf9eDI/USQNSaMclXI/AAAAAAAACzY/vhglrtrwkAc/s1600/inspirationcoop_Hawaii_Sun.png" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aw, I wish we were there right now. In Oahu. These are a few shots we took on our very last day in Ko'Olina. On the previous five days, we would all head in right before magic hour so we could get dinner started and bathe all the kids. On this last night, we took full advantage of that glowing light and had some fun <b>experimenting</b> with shooting into the sun, which helps to achieve that silhouette effect. I think we finally got it right with that last shot. We squeezed every last bit out of that early evening, and I honestly think time stood still (for a handful of minutes, anyway).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Something else I've been <b>experimenting</b> with lately: Going with the flow. I almost, <i>almost</i> started beating myself up for not having returned to a reliable blogging schedule since the start of the new year. However, I stopped myself. Rather, I've been visiting this space when inspiration strikes, <i>and</i> I've been having the most fun reading all of your inspiring blog posts without worrying about any looming personal blog post deadlines. I realize this lackadaisical approach isn't going to get me (or this blog) anywhere fast. But, hey, who says that I need to get or be anywhere? I will get back on that bike soon. For now, I'm enjoying the journey and the view.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Have you been experimenting with anything new lately?</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PS~If you're interested, a recap of our </span><a href="http://inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2011/12/at-this-moment.html" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hawaii 2011</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> trip and a </span><a href="http://www.ilikewantneed.com/2012/05/guest-post-theresa-of-inspiration-cooperative/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hawaiian guest post</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> for </span><a href="http://www.ilikewantneed.com/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like/Want/Need</a></span>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-88524108692196659992013-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:002013-06-18T11:29:13.577-07:00{happy heart day}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CNtLoGgOjjQ/URwZKVnA71I/AAAAAAAACyc/T5Qlxg0pFLw/s1600/inspirationcoop_Valentine%27s_Illustration.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CNtLoGgOjjQ/URwZKVnA71I/AAAAAAAACyc/T5Qlxg0pFLw/s1600/inspirationcoop_Valentine%27s_Illustration.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's true, I do. Happy, happy Valentine's Day, everyone! When it comes to Valentine's Day, there seems to be two camps - people who go all out and people who treat the day as any other. Which camp do you fall into? Do you have any special plans or is there a special gift you're giving? Do tell. Whatever your day entails, I hope it's full of love, both given and received. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><br />Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-28200356858978312592013-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:002013-02-01T04:00:02.164-08:00{at this moment: thoughts on alt}<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sHEDdgebJ0A/UQsRWZnp4zI/AAAAAAAACw8/HRhCm1w0qjU/s1600/inspirationcoop_Glitter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sHEDdgebJ0A/UQsRWZnp4zI/AAAAAAAACw8/HRhCm1w0qjU/s1600/inspirationcoop_Glitter.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Remember the post where I wrote about my disappointment at <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2013/01/at-this-moment-what-matters-most.html">missing Alt Summit 2013</a> this year? Well, who needs the actual summit when there are friends who will graciously share their experience with you. [smile] I asked a group of wonderful women to give me a sentence or two about their experience - their biggest takeaway or lesson learned - so that I could share them here with you. Despite their mile-long to-do lists and playing major catch up, the following are their shared words of wisdom (hint: you can simply click on each image below to be taken directly to their respective website!):</span></i></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://frockfiles.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-89atmyyW3Gk/UQsEBX6Nb1I/AAAAAAAACvY/0Y5DDplQ6Ns/s1600/inspirationcoop_FrockFiles.png" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.callmecal.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XwFNe5MbXBI/UQsGByT_MHI/AAAAAAAACvk/7fHaptns39E/s1600/inspirationcoop_CallMeCal.png" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.studiodiy.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Ll9PuJ7vGQ/UQsHmb5lqpI/AAAAAAAACwM/rVe5irWhMOA/s1600/inspirationcoop_StudioDIY.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.raincoastcottage.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HVttk7_1N34/UQsaQ680gOI/AAAAAAAACxs/nbMf8bha4ug/s1600/inspirationcoop_RaincoastCottage.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> A big <span style="font-size: large;">thank you</span> to Joy, Callie, Kelly and Sandra for taking the time to share these glimpses into Alt Summit. By all accounts, it sounds like the summit was a treasure trove of inspiration and motivating takeaways. Joy, Callie, Kelly and Sandra each have their own truly insightful Alt Summit recaps on their respective blogs. If you get the chance, make sure to stop by.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, as many of you know, our <a href="http://www.inspirationcooperative.blogspot.com/2013/01/wear-in-th-world-oahu.html">long awaited trip to Oahu</a> commences tomorrow. I didn't line up any guest bloggers during our time away. My plan is to take all of next week to just <i>be</i> and truly enjoy the Aloha spirit. However, you will most likely find me on <a href="http://followgram.me/inspirationcoop">Instagram</a>. So, please be my little stowaways and follow along on the adventure. Because, let's face it, I will miss you all. Thanks everyone for your support and I'll see you soon!</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313055922644963841.post-87389384131283502392013-01-30T04:00:00.000-08:002013-06-18T11:29:30.286-07:00{wear in the world: oahu}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KVo3VM_YgsE/UQhl-tKBXYI/AAAAAAAACus/a64rEKJP-MU/s1600/inspirationcoop_wearintheworld_Oahu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KVo3VM_YgsE/UQhl-tKBXYI/AAAAAAAACus/a64rEKJP-MU/s1600/inspirationcoop_wearintheworld_Oahu.png" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In just two short days, our family (along with two others) will be boarding a plane and landing on the beautiful island of Oahu. To say that this trip is something we've all been looking forward to and needing would be an understatement. As with all the past years, we have no agenda for this trip. We plan to wake up each day, pack up our gear for the pool and beach, order shave ice, dig for sand crabs, bury the kids in the sand, and count our blessings. Wash, rinse, and repeat. My {dream} daily uniform will look something like the illustration above.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Packing list to include: </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.chicnova.com/washed-batwing-sleeves-denim-shirts.html?SSAID=256758">Denim shirt</a> - as a cover up</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/swim/solids/PRDOVR%7E32944/32944.jsp">Scalloped bathing suit top</a> - the scalloped edge adds a bit of sweetness to this top</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/swim/patternsandprints/PRDOVR%7E24918/24918.jsp">Striped bikini bottom</a> - for the love of stripes</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/accessories/scarvesglovesandhats/PRDOVR%7E23793/23793.jsp">Panama hat</a> - sun protection is a must</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/tom-ford-round-sunglasses/3319200?origin=keywordsearch&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=0">Round sunglasses</a> - I've been wanting a pair for some time now, but I'm unsure if they'll make me look bug eyed</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">Flip flops - or, as the Hawaiians call them, slippahs or zodees. <a href="http://us.havaianas.com/">Havaianas</a> make some of the most comfortable versions.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/gradiated-stripe-cotton-rug-iron-b787/?pkey=cpattern-rugs-flooring&cm_src=pattern-rugs-flooring%7C%7CNoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-">Striped towel</a> - Ok, truth be told, that towel is really a rug that I would really love to have in a towel version. If you know of such a thing, I'm all ears, and thank you.</span></li></ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know some of you have your own upcoming trips, or if you could go anywhere right now...<i>Do tell. </i></span></div><br /><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Theresa / InspirationCOOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03002811206184372985noreply@blogger.com11