the inspired lens

Wooden Growth Charts

2012-09-22T19:31:00.001-04:00

Happy fall to everyone! I decided to treat myself today with a little winter boot shopping :) No purchases were made but I definitely have some ideas of what I "need" this winter. As summer was wrapping up, a cousin of mine had her first baby! I was more than happy for her and couldn't wait to start spoiling her little one. During our discussion, it was brought up that they didn’t have a

Photo-a-day Challenge (June)

2012-07-09T11:24:00.001-04:00

I am extremely pleased with the amount of time I have been able to allot to developing my photography skills this summer. During late spring, I attended a 2-day seminar at Robert Morris University taught by photographers with resumes miles long, and positions I didn’t even know I had dreamt of. It was eye opening to say the least. The most surprising moments were the direct parallels from

Newspaper Wallpaper

2012-06-05T07:12:00.000-04:00

This little cubby in our living room stood as an eye sore for close to two years piled with storage bins, books, and childhood memories that we didn't want to part with. Living in a small space with little storage, we resigned ourselves to the fact that this was how it had to be and allowed the eyesore to stand unchallenged. After the flu and a few DVR’d episodes of The Nate Berkus Show

A Quick Laugh

2012-05-10T20:44:00.003-04:00

Summer is quickly approaching and while that typically brings a huge smile to my face, I am not so enthusiastic about getting into a bathing for the first time since my college years. At least during that previous period of my life alcohol and fried foods were to blame. My current lifestyle choices have included lots of healthy foods, new recipes, and workouts that suit my mood: P90X when I

World Book Night U.S.

2012-04-24T19:58:00.001-04:00

A tweet from a local Mexican restaurant, Casa Ramirez, posted that they were participating in World Book Night and that any families stopping out for dinner would receive a free copy of "The Hunger Games." My boyfriend and I were immediately intrigued and decided to hop in the car to show our support. What is World Book Night? "World Book Night is a celebration of reading and books which will

free address labels- vistaprint

2012-04-04T18:09:00.000-04:00

I love free stuff! That said, Vistaprint is giving away 140 address labels to all of their current customers. Don't worry if you're not a current customer, I wasn't either. Just sign up, make your login, and customize your free labels. The offer ends at midnight tonight. I am not promoting this for extra cash just wanted to share the wealth. Enjoy!

The Hunger Games Movie Review

2012-03-27T18:29:00.001-04:00

I have not been able to put my feelings into words or find them completely in others’ words since the opening of the movie. I should have known that the years of anticipation leading up to this movie would leave me dissatisfied. I was not a bandwagon reader. I was assigned this novel back in ’08 for an adolescent lit class. I immediately fell in love. I waited patiently… or not so patiently

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

2012-03-21T12:02:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love a good cupcake... with alcohol infusion? I was ecstatic when I came across this recipe, as Irish Car Bombs have been a staple of my St. Paddy’s Day celebration for years. I immediately ran out to the store(s), bought all of the ingredients, and then realized I had no party to attend or hold where people could snack 2 dozen cupcakes. Sidebar: I am not one to downsize a

Etsy Love

2012-03-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Just a few things I'm loving on Etsy right now: I have been obsessing over these patterns from Thevelvetacorn all winter. If I had the patience to learn how to crochet I would purchase every last one. Not to mention how adorable that little cutie pie in the picture is! I want this. Someone... anyone.. buy this for me, pretty please. It is from audiowood and is the perfect blend of

inspiration

2012-03-08T08:27:00.001-05:00

This was my plan. Now in my late twenties, it is a distant dream. I like my job. I've already fallen in love. And round-trip plane tickets are now bought for vacation. Do I wish I could go back, be irresponsible, and fulfill these dreams? Sometimes. Adult life isn’t exactly living up to my expectations. I thought I’d cross certain milestones by this point, achieve more, and become content

Etsy seller link-up

2012-03-05T13:24:00.001-05:00

1. Shop name(s) and link(s): The Inspired Lens and AshleyNicolleDesign 2. What do you sell on Etsy and why? I sell photographs and handmade, upcycled items such as purses and coasters. 3. What do you think is the best part of selling on Etsy? The best part of selling on Etsy would have to be sellers. I have found so many creative and orginal gifts. I am a huge fan of supporting the

Etsy Giveaway

2012-02-21T09:25:00.000-05:00

Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Etsy shop owner Yesie Machado about the creativity behind her photos. She offers a unique artistic perspective in each one of her photographs. Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi my name is Yesie Machado. I am a natural light Portrait Photographer based out of Southern California. I am a mother, daughter, girlfriend, and sister. I love taking

Changes for Google

2012-02-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Just in case you were not aware, or you don't completely understand the details of Google’s new rules and restrictions- I did a bit of researching. Google is doing away with Google Friend Connect (GFC) for non-Blogger blogs. The shutdown will officially happen on March 1, 2012. My blog fortunately is run by blogger, meaning I’m in the clear for now but from what I gathered they will soon

DIY clutch purse...

2012-02-04T14:34:00.002-05:00

Another project completed (sort of)! I had originally bought the fabric/supplies for this little clutch over the summer yet never got around to finalizing it due to a very frustrating last step. In the beginning, it seemed incredibly easy to make and was marketed in such a way that “any beginner” could whip this up in half an hour. Really? Countless days of my summer had been spent on this “

Photography in Frames

2012-01-16T10:03:00.002-05:00

As a teacher, I am lucky enough to get the same days off as the students. With that said, having 10 days off during the holidays kept me wondering how I got through the chaos of it all while working. I’m guessing a nightly cocktail was involved. This year I decided to try and steal a little time for myself over winter break to work on a few neglected projects. The result: my desk is nearly

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

2011-11-14T19:40:00.003-05:00

Starbucks, you continue to inspire; inspire me to figure out the hidden secrets/recipes for your mouth-watering goodies, that is. This particular muffin has a special place in my recipe box seeing as though I pretty much love all things pumpkin, and even more so when they are not $5.00 a piece. The girls and I got together for a “pumpkin party” early this fall and the idea was for each of us

kitchen upgrade

2011-10-05T22:00:00.003-04:00

Confession: my apartment has not had an ounce of decorating attention since school started (or much cleaning attention, for that matter either). Admitting fault is step one, right?! As I was preparing for my first craft show (details to come), I ran to Target to pick up a few last minute items. Which, if you know me you already know that this quick trip for necessary items lead to a buggy full

heartache or sanity?

2011-09-19T06:13:00.000-04:00

In attempts to gain a bit of my sanity back, I am breaking from my life for a quick 5 minutes to write this post. My lack of sanity has come from a variety of areas lately, first-year lesson planning & grading has remained near the top of my to-do list (I have a good feeling it will stay there all year), among the more pressing concerns of close family members suddenly hospitalized- yes members…

Teaching -Week 1

2011-09-05T22:00:00.001-04:00

Week one is complete! Now onto a long weekend to relax and soak in the remaining days of summer, right? Wrong. How quickly I allowed myself to forget all of the wonderful perks of grading for a high school English class. It is clearly my own fault, seeing as though I am the one who assigns the work. While it would be convenient, coordinating assignments with my social calendar is not

Thought Invoking Thursday #2

2011-08-25T06:00:00.005-04:00

Life-altering moments. Must they occur before we are able to see the error of our ways, a wakeup call pointing out gaps of time wasted, or that we have possibly been taking a loved one for granted- who no longer wishes to fill the role of complacency for you?A very good friend of mine recently found himself in this position. A moment had come and gone in his life leaving his world chaotic and

Thought Invoking Thursday

2011-08-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

Many of you have probably seen this floating around the internet. It's my first post onto Thought Invoking Thursday because it motivates me in a new way each time I read it. Read it over. Take it in. Apply it to your life. Stop complaining about worthless things. Make the most of yourself!!

I have been featured!!

2011-08-15T10:08:00.001-04:00

I have been featured at Handmade Showcase for their back to school week!! Stop by and check out all of her fun handpicked items! Plus, don't forget I've also added a cute clutch to the Rug Bag line, seen below!

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

2011-08-11T08:37:00.001-04:00

My mind is becoming a bit fried due to all of the first-year lesson planning & preparation I have been undertaking this past week. In much need of a break, I find it extremely ironic that I immediately jumped to writing instead of vegging out on the couch or taking on some other mindless activity. I just couldn’t wait to share! Last week was absolutely amazing; we caught 4 separate concerts in

Giveaway!

2011-08-01T15:29:00.002-04:00

The wonderful Lauralee over at Shabby Life is sponsoring a giveaway for my Etsy shop! What's up for grabs?? ANY 8x10 professionally matted print in my The Inspired Lens Etsy shop! Check out the shop for all of the details on the photos and to pick your favorite! More details on how to enter at Shabby Life!! Please show some love (and gain multiple entries) to win by following both of our

Homemade Pesto with Fresh Basil

2011-07-25T07:00:00.004-04:00

I think we’ve established that I’m Italian from my previous post apt. style gardening, somehow choosing to grow every possible ingredient for pasta sauce. Since it has been nearly 100 degrees this past week in good ole Northeast Ohio, even the thought of turning on the stove seems like a death trap. While watering our patio forest this morning the rich aroma of basil continued to linger; the