the smashbook

about the artist + random facts you asked

2012-02-23T12:15:00.002-07:00

about the artist:

some of you asked about me; you asked me to share more about myself...

so here's a few little tidbits:

1. I started art journaling only a short time ago, and since have fallen in love.

2. I don't eat blue m&ms. True story. Also, peanut butter and chocolate = best combo ever.

3. I sneeze a lot. No, really.

4. I'm addicted to coffee. It's kind of bad. Working at Starbucks only makes it worse. (or better, depending on your view..)

5. I currently work in three art journals simultaneously. Yeah, I'm rad.

6. I'm reading a book that's changing my life. I'll post about it when I finish.

7. My birthday is tomorrow! (eek!)

8. My favorite colors are yellow, pink and orange. It's hard to stay away from them when i'm journaling. I constantly have to use other colors.

9. I've been learning that feelings can be a good thing when they're shared but not judged. I'm practicing feeling without judging things.

10. If you knew me, you'd know that I often contemplate locking my twitter feed. I never do, but the thought's there.

11. At my house, you either always hear music or Fox News on TV.

12. I love caramel anything. And I make wicked amazing salted caramels.

13. Speaking of making things... I love to bake. Cookies, cakes, cake pops... anything yummy. Lovelove.

14. I'd tell you that I've had a string of really bad dates this week and last week. Dates are not so fun sometimes. There is light at the end of the tunnel though.... my phone has been blowing up today. Saturday should be a very good day. :D

15. I'm excited to spend tomorrow with my family and spending time in my journal, creating. I can't wait to get elbow-deep in paint!

16. My favorite movie of all time is "A Walk to Remember." I wanted to be Jamie when I was in high school. (And Shane West is hotttttt.)

17. I've been more active in church these last few weeks and I'm really loving it. The church I attend is super super growing and they're adding a second campus.

18. I sing in the shower. All the time.

19. I've been loving all over my Kindle lately. I downloaded eleven books and added a ton of books onto my amazon wish list! If I get birthday money, you can bet it'll be spent on art books and paints!

20. I loathe snow. And as I type this, there's a foot and a half of it outside.... true story.

Announcing the Smashbook Art Journal Workshop!

2012-02-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

art journal sneak peek + my recent pages

2012-02-22T12:30:00.001-07:00

I use these pajama prints as inspiration. What's not better with polka dots, right?

A number of you asked to see my desk! This is how it looked before I organized everything into orderly piles. :D

You know you make it into my art journal when you're mean or upsetting. After all, my art journal is a place for my space and thoughts and feelings. I'm learning to express those better through the love I have for art journaling. This made me laugh. All the bottom says is, "he's a douche." Hahahaha.

Friends and family made it into this page. I have a good friend who's amazing at making me laugh when the chips are down. He's rad at cheering me up, so he made it onto this page! If you have questions about the paint or stamps, comment below and I'll respond back. :]

Sneak peek of a little something fun!

And a little something at the end. :] Love how these pages turned out!

I also wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has signed up for the Smashbook Newsletter. I am so incredibly grateful and awestruck at how many of you complete the prompts each week. It's amazing and I love you guys! Keep tuned tomorrow on the blog for a HUGE announcement you won't want to miss! (If you have my newsletter, you already know what it is!) :D

xoxo,

5 Favorite Art Journal Supplies

2012-02-17T12:06:00.002-07:00

I'm always curious to see what fellow art journalers use when they create! I thought I'd share five of my favorite supplies/materials for creating in my art journal!

Acrylic paints! I LOVE LOVE them. I use them in every page except my watercolor pages... and sometimes (on rare occasion) I do both! They're so versatile and so easy to use-- you can stamp, paint, texturize, cover, embellish... pretty much anything with them!
Watercolor pencils! If you've never used them, they're basically like colored pencils-- except you can paint over them with a wet brush and they become watercolor-like! They're really fantastic for detail work and/or tiny embellishments!
Stamps! I only recently started using stamps and they're freakin' awesome. You can use rubber ones or the silicone ones that stick to acrylic blocks! I use the silicone ones mostly, but I do have quite a few rubber ones. Collect them-- you can reuse them, which I ADORE!
Permanent markers. My art journals would be dead without them. I use them in every single page. They're amazing for journaling words and detail work, doodles, outlining... pretty much everything!
Gel pens. Specifically the white ones. They get used a lot over other lettering and for miniature detail work / doodles on the pages with a dark background!

What are your favorite supplies and materials to use?! I'm so curious to know your favorites!

Happy Creating!

-C

DIY homemade smashbook + my recent pages

2012-02-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

This is the cover of my homemade smashbook! I'm not talking about the big spiral I do pages in... this is a whole new journal! I thought I'd show you guys how to make it and maybe give you some ideas for pages along the way!

The inside cover holds one of my favorite quotes. I firmly believe in self discovery through artistic expression. Adore.

So here's how you make it! Ready?!

1. Scour your kitchen cabinets/house/boyfriend's house/parent's house/etc for cardboard boxes. They can be different "strengths" (think cereal box versus cardboard box). Just get whatever boxes you'd like to work with! Any size works for this, too!

2. Compile the pieces in whatever ways you'd like. You can trim them all to size, use the flaps (bottom of boxes or sides of boxes) attached or unattached if you'd like.

3. Trim them to be the same size or leave them different. It's all up to you-- it's your journal!

4. Align pages on one side, á la book. You're going to punch holes in them, so orient the pieces of board how you'd like them to be in your book. Keep in mind the fronts/backs of cereal boxes and things. Do you want the text to be all right side up? Check before you punch holes!

5. Punch holes in your pages! I recommend using a three hole punch. You can also use a single hole punch if one particular page is being stubborn!

6. Use big jump rings/split rings (I got mine at an office supply store!)

7. Feed your rings through the page holes!

That's it! Woot!

Here's a close up of the rings and the pages! You can see I used all cereal boxes, as the pages are all the same "strength"! I really love the feel. I'm going to add pages in to this book as well, made of legal paper, phone book pages, etc. Because the main bulk of the book is cereal box weight, the book is bulky and chunky. I ADORE this!

You can see some elements sticking out of the bottom of this book so far (like the ribbon)! It's coming along GREAT so far!

Now for my recent pages!

I used some produce bag netting for a page! Yay, apple packaging! :D

Working with a different theme here, I decided to just use a quote with no journaling on the page. I like the way it turned out. I also used a different painting technique on this page I'll discuss later this week!

Isn't the paint cool looking?!

Last week it snowed pretty hardcore in Denver! We got 18" in 24 hours. I used the wrappers from many many cups of hot cocoa to make this spread.

Love love love my homemade smash! Let me know if you make one!

If you have questions, leave a comment below!

And don't forget to subscribe to my weekly art journal prompt newsletter!

10 Art Journal Background Ideas

2012-02-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

For a complete list of my art journaling posts, click here!

I get a lot of emails, instagram comments and tweets asking about background ideas in my art journal pages. I thought it'd be fun to give you all 10 ideas to spice up your backgrounds!

Using acrylic paint and a brush, cover your page with paint. While the paint is still wet, drip rubbing alcohol on the page and watch magic texture appear!
Paint your page with watercolor. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle table salt on top of it. Let the page(s) dry and then rub the salt off of the page. Check out what's left! Pretty sweet!
Collage coffee filters or tissue paper over the page using tape. (Keep the tissue paper as dry as possible!) Then, drip liquid watercolor over the tissue paper. Gorgeous!
Position three drops of acrylic paint in different colors on your page, right next to one another. Then, using a credit card or old store loyalty card (hey, Best Buy...) smear the paint colors down the page. Then use side strokes over the vertical ones. It mixes the paint but keeps the colors somewhat separate still. Kind of (really) rad. :D
Use pages from an old book to collage the background of a page. Highlight or mark out certain words.
Give the page to your kids/hubby/boyfriend/best friend/someone you trust and let them color/doodle on the background. It can be fun to create something based on someone else's start.
Use a map as the background for your page(s). A vintage map, or even one printed out from google can work!
Dip a string (yarn or even dental floss will work!) into acrylic paint. Place string/floss on your page, then shut your journal/smashbook on it. Pull out the string while the book is still closed. Then open up and see what shapes you've created! Keep going to cover the page as much as you'd like.
Use a piece of newspaper as your background, then watercolor over it. This turns out so so beautifully.
Using an ink pad, color the whole page. (Put the ink pad down on the page and press!) Then, using a brush wet with water, brush over the ink and watch it turn into watercolor! This can do some beautiful things on your page!

Happy Creating!

- C.

february's art journal challenge + my TRIUMPH page

2012-02-01T12:17:00.001-07:00

The prompt in my newsletter this week had to do with triumph. I challenged my readers to do something dynamic and amazing... and boy did they rise to the occasion. I've loved seeing the pinterest and instagram feeds with people's amazing inspirations.

This is my page from that prompt. I chose to use stamps and white acrylic for a background. Then I collaged a paper over top, with journaling to finish. I think it turned out amazingly well. And, I'm a huge fan of the hibiscus-plumeria style stamps on the left side. I'm definitely going to use those more. :D

I'm also submitting this to The SMASHBOOK February Challenge! I painted this using tissue paper! It left a really cool print on the page that I'm kind of in love with. I love really textured pages!

Be sure to check your email this Wednesday for the next prompt!

SMASHBOOK's February Link UP!

2012-02-01T11:29:00.001-07:00

GUYS! I'm way excited about this! I'm doing my first ever link up for the Smashbook! Eeeek!

Here's how it works! There's a prompt every week (available through my newsletter) and then I'll do this one via the blog every month, too! It's a monthly challenge. You can try to incorporate the challenge into one page, five pages or every page this month if you'd like! The point is to try it (at least) once and then post about it! Link up your pages so we can all take a look and comment! :]

So... The Smashbook February Challenge is: USE A NEW IMPLEMENT TO PAINT! Use something you've never used before! Try a credit card, a toe, a feather, a piece of fabric or netting.... the world is your oyster!

LINK UP YOUR PAGES BELOW! Let's have fun seeing what everyone is creating!

Imagine - A Prompt from One Year Art Journal

2012-02-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

The second January prompt from One Year Art Journal (I'm doing their prompts in 2012!) was about imagination. Imagining wherever, whatever, whoever you want. We were encouraged to use masking as a technique, and clips from a magazine or newspaper. However we interpret the prompts, we're creating something as a group. It's so fun to see how everyone interprets it differently.

I did a two page spread for this one. I really liked it. I used a magazine clipping of the girl, then painted over her, collaging her over homemade watercolor. Yep, HOMEMADE! If you want the recipe, you'd best subscribe to my newsletter this week, 'cause it's in there! :D

I started by washing the pages with a watercolor in a teal. I love teal. Then I found the receipt from the day I got hired at Starbucks. It's faded... to the perfect shade of teal pastel to be perfect for this page. It represents a huge turn in my life. My first job not in the humanities. It's from August and I just now found it. That's funny, eh? :P I also included a receipt (or a portion of it anyway) from Costa Vida, one of my favorite restaurants. My best friend and I go there often. :]

On the flipside, I worked with the same watercolor shade, then collaged a pocket over it, before stamping the page. I think it turned out really neat. I haven't used stamps in this journal yet, so it was nice to get out of my comfort zone and break the mold. Expect more stamps in my following pages! ;)

In the pocket, I chose to imagine myself; the things I want for myself aren't always clear considering I'm a dreamer. :P I love working through dreams and ideas and things. It's amazing to see them on paper. I filled the pocket with a few things I imagine for myself. I let you see a few of them. :P

I really like how these pages turned out. :D It's my first attempt at stamping and masking as well. I loved how they add different dimensions to the page. I'll definitely keep using both of these techniques! :]

the "dreaded" blank page + how I get inspired

2012-01-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to a tweet/instagram post by the lovely @karenhammons, containing a photo of her new art journal. Apparently there are some rad people trying this stuff out!!!! :] This morning there's been quite a buzz on twitter about a new blog post, so I figured I'd hash it out, complete with a few (or a lot) of photos for you guys! I've been working diligently on some crafty loveliness, but I'll be featuring those on here in the next few days! Good things come to those who wait! :P

Among the chatter on twitter, the dreaded blank page topic popped up. I get questions a lot about how to avoid it and what I do when I'm faced with one. My art journal is a "refurbished" spiral notebook with a hard cover. {Do you want to see how I make it? Leave a comment!} The spiral has about 200 pages in it. I'm using it over the whole year, so it's not necessarily one page every day. STILL, that's 200 BLANK pages!

So... how do I get over the "oh my gosh what do I do?" or the "I'm gonna mess it up and then hate it"... or "I don't know where to start..." issue? I get inspired. There's a few fail-safes I have for inspiration.

Pinterest. If you don't know what pinterest is, you're missing out!!! Search Pinterest for "art journals" and feast your eyes on creative endeavors from the journalers of the world. It's really amazing for ideas!!
Play copycat. Take someone's journal page--this includes mine!-- and copy it. Obviously it doesn't have to be the same, but use it as inspiration. I'm a big fan of using TAZO tea bag wrappers. Maybe incorporate them in your next page somehow?
Get outside! Sit on your front steps/porch. Write down or make a mental note of five things you see. Incorporate those in some way in your page. It could be the orange of fall leaves, the smoke from a truck's exhaust, the garbage can that fell over in a windstorm once.... How would the sound of a car's engine look if you drew it on paper?
Raid your junk drawer. Everyone has one. Go find five things and use them in your page. The first five you see! Don't worry about whether or not they make sense. Art journaling is about silencing your inner critic. You don't have to care what is pretty, what goes together, what makes sense to OTHER people-- art journaling is for YOU. Do what YOU like, what YOU feel, what YOU want!

These are my main go-tos for some inspiration! I'll be delivering an art journal prompt this week, as usual, via my newsletter-- if you'd like to participate, please sign up on the left hand side of this page, where it says "follow by email, too!". :] There's a little space for you to enter your email address, and then you'll get some FUN prompts from me each week!

And without further ado, my pages from this week! If you'd like to see any of them in more depth, leave a comment and I'll post an in-depth of the pages you'd like to see!

{inspired by the Lifehouse quote "This is your life; are you who you want to be?"}

{media: acrylic, Crayola Slick Stick in Green, Sharpie, Pen}

{This page is inspired by a really hard letter I had to write to family. I printed ONE copy of it and ended up using it in my journal. I pasted it, then painted over it and finally wrote on top of the paint. Talk about therapeutic!}

Media: Paper, acrylic, crayola slick sticks in blue, green and yellow, Sharpie.

This is a sneak peek of something that's not quite finished yet. Something I love doing is playing with mixing paint right on the page. This started as blue, white and red... and developed into this gorgeous plum color. I used tissue on top and a card on top of that. Love.

Media: Cardstock, tissue paper, acrylic, tape.

Another shot of the page!

You might recognize this vintage seashell graphic from another page I did. I loved it so much, I got another one and put it in my big journal! Adore.

Media: acrylic, paper, sharpie, Gelly Roll med White Pen

The companion side to the page above.

Media: acrylic, book scraps, cardstock, sharpie, pen.

I was busy painting a mural and had some paint left over. Guess where it went? :D

I love seeing these colors together. I happened to have some junk mail from Anthro, so I threw that card on the page as well. It is the PERFECT color to match, don't you think?! :]

Media: acrylic, junk mail, Gelly Roll med White pen!

I hope you guys are having fun creating! Let me know via email or twitter if you're using these tips, and I'll respond! :] Can't wait to see what you come up with!

And don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter if you want to receive my prompts!

Happy Creating!

xoxo,

what did picasso imagine + an art journal peek

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

"Everything you can imagine is real." -- Pablo Picasso

I've worked though this page for a long time. Maybe more than any other page so far in my big journal. I love it. Inspired by Picasso's quote, I chose to make these pages raw. The right side features a quote by the lovely Virginia Woolf. Her quote is, "You cannot find peace by avoiding life."

Picasso is known around the world for his funky, revolutionary art. Everyone knows who he is even if they can't name any of his paintings. Have you ever heard anyone say "Picasso who...?"

Picasso dreamed. He imagined. He created.

The world is a different place because he left his impression (quite literally) for us to devour. I wonder what life would be like if we all dreamed and imagined and created big enough to make a difference. Maybe not for the whole world... but what about one person? Imagine the fort you make with your son is a spaceship. Imagine you are a fairy at your daughter's tea party. Dream amazing things for your best friend -- and TELL them! Inspire someone to do something amazing because you have dreamed it! Isn't that what Picasso did? Isn't that what John Mayer, Carrie Underwood... Tim Tebow, Steven Tyler, Wayne Gretsky, Abraham Lincoln and Jack Johnson do? Any person who uses their art, passion, talent, life, dreams, imagination or vision to help someone else become inspired.... Those people are like Picasso. Inspiring.

Everything you imagine is real.

What's your world look like from inside your head?

And what would it look like if you put it on paper?

dreaming with paint covered hands,

a spot on the forest floor + tea time inspiration

2012-01-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

I love tea. Really, I do. Most days I have a cup or two at work. My favorite tea of all time is the one pictured above in my journal. This is my smaller journal; my personal one used for ... well, more personal things than my big one. I usually do more prompts and quotes in my larger one.

The other night I was drinking Refresh tea (aren't the bags so pretty?!) and decided they reminded me of leaves. Of course I got my paints out and started smearing brown and white everywhere with my old starbucks card. A good forest-y floor, I think.

I imagined I was under a huge willow tree in the middle of a field of grass. The place where I could see the world from a distance. Where I could observe with both eyes, consciously. I wonder if I operated out of that space (mentally, physically and emotionally) how much better days would be. If I remembered that I'm just here to observe and notice and be present... not necessarily worry so much about things. So far it's working out pretty well. :D

I tried to do a good job of posting the photos so you can see most of the page's elements. The last one shows the full spread, with the words blurred. Can't have you all knowing what's going on in my head, now can I? :P

media: acrylic, sharpie, sharpie pen, refresh tea packaging sleeves and tags with string.

Isn't it funny how little things like packaging take me to a whole different place?

They've always said I'm a dreamer... :D

xo,

word of the year {peek inside my journal}

2012-01-17T15:33:00.003-07:00

For those of you new around here, my twitter or my instagram feed, you might not know I'm a big journaler. In fact I've always kept notebooks. Recently my notebook/writing journal habits have progressed into what's now called a "smashbook" (get the theme here?) or an art journal. In doing my art journal daily (I do try to create every single day) I sometimes look around the internet for inspiration or ideas. The world is my oyster, right? I thought I'd share today's pages with you all. Maybe one of you is looking for inspiration just like I was. :]

For today's "prompt"/impetus/muse I decided I'd think of a word for the year. I got this idea from One Year Art Journal, a site I'm LOVING! Go check them out! Just a single word. I chose the word Bella. Now now all you Twilight buffs, don't get excited. I chose it because it means "beautiful" in Italian. I'm Italian and I just frankly like the word "Bella" better than "beautiful". It's pretty. I journaled thoughts about the upcoming year, the goals I have for myself and how I'm going to achieve them. I'll show you what it looks like first! Then, I'll tell you how I did it. :]

I started by painting the page. I used red and orange and white and painted it with an old starbucks card. I do this technique for backgrounds a lot. Just put a dime sized drop (or smaller) of each color on the page. Then, using the long side of a credit card (or a starbucks card / store loyalty card... etc) smear the paint around! It's SO FUN!

On top of the paint, I added some ephemera. Ephemera just means media, basically. I added pages from an old book that I'd ripped up. I am finding that "clean" lines make me antsy. Hahaha. No cutting for me-- ripping things does the job just fine! I also added some legal paperwork with my grandfather's handwriting on it. I love the way he writes. I think handwriting is somewhat of a lost art these days. My grandparents grew up with classes on penmanship in grade school. I love the way it looks.

Starbursts are my favorite candy. I was chomping some orange ones as I made this page.. set the wrappers down and decided I'd put them on the page too. Hahaha. It's funny how that happens. I'll feature another page here soon that has to do with what I drank during creation. :]

Add some doodles and some hand lettering as well as words, and I was good to go!

media used: acrylics, Crayola Slick Sticks (red/yellow/orange), book pages, starburst wrappers, legal paper, sharpie, GellyRoll white Med pen, movie tickets, a Starbucks receipt... :]

I'd love to see what you create! Tweet me pictures at @smashbook! :]

xo,

Etsy Shop FLASH SALE

2012-01-17T11:38:00.002-07:00

HEY GUYS!
I'm doing a flash sale in my etsy shop, getting rid of the kawaii charms I used to make!

They're all inexpensive, but because this is a FLASH SALE, these are gonna go quick!

If you use the code "RUFFLE" at checkout, you get 15% off your ENTIRE order.

Go look HERE!

xo!

art journaling + other things I love!

2012-01-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

The first page in a personal art journal I'm keeping this year. This one is a Moleskine journal.

Media: collaged paper tile, acrylic, Sharpie.

This is in my big art journal (8.5" x 11"). Text reads "bloom // blossom // grow".

Media: acrylic, cardstock tags, vintage print paper.

I later journaled over the purple areas with Sharpie and overlaid white gel over the script. :]

I rarely do solely collage. I almost always paint the page first. For something different and minimalist, I decided I would leave the lines and just do a simple collage. I found this awesome graphic of a blender with fruit in it, which prompted the question: If I'm a smoothie, what am I made of? Insert hand lettered "ingredients". :]

Media: Sharpie Pen, Corrective Fluid Tape, ModPodge, magazine clipping

This was one of my favorites of the week. The best part?

I painted this with marshmellows.

YEAH, you read that right! I dipped mini marshmellows in red and orange and white and went to town. I love it! Text reads "be proud to be you." The white bubbles are hand drawn.

Media: acrylic, fabric flowers, GellyRoll white Med pen, sharpie pen, double stick tape, marshmellows, colored pencil.

This one has morphed quite a bit since this "work-in-progress" picture was taken! I love how it's coming along so far! This one is made with saran wrap and brushes underneath. :]

Media: acrylic on paper

This one is another favorite. I'm drawn this week to pinks and oranges and purples. This one is in my personal Moleskine as well. Text reads "nourish your light", hand lettered. (bubbles are done by hand as well.) This one has progressed as well-- I have journaled around the page, and it's now decorated with thoughts and feelings. Love love love.

Media: acrylic, tissue paper, vintage book scraps, sharpie, ModPodge, GellyRoll white Med pen.

Inspired by a specific person (my art usually is inspired by a feeling or a song...) this page is special. I used a vintage map of Scotland from the 1800s, vintage seashell page from a biology book and some other ephemera. There's lots of quotes on this page-- a few are from one of my favorite musical artists, Josh Garrels. The right side of the page is lined with his lyric, "We are all castaways in need of rope."

---------------------

This week I was on leave from work, so I spent most of it creating. I came to the realization that letting myself create art just for me removes the boundary of perfection. If I know I'm the only one seeing it, I am so much less critical of what I'm producing. Sometimes it's key to just create for yourself. I've found my recent journaling therapeutic and relaxing. These are some of the pages I made this week. I love using a lot of vintage ephemera too. My hands have been covered in paint 90% of this week.

Adore.

As for the other things I'm loving:

reconnecting with myself + smiling so hard my face hurts the next day + veranda blend at starbucks ... omnomnomnom + best friends + inspiration + my mentor being frank and blunt with me. sometimes I'm really thick headed. + my wonderful family that supports me getting paint all over my desk in the office + starbursts and cups of coffee (keeps me going) + my boss at work having an awesome discussion with me + SNOW OUTSIDE TODAY! + days off this week! + the girls getting bigger / more independent + nutella cookies + nutella mug cake + nutella in general.... + being genuinely happy for others' happiness + clean laundry + restful sleep + boundaries + Blind Pilot and Branches (they're bands-- go check them out!!!)

And... if you haven't heard of art journaling, I suggest a google search or a youtube troll. You'll enjoy what you find, I bet. :]

xo,

week in photos

2012-01-11T09:51:00.002-07:00

this week has been insane! I've been busy dealing with life and therefore, things have been a little crazy on the blog this week! Here's my (feeble) attempt at playing catch up! :]

I went on errands with my brother this week. He always offers to drive and it makes me smile. :D

I ate some bunnies. Little tiny tasty bunnies...

Starbucks is debuting the BLONDE Roasts this week! (They came out yesterday!) My personal favorite is the Veranda Blend, it's less acidic and bright than this one. If you eat milk chocolate while you drink it, it tastes like a smore!!!

Talked with a boy... :D (I'm currently in the wait-three-days-and-see-if-he-texts-back-thing...) We went on two dates. The ONLY boy I've agreed to a second date to in over a year. Hahahaha.

Doctor's office waiting room! Switching insurance means that you're always filling out a crapton of paperwork before your a appointments. Oh, joy.

The location of my second date with Matt. We went to this super chic little restaurant that was decorated SO SO WELL. We had the best food ever. (brie covered in phyllo dough with raspberry syrup, arugula and roasted tomato salad, plus our entrees. omnomnomnom) It was so much fun! (Even if he did beat me in air hockey and skee-ball afterwards...)

Zach (my brother) got me started on Temple Run....

Painted my nails while I watched the Broncos game on Sunday! WOOOOOOOT!

And painted them again yesterday!

(Leave of Absence from work = painted nails!)

Hope you're having a good week!

xoxo,

so, this happened.

2012-01-05T01:23:00.002-07:00

Of course, the one day I publicly announce I'm doing just fine being single... I meet an incredible guy and snowball my way into a date. Life, you're insane. God, You're awesome.

recap: nye celebrations

2012-01-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

I rang in the new year with some amazing people. It was so fun. We went to a little chic rooftop bar (heated, of course!) and had some drinks while watching really funny 90s music videos. After we decided the bar scene was a bit crowded, we went back to the house and watched the ball drop on TV while sipping framboise. Delicious. Here's some of my favorite moments of our NYE celebration. :]

It was seriously fun!

I hope this new year is treating you well!!!!

xoxox,

{btw, have you entered the SMASHING giveaway yet? an iPod Touch is up for grabs!}

every day has a theme song!

2012-01-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

This past little while on Twitter, I've been participating in a new hashtag idea with a close friend of mine! Trav and I have been tweeting theme songs of the day. He tries to find songs I haven't heard before, I try to choose which one (of the thousand I'm listening to that day) to post. A different song, and we've had no repeats. We use the hashtag #todaysthemesong. I thought I'd share our theme songs with you guys! If you want to keep up with the fun, I'll be posting my favorites here as well as through my twitter stream.

trav's twitter // my twitter

theme songs:

Travis' Pick: "Every Rose Has Its' Thorn" by Poison
Charissa's Pick: "When We Stand Together" by Nickelback
Travis' Pick: "Wasteland" by 10 Years
Charissa's Pick: "Madelyne" by We Should Whisper!
Travis' Pick: "Life is Beautiful" by Sixx Am
Charissa's Pick: "Eyes" by Rogue Wave
Travis' Pick: "Buried Alive" by A7X
Charissa's Pick: "Mistletoe" by Colbie Caillat
Travis' Pick: "Time Won't Let Me Go" by The Bravery

Knowing Trav and I, we'll keep this going for a long time. We're the kind of friends that have way too many conversations consisting solely of inside jokes. We give each other ridiculous nicknames. He's really pretty much one of my favorite people ever. This means that #todaysthemesong will be around for a while, I'm sure. Check out our twitter feeds to keep up on the action. (Dang, I sound like a sportscaster or something!)

Now to pick today's theme song... ;)

xo,

farewell, 2011

2011-12-31T18:05:00.002-07:00

See you on the other side!

xo,

a feather giveaway!

2011-12-31T11:13:00.003-07:00

I thought with the new redesign of the Smashbook, I'd give away one of my fun creations! I've been creating these rad feather earrings lately for my friends and family. I wear them all the time at work and get TONS of comments about how cute they are! I thought I'd give away a pair of custom ones to one of you!

Here's what you can win:

a single pair of custom handmade feather earrings, made by me!

you pick up to three colors and the length (short, medium or long)

This giveaway is open internationally!

Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

weekly recap

2011-12-31T10:12:00.003-07:00

This week has been crrrrrrazy! There were so many highlights this week, I figured I'd just group them all together in a single post!

this weeks' highlights:

breakfast with my parents + a dinner meeting with co-workers that was way insightful + leftover pie from christmas day + making new years plans tonight despite the fact that I have to work tomorrow + taking really really long showers + ranting about things on twitter (heh. heh.) + getting a 25$ B&N gift card from one of the regulars at work. He is so sweet and gave one to every single one of the staff. I was floored. I bought two new journals and still have 10$ left over! + finding new blogs + the Smashbook's redesign is live!!! + meeting and getting to know the wonderful Natalie + trying Starbucks' new Blonde Roasts that debut next month-- they're WAY yummy + windy days in Chicago... er, Denver + awkward emails that make me laugh and smile at the same time + coffee meetings with friends + late night phone calls + self hypnosis for sleep + getting cuddles from Remi and Rory + catching up on Archer {funniest TV show you've ever seen in your entire life} + peppermint hot chocolate from starbucks with peppermint schnapps. talk about YUM.

What were your highlights this week?

xo,

char

confessions: round two

2011-12-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

I got my job at Starbucks on the spot. I was in really really old jeans. That's what I remember. Really. Talk about lame.
I worry more about financial matters than anything else in life.
I had a childhood friend that I admired so much, I used to practice perfecting my handwriting like hers.
I work across the street from my former high school. I've seen so many people I went to school with. Some of them are teaching at our old high school. It's kind of awkward... since I only graduated in '07! Eeeep.
I've been a part of churches since before I can remember. Church isn't a building or a place. It's an activity; a lifestyle.
When I was younger (read: teenaged) I hated shopping at Goodwill. Yes, really. This thrifting queen used to worry she'd be seen at the thrift store. HAHAHA. Look at me now, kids!
I process arguments better when I am still and quiet. Shouting matches make my throat sore and my mind aggravated. However, I rarely remember this when arguments arise. No more shouts, Charissa. No more.
Showers > Baths. Just saying. If I could live in the shower, it would be amazing. (oh hey, water bill...)
I have a hard time thinking big quickly. Often the seed of an idea needs to foster over time for me to grasp successfully at it.
I have to have my toenails painted. I cannot stand the way they look unpainted. Anyone that knows me (outside of this blog-- I do have a life!) knows this to be true. It will literally keep me up at night if they're not painted. On the flipside, I can't have my fingernails painted because of work. (One policy I'd like Starbucks to get rid of...) :D

Someone tell me it's awkward to see people from high school. Really. Comment below. You know you want to. ;)

xo,

online dating + conversation tips

2011-12-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and in my online dating mailbox came this gem. For those of you who don't know, I'm sharing my online dating journey via The Smashbook! I figure there are a lot of people who try it-- and fail.... My hope is that by sharing these experiences (which are mostly hilarious), I'll be able to help some people weed out crazies, find their match and also laugh a little!

So this message showed up this morning. I get messages like this all the time. ALL the time. Here's the reasons I won't be messaging this gentleman back with any hope of a relationship:

Girls like to know that you're going to take the time to do small stuff in the relationship. In this case, if you're not even going to take the time to put question marks, commas, periods etc, why would you take the time to do small stuff in the relationship? Not such a good first impression!
He says in this message he "feels strongly about God" but his profile lists him as "non-religious". This is the FIRST thing I check before even writing back to someone.
He automatically puts other guys down. This shows me he doesn't know how to be proud of himself without putting someone else below himself! How about just being charming and sweet enough to let it shine through without dogging on everyone else?!
Guys, don't end a message with "etc..." It's bad manners. How about something like, "Hope to talk to you soon!" That's a safe response.

I did write this guy back. I told him that he just wasn't the match for me and that I wish him the best of luck in his search. He's going to be someone's perfect match-- just not mine! ;]

For more online dating stories, check out the Cupcake & Stud Muffin link on the right! (or click here!)

xo,

favorite moments of 2011

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I got to go to the Malibu Crumbs Cupcake Shop!!!

My lovely first little, Oakley went to rattie heaven and got the biggest twitter shoutout a rat has ever gotten. He's missed by his sisters and momma! We had fun times this year.

Amazing time with my family.

Going to the Denver Greek Festival and having this AMAZING pasta!

This sunrise was taken on the deck of the house I used to work in as a nanny. I took it during a week in February when I had the littlest one all to myself for a week while his parents were out of town!

I went spelunking!

This picture is from the Glenwood trip my family and I took this year. My dad ran through this fountain. It was the middle of summer... and the hotel where we stayed didn't have air conditioning. It was close to 80 degrees in our rooms at night. EH!

The addition of my two girls, Remi and Rory from a Denver breeder. By far one of my most favorite moments of this year. I can't believe they were this little once! They're each twice this size now.

My tiny "niece" was born in July!

I went to the Denver Aquarium for the first time since 6th grade!

I found a new restaurant that looks over a private aircraft airport! They have amazing food and you can watch the planes take off and land! This is right out the window from the table! Crazy!

I took my first ever solo trip up to the mountains. It was amazing. And, I had room service. Ahhhhh that was incredible. I stayed for free, too! (yay for being awesome and getting free rooms!)

IKEA was built in Denver. Needless to say I had to try out their cinnamon rolls. And they do pass my taste test. I know you're all wondering. (smirk!)

This little cafe downtown has THE BEST lemon bars everrrrrr. I found it on accident!

I went to the airport (yes, that's actually it...) so many times! I looove the airport!

I got to see my cousins (Isaiah, middle and Zane, not pictured) for the first time in 3 years! Freakin' miss those kids like no one's business.

and...

I graduated.

I started and I finished.

I chose a new career path. I committed myself. I'm making the world awesome, one down dog at a time. That's right. You just try seeing the world upside down for a while and tell me it makes better sense. I'll nod and we'll go about the day with a new outlook. :D

Bring it on, 2012! You'd better be ready, 'cause I sure am!

xo!
c.