treasuring

I'm off to Surtex!

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:25:00 GMT

Oh my goodness, it's hard to believe it's almost time for Surtex. I'm hopping on a plane at 11pm tonight (yep, a red-eye. Fun fun.) and will arrive in NYC tomorrow morning to go set up my booth. Hopefully a big cup of coffee and all the adrenaline of setting up for the show will be enough to pull me through tomorrow-- I've only ever taken one red-eye before, and it was ROUGH the next day!

The reason that I'm taking a red-eye flight is so I can pop over to Quilt Market, which started today, because it's happening in Portland this time around. Lucky me! My fabric company, Blend, has a booth there, and I'll get to see my newest fabric line, Sardinia, in the booth. Exciting! It'll be fun to wander the aisles and see what's new and happening in the fabric world. I can't wait to visit Amy Butler's booth-- it's always so gorgeous.

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So, I'll be taking a little blogging break while I'm away, but if you want to follow along and get some inside peeks into Surtex and Quilt Market, you can join me on Instagram! I'll be snapping pics along the way during both shows, so if you want an inside peek into what they're both like, you'll be able to find it there.

I'll be back next Thursday night. Until then, have a lovely, inspired, relaxing, productive weekend and coming week!

xoxo

the way kids dress

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:45:00 GMT

I mean, seriously. I want to BE this kid!

Kids can get away with looking quirky and cute-- when do we lose that daring, fun, adventurous spirit to wear fun clothes?!

I know for myself, my style has gotten more and more boring over the years. I'm usually a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal. I'm not a natural shopper (unless it's for art supplies! Or books!), so I tend not to spend a ton of time browsing in stores. And don't even get me started about having to try things on! Least favorite thing ever.

But man, I totally want to quirk up my wardrobe, and I think these 2 kids here might be my muses. :) I want those coral-colored pants!

(And a confession: I wish deeply that my hair looked like that girl's in the photo above, and I'm very jealous of anyone with hair like that!)

Like, for real, how cute is this tutu-clad little darling?!

And why doesn't my own bedroom look like this?? :

It's just so FUN. We need more color in the world, people. I think part of my mission is to inject it into the world. No more boring beige interiors!

Also, this is going to have to come live at my house soon:

I know, I know, it's kind-of beige, but isn't it awesome? I can't even stand how much I love this doormat.

{all images via pinterest: one // two // three // four}

Where do you get your style inspiration, for yourself and for your home?

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ps -- the Multi-Passionate Must-Haves sale ends TONIGHT at midnight EST! Now's your last chance to get 27 different e-products worth $1379 for just $97. Seriously. Details here!

new paintings: florals

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:05:00 GMT

2 brand new floral paintings to share today. I'll never get enough of painting flowers!

Also: if you're in Portland, you can now find my original paintings (including these two) at Hunt & Gather in the Pearl District! So excited to have my work in this gorgeous, gorgeous shop.

Prints are available for these new florals as well-- right here and here in my shop, if you fancy some new flower artwork to spruce up your space.

Happy Wednesday!

Happening NOW: Multi-Passionate Must-Haves sale

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:58:00 GMT

Hey dudes. I have something super cool to share with you today -- my friend Michelle Ward put together a 72-hour-only sale for Multi-Passionate people (if you're wondering: yes, I am most definitely one of those people. Art! Music! Running! Food! Cats! So.Many.Things to be passionate about.) that you might really want to check out.

Basically Multi-Passionate Must-Haves is a whooooole bunch of great e-products (27 in all, at a $1,379 value!) that allow you to integrate your many passions into your life and use them as fuel for income -- and the whole shebang is just $97 until Thursday May 16th at midnight.

Pretty sweet, eh?

Michelle included the e-book version of our forthcoming book together, The Declaration of You, in the pack-- it's the last time you'll ever be able to get our e-book version before the book comes out next month!

So you'll get that, along with all this other good stuff:

BYOB Build Your Online Business Guide by Natalie Sisson ($37)
Pitch Perfect™ Pack by Dyana Valentine ($57)
The Creative Ignition Kit by Melissa Dinwiddie ($37)
Renaissance Business by Emilie Wapnick ($49)
Productivity for Multipotentialites by Michelle Nickolaisen and Emilie Wapnick ($67)
Operation: Creative Career Cheer by Michelle Ward ($37)
Social Media Rehab by Tiffany Han ($59)
Reclaim Your Dreams by Jonathan Mead ($47)
Life is Messy Planners by Mayi Carles ($40)
Creating Your Own Mastermind Group by Jen Louden ($100)
The Declaration of You by Jessica Swift and Michelle Ward ($57)
The Comparison Cure by Kylie Bellard ($15)
Ethical Selling that Works by Pamela Slim ($97)
Help, I Need More Time! by Bev Webb ($46)
How to Describe the Indescribable by Alexandra Franzen ($17)
The Art of Earning + The Art of Growth by Tara Gentile ($40)
Spin Your Story by Amanda Oaks ($10)
The Joy Equation by Molly Mahar ($147)
52 Weeks to Awesome by Pace & Kyeli ($52)
The Right Brain Product Development Playground by Jennifer Lee ($97)
How to Take a Career Break to Travel by Alexis Grant ($29)
Small Army Strategy by Srinivas Rao ($2.99)
The Kick Burnout Kit by Michelle Nickolaisen ($17)
The Yearly/Weekly Planner Bundle by Michelle Nickolaisen ($23)
The Courageous Living Program by Kate Swoboda ($125)
The Momentum Kickstart Kit by Charlie Gilkey ($47)
Guerrilla Influence Formula by Tyler Tervooren ($49)

So, not only will you be getting a ton of good stuff for yourself, you'll actually be helping the world get some good stuff, too: $10 from each sale is going to Michelle Ward’s team for the Avon 2-Day Breast Cancer Walk in NY, the proceeds of which go directly to breast cancer research. (Michelle was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2011, was declared cancer-free in June 2012, and this will be the 2nd year she’ll be walking 39.3 miles with Avon over 2 days with her mom and best friends.)

The Multi-Passionate Must-Haves sale will be gone at midnight on Thursday 5/16, so check it out now. Your creative, multi-passionate life awaits!

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ps - If you don’t know what it means to be multi-passionate or are unsure if you are one, take a look at this page and jump to the Q&A at the bottom of the page. It'll be helpful!

pps- as you can probably guess, yes, I'm an affiliate for this here sale, which means I'll make a bit o' that $97 if you buy the package, BUT please know that I'd never recommend anything to you that I didn't fully believe in myself. I mean, I wrote a BOOK with Michelle, so I obviously think she's amazing and trustworthy and only wants to put good stuff into the world. :)

scenes from the weekend, 05.13.13

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:49:00 GMT

You guys! I ran my first 10K yesterday! Like, I ran the whole thing-- no walking! And it was on a mountain. So it was half uphill, half downhill. I'm really proud of myself. It was hard, and I was exhausted all afternoon yesterday, and my body is most definitely feeling it today (and will be feeling it even more later today and tomorrow, because I went to work out at 5:30 this morning), but it was so fun! Who knew I'd turn into a runner one day? I always thought I didn't like running Turns out I do. It makes me feel so GOOD! I'm hooked and am ready to sign up for another race. Yeehaw! I ran with the best group of women, who are all in my bootcamp-- there they are above (that's me in the pink top!). Couldn't have done it without them.

What did you get up to this weekend?

I also did some gardening:

I pulled a lot of weeds from our beds and went to the Portland Nursery to buy some tomato, cucumber, and basil plants plants, and I made these cute little markers for everything. Spray paint and white sharpie, yo! So easy. I didn't want to forget which tomatoes were which (I got 5 varieties), so Ryan and I can remember which ones are our favorites to plant again next year. Thus, the markers. Hopefully they hold up in the rain and watering.

I admired all the flowers at the Portland Nursery, but especially this one:

Poppies are the most insane flowers! They're so gorgeous. I was too afraid to buy this one for our yard, because I would feel terrible if I killed something so beautiful. (I'm a very novice gardener!)

We have some lovely irises blooming in our backyard right now:

A perfect opportunity to play with my camera and practice my blurry background shots. Aren't they pretty?

Good thing irises are hardy. :) It'd be hard to kill them, I think!

I also painted for a good chunk of both Friday and Saturday and finished up 3 paintings. That felt good. Though it was hot as HECK in my studio -- it was in the mid-eighties on Saturday (!!), and my studio is upstairs in our attic space. I need a good fan. Any recommendations?

Here are a couple of the paintings in progress:

Yep. I love me some paint.

Hope your Monday is the best!

new painting: surprise yourself

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:16:00 GMT

Here's a look at a painting I finished a few days ago, and below is a peek at the canvas in its first layer.

This was a fun one to paint! I've really been into black and white lately for some reason, and combining it with bright bright color is so satisfying.

I'll be painting up a storm for the next couple months, getting ready for a show at Tilde here in Portland in August and also for another shop in Portland that'll be starting to show my work soon. More on that later.

Hope you have a good weekend! I'm running a 10K on Sunday (first time ever, eek!) at Mt. Tabor, our local volcano, so that should be a good time. Wish me luck!

duality. self-love.

Thu, 09 May 2013 16:52:00 GMT

{an old illustration of mine from 2009 called 'duality'}

Last weekend I read a book called Learning to Love Yourself by Gay Hendricks.

I've been noticing lately how many emotional ups and downs I can have on a day to day basis -- they're not usually extreme (I'm not swinging from crippling anger to unbridled, crazy joy or anything), but I find it really interesting how one day I can wake up and feel positive and energized, and the next day I can wake up full of negativity and unwillingness to do, well.... anything really. Or that one comment from someone can cause me to spiral downward into self-doubt. Why does that happen? I'm noticing how often I'm at the mercy of my feelings and thoughts and how I try to resist them. I'm noticing how I often I think things "should" be different than the way they actually are, or how I "should" feel differently than I do. Ahhhh, the duality of feelings. They're so complex sometimes, aren't they? There's light and there's dark. There's joyful and there's painful. And then there's everything in between. Whoa, serious grey matter in the arena of feelings, am I right?

Dr. Hendricks says that "being willing to love ourselves means greeting life with acceptance rather than resistance."

There are so many times when I think I'm not doing enough, I'm not doing things "the right way", that things should be different, that I wish my life/style/home/artwork/everything looked like so-and-so's..... and it's exhausting. It makes me feel bad. It zaps my energy and cuts off the creative flow.

I've never really thought of myself as someone who doesn't love myself-- I'm generally a happy person, and of course there are things I'd like to change about myself, but it's not like i hate who I am or anything. I think I'm a nice, honest, good person. I'm intelligent and friendly. I learn quickly and am curious about life and the world. But MAN do I resist the way things are, so much of the time, in big and small ways! But I'm beginning to realize now how unloving this is and how this type of resistance is actually a way of telling myself that there's something wrong with me.

Dr. Hendricks says "love is being in the same space with something", and I'm noticing how I often I want to get out of the same space as certain types of feelings -- doubt, fear, jealousy, discomfort. I mean, it's not fun to sit with those emotions and feelings, is it? But he says that the sooner you let those feelings have some space and you don't try to ignore them, the sooner you'll move through them and be on the other side. And the other side is filled with all sorts of love, according to Dr. Hendricks! I so want that.

I was told I was "too sensitive" as a kid. So now whenever I start feeling too much, I instinctively try to push it down, because I don't want it to be too much for other people (or for myself, for that matter). But I'm not "too sensitive" -- there's no such thing. I just am the way that I am, and that's perfectly ok. Just as you are the way you are. Perfectly ok. There's nothing wrong with you.

This is the strange and often painful illusion of being a human -- this moment couldn't possibly be any other way than the way it IS, right now. The way you are is just THE WAY YOU ARE. And yet we have the ability to create this idealistic vision of how we think life "should be", and we compare the present moment and the way we are in the world, the way life actually is, to that idealistic version, and it causes all sorts of pain and doubt and judgment of ourselves. Which naturally causes us to think there's something wrong with us, and it's just this nasty spiral that we get caught in. The moments when I can really get that, it seems insane. Why do we do that?? But then it's so easy to sink right back into it without even realizing you're doing it. I do it every day. All the time. I'm sure most of us do.

I think maybe this is the ultimate practice as humans-- to practice being in the moment. We'll fall out of it, no question, but hopefully we get better at noticing, and then we can make a choice to accept things the way they are, right now, and to live in a world of self-love, moment by moment.

In this way, the duality of feelings becomes a gift -- they'll come and they'll pass, and each will be an opportunity to say YES to them, to sit with them, to not push them away and think something is wrong with us, in a radical, radical act of self-acceptance.

YES.

Highly recommend this book, and all of Gay Hendricks' work. He's a smartie, that one.

{image above is part of 100 Days of Color... it's100 Days of cultivating self-love!}

a peek at my Surtex portfolios

Thu, 09 May 2013 03:44:00 GMT

I can honestly say that one of my favorite parts of getting ready for Surtex is the day that my portfolios arrive in the mail.

There's something about seeing all of my work, all printed out and bound up in books, that's extremely satisfying. (I get 3 books printed each year-- they're just for showing my patterns to potential licensing partners, not for selling or giving away.)

A close second is the day my booth banners arrive. I'll show you those another day! They're all nicely rolled up in a tube right now and I'm too lazy to get them out and deal with taking photos of them. Ha.

Here are a few peeks inside the books:

Can't wait to share these at Surtex next weekend. Hope they speak to the perfect companies and that I'll come home with some incredible new partnerships!

Will you be at Surtex? If so, come say hello! I'll be in booth #647.

you are held: progress of a new painting

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:14:00 GMT

My favorite part of painting is the beginning, when I'm just covering a canvas with color. There's no rhyme or reason, I'm just putting color down, fast. Those intuitive decisions usually end up informing the whole painting, because whatever colors are on the bottom layer usually end up forming the entire color palette of the painting.

After I was done painting some base layers on a stack of canvases the other day, I started working on that second canvas from the left up there. Here's what unfolded:

You are held.

A message to myself, and a message to you today.

my cat obsession goes up a notch

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:26:00 GMT

Happy Monday!

I have to share the most seriously awesome piece of clothing that I've ever bought with you this morning. I went to exchange a pair of jeans yesterday and decided to look around for a few minutes, and I found THE CUTEST DRESS. There was one left, size XS, which sometimes works on me and sometimes doesn't. So I trotted it over to the dressing room to discover that it fit perfectly. AND it was half-price.

That's the dress above. Super cute, right? Bet you can't tell what that pattern is, though.

Well, it's......

CATS!

Yes! I couldn't believe my luck. If you've hung around here for any length of time, you probably know that I have 2 cats and I'm pretty obsessed with them. I really love cats.

I laid it out on the bed when I got home, because I wanted to wear it later that night to go see a play with my friends (Clybourne Park -- really really good. If you get the chance to see it, go! It seems like it's being performed in all kinds of cities.). When I walked into the bedroom a little while later, I found Anika laying on the dress. Ha! A perfect opportunity to snap a photo of my cat on my cat dress. I immediately texted it to my sister. (She's a little worried about my obsession.)

I caught Anika in mid-yawn, and I love this photo so much:

She looks like she's snarling and her teeth look scary!

She got up a minute later, only to be replaced by Juneau. That's the middle photo above. So I obviously took a photo and texted that to my sister, too.

Her response: "JESSICA." And then "you are way too young to be this crazy of a cat lady." Ha.

But even she had to admit that the dress is adorable when I texted her the top photo.

I'm in love! It's my most favorite dress that I've ever bought in my life.

That's all. :)

impromptu backyard photoshoot

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:53:00 GMT

So, after my post yesterday about feeling frazzled and like I can't do it all myself, I had a strangely great and productive day, AND I feel like I finally got over a belief that's been plaguing me for a long time.

The belief: I'm not a photographer, I don't know how to take great photos of my products, and I don't like trying to do it.

I found myself with a bit of time yesterday afternoon during which nothing in particular was on my to-do list. I've been updating my website recently (new background! new colors! moving pages around! book page added!), and through all the updates I realized there's a big chunk of my licensed products that are not at all visible on my site because I haven't known where to put them. They're not in my shop, because I don't personally sell them, so where should they go? Hmmmm.

So, while I was working all that out in my head and in my journal during my unexpected afternoon free time, I decided to shlep some of my Blend stationery and office products out to the backyard for a little photo shoot.

My "I'm not a photographer and I don't like this" belief was in full effect, of course, as it always is when I try to take photos.

BUT, something was different this time. I've been practicing learning to use my camera in manual mode lately, and I think I finally understand how it works. Feeling in control of my camera instead of just blindly winging it was exhilarating! I had FUN taking photos! The weather was gorgeous, my cats were milling about being my "helpers", and it nice to not be in front of my computer. I've been in front of my computer a LOT lately.

When I imported the photos onto my computer after the shoot, I couldn't believe it. I liked the photos! I downloaded a free trial of Lightroom and loved using that, too! Dudes, I had FUN taking PHOTOS! It's a miracle.

It didn't feel hard. It didn't feel stressful. I didn't overthink it-- I just went outside, enjoyed the sun, and snapped some pics. It felt fun and good and kinda empowering. I totally want to take more photos now. (Which is good, because I have a LOT of things that need to be photographed!)

So, these are just a few of the photos from my mini shoot yesterday. Don't you loooove those gold rabbits?? They're my fave.

I'll show you more once I've gotten them onto my fully updated website -- there are big plans in the works for that...!

Happy Friday, and I hope you have a great, sun-filled weekend!

frazzlement + looking for a Portland helper!

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:06:00 GMT

Oy. Guys. Super honest post here. Beware. But there's a silver lining at the end, promise!

So, this is how I'm feeling at the moment. FRAZZLED.

I need some help. There's so much that I want to do in my biz, and I just can't do it all myself. There. I said it.

The problem: I really want to be able to do everything myself. I'm uncomfortable having people help me or work for me. It does NOT come naturally, whatsoever. I think it probably relates to all my burden stuff. Why would anyone want to work for little ol' me?

I had an a-ha moment a couple days ago.

While I've known for a while that I'm really uncomfortable being "the boss" and asking other people to do things for me, I thought that was the only reason that I would be perfectly happy working by myself forever and ever.

What I didn't realize is that there's more to it than that.

The other reason I'm perfectly happy working by myself is: I'm really afraid of being disappointed by other people. I'm afraid of being let down, and I'm afraid of being honest and direct when that happens.

I do NOT like being direct and honest when I'm afraid it'll hurt or upset another person. It's really, really hard for me. Like, I'll avoid it at all costs kind of hard.

I have extremely high standards for myself (big surprise, I'm sure), and I work really fast. I have a low tolerance for laziness and lateness. I get a lot done. I'm constantly working to improve and get better. And, for better or for worse, I expect other people to be this same way. To work at lightning speed, to deliver things BEFORE the deadline, to jump in fully.

It's often easier to do things myself, because then I don't have to risk being disappointed by someone else.

WHOA.

So, I'm not quite sure what to do with this a-ha information yet, but it's weirdly making me more willing to want to work with other people. Clearly, I have some trust issues that I need to work through. :) I've been working with Abby, my helper extraordinaire in Washington DC, since last summer, and now she's helping Michelle and I with our Declaration of You BLogLovin' book tour, and she is just blowing all of my expectations out of the water. She's super fantastic, and I can't believe she doesn't live in Portland. I would so steal her and never let her go!

So, I know it's possible to work with people who I resonate with and who have similar working styles to me. It's time for me to set an intention to find them.

So. I really need to find a Portland-based person to join my team! I know you are out there, perfect studio helper/Jessica Swift team member!

Don't you just totally want to work with me now after all that? Haha.

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If you think you might be the person I'm looking for, here are the skills you possess:

You are an Adobe Illustrator MASTER. This is an absolute, non-negotiable must.

You have mad photography skillzzz, and a super eye for composition. Also a must.

You live in Portland, OR.

You are self-motivated + self-directed.

You are comfortable working while not talking much (I'm not very good at talking and working at the same time!)

You are available in the morning, one or two days a week.

You are happy and enthusiastic and really want to work with me!

You are ridiculously, meticulously detailed.

You are reliable, trustworthy, and you do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it.

You like cats!

You are social media savvy -- Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.

Gosh, I really want to find you. :)

Please email me if this screams YES to you. I'd love to see if we might be a good fit!

(time machine} my old wedding animation

Wed, 01 May 2013 15:36:00 GMT

{'time machine' is a series where I share some old work from over the years as a working artist... it's a fun reminder for me about how far I've come in my little business, and I hope you enjoy the images!}

So, a few years ago I was kind-of into the idea of becoming an animator.

You may or may not know this about me, but I'm a bit of an over-achiever and want to do EVERYTHING! NOW!, and when an idea grabs me it doesn't usually let me go.

Well, this is exactly what happened a few years ago with animation. I got it in my head that it would be a great idea to make an animated version of the story of Ryan and I, to put on a DVD and include with our wedding invitations.

Did I know how to use Flash? No. Did that stop me? Heeellllll no.

Some people obsess over their wedding dresses and flowers table settings... I obsessed over figuring out how to make this animation.

I started teaching myself to use the program (hello, googling of tutorials!) and then I decided to take a weekend Flash workshop at SCAD to speed up the learning process.

After probably close to 100 hours of work, this was the result:

Haha. It still makes me laugh when I watch it. I love how clear it is that I was a Flash novice!

I couldn't listen to that song for a long time after I was finished-- I probably heard it about 1,000 times while I was making this thing! (It's "Blank Slate" by The National, in case you wondering.)

The animation was a big hit with my family and friends and was totally worth the effort. I watch it every now and again and the flood of memories that come back is always really fun -- sitting on the living room floor drawing in the evenings while Ryan studied (he was in med school at the time), showing him the slow progress as I animated second by second, frame by frame, the feeling of satisfaction when I finished the whole thing...

I will say, though, that when I was finished, my urge to be an animator was gone. It was fun, but man, it was hard! And so so tedious!

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I've been thinking about video again lately for some reason. Not animation necessarily, and not a video of me talking to the camera (that terrifies me! I only do it when I absolutely have to), but video of some sort. To communicate a feeling. Something is percolating, but I'm not sure what it is yet..... I'm waiting for the idea to emerge and grab me. It'll probably involve having to learn some crazy program that's totally foreign to me, haha! That's usually the way things go. I jump in and figure it out as I go. That's always the best way, in my opinion.

Hope you enjoy this little view into my pre-wedding past!

want to be part of my book tour?

Wed, 01 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

In case you missed it last week, a finished copy of my book that I wrote with Michelle Ward, The Declaration of You, arrived on my door step last week:

OMG!

Michelle and I have waited (im)patiently for this day for a long time. It's so surreal to see my name, my artwork, my words in a real live BOOK, and right alongside my dear friend Michelle's name and words. Aaaghh!

While the book won't be officially released until June/July (our publisher hasn't given us the exact date yet), Michelle and I have already been putting our heads together about how we're gonna spread The Declaration of You love all over the internet to celebrate its launch into the world.

This is where you come in.

We're going on a BlogLovin' tour (so fun!)!
Each week of the tour will focus on a different topic from the book:

June 3-7 = enthusiasm
June 10-14 = uniquity
June 17-21 = intention
June 24-28 = self-care
July 8-12 = success
July 15-19 = money
July 22-26 = celebration
July 29-Aug 2 = trust

A bunch of our awesome interviewees from the book will be joining the party each week to host/write about the topic we interviewed about in the book - for example, Alexandra Franzen on Money, Jennifer Lee and Kelly Rae Roberts on Success, Andrea Scher on Intention, and Susannah Conway and Anahata Katkin on Celebration.

And we also want to include you!

If you have a blog and want to write a post (a declaration!) around any of the topics written above, we want to make sure to include you in our BlogLovin' Tour. You can write about whichever topic(s) you'd like -- pick one, pick all eight, whatever you're inspired to contribute!

We'll include your name and the link to your post on our website, so all the world will be able to find your brilliant words.

And you'll get to use these cute graphics on your blog, too:

To participate:

Email abby(at)thedeclarationofyou(dot)com with your blog address + the topic(s) you want to write about and she'll get you all the BlogLovin' details.

I can't wait to see what you have to add to the Declaration of You conversation!

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ps -- we're giving away 5 random copies of the book to 5 different people who participate in the BlogLovin' Tour. If you want to write a declaration post and be automatically entered in the giveaway, just email abby(at)thedeclarationofyou(dot)com with your blog url + topic(s) today. Abby's the best and will get you all squared away!

Coloring Me Happy: collection #10

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:11:00 GMT

Hi guys, happy Monday! Did you have a good weekend? Mine was a working sort of weekend... I spent hours and hours designing my portfolios and banners for my Surtex booth. I got everything ordered and am anxiously awaiting their arrival on my doorstep! That'll warrant some #coloringmehappy photos for sure.

I also spent some time weeding my garden (holy weeds in Portland! All the rain makes them grow like, well.... like weeds, haha) and planting some green beans and zucchini, going out for happy hour with friends, watching episodes of Girls in bed (do you watch that show?), and riding my bike to and from the gym. The weather is so lovely and warm here lately, I'm loving it!

I dug through the #coloringmehappy images on Instagram, flickr, twitter, and pinterest this morning, and there was so much springy color-- definitely lifted my spirits.

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And I had an idea, too-- would it be fun to have a COLOR CHALLENGE each week? Like, find all the TURQUOISE in your life and photograph it this week. Does that sound fun? Let me know what you think in the comments!

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Here are some especially pretty ones, from a variety of people:

Michelle Drew (Pattern and Co) : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

Susan Scott : { Instagram}

Leigh Hannan : {Etsy // Instagram}

Brooke Montes : {website // Instagram}

Julie Hamilton : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

Julia : {website // Facebook // Instagram}

Jessica Swift : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram // pinterest}

Cynthia Rahardja Clancy : {website // Instagram}

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Check out the rest over in the #coloringmehappy flickr group! And and always, if you'd like to join in the #coloringmehappy fun, details are here. It's fun and easy!

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gorgeous Kauai, how I miss you

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:27:00 GMT

Kauai. Mmmmmmm.

What can I even say about this magical place? Every time I think about it, I wish we were back there, sunning ourselves on the beach, hiking through the jungles.

Ryan came up with a new life plan while we were there -- he now wants to quit being a doctor, move to Kauai, and open a bait shack -- which, I gotta say, sounds kind-of tempting. I don't think it's actually going to happen (hello, hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical school debt to pay off!), but it's fun to dream about dropping everything and living an island life. :)

Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip. I had fun playing with my camera and getting better at using it in manual mode!

The flowering trees and bushes were just stunning:

Miniature bananas! I love mini things:

These birds were everywhere, and they were so pretty:

The mountains were so lush:

I loved this couple and secretly took a bunch of photos of them. Is that creepy?

I was a major tourist and drank coconut water straight out of a coconut:

The roosters! Oh, the roosters. They were one of my favorite parts of the trip. There are wild roosters and chickens all over the island, and they're gorgeous! I also learned that they're called 'Red Junglefowl'-- that name makes them seem much fancier than the lowly rooster, doesn't it?

Roosters on the beach = really weird:

We happened upon this secluded little beach at the end of the road toward the Na Pali coast (called Ke'e Beach) just before sunset, and we sat with a bunch of strangers to watch the beautiful display:

This is my favorite photo from the whole trip:

Just acting like a couple of weirdos on the beach, no big deal.

I admired all the strange and beautiful birds-- this one is a variety of cardinal and was my favorite:

I couldn't resist another rooster photo. I think I took about 100:

We hiked in Waimea Canyon one day and goofed around on a big rock:

Ryan scared the life out of me when he wanted to perch on a rock jutting out over the canyon. No way, buddy!

The next day we did an 8-mile hike along the Na Pali coast, which is truly the most beautiful place I've ever been in my life:

We passed by bamboo forests that were all carved up with people's names and declarations of love:

The summit of the hike was a massive waterfall, deep in the canyon:

Another stop on the hike was a beach filled with rock sculptures:

And the color of the water was just ridiculous-- how can this be real?? Beyond beautiful:

On our last day, we decided to splurge and take a helicopter ride over the island. Having never been in a helicopter before, I was nerrrrrvous!

This mangy little cat kept us company while we waited:

The ride was STUNNING! And not at all scary, actually. The pilot was really cool and gave us all sorts of history about what we were flying over, and the views were just spectacular. My favorite was flying over the Na Pali coast:

We flew into a canyon to see the tallest waterfall in Kauai, something like 3,000 feet tall:

Amazing. And we couldn't leave without a touristy photo, naturally:

Oh man, what a trip. If you want to see more, I loaded them onto my flickr page!

The Declaration of You: the finished book!

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:21:00 GMT

Duuuuuuude, I wrote a book! It's finally sinking in. WHOA. Yesterday Michelle texted me to tell me that she just got a package from our publisher, and inside were 2 finished copies of our book, The Declaration of You. Whaaaaat? They didn't even tell us they were sending them! What a fantastic surprise.

Obviously, I was impatient and checked the door about 50 times to see if the FedEx man had left my package of books at the door. It finally arrived, and I ran up to my studio, tore open the package, and then skyped with Michelle so we could properly freak out together.

Our book! It's so pretty! Look:

A real book, which will be sold in real book stores, with my name on the cover, full of my color + illustrations. WOW. I had a funny moment, too, while I was flipping through the book and came to a photo of some stuff that sits on my desk, and then I looked up and saw the exact same stuff... sitting on my desk on front of me. I publish photos of my life and my studio pretty regularly on my blog, but for some reason it felt weird and different to see it in a printed book! Crazy.

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Someone who'd purchased my e-book, Jump Trust Repeat, sent me an email recently, telling me that she loved the e-book and loved my blog, and that she really appreciated reading my full story (including all the ups, downs, struggles, and successes). She said she loved reading my blog and that she always got the impression that everything always went really smoothly and easily for me, but then she read the e-book and loved getting a fuller version of what goes into my work.

I've been thinking about this since I got that email. I realize that I often post these things like "hey, I wrote a book! Isn't it awesome?" and "hey, look at these new patterns!" and maybe I could be posting more about lessons I'm learning a lot the way, things I'm struggling with, etc.... I'm not sure.

Because the truth is, everything is not always easy. In fact, there are parts of my business that are downright stressful sometimes. And they feel really hard, and I often feel like I don't know what the heck I'm doing. I worry a lot (too much). I often compare myself to others, even though I don't want to.

It's so easy to look at people on the internet doing and creating big things with their pretty, shiny websites and think "oh, it's so easy for them". I totally do it, too.

The thing is, I don't want you to look at my blog and think "Wow, she has it so easy. She's so lucky." I want you to look at my blog and think "Wow, if she can do it, I can totally do it, too." I want to help empower everyone to pursue their own wild + colorful dreams, and never give up. And that involves sharing more of the struggles, lessons, and full stories, I think.

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So.... I'm not really sure what that has to do with my book, The Declaration of You. But that's what just flowed out of me, so there it is. :)

I'm going to set an intention to share more of my full story, ups, downs, and all. Is there anything in particular you'd like to hear about? Let me know in the comments!

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Also, if you'd like to pre-order a signed copy of The Declaration of You, you can do that on our website! It's not out quite yet, but it will be in late June/early July, and we'll ship it right to you, asap. :)

behind the scenes, 04.23.13

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:54:00 GMT

Oh you guys, it is SPRINGTIME here in Portland! I went for a run yesterday afternoon and stopped short at this tree and tulips down the street from my house. Isn't it so pretty? The entire town looks like this right now! I'm in major love. Not to mention that it's supposed to be 70 degrees today, 75 tomorrow.... a nap in the back yard might be in my future. :)

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Here is a peek at something brand new that's coming:

Can you guess what these are? I'm suuuuuper excited about them!

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I got a new computer yesterday, because mine was slowly getting obnoxiously bogged down-- it's gotten quite a workout these past 6 years, and I was overdue for an upgrade! I'm a little sad to see the old computer go, because I bought it after receiving a check for my very first licensing deal with T-Mobile, back in 2008. It was a celebration and a gift to myself, as well as a message to the universe that I was COMMITTED 100% to being a surface pattern designer! There are a lot of memories tied up in that computer. Good thing it's just moving downstairs into Ryan's office!

I'm psyched to see what the new one can do today-- it's a serious beast of a computer with tons of memory space. Hopefully it won't freak out when I have Photoshop and Illustrator open at the same time! My old computer started to reaaaaally not like that.

Here's my new friend (with a desktop wallpaper I made):

Speaking of desktop wallpapers, did you know that you can get a free one by joining my email list? You can do that right here!

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And just for fun, here's a new pattern I created about a week and a half ago:

I'm totally loving this one. I'll be working on making a collection of patterns around it today, to take to Surtex with me. I can't believe Surtex is just a few short weeks away! So much to do.... creating new portfolios, designing my booth, shipping everything to NYC... gotta get busy!

body in Portland, brain in Kauai

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:45:00 GMT

That's where my brain still is right now. The gorgeous and stunning Na Pali coast in Kauai. My body is back in Portland, but my mind is still on vacation!

Usually I'm ready to get back to work after some time away, but not this morning.... my brain is definitely still on island time. Waking up to the sound of tropical birds, reading books on the beach, hikes and helicopter rides....

Kauai was magical. Having never been to Hawaii before this trip, I now know why people love it so much. It's breathtakingly beautiful.

I think I took about 350 photos, so I have a lot to sort through. I'll share more of my faves soon! Just wanted to pop in and say hello this morning. :)

5 days of cleansing

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:34:00 GMT

So, I'm on day 5 of my cleanse, and I feel great! I've been juicing every day, and I'm definitely going to make this part of my regular routine. I LOVE it. I've been a green-smoothie-for-breakfast girl for the past 7 years or so (I make them every morning for my husband and I), and this coming September I'll have been vegetarian for 20 years (whoa!)-- I've always been a healthy eater. But I've never gotten into juicing and have I've wanted to buy a juicer for a long time, and I'm so happy I finally did! Regular smoothies AND juicing are going to make my body so happy.

I bought this juicer at Target. Not the best, but it's doing the job. If it becomes a really regular habit, I'll consider upgrading to a better juicer at some point down the road, but for now this one is getting the job done.

I've been juicing some combination of the following ingredients each day: apples, carrots, kale, celery, cucumbers, ginger, parsley, spinach, oranges, and lemons. This pineapple is patiently waiting to be juiced:

Sitting next to the mason jar is my concoction from yesterday! Delicious. I think I'll juice the pineapple this weekend, so Ryan can have some, too. (I'm so nice!)

I will say, though, cleaning the juicer is not the most fun thing in the world:

One of my other favorite kitchen tools is my dehydrator. I have this one. I've been using the pulp from my juice making to make a variety of dehydrated crackers-- yum! This one is the veggie/fruit pulp mixed with soaked sunflower seeds, soaked cashews, red pepper flakes, and flax meal:

It's currently in the dehydrator, becoming dry and crispy and cracker like. Can't wait to try them out.

I always sort-of wing it in the kitchen-- I rarely follow recipes or plans, but I do love looking through cookbooks for inspiration. A few of my favorite raw/vegan cookbooks that I own are I Am Grateful (the Café Gratitude cookbook), Vegan Fusion World Cuisine (the Blossoming Lotus cookbook), and Natalia KW's Pure Pleasures.

My morning smoothies are always made up of about half greens (spinach, kale, or chard most often):

Bananas are a daily ingredient, as is avocado. I've been putting some of the veggie pulp in the smoothies, too, which is nice for adding a bit more heft. Then water, almond milk, flax seeds, and voila! Best smoothie ever. I often add protein powder, too, so it'll keep me full all morning.

I've been asked if I'm following some specific cleanse, and the answer is no. I've always been a very healthy eater, so I know what to eat, what not to eat, etc. I've been focusing on fruits and vegetables, in smoothies and juices as well as raw and steamed. I'm not drinking any caffeine or alcohol, and I'm drinking a lot of water. I'm also making tea everyday with the following ingredients, which are good for detoxing and purifying:

dandelion root, dandelion leaf, nettles, burdock, ginger root, licorice, milk thistle

I filled a mason jar with about 10 Tbsp. of each herb, shook it up, and I've been using 1/5 of the jar each day. I just put it in a pot with 1-2 quarts of purified water, boil for about 15 minutes, and then strain out the herbs. Then I put the used herbs in our garden for compost-- very good for the plants!

You can buy a lot of bulk herbs online here if you're interested in trying it out!

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On a different note, I'm off to Hawaii on Monday for a week, so I probably won't be posting much (if at all)-- so I'll see you on Aprill 22nd when I'm back, hopefully all refreshed and TAN!

beautiful light

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:46:00 GMT

The light coming in one of the windows in my studio has been so lovely lately. I've been rotating paintings around and enjoying the way the light bounces off all the bright colors.

I've been asked a lot this winter how I'm doing my first winter in Portland -- people warned me repeatedly that it was going to be gloomy and grey and wet from October through May, with no sign of the sun, so I was understandably nervous. I was warned that come February or March, I'd be dying to get out of here.

But you know what? It hasn't been bad at all. The sun's actually been out quite a lot lately, and I've really enjoyed all the rain. I can concentrate on rainy, grey days better than on sunny days, so it's good working weather! Plus, one of my favorite things is feeling cozy, and there's nothing like rainy, grey weather to get all cozified! (I totally made up that word.)

Ryan and I were talking to a friend last night, and he asked us how we were liking Portland and what we thought of our first winter here, and it turns out that Ryan and I both like it here so much that we both feel like we'll want to stay for the long-term! Hooray! Fingers crossed he's offered a fabulous job here when he's done with residency and fellowship.

The sun feels so much more special here than it has anywhere else I've lived-- I remember growing up in Colorado, where it was sunny alllllll the time (they say it's sunny 300 days out of the year in Colorado-- did you know that?), and rainy days felt so special because they were so rare. That's how it feels here, except the opposite. Sunny days feel so magical and special! And then summertime rolls around and is filled with the most perfect sunny days ever, and that's why people stay in Portland. Summertime here is glorious!

I'm shipping some new paintings to my gallery in Atlanta, Gregg Irby Fine Art, tomorrow, and I'll be adding several originals to my shop as well. I have an upcoming show at Tilde here in Portland in August, and I should really be painting more for that right now.... but what always happens is that the show creeps up and all of a sudden is a month away, and then I paint like crazy and produce some of my favorite paintings ever. So, I'm having faith that that's what'll happen this time, too, since I'll be super busy with Surtex prep when I get back from Hawaii on the 21st and won't have a ton of time to paint until the beginning of june. Eek!

OK, ramble ramble today. I'm off to print and ship all the orders from my sale on Tuesday-- thanks to everyone who bought prints! It was a big success, so THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Coloring Me Happy: collection #9

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:27:00 GMT

Oh guys, I'm draaaaagging this morning. A lack of caffeine, not enough sleep, and a 4 mile run this morning have me feeling pooped! But seeing all the bright color that's going on in the #coloringmehappy pool pepped me up a bit. Seems like people are enjoying SPRINGTIME! Lots of flower pics going on.

Here are some of my favorite images that people shared this past week:

Rosie Simons : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

June Shin : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram // pinterest}

Donna Heart : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

Susan Scott : {Instagram}

Lotus Peach : {Flickr}

Sam Osborne : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram // pinterest}

So pretty!

If you want to join in and share your own colorful images, don't forget that you can find details right here! It's as simple as tagging your images on Instagram, twitter, and pinterest with the hashtag #coloringmehappy.

The #coloringmehappy Flickr group is lively and filled with pretty photos, so make sure you check out what's going on over there, and join up if you want an easy way to get your images directly into the group pool! We'd love to see them.

Happy Wednesday!

print retiring sale! 40% off, today only!

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:41:00 GMT

As I mentioned in a post a couple weeks ago, it's feeling like time for me to retire some older prints. Ive been making and selling my prints for 5 years now! I've created a lot, and now it's time to do a bit of spring cleaning. Clear out the old to make way for the new!

So, TODAY is the LAST DAY that the 18 prints below will be available. If any of the prints below sing to you, scoop them up now, because tomorrow they'll be gone forever.

To celebrate the clearing out and making way for the new, ALL PRINTS ARE 40% OFF TODAY ONLY, when you use the code MAKEWAYFORTHENEW during check out.

I'm saying bye-bye to these lovely prints:

And hello to these new ones! I just added these new prints to my website:

Don't forget, ALL prints are 40% off today, not just the ones that are being retired.

Just use code MAKEWAYFORTHENEW when checking out, and the discount will be automatically applied!

Hope you enjoy my spring cleaning!

think higher, feel deeper

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:14:00 GMT

{print available here}

I love this quote be Elie Wiesel: "Whatever you do in life, remember to think higher and feel deeper."

A noble pursuit, I think.

I go through phases where I love reading self-improvement, personal development type books. I'm definitely in one now. Reading these types of books really gets in me in the zone of thinking higher and feeling deeper. I don't always put in the necessary work that the book suggests, but I'm working on that. :)

I'm reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey right now, and the next books on my list are:

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping
Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously by Osho, and
Active Dreaming by Robert Moss

Have you read any of these books? What are your favorite self-improvement books? We should totally start a book club! I'd love any book recommendations you have -- leave 'em in the comments!

Ryan and I are going to Hawaii for a week next Monday (here I come, sunshine!), and I want to take a lot of books with me, so I'll be heading over to Powell's sometime this week to stock up. I am loving the idea of doing fun Hawaii things like hiking and snorkeling all day and then coming back to chill out at night and read books. We haven't had a solo vacation together in a looooong time.

This week I'm also doing a cleanse. Nothing too crazy (I've done that before), but I'm sticking to fruits and veggies for the next 5 days -- smoothies, fresh squeezed juice (I bought a juicer yesterday!), salads, no caffeine, no alcohol, no oil, lots of homemade dandelion/licorice/burdock tea and lots of water. Since I'm planning to work out regularly this week, as always, I'm keeping protein powder in my diet (even though it's definitely not a cleansing food!) because I don't want my muscles to hate me! I think the cleanse will be effective anyway. Every time I've done a cleanse and cut caffeine and dairy out of my diet, I've felt amazing afterwards, so I'm looking forward to that. I am a pretty healthy eater for the most part, but there are definitely things that creep into my diet that don't need to be there... hello too much coffee, too much peanut butter, and Juanita's chips (these chips are insanely delicious)!

It's springtime! Time to lighten the load a little bit and get all the winter sludge out of my bod.

Also! Tomorrow I'm going to be having a print sale.

I'm retiring some old prints that aren't really singing to me anymore, so I can make room for some new prints.

All prints will be 40% off!

There are 18 prints that are going bye-bye, so tomorrow will be your last chance EVER to get them-- if you see some that you like, it would be wise to scoop them up, because they'll be gone forever after tomorrow.

There will also be several brand new prints available, also at 40% off, just for tomorrow!

Make sure you come back tomorrow morning to get the discount code. (Start shopping in advance right here if you want!)

See you tomorrow. :)

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{print above available here}

new patterns, new colors

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:47:00 GMT

Just a couple new patterns to share today. These are 2 of my new favorites.

The colorway above came as a surprise.... I love when I can figure out a way to use a color that I don't normally use and make it feel like ME. In this case, the color is the light blue color in the dots in the first pattern. I never use that color -- when I use blues, they tend toward the turquoise range -- but I'm loving it paired with the rusty red and the olive green and the sea foam green. So unexpected! I love when I surprise myself with color.

And this is definitely one of my favorite color combinations of the moment:

Nothing new or life-altering, but it just feels so pretty to me lately.

What colors are speaking to you these days??

family dynamics

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:46:00 GMT

This moment will be forever burned in my brain.

That's my grandpa and my nephew, sharing a hug after lunch. Such sweetness and pure, simple love. It made me happy and sad at the same time. Why does love do that sometimes??

I just got back from spending a few days with my family, and as much as I love them and as wonderful as it is to be with them, without fail I always leave with so many mixed emotions. Happiness and sadness. Togetherness and feeling left out + alone. Nostalgia and heartache. Contentment and wishing things were different. Each time I go home I realize how much I've turned into a grown-up, while at the same time reverting back to my teenage self. Does this happen to you?

I mean, I had a full-on meltdown at my mom's house yesterday morning, because my feelings were hurt by my sister the night before, and it brought up memories of years of being told I'm too sensitive and feeling like I don't fit in with everyone else that I just couldn't smash down anymore. I think this is where my feelings of being a burden come from -- I learned that having and expressing too many feelings = being too sensitive, and that's a burden for other people. I don't cry very often, and especially not in front of other people, but on this day I couldn't stop myself.

In the midst of my meltdown, though, I had an epiphany. I was talking to my mom about why I was upset and what my sister had done to hurt my feelings, and how I feel left out and different from everyone, and she instantly began to blame them for what I was feeling. And I said "no, it's not their fault. I'm responsible for my feelings, they aren't-- they're not making me feel this way, I'm choosing this reaction." She didn't seem to get it, but it made a lot of sense to me. I expect things to go a certain way, and when they don't, I blame the other person. When really, it's my expectations that are the problem. It's my choice how I react to other people.

Like Eleanor Roosevelt says:

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

No one can hurt you without your consent. If you choose to let your feelings get hurt, that's your own responsibility, not the other person's.

The epiphany came full circle while I was reading '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' on the plane ride home yesterday, and the author, Stephen R. Covey, wrote about this point exactly. There is a space between the stimulus (what happens) and how you respond to it. And in that space lives YOUR CHOICE. We get to choose the way we respond, every single time, in every situation.

It's not always easy to choose the more grown-up, enlightened response, though. Especially when I'm with my family, I find that it's easier to choose the immature, blaming response. Mmmm, THAT'S fun to admit. Ha!

The answer though, I think, is in the photo above. This is what I'm slowly learning: RESPOND WITH LOVE. Choose love instead of blaming. Just give your love, no matter what, even when it's so hard you think you can't do it.

Hug your grandpa tight and be a beacon of light for him, even though it breaks your heart to see that he's so lonely.

Love your sister, even when your first instinct is to let your feelings get hurt.

Love yourself enough to choose to be authentic, as much and as often as you possibly can.

Love your family and your hometown, even when the confusing memories flood in and feel like too much to handle.

Don't hold grudges. It's never worth it.

I'm slowly learning that by choosing to respond with love and taking conscious responsibility for the way I respond to other people, it allows others to make that same choice for themselves. Of course, I'm learning this lesson through many mistakes and the occasional meltdown! But I suppose that's just part of learning and growing, right?

Oh boy. Do what you will with all THAT. :)

Here's a photo of me and my cute niece to balance it all out:

I just want to squish her!

Coloring Me Happy: collection #8

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:19:00 GMT

Happy Friday! I just spent the last little while perusing this week's #coloringmehappy submissions/tags, and it looks to me like people are getting ready for Easter! Do you have any fun plans for this holiday weekend?

I'm headed to Colorado on Sunday to visit my family for a few days-- I didn't realize it was Easter weekend when I booked the trip. So it looks like there might be some Easter egg dying in my future! That was one of my favorite things to do with my mom when I was a kid.

So, as I mentioned in last week's Coloring Me Happy post, things are working a little differently now. Since there are so many images, I'm going to choose a selection to post here each week, and the rest are living in this brand new Coloring Me Happy flickr group. So now you can easily browse through all the #coloringmehappy images all in one place, click links, and discover new people! Please feel free to join the group and post your images directly there with links to your website, Facebook, twitter, etc. And you can, of course, still tag them using #coloringmehappy on Instagram, twitter, and pinterest.

Here is this week's gorgeous selection! Onward:

Julie Hamilton : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

Cynthia Rahardja Clancy : {website // Instagram}

Angel G. : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

Khristian A. Howell : {website // Facebook // twitter // instagram // pinterest}

Katie Licht : {website // Instagram}

Ilana Kapp : {website // Facebook // twitter}

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Enjoy the color-y goodness! And don't forget, if you want to play along, details are right here. Have a great weekend!

grow. in progress. (always.)

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:20:00 GMT

Above: the top right corner of a painting in progress. Painted over an old painting from several years ago.

Below: the first pattern in a new collection. These colors are rocking my world right now, and I think this might be one of my favorite patterns I've ever made.

I've been thinking lately about my evolution as an artist. My work has changed pretty dramatically over the years, as I've become interested in new things, started working with new paint colors, gotten better at using Illustrator to make patterns....

The idea of being stuck creating one thing, in one style, forever, sounds like torture to me. Though, that's what I learned in school-- find your niche, become known for that, and never stray. And while there's obviously some (a lot of) value to that line of thinking, it feels very stifling to me, like it doesn't allow any room for experimentation or shifting or growth.

I like to believe that the ways my work has changed and evolved are simply physical evidence of my movement through and growth in life. Color, and the way that I use it, is what has made my work my own through the years (I think)-- and though my subject matter has shifted over the years, my love of and interest in color has been at the forefront of my creating every step of the way.

I worry sometimes that if you held up 2 paintings of mine, one from, say, 5 years ago and one from now, that you wouldn't know the same person created them. I'm not sure if that even matters.

But that said, I'm feeling like I've outgrown some of my older work, so much so that it's time to retire some old prints to make way for the new. I'll be sifting through and narrowing down next week, so stay tuned for a one-day-sale when you'll have an opportunity to get some of the to-be-retired prints at a special price before I bid them adieu!

This feels good. It feels right.

It's time to say thank you to older versions of myself, and then bravely step forward from them in order to grow more. Expand more. Experiment more.

We're all just humans, in progress, forever and always.

painting and running

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:04:00 GMT

The beginnings of a painting. The stage that this painting is in is a little scary... the first layer is fun and free, just covering the canvas with color, not thinking too much about it. The next stage, starting to paint shapes of some sort, is a little scary. The polar bear has emerged, and I'm digging his sort-of ghost-like qualities, but what comes next? I'm not sure yet. The answer always comes when I step back and just stare for a while... inevitably something will pop into my head-- sometimes it's a color, sometimes it's a shape, sometimes it's a pattern to layer on top of a section... those moments when the inspiration comes, out of the blue, are what guide me. Little intuitive hits, that if I'm too distracted while I'm working, I can't hear them. That's when a painting can take a turn for the worse! Listening is key. Being open is crucial.

On a different note, I'm feeling very lucky this morning that I was one of 6 people to see this view of the almost-full moon setting over the city from Mt. Tabor. After a 4-mile, 5:30am, hilly run, this was the reward:

So worth it. I'm learning that the biggest challenge to running (and I think is probably true for pretty much everything in life) is the mental piece. The hardest part of a 5:30am Mt. Tabor run is getting myself there. There's often so much inner drama that comes along with it! "It's gonna be hard, I'm too tired, it's cold outside" and on and on. I have to turn that off, or tune it out, or just plain ignore it and tell it to shut up already, in order to get myself there. And it's always, ALWAYS worth it. I mean, how amazing to be able to see that view to start my day! So grateful.

small, intentional upgrades make a big difference

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:49:00 GMT

I've been sprucing up my studio this past week or so, in preparation for a photo shoot for a magazine feature over the summer (secret for now!)-- exciting and scary at the same time. The minute the shoot was scheduled, I started walking around the room noticing everything that looked bad, was unfinished, wasn't "perfect".

As I wrote about back in September, I have a tendency to get a room into acceptable livability/workability, but not much beyond that. That was definitely the case with my studio-- everything is functional, but not necessarily beautiful or inspiring to me. There were many corners that were kind-of an eyesore. You know, the things you look past, thinking "I'll deal with that later". Well, the later usually doesn't come for me, and I leave things in uninspiring states for far too long. So, I used this photo shoot as an opportunity to spend some time making the space look nicer, and to finally upgrade the uninspiring parts.

And what surprised me is that none of the changes I made were huge or drastic or time-consuming, but they made a big difference. I replaced an ugly lamp. I got a new rug to cover up some of the wood floor (my studio has a LOT of wood in it). I replaced some ugly plastic storage bins with some cute patterned ones. Things like that. Quick, small, simple changes.

I discovered that with regular, intentional attention, you can really make big difference with not a lot of effort! I feel like this is such a grown-up realization for me. I think I've sort-of assumed that making your space look exactly the way you want it to look required tons of time, tons of money, maybe a crazy knack for interior design.... but no, it just requires some regular attention and an intention to improve my surroundings a little bit at a time. A ha!

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One thing I also realized was that I had no plants at all in my studio-- how could this be? We have plants in the rest of our house, and somehow it never occurred to me to bring some plants into my workspace. Hello, DUH! So, I bought some plants over the weekend -- ferns, mini cacti (the best!), and an aloe plant. It made a difference immediately. My studio feels so much homier now!

I'm really into black and white lately, which has never happened before, so I'm going with it:

You can see the black and white creeping into my paintings, too.

So, I've set a new intention in my life: to put regular attention on making my surroundings a bit more beautiful in small, simple ways. I can totally do that. It doesn't have to be a big production, and it doesn't have to take hours upon hours. It just takes attention + intention. Lots of small steps in a row add up to big changes over time.

Can't wait to share the photos with you when they come out in a few months in the magazine!

Artists & Renegades interview: Josephine Kimberling

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:28:00 GMT

Friends: say hi to Josephine Kimberling. She creates the most stunning patterns ever, which are used for a variety of gorgeous products (fabric, bags, stationery...), and she's the latest amazing artist-preneur to join my interview series, Artists + Renegades, to talk about her biggest dreams, best advice, and a lot of fun along the way.

I mean, really, could that teepee below be any more amazing? No, I don't think it could. A.maz.ing.

Josephine kindly answered my questions:

What’s your BIG DREAM?

Finally after 12+ years of dreaming, I'm living it! I'm now working on building on my dream….or dreaming within my dream.

What was your happiest moment in the past week?

Spending 3 full days drawing while listening to the book 'Quiet' on CD.

What’s your personal motto?

"To do the best I can with the talents I've been given". It drives me to push myself and not give any less than 100+% in everything I do.

Let's play two truths and a lie: mix in two true statements about yourself with one false one, and we'll try to guess which is which in the comments section later.

Oh my gosh! I used to say 'like' like every other like word, like you know?

I love rain, which makes Seattle a perfect home for me

I can easily shop from when the stores open to when they close

Who was your first creative idol? (Mine was Claude Monet when I was 12 years old!)

Disney. It was the only art I was exposed to at an early age. I just loved all the cartoons that would come out each year and yearned to draw like that!

What "rule" about art, business, or creativity do you think must always be broken?

To just revamp what sold last year. Yes, there's always a place for that, but I believe in being more awesome than last year and using your creativity to bring something fresh to the table,

What’s your favorite part of your work day?

My 5:00am start. I get so excited each morning to wake up and start my day. It's nice to finally feel this way.

I couldn't live without _______ because _______.

My husband because he's been a huge source of healing and happiness in my life and is my absolute best friend. My life just wouldn't be the same without him.

What story from your childhood would a sibling or family member use to (good-naturedly) embarrass the pants off of you?

I collected She-ra dolls. Forget Barbie. I wanted to play with magical dolls with secret powers.

What's your super secret talent or interest? C'mon, you know you have one.

Shopping for clothes. I secretly wish women would take me shopping with them, give me their size, wait in the dressing room and just let me bring them options! Seeing women step out of their rut and try something new – and feel beautiful in the process, brings me SO much happiness!

What’s one simple pleasure that brings you a ridiculous amount of happiness?

Starbucks tall nonfat 6 pump no water chai with a pumpkin scone=Bliss! Well, that and discovering something super-cute on a shopping day.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, right now, where would you go? How would you get there?

London via a Unicorn Pegasus

Josephine Kimberling is a textile designer turned licensing artist who has been creating surface pattern, artwork and design solutions in-house for industry leaders in the fashion, greeting card and gift-wrap industries for over 12 years. Her art licensing brand combines her love of creating pattern & delicious color stories with the many different types of products she has a passion for.

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Thanks, Josephine!

Coloring Me Happy: collection #7

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:10:00 GMT

Now for some weekend color-loving!

We're changing it up a little bit for the #coloringmehappy this week-- so many images are being tagged, that the posts are getting to be super long! Which is awesome, but I realize it might feel a little bit overwhelming to look through dozens of images.

So, my fab #coloringmehappy cohort, Abby, and I created a flickr group where all the images are going to live. I'll choose a selection each week to feature here on the blog, and I'll link over to the flickr group each week, too, so you can browse through all the awesome images!

So, there are a couple ways you can participate in the #coloringmehappy fun now:

1. tag your images with #coloringmehappy on Instagram, twitter, and/or pinterest. We'll grab 'em and add them to the flickr group, with your name and links included!

2. Join the flickr group. Then upload your photos directly into the group pool, add your info in the description, and you're done! Easy.

**We'll choose a random smattering of images to feature here on the blog each week.**

And for this week's colorful selection:

above // Cynthia Rahardja Clancy : {website // Instagram}

above // Susan : {Instagram}

above // Rehab Baamer : {website // Facebook // twitter // instagram}

above // Jennifer Taylor : {website // Instagram}

above // Brooke Witt : {website // Facebook // twitter // instagram // Pinterest}

above // Genevieve Gail Swinford : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

above // Mary Tanana : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram // pinterest}

Tricia : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest // instagram}

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And make sure you check out the rest in the flickr group pool!

Have a great, colorful weekend, y'all. :)

It's World Water Day (let's donate to Charity : Water!)

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:55:00 GMT

Did you know that today is World Water Day?

Charity : Water is asking people all over the world to pledge their next birthday for clean water -- when your birthday is near, you'll start a fundraising campaign and ask people to donate to it in lieu of birthday gifts. Then, all the money you raise will go towards clean water projects in developing regions around the world.

Amazing, right?

I just pledged my birthday, which is in August. Something to look forward to.

Also, if you didn't know, I donate $5 of every rain boot sale to Charity : Water. I just got an email a few days ago telling me that a donation I made in December was sent to Malawi. My donation was pooled with other donations to help Charity : Water's local partner, World Vision, to build 43 new and 50 rehabilitated wells in the Mangochi, Zomba, Mzimba and Ntchisi districts.

A few facts:

More than 15 million people live in Malawi, and 17% don't have access to clean, safe drinking water.

800 million people in the world still live without access to clean water.

Wowsa.

Want to join me in donating to Charity : Water??

For every pair of rain boots sold today, I'll donate $15 instead of my normal $5 to Charity : Water -- your purchase will directly help people half-way around the world to gain access to clean, safe drinking water! That's pretty awesome. Plus, you'll have a cute pair of shoes to boot. (To boot. Ha. I'm hilarious.)

So if you've have your eye on a pair of rain boots, today's a great day to snag 'em, because you'll be helping to make the world a better place and getting ready for soggy spring weather at the same time!

how I want to feel, and when work feels like playing

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:02:00 GMT

I've been thinking a lot lately about the kind of life I want to live and how I want to feel in it. I want to see my family more. I want to go on more adventures. I don't want to look back and see that all I did was work like a crazy person through my younger years. I want to spend days without an agenda and a to do list. I want to take more photos in beautiful places. I don't want to feel guilty when I'm not working or doing something "productive". I want to find EASE. I want to be led by joy.

I'm taking conscious steps to get there, and I've made some strides since moving to Portland. It's funny how moving to a new city can change things in one direction or another. I really developed my work-like-a-crazy-person habits when we moved to Atlanta. I'm starting to deconstruct them now that we're in Portland and now that I get to spend more time outdoors, walking, biking, running, gardening... I'm letting go of pieces of my very fragmented business (pattern design! painting! graphic design! book coming out! rain boots! trade shows! you get the idea.) that I don't love anymore. I'm saying no way more often than I used to. It feels good. It feels right. It also feels scary. Taking time away, like going to Oaxaca and Manzanita last month, is feeding my soul. I'm going to Colorado to visit my family next weekend, and Ryan and I are going to Hawaii in 3 weeks on vacation. This is honestly the most time I've taken off in the last 5 years. It feels scary, but vital.

I've been creating a lot of new art these days, in preparation for Surtex in May, and I realized that I've been feeling really indulgent when I spend my days this way. Like, really, who gets to just make art every day, all day long? Which is crazy, because my art is the foundation of my business! It's a vital piece of what I do. And in the beginning, I made a ton of new art all the time.

But as the years have progressed and I've gotten busier with lots of different types of projects, the simple days of making art have become fewer and further between, and now it feels indulgent and, weirdly, kind-of irresponsible. My brain tells me "there are emails to check! Things to research! Important Things to accomplish!" I often feel like I have to get all my "real work" done before I can go downstairs to paint. Painting feels like playing. Work shouldn't feel like playing, should it? Or..... maybe it SHOULD. Hmmm. Lightbulb! Maybe the things that feel like work and that don't bring me joy are the things I shouldn't be doing anymore. Ahhh.....

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Yesterday I listened to Monica Lee's interview with Amy Butler on Smart Creative Women again. Man, that Amy Butler! She's so awesome. She talked a lot about shifts in her business and in her life in this interview, and I found myself really relating to a lot of what she spoke about. I found it fascinating to hear her talk about times in her life when she'd start to feel fear/doubt, she'd work MORE. I totally do that. She also talked about how she could see all the beauty she was creating in the world, but she felt disconnected from it, in a way, and couldn't fully appreciate it until she fully loved and accepted herself. How she knew there was more joy to be experienced, and she wanted to experience it. Big stuff, people.

This is where I feel I am right now. I know life is not all about work. It's not about doing MORE MORE MORE all the time. But that's sort-of my default mode. And it worked for a long time. But it's not really working anymore. I'm generally pretty happy, but I want JOY. Like, ridiculous, thrilled-to-be-alive joy! I want deep + full self-love. I guess the first step is just putting that out there, eh? ;)

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Here are some take-aways, to make some sense out of that big long ramble:

It's ok for work to feel like playing. I suspect that's actually where the magic is.

Listen to Monica Lee's interview with Amy Butler. You won't be sorry! (There are actually several interviews... you can find them all here.)

Life is not all about work. Ridiculous, thrilled-to-be-alive joy is possible, and I want to find it!

Making art is not indulgent.

Taking time away to replenish and connect with the people I love and to experience new things is vital.

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Are there places in your life where you feel some guilt around being "indulgent"? How do you want to feel in your life and what needs to shift in order to get there? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

patterns inspired by moths and Lululemon

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:29:00 GMT

New patterns, yo. This is just a peek-- there are 9 patterns in the full collection. The collection was directly inspired by the photo of that pink and yellow moth from the other day. I thought "moths? Why not?!"

It was also inspired by a new shirt that I got at Lululemon over the weekend (annoyingly, I bought this for full price in the store and just found it for $50 cheaper online! Bogus!)-- the red color in the patterns above is actually a bit more orange in real life. I liked the navy + fluorescent orange combo. I don't use navy blue a lot, so it was a fun challenge. Gotta love color challenges!

the declaration of you: the book!

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:52:00 GMT

You guys, I wrote a book! Well, my pal Michelle Ward and I wrote it together. We created an e-course called The Declaration of You together back in 2010, and after running the course a few times and turning it into a colorful e-book, we were offered a book deal from North Light Books in early 2012. We said an enthusiastic YES!

We've been working on the book since then with our wonderful editor, and I'm so so so excited to tell you that the book will finally be out in June of this year. AND, it's officially available for pre-order now!

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Today is a special day because, as part of Craft Month, our publisher is offering a FREE preview chapter of our book on their website. You can get it right here. The preview also includes a fun interview with the ever-inspiring Andrea Scher.

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We also recently redesigned our website, and it's aDORable, if I do say so myself. Docheck it out! I designed it and Samantha Slade coded it. If you need a web design/developer whiz, Samantha is your woman. She was seriously great to work with. You can pre-order the book on the new website, either directly from us (signed!) or from a variety of online retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Pierre François Frédéric (above) is the host of the book, and you can learn more about him on the website, too. He's quite eccentric and quite the ladies man. He's very excited for the book to come out, too, as you can tell by the party hat.

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We made a trailer video, too! Check it out:

Hope you enjoy the free preview chapter, the video, and our shiny new website!

currently pinning... animal inspiration

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:52:00 GMT

Above:

1 // pin 2 // pin 3 // pin 4 // pin

Gosh, I love animals. In another life, maybe I was a vet or an animal whisperer or something. Animals tend to really like me -- on some levels I think I have an easier time relating to animals than I do to people. Ha! No wonder I'm so obsessed with my cats.

There's a teeny little dog named Chaco at the pet food store where we buy our cat food -- she belongs to the guy who works in the store, and she follows me around and helps me get the cat food every time I come in the store. She'll stand up on her back legs were her front paws on my leg, and just stare and stare up at me. It's so cute! The guy says she has certain people who come into the store who she loves, and I'm one of them. Thanks, Chaco!

Above:

1 // pin 2 // pin 3 // pin 4 // pin

Anyway, I've been working on a batch of spirit animal paintings lately, so I've had animal photos on the brain. These are some great ones I've found on pinterest! Gotta love pinterest. I mean, look at that moth at the top -- how is that thing even real?!

black + white

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:26:00 GMT

I'm going through a black + white phase right now. Well, more specifically, black + white + gold. Or black + white + any metallic color, really.

It's funny, because I'm (obviously) a color girl. The brighter, the better. But man, I'm just really loving the graphic-ness of bold black + white mixed with some earthy metallics.

The above pic was taken while I was working on a pattern on my computer. What I love about making patterns is that it feels like putting a puzzle together. All the pieces are floating around somewhere in my brain, and it's my job to find them, put them down, rearrange them, and move them around until they fit perfectly. When a pattern is finished, it really does feel like clicking that last satisfying piece of a puzzle into place. I love it.

Here's the finished print:

Fun, right? What would you use this pattern for? I think it'd be so fun on a notebook, or maybe even a cool skirt!

Hope you have a good weekend! Today I have a painting date with Jennifer, Saturday I'm getting together with Flora, and on Sunday I'm running my first-ever 5K! Spring is in the air....

Coloring Me Happy: collection #6

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:09:00 GMT

Lots of color this week, folks. Please enjoy!

(And if you want to join in the #coloringmehappy fun, you can find details right here. We'd love to see what kind of colors you're excited about!)

1 // Laura Beach Leva : {website // Instagram}

2 // Tristan Tuttle : {website // Facebook // Pinterest // instagram}

3 + 4 // Tricia : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest} // instagram}

1 // Rehab Baamer : {website // Facebook // twitter // instagram

2 + 3 // Miranda Mol : {website // Facebook // twitter // instagram

4 // Tricia : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest} // instagram}

1 - 4 // Mary Tanana : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

1 + 2 + 4 // Lisa Erickson : {website // Instagram}

3 // Mary Tanana : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

1 - 4 // Julie Hamilton : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

1 + 4 // Cynthia Rahardja Clancy : {website // Instagram}

2 + 3 // Jane Dickinson : {Instagram}

1 + 2 // Cynthia Rahardja Clancy : {website // Instagram}

3 // Carey Ruhl : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

4 // Brooke Witt : {website // Facebook // twitter // instagram // Pinterest

1 - 4 // Donna Heart : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

1 // Julie Hamilton : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

2 + 3 // me

4 // Julia : {website // Facebook // Instagram}

1 - 4 // Jennifer Taylor : {website // Instagram}

1 // Eryn J. Carlisle : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

2 // AG Ambroult : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

don't stop believing

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:58:00 GMT

One of my favorite quotes:

“Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe with you.” ― Cynthia Kersey

Whenever I'm doubting myself, I try to remember that by having deep faith in myself, I'm causing that to ripple out into the world and allow other people to believe in me, too.

Today I believe:

I am worthy.

I am not a burden.

I am productive + efficient.

Great things are coming.

I am so capable.

I am FUN!

It's ok to speak my mind and stand up for myself.

I am exactly where I'm supposed to be at this moment, even if I am wishing for more. My path is perfect and complete right now.

What are you believing about yourself today?? Share in the comments!

{print above available here}

100 Days of Color

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:53:00 GMT

Last week I launched my newest project, 100 Days of Color, to my email list (not on my list and want to be? Sign up here! You can also get on my top secret list, to be the first to know about new stuff + get special deals.)

And today I'm offering it to YOU, here! And with a special today-only deal. Fun! (Details are below.)

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So, what is 100 Days of Color, you ask?

It's 100 days of messages, from me to you -- uplifting, color-filled, positive + magical emails, arriving in your inbox each morning for 100 days in a row.

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Here's a peek at just a tiny sliver of the colorful goodness that awaits you:

You can sign yourself up, or you can sign up someone in your life who may need a bit of extra love, support, and color.

Find all the details RIGHT HERE.

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**And just for today, when you use the discount code 100DOCYESPLEASE during checkout, you'll get $5.00 off the sign up price. TODAY ONLY!

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There's no official start date. You can sign up any time you please, and your emails will begin arriving within 48 hours.

Open the floodgates of positivity in your life and let the colorful messages flow in!

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Want to help spread the colorful love on twitter or Facebook? Feel free to copy and paste this little message:

Want 100 potent doses of colorful, magical uplifting? @jessicagswift has your answer: 100 Days of Color. http://ht.ly/iOSZx

Or write your own, of course!

And if you know someone who might benefit from 100 potent daily doses of magical uplifting, forward this along to them! You might make someone's day who really needs a bit of extra support.

Let me know if you have any q's!

painting. photo props. spring time.

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:03:00 GMT

So, this is the first time I've ever painted a tiger, I think. I'd had this prepped canvas ready to go for a while-- the background was painted yellow and orange mostly, with some light blue rain drop shapes stamped on it. I picked it up Thursday afternoon and it called out TIGER to me. So off to google I went in search of a great tiger photo.

The finished piece is called "Think Higher, Feel Deeper." What do you think of it? I'm in love! This is one of those paintings that just felt joyful to create. I listened to music and sang the whole time, and it was just so FUN. I love when painting feels like that.

Saturday was another sucessful day. This is the main reason why:

I spent the afternoon out and about on a photoshoot prop shopping mission. The weather was gooooorgeous and spring-like, and I visited a bunch of new-to-me vintage and thrift stores, my favorite at which I found that AMAZING elephant above. It was only twenty bucks! I couldn't believe it. I scooped it up immediately.

I actually scored a bunch of awesome stuff while I was out shopping-- it's going to be so fun to put some new photos together using this stuff! Check it out:

That watering can is just begging to be in some rain boot gardening photos, don't you think?

A few other things happening around here:

I finally hung some Mexican flags that I got in Oaxaca in my studio! I love how festive it makes it feel in here.

And here's what's currently happening in the front yard:

I am so ready for spring!

Did the time change make you feel all weird yesterday like it did to me? I was so tired all day, and I spent a lot of it curled up in bed watching shows on hulu. (Don't tell my husband! He was at work all day, while I was home being the laziest!)

Something funny happened this morning, too-- I woke up at 4:55am to go to my 5:30am workout (which I love), and my whiny inner voice immediately went into the "I don't want to go, I'm tired, this sucks, ugh, everything is awful" mode. But right after all the negative words started flooding my brain, another voice kicked in and said "would you just shut up already?!", and then that was that. The inner whining was done! It was this voice that I'd never really heard inside me before-- a voice that just wasn't interested in listening to any of that whiny drama and wasn't going to stand for it this morning. It kicked my inner-whiner right to the curb!

It was so pronounced and different a voice, and it really did shut my inner whiner right up. And when I went to work out, I had a pointedly different workout than usual-- I worked harder, I whined inside my head way less, I breathed more deeply and fully, and I was more in the moment than usual.

So, I'm not really sure what to make of this new voice or why I'm even sharing it with you this morning, but it feels important for some reason.

Have you ever had an experience like that, where a voice inside you comes out of nowhere and takes over for a second? I'd love to hear about it if you have!

on happiness and being ok with working less

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:54:00 GMT

{new pattern: Make a Wish, in 2 colorways, above and below}

So I said to my husband the other night at dinner: "I feel lately like I'm not as productive as I used to be, and I'm wondering what I'm doing differently now than I was before. What's wrong with me??"

Now, you may be rolling your eyes, because it's probably pretty clear that from my blog that I'm a fairly productive person in general, and I put a lot of pressure on myself. I love my work, so it's pretty easy for me to just work work work and not think twice about it. In fact, for years, that's what I did. I worked 7 days a week, from morning until night, with a break here and there for eating and exercising and that's about it.

Things have begun to shift, though, since we've moved to Portland. I'm working LESS. Don't get me wrong, I still work a lot, but I've been doing things like taking some weekends off (what a novel idea!), having lunch with friends in the middle of the week, running mid-morning with my cousin, not working in the evenings.... essentially, I'm not working 80-ish hour weeks like I did for such a long time.

So it was a bit of a wake-up call to me when Ryan answered my "I'm not as productive as I used to be, what's wrong with me??" pondering with "well, you're working less now, which is great, so doesn't that make sense? Oh, and by the way, you're still crazy productive."

I mean, DUH, right? It's a little absurd to expect myself to maintain the same level of output when the same amount of input isn't going in. But what's funny is that I'm probably close to the same level of productivity now, even while working less, because I'm HAPPIER now, so I'm enjoying my work more. I even have a little bit of a social life now! I didn't really before. It's always been easy for me to just stay home and work/create, because I'm mostly a homebody and an introvert, but I'm (re)discovering how nice it is to be out in the world, doing things with friends, exploring, playing....

It can be pretty miserable working 7 days a week, never taking a day off, you know? It sucks to make yourself feel guilty and tell yourself you're lazy whenever you're not working. I did that for a long time, and I'm over it. I'll take a little bit less productivity in exchange for a lot more happiness.

I'm definitely still working on it -- the guilty feelings still come out to play, and my brain still tells me I'm lazy sometimes, but I'm slowly transforming it. My magical weekend in Manzanita was helpful. Taking time off, not checking email, and realizing my world isn't crashing down around me is helpful. Knowing how rejuvenated I feel after some time away from my work is helpful. Laughing and not taking everything so seriously is helpful.

What are your favorite things to do when you're not working?? I'd love to hear in the comments!

Brand New Limited Edition: The Sea Elves of Oaxaca

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:27:00 GMT

Ohhhh man, when Laura sent these photos over to me yesterday, I practically squealed when I saw them, and then I shoved my iPhone in my friend Spencer's face and made him squeal over them, too. OK, he didn't squeal, but he did like them a lot.

These are The Sea Elves of Oaxaca! They are a very special and limited edition of just 20 sea elves, all inspired by Laura's and my recent trip to Oaxaca together.

See that tin box above? We were each gifted one of these boxes on what turned out to be an auspicious walking adventure one day in Oaxaca, when we were looking for Senor Miguel, one of the best tin-craftsmen in the city.

When we finally found his workshop, after being led there by a random bright-red-haired German lady, we were so disappointed to discover that he only took orders for his beautiful tin creations-- no sales on the spot. We must've looked so sad and pathetic that he gave us each a box as a parting gift. Lucky us!

Speaking of Senor Miguel:

I named this sea elf after him. :)

While painting the sea elves of Oaxaca, I was majorly inspired by all the thousands of colorful alebrijes that we saw (and bought!) in Mexico. Just feast your eyes on this colorful little posse:

Ready for a fiesta, olé!

This is Carlos:

And this is Esmerelda:

Isn't she pretty?

There are 10 of these extra special sea elves available on my website and 10 on Laura's website.

Laura also wrote a fantastic blog post about our little Oaxacan beauties, which you can find right here.

As always, your sea elf comes with a secret energy, just for you -- so when you choose which sea elf calls to you the most, order him, and then he arrives on your doorstep, he'll come bearing a special message for you to carry with you and use in your life.

Grab your favorite now, because there's only one of each. When they're gone, they're gone.

I had so much fun painting these little guys and hope you just adore them and want one for your very own. :)

behind the scenes, march 5th

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:58:00 GMT

Something really fun, colorful, and festive is coming tomorrow! There's your sneak peek above. Any guesses?

And here's a sneak peek at a painting I'm currently working on:

Wow, you guys, this one started out SO ugly. Like, I can't even describe to you how bad it was. Ugly colors, ugly stamping, ugly tree. Then it got even uglier when I put some blobs of black on top of the first layer of ugliness. Painting is so interesting that way-- you always have the ability to just paint over it. To press the reset button. To get an unexpected result by being willing to TRY SOMETHING NEW. To may be do something risky and dramatic. (Add a polar bear! Add a headdress! Paint over the entire thing in hot pink!), and it's always such a good, empowering feeling to start transforming something that I wanted to throw in the garbage in the beginning into something that I actually like. I live for those aha moments in painting!

I think you could use this painting metaphor for life, really-- you always have a choice to try something new, or to do something risky in order to change the course of your days. To change your thoughts. To alter your outcome.

We'll see how this one turns out when it's all said and done! He's a magical little polar bear, I think....

new pattern: cantaloupe

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:42:00 GMT

Happy Monday! I'm not really feeling it yet this morning and am having such a hard time getting to work... my body is sore, from working out and from a learn-to-foam-roll-properly class that I went to yesterday (foam rolling = awesome), I'm super tired for some reason, and I have a large bruise on my left leg from when I fell backwards in my chair yesterday and the arm of said chair jammed into my leg-- yes, I'm completely clumsy sometimes.

I remember a time in kindergarten when my teacher was telling Basil Tiebrich not to lean back in his chair or he'd fall, and then he kept doing it anyway, and of course he fell, and then my teacher said he was a chair-tipping nitwit, and we all thought it was hiLARious. I was totally a chair-tipping nitwit yesterday. Ha!

So, I need to do something to get my groove back this morning, because I'm a big ol' pile of lazy right now!

On an unrelated note, here's a new pattern, called Canteloupe. It's called that for no reason other than the 2 orange-y colors reminded me of the color of cantaloupe.

I've been making lots of new patterns lately, in preparation for Surtex in May. It'll be time to start planning what my booth and portfolios and everything will look like soon-- I have a corner booth this year, so it'll be fun to figure out how to make it shine and stand out!

Also: tomorrow I'm launching 100 Days of Color to my secret special list (at a secret special price). If you want to be in on that, hop on the list right here! There's still time...

Coloring Me Happy: collection #5

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:51:00 GMT

The #coloringmehappy images keep coming in, and I'm loving how using this hashtag has made me more on the lookout for gorgeous color in my days. It's so fun! I'd love it if you'd play along and tag the gorgeous color in YOUR life. Also, I'll be changing things up a little bit next week (I'm creating a place where all the images will live together in a big colorful group!), so now's a great time to jump in and start playing. OK? OK. :)

So, here's some beautiful color and link love for you as you head into the weekend:

1, 2, 3, 4 // Rosie Simons : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

1 // Rosie Simons : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

2, 4 // Lisa Erickson : {website // Instagram}

3 // Donna Heart : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

1, 2 // Sharyn Holmes : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

3 // Kate Daniel : {Instagram}

4 // Sharon Stanley : {website // Facebook // pinterest}

1, 2, 3 // Laura Johnston : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

4 // Kelly Fewer : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

1, 2, 3, 4 // Laura Beach Leva : {website // Instagram}

1, 2, 3, 4 // me

1, 2, 3, 4 // Jennifer Taylor : {website // Instagram}

1, 4 // me

2, 3 // Jennifer Taylor : {website // Instagram}

1 // Julie Hamilton : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

2 // Julia : {website // Facebook // Instagram}

3 // Kimberly Kling : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

4 // Julia : {website // Facebook // Instagram}

1, 2, 3, 4 // Julie Hamilton : {website // Facebook // twitter // pinterest}

1, 2, 3, 4 // Jennifer Taylor : {website // Instagram}

1 // Jane Dickinson : {Instagram}

2, 3 // Cynthia Rahardja Clancy : {website // Instagram}

4 // Carey Ruhl : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

1, 4 // Jane Dickinson : {Instagram}

2, 3 // Jennifer Taylor : {website // Instagram}

1, 2 // Carey Ruhl : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

3 // Kasey Hope : {etsy}

4 // AG Ambroult : {website // Facebook // twitter // Instagram}

5 // Bethania Lima : {website // Facebook // pinterest}

Thanks to all who tagged these images with #coloringmehappy -- can't wait to see what you all tag this coming week!

BRAND NEW: 100 Days of Color (a sneak peek!)

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:16:00 GMT

For the past couple of months, I've been working on a new secret project. It's called 100 days of color, and it's a series of magically uplifting + colorful emails, delivered straight to your inbox, for 100 days in a row. The idea is to start your day with a colorful jolt of positivity and color, and to have a place to go back to each day for an uplifting reminder. A daily mantra, if you will.

I'm almost ready to release the project to the world, and I wanted to give you a chance to get it FIRST (and at a very special price!).

Here's a sneak peek at what we're talking about:

Imagine getting emails like this for 100 day in a row. Could be a pretty powerful and affirming way to start each day, eh?

100 Days of Color will be officially available on TUESDAY MARCH 12th.

That is, unless you are on this very special (secret!) list. If you're on the list, you'll be able to sign up on TUESDAY MARCH 5th (at a very special price), and get your first email the morning of March 6th! Everyone else in the world will have to wait a week, and they'll have to pay full price.

Hop on the list here.

Have any questions? Shoot me an e-mail or leave me a comment below.

ARTISTS + RENEGADES: interview w/ Michelle Ward

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:45:00 GMT

{Artists + Renegades is an interview series that celebrates artist-preneurs building exciting, unconventional careers. Equal parts inspiration, advice, and just plain fun, it will pump you up to pursue your wild and colorful dreams!}

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You guys, I'm so happy to bring you a super fun interview with my dear pal Michelle Ward today-- she is a creative career coach extraordinaire, a most wonderful friend and human, AND she happens to be my co-author of The Declaration of You, which comes out in just a few short months!

Michelle is hilarious, so please enjoy her answers below. (And don't forget to post your guess in the comments about which statement is a lie in the 4th question!)

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What’s your BIG DREAM?

Y’know, I’ve been asked this question multiple times in the last few weeks, and I think I need to let it marinate some more. I know my dream is to have a seven-figure business where I coach, write and speak that sustains my family...but I think it needs more specifics, more oomph, more dreaming and I'd love to really see it and feel it. I promise to keep you posted.

What was your happiest moment in the past week?

Getting to see Annie with my Mom on Broadway. Such a treat on a Wednesday night!

What’s your personal motto?

I love the quote: “Reach for the moon, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” I sink into that one. I also never start my day without some Judge Judy justice, so that’s another one. I live by ‘em both.

Let's play two truths and a lie: mix in two true statements about yourself with one false one, and we'll try to guess which is which in the comments section later.

Ooh, fun! OK, here we go:

my husband and I were delivered by the same doctor

I had a dog named Cookie growing up

my pinkies don’t straighten

Who was your first creative idol? (Mine was Claude Monet when I was 12 years old!)

You’re so gonna laugh at me, but I’m owning this: Debbie Gibson! Ohmygosh, always Debbie Gibson. To a fifth-grader from Long Island who loved singing and performing (she wrote her own songs!), she rocked so hard.

What "rule" about art, business, or creativity do you think must always be broken?

That someone else is doing what you wanna do, so there’s no reason to both. THAT MAKES ME WANNA WRITE IN ALL CAPS AT THE HORRIBLE OUTRAGEOUS RIDICULOUS LIE THAT IS. There is always room for another painter, coach, author, designer, chef, stylist, speaker, singer, actor....you need to trust that, even if the foundation is the same, it’s going to be different because you’re you, & your perspective and experience and personality and humor are different than anyone else’s. That’s just a fact. It’s funny, because I don’t butt up against this personally, and I think it’s because that, when I was training as a musical theater performer, I knew I didn’t sound exactly like someone else when I was singing. Nobody does. Sure, I can belt like Ethel Merman or sing a song made popular by Kristen Chenowith, but it’s always me singing. That was never an issue. I hope other artists can claim that for themselves.

What’s your favorite part of your work day?

Easy: my client sessions. Man oh man do I love getting on the phone or logging in to Skype and losing myself in listening to the things they’re working through and on and what’s clicking and what’s not and asking questions and bearing witness to wins & a-ha moments & that moment when the puzzle pieces come together.

I couldn't live without _______ because _______.

Is it cheesy to say that I couldn't live without my husband because he's my bestest friend and he makes everything gooder? I don't care if that's cheesy. That's my answer.

What story from your childhood would a sibling or family member use to (good-naturedly) embarrass the pants off of you?

It doesn't need to be a story....it's my nickname! And holy crap, I never ever disclose this because for some reason it's totally mortifying.......but my Dad used to call my Tushy Face. I have no idea why, but that's totally my deep dark childhood secret. I can't believe I'm telling this to you!

{Jess' note: how cute was she as a kid??!}

What's your super secret talent or interest? C'mon, you know you have one.

I think it's burping on cue. That used to be on my acting resume!

What’s one simple pleasure that brings you a ridiculous amount of happiness?

Dark chocolate. That's the first thing that popped into my head. Mmmmmmmm......

If you could travel anywhere in the world, right now, where would you go? How would you get there?

I'd go right back to Maui, where we went for our honeymoon back in '08. We're in desperate need of a sit-on-the-beach-and-do-nothing-for-days vacation! And I'd get there, ideally, in a private plane that'd pick us up on our roof - or teleportation. I hate the hassle of getting to the airport!

Michelle Ward, CPC, PCC and – most importantly! – The When I Grow Up Coach, has coached hundreds of creative people to devise the career they think they can’t have (or discover it to begin with)! A Professional Certified Coach by the International Coach Federation, a musical theater actress with her BFA from NYU/Tisch, and a Corporate America escapee, she's served as an expert source and contributor for Newsweek, Forbes, Psychology Today, Yahoo! and AOL Jobs as well as speaking at SXSW, The World Domination Summit and Etsy Success Symposium. Her first book, The Declaration of You (co-written with Jess!) will be published by North Light Craft Books in June 2013.

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Thanks, Michelle!

new pattern: inez

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:20:00 GMT

Yesterday I worked on some new patterns inspired by Mexico. My favorite days are ones where I can spend hours making patterns or hours painting. Those are 2 very different kinds of days, by the way-- one is spent staring at my computer screen, often listening to podcasts or audio books, the other is spent standing in front of a wall or hunched over a table, listening to (and singing along to) my favorite music. It's funny to think about how my brain is so active while I'm creating new art but my body is often so still and in one place for long stretches of time. Like, seriously, how many hours have I spent in the exact same spot, hunched over the same table, working on paintings?

Anyway, this new pattern is called 'Inez'. Which colorway do you like the best?

The top colorway is the one I started with. It wasn't singing to me until I added the yellow ochre color behind the flowers, and then ZING! I loved it. I'll never get sick of that moment when a pattern clicks into place and says a big YES to me. It's the best feeling.

brand new: make a wish eye pillows

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:23:00 GMT

The sun came out yesterday in Portland -- the perfect type of hazy sun for taking photos. So into the backyard I went with a big pile of eye pillows, which I've been meaning to photograph for weeks.

Between adventuring in Mexico and then in Manzanita and working on all my other biz stuff, these little pretties have been sitting around waiting patiently for their time in front of the camera for much, much too long.

But I'm happy to announce that my make a wish eye pillows are finally available!

Each one is made of my original fabric (designed for Blend Fabrics) and is 100% cotton. They're filled with rice and lavender buds, and they smell so lovely. Seriously, I have one sitting on my night table and I use it at night to relax and fall asleep. The weight on my eyes and the smell of the lavender are instantly soothing.

Each one has a pocket on the back and 4 little cards for writing wishes, intentions, dreams...

The idea is to write what you want to receive in your life on a card, put it in the pocket, put the pillow on your eyes, and soak in the words you wrote as you sleep. The universe works in magical ways while you're sleeping -- Thomas Edison famously said that if he were looking for a solution to a problem he was working on, he would take a nap and invariably the answer would appear when he woke up. Sleep is magic!

The pillows will make a great gift for yourself (because if you're anything like me, you probably don't pamper yourself enough!) and for the people in your life who might need a bit of pampering and self-care.

Hope you like them, friends!

may you feel connected + seen + adored

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:48:00 GMT

A day after I got back from my adventure in Oaxaca, I headed out on adventure number two -- a long retreat weekend in Manzanita, on the Oregon coast, with a group of remarkable (and mostly new) friends.

What can I say about Manzanita? It is beyond stunning. I mean, seriously:

{above photo by Vivienne}

I want to move there a little bit.

As someone who's mostly a homebody and tends to be a bit shy around new people, I knew I was pushing myself out of my comfort zone a bit by spending a weekend with a group of new friends. But something in my soul said a big, clear YES to this. I've been craving deep connection, deep listening, friends/peers who just GET me, for a long time. I don't think I quite realized what I've been missing by not having this specific type of community in my life for, well, ever, really.

We talked, we ate, we did morning yoga.

We gathered around each other in support and deep listening. We laughed and laughed and shared stories -- of one-night-stands with a celebrity, of a coyote encounter, of name changes, of deep pain, and of family illness. Kelly Rae created the Radiate Sessions, where we focused all our attention on one person at a time, brainstorming possibility, affirming doubt, shedding light on areas where there was blindness, celebrating victories, and sharing ideas.

{above photo by Hannah}

I ran 4 miles on the glorious beach one morning with Michelle:

We took what we needed and put it under our pillows:

{above photo by Andrea}

Vivienne led us on a self-portrait photo walk that changed my world. (Have you heard of the GorillaCam app? Get it.) I learned that the magical hour for gorgeous photos is the hour right before sunset:

{above photo by Andrea}

{above photo by Vivienne}

We couldn't get enough of twirling in the fading sun, silhouetted in the most gorgeous light:

{above 2 photos by Kelly Rae}

And being still, appreciating everything, this moment, radiating gratitude:

{above photo by Andrea}

I got sherpa-ed across a mini river by Flora, piggy-back style, because I was wearing my TOMS instead of boots. Silly me!

{above photo by Vivienne}

We reveled in the sunshine and strolled the town (here's Kelly Rae radiating pure joy on the walk home!):

We painted and discovered the thrill of collaborative speed-painting sessions:

10 paintings in 12 minutes!

We painted on each other the words that we most needed to hear:

{above photo by Kelly Rae}

This is one of the moments during the weekend that transformed me the most. You can't see it very well in this photo, but on my arm was painted: "I am not a burden". Yikes, that's as scary to write that here as it was to ask someone to paint it on my arm! But perhaps you can relate to the feeling of wanting to be a little bit invisible, of not wanting to cause a stir, of not wanting to rock the boat or to upset anyone. Yes, can you?

Seeing these words painted on my arm moved me. It woke something up inside of me. I'm NOT a burden. I'm just ME. I have rich experiences to share, and it's ok to share them. I realized I've been playing small by believing what I have to say isn't good enough sometimes and instead staying quiet. It's ok to step into my own bigness and truly OWN that I have something meaningful to contribute to the world.

What I learned this weekend, on a deep and soul-stirring level is this: there's nothing wrong with me, and I'm allowed to let myself off the hook and be gentle with myself. It's ok. The entire weekend felt like a giant exhale and deep sigh of relief in the midst of a community of loving and supportive guides, teachers, and dear friends. These are my people. This is connection. Everyone deserves this, no matter what.

Since I returned home on Monday, I've been quietly sitting with all the goodness and light and sense of possibility that I received in Manzanita.

I am so grateful for the connection. I wish this for everyone. I didn't realize how much it was missing from my life until I was invited into it, for a nurturing weekend with a group of remarkable women who I'm now so blessed to call my friends.

If there's something inside of you upon reading this that's calling out to you saying "I want that, too!", LISTEN. I'm so thankful that I listened to that calling and showed up for it. And guess what? You can totally create it in your own life, starting right now! (Kelly Rae gives some juicy guidance on how to create your own gathering on her blog here.)

This weekend was just the beginning of my experience in how powerful it is to gather with a group of inspiring and like-minded friends and peers. What a gift. I am beginning to understand how my time in Manzanita with these wonderful women will radiate out into the rest of my relationships, including my relationship with myself. We deserve to be seen, to be heard, to be appreciated. We deserve a community in which we feel supported and uplifted and held, and we can begin creating that for ourselves, RIGHT THIS MINUTE.

Big love to you, radiating out from me today. May you feel connected + seen + adored, standing up tall in your own light and power!

Oaxaca! Part 2

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:21:00 GMT

Oaxaca. You guys, I honestly don't even know where to begin telling you about this trip to Mexico with Laura. It was so fantastic! It made me want to live in Mexico (or at least go back often).

So instead of writing a big lengthy post about everything that we did, I think I'll just give it to you in photos with some little snippets of text, because the photos are the funnest part anyway, right? I'm warning you in advance that this might be the longest photo post ever. Laura and I had about 1,000 photos between us when it was all said and done!

So, here we go, commencing the photo tour.

Here's some gorgeous color + folk art at our wonderful B&B, Casa Colonial:

And the quaint and sun-filled breakfast room:

Gorgeous streets and color and cathedrals everywhere!

Here I am strolling one of the dozens of markets in town:

So many good textured walls, mmmmmm:

Mexican dogs. (Laura was obsessed with getting photos of them!) Look how sweet they are:

Beautiful light + fun little sweets stands on our walk from the B&B into the Zocalo, in the center of town:

Here I am checking out what's happening in the Zocalo (town center square):

There was some sort of dancing competition thing happening! Beautiful traditional costumes everywhere:

We had a good time. :)

But the main reason we were there: SHOPPING.

This was one of our favorite stores:

Just a centuries old cathedral in the middle of town, no big deal:

Our sea elves came along for the Oaxacan adventure, too! Here they are trying some jicama with chili and lime. Yum!

We visited the Ethnobotanical Garden one morning and saw so many varieties of cacti and flowering trees. Simply gorgeous! Here's Laura exploring:

Our sea elves loved the pretty views:

I still can't believe I saw this with my own eyes:

Me and Laura. :) (My head looks weird. Doesn't my hair sort-of look like a helmet? I'm not sure what was going on...)

Major love for Oaxaca:

I loved seeing all the teeny old ladies carrying things around on their heads:

On our third day there, we hired a taxi driver to take us out to some of the villages where they make the local crafts. We went to the workshop/studio of Jacobo Angeles and got a lesson in how the wood carvings are made:

It was ridiculously gorgeous there, and I wanted to move in immediately:

Plus, he was SO NICE!

And look what he made for Laura when he was showing us how they create their natural paint colors:

Lucky.

There were little stands like this in random places, and I found myself wondering how much money they can possibly make in a day, selling fruit on the side of a not-so-busy road:

After the wood-carving village, we went to Santa Maria del Tule, where the largest tree in the world lives (and it's 2000 years old!):

Here's the tree (and me):

We visited the ancient ruins at Monte Alban on our last day:

Laura looked so lovely in her black and white dress and cute hat:

These steps were insane:

And naturally when we got back from Monte Alban, there was more shopping involved, this time at the Mercado de las Artesanias:

We didn't eat any fried grasshoppers, though we oogled them and took secret photos:

Gross.

And one last photo (Laura took this one), just for fun:

We saw this dog 3 times one day! And he was wearing those sunglasses every time. It was so hilarious. He loved those sunglasses.

All in all: fantastic trip. I will definitely go back to Oaxaca, 100%.

(Read Laura's Oaxaca post here! She has a lot of different photos posted, and much more description than I do... she's good like that.) :)

buy one print, get one FREE sale -- TODAY ONLY!

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:00:00 GMT

Surprise! I decided it would be fun to have a print sale today.

So, TODAY ONLY, you can buy any print and get a FREE print!

Buy 2 prints, get 2 free prints, etc. All sizes of prints that I offer are available as part of the sale (the free prints that you choose must be the same size or smaller than the prints you purchase.)

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How it works:

1. Place the print(s) you'd like to PURCHASE in your shopping cart.

2. During check out, tell me which FREE PRINT(S) you'd like in the SHIPPING DETAILS section.

3. Proceed to paypal for payment.

4. I will send your purchased prints and free prints to you all together! Easy. :)

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Ready? OK, good. Off you go.....!

magical weekend, magical ocean

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:41:00 GMT

I'm home. After almost 2 weeks away and 2 verrry different trips right in a row, I'm home. 1 day traveling to Mexico, 4 days in Mexico, a full day of travel home from Mexico (including a 6.5 hour layover in Houston, fun!) and then 5 days with an incredible group of new friends on the Oregon coast, with one day in between to unpack from the 90 degree weather and repack for the cool, damp coast weather

I have so much to tell you. I feel clear. I feel relaxed. I feel connected and radiated. I feel like I'm stepping into a new sense of power and bigness in my business. I haven't quite wrapped my head around what exactly happened during my time away, but what I do know is that I feel shifted. I feel a sweetness and gentleness with myself that wasn't there before. This time away was so vital, and it was so deeply nourishing.

So, until I can gather my thoughts (and my photos!) from Mexico and from Manzanita, I'll share with you 3 of my favorite photos from a magical self-portrait and group photo session led by Viv on the beautiful Manzanita beach.

We went out to meet the waves during the magical hour, the hour before the sun sets, and the photos perfectly capture the feeling of the weekend for me.

More soon!

Coloring Me Happy: collection #4

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:05:00 GMT

We're going strong on the #coloringmehappy images, my friends! You have no idea how thrilled I am that you're all joining in and celebrating your colorful lives. It's the best!

Here are some images tagged with #coloringmehappy last week (I'm a little behind since I've been away for almost 2 weeks!) But anyway, here we go:

AG Ambroult : website // Instagram // twitter // pinterest // Facebook

Dana Garczewski : website // twitter / pinterest

Donna Heart: website // Instagram

Jenipher Lynn : twitter // Instagram // Facebook

Julie Hamilton : website // twitter

Sharyn Holmes : website // Instagram

Jennifer Taylor : website // Instagram

Jenipher Lynn : twitter // Instagram // Facebook

Donna Heart: website // Instagram

Jennifer Taylor : website // Instagram

Sharyn Holmes : website // Instagram

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Inspiring, yes?

Do you love this and want to join in?? All the details are right here!

We'd love to see your colorful images and add them to the weekly mix! :)

Oaxaca! Part 1

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:35:00 GMT

Honestly, I don't even know where to begin. To say that Oaxaca was amazing is a giant understatement. Laura and I fell in love with this city pretty much instantly. The colors! The crumbling, textured walls on buildings! The flowering trees! The unbelievably friendly people! It was magical.

Since I'm actually headed out of town again today (to the Oregon coast for a creative work retreat weekend with some artsy pals!), I'm going to share a small sliver of photos from Oaxaca with you, in no particular order, and then I'll write a proper post next week when I'm back home again. A whirlwind of travel these days!

So. Here I am on day 1 in front of a wall at the casa (this great little B&B called Casa Colonial) where we were staying:

The weather was PERFECT. Bright sun, no humidity, upper 80s.

One morning we went on a tour of the Ethnobotanical Gardens, where this stunning scene awaited us:

And on a different morning, we hopped on a bus to Monte Alban, the local ancient ruins from around 500 BC. Situated way up high on a hill west of the city, we had stunning views of the surrounding area, and the ruins were beautiful. Here we are, enjoying the sites:

The markets were an unbelievable jumble of sights and smells and colors:

We went to the textile museum and saw these amazing alebrijes (which are these amazing Mexican folk art wooden sculptures):

The alebrijes were Laura's and my favorite part of the trip. They were everywhere! The ones at the textile museum above were the only ones we saw wearing clothes like this-- most were just painted wood, no textiles. Alebrijes are a big part of the craft market in Oaxaca, and we had so much fun looking at all the different animals and creatures.

We even took a trip to San Martin Tilcajete, which is one of the main wood carving villages in the Oaxaca area, and visited the artist Jacobo Angeles' studio.workshop. We watched how they carve the wood and how they paint it, and we even got to meet some of the master painters:

They were so focused, and none of them were speaking. It must take a ton of concentration to paint in tiny detail the way they do!

Here's some of the loot I accumulated while we were there:

That embroidered piece on the top right, with the goats and turkeys and rabbit-squirrels is my most prized purchase. It's beyond gorgeous in person. I need to find the perfect place for it in my house!

This is the floor of our room at the casa:

It makes me want to find a tile manufacturer to partner with so I can create gorgeous tiles like these. Isn't it beautiful?

Here's sweet Laura, in front of a painted wall at the casa:

She was a truly terrific travell partner. We had the BEST time!

This is a church in Santa Maria del Tule, where the biggest tree in the world lives. It's 2000 years old! This church was filled with fresh flowers, and the smell was so divine. I love how everything in Mexico is so vibrant and jumbled and over-the-top. Seems to fit with my artistic sensibilities!

This kid was just awesome:

And this was my favorite wood carving in our room at the casa:

Everyone who works at the casa was so helpful, and when I tried to buy this carving because I loved it so much, they politely told me no (it's one of their favorites, too, apparently), but they said they'd contact the artist and have him make one specially for me and then ship it to me here in the USA. how cool is that? So I'll impatiently await the email saying my wood carving is ready.

More photos + stories from Oaxaca to come next week! For now, I'm off to spend a creative, inspiring weekend near the stormy Oregon ocean...

off to Oaxaca!

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:06:00 GMT

I don't know if I mentioned this yet or not, but I'm going to Mexico! Like, right now! Laura and I are headed to Oaxaca for a bit of creative relaxation (aka: buying textiles and ceramics and local crafts, eating yummy Mexican food, and soaking up the 90 degree sun!!), and I'm so dang excited I can hardly stand it!

That sea elf in the photo above is coming to Oaxaca-- sea elves make super traveling companions, you know. They love jetting around the world with their humans, and they're good little protectors to make sure you travel safely! Laura is bringing one, too. (Did you know we make the sea elves together?)

Sadly, this little one will not be coming with me:

Though she seems to want to! Pulling out a suitcase always makes my kitties suspicious... they know either me or Ryan (or worst yet: both of us) are leaving, and they don't like it one bit. Luckily Ryan will be home to take care of them this time around, so they won't get too sad and lonely!

Anyway, I'll be back on Tuesday night and next and will have tons of photos from Oaxaca to share on Wednesday, I'm sure.

Off I go!

Coloring Me Happy: collection #3

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:45:00 GMT

It's week #3 of #coloringmehappy, and you guys are knocking my socks off with all your colorful images!

Below is all the awesomeness that's been tagged with #coloringmehappy this week -- if you wanna participate, details are here! Check out all this amazing color that people are sharing:

1 // Donna Heart // website, Instagram, twitter

2 // Carey Ruhl // website, Instagram

3 // Tricia, Daring Hue // website, Instagram

4 // Carey Ruhl // website, Instagram

1 // Tristan Tuttle // website, Instagram

2 // Sharyn Holmes // website, Instagram

3 // Sherena // Instagram

4 // Tristan Tuttle // website, Instagram

1 // Luisa Franco, Madge // website, Instagram

2 // Amy McRae // etsy, pinterest

3 // Susan Scott // Instagram

4 // Angelique Weger // website, pinterest

1 // Janet Miller // website, twitter

2 // Bethania Lima // pinterest, website

3 // Jade Cerrone // pinterest

4 // me

5 // Kathryn Costa // website, pinterest

1 // Donna Heart // website, Instagram, twitter

2 // Jennifer Taylor // website, Instagram

3 // Kasey Hope // pinterest

4 // A G Ambroult // website, Instagram

1 // Megan Wells // website, Instagram, twitter

2 // Jennifer Taylor // website, Instagram

3 // Julie Green // website

4 // Megan Wells // website, Instagram, twitter

1 // Tricia, Daring Hue // website, Instagram

2 // Liz Morse, The Snarky Beagle // website, Instagram

3 // Jennifer Taylor // website, Instagram

4 // Kasey Hope // pinterest

1 // Caroline Douglas // website, Instagram

2 // Kelly Athena // website, twitter

3 // Lisa Rydin Erickson // website, Instagram, twitter

4 // me

Enjoy!

ARTISTS + RENEGADES: interview w/ Aimee Dolich

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:15:00 GMT

You guys. How excited am I today to bring Aimee Dolich to Artists + Renegades? The answer is VERY. Very excited. I love Aimee. I've not met her in person (yet!), but she is the sweetest and most wonderful soul online, I'm not even joking. You're going to love her (if you don't already!)

So, say hello to Aimee-- she creates the loveiest word-based art you'll ever lay eyes on. She's the latest amazing artist-preneur to join my interview series, Artists + Renegades, to talk about her biggest dreams, best advice, and a lot of fun along the way.

Let's do it!

What’s your BIG DREAM?

It changes every day!

What was your happiest moment in the past week?

When a customer told me that she was painting her kitchen orange to go with two of my prints!

What’s your personal motto?

Look for color everywhere!

Let's play two truths and a lie: mix in two true statements about yourself with one false one, and we'll try to guess which is which in the comments section later.

1) I've been on a wild ride in a cop car in Rio

2) I interviewed once in Gibberish and got the job

3) I make my family eat tons of pickles so I can use the jars for storage.

If you could decorate your home with the work of only one artist, who would it be and why?

Jessica Swift comes to mind...

(editor's note: awwwwww! Blushing over here!)

What "rule" about art, business, or creativity do you think is surprisingly true?

This goes against the grain of everyone who says to think out of the box, but I have much more creative success when I've drawn a line or tossed an anchor out there somewhere to give myself some boundaries. Otherwise I'm too overwhelmed and have no idea where to begin. Once I have defined that spot, the ideas flood in and tell me how they'd like to fill that space. Something about having the security of the borders (it feels like a big creative hug) gives me total freedom to play and stretch the borders as I wish. When I'm finished or get bored with it, I move on and find a new space to play in.

What’s your favorite color combination?

Reddish-orange/magenta/yellow, blue/green, blue/purple/, purple/green (I can't stop...)

How would you describe your job on career day for a kindergarten class?

I just did, on Wednesday, to a bunch of first and second graders! I'm teaching a Do-a-Doodle workshop over their lunch hour for the next month. I actually didn't have to explain a thing to them. I just put Sharpies in their hands and they knew immediately what to do. And by extension they understood what I do.

What song lyric did you hear wrong for a really, really long time?

Margaritaville: I thought "stepped on a pop top" was "stepped on a Pop-Tart".

You're on-stage at a talent show. What do you do?

Call everyone I know up on stage to do what they do best, and then I capture it all in a doodle. I draw (so to speak) on others' antics for inspiration!

Please share your favorite photo of an adorable baby animal.

I have lots of pictures of adorable little girls (I have two of them), but alas, none of animals.

(Editor's note again: they ARE adorable!)

If you had to live your life according to the advice of one TV personality, who would it be and why?

Jim Cantore. He's always on the move, and he goes right for the eye of the storm!

I'm Aimee, a writer-doodler-adventurer who loves color. I like to play around in New York City, I stay up later than I should, and I drink lots of coffee!

Where to find Aimee:

Thanks, Aimee!! :)

::::::::

{Feel inspired? Check out my e-book, Jump, Trust, Repeat, chock full of practical tips and encouragement to build a thriving career as an artist!}

A Year of Desktop Wallpapers

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:54:00 GMT

Hey guys. So, I spent some time over the weekend putting together this awesome, fun little digital goodie, and I'm super excited about it, because it'll transform your computer screen into a positive + colorful reminder every day for a whole year!

It's A Year of Desktop Wallpapers. Yes! One gorgeous wallpaper for each gorgeous month.

And I made them in a variety of sizes, so there's one that'll fit your laptop, your desktop, even your iPad and your iPhone. (7 different sizes for each month are included.)

Here are a few examples:

See? Inspiring quotes to get your days started off RIGHT, yo. Focusing your mind on the good and choosing positive thoughts can CHANGE YOUR LIFE. And I'm a believer in using every vehicle possible to get those reminders into our pretty little heads. (I mean, hello, computer screens that we see a million times a day!)

And at just $14, a year's worth of positive inspiration + color is quite the steal, no?

Enjoy! :)

new Ganesh painting (original sold, prints available!)

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:27:00 GMT

Yesterday I finished Ganesh painting #2 in my new series -- this is the Ganesh of BRAVERY!

So, not only is he the Remover of Obstacles, he's also infused with the special energy of bravery, to help you have courage in your life for the things that are challenging.

And the original painting is available, if you want to bring this special Ganesh energy into your life! It's done on an 8x8" wood panel and is wired and ready to hang, signed and dated on the back.

Original painting available HERE.

UPDATE: The original painting sold, but there are prints available!

The first one in the series sold in a matter of minutes after I posted it here, so if you like it, I'd suggest grabbing it now. I don't know how long the original will stick around. But there are prints available, too, so if you miss the original, you can get a print of the Ganesh of Bravery right HERE.

Hope you like it!

new pattern: snow bears

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:54:00 GMT

This pattern is part of my new 'Arctic Spring' collection.

I love polar bears, don't you?

I had fun with this one, figuring out the shadows on the face, and then switching out they grey and white so the shadow became a highlight on the grey bears. I'll never not be amazed by color and how simply using different colors on the same image can make it look and feel so different.

I love my job! :)

Coloring Me Happy: collection #2

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:00:00 GMT

You guys! I'm so thrilled with the participation in #coloringmehappy so far. Wait until you scroll through all the images below! It's visual inspiration to the max.

Big thanks to all who are participating so far, and keep on tagging those images and spreading the color love! And if you want to join in (please do!), all the details are right here.

Here we go with colors galore:

{Lindsay Megahed // etsy, twitter}

{Julia / Jaeartworks // blog, instagram}

{Bethania Lima // pinterest}

{Carrie Schmidt // website, pinterest}

{Dawn Smith // facebook, twitter}

{Laura Johnston / le animalé // website, twitter, pinterest}

{Tricia / Daring Hue // website, Instagram}

{Jennifer Taylor // website, Instagram}

{Sam Osborne // website, twitter}

{Chloe Idris // website, twitter}

{Bethania Lima // pinterest}

{Donna Heart // website, Instagram}

{Cam / Curly Pops // website, Instagram}

{Kimberly Creagan / Joyful Roots // website, twitter}

{Bethania Lima // pinterest}

{Iyobo Design // website, twitter}

{Angelique Weger // pinterest}

{Anna B // tumblr, twitter}

{Carey Ruhl // Instagram, website, twitter}

{Lisa Rydin Erickson // instagram, twitter, website}

{me // Instagram, pinterest}

{Cheryl Stoner / My Adornables // website, Instagram}

{Jane Dickinson // Instagram}

{Things With Wings // blog, Instagram}

{Megan K. Ball // Instagram, etsy}

{Completely Kate // website, twitter, Instagram}

{Bethania Lima // pinterest}

Hope you enjoy all the colorful inspiration! And don't forget to check out the details on how YOU can participate-- right here.

jess

links of YES

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:35:00 GMT

Hey guys. A little link round-up for you today on this Monday. Enjoy!

::::::::

Ponies in sweaters. REAL ponies. Need I say more?

I saw this movie recently and LOVED it. Have you seen it? If you haven't, GO SEE IT!

I will be making these ginger balls. SOON.

I totally want to make these tin can luminarias.

I loved this post.

Definitely want to step into Vacation Mind.

Loving the use of light and dark in this artwork.

Totally digging these chairs.

This blog is so pretty.

Great business advice from IttyBiz. (Don't do this in your biz!)

I bet this book is pretty funny. Have you seen it in person? If so, tell me all about it!

He's my fave.

I need this sweater.

Change "I'll be happy when..." to "I'm happy now".

7 tips for keeping the holiday momentum in your online shop.

Glitter feathers? Yes please!

::::::::

Hope you have a great day!

your heart knows

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:41:00 GMT

All you have to do is listen, and trust.

Your heart won't lie to you.

One of my favorite passages from The Alchemist (which I re-read recently on the plane to Atlanta... LOVE that book so much) deals with talking to and listening to your heart.

The boy in the story, named Santiago, says:

“‘My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer,’ the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky. ‘Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.’”

I'm keeping this passage in mind as I try to embody my word/phrase for the year: DEEP BRAVERY. Not everything on the path to my heart's desire is going to be easy. Sometimes deep bravery will be necessary to make decisions that will move me forward along your path. The fear and suffering that comes with anticipating tough decisions, tough conversations, tough acts of creating boundaries and letting go of what's not working is worse than the actual DOING of those tough things. I need to remember this. I have a tough decision that I'm fretting about how to deal with, and I know if I get quiet, my heart will tell me what to do and how to act bravely.

Your heart always knows. MY heart always knows.

Our job is to listen, and then to act accordingly, from a place of deep and compassionate bravery.

What does your heart know, and what is it telling you that it's time for you to start listening to??

ARTISTS + RENEGADES: interview w/ Bonnie Christine

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:43:00 GMT

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Friends, I'm happy to share welcome a colorful + talented lady to Artists + Renegades today-- Bonnie Christine! Her blog, Going Home to Roost, is a visual feast that I drool over every time I see it. The header. Ohhhh, I die!

Anyway, Bonnie graciously answered my questions below (including one that has a LIE in it! Its your job to figure out what she's not telling the truth about...) Read on to learn more about Bonnie and join in the fun!

What’s your BIG DREAM?

To be a fabric designer!

What was your happiest moment in the past week?

Arriving in Kailua, Kona Hawaii!! A work trip for my husband that I was happy to tag a long for. :)

What’s your personal motto?

Nurture. Create. Inspire.

Let's play two truths and a lie: mix in two true statements about yourself with one false one, and we'll try to guess which is which in the comments section later.

I love green smoothies.

I was a cheerleader in college.

I went to school for art and design.

What is your favorite piece of your early art / writing / etc.? (Share a photo of it, if possible!)

I think it would have to be the very first pattern I ever made. It had taken me so long to learn how to put something in repeat and had been such a mystery to me for so long. It's really terrible, but it was a monumental moment in my journey as a designer. My reaction was similar to when my hen laid her very first egg. I held it up in the air and ran around the yard screaming like a small child. I think I called my mom crying. She loved it. And it really was horrible.

If you could collaborate with anyone in the world, who would you choose, and why?

Amy Butler- the queen of all fabric design and modern quilting. She's been my role model for a very long time.

What job would you most like to try for a week?

Hmm, maybe being a pilot? I'm pretty sure flying around in the sky is the coolest thing ever.

I couldn't live without _______ because _______.

Toaster, because he's my snuggle buddy.

What’s one thing you wish you had the guts to try?

Surf? I'm too skeered of sharks. And of drowning.

What's your most awkward family photo? (Share share share!)

Ummm, I think this one is pretty good. My mom, sister and I all in matching handmade Easter dresses from my mom.

Tell us one thing you absolutely adore about yourself.

My creativity and ability to see things for what they could be.

If you could live in another decade, which would you choose and why?

I think the 40's. When women were becoming more independent and the clothes were beautiful and the accents lovely. Men were chivalrous, and I think it's one of the most romantic times.

Bonnie Christine authors Going Home to Roost - the blog dedicated to everything handmade and anything homegrown! She also works as a surface pattern designer and is mother hen of the Roost Tribe, a community for creatives. When she's not blogging or sketching, you can find her cooking, traveling with her husband and playing with their pup, Toaster.

where else you can find her:

Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest

{Feel inspired? Check out my e-book, Jump, Trust, Repeat, chock full of practical tips and encouragement to build a thriving career as an artist!}

2 new patterns

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:53:00 GMT

I've been having such fun making new patterns lately. Here are 2 new ones I created the other day!

The one above is called 'Paloma', below is called 'Rosalia'.

Both are available for license!

a new series: #coloringmehappy

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:00:00 GMT

Hey guys! I'm super excited to tell you about this fun new series I'm starting, called Coloring Me Happy.

It's time for a mission to spread happiness + positive color far and wide.

And I want YOU to join in!

Here's how to play:

Share your favorite colorful + happy-inducing images as they happen on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest using the hashtag #coloringmehappy.

Each week I'll collect them all here on my blog (with a link to YOU, of course!) in a celebration of all the color and joy in our lives. It's time to inspire one another to be brave, to live our biggest dreams, to give thanks for all the ordinary and extraordinary moments of happiness in our days, and to live color to the max!

For full details on the series, click here. You'll find some sharable tweets, buttons that you can put on your own website, and a running stream of images that people are sharing on Instagram.

People are already starting to play! Check it out:

{Lisa Rydin Erickson // instagram, twitter, website}

{Donna Heart // instagram, website}

{me // gorgeous clear blue winter sky}

{Lisa Rydin Erickson // instagram, website}

{me // my cat, Juneau, lounging in the sun, grey on grey}

{Donna Heart // instagram, website}

{me // new pattern in progress}

{Lisa Rydin Erickson // instagram, website}

Want to join in?

Just tag your photos on Instagram, twitter, or pinterest with #coloringmehappy, and I'll scoop them up and put them in my weekly posts -- you'll be helping to inspire people with your happy, colorful life!

before a sea elf meets his human

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:46:00 GMT

Here's a little peek into what happens before a sea elf meets his human.

All the colorful little sea elves live and swim in the great Loch Ness, and when a human is ready to meet his/her sea elf, he gets a letter, and they all gather round:

And then they party! They send the sea elf off on a fancy boat after lots of celebration:

And then the sea elf is on his way to his human's doorstep. They all root for each other to leave Loch Ness and enter the world of humans. (That's where they become fully actualized and can do their best, most important work!)

Your sea elf is waiting for YOU, with a secret message for you and you only. He'll be so happy when you make the decision to call him out from the great Loch Ness and into your life. And all the sea elves will celebrate and send him off lovingly! Ready to meet your sea elf today?

over a rainbow trail

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:05:00 GMT

Your thoughts and perceptions define the way you see the world, yo!

See it through rainbows, and everything will look lovely! See it through a black mist, and what do you think your life will be? A big ol' black mist of negativity.

Change your thoughts, change your life!

A worthy practice indeed....

One of the simplest ways that I try to change my thoughts is to say YES in my life instead of no. Instead of making excuses and whining, I try to reverse those negative patterns and wholeheartedly embrace whatever is in front of me by saying a big YES to it. It really helps!

{ps... this image is part of a new digital project I'm working on that will be launching in the next month or so.... if you want to be the first to know about it when I announce it, add your name to my super secret exclusive list!}

new pattern collection: lumen

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:30:00 GMT

Brand spankin' new patterns here.

Available for license!

I think these would look marvelous on notebooks, as inner coat linings, on bedding.... wouldn't a duvet cover made of the top right pattern be awesome??

What would you envision these prints on?

new painting: your magical kingdom

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:48:00 GMT

Yesterday was paintin' day. I was nervous getting started, because my last few painting sessions have been frustrating. But I know that's all part of the process, and I have to get through those frustrating times to get to the times that feel really good and flowy and wonderful.

Thankfully, yesterday was one of those days! I finished the above painting, called 'Your Magical Kingdom'. I dig it.

I thought this blurred out photo was kinda cool:

It's sitting in front of another painting on our mantle. It was very dark in the living room, thus the blurriness.

And! I started a new (big!) painting after I finished the first one yesterday:

That bird's gonna be awesome when it's done. He doesn't look great yet, but he will. And he'll be wearing a crown, because apparently that's sort-of become my "thing". I hadn't realized it until someone pointed out that almost all of the birds in my paintings are wearing crowns. So interesting!

good morning....

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:04:00 GMT

....from the sea elves!

I love how Laura often groups them by color to take their pictures. :)

new pretty patterned products with Blend

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:57:00 GMT

Hey! So, I'm back from Atlanta, and it was quite the trip! It was so fun being back there after 7 months since our big move from Atlanta to Portland. It almost felt like I never really left, and I definitely felt sentimental driving past our old house, seeing my friends, going to my favorite restaurant.... and a little piece of me wondered why we ever left when I was walking around town on Saturday in the 70 degree sunny weather! A far cry from the 20s and 30s gloom of Portland lately.

Anyhoooo, one of the highlights of my trip was seeing this new line of bags and stationery that just launched with Blend -- I hadn't seen this stuff in person yet, and I was in major LOVE! The orange and pink are so bright and happy; I can't wait to get my hands on those bags so I can start using them. I'm not sure where they'll be sold yet or which stores picked them up, but I'll be sure to let you know here asap. People are already asking me where/when they can buy one! I may have to get some up for sale here on my website, too.

You can't see it in these photos very well, but there are pencil cases and luggage tags, cards and sticky note sets, and lots of fun things!

The views of downtown Atlanta from the Gift Show are lovely-- it was kinda stormy and rainy, and I snapped the above pic. I love seeing cities from high up.

Oh, and here I am with my Blend stuff:

So fun!

Another highlight of my trip was an impromptu walk around the show with my friend Sarah Watts and my buddy Frank Sturges. Best time ever!! When we went to visit the iPop showroom, where Sarah had some new magnets launching, we ended up chatting with the sales guys for a while. Sarah's headed to Tokyo next week, and I'm headed to Oaxaca, Mexico in a few weeks (more on that soon!), and one of the guys had been to both places and gave us tons of tips on where to go and what to do! It was so fun and serendipitous.

Here's Sarah:

Isn't she the cutest?

I also learned during a lunch meeting with Case-Mate that they've sold over $1 million worth of my cases in the last 15 months since they launched! Isn't that crazy? I can't even wrap my head around how many cell phone cases that is. There must be, like, 2 million people around the world using cases with my designs on them. That is just insane to me. I'll have 12 brand new designs coming out in March, so stay tuned for that. I'll have them available here, of course.

I had a couple other successful meetings while there, too, with a creative director of a big company I'm working on a line of products with that will launch in July, as well as the owner of a rug company I'm working with on a line of rugs.

A successful trip indeed.

Now I'm off to the dentist. What a way to welcome myself back to Portland. (Ugh! I'm kidding. I'm terrified of the dentist....wish me luck!)

atlanta-bound and some linkage

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 08:00:00 GMT

I'm headed to Atlanta this morning for the Gift Show-- my old homeland! It's going to be so bittersweet to be back in the south... there's something I really miss about living there. I love Portland, but I get a twinge every time I think about Atlanta. It'll be a piece of me forever, that's for sure. And I get to stay with my cousin who I didn't know existed until 3 weeks before Ryan and I moved away! Did I ever tell you that story? I'll tell you when I get back.

Anyway, I have some awesome new products launching with Blend Fabrics and with Magnet Works, which are two of the reasons for my trip-- I'll definitely share pics when I'm back next week. I also have a meeting with my pals at Case-Mate and at Blend to discuss upcoming products. Fun fun!

Until then, here are some links to keep you busy:

I love this dress.

She pins the BEST stuff.

A free course on creating an international career? Yes, please!

My cousin makes the best lip balm. And keeps his own bees! You should buy some. It's magical.

I'm dying over this color combo.

A surface design bloghop! Sounds fun, eh? Get some visual inspiration beginning tomorrow, January 10th. Here's a flyer:

People want to be loved specially.

How fun would it be to dance like nobody's watching??

Believe this.

How about a shamanic healing session for the new year?

I gotta get this fake tattoo!

Oh, Justin Bieber.

Must.get.this.haircuff.immediately.

Decreasing negative self-talk, anyone? Anyone?

I can't even. The cuteness! I might cry.

How to bend time. (Love #1 especially!)

I'm recently loving this blog.

The coolest party blindfolds. (Great activity for kids, too!)

Rose gold silverware, ohhhh....

Reason to start meditating #342.

And because I can never get enough of these sweet little faces...

OK, friends, have a great rest of your week, and I'll see you on Monday!

time machine: my first-ever repeat pattern

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:05:00 GMT

You guys. This is the first-ever successful repeat pattern that I ever created, way back in 2008! It's fun to look back and this and see how my work has evolved since then.

I toiled for months trying to teach myself how to use Illustrator on my teeny laptop, and then once I'd acquired enough basic skills, to muddle may way through this tutorial for how to create a repeating pattern.

I remember the feeling of success that surged through my body, and then the obsession that quickly ensued. I created this pattern in July (I think) 2008 and then made as many new patterns as I could before January 2009, because I'd decided to exhibit at Printsource.

Looking back, I realize how far from ready I was for a trade show at that point, but I've always liked to just jump in whole hog and figure things out as I go. I learned a ton at that show!

I'm thinking about creating an online 'how to create repeat patterns' course sometime in 2013.... is this something that you'd be interested in? I'd love to hear your thoughts about what you'd specifically like to learn from me. Shoot me an email if you have some suggestions/questions/requests!

new ganesh painting

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:50:00 GMT

I've long had a thing for images of Ganesh. I used to paint them all the time. I have quite a few Ganesh statues around our house, too-- yet, strangely I have no Ganesh imagery on the walls.

He's been calling to me again lately (hello, remover of obstacles!), and I thought it would be fun to rekindle my old series and create a new series of Ganesh paintings. Small, colorful, miniature treasures to put on your wall, by your computer, somewhere where you'll see him everyday and be strengthened by his power.

This image is the first in this new Ganesh series, AND it's my first finished painting of 2013!

In addition to being infused with the energy of removing obstacles, I've decided to infuse each of my Ganesh paintings with another special energy... this one is RELEASE. So you can release what's not working in your life (good time of year to do that,no?) in order to grow, expand, learn....

If your heart is whispering to you that this sweet Ganesh of Release belongs on your wall or by a doorway in your home/office:

The original is available for sale right here. It's an adorable 8x8". (And there are prints for sale, too!) Update 01/07/13: the original sold within 5 minutes of my posting this! Prints are definitely still available.

Hope you like it, and there will be more to come!

ommmeow...

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:55:00 GMT

Just a little reminder to myself about my intention to meditate 5 minutes each day... and too not take it too seriously!

Because really, cats + meditation = fun and silliness. And fun and silliness are often where the breakthroughs happen.

And I have to give all credit for the title 'ommmeow' to my mother-in-law. When she wrote that on my facebook wall after seeing this image, I couldn't believe that I didn't think of it! Thanks, Barbara. :)

Happy weekend, friends!

{print available here}

first patterns of 2013

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:46:00 GMT

Cats! because, obviously, I'm obsessed with cats.

And yarn. Because, duh, cats love yarn.

I'm starting to prepare for Surtex! I'm excited to go back this year, since I had to miss it last year (because Ryan was graduating from medical school and we were getting ready to move to Portland).

Speaking of Portland, we've been here for 7 months already. 7 months! Unbelievable.

I'll be sharing many more patterns here in the coming months as I get deeper into my Surtex prep.... I love getting ready for this trade show, because it's a major excuse to create tons of new art and beef up my portfolio. Excitement!

hello gorgeous 2013

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:28:00 GMT

After a bit of a time out from running my business and obsessively checking my email like I normally do, I'm back. Rested, rejuvenated, and ready to kick some 2013 booty!

I shared this in an email that I sent out to my newsletter subscribers yesterday (do you subscribe?), and I want to share it here, too, because I think it's going to make a big difference for me this year in how well I do sticking to the new intentions I've set.

I always get all jazzed up and organized at the end of each year, reviewing everything and writing down what I'd like to aspire to for the coming year.... and then I get off track by, oh, like the 2nd week of January. Because I write everything in a notebook and then totally forget about it-- I don't see it every day, and I don't usually put systems in place to make sure that I stay on track and see daily reminders of where I'd like to put my focus. Then I feel bad about myself. (Can you relate?)

I worked through Leonie Dawson's 2013 Incredible Year Workbook last week, and I loved her idea of creating a list of incredible habits that you write down and hang on your wall, so you can see them every day. I changed the word 'incredible' to 'nourishing' in my version, but the idea is essentially the same. Create a visual reminder of what I'd like to remember and practice each day in 2013. (It's kinda scary to share them here, but I'm doing it anyway! Hopefully it'll inspire you to make your own list if it seems like a useful exercise.)

So. These are the nourishing habits that I'd like to begin cultivating and/or continue to cultivate throughout 2013:

Some things on the list feel scary to me:

Meditate? I've been avoiding that for years. I'm not sure why, but it's been on my list of things I'd like to start doing for as many new years past as I can remember. This is my year.

Answer emails only once a day? But what am I going to do when I want to procrastinate besides getting stuck in my inbox??

Single task. NO idea how to do this. But all I know is that my multi-tasking ways are making me feel super overextended allllll the time, and it has to stop.

Some of them feel exciting:

One entire day of doing nothing but creating (painting, making new patterns, drawing) each week? Oh, the joy? I'm definitely not doing this now, and I think it's going to change my life.

Take lots of photos. Big YES to that! That also involves learning how to use my real camera (aka: not my iPhone camera) a lot better.

Walking outside every day. Trees are my muse. The sky fills me. Honestly, there's nothing like a good walk in the fresh air to get my creative juices buzzing through my body. This one is a must.

And my word for the year: DEEPEN.

But I actually had a bit of clarity yesterday and realized that needs to be changed to DEEP BRAVERY. For me this means:

Doing the things that are hard and scary, and doing them with grace. Saying YES to them.

Creating boundaries. And sticking to them.

Deepen into the things that light me up, that might go against long ingrained habits and beliefs around work and money.

Deepening my focus on creativity and making new art.

Deepening into spirit and connection with the universe and exploring the ways I might do that.

Giving myself EXPLORATORY CREATIVE SPACE.

Slowing down, single task-ing, and intensifying important pieces of and habits in my life, while letting go of ones that aren't quite right.

What's on YOUR nourishing habits list for 2013?

I created a free template that you can download, so you can join in the list-making fun! Yes. Just click the image below to get a high-res version that you can print out, fill in, and hang on your wall in all its possibility-filled glory.

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AND, if you'd like to take your goal and intention setting one step further, I completely revamped and redesigned my Goal + Intention Kit for 2013-- it's a digital, interactive + printable PDF that's comprised of 38 pages of worksheets, areas for brainstorming, dreaming, and possibilitizing (I made up that word and LOVE it!), calendars, intention setting spaces for each month, a cheat sheet to keep it all in one place, and more.

You can get the kit RIGHT HERE.
It's just $15 and will help keep you on track with your goals and intentions all year long. No more of this pooping out while we're still in January business! :)

2013 goal + intention kit

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 22:38:00 GMT

As per my usual, after being completely burnt out and then spending about a week resting/playing/watching movies/not working/vegging, I got a wild hair yesterday and decided to completely re-vamp and re-design my Goal + Intention Kit for 2013. I just can't stay away from making new stuff for too long!

This year's kit is entirely 100% new and different from the 2011 and 2012 kits that came before it. And it's the best, prettiest one yet! (If I do say so myself. And I do.) It's colorful and fun, which makes goal-setting feel less intimidating and scary. Defy your fear with color and fun!

What's inside:

- each page of the PDF is interactive, so you can type directly into the PDF instead of printing it out if you prefer. You can, of course, print it out as well, if you prefer to do things the old-fashioned way (like I do!)

- 38 printable + interactive pages of goal and intention setting goodness, all colorfully designed by moi, including:

- 4 pages of 2012 review -- so you can get clear on what went well, what was challenging, and what it's time to let go of!

- 1 How I Want to Feel in 2013 worksheet

- 1 worksheet to figure out your word / theme for the year

- 12 interactive calendar pages where you can schedule in all the goals + intentions you're setting

- 4 quarterly check-in pages, so you can keep track of your progress

- 1 sheet to fill in ideas you don't want to forget (because they might float away otherwise!)

- Monthly intention-setting spaces

- 3 goal-setting worksheets (where you'll work backwards, acting as if you've already achieved you're goal-- it's totally fun!)

- space to list your 2013 money goal, personal goals, and career/work goals

- 1 big dreaming + possibilitizing worksheet

- a reminder cheat sheet where you can write all the goals and intentions you identified -- print it out, fill it in, and hang it on your wall as a reminder each and every day to help you focus on your plan

- you'll be able to download it instantly once you've purchased and paid (the link will be automatically emailed to you) -- so you can start using it right away!

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So, if you're in the throes of 2013 planning like I am, this might be a useful tool for you.

{You can preview some pages here to get a feel for what you'll have to play with.}

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So get your 2013 planning + inspiration on! For just $15, you can set yourself up to have your best year yet. 2013 will be amazing! But only if you plan and prepare for it to be....

rest. relaxation. rejuvenation.

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:43:00 GMT

This is what my past couple of days have looked like.

It's so chilly and rainy and gloomy here in Portland, all I want to do is snuggle in. So do the kitties. I laid on the couch alllll day yesterday with Juneau right next to me, reading The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown. I don't know why I didn't pick this book up sooner. It's pretty much like Brené wrote it just for me!

It's funny, because I actually had some work that I planned on getting done yesterday, but the couch felt like it was literally pulling me onto it. So I bargained with myself: Ryan gets the morning off from work, so I'm allowed to take the morning off, too. Meanwhile, my ego told me I was lazy, that I should be working working working (always!), that I didn't deserve to rest.... this is my constant inner loop. Stay busy! Be as productive as possible! Resting is for chumps! Are you laughing yet? You're either thinking I'm totally ridiculous, or you can totally relate. (I'm betting it's the latter.)

But I pushed through the guilt I was feeling over not working and instead laying on the couch reading a book, being "lazy" and "indulgent" (or so my ego told me), and I started in on The Gifts of Imperfection.

My guilt began to melt away as I read. I learned that it's not actually guilt I was feeling, but shame. Oh, that word!! Just saying it aloud feels scary. And embarrassing. IT's such a loaded word, you know? But I learned that this particular type of shame is related to being a perfectionist. I've never really thought of myself as a perfectionist-- but, I think it turns out that I am. I expect myself to BE perfect: have the perfect body, be able to work 15 hours a day and cook dinner and exercise and keep the house clean and be crafty and creative and amaaaaazing ALL.THE.TIME. And when I don't live up to that, I feel ashamed. I'm not good enough. I don't do enough. Blahgitty blah blah blah. I imagine you might relate to these feelings as well... am I right?

Anyway, my day on the couch reading a book was exactly what I needed. I've been working hard for YEARS. I moved across the country 6 months ago and began a new life in Portland, and I don't think I've fully given myself time to process it. It's been a busy holiday season full or printing and packaging orders, buying gifts for family, running errands, a craft show.... and it's ok to rest. Like, REALLY rest-- rejuvenating rest. I don't mean zoning out in front of the tv after a long day's work-- I mean reading books and taking naps and writing in my journal and taking care of myself for REAL.

For me, that also involves making stuff in the kitchen. I don't give myself enough time to fool around in the kitchen, because it's not work, so it seems frivolous. I'm starting to see that the "frivolous" things are really where my life is. It's not allll about working all the time.

On Wednesday I made some dehydrated kale chips (above)-- delicious and healthy! I made a mixture of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, miso, soaked cashews, and nutritional yeast and mixed that up with a bunch of torn kale pieces, then put it all in the dehydrator for about 15 hours. Scrumptious. (Based on a recipe I got from my mother-in-law last year.)

I also made some comfrey-calendula salve, based on this recipe, after a trip to The Herb Shoppe. One of my weaknesses is herb shops and apothecaries. I can spend so much time browsing, and I always come home with piles of herbs and other things to make delightful concoctions! I should show you a photo of all my glass jars full of herbs and teas and things-- it makes me happy just thinking about it!

And the Christmas tree makes everything around our house feel festive. Here's my favorite ornament:

Santa hanging on the moon. :)

So. Rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation is the name of the game for me right now, especially on this solstice and last day of the Mayan "long count" calendar. The hour has arrived... the dawn of a new world and a new way of being. May it fill you with abundance, hope, beauty, and love.

jess

ARTISTS + RENEGADES: interview with Michelle Armas

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:59:00 GMT

Friends: say hi to Michelle Armas, who paints the most gorgeous abstract paintings you've ever seen! She's the latest amazing artist-preneur to join my interview series, Artists + Renegades, to talk about her biggest dreams, best advice, and a lot of fun along the way.

Here we go!

What’s your BIG DREAM?

I want to live abroad a lot. As in, I want to travel for very long periods of time, in exotic places. I want to do a year long sale around the world too. By the time we are able to do it, we will have children, and they will come too. I want to have adventures! We will also be living in NYC in the village, an old townhouse. That will happen. Also, We will live in California, near the coast. That will also happen.

What was your happiest moment in the past week?

Laughing with my husband, hanging out in our yard playing with our puppies.

Let's play two truths and a lie: mix in two true statements about yourself with one false one, and we'll try to guess which is which in the comments!

I am lazy at heart.

I have very expensive taste.

I love board games.

What's your personal motto?

Are you tied up in a dungeon? Well then it isn't so bad, is it?

What is your favorite piece of your early art / writing / etc.? (Share a photo of it, if possible!)

One of my first paintings ever. My mom bought it!

If you could collaborate with anyone in the world, who would you choose, and why?

Hmm, a weaver. For sure. Probably a collective of weavers. Oh dear, that would be amazing.

What job would you most like to try for a week?

Fashion stylist, in New York of course.

Finish this sentence: I couldn't live without _______ because _______.

My husband, he is my very best friend. But that answer feels boring, so I can also say coffee b/c I am basically a diesel engine but with coffe

What’s one thing you wish you had the guts to try?

Living in Africa!

Tell us one thing you absolutely adore about yourself.

My sense of humor! I can find just about anything funny, especially myself. I can laugh at myself, and call myself a dork all day long.

If you could live in another decade, which would you choose and why?

Turn of the century for sure! 1900-1910. The ART! I can't stand it! The fashion, the revolution of ideas and politics. I would pretend to be an intellectual and drink absinthe and flash my ankles all over the place.

Michelle's bio: I started painting a few years ago to battle the stress of my corporate branding job (ok, I was an intern, you caught me), but it was still really stressful. I have a Bachelor of International Relations, and a post graduate degree in Graphic Design and Branding from the prestigious Portfolio Center in Hotlanta. I lasted about one year in the New York branding world before I threw in the towel and started trying to make a living by painting, and now you are reading this, so I guess I made it big time!

I paint in acrylic and oil, large and small, abstract and sometimes portraits too. You can always contact me for custom orders, or as we say in the art world: commissions. It is a super fun process, and you can learn all about it here! I live in Atlanta with my husband and two sweet doggies. We are decorating and remodeling our 100 year old bungalow in a leafy intown neighborhood, and documenting it on my blog, go on, be a voyeur. I work out of a studio in Decatur, Georgia (famous for not allowing science books to have the theory of evolution in them, recently ya’ll, like in 2005)...also famous for its large and vibrant lesbian population, so it all balances out I guess. Please contact me if you would like to stop by and have a gander at the goods, I love meeting my adoring fans!

it's snowing!

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:31:00 GMT

It doesn't snow in Portland very often (so I'm told... this is our first winter here), so it's an exciting morning!

Sometimes I miss my snowy Colorado winters growing up-- it never quite feels Christmas-y without snow falling. So this is very welcome today, as I'm ready to be fully in the Christmas spirit!

My studio is in the upstairs part of our house, so I look out over the rooftops of our neighbors during the day. Here's my snowy view today:

Just a dusting, but it's something!

I love it! It might make my errand-running kinda slow and challenging this afternoon, but it's worth it.

Do you like the snow? What gets you into the holiday spirit?

iPhone 5 giveaway WINNERS

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:16:00 GMT

Happy Monday, guys! I have a heavy heart today -- I've been thinking about what happened in Newtown, Connecticut all weekend -- and I feel a little strange focusing on things like iPhone 5 cases, but I promised to announce the giveaway winners this morning, so I've gotta stick to my word.

I wrote everybody's names out on some slips of paper, along with which case they hoped to win:

And out of that pile came these 10 names:

Congrats to the winners!

If you are Dd (#1), Emily (#2), Crystal Short (#3), Laura Gaffke (#4), Christina Seitz (#5), Rehab Ba-amer (#6), Jodi Crane (#7), Erin Donahue (#8), Andrea (#9), or Lindy Gaskill (#10), please email me your address and I'll get your iPhone 5 case sent out to you straightaway!

In this season of family, happiness, light, and celebration, I hope that we can all spend some time sending some love and light to those who's lives have been broken into pieces and are hurting in Newtown, CT and beyond. Let's send some love and light to everyone in the world who's in pain, to everyone who's in desperate need of mental help, to everyone who is struggling. Let's let our Christmas lights be a reminder to hold the families and people who are in pain in our hearts, in hopes that they will feel our healing love and find a small bit of comfort in it. Let's send love and light to our world and our planet and out to the whole universe. Let's beam it out and shine it into the darkness, intending to transform it into goodness and compassion.

This is my wish for the holiday season.

{12 Days of Deals} Day Twelve: iPhone 5 case giveaway!

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

OK peeps, it's the last day of the 12 Days of Deals, and I have a good one for you today: I'm giving away 10 iPhone 5 tough cases!!

These cases are from my Fall 2012 collection with Case-Mate. I got some fun tough case samples from Case-Mate for the iPhone 5, and I figured, who better to share them with than YOU?! :)

So, here's how it works. Here are the 10 cases that are available (one of each):

Please let me know in the comments which case you would choose (using the numbers in the image above). I'll randomly choose TEN winners who will each receive ONE case (the case they chose in the comments).

Comments will close on Sunday December 16th at 11:59 pm PST, and I'll announce the 10 winners the morning of Monday December 17th. The cases will be sent out that same day.

Get an extra entry by liking my facebook fan page! (Make sure to hover over the 'like' button and choose 'get notifications', too. That's important!) Let me know in the comments that you liked my page, and I'll enter you twice into the giveaway for the case you'd like.

***One important detail: these cases are not in proper retail-ready packaging, so if you win and are planning to give the case as a gift, you'll have to package it up in a box or pouch or something such. (The cases will be sent loose (not in a box) and packaged up in a cute wax paper bag.)

***These cases are for iPhone 5 only. I don't have any iPhone 4 cases available as part of the giveaway, or cases for any other types of phones. iPhone 5 only this time around! :)

ENJOY! And happiest holidays to you!

Love Letters

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:43:00 GMT

You guys, I can't NOT tell you about this awesome project that my friend Tiffany Han is starting. It's called Love Letters. It's 12 months of art, inspiration, and life coaching activities, mailed to you, once a month. Not emailed -- regular mailed. To your house! How fun is that?

There are 12 colorful artists involved, one for each month (I get to be February's artist!):

You can send the Love Letters to yourself, or, in this season of gift-giving, you can subscribe so someone else will receive them. A whole year of gifty positivity!I think this is such a lovely and brilliant idea of Tiffany's, and I thought you probably would, too.

So, head over to Tiffany's website to learn more about Love Letters and see about gifting yourself or someone you care about with a year of positivity, goodness, and joyful color. :)

{12 Days of Deals} Day Eleven: glasses cases are 25% off!

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

It's Day 11 of my 12 Days of Deals, and today you can get my glasses cases for $25 instead of $32 -- $7 off!

Just use code GLASSES25 when checking out.

And make sure you come back tomorrow, because the grand finale of the 12 Days of Deals is happening, and it's a super fun giveaway.... not to be missed!

{12 Days of Deals} Day Ten: Sea Elves are 20% off!

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Day 10, and it's time for some sea elf merriment! Sea elves are my very most new favorite thing. Like, ever.

And today only, you can get them for for 20% off -- what a deal for some secret energy from the universe, eh? (Don't know what I'm talking about? Read about the sea elves here!)

They make terrific gifts and stocking stuffers, you know. Look how cute they are:

Imagine your best friend / mom / sister / daughter opening up her sea elf and finding the special energy that awaits her inside the box and the look of surprise and joy that'll light up her face. Sea elves are the best presents ever!

Just use code SEAELVES20 when checking out to get the discount, and I'll send your sea elves right out to you so you'll have them in time for Christmas!

{12 Days of Deals} Day Nine: 25% off calendars

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Day number 9, what's up! Today only, you can get my 2013 calendars, both sizes, for 25% off. Yep! There aren't too many of the calendars left, soif you want one, today's the day to snag it. Because they'll be gone soon soon soon.

Just use code CALENDAR25 when checking out to get the discount!

And on another Christmas-y note:

We put up our Christmas tree last night! I love pulling out all of our ornaments, and the smell of the tree in the house.... I buy the dorky, funny ornaments, and Ryan buys the nice, pretty ones. Ha.

Now we just need to go shopping for presents so we can full up all that blank space under the tree!

Hope you're enjoying the holidays so far. :)

{12 Days of Deals} Day Eight: Jump Trust Repeat e-book

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Today's deal is for all you artists out there -- get my e-book, Jump Trust Repeat, for just $55 instead of $67 -- today only!

Just use code EBOOK55 when checking out, and the discount will be automatically applied. Then the e-book will be available for instant download once your payment is complete!

(This is my favorite deal of all the deals so far. Hope you enjoy it, too!)

{12 Days of Deals} Day Seven :: Boxed Notecard Sets

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Happy Sunday, and happy seventh day of the 12 Days of Deals. Today you can get 20% off all boxed notecard sets.

They are HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Use code NOTECARDS20 when checking out.

{12 Days of Deals} Day Six: pocket mirrors are $5.00

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

There's no better stocking stuffer than these little pocket mirrors, in my opinion. Today you can grab them for just $5.00 (instead of $8.00) -- cute, colorful, simple gifts for color-loving girls and ladies. I carry one in my purse every day, so I can check my teeth and make sure they're clear of embarrassing bits of spinach. :)

Use code MIRRORS5 when checking out, and the discount will automatically be applied.

ps -- many of these mirrors are brand new styles/patterns!

{12 Days of Deals} Day Five :: Matryoshka journals

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Day fiiiiiive! Today you can get these sweet little Matryoshka journals for 20% off. (Secret: there's a large journal, too, that you can also get 20% off if you use the code.)

Use code MATRYOSHKA20 when checking out to get the discount.

Adorable Christmas gifts, if I do say so myself!

ARTISTS + RENEGADES: Laura of le animalé

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:35:00 GMT

Today I'm thrilled to welcome Laura Johnston of le animalé to Artists + Renegades. She makes the best tiny animal totems (and she's my sea elves collaboration partner!) -- basically, she's awesome. Here's what she has to share with us today:

What’s your BIG DREAM?

My big dream is to travel the world following my passions wherever they take me, to have a beautiful studio with oh so many windows where I create to my heart's content, to be with my loved ones, and find a way to help, inspire, and support others in living their dream lives, too. Oh, and since this is my big dream, I'd like to be thin and gorgeous while doing it. Better stop eating all of this Halloween candy!!! ;)

What was your happiest moment in the past week?

Watching my dogs get SO ridiculously excited about a new toy I got for them. It's the simple things!

What’s your personal motto?

I guess I kind of live off, "It'll be fine!", but I've been trying to remind myself also, "Always do what you're afraid to do." The two kind of work together, don't they?! "Do what you're afraid to do, it'll be fine!" There we go.

Let's play two truths and a lie: mix in two true statements about yourself with one false one, and we'll try to guess which is which in the comments section later.

I ran the fastest mile in my class in third grade.

I have an insatiable sweet tooth.

I don't like fluffy mustaches and beards.

If you could decorate your home with the work of only one artist, who would it be and why?

Ouch!! It actually hurts to think about this - there is so much art that I love! I can't.

What "rule" about art, business, or creativity do you think is surprisingly true?

There are no rules. :)

What’s your favorite color combination?

I think my ultimate favorite is grey + yellow.

How would you describe your job on career day for a kindergarten class?

Once upon a time there was a girl who loved animals soooo much she turned into one! Hmm, no, that's not right. (But if I were, I hope I'd be a big cat!)

I would tell the class that I have a super fun job learning about all kinds of animals and sculpting them in clay to send to people all around the world!

What song lyric did you hear wrong for a really, really long time?

Oh dear, I wish I could think of another one but this will have to do. Total blonde moment, but the one that comes to mind is, "Replay" by Iyaz. And let me just say I did not know the name of the song until after I learned that it wasn't "Repeat" it was "Replay". Haha! I was certainly confused because repeat didn't rhyme with anything, but I never really used devices that used 'replay' for a song instead of 'repeat', so… it just didn't occur to me until my boyfriend so lovingly pointed it out.

You're on-stage at a talent show. What do you do?

Perform "Phoenix" by Ryo Noda on alto saxophone. It's such a beautiful piece that I really resonate with!

Please share your favorite photo of an adorable baby animal.

Photos of adorable baby animals are not something you can have a favorite of, especially if you're me, but here's one I saw on Pinterest the other day that I just adore. Look how happy that wittle sloth is! Awww. You got your wittle giraffe?! You cute?! Yeah you're cute.

If you had to live your life according to the advice of one TV personality, who would it be and why?

Well I love Ellen (who doesn't?). She inspires me to just be who I am without worrying about what other people think, to smile, laugh & not be too serious, to be kind & generous, to have fun. In her most recent book she shares this advice: appreciate each day and don't spend too much time dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. I think that sounds pretty nice.

Laura Johnston is an artist from North Carolina who opened le animalé in 2011 in order to sell her cute little handmade animals. In her spare time likes to paint, photograph, and explore. You can also find her on etsy.

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Thank you, Laura!!

{12 Days of Deals} Day Four :: bogo free PRINTS!

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Deal #4: buy one print, get one FREE! This is a tried and true classic of a sale for me. Stock up on your prints now! There won't be another sale like this for a while.

Just let me know which print(s) you'd like for free in the 'shipping details' when checking out. You get to choose a free print for each print you buy (same size or smaller)!

Enjoy!

{12 Days of Deals} Day Three :: 20% off RAIN BOOTS!

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Day 3 of {12 Days of Deals} is a good one -- 20% off rain boots, today only!

Do you know a stylish lady who would like some colorful, super fun rain boots? Today's the day to get 'em for her! (Maybe that stylish lady is you? Nothing wrong with buying yourself an awesome Christmas gift! I might've bought myself a Lululemon jacket the other day as an early Christmas present to myself...!)

Use the code RAINBOOTS20 when checking out to get 20% off your rain boot order.

new batch of sea elves are complete!

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:54:00 GMT

After selling out of our first batch of sea elves, I'm happy to share that our next batch is ready and complete! Laura just finished glossing them up -- I can't even tell you how the glossiness makes their color and glitter shine and sparkle. Isn't this little fleet just gorgeous? Look:

They're ready to head out into the world to meet their humans!

(These little guys are perfect for unique + personal holiday gifts and stocking stuffers this year...)

{12 Days of Deals} Day Two :: christmas cards

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Day #2 of 12 Days of Deals is here!

Have you written you Christmas cards yet? Why not scoop up a set or two of these cute ones, on sale today only:

There are 2 different sets of 5 cards -- each set has 5 different designs! Start shopping to see what the designs are. (Here's something to tempt you: Christmas wiener dogs. How can you resist?!)