word up #6 is up....this one is gonna make you think...& i really enjoy that about these challenges. & i am so fortunate to be a part of this wonderful thing...i've seen some amazing art, some amazing artists and some amazing stories...i continue to be inspired by all of you who share your heart and your soul and what means most to you so freely
here is my take on AUTOMATIC
i'm really big on the whole tree-hugging, conserve resources, recycle, minimize our impact on the planet thing. i LOVE wildlife and wide open spaces...but i'm also a really busy mom of 3 crazy kids...so many times the "throw away society" we live in seems just easier and cheaper...but in reality it isn't...and like so often the easier road is not the road i should take...so i try in my own life to live greener...to turn off the faucet when brushing my teeth, turn off lights when not in use, to use canvas bags at that market, to not use disposable everything, to buy food from my local farmer, to walk more & drive less...because it means so much to me and i want it to mean a lot to my children too :)
what a whirlwind.....barely had any sleep or any food all weekend, so much fun....& getting to see & hug & chat & laugh with some of the most amazing women i've ever met...and now i'm blessed to call friends...real friends....how in the world did i get so lucky?
this is michelle, kerry lynn, me, adrienne, and kayla aimee right before the doors opened on the zalut party...fantastic time...it all went too quickly but so fun....hopefully we'll be able to do it again soon...i miss them all so much already
& here is some love for the new candytown collection....i must have thanked adrienne a million times all weekend for creating these papers....i ADORE them...ADORE!!!
and then i did this w/ some of tater's birthday pics:
i leave for chicago tomorrow morn at the crack of dawn!!!! soooooooo excited to meet all of my bestest fashionistas....i have a feeling we will be quite the sight in the airport giggling & squealing at the top of our lungs...
i've got all my clothes picked out & just have to throw them in a bag (& do a couple more loads of laundry...LOL!!) but i've got my dancin' shoes ready to GO!!!
& to make this week even better...yesterday i got CANDYTOWN :) whoa nelly...you are gonna need this....like i said NEED!!!! it is so unbelievable....adrienne really outdid herself on the papers...they are AMAZING!!!! can't wait to see her & plant a big ol' kiss on her for those papers...they are unreal...
so until i get to post again...here is a little candytown action that i made for one of the door prizes for our big SISter reception at zalut on friday night :)
we had tater's birthday bash on saturday & we all had such a great time...but like always, when you are the host of the party, the party goes so fast & you feel like you never got to talk to all the people you wanted to talk to & you want to just kick back & relax but you've gotta get the food out & the limes for the coronas & the plates for the ice cream cake & then **poof** the party is over & you are like...."wow! well THAT was fun!"
well...it was :)
here is a couple of my fave pics of the day of tater & her big birthday cake from our favorite local ice cream shop
needless to say...the cake was a big hit :)
so...now i've got the birthday party under my belt, my next big thing is CHA!!!!!!!!!!!! whoooooo hooooo!!!! i'm beyond excited to see all my fashionista and online friends....i'm like a kid on Christmas nowadays gearing up for my big adventure...soooo much to do before i get on that plane it is ridiculous...but somehow the important stuff will get done & the not so important stuff will just have to wait...such is life as it should be, i say :)
& i totally forgot to post my simplicity project from onelittleword....THIS was fun :) i used lots of the toby line from love elsie on this which completely surprised me....i'm really loving that line right now & it totally didn't catch my eye first off, which is weird, but it's all byegones, b/c now i'm in love w/ love else...lol!!!
but i'm sure it will be a short affair since i should be getting some candytown in my mailbox very very soon.....WOW....have you even SEEN this new collection?????? UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!! i'm getting a sugar rush just THINKIN' about it...LOL and our guest designer for august is going to be one of my all time favorites ever ever EVER!! amber skolnick....holy moly....we are in for some GOOD TIMES, my friends...GOOD TIMES :)
and to top all of this goodness off, i've been tagged by breanne as a rockin' blogger (shhhh....don't tell her i've been really bad at updating lately :)
& i'm gonna pass it on to some of my favorite down under posse :)
but for now she is a complete maniac in the pool....she thinks she is a mermaid & can swim all by herself & does not want you helping her AT ALL!!!
i swvvvvim!!!!! i swvvviim!!!!!
she takes running starts & flings herself into the pool....it is all that we can do to "sort of" catch her....& if you saw planet earth on the discovery channel....do you remember how the elephants were swimming in the river? THAT is exactly how potato swims....like an elephant...
it has to be one of THE cutest things EVER!!!!!
methinks she is getting a new floatie for her birthday.....hopefully i can find one w/ elephants on it :)
put away all the boxes of teddy grahams i just bought at target
try to wrestle my new shoes back from tater...she has taken quite the shine to them
try to thank all of you for your kind words & hugs & prayers & encouragement & commiseration & inspiration & love & kindness & generosity & for just basically being freakin' WONDERFUL!!!!...any suggestions????.....i'll have to see what i have lying around here ;)
remember to buy more peaches....they are PERFECT right now
get THIS BOOK for the plane ride to Chicago...stacey says "it's BEAUTIFUL" ...nuf said :)
speaking of my trip to Chicago for CHA....i'm thinkin' i NEED this ...you know it can get chilly while drooling over all of the new products...LOL:)....check out THIS BLOG for tons of sneaky peekys :)
speaking of sneaky peeky...have to remember to ask my friends in france if this happens often
PLACE my order w/ etsy for the bazillion things i've put in my cart like THIS FABULOUS APRON made by one of the most talented women i have "met" in scrappin'...Rhi
i had been in such a funk these past weeks....i just couldn't shake it....and it sucked
my dad had a stroke a few weeks ago & that was definitely a part of it...but i also was having a real hard time figuring out what i was doing w/ myself....and i totally felt like the days were just slipping by and out of control...the kids were into everything...i couldn't get anything done....i felt like everything was just exploding in all directions....i couldn't focus...i couldn't think....i wasn't smiling too often....
and on top of it i ran into a huge creative block....at a time when i needed to be pumping things out....people were expecting me to step up to the plate & i could barely find my way out of the dugout...i really questioned my artistic ability & started to slack into that old habit of self loathing....when i sat down to create i was preoccupied with trying to make something that others would find interesting and cool and fantastic....and because of that....i was so un-inspired and un-motivated to create...and it sucked
but then the other day a few of my fashionista friends & i started to discuss inspiration....what inspires us? why do we create? what are we doing this for? it was spurred on by a post from kelli crowe who was asking those questions herself....and we all started to just talk....and vent....and share....and lay it all out....and by doing so i think we all got back to our own individual centers....we are each so unique and we have to maintain that...we have be vigilant to not loose ourselves in the mix...following trends are one thing....but loosing yourself is something different entirely....
but it is so hard b/c it is such a risk to put yourself out there sometimes...b/c for me, at least, it isn't just some pictures on a page & some ribbon...i am really putting my heart out there....i'm peeling back the layers of the onion (as shrek would say) for others to see....it is such a risk, but i've come to the conclusion once again that it is a risk that i am willing to take....
and i really came to this realization after hearing this song again...
and i adore the video....b/c the symbolism of her standing there naked for everyone to see is just so powerful....& the lyrics are just unbelievable...and so what i needed....
and so inspired by those lyrics and what they mean TO ME....i created this
and it is what I wanted to create...it is what I want to say....and it exactly what I'm feeling right now...
and now i've got my groove back...
'
i've jumped off of trying to go after those transparent dangling carrots
and that ever elusive kudo
and i'm going to enjoy the moment for once
and i'm going to remember my divinity...
and again....i am inspired
and i'm going to enjoy....for i have been so blessed
hope you have a fantastic monday
xoxoxo
gi
p.s.....you want to be inspired???? then definitely check THIS out....kerry inspires me every single day to continue to be true to myself....to dig deeper....to create and to enjoy.....she also makes me think and she challenges me.....she also makes me laugh so hard that it hurts
Recent Comments