Simplicity

Good afternoon everyone! How did Wednesday creep up so quickly?? I guess being busy must have something to do with the missing time ;) The last few days I've been struggling with spending enough time on art stuff...I don't know why it's so hard for me to say 'NO' to spending time on other things sometimes...but luckily today I've been working away! I've got a few different projects I'm in the middle of and have some ideas for future ones too...I love love LOVE my job :) Below are some sneak peeks at the stuff I'm working on...

For some reason managing my time continues to be a big struggle for me...and I'm sure I'm not the only one out there feeling like there just aren't enough hours in each day.  There are far too many things I could be doing, people I could be seeing, places I could be going...far too many excuses I could use to tell myself, "I'll just do art tomorrow." Besides missing time with my creative business stuff there are also other areas of my life that feel like they're lacking...it's a balancing act that I just can't quite seem to figure out.  Luckily, I know I'm not meant to do it on my own...

The other day I went to a friend's garage sale and a book I had never heard of caught my attention...the title read, "Becoming a Woman of Simplicity." Those words spoke so loud and so clear and I immediately knew that I needed to buy it! What does it look like to be a woman of simplicity?  I started wondering. Someone who doesn't wake up tired in the mornings or run from place to place to place...someone who walks in quietness and confidence all throughout the day...someone who's face shines joy and peace rather than stress...someone who is fully living and enjoying each and every moment of each and every day. Because friends, sometimes I feel like I'm all doing the opposite of all those things...and I really don't want that to be ME.

I've only just started reading the book and already feel inspired.  It's actually a devotional with different verses and things to think about, and I love being able to look through it in the morning and remember that He has a plan for my day that is far better than mine...and that plan doesn't involve running myself dry.

So I'm excited and ready to see how God uses this newly found treasure in my quiet time with Him. I already recommend it to anyone else out there who might need a little extra daily reminder to slow down...breathe deep...and rest in His peace.

Have a wonderful super amazing next few days...and go enjoy the beautiful sun! :)

Three more SALE custom order spots!!!

Hello everyone! I realized that I hadn't posted another blog post for last week so...here it is! :) Today I'm sharing a piece that I just made for one of my friends. She was the first one to have a custom piece made for my 25% off discount AND then she ordered a second custom order too!! I'm incredibly grateful for her and hope that she loves what I've created...Thank you Simon for all of your continual support :)

I love love LOVE making custom orders! Since Simon has already taken two of the five spots for the 25% off custom orders, there are only THREE SPOTS LEFT!!! (I'm real good at math). Don't be afraid to ask me for what you'd like, the sale won't last forever...and I'd love to make you something super special! Monday is almost an hour away and with it comes a brand new week...It's going to be a good one guys, I can tell...it's going to be good :)

NEW Desk Mailbox!!!

Hello everyone!! I wanted to start by sharing that it's my FOUR year anniversary with my sweet Andrew today! Where has the time gone?! The Great Gatsby Gala we went to on Friday night was SO much fun and now we're both really wanting to learn more swing.  This morning we went out to breakfast to celebrate and even though he's at work for a while today, we'll be celebrating again tonight over dessert.  I'm so excited and so so thankful to have him in my life. I love you Andrew!!

Here's a picture of us before leaving for the Great Gatsby Gala :)

Today I'm also sharing a brand NEW item that I just added to my shop...a little desk mailbox!! I don't know about you, but for some reason I've always thought that mini mailboxes were super cute (I know I'm weird)...and I finally decided that since I like them so much, I should start making my own! It was honestly so much fun to make and wasn't that hard to do. Here are the pictures of my NEW Beauty Surrounds- Desk Mailbox available for purchase in my Etsy shop, here.

I'm very happy with how it turned out and looking forward to making more! I've really been loving being able to make new things and experiment with new ideas...makes it much more exciting that way when I never know what I'm going to find or do!

Still offering 25% off the next FIVE custom orders! So far I've only had one person come to me...come on guys, don't be shy!!! Dream big and lemme know your ideas!!

Last but not least for today, I wanted to share a quote that might sound silly to some but really, reeeally speaks to me.  Not sure who it's by but I saw it on a bookmark that my sweet friend then bought for me.  I think she saw my entire face light up when I read it...  It reads, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." That's exactly what I've been praying for.  That God would help me continue confidently down this road I've started down and that, through Him, these passions of mine would turn into something I could do and prosper from for the rest of my life.  I've got so much I'm imagining and dreaming...and I love knowing that He sees all of it.

He sees your heart's desires too.  Confidently walk towards them friends...you'll be surprised where He'll take you.

Get 25% off ANY custom order!!!!

Friday has arrived!!! Quickly too I might add.  Tonight Andrew and I are going to celebrate our FOUR year anniversary (which is really on June 18!!) and are going to a Great Gatsby Gala Event!! Dinner, swing dancing, and live music...and of course we're dressing up 1920's...I can't wait, I absolutely can not wait!! :)

I also finished the two journals I've been working on via my friend's order! I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people who are continually encouraging and supporting what I love to do...it's truly one of the best feelings in the world.  Here are some pictures of the custom journals...see what you think!

Journal 1 Front

Journal 1 Back

Journal 2 Front

Journal 2 Back

I really enjoy doing custom orders for people...in fact, I love it. SO because of my love for creating custom orders, I'm offering 25% off the next 5 custom orders placed!!! And it can be ANY custom order! Been needing to get a gift for a friend or family member? Want it to be personal and one of a kind?? Or, have you been eying some of my work secretly wanting something just for you?! Here's your chance! Journals, mini journals, tags, canvases, letters/numbers, or even something else...you tell me what you'd like! (Other ideas include but aren't limited to: frames, bulletin boards, chalk boards, wooden cutouts e.g. birds, bird houses, desk mailboxes, wooden jewelry boxes etc). 

Have any questions about a super awesome amazing idea you have?? Please feel free to ask me and I will try my very best to make your dream come alive!!

Please contact me either in person, by phone (for those who have my number), here on my blog, or by Facebook! I can't wait to create something just for YOU :)  Have a beautiful weekend friends.

Birthday Goodness!!

Me again!! :) Like promised in my last post...I'm sharing pictures today! This weekend marked the end of all my birthday celebrations.  Lemme just say, I have NEVER had so many different celebrations for one single birthday...and it was So. Much. Fun!  After all the absolutely insane amount of birthday goodness, I decided to share a few pics to share my 20th birthday with all of you!! Thank you so much to every single person who made my birthday so so special...

Me and Hannah's surprise Birthday Party!! Our boyfriends are so so sweet!

My actually Birthday! Yummy breakfast, Malibu Creek, and Cho Cho San's for dinner!

Me and Hannah's Alice in Wonderland Tea Party!!

Birthday celebrations with my Dad in Catalina!!

All of this plus a day walking around Downtown Santa Monica with my mom AND a night out doing fun things with friends marks all of our birthday amazingness! I was completely blessed...no, beyond blessed by everything.  I know that I will never ever forget these last two weeks and all the time, effort, and love that friends and family poured into making it to special. 

Thank you so much Lord for surrounding me with such love...I am overwhelmed.

Besides finishing birthday stuff, I've been working on some special art journals that one of my really good friends asked me to make for her!! (You know who you are!) I've been feeling so much support from her and others around me and it's so crazy to see my stuff starting to sell.  Ahh!!! I can't wait to see what God does...it's going to be good friends, it's going to be good :)

New Things Coming!

Hello lovely people! I'm so SO excited that it's Saturday!! Not only because it's the weekend but it's also...me and one of my best friend's birthday party!!! We're having a tea party with an Alice in Wonderland inspired whimsical twist.  And lemme tell you, I can't wait!  I'll definitely add some pictures soon.  Yee!!

As many of you probably already saw on either my Instagram or Facebook, I'm now officially offering personalized custom made letters and numbers!! Here are the shots you'll find in my Etsy shop where you can now purchase a letter or single number, here. 

Pretty snazzy huh?? Not sure if that's the right word to use but it sounds great to me! I'm getting excited about all the new stuff I'm going to be offering soon.  Here are a few clues to some of the things I've got coming...one is something wooden that goes 'tweet tweet', one is something fun you stick your mail into, and one is something you display your photos in...tricky I know.  You give up yet?? Guess you'll just have to wait in suspense until I post them throughout this month! Muahaha, mean I know. ;)

Do YOU have any ideas of things you'd like to see me design or make?? Any type of medium I haven't tried yet that you think would look stupendous?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! I'd love love LOVE to try out new things especially if it's an idea from you.  Pretty pretty please with a yummy cherry on top, let me know your ideas...I'll be here...ready and waiting!

Have a great weekend everyone and go smell some flowers or wiggle your toes in some grass or something...go enjoy it...go enjoy LIFE!!

June Goals and Updates!

Happy Tuesday!! And happy happy JUNE!! Can you believe that we're almost half way through 2013 already?? Time continues to fly past me and it's crazy to look back on all that has happened so far this year...and to think about all that I'm dreaming and believing to still happen.

Before I dive into goals for June, I'm announcing something extremely exciting that happened yesterday (this even deserves a drum roll!) I...received...my...BUSINESS CARDS!!!!! Ta Da!!!! Those little beauties took weeks to get here and I was beyond excited when I saw the little box arrive.  All this to say, I now finally have something I can pass out to spread the word that I'm an artist! Yipee!!

ALSO, my prints arrived!!! Those lovely pieces arrived a little while ago and it was reeeeally cool being able to see my artwork as a print...AH! I've been throwing a few ideas around in my head of how exactly I want to present them to sell but will hopefully be adding those to my etsy shop soon...I'm very truly completely excited you guys :)

Also ALSO, as most of you probably already saw...I SOLD MY FIRST PIECE OF ARTWORK ON ETSY!!!! I posted a picture on facebook as well as on my last blog post of me shipping it out...you really have no idea how happy I was! Around 11pm on May 30th I received an e-mail informing me that I had made my first sale....

I was shocked...and excited...and blown away by God's goodness!! Just that morning I had been sharing with Andrew about how discouraging it was that I still hadn't sold anything.  One of my May goals was to sell one thing on etsy and since it was already May 30, I had already told myself that I would just try again next month. Little did I know that that very evening my first piece of artwork was going to be sold!! Not only was my goal met one day before the end of the month, but I was also extremely encouraged and reminded that I was doing the right thing by pursuing my dream.  I can never explain enough how much that night meant to me.  My God sees every doubt and fear I face and continually answers me when I pray to Him.  He is so so good!!

SO...here's how I did with my May goals. Get business cards made? Check! Figure out how I want my shipping presentation to look for now? Check! Get prints made? Check! Make at least one Etsy sale? Check! Continue blogging twice a week? Check! As usual though, I'm still lacking in the area of creating art and working on my creative business for 15 hours a week...Tracking my hours in my planner has helped and I've been getting closer, but I'm still not spending enough time on it.  So this month's goals will be a little more focused specifically on meeting those.  Here what I'm thinking...

Goals for the month of June:
1.  Create two new pieces of artwork each week to add to my Etsy shop
2.  Include at least two new types of mixed media art (ex. besides journals, tags, and canvases)
3.  Include at least one more wooden canvas
4.  Pass out at least 50 business cards to different people
5.  Sell at least two pieces of artwork
6.  Continue blogging twice a week
7.  Spend 15 hours a week on my creative business.  (At least 5 hours every two days)
8.  Research and find at least one place I can go set up/sell my art (ex. boutique, festival etc)

Whew! I've got a lot to do but I'm really ready to be spending more time on my art.  And especially with school being out, there shouldn't be anything standing in my way! I'm ready...and excited...here I go!

May Photos :)

Hello everyone!! Sharing lots of photos today...because May was an awesome month and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you guys.  Hope you enjoy them...I sure did :)

Fun in Orange County!

Color Run!!!

The happiest place on earth :)

Way too much fun

Games and Boba with loved ones

Saying goodbye to my first sold canvas!!

Mailing it out!!!

Surprise birthday party for Hannah and I!! SO blessed!!!

Some of the sweetest people I know. LOVE my besties!!!

Blowing out candles on the most amazing cake ever!! Gina is the best!!

Birthday girls :)

Got lots to say next time I post!!! But for now...have a beautiful rest of your weekend everyone :)