Finding my art again

I've been feeling a lot of 'meh' lately. As a certified adult, I have found it harder and harder to find the inspiration and motivation to continue to create art. This is very hard for me, because to create art is akin to breathing. Which would explain the suffocating feeling I get from time to time. Not to mention, the area I live in does not necessarily foster the creative community. It's my own fault. I can't blame the state I live in or anything else. The truth is, I've let life turn on the cruise control and I'm just riding along. I need to wrestle it back. Ninja style - because everything in life is more fun ninja style.

I'm fortunate to have a handful of genuinely creative people in my life. In recent conversations with them, I have learned that they have similar feelings about our community and about their own struggles to keep inspiration alive. While I firmly believe that it one's own individual responsibility to seek out inspiration and motivation, a group or community of like minded artists help "feed the brain" and in turn nurtures creativity.  That's why I am so excited that a small group of us are getting together on a regular basis for informal meet ups. Conversations, sharing of artwork or art we have found that inspire us - in hopes that it leads to more and more inspiration and keeps the momentum going.

I feel for my poor husband. As the years we are together start to add up, I think so do the pieces of the puzzle that is me. He never knows which direction I will be running in. Sometimes it's USSR era gas masks. Sometimes it's repainting furniture or sewing or photography or mixed media... or me inviting a gaggle of artists over on a Saturday night. He goes with it. I'm pretty sure he actually enjoys it.  I'm also sure he's expecting to come home one day to me building a circus tent in our living room with dogs, monkeys and retired astronauts. He probably wouldn't blink at this point. Every time I tell him that I NEED to do this - he's right on board. I love that (among a million other things) about him.

Fortunately for him, I'm currently working on a large piece that was inspired in part by a project I did back in college and not a circus... yet. I'm exploring mediums I have never used and using mediums I am happily familiar with. Canvas. Mod Podge. Acrylic Paint. Charcoal. Soft Pastels. A map. (I am almost as obsessed with maps as I am with masks) Elmer's glue. Books.

When I was choosing a canvas size, I had the large one picked out. But I got scared and I picked up a 9"x12".

Christina was with me.  I asked her, "Do I start small or is this a go-big-or-go-home kinda moment?"

"Sister, go big or go home."

20" x 30" Almost square... but not. Almost standard... but not.

I have no idea how it will turn out - hopefully well enough for me to share, but one thing is for certain. It is going to be fun. And probably messy. So, I suppose that is two things for certain.

Nightstand Makeover

A few weeks ago, my husband (helpfully) mentioned that I should make some time to work on my "to do" list in terms of decorating our home. With work, family and the holiday, most of our nesting had taken a back burner. Too many times I have jumped right into redecorating projects soon after moving and ended up regretting them. I believe, for me, I have to really settle into a space, absorb it and find out how we really use it.

For example, in our last home, we rarely ate in our dining room. These days, we rarely eat anywhere else. Our TV room is not set up for comfortable plopping in front of the tube and vegging out while we mindlessly shovel food into our mouths. I love this.

We also "cut the cord" with the cable company - so except for basic channels - we don't have "cable". This has made a drastic reduction in losing hours flipping for something to watch. I love this, too.

As a result, however, the wall behind out sofa is completely bare. We aren't really in that room all that often. But we have collected vintage maps and atlas pages of all the places we have traveled together. I have been hunting down old frames to give them more character and plan to collage them. But so far, only two have been framed and none have been hung. It's on the list.

Another item on the list was repainting our nightstands. I got a pair of RAST 3 drawer dresser at IKEA a while ago. I basically just slapped white primer on them with the intention of dressing them up. But they remained white for about 5 years. They didn't look bad - they just didn't have any real style. Before Eric and I got married and I was living on my own,  I was going to paint them something sweet and feminine - a buttery yellow with glass knobs.

 Our bedroom is mostly white - a white pintucked comforter, white lightly designed curtains, white walls - and pale, birch dressers. Because of my afore mentioned experiences with diving right in decorating, and because and I have grown and changed in my style, I've developed a taste for clean, crisp white or neutrals and adding bold color through fabrics and accent pieces.

I opted for a bright lime green color. I mean BRIGHT. I was nervous - it's bolder than any color I've ever painted. I also wanted to change the knobs. I am not a fan of painted wooden knobs. They look to "country" for me. Bright lime green is anything but country so I felt they would look out of place. I poked around the hardware store and found some really simple brushed stainless pulls for $2.99 each that I felt would work.

After lightly sanding and washing them down with mild soap and water, I started painting. Since the dressers were already "primed", I opted to not get the primer/paint in one. Big mistake. I found this color to act a lot like red in terms it was a thin color that needed many coats. I think I did 4 or five coats to get a really good finish. I also got a semi-gloss finish - which I am most pleased about. If it wasn't for the noticeable wood grain, they would almost look like metal.

To help hide the brush strokes, I also used Flood Floetrol as an additive to the paint. You can find it near the paint sprayers in Home Depot and runs about $6.99 for a small bottle. I only used a little bit for my quart of paint, so I have plenty left over for future projects. (Instructions are on the bottle depending on how much paint you have.) It was the first time I used it and overall I am happy with the results. Again, the wood grain makes it a tad more difficult to tell, but I don't see a brush stroke at all. (The real test will be when I paint my desk which has no visible grain what-so-ever)

So TAAA DAAAA... the result! I like it! It's amazing what a little color can do to change up a room. I apologize about the messy bed. I hate when the sheet sneaks out the bottom of the comforter. I will have to take a better after photo - maybe a couple of the whole room. What you can't see is all the crap I have collected in those drawers over the last few years. I believe when we moved them, the drawers stayed in, so I didn't even go through them while packing or unpacking.

Where in the world?

I've been MIA for a bit... but with the holiday rush, followed by a series of colds and ear infections running through our home, I haven't had time to blog. I have a pile up of photos that I planned on blogging with, but that all went out the door... along with piles of wrapping paper and Kleenex.

Stay tuned for blog updates on home projects coming to completion, new adventures, photo projects...until then I will just leave you with this photo of some yummy homemade (with love) chicken noodle soup I made the husband when he was down and out.

Stitch Fix - Fix #2

So what is Stitch Fix? The gist is this - you sign up at stitchfix.com, wait for an invite and then fill out a personal style profile. Be thorough - size, likes, dislikes, style icons - because a personal stylist then picks out fun, unique clothing from designers based on your preferences and for a mere $20 styling fee, they ship it to your door. 

They describe it as "trend-forward, beautiful clothes and accessories from the latest and greatest designers" and I have to agree with that. If you decide to keep one or all of the items, that $20 styling fee goes towards your purchase. (If you keep the whole shipment, they even give you 25% off the entire "fix"!) If nothing suits your fancy, simply pack everything back up in pre-paid mailer and send it back to them. 

This was my second fix. I've yet to lose my styling fee because there has always been something (or two or three) I want in the box. My second shipment was even better than my first because after I shipped the things I didn't choose back, I filled out the online survey of my experience. This helps them get a better idea of the things you like and don't like. I even changed up my style profile to give the stylist even more detail about what I want. 

One of the things about me, I'm busy. So busy, that I almost never get to the dry cleaner. Not to mention, by the end of most days, being a mom, I am sure to have snot, spit or slobber on one part of my wardrobe. I wrote this in my profile and asked that anything they send can be easily washed - please don't send leather or fur or any so delicate it requires dry cleaning.

So here it is:

Violet was just as excited as me about the Stitch Fix shipment!

While I unwrapped the clothing, Violet tore the tissue to shreds... to her this was the most fun. the clothes.. not so much.

What I really love is the details they add - like these style tags that help you get ideas on what to pair with you "fix" items. Now, let's remember I am not a model nor do I think I am... note all the awkward poses and silly faces. 

Item #1: BB Dakota Trovato Arrowhead Blanket Cardi 

This one was tough. When I first pulled it out of the box, I was horrified at the 1970's southwestern sweater revival. After trying it on, I thought it wasn't so bad. It was super comfy and looks good with both jeans and leggings. I may just be swayed to this new old look!

Item #2 :Miilla Calvary Open Lapel Sweater Tunic

This I love! It looks great with leggings and boots. I paired it with a chunky necklace to give it some "pop". I can absolutely see me wearing this out shopping or chilling around the house. A definite keeper! 

Item #3: Everly Dellora 3/4 Sleeve Zig Zag Blouse

I saw this in the box and nearly swooned. Not only do I love and adore chevron, I love bold and fun patterned tops. This one seemed to scream "I have it all". But when I tried it on, I think the pattern was too bold on me. I tried it with both jeans and a pencil skirt and although I want to love it, I don't think it works on me. You have no idea how sad I am about it... I keep trying it on to see if I change my mind. This one is a maybe.

Item #4: Honey Punch Julie Twist Front Top

KEEPER KEEPER KEEPER!!!! I love the sheer, feminine fabric, the flowy cut, the color, the little rectangle buttons on the cuffs, the way it opens in the back. I can wear this out in the evening... with jeans for a more casual look - or even pair it with my black pencil skirt for a more "business" look. I'm not sure what to wear for accessories.. but I am thinking some big, showy earrings and let the shirt speak for itself.

Item #5: Honey Punch Lisbeth Cowl Wrap Twist Top

This one was a puzzle... you can see it's funky shape in the photos, so I am REALLY thankful for those handy tags to show mw what I am suppose to do. When I first had Violet, I bought one of those baby wraps and it took my NUMEROUS tries and finally a trip back to the store for a lesson in how to wrap it. Suffice to say, wrapping cloth is not my forte.

TA DA!!!!! I think I did pretty well with this though. It's super soft and comfy and trés feminine. This is a definite maybe. :)

All in all, I am really pleased with my 2nd fix. I think they did a great job at sending me things I like and wouldn't be able to find around these parts. I will be requesting a 3rd "fix" at some point in the future - but now - I have to pay for Christmas.

If you want to try it - use this link: http://stitchfix.com/users/signup/?referrer_id=3024843. I'm not getting any credit for posting about this, but if you do signup and use that link, I get a $25 credit when you first "fix" ships. Have fun!!!!

the cobbler's kid and all that jazz

Growing up, if you looked around my house, you would have noticed quite a few junction boxes in the wall with a lonely cable wire moping around. Or wires poking out of the sheet rock near the ceiling where speakers should be. Yes. I grew up in the house of a master electrician - and as the saying "The cobbler's kids have no shoes" rang true in my parents house in terms of electrical work - it rings true in the Jodoin house in terms of family photos.

I have been über busy taking family photos this fall for all sorts of families – just not my own. Oh, I have plenty of photos of the Bean, of Violet, of Violet and the Bean, of Eric,Violet and the Bean etc etc... you get the point. While there are very few photos of me with anyone (that happens when one's face is glued to the backside of the camera), there are absolutely NONE of us as a family. How could this be?!!??!

Case in point
Last December, I receive a text from my friend Katie. She wrote "I find it ironic that one of the only non-photo Christmas cards I receive is from my photographer friend." I'm pretty sure the other non-photo holiday cards were from her dentist and auto insurance guy.

I wonder if I have kept it too late? I wonder if I can take a family photo of us... or will have to recruit a photographer friends to help???!?!?! I suppose the first thing to do – is a self attempt. This is where I am thankful for remote shutters. Stay tuned for the results. I'm sure they will be....errr... well... they will be something!

Sales Rep Conversation Chronicles: Episode #1

In case anyone was unaware - I am currently employed as what I refer to as an "Ad Monkey". The best part about my job - aside from all the air conditioning I can handle and birthday cake binges - is the awesome art direction I receive from sales reps and clients alike. I say it with a small side of humor as one has to find and love the humor in the little things day to day...  'cause unless you live in a sitcom (which sometimes I pretend I do) nothing hugely funny is going to happen to you every 24 minutes.

I was looking back at some small "notes" I had written about particularly amusing moments and will share them periodically - as well as add new ones. If you too are an ad monkey - you will appreciate the humor (and the mental cramping) of moments like these.

So without further adieu...

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Dear Sales Rep,
Let me get this straight. You have sent me the same email 5 times to make a 'very important change' to an ad. Now this 'change' is - you sent me a lores file, by the way, but let's not dwell on such small details - the customer is most insistent that I change out the black and white photo in their ad to a color one - the photo of the black and white dalmatian on a white rug being painted over with white paint...

Let me repeat - the photo of the black and white dalmatian on a white rug being painted over with white paint - it should be in color?

*whimper*


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I do really love the people I work with - it's the work that keeps me giggling.

Reminders to self

I will never blame others for the place I am – or am not. The actions and choices of others, while they may effect my feelings, do not define me. It is my reactions and choices that steer my direction. Period.

I am not so small in this world that I have ever seen myself as the "victim" in my life. I am wise enough to be responsible for myself.

People will hurt my feelings. They will trample on my kindness and mistake it for weakness. These people are broken. I will try not be angry with them. This is difficult to do when one has been hurt, but rather, I will pity them because they have demons to conquer and do not know any other way to be. {This one is the hardest.}

I will always be kind. I know my actions - large or small - can effect others. I will never knowingly hurt anyone else for any reason. 

People come into your life, stay and grow with you. Cherish and appreciate them. They help shape the way you see yourself.

People come into your life and people fall out of your life. Some with dramatic exits and some with quiet endings. They are fleeting visitors who leave but always impart a lesson. They also help shape the way you see yourself and how you handle yourself in the future. I will learn from them - but let them go.

I will let go of anger. It is useless to hold onto it.

I will remain silly, thoughtful, slightly weird, sometimes serious and always wonder what I will be when I grow up because I am determined to always be growing.

I will love my children more with every passing moment and cherish the nose and hand prints on the window even though I just cleaned the darned window – because one day they will move away and I will have perfectly clean windows. 

It is easy to feel alone when I am scared - even when surrounded by the largest of crowds. I will feel blessed and thankful that I have found a strong hand to hold, that won't let go, won't give up and reminds me that not only I am supported but my dreams are supported as well.

I will never forget to say "I love you" and "Thank you" – but if I do please remember that I carry your heart with me always and you have mine - even when I'm cranky and overtired.