So Inspired…Jobs

 

Your time is limited,
so don’t waste it
living someone else’s life. 
Don’t be trapped by dogma
– which is living with the results
of other people’s thinking. 
Don’t let the noise
of other’s opinions
drown out your own inner voice. 
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. 
They somehow already know what you truly want to become. 
Everything else is secondary. ----Steve Jobs

I’ve come across this quote a couple of times today…so I think maybe it’s trying to tell me something.  It’s one of my favorite quotes so chances are I’ve probably already used it as a “so inspired” but oh well.  It is definitely worth repeating.  The word COURAGE kind of popped out at me this time when I read it, since COURAGE is my word-of-the-year this year.  Funny how I’ve read the quote hundreds of times and didn’t really focus on the word before.   A little “law of attraction” at work perhaps?!

I’m working on a new book tonight that is a little different than my usual books.  Here’s a sneak peek! 

Kinda running out of steam though (it’s been a really long day) so it probably won’t show up in my Etsy shop till tomorrow night.  Maybe I spent a little too much time tonight on Pinterest (follow me here!) and watching the Bulls.  :)

Speaking of Pinterest…are you addicted yet?  OMG, I keep finding things that I want to make, or eat, or places to visit, or things to make…did I say MAKE?!   The paper “stuff” is my favorite, of course!  Beautiful art journals and really, all things paper.  Love, love, love.  There are such talented people out there.  I’m soooo jealous!  Wouldn’t it be fun to spend all day…every day, making things from paper?  I don’t think I’d ever get bored if I could have an endless supply of paper, embellishments and paint.  Total heaven!  :)

If you could spend all day doing something you loved…what would it be?

Technorati Tags: Pinterest,paper crafts,Etsy,Jobs quote

A new year…A new word….

Here’s a little clue as to my WORD for 2012.  See if you can guess!

Courage - 1 inch Square... AGirlAndHerStu... $7.00	IT TAKES COURAGE origin... kimbade $13.50	sz 7 Silver COURAGE Rin... noramcnamara $20.00
Breathe In Courage katieleese $45.00	Teen Jewelry Gift, Teen... HappyGoLicky $49.50	Have courage - 10 x 10&... ErinCarver $85.00
Courage stamped silver ... randitan $26.00	Courage - Inspirational... PattieJansen $8.50	It takes courage to gro... awpphotography $15.00
Courage Earrings buttonpombouti... $4.00	Courage and Strength shawnagrapenti... $5.00	Silver Bangle Bracelet,... metalsgirl $32.00
COURAGE soft Pink Beade... beyondcharms $3.25	Mustard Seed - Live Cou... SweetAftonStud... $3.00	Beneath Her Feet - ART ... tinkerdotdesig... $5.00
Courage Handstamped Sil... artistiquejewe... $29.99

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

If you guessed COURAGE…you are right!  I’ve got a lot of big things coming up this year that I think will require an extra dose of courage…but we can all use a little more courage, don’t you think? 

What’s your word for 2012? 

Technorati Tags: word of the year,etsy treasury,courage

And the year winds down…

 

This week always feels like a little bit of “limbo land” to me.   The time between Christmas and New Years.  All the craziness of December falls away and I can finally revel in some down time.  It would be wonderful…except I don’t do “down time” very well…unless, of course, I’m laying on the beach!  :)

One of the perks of my job is that I have a little bit of time off at Christmas.  I was done on the 22nd and don’t go back till the 3rd.  Every year, as I’m looking forward to the time off, I always think I’ll get so much done around the house or I’ll do fun things with the kids while they’re home.   Then I remember that my kids are actually looking forward to some much needed R&R after a hectic and exhausting schedule at college.  They can’t wait to have some time to sit around and relax.  So, we watch movies and play cards and then everyone retreats into their own space.

I typically spend a lot time inside my head during this week, thinking of the past year with its good points and its mistakes.  I think ahead to the new year and to all the things I want to do differently.  And, I spend time thinking about my new word-of-the year.  I haven’t quite decided on my new word yet…but I’m hoping to nail it down sometime over the next couple days.  Last year’s word was CHOICE and it was so helpful to me that I’m kind of reluctant to leave it behind.  I get that way about “my word”.  Very attached.   This will be my fourth year of choosing a word.  It all started with ACTION, then CHANGE, and then CHOICE.  Looking back I’m pretty sure I should have done them in reverse order but oh well!  I plan to bring a little bit of each of them along into 2012 anyway!

The end of the year also gets me thinking about how I want to move forward in the new year with my business.  Some upcoming changes are going to present a few challenges to my usual scrapbooking routine but I’m hoping to work through it…or around it.   One constant in my life is that I have always NEEDED a creative outlet.  At times it’s the only thing that keeps me sane!  :)  I’ve had some new ideas floating around in my head for awhile and this just might be the year to expand and try something “outside the box”. 

For now though…here are a couple new books that have found their way into my Etsy shop. 

 

Remember to check out the SOLD (SALES) section in my Etsy shop to see other books I’ve done or to get ideas for a custom order.

Enjoy your day!

:)

Technorati Tags: Etsy,scrapbooks,Swim Scrapbook,Marathon Scrapbook,Word of the Year

So Inspired - Change

All changes,
even the most longed for,
have their melancholy;
for what we leave behind is part of ourselves;
we must die to one life before we can enter into another.
- Anatole France

 

Decision time…

 

Yesterday’s trip to the bookstore yielded 2 books.  GMAT prep and Art Saves.  Two very different books!  Last night as I was laying in bed it occurred to me that the books I bought represent the polar opposites of me.

Creativity has been a part of my life since childhood.  My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was very young.  Around the same time, my mother taught me to sew and I became obsessed with sewing clothes for my Barbies, my dolls and myself.  Before I graduated from 8th grade I sold my saxophone (yeah, NO talent there!!) and used the money to buy my very own sewing machine.  I have been making money sewing or crafting ever since!

Over the years I have sewed everything from wedding and bridesmaid dresses to country crafts.  Somewhere along the line I also picked up a love of painting.  In the 1990s, the craft show circuit put all three of my children through an expensive preschool and allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom…till I went back to college in 2000. 

Like most college students, I changed directions a few times.  I began with an interest in computer science and gradually moved towards business and politics.  As sometimes happens in life (or at least in MY life), once I decided what I really wanted, my circumstances shifted.  But not necessarily in a good way.  It was during my junior year of college that Elliot was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  That changed everything for me.  Fortunately I was able to finish my degree but my ambition had to take a back seat for awhile. 

During my college years, I had all but abandoned my creative side.  But in 2007, creativity began to creep back into my life.  I missed creating things with my hands and putting my creations out into the world.  I knew I no longer wanted to do it through sewing so I dove into something I had been playing with for awhile…scrapbooking.  And… a picket fence life was born.

I hadn’t really intended to write a “bio”…but that very brief and incomplete history in a nutshell brings us to today and where my life is right now.  I can feel things shifting again.  In fact, I feel as though I am standing on an active fault line.  I can’t imagine ever giving up the creative side of me…but I can also see the benefit of grad school.

Theoretically, I should be able to co-exist in both worlds.  But my reality has always proven otherwise.  So it comes down to CHOICE.  If you remember, CHOICE is my word for the year…and it has definitely been a year of making (life-altering) choices.  Given that, I shouldn’t be surprised I’m faced with this one now.  Of course, that doesn’t make it any easier!  :)

Technorati Tags: a picket fence life,word of the year,Art Saves,creativity

 

So Inspired…a turning point.

 

I found that every single successful person
I've ever spoken to had a turning point and
the turning point was where they made a clear,
specific, unequivocal decision that they were not
going to live like this anymore.
Some people make that decision at 15
and some people make it at 50
and most never make it at all.    
-  Brian Tracy

 

We’re almost to the end of June.  The first half of the year gone.  So, I was thinking about my word of the year for 2011.  I haven’t shared it on my blog until now because I was holding it close.  Waiting to see where it would take me.  But now, we’re halfway through the year and maybe it’s time to share.  My word is CHOICE. 

This year I wanted (still want) to focus on the choices I make.  Especially to realize that I do have choices.  Everything is a choice.  And every choice either brings me closer to my goals or takes me farther away from them. 

Unfortunately, I can’t say that every choice I’ve made this year has been a good one but at least I’m trying to make them with some conscious effort…and think about how they fit with my long-term goals.  I’ve also come to realize that all those little choices, when aimed at a common goal can really make significant changes in my life. 

Last year my word of the year was CHANGE and I was a little frustrated because of the lack of results it brought.  But now I know why.  I wasn’t focusing on the choices I needed to make to bring about that change.  Typical me, had the cart before the horse!

This year, I’ve been concentrating on the choices and those choices are the stepping stones to change.  And, change is just the thing to bring about a turning point.

So, I’m looking forward to the second half of the year to see how this word, CHOICE, continues to inspire me.  And how close it can take me to my goals.

Did you pick a word of the year?  If so, is it working for you?

 

Welcome 2011

I’m still trying to get used to the idea of 2011.  It hasn’t completely sunk in yet.  Maybe I just haven’t written the date enough yet…or quite possibly it’s because I still have a little unfinished business with 2010.

So, here we go. 

First…I want to thank all my blog readers (yeah, YOU!) for following along with my sometimes sporadic…and often eclectic posts.  I always think I’m going to write more often but somehow life (or a nasty mood or scrapbooking !!) gets in the way and I don’t post as often as I would like.  So thank you for hanging in there…or checking back to make sure I’m still here!  And, especially THANK YOU for leaving a comment now and then.  It’s nice to know there’s someone out there…and I LOVE to hear your thoughts as well.

Second…a big heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to all my customers from 2010.   Whether you did a little shopping in my Etsy shop or sent me a direct order or picked up a little something from me at a local show…I can’t thank you enough for supporting small businesses in general…and MY small business in particular.  :) 

And, third…My word of the year…from 2010.  For the past few months I’ve been thinking about what I would write for the post about my 2010 word of the year…CHANGE.   And, since I’ve been conflicted about how much to share, I’ve been putting off writing the post.  We’ve had a bit of a love-hate relationship this year…me and my word.  I’ve written a few times throughout the year about how CHANGE has come about for me in 2010…especially (and unfortunately) in the form of a few deaths and the loss of our beloved Lucky…but there have also been some good changes.   Like the unexpected disappearance of Elliot’s tumor.  HOORAY!  And the new addition to our family, Toby (yeah, he has 2 ears…one is apparently laying down in this photo).   There have been changes in the dynamics at work.  Changes as my children continue to gain (and enjoy) their independence.  Changes in health.  Changes in interests.  Changes in priorities.  Changes in attitude.  

As we all know, change is constant.  We’re always changing.  Sometimes growing.  Sometimes staying stagnant as the world around us changes.  Some changes are obvious for everyone to see and some changes are internal where they can only be felt on a very personal and private level. 

When I chose this word a year ago I had some pretty specific changes in mind.  Some BIG changes.  Some high expectations.   Did they all come true?  Nope.  Not even close.  So was this year (or this word of the year) a failure?  I would have to say NO to that as well.

If nothing else, this year has proven to me that sometimes it’s the small changes that can have the biggest impact on my life.  A new way of thinking about things.  Recognizing the effect certain situations have on me.   Noticing how certain people make me feel.  The things that energize me…or drain me.   Paying attention to the things that inspire me. 

This year has also taught me that little changes can add up and are a great way to prepare for the big changes ahead.  So, as I venture into 2011, CHANGE…specifically intentional CHANGE…will still be a part of me. 

Want more information about choosing a word-of-the-year?  Check out these blogs

Christine Kane’s Blog

Ali Edwards – One Little Word

Tonya Leigh

Technorati Tags: word of the year,change,Etsy

So Inspired

 

When we are no longer able
to change a situation,
we are challenged
to change ourselves. 
~Victor Frankl

My Word-of-the-Year for 2010 has been CHANGE.   As the year starts to wind down I’ve been reflecting on what it is has meant for me.  There have been some big changes this year and some smaller, more subtle ones too.  Of course there have been some changes that I have hoped for, wished for, worked towards…that I just couldn’t make happen.  Or at least happen in the way that I wanted.  Those are the situations Frankl speaks of.  The ones that challenge us to make changes within ourselves. 

I’ll be posting my reflection on CHANGE in December.  But for now I’m starting to contemplate my word for 2011.  CHANGE and I aren’t quite finished though.  I’m hoping for one more big one before the year closes.  Fingers crossed! 

If you’d like to start your journey towards picking a WORD, check out Christine Kane’s Blog for some inspiration.

Technorati Tags: word of the year,Christine Kane's Blog,inspiration

 

So Inspired…Words to Live By…12

 

Opportunity is missed by most people

because it is dressed in overalls

and looks like work.  ~Thomas Edison

I used this quote in my speech at graduation a few years back.  Since graduation season is upon us, I thought it would be a good time to drag it out again. 

This is actually something I have been thinking about a lot over the past few months.  It also ties in with my 2010 word of the year (change)…and it definitely influenced my decision to take classes again, starting in the fall.  As the saying goes, you have to make your own opportunities…and sometimes, opportunities take a lot of work!

What work are you doing to prepare for upcoming opportunities?

My Mother’s Day Gift…Toby

His official name is Catawba Mountain Ronon….but he has been unofficially named TOBY.  He’s named after Toby Zachary Ziegler from the West Wing (of course!).   He’s a bit scruffy like Toby and a little bit of a renegade like Toby so I think it fits.

We’re still getting used to each other.  And we’ve had a few disagreements….he thinks it’s fine to use my carpet as a potty and I think he should be doing his business OUTside….but eventually I’m sure he’ll come around and see things my way.  Cuz basically in that department…it’s MY way or the highway! 

I’m willing to overlook a few indiscretions  while he’s getting used to his new environment, but I’m praying this phase will be short!  I think he’s laying his territory since I’m sure the house is still ‘scented’ like Lucky.  So Toby is just trying to make it his own.  Right?  Maybe some of you more experienced dog owners can help me out on this.

It’s a little hard not to constantly compare him to Lucky…but they are very different.  Lucky was 10 years old when he died in March so he was a pretty mellow dude the last few years.  He loved to lay right beside my chair.  I always had to look before I moved so I wouldn’t roll over him.   Toby doesn’t feel the need to even be in the same room.   He’s also just 2-1/2 years old so he’s got more puppy in him.  He still has some of that toddler walk going on.  You know, kind of like he’s moving faster than his body can actually control.  And, of course, he’s not used to this house yet so he’s constantly running into things.  If I’m walking around, he walks with me but instead of watching where’s he’s going, he watches me.  So bam…right into the doorway or cabinet or furniture.

This is definitely a new adventure.  One more way CHANGE has made it’s way into my life this year.

 

So Inspired…Words to Live By…6

We did not change as we grew older;

we just became more clearly ourselves. 

~Lynn Hall

 

First, I’d like to thank Tracey at Notes from A Cottage Industry for letting all of us hitch our wagons to hers.  She is so generous to share her readers!  So welcome to all of you that have stopped by via Tracey’s blog.  I’m glad to have you here and hope you stick around and do a little exploring.   And, of course, I’d love to read your comments, have you visit my Etsy shop or become a fan of my facebook page.  :)  Just sayin’!

Some of you may remember my Word of the Year post back in January.  I love the idea of having a word of the year to guide me.  Obviously it was not my ‘invention’…this Word of the Year thing.  It was an idea I got from reading Christine Kane’s blog.  Love her blog by the way…you really should check it out (after you’re done reading mine, of course!).  Anyway, now that the first quarter of 2010 has passed I thought I’d reflect a little bit on my word.   As a reminder, my word for 2010 is CHANGE. 

And there have definitely been changes.  Big changes.  First the loss of my father-in-law and then the passing of our beloved Lucky.   I never would have guessed back in January that by spring we would be living without our faithful friend.   It’s been almost 3 weeks now and still I expect him to greet me every morning and I look for him in the window when I arrive home from work.  The jingle of his dog tags that used to drive me crazy has now been replaced by deafening silence.  He started out as Ceara’s dog (she begged and begged until we finally gave in) but as the years passed and the kids grew older and began spending more time away from home, he was never far from my side.  He could often be found laying in my studio amidst my scrapbooking supplies (yeah, I tend to stack things all over the floor when I’m working).  He never chewed one thing and would always walk carefully around piles of paper so he wouldn’t wrinkle them!  Oh, such a good dog!  So all of us have had to adjust to this change.  And, I must admit that I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. 

Although I miss Lucky terribly, I’m not in a huge hurry to get another dog.  Part of the reason I haven’t committed to bringing another dog into our home is that for the first time in 27 years of married life I am finally in a place where I do not have a step-child, a child or an animal to take care of on a daily basis.  It’s kind of liberating.  Actually, it’s VERY liberating!  Now, that’s not saying that I don’t miss my kids….but I get to see my girls usually at least once a week at the college and I see Elliot every few months.  It’s part of the deal…they grow up and get to have their own lives.   And I get to spend some time contemplating what’s next for me. 

This change to the empty nest phase of my life has been easing in for a couple of years…but the past few months it has settled into my soul and created a home.  I’ve been taking better care of myself and changing the way I eat.  Now I consciously decide if a food is something I want to put in my body or not.  No more consuming junk just because it’s what’s available or convenient.   I still have a ways to go in my own personal “food revolution” but for the first time in….well, EVER…my head is in the game when it comes to food and my eating habits.  It’s no longer just about weight loss…but more importantly, about living a healthy life.

Other changes that have occurred since the first of the year are a bit more subtle.  Probably completely undetectable to others at this point…but very real to me.  For the first time in a very long time I am beginning to see ME.  To feel MY thoughts and to dream MY dreams.  For so many years I have been a wife, a mom, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a co-worker and a student.  I’ve done the things I was supposed to do and followed the path I was expected to follow (well, sort of!).  And somewhere along the journey I had lost ME.  So now in the quiet of my house…without music lessons, track meets, dance lessons and play practice to run to, I’m starting to discover what makes ME sing.

I don’t know…I thought I’ve been changing…but maybe I am just finally becoming a clearer, truer vision/version of ME.

 

 

Word-of-the-Year (CHANGE)

There it is….my word for 2010.

Change.

As I mentioned before, in preparation for choosing my word for 2010 I printed out a list and kept checking it for something to pop out at me. So many of the words grabbed my attention as I skimmed down the list. Each one in its own way pleading for me to choose it. I came up with rationales for most of them. Pretty much the only one that was easy to dismiss was ACTION…because I had already spent a year tossing it around. The others held promise. They teased me with the opportunities they might offer. I couldn’t decide. Typical.

Each day I eagerly awaited the new posting on Christine Kane’s blog. Hoping that one of the chosen words of her guest writers would strike a cord with me and help me to climb out of my indecision. I smiled to myself in disbelief when someone posted that her word chose HER.  Ha…I thought. If only that would happen to me. How cool would it be to see the sign so clearly. To know that a word was right. That it deserved a whole year devoted to it.

Then amazingly enough, over the next few days MY word appeared to me…repeatedly. It followed me around like a puppy dog wanting attention. It first emerged when I discovered someone copying my designs and descriptions in my Etsy shop. My initial thought was to be mad. Then I decided to make some CHANGEs in my shop instead. Next I was feeling sluggish and irritable after eating so many holiday sweets (and candy from the jar in my office!). Instead of accepting that it was just part of the season I decided to CHANGE my eating habits. As Christmas grew closer and stress started to build faster than my enthusiasm for the holiday, it once again occurred to me that I could CHANGE my expectations and do Christmas on my terms. As the days passed it seemed like every time someone said the word CHANGE or it appeared in print it jumped out at me like a neon billboard.

Finally I said OK….I get it! The decision had been made. But then I started to wonder if I would be setting myself up for the wrong kind of change. What if I focused on CHANGE and things changed for the worse? You know, as in be careful what you wish for. After all, change can be scary. Change can be uncomfortable. Change can make a person feel vulnerable. Yeah, change can definitely swing both ways.

But, here it is. January 1. And my word is CHANGE. I can see so much potential in the word that I’m willing to take the gamble. I feel empowered already!

Oh…by the way. I couldn’t remember what word the person who said ‘her word chose her’ had picked. So I went back to the blog tonight and checked.  It was CHANGE.  :)

Out with the Old Word-of-the-Year

Goodbye 2009. I’m so ready to move on into 2010…but first I still have some unfinished business with 2009.


Last year, after reading inspiring stories on Christine Kane’s blog about a Word-of-the-Year, I decided to skip the New Years Resolutions and instead choose a word for 2009. A word to help guide me and provide inspiration and focus. My word was ACTION.

I chose ACTION because I tend to be a dreamer…but then I think most creative types are cursed blessed with this particular trait. The problem with being a dreamer (at least for me) is that I tend to get stuck in the dreaming phase and don’t move beyond it.

So for the past 12 months I have used my word to help propel me from that place of inertia, even if that movement sometimes pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Like anything new, this first experience with my word wasn’t perfect but we hung in there and made it through.

Mostly the word helped with my business…moving me forward when previously I would have only bounced the ideas around in my head. Instead of wondering what it would be like to do shows again after being away from them for about a dozen years, I signed up and worked on building inventory. When it came time to do some online marketing, I remembered my word ---ACTION and moved ahead instead of becoming frozen with doubts.

In the past I was likely to put things off because I was caught in the trap of perfectionism. I thought if everything wasn’t exactly in place or precisely at the level I thought it should be, it was better to just do nothing. This year I took ACTION and did the best I could with the time or the resources I had.

So as 2009 ends, I am grateful for my word. As a first attempt, I think it went well. Now…on to 2010 and a new word!

Here’s a clue…

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” - Albert Einstein

Pick a word for 2010...but not just any word!

It's that time of  year again.  No, I'm not talking about Christmas...although obviously it's THAT time of year too.  But what I'm talking about is--it's time to start thinking about your WORD for the new year.  2010.  It's right around the corner you know!

Well, if you don't know what I'm talking about, go check out this blog post.  One of my favorite blogs is Christine Kane's Blog.  And, probably my favorite thing about her blog is the WORD OF THE YEAR.  During the month of December her blog features guest posts from readers who have chosen a WORD to guide them throughout the previous year.  They write about what that WORD meant to them and what kind of changes came about in their lives because of it.  One WORD that sets the intention and focus for the entire year. 

For 2009 I chose the word ACTION.   I'll write more about it later this month, but for now I encourage you to start thinking about your WORD for 2010.  In preparation for choosing my new WORD, I've copied the list of suggestions from Christine's blog, added a few of my own and printed them on a sheet of paper to refer to over the next couple weeks.  When choosing your WORD, keep in mind that it's a word you're going to be living with for the next 12 months.  It should be a word that will inspire you, is meaningful for you and will focus your intention.  Give it some thought before diving right in and picking a WORD. 

Don't forget to check Christine's blog for the daily WORDs from readers!  You'll be SO inspired!

Let me know what you think...

jude