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2011 went by in a flash!

2011-12-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

My last post was in February!! Are you kidding? How does time fly by so unbelievably quickly? I don't know. What I do know is that I miss blogging. Even if there really aren't too many people reading what I have to say or share with them, that's okay. I suppose it is because in my heart, I love to write. I always have. And while I do write pretty much daily in my personal journals and books, many times the writing is stream of consciousness with the sole purpose of "just getting it out". There are far too many concerns, ideas, what-if's, to-do's, inspirations, lists, projects, and other bits of random thoughts running through my mind at any given moment. So, I write to clear my head- at times in the morning, but more often at night to empty it all out and hopefully fall asleep easier. It doesn't always ensure a good night's rest; but without a doubt, I feel better afterwards, more... at peace.

Lately I have had a nagging feeling that I should be writing something with a purpose in mind- whether it be to share a great resource, my latest project, documenting important events or requesting feedback on an artistic pursuit or idea. So, that is why I have returned here to my little spot on the internet. To write with some sort of purpose in mind, to share things that I think are fantastic, and to find out if anyone else thinks so. Hopefully I will also feed my desire to be doing something a little bigger with this little life I have been given- in my own little way. But, for now, let's not get carried away with lofty expectations. I will simply give you an update on what has happened over the past year in- what else?- the form of a list.

The Best Things That Have Happened Since Last December
1. I have lost nearly 50 pounds. (Steroids suck and I am glad to be off of them.)
2. I have worked in my books almost everyday using text and image. (Isn't there anyone who will employ me to journal everyday? That would be perfect!)
3. I traveled to Amsterdam and learned A LOT.
4. I found an AMAZING company that I can buy fresh, gluten free, dairy free food from that actually tastes great! (www.myfitfoods.com)
5. I got to see the Spurs whoop the Lakers in LA at the Staples Center- on our way to Hawaii, which was super beautiful even though I was sick half the time.
6. I got to add some AMAZING pieces to my little art collection- they make me super happy!
7. I also got to attend the Kentucky Derby, and although it was friggin' freezing, it was a fun excuse to wear some outrageous headpieces.
8. A couple of friends got married in our backyard, we welcomed another little blond-haired niece into the world, and we got to visit with great friends here at home and at the Jersey shore.
9. My studio is actually in working order and has been for a while now- such a pleasure to just pop in and do some work. I love it!
10. And I've added more art-making/creative time into my life (well, I've tried anyhow) by going to weekend crops, various local classes and joining the San Antonio Calligrapher's Guild. Trying to surround myself with more people that embrace creativity and art-making has been very rewarding and I highly recommend it!

There's probably a lot more awesome stuff that's happened this year, but it's not right on the top of my head right now; so, that's all for now because I have got to get some chores done! Oh yeah, and I still have an amazing family, a gorgeous pooch, a sweet-when-he-wants-to-be-boyfriend that I still love like crazy and a crackling fire. All in all, life is good.

xoxo, iris

A weekend to journal

2011-02-19T20:51:00.001-08:00

Like I said in my previous post- I'm looking for something this weekend. Some truth, some insight to point me in the right direction.

For the past 24 hours or so I've been holed up in a small conference room at a Courtyard Marriott here in San Antonio. Let me explain. A good friend of mine began scrapbooking a while ago. She is a stay at home mom of two amazing young children. They are beautiful and she loves them with all her heart, but if you are a mother I know you'll understand me when I say that she was about to lose her mind. She needed an outlet. A space to create something other than dinner and a neat pile of folded laundry. She began to attend classes at a local store with her mother, and soon after she had a new hobby that allowed her a format to create and perhaps more importantly, she was granted time away from her children. A break. A very brief hiatus from being the be-all-end-all to two little humans. Fast forward a few months and she is attending scrapbook weekend retreats here in town when she can convince someone to babysit for a few hours. It's a haven for her. She confided to me that at the first one she attended, she barely cropped a photo, instead playing the entire first season of Dexter on her laptop and listening through headphones. No crying babies, no diaper changes or noses to wipe for a few precious hours. Peace.

This weekend, we are at one such retreat. I am not a scrapbooker, per se, but I come along for the chisme and my own version of peace- time to just sit and write and cut and paste and remember what I love to do. Now, I'll admit, I have the luxury of a studio in my home. The room is painted a beautiful light blue-green shade called Vintage Map and when I set it up, I spent a few weekends and most of my then-savings on buying and assembling Elfa shelving and desks from the Container Store. One wall is mostly windows and I can look out upon evergreen shrubs, a live oak tree and the squirrels incessantly digging holes in my lawn. I have ample storage space, desk space, and wall space; in fact, the only space I don't seem to have enough of, is the space in my head. It seems to be perpetually full of never ending to-do lists. And though I love my home and I feel a sense of peace when I enter it, everywhere I look, I see reminders of what I "should" be doing. The laundry, the bills, training the dog, scrubbing the grout between the tiles in the kitchen, replacing the hardware on the cabinetry, and on and on and on. So, when I am trying to create or reflect or design a future, I feel as though it is a selfish act. One that doesn't serve enough people, only me.

I have realized, however, that the time I take to refill my own well pays dividends again and again. And not just for me. The time I spend in solitude creating something- whether it is journal page or a hand bound book, refreshes and re-energizes me so that when the time comes to make dinner, fold the laundry, walk the dog or participate in a campaign raising funds to build wells in Ethiopia- I can do it. And more importantly, I want to do it.

And this is not just a spiritual exercise, but a practical one as well. Because for me, when I am cutting, folding, pasting- that is when I work through all the little problems that have been hanging out atop my shoulders. That is the time when solutions arise, new designs emerge, a crucial contact is remembered. That is the time I am in flow.

That time is this weekend, to an extent. I have 3 days and a 6 foot table to myself. No one will ask me to cook for them, whine to let them go outside to potty, or ask if I can wash and fold the pile of laundry that has begun to take over the closet floor. This time is for me... so that later, I can be there for them.

So, I encourage you to find your own place where you are at peace, where things are easy and time flies. And visit there often. Because just like my creative time makes me a better person, friend, girlfriend, and entrepreneur and my friend's scrapbooking time makes her a better mom and wife, I am sure that your time spent pursuing the thing that brings you peace will make you a better person as well.

xoxo, Iris

I'm looking for something...

2011-02-18T17:23:00.000-08:00

All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered. The point is to discover them.
-Galileo

Creative Entrepreneur Retreat - No.3

2011-02-15T01:47:00.000-08:00

So, here is the third installment of my short series on my experience at the reTREAT with Lisa Sonora Beam at La Hacienda Mosaico, and unfortunately my little posts are not doing it justice, but as I continue to work in my journal I will try to include more details on the process. One night we went downtown to do a little shopping and what not- this little collection of calacas was in one of the shops where I bought a little donkey. No, really, a little colorful donkey to put on my shelf- I'll have to take a picture of my little burro for you guys.
Just a quick pic to give you an idea of the awesome rooms at La Hacienda Mosaico. They're each a little different, but all comfortable, colorful and perfect for escaping from your own day to day.
Here, I was experimenting with using craft paint to put color on a page- quickly. I can't remember where I first learned this technique of spreading paint on the page with a credit card/hotel room key, but Lisa shared it with us as one of her favorite ways to prep or start a page. I love the effect you can get on the page by combining colors- this page reminds me of a robin's egg. And, of course, to the left of my book is Lisa's book, The Creative Entrepreneur.
These are the other lovely ladies taking the workshop- all deep in the process.

It was so awesome to be in the room with so many others who are also trying to forge their own path in the world with creativity, inspiration, and beauty at the forefront. I've learned these ideas are not important to everyone and when you can find people who can really relate, it's priceless.
This is the bell tower of the cathedral downtown, we were able to catch a bit of one of the processions honoring la Virgen de Guadalupe, who I believe is like the patron saint of the city. Unfortunately, most of my shots didn't come out- should have taken the big camera.
And above is a parting shot of the studio. Of course, I was the last to leave- due to either procrastination or rampant insomnia. I don't know.

And above are some of my last views of La Hacienda Mosaico. I really can't say enough about the b & b, the workshop and the other participants. I didn't want the week to end and I can't wait to return! In coming days/weeks/months as I continue to work through my journal and pursue a creative life and the forging of a small business, I will refer back to my time here adding more details on process, links for more information and hopefully someone will be inspired to buy Lisa's book, attend one of her workshops and embark on their own pursuit of creative entrepreneurship. Click on the links sprinkled throughout this post (and previous ones) to take you to Lisa's website, La Hacienda Mosaico and even a direct link to buy the book at Amazon. I will also be adding a button or badge (?) on my blog permanently to take you directly to Lisa. That's how amazing I think she is. Her book and workshops have made such an enormous impact on my life. I am incredibly thankful that I was blessed enough to take a workshop with her in California a few months before everything went to hell in a handbasket (read- I got really, really sick), because using her methods of journaling (writing, collaging, painting, etc) are what kept me sane and optimistic and grateful through a very difficult time. I only wish I had known about her sooner- like before my divorce. :)

So please check out the links if your curious and I look forward to sharing the progress I've made in my journal since then and perhaps connecting with the other amazing women I met through their own blogs and businesses. Thanks for reading!

xoxo,
Iris

Creative Entrepreneur Retreat - No.2

2011-01-07T07:05:00.001-08:00

note: I started writing this post right after New Years. It only took, what, six or seven weeks to finish and publish. I think we're making progress here.

Hola senoritas! Apologies for the hiatus, but the holidays are pure and utter craziness for me- mostly because of my affinity for over committing and procrastination. What can I say, it is what it is. I seriously doubt my 3 followers are going to be up in arms about the situation.

However, I do still want to share a bit about my amazing retreat experience before I move on to more current events. Although I love to write, at this time I believe the quickest and easiest way to share will be through photos, though I didn't take nearly enough. So, at the top is a photo of the beginnings of my creative mandala. This is an exercise Lisa Sonora Beam leads you through in her book (The Creative Entrepreneur), but of course we got face to face hand holding which is always nice. This process allows you to figure out what you do that really has meaning for you, what you're really good at and whether or not those things have value in the market place among other crucial things. Lisa is much better at explaining all this in her book, so I highly recommend it.
Above is a variation of a page we made each day to record at least 10 things we learned that day, from various journaling techniques to great quotes to true "aha" moments.

One night, we had dinner at a taco stand a few blocks away. It was so ridiculously good. And an amazing value- like 8 dollars or something! I wish I had a taco stand I could walk to here at home. I would literally eat there everyday.
This is the first part of a collage I put together using images to answer the question, "What do I really, really want?" As I was tearing out the pages/images I was hearing words like light, openness, beauty, flowers, freedom, risk, adventure, books, design- you know, things like that.
I love alphabet stamps. And handwriting. Below is the back of the second page, also still in the works. Above is the close up shot. Oh, and I love the macro setting on my camera.
I suppose that was near the end of the day, or perhaps a lunch break. Below are a couple more shots of the Hacienda grounds- the first is on the way back to my room.

I mean, seriously, how amazing is this?! I need to replicate this outdoor living room at my house. Yes, I'll put that on the 2011 To Do List.
Alright, so that's installment number 2. Next- you guessed it- number 3!!
xoxo,
Iris

New Look!

2010-12-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

Oooohh, I love this new background! Books, books, and more books- it's like heaven.

Oh, and check out the new logo for Shop 1031.

More coming soon. :)

Creative Entrepreneur Retreat - No.1

2010-12-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

Okay kids, the blog's back on.
I'm going to just override the need to fill in the gaps between July and today and just start talking about what's happening here and now.
(Some journaling on the plane to get revved up before the retreat...)
First up, I just got back from the most amazing retreat ever in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I spent the week with 9 other amazing women and our fearless leader Lisa Sonora Beam at the incredible Hacienda Mosaico. I wrote somewhere that time and space for creative work is the ultimate luxury and now I know it to be true. I don't even know how to begin to describe the week- it was so chock full of color, laughter, inspiration, and "aha" moments. Not to mention the incredible experience of spending the week with some of the smartest, funniest, most caring and inspiring women I've ever met. So, I will just start with the where and move on from there.
View out my airplane window- it's Mexico! Can't wait to get on the ground and check out Puerto Vallarta.
Outside the walls of the hacienda; even from the outside, you can tell it's going to be full of life and color.
The first of the stairs leading up to the studio. How cool is that?!
Beautiful! Can you believe this is the view out one of the windows in the studio- how could you not be inspired here?
And this is the outdoor kitchen (by the pool!) where we were served a delicious breakfast and lunch each day by Sam (the proprietor), Alicia and the rest of her wonderful staff. It's also where Sam would make her amazing margaritas for us each evening upon request. I didn't want to leave!
Aaaahhh, what a lovely view before bedtime. More to come!
xoxoxo,
iris

(Insert clever title here)

2010-07-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

I just read my last post. And the comments left. It made me sniffle-ey. (is that how you spell sniffle?) Who knows?

Well, many, many things have happened since I last wrote. And since I am the type of personality that cannot tell you about today unless you know about yesterday, I will put these varied and important events in a very small nutshell for you- in the form of a list. Yay, lists!

Things that have happened since my last post- not in strictly chronological order:
1. I just read through my posts going through January and have concluded I'm a huge dork.
2. I'm okay with number one.
3. I've had another umpteen million doctors/ specialists/ therapists visits and have become quite friendly with the receptionists and nurses.
4. My mom and I heard about qigong and how people have made dramatic changes in their health by practicing on a regular basis.
5. We went to Colorado and met with a master to learn techniques, exercises and meditations.
6. I started acupuncture after a particularly discouraging visit with my hand surgeon.
7. After 3 weeks of acupuncture and Chinese herbs and qigong practice (and staying on all my meds, of course), the necrosis seemed to stop spreading.
8. Three weeks after that, there's new tissue being formed and less pain.
9. I've stopped taking almost all my pain medicine.
10. My right index finger finally healed (it took 6 months instead of 6 weeks, but i'll take it).
11. I went to Key West (and ended up in a clinic with an infection, ugh!) and chilled like a rock star for a week or so.
12. I have confirmed I have the most amazing parents the world over.
13. I read the entire Twilight saga again in preparation for the movie, Eclipse. I'm still smitten.
14. My house is gradually being filled with all the art I've been acquiring since... well, since forever and it looks like real people live here.
15. My puppy continues to grow like a weed- a very large, strong weed. She's about 11 months and 95 pounds. (she has 7 more growing months)
16. The boy continues his campaign for sainthood by being understanding (and silent) while I occasionally have complete meltdowns and act completely irrational and yell at him for being logical. This happened recently.
17. My sweet little ride- the '95 Maxima- is finally being retired.... with 195,000+ miles on the odometer. It is being replaced with another Nissan- hey, I'm loyal, okay?- that will better accommodate my pony. Oh, I mean dog- an suv to better accommodate my dog.
18. I have rediscovered my love of music.
19. I have reconnected with some old friends and I'm so thankful they found me.
20. I have determined an acceptable alternate life path would have been to major in English due to my love of reading, writing, words and the English language.

So that's what I can think of right now. I won't promise to post tomorrow, for that is the surest way to guarantee an extended absence. So... I'll see when I see you.
xoxoxo

Oh, and I love you all, Nyssa, Jaime, Cristalynn, and Lyn. You fill me up. Thank you.

Let it flow

2010-05-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I'm feeling very emotional right now, so this probably isn't the best time to post, but I've been waiting for the right time to post since March and we can see how well that went. I'm emotional because it's been a long week full of therapy (for my hands) and doctors and not-so-good news about my "condition". And I'm tired. I'm so tired of being sick. I just want to be normal again. I want my hands to feel warm and strong instead of painful and weak. I suppose I'm just feeling a little sorry for myself. And scared. I'm scared I won't ever get better. That this is how it will always be- everything revolving around the current health crisis and all the doctors and treatments that we're hoping will work. And I'm scared that at some point the people I love will get tired of all this just like I do and will begin to fade away into the names of people I "used to know".

So this is real. This is the real me. No front of endless optimism and strength and self reliance. Although most of the time I am filled with faith and hope and gratitude that I have wonderful doctors and medical professionals treating me and amazing family and friends that support me and pray for me, right now I feel very small and scared. And that's so hard to admit. But it's the truth. A friend, a dear friend, told me that I need to be more open with my heart and emotions and that will help me heal on the inside and the outside. So this is me trying. Trying to be honest and open about the parts of me that I don't let others see. I know it is possible for my body to heal itself- I know it deep down in my heart- and will pursue every avenue that can aid in that healing... including sharing my emotions, if that is on the pathway to good health. Having said that, my intention isn't for this blog to become my own personal pity party, but perhaps I will share more of the spectrum of emotions I'm going through. I'm not sure what that will accomplish, but maybe someone will read my words and realize they're not alone, or maybe my friends will feel better connected to me, or maybe it will just allow me to feel lighter without carrying around extra negativity. Who knows? Either way, someone will benefit. I'm sure of it.

As for an update on my life, I go to hyperbaric therapy everyday for 3-4 hours. I had another surgery last week, this time on my left hand. This time I have 3 new scars- one's even zig-zag. Kinda cool. Unfortunately, once the doctor opened up my palm he realized there was not much he could do because I just have so few and such small blood vessels in my hands. Surgically he's done all he can besides removing the finger (because it's causing so much pain). The rhuematologist has changed my medicine in an effort to improve the circulation and hopefully keep the necrosis from spreading more and me losing my finger- or a bigger part of it. I hope that it works.

Alright, I must retire for the evening. More tomorrow.
xoxo

Words to live by

2010-03-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Oh, I love sunshine!! It's gorgeous outside today and I'm so happy! I love the feel of the sun on my face, such a nice warmth. I have so much to share and write about, but my to-do list is literally about a mile long and working in another time crunch is jumbling my priorities up. It's that constant struggle between what is really truly important to you but not urgent (like making art and other creative pursuits) and what is urgent and needs to get done but not necessarily fulfilling (like vehicle inspection stickers and unpacking the suitcase from the last trip. And yes, I am a little embarrassed that it's still sitting half-packed in my bedroom. But only a little.) So, today I will be uploading my pics from Vegas and maybe Costa Rica so I can share a couple recent adventures with you before I leave for Key West. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a quote I ran across today. The author is unknown to me.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to
dance in the rain."

New Stuffs a'Comin!

2010-03-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

So much to share with you guys!

I really do love having my blog, so I'm going to recommit to posting regularly. So coming attractions will be some pics from Costa Rica, Vegas, the Art and Soul classes, updates on my hand- I think I'm finally ready to share what it looks like, New Projects, New Art Acquisitions, Stella "the Beast" Gonyea-Lee, and much more! Are you excited yet? I know you are, I can feel it. I need to make myself presentable because I think the boy will be home early and I've been doing housework all morning, and -bless his heart, he's endured enough days of unwashed hair, no-makeup, and pajamas to last awhile, I think.

In the meantime, here's a pic of Stella pooped after a day at Camp Bow Wow- she's so cute!- and the new short finger, Frankie. My hand looks pretty normal now that the scars from surgery are healed and the stitches are out. There's still a scab on the end of my finger, but that will take time to fall off little by little- still a little gross looking. But this is night and day compared to my hand right after surgery (very Frankensteinish), maybe one day I'll share those pics if anyone actually wants to see them.

Be back soon!
xoxoxo

It's Vegas, Baby!

2010-02-17T14:44:00.000-08:00

Ohmigosh! There's so much to do!

This Saturday my mom and I will head out to Las Vegas- Sin City, baby! Well, not really. I am going with my mom after all! We'll be attending an Art and Soul Retreat and I'm so excited! It's my first ever art retreat and I've been wanting to attend one ever since I learned about these magical little gatherings. I remember sitting in front of the computer in my old house (about 5 addresses ago) and poring over the websites for hours and adding and calculating and racking my brain to figure out how I could possibly make it happen. But you know, things happen when they're supposed to and not always on our own time frames. So, now I am finally getting to go and I'm getting to share the whole thing with my mom- so awesome!

I am so tremendously blessed and in such a great place in my life right now; I just couldn't be more excited about what the future holds for me and my family and my career and so much of that has to do with my partner, the boy- as you might know him. I try to keep his specifics out of this blog because he has a corporate job and I wouldn't ever want to write or post anything that would put that in jeopardy, so let's just say he's an amazing and wonderful person and has really been here for me throughout all of the trials over the last few months. It has truly been a test for us, as individuals and as a couple and I'm so happy to say that we are stronger and more in love (at least on my end!) than ever before.

Okay, I'm going to be back in few hours with some type of pretty pictures of something creative. I don't know what yet, but I'm determined!

xoxox

Costa Rica or bust!

2010-02-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

It's already February! What the heck? Well, they say distance makes the heart grow fonder so I'm just going to assume you guys are really happy to see a new post from me. No? Oh well.

So this past month has been... hmmm.... a bit of a rollercoaster. Some days are good, some aren't. Some days are marked by relentless pain, others by nausea, and others by so much exhaustion that I literally sleep for 20 hours out of the day. And then some days, for a few hours, I feel almost a little bit normal. And it's during those times that I think okay, we're making progress. In fact, today I'm going to pack my bags for a little trip to Costa Rica! The boy and I will be basking in glorious sunshine and 93 degree weather. I can't wait to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. This is an incentive trip through his company and I've been with him on every one he's ever earned, so I just couldn't bear to miss it. I know I won't be able to participate in most of the activities and socializing but I figure if I'm going to resting most of the day, then at least I can do it somewhere warm. Not to mention, that my mom needs a break from taking care of me, poor thing! Hopefully I'll come back with some great pictures to share that will inspire feelings of warmth and sunshine to help us get through the rest of winter.

Gotta go get ready for a doctor's appointment, but I think I'll take my laptop and post from Costa Rica since I'll probably be spending a good amount of time on my own. I want to take advantage of the time away from home to clear my head and examine my goals for this coming year and create some journal pages to illustrate them. So, here's looking forward to having lots of pretties to share. We all need a bit of pretty during these dull, cold months. And I don't even live somewhere cold, like Minnesota or Wisconsin. Ugh, I can't imagine!

Just the tip

2010-01-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

My apologies to my loyal readers... er, reader? Well, no matter. The week presented a host of new challenges resulting in hand surgery where they (people with scalpels and anesthesia) took part of my finger. The correct term is amputated, but I just say "took" because the word "amputation" is scary sounding. Freaks people out. Freaks me out. Anyhow, on Tuesday I go back to the surgeon so he can remove the dressing and I'll get to see my newly shortened index finger. Kinda weird.

Part of me wants to mourn the loss of my fingertip and lament, "Why me? Why do I have to have some crazy autoimmune diseases like Raynaud's and Scleroderma and PBC? What did I do to deserve this?" But that only lasts about a minute and I recognize it's only a fingertip, not my legs or an arm or even my hand and my boyfriend isn't so shallow that he'll dump me because my right index finger is strangely short. And I am so incredibly blessed to have great health insurance that allows me to see some of the best doctors and specialists around that will hopefully have me back on the path to health real soon. And of course, I am so, so, so grateful for my family that has been praying for me through every doctor's visit and mri and "procedure" and hospital stay and surgery. They give me strength and courage knowing I am not in this alone. And my friends that send flowers and well wishes and my amazing boyfriend that has never once wavered (at least in front of me) in his commitment, even when the diagnoses have been scarily unknown and cast an eerie shadow over the future. I could not be more supported and cared for. And my mother, my amazing mother. I don't have the words to express how she has been here for me- strong and positive and optimistic and faithful and caring and understanding and everything I need and nothing I don't. I absolutely do not know what kind of shape I'd be in without her. And my dad, who loves me and my mom and my dog and even my boyfriend so much I know there's nothing he wouldn't do for us. I quickly remember all of these things and I pray for all the people who are suffering and fighting similar battles- and scarier ones, but they're doing it alone or while they're also raising a family and managing a career. I can't imagine the strength it takes and I know I'm the luckiest girl around.

All these things are what's been on my mind over the last week- at least in my moments of clarity, when I'm not in some drug induced haze. And unfortunately my dominant hand is the one buried under a splint and half a pound of bandages so no journaling or making of anything lately. But I think tomorrow I will do some drawing exercises with my left hand. I've been meaning to work on being ambidextrous anyway. In fact, I'm surprised how quickly I can type with only my left hand!

Hopefully my hand will heal quickly and my doctors will get me on all the right meds so that my body will stop trying to hurt itself and start working towards health. In the meantime, my friend C-note has given me a temporary honorary membership to the Lefty's Club of the Greater United States and I plan on wearing that thing out! Thanks Cris!

Monday, Monday

2010-01-04T23:49:00.000-08:00

Oh, I'm so tired. Been fooling around on the internet too long. I had a coffee this afternoon and I think that might be the reason I'm still sitting here. Perhaps through all these health- shall we call them "adventures"- I am cleansing my system of the monumental buildup of caffeine from the last 15 years and as a result am becoming less immune to the effects of coffee, redbull and espresso. Hmmm, perhaps.

I really just wanted to check in and say hello and that I'm still here. This weekend did not go as planned, I ended up dealing with a lot of pain in my right hand which resulted in an increase in pain killers which resulted in a decrease of accomplishments. Very frustrating. However, God willing, my situation is only temporary and I am reminded of all those people who live with chronic pain- Everyday- and are forced to live out their daily lives in what I can only imagine must be an exhausting, thick fog of drug-altered consciousness. My heart goes out to them and once more I am grateful for all the many blessings in my life and the amazing doctors and specialists I have the privilege of seeing that are working to figure out this "auto-immune thing" and conquer it once and for all. And I just can't explain how I lucked out to be surrounded by the most loving and understanding and supportive family and friends and boyfriend that a girl could ask for. If any of you are reading this: I love you so much and I will never fully be able to express to you how much it fills me up to know I am in your prayers or to hear of the well wishes you've sent or see the card in my mailbox or the flowers on my bedside table. Thank you, thank you, a million times thank you.

Forecast for tomorrow: A jewelry giveaway! Creative EveryDay update! And a sneak peek at some journal work I've been doing!

Lookout 2010!

2010-01-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

The first day of the New Year went much like the last four: I watched the boy regret not quitting while he was ahead the night before. What can you do? Some lessons are harder to learn than others I suppose. On the upside, despite the severe lack of sleep, we did have a pretty fun night just hanging out with friends and playing some cards and eating way too much food.

But the best thing about today was the opportunity to journal in the morning. And although the pooch was being outrageously demanding (food! water! pee! poo! play!), I did manage to get in my morning pages and remind myself of how writing fills me up and clears my head at the same time. So that was my creative activity for the day. I was hoping to do some visual work or some jewelry making, but it's always hard to fit those in when the boy is off of work. Now in case you haven't noticed the little button to the right there begging you to click and find out more about the Creative Everyday Challenge for 2010, I'll tell you that I signed up to participate in said challenge in an effort to reinforce my daily creative habits. I have a desire to infuse creativity throughout my everyday life so that everything I do becomes a little more fun, adventurous and fulfilling. The challenge was originally created in 2008 by Leah Piken Kolidas for the same reasons and she decided to start a blog and put the invitation out there to others to join her in embracing creativity everyday whether through singing, dancing, cooking, drawing, painting, or anything else. There are no strict rules or policies to follow in order to participate, but for myself I will be checking in on the weekly check-ins and probably uploading photos to the Flickr group when I have something visual to share, and of course, talking about it here on my own blog.

I hope this added layer of accountability (that's wrapped up in lighthearted sharing) will be another tool in my arsenal I can use to stay focused and on track. Plus, don't you just love seeing what other people are up to? Especially artists and designers and all around awesome people? I'm inspired just thinking about it.

So until tomorrow, lovelies! And I promise I'll have something visual- perhaps a jewelry giveaway!

My ABC's for the New Year

2009-12-31T13:31:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, Merrie Wolfie, posted the beginning of her list of ABC's for the new year on her Facebook page and I thought, "how clever! I need my own list of ABC's!" So I copied her idea and I'm sharing them here with you. By the way, Merrie is a super talented tarot card reader and she does readings over the phone and through email for those who don't live near her in Tucson, AZ and I would highly recommend her services. You can find her here at Aha! Tarot on Facebook- and tell her I sent you, maybe I'll get a discount next time!

So here are my ABC's! Some are nouns, verbs, adjectives, and some I couldn't pick just one- no rules here, just words that attract me and hold the feelings and hopes I have for the new year. I think 2010 is gonna rock!

2010 ABC's

Adventure,
Belief,
Connections, Courage,
Dependable,
Energized,
Focused,
Generous, Gratitude,
Health,
Inspired,
Joyful,
Karma, Knowledge,
Loving,
Motivated,
Nesting,
Organized,
Prolific,
Quality,
Receptive,
Service,
Tenacious,
Undaunted,
Victorious,
Wonder,
eXcitement,
Yes!
Zen.

love this quote

2009-12-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

"Write it on your heart that each day is the best day of the year."
- Emerson

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-28T01:16:00.000-08:00

I know it's a couple days late, but here's my best Christmas wishes to all of you! I hope you all had the most wonderful Christmas ever, I know I had a great holiday. It was a little strange to get out of the hospital just a few days before Christmas, but after a couple days of crazy shopping it was so nice to be at home in my own space with the tree all lit up and my pooch runnin' around and D and my family with me. Spending time at home with my peeps was just what the doctor ordered. And man, I must've been nice this year because Santa hooked me up! I've got so many new goodies to play with, I can't wait to start making and photographing and printing and everything! It's gonna be so much fun, and the best part of it all is that even without all those amazing and super-thoughtful gifts I would have been just as happy sitting around on Christmas eve eating Italian food and laughing out loud and making a big country breakfast for D and my parents on Christmas morning. There really isn't any greater gift than being around the people you love.

Well I must go to sleep now, but I'll share some new work with you soon!
xoxoxoxo!

First Jewelry Show!

2009-12-20T18:30:00.000-08:00

It may have taken me a week, but I'm finally here to share my experiences of our first attempt at selling my jewelry! Now, I've been making jewelry for years off and on; but this year I decided to invest in some better materials in bigger quantities and really work on my skills as a jewelry artist and make the leap to trying to sell my little designs. I started looking for opportunities to show my work somewhere before the holidays and I found a dance studio in Austin that was having a holiday open house and craft bazaar. I thought the small venue would be a good starting point since they were only expecting 150-200 people to come through and it was only $25 for a table. After I had made the commitment, I spent most of Thursday, Friday and Saturday making jewelry and getting things ready for the show with LOTS of help from my mom. My dad even volunteered to drive us up and help with the set up and tear down. It was truly a family affair! I don't know what I'd do without my parents and family- I'd probably just be wandering around town waiting for someone to take me in and tell me what to do with myself.
Anyhow, since we didn't have a ton of inventory to display, the setup was pretty quick and easy. And right away people began to come over and compliment us on the necklaces, bracelets, earrings and even our props! So that felt really good. You know it's always a little nerve wracking to put yourself out there and open yourself up to criticism- no matter how great your parents say you are. I mean they're supposed to think you're great, right? Either way we had a good time and got some great feedback from the shoppers. Unfortunately I didn't have it together enough to think about taking pictures at the start of the show- I didn't look together enough either- so we only got a couple shots of the table near the end of the show. The display was a little boring, but I have some great ideas for next time.

Room with a View

2009-12-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

You know what I love? Ellen. She is so funny and positive and I love how she's not afraid to look silly or make a fool of herself- it's so refreshing! For those of you that may not be my immediate family or close friends, you probably don't know that I've been in the hospital since Monday. I went to see my doctor because my finger turned purple and started to hurt and apparently that's a pretty serious thing. Who knew? Anyhow, they were very concerned and insisted that I head to the ER that night. I really was not expecting to end up enjoying the week here, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. Through an exhaustive battery of tests over the past few days, a slew of specialists think they have narrowed down the root cause of my liver disease and are hopefully now treating the right thing. So that's good. Unfortunately, it means I've been here a full week. And that kind of sucks.
But back to Ellen, out of all the daytime TV, I think that might be one of the most enjoyable hours during the day. I've been trying not to just watch TV all day, especially since the speaker is really horrible and has all this background noise and gives me a headache after a few minutes. But I think Ellen is really great and have you been seeing all the awesome gifts she's been giving away? My mom and I are determined to go to her show next December and get in on the loot! You can also register here to win all the prizes she's giving away on air as a home viewer too. How sweet would that be?!

So that's my hospital story. Hopefully my tests will come back well enough to go home soon. Like today. In the meantime, I do have a nice view of pretty flowers and the medical center here in San Antonio due to my sweet friends and relatives. Thank you so much you guys!

New Blog!

2009-12-15T05:29:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!

I'm so excited to write the first official post on my new blog! And not only because it's always fun to start something new, but because there is a great reason for the new name and address. And here it is....... As of this past weekend I have officially launched my business and I'm calling it shop 1031! I had been mulling over prospective names in my mind for quite a few months and not really coming up with anything that I liked well enough to commit to when I was struck with inspiration. Now anyone who knows me well, knows that I grew up in a faith-filled home and that through the years I have counted on my trust in God to help get me through some rough patches. And although I might not walk around with a purse sized Bible and zealously ask people if they've been saved, I do have quite a few verses that I carry around in my heart that I rely on for guidance and inspiration. While visiting family (Jaime and Wes, I hope you don't mind if I just claim you as family- the whole "boyfriend's sister's husband/daughter/etc" is just too cumbersome!) in South Carolina, I was reminded of one such verse that Wes had chosen for the T-shirts for their flag football team. I Corinthians 10:31 states "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Back at home in San Antonio I thought about how I wanted to remember to keep God first in my life whether I'm making jewelry, training my puppy or keeping the house neat without choosing a name like "Jesus' Jewelry Company". I also wanted the name to be versatile enough to handle any type of art, craft, or venture I came up with and grow with my work in any direction. So I found a quiet way to remind myself of what's most important and I think shop 1031 is kind of cool in its ambiguity.

So that's the scoop and this is the new space for my little adventures in art, life, and crafting a business from home. I'll be updating with pictures of new jewelry designs and business updates along with my normal ramblings on my little life. I've got to do some work now, but soon I'll let you all know how our first show went this weekend in Austin!