workspace wednesday on a thursday

Wednesday came and went without my noticing – whoops! It’s just one of those weeks, I guess. So here’s my Workspace Wednesday on a Thursday:

Working from home today and loving every minute of it.

I have to say that one of the greatest benefits to working from home is being able to get work done while laying on my stomach, standing up, hanging out by the pool, etc. I can’t stand sitting in one place for eight minutes, let alone, eight hours. What’s that song lyric? “My bones have to move and my skin’s gotta breathe.” My sentiments exactly. Having the freedom to get up and move around might sound highly insignificant compared to having financial stability and a nice benefits package, but sheesh, it sure does make my day so much more enjoyable. And those days add up, you know.

But let me be clear: this is not to make a blanket statement that the standard 8-5 lifestyle is bad. It’s just not ideal for me. I value freedom over just about everything, in nearly every realm of my life. My friends and I recently had a great conversation about the lessons that we’ve learned from the workforce. We decided that figuring out what we do not like is just as – if not more – important as learning what we do like. Trial and error, baby. I know very few people who knew exactly what they wanted to do when they graduated college. They may have had a general idea but nothing too concrete. Or more often than not, they finally land what they thought was their dream job and they eventually outgrow it. I’m convinced this is all part of the process. You just have to trust that each step is a step towards a much greater place.

And if there’s anything I’ve gleaned from this moment of existentialism, it’s that I need to trust that I’m exactly where I need to be right now. (Laying on the floor, drinking coffee, and wearing my workout clothes/pajamas at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Obviously).

If this sounds anything like you, I recommend reading this post by Kelly McCaleb. Spot on.

xoxo

no matter how they toss the dice.

Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Jamie and Kareem for their upcoming wedding in Cambria.

I’m not even going to pretend that I have the credentials to be called a photographer, but these two let me to boss them around for a day to get a few (or a few hundred) photos of this special time in their lives. We had a great time running all over Simi, scoping out cool locations and perfect lighting conditions. Heck, there was even a wardrobe change! And even though they claimed they had no idea how to pose, I think these photos tell a very different story.

xoxo

project life: white week

I’ve fallen off the PL bandwagon in a major way these past few months, but I’m determined to get back on track for the summer!

Here’s my take on Jamaica and Vee’s “White Week:”

So…it didn’t exactly turn out as “white” as I intended…ha! But I did keep the embellishments and the paper inserts white, so maybe that counts? Either way, I am still loving the minimalist approach.

Sometimes I think my scrapbooking days are behind me, but then I rifle through my Thickers drawer for a few moments and I am filled with warm fuzzies. Same thing goes for stamps (like these Studio Calico gems! Love that KP!). There are too many hilarious moments that need documenting and too many Instagram photos that need to be printed. And then there’s the question of where I am going to keep all the memorabilia from everyday life if I don’t keep a scrapbook? Ay yi yi.

I guess I’m not quite ready to hang up my hat just yet.

xoxo

it sneaks up on you.

Yesterday was one of those days where busy-ness just kind of snuck up on me.

I worked from the time I got up to the time I went to bed (with brief intermissions for a workout and a few episodes of The League). And the truth of the matter is, I love those days. I love how amazing it feels to climb into bed at 1 am and feel like I put in a good day’s work. But I only love those days when they’re on my own terms. If someone else is telling me I need to put in lots of extra time, I immediately dread every minute of it. Why is that?

I was so busy that I didn’t even get dressed until well after 5 pm.  And by dressed, I mean workout clothes, which – real talk – are barely a step above pajama status. Then when I went to check the mail, there were THREE large boxes of stamp orders just waiting for me – oh happy day! So of course, I immediately had to dump them out all over my desk and ‘gram it up, as you can see above. It was a nice little moment to realize that my small side business, that I dreamt up while I was still rockin’ an 8-5 job, had just taken over my desk. I am so grateful that people actually want to buy my stamps. Beyond grateful, actually.

In other news, John Mayer’s new album has been the soundtrack of the week, I’ve enjoyed brussel sprouts for lunch nearly everyday, and the pool is just under 90 degrees. I have nothing to complain about.

xoxo

workspace wednesday / prepping orders

Today was all about getting packages ready to go once the new stamp orders arrive. Writing out thank you notes, checking and double checking addresses, stamping tags, making note of invoices,  and enjoying my new hot pink pen from Office Depot. Have I mentioned that I love batch processing? I can catch up on all my Bravo reality shows while getting lots of stuff done.

Win win on a Wednesday (:

xoxo

veg.

A few months ago I decided to become a full-blown vegetarian.

It was a pretty seamless transition given that I had spent the past couple years as a “semi-vegetarian” (meaning I wouldn’t choose meat, but if it was my only option, I wouldn’t refuse it). These days it’s all about veggies, fruits and whole grains and I’m feeling better than ever.

Typically when I tell people I’m a vegetarian, I get asked two questions:

“You don’t eat ANY meat?” (Uhhh, no)

and

“What do you eat, then?” (well, everything EXCEPT for animals)

My mom remains the most skeptical about this lifestyle choice and is forever trying to convince me that I should “just have a bite” of whatever meat is being served. Ha! That’s okay. I’m totally fine with others eating meat, I just don’t want to partake in it myself. And most of the time, it’s fairly easy to customize my meal around others. Heck, I’ve even found the perfect vegetarian meal at Disneyland! Trust me, it can absolutely be done.

The key to making it healthy and successful is to focus primarily on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and not use it as an excuse to binge on refined sugars and carbs. As someone who passed out in a Border’s parking lot in San Diego from anemia years ago (much to my poor mother’s horror), I have to make sure that I am getting sufficient iron, so I eat plenty of spinach, black beans and lentils. And luckily, I love healthy food. I love the way it tastes, the way it makes me feel, the way it looks so colorful on my dishes (working it from an aesthetics angle!), and the way it doesn’t weigh me down.

And now for the disclaimer: I most definitely DO NOT eat perfectly 100% of the time – there’s plenty of dessert, cheese, and wine worked into my diet as well (;

Any other vegetarians out there?

xoxo

 

i just want to.

These days…

I just want to go on walks through the hills and collect branches and take them home and paint them (and in turn, look like the crazy lady with an armful of unwieldy sticks).

I just want to repurpose everything in the recycling bin (i.e. bottles and tin cans).

I just want to use up all my craft supplies (so I can buy more, of course).

I just want to design stamps for every possible occasion (I’d say I’m getting there).

I just want to take photos of everything (this is nothing new).

I just want to write in my journal with my feet in the pool (still not warm enough to go all the way in).

I just want to find new design blogs and read all the archives in a single sitting (like this one and this one).

I just want to start my own papercrafting/event design business (seriously working on this).

I just want to make things. 

(But you already knew that.)

 

xoxo

workspace wednesday / spring cleaning

As soon as I woke up this morning, I opened the window, let the sunshine and fresh air in, and then got to Spring-cleaning my desk so I could have an organized space to work (ahem, photograph for the blog). This Workspace Wednesday series is proving to be quite the extrinsic motivator! Ha!

Another thing that made me want to make things look nice and tidy were these beauties. As it turns out, my dad not only has the greenest thumb on the planet, but apparently, he’s also got a knack for flower arranging too! What a guy! I can’t help but drop everything I’m doing and stage impromptu photo shoots whenever I spot a new bouquet around the house. I mean, seriously! So gorgeous.

Spring’s treating us well around here. Let’s hope Summer holds off for a loooong time.

xoxo

good cheer deal!

Happy Tuesday!

I’m so excited to be offering a $16 for $30 Good Cheer Deal over at Oh, Hello Friend!

A quick note: the deal is $16 for $30 worth of credit in my shop, even though it’s listed as $15. My apologies for any confusion! I’m trying to get this amended ASAP. Many thanks to everyone who has already made a purchase!

xoxo

roll on.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you’re well aware that the old rollerblades have been dusted off.

And yes, I know rollerblading is SO 1995, but the truth of the matter is, rollerblading used to be my jam. It was my number one form of exercise from the time I was in 8th grade. My friends and I would skate all over town during the day, and at night, I would do endless laps around around my street while listening to CD’s on my Discman (ha!). I was obsessed. It’s still one of my greatest pastimes, despite the fact that it’s not increasing my “cool” quotient. (I’m okay with this.)

Yesterday my family and I went down to the beach for an early Mother’s Day celebration. They rode their bikes and I rode my ‘blades from Malibu to Venice and back again. It was so much fun…until I totally ate it. I tripped on a break in the bike path and all I could think about was whether my poor iPhone survived being thrown from my hands. Should I have been holding onto my iPhone while rollerblading for the first time in years? Probably not, but those Instagram photos aren’t going to take themselves! (‘Grammin ain’t easy.) Good news: the Otterbox cover totally saved the day and I was back to skating in no time at all.

Some things never change.