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Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts

9.30.2013

JOYful Home & Life

I am a woman of faith.
I don't bring much of that onto this blog,
but I am a girl who grew up singing at church, and later worked with youth groups and womens ministries.
And I can say with all honesty that I have come to where I am in life only because
I am absolutely certain that God loves me,
 and that my relationship with Him is my balance point in life.

I have been praying for an opportunity to contribute to a faith-based publication,
and a few months ago, an opportunity came right to my [digital] doorstep!
[ I just love it when that happens...]

Today, the new JOYful Home & Life website launches,
featuring a marvelously gifted group of writers, bloggers, and photographers
each sharing wonderfully inspiring and educational ideas - with a focus on faith. 
With content covering the subjects of home decor, entertaining, DIY, crafts,
recipes, holidays, organizing, family life, and even organic foods,
it's a wonderful new community and resource for families.

I am honored to be a regular contributor to this new site, 
and will be sharing simple seasonal decor and DIY ideas on the first of every month.
[maybe more in the future... but for right now, that's what I can handle!]

I invite you to visit JOYful Home & Life today!
You can also find additional content on Facebook and Twitter

4.21.2013

Re-Framing Your Dreams

On Saturday, I had the honor of being part of a remarkable event:
Launch Your Creativity.

If you were one of the guests in attendance,
I would like to thank you from my heart for your warm reception, your trust, your attention, 
and your grateful responses to the message I shared.
(more about my message later in this post...)

This inspiring gathering is held each Spring in a gorgeous Parisian-themed tearoom, 
and attended by 45 women who are seeking guidance, support, and encouragement 
as they pursue their own creative dreams. 
Most dream of launching a new business – a store, a fashion line, a business service – 
and there are women who attend as a 'jump start' to a new life.

I am one of those women, too.

My friend and LYC founder Sharon Hughes had been asking me to speak at her events for two years. 
My background in retail visual styling and store design 
was a great addition to the other subjects covered by the experienced and successful speakers, 
and I was honored to be asked to participate. 
Yet because the events are held in Southern California, and I was based in the Seattle area, 
the logistics just never worked out. 
I was busy running two businesses, and couldn't get away from them.

Well, all that changed in the fall of 2011.
Everything about my life changed then...

Without sharing the 'Lifetime Movie' details of what happened,
I'll say that the result is that I am single (separated, then widowed) after 32 years of marriage,
 live in Southern California again, and am rediscovering who I am and what I want to do.

I attended this beautiful event last April as a guest.
I went because my life had undergone radical changes over the preceding seven months. 
I needed to be surrounded by positive energy to assist me in shifting my own perspective, and to heal. 

And my friend Sharon knew that I would find what I needed there. I did.

This year, I was able to finally accept her request to speak at the event!
But I didn't talk about retail visual concepts or displays or stores or brands...

In the 19 months since the awful day that everything changed for me, 
I have been on a journey of release, recovery, healing, rediscovery and rebirth. 
And it is from that journey that I learned some valuable lessons...
those are the lessons that I shared in my presentation on Saturday.

Titled 'Re-Framing Your Dream', my presentation asked this question:
“What do you DO when your dreams don't work out the way you planned?”

Because I have been an artist all of my life, I presented my subject wrapped in a metaphor:
'Dreams as a Masterpiece'. A one-of-a-kind Masterpiece that only WE can bring to life.
Just as an artist begins with a vision in his head 
then transforms a blank canvas with color and brushstrokes, light and shadow, depth and perspective, 
our lives give us the opportunity to create something from our vision:
Our Dream.

And as we do, that 'canvas' finds itself in many different 'frames'...

With the visual aid of eight very different picture frames, 

I talked about the process that a Dream takes as it is being created
and how situations affect it - and us.
Not every journey is the same, but the cycle is similar and most people can relate...
 dream a little dream

This is your secret 'hidden in my heart' dream.
The one that begins as a thought like 'what if...'
(there's a WORLD of possibility in those two little words!)

The frame is tiny, but valuable and beautiful.
We cherish it, hide it away, and keep on dreamin'...
 a growing dream

 This is the phase when your dream begins to grow.
You think about it constantly, you doodle and make lists, 
you start your research, and you can't sleep at night
Because the dream has you SO excited!
The frame is more detailed, a little bit bigger, more clear.

At right about this point, you want to tell everyone about it.
DON'T!!!!!!
Tell your mom, tell your BFF, tell your sister. maybe your husband/partner.
Do NOT tell the neighbors and the gals at church or work, 
and definitely not the lady behind you in line at Target!

Protect this little dream! It's like a baby bump...
because once you start showing, it seems like everyone on Earth has questions and advice for you.
All of that will overwhelm you and confuse you. It will make you question every choice and decision.
Only the people that can support you and help you need to know about it right now...
Don't let strangers touch the baby!
 a grand dream

You've spent time researching and preparing, making a business plan and lists,
finding resources and continuing to add to your 'idea files'.
You have people you trust around you to give advice and answer questions.
The more you grow it,
your dream becomes the GRAND dream:
Your way to share what you value with others, with the world.
The frame is larger, very detailed, elegant, beautiful, and ready to be revealed.

Whether it's a product or a service, small or large,
will impact five people or five million people, 
it is a worthwhile dream
because it comes from your heart, your passion, your own unique talents and skills. 
It is your heart on display!
When you reach this point, you're sharing your dream with everyone.
But now, it's strong enough to hold up under the questions and doubts and opinions of others.

Sometimes, other people even share it FOR you...
 a spotlight on your dream
Sometimes this happens, and sometimes it doesn't:
 You become 'noticed'. You get media attention.

the frame for this is large - but plain. 
because the focus of any spotlight needs to be what it is SHINING ON.

Here's what happens:
Your facebook LIKES and Twitter followers are growing astronomically.
Your photos are shared all over facebook and Pinterest and Instagram.
Bloggers are talking about you, linking to you, and asking you to write guest posts.
Popular magazines start calling and want to run feature stories on your or your business or your home.
Ellen wants you on her show!

Yes, the spotlight is FUN! It can be a great experience,
and it CAN help you grow your business awareness and reputation.
...But it should never be the POINT of your dream.
It should be a by-product of your dream growing and moving forward according to your plans.

Never exhaust yourself pursuing the spotlight.
Never let reaching or being in the spotlight be the focus of your dream.
(unless your dream involves acting!)
 a messy dream

This happens to everyone, to every dream, so get ready...
At some point, something is going to go wrong and get VERY messy.

The frame that I used here has a great story:
It was gold when I bought it at a thrift store.
I brought it home and spray painted it white, so it would match the other white frames I already had.

I don't know if you can tell from the photo above, but that frame is not white.
It's ivory. And the paint is drippy, runny, separated from the base coat in cissed spots
and it looks like it's got smoke damage from a fire.

After my momentary frustration over the dismal results,
I realized that it was the perfect visual for this part of the presentation...
Because that frame is a HOT MESS.

Life, business, and dreams can  - WILL - get that way, too.
Things won't always go according to plan.
You are going to face some whopper messes along the path to your dreams.

Bad marketing campaigns, products that are ill-timed (or copied!), 
supplies that don't arrive, clients that don't pay, 
illness that causes you to miss a huge opportunity...

Need I say more?

What do you do? You clean up the mess the best you can.
You fix it, spin it, recall it, refund it, repair it...
eat crow if you have to.
and then move on to the next step.
live, learn, apply, go forward.

forward to the next phase:

Have you ever heard of an 'underpainting'?
That's when an artist paints OVER an existing work with gesso
to create a clean canvas.

And then they start over...
a revised dream

There are points in the growth of a dream and business
that force you to stop, take notice, and then take action.

Perhaps you've spread yourself too thin and are overwhelmed.
Maybe your sales are down and you don't know why.
Maybe this dream just doesn't reflect your vision anymore.

what do you DO?

STOP.
Get those trusted advisors together for a pow-wow.
Look objectively and honestly at what's happened and why.
Then make hard choices and necessary changes...

Usually, that means scaling back. Cutting things away. Slowing down.
A step back or a step sideways is NOT FAILURE! It's EXPERIENCE!

The frame is smaller than the frame around your Grand dream, but it's more valuable.
You can see the swirls and curves that reflect the Grand dream frame, even though it is smaller.
What you can't really see is that it's made from a far more valuable material!

Redefining and restructuring your dream may just make it more valuable.
 a destroyed dream

Sometimes, due to something that comes out of nowhere,
our dreams are destroyed...

A natural or other disaster. A pile-up of factors that just can't be cleaned up.
The choices and actions of others who impact our lives and our dreams.

Unbidden, those things come like missiles from out of nowhere, and destroy our dream.
(And sometimes US in the process.)

The frame is broken, cracked, damaged,
and the dream is torn, dirty, and unrepairable...
There comes a point, my friends, that you have to stop fighting for it.
A point where you have to accept that the dream is no longer breathing.
It's gone.

And that is the point when you have to release it. Let go.
Grieve the loss, celebrate the memories, learn from the experience, 
heal from the hurt, and move forward in a new direction. 

My own story is that my cracked, broken, and unrepairable frame
held not only my dreams, but my whole life.
Moving on is hard work... but you can do it.

and when you do, you have to remain open and ready for the arrival of
 a NEW dream

It may just turn out that the new dream you dream -
another one that is born out of your heart, your passion, and your purpose -
will be even BETTER than the one you had in the beginning...

the frame is larger, more beautiful, more detailed, and more substantial
than the Grand dream frame that seemed so perfect before.

At the end of my presentation, I shared this: 
Although I have grieved and released my former dream and my former life,
though I have learned so much that has allowed me to understand why much of it happened 
and why it ended the way it did,
and though I am ready for and excited about the new life that lies in front of me now...

I have NO IDEA yet what my NEXT dream will be!

I truly don't. I have ideas, I have some things I am going to pursue and see how they 'pan out',
but I don't have a huge vision and goal in mind. YET.

But I know that I WILL have another Dream. It's just not time yet.

I know without doubt that my new dream will grow from my true passion
for finding simple ways to make spaces and environments beautiful and enjoyable,
and from my desire to share that with others to enrich their lives.

Whether it becomes creating sets for an entertainment giant,
or creating displays for a well-known retailer,
or opening a store of my own or starting another vintage show,
or simply continuing with my consulting and writing and speaking,
I know that the 'big picture' will come into focus soon.

I'm just going to keep on taking one step forward – 
or at the very least, on those days when it's SO hard to be starting completely over at 51 – 
I'll just keep FACING forward. Because even that is progress.

A masterpiece is made one brush stroke at a time
 
And then the perfect frame is found.

I will never lose faith again – not in me, not in good, not in God.
And not in the fact that I am here to share my unique gifts and abilities and vision with the world – 
however it is framed, my dream is one that the world needs. 
And so is YOURS!
So I find myself smiling a bit wryly as I share this unusual post on my blog...

This blog is where I have shared ideas, information, and inspiration that is all about how things LOOK. 
Your store, your displays, your brand image. 
And for many years, I focused on exactly that in my own life: how it all looked from the outside. 

This journey I am on has taught me to deal with the reality of how it really looks – inside and out. 
It has taught me to be authentic, and to follow my own advice and 'Tell My Own Story'. 
As I continue to write and speak and consult with retail businesses, I will stress this to my clients. 
Open your eyes, see the situation for what it truly is, and then get to work. 
Re-define your business, and be authentic. 

The canvas of your dream may be 'framed' in a brick and mortar store, 
or an online boutique, or a space in a vintage mall or show. 
No one else is you, no one else offers what you do the way you do. 
Tell Your Own Story. Create your dream. The world needs you, and your dream!
_______________________________________________________

I find myself smiling a bit wryly as I share this unusual post on my blog...
homewardFOUND is where I share ideas about 
re-thinking, re-imagining and re-defining 'found objects' into décor. 

Now it's my turn to re-think, re-imagine, re-define my life and my dream...
maybe it's your time for that, too.
 
so I thought that sharing this post here was appropriate...


The same principles apply to a dream as to found decor:
* Use what you have NOW - Look around you and see what's been overlooked that you can use.
* Work from your strengths, purpose, and passion - Use the skill set you have!
* Stay true to yourself and your style - Be Authentic.

I might just make my own frame out of reclaimed lumber 
and paint over a canvas from the thrift store 
as a visual reminder to myself that we can always make things new... 
even our dreams. Even our lives.

3.01.2013

$4 Spring Wreath Makeover!

Springtime! it's time to break out the greens and yellows...
last fall, i shared a few quick tips for a wreath makeover here

why not re-visit that idea for spring?!

you can find wreaths for next to nothing at thrift shops,
but you probably have one shoved on a shelf somewhere in your garage, right?
it's dusty and maybe some of the flowers are missing...
but for less than $5, you can give a wreath a fresh new look for spring!


this wreath actually had pink roses on it when i found it
[languishing on a hook in the garage, behind the washer...]
but the roses were faded and just didn't seem very 'fresh'. so i pulled them off.
some yellow fake mums from a nearby bunch were easily popped onto 
some of the stems that the roses had been on.

if the roses hadn't been faded, i'd have left them on
and then gone on to the next step:

two bunches of fake daffodils from the dollar store ($1 each) got the same treatment - 
pull off the flower heads and pop them onto the stems already attached to the wreath.
[of course you can just shove the daffodil stems into the wreath, too,
just like we did with the fall leaves in the tutorial here]


a small piece of wire holds a cute little pair of green polka-dot garden gloves ($1) 
and a packet of seeds (4 for $1) - you could do more than one packet,too!

the dollar store usually also has small metal watering cans,
small clay pots, and metal gardening tools
that could be wired onto the wreath, as well...

shared online:
 

Thank you to the DIY Village for including this post in THEIR post!
 

1.19.2013

Chalk It Up to Inspiration!


this particular post could not have been planned for a more perfect day...
Donna over at Funky Junk Interiors has a great link party every Saturday
and as i was preparing to upload my images, i saw that this weekend, her topic is...

well, if this isn't a marriage made in heaven, i don't know what is!
 so, if you are visiting me via Funky Junk Interiors, WELCOME!

over the years, i've made chalkboards out of some interesting materials:
the one with the curvy edges? it's made from heavy cardboard! yup. 
the boards were stacked up six at a time and jigsawed to cut the ogee curves,
painted with chalkboard paint, had a hole drilled in the top, and hung from bias tape loops.

the one in a frame? it's a cheap thrift store painting!
it was really ugly, too... one of those where the print won't come out of the frame.
by painting right over that ugly scene with black chalkboard paint
and then painting the frame white, it looked brand new and totally fresh!
of course you've probably seen old doors used as chalkboards, like the one on the right above.
SO many uses for them, in just about every room in a home or business.
[top tip: great place to find inexpensive doors for this? 

 the chalkboard door with a table on the left above?
the hubs came up with the idea to use half of a drop-leaf table and an old door
to create a space-saving and very handy fixture for entry halls, landings, or small kitchens.
we made a lot of those over the years, in many different styles -
the old gray front door shown in the previous photo is one, too, using part of an eastlake table.

but hands-down, the BEST IDEA i EVER had 
for making chalkboards is this:

yep! use a sheet of cement tile backer board!
sand well and paint it, then drill holes in the corners and screw into studs in your wall.
it ends up looking, feeling, and SOUNDING exactly like 
an old slate chalkboard when you write on it!

i needed a chalkboard for my barn store, and saw that tile board sitting in the shop -
BADDA BING! an idea was born!
i also had some old wooden rain gutters on hand, 
so a piece was cut and attached to the wall just below the board to hold the chalk and eraser.

1.16.2013

More Office Organization Ideas!

 WOW! I can't begin to tell you how much traffic my office organization post
has generated!
it seems EVERYONE is looking for ideas and inspiration
to make their creative spaces work for them...
i want to thank you ALL so very much for coming to visit me from hometalk and pinterest!

I've located MORE ideas & images to share from my archives!

In that post shown above,
you saw images of my neutral color vintage-style office/studio space in dream house C.
the images i found are of farmhouse B, and cottage house A.
[i know that's confusing - i moved a lot! imagine how i felt!]

the great thing about moving a lot is that i discovered many ways 
for the fixtures and accessories that i had 
to work in ALL of those rooms, in ALL of those houses:
the IKEA shelf unit, the tall work table, the old shutters, the shallow IKEA drawers
were workhorses that i could fit into almost every one of my offices.

by using inexpensive paper from dollar tree and target, or thrift stores, 
i could create a whole new look in each room... sometimes in the SAME ROOM
[what can i say? i'm a decorator. stuff HAS to change! that's why i like doing it on the CHEAP!]

here's how my office in house B looked for awhile:


 the dollar store is a terrific place for cheap supplies to spiff up your office!
from wrapping paper and gift bags to file folders, stickers, scrapbook paper and tote bags,
there are a lot of paper and fabric items there that can be used to 
contain, separate, organize, cover, and decorate your office supplies...
it's also the easiest, cheapest way to take a bunch of old things like  boxes, tins, and clipboards
and make them beautifully usable again!

 by coordinating the color and patterns of the components, 
you'll instantly add a visual update AND a cleaner look to your office!
the selection of paper and fabric goods was gathered up at Dollar Tree stores 
[and also from the 'sale'-item aisle endcaps in the stationery department of Target]
the common theme here is black and white glamour, and every item has many uses...
[granted, items shown were not found there this year...
but the selection is always good this time of year]

*shown in the first photo above, i took the wrapping papers from Target 
and covered small boxes with them.
they hold post-it notes, pencils, and other small items on my desk and worktable.

*i also covered the drawers on two slim drawer sections from IKEA (had those already)
my mouse pad, and several composition books for notes - all it takes is a gluestick!

*several pieces of corkboard were covered with scrapbook & wrapping papers
for my inspiration board backgrounds [not shown],
and the waterproofed totes from the Dollar Tree store hold craft supplies, trims, etc.
elsewhere in the office, other black and white accessories add more interest:
*clear jars hold vintage bobbins, bingo cards, and white flowers
*paper-covered shoe boxes stack up to hold craft supplies or project components

of course, you can also use vintage sheet music and book pages
to cover everything in an office to coordinate the decor...
I've done that, too!

let's take a look at a few details from my House B office/studio space 
in a whole new color palette and style :
above is the office/studio in house B
[which was also shown in the black & white decor images in the other post]
only instead of being black and white, now it's filled with cozy neutrals.
it's simply a change of the paper that is covering containers & inspiration boards,
a wardrobe change for the mannequin, new paint on the chandelier,
and a few small accessory switches to make the room look completely different!

things that i really liked about that office:

* it felt bright all the time because of the mirrored closet doors (see in reflection)
and because i put MORE mirrors on the opposite wall.  
light bounced EVERYWHERE
[and in Seattle, you need all the light you can GET]

* this was the first time i had the tall work table and high barstools in an office,
and they worked SO well for me.
i stand up a lot and move around when i am working, making everything more accessible.

* you can see the dictionary-page-covered file cabinet 
[shown below in an image from the other post]
under the work table. i LOVED this piece!

below is the office/studio in house A
it's one you haven't seen yet...
[though other posts have shown the beautiful huge white mantel in this tiny cottage!]

tiny would be the operative word here - this room was only 11X9.
nevertheless, i fit a LOT of storage in here [used the vertical space!]
and even took the closet doors off so that built-ins could be used in there, too. 

and, okay, you may notice that at the time, i was heavily into chartreuse green. and pink.
[i am not preppy. i swear i didn't know that was 'the uniform' for Lilly Pulitzer fans!]

 but even though now i think i would go bonkers in that room, 
the happy, bright pink and green papers [yes, dollar tree and target!]
really went a long way in coordinating a bunch of haphazard elements in here.
it's REALLY important to reduce the LOOK of clutter as well as the ACTUAL clutter
when your space is only a hundred square feet
 things that i really liked about that office:

* the green damask paper was FLOCKED. uh huh! 
target. that was in 2007 - i think it's all gone now, girls!
it covered pinboards that were nothing more than simple squares cut from 4X8 sheets of rigid insulation! yes, building supplies!

* the glass jars holding colorful crafting supplies... and yes, candy

* the hot pink cards hanging from the wire mobile
tearsheets from O magazine, with encouraging quotes on them.

*
the wonderful enamel-top farm table.
i used that table in dozens of ways for over 18 years!

* did you see the chandelier?! it's green in this room.
it was about twelve colors in the twenty years that i owned it!

i hope these ideas inspire you to see what you can do 
with what you already have on hand and can get inexpensively!

11.30.2012

Warm Up With a Scarf Wreath!

over the years, i've grabbed whatever is at hand (or, um, on the floor...)
to create interesting and personal decor for my home each season -
and that's REALLY the case for the Holidays.
an old wreath form gets a new lease on life around here quicker than you can say 
'Fast, Cheap, & Easy'!TM

above and below are two of my own wreaths,
and let me tell you - making them is SO SIMPLE!

here's a quick tutorial:
1. grab a foam or straw wreath form (new or used)
2. find a knit scarf or two (new or used)
3. pin one short end of the scarf to the top of the form (use long straight pins)
4. wrap the scarf tightly around the wreath form, pinning as you go.
5. when you get to the end, pin in place.

if it's a big wreath form, you'll need more scarves. 
hit the dollar store or goodwill for cheap and colorful materials!
you can add whatever you want to embellish the wreath


for the soft knit wreath above, i used burlap and vintage ribbon to make a 'bow' 
then added a bling-y 'blessing' ornament and a vintage crystal.
 [the wreath is hung on my screen door from a woven grass belt!]
 for this one, i used a knit scarf with fun fringed ends.
when both ends met at the top after wrapping it, i foofed the fringe out
and added a vintage ribbon and a flower made from an old chenille stem.
a simple piece of heavy cardstock offers a welcoming message.
 this one is made up of a super-long scarf that i made out of sweater remnants,
tied with a bitty 'scarf' (another remnant), and a felt snowflake ornament.

find my scarf wreath tutorial here

 mine are simple, because that's my style.

now, there are some other gals out there making some drool-worthy wreaths
out of scarves, sweaters, and felted fabrics...
get a load of these!


all three of these brilliant ideas are from the amazingly talented Betz White!

how about this beauty from Bloomsbury Loft!

i met owner/designer Judith last May at the Springfield Ohio Antique Show,
and was instantly delighted by her colorful palette and playful creations. 


this one is from RecoverGirl  - and her post is a tutorial!

in the course of research for this post, i discovered that 
the tv show CRAFT WARS actually had a challenge for contestants
to make a Christmas wreath from old sweaters!


Margot Potter was one of the contestants on that episode,
and she's sharing her considerable talents 
for creating this yarn-wrap wreath in a tutorial on her blog!

are you inspired yet?!

go ahead - grab some of those old funky Christmas sweaters hidden in the attic
(yeah, the ones that look like Bill Cosby wore them in the 80's)
and make some colorful flowers for your knit scarf wreaths!