help a sister out.... pretty please?

So, I have had a ton going on in my life personally. Without going into too much silly detail, I feel completely burnt out.

 

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The inspiration is gone. I feel kinda like I cannot move forward. I cannot seem to draw. I cannot seem to dream. Even my beloved Gilmore Girls cannot get me lit up inside again.

I have been really sick. I finally went to the doctor yesterday, and I do not have what Miss Violet had. I have a severe throat infection.... I believe the exact words of the doctor were, "Oh My!". Yes, my throat is a holy terror. The doctor suggested that I stay home until like Tuesday to get better, but who can do that when they have a full time job?

Also, it snowed like 7 inches here in Arkansas. My family decided to stay with some other family for a few days, because where we live, the power always goes out. So we had not been home for a few days. When we got home, the Carbon Monoxide Alarm was going off! We called the fire department. They could not find the problem..... but the alarm still wants to go off. I think we will purchase a new one very soon.

All this really means nothing. Except for the fact that I really love to post pretty happy things here.... but feeling like this, it is hard to inspire.

What do you all do when you just don't feel pretty and happy inside? What do you do when it doesn't matter how much you sleep you are still tired? All of the old standbys are not working.....

I need your help.

What do you do when you are in a funk?

Suggestions are required.

Pretty Please?

-Stacie

snow day! sick day.......

 Snow Day

 I am really sick. I caught what my sweet Violet had earlier this week. And it is violently snowing.....

Too tired to write.... boo......

new apron!

So I have a slight obsession with aprons.... I wear them everywhere.

Around the house.

Out to lunch.

To the office. (usually I get stares)

If I could, I would sleep in a cute, adorable apron.

Aprons scream industrious woman! Woman who wear aprons don't just sit around on their keisters drinking long island iced teas. Woman who wear aprons mean business.

I love me a good apron. I will share my apron collection with you someday.

SOOOOOO, all this is to say, I finally made myself a homemade apron! I hope you like it!

I had some leftover fabric from my couch endeavor, so yay me!

 

So what have we learned today? Aprons equal productivity. I want to be productive. Therefor, I must wear an apron every day of the week!

dear darla

"Dear Darla,

 I hate your stinking guts. You make me vomit. You're scum between my toes.

 Love, Alfalfa" - Little Rascals

 Such a great movie for kiddos....(who am I kidding, I am 24 and I kinda still adore this flick). I remember watching it when I was like 10 with my cousins when they came to visit. Happy times!

I am writing this on my lunch break.... so here are some happy images to help you get through the rest of this day......

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I hope that you find a little magic today!

-Stacie

sick day

I'm not sick, but my sweet girl is (104 degree fever yesterday)...

When I am feeling sick, the following are necessary for a speedy recovery:

Coffee: Cloud Shaped Marshmallows are optional

 

My husband's cozy quilt

The latest "Anthropologie" Catalog

Gilmore Girls DVD's

(sources: weheartit and anthropologie)

What makes you feel better when you are under the weather?

-Goodnight

little something extra for saturday

First, I wanted to say a big hello to those who have come over to visit from "Smile and Wave"!

So this week I have been quite productive, but have not really had time to share it here with you. I made a little something for my daughter's room.

It is a crosshatched silhouette of miss Violet (complete with piggytails!), with a peacock feather motif and her name in script. What do you think? Honestly? I am thinking of offering these as custom prints in my Gingiber Etsy shop, where people can select their color scheme, send me their child's name, and I make it for them. I know I am biased, but I think it is uber cute!

I hope that you like it!

-Bye!

rainy day

I usually don't write a whole lot about what I feel, like, personally, on my blog. However, I will make an exception today.

ah, friendship

I moved to Arkansas about a year and a half ago. And, as luck would have it, Arkansas turned out to be exactly what I expected it to be. The "artist" community consisted of those who can make fun Razorback Gear for the loyal University of Arkansas sports fans. Sure, there are others out there who are creative and, I am sure, have a lot more to offer than the stereotype I just described. But, I have not encountered those people since arriving in good old Arkansas.

But, what is my point?

I realize now how important it is to surround yourself with people who are similar to you... those who are creative, those who inspire you to do more and be more. People who can push you and laugh with you. People who don't look at you like you are crazy when you want to paint your walls black, or cover an arm chair with bright blue velvet. People who get your quirks.

I took those people for granted when I lived in Springfield, Mo. There is a certain sense of comradery felt among those whose goals in life include finding ways to make the world a bit prettier (and perhaps a bit more offbeat). I miss drinking massive amounts of coffee while rambling about the latest trends in design. I miss talking about growth and fears and religion and dreams for the future while sipping homemade lemonade on a porch swing on Elm Street.

It's funny, the smaller, seemingly less important things that I have experienced in my life are what have now shaped me into the person I am today.

However, I am so grateful for those friendships that I made. I feel a certain amount of joy in knowing that no matter where I go, I am still connected to people creatively. 

People move on. I got married, had a lovely daughter. Relocated. It is raining today, so I am feeling a bit melancholy.

Arkansas, you had better be worth it. Show me what you are made of.

giveaway at smile and wave! (my prints!)

Hey! I just wanted to let you all know that Rachel over at the awesome Smile and Wave is offering a giveaway of My New Prints! Check it out here.  I am uber excited about this... it is a great way to gain exposure to a whole new group of people! Hopefully, people will like the prints! Please lend your support and check it out!

I will post something more crafty later!

Bye!

mini print set and pretty pretty pictures

 

Introducing the Mini Valentine's Day Print Set! Available at my Gingiber Etsy Thursday Now!

 

Each print is 4.25x5.5 inches of pure unadulterated cuteness!

I hope that you like!

And, for some eye candy, here are some great images from wehearit:

Good Night

lampshade upgrade

Sorry this is a day late.... technical difficulties which I really do not want to go into, but let's just say it involves me and television and possibly drinking massive amounts of coffee which resulted in an inability to focus....... yes.....


Anywho, I present my weekend project: recovering an old lampshade with a fun new print!

1. Here is my old lampshade. It is a pretty houndstooth fabric, but is so dense that light doesn't shine through very well. Plus this lampshade has suffered a previously failed attempt at recovering (it is covered in dried glue....) I simply took a pair of scissors and cut off the fabric at both ends.

2. Lay the old fabric on top of your new fabric I just happened to have some lovely Amy Butler fabric lying around) to create a pattern to cut.

3.  Leave a 1/2 inch border of the new fabric when you cut so that you have room to fold the fabric for a clean edge.

4. Fold the half inch of extra fabric down, and wrap the fabric tightly around the old lampshade frame. Then, grab your glue gun, and begin gluing the new fabric onto the old lampshade frame (be sure to pull the fabric taught to eliminate wrinkles).

5. Once you wrap the fabric around both ends of the lampshade, fold and glue the edge of the fabric where the two ends of fabric meet, forming a clean seam.

6. The end! Not the best tutorial (I didn't document the process very thoroughly) but, the lampshade adds some fun color to the corner of my dining room!

I guess I really posted this to show that it doesn't matter what project you have in mind, the best way to figure out how to make something happen is to just jump in and do it! If you make a mistake, it really doesn't matter, because at least you are being proactive and attempting something new!

Oh, and Wallace wanted to say hello!

Have a great night!

pictures to dream by.....

 

From PaperTissue's Blog (Kinda My Little Dream Home)

 Turquoise! (And Organized Books) I need pretty organization skills.... this is beautiful

 

White with a Splash of Red

Like Living in a Green House

 

Girly but Anchored

I'm gonna call it a night. Tomorrow I will share a little "how to" on recovering an old lampshade... nothing earth-shattering, just a fun way to spruce up your lighting fixture!

i love you (print)

New print. Might put it in the shop this weekend. Maybe make some cards out of it? You like?

Let me know! 

best breakfast: steel cut oats with nutella!

Yes, it sounds crazy, but today I made myself a lovely breakfast, complete with a french press of coffee, fresh steel cut oats, and a dollop of nutella on top! Do yourselves a favor and try it: You will not be sorry.

Sorry for the lack of awesome posts this week. I have been working on 2 freelance projects, and my time has been eaten up..... oh, and I have watched an entire season of Gilmore Girls in 3 days.

That takes commitment, folks.

However, I am working on some children's customizable art for my Gingiber Etsy. I am not sure if it is coming together like I planned. 

I find that my childhood idols were Edward Gorey and Mary Engelbreit, and the older I get the more my silly doodles seem to reflect that (not that they are silly, I am silly, because I went to college, got an art degree, and now I am spending quite a bit of my life doodling away, and making little to no money doing it, but I have never been happier!)

Mary Engelbreit

Edward Gorey

Finally, I am really tempted to purchase this "Full Agenda" dress from ModCloth, even though I do not need to be spending the money.

What do you think?

Bubye!

the rebel thanks you

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I'm such a rebel.... or at least I will be on Wednesday, when my new camera arrives.

Get ready for some awesomeness.

(Oh, and thanks so much for the sweet birthday wishes. I had the most lovely relaxed birthday weekend.)

Until tomorrow.

happy birthday to me....

Today is my birthday.

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This year is gonna be great. Best year yet.

love grows

 New Print: "Love Grows" featuring two lovestruck narwhals. Find it here at my Gingiber Etsy store.

Two lonely Narwhals went swimming one day.

But then a rain cloud came hovering their way.

They started to take cover, but little did they know,

That when the rain poured down, love would grow.

This is a 8x10 print of one of my original illustrations.

Printed on heavy velvet fine art paper, with archival inks (only the best for you, my friends).

I hope that you like it!

Thanks for reading, my faithful followers! You brighten my day!

plum, violet, purple

I love the color purple. I named my daughter Violet, just because it is the cutest, loveliest color on the face of the planet. In honor of this swoon-worthy hue, here are some inspiring pictures of the color purple done right!

 

1.We Heart It 2.The Invisible Agent

3.Anthropolgie 4.Flickr

 

5.The Cherry Blossom Girl 6.Flickr 7.Living Etc. 8.Source Unknown

 We Heart It

I hope that you have a lovely day!