Roar

 

Summer has come and gone, and the cool air of fall is setting in.  It couldn't make me any happier.  This time of the year is more than just my favorite season.  My entire demeanor changes with the coming of crisp air and the turn of the leaves on the trees.  It reminds me of being younger- the start of a new school year, an opportunity to have a fresh new wardrobe, etc.  For me it marks the time when you are able to sort of press restart on your life.  A new leaf.  A new page.  It's resonated with me from a young child, still to this day.  Fall for me = a new lease on life and a new outlook.

This fall, I've given myself some new goals and challenges.  Let me start by explaining that I've fallen madly in love with pinterest.  That site and I meet up on the regular, and I can't seem to stay away from it.  I am spellbound by all the amazing images and quotes and ideas.  It simply fascinates me.  It pulls me in and I can't get out!  One awesome thing that has come from my love affair with pinterest is that it's incredibly helpful in putting all the thoughts from my kaleidoscope mind into one place.  It's really a snap shot of me.  It has given me a lot of inspiration as to what I really want from my life.  Things that move me.

Fashion. Art. Photography. Children. Architecture. Nature. Music. Love. Peace. Inspirational Quotes, and all other things that are unique and wonderful and full of beauty.

One way that I'm resetting things this fall is by continuing to move forward with my jewelry stuff.  In general I want to be doing more of what really excites me.  Besides simply embracing all that is me, focus on doing it with a sense of purpose... we do only have this one life, and I'm not a fan of spinning my wheels.  Whether anything prosperous comes from my visions and dreams, who knows, but I'll be damned to waste time doing things that don't really add color to my life.  I'm not a beige kinda girl. 

So, Goal #1- Embrace what I love about life.  Let myself wander closer to the things that make me happy, and just see where the road takes me.  Goal #2- Keep at it.  When you find things that you like, just keep going.  Not every opportunity is going to jump out at you.  You might have to dig a little.  Goal #3- In the mean time, enjoy the path I'm on. 

Seems pretty simple- but the daily grind tends to get in the way of my goals every now & then.  A really great piece of advise I was given at one point was that "bills will always be there".  While I don't plan on embarking on some hippie road trip to the desert to become one with the land.... I do think that there is a degree of joy that can come from simplifying and needing less, yet enjoying more.  That's Goal #4.

Whatever your goals may be, I hope that you find peace within yourself, and follow my lead to think of this fall as a new opportunity, a push in a forward direction...  after all, who are we living for if not ourselves?  Cheers to all things you find beautiful in the world.  Roar!

 

If you want to see more of what I'm up to, check out my pinterest page or my facebook page.  You can find me at www.facebook.com/neat.and.sweet and http://www.pinterest.com/peachy0987/boards/.  Hope to see you soon!



Catch my breath

I've been so busy!  Slacking on the blog.  Oops.

I'm loving things in my life.  I've been working hard on the jewelry. A lot of time & devotion associated with being a full time employee at my "real" job, a parent, a partner, and now an entrepreneur.  It's all worth it though.  Things are really coming together. 

I have met a lot of new people through all the little adventures I've been on trying to promote my stuff, and just in general with the church community and new friendships I've made, etc.  I am amazed at the generosity I've experienced.  Puts a smile on my face.  Little reminders all the time of how great people can be.  Makes it easier to shrug off the difficult people. 

Anyways, the site is going good.  If you haven't already, be sure to check it out:  www.facebook.com/neat.and.sweet.  It's got a lot of cute items that I've put a lot of time and effort into making. 

I'm thinking my next post will include a tutorial.  I know that I have LOVED to view other people's tutorials and they have been really helpful in my jewelry making... so I figured I would pass on the info/help!  :) 

Ready, Set, Create...

I've always been a crafty chick.  Recently I have put forth a lot more effort into my jewelry making.  I have made jewelry off and on for quite some time now.  Several years.  I was tought by one of my friends who does fabulous work.  She inspired me to test the waters and I really enjoyed doing it.  Costume jewelry.  Stuff that looks pretty, but not too expensive.  I love looking for good deals, searching for the right kinds of beads and color combinations, and of course seeing the finished product.

I love being creative in general.  I have always been one of those people who have projects going.  This is not a new thing for me.  I remember being in grade school and making homemade decorations for each holiday, making pillows out of old clothes, begging my mom to let me test out this idea or that idea, or letting me help her with her creations.  My grandpa was a painter, both my parents are creative and have as many finished projects as ideas in their head.  My brother does amazing work with home remodeling.  It's just a family thing I guess.

I have been a little nervous to share my creations up until recently though.  Not that I didn't think that they looked nice or were fun or neat.  I simply just wasn't ready to have the potential criticism.  Anytime you put yourself out there, as a person, or as an artist, you are going to be judged.  I'm not really a competitive person, so that has always been a little scary to me.  Somehow over the past several years I have drummed up the nerve to just expose myself for what I am, and being proud of it.  Definitely still a work in progress, but I am getting better with my self assurance little by little. 

Recently I have put my nerves aside and pushed forward with my creativity.  Not only doing things creative but being confident enough to share it!  It's all falling into place and I'm enjoying this more self assured, proud to be creative side that's shining.  I put myself out there and it paid off.  I have a website that I've been sharing, and I'm now selling jewelry through a local clothing store.  I have a lot of other things besides jewelry going on, but for now I'm focusing on featuring that.  Until the next project :)