on days like today...

We sit in the backyard and doodle

I am in a big names with borders stage...

Isabelle likes to do a version of whatever I am doing....



 Judah's are always different and usually get torn out in strange way...(this might be one of my favorites to date!)

 Vera colors her whole body and every now and then decides to put a bit of color on the actual page.

 

 

 On days like today what are you up to?

Insecurities

I have spent a good time thinking about insecurities. It seems more often than not our insecurities drive our actions and choices. Insecurities almost always are trying to be masked so that people never really know what weaknesses we have. I assume we all have them on some level don't we? In a perfect world I would invite each of you over for a yummy drink and treat and we would talk about those pesky insecurities.

 In my world if there is something putting up a barrier for me I want to talk about it until that barrier can come down. Of course it rarely is as easy as that-but conversing about such things often removes the power they seem to hold.  I would value hearing about the things that make a person feel small or unimportant. It would give me great insight to hear why people get sick to their stomachs in some situations. I wonder about these sides we all have because to me they tell much about the individual. When I stop and really think about what I am insecure about it is more like digging a big hole. The actual insecurity is rarely the top soil itself but something far underneath it. I doubt many of you reading this are thinking,  "Please please invite me over and ask me what my insecurities are!!" So, rather than asking what yours are I will simply ask in general-what are the top three insecurities you find among most people? 

Le Pen

Since we are in the midst of a move so much of "me" is packed away. I have majorly been craving creating something.....anything really. I probably have 20 lists of all the handmade things I want to create laying around my house. Somehow writing them down feels like a promise to myself that I will do them. I had to purchase a new sketchbook recently because I thought I would lose the little bit of sanity I had left without one to doodle in.

 

Anyway, a positive from this in-between period is that I have stumbled upon the writing tool known as Le Pen. My friend Kristen randomly mentioned how great they were for journaling. I already get all sweaty-palmed excited about pens and other writing utensils so I stored away the name Le Pen in my mind. Two days ago I went school shopping (INSANITY!! How do I have a child in school?!) and saw a pack of Le Pens. Purchased. Used. Obsessed.

 

 

 

 

 

What other art supplies have I been missing out on?

delight

 just take a moment and delight in something today

 

Misha LuLu I want you!!

I adore close to every item the clothing designer, Misha Lulu, makes. I also admire the relationship and inspiration she and her sweet daughter have. The quirky clothing line is bit over my spending budget and for that reason alone I have never purchased any of their clothing for my daughters.  Yesterday, while cruising the internet  in attempt to take a mental vacation from the chaos of raising three little ones, I came across their surplus store (read discount) and boy oh boy do they have adorable items on there! If I had endless amounts of money you better believe my daughter would be entering kindergarten wearing every single piece they have to sell. Since I do not have endless money I will have to pick my favorite one or two items from the surplus store to get her school ready. Below are my current favorites.

All images were taken from here, which is also where to go if you want to purchase any of these adorable items.

What are your favorites?

how to make washi tape

what you need to start

masking tape

ink pad

used roll of foil, or paper towels, or something

stamps (or if you are like us and have packed all of your stamps then use whatever you have around)

wax paper

serrated knife

**you can find masking tape and ink pads at your local dollar store**

 

 

1. Start by making little rolls for your completed tape to go on. I did this by cutting a roll of foil (nice and small) into little rolls the width of my masking tape.

2. Get all your remaining supplies together.

 

 3. Lay out a few strips of masking tape across your wax paper just a few inches apart from one another.

4. Let your creative juices flow and stamp away. ( a pencil eraser makes adorable dots)

 

 

5. Once your stamps are dry to the touch roll them up on the tape holders you made at the beginning.

 

 

6. Find a spot to store all of your little tape rolls.  I like storing them in the empty foil box, but keep them wherever you choose.

 

 

7. Now the fun part, decorate a card, a gift, or your to-do list with your fun new and homemade "washi tape" .

 

 

Let me know if you give this a try or where you purchase your favorite Washi Tape

 

i want this book

 

 

 

 

For me there is something very satisfying in taking items that are jumbled up and making them have order.  I do it mainly because aesthetically it is appealing to me and mentally gives my mind rest. Today I stumbled across this book and fell in love at first glance.  This man takes it to a whole new level and for some reason I cannot get enough.

 

alphabet soup

pine tree

 



French fries

images and book found here