daring adventure

last saturday, i got to meet up with my mama in corvallis. our original plan was to share coffee (pumpkin spice americanos with a splash of cream, to be exact) and just spend time together. we were pleasantly surprised that the fall festival was going on downtown!

check out this bracelet i was lucky enough to find. it has already changed my life. it is a quote by hellen keller, and says "life is either a daring adventure or nothing." so true, right?

a few years back at osu's mom's weekend, i purchased a necklace and ring(!) from the same woman. who has such a soothing way about her. check out her stuff. amazing.

xxo

its sew time.

this past weekend, mom came up to mill city to help get ready for an art/studio/home photoshoot with the very talented maria jean from Maria Jean Photography. you should check her out, she's pretty amazing!

of course i had about 10,000 ideas in my head that i hoped to get done before maria's arrival, and realistically, about enough time to get only one of them done.

i chose the project of making a pennant! on lunch breaks i had been scouring every craft and fabric store for the perfect pieces. these are a few of my favorites! scraps at the craftwarehouse in salem for .80 cents! could it get better?

loving mom's idea to hang it asymmetrically.
(and i promise, more, and much better photos on the way!)

mom set up my sewing machine for the first time since it was gifted to me (almost a year ago, for christmas!) i am so hooked now, i think everyone i know will get one!

singing bird

maybe a singing bird will come.
i love this proverb. so hopeful.
acrylic on 24 x 30 canvas.

...learn how to fly

i wanted to share with you the story behind my most recent custom piece...

almost a month ago, i was approached by a sweet girl (who also graduated from alsea just a few years behind me) about creating a custom piece as a birthday gift for a girlfriend.

little did she know, i had been toying with the idea of no longer offering custom pieces. now, dont get me wrong. i absolutely LOVE creating custom pieces. it is beyond incredible to collaborate on a project, and so thrilling to arrive at the finished product - it is one of the best feelings. however, i've been doing so many customs lately, there has been little time for everything else. hence my hesitation in agreeing to do another one.

but then she told me the story behind it, and it really tugged on my heartstrings.

one of her best girlfriends was recently in a car accident, and broke her neck. on the road to recovery, she discovered a quote, that soon became a sort of mantra for her: "walking gets too boring when you learn how to fly"...so fitting, right?

i feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity <3

sweet vintage

just loving this top lately! i found it at a little boutique in washington last month. perfect for the transition between summer and autumn. <3 i wish everything in my closet looked like this!

happy friday friends.
any fun weekend plans?

twinkle lights

loving the way the twinkle lights look in the early morning when it is still dark out. creates the best glow - perfect for sparking creativity!

girl's got soul

this weekend i had a bit of a nervous breakdown. you see, i was in a complete and total music rut. for those of you who know me, you know that i am a music freak. have to have it. especially in the studio. (that is, when gilmore girls isn't playing in the background).

everything on my ipod is old. old cds. and neither of my stereos come in anywhere in my home!

whats a girl to do? i started messaging some of my friends for recommendations on new music.
and boy am i glad!

have you listened to this amazingly talented woman? i hadnt before this weekend. now i am hooked.

 

# 4  (Howl) and # 7 (Drumming Song) are on repeat. Love.

my leo the lion

my hubby makes fun of me for all the name variations i have for my baby. other than his given name (haha), my favorites are: mister, pretty boy, baby, lion...to name a few. ;) he comes to any and all of them. and, he is so smart, when i ask him "do you want a treat?" he meows and runs to his treat jar.

i really REALLY wanted to name him pumpkin. what with his orange fur, my favorite season being fall, and my favorite holiday being halloween! i still call him pumpkin sometimes. i cant believe i let karl veto that one.

isn't he the cutest thing?

he loves to lay in that spot on the couch when karl and i are lounging (becoming a rare occurence these days).

xxo

truths

hi friends, and happy holiday monday. i hope you get to spend your day doing exactly what you like. at least that is my motto for today. i've been up since 4:50am (yikes that's early. even for me!) and the creative juices haven't stopped yet. today in the studio is a bit like a dream. quiet house, a fresh breeze blowing through the open windows, crickets chirping, and my mind and soul completely lost in the work i'm doing - love!

today, i want to share with you a few truths i bet you don't know about me. random? yes! entertaining? absolutely!

1. i have a thing for wasabi peas. since discovering them, i've been obsessed. i buy them in bulk from winco.

2. for two summers during college, i was a wildland firefighter for the forest service. it's where i met the hubby! this time of year always takes me back to those days.

3. halloween is (and always has been) hands down, my favorite holiday. and fall is my favorite season. every year, the month of october is always overflowing with autumn festivities. there are pumpkin patch visits, haunted corn mazes, pumpkin carving parties, long walks through the woods the admire the changing leaves, etc. etc.

4. the only broken bone i've had was my wrist, in 7th grade. rollerblading incident.

5. someday i plan to road trip across the u.s. in a blue vw bus.destination: maine.

6. i have never purchased beef from a grocery store. we eat deer and elk meat that one of the boys in my family harvested with their bow. (but usually, im a chicken kind of girl.)

xxo