obsessions

"'Why? Why would you write 10,000 Ways to Say I Love You? Do we really need 10,000 ways? Aren't you getting a little bit obsessed?' Of course I'm obsessed. Teachers and artists are always obsessed by their topics."

I was flipping through 10,000 Ways to Say I Love You the other night and that part from the introduction caught my eye. It's so true... Whenever I get inspired, I dive in headfirst to whatever it is that I'm working on, whether it's photography or painting or knitting or whatever else I can throw myself into. I always recognize that energy when it's there and say a prayer of thanksgiving for it because it means that I get to do what I love. I'm always looking forward to the next thing I can get my hands on, but I always enjoy the process in the middle.

Right now I'm in the in between. I need to get more yarn for my blanket. I'm staring at a painting I started a month ago because I think it needs something but I can't figure out what that something is. I'm still trying to take a picture every day for February. Works in progress are everywhere around me and I'm still excited about them because I'm obsessed with what I do. And that feels so good.

magic monday

I hopped aboard the love letter train and made a bunch for Justin the other night when he took a nap. It makes me so happy when I can make him smile. Nothing else compares to the love I feel for that man.

Things might be a little slow around here this week because I have to send my iPhone (aka my computer basically) into Apple to repair the charger port. So I'm using my ancient Android phone for the Intrrnet access, but I really miss things like autocorrect and emojis that don't look like little blobs. ;)

Happy Monday friends.

currently, february edition

knitting the black & white blanket

drinking lots of coffee (+ water!)

getting up early... I can't sleep past 730 these days

listening to yesterday's episode of Elise Gets Crafty

playing with paint again

staying inside today, thanks -12* & -26* windchill

starting a daily photo project with justin 

counting down the days to spring (17 days to daylight savings!)

scrolling through Instagram all the time

brainstorming ideas for a birthday project

working to hustle, put my head down and get stuff done 

accepting life's ups & downs & that change is inevitable 

enjoying this season in my life

magic monday (on a tuesday!)

I finished my scarf! It's been cold this week so I'm grateful for the extra warmth and coziness. I'm also grateful for: getting to sleep until 730 after getting up at 330 for the past 5 days, morning bubble baths, winter sunlight, and coffee (always). 

Happy Tuesday! 

valentines

I went to bed super early last night... Like 8 o'clock early (thanks 5 day opening stretch!). When I woke up this morning, a love letter bomb had gone off in the apartment just in time to celebrate this day of love. Justin broke out my colored pencils and plastered the walls with poems, encouragements, and reminders of our love. I'm going to keep them forever. 

podcasts

Recently I've gotten way more into podcasts.

Last April, when Elise Cripe launched her podcast Elise Gets Crafty was when I first really discovered how enjoyable podcasts are. The thing I love about Elise's podcast is that her content always inspires me. She talks about blogging, small business, inspiration, creativity and motivation and every Wednesday morning I sit down with a cup of coffee and get ready to get to work. 

Through Elise, I found Cortnee Loren Brown's podcast Creative Start. As the name suggests, Cortnee interviews creatives about how they got their start. Elise was a guest in episode 3. This podcast gives me a jump start on Tuesday mornings and makes me think about where I started from and what can I do now to make my story better and to make my work better. 

These are really the only two podcasts I ever listen to, but I'm always on the look out for more creative inspiring podcasts. What are you guys listening to lately?

photo a day

One of my goals this month is to take a photo every day. 10 days in and we're doing pretty good so far, even if 80% of them are coffee pictures. It seems a lot less daunting to take a picture every day for a month than it is to start out with a yearly goal. I miss my 365 projects, but maybe I'll just make a monthly goal to take a picture every day and we'll see how far it goes. I'm excited to fall in love with photography again.

magic monday

I tore out everything that was on my needles in my last post and started knitting a cowl. It's my first time knitting in the round and I'm learning a lot as I go along but so far I'm loving it. Knitting has become one of my favourite activities, especially for how portable it is (or can be). I've been knitting while I take my break at work. I knit while watching tv. I knit a couple weeks ago when I had an appointment to go to and was wasting time in the waiting room. I'm gonna be kinda sad when it gets too hot to be covered by yarn again. 

I've caught the Pinterest bug again. Sometimes I go through phases where Pinterest is the best thing that's ever happened to me and then I get bored of it and forget it exists for a while. But right now we're on the upswing and I'm loving the extra burst of inspiration. 

There are 27 days until daylight savings time starts. So grateful that winter feels like it's almost over. Especially compared to last year when it felt like it just dragged on forever. 

Happy Monday!

making me happy

Coffee is making me happy. I only had one cup of coffee yesterday and I was a major grump all day because of it. I had a pounding headache and I was irritable and just generally not a fun person to be around. (So pro tip: a guaranteed way to brighten my day is usually to bring me coffee)

Knitting is making me happy. I have a couple works in progress right now, a black and white blanket which is on hold for now until I have time to run to Stevens Point and get more yarn. And this one! Which in not sure what it is yet. Maybe I'm just knitting for the sake of knitting and keeping my hands busy. But either way I'm grateful for the practice. 

Books are making me happy. I finally got bit by the reading bug again and I'm so happy I can concentrate enough to make it through a whole book again. I finished The Bell Jar a couple of days ago and now I'm working my way through this Good Will find I picked up a few months ago. 

Annnnd, I have a giveaway winner to announce!

Commentor number 1 is Emily Creek! Email me your address and I'll get that in the mail for you asap. ;)

Happy Friday!

life goes on

My great Aunt Betty passed away on Tuesday night. She was my grandma's last living sibling, and now my grandma is the only one left. Whenever I think about my aunt Betty, I think of watching the movie Babe and how she always offered me ginger snaps whenever I went to her house with my grandma.

For my birthday one year I got the American Girl doll Samantha and my aunt Betty made me a ton of outfits for her. She was always doing stuff like that, making doll clothes, woodworking, painting, crafting. She was part of the reason I told everyone I was hellbent and determined to be an artist at seven years old. 

My Aunt Betty was a powerhouse. Until 2009, she went to Yellowstone National Park and worked for half the year for 10 whole years. Her stubbornness and determination are so inspirational to me. She was fiercely independent and wanted everything done her way... I can see a lot of myself and my mom in her and in my grandma. 

Her celebration of life is on Saturday the 28th and I have to make arrangements with work, but I really really hope I can make it. Rest in Peace, Aunt Betty. I love you.  

magic monday

Laying in bed last night, I was thinking about heartbeats. Every time I find Justin's heartbeat, it reminds me of the week we first met in person. How I fell asleep every night for a week snuggled into his chest, and his heartbeat lulled me to sleep every night. The week we first met in person was the best week of my life so far. 

Last night, in my "I opened at work this morning, I've been up since 4 AM so I'm falling asleep at 7:30 PM" haze, I found Justin's heartbeat again and it reminded me of sleepy mornings and late night spent talking and talking and talking. It made me think about heartbeats, how everyone has one, and someday everyone will fall asleep to the sound of someone's heartbeat. 

The future freaks me out sometimes. Thinking about getting married, and having kids, and owning a house, and everything in between makes me want to make like an ostrich and stuff my head into a hole in the ground. But I know as long as I have Justin, and his heartbeat always there to give me my favourite lullaby, we can do anything. 

happy february

It's snowing. I'm drinking coffee (duh) out of my new heart mug and watching Property Brothers on HGTV and thinking about goals. 

This month, I want to... 

- Try harder at work

- Be nicer to Justin

- Make three things just for fun

- Take a picture every day

Fun stuff! February, I'm so glad you're here.