mad organizational skills

Check out my son and his penchant for having things in just the right place ... (I should have shot this in aerial view).

After dinner last night he lined up his almond muffin, deconstructed box of raisins, sippy cup, cluster of raisins, and cup of water. All in a row. Anytime I would hand him something else, he needed to line it up with the rest. A boy after my own heart ...

And speaking of organizational tools (a favorite topic of mine), a friend on a forum pointed out this cool new line of office supplies from Staples. Here are a couple of other organizational goodies currently on the wishing list:

• Neat Receipts - who doesn't want one more gadget to organize their life?
• Start Here Adhesive Pockets - cause I have way too many notes tucked in notebooks and in my purse.
• Daily System - I want the whole kit and caboodle!
• Making my keychain a little more organized with these monkeys.
• These would jazz up all my paperwork ... so cute!!

What are your favorite organizational tools? Got any cool websites to share?

capture: yoga class insight

My instructor Michelle ended our yoga practice today with these words:
"Reflect on you who are. Who you want to be. It's all right there inside of you."

random encounter

Without getting into too much detail, I just wanted to say thanks to Jan ... I have no idea if you will ever come across my blog, but my little conversation with you today was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for your encouragement and your kind words. I hope we'll have the chance to meet in person sometime. And thanks for buying a ponytail holder.
:)

Staying inspired ...

Since the Inspired Artist Workshop, I've been slowly coming back to reality. The last bit of green paint has finally washed off from my hands, and sadly, I miss it. Yes, I really did shower since the event, but I haven't made it a point to wash that little speck off. It was my reminder of the event, the friends that I made, the art that I created, and the little piece of my soul that started to bloom over the course of three days. Now that it's gone, I'm wondering how to stay inspired ... how do I continue to work full time, manage and grow the biz, be a good wife and mother to my amazing family ... and still express myself creatively and explore all the things that challenged me at the workshop? Seriously. I need a dozen more hours in the day, but even then, who's got that kind of energy?

April has been a killer ... with the Sips show, then Inspired, then O's birthday, then mine; it's been challenging to even keep up, much less be motivated to do more. But I recognize that I'm truly happy and in my element when I'm going full throttle and making all kinds of messes, so here's my little list of how I plan to stay inspired.

1. I downloaded Paolo's movie onto my iPod and plan to watch and/or listen to it when I need a sense of nostalgia (or when I travel cross-country for the day job).
2. I have done at least one thing creatively every night since I returned from the workshop, and plan to continue. Just one thing ... no matter how small. The other night I was tired and just wanted to plop down on the couch and veg out with the hubby, but instead I cut 6 sets of my Totally Indie Coupons and that fulfilled my crafty need for the moment.
3. I'm planning some mini-craft workshops to get some girls together on a monthly basis to make stuff. I tried this a couple of years ago and had some interest, but I've got some new ideas that will (hopefully) make it more appealing. Stay tuned for this one ...

So, not a terribly long list, but a start. And I guess a good start would be to post all my delicious projects from Inspired, but that will involve my camera and a sunny day ... so hopefully this weekend will be kind to me. :)

How do you stay inspired? How do you stay motivated when life seems way too busy to keep up?

Funny for your Friday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqXYwNDrU8k

I especially love it when he leans in to the mic.

This week's projects

Here's a sampling of what I've gotten myself into this week:

• Finishing Natalia's rustic bread tray for the Cystic Fibrosis Auction
• Finishing this towering shirt-inspired vase {no, it's really not that tall ... I was getting a little artsy with the camera}


• Sewing this wrap-skirt from Craft Mag (and finding something clever to do with this swanky paper I picked up this weekend)

• Making a new set of promos for The Switchboards & possible The Sampler
• Filling out application for The Handmade Market

Oh yeah, and planning for the hubby's birthday this weekend. Whew ...

I was tagged ...

Miss Lisa of Milkshake Crafts tagged me to write seven things about myself, so here goes:

1. I lived on a farm for several years of my life, just outside Asheville, NC. We raised sheep, and grew so many different types of fruits and vegetables that I actually used to take them to show and tell at school. I can't remember a weekend we didn't spend sitting on my step-grandparent's front porch stringing beans and shucking corn, or out in the rows digging for potatoes. I always wondered when I would be old enough to sit inside with the grown up women and make jam or can the corn. I never got the chance to find out. My mom, brother and I moved on to another chapter in our life after seven years.

2. As excited as I was to leave my hometown, I sure do miss living on acres and acres of land, with anything you wanted to eat right outside your back door. Funny, how things always seem to come full circle.

3. I was a big environmentalist for several years during college. I would walk to the grocery store, purchased only the groceries that would fit in my backpack, and hiked it home again (about 2 miles). I wrote articles for our local Sierra Club newsletter and served as the Membership Chair, slapped bumper stickers all over my car, and recycled EVERYTHING. I got really slack about it after college (ok ... I got LAZY), and am now trying to make "green our home" by making changes with our lifestyle and our choices.

4. My hubby and I dated for only 4 months before we got engaged. We had known each other for five years, but just as friends. I had a secret crush on him but we were both in relationships at the time.

5. I've been naming products, services, and companies for eight years in my full time "day job."

6. I spent 10 days in Mexico in 2001 building an orphanage. It was an amazing experience to be able to make a difference on a larger scale. Ironically, because I had been to a third-world country earlier that year, I wasn't able to donate blood after 9-11.

7. I prefer to read magazines from back to front. I don't really know why, but they feel better in my hand that way {plus you avoid all the ads that are stuffed in the front of mags}. Funny trivia: my hubby does the same thing!!

Alright, who's next? I tag Kimberlee, Gaston, Amy, and TPO.

Lunar Eclipse ... Wednesday 2/20

I just read an email which informed me that the last lunar eclipse until 2010 will occur this Wednesday at approximately 10:26 pm. Normally, that's past my bedtime, but I think I'll walk on the wild side and check it out. :-)

If you're in Charlotte or the surrounding areas, you can also check it out at Discovery Place, which is partnering with the Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club (CAAC) to hold a Lunar Eclipse Viewing Party on Wednesday, February 20th from 8:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. on Level 3 of the parking deck at Discovery Place. CAAC members will have telescopes available for optimal viewing as well as information about what guests will be able to look for during the eclipse. The event is free of charge.

It's "deluxe"

This is my conversation last night buying a gift certificate at the nail salon:

Me: I'd like to get a gift card for a mani/pedi.
Girl @ desk: Which one would you like? We have one for $37 and one for $45
Me: What's the difference?
Girl @ desk: The $45 one is deluxe.
Me: (looking around for people snickering at me) Ok - what does deluxe include?
Girl @ desk: Additional services.

I guess these days, customer service is all about ambiguity.