Are you living your life true to your values and needs? If yes, good for you. If no, we need to talk. https://youtu.be/bgXcYIAOTKI There is a lot of noise in the world telling us what we should or shouldn't be that it's easy to lose track of who we truly...
Happy New Year!! Let me be 100% honest with you, I'm glad 2016 is over. It was a very tiring year for me and I'm excited about the possibilities of 2017. And I'm not talking that "new year, new me mess either," I hate that saying. And I’m not the...
I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. -Nelson Mandela Creativity Takes Courage You’ve heard that creativity requires courage, right? Or maybe you’ve seen it in your Instagram feed or displayed next to a picture of a cat holding onto a rope for...
"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences". Audre Lorde "Share our similarities, celebrate our differences." M. Scott Peck [clickToTweet tweet=" Diversity brings color to our lives. " quote="'Diversity brings color to our lives.' "] "Tolerance and celebration of...
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. -Marcus Aurelius When I was 17 I inherited a lemon of a car. Now don’t get me wrong, this car gave me life for the 5 months I drove it. But it...
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James For months I suffered with dull radiating pain on the left side of my neck. It wasn't unbearable but super annoying. I spent hours on WebMD self-diagnosing (which really only makes things worst), I tried heating pads, and neck rolling exercises....
Everyday during lunch we sat in the teacher's lounge with teachers trying to scuff down lunch during a 25 minute lunch break that always went by to soon. At this time, I was a school counselor intern so to most of them I was the invisible women. Each day I...
"Whether you're keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it's the same thing. What's important is you're having a relationship with your mind." -Natalie Goldberg I’m always looking for ways to craft more. At this point in my life, I have include arts & crafts in my self-care routine,...
Happy New Year!! Are you tried of hearing that yet? I hope not because you’ve got another 2 of new year greetings ahead of you. Being totally transparent here, I’m not the type to make new year’s resolution. Mainly because I suck at keeping them. Like the time I...
This year makes the eight year I've celebrated Kwanzaa with my family. I hadn't even heard of it before then. However, my husband's family have been hosting annual Kwanzaa dinners since the early 90s. I still remember the first time he invited me to celebrate Kwanzaa. We were newly engaged...
The holiday time is a magically awesome time of the year. Unless you're stressed out worry about cooking a big dinner, decorating the house perfectly, traveling, or buying the right gift for that ambiguous someone in your life. Talk about a nightmare before Christmas, just try visiting toy store....
“Your projects are so cute, I wish I had your creativity." If only I got a dollar every time I heard this. And no I’m not bragging because hearing this makes me a little sad. Sad because the person saying this usually feels like they are not creative. I believe we...
With so many things to get done, sometimes feeling joy seems to be impossible. A couple of years ago I was introduced to the concept of mindfulness. The more I learned about mindfulness, I started being more intentional with my thoughts and actions. And then I came across a simple technique...
[clickToTweet tweet="I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become. -Carl Jung via @becoming_fab" quote="I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become. -Carl Jung"] /CHois/ noun an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with...
Happy Halloween my fabulous friend! In the spirit of halloween, today's mindful craft project focuses on the things that haunts us all (at one time or another): the past. "Don't ignore the past, but deal with it, on your own pace. Once you deal with it, you are free of it; and...
We all have those projects that feel elephant sized. Today's Craft Talk focuses on how to prioritize and manage a big project and features the Lawn Fawn Critters of the Jungle stamp set. You will learn: how to apply Covey's Time Management Grid to your projects, the key components to...
Perfectionism: strength or weakness? I led an interviewing seminar once and one of the question each attendant had to answer was, "What is your weakness?" About 70% of people said their weakness was being a perfectionist with pride. I'm sure they had read somewhere that being a perfectionist was a...
There's great power in having a grateful heart. In this Craft Talk we're making thank you cards using the Latte Love Stamp Set and focusing on the power of gratitude. I also share 3 tips on how to show others that your appreciate them. [clickToTweet tweet="The struggle ends when...
We are all called to be the builders and supports of the people in our lives. This Craft Talks shares eight ways to build up others and features products from the Simon Says Stamp October Card Kit. [clickToTweet tweet="We rise by lifting up others. -R. Ingersoll" quote="We rise by...
Sometimes life sucks You woke up late. Car won't start. Somebody parked in your spot. And then you get hit with a surprised meeting. Let's face it. You're having a rough day. But that's okay. We all have them. And yes, they suck but you can get through them. But...
Hey YOU! How many small wins have you celebrated today? If you’re like most folks, probably none. It can be very hard sometimes to see the value in small wins. Especially, when you have a never-ending list of to-dos. But today you’ll learn why this type of thinking is blocking...
Loving The Simple Things It amazes me how simple things can be tied to some of our most fond memories. Take flip flops for example. They're relatively cheap. (Seriously, Old Navy has them for 99 cent.) And although they're not the sexiest or most fashionable shoe out there, millions of...
Hello my friend! This is my very first Craft Talk video. My weekly series where I craft while talking about personal development, creativity, and motivation. The topic for today's Craft Talk is how to start when you don't feel ready? And I will be watercoloring the Ruby Prima Marketing doll....
It was 5 years ago when I joined Blogger and wrote my first blog post. So many things has change since the day I got the wild idea to start a blog. Everything from my blog's name to my targeted reader has gotten a overhaul. Even my style of writing...
[clickToTweet tweet="Don't allow the unrealistic demands of others to march freely into your life. " quote="Don't allow the unrealistic demands of others to march freely into your life. -Lysa Terkeurst"] Ewww… You should’d in your pants. No I’m not taking about going #2. I’m talking about how your unrealistic demands...
“If you want to be taken seriously, be consistent.” Consistent- /kənˈsistənt / constantly adhering to the same principles, course, form My Story About Being Consistent For almost seven years, we've had an issue with dishes in our house. I have a thing about putting my hands in dish water and...
"You can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather.” -Andre Benjamin Failures happens. It's sucks but it’s part of life. Which means we have to learn to deal with it when it happens. Easily said but how is it done? How do you pick up the pieces...
I'm always on the hunt for inspiring books. I simply love reading and learning new things. So I thought I would share a couple of books from my just read, reading, and up next book list. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo I've always been a junkie...
I remember it like it was yesterday, mainly because it was yesterday. I'm standing in my living room rocking side to side with Charlene Johnson (the Turbo Jam lady) trying to work off some of the BBQ from the Fourth. About 7 minutes in I'm feeling like I'm about to pass...
We All Have Fears "Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free." We all have fears, it's a basic instinct. And a good instinct to have for the most part. It's only when fears become irrational that creates a problem. Take me...
We've all been there. Some days are rougher than others no matter how much planning and effort you put in. But it isn't our circumstance that makes or breaks us, it's our thoughts and responses to those situations. For instance, I'll share my story of the no pay, payday. After two...
These four little words made me the biggest and worst type of liar of all. But it wasn’t these simple words that made me a villain. The words didn’t have much power. It was my actions that followed. “I’ll do it later” Those are the words I’ve said to...
Beginnings are always full of excitement. It's hopeful, bright, and pure. Whether it's the start of a relationship, idea, learning opportunity, or even a new crafting project, the beginnings are usually optimistic. Then doubt creeps in. You begin to wonder if you're enough. You question your plans. You distrust yourself...
Dear Diary, I still remember my first diary; it was white with pink flowers and a gold lock. It was a gift from my best friend for my 8th birthday and a place where I rambled on and on for hours about my day. I have no idea what to...
Have you ever felt that paralyzing fear and self-doubt that occurs when you're in the middle of an idea or task? You know, the ones that sneak into your mind and steal all of your self-confidence and esteem. The type of doubt that leaves you questioning if you're good enough...
5 months ago I opened an Etsy shop to sell some of my mandalas. Month by month went by with no sells. Many people favored my shop and liked my designs but no sales. After about 2 months, I started to question if my prices were too high. I considered...
Hello there and Happy New Year. Is it too late to say that? I hope not because I haven't gotten around to blogging this year and you deserve to be wished a Happy New Year. So each year, I like to select a word of the year and this year...
About six years ago, a lucky call to the radio station started what I think will be a life long love affair. Yes, that was the day my sister won tickets to see Cirque du Soleil show. Fast forward to now and I still think the Cirque du Soleil shows are...
To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. Osho...
Hi guys. This week I shared how I made my blog content plan, so today I figured I'll show you how I use it in conjunction with CoSchedule to create an editorial calendar. So you might be wondering "what the heck is CoSchedule?" In short, it is a content publishing...
I'll let you guys in on something about me: I crave organization. Notice I said I crave it which means its something that I don't usually have. But yet I try. Also, if I'm going to get anything done, I have to write it out on paper. Even with all...
I have always had a love for photography. However, it wasn't until I started blogging that I started to learn more beyond pointing and shooting. Over the two year, I've been making an effort to better learn the art of photography. I'm constantly snapping pictures of thing and trying out...
This fast paced world seems to move faster and faster as each day goes by. At least, that is what it feels like to me. Sometimes I get so caught up in making plans for the future that the present slips by. This weekend was one of those times for...
So I have finally got my Etsy shop up and running. YAY! For the last month, I have been consumed in creating products, taking pictures, researching business plan, etc. etc. It's crazy how much I've learned and how much I still need to know. However, the shop is up...
Hi guys! So my move to Wordpress is about 90% complete. The only things left to do is update the feature images to some of my DIY posts and add a couple widgets to my sidebar. So I will be honest, I use to think bloggers who bragged about Wordpress...
I'm one of those people that you will find spending hours in bookstores just reading books and magazine. Its not because I love reading at the book store. Actually, I find it rather annoying but books are expensive so I go and read books there… for free (don't judge). So...
Marriage. Career. Family. Dog. Home. Money. School. Health. Blog. Friends. Hobbies. Money. Time. Fitness. Love. Legacy. Retirement. Community. Emails. Money. These are some of the many thoughts that cross my mind on a regular. And if you’re anything like me then you have experienced that feeling when everything seems to...
Image: Simon Pape via Unsplash Have you ever felt that paralyzing fear & self-doubt that occurs when you're in the middle of an idea or task? You know, the ones that sneak into your mind and steal all of your self-confidence and esteem. The type of doubt that leaves you...
Sometime life is hard. And even when we have the best of plans. It rains on our parade. I try to keep this blog a happy place, a place of uppers, butterflies, and unicorns. Well maybe not unicorns but you get the point. And getting to the point, a couple...
Hi guys!We are going into the third week of Jenny's Let's Make Habits challenge and this week's focus is on staying motivated. And let's be honest, the majority of goals remain unaccomplished because of a lack of motivation or a lack of commitment... Can I get an amen? So today I...
I've always found a sense of tranquility in water. Wether it's listening to the sound of running water, relaxing on the balcony of a cruise ship, or taking hot bath, water puts me at ease. This week I visited the Georgia Aquarium for the first time. And it was amazing. Seeing...
photo credit: nathangibbs via photopin cc Do you ever find yourself in situations you don’t want to be in? For instance, having to cancel your plans because you let a friend borrow your car to make a quick run to the store and three hours later you are still waiting...
Whose life are you living? Is it your own? Do the choices you make reflect your values? Do the things you claim to value reflect what's in your heart? The quickest road to low esteem starts at the intersection of helplessness and indecision. The most important thing you can do...