PeachHoneyLove

New Website and Tour!!

2011-06-13T16:05:00.001-07:00

Guess what? I have moved!!!... check out the new website and tour over here!

Love,
Me!

PeachHoneyPreemie Website Debut!!

2011-06-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

The PeachHoneyLove website is almost complete, but do you want to see the new PeachHoneyPreemie Website?... come on over for a mini-debut and tour!!

March For Preemie Babies!

2011-04-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year, when we dig down into our wallets, put on our running shoes, and MARCH FOR PREEMIE BABIES!! This march is near and dear to my heart, being a NICU nurse, but I'm sure we all have a connection with these fragile babies. Visit the March for Babies website to search for walks in your area, or if you're in the Sacramento area come walk with me on April 30th at the California State Capitol!! You can make donation via my website. Thanks for you support!!!

My Morning Jolt...

2011-04-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

You know when you get a jolt of inspiration, and everything seems possible? Well, I was at the receiving end of that jolt a few times today. It all started when I visited A Creative Mint, only to discover she had a new blog design... fresh, airy, lovely. I read her newest post to find out she teamed up with Jo Klima, from The Darling Tree, to create this new site. I was struck by love when I looked through Jo's portfolio. I tell you, I have never swooned so hard. Her designs are so beautiful and soft, and capture everything wonderful about the site she's designing for. How could I not contact her... still waiting for a response, but I'm still buzzing.

Gypsy Girl's Guide design by Jo

Boho Girl's design by Jo

The second person who rocked my world was Erin Darcy, who created Boho Girl's beautiful logo/header. Ethereal and safe. That's what I want the PeachHoneyPreemie logo to be... safe. So, as you would expect, I contacted her as well. I'll keep you posted. Visit her shop here.

Painting and Photo by Erin Darcy

The third person to make my day was Michelle Staley, the creator of the Busy Breather's Oxygen Backpack. I talked a little bit about her here, but my telephone conversation with her this morning was AMAZING!! The high I got from talking to her could probably last me all year. I'm always blown away by the generosity of others, and Michelle is oh so generous!! And she's a NICU momma, too... so we had a quite the connection. I can't wait to really start working with her via Mommy Millionaire. Check out her wonderful product here.

I'm so excited I could just pee!!

Somethings gotta give...

2011-04-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, guys... here's the deal. The website design is coming along. Coding my website has become a definite challenge... poor Tara has had her hands full with my endless questions. If you follow me on Twitter, you have witnessed my difficulty. Endless tweets on "How do I do..." "Why isn't this working?"... blah, blah, blah. Thankfully, Tara and Danielle are incredibly helpful and patient.

I'm going to contact my sewing contractor (in San Rafael) today to set up a date to meet and, hopefully, start production. This is so surreal to me, but oh so exciting. I'm also having a conference call with Michelle Staley, a mommy of a preemie, who created the Busy Breather's Oxygen backpack... seriously, check her out!! She saw a void in the preemie market and filled it with this amazing product. Sound familiar? Well, I'm having a quick 20 min consultation with her to get as much info as I can (I'm writing down questions in between these blogging thoughts). If I can be half as successful as she is I will count my myself extremely lucky.

My diet is changing, which means more time grocery shopping, and definitely more time cooking. Frequent trips to the farmer's market, coupon clipping (after watching the first episode of Extreme Couponing... ummm, hello?), and cooking lessons have become great bonding times between my husband and me. Loving that.

My garden is flourishing, we're planting 16 more plants today, and a tree. Guys, I was not built for manual labor, but I have a wonderful husband that doesn't mind doing the digging. Gotta love that man. I have to admit, the tan on my shoulders after a few hours of swingin' a shovel is a big bonus. I did buy this little fashion statement a couple weeks ago (taken with my camera phone).

Everything comes with a price, and mine is less time to write. I know I'm not the only one that has trouble balancing, but I feel guilty... so guilty. Something has to give... and unfortunately, it has to be the blog for now. There are so many aspects of the business that need to be figured out, and I just don't have time for everything. Is anyone else feeling guilty about putting something on the back burner? Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Week18: Interview with Jenny Alexander

2011-04-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Jenny Alexander to the blog today. She is an indie artist, from Lancaster, PA, and is here to talk to us about the wonders of being a mommy, business woman, and creative superstar!!

How did you get started as an artist? Did you always want to own your own business?

I always wanted to be an artist of some kind and but never even imagined that it might happen one day. I've dabbled in photography from about age 9 or 10. My dad was a professional photographer and I grew up shooting photos with him and with a darkroom in our basement that we used all the time. It was where I really felt the need to create for the first time. I dreamed of being a professional art photographer for many years.

I really found my "place" in live performing venues. It's strange because I was always very shy as a child but was able to be more bold onstage.

In college, I met and teamed up with the man who, years later, would be my husband and we began a 10 year career as professional magicians. We traveled all over the country performing for corporations and at private events and we finally put down roots in Las Vegas. We headlined there together at Caesars Palace for about seven years and in other venues around the city until we were expecting our first child in 2004.

Once our son was born, I continued on in the show but it eventually became more difficult as he got a little older. I joke that I retired but really I left the show to be able to stay home more with him. I gave up the bright lights, celebrity encounters, huge crowds for the quiet joys of motherhood. It's a choice that I never regretted, although I may make a return to the stage someday!

It was during this time that I began dreaming of having a career that would allow me to be home, yet still express myself creatively and be successful.

And it was around the time that our second child was born (a little girl this time), that I began creating the technique that I use now. I use vintage ephemera - old advertisements, antique wallpaper patterns, old sheet music, love letters, greeting cards and art papers. I collage these together in what I call kaleidoscope collages. I take a section of the original image and repeat it so that it mocks the look of a kaleidoscope. The backgrounds are layered with additional vintage images. It's an intricate look and process and one that I hope is unique and recognizable as my style. I hope that viewers can see a piece and know that it's mine just because of the feel and look.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration EVERYWHERE. I keep a notebook in my car, keep notes on my phone, remember ideas in my head and try to write them down before I forget them! I'm completely inspired by old things like antiques, vintage items, old photographs, old letters. I feel like these things have held onto a piece of the energy from the person who owned them and I love to dream about what life must have been like for that person, at that time.

I'm also very inspired by music. When I hear a song that really moves me, I challenge myself to create a piece that mimics that feeling. I try to create images that tell a story.. through the feel of the piece, the title, the colors and textures, the type of description that I give each one. It's important to me to give the viewer something to emotionally grab a hold of when seeing the piece. And I like to give my buyers a story to tell along with the piece to adorn their walls.

How do you balance being a mother, artist, and business woman? What is your typical daily schedule?

Oh my. Well, some days I don't balance it very well! With three small kids in the house, (they are all under 6!) things are sometimes a little unpredictable. An added challenging element is that my husband is still a performing magician and he's often gone on cruise ships for a week or two at a time. So, everything is on my shoulders during those times and, honestly, it's not easy. I like to think that I handle things gracefully and everyone says that I do. I hope they're not just being nice!

Mornings are pretty crazy getting my oldest two kids ready for school and on the bus. I always make sure I have time for coffee and a quick email check. I can usually address one or two quick emails first thing in the morning while the kids have breakfast.

My little one is almost 21 months old and, once the kids are on the bus, we have breakfast together and I can get some work done during Sesame Street. Thank goodness for Elmo. Really, really, really.

He plays in the studio while I work and that sometimes goes well, depending on his mood that day. I'm sure all moms understand that some days kids just need more attention, are grumpy or just plain difficult. My baby is generally so happy-go-lucky and I'm a lucky Mama that I can do everything that I do with him hanging out alongside me.

His naptime lasts about 3 hours and that's when I hit the work HARD. No stopping by twitter to check on everybody, no peeking at facebook for a quick chat. If you follow me on any of those places, you'll notice that I disappear from all my normal social media hangouts in the afternoon!

During this time, I'm doing the actual work. Getting orders "in process," packing up new orders for my daily trip to the post office, working out new ideas and techniques, answering business emails, working on my wholesale contacts and getting into the thickest part of my work day. It's hard to do all that I need to in those few hours and some days, I am literally running. I save the "leftovers" of work for later on, after the kids are in bed.

Once the kids are home from the bus, it's all family time. Dinner, homework, playing, reading, baths, snuggles, bedtime. It's the best part of the day. Those quiet moments tucking them in and whispering in the dark, their faces lit only by their nightlights, reminds me why I work so hard. It's so I can be home for every moment of their childhood, be their role model, be their best friend, be a great Mama and teach them to be good people making wise and loving choices in their lives.

And I'm proud that my kids see me doing what I love, balancing a pretty tough schedule and making it work. They see me trying new things every day, sometimes failing but getting up and moving on. I hope that they learn from me to be passionate and be flexible. It's what has gotten me where I am right now.

What advice can you give to beginning Etsy sellers?

First off, be patient. Chances are, this isn't going to happen overnight for you. It certainly didn't for me. Etsy is a huge community with so many sellers and buyers. Make it as easy as you can to be seen. Take great photos with some personality. If I see a product, I'd love to know right away that it was yours, just from the feel of the photo.

Another great tip that I have I usually save for good friends but, we're all good friends here, right? My biggest break so far was being in an Etsy Finds email. It was last year and was themed around the movie Eat, Pray, Love. I actually contacted Etsy about curating a find based on this myself but it was already in the works with an Etsy administrator as curator. I was excited to be included in the Finds a few weeks later! I got a ton of sales, contacts, hearts and wholesale contracts. So many eyes saw my shop that week and I'm still riding the wave that it started.

So, here's the nugget of advice... Study what's big in pop culture and tag your items using those things. Movies, pop culture icons, upcoming holidays (even random ones). Think like an Etsy admin. What hip and unique thing could they possibly have their eyes on that might fit with something you make? Don't stretch it too far and try to draw a ridiculous line between the two things but pick some keywords or phrases and put them in your tags or descriptions as it fits. My item was black and white henna designs on stone coasters. They were rustic and warm and I tagged them with "India" and "Eat, Pray, Love." It was an easy match for Etsy with a nice, clean photo. It made a huge boost in my business and I hope it might do the same for you!

Can you give 5 things that have kept your business successful?

Innovation - All of my collage work is square and I am constantly looking for ways to use those square images... throw pillows, candle holders, magnets, coasters. Everything I do is pretty much square so it's an easy mold to fill when looking for new ways to use my images. Having new items keeps me interested and hopefully keeps my shop new and fresh for those die hard customers. Plus, I only make things that I personally love. That way, even if the new idea doesn't fly, I can keep them for myself!

Flexibility - Whether it be with your daily schedule, fitting in your passion around a full time job or family, flexibility is the key to evolving. When I feel stuck on an idea and just can't find my way through it, I relax and try to work around the issue, instead of forcing a solution that might not be perfect. I try not to be too hard on myself and to roll with the punches. I also do a number of art shows throughout the year and flexibility is a MUST for those!

Face time - Speaking of doing live shows, I think that's so important. You've got to get out there to see what people are really drawn to. I have been able to focus my style and product lines so much more easily by doing art/craft shows. You get to meet your customer and see what they want, see what questions they ask and work on your presentation. Having this presentation or "elevator pitch" helps you to succinctly express exactly what it is that you do. This comes in handy in so many situations!

Down time - Take a break! As creative, small business owners, we are constantly thinking, creating, networking and DOING. It's exhausting and I often don't realize it until it's too late and I'm overwhelmed. So, try along with me to remember to just *stop* a few times during the day. If I'm not physically working, I'm thinking, planning, conceiving new ideas. But I've got to take a break, especially in my head! Even if it's just sitting down with a cup of coffee and watching some Elmo with my baby and having a giggle. It's just the small break that I need.

Confidence - One thing that I've learned by tackling all of this on my own, is that I can do anything. If I can run a household, raise three kids, build a business and not go crazy, then I can do ANYTHING. And so can you! We've all got a ton on our plates while growing businesses, following our dreams and loving those around us. With good time management, loving support from our families and the energy that momentum brings, we are really unstoppable. Go for it and share your gifts!

Do you have any projects you want to promote?

I'm currently preparing for my three big East Coast Spring shows and that's keeping me really busy. I'll be at Crafty Balboa's April Showers show in Philly, April 30th.

I'm excited to be a new vendor at the highly coveted Art Star Craft Bazaar in Phildaelphia May 14-15th. It's at the beautiful Penn's Landing and hosts tons of super cool, artsy and innovative vendors. I'm over the moon to be showing there alongside several Team Handmade in PA sellers.

And I'll be returning to Silver Spring, MD for one of my favorite spring shows, Handmade Mart on May 22nd. It's such a great show, with fabulous crowds of handmade lovin' folks that really appreciate my style and my work. It'll be a great way to round out my spring line up.

If you're on the East coast, please stop by and say hello! I guarantee these shows will be fabulous!

And, my work is always available online at my Etsy shop. I'm always working out new ideas, new product lines and one of a kind or short run goodies. Drop me a line and say hello! I love hearing from new Etsy sellers and buyers!

All artwork and pictures courtesy of the talented Jenny. Thank you so much, Jenny, for taking the time to answer some questions. You are a true inspiration to all of the busy moms, wondering if they can have it all. What a beautiful life you have. Wishing you lots of love and success! THANK YOU!!

I'm being featured here...

2011-04-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Are you curious about how I got started as an artist, my family life, and where the name PeachHoneyLove came from? Well, you're in luck because the wonderful Suzanne Redmond is interviewing me today over here! Please check it out and show her some love!

This is proof!!

2011-04-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

This is proof my green thumb efforts did not go unnoticed, despite the voles' master plan to ruin my life.

My husband and I were taking full advantage of the beautiful 66 degree weather today by protecting our future veggie babies from another vole invasion. We decided to empty our raised beds and place a hefty sheet of hardware mesh at the bottom… those voles don't have a chance.

The first bed was a cinch… no plants, no problem. I had a couple asparagus plants in the other… ummm… problem. I must have done something right last season, because one short year transformed a tiny asparagus plant into this gorgeous fern bush with pencil-thick roots. It took me over an hour to dig out this, obviously established, beauty, but we did it!!

Are you working in the garden this week?

Week 17: Recent Failure

2011-04-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit

I'm on such a positive high, but there are two sides to every coin, so let's talk about failures. We all have them... difficult days, tasks we don't complete. It's human to encounter failures, and the best way to deal with them is to accept them, attempt to try again, or sometimes just move on.

1. I have let some negative comments get to me, and there are a couple that got me questioning my worth. It sickens me that some random person, who doesn't even know me, could affect me this way, but I'm human and mean words hurt. Did you know there are people on YouTube whose sole purpose is to scour the web, looking for videos to leave negative comments on? There is! I sat and pondered how their lives play out in their head, as if I should be dedicating any time worrying about scum. The sense of superiority and entitlement they must feel, deciding what should and should not be on the web. Whatever... moving on.

2. I haven't painted in quite some time. I miss it, I really do, but the preemie clothing line, and brand building has been priority number one. My hope is that sometime soon, after the website is built and my social networking schedule is laid out, I can spend some time in the studio... instead of behind a computer. I where many hats, and my business bonnet is the one I have on now.

3. My studio is still not organized... after a year. Like I said before, I've been busy. *sigh*

4. My Eat Clean diet has been MIA, and I feel like crap. I don't know why I do this to myself. That chinese take-out was delicious, but I was regretting it the next three days when the salty bloat arrived. Ok, too much information. Moving on.

I think that's it for now... but we never know what tomorrow will bring. What have you been procrastinating with lately? Any failures you want to get off your chest?

Haul: Michaels

2011-04-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

A quick trip to Michaels made my day! Check out all the great Golden products I scored!

Links for this video

Golden Fluid Matte Medium

Liquitex Clear Gesso

Golden Extra Heavy Gel (Gloss)

Heavy Body Acrylics in Titan Buff

This video was not sponsored by any brands mentioned. If you ever have any questions about the products I use, or talk about, please don't hesitate to email me. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to view my videos (they usually are posted on the channel a couple days before the blog post is published). Thanks for watching!

Encaustic love…

2011-04-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

Artwork and Photo by Bridgette

Just because I'm so obsessed with encaustic paintings nowadays… check out this post on images + wax. And because I can't help myself, here are some more pieces to drool over.

All Roads Lead to Forever by Michelle Belto
18”X18”
Encaustic, Tar, Torch on Handmade Paper

Antique Garden by Michelle Belto
Torch, Tar, Beeswax, Damar, Cotton, Abaca on Artist Made Cast Paper
18" x 18"

Judy Wise

2011-04-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

I don't care what the rest of the painting looks like, even though the finished painting is stunning. I'm so blown away by the pieces Judy Wise creates. I stared at these pictures for a half hour, studying every nook and cranny of the textured surface. It looks like caramel dripped over white icing. Oh, Lord, why do I need to turn everything into a food reference? I NEED to know how she created this!

Artwork and Photo by Judy

Who inspires you?

Rainbow Blooms...

2011-04-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend was everything I love about spring. Eating at the resort, aka my parent's backyard, multiple trips to Home Depot, and oogling over the colorful plants at Green Acres Nursery. Love. Hank was, of course, delighted he was able to lay in the sun all day, and I was pretty pleased myself. The sun is like therapy to me... it's just what I need to get rid of the anxious thoughts rolling around in my head. I can just breathe and focus on the cool breeze hitting my face.

I took a trip to the farmer's markets. The sun was shining, Thank the Lord, and the air was warm. I was dying for this day. It's the beginning of fresh fruit season, so there isn't a whole lot in season right now. I didn't get much, but I did stumble upon this bouquet of rainbow hapiness. Oh boy, you belong on my table.

I love Ranunculus!! The delicate petals are endless. The sunniness doesn't stop. If I could find a bunch of white ranunculus, my life would be complete!!

What did you do this weekend?

Week 16: A Recent Success

2011-04-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit

There are many points along my journey I would consider successes. By the way, it's ok to be happy for ourselves. We celebrate each other, so let's give ourselves some props. We deserve it! I talked about enjoying the little things in this post, but let me reiterate we have to celebrate the small steps we reach along our road to greatness. Every little step counts… EVERY ONE.

Our life is made up of many successes, so why focus on one. Here are a few of the things I'm proud of…

1. I'm figuring out how to build and maintain my own website. This is HUGE!! I'm not a technical person, and often have to turn to Brandi and Laura for help. I'm putting on my big girl britches, and taking it on myself.

2. I haven't had another breakdown, since this one. I set a schedule for myself, and I'm making it work. The schedule isn't set in stone.. it's adaptable to the craziness that is my life. We have to be willing to bend to life's will because there will be days when we can't stand to do anything, but sleep. So sleep, tomorrow is another day.

3. I'm making tremendous headway with the Preemie clothing line. There are times we get excited about little opportunities that cross our paths, and when the high starts to fade, so does the project. The preemie line is NOT the case. My heart and soul is in this project, and it's going to be incredible!!

4. My backyard is finally getting a facelift. The weeds are being pulled as I type, we planted 11 plants this weekend, and have plans next weekend to start laying down bark. Now I need a chaise lounge to enjoy my hard work.

What are you proud of?

Surprise, you've got mail!

2011-03-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

I got a lovely little package in the mail today! Some new Joel Dewberry fabric to play with... I'm in love!! His Aviary collection is so fresh, and is everything I love about Spring. It's been awhile since I spent the entire day sewing, and this fabric is just the excuse to jump back in the pool. I'm still determined to open the PeachHoneyPreemie in July, so I need to get crackin!

The hard part, at least for me, about being introduced to a new fabric designer is that my "have to have it" brain is now dying to buy everything is the collection. Remember my shopping addiction? How can you not love everything?

Photo Credit

This weekend is going to be filled with family and food, and I need it!! Hope all of you have a blessed weekend!

Making it mine, not hers...

2011-03-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

I'm deep in the thick of Scoutie Girl's Website Kickstart eCourse. I'm making the switch to WordPress, which is exciting, but I'm definitely lamenting over learning a new skill. Coding, IP addresses, and plugins are definitely not my thing.

Have you ever struggled to learn a new skill? What did you do to cope?

I'm building my website, and including only the bits and pieces I want. It's so hard making it mine, not hers. I'm scanning through my favorite websites, and looking at what keeps me there (I'm greedy, so it's usually eBooks). I don't want to imitate anyone, but it's extremely difficult to make that final decision and answer the question, "What do you want?"

Then, Tara asks us the question... "What is the ONE thing you want your visitors to DO?" I never thought of asking myself that before. I just put content in the sidebar that I thought should be there, in no particular order. I didn't make things mine, just picked what was offered. I didn't change the colors, or the shape, or open photoshop to try to create something new. Why not? It's mine, and it's a reflection of me and my business. So, I'm finally looking within to figure out what I want.

Shouldn't we all know what we want, and do our best to obtain it? What do you want?

My new toy, the light diffuser...

2011-03-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

I got a new toy. I was so impressed with the pictures Lindsey took at the Bloggy Boot Camp last week, with her big fancy light apparatus (a light diffuser, for those of you more technically inclined)... I had to get me one. Yes, the grammatically correct portion of this post is officially over.

I couldn't afford this one, or this one, so I decided to go with this one, the Gary Fong Puffer - Pop-Up Flash Diffuser. The training wheel version of photography supplies.

Photo Credit

Yes, I need training wheels because it has taken me 27 years to realize I'm an impulse buyer, where money is a very small factor in my decision making. Please help. I'm in need of a 12 step program, but I'm getting better, and this is proof. I bought this little muffin for $12 on Amazon. Can you say, "Score?"

Ok, so let's put it to work. Hanky Stanky was a willing participant... well, up until the end. I know it's very slight, but when you use the diffuser you get rid of that hotspot of light happening on Hank's chest and the carpet below him. The light is uniform across the entire picture. I know... you can't stop swooning over that sweet little face.

Ok, let's look at some more pics and talk a little bit about editing "diffused" pictures.

The first thing to notice about these two hydrangea pictures, is the uniform brightness the diffuser gives. The picture taken without the diffuser has deep shadows in between the petals, and a sharp shadow around the bottom of the flowers. The diffused picture has a shadow, but it's softened, and doesn't stand out... the flowers are the focal point, as they should be.

The other bonus to using the diffuser is you can lighten the entire picture, without the fear of over exposure. When I began to increase the exposure of the non-diffused picture, I could only go so far before I began to "blow-out" portions of the petals. You can only make your whites so bright, before your picture is full of data gaps... absent space. I had much more control over the diffused picture... I could tweak my levels exactly how I wanted. I love having control.

Well, folks... that's all I have for now. Just a short review from a couple hours practice. I like what I've seen, so far, but I'm sure I'll be ready to ditch the training wheels and spring for the upgrade in the coming months. I just can't help myself.

Two days in bed...

2011-03-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

If I have ever said I wanted to spend a couple days in bed doing nothing... I lied!! I have an eye infection which has left me in bed, eyes closed, with a cold compress for two days. I should still have my eyes closed, but I have decided to turn down the brightness on the computer (same with the TV), and power through. But I can tell this will be a short post because as I type tears are streaming down my face.

Time for a break.

Ok, I'm back. I stupidly fell asleep with my contacts still in... I could have torn out my eyes when I woke up the next morning in excruciating pain. It was Sunday, so there was nothing I could do, but wait until Monday with the eye clinic opened. I spent Sunday in bed, and after my appointment on Monday, I spent the rest of the day listening to the TV, in pain, but bored to tears... literally.

Thankfully, I have a doting husband, who tended to my every need. He cooked for me, heated my tea every 30min, put foil on the windows to block out any hint of light, and even brought the dog in to "give mommy kisses."

Time for another break.

The worst part is that after the two weeks of rain, it's been gorgeous the last couple days, and I've been stuck in darkness. Ahhhhh!!! The other bad part... I've missed you guys!!!

So, I finally got some fabric samples in the mail. No, they weren't from any of the out-of-date companies from my fashiondex, but from my 3 hour Google search, I was forced to partake in at 1am one sleepless night. I'm still waiting for two more packages, but they're very very promising. The fabrics are soft and gorgeous, and perfect for screenprinting. More good stuff to come... it's good to be back!

Cravings: Prismacolor NuPastels

2011-03-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

This video is my justification for going art supply shopping. Every now and then I find something I can't believe I lived without. At first, I wasn't too impressed with the Nupastels, but continued to work with them and found just what I was looking for. A new watercolor!! Check out the video below!

NuPastel Flesh Colors

Links from this video (in no particular order)

Prismacolor NuPastels

Tortillions

Princeton brushes

Prismacolor fixative

It Rains in California...

2011-03-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit

It's storming outside. Wind, rain and lightening have all shown up for the party. For those of you who think it never rains in California... you're so wrong. We even had hail for about 5 minutes last night... not so bueno for my radish seedlings I just transplanted outside. I had a few broken leaves this morning, and my asparagus ferns were swaying violently against it's trellis. The first day of spring was a week ago, and it hasn't stopped raining. I've been pulling weeds in between periods of storming. Yes, I've been squishing through the mud, taking full advantage of the forgiving wet soil.

Hank's favorite pastime is sunbathing, so he's not a happy puppy. He spent most of the morning staring out the window into the rainy abyss, and now he's taken to moping in the corner. It's a rough life when you're stuck inside.

I, unfortunately, have to return to work today. I must make the 45 minute drive to work, amongst the bad drivers and horrible conditions. My husband is off of work today, and I am longing to take a nap with him and the dog. Instead I'm cooking for the week, and finishing up laundry. *sigh*

Rain, rain, please go away.

Hardware Store Inspiration

2011-03-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

I finally got my fashiondex in the mail today! I spent the first 2 hours of my days combing through the pages, and sending emails to prospective fabric companies. There were a lot... A LOT! There were emails out of date, closed companies, and most of them advertised products they didn't really carry. I have only received 1 email, out of 30, that said they carried baby rib fabric. A little discouraging. A lot frustrating. What does a girl have to do to get what she wants? The search continues.

To lighten my mood, I went on a search for some inspiration. I've been obsessed with patterns, lately. I'm thinking of doing some baby room art to go along with the preemie clothing line. Pale colors, simple designs. Something sweet with a modern twist. Good idea?

Anyway, Leslie and Sharilyn gave me the geometric buzz. It's a good buzz to have.

Journal and Photo by Leslie

Pattern by Sharilyn

I know this may seem odd, but I went to my dad's Plumbing Wholesale company in search of some new shapes. I hit the motherload!! My father and his brother own Thrifty Supply Co Inc (I wish they had a website because I would link to it). The business was started by my grandfather, Ron, when his sons were very young, and has flourished over the years.

The warehouse has aisles and aisles of pipe fittings, tubing, nuts, bolts... and lots of things that are completely foreign to me. I asked my dad if he could help me find some interesting patterns among the boxes of plumping goodies, and of course he got right to it. He knows where everything is! The place is the size of Disneyland... I don't know how he does it. I'm not going to lie... I got lost. As soon as I thought our shopping trip was done, he would say, "Wait, I have one more thing." I sparked a little creativity today. It feels good.

I got some great stuff! I have no idea what anything is, I just know they have equally spaced perfect circles and squares. It doesn't take much to make me happy. Excuse me as I drool. Ooooh.... pretty.

My loot

Where do you find unsuspecting inspiration?

Playing with NuPastels...

2011-03-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm playing today. I'm taking a break from marketing, emails, Facebook, and my to do list to just play. It feels good to ignore my responsibilities every now and again. Let me rephrase that... it feels good to focus on my artistic side, instead of my business side. Better?

It's been awhile since I taped a cravings, and it's been even longer since I tried out a new product. The NuPastels have been sitting on my drafting table for the last month, ever since I taped this Haul. Yes, it's been that long. I broke out the tortillons, mineral spirits, and my new brushes and dug right in.

I played around with my pencil. Sketched lightly, without hesitation. I didn't worry about how far apart my eyes were because there were none. I had only one focus. Experiment. It didn't have to be perfect, just practice.

Want to learn more about the NuPastels? I'm getting down and dirty on Friday with a new video.

White blooms...

2011-03-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

My hubby and I took a trip to Trader Joe's yesterday. As soon as you walk through the door you're greeted by buckets of fresh flowers. I can't resist, even though Joseph whispers in my ear, "We don't need any more flowers." Of course we do. The blooms is the upstairs bathroom are turning brown, so it's time to restock. I want the hubby to have a relaxing experience while taking care of business, even though he's fine with Golf Digest.

Hydrangea's are my all-time favorite flower. Big, fluffy, white clouds of happiness. I'm praying my trees take off in the backyard, so my shady areas will give way to fruitful bushes full of these lovelies.

What flowers makes you swoon?

A List Compilation from Bloggy Boot Camp

2011-03-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Brandi and Me... more pics here

5 things Tiffany taught me...
1. Successful women can support each other... we don't need to live up to the stereotype of being catty and competitive.
2. Be original!
3. There's room for everyone on the web.
4. Take your business seriously, or else no one will.
5. Your time = $

5 Things Brandi and I have in common:

1. We keep chapstick by our bedsides, for the middle of the night applications.

2. We take off our wedding rings before going to bed.

3. We are not morning people, and can't engage in conversation before 9am and/or two cups of coffee.

4. We love chai tea lattes.

5. We over pack, and then regret it later.

How to make a flight more enjoyable... brought to you by our flight attendant, Todd

1. Greet every single customer with a smile.

2. Sing Happy Birthday to unsuspecting passengers.

3. Have toys available for kids on board.

4. While passing out complimentary pretzels, call them "eggs and bacon" "turkey and chesse" and "waffles".

5. Sing a song to celebrate our hour long flight.

... I love when people go the extra mile to make people feel great.

my new peeps

Some of the awesome people I met at Bloggy Boot Camp

CHECK THEM OUT!!!

Brandi of meDesigns

Lauren of i heart andy gross

Mary of The Mama Mary Show

Stephanie of Rock Star Mom

Beth of San Diego Momfia

Amy of Using Our Words

Kay of Bucksome Boomer

Danielle Liss

Liz of Fleishman-Hillard Inc

Lindsey of the modchik

Celeste of shallowOcity

Andi of Misadventures with Andi

Barbara of Surfing the Net with Kids

Eva of Tech. Food. Life

Anna of ABDPBT

Tricia and Siana of 2 Girls on a Bench

Amy of The Savvy Mom's Guide

Aimee of Ain't Yo Mama's Blog

Lisa of The Gonzo Gourmet

Ali of The Rehan Family

Mique of Thirty Handmade Days

Gabriela of Living La Vida Normal

Gina of Gina's Real Life

Kelly of Joggermom

Kadi of Kadi Prescott

SITS San Diego Bloggy Boot Camp

2011-03-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back home from my SITS Girls Bloggy Boot Camp in San Diego. Brandi and I had a blast! We were surrounded by positive and supportive women. We asked for each other's business cards, shared resources, and offered suggestions. We tweeted, retweeted, laughed, and even cried.

Brandi and Me

You know I couldn't have a vacation without a little drama.

After the first presentation I realized I forgot my business cards in my suitcase. So, I ran, yes ran, back to the room to grab them. Did I mention it was a quarter mile? On my run back to the conference it started to rain. Perfect. While trying to take off my sweater to cover my hair (let's face it, no one wants to see what happens to my hair in the rain), I dropped my business cards all over the wet ground. I looked up to the heavens, and asked, "Why?"

The awesomeness that followed is why. I'm glad I asked.

My favorite part of the day was sitting and talking with DeNae, an amazing writer and my new hero. Her presentation had me mesmerized. During our mingling break, I sat down and asked her, "How do I find my voice? I'm struggling to find the words to express my constant mind chatter, but finding it even harder to find a voice that is right for the artistic world and my preemie family audience." She said, "Those are completely different voices, so don't try to make them the same." So simple. So powerful. As an artist I'm loud, sassy, and kinda all over the place. A a NICU nurse/preemie advocate I'm professional, sometimes stern, but always nurturing and supportive. Why would I want to force those two voices together? They need to be separate because their purpose is different. I don't want to be loud and obnoxious with my NICU families... wrong place, wrong time.

DeNae & Me (photo by Brandi)

She also said something I was dying to hear. She said, "You've found your voice. I can tell." I could have cried. I could have wept in front of my new idol. Ahhhh!!!! I didn't think I had one, or better yet, I had one buried under fear and hesitation. I was trying to be someone else. I was trying to write like other bloggers. It's so wrong! I'm not them!! The purpose for my blog is different, so the voice has to be different. I don't know why I have such a problem with being myself. Originality sells.

Tiffany, Fran, and Kat did such an amazing job bringing this group of women together. Thank you, thank you!!!

Week 15... follow up on my goals.

2011-03-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

In Week 4, I outlined my creative goals for 2011... and I had some big goals. Well, we're in the 3rd month of the new year, so let's check in to see how I'm doing.

1. Design my website... We're starting off on the right foot because the website redesign in well under way. I've nailed down my color scheme, started to sift through my "must have's" and "I don't wants" on my sidebar, and thanks to Laura, am creating my tabs/pages. I've been toying with the idea of switching to wordpress, but am a little terrified of the upkeep. Tara Gentile is offering her Website Kickstart Class again, and because I don't have enough to do... yeah right... I'm really thinking of taking it. Does anyone have any experience with Wordpress? Did you like it? Do they have the capability to host your own shop?

Graphic by Tara

2. Finish my first collection by the end of 2011... This goal, unfortunately, has taken a backseat to the preemie clothes, and the commissioned painting I'm working on at the moment. Poor Claire has been in limbo, sitting on my drafting table, waiting for me to get it together. Someday soon I hope to have a couple hours to spend with her.

3. Open my PeachHoneyLove Etsy shop by end of Summer 2011... To be honest I'm not sure if this is going to happen. The PHP clothing line is taking up the bulk on my time, but once the prototypes are complete, and the shop is open, I will have a lot more time to devote to my paintings... I hope.

4. Open my PeachHoneyPreemie Etsy shop by the beginning of Summer 2011... This is definitely happening. I have about 20 blankets and 10 fitted sheets complete, 8 blanket and 5 sheets pinned, and fabric remnant strips that need to be sewn into ribbons for packaging. I am still working on the patterns for two more fitted sheet sizes, and I need to print some postcards to include in each order. We're almost there.... Monday, July 11th is my target date. Everyone cross your fingers.

5. Finish 5 PeachHoneyPreemie clothing prototypes by the end of 2011... We are definitely in business. We have two patterns down, and 3 to go. I started calling companies for fabric samples, and Sacramento Contractors about producing my line. No luck yet, but I keep trucking along. I may have to just bite the bullet and take the trip to San Leandro.

6. Take an encaustic painting class... Not yet, but I have just learned my local Learning Exchange offers multiple encaustic classes during the year. Yay for me!!

Painting & Photo by Judy Wise

7. Start a family... Unfortunately, not yet, but I do have this sweet little muffin to come home to.

Photo by me

8. Sketch more... also on the back burner. I wish I could find the time to balance everything that makes my heart go pitter patter. Do you find it hard to balance everything you're interested in? How do you manage the chaos? Oh, by the way, Check out Heather's blog!! Her Sunday Sketches are amazing, and I hope to be half as good with some practice.

Sketch & Photo by Heather

I think I'm doing pretty good... it's only March, right? 9 more months to go. Don't forget about my 101 things in 1001 days... Hope to have an update soon. Have a great week!!

Holly's new book, and a weekend in San Diego...

2011-03-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Did you hear Holly Becker released her first book, Decorate? She's so excited to see the birth of a childhood dream, and it puts all of my craziness into perspective. The way she talks about this new accomplishment gives me chills because the possibility of that being me, years down the road, is such an amazing thought. All the current business busy-ness will be worth it later, when my dreams become reality. You just have to have faith that it will happen... and I do.

Photo by Holly Becker

I'm in the midst of Holly's Blogging Your Way class. Absolutely A-MA-ZING! That kick-in-the-butt feeling I got from Kelly's class, has been resurrected in in this class about writing, color, photography, marketing, and all around awesomeness. I love the web... all these wonderful classes at your fingertips. So many possibilities.

I got my patterns in the mail!!! Another heart-pounding step in my journey. I'm still awaiting my Fashiondex book, and I'm desperately trying to find a sewing contractor in my area. It's difficult trusting someone else with your dream, and handing over those patterns to a complete stranger is terrifying. Monica recommended someone in her area, 2 hours from my house, but I would love it if I could find someone closer... I can reduce my carbon footprint, and save a little dinero.

Photo by Me

I'm off to San Diego this weekend for The Bloggy Boot Camp, sponsored by the SITS girls. In this ever-changing world, it's important to me to continue to grow as a writer, artist, and business woman. I feel my voice is still hidden under hesitation and fear, so I'm hoping to gain some writing insight. Have you ever struggled with your writing? How did your overcome it?

The weeds are taking over no more!

2011-03-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when I mentioned Spring Cleaning on Monday's post? Today was the day it began. On our only day off this week, my hubby and I went to work on the cluttered and the dirty. While my husband vacuumed everywhere... the floors, stairs, couches and cushions, dog bed... I went outside to tackle our sea of weeds. Man, those things really take over! So lush and green, multiplying in any environment available. Damn them! While I struggle to keep what little plants I have alive, these weeds are thriving. I guess they enjoy the compact nutrition-lacking clay with a side of rocks. *sigh*

I started some seeds under my garage grow-light system. The radishes are really doing well, and will soon need a permanent home in the veggie beds, but we have a problem... they beds are completely filled with weeds. Completely.

No, those are not micro greens, herbs or salad mixes... they are weeds, and as you can see they are quite happy. I don't know how I let them get this out of hand. I'm lying, I know exactly how... procrastination.

They even seem to be tunneling through the sides of the beds... sneaky, sneaky. Soon you won't be able to see the wood at all.

My herb box has been taken over...

And now mushrooms have shown up to the party, next to where my orange peppers once flourished.

My asparagus, thankfully, are still hanging on despite the little monsters trying to choke them out. My strong dependable asparagus.

The hill behind our retaining wall was supposed to be filled with roses, cacti, and black bark... obviously, that's not true at the moment.

Even my potted cactus plant can't get away... poor thing.

I have to admit, some of the weeds are extremely beautiful. Variegated leaves, pretty purple flowers, delicate trailing red and green vines. Bright green, no brown edges in sight.

This little patch of sprout-like greenery caught my eye. It reminds me of a tiny forest for an elf village, with a blanket of green moss as it's foundation. I'm living in a fantasy land to ease the pain of having to pull all of these weeds. *sigh*

There's some more good news... my hydrangea plant is coming back, even after it was without water for a couple weeks last summer, when our drip system stopped working. It summed up enough energy over the winter to come back full force... we're back, baby!!

My strawberries are trailing and flowering. Those tiny white blooms are peeking out below the cover of leaves.

So what's going on with your garden?

Prayers for the fallen...

2011-03-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit

Fall seven times, stand up eight
-Japanese proverb

My heart and prayers are with you during this difficult time... stand strong, stand together.

Week 14: Longing for Spring

2011-03-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm still waiting for spring. Craving and dying for spring. Every day of cloudy and rainy mess is like a knife to my heart. Shine, sun, please shine!! My rosemary plant is in full bloom outside, the brightly colored purple flowers greet me as I walk by the check the mail. Good morning, Spring, are you there?

Daylight savings came and went, and now Spring cleaning is just around the corner. My "Type A" personality loves to purge the unwanted and organize all the other stuff.
Usually, it's my favorite time of year, but with everything on my plate, this annual event is turning into a huge fiasco.

I have finally started to decorate our house, after a year of living with blank walls and minimalistic furniture. I need to make this house a home. Our upstairs guest bathroom has been bare... completely bare. Nothing but a hand towel and antibacterial soap. Sick of the nothingness, I took a trip to the our local Home Goods store and stocked up on towels, a shower curtain, a floor rug, and a soap dispenser. I hung a painting on the wall, and sat a vase full of white lilies on the windowsill. So much better. My downstairs guest bathroom needs a redo... with just a small window, and dark brown as the main color, I need a new color scheme to lighten up my life. Usually when I decorate, I start with a neutral beige and white palette and add a splash of color here and there. My living room color splash is a rusty orange, the upstairs bathroom is seafoam, and our bedroom olive green. I'm so drawn to color... bright, pale, rich... they're all welcome.

I got me thinking about the colors that inspire the delicate loveliness of Spring. Spring and Summer are my time for fresh cut flowers, and while grocery shopping I came across these dainty peach and yellow daisies. This is my color palette for spring... so delicious and dainty. Sure to inspire a calm a focused mood all summer long. What are your spring colors, and where do you find them?

Other news...
I'm glad it was a unanimous decision to combine my two blogs. This makes my life a whole lot easier. I have already started the website redesign, now I have to figure out how to implement the finishing touches. My friend, Laura, had a great post on how to create multiple pages/tabs through blogger... such perfect timing. Time to grab my cup of coffee and start reading through her posts. Any one have any other websites on how to customize a blogger layout?

My dreams were in San Francisco...

2011-03-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Photo by me

They were doing a whole lot of construction in San Francisco this week... PANIC! Thankfully, my husband drove, and I could sit in the passenger seat, sweating and clutching the door handle. The navigation on my phone kept having to "reroute" due to the endless "no turning" signs, and if it told me to make a u-turn one more time, I swear I would have thrown it out of the window. I'm always amazed how different the drivers and pedestrians act in the city. Cab drivers squeezing in between a car and the curb 3 feet away, cutting you off just to make a light... aggressive much? Thankfully, I don't live in this madness, I would not be as pleasant :)

So I met with Monica this weekend, a pattern/sample maker and owner of Tag Studio. She has been assigned the huge task of making my dreams come true. As instructed I bought a preemie onesie (to serve as the middle-of-the-range size... there will, eventually, be a size bigger and a size smaller), and a doll that fits that onesie. I have a total of 5 designs, but she thought it was best if we stick to the two easiest for the time being because I'm so new to this process. Poor Monica... I had NO CLUE what this process would entail. Thankfully, she talked it through with me, step by step, as if I was a third grader. I could feel my heart violently beating as she handed me my new "honey-do" list.

My lovely husband was so gracious, and sat quietly in the corner with a smile on his face, taking pictures.

...pinning the preemie pants...

...more pinning...

...schedule check...

Monica called me yesterday to inform me the samples were complete, and that she would mail them this week. SCREAM!! My next huge step is to pick my fabric, a MUY IMPORTANTE step according to Monica. I ordered a Fashiondex book a couple days ago, and will soon start the daunting task of finding the right fabric to use in the line. This means sending samples to companies, waiting for them to respond, calling, calling, calling. Not looking forward to this step...

But everything is happening!!! So excited I could just pee!!

A question for you...

Ok, so I wanted to talk about something else, and I am in desperate need of some advice. As you know, I have two blogs... this one, and PeachHoneyPreemie. Man, it is very difficult to balance my time between the two. I'm torn because I want to offer consistency to both blogs, but it's impossible to keep up with that kind of posting schedule, while starting my business. I'm adding to my to do lists faster than I can cross things off, and I'm feeling extremely overwhelmed. Something has to give, so here's my proposal... I want to combine the two blogs under the name PeachHoneyLove. I want to share my PHP news with my PHL peeps, so I find myself double posting. It seems a little absurd to me. What do you think? Any suggestions?

A trip to fulfill my dreams...

2011-03-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning feeling happy, rested and full of possibility. Everything is falling into place. I'm busy making blankets and fitted sheets for PHP, and I'm off to San Francisco to meet my sample Lady, Monica. I could just scream!!

The worst, and best, part of this getaway, is she lives in the fabric district. Darn it!! Well, I have been trying to find a few colors is soft flannel, so here's my chance. My husband has graciously agreed to come on this trip, insisting he wants to make my dreams come true. Oh, how I love that man!!
How did I get so lucky? A supportive and loving husband, a blooming future, an adorable dog to cuddle... I have it all.

PeachHoneyPreemie is on a roll!!

2011-03-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

PeachHoneyPreemie News!!
I've been on a fabric buying rampage, Amy Butler, Joel Dewberry, etc... I'm in desperate need of a 12 step program for shopaholics. I told myself "You do not need anymore fabric," but then quickly changed my tune to "You do not need anymore fabric, but if you find a really cute pattern on sale, buy 5 yards." This prompted a shopping spree on ETSY and my local fabric stores. It's been a busy month at the sewing mill, and I have some seriously adorable fitted sheet and blanket sets for all my preemie families. Are you excited?!?!

The preemie clothes are close... very very close. I have just recently sent my drawings to a sample maker, who will hopefully, give me a good deal for production. I ran into a little roadblock when picking fabric. As it turns out most of the cute interlock knit fabric is copyrighted, so I was running into some major issues with the cohesiveness of the line. So, I talked to some people, who have produced their own fabric, and guess what I found out? It's extremely expensive!! I didn't have $30,000 to start a fabric line, so the next best thing was screenprinting... genious!! I have decided to make this line eco-friendly, so I'm using un-dyed natural fabric, and I found some water-based eco-loving screen print ink. It's all coming together, and I can't believe this is my wonderful life. I hope to have some exciting news next week and, some even bigger news in the beginning of summer.

Do you want to follow my preemie journey? Then follow me on my preemie blog...

Other stuff...
My business cards came!! Yay!! I only got a few for my upcoming Blog Conference in San Diego this month, but I'm already planning the change up with the next batch. I'm thinking some pinky vintage texure, like my new banner. Hmmmm...

It's amazing to me that things are actually happening. I imagined this life for myself, and it's coming true. It's unreal, and heartwarming, and I can't believe it's mine... this is my wonderful life.

Color Palette Blog Walk: Round 2

2011-03-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

My awesome friend, Brandi, is hosting her second installment of the Color Palette Blog Walk and today is my day, along with Paige, Katrina, and Jenni. We are sharing are favorite pictures and the colors, within them, that inspire us. Fortunately, and sometimes unfortunately, everything inspires me!! I'm a little like a puppy, distracted by the shiny object I noticed out of the corner of my eye. My color palettes reflect this "Everything is wonderful" notion, and the different facets of my personality.

Peachy

Ahhh, the PeachHoneyLove logo painting. My brand colors have a little pink for my girlie side, and the creams and browns for my vintage side. Vintage girlie... sounds about right. The subtle tones of the pinks and yellows are reminiscent of a baby's room... soft and delicate. It reminds me to be quiet, and whisper, when my mind is screaming. We all have those days, don't we?

Breakfast

A picture of a bowl of berries... simple, yet powerful. It represents my sassy side, and if you ask my husband, it's the only side I have. The colors are so rich and sexy. It's amazing how a color can radiate confidence and power. It makes me want to put on that sexy dress, I've been afraid to wear, and go dancing. Do you have a color that makes you feel this way?

Kauai

Mother Earth. This picture represents the side of me that gets down and dirty in the backyard, pulling weeds and diggin' ditches. The terra cotta color is splattered throughout my living room, the olive green draped over my bed and windows, and the taupe hung over the shower door in the form of a bath towel. I surround myself with these earthy colors because the keep me grounded, and make me feel at home.

If you want to check up on the past color walk bloggers, and follow the rest of us, here's the complete schedule... Enjoy!!

Week 13: A topic dear to my heart.

2011-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

Mean people suck!! Need I say more? Well, I guess I do. The other day I woke up to two comments on my YouTube channel. Yay!... ummm, no! Both comments were meant to hurt... purposefully hurt. What?!?! This is why I was so reluctant to starting vlogs. I was afraid of this... criticism. Painful criticism, from mean people. Have I told you mean people suck?

I don't know why, or how people thrive on negativity. It's exhausting, and soul crushing. I went to the commenters YouTube channel, and shockingly he had nothing but videos complete with lots of negative comments. Why? Is this fun?

My answer to this "Negative Nick" is to empower each other, so here's a spotlight of recent ETSYshop favorites. I'm fighting negativity with kindness, so here we go.

MandiMade

I recently bought a crapload of Amy Butler fabric from MandiMade, at a very reasonable price, and the owner, Mandi, was wonderful!! She made a custom listing within the day, and I had the fabric in my hands within a few days. She has the Sparrows in Bark collection, by Joel Dewberry, on PRESALE right now. Yes, I bought just a few yards... ok, I bought 12. Check them out!!

Romeo&Mae

If you're looking for some painfully adorable children's clothing patterns, Romeo&Mae is your store! Your orders are shipped through your email, so big big plus. The patterns pair perfectly with Amy Butler fabric... cute, cute, cuteness!!

Lovely Duds

I visited Lovely Duds while shopping for my cousin's baby shower gift. This store is full of baby wraps, nursing covers, and their precious Just like mommy wraps. These lovely, and soft, cuddle gifts are paired with beautiful, modern fabrics. Loveliness. My cousin loved her gift, and her baby girl loves being snuggled up with mommy.

Let's empower each other!!! No more negativity!!

Ariana and Uncle Woe...

2011-02-25T00:00:00.001-08:00

A digi scrapbook page about my husband's love for his niece, Ariana. That little girl, now 3 years old, has Joseph wrapped around his little finger. She can get anything she wants, as long as she gives him a smile and a hug. When she was little, she couldn't say "Joe", so she affectionately referred to him as "Uncle Woe." It was a sad day when she finally learned to pronounce her J's.

Journaling reads...

One thing is for sure... "Uncle Woe"loves his Ariana. And although Ariana sometimes doesn't want to be snuggles, "Uncle Woe" is always there to lend a helping hand, whenever she's ready. "That stinkin' baby!"

0.05% done! & a new banner!!

2011-02-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

We've got a long way to go, people, but we're beginning to making a dent.

10. Take Golden's free class.
I talked a little bit about this awesome class in this video, but let me just say that if you're ever curious about what Golden has to offer, this is the class for you!! The FREE Golden Lecture Demo was taught by Tesia Blackburn, a Golden working artist, who is energetic and so, so helpful!! I brought a friend, who has no art experience whatsoever, and she was instantly inspired to start creating. This two hour demo class covers all of the different gels, pastes, grounds, paints and mediums Golden has to offer. Did I mention it was FREE!!! Visit the Golden website to find a working artist in your area.

55. Sell questroom furniture.
Well, we ended up giving it away to a struggling family, which felt a lot better than selling it. Now we are a that much closer to turning the room into a workout room, another "to do" on my 101 things list.

94. Watch every episode of Xena: The Warrior Princess.
I know what you're thinking... seriously? Yes, I'm dead serious. This was my favorite show growing up, and revisiting these action-packed episodes got me through a lot of late nights working and writing.

100. Floss every day for one month.
Another random thing, but my dental hygienist will be so proud.

Time to focus on the big stuff now...

Some other things happening...
Did you notice anything different in the right hand sidebar? There's a newsletter subscriber sign-up!!! That's right!! I'm working on an eBook to offer to my email and newsletter subscribers, and if you sign up now, you will receive it as soon as it's done. Check out my last post, and tell me what you guys would like to see in the eBook.

I've been neglecting the PeachHoneyPreemie blog, due to the busy posting schedule of this one, but it's time to give it some attention. It's forcing me to realize I may have to limit the PHL posting to 2 times a week, until everything is up and running. It's a hard decision I may have to make because the preemies need a voice.

The PeachHoneyPreemie ETSY shop is still scheduled to debut this summer, and I've been hard at work making blankets, fitted sheets, and prototypes. My dog and I have a routine on sunny days. We leave the sliding glass door opened... while he lays in the sun, on a pile of dirt, I enjoy the light breeze blowing through the family room while I sew my little heart out. It's blissful.

I'm finally beautifying the blog. Making it mine. After fussing around in Photoshop, I was frustrated, so turned to my texture/vintage/color loving friend, Brandi. God Bless her!!! She made everything better. She turned one of my favorite pictures into a banner to swoon over.

BEFORE

AFTER

THE BANNER!!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... I have the greatest friends!!! Thank you, Brandi, for helping me!!! You're always so generous with your time and wisdom.

I started the re-design of the blog... what do you think? I have to set aside a chunk of a day to finish the redo, but like I said before, I have to keep my priorities in order. Let's focus on opening the shop...

Week 12: More questions asked and answered...

2011-02-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

Week 12 is all about questions, and boy, do I have a lot of them. Questions about PeachHoneyLove, PeachHoneyPreemie, and questions about the future about this blog. I realized that while I'm writing what I want on the blog, the traffic is not so great. I know this will come in time, and it doesn't help I'm not really "out there"... no shop open, nothing to sell, etc. It's difficult to write what's in my heart, while trying to make it interesting for my readers. Does anyone else struggle with this?

Until now, my I've been an art student by way of online classes and books, but it's time for a slight detour. I'm starting the Blogging Your Way class later this month, and attending the Bloggy Boot Camp in mid-March. I'm determined to find my voice, and share it with you.

Some questions I need answered...

1. What do you look for in a blog? (freebies, techniques and tutorials, etc.) What attracts you before the post content?
A banner and color scheme will usually catch my eye before anything else. My eye is drawn to minimalistic designs, with a splash of color (I'm working on getting my blog to this point). White backgrounds with great colorful pictures. Brandi and Ali are great examples of this. Here are a couple of my favorite banners.

Brandi Girl

Freshly Picked

Sleep and her sisters

Jeannie

After design, tutorials and how-to posts usually get me to stay. I guess that makes me greedy. Laura, Jessica Van Den and Blog Tyrant are my go-to business how-to blogs. I'm also drawn to beautiful writing... I consider Kelly Rae to be the gold standard of passionate writing. Her words seem to flow so effortlessly, especially after the birth of her son.

2. I got a lot of traffic from this post, and it go me wondering... What posts bring the most traffic to your blog?
I have found my tutorials, especially the vlogs, bring the most traffic. Funny, because I was so resistant to taping videos, and didn't think I had enough knowledge to offer my readers. I guess I was wrong... don't tell my husband I said that!! My favorite vloggers/tutorial masters are Tiffany D, Suzi Blu, and Donna Downey. You can find me running errands, and watching their latest video upload on my phone.

3. I'm working on an Ebook for my email subscribers... What content would you like to see in an artistic Ebook?
I have yet to find a free artistic eBook... anyone know of one? The eBooks I have in my possession are business and marketing how-to's. I have got quite the collection, but my favs are from Blog Tyrant, Jessica Van Den, and Allyson Stanfield.

4. Oh, and I have a random question I need answered. I am working hard to open the PeachHoneyPreemie Etsy shop this summer, and having some trouble making some final decisions. This may seem like a random question, but should I use iron-on or sew-on woven fabric labels?

Answer in the comment section or email me at peachhoney@hotmail.com :)

Getting though the difficult days...

2011-02-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

I had a mini-breakdown... yes, I admit it. My head was filled with "what-ifs" and "what abouts" and sleeping was all I could do to stop the constant mind chatter. Everything had to be done right now!! I couldn't wait a couple weeks... what if I missed my chance to be a part of that blog hop, or be interviewed by so-and-so, or had to postpone my shop debut. Those sneaky little thoughts weaseled their way into my cluttered, overworked brain and made a cozy little home, courtesy of my meltdown.

Well, as you can imagine, I reached my limit, and I need a break... so I rested. I slept late, watched TV, attended to the pile of laundry and dirty dishes, and spent some quality time with my husband and dog. I got my hair and nails done, and bought a new outfit at my favorite clothing boutique. I spent the day in San Francisco with a friend, sipping cappucino, and eating sushi with the ocean as our view. It was exactly what I needed. I felt refreshed and ready to take on the world, but this time I'm going to be smart. I devised a new plan for my life/business/everything else in between, and contemplated what I learned.

What I learned from my breakdown...

I can't do it all, and I definitely can't do it all at once. After Kelly's class, I was passionate, motivated and armed with my to do list. The problem was that I expected to finish that list in a couple months... I don't know why I always do this to myself. Much to my dismay, I wasn't finished in a month, or even 6 months. I was so exhausted from pushing myself to finish, that I ran into a roadblock, called Reality. It may take me a couple years to finish my list (and I'm sure along the way, I will add to the list), but rushing to finish, while desperately trying to hold on to my sanity, is not how it should get done.

We take vacations from our "day job", so why do we feel the need to use every available moment doing, yet, another job. Even if it's something we love, don't we deserve some time away from everything, to do... nothing? For the last 6 months, I've been working every day. Not 8 hours every day, but definitely working every day. I work 3pm-11pm at my day job, so I figured why not get a couple hours of PHL stuff done before work... not a bad idea on some days, but I was doing it every day. That means most days during the week, I was working 10 hour days, plus a few hours on each of my days off. No wonder I was tired!! Here's what I'm planning on doing now...

1. Sundays and Mondays are my days off with my husband. No excuses!! I'm newly married, and I want to enjoy my time with my husband, before the babies start coming... and that's just around the corner, I hope. I will allow myself to do a couple hours of work after he falls asleep, but that's it... I'm up until 2am, anyway, why waste quality quiet time.

2. I will set realistic goals for myself, and I will not allow my cup to runneth over. I'm writing my to do list on a 3x5 index card... whatever fits, gets done, and that's it!! No more using a full sheet of printer paper to jot down what I want to get done, because guess what? It does not get done, and I'm left feeling disappointed.

3. I will take advantage of productive days, because tomorrow I may need a break. After my few days of R&R I was ready to go!! That day, I made 3 blankets, 2 fitted sheets and then spent another three hours ironing and cutting fabric to be sewn on my next days off. I turned into a workhorse because I was well rested... duh, Jess!

4. I will get my priorities in order. My main focus right now is opening my PeachHoneyPreemie shop, and finishing a custom art piece for a friend's son. Everything else has to take a back seat, just for the moment.

What to remember, so I can prevent an encore performance of The Nutty Professor...

1. I'm not perfect, nor should I try to be. I don't know why I expected to handle everything with grace and calmness, while forcing myself to "do it all." Something had to give. Well, my calmness gave way to hysteria. I will not place unrealistic expectations on myself anymore.

2. I shouldn't compare myself/my success to anyone else's. I'm not Ali Edwards, Kelly Rae, Donna Downey, Suzi Blu, or any of the other success stories in the artsy world. I believe I will be there one day, but there's always that nagging voice telling me "Man, I wish I was that successful." It's extremely self-destructive, and I don't deserve it.

3. I need to celebrate my "have's", so I can get my "have not's". Even though I'm not widely successful right now, if I look at where I was a couple years ago, I have made some great progress. So, I have decided to celebrate those, instead of wallowing in my own self pity. It's counterproductive, and makes me feel like crap, frankly. No bueno for business. I need to love myself and my work, so my success will follow.

Above all else, I need to listen to my body, when it's screaming at me to take a break. Take care of yourself, the rest is fluff...

First Haul video!!

2011-02-16T00:00:00.002-08:00

I went shopping!!! It was one of those days where I couldn't just pass by my local University Art Store... I had to go in and stock up. Good thing I had my shopping list on my phone. Earlier that week I received a package from DickBlick, so I decided to make my first ever Haul video. Hope you enjoy my excited chatter?

Links from this video (in no particular order)
Golden polymer medium
Golden Fluid acrylic in Zinc white
Prismacolor NuPastels
Tortillions
Gelly roll pen in White
Pentel Sunburst in White
Tesia Blackburn (Golden Artist)
Princeton brushes
Heart Clothing Boutique
Kneaded eraser
Derwent Watercolor pencil in flesh pink

If you ever have any questions about the products I use, or talk about, please don't hesitate to email me. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to view my videos (they usually are posted on the channel a couple days before the blog post is published). Thanks for watching!

Week 11: Customer Profiles

2011-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Etsy is my all-time favorite place to shop... baby showers, Christmas, birthdays, PHL supplies, etc... I have a weakness for cuteness at bargain prices. I would rather support a small business owner, and fellow crafter, than go to Target a get whatever is on sale. I've been buying a lot on Etsy, lately... Just yesterday I bought 28 yards, of 14 different Amy Butler patterns, for $6 a yard... umm, can you say SCORE? Very very soon I will have a ETSY shop spotlight of my recent favorites... tune in for that loveliness.

Customer service is a big plus, and I love that ETSY provides one-on-one contact between the buyer and the seller... mucho importante!! In an attempt to maintain positive customer service, I contacted two of my lastest customers, and asked them to give me feedback on their comissioned pieces. Here's what they had to say.

Becca

My first customer is Rebecca, a friend of mine that wanted a handmade piece for her bedroom. At the time we were both inspired by the changing leaves of the fall season, so I created "Miss Becca".

"Jess had been telling me about her art work, and showed me several of her pieces. I commissioned her as an artist because I loved her use of mixed media, and whimsical style. I enjoy buying hand made pieces for the unique look that I know no one else has. I love my piece! We spent quite a bit of time discussing my preferences so it is exactly what I wanted. The colors in the painting look beautiful and Jess really captured what I was looking for."

Mary

My second customer is Maija, a co-worker, who commission a one-of-a-kind piece for a charity event's silent auction. I made "Mary", who has become one of my favorite paintings.

"The other team members and I were extremely happy. It reflected the cause (breast cancer) and the women who are dealing with it. Jess's art reflects spontaneity and individuality. They are one of a kind. Handmade items have their own spirit."

Thank you ladies for taking time to answer my questions. Don't forget... I do commissions!!! Contact me if your in the market for something new to spice up your life :)

Taking a breath...

2011-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

My heart is heavy, my mind is full of worries. I'm crying too much, sleeping too little, and feeling very disconnected. My back is a wreck, and I've been fighting a cold for the past two weeks. I need to take care of myself... mind and body. Why do we feel like failures when we can't do it all? Like if we stop for a second, to take a deep breath, we are giving up. I'm human, I know, and I'm in dire need of a break... so I'm taking one.

I will return Valentine's day, with a clearer mind and a healthier body.

Chloe...

2011-02-04T02:00:00.000-08:00

...just a glimpse of Chloe...

Well, I started on Miss Chloe... and made the hard decision of making her look a little older. I don't exactly know why, but I wanted to try it out. I was done practicing in the sketchbook, so I just went for it. My initial intention was to do a tutorial on how I go about shading my face, but since I learned the technique from Monica, I didn't think it was right. If you want to learn more about creating a realistic face PLEASE TAKE HER CLASS!! (I'm taking the Mixed Media Faces, but the Pencil Drawing class is also fantastic)

I use a combination of Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils, and Derwent Watercolor pencils. I prefer Prismacolor, but I'm use specific Derwent colors... you can buy them individually, instead of paying for an entire set. I start with Prismacolor Sunburst yellow and then use Burnt Yellow Ochre, Pink Madder Lake, and Deep Vermillion (all Derwent colors)... in that order. The last color I use Prismacolor's Burnt Sienna, a dark brown with a reddish undertone. I reserve this color for shading the darkest areas, after I have blended out the first 4 colors with acrylic paint... more on that later. Working from your lightest color, to your darkest color, allows you to reshape your face and features as you go. You can also control varying amounts of shading that occur naturally on the face. Monica suggests working off a picture of a real face, and I agree this helps a great deal. There's no guessing, just draw and shade what you see. Here's my progression of shading, as I work through my five colors.

sunburst yellow

Sunburst yellow & burnt ochre

yellow, ochre, and pink madder lake

yellow, ochre, pink madder, and deep vermillion

...let's start her hair...

...reshaping her Princess Leia buns with Terra Cotta...

I like working on the Gessobord, it's textured surface is similar to what I'm used to, but alas... I miss my watercolor paper. It's making me think I should just draw my face on my favorite paper and glue it on using gel medium. Hmmmmm. Let's try out the Claybord, and then we'll attempt the other option. Another thing I noticed was the PVA glue acts as a resist, so the watercolor pencil doesn't transfer very well over the collaged areas... no bueno. I wonder if it would make a difference if I used gel medium, instead of PVA glue... or apply clear gesso over the collaged areas. Something to keep in mind.

I used a light hand with the watercolor pencils because I wanted Chloe to have fair skin. However, when I blended out the pencil with fluid white acrylic paint, her skin was a little to fair, for my taste. I will add some more color with flesh tone acrylics and terra cotta pencil on my future layers. Here's what she looks like now.

...still needs a lot of shading...

Like I mentioned before, the PVA glue acted as a resist, and I wasn't too happy with the results. Good thing I do multiple layers on my painting, even the hair... we will find a way to fix it!!

...PVA glue acts as a resist...

Let's talk about blending. I use the same color on the face and hair, but get different results when blending because I use white fluid acrylics to blend the face, and only water to blend the hair. The white paint "pastels" (not really an action word, but what the heck) the pigment of the color pencil pigment. You maintain the true pigment color of the pencil when you blend with water (or mineral spirits, whatever you prefer), so the terra cotta color I used makes a beautiful version of red hair. Here's a couple sample swatches I did in my sketch book. You can play around with the amount of color saturation by varying the amount of white paint you use.

Well, I hope this was helpful. Miss Chloe is not even close to being done, but my days off are upon us, so I plan to finish her up and show you my progress. Talk to you soon!!

Some free stuff!!

2011-02-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

I can spend hours searching the web for free downloads. My current obsession is free calendars. Since I hate being greedy... I thought I would share my spoils with you. Enjoy!!

If you missed this post, you can find of free full-sized and mini version of the Blog Guidebook Calender here. I secured the full sized version with binding rings for my day-to-day PeachHoney organization.

If you love Owls, check out this free calendar from My Owl Barn. It's absolutely adorable!!

Here's another one from Jeannie... perfect size for the modern on-the-go woman.

I made two of this one (from Design Sponge)... one for my Cousin, Callie, for Christmas, and one for myself. It's a minimalist daily journal, perfect for documenting your daily doings for years to come. All in a cute little box. Mine sits on my nightstand, and every night I record at least one thing that happened that day, even if it only reads "went to work."

That's it for now. I'll keep you posted on more of my free finds. There are amazing free downloads out there... does anyone have any they would like to share?

Week 10: Studio Tour of my favorite tools

2011-01-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

My MacBook

I don't know how I lived without a MAC laptop. Ever since it's arrival, I have been glued to it's mesmerizing screen. Every program is extremely user friendly, and their online tutorial library is extremely helpful. When I made the decision to start vlogging, iMovie helped ease my fears of editing my endless retakes. The Numbers program helped get my PeachHoney books in order, and iPhoto kept my photos safe and organized.

My Smartphone

My Droid Incredible has everything!! I'm not always by a computer, so having Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Hootsuite, YouTube, and a camera in my pocket is very useful. I can check up on the happenings of PeachHoney throughout the day, while at work, or while running errands. This means answering emails and responding the blog comments promptly.

My paintbrush

My paintbrushes are nothing fancy, cheapy ones bought on sale at local Michaels and University Art stores. They're mine, nonetheless, and they get the job done. Angular, filbert, round, flat... they're all mine. They smooth on my favorite colors of heavy body acrylic, messily apply melted beeswax, and smoosh around watercolor pencils and walter-soluble oil pastels. My little army of misfits are always at my fingertips.

Palette Knives

My palette knives sit next to my paintbrushes on my drafting table. I bought a cheap set of palette knives for an art class, with David Lobenberg, a few years ago, and they have never let me down. I use them to mix custom colors, spread on crackle paste, and to create marks in molding paste.

My Hands

They're always with me, never tire, and I can never replace them with another set. Covered in paint and ink, they represent the artwork in progress. Nothing would be possible without them.

First Stage of a layered background...

2011-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

A follow-up to Wednesday's quick video... here are two videos that go through my process of starting my first couple layers of a painting. I decided to focus on Chloe, on Gessobord, but I will working with Delores, on the Claybord, over the next couple weeks. Next month's Cravings (scheduled for February 9th) will be about these two great Ampersand bord's, so stay tuned!! This background is by no means complete, and it may look completely different by the time the painting is complete, but it's how I start. Call it a "warm-up". Sometimes I hate my first couple layers. As I add and add on to them, that first "unwanted" layer leaves a beautiful underlying texture to all the others. Don't stress, just play!

I talk a little bit about mixing your own shade of Titan buff, so here is my formula (approximations... I don't measure): 10 parts Titanium White, 1 part Burnt Umber, and a couple small drops of Indian Yellow. I use mostly fluid body acrylics, but you can use whatever type you have available.

Links from the video

Ampersand Gessobord

PVA glue

Golden Acrylics fluid and heavy body

Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels

Prismacolor Watercolor pencil

If you ever have any questions about the products I use, or talk about, please don't hesitate to email me. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to view my videos (they usually are posted on the channel a couple days before the blog post is published). Thanks for watching!

Stylish Blog Award!!

2011-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

My friend, Sylvia, gave me a a Stylish Blogger Award last week. By accepting this award, I need to tell you 7 things you don't know about me, and also pass the award onto some fellow stylish bloggers.

Here it goes...

1. I started dancing when I was six years old. I started with ballet, hated it, and then found my love, hip hop. I was on a dance team that toured the United States... I miss it, terribly. (That's me, in the bottom right hand corner, with braids)

2. I'm an only child, but always dreamed of having a sibling.

3. While traveling Europe in 2007, I briefly contemplated quitting my job and moving to Portugal. We visited the small town of Salema... so beautiful and serene, with a gorgeous white sand beach and crystal clear water.

4. As a child, I wanted to be a marine biologist. Today, I'm a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse, but still an animal lover, at heart.

5. Some days I just want to lay in bed... all day!!

6. I've never seen The Sound of Music... I know, it's blasphemy, but I really have no desire to watch it. Does that make me a bad person?

7. I love being a student and learning new things. When it come down to it, I'm just a dork in glasses...

Now that the embarrassing portion of this post is over, lets get to the people who also deserve this award.

Laura, of Strategic Marketing Online and Dreamy Designs Jewelry, is a web designer/supermom/superfriend/jewelry designer and I will use any excuse to give her credit and love. Her blog is full of tips and tricks that have revolutionized how I do business. She has so much to offer, so visit my interview with her over here.

Brandi, of Catie's Blue, is another friend of mine. She is an amazing jewelry designer/marketing guru, and her daily dose of blog inspiration is better than my morning coffee. She has lots of tips shares to blow your mind, and a refreshing blog. I interviewed her last year, so please check it out.

Dina, is an amazing scrapbook artist/art journal genius, and she entered my life a couple years ago when I took her art journal classes. She opened my eyes to the creativity behind my insecurities and fear, and taught me how to let go. She does amazing things with her pages, so please visit her colorful blog here.

Thank you, Sylvia, for this thoughtful award!! Hope to see you soon!

Week 9... 2nd stage of a painting.

2011-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

In this post I talked about the first stage of starting a new piece. Due to the fact that I fell out of love with my watercolor pencils, only to rediscover them in this class, I wanted to try out this new technique on a real piece. This meant I had to ditch my birch plywood and wood burning (briefly, just briefly), and try out Ampersand's bord's (yes... bord's, not board's... I don't know why). Today I'm trying the Clayboard and Gessobord with little Miss Chloe and Delores, my first of many paintings in the coming year.

Time to take off the training wheel of the sketchbook and put on my big girl britches. Hope you enjoy the video!

Links from the video

Ampersand Claybord

Ampersand Gessobord

Prismacolor Watercolor pencil in sunburst yellow

Finishing my logo painting...

2011-01-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

1. Finish PeachHoney logo painting... Completed January 10, 2011.

One of my favorite things to do is search on YouTube for for speed painting videos. I love to see how other artists start their paintings, and how they work through a piece to get their desired end result. I've had my logo painting sitting on my drafting table for awhile, staring at me as I work on other things. It was something I wanted to get done on my two weeks off work, so I decided it was time to clear my schedule and focus. Although I was almost finished with the painting, and you can't get a clear picture of my start-to-finish process, I wanted to give you a little taste. Hope you love it!!

PS... I'm starting my "Chloe" piece tomorrow and will be taping the entire process... start to finish. No talking, just painting. Maybe some music... hmmmmm. It will post on Monday!!!

Links from this video

Golden Heavy Body Acrylics in burnt umber, cad yellow, carbon black, and white

paper flowers

PVA glue

Golden Fluid acrylics in white and iridescent bright gold (fine)

Martha Stewart glitter

Distress ink pad in Walnut stain

Ranger Beeswax

Melting pot

Wood burning tool with shading tip

Music by Roisin Murphy

101 Things to do in 1001 days...

2011-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Since my blog hop post on my Creative Goals for 2011, I've been really thinking about the future, and what I hope to achieve. My problem has always been my to do list is long and detailed, with a short deadline. This leaves me feeling like a failure and very anxious because I'm never able to finish my tasks. I came across a fellow blog hopper (I'm so sorry, but I forgot who it was), who was participating in 101 things in 1001 days, aka The Zero Project. This challenge was started by Michael Green, a blogger out of New Zealand, who came up with the genius idea that if we give our selves a more realistic deadline, 1001 days (275 years), we are more apt to fulfill our goals, and thus be rockstars!!

Here is his theory and guidelines...

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

I have thought a lot about what I want to achieve, and spent an entire week coming up with my list. Within this list I have goals for PHL, for my family, and for my own soul. At the end of these 1001 days I hope to be a better business woman, with better relationships with family and friends, and with a stronger sense of self.

I have started my challenge on January 1, 2011 and it will end September 27, 2013. Over the next couple years I will blog my accomplishments, which you can track on my left sidebar. Want to create your own list, and fulfill your dreams. Here's the link on how in install a progress bar. Good luck guys!!

Finish PeachHoney logo painting
Design blog header
Design PeachHoney website, with the help of Laura
Design PeachHoneyLove button
Sign up to sponsor 5 of my blogging idols
Create wedding album
Carve a pumpkin
Participate in a blog challenge (other than 52 weeks)
Join Flickr groups
Take Golden's free class
Finish first painting collection
Decorate formal living room
Design PeachHoneyPreemie button
Monica Zuniga's January Intentions Art Challenge
Decorate family room
Start a family
Buy Macro lens for camera
Read and complete exercises for The Idiot's Guide to Drawing People
Decorate baby room
Buy postal scale and develop packaging area in art studio
365 photo challenge
Create watermark for pictures and YouTube videos
Decorate bathrooms
Finish landscaping backyard
Organize art studio
Create two painting using tinted molding and crackle paste
Beautify YouTube channel
Upload 50 YouTube videos
5000 views of YouTube channel
Buy new set of retainers
Finish Jessica Sprague's digital scrapbooking classes
Have a picnic in the park with my husband
50 subscribers to YouTube channel
150 Twitter followers
Open PeachHoneyLove Etsy shop
Open PeachHoneyPreemie Etsy shop
Finish watching video's from Mixed Media Faces
Fix painting from Home Goods store
Add some color to beige paiting from Home Goods store
Produce 5 PeachHoneyPreemie clothing prototypes
Finish PeachHoneyPreemie clothing
Order PHP and PHL Business cards and Postcards
Spend an entire day in bed, watching TV with my husband
Design and order PeachHoneyPreemie clothing labels
Finish reading Cesar Milan's book
Finish 52 weeks of blogging
Finish 52 more weeks of blogging
Take Blogging Your Way
Learn how to use a ruling pen
Attend blogging retreat
Finish placemats
Make a list of 101 things that make me happy
Rescue a dog
Buy new Epson printer
Buy new Epson scanner
Sell guestroom furniture
Turn guestroom into workout room
100 followers on Facebook blog network
100 PeachHoneyLove followers on blogger
100 PeachHoneyPreemie followers on blogger
Create Facebook Fan Page landing page
Take encaustic painting class
Read "Brave New World" again
Start PeachHoneyLove newsletter
Attend art retreat
Sell first painting on Etsy
Sell first piece of PHP clothing on Etsy
Participate in an ATC swap
Go for a 15 mile bikeride with my husband
Coordinate blog hop
First magazine proposal
Take a spin class
Make an apple pie from scratch
Use airbrush paints
Finish Italy scrapbook
Bake Abuela's famous bread without setting off the smoke detector
Create cookbook of Abuela's favorite recipes
Sew a complete baby outfit, without help
Sew dress for myself, without help
Make Gingerbread house with husband
Try Perfect Pearls
Take a sewing class
Show my artwork at art show/expo/fair
Go hiking with my husband
Make portfolio
Finish reading Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During and After Pregnancy
Exercise at least 3 times a week, for 4 consecutive months
Take a writing class
Throw a big party at my house
Make 10 PeachHoneyPreemie sheet/blanket sets
Fill 2 entire sketchbooks
Take a cooking class with my husband
Spend a day in the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco with my husband
Watch every episode of Xena: The Warrior Princess :)
Get published!
Plant espalier fruit tree
Create pattern for NICU mattress fitted sheets (3 total)
Get a new driver's license with my married name
Make a print on dried fiber paste using digital ground
Floss every day for one month
Make a new list of 101 things

Thanks for following my journey!!

Week 8... Something Seasonal

2011-01-17T06:00:00.001-08:00

Photo Credit

I'm dreaming of Spring...

It's winter here in Northern California. The barren branches are haunting, yet beautifully stretched. Contractors are busily building the newest Tim Lewis community, effectively blocking my view of the snow capped Sierra Nevada Mountains. My veggie beds are empty. All that is left is the decrepit carcass of a once beautiful tomato plant, and the brown remains of my extravagant asparagus fern. My grass is slowly yellowing, and my plant's growth spurt has come to a screaming halt. Although, we experience very mild winters here in Sacramento, I'm looking forward to Spring. Clear blue skies, 75 degree weather... heaven.

I have had two weeks off work, and I'm taking advantage of it. I'm dedicating myself to spending at least 6 hours each day to knock some important tasks off my To Do list. Joseph is worried I've been working too hard, and suggested I have at least one day to veg on the couch. Today was that day. I sat on the couch, with my cup of tea, and stared longingly out the window. I glared at the gloomy overcast sky, willing the sun to shine through the grey blanket of clouds. It didn't work. I had to snap myself out of my funk, so instead of wallowing in the weather, I went searching for signs of spring in my own home.

The orchid plant, my husband got me for my birthday this year, has remarkably started to grow a new stem and baby buds are breaking free....

I got out my 2011 Johnny Seed catalog and started planning my garden...

My sweet potatoes are thriving in the upstairs bedroom...

How is your winter going? Are you longing for Spring, or enjoying the the cold weather of your Winter Wonderland?

How to stain with Golden Fluid Acrylics

2011-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm demonstrating how to stain your painting surfaces with Golden's Fluid Acrylic paint. I have to apologize in advance for the unwanted editing... I had to comply with the YouTube 10min time limit. I walk you through staining canvas, molding and crackle paste prepped with water and matte gel medium. Want to see the difference?

Links from this video

Golden Fluid Acrylic paint in Green Gold

Molding Paste

Crackle Paste

Canvas pad

Golden matte gel medium

Cravings... Golden Fluid Acrylics

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

We have come to our second installment of my Cravings, and today we're talking about Golden Fluid Acrylics, with a little clarification on this video. Golden has so many great products and we are just scratching the surface of what they have to offer. Come back Friday for a tutorial on this great product.

Links from video

Golden Fluid Acrylic paint

Matte Fluid color line

Week 7... Falling out of love...

2011-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Suzi Blu taught me the beauty of watercolor pencils.... she taught me how to shade a face using a heavy hand and the perfect variety of pinks and yellows. Ahhhh... the perfect skin tone. I liked the technique, but didn't love it. Like I mentioned in this post, I sketch and paint on a un-primed/un-gessoed piece of birch plywood. However, it doesn't offer a great surface for a smooth application for watercolor pencil. Not to mention, the wood soaks up every drop of water, so blending proves to be a very difficult task. The colors bleed, but don't blend out like I want them to. I ended up spending more time, than I would have liked, trying to blend with multiple layers of acrylic paint. So... I stopped using the watercolor pencils, and they sat, sadly, at the bottom of a basket for a very long time.

That is, until I started Monica Zuniga's Mixed Media Faces class and discovered this wonderful product once again. She used the watercolor pencils with ease and they seamed to glide on the paper, and blended easily with a little water. I realized it wasn't the pencils that were the problem, it was my painting surface, the birch plywood. I tried Monica's technique on watercolor paper, and was instantly in love. The pencils went on smoothly, even with a light hand, and gave me a sooth, yet mixed-media feel to my skin tones. My faces had great smooth shading, but the little bits of yellow peaking through gave me the whimsical look I was going for. The greatest part was that by sketching with a light yellow pencil, Icould make mistakes that were easily blended out when the water and a light coat acrylic paint. I could make adjustments to the shape of the face and features as I used the darker pencils. It made the face look messy in the process, but the end result was just what I was looking for.

... messy but colorful...

...beautifully shaded with a touch of yellow originality..

But what am I going to paint on? It seems as though my days of painting faces on cheap plywood are long gone. Don't worry, I have discovered Ampersand has a variety of boards, including their Claybord, which I believe will be perfect for my work. Dick Blick sells their 3/4 inch 12x12 Claybord's for $13... not too shabby... crisis averted. I will be practicing on these claybord's in the coming weeks, and will let you know what I think. Ampersand also has a variety of boards, so you know what that means... lot of tutorials in the future!! Yay!!!

I'm so glad I gave my lost love a second chance. Has this ever happened to you? What did you do?

Setting my stage with an Art Journal Page

2011-01-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

My husband bought me a FlipVideo for Christmas (after I hinted that the future of PHL depended on it's purchase)... a little dramatic, but it got the job done. After an afternoon with my best friend and sister-in-law, and a pitcher of margaritas, we went on a shopping spree in Downtown Sacramento. In addition to a rockin outfit for New Years, I bought a tripod for my Flip Video. Score!!!

It's been a while since I showed you an art journal page, so I decided to show you my process, instead of just showing the end result. I set my stage, I taped the video, and downloaded the clips to my computer. When I sat down to edit them I discovered, somewhere between taping and editing, my clips were cut off. I can't explain how fuming I was, and of course I deleted the video clips before I realized my work had been inadvertently clipped... AHHHHH!! I spent the next day searching the internet, trying to find the answer. I downloaded a couple video converters, that promised to convert my files to MAC compatible ones. Alas, my video remained clipped. My drafting table was a complete disaster after completing the page. I couldn't bring myself to tape another video after what happened, so I'll just show you the finished product, and hopefully the next time will be a little more successful. If anyone has answers for me, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP!! Better luck next time, I hope :(

Here's the finished product. The journaling reads... Good friends are hard to find, but worth the wait. Thanks for being a friend

Supplies used...

Golden gesso

sponge brushes

Ceramacoat acrylic paint

texture tools

Golden Gel Matte Medium

Stewart Gill Byzantia paint in Cardinale

Sumi ink

Yasutomo Bamboo Sketching Pen

Interview with Laura Otero

2011-01-04T23:16:00.000-08:00

Laura Otero is a Marketing guru and fab jewelry designer. We met during Kelly Rae Robert's e-course, and instantly bonded. She is so extremely generous and has really helped turn my drab Twitter/Facebook/Blog page into something to be proud of.... and our work is not done. Please help me welcome her!!

You have started blogging five days a week... How do you come up with new posts so frequently?

I made the decision to start blogging 5 days a week when I was feeling a little “stuck”. Oftentimes human tendency is to slow down or give up if we don’t see our goals being realized in the way or timeframe we’d envisioned. I have found the best way to counter feeling stagnant is to do just the opposite…in other words, to crank UP the work and output. When I was feeling the most discouraged, I wrote this post about determination and breakthroughs. I wanted to document these feelings, so I wouldn’t forget later. Just a few days after writing the post, reached my breakthrough! I’ve since begun the transition to working part-time, which has allowed me more time to pursue my creative interests.

Posting 5 days a week was scary at first. I was used to posting once or twice a week. Creating a theme for each of the 5 days instantly gave me structure and a starting point for each day. In fact, I recommend creating themes for each day to other bloggers who would like to increase the number of days they post each week. I unleashed lots of creative goodness by brainstorming the themes.

What drives you?

What drives me today is very different from what drove me for the past decade. As a marketing director, I worked hard to “prove” myself to myself, to management, and to the corporate office. Looking back on this, it’s no wonder I was left feeling empty and superficial. As soon as I decided to pursue freelance design (web/print) and jewelry-making, I felt more at peace with myself.

Listening to my heart and pursing the interests that are true to me has been naturally motivating. My father’s work ethic is also something I model myself after. I also believe that the work schedule I created for myself in the corporate world has benefitted me today.

How do you balance being a mother/freelance web designer/jewelry designer/wonder woman?

Finding balance is always a work in progress. I am fortunate to have a supportive family and husband. Our children are also at wonderful ages (9 and 10 years old), where they can play independently or together without needing constant supervision at home. I try to balance my work time with family activities. I do remember when they were toddlers, I didn’t have as much time to devote to my other interests. In those days, I remember finding my peaceful place when we’d take a daily walk (kids in the stroller) together. Changing our environment and going on daily adventures kept us all creatively stimulated and less fussy. Kids naptime (when they were younger) and getting them to bed at an established time each day also free up small windows of work time.

Where did you learn your internet saviness?

In 2004, I was asked if I would consider a transition from a traditional marketing position into an online marketing position (at the same company). Looking back, what a gift this was! It’s hard to imagine how different things were back then. The majority of people on Facebook were college kids, and the big thing at the time was MySpace! Being an “early adopter” of new technology and online tools was something that has proved to be quite an asset (both then and now).

Many of my “Tutuorial Thursday” blog posts begin when I find myself stumped. If I don’t know how to do something online, I figure it out (a combination of trial and error and Google) and write a step-by-step tutorial post. I figure if I didn’t know how to do something online, there must be others who are asking the same questions. I graduated with a Professional Communications degree, which helped with marketing/pr/design. Since then, I’ve taken advanced html courses and learned most of the design and web programs I use from Lynda.com. The tutorials are helpful and very affordable!

What do you think the 5 most important parts of creating a unique and cohesive brand? And what can we do to achieve them?

What a great question! Even after 7 years in marketing/advertising, I don’t have all the answers. Here are a few tips about creating a unique and cohesive brand online. Many of these things I’ve learned from experience. If you dove into various online spaces and are not following each of these tips, look at them as something to work towards. I’m still working towards these goals as well.

1. Carefully name your company/biz and develop a professional logo that you love. Your business name and logo will help brand you online. Brainstorm, discuss with friends/family, and work hard on these two things!
2. Develop a creative statement and bio. Your creative statement (think of it as your slogan) should identifies what you do / what your work is about (“Mixed Media ~ Jewelry ~ Graphic Design”, for example. Something more descriptive is also great; just keep it short and sweet since it will most likely be included below your logo on places like your blog header). Write a bio about yourself/your work. Include it where possible. This may feel silly in the beginning stages, but will come in real handy soon.
3. Select a photograph of yourself that people will come to know you by. This will be used for your profile pictures. It’s ok to move away from a singular photo as you continue to build your brand online, but having one strong photo that showcases you is very helpful in the beginning. Use this photo on Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Wordpress, Youtube, etc.
4. Be consistent in your online identity/name and design. For example, try your best to make your blog address, twitter profile, facebook shortened URL, identical when it comes to your portion of the URL. If you are “BestySmithArt” on twitter, your Facebook Business page should also be facebook.com/bestysmithart. Likewise, your blog header, website, facebook biz page profile, and various other online spaces should look like they belong together and were designed by the same person. It is an extension of your brand. Everything from the color choices, fonts, and photos are all important. This is something I am working on, personally, too.
5. Keep biz cards and samples handy. Get a professional set of business cards printed. There are a few online sites that are quite affordable. Consider customizing the back of the cards with photos of your work. Beyond this, consider printing a “rack card” with a few photos of your work and even more information about your business. Be prepared to give small samples of your work (if applicable) by having a stash of giveaways/extras in your car. You never know when you’ll meet just the right person. Beyond giving them a biz card, it’s extra special if you have a pair of earrings or small piece of work created and on-hand to include with your card. I have been known to keep 5 pairs of earrings in my car, wrapped in a gauzy pouch, tied with my biz card. If this doesn’t make sense for your business, brainstorm something else that is tangible and fun to include with your biz card that will represent your work well.
6. Bonus tip: Don’t give up! Social media and marketing take time to work. A combination of heart + hard work will pay off.

I loved your post about creating a Networking Emergency Kit. What kind of events are they and where can we find these events in our area?

Balancing family and volunteer time with networking is tricky but can be possible! I try to attend the following meetings (below) monthly or quarterly, depending on how often meetings are held. I try to include a good balance of marketing/social media organizations with artistic and more casual get-togethers. This helps make networking fun!

American Marketing Association
National Association of Women Owned Business
Chamber of Commerce meetings (attended in the past through my employer)
Charleston Craft Bee
Social Media Club Charleston
BarCamp (a technology conference)
Social Media workshops/seminars
Tweetups (on social media, marketing, jewelry, design, or anything in between)

My friend Kelly Thiel recently joined a local Art Guild, which is another awesome group if you have one in your city

Can you talk about Hootsuite and how you use it to manage your business?

If I had to pick my favorite Hootsuite feature, it would be scheduling (read my post about it here). I also really love that it allows you to send updates to more than one of your social network accounts from one centralized location. I discovered it first for Twitter, but have since added my personal and business facebook accounts (one for my online marketing biz AND another for my jewelry biz!) to my hootsuite dashboard. I wrote about getting started with Hootsuite here. After you get comfortable, I have instructions on adding your personal and biz pages to Hoosuite here.

Let’s talk about your web design business. What type of services do you provide? How long is the process and how do you manage working with long distance clients?

I’ve been designing websites since 2004. It’s something that I love to do! I also have experience in print design and enjoy designing brochures, logos, business cards & rack cards. In the social media space, I can quickly design professional looking blog headers, facebook business pages, twitter backgrounds…you name it! Some of my favorite recent projects have been turning sketches/art into digital illustrations and creating blog buttons with corresponding code for artists.

Email marketing is another longtime passion of mine. I’ve managed email programs for companies sending to 30,000+ subscribers with the click of a mouse.

Regarding working with long-distance clients, I’ve been fortunate to work with people from all over the US and as far as Puerto Rico. With the power of the web, it’s a pretty seamless process to collaborate and launch a website, facebook business page, blog, logo, or just about anything else for a client no matter how far we may be apart geographically. I limit the number of projects that I manage to minimize turnaround time and keep costs affordable.

I have posted photos of some of my recent work over on my facebook business page and hope you can stop by!

Is there anything else you would like to talk to my readers about/promote?

I’d like to thank you so very much for this special interview opportunity. It has been wonderful to connect with a Kelly Rae “flyer” through the power of the web. I am so excited about 2011 and know it will be a year of great opportunity and growth for your business. Please let your readers know I am always happy to answer their social media/ online marketing questions!

They can find me:
Strategic Online Marketing on Facebook
Strategic Online Marketing Blog (updated 5x/week!)
My Personal Twitter
Dreamy Design Works Jewelry on Facebook
Dreamy Design Works Jewelry Blog
Dreamy Design Works on Twitter

Thanks Laura!!!

Week 6... How I fell in love with art

2011-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

I never knew I was artistic. School was always my main focus, thanks to the never ending push from my mother. My schedule did not permit any extracurricular activities. I didn't sleep, I ate on the go, and I spent at least 8 hours a day studying. It was draining, and left me feeling empty. After I graduated from nursing school in 2006, the heavens opened and revealed a life full of possibilities and light.

I was introduced to scrapbooking by my best friend, Tricea, and while visiting Ali Edward's blog, I came across Tim Holtz and Kelly Rae Robert's links. I spent the next 3 hours drooling over their creativity, and vowed to give it a try. I went to YouTube searching for painting technique videos and came across Suzi Blu. My mixed media obsession was born... it was as though the lid from Pandora's box had swung open and I was a prisoner of it's power. I joined her ning network and started building my network of talented women, who gave me the support I needed to explore my creativity.

Photo & Painting by Suzi Blu

I must give Suzi Blu some serious credit. She is the mother of Mixed Media, as far as I'm concerned. She taught me the correct proportions of, and how to shade a face, how to word burn, how to add vintage texture to a background, and so much more. Anytime I have a question, I shoot her an email and by the end of the day I have a detailed answer, plus a little love from her dogs, Gigi and Finn. I can always count on her to have a funny video of her dogs on her blog, if I need a little pick-me-up, and some inspiration if I'm lacking. She is a kind and generous soul, one that's so important to beginning artists.

These great artists have paved the way for my success, and I'm eternally grateful.

Week 4 & Blog Hop... My Goals

2010-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm participating in a Blog Hop, thanks to Jess of A Creative Odyssey. For the entire month of December, close to 50 bloggers are sharing their Creative goals for 2011. Well, this is my day, along with Tracey and Kristen.

It was very clear to me, while thumbing through my TO DO Folder, my life is full of tasks and goals. This can be extremely inspiring and completely overwhelming, all at the same time. I was feeling very inspired earlier this month... I was interviewed for the first time by Laura Otero, started my new reduced schedule at work, and finally sat down to organize my business. Right now I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I'm organizing my studio right now, and before it could get better, it had to get worse, as I pulled out almost every art supply and placed them on the floor. Excuse me while I panic a little. Cleaning my studio was one of my many goals for this month, along with finishing my logo painting (which didn't get done... just waiting for the final touches to come to me), painting the two sketches from this post, starting a Flickr account, and trying some Eat Clean recipes for my husband. I digress... Let's get to the long term goals keeping me up at night.

1. Design my website... I bought a domain name in June, and have been obsessing over the details of perfecting my brand. I want everything to be perfect, and I'm hoping Laura can help.

2. Finish my first collection by the end of 2011... I've never done a collection before, just individual paintings here and there. I have an idea for my first collection, but it's gonna take some research, and I'm terrified it won't be perfect. Nevertheless, I can't wait to show you!

3. Open my PeachHoneyLove Etsy shop by end of Summer 2011... I'm debating on whether to open the shop with individual paintings, or wait until my collection is done. I have so many paintings in my head, waiting to become a reality, so I don't think I'll be able to wait. Any thoughts?

4. Open my PeachHoneyPreemie Etsy shop by the beginning of Summer 2011... Since the preemie clothes are taking a little time to produce, I have some ideas for some other products until then (Mattress fitted sheets, nursing covers, gel pillow covers, etc.). I just finished two prototypes of the fitted sheets and I'm taking them to work tomorrow to try them out... I'm dreaming of happy babies sleeping quietly on a coordinating bedding set.

5. Finish 5 PeachHoneyPreemie clothing prototypes by the end of 2011... this is proving to be a lengthy and difficult task, but one I don't mind doing. Thankfully, my mother-in-law is a sewing guru, and has taken me under her wing. It's been awhile since I took a sewing class, so I think it's time to sign up for a little refreshed course.

6. Take an encaustic painting class... I use beeswax to finish my mixed media paintings, and have always been fascinated with encaustic art. I recently bought a painting from Mikie Spencer, and fell in love with the swirls and metallic colors of the wax. She referred me to a UK based online wax store, and I'm looking forward to playing around with a new technique.

7. Start a family... unrelated to PHL, but a very important goal, nonetheless.

8. Sketch more... I just bought this book, hoping it would help me grow as an artist. I'm really trying to perfect my craft, so the more classes, the better. I hope you will join me as I work my way through the book's exercises and post my progress.

I hope the coming year brings all of you nothing but love and success in whatever your heart desires.

xoxoxo
jess

Random blatherings...

2010-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Links from video

Swell Sister Society

Mikie Spencer

Laura Otero with Strategic Marketing Online and Dream Design Jewelry

Week 5... Question to My Readers. Take a Survey!!

2010-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

This post has come at a perfect time because I'm developing my PeachHoneyLove and PeachHoneyPreemie Brand. Week 5 in 52 weeks is about asking your readers a question. Well, I have more than one, so I have enlisted Poll Daddy to help me in my quest to get some answers. Although, this 52 weeks journey is geared towards PHL, I have some burning questions about the future of PHP. So, please please please take my survey and help me create a better PeachHoneyPreemie.

Take the survey!!

Thanks for participating!!

My sketches with a little color...

2010-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

My sketches from last Friday lit a fire under my butt... since then, I've been sketching my little heart out. A little before work, some on my breaks, and then painting them when I get home from work. This has lead me to my current problem... I can't sleep. I used to take Benedryl every night to sleep, and finally weaned myself off after the wedding. Well, my old friend, Insomnia, is back due to my new friend, Inspiration. Well, I can't take Benedryl because Joseph and I are trying to start a family and my Eat Clean lifestyle is back, so I guess I have to paint until the sleep comes... it's terrible *wink*

I've been playing around with the eyes of my girls to make them look a little more mysterious. Blues, greens, even purples... a little Perfect Pearls to make them sparkle. I'm discovering a whole new dimension of possibilities, and it's staying with me all day. Is this what it feels like to live your dream? I've uncovered a whole new life leaving me fulfilled and completely at peace.

Joseph has even joined my party and has been naming my girls lately. He's really good at it!! It feels like he has a hand in this wonderful part of my life, and he should be because he's my biggest supporter. My cheerleader without the pom poms. Here is Delores, and the progression of what she came to be. I think I like the way she looked before I added all the dark eyeliner and mascara. I like the natural look... something to keep in mind (thankfully, I only sketched her).

Here's another love I've been working on... I adore her!! Joseph has named her Chloe... fitting, don't you think? I'm really enjoying my sketchbook, and writing notes in the corner about techniques I need to keep, or change. I'm growing as an artist, and it feels great. If only I had enough time to go back to Art School... one of my other big dreams. Maybe someday...

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season... wishing everyone love and success in the upcoming year. xoxo

Another love post...

2010-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

In keeping with my Love Fest from Monday, here's another digital scrapbook page about our wedding day. There was so much love that day, and it's sure to fuel more pages to share with you. Enjoy!

The journaling reads...
Our Photographer kept telling us to "Snuggle up," so that's exactly what we did"... you know we have no problem hanging out in each other's necks all day long... Muah!!

The Wedding Day...

2010-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

This post was supposed to be dedicated to Week 4, of 52 weeks of Blogging Your Passion, however, I'm participating in a Blog Hop, courtesy of Jess, of A Creative Odyssey. This blog hop is all about our Creative Goals for 2011, and since Week 4 of 52 Weeks was also about creative goals, I decided to postpone the post. My blog hop day in on December 31st, so come back and join me!

I have a hole in my schedule, and since I would hate to leave you guys hanging, let's talk about my wedding day.... yay!!

The couple days leading up to the wedding were pure chaos. Joseph and I had final meetings with our photographer, videographer, DJ, and coordinator at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. I had a dentist appointment earlier in the week, finished the programs and decorations for the reception mid-week, and spent some quality time with my best friend, and maid of honor, from Atlanta at the end of the week. It was a whirlwind.

The day before the wedding, at our dress rehearsal, I was a nervous wreck. Where was I supposed to stand? When did I kneel during the ceremony? Who would look after the flower girl and ring bearers? Thankfully, I was surrounded by women who knew what they were doing... I sure didn't. I was a complete sweaty mess, stressing over every little detail. I thought to myself, "I just have to get through the ceremony." Unfortunately, that wasn't working... family and friends were crowded around, and I was missing it. So, I took a deep breath, and said to myself, "What ever happens, happens. There's nothing more you can do. Either way, you'll be marrying the man of your dreams. What's more important than that?" Things got better.

I enjoyed the rehearsal dinner, I had a glass of wine, sat and talked with family, ate too much, and then went back to the hotel and crashed. The next morning, my alarm went off at 7am (although, I was waking up every half hour through the night), I shot out of bed, took a quick shower, ate some breakfast with my best friend and (soon-to-be) sister-in-law, and headed to my makeup artist's house.

The day of the wedding was stress free. I didn't think I was going to be able to let go, but I proved myself wrong. I figured if anything went wrong now, there was nothing I could do... my planning would have to be enough. It was definitely enough. I felt like a princess, and my prince was in front of me expressing his undying love for me. Words can't express how loved and protected I felt that day.

The ceremony was beautiful... I had my harem of women to the left, and Joseph his posse of men to the right. I didn't trip on the train of my dress, or wobble on my 4 1/2 inch peep toe pumps (even though they were the first things to come off after the ceremony). I didn't light the table cloth on fire during the candle lighting ceremony, and I didn't stumble over my words while reciting my vows. The family cheered, and Joseph and I had smiles on our faces the entire day. The reception hall was breathtaking, the cupcakes were extremely delicious, and the photobooth was a big hit. It was a perfect day!! More than I could have ever dreamed up.

After the reception was over (and while the party group continued the evening at the hotel bar), Joseph and I went up to our room, stuffed our faces with chocolate dipped strawberries and Kobe sliders (because two bites of chicken was all that would fit in my dress), and went to sleep as husband and wife. We woke up the next morning, visited my grandparents at the "Day-after-the-wedding Brunch", and headed home. We were too exhausted to open gifts, we dragged ourselves to Taco Bell for dinner (the diet was officially over), and were asleep by 6pm. I don't know how newly married couples get on an airplane, to their honeymoon destination, the day after their wedding... I could barely walk. We chose to wait until November to take our honeymoon. A decision I will never regret.

My wedding day was, for lack of a better word, a fairytale. Thanks for sharing it with me. If you want to see more pictures from our beautiful day, visit my Flickr site.

...and now for the sketches...

2010-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

I talked a little bit about Monica Zuniga on Wednesday. She is an amazing Mixed Media Artist, who lives in Mexico city. I am taking her Mixed Media Faces class, and within this class we practice drawing faces with pencil, creating textured backgrounds, and much much more. She inspired me to try drawing realistic faces, but it was a real struggle. I realized I like my dolls, and although I love her realistic artwork, it's not me. It's difficult, sometimes, to accept your style, especially when the devil on your shoulder is whispering "that doesn't even look real." I even had a friend tell me, "her nose looks alien," about a recent sketch I drew. It hurt, but you can't change people's perspectives, you can only change how you feel about yourself. I would rather create my dolls, than struggle to create something that I don't have the passion for. I like my "alien" nose, and that's all that matters.

My sketches are just the beginnings of things to come... not a lot of shading, just the bare minimum of some inspiration that came to me at 2am, after watching one of Monica's videos. I usually name my girls, but because we're in the first part of their creation, they haven't spoken to me, yet.

Have you ever struggled to learn a skill or technique? Did you stick with it, alter it slightly to make it yours, or both?

Classes I'm taking...

2010-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I am a very busy bee. On any given week I am taking two or three classes, and reading a couple books to top it off. I thrive off the inspiration of others, so I wanted to take a moment to give my current classes a spotlight.

Brandi Hussey
I'm still working my way through Brandi's Color Rockstar class. The color palettes she includes are so inspiring and force you to look at the world from a new perspective. You know that old abandoned building in your neighborhood? Pay attention to the colors that cover the rotted building... you may just find the perfect color scheme for your new brand.

Photo by mlhradio on Flickr, textured up by Brandi Hussey

Jessica Sprague
I know you have heard me talking about Jessica Sprague for some time now, but let me just remind you she is AWESOME!! If you ever wanted to know anything about digi scrapbooking/Photoshop editing, she is your girl. I have finished the Up and Running with Photoshop class and now am in the midst of Now We're Rockin'. So many techniques, so little time. I get in a groove some days and spend hours watching the class video and practicing what I have learned on some of my fav pics. I'm getting a lot done, and learning skills I can use to toward my website. So much fun!! Revisit her site!!

Monica Zuniga
I've been a fan of Monica's for a couple years now, and when I got my new computer I forgot to bookmark her in my blogger favs. One morning, I remembered her unbelievable talent and went searching for her on Google... I typed Monica, Mexico, hands, artist... there she was. Monica Zuniga, and mixed media artist for Mexico, and her blog was called Hands and Heart. Gotta love Google.
I'm taking her Mixed Media Faces class, and I was overjoyed after the first video (and there are 24 long, amazing videos). The class covers everything from face dimensions to mixed media backgrounds. Although, I have been doing some of the techniques for awhile, it's refreshing to see someone else's point of view and style. The technique may be the same, but the outcome is always unique. I haven't gotten very far in the class, but if the rest of the class is anything like this first couple videos, I will have lots to talk about. She has a lot of classes available on her ning website. Check her out!!

On Friday I will show you some sketches I've been toying around with, thanks to Miss Monica. Come back and let me know what you think..

Week 3... Overcoming an Obstacle

2010-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Week 3 in the 52 weeks of blogging challenge is about an obstacle you overcame. I have to say the painting came easy, and my inspiration cup runneth over. There was always a multitude of classes and books to entertain my artistic cravings, and my drive to create kept me up until 3am most nights. My problem was finding the balance between my day-to-day reponsibilties (work, grocery shopping, laundry, etc) and my new addiction. As I sat on my stool, in front of my drafting table, or at Starbucks watching video after video on techniques, my laundry piled up and I dreaded going to work.

Now let me just say, I love being a NICU nurse. Taking care of babies and developing relationships with their familes is so rewarding. However, over the last 4 years I have slowly started to resent my job because my need to paint was taking a huge back seat. As of two weeks ago, I decreased my hours at work, and I now have 6 days off of work, every other week. Unheard of in my profession. My first stretch of days off, I taped 3 videos and got a week ahead of blog posts, finished up some business license tasks and cleaned my house. I was on a roll, but when the day came to go back to work I was as ready as I could be, and I felt better knowing I had made great use of my time. It was a risk decreasing my hours, but I had to do it for my own well being. It was a difficult choice, but one that I don't regret making.

In addition to cutting back my hours at work, I knew I had to create some kind of schedule. That meant not only scheduling my posts (52 week challenge on Mondays, artistic Fridays, etc), but also my tasks for each day I had off from work. For example, tomorrow is my day off and according to my "to do list" I need to tape a tutorial, and work on editing a couple videos I taped last week. If I get done with that, I can work on an art piece I have in the corner of my studio. I always schedule my tasks at least a week before they need to be done, so if something comes up... like Hank desperately begging for Mommy's attention... I don't have to worry about scrambling to finish on time.

I downloaded a calendar from Blog Guidebook (I also printed one for my gardening to do list), it's the perfect size to tote around with me, yet, large enough to hold my daily notes. I cross out the days I work (I don't get much done on those days) and then I write what posts are schduled on which days, and as I complete them I highlight them and move on to the next task. If I'm more than a week ahead, I spend more time painting the next couple days. All I have to do, in the morning, is grab my cup of coffee, consult my calendar and plan the rest of my day. It has allowed me to relax, enjoy my journey, and become extremely productive.

TO DO lists are extremely important for an organized life. I, however, am a little more anal-retentive, so I have a TO DO FOLDER (yes, that's right, an TO DO FOLDER). It's crazy, but it's helped to prioritize what needs to get done now, from what tasks can wait a couple months. In this envelope, I have lists of possible blog posts (for PHL and PHP), social networking tasks (sponsorship ads, blog buttons, start Flikr account), classes I want to take (Blogging you way, web design class), color schemes I want to try, possible PeachHoneyPreemie products, fabric I need to buy, etc . I also have goals in the folder... attend a retreat, show at art show/festival, plan a getaway for my artist community. If I ever feel like I have nothing to do... which is very infrequent... I can consult my folder, and I immediately have an endless supply of things to do. I love being busy, but crazy/unorganized busy doesn't work... organized/Type A busy works much better for me.

What was your biggest obstacle as an creative person, and how did you overcome it?

Hope you have a wonderful day... come back Wednesday for a post on the classes that are currently inspiring me to make beautiful art. Xoxoxo

How to blend heavy body acrylics...

2010-12-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here is the painting from the video...

...and here is another version on a gesso primed piece of birch plywood...

VIDEO LINKS
8x10 Utrecht Cavas Board
Heavy Body Acrylics in Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue and Dioxazine Purple
Retarder
Acrylic Glazing liquid

A little love!!

2010-12-08T11:09:00.001-08:00

I'm so eternally grateful to Laura Otero, of Strategic Marketing Online, for giving me the opportunity to be featured in an interview on her blog. Please check it out and show her some love!!!

Cravings... Golden Heavy Body Acrylics

2010-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention, if you want a more oil-like paint try Golden's OPEN paint line. I like the versatility I get with using the Retarder with the regular Heavy Body Paints, but to each his own. Here are the links to the products used in the video.

GOLDEN PRODUCTS
Heavy Body Acrylics
Retarder
Acrylic Glazing liquid

Week 2... Prepping a painting

2010-12-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yea, I was rambling a little bit today, but I hope it was helpful. I can't wait until you guys see my next few cravings posts. I hope you swoon over my goodies like I do. I can't tell you how much these video are helping my creativity... I get to play while talking to all of you. It's so wonderful!!
Here are some links to the products I talk about it the video...

Painting Surfaces
Birch Plywood
Stretched Canvas
Ampersand Gessobord
Golden Gesso

Mediums
Winsor & Newton Watercolors
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics
Golden Fluid Acrylics
Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels
Prismacolor Watercolor Colored Pencils
Ranger Adirondak Color Wash
Ranger Archival Ink
Ranger Distress Ink

ps... I made a little mistake... the mulberry color underneath the cerulean oil pastel was a watercolor pencil, not an oil pastel.

And Dip...

2010-12-03T08:00:00.001-08:00

The journaling reads...
When I look into your eyes, I see love and admiration. Whether we are in the kitchen, or underneath the stars, we find a place to dance. You look at me, hold me close, and then we dip.

I'm still working my way through Jessica Sprague's digi scrapbooking classes... just another thing to help me become a little more savvy with the computer side of the biz. It's a lot of information, but along the way, I get to make beautiful scrapbook pages with the pictures that have been waiting in the wings... and I love writing about love.

My Cold and Sickly Sweet Potatoes

2010-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

The sweet potatoes were looking sickly after a week of semi-cold weather... they developed small black dots on the leaves, then shriveled and died ... story of my life, lately. Really not surprising since potatoes only grow when it's warm for 4 months (yeah, I know my experiment isn't looking too promising).

I was devastated I had to throw them away because they developed such a beautiful root system... what a waste.

Just wait, bear with me... Luckily, I had more slips available on my momma potato, so I planted those in the same pot, brought them inside, and set them next to a warm window in our empty guest room. I'll keep you updated on what happens next... hopefully, I'll have some good news.

My asparagus plant slowly took over the entire veggie bed this summer. Even though the season is coming to a close, I decided to trellis them, so they didn't look too unruly. I stuck dowels in the dirt approximately 10 inches apart and secured them with twine. Much better, I think...now I can plant some lettuce around them. What a concept...

I started my very first compost pile in September. I filled it with banana peels, paper scraps, corn husks and anything else worth decomposing. I added a sprinkle of compost activator, a little water, closed the lid and let it mellow for two and a half months. Well, I should have given it a little more love, by adding daily coffee grounds and apple peels. When I opened it up last Wednesday, it was too dry, and not a whole lot of decomposing had occurred. So, I added some shredded paper, a little more water, some more compost activator, a little soil from my raised beds, and gave it a good toss. I have finally started a daily offering bag in my pantry (a little food for my future plant food), so my compost will, hopefully, start doing... well... something. More to come in later weeks...

Even though all my veggie loves are vanishing before my eyes, I'm looking forward to next year's growing season. Hank has apparently solved our vole problem, so I think it will be extremely successful. The beginning of the new year means brightly colored seed catalogs magically show up at my doorstep. As I sit down with a sharpie and a cup of coffee, I can't help fantasizing about salads with radishes, bell peppers, and tomatoes grown 30 feet away in a place called home.

Week 1... Big Announcement!!

2010-11-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

MISSION STATEMENT
My love for creating art was a welcomed accident. I was a scrapbooker turned artist by an art journaling class. I am inspired by everything around me, and my support group of artist chickies fuels my everyday. I create mixed media artwork using acrylic paint, watercolor, wax, stamps, paper elements and much more. PeachHoneyLove provides original artwork to the masses, and offers a home for artisic people to play, grow and share their passions.

LINKS
My community:
Laura Catherine with Strategic Marketing Online
Brandi Hussey with Catie's Blue
Maggie with Maggie's Angels

Vloggers I follow:
Donna Downey
Suzi Blu
Tiffany D

Other links:
52 Weeks of Blogging
52 More Weeks of Blogging
Kelly Rae Robert's Flying Lessons
Interview with Brandi Hussey

ps... I don't know why my forehead looks so big... I think I need to play around with the angle of the camera. Oh, and excuse my frequent use of the work "Umm," I was a little nervous :)

Big news is on the horizon!!

2010-11-19T22:26:00.001-08:00

Ok guys, so I have a pretty big announcement coming up in the next week, or so, depending on when I get a special little computer program delivered. I'm restructuring PHL, and I hope it will give all of you a better insight into me, my life, and what I'm doing to create a brighter PHL. Please check back in soon!!!

Love and success to all of you!!!

Sweet Potatoes in a Pot

2010-11-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

My sweet potato babies and growing into healthy plants. It occurred to me, when I started this project, it was entirely too late in the season to start a potato crop... I'm stubborn, I know. I figured it would be my chance to try my hand at faux-greehouse gardening... I like a challenge. And since I killed my herb, radish, and carrot seedlings by over-fertilizing (*sigh*), I had to pick up another project. God forbid I have only 5 things going on at once... I must have 10.

Once my potato "seed" grew slips 4-6 inches long, I twisted them off and placed them in water to root. Magically, within 24 hours I had little roots forming. I decided to let them hang out in the water a little longer to establish a stronger root system before I shocked them by transplanting them outside.

Joseph and I still have to do some work on our raised veggie beds, so I decided to plant the potatoes in a large plastic planter. I mixed a little chicken manure in with Moisture Control Potting soil, and planted the slips 6-8 inches apart. I tried reading up on how close to plant the slips, but I kept getting conflicting information, so we'll see come harvesting time if they're too close. After transplanting them I watered thoroughly, and then an hour later Hank came up and pulled one out and ate it... dang it!! Not to worry, I have 5 healthy plants left, which means lots of yummy potatoes for Jess!!!

Meanwhile, has anyone else noticed it's officially fall!! My best friend says it's the best season for fashion... jeans tucked into boots, sassy hats and warm peacoats. I think fall is the season of color... the trees are turning from green to yellow to red, almost as if a mood ring was sitting right on my front lawn. It's magical. While spring is known for brights blooms and delightful smells, fall is famous for the smell of rain and berries on trees. These are my favorite from my tree in our front lawn, their vibrant color makes me smile, even on the gloomiest of days.