Free Scone

I got a free scone yesterday! I was all ready to pay for it and I got the tap on the hand and a "Don't worry about." I was like..."What? No, really. Here, please take my money." A wink and a smile and she was off to the next customer. Amazing. I was elated! It wasn't really about the free scone, though, it was more about that singular, random act of kindness. The feeling it gave me was so wonderful. It made me...happy. 

{side note: That scone wasn't cheap. Or stale...it was delicious.}

Go make someone happy...

Designcycling

I'm coining this new term because I feel that recycling and upcycling just do not define what I see here. Maybe I should add it to Wikipedia - what do ya think?

de•sign•cy•cle -verb 

1.The process of converting waste materials into new creative designed materials or products that rock!

de•sign•cy•cler -noun

1. The cool people who design, produce or purchase these products.

priorLIFE is one such example of a designcycler. Last year at this time I was visiting my in-laws on Lake Leelanau near Traverse City, Michigan and I found an unusual looking bag at The Painted Bird in Sutton's Bay. I immediately bought a huge 24"x 12" tote bag thinking it would be great to cram in all of our pool/beach stuff. It was so cool - lots of color, some typography that I couldn't quite make out, graphic of some sort. All together a very wicked design. What really made this bag unique was its story. In its prior life it was a banner at a festival. It told me so right on the label. 

Once I determined that this product was not only a great design piece but had an awesome story...I wanted another one. So with priorLIFE being based in Traverse City (gasp!) and me just being up there for the Fourth of July (double gasp!), I decided to pop in to see how they were made.  I contacted Jenn Ryan, their fabulous Brand Ambassador, to schedule a tour of the facility. Here's a little video they did to show you how they make them...

The companies that buy from Britten Banners send their used banners back to priorLIFE to make into bags for either their own marketing purposes or for priorLIFE to sell online and selected retailers. 

Jenn was nice enough (crazy more like it) to let us view their inventory. I certainly didn't walk away empty handed. It took all the ever-loving will power I had not to grab everything in sight. Oh and the choices! Different colors and typographies and graphics each one truly unique! Of course, my mother-in-law, an extremely talented pastel artist and designcycler herself, came along. (sidenote: check out her website here - shameless family plug.) Between the two of us we certainly did some damage. 

Check them out on their website, facebook and twitter and if you purchase online before July 31, 2011 you'll get 15% off with this exclusive code: TOSOTC (The Other Side Of The Creek - duh). Now I do have to make a disclaimer that unless you visit one of their retailers either at The Painted Bird in Sutton's Bay or in Traverse City at Golden Shoes you'll not get to select exactly the color and design. Each priorLIFE™ product is truly unique with its colors being determined at random based on the banner from which it was created. But you can put in your preferences and they will do the best they can to accommodate. 

So go ahead, save the environment and at the same time look chic as you...designcycle. (haha - seriously, doesn't that deserve to be in Wikipedia?)

Wish Makers

Here's wishing all your dreams come true. Now blow...

Self Acceptance Day

Well, not officially, although it should be. I think we all need a day like this to come to terms with who we are. We need to embrace our idiosyncrasies, our craziness, our normalcies...ourselves. So many times you feel the need to change the things that may not be seen as normal. I think we just need to accept these distinctive qualities and harness it all for good. These are things I know about myself, good and maybe not so great, but definitely not bad. The not so great first...

1. I'm obsessive compulsive, but it comes in waves and usually when I'm cleaning or gardening...die weeds! Once I start something I usually can't stop, even when I know I'm knee deep in poison ivy (and I'm highly allergic). 
2. I hate clutter...you won't see this girl on "Hoarder's - Buried Alive", unless it's featuring my husband's office. That was the only room that I wouldn't touch but my OCD kicked in and I finally broke down and got him organized. See? Harness for good.
3. I'm a bird nerd. There I said it. This feels good! This one isn't really a "not so great" quality but more of a "it is what it is" quality. But since this one is in the middle of my list maybe you won't read it. We are all busy so maybe you'll read the top two and the bottom two and won't even see this one. I'm not sure why I'm embarrassed about this because birds are pretty cool. I especially like Blue Birds and Indigo Buntings. Have I listed that I have ADD yet?
4. I'm pretty sure I have Attention Deficit Disorder. I'm not sure if it's because I can become bored easily and then something catches my eye (or ear) and I'm off on another thought or if it's just lack of focus all together. I seem to focus well on the important "work" tasks (in case a co-worker/client is reading this) but normal every day stuff will take me in many directions in a day.  So if you see me out in a social setting and I cut you off in mid-sentence, please know it's nothing against your excellent conversational skills.
5. When I'm mad I'll either completely shut down and not talk to that person (i.e. my poor husband) for days or I will explode and yell and scream. Not sure which is healthier and its rare that I get mad but when I do it's usually because of a difference in parenting styles or just lack of patience. Which leads me to no. 6...
6. I am a confused girl. Some days I can have loads of patience and will let the kids run amok through the house and other days I am not even able to control myself. I will take a simple objective that I've set my mind to and hold on to it (amid extremely reasonable protests) like a rabid dog with a piece of meat. Why can't I let it go? Not sure. Control freak? I'm not that crazy - haha - denial!

Okay, time for a few good points. I'm pretty sure I have these...

1. I believe we all have good intentions. Whether something along the way happens to influence us otherwise, or there are circumstances beyond our control, we intended no harm. I'm sure this is naive, but I have to operate this way or I will become too cynical. I will let the cynicism take it's natural course when I'm an old woman (that's going to be fun!)
2. Does making lists count here? I make lists of things to do, of things we need at the store, of chores for the kids, for work, for the garden, lists of my good and not so good points (haha)...I have lists everywhere. I guess this would count here as long as I cross things off and get things done, right? 
3. I'm creative. My OCD sometimes gets in the way of producing though. "Let me just clean my desk before I get started on that watercolor. I might as well clean my office while I'm at it. - Damn it's time to make dinner." {sigh} I'm an interior designer and this is a great quality to have when you need to manage a project but when you want to explore new media it's very difficult. I think that's why I've been more into photography. You can have the creative eye, but then there is the manipulation of the photo, and the organization of your photo files and then the selection of which to print and frame. Someday, I'll paint...
4. I'm faithful...committed. Once I have vowed these things I will not stray. I can't guarantee I won't throw a quick glance sideways but I will always turn quickly back. OCD vs ADD... keeps me in balance. 
5. Well I've been told I'm friendly and outgoing. I will talk with just about anyone and usually find something we have in common. I think we all have something interesting to say and I want to know what it is.
6. Curious...as a cat. Until I had cats, I wasn't really sure how curious cats where. I'm really surprised I haven't had a cat until now. We are quite similar, now that I think about it. They can be OCD and ADD and unpredictable but they are not list makers. I wonder what would be on their list if they could make one. 
7. I just have to have one more good quality than the not so good. So I can admit I am a very positive person. I would hope that being around me makes you look at the brighter side of things and I try to be positive in any situation. Negativity will only bring you down and there's no reason for that. Ever.

I will admit that this is a comprehensive list. There is much more, but it's already the longest post I've written. So for all of my ADD friends who are reading this - go to to the top and read it all - no skimming! 

To Do Today...

Monday morning. It was tough getting out of bed. With the rain hitting the open window and the cool breeze softly blowing, it only made me want to snuggle down deep. The sounds of kids giggling and kitties meowing reminded me there were things to do. 


I actually look forward to Mondays. It's my day to plan and to organize myself. I love that. I make my lists for work and home and hopefully I've crossed off at least half for the day. Sometimes I'll even write a task down, not on the list, just to cross it off. {grin}


Motivation usually comes easier with a bright, sunny day, so I'm not too optimistic about that list. Kids and kitties are fed...I think I hear my bed calling.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Complicated? No.   Beautiful? To me.

One thing I know and that's design. I was an interior designer as soon as I was old enough to move the furniture around in my room. Just ask my mom how many bedroom layouts are possible in 10 x 10 room. A lot. I even decided to forgo the bed and just put the mattress and box spring on the floor. Bohemian style, before I even knew what that meant. 

So even as I start fresh with a new media, I feel I have an understanding of form, light, color and texture that I can rely on when looking for subject matter. I am constantly drawn to flowers and the variety they all have as it relates to these four elements. I know it's not the most innovative subject, let's face it, we have been photographing flowers for years, but it's what I love and shouldn't that be enough?

Cute Overload

One of mine, and my kids, favorite websites is Cute Overload. Utterly adorable pics of the cutest baby animals you'll ever see. I can always tell when the kids are on the site because I hear the sweetest exclamations of "awwwwwww!" and "Ohhhhh- how cute!!!" The kids don't always get it, but the pics are accompanied by equally adorable and funny commentary. On a recent visit to a local farm here in Mount Vernon, I think I took a few pictures of my own adorable baby animals {minus the funny commentary}. Get ready to say "Awwwwww!!!"

Happy Easter!