welcome 2012!

best wishes to you and yours! i'm starting the year off right with a blog entry (one of my "committed" goals)


have you found your word yet?
no?
well here are some great ones....

my word for 2012

as 2011 comes to a close it's time to start fresh. think about resolutions, changes, opportunities. i started a tradition for myself in 2008 of choosing a word that will be the inspiration for my year. i initially got the idea here.

i have asked my family to join in with me and think of a word of their own. then they must journal it, art-it-up, integrate it, LIVE it!
as i have been mulling it over and seeing what comes to mind, so many words sounded pretty good. but late last night, right before i was going to go to bed my word came to me like a bolt of lightning. it clicked.






my word for 2012 is:


committed to health.
committed to being a better blogger.
committed to the gospel.
committed to motherhood.
committed to my happy marriage.
committed to integrity.
committed to being in the moment.
committed to joy.
committed to being true to myself.

i am committed!

what is your word for 2012?

sister aprons and a few other lovelies

'tis the season for projects in great abundance. here is a small sample (i can't post them all as some of the recipients are readers!) of some of the commissioned projects that have been keeping me busy...

these custom aprons are for sisters who adore purple...


i have been doing a few variations of mothers necklaces with the birthstones of their children...
(this one is mine. the hanging crystal represents ryan)




in between projects i will do a pair or two of earrings...for good measure!


our local IKEA has a large photograph of the union station in denver. $50.00 is a little out of our budget right now, so i took my own version, enlarged it and put it in a frame i already had.
incidentally, the inside of this station is just as breathtaking!!

steadfastly busy doing my thing

6 months absence makes for a daunting blog update undertaking! why i keep doing this to myself i will never know. the easy thing to do would be to simply keep up with the blog. i guess easy isn't my thing.

so let me separate this update into two catagories (as anything pertaining to family would be on my other blog).

SPIRITUAL:

i may or may not have mentioned that i am currently serving as the first counselor in the young womens presidency (go here to learn more about that).
this calling is one of my favorites. by far. i absolutely LOVE serving the youth! i am inspired, uplifted, and extremely blessed by them.
for the past year and a half i have been diligently working on my personal progress to earn my young women recognition award. this process is similar to a young man earning his eagle scout. it's very involved and rewarding.
a few weeks ago i received my medallion!!!
now on to the honor bee...


i have been pouring myself into daily scripture study and loving every minute of it. i have drawn closer to my Savior and Heavenly Father. i am so thankful for the scriptures.


every tuesday i attend an institute class. we are studying the pearl of great price. amazing. every week i leave that class feeling spiritually nourished and spiritually on fire. sometimes i can't wait to go home and re-read/study some of the things we have discussed in class. this has been a huge blessing for me.



CREATIVE:

i can't post everything i have been busily crafting/sewing/photographing/jewelry-ing, as some of it is for people who are giving them for presents. but i will post a small sample of the things i have completed.

with the onset of colder weather i have pulled out my crochet hooks and put them to good use! i actually finished this chunky cowl-neck scarf tonight. LOVE!

this very long scarf is super soft and wraps around my neck about a hundred times, making it even cozier. the red makes me happy too. so festive.

i made my halloween costume this year. i was a fancy witch. fancy because i made this very fancy witch hat complete with rhinestones, feathers, and netting. oh!...and the best part of my costume...i wore a whispy boa all night!!!! dreamy!


last year for christmas i made a few special people charm bracelets similar to this one (each one is different and personalized). since then, i have made a few more based on requests from friends of those special people.


nest necklaces. each pearl represents a child. i made this one for a friend who made the most amazing cake for our halloween party. i love working in trade!


these last two are ones i made just for me. i wanted to have something to wear that represented me and my sweetheart hubby. hence the "s" and the "k" and the heart.


i'm really loving the whole clip-on charm thing. i will be making different baubles to attach. maybe some will be holiday-inspired? not sure yet. having fun with this design.


i solemnly swear to not let 6 stinkin' months pass without so much as a peep!! it's so much more fun to share what i'm doing.

who i am

i don't post too many family things on this blog (which is why i started my "family"blog). however, there are some things that warrant this blog.
my dad died when i was three. it was a horrible death, which, in a way defined who i would become. my mother did an amazing job picking up the pieces and raising my sister and i with grace and love. i am who i am because of her. recently my aunt (my fathers sister) contacted me. it was welcome contact indeed, as i have had very little from my fathers family. it has me spinning a bit though, as more has been revealed to me of my past. who i am. most of all it has made me realize how thankful i am for my life. how thankful i am for my trials and my history. heavenly father knows me, and that is evident everyday. in honor of my recent brush with my past, i thought i appropriate to post a few photos of my father and mother.

"you decide every moment of every day: who you are and what you believe in. you get a second chance every second."

i choose to live my life deliberately, joyfully, gracefully. with faith every step of the way!

inspiration: coco channel

as a woman who is constantly immersing herself in fashion, jewelry and style i have many people that inspire me. fashion designers are definitely at the top of that list. there is one designer, one who started it all. one who has always inspired me. coco.
after watching this movie last night i learned a bit more about her.


i dedicate this post to the beautiful mademoiselle channel, and her poetic words that ring true for me.

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty”

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.”

"I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny."

necklace, earrings & eye candy

i am slowly getting around to posting new creations. i have had some technical difficulties.



this necklace has been keeping my neck company a lot lately. i'm kind of fond of it.



these earrings are on their way to a special friend...


eye candy found while wasting - no, ENJOYing time on my new obsession...

source

busy with this and that

i have been absent from the blog. it's true. however, i have not been idle. i'm still busily crafting, cooking, and being otherwise artistically involved.

here is a necklace unlike any other i've ever made. when i was creating it i kept feeling like it was really something my sister would love. sometimes i get that feeling when i'm making something. it's a mixed feeling because though i may love what i am making, once i have someone in mind i know it belongs to them. and so, happy birthday nichole. this necklace belongs to you.

why i adore my dogs...

If you can start the day without caffeine;
If you can get going without pep pills;
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains;
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles;
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it;
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time;
If you can forgive a friend's lack of consideration;
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, through no fault of your own, something goes wrong;
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment;
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him;
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend;
If you can face the world without lies and deceit;
If you can conquer tension without medical help;
If you can relax without liquor;
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs;
If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed or color, religion or politics;
Then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog.

source

style spotlight

i stumbled across one of the most amazing style blogs: atlantic-pacific.


what initially caught my eye was this necklace:
i actually own this necklace. it is one of my favorite iconic, statement pieces. the name is "runway pearls". it makes any outfit i match it with. love!




and it just kept getting better. outfit after outfit. AHmazing. brilliant color/pattern combos, and the most eye-catching jewelry schemes. she piles on the jewelry. my kind of gal. we would be fast friends. i just know it.


her hair in this shot is really sort of breathtaking, no?


piled on jewelry...YES please!


did i mention the brilliant pattern combos?
do yourself a favor and check out her blog. you will be utterly inspired. promise.

denver art museum

saturday i had the pleasure of spending a few hours lingering amongst genius, romance and unspeakable beauty. not a bad way to spend ones time.

this is where i was...



the museum is fairly large with 7 floors of various art. i knew i only had a few hours, so i concentrated my time with the american and european art and spanish colonial art.








it's been determined; i will be purchasing a membership. this is easily one of my favorite places to be.

i *heart* books

i have a passion for books. i don't mean to offend anyone who may own a kindle, or another like device, but there is nothing like holding a real book in your hands. the smell, the texture of the pages, the weight and tangibility of them. no electronic device could possibly compare to that. ever.

i am a collector of beautiful books. here are some of my favorites that are kept on the shelf above my bed. the small leather book on the end is my grandmothers diary from 1947. i never knew her, but inherited her diary some years ago. she wrote everyday about things like doing chores (laundry was quite the task back then and consumed much of the day), playing bridge with the girls and motherhood. i treasure it.



okay, so don't hate me, but i recently found these lovely volumes of the count of monte cristo (published in 1914) at an obscure used bookshop in boulder for $1.00 each. yes. just a buck a piece. i still haven't gotten over the bliss of that find.



i have the entire collection of these childrens classics (the french short stories is not part of it). when we were living in pennsylvania, renting our home, we were rummaging through the garage (filled with tons of junk belonging to the owner) and came across these books. they were in sad shape due to being shoved in a box and stashed in the rafters. the garage was quite dilapidated and exposed the elements. after airing them out i was able to get most of the mildew smell out. i love the colors and graphics. gorgeous.

i couldn't do a post about books and not include a picture of just a few of our cookbooks. we use them frequently. the brick on the end is a treasure that stephan found last summer while skipping rocks with the boys under a bridge near the royal gorge. he fished it out of the stream.