Being Content in the Process

Currently

Today I just wanted to jump on here and write a little bit about some of our house progress, and how I've been feeling lately.

It's been eight and a half months since we bought our house and moved into the 5th wheel, and man does it seem like it's been forever! I have gone through different stages throughout the process, where sometimes it feels like things couldn't crawl any slower, and I'm going crazy wanting to be done, and other times where I'm good and excited about the process.

I haven't been able to pin point exactly what does it to make me move from one side to the other, but I've been back and forth a few times now haha. Right now I'm back in my, "I'm going stir crazy and I can't be in this trailer another day," moods.

This time I feel like it's the looming holidays that brought it about. Decorating for fall and Christmas are some of my favorite things to do, and originally I was really hoping we would be in the house by Christmas. Well, remodels rarely go according to plan (and I knew that) so we're looking at being in maybe in February? I'm hoping!

So I sit here in my camper and get discontent because all I want is to be in my house already. I miss having a full kitchen with more than a foot of counter space. I miss having a dishwasher. Heck, I miss having my dishes! I packed most of them away, and only kept the bare essentials, because when we moved we weren't expecting it to take this long. I actually miss being able to really cook and I'm so looking forward to having a full kitchen again.

I miss having a real bathroom, and space to spread out. And a front yard that isn't half trash pile/half construction mess. It seems like we're in that stage where everything is close enough that we can see it coming together and still so far away from being done.


But, I have to remind myself that I wanted this (so badly!) and it will all be worth it. One year of not getting to decorate much for the holidays, the pink camper carpet that I can't keep clean to save my life, and all of the hard work will pay off and it will barely be a blip in the radar years from now.

And I know we're super fortunate to get to do this. I'm sure there are tons of people out there who would love to have this opportunity! Plus, being discontent isn't going to make things go any faster, so I'm going to try to suck it up and be happy in this stage, even though it's hard.

And writing this has helped. Sometimes just getting it out is a relief, and if you have any tips or tricks for being content, send them my way! Maybe I just need to get focused and work harder on the house so we'll be in it that much sooner. Plus, that's less time I'm sitting in my trailer, right? ;)

As far as house progress goes, we have actually been getting quite a bit done lately! We are currently waiting on our roof to be installed, and we're starting to get back to inside projects. Dane worked on and mostly finished our front entry (at least for now) and his dad helped us out a ton by raising the ceilings in the old part of the house!



My priming and painting kind of hit a stand still because I got the flu, and now that I'm better the rains are starting! But this weekend looks like we will get a break, so I'm hoping to keep working on it then. And this week Dane has started working on electrical and we should be installing windows soon too!

So even though it's going to be a winter in a 5th wheel, things are trucking along and I'm really so excited about the way it's coming together :)

Thanks for stopping by and listening to my boo-boos! Now I'm off to work on something productive. Happy Wednesday!

7 Tips for Downsizing Your Living Space

Downsize

As many of you read in my last post (or knew already from social media) we're living in a 5th wheel camper trailer while we remodel/rebuild our new house. It seems like the last few years have seen us downsizing several times, and each time was smaller than the last!

I feel like every time we had to go smaller, I made some mistakes, learned some tips, and got a little better about getting rid of stuff to live with less. Even though this time is only temporary, it's also the most extreme we've gone. So, since I'm on downsize number three, I thought I'd share some of my tips on how to comfortably downsize, whether you're doing it temporarily or for the long haul! 

1 | Only Bring What You Need

This one can arguably be the hardest, or the easiest, depending on who you are. This time around, I feel like this was the easiest. We've lived the last two years with half of our stuff in boxes (which helped me get rid of so much stuff when we moved back to Oregon), and it was pretty easy to see what stuff we used on a day to day basis and what we didn't.

If you're moving somewhere temporarily like we are, sort through everything and take stock. What do you know you need and use daily, weekly, monthly? Go from there, figure out what you know you'll use and pack the rest up for storage. Now is a good time to get rid of things that you realize you don't use at all! 

Next, comes storage. We're fortunate enough to have a shop/garage on our property and all of our extra stuff is stored in there. Maybe you have a similar option, or you know someone else who does and would be willing to let you use/rent space from them. You could rent a storage unit (climate controlled if you're worried about/have valuable or fragile things!) or you could rent a storage container to be brought to your property. 

If you're downsizing for long term, you probably want to get rid of extra stuff for good, instead of storing it. Have a yard sale, donate to charity, and or let friends and family come shop your stuff! Be strict with yourself. Don't hang on to things that you never use, even if they're sentimental. With a couple of exceptions, we try to only keep what keepsakes will fit in one tote box each. If you don't LOVE it, and it never gets used/sees the light of day, sell, toss, or donate.

2 | Think Seasonally 

If you know you're only going to be living small for the summer, you probably won't be needing your winter coat and boots, right? Or if it's winter, maybe all of your grilling utensils don't need to be taking up usable space in your kitchen.

If your move is temporary, sort out only the things you use during the season(s) you know you'll be using. Now, sometimes plans change (like ours) and you may find that your one season turned into two or more, but if that's the case you can just swap out from your storage as needed. We thought we'd only be living in our trailer for the summer, and so our winter clothes got packed away. Now that our stay looks like it'll be stretching into fall, I know we will have to rotate things out as the weather changes.

This tip works even with a more permanent move too. If you downsized and know you only have limited closet space in your bedroom, only keep one seasonal wardrobe in there at a time. Store alternate seasonal items in totes in the garage, attic, hall closet, or under your bed! Wherever you have the room.

3 | Make Sure Everything Has a Home

When you're living in a smaller space, the last thing you want to see all the time is a lot of clutter! Make sure that everything you keep has a home. Don't keep five throw blankets if there's only room for three in your basket. If you only have space for a small tote of cleaning supplies, thin them out and only bring what you absolutely need.

We were fortunate that our trailer has quite a bit of storage, so even things like my craft items have a spot to go. For things that we don't have room for (like laundry baskets and detergent), I keep in a spot in the shop or in my car for when I go to the laundromat. They don't stay inside the trailer because they don't have a home!

4 | Tidy as You Go

Nothing makes a small space seem smaller than when it's messy.  

Small spaces might clean up faster, but they also get dirty faster! This is probably the biggest struggle I have with living in a smaller space. If the dishes don't get done one day, or the mail gets brought in and set on the table and the shoes kicked off by the door, and....you get the picture. It's really easy for things to get overwhelming very quickly.  

And even though the space might clean up faster, it's so much less stressful to tidy and clean up as you go. If you have less stuff, and you tidy up after yourselves during the day, your home will feel bigger and more relaxing. 

5 | Make it Feel Like Home 

So, maybe you're downsizing because you have to, and not because you want to. Maybe you're renting and can't do much to improve the space. Maybe you're like us, and living in a 90s trailer, with pink carpet and a pink and teal floral motif throughout, haha! Even if you love where you live, you can still do little things to make it more homey. 

Burn your favorite candle, or use a yummy room spray! Bring in house plants, or fresh cut flowers to brighten things up. Turn on your favorite album or playlist, or make your favorite meal. These are all things that take little to no space and really make your house (or trailer) feel like home. 

6 | Socialize 

Just because you live in a small space, doesn't mean you can't play hostess. Maybe you can only invite one couple over at a time. Or host outdoor gatherings during warmer months. Invite your mom over for coffee or your bff to watch a movie! Spending time with those closest to you doesn't always require a ton of space.

7 | Get Outside 

Getting out of your tiny space can be a good thing sometimes too. Go to the famer's market on the weekend, go out to dinner with friends, take a hike, or go swimming at the river. One upside to downsizing is that it gives you the excuse to get outside and explore the world around you! 

And there you have it, my tips for downsizing! Have any of you moved into a smaller space? Was it a temporary move, or a permanent life change? What are any tips you would add to this list? Let me know! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Our House Hunt Progress

Currently

Happy Fri-yay!

I realized this week that I haven't kept you all updated on our house buying process as of late! I promise I didn't mean to be so rude, haha.

It hasn't been that long since we've decided we were ready to go all in and buy a house again, and we thought that it was going to be a simple process since we had already found a house to buy.

Well, as these things tend to go, we aren't buying that house after all. There were some unforeseen complications that would have required us to wait a while longer than we originally thought, and in that time we ended up changing our mind.

We've been living in a very small space since we moved to Oregon, (675 sq ft!) and it was going well enough that we thought we could look at places to buy that were on the small side. The fact that housing is so expensive over here was also a factor in that choice too, haha!

But, as the weather got colder and we were stuck inside more and more, it started to feel a little more claustrophobic. Then, my family all got to come over from Idaho for Christmas, and I have a big family! Including my parents, there are 10 of us altogether, and trying to have them all over while they were in town was no easy feat.

After that we decided that while living in less than 1,000 sq ft could work for us most of the time, my family comes over several times a year and it's really important to me for them to get to come to my house and stay. I only see them 5-6 times a year and I want to be able to accommodate them when they're here.

I also miss being able to host company at our house. We have friends with nice big spaces and we go to their houses pretty often, but I love having people over and it only took one time to realize that it wasn't an easy fit in our small house!

We don't have kids and I thought I could get away without kid friendly space in our home, but it turns out that when all of your friends have kids and toddlers, you kinda need some where for them to play when they come over...

For all of these reasons combined, we decided to back out of our house purchase and start looking for something bigger. So far it's been a lot of big fat disappointment (stinking expensive housing market), but we're officially on the hunt!

We know it's going to require giving up on some of our wish list items, but that's life. You rarely get everything you want! So we're going to be busy looking for that just right place, and it will most likely still be a fixer.

I'll be sure to share when we've finally found the one, and hopefully I can learn a bit of patience during this process, because I can already tell I'm going to need it!

That's all for my update for now. I hope you all have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by :)

Happy New Year 2017

Calligraphy

Happy Tuesday, and happy new year! It's a gorgeous snowy day here in southern Oregon, which is a rare treat for us. It's been coming down like crazy the last couple of days and I'm almost giddy over it! I love snow so much, but we're lucky if we get one snow storm a year. This winter I got my wish and it's a dreamy white wonderland out there today! I'm trying to soak it all in before it melts off in a couple days.

Today I thought it was time for a first post of the year, and I wanted to share my sort of resolution.

I decided this year to choose a word I wanted to focus more on, instead of a typical new year's "resolution." I don't usually make them because I they're hard to stick to, and every year I seem to have the same goals!

I always have some holiday (or year long) weight I want to lose, organizing to do, and goals to reach, but I have those year round. I always enjoy that jump start the new year brings for those things, and I do get a good dose of motivation to better myself, but I never really consider these things resolutions.

This year though I've been seeing others choose words of the year they want to focus on and I liked that idea because it can apply to so many different aspects of my life!

As you can probably tell, my word is moderation. I recently read Liz Marie's blog post about her work, balance, and while I really love that word too, it brought the word moderation to my mind.

If there's one major thing I'd say my life is missing, it's that. I'm a person of extremes and Dane teases me for it pretty often! I'm either eating completely healthy, or treating my body like a human garbage can. I either follow a strict workout program, or I'm a couch potato for months. I let chores go to the point of driving me (or Dane) crazy, and then I'll clean everything spotless! I've been this way my whole life, as long as I can remember, and I'm always wishing for that middle ground but never really trying that hard to reach it.

So this year I'm going to try to be a little more moderate. A little more veggies and water, but still some goodies here and there. Posting my lettering on instagram once a week or so instead of feeling like a loser for not posting every day. Trying to do something to get my heart rate up a few days a week, whether that's yoga, a walk, or a jog. One cookie instead of five (or ten!). Try to follow a cleaning schedule, but knowing if life gets busy and things slide for a day that's ok. Just not to get overwhelmed and let it slide for three days! And a bit less time mindlessly browsing the internet...

I think if I really put my mind to it, I can find a bit more moderation in my life and I think it will be a lot better for it!

I'm curious, do you set new year's resolutions or choose a word for the year? Or do you feel like I normally do, that your goals are constant year round, not just at the beginning of the year? Let me know! :)

As always, thanks for stopping by!

P.S.- I know it's late, but I made this video instead of a typical Christmas card this year, (I know, weird coming from a paper enthusiast, haha!) and I didn't get a chance to share it on the blog. So check it out if you'd like :)

Rustic, Vintage Postcards

Design Love

Recently I've been seeing a lot of very cool wedding stationery featuring old vintage travel postcards.

They are just so pretty to me, and I love how rustic most of them look!

I find that I'm really attracted to things that are a mix of vintage, rustic, and feminine and that's where I've been trying to steer my brand for a while now. For anyone who is also in the entrepreneurial boat, you know my pain when it comes to branding!

Since these types of projects fit so perfectly with my brand, I'm going to try to put my own spin on them and see what I can come up with.

It's on my birthday list to create a wedding stationery line, and I still have a few months to go! I'm hoping to start work on some new products soon (even though life is very hectic right now!) and I want to try to include some of these postcards.

I ordered several of them off of eBay last week, and I've gotten most of them already. Some of them have been used, and it's neat to see what people wrote to their friends and family while they were on vacation. Others are in almost mint condition, which is very cool too.

I think I will try to find some way to display them as decoration in my office, because I enjoy looking at them that much!

What do you think? Are you a fan of the rustic/vintage/feminine vibe as well? Let me know!

Afternoon Sessions Vol. 8: On My Plate

Afternoon Sessions
Does it seem weird to anyone else that it's already half way through February?

2016 seems to be smoothly sailing on by, and my plate is about as full as ever.

Things haven't been too hectic lately, but that doesn't mean that my perpetual to-do list is has gone away. Soon, it will be time to shift into gear and focus on the next remodel phase of the house! One of these days, I'll try to share some progress shots of where things are.

I've been working more lately, and I'm also feeling the itch to start working on some new card and art print designs. I'm horrible about starting pieces and then not finishing, or coming up with ideas and then never making them. It's been a while since I've even picked up a brush or pencil, so I need to get back on it!

The problem is when I get busy with other things, and I start to focus to much on the mountain of things I need to get done. All it does is overwhelm me, and I throw in the towel before I even get started. I still haven't bought myself a new planner for the year, and I do so much better when I can list things out and focus on the baby steps instead of the whole picture. 

Either way, things will be getting crazy shortly, and I don't want my blog or shop to get put on the back burner too much!



Eating: The title of this post was both figurative and literal! I've been trying to eat better lately, and I've really been all over the board. This week I started a food journal, and I hope it helps. I'm trying to focus on veggies, and one of my favorite breakfast/lunch/dinner/anytime meals is eggs with Brussels sprouts and potatoes! I just wing it, but it's based on this recipe. If you're looking for a healthy winter, comfort food-y meal, I recommend this!

Drinking: Water and coffee, as per usual. I went a couple weeks without my coffee grinder, so I tried to switch to a Jasmine tea, but as much as I enjoy it, it can't replace my coffee for good.

Listening: To a lot of BORNS. That guy is good. I don't dig his hair, but "Electric Love" is just plain awesome (particularly the acoustic version!). And last Monday I surprised Dane with tickets to go see Bela Fleck and his wife Abigail Washburn, who are both insanely talented banjo players and singers! It was a lot of fun, and I discovered it's very easy for me to let my mind wander to a good, long banjo tune. Seriously! It might be time to make myself a new playlist.

Loving: My new house plants! I shared a picture of my new fiddle leaf fig on Instagram a couple weeks ago, and I'm so happy I finally bit the bullet and bought one. There's a reason they're so popular, they're beautiful! I'm planning on doing a post about them soon, along with some other plants that are on my list.

Focusing: On being more active. My sister has been coming over and we've been taking walks sometimes in the afternoons. I've been up and down the last few years with my fitness, ranging from awesome shape, to total couch potato. I'm trying to get back into it, and I'm hoping to start running again soon. Just in time for spring!

That's how my afternoons have been lately. What about you? Have you been up to anything exciting? Let me know! And thanks for stopping by.

P.S.- There's still just barely time to get your Valentine's cards by this weekend! Use the code HEARTS for free shipping, good until Sunday :)

Afternoon Sessions Vol. 6: Little Lemon and a Shop Announcement!

Afternoon Sessions
So, I realized today that I haven't shared some exciting news that happened a few weeks ago...


Meet little Lemon, the newest little member of the family!

She's a miniature schnoodle, and as sweet as can be. I have been on the look out for a puppy for a while now, and she was a bit of an early Christmas present for me! When I went to look at her litter, I had a different puppy picked out, but when I saw her, my heart literally just melted!


She has been such a fun little addition to the family, and she pretty much steals the heart of everyone she meets!


I named her Lemon, after Liz Lemon from 30 Rock, but mostly I call her Little Lemon, Baby Lemon, Little Bean, or Little Lemon Bean. She seems to tolerate the ridiculous nick-names pretty well I think ;)

Another exciting thing around here lately is that the shop getting a huge boost! I registered my business name with the state, got a P.O. box, got accepted to sell at a very cool local Christmas market (more on that later) and I have a ton of new products that will be launching in the near future! :) :) :)

I will have Christmas cards, updated versions of some of my old favorite greeting cards, and some brand new products that I can't wait to share with you all! Christmas cards should be up by the end of the month, with the rest to follow soon!


Here's some of the other things my afternoons (and mornings, and evenings) have consisted of.

Reading- Lots of articles on puppy care tips and grooming tips! I don't think I've ever done so much research on an animal before!

Drinking- Coffee, coffee, coffee. But also, I've been doing better with drinking water :) I also had my first peppermint mocha of the season! I'm definitely more of a peppermint mocha kinda girl, than a psl one ;)

Listening- To the Ultimate Christmas Playlist on Spotify! It really helps get the juices flowing for Christmas card designs!

Loving- Cinnamon-Vanilla popcorn, my own recipe! Also, this China Glaze nail polish in Ravishing Darling that I bought at Sally Beauty Supply, and this perfect fall sweater from Maurices!

Our 7 Year Anniversary Weekend

Anniversary

It's well into October, but I forgot to mention that last month we celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary!

<3 <3 <3

I can't believe it's been that long already. I still remember when we started dating like it was yesterday! But, seven great years it has been, and I can't wait for the many more to come. Every day I know I am so blessed to have the amazing husband I do, and I still consider myself the luckiest girl in the world!

This year we decided to spend a night away, but not too far away. We drove about an hour-ish from where we live to Idaho City. It's a cute, tiny little town that has been described as a living ghost town! It is full of so much history, and at one point in it's gold rush hey-day, it was bigger than Portland! (though you wouldn't know it now).

There are a lot of very cool historic buildings there, and we had a great time walking around the town and looking at them.



For the evening, we went to a hot springs that has been built into a spa and resort, and we spent the night in an adorable little cabin!


As those of you who have been following this blog for a while know, I love to do special things for our anniversary weekends, and this definitely fit the bill!

And if you're ever in the Boise area (or if you live here already) I definitely recommend taking the drive up to Idaho City and checking it out!

I'm 25!

Birthday

It's my birthday! Today I am officially half way through my twenties, and that feels super weird!

I know that some people stop getting excited about their birthdays as they get older, but that isn't the case yet for me. Maybe it's just the narcissist in me, but I LOVE my birthday, and I usually end up celebrating birth-week instead ;)

I'm thinking this year about coming up with some sort of 26 before 26 list, and if I do, I will definitely share. It might be a good way to knock some goals off of my list!

I had planned on being done with my new blog and card designs by now, and doing something big for you all in celebration and thanks, but life gets busy and I'm not quite prepared. But I will say that I have something in store, and I can't wait to share it all with you!

For now though, I am off to go celebrate with my friends and family. My mom is treating me to a birthday brunch (she knows how much I love brunch!) and tonight my parents are taking the whole family out to the rodeo. It's going to be a good day, and hopefully a good year as well!

Thanks for stopping by :)

My Garden Pretties

Garden
I wish I could be popping in with another update post on the house this week, but...there hasn't been a ton of progress made.

Actually, I am almost finished painting Dane's office that I shared in the previous post, but painting drives me crazy! When I think I should be done, I end up with lots of little touch ups to do, and that is where I am now. I am not very good at cutting in!

I'm also super slow. Almost everything I do takes me forever, and I already want this house to be done! So I either need to get over this funk, and/or (even better) start moving faster. It's hard to be living where you are working though, so furniture and other things have to be shuffled around any time I start working on another space. So Dane's office will be wrapped up this week, all of his stuff (which currently resides in my office) will be moved in. It's a process!

So while our house feels like a disaster, and it feels like we are the total white trash house on the street (!), I needed a pick me up. I decided to share some pictures of a few of the pretty plants I have in my garden!

I don't know the names of any of the shrubs or plants, but I do know that I have a birch tree! Which is one of my absolute favorite trees (basic white girls, holla!). There are a lot of things I will be tearing out and our whole backyard has to be sterilized and re-planted (morning glory!), but these guys here are keepers.







As I said before, I don't know what any of these are, so if you know any of the names, feel free to let me know! Hopefully next week I will have a little more in the way of progress to share, and maybe some updates on the shop as well!

Thanks for stopping by!

Life Has Been a Whirlwind

Design
I have been thinking over and over again for the last several months that I need to get on here and share an update. I honestly can't remember the last time I posted (and I forgot to look, maybe Valentine's?). 

Things have gotten pretty crazy around here, and there just hasn't been the time! I had a list of different posts I wanted to do, and projects to share, but it got too hectic.

So I thought I'd swing by real quick with an update!

Those of you who know me irl already know how I have heaped my plate to ridiculous heights, so feel free to disregard this post ;).

We bought a house (just like we hoped!) about a month ago, so we are moving in the very near future, possibly as soon as next weekend! And I would like to know, is anyone out there a "tidy" packer?? Because I most certainly am not!




My house has looked like a tornado ran through it ever since I started the packing process! There are half packed boxes, piles of things I've dug out of closets, and all kinds of random doo-dads that I don't know where to put. 

It makes cleaning anything a much bigger chore, and I've been in that awkward in between stage where I should probably pack more, but I don't want to pack something I will need. So things are half in/half out and everything's a disaster! This week things should start to even out a bit though, because it's almost to the point where everything needs to be in a box, regardless of use.

I also am pretty bummed to say that I did not get any of my Mother's and Father's Day cards in the shop :( I had a few designs that I was pretty happy with, but I just have not had the time to get them past the drawing stage. I guess I will have to save them for next year.

I did, however, make my little sister's wedding invitations, so I will be sharing those soon! Or, as soon as things start to simmer down a bit around here. The wedding is two weeks away and I'm so excited! I'm making my bridesmaid's dress, and I am 'thisclose' to being done with it. That will be a big tick off of my checklist!

Then at the end of the month, we will be going on our annual camping trip, and I'm working to get my camper finished (at least mostly) before then. 

If all goes well, I should have some fun posts to share in the future of all the things I have been working on lately! Hopefully that will make up for the radio silence that has been going on around here.

I also have some plans for the shop that I will be working on this summer, which I am very excited about! I can't wait to get started and show you all :)

I hope you all have a happy Monday, and thanks for taking the time to read this whole novel. Until next time!

Lately

Lately
I can't get this song out of my head!

I love it so much, and it's literally been running a loop in my mind for days. The video is beautiful too, so if you haven't yet, check it out!



Feeling Like One of the Cool Kids Now!

Design
Yesterday I finally upgraded my software! Yeah, you know what that means. I took the plunge and subscribed to Adobe CC and got myself hooked up with all that jazz!

I had put it off for so long because I thought it was something totally out of my price range (turns out, not so much), and because I thought maybe I could do it with much cheaper (as in free) software like Gimp and Inkscape. The longer I've tried to do this though, the more I felt like they were holding me back. Not that I don't think that there weren't ways of creating great products with that software, but as a beginner and someone looking to self teach with tutorials and what-not, there just wasn't as much information on what I wanted to learn. What information there was seemed very confusing and required a lot of digging and headache on my part. 

Now, there are some pros and cons to taking this step. Pro, there are so, so, so many awesome how-tos and tutorials at my fingertips! I have already played around and created a fun little graphic :)




You like it?? I learned how to do it with this tutorial! 

The cons are that now I am paying a monthly subscription for this new product vs. having a free one before, and although there are tutorials galore, I still have to figure out and re-learn a lot of the things that I was pretty used to doing in those other programs.

Over all though, I feel like this was the right step to take, and I am so excited at the possibilities this has opened up for me! 

For a long time I wondered if I wouldn't have been better off if I had gone to college years ago, but honestly I probably wouldn't have gone into the design field then, and I would have wasted a LOT of money. Then there were times more recently when I wondered if I should go now? Maybe get an associates or certificate of some sort in graphic design, but I'm glad I didn't.

I know this is a field where it doesn't necessarily matter if you have that degree under your belt. And I am pretty confident in my ability to self teach the things I need to know. Sometimes I'm a pretty quick learner ;)

I think that joining the cool kids and taking this leap is going to help me out so much, and I am so excited to get to share the things I'm going to create with you all! 

Thanks for following along! I'm thinking there may be some incentive soon to those of you who like to read and support me in this little venture.....maybe along the lines of a giveaway? Stay tuned, you might just get lucky!

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you have a great weekend!

Tiny Home Love

Adventure
I have tiny houses on the brain lately! Wait. What is a tiny house, you ask?

Well, it's a house. And it's very tiny. Like, anywhere from 100-300 square feet of space, and usually on wheels because of laws preventing you from building a living structure that small on a foundation. (Which, don't even get me started on that...)

Basically, they are glorified campers, for all intents and purposes, but made to feel more live-able. There is usually nothing camper-like about the layouts, and they are generally made with alternate power options and composting toilets so they can be as on or off the grid as you want!

They fascinate and interest me to no end! I recommend watching the documentary Tiny on Netflix, if you have any interest, and there are tons of websites devoted to tiny houses online.

Now, I have been fascinated by these for a little while now, but just this week I came across this slide show by Country Living Magazine, and I fell in love! Tiny Heirloom Homes is a company that manufactures them in Portland, and they do some great work! Here, let me just show you some pictures:












It's like my dream home in minuscule! I love these kinds of details (white washed groove and tongue walls, exposed wood beams, farm house style) and I always thought that I would be willing to go smaller in space to be able to have the nice details I wanted.....but 200 square feet small??

It's crazy to think about what life would be like if you only had a house the size of a (small) living room. (It actually is just smaller than my small living room!) And I look around at my stuff and realize that I have very few things that I wouldn't be willing to part with, and that I probably could get rid of enough to downsize to that scale.

The idea is that for the price (and there are a lot of tiny homes at a lower price point than the Heirlooms) housing is more affordable. And it would give you options, and freedom, while still owning a home.

Think of your dream property. Maybe it's by the beach, or in the mountains. Somewhere you have always wanted to be. Would it be worth it to downsize your life and live more simply, if it meant you could live there? That is supposed to be one of the ideas behind it all.

I guess people move to apartments smaller than these, because their dream is to live in a big city, so it happens all the time. And the tiny house movement is growing by leaps and bounds it seems.

So, what do you think? Is this something you would ever be able to do? Why or why not? I would love to hear about it!

Thanks for stopping in!

I'm Ready for my Green Thumb!

Garden
It finally happened. I've been waiting my whole life to have the urge to plant a garden, and I woke up this week with just that, haha.

You see, a huge chunk of my family is very big into gardening! Flower gardens, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, you name it. I, however, was never very interested. Somehow though, I always figured that would change as I got older, and apparently I was right.

It started by just liking the idea of a garden. Not enough to plant one, but just enough to see the practicality of it, and liking the idea of being self sufficient in at least one small way. I've been thinking that for several years now, but my husband was always in charge of taking care of whatever little plants we did have, and I could have cared less!

This year though, I'm biting the bullet! We are actually in the process of selling our house in Oregon, and hoping to be able to buy a new home this spring. I think that living in a rental where we couldn't plant a vegetable garden, made me realize that I actually wanted to do it.

Obviously, we may still be in a rental by the time I should be planting, but I have decided that I will do a container garden if I have to.

Some of the things I'm looking forward to are onions, tomatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, and lettuce! We eat most of these things a lot, and it would be so awesome to be able to walk out into my own yard and pick the things I want to eat! And, like I said, while I never gardened, I know plenty of people who did. Usually they were willing to give me fresh produce in the summer, and you just cannot beat the taste of a garden fresh tomato!

I also know that realistically, I probably won't get that green thumb over night. I am a terrible plant killer, but I have a lot of family to go to for my questions, and then there's the always awesome Pinterest! You can see my gardening board here.

And here are a few of my favorite links and photos that I'm using for inspiration so far!




Source


Source


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1. This reference chart has some great info for when to plant most of the things I want! /2. Dane and I both love lemons, and I love the idea of a potted tree that I can bring indoors during the colder months. /3. Pretty paths and raised beds are a must! /4. A super cute (and functional) potting station? Yes please! This page has tons of them! /5. (Not pictured) Here's a great video on growing a garden in small spaces.

What about you? Are you a green thumb wielding machine, or a soon to be garden newbie like myself? OR do fruits and veggies only come from the grocery store, and not from the ground, in your opinion? ;)

Let me know, I'd love to hear about it!

Now, I'm off to go work on another project that I will (hopefully) be sharing here soon. Happy hump day everyone!


Goals

Blogging
I'm in love with my new planner! It's gotten so much use already. Planner: Sugar Paper LA/Target


I've been thinking a lot lately about goals, both personally and for Brightly Done. I don't usually make new year "resolutions," but I do like to use this time of year as a way to step off on the right foot. Most of the goals I have are consistent ones, that I have all the time, but it seemed like a good idea to reevaluate and share them all here!

Personal Goals

I have been a yo-yo dieter for as long as I have been married. I have lost the same 10-20 pounds, and gained them all back, several times over the last six and a half years! I know this is so terrible for my health, but the good news is that I have gained so many good habits over those years that have stuck. I just know one of these times (hopefully the next time!) that the weight will stay off for good! Luckily, on of my little sisters just got engaged! And we all know what great weight loss motivation it is to be a bridesmaid in a wedding. I have 15-20 pounds to lose, and with a five pound a month goal, so far I'm on the right track.

I never have been known for being organized, but since moving to Idaho and downsizing in living space, I've had to adapt a little. I have had a much easier time keeping up on organization, because we don't have a lot of extra room for me to just stash stuff and "get to it later." I want to keep working on that (because there's still a lot of room for improvement) and maintain my home better in a way that will be more relaxing for both me and Dane! I have found that breaking things down into small daily tasks, and writing them in my planner keeps me more on track.

Next September will be our seven year wedding anniversary, and I've decided we need a vacation! Not that we don't take vacations, but we haven't gone away for our anniversary in years. I have made it a priority to work a few extra days this spring to save up for our trip, so we don't have to worry about fitting it into the regular budget. We are planning a trip to Seaside, OR, which is where we went on our first date and spent a week getting to know each other at the beginning of our relationship. I have wanted to make a trip back ever since, but so far it hasn't worked out. This summer it will be eight years since we've been together! Can I get a cray-cray?!

Goals for Brightly Done

First of all, I will be bringing more content to my blog! I'm so haphazard with my posting, and that's not good. I will be taking more of a planning, organized approach to my blogging, and I feel like that will help a lot. I'm working on new ideas for posts, and might start doing some weekly themed posts soon. I also want to share more in the way of freebies and giveaways, as a way to put myself out there and get people interested in what I'm doing. 

For my business, this is going to be a year of exploration. I have so much to learn still about design, and I hope to gain a lot of valuable information in the coming months. I know I have improved so much since I started, but I also know that there are a lot of ways I'm lacking. I really want to focus on honing my craft this year, big time! Since I started this business,  I have found myself drawn towards several different mediums, and that may not be a great thing. Instead of focusing specifically on one thing (hand lettering) I have spread myself out a bit (calligraphy, water colors). This may not be a terrible thing either, I'm just saying I feel like I need to reign myself in a bit. 

With that being said, first I will be trying out some different things very soon. I plan on having a lot of new listings this spring, of various different products. I have loads of ideas, and some of them aren't necessarily very cohesive. I want to expand my shop though, and find out what sells and what doesn't, and where I want my niche to be. I love greeting cards, but I'm also drawn to stationary and invitations. Do I want to print and sell physical products, or do I want to go the more modern printable route? Should I stick to art prints and cards, or are announcements and invites more my thing? Plus there are tons of other ways I could apply my lettering! What I'm trying to say is that you can expect to see a lot of things from me in the near future, but eventually I will start being more specific in the kinds of things I create. 

I haven't made a sale on Etsy yet, but I'm not too disappointed. I know these things take time, and I feel like with a little more inventory, and a little more marketing, things will start moving. I have done plenty of personal projects though, with more in the works, so I keep myself busy. I am still creating, and still enjoying it so much!

The big goal, whether it happens this year, or further down the line, is to be able to run my blog and business full time instead of having to work outside the home. Hopefully I get to see some good progress on that front in the coming months.


Phew, what a novel! Kudos to you if you made it all the way through. Now this is one thing off my daily to-do list, I should get to tackling the rest!

Thanks for stopping by!

Winter Blues and that Summer Sun

Hand Lettered
Santa Cruz palm trees on the board walk, photo and lettering by yours truly. 


Today was a bright and early kind of day. I've had a doozy of a cold since last week, and I'm finally feeling better! I woke up early to try to get a job (I'm a substitute teacher), but there were none available! Annoyingly funnily enough, I got four calls on Monday and two yesterday, when I was too sick to go in.....

Oh well, today will just have to be spent blogging, editing, and working around the house. Darn! ;)

There will probably be some time spent day dreaming as well, because as my photo suggests, I'm starting to dream of summer!

Normally, I'm not a summer person. I love fall and winter and all things cozy, but with my tendency for being discontent, I always start missing that warm weather right about now. Sunshine, swimming, eating outdoors, and vacations have been on my brain the past couple days!

So, I decided that I will give myself a couple days of wishing for that balmy summer weather, and that's it. I know that it will be here soon enough, regardless of my pining, and knowing myself like I do, I will probably complain about the heat when it's here!

I'm still not quite over the snow (because I love snow!), and I still feel like I could be happy in hibernation mode. Lounge wear and wool socks, and lots and lots of Netflix still sound pretty nice to me! So, I'm going to try to be happy in this winter season, and enjoy it for the things it has to offer.

Also, Valentine's day is coming up, and I do enjoy that holiday! I'm excited to be working on some card options for the shop, and I should have them listed by the end of the week. Keep an eye out for those!

I shared a couple of sneak peaks on my instagram (like I so frequently do), so if you don't already follow me, please do! @amybrightlydone

How are you feeling these days? Am I the only one starting the get the winter blues?

If so, hopefully it's not too bad! Thanks for stopping by, and happy hump day!

Phase One: Blog Design

Adventure
Ta-da! Welcome to phase one of my new adventure!

As you can see, this is no longer Fabulously Ordinary....

Welcome to Brightly Done, which is where I will showcase some of my new projects and ideas. This will also serve as my hub and main website for my new business venture!

On November first, I will be opening up my new Etsy shop, and begin selling some products that I've been working on for the last few months.

I am so beyond excited, and during the next couple of weeks I'll be showing some sneak peaks of some of the items I'll be selling.

I also have a few things to tweak here and there on my new blog design, so bear with me if things get a little wacky for the next few days. But overall, I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out!

Thanks for stopping by guys! I'm so excited to be sharing this new adventure with you :)

Just a Few Essentials

Fall
Can you feel that hint of fall in the air??

It's only supposed to be in the mid seventies today where I live, and I couldn't be happier!

September is one of my favorite months, and I always feel so refreshed when the weather starts to cool down. And my fall cravings are in full swing!

I hope you all had a great labor day weekend. We got to go out of town to see some friends and family, and we had a blast! It was a busy and full weekend, but we enjoyed it all.

But, I am horrible at taking photos of anything fun and exciting I do, so instead, I thought I'd share some of my essential items for fall that I have been loving lately!




1. I am so in love with this scarf from Forever 21. I get compliments all the time on it, and I think it may just be my new favorite. For those who know how many scarves I own, to own the #1 spot is a pretty big feat ;) It appears to be sold out online, but you might be able to luck out and find one in a store.

2. I just bought this purple orchid gel polish, and it's fantastic! Depending on the light, it almost looks navy blue. I love using my gel. It lasts so much better than regular nail polish, and the Sensationail kit is really affordable!

3. Once the weather starts cooling even a little, I'm all about my chai! It's like fall and Christmas all wrapped up in a bow! Bigelow Chai is the brand I typically use at home, but I also really like Oregon Chai. I really want to try out this Maharaja Chai from Teavana though, so I may splurge on some the next time I go to the mall.

4. My favorite oil for my hair has to be coconut, hands down. It just makes my hair so soft! I will put a tiny bit when I'm styling, or anytime I feel my ends are being a little dry. And the night before I wash my hair, I'll but a lot in and let it soak overnight! Plus, it smells like coconut, which is awesome. Spectrum has a hair and body coconut oil, but I just use this one, which you can get from the grocery store. Whatever kind you use though, make sure you get the unrefined kind!

Happy hump day everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

It's Been 26 Days......

Blogging
....since the last time I posted anything to facebook!

I joined the challenge 99 Days of Freedom, which is basically just logging off of facebook for 99 days. Now, I will admit that I have logged on twice since then, once as a favor to a friend, and once to message someone for job info. I didn't check my notifications, or scroll through my feed, so I still feel like I'm holding up to the rules pretty well!

And technically, posting this to my blog's page is also cheating, but for me it was less about the posting, and more about what I was seeing on my newsfeed. Don't get me wrong though! Most of the stuff I saw from my friends was great. I didn't have a problem with "drama" or anything like that, but it was other things.

Before I saw this campaign, I was already feeling like I needed a break. I was way too addicted, and I could tell it was making me unhappy. The first thing I did every day was get online, and I was constantly on it throughout the day. The real clincher though, was all of the trending topics and news articles people shared. I have been avoiding watching the news and going to news sites for a long time now, so when this stuff started showing up more and more on facebook, it was really bringing me down.

I know the obvious thing would be just not to read the kind of stuff that bothers me, but unfortunately I don't seem to have that control. I would get sucked into these articles of politics and controversy, and things that I don't agree with, and I would just keep reading. One article would lead to another and then another, and I would end up mad or irritated or down, just because I couldn't resist. And it got to the point where facebook was just another media hub that I wanted to avoid.

But I have missed sharing things with people! That has been the thing I have wanted to do the most. So, this is how I'm going to continue to do that, without having to see all of the stuff I don't want to. Eventually I will start logging back on again to see what all of my friends and family are up to though, and hopefully I will have the self control not to let my facebook take over my life again!

Because I have to say, I feel like I am happier without it :)

In regards to social media as a whole though, I didn't give up on everything! I'm still on pinterest, and I have an instagram account as well! I couldn't just go cold turkey on it all at once now could I? ;)

Now, what have I just been dying to share lately? Well, just summer as usual!

I have been going to concerts and camping trips, and enjoying the sun and my family! Like I mentioned in my last post, things have changed a lot around these parts. We moved from Southern Oregon to the Boise area of Idaho last spring, which is where I grew up and most of my family lives. I've been having such a great time seeing my parents and sisters whenever I want, plus my best friend and her adorable little boy.

It's most likely just a temporary move, only for a few years, while my husband works over here, but I plan on making the most of it while we're here!

I also bought a small vintage camping trailer to renovate, and while I haven't gotten as far as I had hoped I would by this time, I'm still super excited about it. I want to try to post regular updates as I make some more progress on her, and I will be sure to share lots of pictures as she comes along! (Btw, she is named Gloria)

I'm also in the process of working on a major change to this little old blog of mine......

.....but I'm going to be keeping that secret for a little while longer still ;)

So stick around (and I'll try too as well), and I will be sharing more about that in the future!

Happy Hump Day everyone, and I'll see you next time!


 

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