Friday Five

Here are 5 inspiring things around the internet. I read LOTS of blogs...and I keep track of my favorite things via Bloglovin'. Here are a few things that inspire me! (P.S. If you use Bloglovin' to follow your favorite blogs, please add mine to your feed)

Izziyana Suhaimi via Booooooooooom!

Flower Mandalas by Kathy Klein via Free People

 {Henry Rousseau} Fantasy Pants via Sea of Shoes

From High Fructose Magazine

Allison Krumwiede via Supersonic Electronic

Question: Do you think too many people are blogginabout the same stuff?

Blogging is fun for me, I really enjoy showing my photographs, crafty creations, and doing some real writing from time to time...but sometimes I get completely MENTALLY BLOCKED....not for lack of ideas...but lack of motivation.

There are just TOO MANY people, writing the about all the exact same things. Taking the same instagrams of picnics and bike rides and date nights and crafts projects.

Don't get me wrong,  I enjoy the blogs I read...but sometimes I feel like they are all regurgitating the same 'happy life' 'creative girl' 'photographer' 'what I wore'--type stuff over and over. And what one person sees, another one feels compelled to blog about the same topic.

Maybe I just read blogs that inspire me and great minds think alike...perhaps I need to read blogs with a little more variety in order to find true inspiration from the internet.

Sometimes I get an idea for a new blog post, and before I can take a photo or write about it, someone else posts something so similar (and sometimes slightly better) that it seems like a waste to even finish the post.

Case-In-Point. In January/February, we were engaged in a lengthy Japanese art unit. One of the fun things about this culture is gyotaku fish printing.  Using a rubber fish set, I demonstrated how to print onto Japanese rice paper and onto vintage fabric.

The student prints turned out so cool! I was excited to share this idea on my blog, until I saw a beautiful DIY on fabric printing appear on a really famous blog just a few days later. I know printing on fabric isn't a new idea...but I felt like I would've been 'copying'  to post such a similar idea at nearly the same time.

Do you ever feel this way?
Do you think too many people are blogging and sharing the same ideas over and over?
Does it ever stifle your creativity?

A look back at 2011

While I haven't blogged as frequently as I would've liked this year (especially in October and November!), I have tried to post as many quality posts as possible for the year. Last night, I sat down and made a list of blog ideas for 2012 and now the ideas are just pouring out of me....It feels good to be inspired.

In case you are a new reader, or you don't read every post, I wanted to share some of my favorites for the year. Sometimes it is fun to look back at everything that has happened...but this year hasn't really been a fun year....a lot of serious things have happened.

I love blogging about stories. To me, blogging is a much cheaper form of scrapbooking. A place to share stories, along with photos...not just the happy fun things, but the serious, real stories.

Even if nobody reads them, the blog posts are a place for me to record my history and my feelings.

This has been a memorable year. I will never forget some of the life changing things that have happened this year.

Summer of the Storm
Before and After Photos
Ode to the iPhone
Destruction in the Heartland 
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Life
KC+Art-and the Joplin Community Mural-#1 & #2

Fall Memories (good and sad)
Charlie and Me
Sweet Special Granny
A Lifelong Journey Still can't read this without crying
Morgan's English Tea Party Parties and showers are so fun! I love planning special things like this for my friends.
The Smallest Act of Caring
Eagle Bluff

i'm blogging this and that is all.

Sometimes I post infrequently because I have nothing to say and no inspiration...but sometimes I don't have many posts because I just run out of time and can't fit blogging into my schedule (Gasp!).

I have so many blog posts brewing in my brain right now and tons of new photos to share.

Right now, I am jetting off to bus duty, then a meeting, then a dentist appointment for my Invisalign, then I'll rush home to change and hit the gym in time for abs at 5:00 and Zumba at 5:30....perhaps I will have time to write after I shower and eat dinner?

Check out this amazing little picture from last week. Something about it just makes me happy. I posted it on my Instagram with the tag: 'we we we so excited' #friday #rebeccablack

I'm thinking about incorporating some children's art into my own work...this one will be first...something using Miro's transfer technique.

Anyway, if you are an art teacher and you follow my blog, check out my lesson plan site, This Little Class of Mine and become a subscriber. I just started my 'Year in Kindergarten' blog posts with a script from the first two weeks of school. Click here to read it: This Little Class of Mine.

A high definition kind of life.

Sunday someone asked me, 'What have you been up to this summer?' and I actually fumbled around because I have been busy, but I couldn't pinpoint or summarize what I've been doing in one concise description like 'teaching' or 'working'...

I have worked a little bit, teaching one day a week at the art center. 

I have gone to the gym a bit. 

I helped move my mom. 

I went on a couple of trips. 

I had a little photo exhibit....but....what have I been doing with my time? 

Have I been frittering it away? 

Nope. 

I will brag a bit that I have had one of best summers ever. 

I've frittered a bit here and there...but I've stayed busy with froyo and waterpark dates, creek excursions, darkroom parties, weddings (3 this summer!), Harry Potter cake pops extravaganza-day, craft nights, and family cookouts. 

Things that normally seem mundane and boring have felt special and fun, like going shoe shopping at the mall and getting my haircut. 

Perhaps life was in black and white before the tornado and now it is in high definition color. 

Now my free time feels freer....food tastes tastier...and life just feels easier. 

These days, I savor everything.

Of course it is still painful to drive across town and see dirt lots where homes used to be.

It is scary driving down Main St. from 20th to 32nd at night because there are no street lights or illuminated signs or the dim glow from a porch light in either direction, for miles.....I cannot go anywhere without a visual reminder of what happened and is happening around town as lots are cleaned, debris is removed and preparations are made for new construction.

I think those things are a constant reminder that life is short, and bad stuff happens...(it is hard to relate to other atrocities in the world right now because I am, we are still grieving and recovering in Joplin).

While people still tell stories about where their coworkers rode out the storm or how someone lost a beloved pet, 'tornado' is not the only thing we talk when I get together with my friends. We are starting to move forward and talk about books, t.v. shows, and gossip....just like we used to do 'before' the storm.

And I think nearly everyone who was affected will look at their life as it was 'before' the tornado and 'after' the tornado. 

Maybe I am just on a 'vacation high'....a little too happy....a little too cheerful...or perhaps this is just part of the recovery process, but all I can say, is that right now, life is good. I find myself appreciating every beautiful flower, every pretty rainbow, and every delicious meal with genuine gratitude.

I wrote this post Sunday night and set it to auto-post Monday evening around 6:30....well, around 6:35 I was leaving the gym and I saw this magnificent rainbow....my post never went live and I think it was missing this image....I took this photo on Main Street in Joplin, (yes, I did drive out of my way to get this shot) The rainbow was starting to fade as I was racing to a spot where I had a clear view of the sky....which just happened to be on a very badly damaged section of the street. I posted it to facebook with the caption Hope for Joplin.

This photo was taken with the hipstamatic app on my iphone.

Boxed Macaroni and the Big Bad Internet

This evening I was stirring the macaroni, thinking about how the powdered cheese mixture looks a lot like a color only found on its own planet of processed foods (sort of like krypton...you know, electric orange powdered cheese is a foreign color that probably shouldn't even be a food because it is definitely poison)...ahem...where was I...oh yes, stirring and thinking....

I was thinking about writing. I was thinking about my blog. I was thinking about my goals and how I want to create a place with REAL content. Interesting content. Content that actually inspires others, not just copy/paste boring posts. I want to use my blog to teach, to entertain, to share beauty and sorrow...

BUT when I sat down at my computer, I got so distracted by flickr, checking my email twenty times, twitter, other blogs, facebook and all the other crap in the whirling, swirling, colorful internet cloud (hmmm, that could be a beautiful picture....a cloud that is like Hokusai's wave...that is also the internet....that also depicts 'surfing')...that I got writers block.

How is it that the words were flowing out of me when I was stirring in the bacos (I was trying to cover the 'cheap' taste of the boxed macaroni with supremely bacon-y flavorful processed bits of heaven) but when I opened up the information highway my brained turned into goo?

Technology is so powerful. Technology is beautiful. The internet is grand. Blah blah blah. If I let it, I think that the internet could consume all of my time. I could just spend all weekend watching internet videos, reading blogs and then clicking on all the sidebar links, making playlists on Last.fm, favoriting photos on flickr,  editing photos on picnik. There is so much garbage out there...is any of it relevant? Does any of that stuff really matter? Does it make a difference? Will the internet help me be a better person?

On one hand, studies have shown that word games keep my brain active and help my memory later in life so I feel like playing Words With Friends on my iPhone isn't total garbage....but I will often choose to play, surf or fiddle with my touch screen over REAL interactions....like talking, listening to music, reading a book, creating something by hand....I have LOTS of hobbies...but it is TOO easy to close the door to my studio and sit in the recliner with my little gadget and fiddle around with some mindless app instead of using my 'relaxing' time to do something to truly relax. (Relaxing time = chill out time after school or right before bed if I've had a busy night.)

After school today (before relaxing time and way before the bacos and macaroni), I spent some time surfing around for Character Education resources. My plan is to mentor a student after school once a week.

I don't want to tutor someone in math or reading....There are too many other things that are important in life....I will leave the core subject tutoring up to the classroom teachers....I am a 'SPECIAL' teacher... (special teacher = music, art, p.e., counselor, librarian) I believe that kids are never going to be well-rounded if they don't appreciate the arts.....if they don't build a relationship with someone at school...and if they don't get to have fun trying new things.

Sure, reading and math are important...but the extra fun stuff is getting squeezed out of the school day, bit by bit....teachers aren't doing really fun units any more, the inspirational ones, the ones with the fun science experiments and the 'travel' unit with all the cool props and food explorations...there is too much pressure to make sure that first graders can count money and write sentences.

I've never been a mentor, one-on-one with a kid before, but I've already got the girl in mind. And I am looking forward to building a relationship with her, teaching her new FUN things and also getting to see her excel in the arts and in her life as she learns and gains experiences through this new after-school session with me.

I will be sacrificing some 'relaxing time' and some internet surfing time in order to spend more time after school as a mentor, but I think it will be like the macaroni....it will make me think...it will be real and it will be like this blog...a place for inspiration.

I {Heart} Swedish Bloggers

Hello! Happy Labor Day!!

Lately I have been on the look out for some new blogs, new content in general. One afternoon I was searching for vintage hair styles and I came across a whole slew of fantastic blogs from some sweet little ladies in Sweden.

In college, I spent six weeks studying in Sweden where I developed an appreciation for Swedish design (Ikea especially) and the whole Swedish culture. I have started following several of these blogs (after browsing through the backlog at all of the amazing pictures!) Even though I can't understand most of the text, I love the style, grace and class portrayed in the photographs of these gorgeous Swedish bloggers. Admittedly, I don't know much about them from what I am able to 'read' but the pictures are just so fantastic, I don't need much more than that.

I hope you will find some inspiration in this post!!

Sandra @ http://rodeo.net/niotillfem/http://rodeo.net/niotillfem/ 
She has an English blog Google translator on the homepage of this blog to make it easier to navigate and read her content.

I adore Sandra's look. Prior to 6 months ago, she had a personal metro blog address here. And I found tons of great inspiration through the back logs. Tons of yummy food pictures, gorgeous masquerade costumes, fantastic fashion and one of the most gorgeous blogs I have seen in such a long time.

So refreshing to see such a renewed source for inspiration!!

Swedish Elle blogger Elsa Billgren @ Need Help Dressing? is absolutely gorgeous!!

 And she has a fantastic apartment!

Blogging for Veckorevyn in Stockholm, Linnea and Jennifer are absolutely gorgeous!

Thrifting!! YAY!

Originally, I found a link to their previous blog, Sweetnothing and browsed all of the old blog posts for tons of inspiration and yummy looking Swedish food!!

A REAL post, please.....

Who am I as a blogger? Am I a leader? Am I a follower?

Why do I like fawns and owls? And vintage? And the hipstamatic? And holga?

Is it because of the blogs I read?

I think so....I find myself gravitating towards stripes when I go shopping because of bloggers who wear the cutest stripes in the whole world....

I think it has to do with subliminal advertising. If I see something over and over again, I WANT it. Whether it is a coke, french fries, or a cool headband. Even if I do not realize that I am subjecting myself to the influences of others....I totally am.....

Blog hopping, seeing certain themes over and over again....it influences the decisions I make when I go shopping....when I 'like' a certain photo on Flickr.....

And the influence seeps into my blog content. Whenever I click on a 'New' blog on someone's sidebar, it seems like they are exactly like me. And all the blogs on their sidebar are exactly like them, and so on and so on forever.

And I have a feeling everyone's blog content is starting to look them same.

Are all blogs starting to look the same?

Say it isn't so!

I love to get inspiration from the internet, especially blogs...Inspiration posts from we heart it, favorite interiors found online, an occasional music video youtube video, a DIY, a recipe......

Am I capable of new content? Is any blogger? Are we all just FLUFF?

My goal for the next 6 months is to step away from 'inspiration' posts.....and try to create REAL content. Real is more important than happy.

Don't get me wrong, I like a good 'happy' feel-good post just as much as the rest, but I crave the real life of the writer. I love to make new connections.

Either with my art, photos, writing.....however I find it....I am going to try to be original. I've given it a go this week....

I may post LESS often, but I hope that my posts are more vibrant, more powerful, more creative.

I have found a few new blogs on Blogs of Note.....and they are less about fashion, crafts, etc...some are about reality T.V. (I know, REAL content, right?).....but I am on a quest to find some REALLY great blogs.

Do you have a great blog that is nothing like mine? Do you have a favorite blog that is powerful?

Share it in the comments, I would love to read something NEW!

Oh and the photo above is of my brother and is family at the beach....it INSPIRES ME!! It is real life and it is really special.

Hahaha! Happy Birthday MY BLOG!

That's right...two years folks. I've been blogging for two years!! Yahoo! I am nearly at my 500th post, wowzers!

Some of my favorite things about blogging....

1. People. I have met some awesome people. I love to read other people's blogs every day and I try to always leave comments, when I have time.  For the most part, the people who comment on my blog are supportive, kind and encouraging...and I appreciate that!
2. Inspiration. There are so many sources of inspiration in the blog world, I find something new every day.
3. Motivation. By forcing myself to post beautiful things, I am making myself actual make things. And keep making things all the time. Not to have a shop. Not to sell my stuff on Etsy....just to MAKE stuff. Because the process is important.
4. Writing. I enjoy writing. I think I sensor myself quite a bit on my blog because my family/co-workers read it...but I still try to write stuff sometimes and I think it is important.
5. Photography. Where else am I gonna show off my zillions of pictures??

Things I don't do:
1. Ads. I don't advertise on my blog. You see ads everywhere....but I doubt I would make enough for it to be worth it so I just don't do it.
2. Give-Aways. I tried that for a while...but it was just too hard to get to the post office and I never really have anything good to give away.
3. Negativity. I try to stay positive on my blog. Occasionally I have a ligit gripe or complaint...but for the most part I want this to be a happy place.

What do you love about blogging?

Normally I don't....

HI everyone!!

Normally I don't make two posts in one day....but I am working hard in my studio making some lovely paper and ribbon garland for a 'jammie' party this weekend!! I am so excited! Anyway, I have a question for you...If you sew, you might be able to help me out. My bobbin gets all tangled whenever I thread it....and I am able to use it for a while, but once it gets to the tangled spot, I have to unravel the whole thing or else it just jams up my machine....any tips on making this not happen? It is messing me up and I need to finish this project tonight!

Here is a little peek at a photo shoot that I did today!!! Morgan is 6. She is amazing! I love her photos!!

We had to walk around in the woods in our pretty shoes....It was an adventure!!

While I am at it, I thought I would show you a sneak peek at my art journal for the 'Tell Your Story Class'. The class is wonderful, I am getting so many great ideas! To see a few more pages, check at my flickr site here.

Finally, my real reason for posting tonight......I NOW HAVE 100 FOLLOWERS!! YAY!!!!  Thanks for signing up to read my blog....I think that is awesome and I want to have a giveaway.....I am going to gather up some goodies and as soon as I have a good photo of it, I will let you know what the prize is....

And a huge shout out to Rinda at Gallo Organico....she always leaves me comments....Thanks for not making me feel like I blog in the dark! You are a great follower Rinda!!

Reminder: Guest Bloggers

Don't forget, I would love to have you as a contributor for one post in April to celebrate my birthday month--I thought this would be something really fun!! If you are interested in being a guest blogger email me at nellie_mae_01@hotmail.com

You can blog about anything! This is a great opportunity to gain some new readership!!

If you have already sent me an email, I will be replying to those on Monday or Tuesday. I just got in from Las Vegas--I have sooo much to share!! In the mean time, here is a sweet picture of my baby nephew Jacob---I have never loved a baby so much before in my entire life! I cried to leave him!

~Loves~

Call for Guest Bloggers

Hello everyone!!
I am planning something very special in April for my birthday month!! I would like to invite you to be a guest contributor for one post.

You can blog about anything that you want, photography, scrapbooking, card making, or any sort of crafting!!!

I am excited for this opportunity to open up my blog to a new audience and I am excited to invite you to promote your blog to my readers!!

If you are interested, please email me at nellie_mae_01@hotmail.com by Sunday March 21st.
I will contact you with further instructions at that time!! ;-)

Red Lipstick

Absolute favorite blogs at the moment:

Rockstar Diaries (beautiful, lovely, inspiring)

A Beautiful Mess (Only been reading it a few months, but I can't get enough inspiration from this blog!)

KWerner Design Blog (25 days of holiday card videos can you believe it???)

LollyChops Blog (tons of free printables that are perfect for everything crafty)

Color Me Katie's Blog (I love her art)

A Few of My Favorite Things {Inspired by the blogs I love}:

1. Tiny Braids
2. Bangs
3. Red lipstick
4. Polaroids
5. Zebra print

And that about sums it up for me....I will need to make a page with this stuff eventually.

Why I started paper crafting....and some of my very first cards!

Things to do tonight:
1. Design one more tag/card for Monday's workshop.
2. Design a photo frame for a tween birthday party/decoration workshop.
3. Get stuff ready for a home gathering tomorrow night.

What am I doing instead? Writing this blog!! And browsing other blogs....I know that it can be a bit counter-productive, but sometimes I find that browsing for ideas will spark an idea. Even just the act of writing and reflecting can be quite inspirational, so I am trying to jump start my creativity before I dig in and get some work done tonight...(Did I mention that I have to get up @5:45 and it is after 9:00 now?!)

I have been totally inspired to write about why I started paper crafting thanks to Sarah over @ Sarah's Paper Tray. (Yes, Sarah we have exactly the same taste...I am thinking we are soul-scrap-sisters or something because we buy all the same stamp sets and papers even non-CTMH!!) Anyway, in one of her most recent posts, she was inspired to write about why she started paper crafting. I recently found a few of my very first cards and I put them in a box of stationary supplies that I am giving to my mom. I am going to be brave and post them here, just like Sarah did! (my mom has lots of old stuff that i've made over the years...I should try to borrow some of it!)


In one of my very first blog posts, I mentioned that I have been 'scrapbooking' for a long time. Stamping is much newer to me. When it comes to stickers, well lets just say I still have my awesome Lisa Frank sticker collection...As a little girl, I used to have a sticker album and I've always loved taking pictures so this hobby is something that I was naturally drawn to. (Luckily I was able to get away from my other 'collections': porcelain dolls, painted ceramic masks, embellished teddy bears, a wooden doll house and various other child-hood hobbies and I can now focus completely on the wonderful world of paper crafting!)



I started out buying supplies at Wal-Mart and I bought a few CM products when I was in high school. In college, I did a little bit of scrapbooking, but since I was an art major...'scrapbooking' was something I did in secret...I didn't want my cool art friends to know about my sticker obsession. I made my own Christmas Cards, Wedding Invitations and various other things before I became a consultant for Close to My Heart.

In December of 2007, I decided to become a consultant. I had gone to a CTMH home gathering while I was in college, but the consultant no longer lived in my area. I sort of signed up blindly because I wanted to get more into stamping and scrapbooking. I also wanted to have a little bit of extra money for my hobbies each month....currently, as a teacher, I only get paid once a month and it can be a tricky balance to keep a decent budget for things that come up mid-month. Selling scrapbooking supplies and teaching classes is the perfect opportunity to feed my growing addiction to stamping.

After being a part-time consultant for a little over a year....wow...my cards, scrapbook layouts and other papercrafting creations have improved dramatically. Blogging has helped me so much! This is one of my very first cards:



I've always loved being an elementary art teacher, but I have come to realize what my dream job would be...it would include writing, photography, teaching and designing...I would love to work from home too. We'll see what happens. For now, I am happy where I am, but I would love to spend more time at home creating. Sometimes I am just too tired to make anything after a day with elementary students (Have I mentioned that I have 11 classes of kindergarten art!??!?!! Not exactly the ideal environment for REAL artistic challenges....I deal with more 'accidents' that are potty related than the 'creative-oops', if you know what I mean!)


The best part about my job is that I get to think about art every day. I get to inspire others and encourage the exceptional artists and push them to do more. Paper crafting allows me to create something nearly every day. Cards and scrapbook pages, believe it or not...are a WHOLE lot cheaper than paint and canvas....I can create in bulk and I can see an idea all the way through without wasting tons of money. If I mess up one card, only pennies go in the trash, not $30 worth of paint that needs to be covered up....Okay, maybe I am just coming up with a justification that makes sense to me, but either way, I really love making cards. I love finding inspiration from movies, ads and color combinations for my cards and layouts. This is a very fun investment.

Fresh and fun.

Almost summer...the blog needed a face lift.

I made the new header using a photo from my art room. You can see an entire album of my fun and very colorful 'art room' series here.

I downloaded the free fonts a while back...I don't know if they are still available, but for a great free font, you can check here and here.

And here is a fabulous 'action pose' drawing by one of my special needs students....It is AMAZING! The best one from the entire class.

Tips for being a better blogger

1. Make sure your pictures are clear. Stay away from blurry, dark and bad photos. Take more than one shot of each card/project so you can show off the best of your artwork. Here is a tutorial on taking better photos. My favorite tip of all: take it outside....if you can't get a good shot, go outside and use the natural lighting!!
2. Participate in challenges. Find something you enjoy, set a goal, and be inspired to create something new....it has really helped me to be inspired to make something new every week. Challenges help me to think outside the box, learn new techniques, use different color schemes than I would normally choose, and use up my supplies. Even if no one sees these but me, the 'challenge' forces me to work within a constraint...and this makes me more motivated and to pay attention to details and craftsmanship.
3. Don't be afraid to leave comments. If you see something on another blog that you really like, tell the person. Sincere, heartfelt comments are the number one motivator to keep me going. I know that people are reading my blog and I am not creating this artwork in a vacuum. My family and friends appreciate what I do, but not like other paper crafters. Only a true paper crafter can appreciate the little details, the new techniques and the design aspects of my work.
4. Only post your very best. (I look at my very best from 6 months ago and wow....I have come so far....)
5. Don't be afraid to post videos and/or links to things you find. You may open up a whole new world to someone. Pass on the goodness. Here is an awesome site I found with some beautiful FREE printables: LollyChops.
6. Use blogging to break through the creative block. Instead of being overwhelmed, use blogging to inspire you. If you don't post every day or every week, that is OKAY. Just don't let your readers forget about you...let them know you are busy, or traveling, or just out of it, they understand. Also, if you don't know what to write...start simple....pick a day and plan to post SOMETHING on that day every week...I keep going back to the blogs that reliably post at least one thing a week. One post a week, a regular 'column'. That is what I love....even if it is a 'Saturday Crafting Rant'. Find a consistency that works for you or keep it random. I just really like to know that every Friday I can count on the movie sneak peaks over at Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge and on Wednesday I can always count on the Wednesday giveaways over @ Alli Edwards blog.
7. Stay away from the super-cute-ultra-tempting black/busy background. Simple blogs are visually appealing. I used to have a layout with a damask theme, but I think that the background, music, and flashing glitter images can just be overwhelming to visitors. People don't want to have to hit mute at 2 a.m. when everyone else is asleep and they are looking for random crafting ideas. Also, those crazy blinkies take away from YOUR art.
8. Stay true to you. IF you completely disagree with number 7, please do whatever you want....you may like the music, cutesy flowers and other random, charming internet glam. That may be what keeps you going back to other people's sites. Please, do whatever makes you happy. #7 is more about my personal preferences and you may have an entirely other audience than I do. This is about making connections around the globe with people who LOVE the same things you do. :-)
9. I am not an expert and neither are you and that is okay. Let's face it. We are all here to learn new things, get better at our craft, and inspire each other. If you want to post blog candy or participate in a swap, do it. Leave nice comments. Look up advice from the experts, link to their site. Site your work. If you get an idea from someone, give them credit.
10. Share. We want to see your scrapspace, organizational ideas, crafting projects, cards, scrap pages and the story behind them, new buys, totally awesome finds, inspiration, heartfelt stories, awakenings, random funnies, aha! moments, creative processes, and real life. Bloggers want to connect with you. Life is about human connections. Not everyone will read your 10 paragraph post about the flat tire you got on your way to buy tampons, but the ones that are truly interested in YOUR story will....and that is who you might want to connect with...at least it is who I want to connect with....and that is okay. I am not an expert, just an every day gal with ideas, opinions and a story. My goal this year, my resolution, is to inspire. I hope that you have enjoyed visiting my blog.