Life has been a complete whirlwind lately!  This past weekend was my daughter’s 3rd birthday which ended up taking a LOT more time and energy than I originally anticipated (isn’t that how most things go?).  Thus, I’ve been terrible at updating this blog… I’m so sorry.  :(

Today I’ve got a giant project that’s my first priority, but I would feel really badly to miss posting today again so I thought I’d share a link from one of my favorite blogs, TheCreativeMama.com.  This post by Jessica Cudzilo has really got me excited and eagerly anticipating spring and especially spring fashions: Dreaming of Spring.

These items were the ones that got me the most excited.  The jacket is from Ruche and the sweater is from J. Crew.  Aren’t they fabulous?!  I am loving the spring fashion trends for 2010!  Everything is looking very basic and balanced with lots of feminine flair (especially in the ruffles!!!).

Be sure to check out the full article on TheCreativeMama.com.  There’s LOTS more yummy spring fashions that you’re sure to adore!

Today it is such an honor and privilege to feature Liz Tamanaha, the fabulously talented designer behind the digital scrapbook design label, Paislee Press.  I found Liz through searching for new, fun digital scrapbook products at OScraps over a year or so ago.  Liz’s style completely took my breath away.  I had felt so often that my digi scrapbook art was too simple and that I needed to learn how to embellish better.  Liz sees the world a little differently though.  Her motto is “embrace your inner minimalist.” Ever since seeing Liz’s work and “embracing” her motto, I’ve been so much happier in my artistic creations.  Simple can be absolutely stunning and completely breathtaking.

Now you get to find inspiration from Liz, who – by the way – is one of the most genuinely kind women I’ve ever had the opportunity to interview.  Check out Liz and get inspired today (I’ve put some of her lovely layouts throughout the post so you can see her gorgeous creative work – click on them to see them larger):

A little about Liz:
I currently reside in Los Angeles with my husband Eric and daughters, Audrey and Madeline. Things that make me happy: freshly laundered sheets. jack johnson songs. dymo labelers. handwritten notes. road trips. the smell of freshly ground coffee. jeans + flip flops. maui. red velvet cupcakes. jazz. my daughters’ laughter. organizational gadgets. the thin pancakes from pie ‘n burger. all things anthropologie.

1. Why is creativity important to you?

When I am creating, I am in own little world – I feel purposeful, I feel safe. It’s about the only time I consistently feel comfortable in my own skin. For me, creativity is also a frame of mind – it helps me find joy in everyday tasks that I don’t necessarily look forward to – like cooking (and yes, even laundry).

2. What do you enjoy creating the most?

I get the most joy from documenting the everyday, ordinary moments – via scrapbook layouts, photographs, and maintaining my online journal (a log of everyday conversations and things that my daughters say and do).

3. Do you have any fears when creating? Are you friends and family supportive of the things you create?

During the creative process, I don’t think about it. The fear and apprehension usually comes later, when I think about how people will respond to it. Creating is a soul-baring process, so it’s to hard not feel vulnerable when you reveal your work to others.

My family and friends are definitely supportive – they are my biggest fans and I wouldn’t be where I am now without them!

4. How do you find time to create?

I schedule it into my day like I do any other task (doctor’s appointments, etc.).

5. Words of inspiration to creative chicks:

Trust your creative instincts and embrace + nurture what it is that makes you unique.

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As I was typing out Liz’s interview, I noticed how Liz’s answers were short and to the point – just as one would expect a “minimalist” to be.  Her sweet, succinct answers are definitely packed with power!  I loved her advice to creative chicks to “trust your creative instincts and embrace + nurture what it is that makes you unique.”  As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I am guilty of killing my creativity by comparing my creative work to others’.  Today, after being inspired by Liz, I’m resolving to do better at ‘”trusting my creative instincts” and “embracing what makes me unique.”  Thank you so much for inspiring us today, Liz!

In honor of Liz’s feature, I put together an entire digital scrapbook page using Liz’s Paislee Press products.  It was such a good creative activity for me and I was tempted to make many more pages using her designs that day (I always LOVE scrapping with her designs!!), but was unable to, due to time constraints.  This made me realize that I haven’t been allowing myself enough time to scrapbook.  It’s something I absolutely love to do and it always helps me celebrate the little beautiful moments and people in my life.  Credits: “Park Avenue” by Paislee Press (paper, stamp frame), “PressPlate No. 13″ by Paislee Press (template); Font: dearJoe four and Typenoksidi

Find daily inspiration on Liz’s blog: PaisleePress.blogspot.com

Follow Liz on Twitter: @liztamanaha

And friend her on Facebook: facebook.com/liz.tamanaha

Also, if you remember the “develop on Fridays” photography class Jefra is teaching, the whole project started on Liz’s blog – it’s Jefra and Liz’s project (and it’s FABULOUS!).  So much fun for creative chicks!!!  Be sure to check it out!

What’s inspiring your creativity right now? Do you “embrace your inner minimalist?” What are you going to resolve to do better this week to allow your creativity to shine?

Maybe it’s spring in the air, maybe it’s my ever-growing belly or maybe it’s just me being a girl who loves updating my wardrobe.  Whatever it is, I’m really psyched about fashion right now (more than normal, perhaps).  I went online and did a maternity search on Etsy and… to put it nicely, there wasn’t much that I found attractive or appealing (to put it more bluntly: for a laugh, check out Etsy’s maternity selection.. wow.).

The search – randomly – did lead me to a super-chic designer who makes all her own patterns and supports local New Zealand mills for her fabric.  Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Cat and her fabulous women’s fashion dress designs.  Ooh, la, la!  They are magnifique and I think you’ll adore them, too!  (As usual, click on the pics to be redirected to Cat’s Etsy shop, Cast Couture).

Navy Flattering Frill Bust Dress with Pockets – $60.00

Salmon Pink Wrap Neck Empire Dress – $60.00 (can work well as maternity dress also & wouldn’t that be stunning?!)

Fab Camel Cozy Cowl Hoodie Tulip Dress – $62.00 (I LOVE this with the leggings!  Looks comfy, chic and stylish!)

Rust Stunning Pleated Lily Dress – $55.00 (even though this is too short for my wardrobe, I LOVE the style of it!  I would bet Cat could make a longer version upon request.  It would also look phenomenal with leggings.)

Navy A Line Twist Dress – $62.00 (you can specify what kind of sleeves you’d like this dress made in – cap, elbow length, sleeveless or full length)

Isn’t Cat one talented creative chick?  And even though she’s shipping from New Zealand, shipping only costs $6.00 to go to anywhere outside of New Zealand.  Isn’t that insane and amazing?!  I’m dying over her style.  I love how she creates all her own designs and patterns.  I’m also a huge fan of how she works to support local mills in her products.  Cat is an example of why, in general, I think women in business are so valuable to the communities in which they live: most women entrepreneurs love to give back and support those around them.

Thanks for your inspiring creativity, Cat!  We love your Cast Couture shop and all your fresh, chic styles!

Oy veh. I had such good intentions for today’s Design Monday post! I’ve been thinking about it for the past week and had SUCH a great idea, but when push came to shove… I ran out of time, energy and pizazz.  Forgive me (pretty please) for no post today.  Wishing you a much more successful Monday than what I’ve had!

The first principle of design that we will feature is proportion, or the size relationship of parts to the whole. Note, in this jacket example that the arrangement on the figure to the right has much more balance vs. the one at left.

Raspberry Fleece Jacket by Erin Alexandra Klym – $121.00

For example: the size of your hand in relation to the size of your arm. Or a clothing piece in relation to the whole outfit or body.

This concept can apply to colors as well; do the colors complement each other? Or is one color ill-proportioned to the other by having too much of a really intense color in comparison? What we want are dimensions that relate to each other, attract our viewers, and give a pleasant or complete feeling.

Tiger Lily Moccasin Navy by Darlingtonia – $129.00

The feeling of completion and pleasantness can be done with any style preference. Funky, all-natural, feminine, girly, frilly, classy, boyish….anything – as long as you follow the basic principles of proportion.

Some people seem to have a natural ability to know what works and what doesn’t, so what about the rest of us? Are there any basic rules or ways to find out what works if you aren’t a natural? Luckily there are! Throughout civilization, artists, mathematicians, psychologists and even philosophers have studied to find out what is naturally appealing to the human eye and mind. There are a lot of theories, but one that is best known and applied is the golden mean. Discovered by Egyptians, Greeks, renaissance (Notre Dame) and many other civilizations.  It is one that is found in nature in seashells,

in ferns,

Fern Ring by honeybee, Amy Moore Designs – $68.00

and even the human body.

So, here is a basic math version of the golden mean (section): 3+5=8, 5+8=13, 8+13=21, etc… What does that mean? If you look to the right of the image above, there are lines that help you visualize the proportion. The blue line equals roughly 5/8 of the white line. This proportion not only works for men, but for women as well.

What do you do if you don’t have an ”ideal” figure? No worries, my next Fashion Friday post will teach you some tricks and optical illusions to help you give your body a well-proportioned look.

For more images and examples to train your eye, go to http://feng-shui.lovetoknow.com/The_Golden_Ratio or http://goldennumber.net/goldsect.htm

I woke up early this morning to find something fabulous to feature on CBC today, when lo and behold, in my email was a sweet little note from a really lovely Etsy artisan!  I checked out her store and immediately wanted to feature her and her beautiful, vintage earrings and hairpins… soooo fun!  So, without further ado, check out these little beauties, created by Erica of {Little Lovelies}.  p.s. don’t forget to click on the pics to be redirected to the item in her store.

Purple Gardenia Flower Lovely earrings – $7.50

Orange Ornate Floral Hair Lovely – $2.25

Light Blue Gardenia Flower Lovely earrings – $7.50

Lily Pad Hair Lovely – $1.50

Coral Leaf Heart Lovelies – $7.00

Oooh, la, la!  I could snag up every single one of these!  I think I would quickly become addicted and my other earrings and hairpins would wonder what they ever did to never be worn again.

I snagged up a fun little jade green beaded bracelet from a fun online shop I stalk and wore it every day until the Sunday before last when my 1.5 y/o pulled on it and the bracelet broke, sending beads all over the chapel floor (very reverently, though, of course).  I’ve definitely felt a void in my wardrobe and have decided that I am a person who thrives on wearing green accessories.  Call me crazy, but I swear it helps me stay centered and happy during the day.  So… I think these little babies from {Little Lovelies} would be the PERFECT addition to my wardrobe (looking at them feels heavenly… ahhh….):

Celery Sprig Vintage Flower Cabochon Studs – $8.00

What’s your favorite from {Little Lovelies}?  Do you have a color that you love to wear and especially accessorize with?

Thank you for your fabulous creativity, Erica!  We LOVE your {Little Lovelies} shop!!!

p.s. Erica has a stinkin’ fun blog I’m going to start following now because I think she’s hilarious and possibly a long-lost sister – check it out: Erica’s Bloggity Blog.  She’s also a preggo photog, just like me!  Seriously, meant to friends or what?

{Before reading this post, click HERE to open up Mindy’s website in a new window so you can listen to her fabulous tunes while reading all about her}

I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but this week I am extremely honored to feature the fabulous, Mindy Gledhill.  Mindy is a singer/songwriter based near my hometown of Salt Lake City.  I am a HUGE, adoring fan who has been touched and blessed by Mindy’s music.  I thought this description was perfect of her unique sound: “Music that recalls the sweetness of Ingrid Michaelson and the quirk of Regina Spektor, Mindy Gledhill will leave you floating like a scoop of vanilla cream in a strawberry soda.” Today you get to be completely inspired by Mindy!  Check her out:

A little about Mindy:
Mindy Gledhill spent most of her youth in Northern California where she was shaped by a wide range of music. At the age of 13, her family moved to Spain where she discovered that music is as much about passion as it is about style. At 16, her family once again migrated, this time to Utah. There she endured the awkwardness of high school, wrote her first songs and was snubbed by the high school chamber choir and school musicals. Determined to make something of herself in music, she continued to audition for a variety of things in her early college years. Most attempts proved unsuccessful until she was finally discovered at a songwriting workshop by Jeff Simpson, CEO of Excel Entertainment, who later signed her to Lumen Records. After a successful run as an award winning artist in the faith based market, Mindy declared independence from her label and released her first mainstream album, “Feather in the Wind.” Mindy is now collaborating with several acclaimed producers in L.A. and Nashville to release her second independent album releasing in 2010.

1. Why is creativity important to you?

As a mother, I live in a world where I must put others first a lot of the time. While there is something inherently wonderful about that, creativity is the means by which I find my way back to myself when I get lost in a sea of others’ needs.

2. What do you enjoy creating the most?

I love the process of writing a song, but I’m absolutely smitten with the art of recording music. Everything in the studio from tracking vocals and instruments to editing and mixing them fascinates me.

3. Do you have any fears when creating?

Who doesn’t have fears about creating? Creating is a most intimate offering of self-expression, often put on display for people to take or leave. Not all will take our offering and this is something perfectly normal, but somehow the notion can make us insecure. The famous dancer, Agnes De Mille said, “Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how . . . The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.”

I used to care about what my family and friends thought of my music and I suppose to a certain extent I still do. However, I no longer feel the need to obtain their validation regarding the music I create. I write songs for me, send them out to the universe when they’re finished and hope they land in the laps of those who need them.

4. How do you find time to create?

I use to just wait for creative time to appear, but have learned to schedule in creative time during the week. I don’t expect that it will always be productive, but it exercises my brain and stimulates my subconscious to go to work on things that later surface when I’m least expecting it.

5. Words of inspiration to creative chicks:

Each of us has gifts to share with the world and each of us is a creator in our own rite. Throw your insecurities to the wind. Put the kibosh on second-guessing. Trust yourself and take that leap into the dark. “Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live.” -Goethe

(Mindy’s favorite books on creativity: “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron, “Simple Abundance” by Sarah Ban Breathnach, and “Walking on Water,” by Madeleine L’Engle.)

Mindy’s music came to me at a difficult time in my life and has stayed with me as I’ve walked through more trials and hard times.  My favorite song of Mindy’s is “Feather in the Wind” because it verbalizes exactly how I’ve felt many times in my life (& I love the sound of it!).  I’ve included the music video in this posts so you can check it out.  I met Mindy at the Startup Princess Image & Media Academy Retreat last fall (seriously, guys.. GO to the Startup Princess events & meet amazing people like Mindy).  I’ve chatted with her here and there since then and I can honestly say that this music diva is just as sweet as she sounds (if not sweeter).  Thank you for inspiring us with your creativity today and always, Mindy (& Simple Abundance is one of my all-time favorite books, too)!

Check out Mindy’s BLOG (woot!!! so excited she has one!):

And her website here: MindyGledhill.com

 And the GREATEST NEWS OF ALL is that Mindy is doing an exclusive concert for the Casual Blogger Conference on Friday night, May 28th.  Have you got your tickets for CBC ‘10 yet?  If not, this is reason enough to go (besides the fact that the whole dang conference looks freaking AWESOME).

Recently, my amazing friend, Emily, brought me a “get-well-soon” package of fun gifts…. sooooo incredibly nice of her.  It included a sugar-free Starbucks steamed milk (yummy!!!), two super-cute shirts that I can wear now and my preggo belly can comfortably grow into and the most FABULOUS bookmark from artist, Kelly Rae Roberts.  I know, who is seriously lucky enough to have a friend that wonderful?  I ask myself that everyday and am definitely sure I’m not a deserving recipient.

Now, I am a HUGE Kelly Rae Roberts fan.  And let me show you why (as usual, click on the pics to be redirected to the original site)…

Fly Necklace – $17.00

Versatile Art Plaques – $16.00 (don’t you just love the set of 3 in the frame like that?!)

Unleash Your Joy Magnetic Bookmark – $4.00

Believe in Possibility Magnet – $4.00

I love her fun, eclectic style.  I think I love everything she makes.  I love her use of color and combining different art mediums, like paint, pen sketch and print.  Thank you for introducing me to Kelly Rae Roberts, Em!  I’ll forever be grateful (and forever pining for her art).  Isn’t she FABULOUS?!!

Thank you for all your feedback on what to do with my “Design Monday” posts since I’m no longer doing graphic design work for hire.  I’ve decided to just focus on something related to design on Mondays, now.  Today, I wanted to share a pic I found in a google image search.  I haven’t been able to get this photo out of my mind.  I’m completely entranced by the color combos.  Of course, since I’m a food photographer, I find food colors and combos really inspiring to then take into a design palette, whether it be for something graphical or for home decorating.

I’m going to throw something together with this color combo because I simply adore it.  Some of the tones seem a little bolder than what I usually decorate with, but it could be fun to pull the light lemonade color as the primary color and then use the other colors as accents.  Yummy!

Where do you get color inspiration?  What’s your opinion on this color combo (regardless, I will still love it)?  Isn’t God the BEST artist EVER?  Yeah, that’s an understatement… I know.

I don’t know about you, but I am LOVING the neck scarves that have been trending in fashion during 2009 and now 2010.  I’ve always loved scarves, but there really hasn’t been much variety until the past 8-10 months when scarf selection has just exploded!  On a little Etsy hunt I found these fab “Neck Rags” made by the creative chick behind Textile Monster.

Neck Rag in Gray, Tipped in Turquoise – $22.00

One in every color?  Ummm.. YES, PLEASE.  You should check out the entire color selection in Textile Monster’s store… yummy!

Have you gotten into the scarf scene yet?  How do you wear your scarves – everyday accessory or only with a coat when it’s cold?  What are your favorite scarf looks?