{creating myself}

Playing Dress*Up

can't do without the chucks...






and don't forget the owl hair pin!

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Mixing fabrics. Bright colors. Lace. Pearls. Owls.
All my favorite things :)

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Details;
jeans: rave
tank top: LF
pink button down and sunglasses: thrifted in springfield
cardigan: nordstrom
shoes: converse
necklace: brighton
hair pin : etsy... sorry i lost the link.. are you reading!?


PS..... how do you like my Spring banner? :)

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This post is part of a weekly feature called "Playing Dress*Up". Each Friday, I post fashion-related ideas and photos.  Some topics include handmade clothes, accessories, shoes, body art, makeup, hair, home, and jewelry.  If there is anything you would like to see or you have an idea for a contributing post, please e-mail me at amylapi@gmail.com. See past archives of Playing Dress*Up here.

If I Found a Genie Lamp, I Would Wish For....

more studio time.

More time alone.

More time getting messy, and falling in love with paints & papers & glue.

More time with coffee, Ingrid Michaelson, and a sketchbook.








or maybe Mom just needs to come visit again.





I think after her last visit, I think I've officially turned her over to the dark side...
Yeah, last night she bought a Cropper Hopper.
Oh dear.

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What's the one thing you would wish for?

Good 'ole tee vee...

Have you ever obsessed over a TV series?

I love TV on DVD.

Netflix is perfect for this... you can rent one or two of the dvd's, and send them back as needed for the rest of the series.  Let me warn you... TV on DVD can be addictive.  You might call out of work to finish up that one disc, or stay up until 8 am watching the series finale, or forget about that paper that was due at midnight because you haven't turned off your TV in three days....


Not that I've ever done any of those things.

That's just my warning to you.


I read this post by Chelsey , and it got me thinking about all of the shows that I've once obsessed over.



My very favorite show... I've seen every episode at LEAST 15 times.


 

Great show... reminds me a lot of my mom & myself.



I fell off in Season 4, but I'm getting back into it.
 
 


The O.C... the best drama ever (again, until Season 4)
  

'Fess up... what are yours?

May Blogging Schedule

As previously mentioned,
I'll be taking a blogging break next month.
Actually, I'll be taking a life break. 
No work, no school, just play. :)

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Here is my official guest blogging schedule:

May 2010
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9 Bekka Bess	10 DIY with me	11 Elaine Read	12 Shaina Longstreet	13	14 Ali Wood	15 Heather Fuentes
16 Jon Waller	17 Sarah Haschke	18	19 Janel Maclean	20 Inspiration with me	21 Ashley Watts	22 GIVE AWAY !!!!!
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

You'll notice I have two spots open.
If you're interested, please email me at amylapi@gmail.com.
You can read more about guest posting here.

Please send all final posts to be by May 1st if you want to be featured!
Thank you :)

Take it day by day.

Here is a small recap of my Week in the Life project.

I didn't take as many photos or gather as much ephemera as I planned to, and I didn't journal every day.
But I'm going to forgive myself, and I collected a good amount of day by day memories throughout the process.

I'm not sure how I'm going to put it all together yet.
I have a vague vision of 2x3 photos, typed journaling strips, fabric, and jump rings.

We'll see how that goes. :)


Did you play along? I would love to see.


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[ reconnecting with my mom's family ]


 

[a lot of work, schedules, & listmaking ]


 

[ outdoor breakfast at panera on a gorgeous spring morning ]




[ bored in class. mom & i call him "ProSlo" for Professor Slow. ]


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There is more to the story. A lot more.

 

So much more, that I feel as though I should continue the project on through this week.

Hmmmm....

Questioning Mimimalism (Gasp!)

In the spirit of my spring cleaning project, lately I've been taking personal inventory of a little thing called minimalism.

I am obsessed with minimalism. 

I love the feeling of throwing away an empty package, recycling used waterbottles, and condensing three shampoos into one bottle, opening my listbook and crossing things off.

It. Feels. Good.
Agreed?

And then I came across this article by The Minimalist himself.

The listmaking and the obsession over the simplicity seems to negate the process sometimes, doesn't it?
Sometimes, the obsession is the sressful part.

From now on, I vow to try to stop being so obsessed with minimalism and just live a more simple lifestyle. Throwing things out as I go along, refusing to buy unnecessary & wasteful products, and doing the things on my to-do list instead of writing about them.

Yes, this sounds like a good plan.

But you'll never take my listbook from from me.

Playing Dress*Up

Lovely out-on-the-town outfits, continued.

Here's one of my favorites from a night of dinner, drinks, & dancing.














shorts and tights: express
boots: skechers
shirt & jacket: jc penny ($7!)


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This post is part of a weekly feature called "Playing Dress*Up". Each Friday, I post fashion-related ideas and photos.  Some topics include handmade clothes, accessories, shoes, body art, makeup, hair, home, and jewelry.  If there is anything you would like to see or you have an idea for a contributing post, please e-mail me at amylapi@gmail.com. See past archives of Playing Dress*Up here.

My friends are insanely talented.

Not just because they're cool & pretty & sweet & encouraging & inspiring.

Cause they are.

And I know you're shaking your head...
no, Amy... my friends are more talented than yours.

But seriously, when I have company, I am constantly asked,

"wow. did you make this?"

Oftentimes, I answer,

"no. my friend made it for me."

People want to know where I find these incredible friends.

And it's right here at this tiny little dot com :)

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If I haven't convinced you yet.... check this out.




Gorgeous and unique granny square necklace from Carol.







Incredible embroidery from Jamie.







Gorgeous chunky scarf from Tiffany. (ETA link)





Hand-doodled journal from Janel.





And of course... all of the granny squares I've received from all over the world. You guys are the greatest. PS... I'm still taking grannies....

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That's all for today.

Oh, one more thing!

Thank you for telling me that I inspire you.
It's my favorite compliment ever.

♥

Thanks, Canon!

Canon Printer Ink gave me a blog award today.

It's very much appreciated! Thank you!


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I'll be back later with a longer, really exciting post. You're gonna love it :)

Happy Thursday!

A Week in the Life: Perspective

Something I've noticed while working on this project is the way my day to day perspective has changed.

The change occurs in the midst of taking photos, jotting notes, and making list-journals.
Little things become important and relevant.
Big things don't seem that bad.

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What you do once in a while isn't nearly as important as what you do every day.


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It's not easy documenting everything about your life.  It forces you to take a major look at your everyday choices, including your priorities and the way you spend your time.

It might hurt.

You might cry.

You might force yourself to make a change.

And be happier.


Wouldn't that be cool?

A Week in MY Life

I came across Ali's Week in The Life project at her blog today, and this time, I'm inspired to play along.

My first thought (just as she suspected), was my life isn't that interesting right now.

I thought I wouldn't have enough to talk about, or take photos of.

I thought I wouldn't be able to think of enough things that I actually wanted to document about life today.


So I stopped thinking. I grabbed a notebook, and I did what I do best.

(Gasp!)
Dear Readers!

I can't believe how dirty your minds are.


No, I made a list.
I listed all of the things that are going on for me right now.

Morning to night, what's pressing for me? What keeps me up at night? (Besides that quad shot of espresso).
If it's important enough to dwell in my mind, then it's important enough to remember.



Here's what I came up with:

• nuni is my houseguest
• planning a super shop update
• finishing The Last Song
• reconnecting with my mom's family last night felt so good
• this first semester of interning is coming to a close
• must attend at least two 12-step meetings for class (and write about them. by tomorrow.)
• lots & lots of home cleaning and redecorating
• finished studio revamp. love it!
• purged closet for spring
• put in my two weeks notice at ale house
  
  
  and I thought I had nothing.

Next step... take photos of everything, especially that which is on the list.

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You should play along.  With 3 jobs, interning, school, redecorating, and my houseguest I'm slightly busy as well.

"It's work, but it is so worth the effort." -Ali

On Work, Life, & Happiness

Have you ever had a job you hated?

It ruins your day week when you know you have to go in to work.
You are in a perfectly happy mood, until you walk in the door.
It kidnaps your inner peace.
You are stressed. Sad. Depressed.
You are sure it's not the right path for you.
You dream of the long list of things you could be doing, if you weren't stuck in this prison.

And if you work in a restaurant...
You've dreamed of blowing the place up.
You could care less if all the food burns and the drinks go flat.
You wish you were allowed to wear a shirt that says, "I'm not stupid or deaf or rich or a maid or..."
You have chased teenagers and foreigners out the door screaming "I work for tips not insults!"


I could go on for hours.
I'd rather move on to the main point of this post.


I'm significantly unhappy at my job of the past 2.5 years, and on Thursday, I put in my two-weeks notice to leave.

It took courage, and I'm scared and frustrated and sad.

But I firmly believe that my happiness will be worth it.


The best news ever is that I will have hours of extra time on my hands and guess what that means?

ART!

I am extremely excited to report that I have lots & lots of projects in the works, and I will finally have time to complete them and update the shop in a major way.





Go Me :)

Playing Dress*Up: Yay or Nay?

Hey ya'll! Remember when I mentioned buying all those swimsuits for a trial run? Well one arrived yesterday, and I was wondering if you could help me decide whether or not to keep it. I tried it on just to take some pics.

I think it's really cute, but I'm not sure if it flatters me enough. Also, is the style realistic for days at the beach and vacationing in Mexico?

It is fairly expensive, and in a time where I'm trying to cut back, I would really appreciate your opinion. :)







I also wonder if these photos borderline inappropriate, but then I think, I'll be wearing this on the beach in front of thousands of people, right? So who cares.

THanks for your opinions :)



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This post is part of a weekly feature called "Playing Dress*Up". Each Friday, I post fashion-related ideas and photos.  Some topics include handmade clothes, accessories, shoes, body art, makeup, hair, home, and jewelry.  If there is anything you would like to see or you have an idea for a contributing post, please e-mail me at amylapi@gmail.com. See past archives of Playing Dress*Up here.

DIY: Personalized Datebook!

I'm blog traveling today. :)

I'm a guest blogger over at Polka Dot Robot's blog party!

I wrote a DIY on how to create a sweet little guestbook to be cherished for years to come.

Click here for the DIY. Enjoy the party!



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Lambie Besties.

I've previously mentioned that my best friend is getting married in August.  You could say I'm too excited and happy for her.  She has found everything she deserves... She's one of the most wonderful people I've ever met.

Now, onto the serious stuff.

We are obsessed with lambies.  Obsessed.

It's been a running inside joke between us and our moms for years.




Anyway, Megan's bridal shower was last weekend. I flew to NY to surprise her :)
It was lovely and crafty. Take a gander.




[ beautiful bridesmaids ]





[ personalized datebook: DIY to come ]





[ I want this for every single party for the rest of my life ]





[ lambie bride and groom ]






[ mom and i designed and created the outfits ourselves ]






[ real-life lambie bride and lambie groom loved their new toys ]



i love you, lambie bestie.

that's all. :]

 

This weekend...

Last night, I drove to Tampa with Uncle Faz and GG to spend time at Daddy and Kim's with these lovely faces.



Often, they make me laugh...





and sometimes they make me mad...




but mostly, I just really love my brother and sister :]




Michael and Alexa, just 13 years old

Popping in to say...

Thank you.  I know I say it often, but I don't feel like it's enough.

Thank you for your sweet comments and e-mails every day.
Every single one makes my day brighter.

Thank you for supporting my indie biz. I couldn't do it without you.

Thank you for reading about my life. Sometimes, I feel like no one really cares. But you let me know that you do.

So thank you.




Also, I'm only a few followers away from 200, and that makes me really excited and even more grateful. Readership on Creating Myself has jumped exponentially in the past few months, and I never imaged this kind of response when I started my tiny corner of the internet over four years ago.

I love you :)

Playing Dress*Up: Favorite Outfits, continued.

dress: anthropologie
tee, tights, jacket: forever 21
shoes: nine west
headband: gap

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This post is part of a weekly feature called "Playing Dress*Up". Each Friday, I post fashion-related ideas and photos.  Some topics include handmade clothes, accessories, shoes, body art, makeup, hair, home, and jewelry.  If there is anything you would like to see or you have an idea for a contributing post, please e-mail me at amylapi@gmail.com. See past archives of Playing Dress*Up here.

P-A-I-N-T PAINT PAINT PAINT!

No, not that kind of paint. (I wish.)



The kind that makes your home prettier. :)



As much as I love painting canvas and paper, is about how much I hate painting walls.  But I really wanted my studio to be BEAUTIFUL!  And so it went… off to WalMart for some mint green walls.



I know what you’re thinking.  Why couldn’t she just use that mint green Essie nail polish she talks about all the time?



And believe me, I tried. But the amount of wall space to the amount of nail polish in a bottle ratio was waaay off.  And the paint roller didn’t fit in the travel sized bottle, anyway.



So as I was working, and taking photos, and getting drunk, I jotted some notes to share with you all.  Which of course I lost.  But I still have some unprofessional painting advice, if you want it.  Maybe you are rich and can afford someone to paint your walls for you.  For the rest of you, read on...





1. Prepare: Tape the sides of the walls/windows and use a drop cloth.  Even if you think you can paint a straight line, use masking/painters tape anyway.  I have popcorn ceilings, so I wasn't sure I could tape them (if you have them, you know what I mean.) Anyway, I taped them off and it worked.  I have to say that when it came time to pull the tape off (after the paint has dried), some of the little popcorns were stuck to the tape, and it grossed me out. It just looked weird.
As for the drop cloth, I purchased Valentine's Day tableclothes after V-Day for about 50 cents. The fact that I forgot to use them and now have paint puddles dried on my carpet is irrelevant. Or maybe it's exactly the point...




2.  Paint two coats. Use a roller.  Confession: I don't actually paint two coats. I'm way too lazy for that, and I feel
l like it's time that could be better spent. BUT I really believe the second coat makes a *huge* difference for long term projects, especially with darker colors.  The roller just makes the job easier, and makes the end product look better.




3. Work in increments.  I get restless and bored easily, so I painted this room over the course of a couple of days. Okay weeks. Okay a month and a half.  I painted one wall at a time, so that it wouldn't look weird when I picked up the brush again for rounds two and three.




4. Reward Yourself! You did it! Now eat a treat, and send me your photo :]

Spring Cleaning, Step 1...

I made an important decision last night re: spring cleaning, simplicity, home decor, and organization in general.

I have this tendency to become extremely overwhelmed with tasks, before starting them.

I procrastinate, because I don't know where to start.

I still haven't scrapbooked any photos from when I lived abroad, because there are thousands.

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Lately, I've been traveling a lot, and not getting much housework done at all. That, and I was really sick last week. And every other day, I've been working. Needless to say, I'm reallyreally behind.

Instead of (attempting ) tackle the entire house today, I made a list starting in the bedroom.

Of course, I'll share it with you.

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1. clean all laundry and put away
2. clean out closet
3. bring some stuff to plato's
4. and the rest to the women's shelter
5. move dresser #2 into closet
6. dust and pledge all furniture
7. clean out storage boxes under bed and desk drawers
8. organize electronics box
9. purge magazines (i tear out interesting articles and photos and file them for inspiration)
10. dress up bed with my new duvet set (i'm in love)
11. buy/make new curtains
12. vacuum thoroughly; moving furniture

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I woke up at five o'clock this morning and got to working. I spent the entire morning and night folding and putting away about ten loads of laundry, except for the 12 hour workshift in between. I even had my taxes done. :)  I also did some online shopping, including this great journal and these cool socks.


cheers to spring cleaning.

a tiny peek into my heart...

 
 





  


 
 
+all via

xo.

"She said she cried at least once each day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful and life was so short"

There is so much sadness, fear, war, hatred, violence, pain, heartbreak, and evil in the world. But if you create a life full of beauty, you can see through it.

I just really wanted to get that out.


Here's some peeks into the past week in my life:




Yesterday was so fun. We spent the day eating (mostly), talking, laughing, playing with babies (yay!), and (my favorite) ...making music! I sing, and Michael plays guitar and keyboard! :]
I love creativity in all forms.





Saturday was the craft show/garage sale... It went even better than I thought it would! There were soo many lovely and creative ladies there.  I was busy selling scrap packs (there are still some available) and prints all morning!  I also spent some time working on pola packs and samples for the shop. :)
PS... Dear Janel, Lindsay, Jamie, EmJay, Haley, Elsie, Erin, Will, Rachel, Carol, and Jenny, I wore the broaches that Janel made all of us, so you were all close to my heart! I miss you!




I've been working like crazy setting up the new studio... lots of late nights and early mornings...










Finally, I want to wish my girl janel a very happy birthday! You are a beautiful, talented, dear friend and deserve the best bday ever!

Hoppy Easter, lovebunnies!

Today is kind of a sad day for me, because my family lives in New York and I'm here in Florida, a little lonely.  I plan on spending some time with my good friend Mike and his family, though :)

Today has me thinking of my many blessings in life.  My family, friends, health, happiness, art, love.  Have a hoppy day! :)



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Playing Dress*Up: I <3 Geek Glasses.


A supercute fashion trend this year has been glasses.  Clear framed glasses, vintage frames, clear sunglasses, wooden glasses, brightly colored glasses with clear frames… you get the idea. 

Let’s celebrate pretty girls in glasses.











+all via


and check out my cute friend shelley...



and me! :)








drawing by my fantasticly talented friend janel


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This post is part of a weekly feature called "Playing Dress*Up". Each Friday, I post fashion-related ideas and photos.  Some topics include handmade clothes, accessories, shoes, body art, makeup, hair, home, and jewelry.  If there is anything you would like to see or you have an idea for a contributing post, please e-mail me at amylapi@gmail.com. See past archives of Playing Dress*Up here.

Spring Cleaning :]

My dear readers...

it's that time again!
You know... purging the old, reconnecting with the new, getting excited about simplicity.

I love it.

So, Saturday, my LSS (local scrapbook store) is having a garage sale, where everyone gathers supplies and sells or trades it with one another, going home with all new stuff.  What's that saying... one person's trash is another's treasure? :]

The garage sale couldn't have come at a better time, because (as you know) I'm in the process of redecorating my studio!  As I'm moving stuff around and cleaning out boxes, shelves, etc., I've created a HUGE pile of stuff that I no longer use. 

All supplies are in great condition (some have been used), and are really cute too!  I've separated all supplies into themed envelopes, and included alphabet stickers, chipboard, flowers, ribbons, 3-D embellishments, lace, pretty much anything you think of that would embellish a scrapbook, card, or art journal!  I'm sharing the supplies with you, lovely readers, before hauling it off to the garage sale.  Each envelope is full of goodies valued between $25 and $50, and I'm selling them for $10 each. This price includes domestic shipping.

Click here to purchase!