{creating myself}

resolve 2011 : challenge.

Resolution #5 : Challenge Myself.
Every day, every week, every month. Challenge myself to try something new, step out of my box.
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Some of my future monthly goals include:
* turn my blog into a book
* organize camera, films, and photos
* take a night class
* send five letters/cards a month
* take a photography workshop
* read 15 books and review them
* volunteer somewhere great
* crochet a blanket
* maintain an art journal
* blow up a favorite photo & hang it on the wall
*see sugarland in concert

I don't want to ruin them all in advance! But the best news is, I'll be sharing my goals, completed or not, here on the blog! Check back here on the first of every month. I sure love reading about people's goal lists (see this post here.)

new years eve!!!

The post title deserves three exclamation points since it's my favorite holiday of the year (!!!)

I'm hijacking my Resolutions Week (so fun, by the way) to announce a New Years special in my shop...



I have a few 2011 agenda books left, and I'm selling them in the shop for all you who have "Be Organized" on your own list of resolutions.

Read more about them and choose the one you like here.

Oh yeah, any planners ordered on New Years Eve or New Years Day will ship for free!



Have a wonderful night, be safe, and enjoy 2011 :)
I'll be back later with Day 6 of Resolutions Week.

resolve 2011 : simplify.

Resolution #5 : Simplify My Life & Just Say No.
This is pretty much an ongoing resolution, a constant item on the bucket list, if you will. It's more about what I won't do than what I will do.

It's also probably the most difficult challenge on the list, because it's the least measurable goal. You literally have to practice this resolution with each fleeting decision that you make. I've already begun trying.
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This year I realized that I have a huge problem with saying "no".
Not to drug offers or unwanted sexual advancements, but to commitments.
I tend to just agree when I'm asked to do something, donate time and products, writing guest articles, etc etc. It turns out that I'm so flattered and honored to be asked in the first place (the request usually begins with, "We think you are so fantastic and love your work blah blah") I feel guilty, unappreciative and well, bitchy, saying no.
NOW.
and this is important.
This is not to say that I will ignore any requests for giveaways, volunteer work, or collaborative projects. I'm just saying that I can't do it all. I have to limit myself. Be a little more picky and choosy. The goal is to go from saying yes to 100% of requests to around 50% of requests.
Just until they invent that cloning machine.

So this year, I'mma make like D.A.R.E. and "just say no".

resolve 2011 : health.

Resolution #4 : Feel and BE Healthy.
Was this a give-in? Probably.
Honestly, I make it a daily goal to try to make healthy choices. I eat my fruits&veggies, I work out, I sleep 8 hours, and I take good care in general.

But I could do better. And that's why Day 4 is all about health.
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Most important... physical exercise daily. This doesn't mean an hour and a half session at the gym nightly, because sometimes this just isn't feasible. It could mean yoga, zumba (holla!), or some one-on-one time with my Jillian Michaels Shred DVD. For some reason, I'm inclined to write "or a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood". But I've never done this before and probably never will. That just doesn't sound like exercise to me.

And of course, a physical exercise plan should always be followed by healthy eating. My goal is to cut out most processed foods (I've devoted a separate blog post to good food ideas and substitutions to the crap that we tend to put in our bodies.) and to do more cooking, especially since I got a new crockpot for Christmas! I would love for you to share any crockpot recipes you have on hand.

And for a better form of measuring, I'll be weighing myself weekly with a goal of losing five pounds. Then another five. And maybe another, until I feel totally healthy and satisfied.

resolve 2011 : moneymoneymoneyMONEY!

Resolution #3 : Create the road to financial freedom.
Oh, yeah... hello CHALLENGE!

You were waiting for this one, admit it.
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This resolution is three-fold!

One, completely pay off Visa bill. Self-explanatory. Pay a certain amount with each paycheck until it's paid off.

Two, create and stick to a a Student Loan debt payoff plan. You don't want to know how much debt I've accrued after seven years of college. Oh yeeeah I forgot it was totally worth it because three degrees later, I'm a hot commodity and the job offers are pouring in. (NOT!!)
What I meant to say was that I'll find a rich doctor in my field who will kindly offer to repay my student loans for me. (NOT x 10000!!!)
So yeah, I need a plan.

Three, find a well-paying job. Without it, well the first two aren't possible. C'mon, hiring lords. We can do this.

resolve 2011 : style

Resolution #2 : Create and Manage My Style.
This one is a little more of a challenge than yesterday's resolution. While I already have a "style", I would like to evolve and manage it effectively.

What does this mean?

It starts with creating a workable closet. Basically, this means purging what doesn't work, assessing what does work, and remixing items to maximize use. There is an amazing series going on right now by Kendi Everyday... very inspiring for those looking to revamp their own closets or style.

Next, I've ordered this book, Daring To Be Yourself. One of my very FAVORITE bloggers ever, Syd of the Daybook, wrote about finding her style through this book and of course I have to read it.

In evolving my style, I also plan on simplifying it. Confused? It shouldn't take longer than a minute to choose my outfit in the morning. By simplifying my style, I'm expanding my options of remixing what I already have.

Oh, and bookmarking fashion blogs, articles, clipping magazines, collecting style and outfit ideas and keeping a fashion journal? Check! I've been doing this for years.

Lastly, let's bring back Playing Dress*Up! Yay :)

resolve 2011 : creativity

Welcome to Resolutions Week at Creating Myself.
Read more about it here... I'm ready to get started!
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Resolution #1 : Do Something Creative Every Day.
I'm starting off with an easy one, since I already try to do this every day anyway. And also, it's fun.
This doesn't have to take too much time out of my day. The goal is not to make a book or a painting daily... it's just to do something.
Some simple ideas for fulfilling this goal... take a photograph. Crochet a granny square. Make a card. Write one sentence in a journal. Try a new recipe.

Another idea is to participate in the Art Journal Every Day challenge. It's a really low-key and low pressure challenge that my friend Julie is hosting. I won't be doing this in ADDITION to my daily creative thing, but it's just another option. Read about it here if you're interested in participating.
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Are you challenging yourself in 2011? Link me up.
See you tomorrow!

merry!

merrychristmas friends <3

Resolve.

Whether you are a new reader or have been around since circa 2005, you are most likely aware of my obsession with goals. I like to make a daily goals list each morning (you may have heard of a "to-do list"?) I like to make a monthly goal list on the first of the month (read three books, go skydiving, etc) and it also appeases me to make a YEARLY goal list, aka...


(whoa, focal B&W made me look like I have two different colored legs!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

No seriously, New Years is probably my favorite holiday of the year. Not because of the crazy parties and 48-hour hangovers (because let's all admit it, partying on New Years Eve is always totally overrated). But because of the goals! The challenges! The fresh start!

I know what you're thinking. "But Amy, why can't you just start your diet today? Why must you wait for January 1st?" And the answer is, because it's cool.

I just love the idea of a whole new YEAR. For success. Inspiration. Clean slates. Forgiveness. First chances. Mess-ups. Second chances.

This year, I'm gon' celebrate. With a week full of resolutions. That's right. Why should I stop at one resolution? I'm going to up my chances of success seven-fold. You know, in case I forget about the first six by January 2nd.
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First, a little preface.
There are two types of goals that I will be addressing through my resolutions.

Broad goals will be written in black.
These are the types of goals & resolutions that are measurable only by the life changes they produce. Dreamin' big here, people.
Measurable goals will be written in red.
When psychologists write a treatment plan for a patient, we call these "objectives"... something we can use to tangibly measure progress.



The fun will last from December 26-January 1.
Join me, won't you ? :)

I'm guessing most of you who read have already received my Christmas (post)cards so I can finally share them on here (I like the magic of surprise this time of year!)



Last year, I made Christmas cards out of this design. This year, I wanted to switch it up a little. I started by looking through some favorite Holiday shots I've taken, mixed with my love of simple kraft postcards, and voila! A star was born.













The backing is just plain kraft paper, allowing me to write personalized and meaningful messages to all my favorite people.



I slipped them into clear plastic envelopes that I found at a LSS a while back. These are the same envelopes I use at shows when I sell postcards.
 I wrote the names and addresses right on the plastic with a sharpie!





I hope you like them, and if you received one in your mailbox, I sure hope it brightened your day! Happy Holidays, friends.

I would love to hear from you!

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a new setup!

There is a Borders across the street from my house. It's perfect. I could take my homework there night after night. I could spend a Sunday afternoon curled up with a good book and a steaming latte. I've been known to blog from the cafe a time or two.

And now, my favorite neighborhood Borders is closing. Actually, this is the only neighborhood Borders. I'm sad! It was a cozy little hiding spot.

There is one good great thing about this store closing, and it's the fact that all of the fixtures and furniture was for sale. And I found the perfect table piece for my show display.





I've been looking for a 3D piece to display paintings. At shows, you usually only get a 6 ft table space to display everything, so it's really important to maximize the space as much as possible.





Oh, and how cute is Granny, the new spokesmodel for PLC? :)

be real : a new blog series

Thank you for all of your gentle and thoughtful advice re: personal blogging and for contributing to my poll. Almost everyone has voted for me to "share more personal stories" on my blog, plus one person who voted that they "don't give a shit". Which I kind of added as a joke (if you don't give a shit, then why do you read?) but hey, everyone is entitled to an opinion! :)



I've decided to add a new feature to my blog. I'll be sharing personal stories, photos, rants, the characters of my life story, things like that. It won't be advertised as anything special. It won't be any certain day at any certain time, just whenever I have something to say. Which, judging by the length of the list of blog topics I've been hoarding, will be fairly often. I just want to take my blog back and make it mine again! excited :)

Thanks for caring, and thanks for reading! It's nice to know that my friends are as interested in me as I am in you.

Anything you wanna know? Hit me up here.

helloooo christmas break.

From now until January 4th, I'm officially on break! If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that I have big plans of doing nothing, watching bad TV, revamping my blog a little, doing some crafting, a little reading, goal planning, and more of doing nothing. Holla!

In other news, does anyone watch US of Tara? I'm not sure if it's because I'm a psychotherapist with a special interest in Dissociative Identity Disorder, or just because I have a general interest in psychology and multiple personalities, but I love it! It's funny, witty, and interesting with amazing acting. I've only seen season two, and it was fantastic. You should netflix it... I watched the whole season in one night.

I also think it's really inspired (Tara is an artist and so are some other characters), especially the graphics and the opening credits. Check it...











I've also been trying to get into Dexter, but I'm not getting the hype. How about you?

I've been a busy bee lately trying to keep up with work (my day job is a therapist), shop stuff (my night job as an artist), graduation, friends and family, and oh yeah, the holidays!

I'm so behind, and it's very unlike me. Last year, I handmade all my gifts and cards in advance! So organized.

I wish I could say the same for this year, but no such luck. Anyway, I have created some new designs! Here, take a looksie.









I'll be selling these and more at the Indie Craft Bazaar and the Bubble Holiday Market.
Yes, back to back shows tomorrow! And I'm leaving Sunday morning for a 2.5 week vacation to New York.
holycrap.

Are you prepared for the holidays? I'm offering a discount to those of you who are on my team this year. It's good for today only and it includes 20% off everything plus a free upgrade to priority shipping for orders over $20. It seems only fair that we team up on this matter, no? I'll ship for the last time tomorrow morning. Click here to visit the shop.
eta the coupon code (derr) is LASTMINUTE.

and have a great weekend, whether you're scattering around the studio to finish making & wrapping gifts on loads and loads of caffeine, or relaxing in front of the fire with a mug of cocoa with extra marshmellows! (jealous! :)

re: the comments issue.

I'm aware of it! I get emails almost daily from readers who are unable to comment. I'm sorry! Of course I'm sorry. I've tried adjusting my settings, and I've been working with typepad to try to resolve the issue. But when the Typepad Help Team attempts to comment, it works for them. So basically there is nothing they can do.

(?)

Anyway. they suggested that any friend who is unable to comment send them a note and let them know that they have trouble commenting on my blog.

I was able to comment n your blog
in two different browsers, both while logged in and by filling in the
form.

Would it be possible for you to have the people that are having
commenting problems contact us directly?  That way you don't have to
serve as middlemen and we can get more information on their systems
from them directly.

Maybe if enough people contact them, we could get this resolved? I would appreciate your help veryvery much! If you have trouble commenting on mine or any blog, contact typepad here.

too personal?

When I met with Kara the other day, we had a really good chat. One of the things that we talked about that really resonated with me was how to blog “real”. Something I struggle with is being too personal on my blog. This spot started as a personal blog, back in 2005 (hey blogspot!). A spot to vent, an outlet for my creativity, a place that was ALL MINE. In fact, the name of my blog was “Creating Myself : unedited, uncensored, unscripted” I later dropped the subtitle and just left it at “Creating Myself”.

I think the main reason my blog became more professional, is because I did. My art became my business, and my customer base grew. I began handing out business cards at shows, with orders, and to stranger after stranger after stranger. It’s certainly become a spot for sharing new product, advertising sales, shows, etc.

While I love having my blog as a professional outlet, I really miss that personal outlet. A true effort will be put into bringing back the personal… unedited, uncensored, unscripted.

Amy



* I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Do you have trouble separating your personal & professional life? Do you blog personally? Do you enjoy personal blogs?

Do you enjoy reading personal anecdotes on a crafty blog (mine)?
	I love and look forward to them. Please post more personal stuff!
	I would rather see product updates and DIYs.
	I could give a shit.
* There are a lot of upcoming posts about personal topics, no matter the results of this poll. I'm just curious to hear your opinions!

thoughts.

I've been avoiding blogging because I've been having a really hard time lately. But that doesn't really make much sense, now does it? I've missed you! I'm going to try harder to use this space to express myself, happy & sad.

I've been meaning to tell you about when Kara and I met in NYC over Thanksgiving break (one of the greatest days of my 24 years, btw)...


here was us at first, kind of nervous but not at all awkward or uncomfortable...

We drank lattes and chatted a looot. Actually, we brought some scrap and journal stuff to play with (on the train and subway and through Penn Station and everything...) but we never even touched it. Suffice to say, we were gabbing like old friends.

Meeting blog friends in real life is so beautiful. If you've met blog friends in real life before (or if I've been lucky enough to meet YOU!) you know what I'm talking about. It's like visiting with a childhood friend. You read about them every day, you comment about their lives, and you remember little things that you might not even know about your IRL friends. That's why, even though I get tired of it sometimes, posting and commenting is so important to me.


we took a lot of photos.


some of each other taking photos.


and some using the self timer, which always results in a fit of giggles.

About Kara.

She is so fantastic, really. Talented, sweet, smart, beautiful, kind, and sunshine-y. She's the kind of friend that if you could pick and choose the people in your family, I would choose her. She posts no bills.





I love you, Kara! Especially for asking this lady for directions on your way home (I'm sneaky with this camera!)

lovely evening.

Friends are away for the weekend.

Boyfriend is working all night.

Family just left after I made them a delicious eggplant parm dinner (if I do say so myself.)

and now it's my time.



Check out that "todo list" next to my laptop on the floor, full of journaling and layout ideas. And I just had to buy this pillow, you know, for butt support.
Lovely.

Tis the Season!

In the spirit of the holiday season, and the generous nature of my friend Kara, I wanted to share this amazing cause with you.

Kara put together a charity fundraiser selling postcards by six amazing artists. How pretty are these designs?

Read more about the cause here.