Friday Favorites | Week 001

(This is obviously a day late, but let's ignore the fact it's actually Saturday and pretend it's Friday)

(photo - instagram @mashleyvega)

Inspired by Tastes Like Love's "Start Your Week Off With..." blog series, I wanted to share with my readers inspiring posts or ideas I have collected from around the internet. People are truly the root of all my inspirations and I am constantly inspired by their honesty, creativity and talent. Here are a few favorites I'd like to share this week:

 #ABEAUTIFULMESS IPHONE APP
Um, seriously can Elsie + Emma get anymore talented? Surely you know their blog, A Beautiful Mess. Well now they have gone mobile and created a photo-editing app that will add that special handmade touch to your photos. I have only edited a couple photos so far but this app seriously makes me want to go back and edit all the instagrams I have ever instagrammed.

 

 INSTAGRAM'S ENVY EFFECT
Below is a preview of an amazing article written last month about the danger of social media's well-edited, filtered partial truths and the envy effect we all seem to suffer from it. It was a great reminder that life cannot be captured in status updates and that although social media is a great tool, be careful to not use it for comparison, but rather connection.

 TO WOMEN BY THE FLOWER CHILD DWELLING
A beautifully written article by Kelly Ann taking on the topic of feminism and women encouraging other women versus berating other women for taking a different route. Kelly references the incredible accomplishments women have made throughout history and the challenges they have faced and conquered. Kelly reminds us women to stick together, support one another and believe in ourselves.

photo by Kelly Ann

 WONDERFULLY MADE SERIES // POPPY THE BLOG

Kristyn started a blog series named "Wonderfully Made" to showcase and celebrate who we are as women. On her guest posts, she asks her bloggers to list what three things they love about themselves. I am in absolute love with this concept. We as humans are susceptible to focusing on our "flaws" versus our strengths along with viciously comparing ourselves to one another. This is a great series to take a step back from our short comings and focus on what makes us thrive. Beautiful series!

 THE LIGHT // THE ALBUM LEAF
Just listen and you will understand. This song will forever remind of the tv show Scandal (any fans out there?!).  It is beautifully composed and a well thought out piece of music. Enjoy!



Anything you'd like to share this weekend?
I think it is extremely important to share and support other individual's content and creativity! I come across so many beautiful pieces of work and I can't help but want to share it with everyone :)

See you readers on Monday!

Getting Inspired By: Third Floor Design Studio

Hi friends! Kim here from Third Floor Design Studio - a blog about interior design + all things creative.

As an interior designer I get the question, "how can I give my room a facelift without breaking the bank?!" a lot! Well, you see, design is in the details. The smallest changes can transform a space. I recently started a new series on the blog that solves this very problem + it gives you a chance to show off the changes you've made!

introducing >>>

I would LOVE to see you hop on over, say hello, and join in on the challenge! 

And a big thanks to the incredibly talented Melissa for having me today! 

___________________________________________

Kimberly is such an inspiring and creative spirit! Her talents don't just stop at interior design, but fall into photography and graphic design. Be sure to check out her blog to join the challenge or stay inspired :) Thank you for stopping by!

Featured Artist + Shop Owner: Katia of Solé

Welcome to another installment of the Featured Artist + Shop Owner series, where I hand pick artists that have inspired me through their art and businesses. Today I am honored to showcase Katia of Solé and blogger behind Kitty Snooks.

shop | blog | twitter | instagram

1. Tell us about the artist behind the shop! A little background about your favorite things, inspirations or quirks!

My name is Katia and I'm a goofball of an art student working towards my B.Des. in Illustration! Illustration may be what I'm aiming to do in my career, but my fascination with the creative world doesn't end there. I basically love... well.... everything that can be considered art - and I love participating in it too, even if just for fun! I'm talking music, literature, writing, fashion, film, photography, design, painting, sculpting, textile work, etc. etc. etc. etcetera. I also have an inexplicable affinity towards pugs and Star Wars (ok, it's not inexplicable - it's because they're freakin' awesome) I also really like to play Tetris battle, but I'm a sore loser and quit the application every time I lose. If I am not doing any of the aforementioned things, I can be found trying to convince myself to do some yogalates, working at a local patisserie serving up lattes and French buttery goodness or spending time with my room mate and friends and family.

2. How did Solé first start? What is the story behind the name?

As I mentioned in my last answer I have a keen interest in a lot of everything. So I guess Solé was an attempt at combining at least a few of these things and making them wearable. From this initial thought and after many prototypes and scrapped concepts, I finally landed on the designs I am now selling through Solé! I've also, as long as I can remember, been interested in selling my creations. When I was about 9 or 10 I made and sold friendship bracelets to my classmates to fundraise for MS. I made a good couple hundred of dollars and took many custom orders for colours and designs daily. I still remember my little 'orders' page at the back of my agenda! The name Solé comes from the french 'Soleil' meaning sun. Those of you who know me or read my blog know I have a sun tattoo, and that the sun is powerfully symbolic to me. (Do I sound like a crazy hippie artist yet? Yes? GOOD.) It has so much to do with happiness and the power of positivity, and I wanted a name for my business to be something that would remain important to me forever.

3. What is your inspiration for using wood as your media?

I love nature, and living in a big, concrete city, it's often overwhelming to have so little nature around me (though we do have a lot of parks here, but they're not exactly in my day-to-day commute or routine with school downtown.) I love working with wood as a medium in general (painting on, carving, building, etc.) and so finding a way to make it wearable was such an obvious decision to me. All my necklaces/rings/products are made of natural, untreated wood. I literally find a branch of the appropriate diameter, slice it into little medallions, and work from that. Don't worry, I'm not tearing branches off trees, I always use already-trimmed branches or ones off the ground. One of my sets of medallions is made from a branch I snatched when my mom's neighbour's silver maple tree died and they needed to take it down. Another was from my parents' backyard when they had to trim half of an Acadia tree that was growing into our house. It's fun to know exactly which tree and what story my materials are from.

4. You had wonderful jewelry pieces! Have you thought about making other kinds of products?

Perhaps... yes! I'm super interested in the world of up-cycled, eco-friendly fashion that helps reduce the amount of material waste we create every year. Did you know each individual wastes about 68 pounds of fabric/material every year? I don't know where this statistic is from (I assume North America as I heard it in a video regarding Value Village) but it's a scary one. I'd love to branch into that part of the fashion world and work on new products. I have a few ideas up my sleeve, and I definitely intend on working on them soon!

5. Having a handmade shop is a huge responsibility in itself, how do you balance that with work and school?

Yeesh. I don't even know. I guess I've made most of my Solé work enjoyable. I can take 'a break' from school work and make a few pieces. Or I can put together my necklaces while I'm watching a tv show in my spare time. I'm still getting the hang of it all, but I've been maintaining good grades in school, am working a new job, and keeping up with Solé somehow! So I must be doing something right. I keep myself as organized as possible with to-do lists, a binder with all my receipts and expenses, a spreadsheet with my spending vs. income, etc. etc.

6. What is your favorite part about owning your own company? Other tips for those who want to start?

The satisfaction that comes from seeing someone wear my product. It's honestly amazing. And I get all dorky about it still, like a friend walks in and is wearing it and I can't help but say "Oh hey, nice necklace ya got there." I wonder if I'll ever grow out of this habit, haha! I was also interviewed by a local university's news team for an article about student entrepreneurs - it was SO cool to read, and they referred to me by my last name, which was totally rad and professional feeling.

Tips for starters would be to not be discouraged by business starting out slow. The amount of blogger comments you get exclaiming their love for their product (for example) do not equal to sales, as much as we wish they did. And that's ok! It means you've generated interest, that's what matters. Same goes for craft shows. My first craft show was SOO not the right audience for my products, but I still got a lot of great feedback, met some fascinating people, and felt great about myself after! I like to look at it, for the moment, as an experience as opposed to a money maker. Though of course, it'd be nice to do both ;)

7. This is just the beginning for Solé! What can we expect in the future?

Wonderful wonderful things. I really hope to expand it bit by bit, and to really explore my options in terms of designs. I've kept it simple so far, but I definitely want to add to it and branch away from just jewellery (As I mentioned before!). I'm excited!

So guess what! As readers of Melissa's blog, you guys can get 10% off any Solé purchase you make in December, January, or February using the code MELISSA10. The best part? My prices are already current reduced for the holiday season, so if you're looking for a one of a kind present and are interested in handmade - I hope you'll take a peek at Solé!

Thank you for featuring me on your lovely lovely blog, Melissa!

Isn't she the absolute precious?
Thank you Katia for the interview and I can't wait to see what's in store for you and your art! Readers, be sure to snag some unique pieces for you or your friends. I am picking out mine as we speak! :) Check out more artists I have featured here.

001 >> INSPIRED BY

MON Nov. 26, 2012

quote | print | photograph

These are just a few things that are inspiring me this week//

- Focusing on the present

- Changing of seasons

- The little details that go unnoticed

What is inspiring you?

Follow me on Pinterest.

Boone: Bittersweet goodbye (for now)

Dear Boone,

Not many people can appreciate your hidden beauty, but every day since I first moved here four years ago, I have been falling in love with you more each day. You changed my world. You changed my perspective. You changed me. Who knew that a little town in the High County, whose population doubles when school is in session, could have such a lasting impact on a girl trying to find her way in the world. You may not have had the hip clubs, Target, student discount at the movie theater or the other million things the world likes to use to distract themselves, but you had heart. You had a culture of people that cared, cared about one another and cared about leaving the world better than how they left it. You became my home when I was 18 and as much as it hurts to say goodbye to my home, I think you have prepared me to take on the rest of my life. It is silly how attached I've become to you. After four years of holding hands with such a place, I guess it is really time to let go.

I thought I knew everything when I first moved to Boone. I thought I was just so "mature" for my age and knew everything about life, love and everything in between, but doesn't every 17-18 year old? Boy was I wrong. You taught me to stay grounded, become more patient, breathe every once in a while and appreciate the little things in life. You showed me a different kind of love. A kind of love that does not stay the same but grows. A love that involves much more than simply caring but respect, trust and understanding. You have put me in situations that tested my character. You let me make mistakes in order to learn from them because it is not the act of making mistakes that define your character, but how you react and learn from them that does. You enabled me to listen to the other side of the argument by getting off my stubborn high horse. You inspire me. You gave me opportunities to show what kind of person I am personally and professionally. Most of all, you gave me lasting friendships and gave me the courage, resources and drive to follow my dreams.

Not all days were good. Your winters realllllllly tested my patience. I admit to cursing your name under my breath every time I had to walk outside in your snow globe. Your winters are beautiful when I am inside with a coffee mug sitting by the fire, but man you were a bit brutal with your wind (admit it). But once you shed your winter blues and leaves starting showing their true colors, you made it all worth the wait. I can't even describe how absolutely breathtaking it was to hike your mountains and see the Blue Ridge Parkway or to feel SO close to the constellations, you felt they were in reach. You have been one heck of a back drop to my life. You let me understand the natural beauty of our surroundings. Forget those man-made skyscrapers or malls built to buy your happiness and find peace through retail therapy (although it does work temporarily). Seeing your inner peace and beauty every day has helped me to continue to find mine.
 
I have learned that we never stop growing ...and this is truly the beginning. I am not the same person I was four years ago and it would be silly if I was. It would be even more silly if I was the same person 10 years from now as I am today. Boone, you have helped me grow up and have led me to choose the path of greater resistance. There are no shortcuts in life and it is truly about the journey rather than the destination. I used to focus so much on the goal that I lost sight of the beauty about everything in between. You bring me back to reality but always made sure I knew my dreams were within reach. 

I still have a novel of things to learn, but Boone you have been one heck of a chapter. I will continue to write about you for years because you have been one of my true loves. Thank you for the lessons. Thank for your the change. You were everything I needed and so much more. This college graduate is going to share the beauty and strength you showed me and really make a difference in the world. I may not be able to reach the whole world, but if I can just change one life, that will be perfect enough for me. Thank for your some the best four years of my life.

This is only the beginning dearest Boone.
 Keep changing lives like you changed mine.
Plus, did I mention how kick butt your local restaurants and stores are? My goodness I am going to miss stuffing my face.


Now, excuse me while I go have a little emotional breakdown about moving. There a few happy tears in there, too. I promise. Like Dr. Suess says, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

Photo details: Photo was taken July 26, 2011, in Moses Cone off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Once upon a time my friends and I were involved in a local band. We went out for a walk about took some band pictures showcasing the beauty that stood right outside our door, literally. This was one of scenic photos. Isn't Boone a beauty?

Guest post with Kitty Snooks | "What inspires you?"

Here is another installment of "What inspires you?" where I asked my blogging friends to answer this question and share with my readers. You can see all the posts here. Today let's welcome Katia from Kitty Snooks! We met through the small world project last year and am so glad we have stayed such great blogging friends. She is an artist of all sorts and I just can't get enough of her posts. Be sure to check out her blog asap!

I'm so happy that Melissa asked me to write a guest post, and about inspiration of all things!! These past few weeks I have gone through a creative, inspired surge and it has been pretty gosh darned fun. I'm an arts student studying Illustration, so for me, staying inspired enough to do my projects (some of which are a bore, until I find a way to make it fun for myself!) is super important. I probably couldn't explain how this came to be, but somehow my eyes have recently been opened to even more beauty in every single thing around me.

Tea bag tags? Some have the most beautiful designs. Those two annoying words they make you type for word verifications? The potential for great imagery! The way shredded cheese looks when it's half melted on top of your soup? First of all, YUM. And second of all, super pretty! Here's a few photos from my past week that go hand in hand with how I get inspired.

Patterns are exciting, and beautiful, and I love incorporating them in my artwork. Patterns are also great for fashion, and photography, or anything else you might be interested in! Take a look around you, look at an every day object and see if you can make out a pattern! This stove-top (though in need of a bit of a scrub!) has the coolest geometric pattern that is really graphic and I think would make a great textile. Who woulda thunk it?

Texture is just as important as pattern to me, and often can be created in art by repeating patterns! Look at the three differing textures in this milkweed pod. How beautiful are they? Nature has the best textures around and I love trying to imitate them in my drawings. Tree bark, flower petals, a dried up leaf, animal fur, there's so much to be inspired from!

And of course, just having your eyes open for beautiful coincidences. Two or three wood-like textures put together? Things that are wonderfully shaped, the light that comes through your window at sunset and makes everything golden. Everything has the potential for beauty and to be inspiring, you just have to take a second to sit back and see it.

So take photographs of the things that are strangely, strikingly beautiful. Even if it is just a texture, or a pattern. These aren't meant to be photos for the sake of photography, sometimes it's great to just capture colours you love or something you can look back on later to inspire you. Don't want to lug around your camera? Take a mental picture, because some little beautiful things are worth remembering. :) 

xo Katia

Such a beautiful post Katia. Finding inspiration in the everyday, little things in life. You just can't beat it. Thank you for stopping by this little blog and urging us to find inspiration where you wouldn't expect it. That milkweed pod is beautiful! I've never seen one before :)

So I ask my readers, what inspires you?
If you'd love to do a guest post, email me! m.ashleyvega@gmail.com.
I'd love to work with you :)

Guest post with As Luck Would Have It | What inspires you?

Recently, I've asked several of my blogging friends, "What inspires you?" In a world of deadlines, papers, group assignments, textbooks, dates with the library, sleepless nights, lots of naps, caffeine, COLLEGE, I find a lack of inspiration at times. I never want to feel uninspired, ever and I hope my readers are constantly inspired by something everyday whether its from someone's outfit, a lecture, a blowing leaf or Pinterest. That is my goal of this blog - that you leave inspired. I'll leave it to my blogging friends to share with you what inspires them. Let me know if you'd like to do a "What inspires you?" blog post! Without further adieu...

Hey guys! I'm Kristin and I am the girl behind As Luck Would Have It. I was beyond honored when Melissa asked if I would be a part of this guest post series with some of her favorite bloggers and share what inspires me - not to mention excited because taking the time to think about my favorite things and being inspired is just plain fun. The only truly difficult part was where to start! I feel inspired by so many things, but the first thing that came to mind was NATURE. I love to be outdoors and hiking a mountain trail or hopping over waves as I walk along the shore are some of my very favorite things. So here's where the fun inspiration part comes in:

I want to be able to feel the sense of peace and quiet energy that I have when I'm outdoors on the days that I have to be indoors. We spend most of our lives in our homes, right? We might as well make them our happy places. I'm starting to get pretty excited about moving into a new apartment when I make my cross-country move to start grad school in the fall and one of the best parts about moving (if you ask me) is having a whole new, fresh space to make your own. In an effort to bring nature into my every day - even those days that I'm hunched over a desk for hours or what have you - I've been gathering pictures of some seriously beautiful landscapes and thinking about how I can bring a similar feeling into my new living space. To show you what I mean, I paired up a few of those landscape photos along with some great interiors that I think really capture their feeling without being too literal in their interpretation. Because let's face it...there are very few of us that would actually enjoy having a forest in our bedroom. Take a look!

What do you think? Would you be happy calling these nature-infused spaces home? I know I would. Especially that top bedroom photo...heaven.

Thanks so much, Melissa and all of you, for letting me share. When you have a second, drop by over here and say hello - I'd love to have you!

________________________

Thank you Kristin for stopping by and sharing with us your inspiration for your new home and incorporating nature :) There is nothing like a serene room with a touch of nature.

Guest post with Tongue Tied in Awe | What inspires you?

Recently, I've asked several of my blogging friends, "What inspires you?" In a world of deadlines, papers, group assignments, textbooks, dates with the library, sleepless nights, lots of naps, caffeine, COLLEGE, I find a lack of inspiration at times. I never want to feel uninspired, ever and I hope my readers are constantly inspired by something everyday whether its from someone's outfit, a lecture, a blowing leaf or Pinterest. That is my goal of this blog, that you leave inspired. I'll leave it to my blogging friends to share with you what inspires them. Let me know if you'd like to do a "What inspires you?" blog post!

Here is Danielle from Tongue Tied in Awe. I am constantly inspired by her posts and her wonderful design. Be sure to stop by her blog and say hello!

Ciao bella! I'm Danielle from Tongue Tied in Awe, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I get a huge amount of my inspiration from Pinterest. Now we don't want to start out our friendship like that, do we? ;) For me, Pinterest is a never ending source of beautiful photos, inspiring words, and design goodies. I probably spend way too much time on there, but it is so hard to resist. For you today, I have curated some of my current favourite pins. If you would like to see more, feel free to hop on over and take a glance at my boards here.

I am drawn to photos for a variety of reasons, but what usually catches my eye first is composition and subject matter. Merely changing those can alter a photo completely. I also tend to be drawn to photos that leave a little mystery. I love to try to guess what they were trying to portray - a lot of my ideas come from this process.

So, my friends, what keeps you inspired? I'd love to know. xo, Danielle

*All photos from Pinterest

Guest Post: Melissa from My Soul is the Sky

Hi, I'm Melissa from My Soul is the Sky. I was recently asked by Melissa, "What inspires you?" 

I find inspiration in all things cozy, comfortable, and with a hint of chic.

I love seeking out and finding new people, places, and things so I love to browse tumblr, pinterest, and blogs. I find a lot of my inspiration in beautiful pictures and always want want to share it with others.

I feel very lucky to live in a time where things are available from around the world with a simple click of a button. It's easy to explore and discover what beautiful things are out there besides what's just directly around me. It helps me know that there are other people out there with my similar interests. I guess the things that inspire me most are simply the beautiful people and places in this world.

Feeling inspired? Come check out my blog for more (:

Thank you Melissa for sharing :) Her blog is amazing filled with hair tutorials, fashion, everything beauty and overall cuteness! Not only does she have a fabulous name ;) but she is an absolute sweetheart. Be sure to check out her blog for more!

ALSO! If you haven't entered this AWESOME giveaway from Elgie Designs, you should check it out. Win a pair of crochet earrings and a crochet necklace? You lucky, lucky dog! Giveaway ends this Friday!

Tuesday Tunes v.4 | Josh Garrels

photo source: one // two

 

Close your eyes and think of the words inspiration, raw, hope and think of driving with the windows down, taking the back roads with the one you love most by your side.

That is how Josh Garrels makes me feel.

I've just recently stumbled upon this genius of a musician. I introduce to you Josh Garrels. I truly can't believe I've survived without his music for so long, but better late than never right? His latest album "Love & War & The Sea in Between" was released last year with the single "Farther Along" which made me first fall in love with his music. Just listen for yourself. I could probably talk your ear off about how inspiring I have found his music, but I don't want to bore you.

If you like the album, he even has it as a FREE download here.

So come on, go download it. Let his raw and inspirational music flood your ears, get into your veins and thoughts and let him change your music collection forever.

Also, check out this blog post I've stumbled upon where Josh and his [very cute] family are interviewed and photograph. A genius musician and a family man? Just. Can't. Beat. It.

*I'm linking up with Danielle of Tongue Tied in Awe. Go check out her blog, write up your Tuesday Tunes post, share some music and link-up! Danielle and I would love to see the music everyone is listening to!