Book Recommendation: Pitch Perfect by Bill McGowan

“The one thing you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.” — Neil Gaiman

Highly recommend this quick read written by Bill McGowan, former host of the TV show “A Current Affair.” It debunks a few prevailing communication tactics – the same ones that often left me a little nauseous! [The Gaiman quote above opens chapter 4.] #amreading #recommend #ad #amazon #communication #words

What I Designed Today: Inspirational Quote – Life is the Ultimate Sport

I created this motivational quote because I love the quote. It’s true! Running has taught me so much about life. It’s a great quote from Mark Lauren’s 2012 book entitled “Body by You: The You Are Your Own Gym Guide to Total Women’s Fitness”.

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Creative Commons Yosemite” by Jonathan Fox is licensed under CC BY 4.0; Derivative photo editing and typography by Lizabeth Rolfson.

Recent Design Work: RunHaven

So a few months ago, I started writing articles and designing daily inspirational quotes for runhaven.com.  I also helped with their style guide.  It’s a new site from a new social media company out of Australia called MOKO Social Media.  I think they’re going to go places, so be sure to check the site out and I hope you feel, well, inspired!

 

 

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Write It On Your Heart

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Another favorite quote sign that I have hanging in my home (a Goodwill find!): “Write it on your heart that the ones you love are life’s most precious gifts.”

Inspiring Gardening Quote

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ALL THE FLOWERS OF TOMORROW ARE IN THE SEEDS OF TODAY.

I bought this because it is one of my favorite gardening/life analogy quotes. I also love the one that says, “You can’t tell the quality of the soil until you plant the seed.” So profound. I think of my kids and friends with that one, as well as sharing the gospel. Hope you like it as much as I do!

Motivational or Inspiring Quotes

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Anyone who knows me knows that I ADORE great quotes. I picked up this sign in Omaha when I bought the other sign posted about here that seems to have sparked a nerve on Pinterest and has been repinned by so many. Since that one was so popular, I thought I’d share this one as well.

Addicted to Pinterest

It’s almost better than reading books and much more instantly gratifying:  Pinterest.  I love this site.  It’s the new method of flipping through magazines for ideas and putting them all in one place:  quotes, decor, motivation, design ideas, garden ideas, etc.  Now if I could only get OFF pinterest and start working on my own abode…I’m still planning, okay?! This is everything I love all mixed in one.

Scandinavian Design – Lots of White!

I’ve always claimed that I would love a really white house. With padding. White walls with padding…some days that would be a vacation, no? Well…I know there are so many more important things in life but lately with trials small and large, I’ve been trying to learn how to just breathe and these rooms just feel like a clean, organized sigh of contentment. I thought I’d share. I may never see this much organization or cleanliness again in my life so I have to enjoy the pictures when they come. Don’t get me wrong. If my house wasn’t messy and unorganized, I wouldn’t have my family…and I love my family so the rest of it is welcome. Most of the time. But if I EVER need to be institutionalized…please…refer to these photos. God bless those Scandinavians – they do have a wonderful sense of aesthetic. And it does something to lift the mind and spirit, you know? Be sure to click on the pictures to visit the actual blog. It’s chock full of visual goodies.

Link Love & Giveaways for a Rainy Wednesday

It’s a wonderfully rainy day in Houston today and I have lots on my plate. Mainly getting my office straightened up – still – so I thought I’d just share with you some wonderful links including great ideas and giveaways. Hope you enjoy them! They’re from some of my favorite sites to visit when the need for inspiration strikes.

Grosgrain Fabulous always offers the most beautiful creations. Now she’s offering a poppy boutonniere, but even if you don’t win, there’s always the tutorial on how to make the beautiful things. Click on her link and be sure to check out the blue one attached to the pillow – gorgeous!

Dudecraft made a bookshelf from an old ladder – I don’t know how practical this would be with children shaking walls and all but it looks fantastic, doesn’t it? And oh so clever. I love repurposed things.

So I’ve been searching for what to put in my kids’ lunch boxes other than the usual fare and I ran across this idea from Bakerella (isn’t that site wonderful?!): pancake muffins. With chocolate chips. Sounds like something my kids would eat and it’s not quite as sinful as a full-on brownie for lunch. Sometimes you do whatever you can to get calories in a child or they would not eat at all.


If you have thousands of extra dollars, be sure to check out Get Back‘s website full of beautiful vintage chairs, tables, you-name-it. It’s a fun reminiscent kind of thing and the restoration of the items has been just lovely. It would be kind of nice to step back in time…but we probably wouldn’t appreciate it like we don’t appreciate our current design trends. Anyway – it is surely fun to look around the site!

The Long Thread has this adorable little house pouch. I just love this cute design.

Design Sponge has the cutest lunchbox creation. And it actually looks like something I could do! But I’m not sure if it’s something any of my B-O-Y-S would carry to school or use. Maybe if I made a camo lunch box out of other repurposed fabric. But I do love this notebook version.

Wool & Hoop make the cutest crewel-work kits. The only crewel thing about it (ha! I crack myself up!) is that I don’t do crewel work. But the work is just gorgeous, no?

Artist Jeni B. Gochnour makes adorable festive fall and Christmas holiday items, doesn’t she? What great faces these characters have!

Cathe Holden of Something I Just Made created these items from pictures of a cherished quilt. What a great way to remember the quilt in a more permanent fashion.

There. I think that’s enough browsing for today. Hope you enjoyed some of the links!

Susan Boyle – Very Inspiring!

Embedding is not allowed so here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Thanks for the link, Robyn via Facebook. Very inspiring 7 minutes. I hadn’t heard of this before! Fantastic stuff. I’d like to replay this one over and over again…

Inspiring Posters for Trying Times

I originally posted about the top photo from Cookie here. First spotted on the Cookie website, there was “Keep calm and carry on.” Now there’s “Make do & mend.” Common sense with a visual reminder. Great for the times we are living in. Make do & mend originated with Bold & Noble but spotted on Decor8.

Pretty Southern Living Pics

A couple of pictures to inspire you. Both are from Southern Living. Perhaps I’m looking to be inspired and/or anxious for my move South to be over with.

Cookie Mag’s Fave Homes of 2008

If you’re looking for inspiration in 2009 – just look at these homes from last year, from Cookie Magazine’s blog. The winner, Stephanie Nielson (of NieNieDialogue fame) seems to be recovering well from her infamous airplane crash (details here if you’ve never heard about it). Just thought a refresher course in these gorgeous pictures from the Cookie nesting blog would be inspiring!

Gorgeous, Inspiring Sites!

I had never before seen The French Garden House. I normally like much more spare design but it is so very lovely.

I wish I spoke or read Norwegian because here are two design sites that I discovered today. I love Danish and Norwegian design because they use what they have and it is spare and somehow still is very, very pretty. Clears the mind. Check out the two sites here and here.