Category Archives: Personal Things

Unexpected Time Management Tool

Posted on by
1

A year ago, I had a baby. Hard to believe! And with that little bundle came a tremendous amount of responsibility, necessity, and unfortunately, no extra hours in a day. Still 24.

But the funniest thing has happened. Lately, I’ve had a million gazillion things on my mind, including some pretty intense planning, reorganizing, and repurposing. My brain buzzes constantly and sometimes, it’s all I can do to sit down and make a To Do list. Except when it’s naptime. Funny thing, as I’m rocking Grant to sleep (three times a day, sometimes 30mins at a stretch), my mind slows down and takes a breather. Dark room, rocking chair, classical music, warm little body snuggled in my lap. And my brain stops. I can think clearly, I can prioritize, I can plan. And it feels less like a frantic tornado and more like a conversation with an old friend. Sometimes, I hang out in there a bit past what’s necessary because the inner peace is nearly intoxicating.

I never saw that coming. 30mins?? Do you have any idea what I could accomplish in 30mins? How many patterns are running around in my brain, begging to be drawn? How many phone calls I need to return? How many gaping holes in QuickBooks need to be spackled? But the truth is, if I did sit down for just 30mins, I would probably spend the whole time frantically planning what to do with the 10mins I would have left after my brain slows down.

So give me my little boy, a rocking chair, a dark room, and some sweet music and in about 30mins I will have a solid plan of attack for the rest of my day.

And some snuggles. Everyone needs snuggles. It’s good for the brain.

Passion

Posted on by
Reply

Lots of people talk about passion: pursuing it, living it, finding it, nurturing it. I’ve never considered myself a “passionate” person, but lately, I’m rethinking that.

I’m watching Shark Tank and…a secret… it gets me choked up. I see the passion, I feel the tension, and it undoes me. I feel for these entrepreneurs and I understand their passion. I feel the same way about my art, and even more so about these stencils.

I’ve said for a long time that I love money. I do. Yes, there’s an explanation coming! Money is a lot of things, but it is nothing you don’t choose. If you don’t derive power from it, money is not power for you. If you’d rather do something non-lucrative for an hour, to you, money is not time. It is what you choose, and I choose connection.

If you hire me, if you buy my stuff, you’re saying to me, I like what you’re offering so much that I want it in my life/house. And more than anything, I, Libby, want to be part of what is beautiful in your life. That you would invite my art into your home means the world to me. That you would listen to my ideas on your project is such an honor. Yes, I’m paid for it. But every dollar, every cent is you welcoming me into what is important to you. That warms my heart.

So I understand the passion of these entrepreneurs. They have a vision and they want one of these Sharks to say, yes, YOU are onto something. You are doing something right and I want to be part of it. I totally teared up when I wrote that. I get it.

Passion. Connection. It’s why we’re here, isn’t it?

Mother’s Day

Posted on by
1

Recently, a stencil customer told me a sweet story. She purchased a wall stencil from me, hoping to add some flair to her small apartment. Her parents came to visit soon thereafter, and while they were in town, they helped her stencil a wall in her living room. The time together, working on a project, was a welcome bonding time for the three, who haven’t been able to spend time alone together in quite awhile. After the wall was finished, her mom offered to use the stencil to create coordinating pillows! Now, when she looks at the wall, she not only enjoys the color it added to her apartment, she has a weekend of memories too. I love it!

My mother and I have always had a special bond over doing “stuff” together. It’s how we communicate, how we spend time together, how we have grown closer over the years. The things we have painted, sewn, constructed, sawed, hammered, and glued have bonded us with sweet memories. She’s taught me so much, and I credit her with my tendency to dig in and try new things. I love you, Mom.

In honor of my mom, and in honor of families creating memories through doing “stuff” together, I am offering 25% the purchase of any stencil, now through Mother’s Day (May 8). Click here to go to the store, and use coupon code LUVMOM2011.

Grab your loved ones and do stuff! As always, I’d love to hear about it when you’re finished. I can’t wait to see what you do.

A Poem

Posted on by
Reply

A poem I learned in the 4th grade has been on my mind lately, so I thought I’d share. Maybe it will inspire you too?

It Couldn’t Be Done
by Edgar Guest

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it”;
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.

Baby Mine…

Posted on by
3

If you follow me on Twitter, you saw the big announcement: there is a small person on the way! This has inspired countless hours of brainstorming, researching and planning. For parenting tips? No. For pregnancy help? Nope. For decorating!

I began my hunt in my usual shopping places and noticed a few things:

  • 99.9% of baby stuff is BROWN.
  • Baby stuff is very muted. Everything from Easter egg pastels to all shades of tan/beige/ecru.
  • Baby stuff is…babyish. To quote Stephanie Corfee, “I like a sophisticated nursery…an extension of the rest of your home. ” Animals with bubbly heads? No thanks.
  • If you’re having a girl, you have oodles of nursery decor options; if you’re having a boy (as I am), you have about 1/3 the options for bedding.

I took issue with all of the above, and determined I would make my own bedding (the defiant artist, of course). I wanted to be creative with the colors and theme, instead of pulling an insta-nursery out of a bag. I figured the only way to be creative was to do it all myself. I chose this pattern and colorway (currently available at Spoonflower.com):

I love the teal + baby blue + green + silver colorway. Then I realized: I’d have to sew. Like, everything. I can sew, my mom sews beautifully and taught me well, but frankly, it’s one of my least favorite things to do (and thus, probably won’t get done!). Isn’t that why God created glue guns?

While I was trying to come to grips with the massive amount of sewing in my future, my husband was searching for bedding as well. A little background: he builds model airplanes — the kind that are historically accurate and extensively detailed. On top of that, we both have a love for vintage. And what did Husband find? Vintage airplane baby bedding (I kid you not). The hunt is officially over!

I love the red + navy blue + sky blue + silver + dark yellow colors and the vintage flair. Way to go, Husband!

The nursery will not, however, be without a hefty bunch of DIY (I can’t help myself): Husband will be building several models to hang from the ceiling, and I’ll be building a Roman shade for the window. The furniture is white, the walls are a soft sky blue. I’ll probably add a red lamp and possibly a red rocking chair cushion for color punches. I’m looking around for posters of 1930s airplanes, I’d love to find a nice rug for the middle of the floor, too. Light, airy, but not too brown or too babyish. We’re excited.

Empowerment and Awesomeness

Posted on by
Reply

I love, love, love to see someone feel awesome about something they’ve done. Their shoulders square up a bit, the corners of their eyes crinkle slightly, and a hint of a smile starts to spread across their face. That’s why, nine times out of ten, I’d rather show you how to do something than just do it for you. Sure I can stand back and say, “Looks good!” But allowing you to have that moment for yourself? Priceless.

Friday of @Alluminare tweeted the other day “It has always been our opinion that our customers are the designers. We are the facilitators of design.” Hear that? Empowerment. Alluminare* provides a platform for anyone to be a great designer.

I have recently had the pleasure of judging a contest with Christopher Lowell**. I have been a fan of his for YEARS and you know why? Empowerment. He’s always showing people how to do cool stuff. I love it. Just watching his show will make you feel like a rockstar.

In conversations it’s often expected and/or acceptable to downplay your accomplishments, to not take any credit for anything. It makes me uncomfortable. Would you let someone talk about your best friend that way? Sure, there’s a fear of sounding prideful, but we’re all adults here, and we know when we’re being arrogant. What about genuine, unabashed pride in a job well done?

Everyone needs their own moment, their own moment to stand back and feel awesome about something. What are you good at? What have you done that makes you smile at yourself? Did you surprise yourself?

For me, recently, I’ve been shocking my own socks off with the level of detail I’m able to draw. I had no idea I had that ability! Now if I could just find smaller pens…

What’s your awesomeness? What makes you feel like a rockstar? Come on… Dish. ;)

*Affiliate. If you buy my stuff over there, I can get that new pair of Chucks I’ve been eyeing.
**Not an affiliate link. I just think he’s amazing.

Summer Lovin’

Posted on by
2

The lovely and talented Khristian Howell has challenged me/you/us to make a to do list for the summer. My to do list is typically 5 miles long, but I’m going to pluck out a few bits and commit to them this summer.

  1. Finish this tutorial series.
  2. Complete the plan for a new product I’m developing (super secret! super exciting! stay tuned!)
  3. Refine some current patterns; get my sketches up for your viewing pleasure.
  4. My usual end-of-summer task: another copyright book!

She started with 5, but for now I’m starting with 4 (I know, I know…). If When I get these done, I’ll add to the list! Summer 2010, here I come!

Offline Mondays

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t know about you, but my weekends are often just an extension of my work week. While I might not be working, per se, there are tasks that assume their place on Saturday and Sunday, leaving very little room for anything else. Having a home means keeping up with said home, and that includes laundry, mopping, dishes, grocery shopping, etc. These tasks have to be done through rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

I decided about a month ago to declare Mondays “Offline Mondays”. I know an independent artist who works in a cafe/pub on Friday afternoons, and another who is completely offline on Fridays.  Now that I’ve tried it, I am convinced this is the way I must do things. Here’s why I love it:

  • When I’m online, I often have about 5 tabs in Firefox open, Illustrator and Photoshop running, and a handful of chat windows asking for replies. Being the obsessive consummate multitasker, I actually enjoy this environment. Tons to do, flying a mile-a-minute through windows and screens and programs, making it all happen. Offline Mondays, sans computer, I am able to let my brain stop and breathe, and after about 11:00 on Monday morning, ideas I’ve been packing into the back of my mind begin to gingerly emerge. Baby ideas that aren’t strong enough to demand attention while I’m multitasking. It’s quite exciting, actually. I wouldn’t get to that part of my brain if I didn’t stop and let it happen.
  • I usually work on the weekend. Often I am timing loads of laundry with chunks of time for project management or creating patterns. Again, being a multitasker, I enjoy the challenge of a long to-do list and seemingly not enough time to finish it. I’m just not convinced it’s the best way for me to do things every day of the week.
  • I. Need. To. Draw. And I need my eyes for this. I need my hands. Being online requires both my eyes and my hands, so I don’t have a lot of focused creative time while I’m online. My creativity and drawing have soared since the advent of Offline Mondays.
  • My brain is so addicted to multitasking that if it’s not doing fifty-seven things at once, it starts to invent things to take up all that extra thinking room. When I step away from the computer, all that extra thinking room is available for new ideas, new plans, thinking through past half-ideas, and making coherent thoughts into plans. It’s like running through a field of flowers I’ve never seen. I wake up Tuesday full of plans, hope, resolve, and usually a handful of sketches. That takes focused time, time that is hard to come by at my desk.
  • Yesterday, I planted blueberries and grapes in my garden. On a weekday. When everyone else was working. But while I was planting, I was able to mull over a couple business ideas I’ve been ping-ponging around lately, and actually have a more cohesive plan. And I’ll have fresh fruit in a few weeks to boot!

Of course my crackberry is on the ottoman in front of me, and if someone needs something, I’m right there. But generally, Monday is the day the whole world is putting their head back on straight after a relaxing weekend, so I rarely have emergency calls.

Try it! Just once. Give yourself, your creativity, your brain some time to itself. I think you’ll be surprised at what the break will do for you.

Inspired in Europe

Posted on by
Reply

As many of you know, my husband and I recently went to Europe for a couple weeks. I was so, so, so inspired there. The ages-old artwork was astounding! I took a bunch of pictures, hoping to have a reminder of all that inspiration once I returned home. So many things I want to draw! And everywhere I turned, I saw patterns. Patterns, patterns, oh look! patterns! It was good for my artistic soul.

Here is a photo gallery of just the pics of things I found inspiring. There were no rules to what and why I’d take a pic; if I liked it, if it caught my eye, if it made my brain whirl, I took a pic. I tend to notice very small things, or very large things. My mind has always aligned the things around me, so sometimes, I’d just notice the shapes made by several buildings or objects all together, from whatever perspective I was able to see them. I hope you’ll enjoy them and feel inspired, too!

Inspiration Picture Gallery

Let’s Fall In Love

Posted on by
2

I entered the Spoonflower Boba Baby Carrier fabric contest with a new leafy love pattern. I would be so honored if you would please vote for me!

Here’s the pattern you’re looking for:

Let’s Fall In Love by lushop
Let

Here’s the link to the voting!

Thank you thank you thank you!