when i look at a blank canvas my initial thought/feeling is straight up fear. my insecurity rises to max capacity as i think about the cost of materials, lack of knowledge and know how, what the heck am i going to paint and the preverbial, why? why am i even doing this? however, as each color is laid to rest on the canvas, is squeezed out and smeared i find my heart slowing down and my joy meter rising. not because i've created anything fabulous or even something i like. it's

i have been working hard to play more. even writing that sounds strange. when do things shift in our life that we need to schedule in time to "play"? it's probably when the stress of bills, marriage, friendships, work, school, etc. start screaming for our attention. Or even worse, when our inner voice starts mocking you for dreaming, thinking outside the box, or believing in something bigger. playing for me, right now, looks like going into the studio and making a mess, putti

one of my most favorite things about what i do is who i am able to work alongside. namely, my sweet lilly jane. if i am painting, crafting, or even in the rare chance cleaning our craft room and she is home, she is right there with me. i have often said, she has more creative inspiration in her pinky finger than i do within my entire being. she, however, hasn't recognized it yet. more times than not, she sits in awe of me and whatever i am working on as i simultaneously

stepping out of the comfort zone is hard. i like cuddly, warm, predictable. however, sometimes the cuddly-warm-space starts to become too warm and instead of feeling safe in a cuddly embrace you begin to feel claustrophobic and constricted. worse yet, you can begin to feel as though your very breath is being taken as you begin to suffocate by what once was your "comfort". it's also known as growing, maturing and we all must experience and walk through these seasons in our

i can't help but giggle a bit at the above piece of art. at first glance, you may think it was designed with a trend in mind. well, i'm not gonna lie, it was, sort of :) but it was a trend i can get behind as it was created out of an expression of our families story. our call to listen to our hearts and to find love. but mostly, i giggle because lilly (my hand model) is wearing blue nail polish. as i was working the piece i debated about photoshopping out the color and

to follow is my latest article, Give a Girl a Glue Gun over at LTD Commodities in their Designer Showcase. i am one lucky girl to be working with such a great company! i adore crafting with my kids. The priceless time spent around our craft table with scraps of fabric, paper, buttons, paints, crayons, and glue guns—alongside the endless imagination of my children—never ceases to amaze me. Throughout the years, our family crafts have evolved from scribbles on a scrap piece of