The Project

     Here I am, sitting in my new apartment. Home. It’s starting to feel like home anyway. I like to call it, "The Project". It’s been a fitting name so far. I’ve always been drawn to more rundown, in need of some TLC homes.

     
    My husband and I began searching for a new home while I was still in California. After searching Craigslist, we found one to look at, and I kind of fell in love, despite how dingy it looked. Before I knew it, it was ours. It’s a strange feeling to be so far away, and to know that you’re going to go “home” to something so new and unfamiliar….
 

     The apartment is right down town in Glenwood. The ideal location for most people apartment searching here. It’s in an old Victorian style home, separated in to four apartments, and another one out back. A situation I’ve always wanted to live in. Weird, I know.

    
      After my husband starting moving in, he sent me pictures to show me “just how bad it was”. And yes, it’s odd, it’s dirty, it’s small, it’s old. But, I kind of love it.
 

   
      Thankfully, I was able to spend a lot of time on the internet looking up cheap ways to update, create storage, and make a small space livable. I began to visualize what our new place could look like, despite the previous sad attempts at updating, the slanting floors, and old carpet.
 

      I immediately clung to the things that appealed to me most; the old brick chimney that is slightly exposed, the original windows, the pedestal sink in the bathroom, the white walls…these are my inspiration for creating home.
 

     I’ve had this weird thing for a long time about wanting to live in a more rundown place. Not necessarily a fixer-upper situation, but a place that’s livable-rundown...

     I think this desire comes from movies, you know, where the young woman gets her apartment in the city with exposed brick walls, old windows, charm. She finds herself in her home. I don’t know…maybe it’s not a movie. Maybe I’m just odd, haha. Either way, I seemed to have idealized that sort of life, and I feel like I’m finally able to get a taste of that in my small, mountain town. 

     I know this place doesn’t and won’t appeal to the majority of people. Here in America, the newer, the bigger, the better. But for me, I am perfectly content in my shabby palace, with the one I love.

     It's beginning to feel cozy and homey. A place to be comfortable; to come back to and call home.


    

DIY Deodorant

      The past few months, I've been inspired to really take this year to live cleaner and healthier. I, in no way, have this perfected and have a long way to go before I've reached where I want to be. Ideally, I would like to be able to make my own makeup, shower products, etc for a cleaner, healthier me.

     My first step, was cutting out deodorant. I know. Ew. But, it's been brought to my attention again and again how terrible the ingredients in deodorants and antiperspirants are, and I know I could go to the nearest Trader Joe's or whatnot and probably pick up a natural choice, but being the DIYer that I am, I wanted to make my own (run on sentence much?).

     So! Here is my shot at my own deodorant. 

     Grab a cute little jar, and make some for yourself. It's seriously so easy, and most of you probably have these ingredients around your house already.

     Are you ready for the secret recipe? Here it is! 

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
6 Tablespoons Corn Starch

Scoop in to your cute little jar, and give it a good shake. And bam! Your very own homemade deodorant. It's that simple.

     I apply mine with a cotton pad, but you can use cotton balls, your fingers, what ever floats your boat. It's inexpensive, and you're not polluting your body with aluminum and other unwanted materials. 

     I found the recipe on the Frugal Ain't Cheap Blog. Please check out her experience of this deodorant! 
     I have been using it for two days, and I definitely have a...natural...scent. BUT it's not strong, and I spent most of the day outside in the California sun and I can't really smell myself unless I am trying to smell myself. 

     I might try adding another scoop of baking soda in a day or two to see if that helps. The original source talks about having a natural "funky" smell, that will eventually go away as your body detoxes after the years of deodorant use. Fingers crossed that it works! One woman commented and suggested putting a few drops of lavender or other oil on a rag and putting it in the jar so the powders take on the scent. Might be worth a try! 

     What are some healthy changes you want to make in your life this year?

Number Eleven

     Yesterday, was my baby sister's 11th birthday! How is that even possible....

     Her special day started off with donuts for breakfast, and then we all loaded in to the car for a trip to the aquarium (her personal request). Here's some photos from our fun day!

     The only aquarium I've been to, is the small one in Denver, so this was a treat not only for the birthday girl, but for me as well. I felt like a kid in a candy store. Not gonna lie, haha!

Look at this cool floor! Doesn't it make you want to be somewhere warm and tropical?

     Let the journey begin! It's pretty rare that our whole family gets to go on an outing of this magnitude together, so of course we needed people photos as well as marine life photos!

From left to right: Mikayla (17), Silas (7), Mom, and the Birthday Girl Amelia (11).

As we're standing under this massive mammal, my sister says "Imagine if this fell on us...." Thanks for that image.

Don't you think he's cute!?

     Fun fact about me. When I was younger, I was extremely in to marine biology and seriously considered going to college with this career in mind. I took a marine biology course when I was around 16 and fell in love with all things having to do with the ocean. I was constantly checking out books from the library and fell in love with the beautiful artistic images of corals, fish, and mammals and decided that I wanted to be a marine photographer. As you can see, that didn't exactly pan out how I expected. At least it hasn't yet.

This little spiny crab is so adorable!

This is a real shark baby. It's due to hatch in February!

     Throughout the Aquarium, they had stations set up to be able to touch some of the animals. We touched moon jellies, rays, bamboo sharks, starfish, and anemones! 

The colors are so dreamy.

Jellyfish are one of my favorites. I wish the photo was a little clearer, but you can still appreciate their beauty.

So dreamlike and beautiful.

     Did you know that jellyfish do not have brains? And a group of jellyfish is called a smack? I will tell you, that they feel exactly like you would think. Squishy! "I shall call him Squishy, and he shall be mine!" There were a lot of Finding Nemo references on this excursion....

Parker (on the left) and his friend.

     Meet Parker and his friend. They had just finished a show with their trainers, and were soaking up the attention. After their handlers left, they continued to flirt with who ever was watching and posing when you told them how cute they were. I need one for my own, so if anyone is feeling generous...?

Me and Mom.

     After hours at the Aquarium, we decided to walk the boardwalk right outside and see some of the views. It was a foggy, gorgeous day at the harbor.

     We finished exploring and went to Panda Express for dinner and then Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour for dessert. Farrell's is an experience in itself! If you ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend it.

     This is a very popular birthday destination. My mom told us that growing up, you were one of the cool kids if you had your birthday party at Farrell's. When you walk through the door, you're greeted by friendly staff, appropriately dressed for the theme. Think barber shop quartet style. They ask if there is a birthday being celebrated, and give you a birthday sticker with your name on it to wear. You get a free sundae with a candle in it on your special day, and the staff pound the drum, blow the siren, and then they sing a song just for you. In the hour or two that we were there, we witnessed them sing to 20 that's right, 20 people celebrating their birthday! Yeah, we counted, haha.

Their menu is presented in an old fashioned newspaper style. So cute!

     We shared a mountain of shoestring fried onions dipped in plum barbeque sauce before we ordered our desserts.

The coffee passed my "coffee snob taste test".

     Amelia was a little shy about having strangers sing a song to her, but she dealt with it well (better than I did at her age!). The waitress came up with her staff playing the drums, whooping and hollering to get everyone's attention, and they sang and danced for her.

Enjoying her birthday sundae!

     The rest of us shared a peanut butter and chocolate sundae, and a banana split. I would have been completely satisfied had it been my birthday, and I know she had a wonderful time.

     Here's to another year of being your sister Miss Amelia! Big things are waiting for you and I'm so happy we got to share this day all together. Love you baby sister!

Reflecting and Gettin' Real.

     As my time in California is drawing to an end, I've been reflecting on the time I've spent here. I will fully admit, this adventure did not turn out the way I had envisioned 3 months ago....

     When the plan to move to California first sprouted, I saw it as an opportunity to do all that I've dreamed of doing. Spend every weekend at the beach, find local and cozy coffee shops, discover off-the-beaten-path bookstores, meet new and interesting people, wander around L.A., find some random restaurant that ends up having the most fabulous food. You know...the stereotypical SoCal experience that's always portrayed in the movies. But, like most things that happen in movies, LIFE tends to take a different course.

     But, I've spent these past few months living with my mom and siblings; an experience I haven't had in 3 years, and a time that I can't replace. I could say I've met new people, as my youngest siblings (age 7 and 11 today) were so young when I lived at home, and I've only just now had the opportunity to see who they are becoming.

     I've become closer with my 17 year old sister. A new best friend. Which is going to make leaving that much harder. I've had someone to talk to, someone to complain to, someone to adventure with, someone to be silly with. This is time I won't ever get back as I leave them here to pursue their new life, and I head home to pursue mine.

     I've been able to live with my Grandma again (after about 20 years!) and that is something I will treasure forever. We've had lunch dates, gone to the gym together, and spent time talking about life and my Grandpa.

A song my Grandpa would play and sing for my Grandma. It always made her cry.

   I may not have had the ideal experience I was hoping for, but we did discover an adorable Japanese General Store, visited an Asian Market, tried new coffee shops, and even made an evening trip to the beach on New Year's Eve.



     If I had been galavanting around constantly, I wouldn't have taken the time to get to know myself. I wouldn't have taken the time to pursue what I love, to write, to paint, to create, to play music....

      I would have been too "busy" to want to focus on a new study my mom, sister, and even a good friend have been doing an online. The women leading the group have inspired me even more to not believe the lies that the world can throw at me about what I love to do. Maybe I'm not the greatest writer or painter, and I'm not rich from selling the jewelry and other things I make, but it brings me joy, and if it makes me happy, surely it can bring inspiration to others. 

You can read about my "Becoming" stories here and here!

     I've learned to embrace me and who God has designed me to be. If you would like to join in the 8 week, totally free study, visit this link. The study has been empowering for me, and I think it will be for you as well.

    
     These past 3 months have given me experiences that I can't recreate from the movies. This has been real life; time that can't be replaced. Life can change so suddenly, you have to hold on to these precious moments.

     As life slowly begins to become "normal" again, I pray that I won't lose sight of everything I've learned about myself. I don't want to lose momentum with my Etsy pursuits. I want to be able to continue painting and writing. It's going to be a huge adjustment as I head back home to the snow, move in to an apartment I've never seen, find a new job, and rediscover my relationship with my best friend, my love....

     My husband will be getting here today with his best friend and my brother-in-law. In a weeks time, I will be loading all my belongings in to the back of our Subaru, and making the 12 hour drive home with these three. It's going to be a bittersweet moment. 
     I know while they're here, we'll be able to create some of the memories I've been longing to make while I've been on my "adventure". I will be photographing every day and sharing them as I find time. Here's to squeezing 3 months time in to one week of adventuring!

Do What Makes Your Heart Sing

      I don't know about you fellow artists, creators, DIYers, but a lot of times when I'm creating, I do it with the purpose of pleasing others. I tend to lean towards things that I know are trendy right now and that a general audience might be drawn to. And, I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with keeping your intended audience in mind, but only if  you plan on selling what you're making. 
      For me, I'm trying to switch gears in my brain. I'm trying to break free from the mindset of "following the crowd", and I want to make what makes me happy and inspired. Because chances are, if I like it and I am inspired, that someone, somewhere will also enjoy it! Obviously, this is how many people launch their own businesses and whatnot, but it's been something I've struggled with for a while. Create something I know will probably sell because it's trendy, or create something unique that may not be well received, but it brought me joy making. And the number one game changer for me has been to only make things that I would personally pick up in a store and say "hey! I need that!". A little taste of my own personal style you could say.

     I'm still a work in progress, but I find that when I do what makes my heart sing, my products are better received, and I'm happier because I don't feel like I've copied a million other people or that I'm trying to appeal to the masses. I've made something that is personal to me. 

     I would like to take you through a little bit of my creative process I guess you could say, and show you some of my newest listings that you can find here!

      I'm pretty sure that those who know me well, know that I love me some infinity scarves. When I first started making these scarves, I would knit one (with the intention of selling mind you), and before I knew it, I had finished it and was keeping it for myself. Yeah. This happens frequently. I personally own three or four of my own circle scarves now, and I have every intention of adding cream and black to my collection before it's too warm to wear them anymore! Hey, free advertising right? 
 
     My very first scarf was supposed to be part of a blanket. I had just started getting back in to knitting, and was making googly eyes at all the lovely knit and crocheted blankets I was seeing on Pinterest. I am an extreme DIY girl, and if I see something that I can't afford to buy, I will make it. Or at least...attempt to make it.

      This is what was supposed to be a blanket! I quickly realized, that it was going to take a lot of yarn to complete. So I knitted a rectangle, and then let it sit for weeks with every intention of finishing it. 
     One day, I was fed up with looking at this blue mass hanging from my knitting needles, so I finished it off and sat there staring at it. It suddenly occurred to me, that if I sewed the ends together, I would have myself a long coveted infinity scarf! And thus, the scarves were born. From there, I started posting about them on Facebook, and soon friends became interested (another great way to achieve free advertising!). One friend traded me a TV for scarves for his whole family! Uhm, win-win there!

You can view all the scarves I have available at etsy.com/shop/forestandseacreative. Also, check out my Scarf Happy post here!

     Imagine if I had finished that blanket. I never would have launched a "business" of my own if I hadn't started with that simple pile of blue yarn. They are what made me want to truly pursue becoming an Etsy seller. And hey, if nothing else, I have my own collection of glorious scarves just for me, haha!

     Jewelry has been an area I've struggled with the most. I know what I like. It should be that simple right? Wrong! This is where I have had the hardest time creating for me and not for the crowds. I recently made my first sale on Etsy, and that was a slight ego boost my friends! Especially since it was something that I wasn't sure how well it would be received. It was different, it was big, and was sparkly. And it was the first thing to sell! I cannot tell you how that has helped change my thinking about what I do. It just reassured me that creating with my own originality in mind is the best way to go.

My first sale on Etsy!

     Making this first sale gave me the motivation to continue doing what I love. It inspired me to create a second, similar piece.

I am obsessed with these harem style bracelets!

     I had this deer charm sitting around for so long. It's when I let go, and let the piece create itself in a way, that it all comes together in a magical way. I know it's not everyone's style, but I love it so much!

   A recent trip to Hobby Lobby, in search of a birthday gift, quickly turned in to a shopping-for-myself trip (anyone else do this?). I will admit, that I did not come home with a gift. I came home with supplies for myself. Yeah. Uh huh. It happened. But, just look at these darling feathers! Can you blame me?

I bought these purple/floral beads years ago and have never found the right project for them. It got to the point where I hated the sight of them because they had been around for so. long. Clearly, because they were waiting to complete these earrings! Sometimes I think the pieces just know what they're going to become one day.

I adore these white and pink speckled beads! They remind me off tiny eggs. And those turquoise glass beads? Love this combo!

      I know I'm doing something right, when I sit down to make something and there isn't the slightest hesitation in my mind. Everything flows together in a magical way, and the pieces are created effortlessly. I know I need to take a break and reevaluate what I'm doing if I've hit a creative roadblock. 

This gorgeous turquoise color is just speaking to me lately. And there are those speckled "egg" beads again!

     
     Sometimes when I'm out shopping for supplies, I see something and I instantly know what I'm going to do with it. That's how it was with these metal Indian head charms. And also, with these cute, geometric wooden beads.

I love the natural feel of wood. It's simple and beautiful. How about those speckled beads again though? Haha.

     These little treasures were another one of my birthday-gift-shopping-but-shopping-for-myself finds. Can we just talk about how cute these are for a minute? Please? They are so tiny, to minimalistic, so adorable! And the best thing, they came in a pack of about twenty, so there are endless possibilities here! Suggestions for the next project?

     My bird nest jewelry has been my "best seller" through friends and family. I've made rings, earrings, and necklaces. This was my first stab at a bracelet. And I am in love with the leather/wire combination! This was time consuming. Probably the most time I've spent on a single project. Mostly because it was a trial and error project I think. I've had the leather cord for quite a while, and every time I've attempted to make a bracelet or necklace out of it, I've hated the outcome. This one came together pretty effortlessly as far as design. It was simply the assembling that took some brain power, and creativity, and left me with sore fingers afterwards!

I love the contrast between the delicate wire, and the more masculine leather.

     I will say, my "Eternity" bracelets were definitely inspired by other sellers. I have longed for one for quite a while, and have tried making my own and just wasn't happy with it. Somehow, this happened. And I think it it absolutely darling! Ideally, I wanted a more delicate looking bracelet, but I'm quite happy with the results, and even made one just for myself which I wear on a daily basis.

     For now, I am content with what I am making. It's inspired by my heart and what makes me happy, and I want people to feel that when wearing my pieces. Each item is made with love! I am looking forward to branching out, and moving up, and getting the chance to work with more materials, and creating higher quality products. That won't be tomorrow, but I know it's coming and I am excited to see where this adventure leads me next!

What words would you use to describe my style? Please comment below or head over to the Forest and Sea Creative Facebook page and leave your words! And as always, if there is something you would like to see, I love suggestions!