Lost

I snapped this photo a few months ago, and I have been waiting for the perfect chance to use it here. The past month has been tough around these parts - nothing bad, trust me, but July has been a challenge on many fronts. I'm coming out of the fog, slowly.

Giveaway winner!!

Hi Friends. I've been under the weather for the past few weeks - I am so sorry that this is late! The winner of my print in commenter #4 - MissM! Miss M, please contact me to let me know how you want this sent to you. Thanks everyone for playing along. This print is now available in my shop.

Keep it Simple: a new print and a giveaway!

Back in design school, one of our instructors used to like to refer to the KISS principle (Keep it simple, Stupid). In design, the most simple solution is usually the best, even though not always easy to get to. I learned this lesson over and over while in school and later in my work.

I'm finding that the principle applies to my life more and more as the layers of my life grow more rich and numerous. Simplify, simplify, simplify. The only way I have been able to manage all of the layers of my life is to start by managing my expectations. Not that I always succeed - my natural tendency towards perfectionism is a hard one to beat down.

For me simplifying does not mean settling for less. It just means that I simplify the parts of my life that I care less about (making meals, cleaning house) so that the parts I care about most (time with my family, and creativity) can be more full. Par exemple: Meal planning and prep used to take up a buttload of my time. Eating healthy is uber important to us but I hate the planning part of making menus and lists. Recently I spent an afternoon making 4 different weekly menus with accompanying shopping lists and we just rotate them during the month. It is so simple, and now we rarely have to think about what we are eating.

I honestly made this print as a reminder to myself - it is going to hang right there over my desk. But I decided that if I were going to look at it daily I didn't want it calling me stupid, and my guess is that most people don't want to be called stupid either.

And now the fun part! I'll be giving away one of these prints on July 13. To be in the running, just leave a comment below and let me know how you Keep it Simple in your life, or even if you are struggling to keep it simple, or prefer keeping it complicated. Whatevs! The winner will be picked at random and announced right there!

Goofus

Because when Monday sneaks up on you, and you have nothing prepared for your blog, but you are feeling committed to NaBloPoMo - you post another vintage Welk video.

the crap in my purse: a list

drikab honeycomb jute pouch $29 by Dirka B on Etsy

There was a time not too long ago when I used to carry a really small purse. My coworkers used to chuckle at how small it was. Life was simple. All I needed in my purse was my wallet and cell phone. Then I became a mom, and it was a total purse game changer. Digging for my cell phone the other day, I was the one who had a good chuckle. Here's what now lives in my oversized handbag:

1. ipod touch

2. bag of cheddar cheese sticks (old)

3. a power bar

4. gum

5. mentos

6. lipstick

7. small sketchbook

8. crayons

9. ink pens

10. keys

11. paperclips

12. a pair of socks

13. m&ms

14. immodium-AD

15. alka-seltzer tablets

16. tylenol

17. hand sanitizer

18. kleenex

19. antibacterial wipes

20. sunglasses case made by my grandma in 1970

21. a random USB cable

22. recipe for bread pudding made with Top Pot donuts

23. reusable shopping bag

24. lotion

25. lint and crumbs

26. large water bottle

27. a baby doll named Pink Harvey

28. cell phone

drikab orange volumes jute basic tote $72 by DirkaB on etsy

Favorite Things Friday: Party City

This week has flown by. Here are few of my favorite things from this week. My once a year helping of Extra Crunchy Cheetos I ate at my kiddos birthday bash. The half-finished stretch Geo Metro I saw driving down the road. The leftover chocolate birthday cupcakes we enjoyed all week long (while watching Mad Men Season 4). The 100 kraft folders that arrived in the mail that are part of my new organizational system - I know, it doesn't take much to excite me these days. The Japanese stamp set that I am eagerly awaiting (to stamp the kraft folders). It comes in a tiny wooden suitcase, need I say more? And the two gray haired clowns driving a minivan behind me the other night. They were just driving along, having a conversation with their fake plastic noses bobbing, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Etsy Wednesday: Front Page!

A big thanks to my friends over at Half Pint Salvage for including my Love in A Trash Can print in this treasury that was featured on etsy's front page a few days ago. And a Hello! to all the folks who are visiting here for the first time.