Naturally Optimistic

I just found this website courtesy of the Yahoo home page & I love it! How inspiring! I wish I could be so talented with thrift store finds & clothing (in general). How fun to turn something bleh into something fabulous!? I'm going to bookmark this page & go back & check out all of her clothing. Maybe it will inspire me to do....something with my sewing machine!

Every so often I go through other people's links and find some new inspiration. There was no shortage this year, & I didn't really look very far. Anyway - some new blogs that I've been enjoying & that have been inspiring me so far in this new year. Soule Mama (courtesy of Minnesota is Heaven ) Under the Tulip Tree How About Orange The Purl Bee Take a while to browse & become inspired yourself! There are some amazingly creative & talented people out there.

I've been really inspired lately to create. It's been a while...what with moving & packing & all that....I haven't had much time lately to create (yeah, I know I have a creative job - that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about using my hands & getting dirty). I sent off my yarn to my parents house in an attempt to clear the clutter while we were showing our old house. I packed up my fabric and sent it to my mother-in-law's house. My stacks of paper are in boxes currently in the garage and I have a new desk to work on...but it's not here in the house yet. I'm frustrated because I'm so full of creative energy right now. Frustrated because I'm so busy with trying to get the new house in order, the old house in order & keeping a very busy company afloat too. But anyway - I've spent this evening watching the football game, and when that gets boring, I pull our the lap top and have been searching Flickr for inspiration...

I've added a few more links to blogs I've been frequenting lately. These are amazing, inspiring, creative women and I love reading about their lives, seeing their creations and feeling a litte bit a part of their community. Check 'em out! Hello, My Name is Heather - amazing photography, sewing, fabric design, crafty goodess and adorable children Tree Fall Design - More crafty/sewy (?!) goodness and another adorable child to boot. Very inspiring. Little Shika - A fabulous quilter & she really really makes me want to learn that art. Great stories too. Pixiegenne - found via Little Shika - very creative & another inspiration to add to my list. Great ideas & photos. Piddleloop - Knitting, softies, crafty goodness. So much fun! Fricknits - More knitting and great writing. When I'm feeling low I can visit any one of these websites and gather inspiration and spirit to pick me up and get doing something again. A lot of these talented women have Etsy shops and ...

When I'm feeling very blah or down or unenthused about what I'm doing, I visit certain websites which always lift my spirits and inspire me to get back to what I love to do - create! I find that I can read the lovely words written by these ladies (and occasionally men) and the photos fill me with delight and the projects make me want to bust out all of my crafty supplies at once and fill the kitchen with fresh baked goods wrapped in beautiful packages. Sometimes it's hard when I walk down these avenues because I am generally in a place where I cannot immediately run to my "craft room" (currently a card table in the den but soon to be an ACTUAL ROOM!!) to start a project. Often I can't wait til that last minute on my "work clock" when I can rush home and work on something between the magical hour of getting home from work and making dinner. These are some of the sites that have been inspiring me lately. Thank you. AfricanKelli - for amazing baked goo...