Not only is the design + color cute but they are incredibly comfortable to wear. Doesn’t even feel like I’m wearing earrings. Plus I have super sensitive skin so the sterling silver is a huge thumbs up.

Sunny Yu also creates beautiful necklaces and other delicatly shaped earrings. Check out her shop here.

xot

Paislee Press From Where I Stand. Such a cool kit. Perfectly suited for my series of “from where I stand” shots I took while I was in Portland. The one above is my favorite and was taken in a comic book shop. Lot’s of cool local zines and inspiring art.

There are also journal cards that match the kit…FREE with the kit purchase until 5/19. I’m in the process of printing them now so I can work on my PL. I’m  not caught up quite yet but there’s no stress at all. It’s been a fun process so far. And it may seem like this PL in which I speak of doesn’t exists since I hardly show it but it does. That was another “thing” I wanted to shake off and that was the stress of having blog/gallery worthy pages. It helps move me along. That and the ease of using these digital kits.

Hope your weekends are full of good stuff.
Happy Friday.
xot

I’m not one that likes to be fussed over but it was a welcoming feeling this weekend. Jeff surprised me with a cake from one of my favorite local bakeries, the Flying Dutchman. They’re old school and that sometimes is a good thing, especially when they produce super moist flavorful cakes. They don’t dabble in trends such as cake pops. It’s just good old fashioned baked goods. Love that.

I think the best gift was waking up before my son and spending a little time reading and enjoying a cup of coffee. No tv, just the sound of birds singing their morning song. Seems simple but this rarely happens. Tyler gets up early these days and brings it full tilt until bedtime.

I used this time to catch up on a few books I recently downloaded, Steal Like an Artist and The $100 Start up. I finished Steal and loved it. It was more than I expected it to be. Good read for what I’m feeling right now.

I also reflected a little on how good I felt this mother’s day. Past holidays were a little tough since there was that void. But since reuniting with my mom last month, things have been really good and positive. I was going to leave this part for my Portland post but since it’s post Mother’s day, I’ll write a little about it now.

I was a little nervous but it didn’t overwhelm me. It helped to hang out and have a little fun with Jamaica beforehand and that’s why I had planned my trip that way….to have some time to myself before taking the huge step of seeing my mom. And I know I’ve repeated myself many times but 22 YEARS!! (ever see the movie Gross Point Blank? when Jeremy Piven’s character yells, 10 YEARS!! to John Cusack’s character…that is what I’m quoting when I say 22 YEARS)

Yep, 22 years. I know. We’ve been talking on the phone for the past 3 years though…sort of rekindling our relationship. It never felt like a mother/daughter relationship though. More like I was talking to an aunt or a friend. And anytime she would try to act motherly, I would dismiss it. Hell, she was gone when I needed her most and I’m going to take her advice and lectures now?

After Tyler came along, he soften my hard edges tremendously (+ maybe it’s me getting older too). My heart was bitter and wary. I held on to negative crap just to be angry which is just stupid and a waste of life. Tyler made me see the world and myself differently. I don’t know if he’ll ever know what he’s done for me….what he continues to do for me.

Back to the renuion. So the day came and I had requested no tears beforehand. She obliged but I could tell she wanted too. We hugged like a mother and daughter in the middle of the Ace Hotel lobby. And later we talked. We shared things we couldn’t over the phone. I understand a great deal now. Things that I would have never understood as a kid. I’m not saying it’s ok as mother to leave your young children but now I know it wasn’t easy for her or that it wasn’t our fault. The 2 things that always angered + hurt me.

We spent our day together in good spirits. I can’t tell you how good it felt to go do something as normal as shopping sales and eating lunch together. These things that people take for granted everyday. I never up until now had experienced this. Kind of mind blowing.

The day went by fast. She kept saying it was like a dream, having her daughter in her home. She and her husband watched me as I went through the security gates at the airport and waved goodbye until I could no longer see them.

We’ve talked almost everyday since then. She’s my mother now. Maybe she wasn’t then or maybe she always was but she’s here now and I fully accept that. I plan to visit again in the Fall and hopefully soon she can meet Jeff and Tyler. That’s the next big step, one I’m excited for.

I hope all  of  you moms, aunts, grandmothers and sisters had a wonderful mother’s day!
xot

I finally put up the new stamps that were meant to be new back in March. : /  This is just a small sampling…new ones are in the making. Maybe they’ll make an appearance in August? Haha…no, I’m going to be more present here thanks to the push you all gave me. I can’t let my fear or the excuse of being busy stop me from doing this, right?  : )

Hoping to have some new screen prints up in the next week. Can’t wait to get my hands dirty again. I moved my studio over the winter and never really got it sorted out so that has been a huge obstacle. Again, I can’t let that get in the way.

Happy Friday + a huge Happy Mother’s Day to you all.

xot

(1. Paislee Press lovelies 2. watching my guys rake the yard while enoying a read + a cup of Stumptown’s coffee 3. Night owl scrapbooking)

Did you all enjoy your paper + memory filled weekends? I spent NSD setting up my new printer + finishing the month of March in my PL. I’m that behind.

But, it’s coming along nicely thanks to a few things that have made my weekend + scrapbooking awesome.

I replaced my old Epson R340 with the Canon Pixma MG6320.  I love it. So glad I finally made the purchase. I have to thank Liz for enabling.

Speaking of Liz, her recent Paislee Press releases You Are Loved + On My Desk have been a huge time saver and inspiring my work like crazy.

(sidenote) thanks for your comments + emails from my last post. never expected that kind of response. much appreciate aka thanks for pushing me.

xot

Not exactly sure where to start. So much has happened in the month I’ve  been absent from my blog. A lot of good, some bad, some just….meh. I have several drafted posts that were never published. I had a really hard time expressing myself publicly through writing. I also question the entegrity of blogging these days. But I’m not going to start in on that subject. I really need to get over it and continue to do what I do here.

I was in a serious funk. Dealing with several issues within my family, having my papa pass away, unsure of who I am in the social media network and what I want out of Life.Love.Paper.

I have been busy designing and working. That’s the good. You can find the majority of my work throughout Studio Calico. From stamps to papers to PL cards and photo styling. It’s fun and I can’t complain.

My own brand is lacking though and that makes me feel like shit. Especially when I see so many others do so well in this market. But I know it takes a lot of dedication and hard work. I have a hard time consistently feeding social media outlets with ads of “what’s new” and “what’s to come” and I feel as though that maybe my demise?

I know I’ve gone in a direction that doesn’t suit me. I’m focusing too much on keeping up with the Joneses rather than doing what I LOVE MOST and that has made me really unhappy. It puts me in neutral when I’m comparing myself to these successful makers. But then it also fuels me. Inspiration is a great thing. Pinterest, blogs, etc…..it’s all good but it can really overwhelm you. I think I got sort of scatter brained and started working on things that made no sense to Life.Love.Paper. I wasted my time trying to come up with the biggest and best and new and that’s just silly. I lost my focus of keeping things simple and producing items that I love.

I feel renewed having just returned from a Portland. Man, what an inspiring city. Closing the browser and seeking inspiration in beautiful surroundings.Being taken out of your  everyday routine.  That is the best medicine for a struggling creative and it’s just what I needed. Add in a creative, like-minded friend and some REALLY GOOD food + coffee and call it good times.

Jamaica and I hopped from shop to shop, collecting fodder and ideas and laughs. So good. I’ll post more on our trip but wanted to sort of get back in the routine of blogging.

I’m here. Ready to take on the world again.
XOT

Hey guys! Long time, right? Well a lot has happened in the past 2 weeks but I won’t go all promo crazy on you today. Instead, I’d like to gift a little Easter printable.

You can download it here.

Enjoy!
Tina

(Printables measure 3×4 and are in PDF format. These are for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please don’t steal my artwork. Credit to LifeLovePaper is always appreciated.)

Because kit on sale now at the Lily Pad. 20% off through March 17th.
XOT

1. Love not only seeing art in progress but the same image in sequence//idea for a layout.
2. Replace draw with make//that’s me.
3. Toddler advice I need to read//quiet time for toddlers who no longer nap.
4. I can’t say that I’m a huge lover of pb&j’s but in the form of a donut, well now that’s a different story.
5. Color inspiration//pops of pink.
6. Light. Light. Shadow & light.
7. The wonton soup I made & put up on my IG this week//SO GOOD.
*added less ginger to the wonton mixture and a little more cabbage. also added soy sauce + Sriracha to the broth.
8. More color inspiratoin//pastel + pop.
9. Couldn’t be more perfect. (can’t find the original source. pin)

Happy Weekend.
xot

Last week my husband tells me he found us a puppy. Totally out of the blue. My first reaction was not of joy. We only just lost our dog a month ago and I just wasn’t ready to have another.

But.
We always said that we would know when we found “our dog”. It had happened with the last 2 and it was always by chance. My first, mama bear (official name Crystal) was given to me by my brother when he was in high school. I had already moved out but never desired to have a dog. It was pretty much love at first site when I saw her crystal blue eyes, hence the name Crystal. She was a little crazy but protective and fiercely loyal to me. She passed a few months after I was pregnant with Tyler. I’m sad he never got to meet her.

Then our second, Butters (official name Jesse) was the runt of a Catahoula litter. A person was trying to give him away at a garage sale. He definitely looked the part….so scrawny next to his brother who was already set to be adopted. She said no one wanted him. Well that was our sign. He was extremely skittish but a cool dog who only wanted to be loved. He passed last month.

Now our third….Max. Half Husky, half German Shepard. His litter + mom were rescued from owners who couldn’t afford to feed them so they were a little starved. He’s pretty chill which is nice since Jesse was always so alert and nervous. He reminds me a lot of Crystal….the German Shepard is what attracts me to him since she was half GS.

It took a few days for me to adjust to having another dog in the house other than Jesse or Crystal. He’s a cool litle dude though…..his charms are slowly creeping there way into my heart.