{too pooped to party}

{if you like cowboys...}

PHOTO BY REE

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman

...I'm switching gears so fast your heads will be spinning....

...THIS is the funniest blog I've ever read. I've been keeping up with her for the last few weeks, and now I am sharing her with you. 

You have to give her a chance...I know it's different than the things I usually blog about...but honestly, Ree is the funniest women I've ever heard{read?} — and her blog is also sweet and inspirational. She features her cowboy husband, her children, her animals, ranch life, great food, and beautiful photography{her own}. She even shares great "how-to's" for photos. 

And I have NEVER, I mean NEVER, seen so many people comment on a blog, EVER! The comments run in the 100's for just one post. I've even seen posts with 1000's of comments! Amazing. You really should give her blog a read. It's just so unique. You will find yourself checking back in every day.

This is one of my favorites posts, but they're all wonderful: read about her love affair with Marlboro Man, a real cowboy and her husband, and how they met. She has regular contests, too, like coming up with a caption for a photo, or voting for Miss Mustang 2008. It's just great fun...and you come away feeling a real connection with Ree and her family. 

Thank you, Ree!

Anyway, just wanted to share some of my joy. ~ J

{princess dreams}

                 photos courtesy Style.com

I promised more Lacroix photos and here they are. These are ready-to-wear and couture lines for Spring 2008. I think he is a master of color! I could just weep when I look at his clothes! And I love the multi-hued stockings and the zebra shoes...the stuff of dreams, at least my princess dreams....I think I'll take a little nap... ~ J

{fashion passion}

Christian Lacroix Spring 2008

photos courtesy 

Style.com

My intention is not to make this a fashion blog, rather an obsession blog, but at the moment, this is my eye candy. Fabulous, no?

I love how wearable his clothes are, even though they are couture. {Oops. I just realized these are part of the RTW collection for spring. I will post the couture photos tomorrow. Sorry!} The color and print combinations just make me swoon. And the silhouettes...!

On a more personal note, this has been a terribly unproductive week for me and I am feeling very frustrated. I have so many creative ideas and things I want to do, that I become overwhelmed; it paralyzes me and I can't to anything.

I'm looking forward to next week being more fruitful and, hopefully, will share it here with you.

The magazine production will start up again in the next week or two. As much as I enjoy writing and graphic design, it keeps me from doing my own creative work. Oh well, a girl's gotta eat.

Wishing you all a happy and productive day. ~ J

{manifesto}

To live content with small means; 

to seek elegance rather than luxury; 

and refinement rather than fashion; 

to be worthy, not respectable; 

and wealthy, not rich; 

to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; 

to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; 

to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never; 

in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. 

This is to be my symphony.

~ William Henry Channing

{via the paris apartment. Thank you Claudia!} ~ J

{recycling beautifully}

I had to post another note to you today because I've come across some lovely jewelry/art via Jennine at her fashion blog

 THE COVETED. 

TOUCH collaborates with emerging designers to create hand-made, environmentally-friendly products/art. Mana Bernardes created all the lovely pieces you see here using bamboo toothpicks, nylon, pearls, recycled bottles and recycled phone cards.

These are beautiful, wearable, thoughtful designs. Thank you, Mana. ~ J

{prada love}

I don't know how you other bloggers do it all. I am struggling to spend time with you here and still keep my head above water in the rest of my life!

Well, that's enough feeling sorry for myself for today; time to seize the day!

I'm sure many of you have already seen Prada's 2008 collections, but I am going to share her spring collection with you anyway. I love Miuccia Prada and her contemporary take on bohemian style.

Prada Spring 2008

Her colors and silhouettes are dreamy. 

That's all for now. I'll probably post again later today...'til then...enjoy! ~J

{world traveler}

Eye Candy Pop photos of Jeff Buckley and Bjork by British music photographer Bertrand Bosredon of London. Courtesy Emma Cassi.

We had snow here in the south today {sorry, no photos}, and it has been a great day to stay inside, all cozy and warm. 

I have taken the time to do a lot of blog reading....there are SO many talented and creative individuals out there! You ALL inspire me!!! And what a small world it really is....no matter where I go, I find that  we all aspire to the same truths, all hold the same things close to our hearts, all turn our faces toward the sun. ~ J

{the gardening itch}

Every January, when everything in the garden is asleep, my gardening genes kick in. Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog

comes in the mail and I start dreaming about my summer garden. In the cold, grey days of January, I forget about the 

almost unbearable heat and humidity of July and August, when I am so sick of my garden {except harvesting those 

luscious heirloom tomatoes} that I won't even go outside during the day unless absolutely necessary. I forget how tired 

and drained the temperatures make me feel, low energy keeping me from one of the things I love the most.

All I can think about now is how beautiful everything is when it bursts forth and blooms, everything turning lovely 

shades of green and every color of the rainbow. The smell of dirt, the feeling of earth between my fingers; it's enough to 

make me giddy. We are fortunate here in North Carolina to be blessed with a long springtime; beautiful, warm days 

without the humidity that will later make us question why we live in the south.

I thought I'd share a few pictures of my garden with you today, a reminder of warmer days to come...

{january sky}

The sky outside suits my mood today. It makes you want to curl up in a cozy chair with a blanket and get lost for hours in a good book. An excellent selection is The wabi-sabi house: the Japanese art of imperfect beauty by Robyn Griggs Lawrence. I am finding myself drawn to all things Japanese of late...especially their aesthetic.

Wabi-sabi invites us to set aside our pursuit of perfection and learn to appreciate the simple,unaffected beauty of things as they are. It is an aesthetic that welcomes comfort and subtle spirituality into the home. It is about simplicity and humility, things that I crave more and more as I get older. It is very appealing to me.

Check it out. It will ring as truth to your soul.  

Peace~J

{beautiful art for inspiration}

These images are from etsy seller Jennifer Judd-McGee. All images are copyright 2007 jennifer judd-mcgee. You can see more of her work here.

I just love her lines and shapes, and how she uses color. The third image, 4 birds in a tree, looks like a quilt, but it is paper. I think it's lovely. Thank you Jennifer!

I will continue to try and find images that inspire for this new year. Check back often to see what I've found!

Also....

Yesterday was a productive day. I finished organizing and cleaning my studio and was able to begin what I hope will be a motivating blog.

Motivation is sometimes hard to come by when you are a stay-at-home mom or anyone who spends most of there time away from other artists. It's so much easier to be creative when you are working with other creatives, like taking a painting class or joining a guild or gallery. The internet, especially blogging, has made our world a much smaller place and we can now go anywhere in the world and see art and speak with other artists; but it's not the same as working with and around other creatives on a regular basis. At least that's how I see it.

When you work from home, the biggest challenge is just Beginning...taking the time to bring ideas to fruition...it's so easy to let the laundry or the vacuuming call to you, making you feel guilty. There are too many reasons NOT to start.

I, for one, have resolved not to hear the loud voices of household appliances or dirty anything calling my name this year. Hopefully, I can organize my time so that it all gets done. Or not...

Well, must go for now. I hope your day brings many aha moments and much joy. ~J

welcome 2008! {or,'thank god christmas is over!'}

I can't help it, I'm glad it's over. It's just too much stress, too many expectations, too much money, and my mother. Now that everyone is back at work/school/home I can finally get about starting the new year with high hopes for a healthy, productive, happy year.

One of my goals is to give more time and attention to this blog. Ideally, I would like to post an entry every day, but we'll see.

Another of my goals this year is to be a productive artist/designer. I have so many ideas; it's just bringing them to fruition. I will share my attempts here, with you.

I'm currently facinated with Project Runway. Because I have some background in fashion and textile design, I am dying to audition for the show. I've researched it, but there doesn't seem to be anything happening with auditions at this time. I keep checking on bravotv; hopefully something will surface soon.

So, my focus right now seems to be on fashion. I vacillate between many art and craft mediums, but right now it's clothing construction and design.

Another goal today is to organize my studio space so that it functions the way I need it to. It is impossible for me to work with all my supplies tucked away in boxes. I have to be able to see everything that is available to me. Unfortunatley, my space is right in the middle of the house and cannot be closed off from the main living area, so it always looks messy when I set it all out. Oh well, everyone will just have to get over it. I have to create!

Here's to a new year full of health and hope, blessings and love. ~J