Something for Everyone Gift Guide

Its never too soon to be thinking about what kind of gifts to get people for *gasp* the holidays.  To get started I thought I'd make a generic gift guide that covered everyone.  Kids, adults, men, women...you get the point. Shown below are my favorites but you can find the full treasury here

1. Paris Postcard Collection - First I love the way they are all displayed in this picture, and even in frames (one of the other views available on Etsy) they look fantastic.  Plus the use of yellow in every picture makes me want to smile.  
2. Hand Made Seed Bombs - I saw these and just thought it was such a great idea! What a great stocking stuffer.  Unfortunately you would have to wait until spring to use it but, um hello! it will bring butterflies, totally worth the wait!
3. Game Boy iPhone Decal - Yup, you guessed it, nerd!  I saw this and laughed so hard, what a cool idea.  Takin' it old school while still being totally new school.  LOVE IT!
4. Hand Painted Canvas Messenger Bag - First I was totally impressed by the hand painted part.  I couldn't paint this well if I tried (and I wouldn't try because some 5 year olds can put me to shame!). Then the witty comment and I knew I just had to add this to the list!
5. Hand Tooled Leather Owl Case - Yet another hand made object.  There are just so many talented people out there! I love the owl, and the fact that each one is completely unique!

Get Organized

As many of you know, I love…LOVE to shop for office supplies.  Since its pretty much back to school time for most students (and I really just wanted to peruse the office supply section of Etsy) I thought I’d lend a helping hand with an organizational treasury, which you can find here.  As always, my favorites are listed below. 

1. Chalkboard Wall Calendar – I think this is awesome.  It’s huge, so it’s almost impossible to miss something.  Plus all of the writing is done with a chalk ink pen allowing you to be as creative (or uncreative) as you want!
2. Custom Pencils – now you don’t have to worry about people stealing your pencils.  You can have funny quotes, your name or pretty much anything you can think of written on these pencils (plus they will work on standardized testing forms!)
3. Glossy Black Queen Anne Desk – I just love the interior of the desk drawer and that it matches the chair!  If I were in need of a desk (or if I had room in my house for it) this wouldn't be listed anymore because it would be sitting in my house.   Love the colors and the look and feel, and I think that this desk will help inspire creativity!
4. Cosmo Cricket Planner – You can’t be organized if you aren't planning…or at least attempting to plan.  I love the layout of this shot and the flowers on the cover are a lot of fun.  It’s definitely something I would pick up and thumb through at a Barnes and Nobel.
5. Office Supply Addict Button – okay, I know, this really won’t help with any form of organization but when I saw it I was like the world must know this exists! I hope there are other office supply addicts out there! Office Supply Addicts of the world UNITE!!

What’s your favorite organizational item?

10 Ways to Find Inspiration

Don’t you just hate it when you need to make something and you just can’t think of what to do? Here is what I do to find inspiration.  These aren’t listed in any particular order but they seem to work out well for me. 

1. Go outside.  Embrace what Mother Nature has to offer.  Go for a walk, clear your head.  Literally stop and smell the roses.  Go to the beach and feel the sand beneath your toes. Go for a hike, bike ride or anything that gets the wind blowing through your hair and allows you to soak up some Vitamin D (through sun block of course – wouldn't want to get cancer).
2. Exercise.  Get your heart pumping! It will help you clear your head and get your mind off of your work.  Kill two birds with one stone and exercise outside.  The bonus to exercise is all those awesome endorphins you’ll create.  Even if you’re aha moment doesn't come during a run, bike ride or swim at least you’ll be really happy!
3. Meditate.  Find some place quiet (maybe after a run outside?  It wasn't my intention to build upon these but when it works it works!) and then just sit there.  Get away from people and distractions (put down the cell phone!).  Living in such a fast paced world it’s easy to get lost in Facebook updates and Tweets.  If your cell phone needs to reboot every day wouldn't it make sense that you do too?  Find a happy place to just sit and listen to yourself breath, clear your mind.   Think of it this way, if you were to force yourself to expel all the air out of your lungs, the automatic response from your body is to inhale a bunch of fresh new air.  I like to think the same is true with creativity.  If you expel all thoughts from your head then the automatic response is for your brain to bring in fresh new thoughts (hopefully creating that spark you’re looking for!)
4. Explore your favorite blogs.  They’re your favorite for a reason.  They obviously speak to you in some way.  Maybe they make you laugh, or make you think, and hopefully you have a few in your line up that inspire you!  I read dooce.com for entertainment, goinghometoroost.com for inspiration, and I love visiting Paper Source just because they have so many great DIY ideas.  You never know where blogs may bounce you to next!
5. Google image search.  I honestly couldn't live without it.  Whenever I’m making a new project and I need help coming up with an image or an idea I search something in the ballpark of what I’m looking for.  Sometimes the perfect picture shows up and sometimes another picture will spark a new idea.  You could start out looking for a circus tent and instead end up with elephants eating popcorn.
6. Pintrest.  If you haven’t checked this out yet I highly recommend it (link here).  This is a collection of pictures that other people all over the world think are cool, funny, inspiring etc. that you can “pin” on your “bulletin board” for inspiration for that upcoming bathroom remodel or soiree you’re going to throw.  You can use it for other things too of course, but whenever I’m in a creative slump I head right over there and am amazed to find so many unique ways that people see the world.
7. Write it down.  There is nothing I find more cathartic than just writing down what’s in my head.  I can’t do it all the time but when I do write everything down it feels great.  By writing down thoughts in your head it gives you an opportunity to see what you really have on your plate.  Maybe you’re so stressed out about doing laundry before the weekend comes that it’s consistently on your mind, which of course is blocking your creative flow.  Write it down, get it out and move on.  Who knows maybe something you jot down will be something inspiring?
8. Read about it.  Go to your local bookstore (I’m a huge Barnes and Noble fan) and stop by the art section.  Look at any one of the numerous art books they have just laying out and enjoy the pictures inside them.  Don’t have time to peruse the books?  Swing by the magazine rack and grab a couple to go.  This way you can read them after you meditate in the park, you know, because you just ran there right?
9. Look at what others have done.  Take a look at what other people in your field are doing.  Pick out what you like about it.  I’m not saying to copy their work (plagiarizing is illegal) but maybe something they did will inspire you to do something else.  I like to find many different versions of something I’m trying to make and then figure out what it is I like about them.  Then I take that information and try to incorporate it in my designs.
10. Talk to people.  Use your friends and family as a brainstorming team.  Bounce ideas off them, and try to come up with new ones.  Ask questions and keep an open mind.  What may come across as an out of the box idea might be exactly what you were looking for.  Remember, your family and friends are there to help but they’re probably not paid employees of You Incorporated so be nice and don’t force them to brainstorm with you every day.