link via http://www.brainpickings.org/

Some little pennants for the jello shots and the cupcakes.

Signage for the different activities at the birthday.

Here’s how she used the design.

Thought i would share some of what i saw.

I thought this was lovely-A magazine garland. Found it here

This garland is from down to the woods, and they say they are wholesalers of whimsy. i loved that.

I also came across a very interesting artist Dana Tanamachi who is a custom chalk letterer. How amazing is that. She creates beautiful typographic marvels with chalk.

For more of her work visit her website. She also records her process with time-lapse videos. It is quite fascinating to watch. One to watch right here.

some eclectic spaces photographed by the selby.

Enjoy.

grades in o levels and a levels matter

blood is thicker than water

2 truths

if you keep the faith you will survive and be positive

you can be as happy as you choose to be

2 dreams

to be an inspiration. as a designer/thinker/mother/wife/individual/writer/photographer

to own a retail space 

2 failures

not having accomplished enough

not getting agitated enough to react

2 loves

sweet things (preferably not chocolate)

life

These phases don’t necessarily come from negativity but from a deep-rooted fear. A fear that things won’t turn out the way I want them to, and I will be a helpless bystander in my own life. Completely irrational though this behaviour may be I find myself getting sucked into this whirl of pessimism. I question my purpose, my direction, my diligence or lack of, and constantly worry I am not doing enough. This leads to a point of hyperventilating from where I have to safely but surely be guided back into normalcy.

It is easy to doubt outcomes and worry about the future. It is simply too easy to look at the degeneration around us and believe the absolute worst. We have to surround ourselves with people who will always be there holding a glass half full of water waiting for us to take a few sips and recover our usual positive outlook, and not with people who feed off us and encourage a sense of despair, who are more upset than us, more reactionary, and definitely more negative than us.

Days like these unleash their fury on unsuspecting mothers and babies, who shrink under this influence. They cower, afraid of the outcome of this disastrous day, which will leave them weak and depleted. With nowhere to run they turn on each other. One cry of protest leads to a word of anger and from there it spirals out of control.

Mostly these are a result not of Timmy but of me. He has never been a very difficult baby, which makes my digressions into monster mom even more painful to swallow, for me. Starting from the day when he was just 10 days old, lying peacefully in his cot, I remember losing control almost completely. I turned on Sam ruthlessly and expressed my frustration in many colorful ways, some of which I am still embarrassed about. His calm soothing voice affronted me even more and I spewed more insensible nonsense. I remember angrily walking out, trying to call a friend to come pick me up because I just couldn’t be in the confines of that apartment with a baby a husband and parents in law. Later I was hit with a wave of guilt at how easily I was able to disregard poor innocent Timmy.

Once I became more comfortable in my new skin I realized that what we go through on an almost daily basis is incomprehensible for men and therefore turning to friends was essential. Sharing was imperative. The only way I was able to step away from my angst-ridden alter ego was to hear someone tell me just how normal it was. How absolutely regular. How not earth-shattering but in fact so primal and basic. This was just another layer to add to our brilliantly complex make up as women. Nothing to apologize for.

For me this theory has to hold, because one of the things which gives me a huge kick, actually gets really me excited, is something i feel i haven’t done justice to. I need to believe that i am not done with that and it is in fact unfinished business.

these forced chapter changes are liberating and amazing, but what happens when you need to do that for yourself.

we spend so much time talking about our deepest thoughts, how to move towards that elusive life goal and how to create a more accomplished, challenging, peaceful life for ourselves, but not enough discussion focuses on how to know when to stop and pull back. Who decides this is not working, this is a waste of time- who tells us we have become too bitter, too depressed, too oblivious, too delirious, too committed? When do we look around and say this is not where i want to be and walk away? Most importantly how do we do that.

‘ Accept everything about yourself – I mean everything, You are you and that is the beginning and the end – no apologies, no regrets. ‘ says Henry Kissinger.

That then is the key for me. If i always stay connected with myself, know my wants and desires well, understand what i can do with and what i cant do without, keep close to my friends for their advice sometimes is better than my own, then maybe i will be able to stop, delete and refresh. Just maybe i will be powerful enough to create a little force to start afresh, pack up the baggage, put away the work that is sapping me, throw away the key to those annoying interfering doubts, and keep reinventing myself. Changing enough to be new and exciting, but not so much that i stop being myself.

‘ Interruptions can be viewed as sources of irritation or opportunities for service, as moments lost or experience gained, as time wasted or horizons widened. They can annoy us or enrich us, get under our skin or give us a shot in the arm. Monopolize our minutes or spice our schedules, depending on our attitude toward them.‘william arthur ward.

It is a strange compulsion and one that befuddles me, i want to answer truthfully, but ask me if i went shopping today and my response will be quick-fire- NO.