Friday's Favorites

I'm feeling all sorts of happiness for people I know who are so creative it makes me want to get out my paintbrushes and go all artsy again. These two ladies take their passion and run with it. If I could just capture a sliver of what drives them, I will be kicking some major booty in no time. Please take a peek and show some love.

Miss Margie Ruiz

This woman is all sorts of fantastic and she has the voice to match it. Here's a little sample of her singing... but head over to iTunes and do a little search for "Margie Ruiz" and listen to the tracks from her recent release: "So This Is Love". While you're at it, check out her web page as well! I went to her CD Release Party last night and she still doesn't cease to blow me away every time I hear her sing. She truly has a God-given gift and I am so thankful she shares it with everyone! 

Miss Margie

Kristy DeVaney

You probably know by now I am a bit of a Paleo "freak" (but a good "freak", right?) and this girl has a little to do with it. She wrote a blog post a few months ago about her struggle with sugar and I might as well have written the same exact words. You see, she was CakeGrrl in every sense of what the general population considers an ordinary cake. But she ditched the flour and sugar-filled cakes and went completely pro-Paleo all the way. So what's a girl to do when the Food Network (Cupcake Wars) comes knocking on your door in response to an application you submitted months before ditching the very ingredients most of their chef's thrive on? Well, you do them your way. Here is her video submission to them. View it once or twice, write a comment, like it, share it.. just make it look really appealing to the Food Network staff. Oh, and while you're at it, wipe that scrunched up look off your face - these cupcakes taste AMAZING. You'd never know they were "different." Perhaps we can convince her to have a viewing party when her episode airs so we can all taste the fabulousness. Kristy? :)

What are some of your favorites?? Tell me.. I love inspiration!

Permanence.

Main Entry: per·ma·nence

Pronunciation: \ˈpər-mə-nən(t)s, ˈpərm-nən(t)s\

Function: noun

Date: 15th century

: the quality or state of being permanent

Main Entry: ¹per·ma·nent

Pronunciation: \-nənt\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French parmanant, from Latin permanent-, permanens, present participle of permanēre to endure, from per- throughout + manēre to remain

So that's it. The quality or state of enduring or remaining. Yup, that's what I did with the name of my blog today. It will endure/remain forever with me until the day I die and that's just how it should be.

I got my first (and very likely) last tattoo.

Now before you all think I just came up with the name of my blog on a whim and then just a few short months after starting it, I go out and get a tattoo of the name of it... well, that is not the case.

This all started a few years ago when one of my sisters was up and moving to England with her husband and one of my nieces. I had always thought about getting a tattoo, but I was sure I needed one with specific meaning to me. How meaningful would it be to get a matching tattoo with my sister before her departure almost halfway across the world? I looked around and tossed around ideas in my head and then I came across the latin phrase "sola fide" and thought "THAT'S IT!" Well, my sister didn't really care for it and the next thing we knew she was off and the tattoo never happened.

In the next few years the idea was put in the back of my mind, but never forgotten.

I think the biggest issue was where would I get this tattoo? I'm not of the tramp stamp crowd and I didn't want it somewhere that was easily seen by just anyone. Really the only area I could think of was somewhere in the underwear area that might only be seen in a bathing suit. Being the future-oriented sort of thinker I am and knowing my desires for a family, I could only imagine a tattoo that would end up looking like one of those balloons with writing on it that you blow up way too much and the letters start stretching to an almost unrecognizable form. Not really what I was looking for.

Then my good friend Janice got a tattoo and well, I was in love. To most people the area might not seem very hidden, but when I hang out with Janice I rarely even notice her tattoo. It's the perfect spot.

So here it is. Inside of my left wrist. In all it's glory.

I honestly think it looks better in person, but it's like my own little baby - so of course I do.

As for what it means: "by faith alone"

By faith alone I trusted in a God I barely knew of back in 1998. By faith alone I follow His will for my life. By faith alone I trust in His wisdom for what He has given me and what He has taken from me. It's a sort of anthem for my life because without faith, I don't know what I would have.

Spreading the Love

Yes, it's Friday. However it's not MY Friday. It's also cloudy/gloomy outside. And I'm at work. *sigh*

So to brighten my day I am perusing all things buyable on the Internet. The good thing is, I know quite a few creative people who sell their wonderful items online... and, well, today I am going to share those with you.

Adorn

One of my best friends makes these beautiful little creations between juggling two little ones (and one on the way!). I have purchased a few for me and for gifts and everyone has loved them. See a style you like but want it in a different fabric? Just ask her, most likely she can do it! You can also go to her Facebook page here.

Honeybird

I went to highschool with Melina - she is now currently living in South Lake Tahoe with her husband and two little ones. Both her and her husband have amazing photography. I mean, how can you live in Tahoe and not photograph your amazing surroundings? Some of their photos make my draw drop - the colors are amazing and the lighting is beyond words. Apparently I think it's all amazing. You can visit her husband's site here.

Tracy on the Cheap

I don't personally know Tracy, but I have a feeling I know someone who knows her *smile* I found her through mutual friends on Facebook (you can go to her Facebook page here) and have been loving her blog ever since. She doesn't "make" anything you can purchase from her, but she does combine well-priced clothing items to make fabulous outfits and tells you were you can purchase everything. I absolutely love her style - and so does my bank account!

Gerbo Designs

Sally is a friend/cousin (I think) to Kelley of Adorn. Although I've only met her a few times, I love the graphic design work she does. Check out her custom calendars and shop away on her Etsy site!

All these talented ladies make me feel like I need to get my creative on.... and once I do, you know you all will be reading about it!

Gloomy Day Project #1

It's really hard with these gray, gloomy days to have hope that we are going to come out of it and Spring will actually come. I have a few indoor projects that I was waiting to do during Winter, but apparently I am one of those people only motivated during sunny weather.

One of those projects is my hall bathroom. Everything about it is wrong. Very pale blue-gray tile, gold accents and pale green walls. The shower curtain left behind from the old owners tells me where they pulled those colors from - I'm just surprised they didn't go for lavender walls!

With the impending Wellness Challenge ahead of me and the fact that one goal per week I have to name myself, I figured this will be the best time to start on this project and let my creative side flow. Below are a couple of pictures of my bathroom in its current state (ewww!).

It's hard to see the colors, but I hope you get the idea.

I've gone back and forth on the color to paint the walls and I think I've settled on a brown-gray. I know, boring, but there just isn't much else except for white and I'm not a fan of white walls.

Below is a picture with the color of wall I am thinking about. It is a little dark, but this bathroom is just my hall bathroom and I'll be putting plenty of lighter colors everywhere else that I think it will be a good balance - white cabinets, white framed mirrow, light shower curtain and who knows what for art (that's another post and another creative project until the sun comes out!).

I might even be able to do taller base boards in the bathroom since it's so small and wouldn't require more than one board - but I'm not an interior designer, so I am not sure how weird that would look.

Another aspect of the bathroom I want to change is the mirror. I currently have one of those typical flat wall mirrors held up by brackets (and an ugly gold track at the bottom). I am on the hunt for a large mirror with a cool frame. The frame can be any color as I'll just paint it white (or possibly leave it silver if that's what I find), but I am thinking something along the lines of this:

Or maybe more antique looking? As you can see, I just don't know... but I need to get on this.

Help people? Either make the sun come out or give me suggestions and/or ideas and feedback on my ideas. Your choice!