My Happimess.

Welcome to my Happimess... NESS, Happiness, I meant happiness. Um, ya-  that's what I meant. If you could see my studio/office you would totally understand :)  (scroll down to see a sneak peek)

My life is full of happimess. I know I ought to coin this word. Life is messy. Very very messy. No matter how hard we work to keep it running smoothly it gets messy. Relationships are messy, children are messy. Not having children is messy. My eating habits (I blame it on not having children- I eat in my favourite chair, I eat watching tv, I eat standing in the kitchen, I eat at my desk) my eating habits are messy.  My work habits, my cleaning habits, my friendships, my goals. Pretty much everything is one big Happy Mess. And that suits me just fine.

Do I wish I had it all together? Yup.
Will I ever have it all together? Nope.
Is that ok? Yupers.

The question is, what will I do about my happimess? Will I try to hide it? Or will I share it. I choose to share it. I want you to know that life is messy. In the world we live in today, where photoshop and instagram (don't get me wrong, I love love love instagram, and the instagram filters- they make my skin look flawless... you can find me using LostBumblebee- but I digress) Nothing is as it seems.  Do I love that? No. Can I deal with it? Yes. Because I know everyone is running their own race. I know that what I choose to share is exactly that- what I've chosen to share.  So don't believe all you see... don't believe that everyone has it all together except you... they don't... trust me :)

I hope you are ok that I share my messy life...
Share the mess. We're in this thing together!
Share the love,
M.

4x6

5x7

8x10

4x6

5x7

8x10

Timothy The Dog + I share a studio :) 

Comparison

So, you know when you skulk around Instagram, your favourite blogs, and Facebook instead keeping your head in your own work... well... Have I got a little story for you;

Yesterday I took a day off from "working" and I did domestic stuff. In the spirit of honesty,  I finally unpacked from our China trip (some stuff but not everything),  I did some laundry, I cooked a meal, I cleaned out a closet and I stalked all of my favourite people online.

I went to bed last night feeling overwhelmed -not because I was so excited to see what other's were doing and feeling encouraged. No, I was overwhelmed because I felt like I wasn't doing enough. I don't have enough Christmas prints ready to go, I haven't even thought about doing a new Advent Calendar yet, I don't even have my own christmas cards printed. I need to be printing things and having them available on Esty. I need to have an open house and sell some of my Printables all ready to frame for our Living Life on Purpose Africa 2015 trip. I need, I need, I need- ack!

What have I been doing all year? How am I not being as creative, as productive, as awesome as everyone else.

WAIT!  STOP!  HOLD THE PHONE GIRL! 

Melissa! (or insert name here___________________) Stop comparing yourself to others and get your head in your own work and just be creative.

Stop worrying about what other's are doing, stop looking into their proverbial 'bowl' to see if they have more than you do. I once read somewhere:  the only time you should look in someone else's bowl, is not to see if they have more than you, but instead to see if they have enough. Are they ok? 

This sweet image is from:
www.chibird.com

So I'm being honest... because frankly, I dislike this feeling, I dislike looking at others and feeling that I am not enough, and I think I'm probably not the only one...

I saw this awesome little design from ChiBird and I wanted to share it, because we're all different, we are all kinda awesome. And when it comes to creative work, creativity and productivity... the only person to compare yourself too is you. Am I doing all that I can do? Am I the person I want to be?




There are only 24 hours in the day, (Melissa, or insert your name here______________) you can't do everything, but do what you do well... and sleep tight at night knowing you are awesome.

Thanks to Theodore Roosevelt for saying:  Comparison is the thief of Joy. How true. Yesterday I had my very own experience with this. So I've created a print that I will be printing off and sticking to my forehead,  because it is all too true. Comparison IS the thief of Joy.  Booyah!

Share the love,
M.

4x6

5x7

8x10

Frankly Darling...

I don't give a hoot.
Whoo me?
Nope I never feel like this.
Ever. I always care.

Ok, I'm lying- sometimes I just don't give a hoot. I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately... I often worry about things that aren't any of my business, my concern, or anything I need to even be thinking of.  Do you find yourself tangled up in this web of 'false responsibility' because it makes you feel valuable or worthy?

I've taken to reminding myself often "not my circus, not my monkeys" sometimes I have to say "not my circus, yes my monkeys" and still have to let it play out as it will.

I can't control everything, cause If I could, let me tell you... lol no, seriously- sometimes we just have to stop, let it go, and not give a hoot how it turns out for our own sanity! Sometimes we women tend to try to fix everything, for our spouses, our children, our friend's children, our parents - and the list goes on! But you know what... you don't have to fix the neighbourhood... you just have to live in it :)

I mean of course apathy sucks! That we take no part in- for causes that we need to stand for, we stand! For changes that we can make, we make! To fight the good fight, we fight! - I'm not talking about this sort of thing, I'm talking about the little stuff that we burden ourselves with, the stuff that tires us out so that when we do need to fight, apathy is just an easier choice.

What are you concerned about today that you need to let go of? What responsibilities are you carrying that really aren't yours to carry, but because you are such a good person, you took it over?
What do you need to say "Frankly darling, I don't give a hoot" about today?

Let it go... breathe... the world didn't fall apart- nope it's not easy, it sucks to not be in control all the time, but on the other hand, the freedom that it brings is marvellous!

Let it go + Share the love,
M.

4x6

5x7

8x10

Be In Love With Your Life... every teeny tiny stinking detail of it.

That is such a romantic thought, I love my life… but every teeny tiny stinking detail of it? Come on- how can that be… Life is hard, life is messy… life sometimes throws you stuff you don’t think you could ever handle, it knocks you down, stomps on you a little - how do you love it through all of that? how? how is it even possible? 

Sometimes it is easier on the look back, they say "hindsight is 20/20” this means when you are looking back on your life, you actually have perfect vision of it- you can see the invisible hand of God… you can see how hard things worked out for the good, and you can see the grace that flowed.

Duy and I have been through the wringer (more than once) we have had hard stuff happen… but looking back on it, it has made our hearts grow- it has changed us, moulded us, created two new people- different than we were when we first met, even different than we were just last year… I am humbled, by the way things happen, by the bigger picture, and by grace.

So today- try it, try to love every detail of your life, see if it is even possible, look back over the trying times, the good times, the fun times, the hard times and see if you can love it, all of it... every teeny tiny stinking detail of it. Can you see grace that flowed? Can you see the fruit it produced?

We may not understand the why- because (as my mother says) we don’t need to understand everything, we just have to accept it… 

Share the love today!

M.

4x6

5x7

8x10

Messy Missie.

I just looked around my house, and this is all I can say...
"creativity is messy, and I am *very* creative"

In all seriousness though, I've always kept my house tidy, but this year, my creative year, it has really gotten away from me. I need someone -anyone- to help me... I have so much stuff! I know I need to get rid of some of it... but when I look around my home I love to be inspired by beautiful things that I love,  that make me laugh or that bring back memories. I think I can give myself a pass on those things... but let's talk about the fact that I have not unpacked from my previous trip and I ought to be packing for my next trip. The next trip means serious packing, long haul, not just blasé packing. Oy! Get it together Messy Missie!

Oh well! for the moment I'm ignoring the mess and enjoying my coffee!
Happy Thursday!

Share the love,
M.

4x6

5x7

8x10

Tea?!

I've been slightly incognito lately and that wasn't by choice. My body revolted, got sick, and threw me under the bus along with it. The way I was feeling coffee just wasn't an option, at all. I know, I know, very unlike me. You can tell I was really sick if my drink of choice was hot water or tea! This little print is in response to my past week...

Share the love and pass the tea please...
M.


three colours to choose from- if you like these, please Pin them, share them on Facebook,  and g+ them :) Thank you!

4x6 horizontal

5x7 Horizontal

8x10 horizontal

4x6 Horizontal

5x7 horizontal

8x10 Horizontal

4x6 Horizontal

5x7 horizontal

8x10 Horizontal

I'm Not Messy!

I'm not messy, just creatively organized.
see.

I've got a cute little print just for you :) to remind people, you aren't messy, you are creatively organized.

Share the love,
M.

Yup this is what #Studio809 looks like :)

 

seriously I know where everything is.

Where the magic happens.

4x6

5x7

8x10