When I live on a lake one day...

*Image stolen from a beautiful blog

New Music

Okay i've been listening to the Cave Singers nonstop for a while now. It never gets old, really. I love their albums, so give them a try!! Invitation Songs is the first album and my favorite one. Welcome Joy is the newer album and is also excellent.

Try the Cave Singers on pandora! It will be amazing.

I hear they will be in Tucson in the late fall. Any takers??

Does physical appearance make one worthy of serious consideration?

Obviously not. But as soon as I read that statement I immediately made the connection that most of my shortcomings in life stem from not feeling good enough, and yes, sometimes even beautiful enough to do things or talk to certain people. This sounds crazy, I know. But when you really think about just how much American culture pushes the importance of a woman being pretty, beautiful, or sexy though any media we experience it makes sense. Even in shows and movies where a woman is a hardworking and smart “career woman” she is thin with perfect hair, perfect skin, and extremely stylish clothes.

Now, I try to keep myself sane and I know that for the most part America’s expectations of what a beautiful woman should look like are ridiculous. But there are many times in my life where I can remember not feeling like I was even worthy to talk to because I was having a bad hair day or because I thought my nose was just too huge! I don’t even want to think about how many other women have felt this way too.

I like to think I have a level head on my shoulders, but I guess we can all get sucked into this trap sometimes. We do live in a very…different generation after all. It takes hard work to push away all of these messages that people and companies send us (buy this or that so you can be better at ____!) But I have to remember that physical appearance is in no way a measure of my true self. It is much more important to develop my inner-self rather than worry about wrinkles, how skinny I am, and what clothes I wear. I hope someday soon the American archetype of beauty will change for the better.

Home and Creativity

It takes a lot of force to live deliberately today. Of course as I’m thinking that, I accidentally put the already ground coffee into the grinder instead of the whole beans. It is too easy to become distracted and overburdened with unnecessary things that the TV or the Internet tells us is important. Even going to the gym, the guy wanted me to pay an extra $600 a month for a personal trainer! At the same time, it seems easy for us to get caught up in finishing our home and getting good deals on the stuff we choose to keep in our homes. I think most of us just have the wrong definition of home. Home is a place you retreat to that makes you fully comfortable and safe. It should not be a receptacle for trendy, gaudy accessories and cold design. Some of the greatest designers and creative people have sparse homes. They realize that the process should be evolving, and that a home should revolve around its owner’s life. It can never truly be finished. A homeowner should not mould to a homes needs.

Our society propels the idea that we are one giant mass, on entity that can be marketed to and exploited. We have to remember that we are each an individual and are born with so much creativity. It is difficult to find your talents in this sort of setting. We have to make a special effort to remember to be creative and then work very hard at it. It is all too easy to go out and buy pre-fabricated furniture and plastic plates and forget the amazing quality and timelessness that can be found in handcrafted, unique pieces. I have fallen into this trap and probably will again in the future. We can also go buy prints of famous painting that don’t hold a lot of meaning to us, call it art, and not attempt to create something with true value.

But finding your creativity can be difficult as well. I don’t think we should all run to Michael’s and buy some stickers and put them in a scrapbook. I’m talking about acknowledging your needs as a human and making something that works for you. Bringing nature inside the home or shaping nature in the outdoors, like a garden, is the most common way humans are creative. Living slower and making better decisions can be creative. I think growing vegetables and cooking them is too. I love to write as well. It is low-impact but can be incredibly versatile and unique. We should look beyond what others tell us is the right thing to do. Most people don’t know what they’re talking about or why they do and say the things they do. They just do them because that’s what they were always told. Just live and create what you feel is right.

Of course, some people are drawn to color and space more than others. When I was a kid I was always moving around my furniture and when I was a teenager I painted my walls yellow and purple! Later I tried to imitate what I thought was the colors of Mexico by painting one wall orange, one red, one lime green, and one bright yellow. I’m grateful my mom put up with this and allowed me to experiment with color. Now I’m obsessed with negative space. I also have learned to appreciate natural commonplace objects as art. I’m sort of on a minimalism kick although my home does not really represent any of this. Homes don’t always tell us about people especially if someone else designed it. I would be very content right now just having nothing in my living room and adding objects and furniture that I find and love and that are functional. I would also love to be surrounded by books that I truly love. Books have a way of representing who a person is.

I hope I don't come off as crazy...sorry people.

Home Inspiration

I don't like the colors here, a little too country for me, but I like how tiny this kitchen is. I like open shelves opposed to a huge room of bulky dark cabinets.

I wish I had a cozy bathroom like this to take long baths in!

I like pretty houses. Usually something simple. Not too fancy, expensive, or cold. This last picture gives me some (goodwill) ideas for Ben's room when he starts going to grade school...long ways off, I know!

recent projects

a good rainy day

collage finished yesterday

play cake

life goals for me!

http://www.43things.com/person/mkelsey

Much better...

My second attempt at a clutch turned out well. I used the extra fabric from recovering the cafe chairs so really I only paid $1 for the zipper, which I found at Tempe Sales. I made the pattern myself but followed construction instructions from a sewing magazine I had.

I broke another needle in the process, so I'm down to my last one and I'm not looking forward to figuring out where and which type I need to get when this one breaks.

I have an extra white zipper and more interfacing left over so I think I'm going to make another smaller bag with some fabric scraps for more practice.

I also found a cool tutorial online for reclaimed leather clutch that's cute so maybe I'll grab an old leather jacket from goodwill for $1 and try that as well!

Sewing is not just for grandmas anymore, people.

knit scarf

Today I made a scarf...because it's so cold out right?

Actually I've had this scrap fabric for a while and only had enough to make a scarf.

Latest Projects

Recovered cafe chairs

Cafe Table Cloth

Clutch. I don't like the colors I chose(too grandma-y) and the construction is a bit sloppy, but this was a good learning experience. Next one I make will be pretty and I know what I'm doing so it will be much better, and I want to include a zipper so I can actually use it! I think I'll use this as a makeup bag or something.