New Look

Scoot over to my new site to check out the new look and hear the whole story!

Isn’t that logo fabulous?  Courtesy of the always-amazing Megan Minns!

 

talker vs. doer

Are you a talker or a doer?  Have you said, “Oh, I really want to do this….yada, yada, yada.”  “I’m going to be an incredible designer someday.” “I really want to make a difference through mentoring or charity work.” “It would be really cool to quit my job and spend more time with my growing family.” “I really should be healthier.”

I’m going to be real frank with you: I’m a talker.  At least, I have been for a while.  Also, I’m kinda over it!  You know the craziest thing I tell myself?

“Just wait. Now is not the right time.”  Why not now?  I’m not saying you’ve got to jump in headfirst and burn bridges.  I’m just saying you can start on something TODAY!

You know what made successful people successful?  They took ACTION within thirty days of talking about doing something.  They just DID it.  No hemming and hawing for them!

We all think we’re not enough.  Which is crazy.  You are enough!  And chasing what fires you up is not ridiculous.

What do you really, really, really want?  What fires your heart up?  What makes you jump up and down in sheer giddiness?  What scares the bejeebers out of you?

Guess what?  You should probably do that!

Right now, take some action toward it.  Write that seemingly “scary” email.  Just ask.  Surround yourself with the people you love.  Go for a walk.  Step out of that comfort zone (we talked about it here).

If you think, in fifty years, you might regret not doing it, stop talking about it and start doing!

Be a doer.

And, for those like me who have this niggling tiny worry about what the people will think?

This pretty incredible woman, who learned from her mama, always tells me this: “Never let them see you sweat.”  Just do you.

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Come back next week to see the product of what I’ve been away working on and what’s next for Spunky Sapphire!  I’m SO excited for you to see it.

into the magic

Inside your comfort zone is NOT where the magic happens.  Great things–the truly amazing things–do not happen while in comfort zones.  They happen when you get brave enough to leap outside the lines–or even tiptoe!

I was recently introduced to Marie Forleo’s work and business resources and I’ve been hearing this phrase a lot: “big-hearted creatives who wear their hearts on their sleeves”.  *shudder*

See, wearing my heart on my sleeve and being vulnerable is outside my comfort zone.  You know why? Because that means I can get hurt.  For me, it’s easier to just smile and nod, listen politely, and not let my true feelings or opinions leak because that means I might meet confrontation and-BAM-get my heart bruised.

It would totally be easier to come home from my job and read a book all evening or have not a care in the world and live my evenings leisurely.  I agree.

I actually tried that late last year; I succeeded for a few days.  Then, I got bored, and felt stagnant; that I wasn’t making the difference I knew I could be.

I wasn’t created to have a job or a life like that!

I crave the excitement and chaos of creating things, of working my bum off to make something pretty and seeing it come to fruition, to blog a quote that inspires me and succeed in inspiring others through it.  It’s absolutely incredible to reach out to other creative women and forge new paths and create new relationships and encourage each other.

Pursuing this passion of mine and trying to make it profitable is making me nervous and is a generally nail-biting journey because of the unknown.  It’s WAY out of my comfort zone and every step I come to is scarier than the last, but all have been totally worth it in some way a million times over. Most importantly–and the reason I continue to vigorously pursue–I have no regrets.  

When I’m eighty, I don’t want to look back and regret not even trying. 

While it’s terrifying to get out of my comfort zone, it’s exhilarating to be the force behind this, to be part of something greater in this world, and to feel every sense absolutely tingling when I’m elbow-deep in something fabulous.

Whatever little fear (and I do mean little, because looking back, it will seem small) you harbor about stepping out of your comfort zone is nothing compared to the absolute in-your-element-glory you will feel when you accomplish something you never thought you could do.  All because you took a little leap!

Southern Weddings Inspiration

**Paper Poste is on hold this week because I’m stuck with what direction I want to take it.  I’m bored with it, to be honest, and need to find it’s mojo again.**

If you follow me on Instagram, you may know that I received a few issues of Southern Weddings for Christmas.  Needless to say, I was smitten with the magazines (as I knew I would be), and, while all the weddings featured in the pages were beautiful, this one stood out the most and spoke to my style.

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As I’m working through this slight rebranding process, I’m forced to consider who my ideal client is and have to delve into all the hard questions. (blegh).  BUT, that’s where the magic happens; so I’m doing it.

I’ll share more on that in the next few weeks as I really get a feel for it.  Since this particular wedding fired me up and made my heart explode immediately, this is where it’s at: LOTS of pattern and bold color and fun things!

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Admittedly, this look is not for everyone and I’m all for a classic wedding–with a twist, of course–but I am so head-over-heels for this fete that I had to share.

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I am telling you: that bouquet and table cloth?!  Speaking right to my heart.

This couple quoted: “If your wedding doesn’t feel inspired, it runs the risk of being less memorable.”  And, there you have it, friends.  That’s what it’s all about. (and love, of course!)

All the images can be found in Part 1 and Part 2.

Start. Use. Do.

This week: no more excuses!

Maybe you’ve heard people say, “Well, I don’t have enough time/money/resources/connections/whatever to make a difference/start my dream/be successful”.  Maybe you’ve said it!  Maybe I have, too.  Enough negative talk.

You DO have resources.  Maybe you just haven’t tried everything yet.  Maybe you’re terrified.  Maybe you haven’t thought outside every box.  Maybe the answer is staring you right in the face.  In any case:

Start where you are.  Use what you’ve got.  Do what you can.

As Whitney English said, “Go ugly early“.  Just get your work out there!  Use a free blogging platform.  Learn HTML/CSS yourself!  It’s not hard and it’s really satisfying when you’ve conquered it all by yourself.  Codecademy is a fantastic resource.  I’ll admit, it can be less than gratifying knowing your site isn’t quite where you’d dreamed it would be right now, but it IS gratifying knowing you took a step and that you can work your way up from this with a little savings!  Start where you are.

As for “Well, I can’t afford/don’t have time for a gym membership, so, therefore, I can’t take care of myself.”  You know that cheesy workout video you have in a box somewhere? (Oh, yeah, we ALL have one).  Use it.  Free!  Go for a walk or run outside.  Also free.  Google 30-day workout challenges, print it out, and put it somewhere you’ll see it!  They’re based on using your body weight as resistance (such as squats or the plank) and, hello, you carry that around all day!  It’s really motivating to see as each day goes by how you’ve improved since they’ve already done the math for you!  And, I’m always up for a little competition so it’s amazing to beat my time.

Money goals?  Use the free mint.com and start tracking.  Stop by the bank and have them electronically move your money into a savings account each payday so you don’t have to think about it.  You can’t waffle on the decision because they do it automatically.  Bonus!

Even making a difference can be as simple as paying for someone’s coffee order.  I’ve seen it in action and it’s priceless.  Purge your house and donate to a charity.  Help out at your kid’s school.  Smile and say “hi” to someone as you walk by.

Whatever your goal, you have resources.  Stop the negative self-talk that says you “can’t”.  It just blocks your view of the resources available!

Do what you can with what you have.  Make the difference.

Mint: budgeting

One of my 2014 purposeful goals is to be more aware of what I save and spend; to be a good steward.  I signed up for mint.com at the beginning of the month for a prettier option than a self-created Excel spreadsheet.  I had heard some great recommendations and I love it.

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Since Mint is connected to your bank and/or credit cards, it does half the work for you!  Every time you spend using those, it updates your budgets to show it.  If you’re a cash spender like myself, there is an option to input those transactions as well toward your budget.

Once a week, I go through and add the cash transactions and take stock of where I’m at for the month.  Mint also sends you a weekly update to show where you’ve spent and how much you have left, where you went over budget, etc.

example via

You’re able to set specifications on which notifications you prefer to know about and can set as many or as little as you’d like!

I’ll admit, I went over budget because of a car repair, driving a little extra for family things, and caving at Target once or twice.  But, I’ve only spent cash (hooray for tips) and haven’t dipped into the big money.

After this first month, I am even more in love with the organization of it all.  I can see all my accounts, organize everything into it’s own little box, and celebrate the goals like seeing my savings grow and successfully cutting back the grocery bill!

I deem this a goal well on it’s way, and it’s only January!  Success feels great!

This is my personal opinion and I am not getting compensated for my thoughts. I just wanted to show how I make this goal happen!

the paper poste

Today’s paper poste comes with some classic-looking invitations in fun colors from Stoney Creek, Ontario-based Rock Paper Gifts.  They specialize in unique, custom-made invitations and I, for one, am in love with the crisp folds and great layering!

They may be classic pieces, but they still feature stripes, great graphics, and handlettering: all must-haves in my book!

five to focus

 

You know that feeling of desperation you get when you have an overwhelming to-do list, you’ve procrastinated already, and you just can’t get your brain to focus enough to know where to start?  Yeah, me, too.  I don’t think it’s something just we entrepreneurs battle constantly; I think everyone gets bogged down with it!

So!  To get back on the swimming, going-forward side of things, these are my go-to options:
Toss the Garbage. Overwhelmed? Take a garbage bag and five minutes.  Toss everything that doesn’t need to be around.  Old receipts, notes, candy wrappers (we all have them!), and whatever else is cluttering your space.  In the garbage.

Crack your Favorite Beverage. For me, this is always Mountain Dew.  Something about that fizz and taste revitalizes me and helps me get things done.  Maybe that drink is wine, Champagne, or fresh flavored water for you!

Download.  Get rid of the mental clutter.  Reminders for your schedule, inspiration for the next thing you want to do, worries about your kids or budget or just life, dreams, bucket-list items; whatever it is, write it down.  Take five minutes and just write like crazy.  Once it’s out, you can focus on what’s at hand, and organize the notes accordingly later!

Walk. Stretch. Plank.  Go for a walk.  Stretch out the kinks.  Do the plank (or whatever else makes you feel powerful and invincible).  Exercise is amazing for focus and doing something that makes you feel like you can conquer the world?  Priceless.

Just Start. Edit Later.  Start anywhere.  Just do it.  Freestyle it if you need to.  Don’t worry about what it looks like now because you can edit later.  Just give it momentum.

This year is going to be magical and purposeful, and nowhere in magic-land do the heroines (or heros!) get stuck by a little mess trying to make the big things happen.  Get out of that mind-mess and into your purpose!