spilling open.

2012-02-26T23:04:00.000-08:00

I stumbled on Mariska Karasz's work a while back and couldn't believe I had never heard of her before. Her work is incredible, especially for the time. I don't know of anyone else who was doing the kind of embroidery that she was in the 40s and 50s. (If anyone knows of anyone that I don't, please share!) The imagery is bold and colorful. Quirky and sometimes abstract. But it's timeless and beautiful. I would have no idea this work was from 40s and 50s if I were to just see it floating around the internet. Ah, so much inspiration!

2012-02-26T21:59:00.001-08:00

Beth Hoeckel's beautiful collages. In love! I want all of these framed in my house.

2012-02-26T20:42:00.002-08:00

Drew Mosley's tea spill and ink drawings/paintings are striking. I liked them even more when I realized they were tea spills, which I'm sure started as a happy accident.

2012-02-26T19:49:00.004-08:00

Pretty little paintings by Isadora Fidler Stowe. I love the line work and color. Don't they make you want to go paint everything you see?

2012-02-26T19:37:00.002-08:00

Be prepared to fall in love with this family and their adventure. Oh, the envy of The Goodwin Project.

2012-02-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

Via Pinterest

2012-02-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

You Are Not Carrie Bradshaw

In response to that ^ article:

So I guess I admit that I'm a big ol' sap head. And I love Sex and the City, even when it is the first episodes of awful acting and complete unrealistic situations (and NY apartments.) I hate Big and I love Aiden. I never understood why they made Miranda look like a dude in pants suits half the show, or why she was so mean to sweet little Steve. But while Big was so blatantly unavailable and self absorbed that it was clear to see that, "I'd never put up with that shit," not all real-life situations are so clear. Men can be sneaky with their availability, priorities, and efforts that they are putting in. Sometimes I struggle with my expectations, are they as realistic as I think they are? Or have shows and movies like these jaded my expectations? I want to say no, of course. Is it wrong to want some movie romance in my everyday life? In my opinion of love outside of movies, I think if you are really in love, you want to do those things. It's not forced just to appease someone. Male and female. I have dated some really sweet and thoughtful guys. Rose petals at my door, passing cute notes, making me jewelry, sewing me things, making tables from a stump, trips to NYC, a flower from the top of a mountain in France, poems, etc. The point is, these gestures are real, they do happen in real life when someone really adores you. That's what we all want. It doesn't have to be every day, or a specific way (well maybe for some women it does..) but just showing you love or care about someone in a creative way that you choose, and know we girls will get all giddy over. And vice versa. We can do cute middle school things for manly men too. And chances are, he's going to love it, despite the hair on his chest.

2012-02-04T00:25:00.001-08:00

2012-02-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

2012-01-31T10:13:00.000-08:00

So a lot has been going on in my outside-of-the-interwebz life. I have become a social hermit mostly spending my time between work and my room-turned-studio. And I am so content with the shift. I feel like I owe this to myself after the years I've spent away and distracted from what drives me and makes me feel more complete than anything.

One of my recent creative outlets is Feast. This organization (which you can read about in the link to keep this from being too lengthy) is not only providing our city with inspiration and creative flow, but also those of us involved. I am so thankful to be apart of such a progressive community project, that one of my best friends (Josh Epperson, along with Johnny Hugel) is making a reality.

My role in the whole shebang is designer, or decorator, whatever you want to call it. My goal is to make the space for each Feast look good, basically. I think that atmosphere is so important to hosting any event so I put a lot of time and effort into planning and making things with that in mind. We are only two Feasts down, with the third in the works currently so it is still definitely a learning process in some areas. I'm so excited about the changing venues that keep me on my toes with creative ideas of how to change the space into a comfortable and visually pleasing environment to dine and project projects with 50+ people (all on a small budget keep in mind!) It's a creative outlet for me to craft and decorate (two of my most favorite things to do) which is opening other windows in my brain for my own work to spiral out from. Not only that, but the community that Feast is involved in is providing me with contacts and connections that I otherwise wouldn't have had so easily. So all in all, I am just really excited about where this event is going and the little doors it is opening for me creatively as well. :)

(photo cred: Lloyd Young)

2012-01-30T00:34:00.001-08:00

I decided I needed extra light after all. Makes suuuch a good, big difference!

2012-01-29T19:28:00.001-08:00

I need a slower paced...brain, which would result in life, I would think.

2012-01-23T09:45:00.001-08:00

I finally finished my jewelry hanger! And found an old wooden till for more organization. Then my rings in an old ash tray. (Cleaned out of course.) I can finally see everything I have!

2012-01-19T19:07:00.000-08:00

2012-01-17T19:46:00.001-08:00

2012-01-17T19:43:00.001-08:00

I want these, very much.

2012-01-17T19:35:00.001-08:00

Last night I dreamt about studios in the woods. Little barn shacks, there were two to choose from. One was only $50 a month, so naturally I could afford it. It was dark and dirty with 3 windows. Rectangular, and had a fireplace and a bed. Needed lots of fixin up that I was excited to do. The other was bigger, but newer and not a little barn shack, more like an attic. Both were in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees and a field. I guess my subconscious was planning it all out. I went with the small one with the bed and fireplace in the end. I woke up feeling oddly excited like I had a new project...then I woke up a little more. Womp Womp, all a dream. One day...

2012-01-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

via

2012-01-09T23:08:00.000-08:00

I'm obsessed with this song and video right now.

To the boy[s]

2012-01-06T09:00:00.001-08:00

2012-01-03T23:36:00.000-08:00

In my next life, I wish to be bold enough to say more of the things that I think .

2011-12-31T08:21:00.001-08:00

Why have I not known this word?
Also, reminds me of milk steak.
Thank you Mike Birbiglia.

milque·toast
[milk-tohst]

- noun 1. very timid, unassertive, spineless person, esp. one who is easily dominated or intimidated

2011-12-31T00:50:00.000-08:00

Actions speak louder than words.

2011-12-27T14:07:00.001-08:00

I've been making a few little things for my up and coming Etsy site. (Please excuse a couple of the not so professional photos. Those will be retaken!) :)

2011-12-26T21:43:00.000-08:00

(I'm sorry, I don't remember where I found this lil gem!)

2011-12-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

(I think I found this floating around Pinterest)

2011-12-26T21:38:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry I have ignored you blog, I've been a littttle busy. Please forgive me.

<3

2011-12-10T21:25:00.001-08:00

Ahh! I Love these cut wood collages by Richard Pearse.

These would look real good in my apartment...

So beautiful.

2011-12-10T17:57:00.001-08:00

11 Things to Know at 25(ish)

What you need to know to be a real adult.

When you’re 25-ish, you’re old enough to know what kind of music you love, regardless of what your last boyfriend or roommate always used to play. You know how to walk in heels, how to tie a necktie, how to give a good toast at a wedding and how to make something for dinner. You don’t have to think much about skin care, home ownership or your retirement plan. Your life can look a lot of different ways when you’re 25: single, dating, engaged, married. You are working in dream jobs, pay-the-bills jobs and downright horrible jobs. You are young enough to believe that anything is possible, and you are old enough to make that belief a reality.

1. You Have Time to Find a Job You Love

Now is the time to figure out what kind of work you love to do. What are you good at? What makes you feel alive? What do you dream about? You can go back to school now, switch directions entirely. You can work for almost nothing, or live in another country or volunteer long hours for something that moves you. There will be a time when finances and schedules make this a little trickier, so do it now. Try it, apply for it, get up and do it.
When I was 25, I was in my third job in as many years—all in the same area at a church, but the responsibilities were different each time. I was frustrated at the end of the third year because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do next. I didn’t feel like I’d found my place yet. I met with my boss, who was in his 50s. I told him how anxious I was about finding the one perfect job for me, and quick. He asked me how old I was, and when I told him I was 25, he told me I couldn’t complain to him about finding the right job until I was 32. In his opinion, it takes about 10 years after college to find the right fit, and anyone who finds it earlier than that is just plain lucky. So use every bit of your 10 years: try things, take classes, start over.

2. Get Out of Debt and Stay Out of Debt

Part of being a healthy, mature adult is learning to live within your means all the time, even if that means going without things you think you need, or doing work you don’t love for a while to be responsible financially. The ability to adjust your spending according to your income is a skill that will serve you your whole life.
There will be times when you have more money than you need. In those seasons, tithe as always, save like crazy, and then let yourself buy fancy shampoo or an iPad or whatever it is you really get a kick out of. When the money’s not rolling in, buy your shampoo from the grocery store and eat eggs instead of steak—a much cheaper way to get protein. If you can get the hang of living within your means all the time—always tithing, never going into debt—you’ll be ahead of the game when life surprises you with bad financial news.
I know a lot of people who have bright, passionate dreams but who can’t give their lives to those dreams because of the debt they carry. Don’t miss out on a great adventure God calls you to because you’ve been careless about debt.

3. Don’t Rush Dating and Marriage

Now is also the time to get serious about relationships. And “serious” might mean walking away from a dating relationship that’s good but not great. Some of the most life-shaping decisions you’ll make during this time will be about walking away from good-enough, in search of can’t-live-without. One of the only truly devastating mistakes you can make in this season is staying with the wrong person even though you know he or she is the wrong person. It’s not fair to that person, and it’s not fair to you.
“Who are you dating?” “Do you think he’s the one?” “Have you looked at rings?” It’s easy to be seduced by the romance-dating-marriage narrative. We confer a lot of status and respect on people who are getting married—we buy them presents and consider them as more adult and more responsible.
But there’s nothing inherently more responsible or more admirable about being married. I’m thankful to be celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary this summer, but at the same time, I have a fair amount of friends whose marriages are ending—friends whose weddings we danced at, whose wedding cake we ate, whose rings we oohed-and-aahed over but that have been taken off fingers a long time ago.
Some people view marriage as the next step to happiness or grown-up life or some kind of legitimacy, and in their mad desire to be married, they overlook significant issues in the relationship.
Ask your friends, family members and mentors what they think of the person you’re dating and your relationship. Go through premarital counseling before you are engaged, because, really, engagement is largely about wedding planning, and it’s tough to see the flaws in a relationship clearly when you’re wearing a diamond and you have a deposit on an event space.
I’m kind of a broken record on this. My younger friends will tell you I say the same things over and over when they talk to me about love, things like, “He seems great—what’s the rush?” and, “Yes, I like her—give it a year.” And they’ve heard this one a million times: “Time is on your side.” Really, it is.

4. Give Your Best to Friends and Family

While twentysomethings can sometimes spend a little too much energy on dating and marriage, they probably spend too little energy on friendships and family. That girl you just met and now text 76 times a day probably won’t be a part of your life in 10 years, but the guys you lived with in college, if you keep investing in them, will be friends for a lifetime. Lots of people move around in their 20s, but even across the distance, make an effort to invest in the friendships that are important to you. Loyalty is no small thing, especially in a season during which so many other things are shifting.
Family is a tricky thing in your 20s—to learn how to be an adult out on your own but to also maintain a healthy relationship with your parents—but those relationships are really, really worth investing in. I have a new vantage point on this now that I’m a parent. When my parents momentarily forget I’m an adult, I remind myself that someday this little boy of ours will drive a car, get a job and buy a home. I know that even then it will be hard not to scrape his hair across his forehead or tell him his eyes are looking sleepy, and I give my parents a break for still seeing me as their little girl every once in a while.

5. Get Some Counseling

Twenty-five is also a great time to get into counseling if you haven’t already, or begin round two of counseling if it’s been a while. You might have just enough space from your parents to start digging around your childhood a little bit. Unravel the knots that keep you from living a healthy, whole life, and do it now, before any more time passes.
Some people believe emotional and psychological issues should be solved through traditional spiritual means—that prayer and pastoral guidance are all that’s necessary when facing issues of mental health. I disagree. We generally trust medical doctors to help us heal from physical ailments. We can and should trust counselors and therapists to help us resolve emotional and psychological issues. Many pastors have no training in counseling, and while they care deeply about what you’re facing, sometimes the best gift they can give you is a referral to a therapist who does have the education to help you.
Faith and counseling aren’t at odds with one another. Spiritual growth and emotional health are both part of God’s desire for us. Counseling—like time with a mentor, personal scriptural study, a small group experience and outside reading—can help you grow, and can help you connect more deeply with God.
So let your pastor do his or her thing, and let the person who has an advanced degree in mental health help you with yours.

11. Don’t Get Stuck

This is the thing: When you hit 28 or 30, everything begins to divide. You can see very clearly two kinds of people. On one side, people who have used their 20s to learn and grow, to find God and themselves and their dreams, people who know what works and what doesn’t, who have pushed through to become real live adults. Then there’s the other kind, who are hanging onto college, or high school even, with all their might. They’ve stayed in jobs they hate, because they’re too scared to get another one. They’ve stayed with men or women who are good but not great, because they don’t want to be lonely. They mean to find a church, they mean to develop intimate friendships, they mean to stop drinking like life is one big frat party. But they don’t do those things, so they live in an extended adolescence, no closer to adulthood than when they graduated.
Don’t be like that. Don’t get stuck. Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming. Don’t lose yourself at happy hour, but don’t lose yourself on the corporate ladder either. Stop every once in a while and go out to coffee or climb in bed with your journal.
Ask yourself some good questions like: “Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I tried this month? What have I learned about God this year? What parts of my childhood faith am I leaving behind, and what parts am I choosing to keep? Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?”
Now is your time. Walk closely with people you love, and with people who believe God is good and life is a grand adventure. Don’t get stuck in the past, and don’t try to fast-forward yourself into a future you haven’t yet earned.
Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep traveling honestly along life’s path.

------------------------------------------------

A friend just recently posted this article on Facebook. I clicked on it hoping for it to say almost exactly what it does. Aside from the religious mentions, these ideas are exactly what have been floating around in my mind for a while now. Probably started at 25 and heightened with 26. And by floating, I mean dominating. And by ideas, I mean fears. (I kept the ones pertaining to myself, but the whole article is here.)

It's a weird thing, your 20's. The first few years aren't much different than 18 and then all of a sudden, boom, you're an "adult." People are getting "real" jobs, dating becomes more serious and something you put much more time and thought into, you aren't able to hang out with your friends everyday, or even every other day because everyone has a real schedule now, hangovers exist and worsen, your body changes overall, there are all of these social pressures to fill, your parents start asking you real life questions, etc, etc, etc. For me...I haven't had many solid answers yet.

In fact, I have found this period of my life (post 23) to be the most trying of all so far. I thought your 20's were supposed to be fun and blissful while you are young and "free." I feel like someone left out the part where you don't know what you are doing with your future, you're working your college/just-out-of-college job because you don't know what you are doing with your future, your love life becomes a big confusing mess and then add a social pressure time clock when half of your peers are married or engaged. Oh, then add your finances being tight, school loans haunting you, trying to tackle your work life + love life + staying healthy and in shape + a close relationship with friends and parents + social life + home life + down time and any hobbies or passions you may have.... I'm exhausted. I'm exhausted of nothing being easy right now (not that we are promised that in life.) Of not cutting myself a break that I don't have it all figured out. I've got about as far as knowing who I am (mostly, I think,) having a good head on my shoulders, gained confidence, and support from the good people in my life. I feel like I have my interpersonal worked out a good deal, but the rest of me is not filling my potential. And the problem is, as well as my biggest fear, I don't really know where to start. I'm having a hard time seeing what's in my future right now.

The two most important things to me are success personally/artistically and love. Those are the two areas in my life that I put a great deal of stress on myself over because I think those are the keys to my overall happiness. I felt like I should have it more figured out by now. But beating myself up about it isn't going to change anything. So I guess I just need to get my self in gear and make some shit happen. Not in the love area though...that I can be patient with. I'm not one to settle with something that isn't right for the sake of time and social tradition. It would just be nice if things would fall into place in the right way. I'm ready for contentment and calmness, somewhere in my life.

[Vent complete.]

2011-11-30T17:58:00.001-08:00

2011-11-30T00:49:00.001-08:00

I've noticed there are some weird quirks that happened when transferring my blog from Wordpress to here. Vimeo videos not posting and such. Whoopsies! Maybe I'll have the patience to go through and edit, but also maybe not...

2011-11-30T00:15:00.001-08:00

Italy,

Thinking of you.

<3 Becky

2011-11-29T22:54:00.001-08:00

Instead of paying a ton, I'm gonna give it a go myself, something similar. Maybe a little less biker chick-ish...

2011-11-29T22:24:00.001-08:00

I'm starting to think I might have high expectations of people. I didn't think so, but I keep getting proven wrong. This makes me heavyhearted and want to check out for a bit. I wish it was as simple as the 'ol golden rule, "Treat people the way you would like to be treated." Maybe it's time to lower my expectations.

2011-11-29T09:07:00.001-08:00

I love Amanda McCavour's work. It kinda blows my mind. The beautiful, intricate stitches, the size(!), and the whimsical feeling it gives to a room. (Which I would like to experience for myself.) I can't believe she does it with just a normal sewing machine. I assumed some industrial, large machine. So I obviously need to sit down with my [mother's] 70's thing and see what this bad girl can do.

(Also, is she not the cutest thing ever on top of it!?)

2011-11-29T08:32:00.001-08:00

2011-11-28T08:18:00.001-08:00