my friend kelsey from pinegate road asked me to be a guest on her blog this week! i was so honored! kelsey is one of my longest ‘blog’ friends and we’ve worked on several projects together. she is a real treat, and i am a big fan of her design work.

she asked me to create a moodboard for the moment and at first i was a little scared. i’ve never made a moodboard. lucky for me kelsey has an eye for all that is beautiful made it all come together. she is so good at this kind of stuff! she deserves all the credit here!

oh! be sure to enter the giveaway too! i’ll give you a hint . . . . it is something copper.

photo and moodboard layout by kelsey cronkhite

as jealous as i am that all my blogging buddies get to hang out together (in real life!!!) at ALT Summit, my spirits are still high because one of those friends, whitney curtis, invited me to be a guest while she’s away in salt lake city. i was so thrilled to be invited to be on her blog and keep things going while she’s away! head on over to the curtis casa to view the post i wrote about finding inspiration and keeping up with my own creativity. thanks whitney!

i fell in love with this japanese fabric designer, nani iro, and knew i had to get some for one of my first real sewing projects. i got my sewing machine last year for christmas, and i’m ashamed to say i’ve only played around with it about 10 times in total (despite my huge desire to learn how to sew) doing minor things here and there. i don’t know why i fear the sewing machine! does anybody have any advice for a newbie wannabe seamstress? are there any online sewing classes? (is that even possible?) 

i want to make pillows for my bed with this fabric. just basic stuff here! i mean, i did this in the 8th grade, why can’t i do it now? *eyeroll*

the fabric was purchased from kicoli … i highly recommend this etsy seller!

happy new year to you!

oh my, 2012 you have been so good. i hardly wanted to give you up! but deep in my heart i know that 2013 will be twice as nice, and as cliché as it sounds, it is the perfect time to set some new goals and stick to some old ones.

i believe in fresh starts and this is mine!
i also believe my slippers should never go outside ever again.

these are basically personal promises and goals, but sometimes it’s nice to see the goals and aspirations of other human beings.

this year i vow to make my health and happiness my priority. regular exercise and a healthy diet are my resolution every year, and i do get better every single year. so i make it a promise to continue this year, and get a little healthier. i’m going to continue juicing, and make a point to be a little more adventurous with my fruits and veggies! cooking is going to be mostly from scratch, focusing on a plant-based diet.

 this year i want to have 100 sales in my etsy shop. i am going to wholeheartedly devote myself to my art. i think big things can happen in my studio this year, but only if i work harder than ever. someday i want to make art full-time – a long-term goal that i think about every single day.

and finally, my blog. my happy place! i hope to make 2013 my most organized year yet! regular attention to my food posts, and object series, and all at the same time developing photographs and content that i know my readers will want to see. this i can guarantee. i want to grow as a photographer, and grow as a blogger.

last but not least, i’d like this year to get myself back into painting. i need some new work on the walls!

i hope you’ll all be around to see how this year allows me to grow. i want to hear about your new year! how do you see yourself growing?

i’ve rounded up my 10 favorite things about christmas over on my friend rachael’s blog, for the love of design. go visit her beautiful blog and see the guest post right here! (i told you i’d be a guest everywhere else this week!)

thank you rachael for having me as your guest!

baba souk is an online boutique and its the perfect place to finish up your shopping. jewelry, tableware, paper goods, textiles – i mean, its a treasure trove of goodies! baba souk is a hub for independent designers, creative collaborations, and the creator stephanie’s, own designs. nothing but quality, handmade goods and a load of inspiration over there. you’ve got to check the boutique out. if you need a fresh dose of goods to fuel the final stretch of your holiday shopping, head over to baba souk.

there’s a giveaway happening right now! have you entered? (i don’t think you have, unless your name is amy!)

megan hartford is so kindly giving one lucky reader this gorgeous print. ENTER NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!

yep! i need to learn about lighting, and photography, and what things mean on my camera. ALL of that jazz. i’m ready to start taking better pictures both for my blog and my etsy shop. i want both places to make me proud, and become sources of inspiration for others. learning about lighting and taking a better photograph are the first steps toward getting myself to that point where i feel proud of what i’m putting out there.

so i enrolled in an e-course.

a lighting e-course by sarah rhodes (whose style i just love. she’s cool as can be!) one half of arrow & apple, the husband and wife photography duo. it is really the perfect course for me; online, 8 weeks long, go-at-your-own-pace.

so, as i journey through this e-course, i’ll be posting my homework assignments on this ol’ blog here. just another space to hold myself accountable for what i create and how i share about it.

so, the first homework assignment was to gather photographs of images showing great lighting. i’m splitting my images into two groups. product images and still life arrangements. these are useful to me because i want to take better images of my ceramics for my shop. the second group of images are just photographs that inspire me to take better photos, and become a better photographer. for my blog and just for documenting life. these examples aren’t just great because of their light – they have captured a beautiful moment and the photo makes me want to keep looking at it and never stop.

1 // 2 // 3  // 4 // 5 // 6

1 // 2  // 3 // 4  // 5 // 6

none of these photos were taken by me! but someday i hope to take photos that ignite similar feelings in others.