Lettergirl

Coming soon: a trunk show!

Now, this is a bit of a stretch for me.  As you know, I like the big huzzah of showing projects when they're all done:  look at this! isn't it awesome? it's almost like magic!

Today I'm going to share an idea I've been mulling over for the past six weeks, but which I'm ready to make real.  (Posting it here makes it real, right?)  I'm planning a trunk show of my hand-stitched garments here at my studio in St. Paul.  Skirts and scarves and shawls and anything else I can stitch up between now and October.

But I'm a just a bit nervous about pulling this off.  My heart is in it.  What if I fail?  So true to my nature, I've made a little chart to remind me of the who's (who can help me, in the periwinkle color), why's (why I'm excited, in the blue-green color), and what if's (what I'm afraid of, in the sort-of-yellow color).  And now that I've done it, I'm going to tuck it away in my Circa notebook and get back to the less-scary part:  making stuff that's worth having.

Getting organized with Circa notebooks.

Yes, I know it's already ten days into the new year.  I'm deep in production mode for post-holiday stamp orders and the first Quote of the Month is already in the mail, but my left brain has really been clamoring for attention:  plan, organize, get my mental house in order so I have the freedom to be creative.  Welcome to my new organizing obsession:  the Circa notebook.

Circa notebooks have these sturdy little disks that allow you to customize the guts of each notebook.  And how I love to customize.

For about a year and a half now, I've been doing a brain purge at the start of each month (or, ideally, near the end of the previous month).  I write down every little thing I can think of that I need or want to accomplish during the month.  I'd been using random spiral notebooks for this task until I discovered the Circa.  Now I have my very own blank sheet of paper alongside a page that lets me sort out everything into manageable tasks.

This way I also have a sense of the big picture.  When I start categorizing all those to-dos, I can shift what's needed to another month (because I have another blank sheet of paper for the next month all ready to go...yay!).  

Between the monthly summaries I've made a two-page spread for each week:

I've actually only made the first three months of the year so far, as I know I'll want to make a few adjustments.  I'm also trying to encourage myself to record my business mileage as it happens, not days (or weeks, or months) later.  If it makes me happy, I'll use it, right?

I've also got sections in the back of this notebook for big picture planning (the whole dang year) and miscellaneous notes.

And, because I had so much fun putting this notebook together, I made a couple more.  One for the notes I'm always gathering at Magic Wand Collective events, and one for new product ideas (trust me, I need a whole notebook for that).  

If you like this notebook and you haven't subscribed to my newsletter yet, better get on it.  There'll be a related free treat in the next issue!  

A peek at my new studio.

These are the first photos I took back in July, when my dear pal Susanna came with me to sign the lease and take some measurements.  Although it's only 480 square feet (and almost exactly the same dimensions as the basement where I've been working for 11 years), I took about a month to consider my space planning options...a month when I was on vacation and getting the kids back into the routine of school.  Oh, and actually working.  (Thank you, Susanna, for getting the ball rolling!)

See that really small archway in the walls & ceiling at this end of the studio?  Susanna suggested that would be a great way to divide the space between my work area and the area where I meet with customers.

The yellow wall had about a hundred nail holes and scrapes, so my very first step was to hire Jim to paint those two sections of the wall:  blue-green, of course.  (It's actually a bit deeper in color than it appears here.)

The next step was to have Jim build me a worktable.  After years of coveting a large work surface, I knew exactly what I wanted:  something big and sturdy and standing height.  In the end, I asked Jim to make two smaller  tables that could fit together instead, so that I have a little more flexibility:

Each table is 4' x 5', so that the overall surface right now is 5' x 8'.  I love it every time I walk in the door!  (Plus it smells like wood.)  I picked up a couple of chairs from Ikea, and now we're all set to work at the table, standing or sitting. 

Next week I'll share a little more about my progress.  Slowly, but surely, I am creating my new home away from home.

Should it stay or should it go?

 

When my niece was visiting this weekend, I had to get something from my closet while she was sleeping, and my closet is in the guest room.  (When we moved here ten years ago, we both preferred the little bedroom with the bay window -- and only one closet -- to the bigger master bedroom with two closets.  So the master bedroom became the guest room/my husband's office/the "craft shop.")  Now, two weeks ago it would have been a problem to get into my closet; boxes of old clothes and books and shoes were piled three feet deep on the floor.  And I share space in there for F's dress clothes (since his bedroom doesn't have any closet, oh those Victorians!).  And the suitcases are stored there.  And it's really not that big of a closet in the first place (though those crazy Victorians did trim out the insides of their closets with pretty woodwork).

So a week and a half ago I went to town on cleaning my closet.  I didn't even set a timer and tell myself I only had to clean for 30 minutes.  I spent the whole afternoon.  I actually started with my dresser -- since we got a new dresser (an Amish dresser in a Victorian bedroom!) and I hadn't actually gone through my old dresser yet.  I held up every single piece of clothing and said,

Is this who I want to be?

 

My old dresser: empty. My closet: so spare I can walk inside while my niece is sleeping, shut the door, and turn on the light.

What's left is all the things I want to wear -- plenty for me, but meager by American standards.  I don't think I have double digits of anything; less than 10 pairs of pants (including jeans, my daily uniform), less than 10 t-shirts, less than 10 sweaters (including sweatshirts).

Two days later I made a list (and yes, enjoyed it immensely) of every time I need to wear clothes: working at home, meeting with customers, co-working with the Magic Wand Collective, teaching Sunday school, it was a long list.  But I realized almost everything I do can be accommodated with one of three "uniforms".  Honestly, I felt almost giddy for figuring this out.  And relieved.  And satisfied with the pieces I already have, in my pared-down closet.

15 minutes (+ a giveaway).

Introducing my 15 minute project.  I know someone, somewhere has already thought of this.  But over the weekend, I thought of it too, and it motivated me.  (In moments of inspiration, it helps to repeat after Auguste Rodin:  I invent nothing; I rediscover.)

I have a to-do list of little things a mile long.  I want to exercise just a bit more.  I have a few things I've been meaning to do, but just never get at (like taking an inventory of the freezer).  Sound familiar?

I've always been a new year's resolution sort of girl.  Some things I give up right away.  A few things I forget all about.  But when I keep it simple & focus on a specific goal, I generally work doggedly toward it until it becomes a habit.  This year I have one new year's resolution:  to spend 15  minutes every morning in a useful pursuit.

I wrote all of my little to-dos on scraps of paper (okay, okay, color-coordinated scraps of paper) and stuck them in a jar.   I included chores I haven't gotten around to, ways to move my body, stuff that just needs to get done, and some miscellaneous 15-minute delights:

climb the stairs

mending

sort a drawer

write a letter

clean the kitchen sink

blogsurf

organize the baking cupboard

dance

I have about 30 slips in all, plus a few extra blanks nearby for late-coming revelations.  (This morning I added pedicure.)  Most slips I will put back in the jar to be drawn again; a few can be torn up after their 15 minutes of fame.

To keep me on track, I plan to blog a bit this month about my 15-minute experiment.  (And for the record, I am only obligating myself to work days.) 

Want a jar of your very own?  I'll write out up to 30 slips for a giveaway this month.  Just leave a comment on this post with your own idea for one slip -- help me think of something that I might have overlooked or purge your conscience of a task you haven't gotten around to yet.  I'll draw a winner on Tuesday, January 19th. 
 

So, no list.

Lying in bed, thinking about my post, I had a much better sentence to start out with.  But actually getting out of bed, making my way downstairs to the computer, that's all that's left:  no list.

In general, I love to ponder my life's direction and make lists.  And the two days off (in a row!) I took at Thanksgiving, combined with being in a completely different setting (the northwoods of Wisconsin), put me under a spell.  Well...work is here, laundry is here, bills to pay are here...and the spell is gone.  The best I can do right now (and I'm perfectly okay with it) is concentrate on helping my kids to enjoy the season by following through on our traditions and trying to stay in a good mood.

I read an interview with Nigella Lawson last week in which she described this season as a means of bringing light to the darkness.  You can read that any way you like.  At its most basic, I like the notion of being cozy at home, being with my family, in the blanket of darkness that is winter in Minnesota.  (It's dark as I write this.)  Concentrating on my family this season is where I need and want to be.

And of course, we have a winner!  Please send your mailing address to me at gina {at} sekelsky {dot} com:

i LOVE the little white sparkly lights.
i LOVE making our signature fudge and giving it away as gifts.
i LOVE taking family photos & writing/sending the holiday cards.
but what i truly, madly, deeply love to do is FEEL the moments of our lives as we are living them, that halcyon magical moment when time seems to stop as if your mind is taking a picture you will never forget.

Posted by: jouette

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the comments from that post, and especially the little community that was built in sharing your ideas.  Thank you!

Next up:  I'd like to finish off the year with ten of my favorite Dreamland/lettergirl projects from the past year.  Then I'll be taking a week-ish off from Christmas Eve till just after New Year's Day. 

Part three.

(From today's Star Tribune Taste section; it's like they wrote it just for me!)

When I got to the third part of my June 2008 organizing series, I realized that part isn't related to the list-making of parts 1 and 2.  And it made me wonder...where did I ever put that notebook?  I used to look at it periodically, and then at some point I even moved to a different notebook so I could make the "do more" items into more of an action-list.  Did I recycle the first notebook?  No idea.  I miss it. 

On the other hand, a perfect opportunity to start over with a new list.  Truth be told, I've been dwelling on it a bit this week (you know: in the shower, walking back from the bus stop, washing the dishes).  If something really is important to me, it will make the list again, right?  And if an item is missed, well, maybe that's just meant to be. I'm going to start tonight and share some of my list tomorrow (along with the giveaway winner).  You can help me get started by sharing an item or two from your own list!

The next step.

This is the second in a series of three re-posts about setting goals, finding joy, and not going crazy in the meantime.  Thank you for all the lovely comments yesterday -- so much to ponder, I really appreciate the time spent by each of you to give such thoughtful responses.  (And yesterday's giveaway lasts through Thursday night, so there's still time to add your comment to the mix.)

Before we go further with the list, there is another list I need to get off my chest.  All the things I do, the choices I make, are informed by a few basic principles:

I love making stuff.

I believe that just because I love making stuff does not entitle me to make whatever stuff I want.

I wish everyone who wanted to make stuff could make stuff.

(I'm pretty sure I've used the word "earnest" to describe myself.  It fits here, no?)

So, back to Monday....  First I made a list of all the things I want to do.  I noted the items I was already doing.  (I wrote "DO!" next to them, as in "Hooray for me!"  A * would work nicely for normal people.)  Then I made another list -- of categories I could divide my first list into.  Most of the items on my original list fit into the following groups:

• traditions
• family
• marriage
• home
• correspondence
• personal

You might use some of these, you might have others.  I suggest keeping the categories to six or less, so you can keep better track of them.  (Plus, you may end up having some sub-categories, which could get a little overwhelming if you're not focused on the big picture.)

I was glad I'd written my original list in the front of a notebook, because I was able to use the subsequent pages for my categories.  I wrote a category at the top of each page, and then under it:  Do and Do More.  For example:

Again, I lived with the list for awhile before making any changes.  We all make choices, and those choices can be narrowed by our circumstances -- my need to live creatively fits inside a life with two kids, a very old house, and a 16-year-old small business.  Some days I only have time to dwell, not do.  So I let the list sit for awhile.  I eventually added Do Later for the things that weren't as important to me, or were more difficult to fit into my current life.  (Mailing baked goods once a month to surprise friends is an awesome idea...but not one that's going to happen anytime soon.  I'm okay with that!)

Go back to your list.  Devise some categories.  Give yourself a * for what you're already doing.  Then go for a walk, see if the peonies are blooming yet, make dinner and forget about the list until tomorrow.  (Yes, there's more!)

Make a list, take two + a giveaway.

 
Yesterday, I spent awhile pondering a conversation I'd had with a friend at church.  I described a customer of mine who has a theme for the holidays every year, which she uses to inform all her creative choices for that particular season.  (One year it was an all-white Christmas, another year was the sugarplum fairy...great idea, right?)  Then my friend said what really gives her pleasure at the holidays is baking. 

I replied with my standard "too darn busy to eat lunch" routine.  For the last five years, my busiest time at Dreamland has been October through December.  (Previously, it was summer.)  I learned early to just forego all personal creative pursuits until the mayhem subsided -- a lot easier said than done, but still necessary.  (If you followed my blog last year, you may remember I attempted a Holiday Journal, which I kept very simple...and didn't finish until early in the new year.)

Our conversation got me thinking:  what does make me happy at this time of year?  It's just silly to spend the holidays waiting for December 23rd (by which point my work is done) and then cramming a few holiday moments into one evening (including wrapping the gifts, making my grandma's caramels, figuring out what the kids will wear for Christmas Eve, etc.).  Then I remembered "the list."  Here's a repeat of my post from June 2008, with two more re-posts to follow this week, and a December 2009 revisit of the initial idea.

I'm hoping to share quite a few ideas in this blog for everyday creative living.  (And by creativity, I don't really mean making stuff.)  If you're reading this, you're a past customer, a friend, family...you already know that I try to nurture creativity in my little world:  I keep scrapbooks, I exercise, I send holiday cards, I use the library -- all are conscious choices I've made.  When I focus, I can do more/enjoy more/relax more (though I'm better at doing than I am at relaxing).  Here's how I got started:

Step One
Years ago I started a list of "Things I'd Like to Do."  I kept it in a notebook so I could add to it over time.  My initial thought was just to get all the ideas floating in my head down on paper so I wouldn't forget them.  My list looked something like this:

• decorate the house seasonally with pillows, wall hanging, hand towels, flag, etc.
• send an annual Thanksgiving card
• keep scrapbooks for the kids
• sew for myself
• get regular haircuts
• help at church
• have a collection of stories we read only at Christmas
• have a welcoming guest room
• send thank you notes

Forest was a baby, Juliet was a toddler, I was trying to keep my business going, we had just moved into this house, and apparently just remembering to get my hair cut was something I had to write down.

I included things I was already doing as well as things I've been wanting to do for awhile.  I lived with the list for a couple of years before I did anything more.  I reviewed it a few times a year and added to it occasionally (get into a housekeeping routine, read chapter books aloud, stop talking about money).

Now...go start your list.  Write five things or five pages.  Be exhaustive.  Pat yourself on the back.  Remember what you dreamed as a kid.  (I did actually dream of having a welcoming guest room.)  Tomorrow I'll help you turn that list of miscellaneous ideas into a plan of action!

I'd also love to know what you truly, madly, deeply love to do during the holiday season -- and I mean creatively.  Share your idea with a comment on this post and on Friday I'll draw one name to receive the quote above. 

Ode to Tupperware.

 

Taking baby steps lately that feel like giant leaps.

I purchased some new lunchbox-worthy Tupperware from a fundraiser at church.  Don't you get frustrated with finding the lids for containers on a busy morning?   Decided yesterday to upcycle this utensil caddy (the napkin compartment is unusably wide for its intended purpose...but turns out is the perfect size for bitty Tupperware).  I'm thinking it looks sweet enough to park on the counter during the school week....

More wee finds to follow.