Quality over Quantity

This is definitely not a brand new thought or idea.  It's really just something that has been resonating with me lately.  This article, Owing Less is Great. Wanting Less is Better., struck a cord with me. I believe Less is More, but living it is a totally different thing.  Living in a small home, I feel like I have to purge and reorganize often, or we get swallowed up by the stuff.  And nothing stresses me out more the stuff everywhere.  Right now, I'm ready to part ways with so many of my possessions.  

I think my desire to live a little more minimalistic comes from my years of living overseas and in 3rd countries.  I've shared this before, but I grew up in Papua New Guinea.  Just the nature of being halfway around the world, my parents couldn't bring a lot of their stuff with them.  Our home was very minimal as a result.  And it didn't feel cold or uncomfortable.  Then, when Lonnie and I moved to Papua New Guinea as newly weds and also Yemen with 2 little kids, we took just our suitcases with us.  And guess what? You really don't need all the STUFF.  I think my life was so much simpler with less things to take care of and clean up. Sure, I missed some of the sentimental things.  But, most of the stuff that fills my home now, I really have very little emotional connection to.

It turns out that having very few possessions as a child totally didn't ruin me.  Hey, maybe having just a few toys was good for developing my creativity. 

So now, where do I start?  Being a design blogger, and really just having a passion for creating comfortable and fresh spaces, I find I want to buy and hunt down cool stuff. I need a way to get rid of what I have before I bring in new things. My new mantra is Quality Over Quantity. Before I buy that cute trendy item at Target or that killer mid century piece at the thrift store, I need to make sure I really have a place and a purpose for that item. I really don't want more stuff, so why do I feel compelled to have it. I know it's a huge part of our culture as Americans, but I really want to be more conscious of my actions.  

To start, today I'm taking a load of furniture and clothing to my local thrift store.  I have furniture pieces in my garage that I think I'll refinish or use for something.  But, really they are just adding clutter and stress to my life.  It's time for me to part ways with my $5 thrift store chairs you guys. Really, how many chairs does a girl need?  It's hard, I see potential in these items.  But, if they've been in my garage or closet for a year now and I haven't done anything with them, it's time for them to go.  

Next step, I think I'll have a little prop sale at my studio.  I've got some really good stuff you guys. Maybe these items can find a new home.

To keep me focused or this new goal, I created a little 8x10 printable.  If you are on a mission to become more of a minimalist or just be more aware of what you are buying, maybe this little print will help you as well.  Download the free printable HERE!

Ok, enough of my rambling, now I want to know what you think. Do you have any advice for me? Can you relate? How does you stuff make you feel?  

Fresh Fruit Art

This post is sponsored by Naked Juice, thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible. 

I'm really excited about today's post.  It's jam packed with all kinds of good stuff.  I've got a little treat for you and I've also got an easy way for you to do some good.  There is nothing prettier then the bright, vibrant colors of nature.  I took some of my favorite fruits and played with color and form to create 3 fresh phone wallpapers for you.  I chose 3 colors from my O+P Color Palette (Peach, Green and Grey) and challenged myself to create art pieces in those hues using fresh fruit.  

I definitely take for granted that I can go to a number of good grocery stores in my neighborhood and find pretty much any fruit or vegetable.  Did you know that there are food deserts in areas of our country, places where fresh produce is not accessible?  Naked Juice has teamed up with Wholesome Wave to bring to life the Drink Good. Do Good campaign to bring awareness and actual fresh fruits and veggies to these places.

Living in an agricultural hub, it seems totally unbelievable that there are food deserts in the cities just a couple hours North and South of us.  Here in California, both LA and San Francisco residents face food desert issues. Check out these stats:

Los Angeles: In a 30-square-mile area of South L.A., there are only 60 grocery stores. That's only one store for every 22,000 residents.

San Francisco: San Francisco has nearly 58,000 people in neighborhoods designated as food deserts, about 1 in every 14 San Franciscans.

This is such a cool program you guys, you can use your social media to do some good.  Here's how it works!

1. Take a photo of yourself holding a fruit or vegetable.
2. Share it on social media using the #DrinkGoodDoGood hashtag
3. Tag a friend to do the same!!!!

And get this, for every picture you post, Naked Juice will donate 10 lbs. of produce to Wholesome Wave!!!! Now that's pretty awesome.  I hope you'll join me, I'll be watching for your posts on Instagram.

You can download 1 or all 3 of these FREE phone wallpapers HERE! Right now I have the peachy hued image on my lock and home screen. Do you have a favorite?

Rude Botanical Prints

I had so much fun creating my Tropical Foliage Alphabet Chart, that I thought it would be fun to create a few printable saying using the font I created.  And instead of going with something inspirational and motivational, I went with these rude botanical prints.  These are pretty enough to frame on your wall, but when folks read what they have to say, they will be a little surprised.  

Click HERE to get the free 8x10" printable PDFs.

So, are these just too rude and mean for your liking, or are you weird like me and think it's kind of fun to display something salty and slightly irreverent?

Also, I'm still working on finding a printing source for the ABC chart.  I've tried a few and maybe I'm super picky, but I haven't loved the quality yet.  I'll let you know when I finally get some printed.

DIY Valentine's Day Felt Pendants

So, for my friends that couldn't make it to the West Elm LA event this last Sunday, I've got the full DIY for you here.  With a few simple supplies and the printable patterns I've created for you, you can whip one of these Valentine's Day felt pendants up in no time at all.  And really these would be fun to have up all year long.

I offered my guests 3 sample options, the geometric heart (20 2" right angle triangles), the XOXO and the YOU + ME, but they created even more designs and styles.

The base of the pendants are a 14" wide by 18" tall piece of felt (I used this wool blend felt from Joann Fabric and Craft Stores).  I sewed a simple 1" pocket for the dowel rod at the top.  The base of the pendants can be cut in a V or inverted V by folding the base in half and the cutting out a triangle.  Then, simply cut out shapes in a contrasting color using the printable patterns or your own design.  Attach the cut shapes to the pendant using Beacon Felt Glue, it works so much better then hot glue or white glue.  It dries clear and doesn't make the felt really stiff. I cut 3/8" wooden dowels to 18" long and used a piece of twine to hang the pendant.  

I big thanks to Joann Fabric and Craft Stores for sponsoring this event.  They provided the black and white felt and fabric glue for all the crafters at the event.  

Free Printable Valentine's Day Chocolate Bar Wraps

Need a quick Valentine's gift idea for your kiddos or sweetheart?  You can print off these chocolate bar wraps and customize a candy bar for someone you love in no time at all.

Last year I made a set of printable Valentine's Day cards and I liked the designs so much, I decided to use them again. I've created free printable PDFs for you, you can download all 4 of these designs HERE!

Simply cut out the wrap with a pair of scissors and then using double sided tape close the wrap around the bar.  I made these wraps to fit a variety of chocolate bars.  Remove the original paper wrapper and leave the bar in it's pretty gold foil.  These are Ghirardelli dark chocolate bars with salted caramel - I want someone to give me one.  

And on the back, I added a spot to write who the gift is to and from.  This is what I'll be sending to my kid's teachers this year for Valentine's Day.

Have you given Valentine's Day a thought yet? I need to get my kid's class valentine's ready pretty soon here.  But, at least I have the teacher gift covered now. 

Go Explore, Adventure Awaits Free Printable

I've got a little free printable for you today. I framed this little piece for my the global backpacker bedroom and sat it on the bedside table. I'm itching for some adventure. I want to go somewhere, move somewhere, do something different.  I don't know what that looks like yet, but I want to explore. Maybe I just need to go backpacking this weekend. But, it feels bigger, like I want a real change from our normal life right now. Maybe it's just because I've been stuck at this computer doing a lot of homework lately, I don't know. Do you ever feel that way? I think I like change, I definitely like adventure and the unknown.

I took this picture at Lassen Volcanic National Park last year with just my iphone.  The sky was so incredibly blue and I can almost taste the crisp, clean air.

The print is 5x7". So you can trim it to that size and frame it in a 5x7" frame. Or leave it with the white boarder and frame it as a 8x10" or hang it on an old wooden hanger like I did.  I just used my home printer, but it might be nice to have this printed on some photo paper at a professional lab.  

Click HERE to download and print a copy for yourself.

You + Me Printable Poster

Happy Friday friends!  I've got a free printable for you today.  This poster has been sitting on my desk top for almost 6 months.  I finally went to Fedex Office and had it printed this week.  It's simple and clean, and just the change I was looking for.  I had a scripture print in this 18x24" frame, but I was ready for something new in my bedroom.  I love this blocky lettering, you've seen it before in my Valentine's and on the girl's Sister's Banner.

You guys, this is cheap decor.  It only cost $2.25 to print this bad boy.  Since mine was going in a frame, I just had it printed on regular paper, but Fedex Office (Kinkos) will print on card stock as well.

Click here to download your own copy of this 18x24" print.  Feel free to pin it and share it with your friends.  Have a great weekend! 

This is intended for personal use only.

Free Printable Valentine's Day Cards

I don't know about you, but I'm kind of over the licensed character valentines that you buy at the store. This year, my kiddos are going to give out something a little more modern and clean.  I put together 4 printable valentines that I want to share with you as well. Last night my husband saw me on the laptop and wondered why I was still working so late. But, the thing is, I wasn't working, I was having so much fun putting these cards together. 

So, print away friends!!! Print as many as you'd like and share them with your friends.  

And yes, the Geometric Heart is back, I told you I can't quit it.  I added a little black to give it an edgier, more dramatic feel.

Click HERE for the free download. The downloards print 2 cards to a page.  I printed them on good quality card stock and then trimmed them to size.  These are simple little cards that need no envelope.  But, if you want to keep your message secret, a little washi tape on a corner will do the trick!

So, I obviously went a little crazy with the pics. Sometimes it takes me a long time to edit down my images to just a few. So, for the sake of saving time, I'm posting a TONE of images. And if you like these cards, you might also like my free Valentine's Day bunting and decorations as well.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Are you excited about the BIG 14 days of LOVE Giveaway that is about to happen?  Be sure to "like" the facebook page so you don't miss out on any of the fabulous giveaways.

Back to School

Well, it's that time again. My kiddos headed back to school this morning. It's always exciting and a little bit of an adjustment after a summer of fun. But, I know they will do great.

Both my husband and I are teachers (well I'm not currently), but learning is really important to us. Lonnie is definitely a life-long learner. He always has a couple books that he's reading and they are not all fiction. He's a facts and figures kind of guy. And I feel kind of dead if I'm not pushing myself to learn something new. Learning keeps me feeling young and alive. I'm more of a doer. I want to learn a new skill or technique versus just obtaining information and facts. This blog has been a huge learning curve for me. I can do things on my computer and camera that I never thought I would know how to do. And a lot of my learning definitely happens through trial and error.

I few years ago I took a community college course in Adobe Illustrator to help with my blogging skills. I am far from an expert, and would love to learn more, but I try to play with AI as often as possible so that I don't forget what I learned and hopefully a learn something new. I also have a Bamboo drawing tablet that I got for Christmas the year before last. I don't use it as much as I'd like to, so I decided to take it out this weekend and "play". I thought I'd work on some hand lettering, and this is the end result. It's a little reminder for my kids as they head back to school and frankly for myself. I'm all about this peachy coral color right now (and my sister in law, who faithfully prints of my stuff, loves this color). And I'd be more then happy to share this simple little printable with you.  So, if you'd like a copy of this 8x10" print, just click here for the download.

Here's a couple instagrams from this morning. I have some really great kids you guys. This year I felt strongly that I was supposed to pray two things over them.  1. Confidence and 2. Compassion: I want them to be confident in who they are and I want them to be compassionate and see other's needs.

Geometric Canada Day Bunting

I'm been thinking a lot about my homeland, Canada, lately. My thoughts and prayers are with friends and family in the Calgary, AB area. The recent flooding in Calgary has really made me homesick.

I was born in Alberta and lived there till I was 7 years old (then we moved to Papua New Guinea).  But, Alberta was home, and that's where my Grandparents were and until recently my parents as well. When I graduated from high school in PNG, I moved back to Canada and did my first year of college in Calgary. I love that city and the whole provence of Alberta. And I'm proud of my peace loving, Canadian heritage.  

Since my parents have moved to Northern California, we haven't been North.  It's been 4 years now and I'm really itching to go. Next summer it WILL happen. The plan is to drive Riley up there.

Oh yes, I couldn't help myself, triangles are still alive and well here at O + P. After my geometric heart and then the geometric shamrock, I had no choice a geometric maple leaf was a must. I've put together a FREE printable bunting for July 1st, Canada Day. But, if you'd just like to show some Canadian love, during their time of loss, print it off! When I see it hanging in my house, it's a good reminder for me to pray for those effected by this terrible flooding.  

Click HERE for your free copy of this bunting (there are 3 pdf files).  Simply cut them out and string it up.