This is always the hardest part of any project, waiting for all your goodies to arrive, the excitement of opening all the boxes combined with the slight anxiety of evaluating your purchases — I love it. All of it. Even the anxiety, because that’s where I’m forced to get creative, even if only in my minds eye and everything ends up better than expected in the end. But if I have any doubts, the waiting game allows me to get my own game plan going, think of solutions to marrying styles, textiles, colors, you name it. Waiting also allows me a chance to get all the prep work done, and there’s always more than you think before you can start…
While you were sleeping…
…I made these pretty little guys! Remember these heads from my Home Goods score? Well, here they are all dressed up and ready for Nicasa! All I used: faux flowers, yarn, my trusty scissors, a needle and thread and in once case, some metallic paint and therefore a paintbrush. Other than that, no rules, no instructions, no real how-to adorn your faux head with flowers or how-to add flowers to antlers. Just start creating what makes you happy. Seriously, it’s that easy. I didn’t even stick myself with the needle (this time)! And all while you were sleeping. 🙂
My 5 Favorites Friday
Happy Friday! Now I know if you’re like me, you want to get a move on your weekend! And that means read less and do more. So, to keep it simple, here are 5 of my favorite little things that made me more than merry this week: 1. Still in love with my Nate Berkus Sheers. 2. Headspace — this is a really creative little mediation app that you just have to try for yourself. It starts you off with a challenge, 10 minutes for 10 days. And has cartoons! Want more to love, your guide through the meditation has a seriously dreamy voice with a foreign accent. Someone did their research. 3. SAMSPELT pink deer from Ikea. We have this…
from a photo
from an art print Society6
Sebastian's gallery wall
from our doodles
How-to Turn Your Photos to Canvas Yourself
When trying to decide what my first DIY du jour project would be, the decision was a happy no brainier. Ever since I stumbled on a post a few months back (while sitting at my desk at work, clearly distracted) on how to turn your photos to canvas I haven’t stopped doing it. It’s crazy cheap, requires all of 6 things, and you defiantly already own 4 of them. And the BEST part is you don’t have to stop with photos. If it fits on canvas (or at least some part of it), you can pretty much “turn” it into canvas. This project is an amazing way to display your fondest memories or give as gifts and a let minute…
Dance, Before this Moment too is Gone
I’m going to be completely honest here. Before I decided to go on this journey of mine I was not on Instagram, or Twitter. I don’t know how to Snap Chat or Vine and I have never ever had a Facebook page or a MySpace account (yes, I’m that old to remember where it all began). I subscribed to all of zero blogs and YouTube was merely something to occupy my 3 yr olds time. I was on Pinterest but I hadn’t “pinned” a single thing. And I wasn’t even on LinkedIn (talk about asking for it) until a few weeks before I was let go — which BTW I have yet to edit because I’m digitally linked to my…
Gettin’ by With a Little Help From My Friends
I didn’t see the text that came in at 7:11 this morning from my friend Kim because I was asleep. Not that that is unusual for many but for me, a mother of 3 toddlers, it is. I was asleep because setting up this blog while having 3 toddlers means I do it when they go to bed and therefore I don’t. Not as of now anyway, I’m learning just how steep this learning curve actually is. But this morning my husband was home and the kids were all good (I’m assuming as I still have all 3 of them!) and I got some much needed rest. My friend however didn’t get much rest and needed to talk, so I…
Happy Dance for Ellen
So in the spirit of dreaming big and shooting for the stars, I’d like to extend my invitation to break the news to my parents to Ellen Degeneres as well. And here’s ten reasons why Ellen and I make good TV (with my messy little dancing monsters of course): Watch them in action as they get down Ed Sheeran, Sesame Street and the Letter O in this video. 1. Everyone gets a chance to dance on ellen, no-one sits it out. By choice, she can literally get everyone and your grandma to wiggle a little somethin’ somethin’. 2. When I close my eyes and think of the happiest people on Earth, I immediately go to Ellen. No one celebrates happy…
10 Ways From Crappy to Happy
It happens every day without fail to most of us. Someone or some thing takes a crap on your happy day. And I’m not talking in the literal sense for all the moms out there, although knowing I ate poop while wiping a chubby butt on my birthday back in April definitely qualifies here. I’m talking about the intentional poppers, the ones who just can’t stand to see you happy and the unintentional ones alike. Crap happens. And it has the ability flush your day down the toilet. And often its hard to recover, set yourself straight and get out of the gutter. So when my friends started calling me for advice, knowing I’m paying close attention to the choice…
Home Goods High
Home Goods happy, no way! I’m on a Home Goods high. Seriously, I feel like I’ve hit the Home Goods lottery. And for anyone in the Los Angeles area, it was the Westchester Home Goods to be exact, near the airport. I’m telling you, s e r oi o u s l y good stuff right now. The kind of stuff that begs you to scrap whatever you came in for and head off in a whole new inspired direction. I made two trips this week and neither disappointed. But let me back up. Remember that friend I mentioned in Mysterious Ways, the one who resigned without a plan? Well, she made a plan and she has a vision. …
Oprah Made Me Do It
Oprah made me do it. I think thats what I’m going to tell my parents — when I finally tell my parents that I lost my corporate job and that no, I’m not looking for a new one — that I’m leaving it up to the universe to guide me, along with a boat load of determination and a heap of blind faith. Sorry mom, sorry dad. I’m blogging (all the way to happy). Crickets. Now you’re either shocked that its been more than 30 days and I’m more than 30 years and I can’t fess up to my parents, or that I’ve made Oprah my scapegoat. My guess is both and I’m okay with that. But before you judge,…
Mysterious Ways
Roughly two weeks before I lost my job, a good friend of mine resigned from her position at Wildfox and her departure sent ripples throughout the company. Like myself, she was around longer than most who walked the halls and occupied the desks. She had more than my 5 years under her belt and set the bar high for many. She understood everything that couldn’t be taught, knew the history of the company because she lived it and truly gave it her all for years. But the time had come for her to say goodbye and she took a leap of faith and resigned. She had no job lined up and no real back up plan. Instead she wanted to…
A Not So Little Ditty About Me
Hello! And thanks for taking the time to check out my blog and possibly quench your curiosity about the ‘new kid on the blog.’ I’m Kerri, and I’m messybydesign. I’ll start with me and then go on to explain the meaning behind the name if that’s ok. I read so many “tips” about getting started that all the well intentioned posts had me forgetting this part was literally about me. It’s my life, my identity, my story and I should probably stick to listening to myself and not create anxiety where I previously had none. Because I’m not entirely sure which was to come first anymore, me or the name I made up to be clever. Nevertheless, or perhaps more…
My Space
It took me less than a day to finish Luna’s book, The Crossroads of Should and Must and feeling really positive I immediately jumped into Badass, partly because I was feeling like one and partly because I still had a lot of time on my hands. But I also had a project swirling around in my head that I needed to just do. Inspired by Luna and cheered on by Jen, I knew I needed to do what felt right, what made me happy and not get caught up in my own head, tripping up over too many questions or doubts. Don’t think just do, I told myself. And what did I do next? I went to Target. “Most answers…
Saved by The Book
It was a Monday night, exactly one week after being fired that I got down to business. I knew for my own sake that I needed to begin the job search before I could relax and enjoy my kids for the summer. Because that was the consensus from just about everyone, relax and enjoy your “time off. ” Sounds good right, “time off?” Who doesn’t love time off? My brain however, had a hard time making the jump from being “fired” to enjoying my “time off.” It just wouldn’t compute. Was “time off” the new “fired” and because I have never ever in my life been fired I’m just out of the loop? I knew better and honestly I couldn’t…
