1/365

i've decided to jump on the photography bandwagon and accept the 365 challenge. if you don't know what that is, it's a challenge to take one self portrait every day for a year. i'm sure i'll miss a few days here and there...it's bound to happen. but i figure that this will be a great way for me to inject a bit of creativity into every day, even if it's just a teeny bit. :] here's day one

oh, and i got the call from the ceramics place! our mugs are ready! i'm going to go pick them both up and bring brit's to her at work...surprise! :]

have a fantastic day!

lovelovelove
emjay

this week...

has been crazy! last friday, the hubs was waiting for me when i got off of work, and we quickly hopped into the car for a trip to the inlaws. we spent halloween night with the neice and nephews, and then on saturday, we headed further north to columbia for the gough family reunion. that was definitely an interesting experience!

i woke up sunday with pink eye...again. that wasn't a very pleasant experience, especially since it was the second time in a month! once monday hit, things went completely beserk...there was work, work and more work! another week of overtime...but i've been having a lot of fun planning the company's holiday party, so that has definitely given me a little break from the day to day.

today i finally had a day off from work, but definitely not a day off from life. :] i had errands to run, an eye doctor appointment (i finally got to order new glasses! soooo excited!) then i met brit for our biweekly creative day. this week, we hit up cocodrie's for caesar salads (yum!) and then we headed to a new pottery shop in watson that just opened. we spent the afternoon painting a pair of giant ceramic mugs. they should be glazed and fired this week, and then i'll get to take mine home...i'll be sure to post pics of them! we had so much fun today that we've vowed to definitely frequent this cute little shop often. we only wish that we could find a place that would allow us to first create our own pottery, and then let us decorate. i took pottery classes as a kid, and i loved it so much...hopefully we'll be able to find such a place locally. :]

tomorrow is another day of gym then work...but i think i'm going to spend the evening at home. i really need to get crackin' on those invites for my holiday bake exchange...they need to be sent out next week! also, that etsy update just keeps getting pushed back further and further...there's just been so many things that have kept me from getting to it. now you know you're dork when you're choosing to spend your friday evenings in front of a craft table!

well, now that i've overloaded you with a ton of text, i'll leave you to your evening. i still have to go get a shower before bed anyway...i'm gross!

lovelovelove!
emjay

brrrrrr

this is me attempting to stay warm. it is a chilly 45 degrees outside right now, and that's really friggin' cold for autumn this far south. it's a beautiful, clear, sunny day, so hopefully it will warm up to the high of 61. :]

today i am bundling up and heading into town for a few things at the local scrap store. i'm planning to work on a mini mini album today. (it's a double mini because it's a mini album with only a few pages in it. :] ) i'm going to try out my new printer and photo paper and throw a few pages together. i'm also planning to finish up those kits today. i've had so much fun making them, and i've already got tons of ideas bouncing around upstairs for a second one! yay for good times.

cecily came over last night after work and helped me organize my studio. it's been halfway done for so long,and now it's actually getting to be 100%! we even went through my boxes from the office that have been sitting in the corner since february. it was great!

hmmm, i'm thinking taco cornbread muffins for lunch... yummy!!

well, that's about it for me for now. i just heard the ding of the dryer which is telling me that my blue jeans are dry so i can get dressed and run to town. mmmmm, i love the feeling of clothes fresh out of the dryer! :] if you're reading this, go do something creative today! i promise you it will warm your soul!

lovelovelove
emjay

saturday loves

ahhhh, saturdays.

there are so many things to love about saturdays. i don't always get to enjoy them off of work, but this week i do and it feels great! there's something about saturdays in fall...crisp cool air, kids in the neighborhood playing in the leaves...a perfect day to open up the windows and do some house cleaning, some organizing, maybe a little crafting, and of course, update your blog :]

last week, i spent all (yes all) of wednesday night with my paints scattered across the living room floor. i have my own space to do this, but my room was a little crowded with things, so i spread out across the living room. plus, pushing daisies was on, and i don't have the tv hooked up in my studio just yet. here are some pics of what i've been working on.





i closed my shop a couple of weeks ago for some belated spring cleaning. i've spent those weeks creating new things to put up, and i'm planning an update for the second part of next week. you can be sure to see some of the original art in the pictures above, as well as some aceo originals, some hand made emjay exclusive tags and a journal kit i've been working on! those are just a few of the good things to come, so keep checking back for more! in the meantime, check out some of these AWESOME etsy shops that i visit regularly...

elsie*cake
pony party
red velvet art

well, it's back to organizing the studio so i can finish up my projects for the etsy update!

love love love!
emjay

last post of the day...or first of the day...depends on how you look at it :]

spent the evening filling many of the blank canvases that have been collecting dust in the corner of my studio. it's been a wonderful night! it's now almost 3 in the morning, so i'm taking a short break to catch some z's. gotta get up at 7. might take me a bit to wind down, but as long as i get those 3-4 hours, i'm good! :]

have a lovely day!

emjay

ps...i love my best friend! [above]

love

have i ever mentioned that i looooooooove this show?






it is, by far, one of the highlights of each week! visit thepiemaker for some fun stuff about the show...they even have some of ned's pie recipes! what fun!

love!
emjay

i love this feeling

inspiration has consumed me.
i am inspired to create beautiful art.
i am inspired to eat healthier.
i am inspired to take better care of myself.
i am inspired to be happier.
i am inspired to step outside of my comfort zone.
i am inspired to try new things.
i am inspired to embrace my differences.
i am inspired to start a new season in life.
i am inspired to live a life with no reservations.
i love this feeling.


[photo by will vastine]

yay!!! a post!!

wow...it's been almost two months. eesh...i seriously havent been keeping up with this thing like i've intended to. :[ in my defense, i haven't had a camera chord to upload any photos, and i figured two months worth of posts with no eye candy would be boring...but i guess it would have been better than nothing! from now on, i won't promise things i can't deliver. so enjoy this post, and maybe (hopefully) i'll start treating this thing a little better and give it the tlc it deserves!

ok, now that that's out of the way, there are many many many many things to talk about! first, the pictures above (unedited) are from when brit and i got together last week and decorated my house for fall! please disregard the bottom half of my kitchen wall...we're in the process of patching and painting over the ghastly 1970's wood paneling. :] i arranged the flowers myself...they are from target. unfortunately, they've already started dying a week later, but then again, that's what real flowers do! the three paintings on the wall are a split canvas project of an abstract landscape i'm working on. it was inspired by the work of david bromstad, and i've had the most fun trying to recreate it...it's still a work in progress, but i love the way it looks on the wall!

the second thing going on is the planning of my first annual holiday bake exchange. this december, i'm gathering all the girlfriends around for a chance to show off their holiday culinary skills and exchange ideas and recipes with others. i can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for their dish, and i can't wait to reveal the super cute recipe books i'm giving them all as gifts! they are very elsie inspired, however, they definitely have an emjay twist.

thirdly, brit is coming over on thursday for a day full of crafting (yay!) and who knows what we'll get our hands into! i won't promise (haha) but i will make an effort to share some of our craftiness with you in near (or maybe distant) future.

peace and love
emjay

blah.

i'm getting tired of not having a car...

fun stuff to come...

lot's of things have been going on with me lately....a car wreck...a road trip...lots and lots of crafting...but unfortunately, the only computer at my disposal this week won't let me load pictures in my blog, so therefore i cannot share with you right now. when i return home, i'll be sure to have some fun stuff up here!!

love!

emjay