Create 365 - Button Rings

Today I was feeling a bit under the weather, but I didn't want to let it get the best of my resolution, so I picked a nice easy project ;)  These were so much fun to make, I think I need one for every finger!

Hugs and Smooches,
D

The Beacon - Dailygood.org

As promised, here is the start of "The Beacon" series!  I hope to receive stories and suggestions from all of you to showcase here that promote goodwill and everyday heroes <3

Today's post features a website that I am very fond of, dailygood.org.  This is a wonderful website that promotes inspirational news stories each day.  You can subscribe (as I do) to have them emailed right to you!  Here is a link to one of my recent favorites What I've Learned from the Children in my Life.

Enjoy!

Hugs and Smooches,
D

The Beacon

I began writing this post several times over the weekend. The terrible tragedy that occurred in Newtown, CT had me so heartbroken, I found it impossible to be exposed to any sort of media that might bring me face to face with pictures of those sweet children and brave teachers.

Like many of you, it left me stricken with grief for the families involved, but in addition, as someone with an anxiety disorder, I found myself fighting against panic attacks and fear of going out in public. It made the world a scary place, turned neighbors into strangers and made me want to keep my family home and never leave.

It would be easy to give in to these fears, but I have chosen to overcome my anxiety without medication. I have chosen to overcome my anxiety with courage and the power of my mind. So I chose to spend the weekend in a media blackout to allow me to gather my thoughts and decide what positive action I could take to counter the darkness.

Part of the ConstantlyAlice mission is to provide you with the means of expressing yourself, a way to let your light shine. I decided the best way to shine a light in this situation is to start a new feature here that focuses on the good. A feature that focuses on the heroes, the innovators. A feature that exposes the kindness and generosity in the world. A way for me to look for the good. A "Beacon".

The Beacon feature will showcase all of these things. It will introduce you to the kind and the creative through images, news articles, charities and links to websites that focus on the positive. If you would like to share a heartwarming story, or feature one of your own heroes, please send them to me, I would be honored to include them.

Much love and peace to you all, my friends.

Hugs and Smooches,
D

Mutton Dressed as Lamb..

Next month (on New Years Day, to be precise) I will turn 37, placing me solidly in my "late 30s".  This has gotten me thinking about my style and if I should be making some changes.

Now, as a general rule, I do not think much about my age.  This could be due in part to the fact that I identify more closely with my personality than with my age, and partly because, courtesy of genetics (thanks Mum and Dad!) and copious application of sunscreen, I have a baby face that never really changes that dramtically.

Case in point..  Here is a picture of me 11 years ago with my eldest child.

..and here I am earlier this year with same child (on the left) AND my youngest child.

Kind of creepy in a "Picture of Dorian Gray" sort of way, right?

However, because my face never really got in my way, I've always dressed to suit my whims.  Part of what I love best about dressing vintage is that I have a veritable buffet of style to choose from.  Some days I wake up and feel inspired by the 20's, and other days I'm all about the 50's.  I like the casual looks of the 90's on occasion and sometimes I'm moved by the 60's.  Headbands, bows, Mary Jane shoes, it's all good.  I wear what feels right, with no consideration for age at all.

Which brings me to my point (and what has been weighing on my mind of late).  Should I change my style to suit my actual age?  Or should I dress to suit the age I appear to be?  Or, should I simply be brave enough to dress to suit my personality and to heck with propriety?

Some of the style icons I am fondest of have thrown propriety to the wind and chosen to stick to their "look".  Betsey Johnson, for example, looks just as spectacular and flamboyant at 70 as she did in her 20's:

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Or, another one of my favorite style mavens, Iris Apfel (90!), distinctly her own person with her fondness for bright colors, her signature glasses and no consideration for "age appropriate-ness", only for what suits her:

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Or even someone closer to my own age, Milla Jovovich (36), who has stayed true to her fun, vintage/indie style and even designs her own line:

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These women have all built a "look" that was uniquely them and then stuck with it over the years.  They paid no attention to their age or the trends, they were simply themselves...and maybe this is where the lesson I need is hiding.  Perhaps I don't need to concern myself so much with what is right for my age as I do with discovering my "signature" and incorporating it into what I wear.  My current style can be frenetic and all over the place and perhaps what would make me more comfortable as I get older is to refine, to clean out the things in my closet that don't really "match" my aesthetic, to get rid of the items I purchased because I thought they were fun at the time, but that never seem quite right when I wear them.

With that in mind, I plan to dedicate the coming year to discovering and defining my own style.  I will shop, sew, research and track down inspiration to help me become even more "Me".  I'll share each step with you all!  Lessons learned, techniques discovered and tips and tricks that help me along the way.  I hope you're as excited as I am :)

Hugs and Smooches,
D

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer..

Today my cousin (Hi, Cyn!) shared this marvelous video of a deaf baby hearing for the first time:



Amazing, right??  It totally brightened my day and made me feel so fortunate that I get to live in a world where this is possible.  So..I decided to share a few of my other heart warming, funny or otherwise inspiring favorite things to bring a little cheer to your day.  In no particular order, here they are..

This kid is fantastic. Never fails to get a laugh out of me ;)



I want this kitteh..that is all..




The Truth About Santa - amazing for kiddos AND adults ;)

That's right..Jabba the Cupcake..

Pinterest

..cause I wonder where you are..

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Really no words for this one..




And I leave you with one of my favorite quotes.

Pinterest

Have a wonderful day!

Hugs and Smooches,
D

Inspire me..

I generally have about a million ideas vying for attention in my brain at any given time.  (I carry a journal with me at all times for this very reason and I have to admit that I would probably need two lifetimes of uninterrupted creative time to accomplish everything.)

That being said, sometimes I run up against a mental block.  I can't think of the colors that I want to combine when decorating my bedroom, I can't think of a way to use the giant stack of chopsticks I purchased for next to nothing (certain that there was some creative use for them), I have hoards of fabric with no specific intent other than I liked the texture or the pattern.  This is where my creative tools come into play!  Here are a few that I use that I hope you find helpful as well :)

Paint Chips

Paint chips -   I like to snag a few of the big square ones at Home Depot or Lowes in whatever colors grab my attention (if I really love them, I'll also purchase tester bottles of the paint to use for projects.)  I have an index card box full of them and when I need a color inspiration for an outfit, a sewing or knitting project, painting or room decorating I grab a stack of them out of a box and start laying them out like playing cards and making different combinations with the colors until I find ones that appeal to me.  You can also use the Pantone Color Guide online for similar results.

Towns and Trails

Nature - I am VERY fortunate to live in the Northeast.  We have 4 very distinct and beautiful seasons to draw inspiration from.  This time of year, I like to collect leaves, sometimes I fill up a bucket with acorns, then spray paint them gold, silver and bronze, fill a mason jar with them and stick a candle in the center to create a fall centerpiece.  In the winter I draw inspiration from the silhouette of bare tree branches against the sky, the different shades of white and blue in the snow, the beauty of ice formations.  Spring brings a riot of gorgeous colors and Summer usually finds me at the ocean wondering at the colors and textures at the beach.



Pinterest

 Pinterest and Inspiration Boards - I know I've mentioned it ad nauseum, but oh how I love, love, love pinterest.  I am a very visual person and the ability to combine ideas on a virtual bulletin board is such a valuable tool!  If you're less of a technophile and prefer to put your hands on your ideas (which I also do on occasion) inspiration boards or journals can be very helpful.  I have file folders that hold pictures I've ripped from magazines and newspaper articles or that I've printed from the internet to inspire me.  Sometimes I combine them in a scrapbook with scraps of fabric or small objects that I find interesting.

There are so many different ways to get your creative juices flowing!  (Now motivation..that's another story altogether ;)

How do you inspire yourself?

Hugs and Smooches,
D