Happy Halloween eve, my lovelies. Our team is excited to head out into the possible Indiana freezing rain dressed as a witch, a minion (from Despicable Me), and Mr. Potato Head. The hubs and I, in the fun frenzy that can be shopping for Halloween costumes, purchased coordinating wigs. They are big and strange and hopefully we'll come up with a way to utilize them well - in the next 24 hours.

Truthfully my head is already in Thanksgiving mode, and I'm ready to fill my home with warmth, family, deliciousness, and a heightened sense of gratitude. I am a total sap, married to a sap, trying to raise three little saps so I embrace all the emotion and tenderness that come along with the holiday as well.

Perhaps that's why I'm so excited by this first project that Melissa made with her family:

Head over to Lulu the Baker to find out how to spend a quick five minutes to make something special and memorable - a gratitude journal!

I'll be sharing projects here at Pars Caeli. If you make one of these beauties, tag it with #freshholidays and let us know how it went!! Looking forward to crafting these with the kids this weekend!!

Grateful for all of you!

xoxo, MJ

Hands down, fall is my favorite time of year. I adore the color changes, smells of leaves and pine, and preparing our home for the goodness of Thanksgiving. As we all well know, Christmas sneaks up on us so fast after turkey day that we sometimes have little time to prepare. This year, it's going to be different (I say that every year but this year it's true), and I'm bringing in some creative mamas to make it so.

Today I'm delighted to announce a new series in collaboration with some of my favorite ladies. We're teaming together (again) to bring you Fresh Holiday Traditions! Beginning tomorrow and launching every Wednesday through Christmas, we'll be sharing traditions from our homes, projects for celebrating the holidays, and always ways to get your kids involved in all the fun!

This team worked together on the Endless Summer Projects series, and these busy bloggers have been up to some good, good things since we were last together. Check out who I have the privilege to create alongside:

Melissa from Lulu the Baker is a class act with a kitchen full of amazing recipes, charming crafts, and undeniably great photography. She's also a Style Spotter for Better Homes and Gardens. You can follow her journey to build her dream house! You'll find her here every Wednesday talking holidays with us. Melissa is kicking off the series tomorrow with something extra special for Thanksgiving.

 

 Alexandra Hedin is joining the crew to bring fun to every party! You'll find her not only at her blog this holiday season but also over on Martha's, BHG, Sweet Paul, and Good Housekeeping. And now you can catch Alexandra here every Wednesday to help you turn your holidays into something extraordinary.

Jen over at Classic Play is the epitome of cool mom plus! She has her own series on PBS called Adventures in Learning that showcases unique ways to teach and hang out with your kids. Her images and illustrations will delight you over these next weeks and help you, too, add a little extra cool to the holidays.

And, for me, I'm whipping up a few of my favorite ideas for the holidays. I promise you, you'll find something new and intriguing to bring to your family celebrations.

Let's help each other and make this an extra special and extra low stress fresh holiday!

Until tomorrow. xoxo, MJ

PS. If you have some fresh holiday traditions or inspirations you want to share, tag them with #freshholidays and I'll post them up for all of us! Many, many thanks!

My husband is a fabulous cook. He runs the gamut on his menus from grilled brats and shiskabobs to Thanksgiving turkeys and Thai chicken wraps. I always thought that I would romance someone with my culinary skills, but he has certainly turned those tables around. I'm the main cook for our weekday meals, but he takes over on the weekends and special occasions, and I find every meal he cooks an extra special treat.

Though our three busy little people don't allow for it much any more, we love to cook together, side by side prepping and preparing. I reminisce now about our months of early marriage when we'd hunt out new recipes, scour the grocery store and farmer's market, and create a new medley of flavors (most of the time tasty) together.

These days we carve out time during the holidays to join forces for bigger family meals. Cooking together has come to be one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving and Christmas. My buttermilk cornbread to his ranch deviled eggs. My cranberry stuffing to his paprika spiced turkey. And all the prep time spent planning, cutting, sauteeing is the best kind of togetherness.

The amazing Joy is sharing a fabulous recipe on Frock Files today. She and James set aside Friday nights for going out, but sometimes, it's the staying in that tops the cake. Check out her special recipe for the kind of comfort food that we're all craving with the chill in the air. Hop on over to see this week's Pennies for Love post.

Is cooking a part of your romance?

xoxo, MJ

On Oct. 15, Martha Stewart was interviewed on Bloomberg. It was one of a zillion interviews she's done. She discussed a variety of topics. Just one topic stood out for me: her thoughts (and her tone) about bloggers.

Who are these bloggers? They're not trained editors and writers at Vogue magazine. I mean, there are bloggers writing recipes that aren't tested, that aren't necessarily very good or are copies of everything that really good editors have created and done. Bloggers create kind of a popularity. But they are not the experts and we have to understand that.

At 72, Martha Stewart is an empire, a brand, and a downright legend. I respect her for her ideas, her hard work, her ability to find talent and surround herself with it, and her seamless transition from a major life-altering event to a thriving, again-active life.

I'm not a Martha groupie; I've never subscribed to her magazine or purchased one of her books (though I was gifted with one that I love!). I will not deny her genius or her many talents. In fact I was so delighted to be at Martha Stewart's headquarters for AltNYC and to experience the environment on innovation that she creates. I completely appreciate all the accomplishments that Gabrielle points out.

I was also, however, confused by her remarks. Or maybe in my own motherly way, I was disappointed. Her comments seemed short-sighted and small. Generally, I think it's just a bad idea to trash your most supportive community.

Later that day I received a PR email. I'm on a list with millions of others, and I was sent this from "Martha."

Hello MJ,

We all start out in different places on the road to expertise.

And it takes tenacity, proficiency, education, endurance, and ambition to go the extra mile. As bloggers, we know this all too well.

I'm disheartened to hear that some of our blogger friends feel that I'm not supportive of what they do. The blogger community is a vibrant and lively place, and I enjoy watching it grow.

In the ever-evolving online community, each day is another opportunity to garner new skills through new experiences. It's like I always say: When you're through changing, you're through.

I'm thrilled to announce that in the coming days, weeks, and months, we'll be incorporating more of the people who inspire us most on the site. People like you -- bloggers and crafters and American makers -- the people who are making a change.

It's important to continue learning, growing, and working together so the world can be a more beautiful place.

Thank you for all your incredible work.

Martha

I realized what it was that was really making me itchy about this whole situation.

Experts.

Expertise.

Bloggers don't = experts or in some way Bloggers should = experts?

Blogging is a means of communication. Like journals, social media posts, works of art, dancing, music...

To be a "blogger" one must use blogging as a main form of communication (fair to say, right?). No expertise required. Just as my technique with oil paints is not evaluated at the cashier desk of Michael's to ensure I'm sufficiently skilled at painting before I can express and share my artwork, my thoughts this way.

From where I sit, the blogosphere has democratized expression. Should I want to share my best recipe for gingerbread cookies or my conversation with my mom last night or anything else, I have the opportunity to send it out into the world - the potential to share it with anyone I can coax to this blog space.

I don't need to be an expert.

In fact, people might just want to learn more BECAUSE I AM NOT an expert.

Martha for all the goodness she's thrown in the direction of handmade and homemade has spotlighted only the most perfect, refined, and pretty. And I'm not denying that she has come to set the standard high and beautiful.

Maybe, too, she's built a bit of pinorexia (see Meg's post and definition on this one) into the blogging community. That every project, recipe, craft must look fabulously styled in order to be trusted and valued...and good.

But for me - me who is far from expert on anything at all - I visit and revisit blogs to see how other-than experts create and live. I won't deny my desire for an aesthetic that appeals; my eye is intoxicated by design and color. But when needed, Google finds the experts for tasks. I find the kindred spirits with whom I want to share a journey, the experience.

These bloggers are (way more often than not) not experts, humble yet confident speakers who are themselves large enough to ride through imperfections and mistakes.

I'll continue to admire the pristeen that Martha Stewart's brand presents, but I won't be putting, expecting, or even desiring that from my favorite blogs or bloggers.

In fact, I hope none of us put perfection as our goal.

Because if we did blogs would be a whole lot less interesting.

xoxo, MJ

Hi friends, I have a treat for you!! My buddy, Emily Jeffords, artist extraordinaire, has agreed to share her latest project with all of my lovely readers. It's a great new magazine called Trouvé. And from the looks of all the pins and photos that I've seen, it's going to knock the socks off the blogosphere.

Need a little inspiration? A burst of creativity? Let's hear what Emily and her pal, Amanda, are cooking up. I promise they'll be something amazing that will catch your fancy. Enjoy this first look at Trouvé!

What does Trouvé mean?  Trouvé means “To Find” in French.  Trouvé Magazine is designed to celebrate the making, the gathering, the wandering; the original thinkers, the creative, the bold, the brave, & the dreamers among us.

What inspired you to begin this magazine?  Amanda Marko came to me several months ago with an idea: let’s create a magazine that we actually want to read from cover-to-cover.  We are excited to offer our readers meaningful and highly creative content that will leave them feeling refreshed and excited about life.     

What will the magazine feature?  Trouvé is a creative lifestyle magazine.  We will be featuring makers, designers, creative projects, gatherings, beautiful shops, travel, recipes, events, and creative spaces. 

Will you be looking for contributors? Yes! We are thrilled to offer beautiful content within the magazine as well as on our website.  We are looking for articles featuring lovely images and meaningful content.  Creative, generous, well-designed, handmade, local, quality: these are the themes we are striving to cultivate within Trouvé.

How can people find out more?  We are excited to introduce Trouvé with an online launch party this fall!   We will be featuring hours of stunning online content, quality giveaways, a preview of the magazine in all its lovely glory, as well as our kickstarter campaign which will enable us to make Trouvé Mag into something meaningful and truly amazing.  To get in on this goodness, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and sign up for our email list. Also, join in on the conversation early by sharing your creative moments with the hashtag: #TrouveMag on Instagram!

Big thanks to Emily and Amanda for sharing this exciting creative journey! I adore great collaborations. Want to find out more? Follow these helpful links:

http://www.TrouveMag.com

https://twitter.com/TrouveMag

https://www.facebook.com/TrouveMag

http://www.pinterest.com/TrouveMag/

http://instagram.com/trouvemag

trouvemag@gmail.com

http://www.amarkodesigns.com

http://EmilyJeffords.com

Are you starting something new and/or creative in your life? Share it here so we can all celebrate!

xoxo, MJ

Let's talk truth here, friends. I stink at cleaning. Wait, let me rephrase that. I stink at cleaning on a regular basis. If I know we're hosting friends or family, I know how to get the place to sparkle (after many, many hours), but on a day-to-day (or more like hour-to-hour with three kids) our house can be an absolute mess - sink overflowing with dishes, laundry unfolded all around the actual laundry room, dust bunnies multiplying under every piece of furniture.

I grew up in an Always Clean house. My mom spent a lot of her life energy making our home warm, tasty, and clean enough to always have a hint of bleach smell throughout. Sometimes I wonder how our kids will remember the state of our house. My guess is that it won't really stand out, but nevertheless, I think about it.

And sometimes I wonder, "What would it be like to have an always clean house?" Would we have friends over more often? Would I sleep better at night? Could we avoid more sinus infections/common colds?

I recently came upon this list on Pinterest from the Gaddis Family Adventure, and it got me thinking. What if I tried it? What if for at least one week, I kept to a regular weekday schedule, rather than sporadic weekend and vacation, for cleaning? Would I feel more relaxed at home? Better about the environment I create for my family?

So for the next week, I'm going to follow this (slightly modified) plan, which includes daily morning and evening tasks as well as a handful of weekly tasks. We are a family of five with a three-story house, two children in full-time school/one in preschool, and two full-time working parents. I'm nervous to see how this is going to go, but I want to try it.

Wanna try it with me? You'll make me braver.

Here's what I'm thinking.

**Adapted from the Gaddis Family Adventure.

I'm going to have to set the alarm earlier to accomplish dishes, laundry, and another domestic duty on top of lunch prep, kid prep, and my prep. Follow @parscaeli over on Instagram this week to see how I handle the additional tasks. I'll be keeping it real, sharing the journey, and trying not to take cleaning too seriously.

How do you keep your home mess-free and clean?

xoxo, MJ

PS. In our house, my husband handles a lot of the dishes, vacuuming, and laundry. We'll see how he adapts to this new schedule, too!

Hey there. Happy week to you! How's September rolling along? Fall is racing in fast and bringing her crisp air and snuggly wardrobes, and I am delighted.

I am also delighted to have a friend. A friend who will craft with me. This week, after much rescheduling and scheming, my friend, Renee and I will break open a bag of supplies and keep our hands busy crafting until we call it a day or a DIY done.

Our plan was to share some pins that have really piqued our interest as of late and decide together on which one was worthy of the craft date. Here are the three projects I suggested. Some of these have been around for a while, and I just haven't had the time to make my own versions.

Which one would you make? Or do you have another project on your mind?

Found via Cottage and Vine

Via Family Chic

Via Martha Stewart

Tune in next week to see what we crafted and just how we did. And if you're lucky enough to have a friend in your life who will craft with you, give them a hug for me. She/He is awesome!!

xoxo,

MJ

PS. If you want to make your home a warm, wonderful place to be every day of the year, follow Renee over on Pinterest.

Helllooo there. I'm excited, friends. Excited to share a new spot on the blog I'm calling Inspiration Drawer. Did I mention I've moved offices? Yes, I have. Not a big move, just one floor down to a similarly sized office space. And I've taken the opportunity to refresh my work space.

Moving always prompts me to reorganize and declutter (both very needed elements in my worklife), and I've created a fresh spot in my desk I refer to as the inspiration drawer. In it are a mixture of print pieces, catalogs, colors, words, and photographs that have interested me for some reason or another. Previously these items were all over in various files and project boxes. Now I have my treasure trove of ideas all in one spot.

And that's what's coming at you on Wednesdays! Inspiration Drawer. Images, words, and ideas that inspire me...and may just stick with you, too.

Today's idea. Make yourself laugh.

What do have in your office space? Diplomas or family photos? Beautiful paintings or collages of prints?

How do these inspire your work? Or do they?

With my new workspace, I decided a change of mood was in order for my environment. And instead of filling my space with images or open spaces that might bring a sense of peace, I opted for bright colors, a leaning toward the impractical, and a sense of humor.

For example, I used to have framed photos of my children and husband that I would call "the most adorable" images I could find. This time I went through my iPhoto storage to find the images that perpetually make me smile or laugh. I remember these moments with such great joy that just seeing the image allows me to hop right back in time.

I decided I wanted these to be a little larger than life so I sent them off to print at Walgreens. 3 days later, I received my 11 x 14 poster prints on really quality paper for a great price. And I love how the black and white turned out!

 

Looking forward to sharing more...

What do you keep around your workspace to calm, excite, focus, delight you?

xoxo, MJ

Hi, hello! How are you, friends? I feel like I've been on a silent retreat for a week, and now all I wanna do is gab and give you a hug to tell you how much you've been missed!!

Welcome to the new monochromatic Pars Caeli. I'm a girl in love with color so this is going out on limb for me, but I'm hoping this new ste up will allow all the colorful creations and inspirations to pop right off the page and into your life. I have some great fun planned for the coming weeks, and I'm completely grateful you're taking the adventure with me!!

Here's the skinny on what's up: for the fall semester (I still live my life according to the academic calendar), I'll continue my three days a week posting - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. A funny thing happened to my waistline over the summer - it expanded! And instead of putting on my freshman 15, I put on my indulgent summer 15, so I'm vowing to use my time away from the blog to animate this body back into motion. Yes, my friends, there's some nutrition, running, and yoga in my future. I don't one regret one s'more or second plate of pancakes - I let myself enjoy the loveliness of food - but now it's time to get back in the groove. Are you feeling it, too?

My hair got nine inches shorter with a bit more sass, and you're going to see some of that same busting out around here, too. We're talking weekly projects, new series, fresh collaborations and a whole lot of good time. Ya with me?

Are you ready for fall and the amazingness it brings? Check this out for a little bit of inspiration.

I'll see you here tomorrow to share our fall bucket list (is yours ready yet? Here's what we dreamed up last autumn). I'd love to hear what you're up to..

xoxo, MJ

I cannot believe it. Here we are at my last Endless Summer Projects! We've been planning these and posting them for so many weeks now, that I can't believe we're at the finish line already. And that feeling of quick endings is all around us as we squeeze the literal juice out of the remaining two weeks of summer.

In our house, August brings the start of school preempted by one of our favorite (made up) holidays, Siblings Day! To foster great relationships and celebrate the special people we have right around us, our family indulges in a special dinner, a lasting craft, silly games, some storytelling of great memories, and silly pictures together.

My children are 8,6, and 3, and although rather close in age, their ability levels and interests can seem light years apart at times. Lots of "he's not old enough" and "she's too big" get thrown around in conversation. I wanted a way for everyone to see each other on a level playing field... So we spent some time going through baby pictures as a family. Each sibling heard stories of the other sister or brother and their habits as babies, the toys they loved, the ridiculous noises and first words they said.

And each one selected a baby photo of their brother and/or sister to hang in their rooms. Sometimes it's good to remember that your bossy older sister was once an adorable baby, too. And that annoying little brother, well, he was super huggable with those pudgy cheeks.

Once we had our photos selected and printed, we were ready to get to work.

Wanna make some, too? Super simple supplies for this one: sturdy shoeboxes, quality paint, brushes, photographs, scissors, and washi tape

My daughters picked the box lids, and my son wanted the box bottom, (and either side can turn out quite nicely)! Have children paint the boxes, likey 2-3 coats, depending on the coverage.

Once the box lid is completely covered in paint, assist your children in trimming the baby photos to all the same size. For the size boxes we had, I trimmed the photos to 3" x 3".

Line up photographs on the long flat surface of the box or box lid, and carefully adhere to the box with washi tape. I also glued the photos onto the boxes to insure that the washi tape would have some assistance in keeping the pictures in place.

Finished boxes make cute photo bricks on dresser and shelves.

Add fun washi tape patterns to add some visual interest to your frame.

And don't forget to find a spot on the wall to show off your new creation.

Happy crafting, friends! Thanks so much for a fabulous summer of projects.

We'll be back next week with the grand finale post from Jennifer. In the meantime, try these other projects for the waning days of summer:

Mosaic Stepping Stones DIY by Lulu the Baker

Weeknight Barbecue by Alexandra Hedin

Sharpie Dyed Tee Shirts by Pars Caeli

A Bug Habitat by Classic Play

Mini Masterpieces by Lulu the Baker

Bubble Painting by Alexandra Hedin

Memoir Boxes by Pars Caeli

Friendship Charm Bracelets by Classic Play

Shaving Cream Marbelized Paper by Lulu the Baker

Spray Paint Tablecloth by Alexandra Hedin

xoxo, MJ

Just two more weeks left in our amazing summer series of Endless Summer Projects! We have had so much fun getting our hands dirty and getting crafty over these summer weeks. My kiddos start back Aug. 22 so we still have more days to enjoy before the fall routine hits.

I'll be posting some great end of summer activities and beginning of school ideas for you and yours so stay tuned!!

In the meantime head over to Alexandra's site to see her fabulous new tablecloth, fit for any kiddo celebration.

Have any projects you want to share? Add the hashtag #endlesssummerprojects to any of your tweets, instagrams, or FB posts.

Mosaic Stepping Stones DIY by Lulu the Baker
Weeknight Barbecue by Alexandra Hedin 
Sharpie Dyed Tee Shirts by Pars Caeli
A Bug Habitat by Classic Play
Mini Masterpieces by Lulu the Baker

Bubble Painting by Alexandra Hedin

Memoir Boxes by Pars Caeli

Friendship Charm Bracelets by Classic Play

Shaving Cream Marbelized Paper by Lulu the Baker

xoxo, MJ

Hi y'all!

It's time once again to offer you some fresh ideas on how to craft the summer away with your kiddos, and today I have a great rainy day project to engage the whole family. I hope you've been creating along with us and following the other amazing mamas: Alexandra, Melissa, and Jen (put Bloglovin' or Feedly to work and keep up to date with these go getters).

Have you ever returned from vacation or a great outing and wished that you could capture the entire experience? The why didn't I take some video? The I should have written down some of our favorite memories?

Let's write a memoir. Too daunting? Clear your head of the anthology, giant biography kind of dust collector and envision more of a memory collector, short and sweet. A friend and fellow teacher opened up my eyes to the beauty of memoir for capturing our children's stories (and I'm so glad she did!). And you can do it, too, through six simple, well chosen, words. Need some ideas for what I mean? Check out these great examples from Tara and this awesome collection of six-word memoirs.

Our first step was to narrow in on the topic. We chose our summer...so far. I asked my three kiddos (ages 8, 6, and 3) to think about all the activities, trips, and experiences we've had thus this summer. We talked as a group initially so that even my littlest could get some ideas of happenings before snacktime today. :)

For my oldest, she could and did write a whole list of everything she enjoyed and filled half a page with sketches and writing. My 5-year old wrote two large sentences, and we talked through a few more ideas as I wrote down some additional words to describe her favorites.

And my youngest and I sat down and drew pictures together of what made him smile about summer. He drew some elements, and I helped with more difficult concepts. See our masterpiece below with one of our butterflies, some squirt tubes, his new bicycle, and a castle.

No matter the skill level, everyone can find a way to enter into the idea gathering. Adapt for what's best suited for each family member.

Once you have ideas down, select 1-5 favorites. This was super tough for my crew, but with a little encouragement and prodding, we were able to find the best.

Here's the challenge! You now have a page of ideas from which to choose...but which ones do you capture? For us and our memories of summer, we decided we didn't need to be comprehensive but focus on moments that we will remember long after summer is gone.

This process was easiest for the youngest. He knew right away what he wanted, and all I had to do was make sure he could count 1-6 and confirm his final writing. My younger daughter needed some help with adjectives to add some interest to her list, but she got into the idea of playing with limited words and giggled through her version of cheerleading accomplishments that turned into "jumping marshmallows." And my oldest decided to go much more with a list with details coming only for her very favorite experience.

Once you have your memoirs written, the accordion book and box will be an easy way to store these treasures.

Find a box that you can use or re-use. We upcycled a brie cheese container and used it mostly because we all loved the circular shape. Each child added some color to the interior and exterior of the box as well.

For the pages of the accordion, I folded cardstock. Each writer used only the right side of the folded card, and we glued the left sides of each under the written-on right sides from another piece to make one long chain of words.

Once the glue dried, I refolded the chain to a back-and-forth accordion fold. I added an extra card on each end so that the expanse of book was a bit wider.

With the folded accordion now assembled, I glued the first and last flap to the insides of the box lid and base.

We added our title on the back as a sneaky way to display the project, without anyone else seeing our special memories.

And when we're ready to store our memories away, we have a great little box fllled with magic to hold them all.

Happy writing and crafting, friends! Don't forget to tag your projects with #endlesssummerprojects and come on back next week for the delightful Jen and her latest project (btw, head over to Camp Classic Play when you're done here. Lots of great ideas!!)

xoxo, MJ

Welcome to Wednesday, friends! We, Americans, have a dynamic holiday coming up tomorrow, and my family is looking forward to heaping helpings of berry trifle, hotdogs/hamburgers, and bowls of watermelon.

But before we bust out into full-out holiday fun, I have some great projects for you!

First up, a drawing challenge for anyone who's game. Nicki Traikos of Life I Design put out the offer to join her in the #30daysketchbookchallenge. That's right, every day for the next 30 days, the task is to sketch, photograph, and post with that hashtag. Simple, right?

At first I was all about cheerleading for these brave ladies like Kim of Design Life Kids. What guts do these women possess to share their doodles with the world, heh? And then it was me sitting with a legal pad and a great ink pen, scribbling away, and snapping a few shots. I am such a sucker for a good challenge. So, here I am, putting my brave on (no judging please), and I'll be sharing my sketches along with a growing community of others.

We are only on day 3 so there's still plenty of time to come along! The two shots above are my #1 and #2 sketches. I'm working on my prizes for AltNYC friends which will incorporate some of the best quotes from the conference along with some handlettering to make a great piece of New York that we can all keep alive!!

Following the brilliant lead of Elizabeth from the Note Passer, I've begun a Sketching Thoughts Pinterest board that you're welcome to follow for some drafting ideas.

What you see here below is what I'm calling: Persuasive Doodling. Yes, I just made it up. Here is my 30-reason manifesto as to why you should join the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge.

Sorry for the lack of order. This is how my brain works.

Incorporating such nagging questions as - What is your go-to doodle? You know, the one you find yourself making when you're terribly bored in a meeting or stuck in a waiting room.

And great reassurances like, "Hashtags make things real, right?"

Check out #30daysketchbookchallenge to see all the sketches coming at you daily.

(And go ahead and add yours while you're there.)

And for the children in your life, the bubbly Alexandra has this week's Endless Summer Project with Bubble Painting! Bubbles are still great fun for all three of my kiddos, even at 8, 6, and 3. Swapping turns from bubble makers to bubble poppers, and chasing wherever the wind might blow.

And now Alexandra has a way for kids to create that pop of color with some fun outdoor art. This would make a fabulous addition to your family fun for the 4th.

Thank you so much, Alexandra!! I so love being a part of these projects every Wednesday, and I can't wait to show you what I have in store for next week. :)

xoxo, MJ

For me the people of AltNYC were the toppers. BUT a very close second were the business cards. I knew before I ever stepped foot in Omnimedia's offices on Thursday that I wanted to get them all. Business cards, the good old-fashioned way to exchange messaging and contact information, are a highlight of Alt conferences. These mini masterpieces are all shapes, sizes, textures, and even scents. With each and every card exchange, I felt like I gained another lovely bit of inspiration, and I got to tell my story to another eager listener (thank you attendees for that).

And after much labor and DIY-ing, I'm delighted to present to you the inaugural Pars Caeli business cards.

Highlights of their creation include printing on watercolor paper and adhering two layers to create the ultimate thickness and applying four layers of silver scratch-off paint. Hand painting each one of these was a commitment and a total joy. The process reminded me of the joy of freehanding. Granted, the glimmer of bliss began to wear off somewhere around coat two of silver paint, but I pushed on through that.

I went with a round design to reference the Alt logo and Martha Stewart logo (grabbing onto the coat tails of greatness). Pars Caeli is all about joy and celebration so I wanted every participant to WIN something. The thought: offer a scratch-off treat that reveals a very special website for attendees to grab a VIPrize.

I was so over the moon about these, and I eagerly handed my very first card to Paige in our Hotel Americano suite just before we were about to leave for our sponsored dinners on Wednesday evening. Paige, the ever-supportive enthusiast, quickly began to scratch at the silver paint.

Scratch.

Etch.

Scratch, scritch.

My stomach sank. As Paige scraped off the silver paint, off came the watercolor paper and the ink that posted the website that made the whole concept click. 

Seriously? What. am. I. going. to do. Time? 5:30 with dinner to begin at 6:30 where cards will be exchanged.

I could have bawled right there. I know it sounds ridiculous but part of me wanted to pull an all out fit, think 4-year old tantrum, and pout.

BUT, I had Paige. See angelic human below.

And one really great friend is worth more than a Times Square ad space.

Instead of pulling a childish fit, I laughed. Heartily and almost hysterically. And Paige laughed, too. And in 2 minutes we were brainstorming ridiculous solutions. And laughing at every turn.

I texted my husband on the issue. He urged me to rally. To pretty please rally. He offered the story that the lottery would not release the real solution/ingredients for the official scratch-off formula so this was a bit of a gag. Eh, I give him credit for storytelling in a second's notice.

Paige stopped her preparations for dinner.

Sat down with me and a great big pile of business cards and...

We began to handwrite the messages around the circle of the cards. "Head on over to parscaeli.com/win to grab your treat. xo" was written again and again. And you better believe that Paige will forever know how to spell her Latin terms.

We'd finished about 15 when we realized we had to get in a cab and get to dinner. I needed more than 15 for dinner.

Again, Super Paige to the rescue. In the backseat of the most tumultuous cab ride, Paige and I attempted to handwrite messages on every single card. With grace and wit, she set me at ease, got right to the task, and had me planning for when I might finish off the once overwhelming task.

And you know what, friends? I owned it. Every person who received a Pars Caeli card got a quick, funny recap of the escapade. Maybe the humanity of it or maybe the wit or even the sweetness of friendship will resonate with folks... and make my cards that much more memorable.

I know it's a story I'll be telling my grandkids. Friendship sticks...even when the silver lining gets scratched off.

And now to the rest of the amazingness, the cards of Alt NYC. First up amazing objects. Really ladies? You rock.

Catch that swimming minnow from Ellen? And that circle lovely from Amy?

I just can't help it - the charm of Paper Mama's wooden dog pin had me. Handmade. No, really.

And onto the color and photography cards. I received so many letterpress and fabulously thick cards (my fave).

Haeley over at Design Improvised even gave us the ingredients for an Alt business card garland. Genius!!

Alexandra's letterpress vintage charm was just gorgeous and right on message.

And the black and white set. Such great classic and crisp cards here. Theresa's washi tape envelope had me at wow.

Shall I offer a favorite? Or shall I pull a mom answer out and say I love them all, just differently.

Nope. Leslie Fandrich, your cards are even more beautiful in person than in stunning photography. Your hand-drawn illustrations brought to letterpress are gorgeous and my very favorite.

Who topped your list? I'd love to hear.

And before I forget, let me share with you another installment in the fun Endless Summer Projects series. This week Melissa of Lulu the Baker is creating mini masterpieces in an easy how-to that we can all handle with our kiddos. My older children are beginning to notice art more and more, and thanks to an art memory game we have, they've each established their own lists of favorite painters and illustrators. I know they'll enjoy creating some appreciated masterpieces to life for our home!

Thanks, Melissa!! Alexandra has a great project headed our way next week, and she's taking us right out to the backyard. Join in.

xoxo, MJ

PS. AltNYC friends, the site is open. Please go to parscaeli.com/win and enter your info so I can send along your prize!!
PPS. Take a look at Obsession Session's quick take on the cards via Vine.

Indulge me, please, friends. I have stories to tell from my first ever trip to New York City and AltNYC!! Amidst these recollections are some gems of wisdom from giants in the blogging industry, lovely images from the one and only Justin Hackworth (thanks Atly for sponsoring these amazing photos), and the buds of a few really great ideas that will be coming your way in the next few months.

To sum up my experience, this. Yes, this is how huge my grin was for the vast majority of my journey. Meeting friends that I've been corresponding with for months and jumping on new opportunities. Thanks to Paige for capturing the essense of me in NYC, and thanks to Emily for those incredible earrings.

From the numerous emails back and forth before purchasing tickets down to the final sentimental hugs goodbye, Paige and Emily made AltNYC an easy-breezy, glamourous, and downright hilarious trip for me, and I'm so glad we decided to triple up in our queen suite and make a glamping escapade out of the whole thing. See below: beautiful roommates with attitude

In addition to saving my business card future and giving me an insiders look at Brooklyn (these stories still to come), these two had my back and were the extra boost that I needed to power through that gasping feeling I woke up with the morning of AltNYC - AKA I'm going to Martha's offices this morning, ack!

For those of you not in the know on Alt, Altitude Summit was started by Gabrielle Blair and her sister Sarah a handful of years ago. Originally the conference was offered as a multiple-day event in Salt Lake City. Now, it's tranformed into events in NYC and San Francisco as well as an entirely digital conference focused on design, social media, and the best of creative content.

Gabrielle's blog, Design Mom, was the very first blog I followed, and one of the few definitive things I wanted to accomplish during my time at Alt was to meet Gabrielle.

During a break on Thursday, when poor Gabby was trying to catch up on a few emails, I totally interrupted her, showed off my lack of shame, and thanked her for the years of inspiration. I am a total believer that you have to support the people and organizations that you love, and it was on my bucket list to give my girl a hug, in real life.

Donezo.

And yes, she is that classy in real life, too.

Before AltNYC I began collecting all the blog and blogger info I could get my mouse on to tag it on a Pinterest board. Check out all the amazingness that went along with me to AltNYC over here on Pinterest. Turned out that Joy's tip on looking like my profile picture for the conference was a hugely helpful one!! Gals from all over were able to identify my bun and stripes, and I was greeted with so, so many warm, "Oh, you're MJ.."s.

I met dozens and dozens of incredible, creative, passionate bloggers (who also design, write, mother, photograph, style, travel, and bake), and I was completely inspired by the buzz of energy that filled the gigantic room. The extrovert in me was so charged I couldn't fall asleep til 3 AM following the conversations with ladies like this (all photos by Justin Hackworth; he's the man):

Okay, Martha and I didn't actually have a conversation, but she did stop by, and I was a bit overwhelmed!

Laicie of 1000 Threads (class and warmth)

Leslie Fandrich and Jen of Classic Play (cool, confident kids)

The ladies of ObsessSesh (hilarious and down to earth)

Amy and Alexandra and Molly and Mariah

As well as dozens of other gals for whom I don't have photos!!

And these gals on the rooftop of Martha's HQs

Emily, Paige, Theresa, and Ellen

All of these beauties taught me a little something different, and if I could, I'd wade in the diversity and freshness we all brought to the table. Spunk, passion, intelligence, and an incredible eye for design.

That's what I found in the people of AltNYC.

Tomorrow, my friends, I have the business cards that will delight you, and I'll tell you the tale of the cards that almost weren't. Stay tuned on Thursday to learn great ideas that you can apply to your life (blogger or not) from AltNYC.

Kisses to all,

MJ

PS. If you want to see even more of the experience from my view, head over to Instagram and follow #parscaeliatAltNYC to see start to finish.

PPS. Thanks again to Justin for these gorgeous photographs!!

Ahhhhhhh and EEEEEEk. Sorry to greet you with such outbursts this morning, but I'm HERE friends. This thing that I've been contemplating and pondering and wishing about, it's here. And I'm here in New York City for the first time ever.

Super big thanks to my hubs who has loved this blog into being through his abundant support and encouragement. This whole experience is a treat for me planned out by him. Thank you, dear.

Hugs and kisses to my kiddos who are gonna make my time away no less than exciting for him, too. Listen to your father.

I'm reposting the reflection I did from my armchair during AltSLC. I've been an #altsummitwannabe for a while so enjoy the tongue-in-cheek rendition.

If you want a window into what's going on live, join me over on Instagram at @parscaeli. Hoping to snag some great photos. You can also follow the hashtag #ParsCaeliatAltNYC.

Wish me luck!

xoxo, MJ

Originally posted January 2013:

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Alt Summit. I've followed founder and co-owner, Gabrielle Blair, for years, and I've learned oodles from their online classes through the Alt Channel. I actually purchased a ticket to Alt NYC and had to cancel out. To me the brand that Alt has established is one of unique, fresh, over-the-top creativity, unsurpassed in its innovation and attention to detail.

I blog for fun, to connect with lovelies around the world, to stay inspired... so I can't say, like many of my blogger buds, that heading to Utah for a few days was a noteworthy and important business expense. I kinda just wanted to go to dance the night away with friends and be wowed by the great business cards and keynotes. Maybe bring back some signature swag. Is that so wrong?

In my head, no.

However, 2013 was not my year for Alt SLC.

If you follow Pars Caeli on Instagram (yeah, come on over, I have some really corny jokes for you), you saw my ode to the magnificence and rockstar partying through the hashtag "altsummitwannabe." Yes, yes, I do use humor as a coping mechanism. For example, I did enjoy this round table discussion but maybe not as much as I would have if Jen and Sandra were leading it.

My networking opportunities? Well, not so Alt fab.

But, at least I could add my homage to blogging through my fashion choices (while my ladies touted a much grander sense of style...)

Big, big thanks to my tweeps who played along and offered their own glimpses into what an Alt Summit Wannabe's world looks like.

Honesty here? Despite getting a nibble from sponsors, I knew I couldn't attend Alt SLC this year when I found out the date. Why? My daughter, C, age five, had her first ballet performance on Saturday. Until now she's been overcome by stagefright despite her amazing natural abilities and love for dance (no bias here). So, though I was swayed by the glamour and the glitter, I knew I had to be in the auditorium seat with my loud clapping hands and gleaming smile to cheer on my favorite new ballerina.

That doesn't keep me from getting all that I can from the photos, quotes, and detailed recaps floated out on my favorite blogs. And when you find something this good, well, you just have to share it.

You'll find below an unmatched list of amazing recaps for those of you who fell into the Alt Summit Wannabe category and for you beautiful attendees, too. Have a missed some awesomeness that must be shared? Post it in the comments, and I'll update the blog roll here.

• You're gonna wanna read all 73 of these lessons from And Then We Saved learned
• Catherine shows off her outfits over on Walking with Cake
• Even amazing bloggers like Megan need a burst of inspiration. Read how she got her groove back over at the Fresh Exchange
• The dynamo Melanie recaps the highlights we can all take away over on Inward Facing Girl
• Over at Mama love Papa, Morgan admits (we already knew it) her great affinity and talent in photo booths and pinpoints great speakers
• Adina from Gluten Free Travelette throws down some bulleted lists you don't want to miss
• Gabriel, AKA the Artful Desperado, offers some advice we don't often hear on Alt
• Erin from Art Social has everything you need to know
• Mariah has the skinny on how to make amazing photos with props on Oh, What Love Studios
• Designer Rachel of Pencil Shavings Studio put together an awesome takeaway menu from her time
• A brilliant recap of mega talent, Stefan Sagmeister's naked keynote from Sandra at Raincoast Cottage
• And don't miss Sandra's notes from her roundtable with Jen from Classic Play: Makers Gotta Make
• Two great posts from Erika of Foxtrot Press to keep us thinking and engaged, check here and here
• The Curbly viewpoint offered by Alicia
• All sorts of inspiration and notes from PJ over at Bunny and Dolly
• You better believe that bloggers hustle harder, and Amber over at Damask Love has all the info
• Kristiina reveals 5 things she didn't expect to learn over on a Typical Housecat
• Cal has great photos and insights from her experience. Check them out over at Call Me Cal
• Speaking of awesome photos, you gotta check out Karen's over at Chookooloonks
• Jill of Terra Savvy shares some lovely thoughts on Alt the second time around
• You must see Brittany from the House of that Lars Built unbelievable hat (and all the other fun)
• The New Diplomat's Wife says it all in five quotes
• Little Lessy takes you through each day's lessons with great graphics, too.
• Lisa of Elembee breaks it all down in two posts for us, find here and here
• Need Alt survival tips? Get them from our girl Squirrelly Minds, Tan
• Lauren gives us the deets on her outfits and her takeways on Stylized Existence
• Allison of Engaged and Inspired shares her snapshots
• Party like its Alt SLC from the one and only Kelly of StudioDIY
• Leslie reminds us of the power of friendship through her experiences at Alt and making new connections over on her blog Leslie Fandrich
• Side note: she also took photos of some of my favorite Alt people - go check out those gorgeous gals
• A must-see: Sheri's showcase of the Alt business cards over on Donuts, Dresses, and Dirt
• Joy tells it like no other and reminds us to be our truest selves and shares the secrets from successful bloggers on Frock Files
  

** Hugs to all of you beautiful people who have come back to check on things while I've been away. Did I tell you that I've missed you?

XOXOXO,

MJ

Hello lovelies!

Shouting out to you from the road today. I'm on a crack-of-dawn flight out of Chicago this morning, and I'm on my way to meet some great friends and enjoy a delicious dinner in New York City.

I'm not leaving you lonely though!! I have a fabulous project to share from the incredible Jen of Classic Play. I have had a handful of mommas ask me how we're filling our days this summer. Well, guess what? We are making bug houses! That's a great response, right?

We're growing caterpillars/butterflies right now, and my children have been mesmerized by the growth cycle. I can get all three of them calm and excited (interesting combo) just by sitting down next to the butterfly netting to observe for 3 minutes. It's a great transition method. My son calls these four creatures our new pets. And what would a new pet want more than.... a beautiful house.

So head on over to Jen's blog and check out all the details. We'll be back next Wednesday with another fun project from Melissa over at Lulu the Baker. Stay tuned.

And speaking of Lulu, I'm in her kitchen today! Well, you know, on her feature In My Kitchen - though I would love to head over to Melissa's home because I know I'd grab a handful of these, and she'd support me all the way. Can you guess how I answered this question... In my kitchen, I cook up...

Hint: it's not edible.

Don't forget to follow the madness that is my first trip to NYC and AltNYC on Instagram and Twitter at #ParsCaeliatAltNYC

xoxo, MJ

It's my turn! (I am so bad at delayed gratification.)

Time to welcome you all to another wonderful Endless Summer Project from the team of hyper-cool moms: Melissa, Alexandra, Jen, and me If you stepped into the vast wormhole of the internet last week and missed Alexandra's hopping backyard BBQ, you missed a safe alternative to horseshoes, a great grilling recipe, and an adult beverage to adore. Skip on over and enjoy... and then come right back. Or maybe go check out Melissa's cute mosaic stepping stones first. And THEN return, bright-eyed and bushy-talled to check out our Rings of Color Sharpie Dyed Shirts!!

Last summer we did a great tie dye shirt project together, and my children loved crafting and wearing their shirts. To kick off our summer together, I wanted to make another wearable piece, and what could be better than an excuse to use Sharpie markers?

This project is totally inspired by the great Martha Stewart (I'm hoping we'll be BFFs after next week). To see a helpful video on how to, go here.

Here's what you need:

• Light-colored shirts
• Sharpie markers - be sure to avoid contrasting colors unless you want brown hues
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Eye dropper
• Circular surface
• Rubber bands
• Cookie sheets

We took our project to the backyard for more summertime fun, but this craft is safe enough to do in a clear spot inside for a foolproof rainy day creation, too!

Neon is all over the place this summer so we chose new NEON Sharpies. Their saturation was a great choice for the brilliance in color palette.

Step One: Insert a clean cookie sheet into the t-shirt. This will prevent the alcohol and markers from bleeding through to the back of the shirt.

Step Two: Visualize your design (or not). My girls and I decided we wanted to created a strip of colors that ran down just one side of the shirt so we planned out where we wanted the circular shapes to go. If you're more into free form, you can set up one circle at a time and add as your fancy desires.

Step Three: Insert the circle object underneath the top layer of the shirt. Secure its placement with a rubber band.

Step Four: Draw thicker dots with Sharpies in a ring pattern.

Step Five: The fun!! Fill an eye dropper with isopropyl alcohol. Squeeze out one drop at a time and watch the colors slowly bleed. Try different effect for dropping it inside the circle where no color is and dropping it right onto the dots themselves. To keep your colors more brilliant, limit your drops of alcohol. To spread your circles the most, keep adding drops.

Step Six: If you don't want the rings to bleed into one another, be sure to wait until the alcohol has mostly dried before moving on OR spread out the rings so that they do not overlap.

Step Seven: Allow the alcohol to dry (mostly) and flip to the other side to create more patterns and fun! Once the alcohol has dried completely on both sides, remove from cookie sheet. Pop in the dryer for 5-10 minutes (on its own) to set colors.

Step Eight: Wear to your heart's desire! Colors should now be set within the fibers but I'd still recommend washing with like tones on the first machine wash.

Fair warning here, friends: fun projects like this might ensue a whole lot of sillyness and laughter so be prepared to make great summer memories.

Sidenote: Sharpies bleed in the most wonderful ways so for my 3-year old son, we made a striped shirt. Try your hand at all sorts of patterns and shapes! L wore this for three days straight until I had to cut him off. :)

So grab your Sharpies, friends, and get creating!! We'd love to see your creations - share them with us using the hashtag #endlesssummerprojects and look for sneak peeks of Jen's fabulous project for next week!

Here's to an endless summer of childhood fun.

xoxo, MJ

Welcome to it, my friends!! A new series launching today and coming to you every Wednesday this summer. I've teamed up with some of my favorite mommas in the blogosphere to bring you fun and to keep your kiddos engaged in fabulous projects.

Let me introduce you to the gorgeous gals collaborating with me on Endless Summer:

This is going to be an amazing summer thanks to these ladies. We are showing you parties and recipes, backyard fun and art projects, and a few charmed surprises that will make you wish on an evening star for a few more days of childhood. So tell your friends and pull on some play clothes!

Melissa is starting us off with a great mosaic project. My kids are going to love this one!! How about yours?

xoxo, MJ

PS. Come on back tomorrow for a thoughtful way to capture this year's school memories for your children. I promise, it's a really good one.

Hey y'all. It's almost here. It's almost summer. Spring is the happy harbinger of summer.

And summer is extraordinary here in the Midwest. It is the time of year that color fills every view, and the warmth of the sun melts away the memories of the gray that surround us the remainder of the year. This summer I'll be hitting the reset button, finding space to bask in childhood alongside my kiddos, take some time to party, and give myself the space to create and rest. But I'll be doing it in the midst of a busy professional life (our busiest time is always the summer) so we're in this together to hold each other accountable.

Pars Caeli is following along so welcome to our new regularly scheduled time for summer blog posts! If you're following me over on Twitter, you read my easy breezy announcement to stretch weekends to four days (oh, how I wish I actually had that power). Beginning this week and continuing into the beginning of the school year, I'll post every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Sometimes you just need a Friday away from social media and devices...and then maybe you need a Monday, off, too. :)

I'm excited to show you all I have in store for the summer edition of Pars Caeli. Fresh ideas for Mommy and Daddy School, family bookclub, a new craft/DIY series with some amazing bloggers you know, a whole lot of adventures, and even a few surprises are coming at you - bam, bam, bam!

Right now we're in the midst of dreaming up one of these. Wanna make one for yourself or your family this summer?

Celebrate the Normal photo post continues tomorrow so don't forget to add #celebratethenormal to your photos on Instagram and Twitter. Sparkles and new life coming your way...

xoxo, MJ