Now, bloggers are a funny breed because we work on projects and then we force people to look at them by shouting it from the social media rooftops. By putting ourselves and our work out there we are subjecting ourselves to judgment, for better or for worse.

Brittany, The House that Lars Built

After the article which featured Brittany as one of a select number of bloggers in the New York Times, Brittany is the lady in the spotlight. Can I say that I loved her first? Actually she's well loved all over and has been for quite a while through her on point aesthetic and beautiful creations.

She sums up her work on The House That Lars Built like this:

CREATE: I'm first of a creator. I create crafts, style them, design products and interiors, write, illustrate.  

PUBLISH: This blog is a great platform for featuring your work as well. Let's talk about how to make that happen!

AMPLIFY: Want your word to spread? Let's talk about how to take it to the next level with my social media platforms.

And she does all those things, really well, and also these things:

The incredible Kentucky Derby hat that won on the Today Show. These larger than life, bigger than your imagination flowers.

The fun fruit balloons and the Language of Flowers series.

I click over to her blog for the beauty she regularly posts and creates. She's so versatile - seemingly talented in every arena. And she's totally humble in person, too.

I don't need to shout out the list of high-end magazines that have featured her or list the uber designers with whom she's worked, but I can say that I am always intrigued to see her next post. She keeps challenging herself to try something new and styles to perfection.

I don't know how she gets it all done...but I do know that she's moving into her own studio space, and I know Brittany will have more beautiful projects to share.

Here's a snippet of her from the interview in the NYT responding to blogger burn out:

Perhaps one day I might get burned out to the point where I don't want to do this anymore. But again, I think that's a part of life. There are natural transition points in which we tackle something new while letting go of the old. I don't think it's something to feel guilty about. I do think it's something we should be aware of. I don't think we should unnecessarily overwork ourselves. I do think we can work smarter not harder. Every occupation and job goes through this period self-evaluation and hopefully it ends with what's best for you and your family.

Perfect! Thanks for all of your tireless work and attention to detail and design, Brittany.

I'm a total fan girl.

Blogger pals, are you burnt out? Do you think this job leads itself more naturally to burn out?

xoxo, MJ

"Aren't we weird human beings?" read my text message, "Us and our 'celebrity' crushes on people who are just regular humans like us."

Paige, Approaching Joy Creative

I don't think there's a definition of a fan girl floating around on Merriam Webster's pages, but if there were, I think it might include a high level of admiration for someone you have not met.

I have met Rachel Shingleton. We met in January at Alt Summit in Salt Lake City. Rachel's totally down to earth and easy to talk to, and there is potential that she didn't know I was a big fan girl, but she probably did. Upon meeting her, I told her I couldn't wait to collaborate on something. Sometimes, I kind of get really excited.

As you can see in the image below, I've been a fan for a few years. When I first saw her logo - the name, the colors, the stripe - I thought it was so brilliantly done. I still think so, except now, Rachel has taken her style and color blog to a whole new level.

She's received a lot of honors, including the Better Homes & Gardens Top 5 Decorating blogs (and look at the kicking graphic she made for her award). In her shop, she's grown and expanded to retailers like The Limited and Nordstrom's. 

Rachel says that she's never met a color she didn't like. And she does such an amazing job of making those colors work together in energetic, blissful ways.

Her home tour with Gabrielle of Design Mom is a must see. The vibrancy of each room just hums. Mixing in bold tones with fresh white all throughout the home, Rachel is a whiz with pattern and texture. She partnered with The Land of Nod to reimagine her office and playroom. It's such a spectacular finished space that beckons creativity to come on out. 

I've followed her personal story as well which she tackles head on with her blog. And I'm delighted for Rachel and her family as they welcome their long-awaited second child!

From hair-styling and fashion, to home decor, to cute gifts and great ideas, Rachel always have something fresh to offer.

Rachel, thanks for your myriad of awesome work.

I'm a fan girl.

xoxo, MJ

Van Gogh used paints to portray what inspired him... Me?  I like photos and words.  I invest in this blog not only because I love the art of weaving words and images together to tell a story, but because, in doing so, I find myself looking more deeply for the beauty in life and consequently finding it in more places.

~Kelle Hampton, Enjoying the Small Things

I've accidentally taken (most) of this week off of blogging. I didn't really mean to. Back to school and a new schedule meant I had some spaces of time for me. I was not cramped to blog this week...so what's up with the vacancy of posts?

It seems that I flat out wasted time this week (what?!). I luxuriated in going to bed early, baking cookies, even cleaning some neglected areas of my home. I won't let it happen again. :)

Kelle Hampton was one of my first inspirations as a blogger. Somehow I found her sight, clicked over to her about page, and identified. She had also been a fifth grade teacher; she was a blossoming photographer. She loved her kids.

Her site, Enjoying the Small Things, was and is covered with large, gorgeous images, mostly of her children but also her world through the well-lit, sharp lens of her eye. I've never met Kelle or her children, but I found myself captivated by her images and touched by her words.

She helped me recognize the beauty of honesty on the internet. She as a mom shared her raw feelings and photos of her daughters' birth stories, one more complex than the other. Me as a new mom felt liberated to know that it was okay to feel the whole gamut of emotion as a mother and woman. We are not shut off to feel only joy and rapture; we feel it all. And sharing those challenges and sadnesses and triumphs only brings us closer to one another.

From Nella's birth story:

At this moment, I heard the sounds of our birth song begin to fill the room...When You Love Someone.

And I began to cry.

My husband, my friends, my dad, my nurses...all of them smiling...cameras flashing...

One more push.

Oh, this is so hard...

I pushed. I pushed and watched as the tiniest little body came out of me, arms flailing, lungs wailing...and then, they put her in my arms.

...and I knew.

I knew the minute I saw her that she had Down Syndrome and nobody else did. I held her and cried. Cried and panned the room to meet eyes with anyone that would tell me she didn't have it. I held her and looked at her like she wasn't my baby and tried to take it in. And all I can remember of these moments is her face. I will never forget my daughter in my arms, opening her eyes over and over...she locked eyes with mine and stared...bore holes into my soul. 

Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me.

That was the most defining moment of my life. That was the beginning of my story. 

I've followed Kelle's beautiful journey. I've wept happily, wept sadly with someone I've never met, and I related. A piece of her life is captured in her book, Bloom.

I don't often bare my soul here, but I do feel it's a space where I can. And thanks to brave people like Kelle, I know the power that raw and honest has to reach people in a place they didn't know existed.

Thanks, Kelle.

I'm a fan girl.

xoxo, MJ 

"Aren't we weird human beings?" read my text message, "Us and our 'celebrity' crushes on people who are just regular humans like us." It was the second time, in a single day, that my friends and I were gushing over people who inspire us."

Paige, Approaching Joy Creative

I began to catch on to the idea of blogs as a new mom. I scoured the internet looking for ways to soothe my baby and stimulate early learning and fell down a wormhole into the mom blogs of the time. Many were overwhelming to me in terms of content and design.

And then:

 

 

Merrillee.

Mer Mag is a site I found myself going back to again and again when I wanted to see how beautiful and creative motherhood could be. Merrillee is a styling guru, an amazing illustrator, and a fun mom. Her site is clean and gorgeous.

Her projects use everyday materials and elevate them to the world of awesome design. She creates a whole imaginary wonderland in cardboard, paper, and tape.

Her ideas are inspiring. No matter your age.

Her book looks incredible (you can preorder now).

Thank you, Merrillee, for reminding me of the joys of creating with and for your children. And for inspiring, through your use of material and shape, incredible projects we all can enjoy.

I'm a Fan Girl.

Who's inspiring you now?

Elise on Approaching Joy

xoxo, MJ

Disclosure: I am a member of the Cricut Blogger Network. I may receive prizes in exchange for my winning projects. Even though I am not being directly compensated for these posts, I am under consideration for a prize with Cricut Design Space Star. All opinions are 100% my own.

Sometimes I like to push the limits. When I received my Cricut Explore machine for the Cricut Design Space Star, I wanted to see just what this wonder could do. What materials can I use? How big can I go? How intricate?

How small?

I designed tiny pineapples - like half an inch small - and watched as the Explore trimmed out every little fiber and leaf at the top of the fruit. Pretty amazing. Along with my talented and Lucky #13 team, I wanted to create something with gold. Enter the glitzy glamour of Cricut gold glitter iron on material.

Pineapples are on trend, and when you keep them ultra small, they can accent any outfit really well.

To make yours, gather:

1. Neutral scarf (I loved the juxtaposition of the soft gauze with the bold glitter)
2. Gold iron on material
3. Cricut Explore
4. Iron/ironing board
5. Parchment paper 

Step One: Design your tiny pineapples. I made an .svg file in Illustrator and uploaded them to the Cricut Design space. The program makes the best use of space for you! Switch the materials setting to Iron On, feed in your mat with the material in place, and watch the magic happen.

The precision of this task is pretty amazing.

Step Two: Remove the iron on material from the mat. This process is known as weeding. You may want to use a Cricut tool to help you carefully remove each pineapple. I accomplished this task while watching some TV with my kids. It's really fun to see the shape, with such detail appear from the page.

Step Three: Place your pineapples on your scarf in the desired pattern with the glitter side up. I did a line of fruit at each end and then a wide pattern for the rest of the scarf.

Step Four: With your iron on the non-steam setting, place a piece of parchment paper over 3-5 pineapples at a time. The iron on paper in the Cricut line adheres really quickly so you only need to move your iron back and forth over the parchment for 8-10 seconds.

Step Five: Remove the parchment and continue ironing the remaining pineapples.

I love the flash and subtlety of the finished scarf. And I'm already planning my fall wardrobe around it.

Why not put a pineapple on it? xoxo, MJ

My team, Lucky #13, has put together a wide variety of incredible projects. And you need to check out every single one! Find the links below. Vote for and pin your favorite projects!

You can also search for our projects on this and upcoming challenges with #cricutdesignteam13

Lucky 13 team in the Cricut Design Space Star™ team:

1. Booties, Earrings, and Hearts from Andrea of Andrea’s Notebook
2. Children's shirt and gold sandals from Celina of Petit A Petit and Family
3. Cut out leather purse with cross lining from Erin & Tricia of Suburban Bitches
4. Leather cuff from Monica of East Coast Creative
5. Easy DIY hashtag t-shirts from Sarah and Jessica of Pretty Providence
6. DIY umbrella and Pineapple Scarf from MJ of Pars Caeli
7. Leopard leggings and tank from Sadie Jane of Simply Sadie Jane
8. Laptop decals from Crystal of Sew Creative Blog

Disclosure: I am a member of the Cricut Blogger Network. I may receive prizes in exchange for my winning projects. Even though I am not being directly compensated for these posts, I am under consideration for a prize with Cricut Design Space Star. All opinions are 100% my own.

I've wanted to turn my Pars Caeli cloud into an umbrella design for the longest time, with no tools to make it happen. And then this wild and wonderful Cricut Design Space Star contest comes blowing into my life, and I know exactly what I want my first project to be!

This cloudy umbrella is basically a no-mistake project. Vinyl shapes can be moved and removed without leaving marks or residue. The shapes cling easily to the coated material, and the transparency of the umbrella allows you to see what you're doing the whole way through. I had my first bubble umbrella when I was six, and I've loved them ever since. These clear canvases also pair beautifully with the opaque vinyl.

So now that we've all left our intimidation at the door, here's what you need to make your own:

• Clear umbrella (this one is from Totes in a classic design)
• White vinyl sheets
• Cricut Explore
• Gold paper or vinyl
• Cloud and lining template

Step One: Design your pattern. Of course, I wanted clouds. Using Illustrator I created an .svg file. Based on the size of my umbrella, I made the clouds about three inches wide. I was happily surprised with how many clouds I could fit on one sheet. Using the vinyl setting, feed your mat with vinyl into the machine and carefully remove the cut clouds from your mat when complete.

I created another .svg file with the thin lining that rests on the bottom of the clouds. I changed the setting to paper, and fed in gold hammered scrapbook paper. These were fragile so removing them from the mats was a careful process.

Step Two: Next I wanted a GOLD lining for the clouds. I'm joining with a merry group of ten creatives for this Cricut Design Space Star challenge, and we had decided early on that we wanted our theme to be Gold is the New Black. And, do you know what's even better than finding the silver lining on a cloud? Yes, that's right, finding a gold lining.

Step Three: Press the gold paper lining to the bottom of the white vinyl cloud. 

Step Four: Press the clouds to the interior of the umbrella. This will protect your design from the wear of the elements. I kept the clouds to the lower portion of the umbrella, with three on each panel, so that I could still see through the bubble. Decide on how much vinyl coverage you want on yours.

We've had a rainy end to the summer, and this umbrella, with its gold lining reminders is the perfect way to stay happy and dry in the downpours.

If you love this idea, head on over to the Cricut Pinterest board, and repin! I am so appreciative of your support and kindness!

My team, Lucky #13, has put together a wide variety of incredible projects. And you need to check out every single one! Find the links below. Vote for and pin your favorite projects!

You can also search for our projects on this and upcoming challenges with #cricutdesignteam13

Lucky 13 team in the Cricut Design Space Star™ team:

1. Booties, Earrings, and Hearts from Andrea of Andrea’s Notebook
2. Children's shirt and gold sandals from Celina of Petit A Petit and Family
3. Cut out leather purse with cross lining from Erin & Tricia of Suburban Bitches
4. Leather cuff from Monica of East Coast Creative
5. Easy DIY hashtag t-shirts from Sarah and Jessica of Pretty Providence
6. DIY umbrella and Pineapple Scarf from MJ of Pars Caeli
7. Leopard leggings and tank from Sadie Jane of Simply Sadie Jane
8. Laptop decals from Crystal of Sew Creative Blog

Two fun, fun, fun announcements to share with you today, friends! First off, I'm one of the lucky bloggers chosen to compete in the Cricut Design Space Star competition!!! Secondly, Fridays just got a whole lot cooler with a fresh new collaboration with my best buds: Ellen of Minnow & Co., Emily Jeffords, and Paige of Approaching Joy Creative. Welcome to Fan Girl Fridays.

The lovely people of Cricut reached out to me a few weeks ago and wanted to know if I'd like to join in the Cricut Design Space Star challenge. I'd receive a Cricut Explore machine and have a team of fellow bloggers to work alongside. A free design tool and collaboration??? I was all over that.

So, I'll be asking for your help with some clicks and votes for me and Lucky #13 team. Our first category is fashion and gear, and I'm kind of over the moon excited to show off some new projects that you can create, too! Check in next week to see what came from our theme involving... G O L D.

In the Also Awesome category, I'll be posting every Friday now! Catch projects and posts Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday (gulp!). It's been a while since I've gone four days, but there are no other people in the world I'd rather spend my blog time with than Ellen, Emily, and Paige.

Beginning as a texting convo, we were all sharing our favorite bloggers and makers and artists - the sites that got us into blogging and the projects that moved us to begin. There are some really amazing artists out there, friends, and we are going to be doing a whole lot of appreciating around here. The four of us will be posting Fan Girl on Fridays (with links to one another) to show our love for the people that inspire, that have inspired us for so long. It's time they know they have a Fan Girl or two on their hands! Join in and share your favorites.

This was a tough week in the news, but a beautiful week personally. My hubs has made our anniversary (12 years) into a wonderfully thoughtful week of celebration, and I have some REALLY exciting developments for Pars Caeli that I cannot wait to share with you!!

Until next week, have a bright weekend, friends. And know that I appreciate you.

xoxo, MJ

Hi lovelies,

I feel especially spoiled to be able to share two magnificent Back to School projects with you today! Lidy and Rachel did not disappoint on their fresh takes to the season. These two beauties would be awesome first day presents for teachers or special treats for college students and their dorm spaces or...

Because you deserve a little something beautiful this time of year, too. First up, head over to Hello Lidy, and see how she crafted a sequined planter. Glamour meets botanicals. It's a lovely marriage.

And then head over to The Crafted Life and see how Rachel transformed the average pencil into a work of art. Can you imagine these in a bunch/bouquet? Or tucked inside a cute journal? I'm inspired. And I might want to colorblock everything.

This awesome series of Back to School ideas continues tomorrow with an epic recipe. Really. It comes from Lyndsay of Coco Cake Land. Go ahead over there and salivate at the deliciousness. Even more is coming at you tomorrow!! Also, another incredible Endless Summer Project is in store for Wednesday. Ack, so good.

Are you making the last days of summer special? Do share!

xoxo, MJ

Finding fabulous projects is not as easy as it may seem. These three curators are the ones to follow for the best DIY round ups on the worldwide web.

Before I began blogging, I had little appreciation for what we lovingly term a "round up post." These are typically a list or a collage of ideas or images found around the web based around a particular theme or topic. Searching out the best of the best is a tedious process; it's more than a Google search or Pinterest entry. It's a keen eye, a great sense of design, and a knowledge of what's possible and practical.

Rachel, Marlene, and Sarah post the best DIY round ups to be found.

You've likely seen Rachel's round ups on Pinterest. Her blog The Crafted Life is jam-packed with her process, inspiration, and business-sharing advice. Her themes are unique and her picks are always beautiful. Rachel mixes the complex with the super simple to create a lovely blend for every level of creator. Even when I'm not ready to make one of the recommended pieces, I find myself returning to her pages just to see what's inspiring her and what's trending for DIY. She always has the latest.

Marlene of Jade and Fern has a modern and clean feel to her round ups. I am always surprised by her finds and wishing to find time in my schedule to create such beauty. Though a handful of her tutorial links are outside of my comfort zone, none of them feel unapproachable or, even worse, undesirable. She has her eye set on her brand and every DIY that she selects fits well with her own posts that are in their own right gorgeous as well.

Sarah of Sarah Hearts wins for color and pattern. She finds DIYs with texture, design, and charm. Her projects are just the kinds you want to create for your best friend and yourself. The energy with which she creates her own posts comes through in her picks. My favorite part? She never picks a dud. Every project is fresh, unique and approachable for a variety of skill levels.

In today's busy times, finding great projects can be a challenge, or at least a time challenge. Follow these three curators for only the best of the best. You'll appreciate their careful editing and helpful suggestions, I promise.

Who would you add? Who always finds just the right project?

xoxo, MJ

If you're a blogger or a maker or a writer, you've likely considered the idea of contributing to another website or blog. There are lots of reasons you might throw your hat in the ring as a contributor: for greater exposure, for compensation, for a connection to creatives you admire. There are other reasons you might decide contributing is not for you: your content under someone else's brand, more work/more timelines, or an imperfect fit of your content with another blog's message.

Pars Caeli is in its second year and is growing steadily from a tiny blog to a flourishing blog. In year two, I've been focusing on two goals for this webhome: cover-expenses revenue and growth. With a DIY/project based blog, I have expenses on materials and hosting, and I need Pars Caeli to be moving me into the black instead of the red, and we're making positive growth in that direction. I also want to grow this year...Grow in a broad sense. Of course, I'd like to reach more readers and become a daily read for more people, but I also want to stretch into new territories and try out some new adventures as a part of this blogging journey.

I decided to follow my heart, as I almost always do, and make some inquiries at blogs that I love. With gazillions of fantastic blogs (and bloggers) out there, it was tough to narrow down. I considered whose content I continually found interesting and whose content resonated with my own. Many contributors go for freelancing in an arena outside of their blog content, and I decided I wanted an even deeper dive into kid projects, parenting, and DIY.

Earlier this year, I became a monthly contributor to Classic Play, an incredible creative site run by Jen Cooper. I've been following Jen for quite a while now (she taught me how to find my voice in an Alt Summit class long time ago), and I even have the pleasure of calling her a friend. Parenting is fun over at Classic Play, and loving your children and dedicating time to be with them is strongly encouraged - and I wanted to be a part of it! Contributing to Classic Play is about networking and reaching a new audience, but I'm there more because I'm really enthusiastic about the mission of positive parenting and creative households. I love seeing my work mingled with Jen's and the other amazing contributors.

I'm super excited to announce that I'm a brand new collaborator on another blog that I've admired, Modern Parents Messy Kids. Steph's motto over at Modern Parents Messy Kids is "mindful living, effortless style". Her energy and clear vision for a beautiful life are contagious, and as a fellow mom of three, she knows what it means to have a lot on your plate. Steph's letting me utilize some of my design muscles to create some fantastic printables for her readers. With more than 100K Pinterest followers, Steph's posts reach far into an audience I love - busy, awesome moms. As a contributor to MPMK, I also have the opportunity to pin my other projects here on Pars Caeli to the contributor's board, which is an amazing gift!

Contributing is not for everyone, and it may not always be for me. As I grow as a creator and writer, it feels like the right time. If you're looking to contribute as a large source of income or to gain significant followers, you might want to reconsider. Not all sites link back to yours (and if they do, readers are not very likely to follow the author link), and it is the engaging content that you create that brings in the views, not (typically) your authorship alone at the small-to-medium size blog.

You'll still find me here, in my home, Pars Caeli, three days a week (as long as our internet connection stays consistent!). I have unique projects and ideas I want to share with you here. I hope you'll take some adventures with me to these other sights, too! Your readership means the world to me, and I love seeing how you bring some of these pieces of heaven into your life.

This post is a part of the Wayfair Homemakers network. I was compensated for this post, but the selections and opinions are my own.

My little boy has been in a big boy room for over a year now. I thought that I'd have his new space all decked out and ready to go before he ever moved from his crib and the nursery. But, as it turns out, L had and has a lot of opinions of his own (seems that I raise opinionated people.) So he's had his main furniture pieces (a great bed and dresser with bookshelf), and we've slowly, oh so slowly, been adding bits and pieces of his style into the space.

L loves color especially orange, and, if I'd let him, he'd go construction-zone orange all over. Instead we've compromised with bits of orange and other bright colors sprinkled around. Also, at four, he's a big Disney lover. Just in case that deep passion doesn't last we've expressed that love with accessories that can be moved in and out as his taste grows.

To complete his dresser, L "decorated" the surface with these very cool, colorful favorites. I applauded his choices and promised that we'd keep each of them. To add a few pieces with less shine and squish, I looked to Wayfair I was on the hunt to add texture and dimension, even a vintage flavor, to his room to compliment the warm woods and the worn-in madras plaid.

Red bucket, blue milk crate, green plantstand, and striped pouf all available at Wayfair

I fell for the red bucket first, and I loved that I could search by line to discover some other great pieces that had the same worn charm to contrast the new and shiny that L had picked. The plantstand seemed like a perfect corral for favorite stuffed animals, and small toys could look more precious when displayed in a milk crate.

We added his artwork and very favorite toys. His donut painting from his sister's birthday party served as a bright backdrop to the more subdued tones. And the homemade shoebox frame is a virtual brick for the Lego clock that rests upon it. And finally the rubber dinosaur has a place to rest.

The Disney friends resemble the "Three Men in a Tub" and add a bit of whimsy to the vignette. Also, it's a complete bonus that the green plantstand makes a great imaginary space shuttle, train, and manger when pulled into play!

When my parents visited last weekend, my mom wanted to know where I'd gotten these great antiques for L's room! I snickered and told her they were new from Wayfair I'm still not sure if she believed me. Both pieces have such a nice patina and are made with quality that they make a convincing set of antiques.

His dresser space is now one that is interactive, an open-space toy box, complete with shiny and aged treasures. It's also a space that changes often, as L adds favorites and takes down the plantstand and milk crate to imagine them as some magical addition to his imaginative play.

Stay tuned this summer for a very special piece of artwork that L and I are creating together to hang in his bedroom - it's the perfect DIY for little boys!

So now it's your turn. Are you ready to add some pops of color into your home - indoor or outdoor? The kind folks at Wayfair are letting me giveaway a $100 gift card. All you have to do is comment and link to what you'd purchase with your gift card from Wayfair!! For additional entries, follow Pars Caeli on Facebook and Twitter.

Hurry, hurry, friends, the giveaway will close on May 1 at 12AM EST (only one entry per person). Share this special treat with anyone you know who could use a pop of color in their lives.

Eek! I can't wait to see what goodies you find. Don't forget to link in your comment!

Happy hunting!

xoxo, MJ

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No purchase necessary. By leaving a comment you agree to the rules of this sweepstakes. Each comment to this post equals one entry and must include a name and valid email address to be eligible. A comment must link to a product from Wayfair.com to be considered for this sweepstakes. One entry per household. Limited to entrants over 18 in the US and Canada, residents of Florida, New York, and Rhode Island are ineligible to enter. Contest begins as of the time of this post and ends on Thursday, May 1 at 12:00AM EST. The winner will receive a Wayfair gift card/promo code, a retail value of $100 US. The number of eligible entries received will determine the odds of winning. All comments will be numbered in the order they are received and the winner will be chosen randomly by MJ using the Random Number Generator at random.org. Winner will be notified by email at the address given in their entry and must respond within 72 hours to receive their prize. If the winner does not respond within that time, a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be provided by Wayfair.com. Pars Caeli is not responsible for any problems with receipt of the prize. This contest is governed by the rules of Massachusetts, void where prohibited. This sweepstakes is sponsored by Wayfair LLC, 177 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115.

 

Something I don't talk about too explicitly around these pages, but is a huge part of my other waking hours, is graphic design. I'm a ridiculously proud graduate, with a bachelor of FINE arts degree in design (man, those extra hours of studio classes did me in so I have to make some kind of big deal out of them.) And besides figure drawing (I know, not actually graphic design there), one of the areas that I enjoy most is logo design.

I had the opportunity via Instagram (you just never know where opportunity will knock) to work with this lovely lady, Jenny Yarbrough of The Southern Institute, to create a logo design for her huge pattern sale. Jenny is exactly the kind of partner you want in the logo creation process; she had ideas but was open and knew just what she needed by when. Perfect. Indecision and design are not good friends.

As I grew to understand more about her business and this pretty awesome sale that she hosts, I thought I ought to share it with you lovely, creative people because you might want to hop on in. Plus, the way she promotes and rewards individual pattern designers is completely sympatico with my love for collaboration. So I snookered Jenny into an interview. Here goes. Check out the Sew Fab Sale May 5-13! I'll have a sidebar button over on the right to remind you. :)

The Sew Fab sale is on online PDF sewing pattern sale that bundles together several patterns from some of the best-known pattern designers out there as well as newer designers who are quickly making a name for themselves in the world of pattern design. As far as I know it was the first pattern sale of its kind and the largest. We bring customers an entire collection of patterns for a deeply discounted price, but the catch is that there are only two, one-week sales a year!

I got the idea for the sale when I was participating in eBook bundle sales in the health and wellness niche.  I had an eBook on natural childbirth that was included in eBook bundle sales, but no one who read my blog was really interested in those bundles. I started wondering what kind of product I could bring to my readers that they would love and that would benefit them. As a crafts and sewing blogger my thoughts turned to pdf sewing patterns, and the rest is history… I went for it!

I am always looking for new contributing designers! I read other sewing blogs and look curiously at pattern reviews to see who is out there designing pdf patterns and what they are creating. There are always several new patterns coming out at any given time, it seems, so there's never a shortage. Sometimes I contact designers myself, but I also have a lot of designers who email me expressing interest in being a part of future sales.  

As far as purchasing a bundle… anyone can purchase the Sew Fab Pattern Sale bundles. The best way to be in the loop is to sign up for the Sew Fab Newsletter or like Sew Fab on Facebook. The Spring Sale is coming up soon, on May 5th- May 13th. We're really excited about it!

My hope is to have this sale do even better than last year's sales, of course. Last spring was the very first sale. It went so well that I put on a fall sale, which ended up being even bigger. This spring I hope to blow the previous sale out of the water! My favorite thing is to pay the designers for their sales at the end of the whole process, and the more money I send them the happier it makes me.

Phew! I had been paying different people to create different graphics for the first two sales. When it became clear that I was going to continue to have the sales I decided that it would be smart to have a new fresh look for the sale… a Sew Fab Pattern Sale logo.  I wanted something that I could use for every sale, something that people would recognize from season to season. I had a semi-vague idea in my head of what I wanted it to look like, with the different articles of clothing representing the kinds of patterns that might be found in the bundles.  

What I ended up with was even better than I had expected!  I absolutely LOVE it!  You were able to take my ideas and put them into a logo that is fun and colorful, which is something that I could never have done.  It really makes me happy every time I look at it. 

Oh wow.  I do a little bit of a lot, it feels like, ha ha!  I have a husband and three amazing kids who keep me busy.  I homeschool my daughter, who is finishing up her 5th grade year, and that takes up a lot of my time during the weekdays.  I try to update my blog, The Southern Institute, on a regular basis. I love to sew and play tennis as much as I can.  I dabble in pattern design myself and have several ideas running through my head right now just waiting to be acted upon. And then, you know, the usual household things with a lot of help from my wonderful husband whom I love dearly.

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Jenny is totally charming and so is her sale. If you're passionate about patterns or dabble in sewing, check out the sale happening next week!

And if you're on the hunt for a new logo, business cards, stationery or any other designs, send me an email at parscaeli@gmail.com, and let's see how we can collaborate!

I'm announcing a new summer series tomorrow with some of my favorite, talented ladies...

xoxo, MJ

Hello lovelies, I've missed you. Due to an avalanche of work, a quick travel change, and a little matter of exhaustion, I had to take an unexpected blog break this week. I promise to still throw you the fabulous content that I had planned and spare you the melodrama of the details.

I'm so excited to re-introduce you to my pal, Claire. She's been on Pars Caeli before talking about life in Ireland (she is the big sis of one of my best friends and greatest people on Earth) and shared an amazing DIY on turning children's art into pillows. Claire hails from Northern Ireland and has recently made some dreams into reality by opening up her own store. I've been waiting to see her bloom into this, and I'm so excited to show you the first products from Charlotte Moon.

And I begged Claire to let me offer a piece of her collection to you beautiful people. And guess what? She agreed.

And that's awesome. And supporting people who follow their dreams? Well, that's even better. We should all do a little more of that (both the following and the supporting).

I interviewed Claire to learn more about how she decided to take this leap. Here she is in her own words:

I've been pretty obsessed with crafting since I was about 6 when I made a fabulous train out of matching boxes! My parents were always great about abandoning the dining room table to the latest project and messy creation and humoured us in the journey through knitting, embroidery, papier-mâché, sewing and paper crafts.

Charlotte Moon has been a project which has come to fruition after several years. Working as a divorce lawyer, I always made wedding invitations for friends to balance out the romantic karma! After having a car accident and some back surgeries, I've taken some time off to recover and Charlotte Moon has been a fabulous way for me to focus on my creativity.

I finally decided to launch my crafts in a more formal way in late 2013. I love parcelling up cards and buntings and baby presents made with care and posting them off all over the world! In terms of my favourite crafts to make, my heart will always be with the card making. I love receiving mail, and as a result I absolutely love sending cards to people for all occasions! I relish coming up with new designs for cards, and you can make cards anywhere! Mind you, the name buntings hold a very special place in my heart.

To order any Charlotte Moon goodies, email Claire at charlottemoon1@gmail.com

Claire is giving away this sweet birthday banner above, and all you have to do is like Charlotte Moon on Facebook and leave a comment below. Giveaway contest ends Sunday midnight (EST - US time)

I'll be back tomorrow (surprise Saturday treat!) with some really cool stuff.

xoxo, MJ

The texture. The depth. Taking the letterforms I adore and transforming them into a treasured object.

Hello letterpress.

I fell in love as an undergraduate with a worn, creaky letterpress machine and the beauty it created. I made some extra projects that semester so I could be alone in the studio, setting my own type by hand and adding in each piece of leading.

I'm always on the hunt for wonderful works on letterpress. The works that are affordable - and very easy for me to talk myself into - are greeting cards. And, I know I'm biased, but I feel like letterpress cards are always a little snarkier or punny-ier than your average card, and that is right up my alley.

You'll find these greeting cards all over my home and office. I never put my letterpress behind glass because I want to be able to gawk at the embossing even while it hangs on the wall or sits on a desk.

I've been holding on to two designs with some wonderful blue ink to frame together. To showcase the cards, I grabbed my very old pack of Color-aid papers from art school to find a shade to use for mounting.

Erika from Foxtrot Press gave me this whimsical greeting that makes me smile every time I look at it. It's totally my personality to get really excited with someone before I even know what it is that we're celebrating! I'm easily convinced for the sake of a party.

This card I purhcased many years ago and fits my sense of humor (you know me and my lunchbox note punnies, right?). The layers of embossing won me over - the beautiful, delicate pattern with crisp, line image on top.

I let the cards breathe a bit by putting a small amount of sticky putty in the top open corner.

Do you have any letterpress art hanging around your spaces?

Wishing you all a beautiful Easter. We have some wonderful Church services ahead with family and friends as well as a child and adult Easter egg hunt in our backyard.

xoxo, MJ

It's just not true that we run out of ideas or we lose our creativity. The more we exercise our creative muscle, the more we are able to produce outstanding results. Nevertheless sometimes we hit walls or feel in a fog. And sometimes social media is accused of bringing us to this state of saturation or complete drought.

I use Facebook, Twitter, and the rest to spur my ideas, and you can, too. Here are five ways to use social media to boost your creativity.

1. If you're on social media, you're likely to have a favorite or at least a favorite for now. As a graphic designer and a visual fiend, I adore Instagram for inspiration. Find the feeds that will make you want to dive into the images and bask in the compositions. Use Instagram to observe all you can. Take note of the tones and shadows, the mood expressed in the images (and how this is achieved), the caption and/or story that accompanies the photography. How can these influence your work? Which posts feel "successful" to you and what elements can you bring to your own creations?

2. Facebook has changed quite a bit in its ten-year history, but it still has the power to put fresh perspectives right on your screen. How so? Start a conversation. For many of us, the majority of our connections still hang out on Facebook. This is a perfect opportunity to reach out and leave messages. Ask questions from your experts and gather collective feelings. Wondering how to find the best new apps? Ask your friends. Looking for fresh ideas on summer vacation? Solicit others thoughts.

3. I find Twitter to be the most charming of the social media that I use. From the silly hashtags that folks post to the easy back-and-forth of short communication to simple sharing of interesting links, Twitter can give you the quick feedback that you seek. I often use my feed to see what is on the minds of influencers and what are the quirkly, less popular, conversations going on that really bring something new to the table. Twitter can also be one of the easiest ways to break a train of thought (in the best way), and redirect you to another concept. It's also incredibly easy to spend endless time on this network so be sure to set your limits.

4. Google+ is an intriguing platform for inspiration. Much like Instagram, it favors the visual, and much like Twitter, you can utilize hashtags to find related information. I use Google+ to search out keywords and see what ideas and images come through. In my experience thus far, I've found a wide breadth of expressions on the same topic, and I've been inspired to think in ever-widening circles just as the platform's process itself implies. Add your post to Google+ and tag it, click on that tag, and read the myriad of other tidbits to broaden your perspective.

5. Pinterest is an amazing source of creativity for some, while others intentionally keep a distance from it when they are looking to imagine. I use Pinterest much like I did college art assignments. Let's say I want to do an Easter egg project - I first look through my board to see what's caught my eye, and in particular I look at pins that have been added to wrap up posts or projects that have a lot of repins.

And then my brainstorming process begins. I think through and write out all of the "obvious" connections to the most popular ideas, and get all of the imitation ideas out. That process of getting it all out allows me to unearth something fresh. In many ways, Pinterest is most helpful in giving me the fodder I need to run the other way, but in the right direction. I go back to my boards to look at other processes folks have used to see how I might incorporate something unexpected to this new effort.

How do you boost your creativity? Do you find social media helpful in this?

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

xoxo, MJ

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and All You Magazine, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #lifeforless http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV.

Happy Monday, lovelies! What a treat to be greeting you at the very beginning of your week.

Temperatures are warming; we even saw our first bulbs peeking through the mulch this weekend! Spring brings fresh blossoms with their gorgeous color and fragrance. I love to bring in bunches of lilacs and snips of hyacinths and tulips, too. Often, after the larger bouquet has lost its brilliance, when one or two blooms remain fresh, I like to float them in a bowl to savor their beauty a few days longer. And more often, my three children find "daisies" (AKA: dandelions) and peonies they want to bring in to our house to cherish.

With no specifically charming bowls to hold the buds and flower heads, I went out to search for floating bowls. Nothing I found seemed unique enough to showcase our buds. I did, however, fall for these cute ice cream bowls. The shape was just what I had in mind for a "personalized" size of bowl - perfect for place-setting color, sparkle on a tray, or brilliance on a desktop.

To transform the ice cream bowls, I ran over to our local Meijer and grabbed frosted glass spray paint and flourscent spray paint. And I had some gold leaf paint on hand, just a small bottle, from another project. It was more than enough to gild the interior of the bowls. I took this entire project outside and grabbed a box from the recycling to keep me from overspraying.

Follow the direction on your paint can! The frosted glass paint I used required three coats in order for the glass to reach a filmy state, a slight texture in which another paint would be more likely to adhere. Drying time for each layer was only 10-15 minutes so the process went rapidly.

Once I was happy with the frosted (slightly textured) nature of the glass paint, I added the flourescent! Neon when used sparingly can add a lot of life to a room or table. This pink-orange shade was the perfect burst of tone I wanted to compliment the warm weather. The picture below shows off the look of the new vases after three coats of the flourescent. If you want your vase to have more of a tinted look, paint on only one or two coats. For a glossier, opaque feel, keep adding layers!

Next up, making it golden. Beware, gilding objects might make you want to treat everything with a fresh wash of gold. It's amazing how simple objects can turn from ordinary to treasure with the addition of gold leaf. My paint was oil-based (to help with the waterproof nature), and I let the two layers dry overnight.

And voila! $3 ice cream bowls transform into show stopper flourescent and gold flower vases!

The colors from the new magazine, All You, inspired this palette, and I'm pretty sure that the golden pool of water will make even our common dandelions look pretty spectacular.

All You is available at many national retailers including Target, Safeway, Kroger, Dollar General, and Meijer. Grab a copy for yourself by using this $1 off coupon while supplies last.

And for this project or so many others you may have on your to do list, I'm giving away $50 to Meijer stores. Enter below for your chance to win!

Here's to a great week, golden and bright!

xoxo, MJ

Entry

-Form

On April 3, 2012, I typed these words and set them up for publishing:

A blog is born. Do blogs hatch or are they birthed? I'm not really sure, but I can tell you that this one has definitely been a lengthy labor. And, just like childbirth, I'm going to go ahead and forget all the painful, ungodly details and plow on through to the happy moments.

Welcome to Pars Caeli (pars kilee), a piece of Heaven. This web home will soon be filled with designs and ideas that inspire me and my family. I imagine that you're pretty inspirational, too, so I look forward to learning about all the amazing ideas and projects you have to share.

As I read through my "first words," I'm so grateful to feel like Pars Caeli has grown to become an inspirational space for readers and, mostly, for me. It's been an active scrapbook and a motivator and a fourth child - well, maybe more like a pet.

And, today, we're going to party and celebrate as Pars Caeli turns TWO! And I want to spread the love so I've teamed up with the talented designers of Caravan Shoppe to bring you a giveaway. It's my first full-on rafflecopter giveaway so bear with me. :)

The entry possibilities are below and the contest runs until Sunday midnight EST. Winner will be announced on Monday right here! The best part is even if you don't win, Caravan Shoppe has an incredible selection of free, yes, free goodies that you'll want to print onto cards or great paper. Go check out their Daschund cards and amazing chalkboard prints!!

Big thanks for their love and support on this one. :)

Have a bright weekend, friends! Thanks to YOU for reading, playing, and praying along over these past two years.

xoxo, MJ

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy first day of spring, friends!! The warmth is almost upon us and sun will soon shine again. I love living in the Midwest for many, many reasons, but I do have to admit that the perma-gray cloud that is February and March gets to me. But the first day of spring (even if there are still piles of dirty snow on the ground and not a bloom to be found) still gives me hope.

And hope is one of the greatest gifts we have.

One of my favorite spring fashions in the jacket and blazer. It seems rather silly since I'm wearing coats and layers throughout winter, but the spring coat is quite different. It can be more playful, add interesting texture, and only need to provide the slightest of warmth (bye bye down parkas).

Here are my top picks for the best in spring jackets.

1. Asos  2. Loft 3. Banana Republic 4. Anthropologie 5. Land's End

How do you change up your look for spring?

Have a bright weekend, lovelies! Here's to more sunshine.

xoxo, MJ

The products in this post were given by Minted. Ideas and opinions are all mine.

Sometimes this world of blogging is pretty damn awesome. Actually, most of the time (even the long, wee hours of the morning kind of time) it's pretty awesome. And when the amazingness meets up with a friend in need then all sorts of super fireworks go off and real inspiration comes through.

Enter my real life friend, Kelly. Kelly is a rare talent as a completely joyful, totally intelligent, got-it-all-together kind of gal. For the past many years, she's been inspiring children in her role as teacher, and now she's made a leap. She's started to pursue one of her life dreams of becoming a children's author. And girlfriend is good. Like three-books-ready-to-be-published good. So when she said she was headed to a writing conference in NYC, I asked if I could help. How about some swanky business cards?! I have just the place for you to check out.

Enter Minted. Minted describes their work in this way:

"Our purpose in life is to uncover exceptional design from all over the world and bring this to savvy consumers who won't accept anything else."

Kelly and I hopped over to their site to check out the many, many options they had in innovative business card design. As a writer, Kelly wanted something clean but unique.

We discovered this hip Monolith style, available in a variety of colors. It hit the mark. A clear branded touch on one side with a fun pattern on the other and all printed on a super thick paper. And bonus: they come in this class box with a little bit of wit tucked on the inside.

Big thank you to the generous team at Minted for gifting Kelly with these incredible first impressions. Check out just how well these cards turned out from Kelly's perspective.

Happy for me, Kelly was also willing to let me assist with some basic design for her brand new blog. We used the strong direction from her business cards as a great jumping off point for her blog design. The strong font, the color options, the great use of white space all came into play thanks to the Monolith design.

Write, Read, Smile is a fabulous spot for parents and kids that encourages a love for learning all around. There you'll find story starters, great read-alouds, and brilliant recommendations for getting and keeping the young readers and authors in your life interested in words and books. I am so excited for Kelly and all that the future holds.

Inspiration can be found all over. If you're looking for great design, check out Minted! And if you're looking for a great read, click over to Write, Read, Smile.

I feel really fortunate to be here where I am so thank you, too, for reading and commenting and clicking. It all means so much to me. Every day. Thank you.

xoxo, MJ

This is a sponsored post by Kleenex Brand. However, all opinions expressed are my own. Kleenex has been making design accessible for decades, and their new portable packs are super cute for everywhere you're headed.

Welcome to March, lovelies! February breezed by us with its formidable wind chill, and I'm ready to invite in the melt of March. The change in temperatures has my family searching for the closest tissue, and sinus issues have been bothering each of us. We've gone through a lot of Kleenex, even the emergency box in the car, in the last few weeks.

In the cold months of winter, my mom (and her mom, and probably back another generation as well) always has a fresh tissue up her sleeve. She is the kind of lady who is ready at hand for THAT moment when you need it. She's always prepared.

But I know, I, as the mom of 3 littles, am not always excited to trek around a wad of tissues. I find things up my sleeve irritating. In fact, I'm not even that keen on carrying a purse or bag at all.

Most of the time, when I'm heading out the door, my essentials go right in my pockets instead of a tote.

I will admit that I have done the ball of toilet paper in the pocket when called to duty with small, runny noses (have you, too?). But check out what I'm sporting these days. Kleenex has a great line of on-the-go packages in a ton of different styles that go with my gray wool as well as my bright paisley coat. They're super slender to carry, too, so that I still have room for my keys, my phone, and my favorite shade of red lipstick.

When it's necessary for me to act like a grown-up and pull out a canvas tote or an envelope clutch, I take along a few extras.

Throw in my go-to mascara, my lip treatment for the brutality of the Midwest, an alternative pair of earrings to switch up a look, and a great pen. And my Kleenex are making the whole medley of objects somehow look coordinated and intentional... and I'm pretty fond of that.

Check out all the other styles of on-the-go packages that fit with just about any look for men or women.

But do spill... Do you fill your pockets first or go straight to the bag? What are your essentials?

Thanks so much to Kleenex for the perfect timing of these treats. If you're near Grand Central Station on St. Patrick's Day stop by to see the new Kleenex brand designs from Isaac Mizrahi. Oh, yeah, and the prizes will be good.