Green Light: Skillshare!

So, some of you may have noticed that I am a huge fan of creative education. Seriously, it's one of my all time favorite things to do on my days off. It's what recharges my batteries. Whether it is just a tutorial on a blog, taking an online class or attending an amazingly crafted workshop on an afternoon in a local shop. I LOVE IT ALL!

A few classes I've blogged about are:
Calligraphy, Floral Arranging & Watercolors, and Illustrator.

Well, I've stumbled across a website that is just dreamy. Skillshare is a site that brings a whole bunch of teachers straight to you. You get one free month, then it's $8/month for a year. Even if you watched one video a month, it would be well worth your time and money. A few classes that are on my radar are: Chalkboard Lettering, Illustrating Flowers and Photography for Bloggers.

I also like that anyone can submit projects to teach. If you're pretty passionate about a skill, you can share it and make some extra cash. There are a lot more design classes offered than anything else, but hopefully there will be some more in the other genres soon, like sugar cookie decorating or screen printing t-shirts or letterpress.

If any of you are withholding some awesome sites similar to this, I'm not mad. BUT I will need you to tell me about them, STAT. STAT means now! (Gah, I miss Dwight!)

Pursue: A Holiday Workshop (Part II)

A few months ago I shared with you about how much fun I had at Pursue's Holiday Workshop. Well, earlier this week all of those fun memories came flooding right back when I received the professional pictures Holli B had taken during the event. YEAH! My favorite, favorite picture is one Holli took of me and Brandi, my sweet - 'bout to be married - creative - great cookin' - friend!

Before I share with you some of the honorable mention photos (I'll try not to share all 100+)....let me roll call all of the amazing people that made Pursue: A Holiday Workshop happen!

Photography: Holli B Photography

Hosts: Owners of Pursue, Molly & Kylie

Venue: Plenty Mercantile

Florals: Poppy Lane Design

Food & Drink: Salt & Smoke

Such a great afternoon! Which reminds me....I need to get to work on my 1 hour of calligraphy this week! Happy Sunday! 

28 While 28 #11 - Practice Calligraphy for 1 Hour a Week

11. Practice Calligraphy for 1 Hour a Week. By calligraphy, I mean hand lettering, brush lettering, etc. You know those 2 classes I've taken (here and here)? Well, I need to be putting them to use! I will be scheduling in 1 hour a week/52 weeks for practicing. If you saw my #9 post (completing a Bible study) I talked a little about Bible journaling. I may have already ordered a new Bible and bought twistable colored pencils. I'm pretty pumped to be adding this to my 1 hour a week! Maybe it will entice me to have more quiet time as well :) I hope all the upcoming practice will give me more confidence in my lettering...because I have a project planned for our master bedroom and I'll need all the confidence I can muster!

Valentine's Day Print

Last week I busted out my watercolors that have been packed away since I'm painting my office. I was inspired by one of my favorite childhood songs that my sisters and I currently used to belt out on the reg. Hey Dolly, Hey Whitney! 

I found the perfect copper frame from Homegoods and that adorable box is from Target.

Now if only I can get the rest of my V-day decor up before Saturday!

Pursue: A Holiday Workshop

Oh man oh man oh man. You guys know how much I enjoy workshops. Some (my husband) say that I'm obsessed, and some (my husband) say that I spend too much money on them. I can't help it!

Back in December, my friend Brandi and I attended Pursue: A Holiday Workshop. We got to dabble in some brush lettering taught by our friend Molly and play florist with the oh so beautiful blooms Kelly of Poppy Lane Designs brought for us to play with! All the while Chris Castro was busy making us some hand crafted cocktails and homemade, dreamy focaccia bread. Plus it was at Plenty Mercantile in Midtown, which is a great local shop! Seriously, one of my faves!

Not only are these workshops just a creative blast, but you are surrounded by other creatives (both professional and hobbiest) people who are geeking out right beside you. No funny glances when you are standing on a chair trying to get the perfect shot. No judgment when you are arranging and rearranging your setting so that it is camera ready. You set at a table with a few strangers and you get to chatting, becoming friends with others who share your love of the perfect Instagram post.

Ya'll.... Its just so much fun! Here are a few pics from my camera, but let me forewarn you- THE Holli B was there taking some (too) legit (to quit) pictures of her own that I'll share with you guys later. 

 

  

 If you have ever taken a calligraphy class and have been wondering about switching lanes to brush calligraphy, I say DO IT! I love brush calligraphy just a teensy bit more than ink calligraphy. Forgiving would be the best way to describe the difference. I officially went for it and addressed my Christmas cards...Check 'em out!

2014: A Year in Review

Guys, it's 2015. This year has always been somewhat of an imaginary futuristic year that would never come...mostly because it is the year of my 10 year high school reunion. It's officially my first "Time's Marching On" moment.

Today I'm going to recap my Highs & Low of 2014. Overall it was a wonderful year, full of travel, family and friends. We made an addition to our family and lost a family pet. We marveled in how awesome God is and how lucky we are to be surrounded by some amazing people. I listed everything in order of how they went down throughout the year.

High: We got our wedding pictures back from Caroline Rentzel. Emotions were in full force as we relived all of that perfect day. Amazing.

   

High: A trip to Dallas to see Chelsea Handler do stand up and connecting with these fun friends (plus Jake, Cody & Keith)!

High: I took Lauren Essl's Calligraphy Class with my friend Taryn (I posted about it here). You've heard me gush about it before...but man I LOVE creative education!!

High: Trip to Austin for our friend Delaney's graduation. Austin is a pretty cool town, we are definitely making another trip down there. (That part of Texas is my fave....you have Gruene, Austin, floating the river, Round Top shopping is on my to do list...just so many great things!) 

High: We went on our first of two camping trips with our besties, The Jones'. 

Biggest High of the year: We became parents to our sweet and cuddly fur baby, Dixie! She is our little English bully and we are so in love. I'm doing my best not to be "that mom" and have her take over my insta feed...but sometimes you just gotta give into that lovin' feelin', ya know?

High: Our wedding was featured on Wedding Chicks!!! Super big high seeing our (my friends, family and vendors) hard work paying off in a humungo way!! I still get a little giddy thinking about it.

High: McGuire Family Vacay to Grand Lake. It was our first vacation as a family in 10 years and it was so fun! So much fun that I took ZERO pictures! It felt really nice to be unplugged and just enjoying my hilarious family! We introduced them to Cards Against Humanity, baked, relaxed, laughed, made fun of each other, swam a lot and found out how big of a chicken I was because I'm too scared to go fast on a jet ski! I stole this picture from Kortny, my SIL of my dad and Bryson steering the boat.

High: I got a promotion at work! I could put a pic of my new office up, but I'm embarrassed by how bare the walls still are!

Lowest of Lows: I lost my bestie, my flower bully, my favorite cuddle partner of 8 years and my niece dog to cancer. It was seriously the hardest and worst time ever. I'm very lucky to say that I've never lost a human I'm very close to, so I don't have anything bigger to compare it to. I am super thankful that I have some pretty awesome pics of her from our wedding! I still get really emotional thinking about her, and before we got Dixie I was actually really fearful that I wouldn't love my own dog as much as I love Zoe. Of course, that's ridiculous. 

High: In October we started an unintentional travel spree. 4 of 5 weekends we were on the road! First, to Dallas for the OU/Texas game (Boomer Sooner) 

Second, our 2nd camping trip with the Jones'

Third, we went with our friends Justin & Brandi to Eureka Springs. 

Fourth, we headed to Nashville for our anniversary trip and to see our friends Boston & Janelle! Another amazing city I have yet to blog about. But it'll come, I have to share with you all of the great places we ate! 

High: Our first wedding anniversary!! What? Our first year went by so quickly! We spent it by sleeping in, eating Bundt cake and watching Frozen and Monster's University :) We're boring...and it was perfect! 

High: I went to Pursue's Holiday workshop with my friend Brandi. Our friend Molly (one of the owner's of Pursue) taught us how to do brushstroke calligraphy and Poppy Lane Designs taught us how to put together a beautiful flower arrangement with trimmings from the yard. It was a glorious day!

Overall I'm surprised by how much we traveled, disappointed by my lack of blogging and my Sooner's football season (better luck next year, right?). And still missing Zoë. Obviously the good outweighs the bad and I had a wonderful first year of marriage with my hubby! 

Here's to higher highs in 2015! Maybe we'll buy our first home, spend more time with family, catch up on our DVR, and grow closer to friends, and Christ.