The Time Has Come...

It's official! My new Blog is up and running. Simply, Sara Jean. Its a little daintier, a "bit" more organized, posting will be much more regular, I have a schedule! Right now it's fresh and clean and shiny, which is just what I need in my life this Spring. Anyone else feel that way? I want to do SO much, that getting organized is going to help me accomplish all my fun and neat goals. So, I guess farewell! There will be a permanent link to my New Blog there on the right as well as one back to here from there... Does that make sense? I feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

Swonderful. Smarvelous.

I love being home!!! I just can't say it enough. I wish I could stay home longer. I don't want it to be Wednesday already!

So far I've made five journals while home! Here's a sneak peek.

Simply

Some new pages in my
Journal. And a sneak peek of what's to come...

Vacation!!!

I have been über stressed lately. I wasn't even sure I would make it day job in tacked these last few weeks. But I'm so happy to announce that as of today I am on an eight day vacation!!!

I'll just be staying home. This is my last week of school of the semester. So I have a paper or two to finish. But mostly I will be relaxing! Recoperating! And crafting. Oh, And going to the Zoo.

I have a goal. To make a journal a day!!! That should mean I'll hopefully have seven or eight journals ready for my shop in a week.

I have LOTS of ideas. I want them to be personalize-able and customizable. I've got a few themes I want to focus on. Spring. Love. Fall. Travel. Vintage. Nature. Maybe a Hunger Games and Twilight themed?! Who knows. I am just so excited to take this time and use it how I always want to. Creating fun and pretty things to share with others.

So. Hopefully by next week I'll be transitioning to the new, more organized and accessible Blog. I just need to start a fresh. Body, mind , soul and so on. So that's what ima gonna do! Cheers for Spring Time!!!

Twilight

Mothers Day Gifts!!!

So this exchange was with one person as it was a gift exchange and not a card exchange but I'm sending two because one Twilighter didn't sign up
in time so I offered to exchange with her. Which is so much fun. I absolutely love making these personalized gifts!!! Here are the two personalized Twilight Themed Journals I made.

Spring Cleaning!

So I thought I would add another item to my Spring Cleaning List. I've already started with my home, Blog, Etsy Shop... So now I have added my body to the list as well!!! I think at least a portion of my recent emotional turmoil caused by a ginormous amount of stress can be attributed to my recent very poor diet, lack of exercise and consumption of (as one of my Lit professors would say) adult beverages. So today, this very morning I am starting a Juice Fast! Or Feast as some like to say.

I've never attempted one but I am excited! Today i'll be starting with purchased 100% juice the likes of Naked and Odwalla but I hope in the next few days to procure a juicer so I can make it fresh at home. I will also be drinking one or two protein shakes and am allowing myself egg white veggie omelets if I have a melt down and need to chew something.

I haven't set myself a time frame for how long i'd like to keep this up. I just want to re set my body back to a healthy starting point and go from there. I hope for at least five to seven days but I'm going to take this one day at a time. Wish me Luck!!! I'm gonna need it... Cheers!

Slowly But Surely

I'm getting things together for the New ish Blog and shop opening!!! I say New ish because since I'm not an HTML expert my design layout is still mostly me using a Blogger Template and changing everything it allows. Which actually is quite a bit!!! I was considering moving over to Wordpress but even they're most " customizable" template is in my opinion the EXACT opposite. I couldn't even change the font!!!!! And this girl needs font control. Lol. So I'm staying here at blogger but starting afresh.

As for my shop I have so much lovely paper that I am making into journals! Sigh, I love paper. I know it's strange but really I do! It makes me happy. And smiley. Anywho! Lots more to do in the next few days! Cheers!!!

Some Exciting News!

So, last week was really rough for me... REALLY ROUGH! Work was terrible and it was just the shove I needed to get focused and motivated. I really admire so many other people out there who are getting to do exactly what I want to be doing and are successful at it. And that is running they're own crafty fun inspiring business from home! I've been dabbling in it for about a year and have relished the little successes I have had along the way. But now I want to get it going full swing! So, I am making quit a few changes. I am getting lovely things ready for my shop and will be re launching it in a few weeks!!!!! It will be filled with inspiring journals, handmade envelopes and lots of special paper. LOVELY! I am also going to start building a photography portfolio! Which is really intimidating for me because while I love the art I create and the photos I take I am always afraid that they aren't up to snuff, well no more! Finally I will be re launching my little Blog. I've been writing this blog for about three years and I have learned A LOT! I want to make quite a few changes to it. For instance tagging posts so they are more accessible, having recurring weekly posts and keeping a schedule so I get to write more! In order to do this though I will be starting again from scratch... Which makes me both sad and very excited! But of course you will be able to link back and forth between the two so this little Blog will never be lost. Well, I guess that's it for this morning! I'll be updating this Blog as my plans progress!!!

New Journal!

Well I'm finally using my new journal that I made. Remember? The one with the Hot Air Balloon on the cover?!

Here are some of my pages so far...

Is this Semester Over yet

Gosh I can't wait til this semester of school is done!!! I haven't been able to blog or craft much. Though I'm trying to fit it in.

Actually. I've been considering stopping for a while... Though it would be good to still have this little Blog going while I continue to try make my hobbies into careers. I just feel like no ones paying attention anyways. Networking is hard! We'll see.

Anywho these are the three photos I took for my photography class!!! I'm really learning a lot. I bought a super zoom lens and I can't wait to go to the zoo!!!

Photos

So here are my top three favorite pictures from my photography class this week!!! I'm really excited to get Brandy our instructors feedback this Thursday. I really would love to enter some pictures in the Fair this year! But school is always so busy these last two months... So. We shall see!!!

I am really loving my class so far. It's nice that it's only one lesson a week. It forces me to just practice one new skill at a time. Even though I'm itching to learn more!!!

I want to do this for a living!!!

I'm going to be Taking a Photography Class!

FINALLY!

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to take photos! Love, love, love. It would be amazing to pursue a career in it but the practical girl in me has always brushed off the idea of making my artsy endevours into my job. I have always wanted to take a photography class but have never found one at any of the local colleges I attend that would fit into my hectic schedule! Well lately while browsing two of my favorite Blogs The Dainty Squid and A Beautiful Mess (both can be found in my CLICK PLEASE! section) I happened across a lovely girl who offers online courses! I've had my DSLR for about a year now and still have yet to learn how to shoot in manual. Tragic I know...

So I've taken the leap and signed up for the course! I am super excited to learn new skills and I even have my first gig in June! A great friend of mine is getting married and she wasn't planning on having a photographer (too expensive) so I told her I would love to play around and take photos for them! Super Exciting! If anyone is interested in a photography course the website is Bella POP! You can find it on the right. I'll post pictures soon!

My New Hand Made Journal!

Likey?

So four hours later. From start to finish and this is what I've got! I'm fairly pleased with it. A few of the pages with text ended upside down. But who cares!!! That just means I get to sporadically journal upside down. And there's nothing wrong with that! Hahah

A Travel Journal for Aaron

So I received a letter from my most accounted upon pen pal Aaron. He used to be a coworker but now we just visit via snail mail and occasionally Facebook. In his latest letter he announced that he was going abroad next month for an entire week!!! Lucky Chap.

So I've made up this little 5x7 travel journal for him complete with lined pages for journaling. Sketch paper. Graph paper. Paper clips. Assorted funky cards and envelopes for stashing goodies. I did my standard binder ring binding so he can rearrange as need be as well as add in his photos once he's home!

I sure hope he uses it. I want to see it finished!!!

Special News Bulletin

They carry Japanese Washi Tape at Target now! In the office supply aisle!

It is Officially Spring Break!

No drunken beach parties for this girl. It's gonna be all crafting all week! And guess what I'm starting...

Project Life!

I think it's going to be GREAT fun. And a perfect way to easily scrapbook my families adventures. I'll still be of course documenting my own journey in my journal. Which I still LOVE!

And, today I adorned my ears with two new holes a piece. Young and fun.

School Days

Boy has school taken away time from blogging! But that's ok. I know Summer will be here before I'm ready for it.

Yesterday was my 7th Wedding Anniversary. It makes me feel older but proud to have such an accomplishment. I'm lucky. I got to marry my best friend.

Im still keeping up with my journal! It's amazing. Really. I've spent so much money on empty journals I can't even let myself think about it. I'm already half way through with the second signature. And I've also discovered I no longer dislike my penmanship! Mostly I think because it's improved with all the writing I've been doing. And I still haven't re-read any entries or torn anything out! Anywho. Until we meet again.

Booby Trapped

Journaling

How to keep a secret. In a easily accessed book.

I wrote something I'm ashamed of but something that is vitally important to my personal growth. Something that one day I will seek to remind myself of but for now shall stay hidden.

I put this in an envelope. And using bakers twine tied it like a present to prevent its early opening.

I think it's pretty nifty.

Ray LaMontagne - Be Here Now

A Change Is Gonna Come -- Sam Cooke (Original Version in HD)

Ive Been A Good Girl

I have been working in my hand bound crazy mish mosh of a journal for a month and a half now. I have over twenty entries!!! I've allowed myself to doodle! I haven't re-read any entries or removed any. This is unheard of in the land of Sara. I've never kept a journal this long. This well. That's felt this liberating!

Before when trying to journal I would find the "perfect" journal. Usually leather and expensive so I could convince myself I had to write in it because I'd spent all that lovely money on it. Three or so entries in and I would hate what I had written or how my penmanship looked. And the journal would be abandoned. I repeated this cycle so many times I should buy Barnes and Noble stock!

I think the general madness and randomness of this journals construction has finally freed me! Silly I know. But it's true I tell you.

Some of the paper that's in this thing I really don't like. So I just cover it up! And I really love the occasional ledger paper I find in it. It's great for wackado entries that go in all different directions. Anywho. I suppose this post is long enough.

Here are my most recent pages!