the Creative Thursday blog

hello Instagram Stories!

IG Stories!

If you don't know yet? Instagram released it's own version of "SnapChat". When you update your Instagram App, you'll see a row of circles featuring the profile photo of those you follow above the photos feed. Anyone with a circle featured in that row, or with a red circle around their profile photo on their instagram page has created a "story" featuring a 10 second or less series of videos or photographs. 

As you know I've been live streaming for exactly one year, and I was recently trying out Snap Chat. All this familiarity with video made hopping on IG stories an {almost} comfortable next step. Now matter how many times you hit the record button, sharing more of yourself with an audience is always a stretch.

While I'm sure it's the novelty that's getting so many eyeballs on my "stories", I feel especially excited to explore this new short video format. I always want to create thoughtful, fun, creative content for you and this platform is no different.

I will tell you that I'm sharing even more behind the scenes snippets of life and business on IG stories than I have anywhere else. Right when I was done with the polish and perfection of Instagram, a platform I've been consistently posting to since 2010, this new feature came along. And it's basically reathed a new life into social media for me. I love sharing and learning more about all of our worlds in a less polished, real way again. 

They only stay up for 24 hours, so you might catch a glimpse of a few recent stories where I share the importance of hiring help when you need it and not waiting until you think you can budget it {if you're a solo-preneur like me, you'll think you can do it all yourself for far too long}. You can also catch the longer conversation recorded this past Monday, about my thoughts on IG Stoires, SnapChat and live streaming on Periscope. Yes, I'm still live streaming too ;) Watch the broadcast here.

To all of you who continue to follow me and tune into streams and now stories. Thank you for watching! 

a gentle return

As I head into my 7th year of blogging {seriously?! for someone who really didn't want to start a blog...} ~ officially the longest blog and work break I've taken. 

And the reason many of us don't take such long breaks: because when we actually step away for longer than a week or a weekend, breaking the momentum and/or the daily treadmill so many of us are on,  we might not want to come back to life and work as we know it = exactly what happened. 

Don't get me wrong - I am excited to return, to create and make things, to share them with you {and a little less excited to return to the tasks involved with running a business}. I seriously needed this break and am so glad I took it. Could have been even longer, but then again I think we always feel that way. I thought I'd return after Labor Day, but just wasn't quite ready. So am easing back in to things this week.

I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge that this book might also be responsible for some {even more than usual} reflection. Just a little light reading, you know, while on vacation. I am presently in the process of changing my mind and my blog ;)

Also the longest break from my usual routine of creating - but as you know, my fellow creatives - we can't totally break from making something with our hands, right? So I knitted a cowl {woot! it's true I started & finished a cowl in a few days - bless thick yarn and big knitting needles - photo to come when it's not 90 degrees out} and I also finished this cross stitch of Miss Fran for my new Iphone case. If you enjoy hand sewing, stiching, you gotta get your hands on one of these. 

Alrighty then, the book is at the printer! I'm feeling pretty well rested. Got to know San Francisco and my own city of Los Angeles a lot better.  Had a great visit with my family.  Did a little sprucing up of the blog, so as per usual no big promises as to what's ahead, but I'm excited to spend time here again, more often. I miss my blog. 

Hope August was good to you out there xo

 

dear blog ~ have I left you for Instagram?

I miss you! Every time I think I have a moment to post from the growing list of ideas I keep meaning to share here, or plan a re-design of you that I've had on my to do list forever, another deadline approaches. Seems like this is becoming business as usual over here {actually a very good thing} also an important reminder of my next step that I have been putting off for far too long...

In the meantime I  think I have temporarily replaced you with Instagram. Honestly some days I think... if Instagram was my blog?! That might just be perfect?! After the two hours plus {versus two minutes} it has taken me to create this one post, because I keep coming back to edit it - maybe I need to become a faster blogger? the sound of an 'Instagram in place of a blog' is sounding really appealing right now. So fun {and so easy} to shoot a pretty photo on my Iphone {the new 4S camera pretty incredible btw} and post it. Very few words, if any to describe the shot {forcing me into brevity and less constant editing} A snapshot of my life shared in a second mixed in with so many gorgeous photos. In mere moments I'm in touch with everyone, traveling with them, enjoying the beauty of every day details, and leaving inspired and then some. Are you sure we can't all just live in Instagram land?

But then I think about how I love sharing here in this space, my long, sometimes very long thoughts on things ~ the chance to archive my creative journey - sharing it with, and hearing from those of you who are interested in following along ~ and I know the blog, my first online home, will always be. I love this blog. And I also love Instagram. I know I don't have to choose. Do I? I can do both ~ something I'm working out, as I'm sure we all are, in today's technical world {in between deadlines}

Remember the days when we just had blogs? One day will I be saying, remember when we just had blogs and Instagram? But for now, I say again, are you sure we can't all live in Instagram land?

photos:

• pretty petals
• morning latte - had to have {just} one in my new Paris cafe cup that was calling out for a coffee
• color on a cloudy day - can you spot Garbo in the photo?
• tiny houses by thelittlereddoor.etsy.com - growing my collection
• the beginnings of my book cover {!!}
• new LOVE stamp that I LOVE
• painting ceramics {just a few that will be available in the shop soon!}
• farmer's market flowers for you
• morning light
• gardening
• drawing in the garden 
• so sometimes I dress like my characters -what can I say- it comes with the job

farmer's market flowers for you

Almost every Sunday, I go to the farmer's market, choose my veggies for the week and bring home fresh flowers. I often tweet/instagram the bunch as soon as I get them.

I like sending you all virtual flowers.

I love NY

Now I know why 'I love NY' is printed on every possible kind of object a tourist would want to take home with them.

Because, it's true. New York City is an easy place to fall in love with. 

When I exited JFK terminal I realized I had not been to Manhattan since December of 1999. A lot has changed since then. Including the fact that I moved to from a small-ish town, Boulder to a big-ish city, Los Angeles. Manhattan used to feel so intimidating to me, but that was before all of its recent gentrification {it's so clean now, almost too clean?}, and I became accustomed to a life in the city.

Now I think I've mentioned before that life in Los Angeles doesn't really equal life in an actual compact city like downtown New York or Paris, but it has all the makings of a big city, like a lot of people and traffic. And the great things like amazing people, restaurants, shopping, museums.

Since it has been so long since my last visit, I approached my quick trip to NY much like our long trip to Paris ~ I had no expectations. A lot of people love these cities and there are also quite a few that don't enjoy them at all. Although, whether you want to live there or not I don't know how one couldn't appreciate the life and energy in both NY and Paris? They are amazing, and eerily similar which surprised me. Manhattan reminds me much more of Europe than I ever remember noticing before. 

I wasn't sure I would love Paris or NY and as it turns out I love them both. I think it's just a simple of fact of reaching the stage I am at in my life, where I have a clarity and perspective that makes traveling and exploring new places completely invigorating. I wonder which city will become my next love affair?

Until then. A glimpse of NYC in Iphone photos, of course.

All of these are run through the Instamatic filters and you know, how some of the filter choices are softer, while others are more saturated? It felt like almost all of my images were just calling for the saturated colors with the black line. NYC makes a bold impression.

1. I was able to take this shot from the middle of a street, not because I was really that willing to put my life in danger but because the other side of the street was blocked off. I love how you can get these amazing vistas between blocks. Usually when riding in a cab or crossing the street, they go by in a second but on this particular block I could stand as long as I wanted to. But then at the time this shot was taken Laura and I were headed to a store before it closed. Just enough time to take the photo as the sun was starting to go down.
2. Nostalgia moment. This is the now preserved, no longer in use, TWA terminal. I spent hours upon hours as a kid there in the summer time waiting to catch flights as a stand-by passenger to visit my family in Germany. My dad was a TWA captain. It took my breath away to see it after all of these years.
3. Springtime in NY is so pretty. This shot was taken right in front of Macy's
4. Tulips in front of Macy's at Herald Square
5. Finding my way through the city
6. More trees blooming that looked so pretty against the backdrop of these buildings with color. Colorful buildings are tough to come by in NY...and so is colorful clothing :)
7. Dinner at a lovely French Moroccan restaurant, Barbes. The owner could not have been nicer.
8. My 'office' views for 2 days
9. Wall of ribbon at M & J Trimming
10. My new favorite Japanese book store Kinokuniya, which i just learned that there is also one here in L.A.!!
11. In love with the Japanese design books
12. And the Paumes publisher. Oh, to die for. I want all of the Paumes books
13. Purl Soho - I have always been inspired by their website and blog and to walk into the store. WEEE! just as lovely in person. Instantly fell in love with the quilt with the hand-stitched pink clouds on it. Owned by two sisters,  I also learned that one of them lives here and has a by appointment only warehouse in Tustin that you can shop at.
14. Now that's some yarn
15. And that's some fabric. Color does exist in NY
16. The barista's at Starbucks know how to pronounce my name. Am thinking of changing the spelling to this version, so that people will finally say it right Mareesa.
17. Coffee and food is so good in the city. Breakfast with bread and butter at Balthazar
18. Pretty dress in the window by Nanette Lepore
19. Walking through the Village late on a Thursday night

Dear NY, I can't wait to visit you again.

springtime in California & lemonade

This week looks to be bittersweet.

I had crazy exciting news last Monday about a possible opportunity set for the fall. I also booked a trip to NYC in eight days {I'm not counting down or anything...} to finalize my fabric designs. We had a really nice week away, but let's also be honest ~ visiting family is not without its challenges. I'm still coming out of the fibroid shenanigans, waiting for a final check up, and for my body and moods to return to normal. And Reilly is not well. It's unbearable - most of all for me to watch him meow to Sean, his loyal companion for 17 years, who feels helpless in providing him comfort during this time.

When life gives me lemons and lemonade at the same time, it can be challenging to focus on the lemonade. The secret is figuring out what gets me appreciating the lemonade. All of a sudden I'm really craving a glass of lemonade. I think a lemonade from Lemonade is in order.  Maybe I need to just call this post Lemonade instead? Ok, fine I added it to the title.

When I need a little pick me up I need pretty. {see exhibit a above}

I think I might need a skirt like Sean's four year old niece.

A glass of zinfandel from our favorite Napa winery V. Sattui would be good.

The ranunculus I just went ahead brought home with me.

I also need to create.

I need some cucumber mint lemonade.

something pretty :: a series inspired by Iphoneography

Something pretty - something different. No characters, just flowers. A new series of fourteen mixed media originals.

I think with everything I've been through the last couple of weeks, I've just needed to be surrounded by something pretty. 

It's no secret that I'm slightly obsessed with taking Iphone photos. It's also no secret that I love flowers. Combine the two with my other love painting, and here you go.

There is something about nature, flowers in particular that I can stare at for hours, so calming and soothing. And the colors are incredible. I'm one of those people who always makes it a point to have fresh flowers in our home. They never last as long as I'd like them to, so I think I took all of these shots over the last year so I could make them last forever. 

Hope you enjoy them.

Oh and if you are needing inspiration this weekend, which at this moment I think I am needing, and you are here in L.A. check out one of my favorite authors Tama Kieves who will be speaking on one of my favorite subjects "Unleashing Your Calling - Creating the Work and Life You love". When I was first starting out in this journey and did not know how any of this would come together, it was Tama's book, "This Time I Dance", that gave me hope and brought me comfort during some of  the most challenging times of building this business. I highly, highly recommend it.

 

{click here to purchase}

my time in Salt Lake

Since my last post was all words, this one is all Iphonongraphy eye candy for you. Enjoy!

 

in order of appearance

1. What I call the 'kitty guardians' who watched over me while I slept ~ fabric and design by Lizzy House
2. Waking up to rows of beautiful fabrics also designed by Lizzy {pssst...if you're interested in  breaking into the world of fabric design, go get her e-book right now}
3. Sleeping tucked into a bundle of quilts also made by Lizzy...are you beginning to see why she is a creative angel? not to mention one of the loveliest people I am honored to know.
4. entrance to the Grand America in Salt Lake City
5. my arrival at the Grand America ~ trying to be all 'nonchalant' while taking a selfie portrait in a lobby mirror
6. the morning view from my eleventh floor hotel room
7. balloon filled entrance to the Kate Spade and the Girls with Glasses party
8. Snowing at Sundance Film Festival, Park City 
9. Hot chocolate in Park City with my new friend EZ. {She is pointing to the crazy, semi-celebrity L.A. nut-bags who felt entitled enough to try to cut in front of us for a table at this restaurant~ they ended up sitting across from us, just on the other side of that hot cocoa ~ lovely.}
10. Be Here, Sundance 2011
11. Creative Monday, sewing with Lizzy ~ yes, that is her gorgeous quilt design featured in the background
12. my first quilting attempt!!! final creation to be revealed soon

Shine Brightly

Wishing you and your loved ones a bright and happy holiday time ~

 

And to those of you celebrating this evening and tomorrow ~  a very Merry Christmas from Ashland, Oregon.

love, Marisa and Seanie

it's holiday time!

happy festive weekend!