Burst of Creativity

The holiday downtime afforded me a few hours here and there to busy my hands with creative projects I've had earmarked for quite some time. I'm just not any good at laying on the couch. This is rest for me. Why fight it?

Accomplishment is energizing in and of itself isn't it?

Check out the fruits of my labor.

So I considered good ol' house paint,  à la Franz (though I don't even think they make the stuff he used to use anymore). But in the end, I brushed on some safe bet artist's acrylic. I don't think I'm entirely done. I think I got the texture right, but I want to add a bit more of the white over black. It's there- not entirely noticeable in the photo, but I'm thinking it could use more. A little Chet Baker on the iPod and I was in the groove.

This was an exercise in dexterity. Braiding while threading and tightly holding hex nuts in place at first had me a little frustrated. That is until I figured out that I needed to tether my starting end to something (a little helpful hint that I didn't find in the tutorial). Then it came together in a snap. I've worn it out twice over the last two weeks and I think it's fast becoming a favorite adornment.

I had seen these totem-esque little diddies floating around the blogosphere and almost hit up Etsy before I decided to make my own. While at the local flea in November, I found a booth selling these antlers and after much assurance that they only sold those that were naturally shed, I brought one home to paint. It sat naked on my coffee table until this past week when I could no longer resist and prettied it up. The blue actually came out looking a little more cerulean than turquoise here, but you get the gist. It makes me giddy.

Have You Met?

This my friends, is the one and only Dylan. He's my alarm clock, my {heavy} warm blanket, my little shadow.

He frequently vacations with us. The Viceroy Palm Springs is his favorite.

The Dude also sleeps a lot. Often with his eyes open. Don't ask...

He does sun salutations.

And eats like no other living, breathing creature on this planet.

That is seared Ahi he's scarfing down for his 7th birthday. 

He also has a thing for fine upholstered furniture. I wish he didn't.

I won't ever be the kind of blogger that posts daily dog photos. But, this little dream machine just might appear here from time to time, so I figured a proper introduction was in order. Honestly, I can't believe he hasn't yet. He's quite the little stalker.

First photo courtesy of M.Ennis / All others via Holtwood Hipster

Girl Interrupted

So the New Year didn't quite start off with the kind of bang that I had envisioned. Remember this?

Ok, well that didn't happen- yet. Because it will my friends, it will. Sometimes best intentions and well built plans don't go the way they should. I'm learning to be OK with that, really... I am. It's been a bumpy road to get comfortable with this idea, because despite all of the energy, organization and investment I tend to pour into making things happen, I've come to realize that we can not control everything in this life- we actually control far less than we'd like to. 2011's biggest life lesson- keep an eye on the future, but live in the present. Sometimes, it's all you have.

What ended up happening instead was probably the luckiest of substitutes. I'm taking it as a good omen and a reminder that good times lie ahead in 2012.

Here's a glimpse of what NYE looked like through the Hipster's lens.

We even said sayonara to 2011 with this. Oh yes... we did. I always wondered what "poppin' the Cris" was like.

How fortunate to be able to quietly ring in the New Year with friends that rework their plans at the drop of a hat to share a toast and a meal with you.  The Mister and I... we have a lot of those.

All photos via Holtwood Hipster and Holtwood Hipster via Windsor Anderson on Pinterest

{Blank Slate} Blank State

The interwebs are all abuzz with all things New Year and "starting fresh", so much so that I nearly reconsidered posting on the topic altogether. I had long been gathering thoughts on what I'd share, stashing away pretty pictures and thoughts that would evoke big plans, renewal, growth.

Browsing some of my daily reads over the weekend made me think- what is one more catchy inspirational image, one more published list of resolutions going to add that has not already been said?

But today I feel a need to throw my two cents into the ring anyway, if more than anything to pause and reflect on the past year- and perhaps not foremost to inspire and motivate others, but myself. Stay with me here...

See, 2011 was a bit of a jarring year for me, an eye opener if you will. There were some major lows over the last year- the stuff people don't share on blogs focused on "cool and pretty". Just as I had at this very same time last year, I find myself not presented with the desirable blank slate that everyone is talking about, but some very real, tough obstacles that will undeniably bring some more lows to push through- and that's not pessimistic thinking people- it's just reality, just life.  It feels ever so lonely amongst all the positive energy and get 'er done gusto that has suddenly arrived.

And yet, I crave that blank slate- that fresh start that has everyone so excited. I'm a planner, a list maker, a multi-tasking taker on of chaos. So this time of year speaks to my very nature. It's also sort of been my defining mission over the past few months- moving forward, aggressively pursuing new challenges, crossing some things off that bucket list, realizing joy, even in the mundane. And just as I felt on the verge of "getting there", 2011 delivered one last curve ball.  C'est la vie. It's just that it's been the preverbal hamster wheel...and I want to get off.

Don't get me wrong. It's certainly not all doom and gloom. There are some incredible things to be grateful for and happy about in this Hipster's life. But where I get stuck is in knowing how to move forward in the wake of foreseeable tragedy, however relative. I know they write books on the stuff, that there are steps and strategies people use to push on through and that bigger tragedies have and will unfortunately happen. I've gotten some great support and advice from so many people that love me and I'm trusting every single word. But this life wants to be lived- really lived and a daydreamer's downfall is that I am always waiting for a perfectly clean slate to make it happen; a time with no family dramas, the time when everyone is healthy, when I have enough money saved and bills are paid off, when work isn't so busy, when I can fit into those skinny jeans again, when the calendar turns over onto a new year. No wonder it never seems to happen.

And then amongst all of fancily scripted quotes floating around out there in blog land, an epiphany of sorts fell into my weary little lap. I think that most people are out there actually just looking for a second chance themselves; a chance to do better, to be better, to live better. Some may just do it better than others and not let themselves get weighed down with the trials of daily life. Some simply don't have as many trials in their daily life at the moment- and good for them. But I've realized the New Year mantra is sort of a collective call to action, to take stock, draw a line in the sand and resolve to try harder to achieve those things we let reality keep us from the other 300+ days of the year.

Suddenly, it all doesn't feel so lonely.

I promise not to go heavy too often here- this blog has been my little refuge amidst all of the chaos of late and I want to keep it that way. But I know I would feel like a poser to launch into a deluge of posts on getting organized and eating healthy without at least stopping to acknowledge that this sparkly fresh season sometimes brings with it the stinking hangover of last year. I think it's inevitable. It would be nice, but life doesn't really ever hand you a clean slate does it?

But the optimism is surely contagious and I'm slowly...slowly catching on.