It's been a long time!

Sail away with me honey | I put my heart in your hands | Sail away with me honey now, now, now | Sail away with me | What will be will be | I wanna hold you now

Crazy skies all wild above me now | Winter howling at my face | And everything I held so dear | Disappeared without a trace | Oh all the times I've tasted love | Never knew quite what I had | Little Darling if you hear me now | Never needed you so bad | Spinning round inside my head ...

~David Grey, Sail Away with Me

*Just thought we'd post a little something before we all coast into the holiday season. We promise we won't sail away for too long again this time. We plan to be much more active on this blog, as well as on Twitter and Etsy. Stay tuned for upcoming details, posts and listings. Happy day to you and yours! :o)

Accidental Entrepreneur

The accidental entrepreneur - now that's a killer title. And, as far as I am concerned, it may be the first breath of fresh air I've seen in the media about what positive outcomes can come from struggle (aka the recession). The New York Times just printed an article about how Unemployment can Lead to Entrepreneurship. I find it fascinating and inspiring.

Here's an interesting excerpt:

"... [T]he lack of a steady paycheck, often-inadequate health insurance and the sheer emotional stress of being unemployed, may prevent many people from setting out on their own.

But research on what is known as post-traumatic growth has found that some people become more resilient when faced with adversity, says Shawn Achor, a Harvard researcher. Creativity surges, he says, as they adapt to a new situation.

“Their brain is actually learning at a faster pace than when they are not challenged,” Mr. Achor says. “As a result of this, some individuals, the accidental entrepreneurs, they are the ones who in the midst of crisis actually respond with growth.”

In a report this summer on innovation, Ernst & Young wrote, “Experience shows that entrepreneurs should not give up on start-ups in a down economy.”

Makes you wonder: If unemployment knocks on your door tomorrow, what would you do? Would you try to find a job similar to the one you just left, or would you summon your inner creativity and take the huge risk of starting your own business?

While I can't say I've started my own creative business during this recession, I do know I've exercised my creativity more than usual.

In an effort to save money, we've tried to be more mindful of extraneous expenses. We decided that instead of buying beer, we would make it; instead of going out, we would entertain; instead of buying gifts, we'd make them; and instead of hotels on trips, we'd crash on family & friends' couches. Not only has this method been a great success, but we've certainly had our share of fun along the way.

Maybe some day we'll all be Accidental Entrepreneurs.

Creativity: Refocused

About this time last year, I got really into Etsy. While I still dream of crafting up new items to post - the reality is ... I don't. It was exciting at first to get new views, post new items & connect to the creativity community that exists on the internet. I guess my interest waned. Maybe it was that views never really became sales, and that there was never a direct "connection" with other makers. (Truth be told: There was just never enough time (or energy) at the end of the day that I could work with.)

I have, however, got very excited about home brewing. I have also rekindled my love for baking. These two activities have, as of recent, replaced my need to "make things." And, the glory is they both require a similar level of creativity.

My blog is going to be undergoing a face lift, and a slight change of course. Life's been busy - and change is good.

So here's a quick 30-minute recipe for a delicious citrus cake:
Slice of Summer
1.5 c flour
2/3 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 c milk (or 1 lemon/vanilla yogurt)
1/4 c butter
1 egg
1 tsp orange extract
zest of 1 lemon

Combine, mix, blend. Grease pan.
Preheat oven to 350, bake for 30 minutes. Great with whipped cream on top - enjoy!

Creative Hiatus

Thought Blockage in Progress, indeed.
How can you get back up on the creative wagon?
My head has been spinning, but my motivation has been puttering out.
The summer breeze and roadtrips have been distracting, but refreshing.
I'll get back up on the horse shortly...
Yes, I will.
Shortly, indeed.

Food for Thought

We've been running a mile a minute these past few weeks, and I think my brain has been running faster than that.

I am still filtering through all the information and ideas I got from the Maker Faire in San Mateo a couple of weekends ago. I must say I was extremely impressed by the quality, uniqueness and diversity of everything (and everyone) that was there. I have never been to a venue that better captures arts, crafts, science and technology and their symbiotic relationship. This expo did a terrific job of bringing together geeks, innovators, & creatives all into one location. Not to mention it captured the true essence of just how powerful the DIY movement is traveling the globe, while appealing to people of all ages.

This faire has sparked many new ideas for me. Some of which involve trying new things, experimenting with new items and using as many recycled / reclaimed products as possible. (Now I just need to find the time to actually sit down and get started ;)).

Although in the "big picture" it made me think about how society and our educational system approach science and technology. Why don't we do a better job of infusing the arts into these programs? Why do you have to choose to go either the highly-academic route or the liberal arts route when in college? There has to be a better way to keep our minds curious, urging us to learn more and explore new topics and overcome boundaries.

I recognize I could write much more than just a blog post about this topic, but it's something that has been on my mind a lot. Yes, some of it may have to do with the current economic state - especially here in Michigan - but I really think it's time to start thinking outside of the box.

Students should be able to learn about technology while being able to dissect a mother board and make artwork from it. Adults should be able to experiment and dabble into topics and subjects that don't appear on their resumes.

Now more than ever - it is time to be creative. It's time to share ideas and ride the creative energy wave.

Hope there are lots of people on board.

Car talk (with ampm)

Edsel, originally uploaded by Pangie.

I will get better about updating this blog. I will get better about updating this blog.

We've been thinking about a lot of new craft projects in the last few weeks; we've also had high hopes of completing some of our more current projects. I'd blame complications on the sewing machine and other shortages of supplies, but the true excuse is that we've been busy enjoying the sunshine. Hope you have been too!

Thought it's about time I wrote about something relating to the auto industry. We certainly read about the perils of the industry on a daily basis. Now it's time to look at it from a different lens - though the eye of the photographer.

I am not fascinated with cars. In fact, I can't recognize most cars by their brand. (Unless of course it happens to be something that I once drove ... tear for the Civic). Instead, I find it easiest to refer to cars by their color and their size. Rather than referring to a car by its name - '02 Toyota Camry - it may just as well be that blue average sized car to me. Anyway, I digress. For as much as I don't really seem to care about cars, I really do enjoy the photographic qualities that older cars offer my imagination. [Note: I do also appreciate cars for their ability to get me from Point A to Point B, even if I dream of the day when my life does not depend upon or require a vehicle.]

Cars seemed to be such much more intricately designed and manufacturing back in the day when the automotive industry was booming. The headlights, front end and overall detail of most older models always seem to attract my attention. Cars truly were an art form.

These photos, while of different models, are composed in a similar fashion. The Edsel was taken with a 35mm camera, hand developed and hand painted in 2005. The Plymouth Valiant was taken with a Holga and scanned at home just last week. Four years have gone by, more cameras have joined the collection, and I still like how the results have come out.

Will update more frequently - hopefully with some new digs.

Rusty Plymouth, originally uploaded by mbpics.

Stick 'em up

I just have to reminisce about the sheer awesomeness of green army men. They sure are harder to find around these days, but these plastic wonders provided an ungodly amount of entertainment for my brothers and me when we were growing up. (Found @ ReUse Center in A2)

My most favourite (yes, favourite like the Brits, even though favorite is spelled correctly in American blogger!) activity involved wooden blocks, army men and marbles. We'd set up complete obstacle courses in our living room. The marbles would be the "bombs" or "shots" from the opposing armies. This game could last hours, and when my dad got involved it became even more intricate and strategically planned.

I always had this game in my 'bag of goodies' when I went to babysit, and in fact, I think it's why I got so many jobs with younger boys. The kids would often miss curfew because of this game - whoops. (Although, I think mom & dad would be happy to know that the kids (big & little) all had a good time. :P)

We're going to be doing a series of army man shots - so stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for what our photographic eyes capture. (And, yes waiting a couple weeks may be necessary, as most will be shot with film. Yea yeah!)

We got some new digs for crafting - if it would just stop being so nice outside maybe we'd be more enticed to do something new. It's come... we promise.