Life Mantra

Before I started HinckleDoodle, I think there was like a 3 year gap where I just stopped being creative. Not that I wasn't creative at all, but I just didn't dabble in my art as much. 

My scrapbooks sat around getting dusty. 

My sketchbook got lost under other books on the bookshelf. 

My easel was lonely in the back of the closet.

I'll admit during those 3 years I felt like I had some sort of quarter-life crisis going on. And again, not that I was so depressed and sad for 3 years straight. HECK NO! I couldn't with the likes of Drew and Owen always being in my company and our beloved pups. Just that period in life where you feel like Life itself lifts you up in a tornado and you don't know when it's going to put you down. And it won't unless you tell it to stop.

And I did...My husband was in South Korea at the time (he's in the Army). We were supposed to be able to live with him, but they were way over capacity. So Owen and I had to stay back in the states. 

He was gone for an ENTIRE YEAR!!! 

(And I feel like I should add...before my husband joined the Army. We had never been apart for more than 4 days straight and that only happened once because he had to and we weren't allowed to go. And we've been together for 6, almost 7 years!)

Finally, last June while he was away, I decided I'm going to get back in touch with my artistic/crafty self. And I've never looked back. It was part of me that was missing and begging to come back.

The point of this post is that I'm just thankful. 

I am thankful that I've realized that I wake up each morning so excited for the day. 

I am thankful that I have the ability to create and it's gotten me nearly 3600 fans on my Facebook page. 

I am thankful that my husband and daughter are so encouraging and supportive of me and HinckleDoodle.

I am thankful that today is another day that I get to do what I love. 

I send my husband to work with a kiss goodbye. I spend my morning with my daughter and send her off to school and sometimes she'll read me a book on the way to the bus stop. Then I come back and have coffee and get to relish in the knowing that I have a life full of love and art. 

We waste too much precious time worrying about what others think and say. I just don't anymore. 

Every one has an opinion and it's taken me 25 years to realize that no one can hurt me or bring me down unless I let them. Such a simple thought which I guess is why it's easily forgotten. 

It's one of my life mantras I established after leaving Missouri and I've never been happier!

Do you have a life mantra that you live by? 
I have several. 
I'd love to hear yours! Maybe I could add it to my repertoire. :)

Happy Monday, readers!
xoxo
Jess

Click Refresh...

Moving from my hole in the wall craft area in the laundry room to the spacious dining room area has been a phenomenal change!

I just purchased a simple wire shelving unit from Walmart for just under $20 that I was scared would be a pain in the butt to assemble, but was quite easy! And I love it. It sits right behind me with all my used-constantly items. :)

Check out my lovely custom embellished boxes!

OOH! And I found this cute vintage set of spice jars in a cute stand that I am now using to store my elastic thread for ornaments, novelty buttons, HinckleDoodle tags and such! Sitting on the other window sill behind me :)

I'm still trying to figure out how I want to organize things. But I'm getting there.

I am also thinking that I need to make a paper flower bouquet to sit next to my laptop to brighten up the area.

And I am hoping to make a garland of some sort to add some festive touches to the windows behind me. Here's some garland I think I can make on my own...don't know which one is my fave yet...

There are, of course, so many ways I could go about it. I don't know what I'll come up with! :)

<3 Jess

Crafty Bucket List

My hope is to dabble in every craft medium I can! Most, if not all, interest me...

Hello, my name is Jessica. And I am a crafting addict.

Here's my Crafty Bucket List of crafts I hope to try before I die:

1. Wood Carving
2. Needle Felting
3. Knitting
4. Glass Etching
5. Quilting
6. Paper Quilling
7. Candle-making
8. Upholstery Painting
9. Working with Resin
10. Welding (I've always wanted to make metal sculptures)
11. Stamping
12. Wire Jewelry
13. Working with Faux Fur
14. Refurbishing
15. Antiquing
16. Fabric Painting

I'm always adding to this list! Any suggestions?? :)

Have a grand day, my loverlies!

Happy Umbilical Cord Separation Day....TO ME!

So yesterday was my birthday...I am now 25 years YOUNG. (Right? Yes, please agree!)

We're still in a hotel and our money situation isn't the greatest. but we shall prevail! My husband and daughter spoiled me well! Thru all that we've been thru with this move, home really is where the heart is. I don't think we could have spent my birthday any other way.

We started off the morning, bright and early with Dunkin Donuts!!

A Dunkin Donuts is pretty much on every corner here in NY and I had never really experienced one before and OMG....

Delicious, delicious, delicious!

We got a dozen donuts ranging from Glazed to French Cruller to Vanilla with Sprinkles to Bavarian Creme...oh the list goes on and on!
And I had a delicious Chicken Salad on a Croissant that was IMPECCABLE!
Darn now I'm hungry for another one of those again.
Stupid only having one vehicle!

Then I got to go and spend $100 at Joann's Craft Store! Oh it was the most fun to just pick and grab and buy so much for 100 smackeroos!

I definitely took advantage of all the deals.

I scored fabric, felt, thread, buttons (that are to die for!), chalk, more hand sewing needles 

and a thread organizer...

It doesn't sound like much but wow if you could see the amount of stuff I walked out with! My whole crate was full when I went to the cash register and the lady in front of us had overheard it was my birthday and gave me a 40% off coupon that she had! So freakin nice and wonderful! I would have done the same thing. It's nice to know that are world isn't so cruel all the time. All the bad things that can happen in life get surpassed by these moments of genuine niceness!

Then I got to pick where we ate lunch
and enjoyed my favorite: Chinese!
I'm half Filipino and also enjoyed my first 6 years of life in Okinawa, Japan (that's probably why I heart kawaii so much!!).

So I'm all about the Asian persuasion! :)

Here's my lil Owie Pie behind the glass over our booth. It was so cool.
We used to have these cork artwork all around our house in Japan!

My delicious first plate! Oh my gosh, soooo goood!
And someone had told Drew this place was terrible. It was amazing!

Owie took a picture of Drew and I :)
Love my lil family!

The china buffet was the perfect way to end my birthday festivities!






And this morning, I got to finally check facebook and saw my doodle from Kitty from Kittypinkstars!

Instead of an Owenism, I'll leave you to bask in the glory that is this doodle!

I want to blow it up poster size and hang it up in our future apartment!

She even added my highlights in my hair and some of my plushies!
Isn't this just amazing!?

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes!

<3 Jess

xoxo



What I would do with 8 arms!

She isn't finished yet, but HinckleDoodle is adding Octopals to my inventory!

8 glorious tentacles and flowered eyes!

She's a beauty I must say and isn't exactly what I sketched but she turned out better :)

She also has buttons that run along the underside of each tentacle to act as the suction cups all octopi have.

I don't have prices on these yet, but I will soon. I am also working on another one that is red and teal! I think it'll be pretty cute too!

I am planning to add a bow of some sort to add even more appeal to them.

I don't know what it is about octopuses that are so special.

The fact that it looks almost alien-like compared to other sea creatures.

Or for the sheer desire of having 8 arms to use.

As a mother and plush-maker, I could think of a hundred reasons why I would need 8 arms. My multi-tasking skills are pretty inadequate as it is, so the thought of being able to fold laundry with two arms, cook dinner with one, make a plushie with 2 others, write bills with another...etc, etc, etc all at once...would be a wonderful ability!

So to all of you octopi in the world, I am jealous and hope you're using your tentacles to their fullest potential!

 

Now on to trying to figure out if I can work on some farm animals with what I have in my wee little box of material...and a couple new monster designs!

 

 

OHHHH and it's official we have an apartment starting October 18th! Which means a few things...

1. Getting out of these hotels we've been staying in!!! Gahhhh!
2. Getting all our household goods, clothes, etc and HUGE AMOUNT OF CRAFT SUPPLIES AND INVENTORY I HAVE PACKED AWAY!!
3. Being able to have my Grand Opening for HinckleDoodle!
4. Holding the 2 contests I have planned for said Grand Opening.
5. And just feeling normal again and having a routine. I love routines!

So many things await my family and HinckleDoodle...I can't wait to make progress on it all!

<3 Jess xoxo