enJOY it

the big questions : how do you take care of yourself?

August 28, 2012

My friend, Tiffany, asked me to share today on a "Big Question" topic. She asks, "How do you take care of yourself? Tell the truth."

I took a minute to jot down everything that came to mind and quickly realized I was just going with the basics. After I thought about it some more, though, I realized that the basics are really the most important part. If you stack all those basics on top of each other, they make up a full picture.

Since I went to college (and started in a sense "taking care of myself"), I have made little changes and little choices everyday. Some changes were not healthy. Some choices were poor decisions. But over time I learned and tweaked and strengthened. I look one step forward and two steps back dozens of times, but ultimately developed a set of basics that keep me feeling good, both physically and mentally. Now that I know how I work and what works best, I focus (everyday) to maintain.

From a physical standpoint, outdoor running, real food, bar method, green(er) skincare & TRX (I'd love to share more on this workout routine soon!) absolutely work for me. I learned in college that counting calories and food tracking do not work for me. Turns out, I am a bit too obsessive for that sort of "dieting." I have also recently realized that leaving the house to go to the gym does not work. Stepping outside to run or doing TRX in the house fits into my days much better.

From a mental standpoint, I rely heavily on goals (obviously) for personal motivation & scheduled downtime for creative recovery. My parents have said that when I was younger, I would go to a two hour birthday party and come home and need at least four hours of self-imposed quiet time in my room until I was back to "normal." I guess I am still the same and greatly crave a balance between extroverted and introverted activities.

I think "taking care of yourself" is one of the most important things you (& I) can do for the people around us. It's sort of like on an airplane when they recommend you put your own
mask on before you assist others. Without the mask, you might not make
it. And if you don't make it, the people who are counting on you, certainly are not going to make it.

I want to be here – not just "alive here", but "happy, healthy, open & engaged here". I want to be here for Paul. I want to be here for my future little ones. I want to be here for my business. For those reasons, taking time to "take care" is huge priority for me. I realize that there are thousands of things in my future that I cannot control. But this – putting in effort today for self-care – I can.

Today I’m participating in Tiffany Moore’s
Big Questions extravaganza. She believes in asking the Big Questions –
the kind that help you decipher your (actual) dreams — and (actually) do
‘em. Find
out who else is answering
The Big Questions and how you can win your own Big Question session here.
piecing it together.

August 27, 2012

When I last shared, I had a pile of triangles…

On Thursday, I turned those triangles into squares.

A giant pile of squares.

That evening, I trimmed the threads and ironed the seam of each square flat.

And then on Friday, I laid out 9 rows of 11 squares (my table is small – so it was just six at a time…)

I took care to create a "random" pattern where no two sides of the same fabric were allowed to touch.

Next, I sewed the squares together to create rows.

And then laid out my rows again to re-establish my pattern. (And realized I had messed up thanks to the "only being able to see six rows at a time" issue.)

But, I decided to keep moving right along and pinned my rows together and sewed and sewed until…

…TA-DA, on Sunday, a quilt top was born!

Next I'll be (machine) sewing the quilt top, batting and navy back together. I picked a lime green thread that is perfect for the job. I have to plan it out a bit, but my tentative plan is to sew diagonal lines over the whole thing…
project life : week 33.

August 26, 2012

Week 33 and… I'm just going to assume you know that I love this project.

(click to enlarge & the images above will be [somewhat] clearer)

I shared peeks of this week in my announcement post, but I wanted to include a full round-up. Obviously, I did a few things differently this week because I was sharing new designs. For the rest of 2012 – I am going to stick to my normal routine (circle stickers on the title cards & quote cards), but it was fun to get a little preview of what 2013 will look like. ps… as far as the quote cards... the plan right now is to release a set of quotes as a free download at the end of 2012. I'll keep you posted.

I LOVE that I was able to introduce you to my kit with the most normal of weeks around here. That little headshot of Paul is probably my favorite photo of him ever.

It was strange; I knew this would be a BIG week, but I also knew that I wanted to show how the kit works in everyday life. So aside from "practicing" my journaling before writing on my one of a kind samples, I just went for it.

I LOVE that the 3×4 cards in the new core kits are double sided. They all have a journaling space on one side and a design or graphic (or bonus journaling space) on the backside. So in the above photo, that circle "TRUE STORY" card is backed with…

…a "who, what, where, when, why" card. Yep! That's just one card, not two in the same pocket.

And that diagonal patterned card (which I love to use for journaling space but would be awesome as just a decorative card)…

…is really the backside of the above TRUE STORY grid card (that will be worked into week 34 of my album). Since I'm sharing secrets, I'll say that the black "RECORDED" journaling card is backed with a black and white diagonal stripe. The ampersand card is backed with a gray horizontal stripe. The orange "today" card has plenty of journaling space on the back and some text running up the left side.

Hopefully, you can see where I am going with this… instead of 20 design choices for 3×4 cards, you really have 40. Super versatile. Also…more bang for your buck.

I am such a fan of the new Design J pocket pages, that are meant for 6 square photos and 6 3×4 journaling cards.

Because I didn't have that much to say about my new basil plants, I included just two sides of 3×4 cards and then cropped some photos to 7×4 and cut them to fit the pockets. Love the look of a larger photo cut up like that.

And the last thing this week : two new stamps – his & hers. They will be sold separately AND as a set of two when my stamps launch in mid-September.

Wrapping this up before I start talking about OxiClean and really turn this post into an infomercial. I am just so excited to finally share.

supplies / Martha Stewart & Avery labels, Ormolu file tab & tag, Design A page protectors (which are available in this variety pack), Design J page protectors, soon to be released Seafoam kit, Elise Joy stamps (coming soon). I use a Fiskars corner rounder (it's not amazing, but it's lasted the longest of any corner rounder I've ever had). I am using a Zig Millennium 0.1 pen and Recollections glossy marker throughout this album.

Confused by Project Life? Start here. Have a question about how I am tackling this project each week? Check here. See all my Project Life posts here.
around here.

August 24, 2012

Fun week! For sure.

Thank you again for sharing in my excitement with the launch of the Seafoam edition.

Returning to normal around here means lots of writing & website coding. (And sewing when all the writing goes well.)

The "new" elisejoy.com is live and kicking. Hooray! Feels good to give her a facelift. For now, there is a simple shop where you can purchase summer books or workshop PDFs, but come mid-September, it will be the place to be to buy stamps. Sweet. And for those of you that are new here, my website includes a (recently updated!) minibook catalog. You can see the full list with links and details here.

edit : sounds like if you are using Internet Explorer 8 and below, you will have some issues with the buttons on my site! Upgrading to IE9 (the most current version) or using a different browser (like Firefox) will solve the issue. Thank you!!

This weekend, I am driving to LA to have lunch with a few of my high school girlfriends. It feels like ages since we last met up, so it will be nice to be back in one place, telling the same old stories and catching up on all the new stuff.

Have a great weekend.
just for fun / next up.

August 23, 2012

This summer has obviously been busy and the fall is looking just as crazy. Much of what's on my list professionally for the next few months is writing, writing and more writing. I'll be developing content for my Big Picture class and helping out with another e-course (more details on both projects in the next few months). Interesting stuff, for sure, but I am on the hunt for more just for fun creative projects to provide a counter balance to all the computer work.

When I look at my list of materials still to go, I am super inspired. There are some fun things left to play with on there. After some thought, I decided I'm going to dive into fabric next and make my third quilt.

Each time I attempt a quilt, I get a little more technical. I went from freehanding unmeasured "squares" in a random pattern, to lined up rectangles and next it's…triangles! I've been pinning triangle quilts for the last few months, and while this one will look nothing like those, I'm excited to finally get started.

I spent an hour at Joann's the other day picking out fabric. I never do that. I'm more of a "get in, get out, get working" type person. (Unless the store is Target and I'm there with my mom. Then we can wander up and down the same aisles six times and not get bored.)

I wound up with fabrics out of my normal color comfort zone and pattern zone.

Unlike the other two, this quilt will not be going on our bed, and it will be smaller (I picked up batting that's 45×60 inches). I'll probably use it as a couch blanket (we have three in heavy rotation at the moment, but I could always use more).

My favorite part already is that the border will be that kelly green stripe. Using a patterned fabric for the border is something I would have never thought of but since I saw it, can't get it out of my head.

I did my fabric cutting on Tuesday night and now my little pile of triangles needs to wait patiently while I get some other stuff accomplished. I'll keep you posted for sure.
i love august.

August 22, 2012

old navy polka dot sweater, blowfish basic black flats, design*sponge DIY belt shelf, kate spade get carried away bangle, everlane brown belt, "my cape is in the wash" kids t-shirt (that I know would be perfect for a full size human too), zig millennium 0.1mm pens.

I have that sweater and those flats and I am 99% sure they are going to carry me through the fall. And that bracelet is just calling my name…

p.s… how is it possible that August is almost over?
thank you.

August 21, 2012

Soooooo…

I don't really know how to follow up yesterday's post. I told Paul it would be rad if I could be like,

"GUESS WHAT, INTERNET??! I'M ALSO PREGNANT!"

And he was like,

"You, wife, are so odd." (<– I may have paraphrased there.)

So, that's not happening.

It's also not true; the only baby I'm having this year is made of paper.

But really, seriously…. thank you.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and congrats and kind words. I read each comment & tweet (but, really, I always do that) and must admit I teared up a few times. During the crazy design period, I often forgot that at the end of all this, I would get to share my news.

I am so happy it was well received.

I am also quite excited at how well I kept that secret. I am no good at secrets. I am totally that person who hands someone a wrapped gift and goes, "IT'S A BOOK! YOU'LL LOVE IT!" before they even pull at the ribbon.

But hooray! The secret is out!

A huge task is crossed off my list.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Your support means the world to me.

And not to worry, the blog will be back to "normal" tomorrow.
the secret’s out!

August 20, 2012

I am honored and thrilled to share with you today that I designed the 2013 Seafoam kit for Project Life!

This is my big secret project that I have been keeping since early February. I have so much to say about this kit, including how we got from step #1: a phone call from Becky Higgins to step #751: writing this blog post.

And there will be time for that before the kit, album and paper (!!) release in November.

But today, I would love to share just three things :

One / I am so passionate about this kit and the whole concept of Project Life. Truly, I was hooked from that first day when I built my title page and felt the thrill of playing around with pockets. It has been overwhelmingly fun and very humbling to design something that I (and hopefully many, many others!) will be excited to play with every week of next year. 2013 is going to be a great time to start or continue Project Life, I can already tell.

Two / I have to thank Meredith Tilton, my friend and right-hand woman throughout this adventure. When we started, I had no Illustrator design experience. Meredith, on the other hand, went to four years of school for design and could pull the pieces together. She was an absolute gem to work with and able to turn my pencil sketches (which I can't wait to share!) and Photoshop Elements mock-ups into something beautiful and awesome. Can't say enough good stuff about her as a person and graphic designer.

Three / When Becky called and asked me if I was interested in this opportunity, Paul was still deployed. It was a Thursday morning and I remember walking in circles in our undecorated bedroom pinching myself to be sure it was real. When we hung up the phone, I called my parents (separately, as they were both at work) and relayed the story. My end of both conversations went something like this,

"Hey! So, you know Project Life?"

"Yes, that thing I have been sharing on the blog on Sundays?"

"Yes, the one with the pockets."

"Yes, there are photos."

"Well I just got off the phone with Becky Higgins… she's the lady who created Project Life."

"Yes, it's a thing that many people do."

"Yes, it's sold on amazon."

"You buy a journalling card kit and album and those pocket pages."

"I know cool, right? Anyway, SHE WANTS ME TO DESIGN THE KIT!!"

"No, I don't think you understand…this is huge."

"Yes."

"THANK YOU!! I KNOW! I am so excited!!"

Seriously, I had that conversation twice. Then again with Paul when he woke up to start his day in Afghanistan. And then about 40 more times over the past six months.

But the best part, of the whole adventure, really, was about a hour after my dad and I hung up the phone that first day and I got a text from him,

"Leesee. I googled this "Becky Higgins" and it seems like she's legit."

True story.

What an absolute pleasure. And seriously, the fun is just beginning. Next, we all get to use the kit. The photos throughout this post show samples of the Seafoam kit (I hope you like the name!) in action. We will be sharing the full kit in the next few months (you can see more samples on Becky's blog now) and I'll have more photos of last week's spread up soon, but wow – it was surreal (and awesome!) to finally put them to use.

(!!!!!!!!!)

UPDATE : The Seafoam core kit is now available on Amazon!
summer love.

August 20, 2012

This past weekend was probably the nicest, warmest, sunniest couple days we're going to get this month. I figured it was now or never if we were going to cross "swim in the ocean" off our summer manifesto, so before lunch on Sunday we headed down to the beach. I think Paul (and all the other sunbathers – there was no one in the water) were more than a little surprised when I dove in right away.

And promptly got tossed by the waves. (But my sunglasses stayed on!)

Per usual, all I could think was,

"We have got to do this more often."

Summer, you're my favorite.

iPhone photos are all over-processed (it's a sickness) with the VSCO cam app.
project life : week 32.

August 19, 2012

Week 32 and I still love this project.

(click to enlarge & the image above will be [somewhat] clearer)

More catch-up again this week as we were out of town again last weekend for a wedding. Laughably simple, folks. LAUGHABLY SIMPLE. It's so key for me to remember that the focus is the album, not the spread. It's the year, not the week. That's for sure what keeps me going (though I know it makes for some boring update posts…)

I have been holding onto that calendar page for years and was happy to work it in. I cropped the important part of the wedding program and slipped it into a pocket (names blurred for privacy).

Photos, photos, photos on the right side.

I love my iPhone, especially when we are traveling. Eight out of ten photos this week were taken with it.

I loved those fortune cookie messages from the wedding and I stapled them right to a Hambly transparency.

That's it! With huge grins we move onward and forward…

supplies / Paper Source circle label, Hello Forever flair button, Banana Fish Studio girl tab, Hambly transparency, Design A page protectors (which are available in this variety pack), Clementine core kit, Bebas quote font. I use a Fiskars corner rounder (it's not amazing, but it's lasted the longest of any corner rounder I've ever had). I am using a Zig Millennium 0.1 pen and Recollections glossy marker throughout this album.

Confused by Project Life? Start here. Have a question about how I am tackling this project each week (including questions about the quotes)? Check here. See all my Project Life posts here.