enJOY it

on running.

April 8, 2011

I did not always enjoy running. Safe to say, that for at least ten years, I hated every miserable step.

But, when I exercised, I ran because it seemed like the quickest way to get a burn and be done with it. Plus, at my neighborhood gym when I was in high school, the treadmills were the only machines with TVs attached to them. My freshman year of college, my exercise level dropped to nearly nothing (unless eating and drinking loads counts as exercise) and I put on about 20 pounds. Then junior year, I tried a new plan of insane calorie counting and not eating – and while I lost weight, I was miserable. I figured out my issues with food by my senior year, but exercise still didn't really weigh in. The focus during college was always on what I was eating and trying to minimize it. I completely forget about what I was doing and how to maximize it.

After I graduated and moved in with Paul, I got a bit better, but still resulted to my old stand-by: 20 minutes pounded out on the treadmill once or twice a week. And I mean pounded literally. Paul was actually concerned about how heavy I was dropping my feet on the treadmill because it can be so bad on your ankles & knees.

Even though I wanted to exercise with frequency, I completely lacked the motivation. Or energy. Or something. I never regretted a workout after it was finished but starting was the tricky part.

Finally something clicked around new years 2010. I had a wedding & a tropical honeymoon coming up in four months and I wanted to look my best. Nothing motivates like a fitted white dress & an early swimsuit season.

I downloaded a daily calendar where the focus was to mark off days that you DID accomplish your goal. My goal was to exercise everyday. Long walks to work (I was commuting into DC and then walking a little over a mile from the Dupont Circle metro stop to the store in Georgetown) counted. Runs at the gym counted. Twenty minutes of yoga (on the rare occasion I attempted it) counted.

I didn't exercise every day. But it made such a difference for me to see the marks on the days that I did move my body.

A problem I had experienced in the past was that if I didn't go to the gym for a week or so it became even harder to go back. "What is the point?" I wondered. It seemed like I never went enough to make a difference. But tracking on this chart and being able to look at a month all at once helped put things into perspective. It didn't matter that I hadn't exercised in a week. It mattered that the week before that I had gone to the gym three times. I could see that things were being done, even if they were not happening every day.

I kept that paper chart (and it's spelling error) with me through three moves (remember, we spent two months in Sacramento before coming down to San Diego) and diligently maintained it. At the end of a week, I might have been bummed that I only got to the gym once, but by the end of 2010, I felt like I had really accomplished something. I could see how many days I had made an effort overall. Even better, I was inspired to do more in 2011.

This year, I am working on charting my miles instead of just my workouts. After a year of trying to move, I feel stronger and have gotten back down to a really healthy & happy weight for me. Paul and I have started to run outside and that too is making a big difference. While I enjoy watching the Desperate Housewives of America bitch at each other on Bravo, I like the time we get to talk and see our town even more.

We both have been running for about a month on Nike Frees and have started focusing on forefoot or natural running. SIDENOTE : I would not recommend starting with Nike Frees if you are new to running. If you want to start forefoot running, I would do it for about a month before Nike Frees. Paul had been forefoot running for about two months and I for only a couple weeks. Paul had no problem adjusting to the lighter structured shoe, but I had foot pain for my first few runs.

I also watched this video a few months ago and loved what was said – and now I really want his book. On Monday, I officially signed up for the half marathon happening in San Diego in June. Deadlines usually work for me, and I am hoping that a $125 scheduled race will keep me in train mode and push me to up my stamina for longer runs.

Speaking of long, this post is out of hand.

But here is the short story of how I went from hating to enjoying running : Charting my progress made me see that every work out was worth it. Seeing that it was worth it kept me going. Continuing to go resulted in pounds lost. Seeing those results made me want to run even more. Running even more made me stronger. Being stronger made is so I didn't want to die while running. Not wanting to die on runs turned into something actual enjoyable when I added Paul and fresh air into the mix. The end.
Q&A on the shop and small business.

April 7, 2011
Tackling some questions from this post today :

Would love to hear any thoughts you have on branding…also any suggestions on setting up an etsy shop!

My opinion on branding is Don't Obsess. You can change it. You are launching an Etsy shop, not a global business. You are going to evolve, your products are going to evolve and your interests are going to change. I think the "branding" part is a big hold up for small businesses and it takes away from the actual point : making product and putting it out there.

That said, google searches for "business card ideas" or "logo ideas" might help get the wheels turning. Take a piece of paper and write down WHO YOU ARE and WHAT YOU DO. Be sure that your business cards and shop banner portray this idea. Ask for help from your family and friends to be sure your message is being portrayed.

For starting a shop, I recommend reading though the help section for sellers on Etsy. This page is a good start.

What are your "Big Plans" for "Elise Joy"?

Develop more & stronger products. That is always the plan. After that, I have no idea.
I'm in the process of setting up a shop and I wondered what your thoughts are on if I should have business cards and a "brand" , etc. starting out?

I think you absolutely have to have a business card to mail out with your products. HOWEVER, I think this business card can be a piece of cardstock with your handwritten details. You need a shop name, but you don't need a logo or full brand to begin.

Here are some simple inexpensive ideas from making your own brand pieces that can be changed later on.

I would like to know more about how you went from crafting as a hobby to more than a hobby…the process is something that I think is really interesting. Do you have any advice?

My crafting hobby turned into a business because of my blog. I was making stuff and sharing it and people were reading about it. There were some items that had more interested than others (like mixed paper books and letterpress prints) and so I started making more to sell. Once I knew I could make things that people would buy, I started spending time developing product and was willing to take more risks. Sometimes shop items fly out the door and sometimes they don't. It's a tricky process but I get an unbelievable rush when hit on the right thing.

I think you have to develop a signature item – for me, it would be mixed paper books – and let those be your thing at first. As your interests change, you can expand, but keep that signature in stock.

Do you ever lack motivation? What tricks do you use "in the moment" to keep focus?

Yes. But generally, I have something that has to be done so I push though. This post details my thoughts & tricks on staying focused. For me it is all about to-do lists. It's about understanding why you are unmotivated and eliminating the things that are making you panicked or uninspired.

Do you miss the "social interaction" that came with going to work outside of your home? How do you keep from going crazy, all by yourself all day?

It is going to sound bad, but … no. I am a homebody. I like my own time and my own space. I love blogs and twitter because I feel like I "know" people online and I connect through them each day. That sounds so lame. But, for me, it's perfect. If I didn't do well on my own, this career choice would have been a bad one.

What are your favorite tools?

My MacBook Pro. I don't know what I was thinking by waiting so long for a computer upgrade. My Rotatrim paper cutter is insanely good. I use Uline for packing materials. I print posters and prints out of house but use my printer for stationery orders. It's an HP PhotoSmart 2575 and the reviews on amazon.com are terrible, but I like it and it works well for me.

Love to hear about your journey and transition from working full time, to part time at paper source to full time self employment.

This post has some information about how I got here. I might try to get another post together about it. 🙂

Do you ever get negative comments or e-mails? How do you handle them?

Yes, sometimes. If it's a totally uncalled for comment – I delete it and do my best to forget it happened. If it's just unsolicited "advice" I usually respond to the individual. Putting your life on the internet means opening yourself up to a lot of opinions. Sometimes these opinions are helpful and sometimes they make me so frustrated. It helps so much to have Paul talk me down off the ledge so I don't take my anger out on the computer.

If it is something regarding my shop, like someone is unhappy with a product, that's a completely different matter. I will always take customer complaints or feedback very seriously – they are paying for a service. A mean spirited comment from a blog reader is different. My blog is "free" and folks can click away and never come back if they don't like what I am doing or who I am. There is no need to send an email.

I'd love to hear about what classes you took in college that were MOST beneficial to the person you are today!

I was a business marketing major. I took a lot of math classes. And a lot of business classes. I love math. I love marketing. I loved my selling and product development classes. I, oddly, loved my accounting classes. I didn't take any art classes besides black and white photography.

I think I am a business person first, a crafter second. Especially, when I think back on the classes that I enjoyed most.

But I am most grateful for the non-essential classes that I made time for. Like web design. Someday, when I have kids in college, my advice will be – take all the classes you have to for your major and then take all the extra classes that you want to pass/fail. College is rad. I can't believe the opportunities that you have while you are there.

Do you advertise, do you pay to get your stuff on the front page of etsy?

I advertised on a craft blog last month but it was hard to tell how much of the hits from it translated into sales. I advertised one of my workshop's on Ali Edwards' blog a few years ago and noticed a major bump in sales once she featured it in a giveaway. I have not paid to have my stuff on the front of Etsy and that is not something I plan on doing.

how much inventory to you keep on hand at a given time – or do you process orders through a lab once you receive them so you aren't needing to shoulder that kind of investment?

I have inventory on hand at all times. I process through a lab about twice a month and restock items when they get down to just one left. Sometimes I get screwed and don't have the product when it gets ordered, but the turn around time for processing is pretty good.

Hope that answers a few questions! Keep in mind – no story is the same. Something that works for others might not work for you. The key is develop your own style and follow your own time line.

Other posts you might enjoy:
2011 album update : march.

April 7, 2011

Moving right along.

A few people mentioned that they wanted to see updates to this album. I promise, there will be monthly updates. This is the best documentation plan I have had in a loooong time and I will be blogging the previous month during the first week of each new month. I think this album is working because it's so simple. Towards the end of each month, I go through my photos (in iPhoto) and pick ones to print. Seeing all the images again reminds me of what happened and that fuels the write up for the first page of each month section.

The only "rules" that I have for this book are that the fonts can't change and the first image has to be a solo shot of me. That's my motivator to make sure I get at least one per month.

This month, I included extra journaling using the text from my day in the life post on March 2nd. I copied the blog post into PSE, shrunk the text and played with it until it fit on two pieces of paper that would go back to back in the album. I printed it at home on the same paper I use for the month summaries and bread posts. Then I cut both sides down to 8.25×4.75 inches. I adhered the papers back to back and slipped them into an 8.5×11 plastic sleeve. Obviously, the sleeve was too big and I trimmed it down to fit. To secure the paper and finish off the sleeve, I machine stitched the top and bottom.

I'm looking forward to doing the same "day in the life" documentation again this year. It will be interesting to see how things change.

See the February update here and January here.
as it stands.

April 6, 2011

Right now, my plan for my 4×8 craft fair booth is to have an accordion fold wall along the back edge and a folding table along the front. The table will hold the product and the wall will visually separate my booth from the others and serve as a place to hang print & poster samples.

I have seen a lot of craft fair photos where people have their booth separated with fabric dividers – they are totally effective and pretty, but won't work for my products. I need something that I can nail framed prints onto – not just a visual divider.

I bought two pieces of 4×8 plywood at Home Depot and had them each cut down into two 6×2 foot pieces and two 6.5×2 foot pieces (it's a long story why they ended up different heights). I painted each piece with two coats of primer and one coat of our dresser's teal paint. I then joined two pieces together with simple hinges and then did the same with again and TA-DA – four pieces of wood that stand on their own. (I didn't connect all four together because this thing is way too heavy as it is.)

After that, I went through my house & the local goodwill and found wood frames that I primed and painted white (with wall paint – they are not perfect, but they work). I loaded posters and prints into the frames and hammered them on to my "wall." If I can find a few more frames in the next few weeks, I might be adding to the midddle sections. My felt banner and fabric flower garlands were used to decorate the top. Right now they are taped on. For the actual show, I'll staple gun them into place.

You might be wondering what my storage plan is for something this big. Great question, I was wondering that myself last week. I did some major spring cleaning on Monday to clear out our office closet to fit the odds and ends that have gathered in the corner since the last office purge. Then I moved my work table and bulletin boards over to the right so there was extra space against the wall near the window. The boards fold into each other (with the nails removed and nail holes marked) and then actually are not too space consuming in the corner. I am seriously daydreaming about the day we have a house with a garage. Extra storage AND I won't have to do extensive painting and drilling on our living room floor.

Next up – I need to come up with my table display. I want something like this but on a smaller scale. I already have 5×7 print display ready to roll.

Oh, and obviously I have to make some books and order more posters and prints. And package everything. But we're getting there.
i should be asleep right now.

April 6, 2011

but I am not.

I was looking through the archives to find different posts from the past five April's.

And I stumbled on this gem of a blog post from April 2006.

Oh man.

I had completely forgotten that story and reading now makes my palms sweat.

I clicked on it to read the single comment.

AND GUESS WHO IT'S FROM!?

PAUL.

As in my husband.

As in the guy who is sleeping soundly next to me right now.

Back from before we were even a glimmer on the other's dating radar.

The awkwardness just gets better and better.

And that – right there – is why I blog.
in my bag.

April 5, 2011

Paul gave me a gold j.crew bag two birthdays ago and I have been using it everyday ever since. I love the size, but I am excited for something different. Nothing I've seen lately has been perfect though.

Right now, I am carrying around : my phone, tape measurer (because I have been at home depot what feels like everyday this past week), gum, planner, sketchbook, wallet, baggus, car keys, dry cleaning reciept, my little camera, nail polish, scarf to wrap up my big camera, sunglasses, regular glasses (for driving at night) & that little gold bag which holds pens, various lip glosses, lotion, bandaids, dental floss, eye drops, advil, bobby pins & business cards.

Nothing too exciting – but everything I need.
purchase PDFs for past online workshops.

April 5, 2011

I have finally gotten my act together and have made the PDFs of past classes available for sale. These are classes that I ran in 2009 and 2010. All three are packed with information, samples and tutorials. These PDFs offer all the text from the classes in an easy-to-read and easy-to-print format.

More information about what this online workshop covered can be found here.

$20 for complete PDF of the BIG mini workshop

More information about what this online workshop covered can be found here.

$15 for complete PDF of Get Crafty

More information about what this online workshop covered can be found here.

$15 for complete PDF of the Visual Adventures

Click add to cart for one or more of the lessons and you will be able to pay with Paypal. Immediately after payment you will have the opportunity to download the complete set of PDFs (in one bundle) from a third party hosting site – I’ve tried it, and it’s safe. Please keep in mind : you are NOT purchasing access to a private blog or on-going workshop. You are purchasing an immediately downloadable text from an old workshop that can be enjoyed at your own pace on your own time.

Thank you for your support.
my favorite blogs.

April 5, 2011

A common question : what are your favorite blogs & where do you get inspiration?

First, I spend a lot of time online. An embarrassing amount of time. I take in a lot of words and a lot of images all day long. But I have never, ever been sitting at my computer when a good idea strikes. I have ideas when I am doing anything but sitting at my desk. (Usually ideas come in the car, in the shower, on a treadmill or while watching TV. I often pause whatever we are watching so I can ask Paul's opinion on something I just thought of or so I can draw something out.)

Because I am finally realizing this, I have decided to majorly chop down the amount of blogs I read. I recently went from about 190 to 110. And I would like to get that down to about 50. Not a single personal blog is being "cut" from my list, but a lot of the design/life-style blogs are. Reasons for this : 1) my eyes glass over when I scroll through my "design" or "pretty" folders in my google reader. 2) I follow a lot of design bloggers on twitter so when they tweet about a post that interests me, I usually click through anyway. 3) Pinterest. I certainly don't think Pinterest will take the place of blogs, but it is an insane resource for image cataloging and I find that everything I love usually pops up there.

[sidenote : a few people asked about my favorite etsy shops & stores. If you follow my Pinterest boards, you will see my favorite products as I find them.]

Alright. Enough chatter. These are my Top Ten blogs because the content is original (meaning most or all of the photos are taken by the writer and the projects are usually created by them too) and every single time they update I am enthralled. I read the words, look at the pictures, and usually pin an image or get inspired. Those were my requirements for a blog to make this list.

Oh Happy Day / Jordan's party ideas are awesome. Her little family is adorable. And I want to decorate like her.

Soulemama / every morning, because of Amanda Soule, I decide Paul and I should start having kids yesterday and move to a farm. No joke.

Unruly Things / okay, this one is "life-style blog" but Alyson finds things that I haven't already seen on 100 other blogs. I enjoy her "voice" and am loving her baby blog too.

Emersonmade / emersonmade is a clothing company. And I want every single piece that they make (but can't really afford them yet). This blog makes me laugh and the photos make me swoon. This post of images is probably the best blog post I have seen all year.

wikstenmade / another clothing designer. Jenny is who I purchased my first dress pattern from. Her workspace photos and design process thoughts make me want to push myself harder. In fact, I think that is what all these blogs have in common. They make me want to take better photos. They make me want to write better. They make me want to grow my business.

lovely morning / this is a personal blog from Kristina, one of the creators of 100 Layer Cake. (Which by the way is my favorite wedding blog and the only one I still read now that I am done planning weddings for the rest of my life). I like her take on life, cute son and healthy eating ideas.

jamaica makes / Jamaica blogs good shit. That is the only way to describe it. Her mini books always inspire me and her quilt projects are amazing. Not a lot of words, but every post is solid.

3191 miles apart / remember when this was a photo project? Now it's a weekly "magazine." And I always love the posts.

hula seventy / the queen of the lists. Andrea inspired my birthday list project all those years ago and still inspires me whenever she posts. Love her photography so much too.

[i] LoveLife / Kal is my mentor. (Don't worry, she knows it.) She creates honesty through art. Love her and the blog.

Yikes. That was harder than I thought. I was hesitant to make this list because I didn't want to leave people out. But there you go. There are a million blogs out there and so many that inspire me. Pairing that list down is really difficult, but hopefully you'll find some new inspiration through the above links.

love, elise.
quarter one : personal goals.

April 4, 2011

This year is one quarter over. ALREADY.

Paul and I have almost been married a year. ALREADY.

Today is my parents' 30 year wedding anniversary. ALREADY. (Love you M&D)

Time is flying at warp speed and it is looking like April will race through even faster. I am simultaneously overwhelmed and inspired. Which is better than underwhelmed and uninspired any day.

I wanted to do a quick check up of my 2011 personal goals. I'm making progress but have a long way to go.

I fully plan on killing this goal. A fourth of the year down and 142.75 miles ran. I am planning on signing up for this half marathon in June and hoping to get into this one for next fall. That means a lot more running in my future. (And I am working on a blog post about running and what is working for me right now.)

Not even a little bit. It is safe to say that I am less flexible than I was when I made this goal three months ago. I failed miserably at going to yoga in March so hopefully I can do better in April and over the rest of 2011.

Progress! I have finished off a few (maybe four?) rolls so far. Washi tape decorates nearly everything that leaves this house. I have to come up with some tape projects if I really want to get through it all.

Six down, thirty-four to go. I knew this one would be hard, but yikes.

1. Continue working on all of the above with emphasis on five weeks of half-marathon training and bread baking. (Which is good – the carbs can fuel the running.)

2. Go to a yoga class one time (lowering expectations is sometimes the key to success.)

3. Build a coffee table & refinish the inside of the trunk.

4. Blog a million times, including more personal stuff.

READY, SET, GO. It's already April 4th!
our favorite mexican restaurant in san diego.

April 3, 2011

This is the sign that greets you at our favorite Mexican food place.

That right there should be enough to convince you of it's awesomeness.

Okay, well did the food photos get you?

This restaurant is close-ish to our place, but we never knew about it until our car was in the shop and Hertz guy drove us by it (you know, because they pick you up) and told us to check it out. Like the lemmings we are, we went the next night. And then the next three Friday's after that.

It's a favorite for sure. Oh, but if you go, don't sit outside unless you want to hear airplanes roaring overhead every three and a half minutes.

And also? This is what April 1st looks like in San Diego. And that is the number one reason why I will be kicking and screaming when we have to move out of Southern California some day.

And last thing – I realized that I need to start using my point and shoot camera again. From that little baby I get all the best "on the go" photos. And "on the go" is where memories are made. (Don't tell Disney.)