enJOY it

next up!

April 22, 2015

We are so thrilled to be expecting our second child!

Yep! Ellerie will become a big sister in early November. We've had a long time to adjust to this news and it still feels a completely unreal. I found out the day before my 30th birthday, just five days after I turned to Paul one late afternoon at the park and said "you know what? This parenthood gig feels easy right now." If that's not hilarious, I am not sure what is.

I felt sick and exhausted for about two weeks (same exact experience as with Ellerie) but seem back to normal-ish now and am so looking forward to the next 28 weeks. I can already tell this time around will race by compared to waiting for number one. That's exciting and terrifying.

It's strange for me to think about doing the newborn thing again. On the one hand, I'm like, "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that was so hard for me." On the other, I'm like, "sweet, another shot at that. PLUS! My husband will not be deployed." (I cannot even imagine having my partner home to go through those first crucial weeks with me. Just typing it makes me cry.)

And on the third hand (yes, the rumors are true, you DO indeed grow a third hand when you get pregnant with your second child) I'm like, "I GET IT. I get that it's all temporary now." In newborn land (at least the one I occupied), hours last days and days last years. I fully thought I would be living in The Woods for the rest of my life. But, thankfully, we don't live in the woods. We live here and HERE is so great. Plus! Those sweet newborn moments. Cannot wait to soak them up and give us all a bit more grace the second time around.

So yes. Many emotions. But the most overwhelming one right now is LOVE. I love my little family and I love that we are growing this year. This is good. Hang in there, sweet baby Cripe. We are so excited to meet you.

ps: both Paul and I agreed it was super tacky to add this here but we also agreed that if I didn't say something it would probably come up so…of course there will still be a Get To Work Book 2016. Of course it will still ship on time. There are plans upon plans in place to make sure my family can get a baby here and my business can get a planner out into the world in the same season. 🙂
grilled sweet potato fries.

April 21, 2015
Okay, I hope you guys are ready to cook with some serious precision. 😉

We made these over the weekend and they were excellent. And easy. Perfect for summer BBQs. We got a grill pan like this one last summer and use it all the time but if you don't have something similar, you could wrap these in tinfoil, seal it tight and throw it on the grill. Just be sure to shake it up a few times (or stir the items in your grill pan) so things cook up evenly.

You will need :
- 1 large sweet potato
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- minced fresh garlic (I used four cloves but I'm sort of addicted to garlic)
Cut your sweet potato into thin strips. This part is a hassle (I would recommend using a rotary cutter sharp knife) and the thinner (more french fry like) the better. They obviously DO NOT have to be the same length, but same general thickness will help them cook up well.

Douse in a decent coat of olive oil (use your hands to really cover them). Some will drip off, so it's okay to go a little heavy here.

Add a good amount of salt and pepper and as much fresh minced garlic as you prefer.

Throw them in your grill pan (or tinfoil) and cook on the grill for about 20 minutes, stirring (or shaking) occasionally. We had our grill at about 400*F. Maybe after 20 minutes, try one and see if they need more time.

Enjoy!
project 6/30 : a triangle quilt

April 20, 2015

On Friday I finished my 11th quilt. It's the smallest (38×32 inches) and the least perfect but easily one of my favorites.

I decided to skip all the tedious parts of quilting for this one. No measuring, almost no pinning, almost no ironing. I realized my favorites parts of quilting are picking out the fabrics, doing the actual sewing, sandwiching the whole thing together and adding the binding. So this time around, I let myself just stick with those.

This quilt took a long time, over eight months (here's where I started) (and this is the last time I made any progress) which is a long longer than my usual one-week turnaround. It felt so much better to finish after that long delay though.

So, what exactly does a no measuring quilt look like?

First, I DO NOT wash my fabrics in advance. This means (of course) that when I do wash it at the end everything will shrink and wrinkle up a bit (which is how I made my favorite quilt ever). It also means that the fabric is pretty flat when I get it so cutting squares is easy. I used scissors to freehand cut my fabric into squares that were about 5.25 inches.

Second, I don't worry too much. This is pretty much my motto with all my quilts but the difference is that I usually spend a long time trimming "perfect" squares or triangles only to run them through my machine and NOT pay as much attention to my seam allowances. (This is technically very bad. Two things contribute to a "perfect" quilt, proper measuring and sewing the same seam width throughout.)

Obviously, due to the lack of measuring and precision, I wound up with triangles that didn't line up perfectly on the points. And this meant that when I sandwiched it all together (after a quick pass with the iron on the top) and sewed my diagonal lines they sometimes went though white triangles and sometimes went through patterned triangles.

Like always though, the binding pulls the whole thing together. I bought striped fabric and free hand cut it into strips which I sewed together (and did pin into place). I LOVE BINDING. Now that I have stopped hand-binding and just machine stitch it turns out so spectacularly clean and it's the easiest part of the whole process.

I washed it (machine cold, short permanent press dry and then hang while still a bit damp) and of course it wrinkled up a bit but it's soft and awesome. It's 100% cotton (even the batting) and the PERFECT kiddo/baby size and makes a good lap blanket too. Such a fun project for me and a great reminder that I can totally pick my favorite parts of a hobby and just focus on those. I love choosing the fabrics. I love sewing. All the rest? Eh. I can make up the rules to get that stuff done.

This is part of my MAKE&GIVE30 project and I gave it away on Instagram on April 20.

ps: see more sewing posts here, here is an in-depth triangle quilt tutorial and I am going to get a machine binding tutorial together soon.
weekend links / 62.

April 18, 2015

I love the Internet. Here's what I stumbled on this week…

the ultimate in capsule wardrobes.

and speaking of minimalist wardrobes.

love this tip for helping your young child learn to not interrupt.

build a better sandwich.

Kal's pop-up shop looks very cool.

reasons NOT to name your business after yourself (see also: reasons why @gettoworkbook is separate from @elisejoy)

Tara is coming to DC, Raleigh, Portland and Seattle.

creativity and motherhood.

Pinhole Press photobooks are 20% off through Sunday with code BOOK20.

spending time in Los Angeles with kiddos.

and from me … get to work stamped prints are finally in the shop and I was a guest on Raise Your Hand and Say Yes this week.
three things.

April 17, 2015

I've got three things on my mind right now (it's Thursday afternoon).

Going out for breakfast with my crew tomorrow morning. There are tough parts of having a toddler that gets up at the crack of dawn and a husband who often works night shifts, but being first in line when Snooze opens is not one of them. I can taste the Eggs Benedict now.

Finishing this quilt. REMEMBER WHEN I STARTED IT? Me neither (I can't even find the link). But someone asked about it and I realized it was time to bite the bullet and finish. Since every single smidge of my perfectionism went into GTWB, there wasn't much left in the tank for this one. There was no measuring, pinning or ironing and as I was sandwiching it together I could actually hear legit quilters sobbing, but I'm loving it anyway. It's shocking how a good color scheme can turn any frown upside down. Look for it as part of a MAKE AND GIVE 30 giveaway next week.

Dreaming about Get To Work Book™ long term. I have alllllllll the plans for this one. Including, but not limited to: a world tour, goal-setting workshops, an online community, a real life community and maybe one of those planes that pulls a motivational sign. I talked to my printer yesterday and things are moving along! We might even be ahead of schedule. (I just jinxed myself.) But seriously. What sort of planner seller would I be if I couldn't deliver on time? That's like a clock maker…being late. Or a Sommelier… not bringing wine to your party. I can't even think about it. Pre-order here!

It's all over the map here right now. Spring fever and all that jazz. I've got good stuff coming down the pipe though. Stay with me.
project updates

April 16, 2015

I tend to blog about things and then either causally mention an update or share in the comments section later or respond via email on how those things are working out. Today I wanted to give a big round-up of the most popular projects I get asked about in case you too have been wondering. I went around and snapped these photos with my iPhone this week to give you a real life update.

Spoiler alert : this post DOES NOT talk about baby/toddler items. I am going to do a round-up of that stuff, what I regret, what I wish I had skipped, what I wish I had bought, what I loved, etc, around when Ellerie turns two in June.

travertine tile floors – we love our travertine floors but yes, they are fragile. Most of the main space is holding up great, but the tile under my desk (where my rolling chair moves all day long) is showing signs of wear. I'm not sure what we will do when it's time to sell, surely there is some sort of patching kit. Ellerie colors on it (not allowed, but it happens) and I've found that rubbing alcohol removes markers, even Sharpies which she favors (and I can't blame her).

the palm trees in the bathroom – still look good! One frame flew off the wall randomly on NYE, but other than that, no problems. We don't take a lot of showers in there, but so far both the frames and the photos look perfect after seven months.

the layered rugs in our bathroom – of course get wrinkled all the time. It's not a big deal. 😉

the tissue paper pom poms in Ellerie's room – still going strong. I think we live in a VERY un-dusty climate because even when I climb up to stare at them I don't see dust build-up. Plus, somehow they have kept their color great and shape after almost two years. That little cluster of art is what she brings home from daycare. I want to cover the walls. (It's just hung with masking tape.)

Ellerie's "I Want to Remember" journal – yay! this is working. Sometimes I go two weeks without an update (and then I end up with pages like the January sample shown above), other weeks I jot something in every night. It's more an issue of remembering to write something than "having something to write." If I make the effort to sit and think about the day, I can always come up with something. This book, the film photos and instagram are the extent of my "memory-keeping" this year and it's working well for me.

DIY plant stand – still doing great after two years! We moved it outside about a year ago and it's held up really well outdoors. And my succulents do much better out there.

our Ikea patio – looks awesome after my dad retreated it with Minewax deck stain. Little weeds for sure grow through the cracks on occasion and we pull them.

my succulent wreath – has been out on the front door for almost a year and a half and looks like this. I haven't watered it in over a year.

my succulent ampersand – fell off the fence during a rainstorm and never got put back together. I just re-hung it anyway. Those JOY letters I have had in the garage since we lived in Maryland. They are out now.

our sunscreen over the garden – sagged a tiny bit after it was hung but has looked the same since then. I think it's keeping those plants healthy! We just picked this up at Lowe's, it's sold by the foot. Our planter boxes have held up well.

Ellerie's film photos – go directly into a photo album that is similar to this.

my blog editorial calendar – yes, I still use this method and love it.

If you want more info on any of the projects shown above, click the link under each photo to be taken to the full blog post. What else have I blogged about and then not updated on? Let me know in the comments and I'll share how it's going.
for the love of april

April 15, 2015

j.crew straw hat, hello DIY plant stand tutorial, three potato four key tag, the bee and the fox mama bird tee, mrs. b's kitchen peanut butter & dark chocolate cupcakes, Joni Tyrrell for Minted pineapple print, fall for DIY beaded necklace, west elm atelier stella vases.

All over the place this month…couldn't find a theme and then I remembered Mother's Day! Less than a month away. Some sweet and simple gifts to accompany breakfast in bed or better yet, the gift of sleeping in.

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This week on ELISE GETS CRAFTY I am chatting with Allie and Claire, co-authors of the eBook Charge Up! for Introverts. I identify as an introvert FOR SURE and this was a fun discussion for me. Subscribe or stream here!
april : currently

April 14, 2015

coming home after a long beautiful weekend in Chicago with my girls.

loving my new favorite photo of Ellerie with her globe.

enjoying my first tea latte! so excellent.

feeling happy about the final version of GTWB … that double cover and slightly larger coils made all the difference.

finishing The Likeness (enjoyed it!)

eating the best egg scramble : 2 eggs scrambled with salt and pepper, big scoop of cooked quinoa, handful of shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. I think it tastes like a bit like a baked potato. Paul thinks it tastes like fried rice. Ellerie requests "more, more!!"

ordering my custom packing tape…and possibly getting too excited about it.

drinking Pony Brand coffee.

watching Game of Thrones (season 4) and Burning Love (for comic relief).

wanting more information about this music video. What did they tell those brides in advance?

marveling at how my garden is getting along despite much less frequent watering.

needing a haircut.

planning podcast episodes through May (then taking June off to regroup).

looking forward to a Real Vacation (from work too!!) in less than three weeks!
on collaboration.

April 13, 2015
I have mentioned a few times that GET TO WORK BOOK™ was designed by Jolby and Friends out of Portland, Oregon. I came to them with the beginnings of a plan and the start of a vision. And they turned around the book design. It was about six months of working together and without a doubt (from my angle!) worth all the effort, money and time.

Today, I wanted to talk a bit more about what that process was like and show you some of the back and forth during the design process.

I'd have to ask them, but I think I was a fairly average customer to work with, with many pros and cons. I had a really clear vision for how I wanted this to look (both a pro and a con). I was a quick responder (pro). I presented organized feedback (pro). I felt like this book was my child (con). I make decisions fast (pro) BUT I was super intense (like twelve rounds of proofs) about how the M-S columns looked like (con).

Pretty early on I knew that the book would be called GET TO WORK BOOK™. I am not a big fan of the term "planner" and I wanted something that reflected ACTION, not plans. The other titles I considered were "Dream by Day Planner" (I have no idea. I also think that was already taken) and "The Reality Planner" but google searches for that term produced a lot of realtors helping you plan your home buying. I paid $895 to start the Trademark process and we were set.

The first things we worked on were the cover and the M-S columns. We figured the cover would set the tone for the book and it totally did.

You can see the first three cover mock-ups! HOW DIFFERENT RIGHT!??

These were not finished designs, just starting off points to see where I wanted to head. I liked that check graphic on the red a lot but there were issues… the color for example, could we do it on chipboard? Also, it felt a little too "leaned-back."

So then I got these mock ups… the check would be pressed into the page. Better! But I didn't need a seal and wanted to see it smaller.

Yep, here's where it came together. I picked that sixth one and we made a few changes (dropped the "the" for example and adjusted the font) and then we had cover. Without meaning to, we also gave my brand a logo – that check mark. That was HUGE and basically "free" since we didn't set out to logo design.

After the cover, I knew that the weekly columns were going to be the hardest part to get right. To me, how the days look on the page are really the make or break of planner design.

Here were the first two shots at the column layouts. Having something "extra" that recapped or planned your week aside from just the days was important to me. There was a lot going on, which made sense because in lot of my original inspiration there was a lot going on. But I panicked when I saw the color.

Here's my theory on color – if I give you a black and white book, you can add color. You can use colored pens, highlighters, paints, chalk, whatever, to add color. But if I give you a blue and yellow book, you're stuck. Blue and yellow are now part of your plans, regardless of whether or not you like them. Color is great. I love color. But I wanted the book to blend into your life and black and white made the most sense. (In the feedback I have received so far, about 90% of you who are sharing your thoughts agree with me.)

So we scrapped color.

The columns took about 2 months to get right. Each time there was a re-design I would print it out, staple it into my existing planner and use it… making sure the spacing felt right and the flow was completely natural. I was also looking for the design that just clicked. This (is WAY too much detail and) is an excerpt of an email I sent after the first round:

8 column pages :
- I've attached a few photos (above) of how I used the pages for this week and next. (I printed and stapled them right into my current planner) I immediately realized there needs to be faint lines down each of the day of the week columns. Let's do 20 in each column.
- Let's go ahead and add in the dates to see how those look.
- I really like the alternating light and dark columns that you had set up (can I see this in gray, black and white?).
- Love the how the five boxes at the top of each column are set off – would love to see just three though.
- I think we can do away with the "DAILY'S" "MISC" and "BIG THINGS". Note space at the bottom is awesome though. I thought it might be interesting to set that off as "BRAINSTORM." What if that section was lightly gridded?
- While I love the idea of "looking back at last week", I found it more useful to highlight what's upcoming THIS WEEK. Love the arrow graphic on the top left, would like the text to say "this week ACTION ITEMS" then have three boxes down the column with a check box built in for when you're done. I tried to mock this up on my sample book.
- You had some text in the bottom left and I liked that… but I don't know how practical it is to come up with all the different text for each week. I also don't want to give up usable space… I wonder if that could just be added to the brainstorm section and lightly gridded as well.
It went on like this for weeks. I would request small changes. I would try it out. I would re-adjust. Looking back through the samples makes my heart race a bit. This was an intense part of the process because to me, it felt like the most important.

As you can see, I did a lot of handwritten altering to try and find something that worked. I was looking for the layout that didn't look over-designed. The layout where my eyes knew where to look instinctively. I sucked at this part. I couldn't explain what I wanted and it was frustrating for all of us I think.

But finally, J&F pulled a rabbit out of their hat and nailed exactly what I didn't know I was looking for. Round of applause and craft beers on me.

The rest came together quickly once we crossed that hurtle. I had clear sketches for how I expected the Reflect & Goal set and Project Breakdown pages (shown above) to look and they turned out really great.

And I had a really awful idea for the tear out calendar pages that they completely resigned to look amazing (shown above).

They knocked out the monthly calendars and extra stuff like the title page and brainstorm pages. It was easy to sign off on all that great design.

I've already shared the illustration process but that was by far the easiest and fastest part. I love each of the 12 designs so much. They are versatile too. Right now, I own the license for the illustrations to appear in the book, but I plan to purchase the right to create posters (and maybe more 3D products like cell phone cases, notebooks and mugs too) (Some of this is hopefully coming to an online shop near you next fall).

Originally we thought J&F would handle the video, photos and website for me but time and budget constraints meant that I did that part myself. This was a tough decision, but I think for this first book, it was the right one. I know what I'm doing enough with HTML and really I just needed a simple walk-through video. For the 2016 version, I'd love a 90 second video trailer filmed on a real camera, not an iPhone. You know the type, you've seen 100 of them…catchy music, soft focus background, feel-good feeling…the works. I'm sure in the years to come the website will be updated, but for now, it's doing it's job and was free.

To stay on budget, I also did all the paper promotion (business cards, stickers, packing tape(!) and thank you cards) myself (using the killer checkmark logo and the same fonts). As those pieces start rolling in I will be sure to share with you.

This was by far the biggest group project I have worked on and the stakes felt much higher than they did in my college business classes. I have nothing but positive things to say. Working with a team pushed me further than I would have gone to turn this into something great. I know me. I know what I can do. Now I know J+F and without a doubt they were able to do so much more.

What made this work (from both sides) was super quick turnaround and really clear feedback. We used pinterest boards to share design concepts and google docs and spreadsheets to stay on track with notes and where we were at. When all else failed, we face-timed. I don't think I cried once which is a record for me and huge projects. 😉

The result is better than I imagined because at the beginning I couldn't even imagine it. I just wanted to fill a need. I wanted a planner that got out of your way and helped you work. We made it into something real and I'm so happy with it.

Pre-order yours here.
weekend links / 61.

April 11, 2015

I love the Internet. Here's some of the most interesting stuff I found this week.

an Instagram feed you'll love to follow. (via Joy the Baker)

and related, from that artist, how to get started in calligraphy.

this wasn't my exact experience, but I had to appreciate the detail in this pregnancy/plane ride metaphor. (scroll down a bit.)

printing photos on paint chips (!!)

a killer screen printing tutorial.

"Counting calories is misguided. The focus belongs on real food." yep, still true, always true.

10 things I learned while writing my last book.

so many great pennants.

new emojis! I'm updating my phone for this reason alone.

hooray for RUNNING! super inspiring, Maggie!

a fun early mother's day gift?