Hello hello!!! It's our 5th segment of "Let's Talk Tuesday" folks and I'm soooo ready to sit down with you again for some girl talk! Grab your cup o' joe (mine looks something like this),  and let's get comfy!!

QUESTION #1
What pens do you use to do your hand-lettering? (and doodles). Monique S.

A: First, just in case you didn't know, I absolutely LOVE pens and have a slight addiction to them. (Hence "pen" being part of the name of my blog and brand). Anyway, I always carry around this little bag of assorted pens with me everywhere I go. It's small enough to stick in my purse and it keeps me occupied when faced with long waits. (I also always have a clipboard of clean white sheets of paper on hand too - or a sketch book).

I keep an assortment of writing tools in this bag - everything from ball point "gel" pens to sharpies to fancy brush lettering pens.

For sketching and hand-lettering, I keep a graphite pencil, click eraser and a couple of different sharpeners in here too. (I like the Prismacolor Sharpener for catching shavings and sharpening my watercolor pencils and a super sharp magnesium wedge).

Here are a couple of my favorite brush lettering pens - Tombow Fude Brush Pen, Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen and here's the link to both the soft + hard set of Tomboy Fude Brush Pens. I also have a set of the Tombow Dual Brush Pens but haven't used them much since purchasing them a few of months ago - I guess because they are colorful and I seem to like to stick with the black ink.

With that said, not pictured in this post are my go-to pens: ZIG, manufactured by Kuretake. I love this 5-pack of ZIG Millennium Collection pens because it contains all five of the different tip sizes and they are great for lettering, drawing and scrapbooking.

Not that you care much about my "every day" pen but since we are talking pens I figured I may as well show you my current favorite. (current as in the past couple of years). *wink* And I prefer to write with it on stacked white paper instead of a hard surface. Is that weird?

So that's it for pens - I hope that was helpful?

QUESTION #2
Hi Jessica. Love your blog. I thought somewhere I'd read that you have a gold foiling machine?
Is it the Heidi Swapp one? And do you think it's worth the money? Alex J.

I DO have the Heidi Swapp Minc! And I LOVE it!!
For those of you who don't know, it's an amazing tool that allows you to gold foil anything you've printed on a laser jet printer. It's technically called a "gold foil applicator" because it's a way for you to get gold foil sheets to"stick" to the black ink from a laser jet printer.

If you love crafting and DIY's and gold foil, of course, it's totally worth the money because the projects turn out SO darling!!  For instance, here are some personalized "Sparkle + Shine" stars I made for Ella and each of the girls on her gymnastics team last year.

So fun, right?
And do you remember the "Keep Your Fingertips Sprinkled With Stardust" art print I made?

TIPS: Don't have a laser jet printer? Neither do I. I just have everything printed by Office Depot and then bring it home to gold foil it. Although I am contemplating purchasing this HP LaserJet, recommended by Heidi herself! It's quite affordable. (Have a laser jet you love? Let me know).

If the 12" Heidi Swapp Minc is out of your budget, there is also a 6" Heidi Swapp MINI Minc for half the cost.

Do you have one already? If so, do you love it?

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

So that's it for this week my friends...
but before we rush about and get on with our day here's some...

Random Girl Talk
1. For those of you who don't know...Barbie has a new body. 
2. Did you know Hershey now has "Candy by Color" available? You can find colored kisses (and other candies) in a variety of colors to match your events! Check out the Pink Foil Kisses, Blue Foil Kisses, Purple Foil Kisses, Green Foil Kisses and there's red, black and light blue, light green, and more.
3. Did you know there were TWO colors when Pantone announced their "Color of the Year 2016"? Loving the Rose Quartz. Serenity is pretty okay too.


P.S. Keep sending me your questions! I love hearing what you are curious about!!

DIFFERENT WAYS TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS
1. Email me directly: pnpflowersinc AT gmail DOT com
2. Leave a question on my Instagram feed anytime.
3. Leave it as a comment here on the blog.

KEEPiNG iT REAL
It took all the energy I had to finish this post you guys.
Still dealing with a nasty cold and finally went to the doctor yesterday and got some antibiotics.
But nothing was going to stop me from our Let's Talk Tuesday! I actually really look forward to these posts and I hope you do too.

Now...I think I'd better go take a little nap before I get the kids from school.

iNSPiRE | Savor the Sweetness of New Beginnings

Holy wow! It's almost the end of January and it's just crazy to me to think we've just about wrapped up the first month of 2016. Weren't we just tossing confetti and clinking the bubbly for New Year's Eve? 

Anyway, I designed this macaron art print as a reminder of how wonderful, fresh and SWEET new beginnings can be. And they don't just count in January. You can make a new beginning ANY time you need to. So...if you've gotten off track or want to improve an area of your life START TODAY!

Have a wonderful day my friends!!
xoxo,
Jessica

P.S. Email subscribers received this FREE art print and the coordinating digital wallpapers earlier this week! If you missed out because you haven't subscribed yet, you can SIGN UP HERE! I'll be sharing some free Valentine's Day goodies including another exclusive download soon! So sign up and stay tuned!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
My hopes are to finish painting the master bedroom this weekend. J said he'll help me this time.
I'll keep you posted over the weekend on my Instagram feed.

LET'S TALK TUESDAY | No. 1 :: Hand-lettering, Less + Valentine's Day Ideas

Welcome friends!! It's a very chilly Florida morning here today;
Perfect for a hot cup of cocoa and getting cozy for our first official "Let's Talk Tuesday".

After having shared this idea of gathering as friends on a weekly basis to dive into some friendly conversation, I have received some awesome feedback and great questions from you!!

Let's dive in, shall we?

QUESTION #1

Q:  I've been a reader of your wonderful blog for a long time.  I wanted to ask if you have always loved to draw and have always had that talent since a child or was this something you cultivated later in life?  I love to draw and doodle and have really nice handwriting too.  I've been this way all my life, though. :) Karen W.

A:  I love this question!! As I sat down to begin to answer it, I stumbled upon a blog post I'd completely forgotten about...specifically about my love for hand-lettering. It was so fun to read back over it and it addresses this question perfectly. Hop over there to read it and then come back here - I promise you're going to love it and that I'll be here waiting when you are done. *wink*

Back already? Did you love that little bit of insight?  Do any of you remember purchasing pens + stickers from the Hallmark store when it was all the rage? I definitely think that's where my obsession for paper products and stationery really began. And as far as being able to "draw" - I don't think I'm very good at that. But I do love to DOODLE!! I thought it'd be fun to share this photo I found from 2006 (above)!

QUESTION #2

Q: What made you decide to make your life more enjoyable by doing less, and how do you decide what is less without finding yourself back in the trap of taking on too much?
I am also trying to prioritize with doing less and living for purpose and not for perfection. I find myself back into taking on more again, although I know it takes away me time and family time.  - Kathlene T.

A: I chose LESS as my focus word not because I've perfected the concept. I chose LESS because I firmly believe by continuing to work towards this concept, I will be left with MORE OF WHAT MATTERS. I was once the person who said yes to everything and wanted to do and be everything! It's super easy to get caught up in the rat race or even in the comparison game and fall into the "trap of too much"!   Expect mistakes + regrets along the way because this is life + it's a learning process. Just know that despite the mess ups along the way, you have the opportunity to get it right the next time.

How do I decide what is less? Life provides us with refining moments we don't always ask for or want to experience. (see this Life + Loss post). These moments provide us with the chance to "re-evaluate" the direction we are going. Figure out what really matters to you and write it down. Reference it often when faced with decisions related to time + commitment and re-evalute often.

And by the way, I'm always re-evaluating! (see this post on time management,  periods of re-evaluation, The Fringe Hours Book, + Navigate just to name a few.)

Here's a glimpse into what makes up my "What Matters Most" list

Ella and I - November 2014

As Lara Casey says...progress not perfection!! I've gotten really good at saying no. And I've gotten even better at stepping back and taking a minute to really evaluate something before saying yes.  Now that's progress!!

QUESTION #3

Q:  I know I'm a little early but I like to plan. Do you have any advice on making cute classroom valentines? Melissa S.

A: It's never too early to start planning - especially for fun classroom Valentine's Day treats!! Here is one of my my favorite ideas from last year...

Sparkle + Shine Classroom Valentines

MORE VALENTINE'S DAY IDEAS
Sprinkles to My Cupcake Valentine's Day Cards
Colors in my Rainbow Valentine's Day Treats - includes links to some other fabulous ideas!
Sprinkles on my Sundae - great for a teacher gift
"Crush" Collection : candy + soda printable

I'm working on a NEW set of FREE printable Valentine's Day tags for you guys.
I'm skipping the sugary treats for Ella's classroom this year and will be handing THESE out instead.
I'll be sharing the cute packaging details for gifting THOSE so if you like that idea too, stay tuned for the upcoming post.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

It's been so fun sitting with you to answer a few of your questions.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

If you've been inspired to ask a question, here are some
DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS
1. Email me directly: pnpflowersinc AT gmail DOT com
2. Leave a question on my Instagram feed anytime.
3. Leave it as a comment here on the blog.
If you ever have any issues at all being able to leave a comment on my blog, please email me directly to let me know so I can figure out how to resolve it for you: pnpflowersinc AT gmail DOT com

KEEPiNG iT REAL
In keeping with my one little word LESS...I'm attempting to do LESS sugar this year. (not my favorite choice by the way). Hence the non-sugary Valentine's Day treats for Ella's classroom this year. Yep! That was intentional. And...because I won't be making anything in the kitchen, it will take me LESS time to prepare these...giving me more time for other things. See how that all works out like that.  *wink*

And man...this whole "LESS" concept has certainly been challenging when writing blog posts.
I'm so used to getting "a bit wordy" and now I'm finding myself erasing entire paragraphs at times in order to keep things simple. This is so good for me. And for YOU too! *giggling* 

FREE | Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice Art Print :: The Cake Blog

It's that time of year...

and it's that time of month for another FREE art print over on The Cake Blog.

There really was no other option but to do something related to Pumpkin Spice this month, was there? I'm one of the few mortals on planet Earth who isn't the Starbucks-coffee-drinking-pumpkin-latte-kind-of-girl but I AM a huge fan of anything pumpkin-scented; pumpkin candles, pumpkin wax melts, pumpkin spice air fresheners and of course...a fresh baked pumpkin pie.

As always, the artwork is available as a 5x7 printable art print OR can be downloaded for use as digital wallpaper to spice up all of your digital devices. GRAB it for FREE over on The Cake Blog.

Speaking of pumpkin spice, I'm convinced you will want to check out these delicious recipes for your Fall baking:

Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and Pumpkin-Seed Brittle
Rustic Pumpkin Bundt Cake filled with Chocolate Ganache

See you back here soon, my pumpkin spice friends!! *wink*

KEEPiNG iT REAL
It's been busy over here in my world - with fun stuff, life stuff, kid stuff and just plain ole "stuff".
Looking forward to sharing more with you.

FREE | Sugar Is My Sidekick Art Print :: The Cake Blog

What started out as a simple sketch is now the FREE art print over on The Cake Blog this month...
This might be my favorite one yet since it includes all of my favorite sugary treats...popsicles, cupcakes, macarons, chocolate chip cookies, cotton candy and of course...a pretty cake!!

Enjoy it as a FREE printable file for framing or grab the wallpaper downloads to sweeten up your desktop as well as any of your other digital devices.

Find the DOWNLOADS HERE and enjoy your weekend everyone!!
xoxo

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Summer is coming to an end for us as we approach the first day of school on Monday, August 24th.
I say this every year but as much as I look forward to the routine of things the school year brings, Summer, for me, marks the end of another chapter with my kids I never want to stop reading!!

FREE | It's Always Spring with Buttercream Art Print :: The Cake Blog

You guys...."It's always Spring with Buttercream"!
Or...you could say "It's Blooming Spring with Buttercream"

Whichever way you say it, these brand new whimsical kitchen art prints I designed for The Cake Blog this month are posted and ready for you to download for FREE!! 

And so what if you aren't a baker.
I'm sure your baking friends or your favorite bake shop would LOVE for you to share this with them!
Head on over to get your FREE ART PRINTS today
and then be sure to check out these other posts on The Cake Blog that have me very intrigued and are must-trys for Spring...and beyond.

Edible Moss Cake
Lemon Meringue Cake

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Those frosted cupcakes were supposed to be a cinch.
Store-bought cupcakes. Easy.
Pre-made store-bought buttercream. Easy.
One working piping bag. NOT easy.
So just keep focusing on the art prints....
while I run out for more piping bags. *wink*

FREE | Spread Joy In Life with An Icing Knife :: The Cake Blog

I just love this "sweet" reminder to "Spread joy in life with an icing knife" I designed for The Cake Blog this month! It's soooo perfect for all you "Bakeristas" out there!! *wink*

It's a FREE DOWNLOAD so pop on over there and get yours today!!

While you are over there...be inspired by my all-time-favorite Spring cake ever: Speckled Easter Cake - designed and created by Carrie from The Cake Blog!

It's sooooo incredibly adorable! I LOVE it!! And I think I should totally make it!! *wink*

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I think this "Spread Joy" art print is my favorite so far, since I started designing kitchen art prints for The Cake Blog last Fall. Do I say that every month with each new design I make?!  I guess that's a good thing! *wink*

HOLIDAY | Sugar and Spice Art Print :: The Cake Blog

I'm so excited to share with you this month's "Sugar and Spice" 8x10 Kitchen Art Print I designed.
It comes in several background options and you can download it for FREE over on The Cake Blog!!

I've seen people frame the art prints OR even just attach them to the glass of a frame using cute washi tape. The washi tape option would make it super simple to swap out the prints with the new one every month!!

I hope you'll print this out and display it in your kitchen while you are baking away this holiday season!! You could even print out an extra or two for hostess gifts.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE 8x10 ART PRINTS NOW

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I NEED a new camera and a new computer - just sayin'!
My camera is 10+ years old and the computer is going on 6+ years.
This mama blogger needs an upgrade!!
Santa…are you listening?
I've been a super good girl this year. *wink*

CRAFT | Somewhere over the RainBOW :: Bubble Umbrella

You guys...I have been keeping a super big secret from you…

I have been invited to participate in the "Cricut Design Space Star" Competition!
Holy yes to that!!

I had been wanting to try out the NEW Cricut Explore ever since it launched so when I was contacted to see if I would be interested in competing with some other fabulous bloggers to create a new monthly project from now through November…well...I didn't hesitate.

There's a FUN spin on this friendly competition though…

LIFE | Summer Work + Play

Summer for me is always a weird mix of work and play since the kids are home.

I can't really dive into any work-related projects because my mind is distracted by my heartstrings - which are constant reminders to me to spend quality time with my girls while I can. Before we are sucked into the hustle and bustle of the new school year - followed by the back-to-back Fall months that inevitably whisk us away into holiday oblivion.

So…the other day…as I was thinking about this conundrum between Summer Work + Summer Play I was inspired to create the Endless Summer and Bottomless Ice Cream Sundaes art print. Pretty much in love with it - and as I said when I shared the initial inspiration on Instagram…it's FOR REAL who I am.

WANT THE ART PRINT?
If you love the print and want it for yourself you can find it HERE in my Etsy Shoppe as an INSTANT DOWNLOAD or you can have it turned into a Tote Bag, Shower Curtain, Duvet Cover, Framed Art, Stretched Canvas or Pillow by checking out my Sociey6 shoppe!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I'm on DAY 13 of another Whole30 - except I'm challenging myself this time to a Whole90.
The first time I attempted a Whole90 I made it to Day 76. This time…I'm not giving up or giving in.
In fact, the last day of my Whole90 will be my grandmother's birthday - October 17th. She and my grandfather are my motivating factors for this Whole90. Neither are still here on this Earth but they were both an inspiration to me. In fact, a friend asked me about the Whole90 on Facebook and I figured my response to her could be shared here too:

"I kept starting and stopping Whole30 for the last couple of months - never completing it 100% and I finally just decided to dedicate my efforts to my grandparents, (who are deceased), who were my heroes. If I couldn't find the strength right now to do it for ME…I decided to use the powerful examples they left behind to push me to do this. My grandpa was a P.O.W. in WWII for 6 months in Japan and my grandmother contracted MS in her early 30's so my memories of her was when she was confined to a wheelchair. I figured if my grandpa could live on fish eye balls and his leather flight jacket as a P.O.W. and my grandmother could endure the confinement of a wheelchair, I can certainly suck it up and do a Whole90. The motivation is working. Sounds crazy, I know - but it's what I needed. Both of their birthdays are in October too - my grandpa's is on the 4th and my grandmother's is on the 17th - which will be exactly when I finish my Whole90 journey. I look forward to celebrating my accomplishments as well as their legacy all at the same time."

DID YOU KNOW | Once upon a time...

Once upon a time there was a girl who loved hand-lettering and doodling.
She used to win awards in elementary school for "best handwriting"
and she'll never forget that her 5th grade teacher chose HER to fill an entire chalkboard with assignments and practice sentences for the rest of the class because she was "such a good speller and had fantastic penmanship."

She has spent much of her life obsessing over the perfect pen and frequenting stationery stores to swoon over the selections of beautiful paper, pens and inks available.

She has doodled on any type of paper medium within reach during phone conversations and long waits; scrap paper, tissue paper, paper towels and even toilet tissue.

When she was a cheerleader she LOVED making the posters for game nights and her favorite part of Science Projects was creating the visual aspect of the experiment using a poster board.

She'll always remember overhearing her grandfather mention to her mother how talented and gifted she was after he saw one of the school project posters she was free-handing.

As a teen standing as a cashier in a grocery store, you could find her doodling and writing poems on the back of old receipts in between customers and when business was slow.

She even taught herself a little bit of calligraphy and a few years later, as a young adult, the president of the company she was working for at the time asked her to address, (in calligraphy), his personal Christmas Cards that season.

She has always loved lettering…even picking her children's names based on the way they looked when hand-written.

When she started her blog she picked the name based on what she loved most: Pen + Paper
and then tacked on "Flowers" to represent her 3 girls = Pen N' Paper Flowers

She has always been a deep-thinking, poem-writing, quote-hoarding, doodle-design making girl.


Her doodles are simple.
Her quotes are simple (most of the time) Ha!!
and the combination of the two leads to some simply fun design/art/stuff.



I hope you'll follow along as that girl continues to add art to her NEW Society6 Shoppe as well as to her Etsy Shoppe.

SOURCES
Rise and Shine Pretty Girl Art Print
Be True to You iPhone Skin

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I have a notebook full of poems and another notebook filled with doodles and hand-lettering I've collected through the years.
I'm hoping to share the doodles with you soon.
As for the poems…I think I'll keep those tucked away…they're pretty embarrassing since most of them were from middle school and high school.

IN THE SHOPPE | Patriotic Posters

So here's what I did with that other hand-lettered art I shared with you the other day.
I turned it into a 24x36 chalkboard poster…and I…

BEHIND THE SCENES | Patriotic Projects + Hand Lettering

Thought I'd send you off in to the weekend with a sneak of what I'm working on for next week…
I rekindled my love for hand-lettering again when I did the Rooted In Love Collection Poster and when I created the super cute FREE Kitchen Art Print awhile back but then... 

Life has just been busy.

So, I picked up my pencils and pens again for a fun project for the 4th of July.

Watch for something special to post on Monday!

Here are some things you may have missed this week from INSTAGRAM:

ADORABLE Watermelon Ice Cream Cone Wrappers 

My cute "Slow As a Turtle Bracelet"

A sneak at some Graduation Party Decor from The Flair Exchange

My new Nutmeg Mill

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.

Follow me on Instagram for peeks at my #100HappyDays posts on Saturday and Sunday!

Today is Day 34. Are you participating too?

KEEPiNG iT REAL

Is it crazy to feel like Summer is almost over even though we are only in our 2nd week of Summer break? It flies right by!

SHARE | FREE Monthly Printables Blog Hop :: St. Patrick's Day

I just LOVE this Art Print because it's a such a simple reminder of our self-worth and the power we have as women to truly be the gold at the end of the rainbow! I hope you love it too because this is the FREE printable I've designed for February as part of the MONTHLY BLOG HOP I'm participating in this year with 7 other fabulous bloggers. (See January's collection of FREEBIES right here).

Not only does this printable come in Color as well as in Black and White…
I've also created a .pdf for you to easily create a stencil to add a little sparkle to your art print like I did to the one below...

I really can't decide which one I like better. The simplicity of the art print without the glitter is just as appealing as the "show-stopper" quality the sparkle adds to it. You decide what works best for you.

Use the stencils to trace the letters and hearts onto Shiny Gold Card Stock, Gold Glittered Card Stock, or Gold Glittered Adhesive Backed Card Stock and cut them out and glue them right over the word "Gold" and the little heart accent. OR…use the free .pdf I created with your favorite cutting machine like I did. The Silhouette® or the fabulous new Cricut Explore™ will make the job a piece of cake!

To download this Free Art Print (and Stencils), use the preferred link(s) below:
8x10 Black & White .pdf or .jpg
8x10 Color .pdf or .jpg
11x14 Black & White .pdf or .jpg
11x14 Color - .pdf or .jpg
Art Print Stencils 

Now it's time to participate in the "Blog Hop" portion of this post by visiting each of these other fun FREE printables posted today from some of your favorite bloggers! Click on each of the links below!

1. NoBiggie  2. Pen N' Paper Flowers  3. HWTM (Hostess with the Mostess)  4. Nest of Posies 

5. Catch My Party  6. Living Locurto  7. Paper and Pigtails  8. Skip To My Lou

Hope you are having as much fun using these FREE monthly printables as I am creating them!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I've been doing some real "Navigating" over the last few weeks and I've made baby steps towards the direction I'm trying to go. There are many areas I'm coming up short but I'm determined to not make those shortcomings my focus. Darn it! *wink*

FLASH SALE | Sweet Love Collection

Wanted to offer up a little something to show my LOVE for all of you!
You can snatch this up RIGHT NOW for only $5 bucks…

Sweet Love Collection

I just adore the hand-drawn details of this collection and I designed it to be used beyond Valentine's Day…this is perfect for a wedding shower, baby shower or anniversary celebration.

I hope you LOVE it!!

The Flash Sale ENDS at 9:30 p.m. EST tonight!

KEEPiNG iT REAL

I have a million things I need to be doing but I scheduled some time this morning for a friend instead. Just hung up the phone with my sweet friend Kori for our first official "Coffee & Cocoa Convo" - a way to quickly and casually check-in, catch up and stay connected with each other. Love her!

SHARE | FREE Hand-Lettered Chalkboard Art Print on I Heart Naptime

Hi everyone!!

After seeing some cute Anders Ruff printables on Instagram a few weeks back, (posted by Jamielyn from I Heart Naptime) I reached out to Jamielyn and told her to let me know if she ever wanted me to design something for her to share on her blog.  The next thing I know, she requested I design a cute Chalkboard Art Print for the kitchen. I got right to work sketching out some ideas. (the image above is the original sketch I came up with and posted on my Instagram Feed)

I came up with an original quote and then went to work on a hand-sketched and hand-lettered illustration... tweaked it a bit...and ended up with this...

"Life is a Kitchen" Chalkboard Art Print

I just LOVE the inspirational quote!!
Although I have a tendency to focus on the "baking" aspect of being in the kitchen...
and I originally went in that direction with the quote...
I ended up making sure the art print applies to bakers and cooks alike!! *wink*

I hope you love it as much as I love how it turned out!!
Head on over to I Heart Naptime to download the FREE 8x10 or 11x14 right now!

TIP FOR PRINTING CHALKBOARD ANYTHING:
Don't print from your home printer and drain your print cartridge.
It costs pennies to have them printed at  +Staples, +Office Depot, Inc. or your local printer of choice.
I printed one 8x10 and one 11x14 of the Kitchen Art Print and it cost me .58 cents total for both.
They were both printed onto white card stock too!!

For more Chalkboard Art Inspiration, check out THIS, THAT, THIS RIGHT HERE, THIS, 
THAT ONE TOO and DON'T FORGET THIS ONE!!


KEEPiNG iT REAL

You may recall me mentioning +Jamielyn Nye  before...
Remember those delicious Homemade Reeses Peanut Butter Cups I shared with you awhile ago - inspired by +Jamielyn Nye from +I Heart Nap Time? Yeh!! Those amazing morsels!!
I figured this Kitchen Art Print was a "Thank You" of sorts to Jamielyn for introducing me to a such
a delicious recipe I'll be using again and again!!

Besides that...I love hand-lettering and I'm thrilled the Chalkboard Art trend over the last couple of years has caused me to dive back into it again!! 

iNSPiRE | Hello 2013

Hello 2013!

It's time for big dreams...

big goals...

big hopes...

and essentially a big list of things we want to accomplish/achieve.

So we sharpen our pencils...

and we put that list on paper...

Want to try something different this year?

SKIP the RESOLUTION LIST!!

I have a different list I want you to make...
and you have the entire month of January to think about your list and get it finished.

You see...

I don't necessarily make a list of "resolutions".

I fail at keeping resolutions and then spend a good majority of my time beating myself up for failing.

Who needs that?

So, I decided to take a different approach to celebrating a New Year.

I create a Promise ME list.

Those of you who've been around have heard it before.
For those of you who are new...
It's something I started a couple of years ago...
and it just works for me.

You basically take the entire month of January...
create a list of things you'd like to do for yourself...
Begin on February 1st
and be finished by the last day of February the following year.

This is NOT a lose weight, break-a-habit-type of list.
It should be a list to inspire:
personal enrichment...
personal growth...
creative awakening...
self-discovery.

You know that baking technique you've been wanting to try?
Put it on your list.

That local pottery class that's been calling your name?
Put it on your list.

The things I put on my Promise Me list encourage:
Pushing creative boundaries.
Broadening horizons.
Occasional intentional discomfort. (yep...growing pains)
Strengthening relationships.
Discovering something new.
Adding value to the everyday.
Being in the present moment.
Fulfilling personal needs.
Finding joy.
Reaching out - to others and to myself.
Unearthing ME.

FULL emphasis on ME.
Taking time for myself...
and doing things for myself.

I'm a strong believer that the best thing I can do for my children

is to be the very best ME.

Unfortunately, as much as I believe that...

I'm the first to admit
I fail miserably at taking time for myself.

In fact, I'm pretty much always last on the list...

if I even make it ON the list!

It's NOT acceptable.
It's just not...

so, I had to do something to keep ME at the top of my priority list...

because the best ME allows me to be the best ME for my children and family!!

That's how I began the "promise ME" journey.

It's so easy as a mom to push aside

our goals...
our dreams...
or even ourselves as we cater to the needs of our children/family.
The "promise ME" list is a reminder of who YOU are...
things YOU want to do...
things YOU want to be...
a list of things YOU want to discover, try, taste, feel, experience.

Want to participate with me?
Here's how:

1. START MAKING YOUR LIST
Spend the entire month of January putting together a list of things you've been wanting to do, try, taste, experience.
Carry a note pad around with you because I promise you as you open your mind to all of the things you'd like to do this year, there will be triggers you unexpectedly come across, reminding you of things you've been itching to try/do.

Tips: Only add things to your list that cause your heart to race with excitement and anticipation. 
Also, don't make the mistake, like I did, of creating a list that is SO long that there's not enough time in the world to actually complete your list! It's wonderful to be enthusiastic and to push yourself.  It's even MORE wonderful to actually
KEEP YOUR PROMISES!

I highly encourage you to tell your friends about the "promise ME" journey.
Have your friends participate with you, to cheer each other along, and to help you keep your promises.

Need some ideas to get you started?    
• See one of my previous lists HERE.
• Go through some of your Pinterest Boards for inspiration

2. FINISH WRITING YOUR LIST BY JANUARY 31st
You should have your complete list ready to go by January 31st. Go over it and eliminate anything that sounds more like a "task" or "goal". This list is all about having fun!! You should feel genuine EXCiTEMENT about every single thing on your list.

3. START YOUR "Promise ME" journey on FEBRUARY 1st
You have a full 12 months to do the things on your list. 
Keep track of your progress by displaying your list somewhere you will see on a daily basis.
Cross off the things you accomplish as you go along. Celebrate along the way.

4. SHARE YOUR PROGRESS
Post updates on your "Promise ME" progress right here on my blog.

Use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media to share photographs of things you are doing and accomplishing. Use the hashtag: #promiseme2013 

OPTIONAL PARTICIPATION IDEAS

GET YOUR NAME ON THE LIST OF "PROMISE ME PEEPS"

Send me an email letting me know you are participating: pnpflowers@live.com

You'll be added to the "promise ME peeps" list that will be displayed on my blog.

I will be randomly selecting "Promise Me Peeps" to send inspirational gifts to throughout our year together.

PROMISE ME for PINTEREST

If you have a Pinterest account, let me know. I'll send you an invitation to participate in our Group Board for "Promise ME 2013". The board will provide inspiration to each other as we reach our goals. 

It will also be a place for you to pin ideas on how to accomplish some of the things on your list. 

For instance, if you want to make macarons for the first time, like I do, you may want to pin recipes, photos or books you come across that may help you achieve that. Sharing the information on our Group Board may also help to inspire someone else who may have the same goal.

POST THE PROMISE ME BUTTON ON YOUR BLOG (available mid-January)

Promise Me 2013 - Are you in?

I really hope you'll join me.

It's life-changing...in so many ways.

Happy 2013 to all of you!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL

I skipped making a "Promise Me" list last year.

It. was. a. BIG. mistake!!

I will NOT make that mistake again.

My year turned out less productive...

and a lot less fulfilling.

I've made some adjustments to my approach this year:

• Shorter list

• EVERYTHiNG on the list MUST get done - no exceptions like I'd made in the past.

I'm still challenging and "PUSHiNG" myself... (see my Action Word for 2013 - I hope you picked one too)!

I'm just being more selective with what makes it on my list.

What's a "Promise Me" list if I don't actually keep my promises. Right?