Elegant Inspiration from Pinterest

Pin from Pinterest

When I saw this, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with it, but I knew it was going to be fabulous.

And I was right. Don't you agree?

Bejeweled Letter, available on Etsy via this link!

Pinterest had a double dose of inspiration for me on this one as I used a second pin for advice on the photo shoot. I think with a little tweaking, this will be my new go-to approach.

For those of you new to my blog, I have an Etsy shop where I sell decorative wall letters (see the sidebar.) I've found lots of great ideas from #Pinterest, so I'm excited to show how I've converted them from their original use into a letter.

I apologize that I don't have the ability to show the pin - I keep copying the html, but it's not working. Don't know if it's a Blogger thing or a Jenn thing. :)

There are a couple of fun places to link up your Pinterest activities. Join in!
Simple Organic's From Pinterest to Real Life
Dutch Being Me's 52 Weeks of Pinterest

Just In Time For NaNoWriMo : #amwriting Set

I've been wanting to put this together pretty much since I started Jaborandi Grove. I think it would look awesome hanging in my home office above my computer. Someday. When I have an office. That doesn't split it's space with the kids playroom...

Regardless, I'm going to put a set together for that someday. And hopefully get photos of it up before November starts. In the meantime, I've split the image up so you can see it  a little better. My pixel width is limited here.

For those of you who aren't bloggers/writers, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in 1 month. I started to participate last year and was off to a banner start. Until November 2. When I totalled my car. That pretty much derailed my writing. Which was a bummer because I was SO well prepped!

This year I've got too much going on with my job situation and Jaborandi Grove, but I hope to jump back in next year. For those of you planning to attempt it, I wish you all the best! And if you need a little extra inspiration, consider opting for one of these sets. Customizable, of course!

Inspiration Source: Pinterest

I'm inspired by so many things every day, I can't keep up with all the thoughts and ideas I have. I try to write things down when I can, like I did with the "Chiefs" example I showed on my creative process post. But my favorite new way to keep track of things is Pinterest.

When I first heard about it, all I could think was, "Another social media time suck like Facebook and Twitter - I can't join, I can't - be strong!" But everyone kept telling me how much it would help with my blogs and with my design ideas and this and that. I finally caved to the pressure. And it was just as amazing as I knew it would be. Happy sighs...

It was also a horrific time suck in the beginning. But just like FB and Twitter, once I got over my initial obsession (ok, fine, I'm not over it yet, but I'm getting there), I was able to use it effectively. Then I hit that wall where the amount of time I spent thinking was in great disproportion to the amount that I spent generating actual productivity.

In one of those perfect timing moments, I saw a tweet from @Pinterest recommending the monthly linkup on Simple Organic for everyone's Pinterest projects. Basically people take those fabulous Pinterest boards where we post things we want to do "someday" and actually do them. And then show it. It was just the kick start I needed.

So here's my post that I'll link up at the end of the month. I saw this:

Pinterest

Which I pinned because I liked the idea of using a license plate theme for letters. So here's what I came up with for a design:

I think it turned out really cute. I set this one up as a newborn one with the birthdate on the expiration tag. What about you? Have you fallen in love with Pinterest yet? Join the project challenge and link up! Simple Organic's From Pinterest to Real Life

Last One...

Ta da!

So here's the set all together:

Flexibility, Part Deux

Here's the second piece in the set:

Flexibility In Product Is Essential

Our neighbor asked if I could use larger plaques and include entire words. That wasn't my initial intention, and I considered sticking to just the individual letters, but decided, why not? The client is always right, right?

And I really am enjoying this new option. It opens up some new possibilities with things I had wanted to do but knew would be too long.

So here is the first piece in the set. It measures 11.25" x 8.5". More to come!

Christmas?

I know, I know, this goes against the very fiber of my being - no Christmas talk until after Thanksgiving! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas - it's my favorite holiday, but I like to wait to sing carols, set up the tree, and roast chestnuts over an open fire around the first of December.

That said, I like to get my gifts for loved ones throughout the year. And who doesn't love shopping for Christmas decor regardless of the season? Plus now that I'm, you know, a vendor, I get that you gotta get your stuff in gear early.

So without further ado, here are two items that are now available in my shop, the second in the series of seasonal sets, "WINTER":

and the first Christmas set, "NOEL":

I hope you enjoy them!