jump for love.

marilyn monroe.

as part of my three-word manifesto for 2013 –
dream. realize. shine! –
i'm reading three pieces of personal-growth inspiration each month:

you: staying young: the owner's manual for extending your warranty
by mehmet oz & michael roizen

happier at home: kiss more, jump more, abandon a project, read samuel johnson, & my other experiments in the practice of everyday life
by gretchen rubin

one bite at a time: 52 projects for making life simpler
by tsh oxenreider

host dick clark.

i read a piece of each at the beginning of the month,
write notes about it & ponder whether or how to
incorporate some of the concepts into my life.

one of the suggestions included in this month's chapter of
happiness guru gretchen rubin's book is simply to jump.
deciding she needs to literally put a spring in her step,
rubin resolves to jump every day:

actress janet leigh.

"i jumped in a silly way to make my daughters laugh,
i gave a secret skip on my way to the drugstore,
i hopped up & down in my office,
i did jumping jacks after i wok up in the morning,
i jumped down the last few stairs.

journalist mike wallace.

the sheer goofiness of it always made me feel cheerier,
& the energy of the gesture made me feel more energetic.
energy creates energy."

actress brigitte bardot.

rubin also refers to the work of
american portrait photographer philippe halsman,
who became known for his exhilarating snapshots of
famous people mid-air. quoth halsman:

host ed sullivan.

"when you ask a person to jump,
his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping
& the mask falls, so that the real person appears."

actress audrey hepburn.

philippe halsman's jump book, published in 1959,
contained 178 photos of celebrity jumpers, & a tongue-in-cheek discussion of
halsman's philosophy of jump photography, jumpology.

37th u.s. president richard nixon.

it's love month, y'all –
jump for it!!

the duchess & duke of windsor.

images source: philippehalsman.com.

handmade holiday, part two.

continuing to share some of the gifts i put together
to save cash & sanity during the 2012 holiday season . . .

cozy toes kits.
for girlfriends.

the inspiration: this pinned post over at our best bites blog.
the how: bought fuzzy socks, matching nail polish & jingle bells, designed & printed matching labels [using the template at the blog post, but with my own design], packaged into cellophane bags with ribbon.

the spend: 5 pairs socks @ $3 each + 5 bottles nail polish @ $1.50 + 2 packages jingle bells [4] @ $5 each = about $7 per gift [5 total].
the resources: target socks & jingles, walgreen's sinful colors nail polish.


seasonal art.
for couples friends.

the inspiration: this blog post over at young house love.
the how: bought packages of laser-cut felt ornaments & white frames, glued ornaments on scrapbook paper & framed in pairs.

the spend: 4 packages ornaments [4 each] @ $1 + 12 frames @ $2 each + scrapbook paper [already had] = about $5 per gift [6 pairs total].
the resources: michael's laser-cut felt ornaments; ikea white 4x6" ribba frames.


cranberry pecan breakfast bread with orange glaze.
for helping-hands friends.

the inspiration:all mine.
the how: bought ceramic miniloaf pans, found a couple of recipes i thought might combine tastily, baked & wrapped.
the spend: 12 miniloaf pans @ $1 each + grocery store ingredients + wrap & ribbons = about $2.50 per gift [12 total].
the resources: michaels ceramic miniloaf pans; martha stewart bread recipe here [substituted craisins for cherries, eliminated streusel]; orange glaze recipe here.


candy cans.
for teaching friends.

the inspiration: this blog post over at young house love.
the how: bought mini paintcans & various holiday m&ms; filled cans with candy; designed & printed labels; put it together.
the spend: 2 paint cans @ $1 each + $5 of m&ms = about $3.50 per gift [2 total].
the resources: michael's mini paintcans; target holiday m&ms.


custom calendars.
for anyone.

the inspiration: this blog post over at young house love.
the how: researched inspirational quotations from some of my all-time favorite women, designed & printed onto white cardstock, trimmed & clipped.
the spend: white cardstock + printer ink + binder clips = awfully dang cheap!
the resources: michael's white cardstock; office depot printer ink & binder clips.


want one of my 2013 custom calendars for your own? just post a comment
including the magic word & your e-address, & i'll send you a pdf you can
print onto 8.5x11" cardstock, trim along marked lines, clip together & enjoy the rest of the year!

handmade holiday, part one.

yes, i realize christmas happened six weeks ago.
i just thought i'd give everyone a brief break from
the jingling & caroling & all-consuming event that begins
around hallowe'en & continues through new year's.

so now that we're well along our way to the next hallmark occasion,
full of love & hearts, doilies & babies with mad archery skillz,
i thought i'd share some of the gifts i put together
to save cash & sanity during the 2012 holiday season.


mexi-cocoa + mono mugs.
for some long-distance relatives.

the inspiration: this blog post over at young house love.
the how: found a recipe & mixed up a little spicy cocoa, designed & printed labels with instructions, packaged mix into cellophane bags & stuffed them into monogram mugs.
the spend: 4 mugs @ $6 each + grocery store ingredients + bags = about $7.00 per gift [4 total].
the resources: anthropologie monogram mugs here; food network mexican cocoa recipe here.


ginger bones for good dogs.
for four-legged family members.

the inspiration: all mine.
the how: bought a couple of boxes of holiday dog treats, divvied them up, designed & printed labels, & repackaged them into cellophane bags.
the spend: 2 boxes @ $6 each + bags = about $1.50 per gift [9 total].
the resource: world market dog treats here.


initial ikea heart ornaments.
for other folks' kids.

the inspiration: all mine.
the how: bought a few boxes of warm & fuzzy heart ornaments, bought some sparkly iron-on letters, added hot iron & ta-da!
the spend: 3 boxes of 4 ornaments @ $5 each + 1 package of iron-on letters @ $5 = about $2 per gift [10 total, with 2 leftover for me].
the resources: ikea ornaments [some crazy swedish name i neglected to note; available only during holidays]; michael's iron-on letters.


cafepress photornament.
for parents & siblings.

the inspiration: cafepress e-coupon.
the how: designed & bought aluminum photo ornaments at cafepress website.
the spend: 4 ornaments @ $12.50 each/$10 holiday sale + $12 coupon + $6.75 s&h = about $11.50 per gift [3 total, with 1 additional for my family].
the resource: cafepress personalized photo ornament here.


perfectly she pendants.
for the amazing women who inspire me.

the inspiration: beth quinn designs.
the how: a friend & i spotted these necklace-making goods at a scrapbooking show; we bought a kit to split, plus some extras so we each had enough supplies to create 8 necklaces. i designed, printed & glittered the phrases, & added charms.
the spend: $15 half-kit + $23 extra ball chains, silver trays & glaze|glue + $12 charms = about $6.50 per gift [6 total, with 2 leftover for later birthday gifts].
the resources: craft fantastic tray pendant kit here.

the soul of genius.

go, gabby, go.

thank you for inviting me here today.

this is an important conversation
for our children,
for our communities,
for democrats & republicans.

speaking is difficult,
but i need to say something important.

violence is a big problem.
too many children are dying.
too many children.

we must do something.
it will be hard,
but the time is now.

you must act.
be bold.
be courageous.

americans are counting on you.


80-word testimony before the
u.s. senate judiciary committee on gun violence
by gabrielle giffords,
former u.s. house representative [d-az]
& survivor of a gunshot to the head [2011].

image sources: larry downing, reuters; americans for responsible solutions facebook page.

just do it.

how do you spend?