Migraines, Sale on LoveUPaperly, and Statistics

Is it really Thursday night already?

I have been sick since Tuesday morning with a migraine.  I don't have what would be considered "typical" migraines.

I am not sensitive to light and my head doesn't hurt.  What does happen is that I get dizzy.  Not just a little dizzy.  I get full on vertigo where the whole room is on a sped up merry-go-round that won't stop.

When I was eight I had an inner ear infection and since then I have been diagnosed with Vestibular Migraines that start in the inner ear and cause dizziness and nausea.

I always know when it's going to start because my eyes start to feel funny and I can't focus.  When that happens I need to get home as quick as possible and lie down with a cold cloth on my eyes.  I haven't had this severe of a migraine for a few years and the past two and half days have been really crappy.

In the midst of my migraine I did get an e-mail that I had another sale on my shop LoveUPaperly!

I sold the very first card that I had ever made.

This weekend I am going to try and finish some jewelry pieces I am working on and study statistics.

I am not sure how I feel about statistics yet, I don't like math that much, but after being sick the past few days I need to buckle down and do it!

Wish me luck!

Lots of love,

Jess

Monday Blog Routine: Poppies and Epiphanies

Happy Monday Everyone!

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.  I was tired and feeling sorry for myself for no particular reason.

When that happens if I have time I will get myself out the door for a walk which usually brightens my spirits.

I didn't have time this morning.  I was running late, I had a horrible headache, and one of the cats had spilled their water dish all over the floor I had just cleaned.

So instead I went to a blog that I try to read at least once a week, usually on Monday morning.  The blog is called Poppies and Epiphanies.

This blog is one I have been following for about a year and it is a blog that reminds me not to feel sorry for myself and to be grateful for everything I have.

The writer of the blog is Victoria Cornish who also runs a nonprofit with her husband called Imagine It.

She is living with an incurable form of cancer and has been documenting her journey since getting the diagnosis.  I find her inspiring and also very real.  She writes when she's scared, when she's happy, when she's sad and currently she has been talking about a bucket list that her and her husband made together and I have relished in reading her posts as she checks off different things on the list she wants to experience.

I don't know why Monday mornings aren't the best for me, but when I read her blog I am reminded of so many people that are perservering through unimaginable things and I too can buck up and jump into life with both feet.

I would absolutely recommend visiting Poppies and Epiphanies.

For those of you that don't know these are what poppies look like:

Image found on History Mike Blog

I also think this is what my epiphany would look like:

found on Bing

Lots of Love,

Jess

Lovely Sunday Photograph

Photographer Unknown

Origami Art that is really Awesome

Hi Guys!

As you all know I love paper.  I'm not sure when I started to love paper so much but I do!  I love the malleability of it, how it can be recycled and reused, and how many different things can be made and used from it.

One of my favorite things to see other people do with paper is origami.  I am hopelessly inept when it comes to origami.  I get lost in the steps and the folding never looks how it should.

However, when I look at what other people have made from folding paper I am amazed!

Here are some of my favorites from around the web.

Elephant found on pjlighthouse

Made by Charles "Doc" Santee

2modern blog

Origami Jewelry found at Oye Modern

Money Origami on Orikane

Origami Heels found on Fashion Indie

Aren't these examples cool?  I know the jewelry isn't paper but I love the way the metal is folded, and the Obama origami I think is awesome.

Until tomorrow,

Lots of Love,

Jess

Chewing Gum Sculptures by Maurizio Savini

Hello Everyone!

I am exhausted today.  The kind of bone tired exhausted that makes you argumentative, nauseous, and just plain no fun to be around.

When I am this kind of tired I want to find something really interesting and inventive that makes me smile.

Enter, Italian sculpture Maurizio Savini who makes amazing sculptures out of chewing gum.

Here is an excerpt about his process:
"Disgusting as it may seem to some people, Maurizio Savini uses thousands of chewed up pieces of bubble gum for each of his sculptures. He molds them into the desired shapes and when the whole thing is done, he fixes the sculpture with formaldehyde and antibiotics. The amazingly detailed chewing gum sculptures of Maurizio Savini have sold for up to $60,000 each."

Here are some examples of his work:

How crazy are these?  So detailed and meticulous and completely made out of gum!  I think I love the grizzly bear the most out of all of these examples.  The fur looks so real!

I cannot find a website for Maurizio Savini, but if you click here it will take you to his Wikipedia page with more information.

After finding his sculptures I feel a little less grumpy.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Inspiration for a Tuesday

Sometimes I need inspiration. Sometimes a little and sometimes ALOT.

I have always found comfort in words. Books have always had the ability to make me feel better and as I have gotten older I love finding sayings that can sum up how I feel with a few short sentences.

Here are some of my favorites:

Aren't these great? I feel ready to start with some new projects and embrace my life when I read these.

All of these quotes were found on the blog Little BGCG.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Having a Blogger Feature your Work: To Ask or Not to Ask

Hi All!

I hope everyone's Monday is off to a lovely start.  I start my statistics class tonight and I am nervous!  Mer had to find her TI-83 Calculator for me and I haven't had to use one of those since 10th grade geometry!  If I remember correctly I didn't do very well in 10th grade geometry...

However, I digress...Today in my blog post I wanted to talk about bloggers picturing work and not asking the person who owns the images or product.  I am hoping to hear opinions about this subject as well.

Since I started my blog, I have tried very hard to site, link, and give the correct person who made the image/art/etc, the correct credit.

I have always been of the mindset that most people believe, including myself, that any publicity is good publicity.  I also have been of the mindset that most people out there would be happy to have their work on any blog as long as credit was given.

Last week I came across some angry tweets from wedding photographers who were very mad that there pictures were put on a blog that they did not give permission to be put on.  I don't know the whole story, or if their image had a link or citation to who they were and back to their homepage, but honestly the whole conversation had me upset.

I adore finding cool images on the web and sharing them with you.  The same goes to finding photographers or artists.  I don't usually ask to feature their work but I always cite and give credit and tell the reader to go back to the original website.

All of the sudden I feel like I am doing something wrong.  However, I feel like if any blog wanted to use images from my etsy site I would be over the moon with the free publicity as long as my name was on the images and a link was put back to my site.

What do you guys think?  Would you be very upset if someone featured your work and didn't ask but did cite the images?

Cartoon by R.J. Romero

 Lots of Love,

Jess
  

Lovely Sunday Photograph

Namibian Heaven

Photography by:  Christopher R. Gray

New Listing on LoveUPaperly: Pretty, Delicate and Sculptural Paper Necklace

Hi All!

Is anyone else wishing they weren't working today?  When I walked outside I was amazed at the low humidity and the beautiful sunshine.  I drove to work with the windows down and Good Times by Carlie Rae Jebson and Owl City blasting out of my speakers.

Today I wanted to share with you a new listing I just posted on LoveUPaperly!  I have been hard at work on this item and I am so excited to finally have it completed.

It is my first paper necklace in lovely shades of blue and black.  It snaps on both the right and left side which allows for easy on and off access.  I think the thing I love most about it is how sculptural it is.  It looks like you are wearing a piece of art and I can see any woman wearing it with a simple black dress.

I'm very proud of this piece!  It is listed for $25.  Check out more of my work on my etsy site.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Hyper Realistic Paintings by Artist Roberto Bernardi

Happy Monday!

As soon as I finish this post I am going to turn off the computer, eat some double stuffed Oreos and skim milk with Meridyth, and wait for the Series finale of the Closer at 9:00 p.m.

However, before I do those things I wanted to post about an artist I came across.

His name is Roberto Bernardi.  Bernardi is a photorealistic oil painter who was born in Italy in the 1970's.  As soon as I looked at his paintings I was in love.

Having studied fine art in college I was always jealous of the other students who were able to draw in an amazingly realistic way.  Proportions were always hard for me and the minute I saw Roberto Bernardi's work I felt the stirrings of jealously and amazement.

He is so talented!

Fuori O Dentro

Work in Progress

Obsession

Candy Machine

Correndo Fra Le Illusioni

How amazing is the detail?  I feel like I could reach out and touch the wrappers, the water, and the glass.

Amazing, right?!

Read Roberto Bernardi's biography and see more of his work on his website.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Lovely Sunday Photograph

The Life You Love Photography

Made to Order Paper Earrings on LoveUPaperly

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all have been having a good weekend so far.  Mer and I vacuumed the house, went to Dunkin Donuts (I will talk about my Dunkin Donuts obsession at another time), and then I banished myself to the basement to finish some projects that I look at during the week and don't finish.

Today I finished a great pair of earrings for a lovely Nurse at work who has the bluest eyes.

I listed them on LoveUPaperly and I would love to make a custom pair of paper drop earrings for you!

To make the earrings I cut the shapes out of thin cardboard and then cut out magazine strips and slowly cover the cardboard in layers and layers of the strips.  I think the final outcome is funky and delicate at the same time!

The ear loops are sterling silver and the earrings are coated in a water resistant coating so the earrings can be worn in the rain but not in the shower!

I would love to make a pair for you so definitely check out my shop, LoveUPaperly.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Etsy Shop: cat2owl

Hello Everyone!

This day has been dragging by, but in the midst of my grumpiness I came across this etsy shop cat2owl which put a smile on my face that I thought I would share with you.

This adorable shop has one-of-a-kind watercolored pictures that make me want to wear polka dots and drink iced tea.  In other words, I Love Them!

Not only are they original but they are also afforadable and adorable.

Aren't these so cute?  I am partial to the rainbow colored kitty cat.  I am definately turning into a crazy cat lady!

Check out her etsy shop for more.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Carol Hannah Wedding Dresses 2013 Collection and an Etsy Shop

Halfway through the week people!  I have dreams of calling out of work today and staying home and drinking ginger-ale (I have been so nauseous the past week) but some dreams must stay dreams and work is calling me to come in.

However, before I run to my "real" job I wanted to share with you Carol Hannah's collection of wedding and bridesmaid dresses that are beyond dreamy!

When I came across her site and read her bio I became even more excited when I realized she had been a contestant on Project Runway!

She was on season 6.  I don't remember if I watched that season but after this post this is a very good reason to re-watch season 6!

Looking at her collection I have a feeling when you put on her clothes a woman would just want to twirl in big circles and watch the clothing swoosh around you.

Aren't these dresses very pretty?  You can find more on Carol Hannah's Website.

Wait, that's not all!  I also found that she had an etsy website.  How cool is that?  She sells dresses and accessories.

I've become a little obsessed this morning with Carol Hannah.  Definitely check her out.

Lots of Love,

Jess