In this day an age, we are split doing many things. No longer does the woman stay at home all day with the kids, she is homeschooling; or teaching music lessons from her home; or has a daycare; or she is a soccer coach; or even has a side business. Sometimes I forget all this since it seems times have changed all so slowly. (what? it isn’t 1952 anymore?)

And yet, we still want to dedicate ALL of our time to one thing inparticular. In my case, I want to be COMPLETELY 100% at home, or I want to dedicate an ENTIRE DAY to my art. I have talked about this before: times are different now. We are required to have split focus. I don’t believe that this requires a frantic, A.D.D approach to life. Quite the opposite. It requires us to be FULLY present in what we are doing in the moment. I have found that true satisfaction with a job or task you are doing is to be completely aware of that task (i.e. not coming up with your next blog post while you are feeding your children dinner…just feed your kids dinner, and enjoy the experience!)

Since our lives are scattered between so many things, being present is even more important. And also that much more difficult. Take being in a yoga class for instance. What is the main focus? Listening to your breath. The simplest most basic of functions can be one of the hardest to become aware of. Yet when we do allow our minds to only sense what it going on in ONLY that second, there is an incredible sense of wholeness and fullness.

Same thing applies to our multi-tasking. We must be living in the present in every task we are accomplishing to achieve that same sense of wholeness and wellness. And again…one of the most challenging things to accomplish. But during dinner I was thinking about the crisis of going to the post office yesterday and forgetting it was Veterans day which means my customers will get their packages a DAY late. By dwelling on that, dinner was a chore rather than a moment to connect! (I did realize my flaw early on, and completely enjoyed my husbands made-from-scratch lasagna…yummy:)…and seeing my daughters new found love of mozzarella cheese). But my point is, just because we multi-task doesn’t mean we have to think about all things all the time. Quite the opposite. We must think about one thing at a time, and trust that will be enough.

I didn’t think this post would be as long as it is: but my thoughts this morning were prompted by a blog post I read from a retailer of mine in the UK, Livy & Me. She admitted to going into teaching full time this year, and wanted to tell her customers (she is the owner of Livy & Me: unique baby gifts) that her store would still be going strong. She also referenced a site that caught my attention: Business run by humans: a site deticated to REAL LIFE PEOPLE running REAL LIFE BUSINESSES (which is most of us I think).

People aren’t going to get a recording when they call you, they aren’t going to get a template email…they are going to get YOU. And YOU is a busy multi-tasker full with many other facets of your life: something that you should be proud of…not stressed about. It also causes problems…like a few weeks ago when I was really sick, and spent the afternoon in the hospital…business slowed down a bit. And I had an upset customer. But once she knew I was REAL, and REAL LIFE happens, things were cool.

Being real for your customers is as important as being real for your spouse, or kids, or friends. So in a sense, what we do all day DOES fall under one umbrella: Being REAL. And oh, what a gift that is! And it can infact be a wonderful experience…but only when we take it one at a time, and live completely in the moment of what we are doing NOW. NOW is REAL. So, enjoy the now, and you will enjoy it ALL!

Happy thoughts and love!

xoxo

Sarah Jane

{Sorry! no pictures today! my picture insert button is asleep or something…guess that makes me real!}

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.

Thomas S. Monson

Oh how true!!! The total chaos around the house (like Ian pulling out the entire roll of toilet paper and his new found skill of sneaking utensils out of the kitchen and putting them in the washing machine) is simply physical proof that I live with angles. Funny angels. Clever angels. Know-how-to-push-me-to-my-limit angels…but angles. Oh…I wish they could just stay tiny forever! I just hope that when we are all big and fat and old, that we will still love each other just as much…maybe even more. But I sometimes find that hard to imagine! Just stay little!

Much awaited: Cards are here! These packs were so much fun to put together. Most of my cards just come with cards and envelopes. These have an added bonus: pretty box and gift tags to match! I had a lot of fun making these! I wish you could just see them in person. They are just yummy.

“Winter Cheer” Stationery Set

“Handmade Just for you” Stationery set

“Wellesley and Winslow Christmas Post” Stationery Set

I hope there are more Holiday cards coming, but I as far as “sets” complete with gift cards, this is it folks!

And while we are on the subject of GIVING….

How about a BUY 2 GET ONE FREE sale? Sound good? It does to me!

Just purchase TWO products, and mention the THIRD product in the message to seller box at the time of purchase, and I will include it in your order! Quesions? I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks to those of you who have been so patient waiting for these! Happy gift giving!!!

Have fun in the shop!

Have you ever tried Googling that phrase? I have. I know. A little embarrassing. But the truth is, you can’t really find an answer to that question. Experience is the only teacher.

Well, I guess if you googledd that phrase now, you would find this.

I was invited to be a guest blogger at Le Papier Studios, (A DARLING shop by the way…get your christmas goodies here!) and I spilled the beans about balance, and life and priorities and trying to live all three roles.

Something I hope to learn more about everyday. Life is meant to be lived…and when life is busy, there is no reason you still can’t enjoy it all. So…here is my two cents on the subject. (Ok…more like 10 bucks…it is a bit long, but then, couldn’t we all write novels on this subject?)

Enjoy!

In all the hustle and bustle of cleaning out closets and getting our place ready to sell, I forgot to mention this incredible Handmade Holiday Gift Guide over at Bloesom Kids (my FAVORITE blog by the way). She has included my Calendar…Thank you Irene! But all the other items she has included are so darling! So unique and great for you and the kids. Click here to get connected to list of items and their online locations! Oh, and check out her most recent post today…an OPEN house with the makers of LMNOP magazine. I love peeking into people’s homes! So much life and creativity here! But thank you Irene for the mention!

(Addie in my espadrilles)

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last you create what you will.

George Bernard Shaw

My motto of the week. For years we have been dreaming of a house. I personally, have been dreaming of a cottage cozied up in a deep green forest with only birds and deer for neighbors. And for the upteenth time, we are on the search to find it again. And I truly believe that what you want most will in fact become a reality as you turn that wish into action.

So, this week, is get the condo ready to sell week. I have high hopes to get some more wonderful treats out for you this week in the shop, and I will keep this motto close to me as I go for it.

This week I imagine:

A clean sparse apartment to show

New art and goodies in the shop

And maybe that cottage in the woods.

Or at least…A house with room enough to be a mom AND an artist. We have been feeling a little crammed lately, but oh so grateful to have a roof over our heads.

Here’s to dreaming! Make a wish, Make it happen!

This is how I clean my house:

I turn on the water in the kitchen sink.

Me: (in my staged-panicky voice):

“Oh no! Would you just look at this messy sink! What ever shall we do!”

Addie:“Oh!!! Mommy!! I want to do the dishes!!”

Ian: “Ditheth, Ditheth!”

Good to go. Chairs at the sink, and they will last 1/2 hour while I vacuum, fold laundry, clean counters, etc. Granted, there is a river to clean up after wards (a soapy river), but I have a clean house!

This is how I make dinner:

Me (in my overly-distressed voice):

“Oh no!! Dad is going to be home soon, and we have got to make dinner fast!”

Addie: ” I want to make dinner!”

Ian: “Make dough!”

Great! Chairs at the counter, I hand them any thing I can find. The other night it was lime rinds, hot pink sugar cookie sparkles, frozen peas and salt. Mmmmmmmm. I can work at the stove without little fingers getting dangerously in the way, and It makes my cooking look REALLY good:)

Just try saying ‘No’ to that face.

As I write this, I really should be working. I should be cleaning, or folding laundry…or printing off cards or shipping orders. Or a numerous pile of tasks in my head that keep swirling around and around because I have children and often feel limitless in my capacity to do anything. When I have the time….I soar. I get so much done. I produce mounds of crinkled paper filling my waste all marked with completed “TO DO” lists. The key factor which seems to be disturbing my mood at the moment, is TIME. I don’t have that TIME everyone is always asking for. IF I had time…WHEN I have time…IF I ONLY had time. Here is the truth folks: It doesn’t come. At least for me it doesn’t. I keep begging for my fairy tale story to come true: I am swept off my feet to a far away land where someone (a fairy princess-maid-housecleaner-mommy-of-sorts) tends to my children for 3 full days while I create, draw, color, catch up, organize and sort out my world. Well, so far, no “bibbity-bobbity-boo” is happening here. And how come? Because I am a mom. A blessed, happy, crazy-in-love-with-my-children MOM. And there is something marvelous about this role I play: I have to make choices. Making choices is empowering. Yet, I will admit there are moments when I am envious of the artists I admire who seem to have their entire day dedicated to their art and work. In my case, I am left to choose how I am most happy…and for me, it includes raising my children FIRST and then growing my business SECOND. Translation: Not everything gets done in a day.

Now don’t get me wrong: I love being a mother. It is the most sacred role, and every day I am tickled by the little miracles that take place in my home. The kisses, the hugs, and “I’m sorry’s” and all the playing and tickling…I don’t want to be anywhere else. This is what I love most in my life. But, I am also a creative personality with a strong commitment to bringing my unique style to others, and so I am required to find balance. And I truly consider an opportunity for growth.

“How do you do it all?” I get asked all the time. It is really humerous to hear people ask me this, because I was always the one asking other people (still am actually). But this is what I tell people: I DON’T do it all. I don’t think that any one can! Either you are a full time mom with a business on the side, or you are a full time business owner, with children by your side. I choose the full time mom role, and to be honest, it is where I am the happiest. BUT IT IS HARD: sometimes it feels like my full time mothering is being jabbed by my nearly full time career. Both take up every spare second, and I am constantly forced to reorganize, reprioritize, and reevaluate. Not every month, not every week…but about ever half hour. “I can either take the kids to the park, or let them play quietly while I answer emails” “I can stay up late and finish my work, or I can just wake up early, and hope the kids sleep past 6 am” etc. There are always choices to be made…Life balance isn’t something you arrive at, it is something you are constantly rocking back and forth between. And I am grateful for it…it keeps me in check. It assures that I am doing what makes my world happy. More on this later…but I just want to say that this has been a HUGE topic rolling around in my head. Balance is everything.

Which leads me to make some choices: This week, I will introduce you to some helping hands I am hiring to get me through the holidays. I will also be getting rid of some products in my shop, and increasing my shipping time by a couple days. All this with the intentions of letting me be more ‘present’ in my home, bringing more creativity to Sarah Jane Studios as well as simplify my world a bit so I can step back and keep making choices. I have found when life is over flowing with too many good things, we are left with too little time and energy to make choices. Good choices. The kinds of choices that make you swim forward rather then treading water. I may be cutting back on a few other things, but for now, shipping times will be set back a couple days, and blogging might get spread out a bit more. But I can assure you I will be posting my progress in my effort for more life balance…a wonderful journey for anyone seeking true wholeness and wellness. (I am feeling the urge to do some yoga at the moment…)

So, today, thanks for listening. Thanks for understanding. Thanks for all your support. I would love to hear what you have learned in this journey as well, and encourage you to comment, think about it, and chime in when you find something that has worked for you. This will be an on going topic for me, so stay tuned.

In the mean time, I leave you with this quote:

I become a positive influence
by standing in opposition to
what matters least by choosing
to live for what matters most.

~Lee Wise

xoxo,

sarah jane

“that I had a really fine nap, Mommy!”

(As if the hair didn’t tell you first!)

Well, she is still surprising me:) And as I type, she has crashed after our little family had a short spin over to the petting zoo. There is still hope:) But thanks again for all your great ideas…she isn’t quite liking the quiet time (she finds my work more interesting than being by herself). But that is just fine…I just keep telling myself I will have a fine partner someday! But as I write…all is quiet…which means: More art coming soon!

OH, and PS: I got a new 50 mm camera lens this weekend (Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f1.4). I can finally take pics inside my aptarment! I am in love!

I am convinced that she gets more free time at the end of the day.  But then again, she doesn’t look as good in heels…

I think this is it. I really hope not, but this might be the beginning of the end. Have you noticed how I haven’t had much new art work up lately? Yes, I have had family in town, and I have been busy with the shipping/packing side of things. But the biggest reason? Addie has decided she “doesn’t sleep in the day.” I spent the first half of the week panicking. This is MY only time in the day to really WORK, and I have been in denial that this day would come. She still needs a nap, and I really hope we can fit in a few per week before they dissipate completely. (I may sound really calm…but behind this computer screen, tears of agony are streaming down my face!)

So Friday comes around, and after 45 minutes of trying every creative way to sleep my toddler, we sit on the couch and read together. She picks up “Pottery Barn Kids” (which by the way, I am becoming more and more impressed with!) and after a few pages, spots an Owl Softie on a model bed, and says “Mommy, can we make this?”

As upset as I was that I was losing precious work time to my stubborn toddler, my heart melted! Don’t most kids say “Can I have this?” I am sure I did. The fact she knew that she could make something like that got me really excited. And since I am used to working hard and creatively during nap time anyways, I said “YES!”

So, I dusted off my sewing machine (literally!) and we got to work. Addie and I drew a pattern with green crayon, And she helped me cut it out, helped me pick the fabrics from my scraps, place the pins, and she proudly sat on my lap while I sewed it on the machine. (Oh, and yes, Addie is “wearing her skin” as she calls it. We cannot keep clothes on this child. She does however have a wicked tan line that could easily pass for a shirt!)

I digress. Please people…don’t look close here! I am a sloppy sewer, and with a very impatient and very wiggly three year old on my lap (”Mommy, let’s make her wings now!! Now!!”) I was in no mood for perfection. By bed time, she was all but stuffed, but Addie still slept with her anyways! We stuffed her this morning, and they haven’t parted since! For a girl who dreams of princesses, mermaids and sparkely jewels, I was tickled that she would be so attracted to Owls (very trendy girl, eh?). She did, however, name her Owl Ariel.

So, here we have Ariel, the nocturnal (wink wink), motherly, orange and pink bird who seems to me to have quite a sense of humor! She must since she is so tolerant of her big over-sized beak, crooked head, floppy legs, button eyes I stole from a sweater, and the fact that we made her pregnant…or motherly…depending on the location of the baby owl in her poscket. We sure love her though! She fits my Addie to a T. And though I am in no way celebrating a napless afternoon, I am celebrating that Addie is learning that good things don’t grow on trees. Somebody had to make that toy, or doll, or car or brownie. She is so interested in sewing, and though I am not a proficient seamstress, I am just glad that her 3 year old eyes can’t tell! And now, I may just be back to getting up before the crack of dawn to get my work done…but at least Addie has nocturnal friend to stay up with when she should be sleeping!

We have some new friends that have kept us very very busy as of late. We don’t answer the phones. If there is a knock at the door, we gladly ignore it. We have nearly forgotten to eat! Last week we went on a family outing to the toy store and picked up a bucket of THESE. They have demanded our full attention and it is no wonder that they have been around since 1913. They have been around for 95 years for a reason! I am sure we are the last family on earth to finally have them in our home, but seriously, they are the greatest toy invented! And best thing yet…Addie and Ian have been so busy and so happy all week! Toys that have never ending possibilities for play are my favorite! And for the first time in a while, I actually don’t mind the constant mess on the floor. Well…almost. Let’s rephrase that..I don’t mind the happy toddlers I have had this week!

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Does your brain ever feel like this:

“Foldthelaundrymakebreakfastfinishthedishescleanupbreakfastcallthedentistgotothelibrary

getgasinthecarpickupperscriptionpickuptoysgothepostofficebuystampscatchuponemailpaybills

vacuumfigureoutwhatinthehecktomakefordinnerfinsighaugustandseptemberprintssortthroughmail

takethekidstothepoolsendbirthdaycardblahblahblahblah!!!!!!”

Ok. So how do you snap out of stress-crazy-mommy-brain? Do tell.

Today my therapy was crazy monkeys and stationery.

Me: Ian, time to wake up!

Ian: Opens his big puppy dog eyes, looks me in the eyes, and says “Hi Guys!”

Addie: “OH mommy! We love our chudders!”

(For a girl with a bright vocabulary, I just love that she still mispronounces “each other”)

Oh, and one more. Before dinner, Addie comes up to me, and in a British accent says:

“Mother, may I have a spot of cheese?”

Just melt me now!

What else to do when my brain is on overload?

I instinctively create really simple art. It’s not planned, it just comes. And I have to do something about it, or my brain stays fried.

OK…so here we have NEW stationary!!! Horray!! I have only been selling postcards really, and as much as I love postcards, I am a sucker for hand printed paper! This paper is lovely. It has a similar feel to my art prints: almost watercolor paper. Slightly textured, and soft. Love it. I just can’t get over how cute these cards are! These animal pairs really come to life on these printed cards.

I also have another addition to the shop: Grace is in card size now. Perfect for pinning up, or sending.And since we are talking about updates: My AUGUST print is coming! Late, but for good reasons:)

Ahhhh…so the brain is feeling better now. Now to sneak that Key lime pie Kenneth made today (baking it was his therapy). I love my life.

I am out of the studio enjoying much needed time with parents and family, but I couldn’t leave Happy Site Friday empty today!  I am so excited to introduce to you an incredible new magazine that will inspire you to live the everyday, simple moments to their fullest.  SEEING THE EVERYDAY is new to the shelves, but is getting wide spread attention because of their simple focus on “the daliy interactions taking place at home.” Taking great care to reveal the detailed ingredients that makes a home beautiful, warm, loving and whole.  One of my favorite quotes is “The most important work we will ever do is within the walls of our own home” (Harold B. Lee)  and this magazine takes you into those rooms and corners where memories are made, and moments are lived.  Stunning photography, beautiful personal accounts, endless quotes, and illustrated pages leave you thinking that it really WAS worth your time to clean the kitchen with your boys today.  Or let your daughter crack the eggs for the first time.  Or being up in the night with your autistic son.  REAL life.  REAL living.  REAL pages. And, AMAZING! There are NO advertisements and the pages are matted so you really feellike you are carrying around a keepsake.  you will LOVE this! I wish wish wish I could send each of you a copy, but I will leave a few quotes I find inspiring this morning:

“It is not about making a cake, dinner or any number of important things…It is, however, about making a child. A unique, one of a kind, significant individual” Lawrence Elliott

“Work as hard as you play and play as hard as you work” Esther Packard

“God must have loved ordinary events, because he made so many of them” Abraham Lincoln

I am so inspired and thrilled to see media out there pursuing the happiness within the home.  So, get off your computer screen, and write a letter with your child, or bake a cake, or color.  That is where I am headed!  But sometime today, stop over here and pick up your copy.  Happy weekend everyone!

xoxo

sarah jane

Well, I am typing right now with butterflies in my stomach. My work has been featured in my first ever magazine, and I am kinda speechless! The Utah Valley magazine (whose cover this month boasts the famed Ann Romney) does a fabulous job featuring women entrepreneurs, and this season’s issue, they stumbled upon Yours Truly. Geeesh! I had an interview last month, and really had no idea what to expect. (Note to self… be prepared next time for a photography shoot!) But they really did a fine job!

The article focuses on what it is like to be a stay-at-home mom while still doing what you love and making a business out of it. You can see the online spread here and if you squint your eyes, you can read the whole thing:) But, really. I am blushing. I am really so glad that there are women out there who love being moms and who are still following creative dreams. I cannot profess to be a master at this oh-so-crazy balancing act, but what I do know, I am happy to share. Thus my blog, and thus this article…I guess. Ashley (the editor) did a fabulous job capturing the inside life of 5 women. Check the others out here. Most of them I have met through Startup Princess (my favorite stop for business tips and mentors) and they all have so much to offer. So, if you are in Utah, pick up the July/August edition of Utah Valley Magazine, or you can view the magazine online here.

I haven’t even put my hands on the paper copy yet, but before I do, I think I need to take a deep breath! Seeing my studio in print makes it all just seem too REAL. Isn’t this just something I do during naptime? Oh, yes it is…and speaking of which…it’s naptime! Gotta go!

xoxo,

Sarah Jane