SUUURSPRISE!

i got my surprise ball from the lovely Brina last night! :D it was so exciting! and i was fortunate enough to share the event with my bff, who had come over after work to go jogging with me. hence the bad photo. lol i was in a rush to photograph it and tear into it before it got dark outside. :]

it was soo much fun unwrapping this little pretty!! :-P Brina had put CUTE CUTE owl stickers all over the outside, and every so often, a little bit of pink butterfly confetti would sprinke out onto my lap and we would giggle uncontrollably. ^.^

such awesome stuff in here, for real! some super adorable handmade owl stuffies, red polka dot hair bows, a pink manicure set and fun glittery and pink nail polish, 2 cute rubber stamps, lip gloss that smells like peeeaches *mmm*, the cutest owl stickers I've ever seen in my life! and caaaandy! she gave me swedish fish here too, but i couldnt wait.. i gobbled them up before i could take the picture.. *blushes*

so freakin cute! these are soo my style.. i was actually looking at stamps the other day that looked a lot like these. so perfect!

pale pink is one of my fave colors. and of sparkly is too, if sparkly is a color! ;) hehe

every flat surface in my room will soon be owl-fabulous.. :) arent these just so cute you could die??

and these guys! nothing like the handmade touch to warm the heart. <3 i think owls are the mascot of team AWESOME. .. .. :]

thank you, Brina, for all my wonderful surprises! i love them all!

summer nights, staying in

i made something yesterday. this little owl. i think he's cute. :) i haven't put him on etsy yet because i haven't taken pictures of him (other than these). he's sitting on my korean folder. it says, "hangumal" which is korean for korean. (like how we call it "spanish" but they call it "español," you know? we call it "korean", they call it "hangumal.") anyway, i thought i'd share my newest owl, and a little sneek peek into what i spend every night doing...

eating snacks, studying korean, drinking wheat grass juice, and watching music videos on youtube. i'm up till 3 am most nights doing the same thing. and i love it. this is the best summer i've had since i was a little kid. i couldn't be happier with the way things are. well, things could always be better, but i can't complain!! =D

my friend alyssa made me this hello kitty cutout with her cricket machine. (i mentioned alyssa here- where she decorated some really awesome Tom's Shoes.) well, alyssa was on TV last night. if you watched the show bridezillas on WE at 9:00, you may have seen her. she was the maid of honor, and her friend alex was the bride(zilla). if you missed it, you can catch the second half next week. Sunday, WE network, 9:00. don't miss it! alyssa is a really good friend of mine. i've been working with her at hobby lobby for almost 4 years now. if you like, you can even check out her etsy! she makes REALLY cute resin jewelry.

A fresh new notebook and an iPod full of K-POP

When I start something new, I like to have a clean slate. It gets me pumped for the journey ahead- especially when I know that journey won't always be easy. Like when I want to start running regularly, I go buy a new pair of running shoes, or when I start a big painting project, I might buy a nice new paintbrush. Lately, I've been interested in South Korean culture, since I discovered a new love  obsession for Korean pop music. I saw an ad for free online Korean language classes being offered here. Since they're free, I thought, hey, why not?? And I signed up. I know myself though, and I have a tendency to slack off, so to make it more fun, I went to Target and bought a new notebook *pure joy!!* and new pens, in awesome colors! *eee!*

The notebook is totally awesome. It's eco-friendly (recycled paper and banana fibers) and the pages have that cool unbleached feel, with little flecks on the natural fibers. I love it. The front and back covers have a pocket for all my print-outs. And at the top of every page, it has a little calender thing where you circle the month and the day. And did I mention the green OWL?! Love.

This is my favorite phrase. It's pronounced "sa-raung heyo" and it means I LOVE YOU. Pretty awesome, right? I wish I could be this motivated for actual school...

Today while laying out back and listening to Super Juniors's song, "Sorry Sorry," on my iPod, I noticed there were Korean characters in parentheses in the song title. I tried my hand at diciphering them.

"Sssss...aaah..r..eee..  .. .. ss-ah-r-eee.. .. sareee.. .. !! OH! SORRY SORRY!! I CAN READ KOREAN!" And I laughed hysterically and danced around my backyard in my bikini.

This is the video for the aforementioned song. :] Its pretty freakin awesome. For realz. Watch it.


And the have a version of the video that's just the dance. I am 100% going to do this with my bridal party at my wedding reception one day.. You know, instead of the Thriller Dance. <3

this is my Aha Moment

i finished my owl painting! isn't it cute?? :) i'm gunna list it on etsy as soon as i get my mac back from the shop so i can edit the photos. i made it as a prop to take to the interview for mutual of omaha's "aha moments" campaign. honestly, i think i did a poor job at the interview. a lot of blanking out and not being sure if i answered the question that was asked. oh well. not gunna dwell on it. here is what i would have LIKED to have said:

My name is Angie and this is my Aha Moment:
A few months ago, I was feeling really down on myself. The clothes I was wearing didn't make me fell pretty. My free time was spent doing nothing but watching TV. I felt like I was in a rut. One day I was sitting in english class, listening to another student read her essay out loud. She used the quote, "dress for the job you want, not the job you have," and hearing that really inspired me, not only in my wardrobe, but in my life. I've taken that quote, and stretched it. Why not, "live the life you want, not the life you have?" In doing so, the life you want becomes the life you have! 
I used to sit around and say things like, "Oh, I wish I knew how to sew, or crochet, or cook. Someday, I'll learn." One of the things I had always wanted to do was to open an online business, where I would sell my handmade goods and art. I had wanted to do pursue this goal for years, but I always had the "someday" mentalily. Why not make someday today? After hearing that quote, I decided to go for it. Making jewelry and art and crafts really gave me a sence of accomplishment. I had a feeling of pride when I would finish something new. It was such a good feeling. And checking the site to find that I've sold something?? SUCH a great feeling.
The possitive feedback I've gotten from my customers totally brightens my day. I'm a detail oriented person, and they notice that. I put care into making my jewelry and crafts, right down to the packaging, and I've gotten comments from people saying, "Not only did I love the necklace you made, but opening it felt like I was unwrapping a present." And that makes me feel really good.
From opening my online shop, I've learned that I really can do anything I want. I've learned that when you get stuck in a rut, the only thing keeping you there is yourself. You just need a little push; it could be an inspiring song, a movie, or in my case, a quote that I made into my own. That little push is your Aha Moment, and it will change your life.

My friend Amber gave me a ride down to Dayton, since i'm a terrible driver. i have a phobia of driving places i'm not familiar with. seriously, i freak out. so it meant a lot to me that she spared me that terror. (although learning to drive to new places is something on my "the life you want" to-do list) and she gave me this adorable little book called "good friends are hard to find." it's filled with pictures of cute baby animals and friendship qoutes. i love it. :]

"I can only think of one thing greater than being happy and that is to help another to be happy too."  

- Jim Thomson

After the interview, we went to Panera, where I got a GREAT bowl or broccoli and cheese soup. then we decided to make a girl's day of it, went shopping at marshall's where i got a pair of jeans and the world's best sweatshirt. <3 and here is a photo of my cat, just for kicks. and she normally has both her ears; one of them is just under her face at the moment.

somewhere, over the weekend

so over the weekend i babysat my neice and nephew and took them to target. my niece got a peasant top and jean shorts, and my nephew got an iron man toy. and i got this adorable stuffed owl. i think it resembles my cat.

we also got ice cream.

and i started working on this painting. i have an appointment with mutual of omaha today to do an interview for their "aha moments" campaign. they asked me to bring a prop of some kind that represented my aha moment, and i couldnt think of anything, so i decided to make one. it's not done yet. in fact, i better go finish it right now! time is' a wastin'!

i'll post more on this later! ;)

etsy update

dont forget to enter this givaway! giveaway ends tomorrow at 6pm EST.

here are some new things / relisted things in my etsy shop. check it out! :)

more is coming! :)

oh! and i want to give a big thank thank you to all of you following my blog! i reached 20 followers today! yaaay! *breaks out the party hats and noise makers* thanks, everyone! :-D

what i've been up to: more owls

i just finished these little cuties. these owls are a little bigger than the other ones i made, and these ones have a surprise.. they're lucky! each one has a real 4-leaf clover on the bottom. these arent up on my etsy, since the street fair is in 3 days. i will however, be listing the ones that don't sell there. unless someone requests one from this picture before friday night! :P

just a reminder

i post this to inspire you, just as much as to remind myself.

smile and let the bullshit go.

Westley

new little guy added to etsy today

busy busy

wow what a day. or past couple days i should say. this is what happened:

• i made sun tea
• planted irises that a coworker gave me
• did a lot of laundry and hung it out on the line
• got a little sun burnt
• made cookies
• bought a cd - One Star Story
• watched Who's Line is it Anyway from 1999 with Stephen Colbert on it
• played with my cats out in the yard
• and painted these CUTE little owls!! i REALLY like these. look forward to seeing them in my shop soon.

*swoon*

oooooooh, my goodness, little baby owl. im in love with you. snuggle??