nanandbags

My personal mantras or my secrets to being an adult

So I know my blog is mostly about Aine, my anglophile ways as well as all the crafting I do but I thought I would take a quick diversion  from all that good stuff  and fill you in on a blog post I did for work.  Mantras rule my life - it is like having my own personal rule set.  What are your life mantras?  Xoxo Nan

There is one thing I have learned in my 14 years at the company: sometimes, life doesn’t always go to plan, no matter how many goals you make.   I think that might be the hardest thing for us to grasp at our company– basically learning from an unexpected event.   Believe it or not, those unexpected events, became some of my best coaching moments. I am sure you all have heard of the  7 stages of grief?   Well sometimes I believe that there are stages of learning from an unexpected event.   One has to learn from an unexpected even in order to a) grow and b) move to your new goals.  This can happen in your personal and /or your professional life. Also note, the 7 stages of grief do not go in order! Sometimes we get so goal orientated we want each step to move in order – but unfortunately – grief – and learning from an unexpected event – likes to take it’s time. So here are just  five of my personal coaching “mantras” with dealing with unexpected events or next chapters if you will: 1.      Keep your commitments – Life has to move on. Two months before I married, my Dad died unexpectedly.  I was going to postpone the wedding(basically stop everything and lie in a foetal position)  but my very wise sister said – “You know? You have to keep to your commitments. Life has to move on. Anyways, Dad will be there!” So I went about keeping my commitments. Getting the wedding in gear  even though I felt like I rather just not.  I was married in February and it started to snow on my wedding day. I thought, oh great.  For a Bride, this could be a tragedy. But I said – you know what? I had two months of keeping to wedding commitments, a little “snow” was not going to deter me!  During the wedding, when our vows were being exchanged the sunlight suddenly burst through the windows of the church.  To this day I believe that sunshine was my Dad rewarding me. Maybe it is a coping mechanism – but you know?  That sun melted all the snow and we had a lovely day.  I learned that keeping commitments even though you’d  rather not, will be rewarding, even if you don’t see it at that time. 2.      First day of change is the hardest. Every day after that, it does get a little  bit better. Flash forward to 2004/2005. I swear this was a horrid year for me. I had the trifecta of bad stuff happen to me(hubby passed away/I survived a nasty condition/loss of beloved pet).  Yes. That year was hell.  Believe me, I didn’t want to make my commitments. The change was so fast and furious, I did want to roll up in a ball.  But I recalled my sisters consul: keep your commitments, life has to move on. Everything you lost will be there, but you have to go forward. I learned something new after struggling to make my first commitment post my husband’s death: The first day of the bad news is the hardest day. HOWEVER every day after that gets a little bit better.   And it did. Believe it or not. 3.      Cake or Death.  I am sure you all know who Eddie Izzard is?  I know he is not the most politically correct  comedian and my reference to this skit may not be what he meant, but this is what I gleaned from it:  YOU do have choices even in the face of an unexpected event. Sometimes we think that there is only one answer, really there are many. Knowing that you have a choice, is sometimes a comfort. 4.      Making Lemons into Lemonade.  Okay, so maybe the choices are not the most ideal. You could go straight to the fetal position but you have to move through it. This is where strategy comes in. How do you make the lemons into something you can live with?  This is where I brainstorm on a piece of paper and put it down for a bit and then revisit it. Sometimes you may not know how to make the lemons into lemonade so you have to let it sit. At this time, I also reach out to mentors and people wiser than me to ask for their opinion and feedback. 5.     Ferris Bueller was right.: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”    That is so true. Life is way to short. You have to make your life fulfilled. That means you have to force yourself to have a work life balance.  I do this by scheduling in time for my hobbies and family and focusing on them 100%. It is like my brain has gone on a mini vacation.  I am more refreshed when I get back to work and focused on Monday.  Heck. I never knew my hobby could  get me into CNN, BBC and USA Today. If I didn’t force myself to have that work life balance? I wouldn’t have had the year that I have had. Life changes on a daily basis. So learning how to work through the “unexpected” or next chapters of our lives both personally and professionally will  become second nature to you all.  Please know this is not a “look at me!” type of coaching moment, I just want to relate some advice that was provided to me to help you all work through any changes or unexpected events that comes your way.

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Craft: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

I read Craft all the time. What is your Craft 5,4,3,2,1? Mine is below!

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of:

1. My needle felted royal wedding pin cushion ring.

Who knew two obessions -anglophile(lover of all things English or British -btw there is NO SUCH THING as a Britophile!) and needle felting - could collade into a wonderful mashup of goodness? This was probably the quickest needle felted project I have ever done. I needed a pin cushion, I needed it now and oh wait - Prince William just got engaged to Kate and she has Princess Diana's ring?! SWEET! ta daaaaa!

Yep, there is a reason why there is a little CNN in the left corner. It made it to CNN.*squee* And than the interviews came in for USA Today and BBC and BBC again. Who knew a fascination with craft and royalty could bring this much fun? I still have to pinch myself, I sincerely never thought I would get this much attention. Definately the highlight of my summer. 

Two Mistakes You've Made In the Past

1. Stay true to what you like to do. Don't cave to the popularity of another craft. This is the hardest thing to figure out when you are Crafter - what the heck do you like to do?  It is especially hard when you like a lot of different crafts. It took me a bit, but realizing that I could focus on one piece of the collective pie -could actually free your mind a bit. And it did... which shocked me. lol.

2. Remember *why* you went to this craft. Yes -I would love it if my wee little shoppe could be the next big thing - but you know? The organic growth of my shoppe is okay. I am a super Type A person, so to not be all Type A about my craft was like *whoa*.  But than I remembered WHY I went to sewing, multi-media, card making, crocheting and finally needle felting - the process of creating kept me sane. It was the balance in my work and my life.  Any success from this was a bonus and even more appreciated when it happened!

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. Did I mention I am a Anglophile? LOL I create British Inspired goodies with an American Accent; as I say in my Shoppe.  Even though I do adore and will claim that I am Anglophile to the day I die, I love my country too. And I love especially the differences between the UK and the US. It is the nuances not only in the language but between our two cultures that I find facinating. It is those little bitty details that inspire me to create pincushions in the shape of Tardis's or Georgie,the Tea Party Baby Elephant. 

2.Geek. *points to the above tardis pin cushion reference*  - Need I say more? Who else would want a Doctor Who inspired pincushion except a geek like me.

3.Humor. I made a cat with a fez once. This is before the 11th Doctor Who and his infamous Fez.  Yep. My humor is kinda quirky. And if you know about the Doctor Who Fez reference? You my friend, are a geeky fun person like me! YEA! Go us!

Four Tools You Love To Use

1. Needle Felting Thimble. Never felt without it. I have worn it out and I need a new one. It has saved me from buying stock in band aides. For reals.  

2. Franny my dressform. Franny is named after my Grandma, Fran -an amazing seamstress. My Grandma is no longer with us but Franny helps me out anytime I need sewing help ;)

3. My artbox/sewing box. It basically keeps my needle felting tools organized. If not - ugh. 

4. My iPad. Besides being the BEST INVENTION EVER, you never know when inspiration strikes - hence having my iPad ready - always helps me sketch things out before I forget the idea. 

Five Inspirations

1.PUGS. Especially my little Aine. I mean, will you look at her cuteness? How could one not be inspired?!  

2. Illustrators Gemma Correll and Nikki Schulmann. You have seen me go on and on about Gemma's work. I mean - her tea towel was part of the 2am welcoming committee at my Royal Wedding Party.

Nikki - I dont think my blog readers have heard me mention her. My husband and I received her calendars and we fell in love with her illustrations. For my birthday one year, Joe(my late hubby) got me all of Nikki Schulmann illustrations he could find. Than all of a sudden it seemed like she disappeared off the net. I am so happy to hear that she is back on the net - this time doing quilts!  Her mastery of detail and colors is amazing. Her prints hang in my studio and inspire me all.the.time. 

3. Antiques and Antiques Roadshow.  I would love to be one of the Keno's assistants. Just saying. But no - it is the crafting around a particular antique that I adore. Like my latest obsession with Automata. When you see something like this, anything is possiable. 

  

4. History(ALL countries history I am interested in -from their clothing to why they became amazing at xyz) and architecture. Or in this case,

an architecture of a hat. LOL

5. My family and friends. Who else lets me needle felt their dogs decked out in Cub gear?  

Btw everyone - this is S&P named after my sister and brother-in-law that just turned a big bday and oh btw part2 - they are both CPAs. Get it? S&P - S&P 500? Oh and did I mention they are die hard Cub fans?

So there you have it! Welcome to the world of Me. Please tell me what your Craft 5,4,3,2,1 is!  xoxo Nan and Aine

Mo Knows

I wouldnt be anywhere without my friends and family but especially  my beloved friend Mo.   MO guess what?! I PUT MY BIG GIRL PANTS ON!!!  

*squeee* I signed up for something that I kept on putting off for a while.

I am taking  Adobe Illustrator  at the School of the Art Insititue  of Chicago Continuing Education Program so that I can master this program once-and-for-all. Big bday gifty to me. :) This class will also  help me with another personal goal that I have been brewing. ;)

This is going to be a busy month - I go to class at night and Ms. Aine has to have her schedule adjusted.  That means me, my car and my life needs to be uber organized. Shoot. Mo can you come to Chi-town and manage my life for the next two months? :)

Classes start next MONDAY! ACK! *does happy dance* Oh shoot! I got to get my student id.  Omg I have a student id ya'all.  think of the glorious tech that I can buy!!

Nan and zzzzzzzzzzzzz Aine.

 

Hyerbole and a Half

 

 

(clicky on the link) All I can say is. AMEN!

This is Why I'll Never be an Adult I have repeatedly discovered that it is important for me not to surpass my capacity for responsibility. Over the years, this capacity has grown, but the results of exceeding it have not changed. Normally, my capacity is exceeded gradually, through the accumulation of simple, daily tasks. But a few times a year, I spontaneously decide that I'm ready to be a real adult. I don't know why I decide this; it always ends terribly for me. But I do it anyway. I sit myself down and tell myself how I'm going to start cleaning the house every day and paying my bills on time and replying to emails before my inbox reaches quadruple digits. Schedules are drafted. Day-planners are purchased. I stock up on fancy food because I'm also planning on morphing into a master chef and actually cooking instead of just eating nachos for dinner every night. I prepare for my new life as an adult like some people prepare for the apocalypse. The first day or two of my plans usually goes okay. For a little while, I actually feel grown-up and responsible. I strut around with my head held high, looking the other responsible people in the eye with that knowing glance that says "I understand. I'm responsible now too. Just look at my groceries." At some point, I start feeling self-congratulatory. This is a mistake. I begin to feel like I've accomplished my goals. It's like I think that adulthood is something that can be earned like a trophy in one monumental burst of effort and then admired and coveted for the rest of one's life. What usually ends up happening is that I completely wear myself out. Thinking that I've earned it, I give myself permission to slack off for a while and recover. Since I've exceeded my capacity for responsibility in such a dramatic fashion, I end up needing to take more recovery time than usual. This is when the guilt-spiral starts. The longer I procrastinate on returning phone calls and emails, the more guilty I feel about it. The guilt I feel causes me to avoid the issue further, which only leads to more guilt and more procrastination. It gets to the point where I don't email someone for fear of reminding them that they emailed me and thus giving them a reason to be disappointed in me. Then the guilt from my ignored responsibilities grows so large that merely carrying it around with me feels like a huge responsibility. It takes up a sizable portion of my capacity, leaving me almost completely useless for anything other than consuming nachos and surfing the internet like an attention-deficient squirrel on PCP. At some point in this endlessly spiraling disaster, I am forced to throw all of my energy into trying to be an adult again, just to dig myself out of the pit I've fallen into. The problem is that I enter this round of attempted adulthood already burnt out from the last round. I can't not fail. It always ends the same way. Slumped and haggard, I contemplate the seemingly endless tasks ahead of me. And then I rebel. Email this • Digg This! (84 Diggs, 8 comments) • Stumble It! (28 Reviews) • Share on Facebook