justBeConnected

Connecting our Community

Hi!  Since there is such a plethora of inspiration in the archives that whenever someone new stumbles upon justBeConnected (or someone visits after a long absence) I get such awesome feedback. So Thank you! You Rock!

I love getting your emails!

and Thanks for your continued support despite the fact that posting has been a bit sporadic lately.

Here are some great links I want to share:

My friend and co-active coach Jamie Ridler introduced Starshyne Tarot recently. I was fortunate enough to have my tarot cards read in person by Jamie. An enlightening experience! You should give it a try!

I bought this awesome book by Artist and Creative Blogger Andrea Edwards. Her book is full of original poems and paintings that really resonate with me.The quality of the book blew me away. You all have got to check out Blurb where she published her book.

If you have anything you want to share please email me!

I have had the BEST time sharing with other Creative Bloggers through the Random Re-Gift Swap. I will definitely be hosting a Summer Random Re-Gift Swap. Check back for details coming soon!

Have a great week!

XO, Melba

I am glad and grateful for all of you!

available here.

What Inspires Me...

Hi ya'll!

I am so EXCITED because they finally fixed my internet connection today!  YAY!  It feels like Christmas for me... silly, right?

I thought for my last post as hostess, I'd answer a question I actually posed on my blog last week.  Normally, Fridays are "Inspiration Friday" over at A Beautiful Abode and I post photos or links of things that capture my imagination or inspire me.  Last week I was lucky enough to interview the authors of a great new book, Style Statement: Live by Your Own Design.  Carrie and Danielle were gracious enough to offer a signed copy of the book as a giveaway to A Beautiful Abode readers; anyone could enter, I only asked that they leave a comment or create a post that answers the question "What inspires me?" 

Of course I can't enter my own giveaway!  But I'm going to answer that question here anyway because it gives me a chance to share links with ya'll of blogs and sites that really brighten my day.  So on to the inspiration!

One of my absolutely favorite design blogs is The Inspired Room.  Melissa is a professional interior decorator, and she's so very talented at creating rooms that are comfy, cozy, and beautiful.  Her blog is just so pretty and always chock full of inspirational ideas.  And she's completely the sweetest woman to boot.  Which is why you should definitely go visit her!

Another design blog I love is Sanctuary Arts at Home by my friend Jen.  Jen is an AMAZING artist who transforms old, worn furniture into gorgeous pieces of art.  I met her while looking for a person to interview for my blog and we just instantly hit it off.  I tell her I'm her biggest fan and I was thrilled when she was offered the opportunity to host a local entertainment show in her hometown.  One day you'll see her EVERY where, I just know it!  If you're in the Illinois area, you gotta check out her work in person-- she's got the best prices too.

Another person I fell in LOVE with immediately upon "meeting," who also happens to be my design twin on the other side of the country, is Courtney of Nesting Instincts.  Courtney is a professional redesigner who has the best taste!  (Well, of course I'm biased, since we share a similar design aesthetic... but still, her taste is fabulous, I'm telling ya!)  She has such a great eye; seeing the before and afters of her redesigns is what gave me the desire to try my hand at redesigning my downstairs.

Yes, I am a LITTLE obsessed with design.  But not ONLY.  I also love book arts.  I can spend hours (and have) visiting the various artists members of the International Society of Altered Book Artists.   Right now my favorites include Joy Bathie, Emma Powell, and Carol Macht.   Oh, and I CAN NOT forget a book artist that I just discovered late last week - who also, amazingly enough, just discovered my blog too -  iHanne of the blog Heavan & Earth.

I'm always finding inspiring images just by browsing Flickr and, not to toot my own horn too much, if I'm having a really bad day, I often go back and browse all of the "In the Trenches" interviews I have archived at A Beautiful Abode.  It makes me so happy to review all the great budget decorating tips I've had a chance to learn and share with my readers from this group of amazing real life decorators.  Even though I worry sometimes that the interviews will grow stale, each new person I stumble across shares a different perspective that inspires me just that much more.  Which keeps me on the hunt for even more real life decorators  to feature.  (That's my ultimate favorite part of blogging... sharing the incredible talent I run across with my readers!)

Finally, a great source of inspiration for me lately have been the ezines that Erin of Design for Mankind has been publishing each month.  I CAN NOT find the words to tell you how fantastic her ezines are.  She has them to download for free each month, but if she started charging for them, I would happily pay for them.  The most recent issue is exceptional and my favorite so far, so you really should go download it!

Whew!  I think that's plenty for now.  At least enough to keep you busy through the weekend!  : ) 

Thanks for letting me share myself and my creative passions with ya'll!  And thank you to everyone who has sent me well wishes and kind thoughts.  I am going through a tough time right now and every good vibe is definitely appreciated!  That's one more reason that I love the blogging world... I've had the opportunity to meet the best people in the world, people that I would never have had the chance to meet any other way and every day I look forward to meeting more.  Blogging helps me to remember that no matter what, the world IS a good place.  And there's no better inspiration than that!

Happy weekend!

Shauntelle

Come Play with Me!

Hi ya'll!
I'm still posting from my cell phone! :( It's been a hard week, mostly cutoff from the web. I'm a stay at home mom with a workaholic husband... The net is my connection to the world, my sanity keeper, and, since I started A Beautiful Abode, a way to express MY passion... You know, that thing that belongs to me outside of my responsibilities to my family. The net also offers me solace in times of stress- and this week has been full of that as my husband and I determine if our marriage has a future. Definitely a bad week to be internetless.

And that's why I'm inviting you to come play with me! Today is the perfect day to play too. The sun is shining, the sky is bluer than blue, and the pollen count is low. Plus play doesn't cost a thing! (You know I'm all over low-to-no cost activities!)

So let's play! I'm 34 years old (practically -just two weeks away!) and I'm gonna learn how to turn a cartwheel today if it kills me. My digital camera is charged and ready to go. After I turn a cartwheel or three, the kids and I are going on a digital scavenger hunt. I'm fascinated by color, texture, and juxtiposition so that's what we're looking for. And if I'm not too worn out after we get back from our walk, I have plans to play with paint.

Yeah, I know play won't fix the internet, find me a job, or save my marriage. But it will give me a mental break and an attitude adjustment. Like a little positive energy booster shot! Which is why I have to create- write, color, knit, sew, paint, or photograph-in the first place. Just my way of shining some light into the darkness.

Won't you join me? I'll come back and post a link to our photos once I can upload them to flickr. I'd love it if ya'll would share your play day results in the comments too!

Happy playing!

Shauntelle

My Story

Hello there!

My name is Shauntelle and
I'm your blogging hostess this week. I had all these plans to make pretty posts in keeping with the fact I have a blog devoted to interior decorating, but my network disagreed with me and decided to break down. So my posts are coming from my Blackberry instead...

I know we just met, but may I ask a favor? Imagine I've just greeted you with a big plate of goodies, ok? Brownies, baby cheesecake, and these great tarts I bought at Trader Joe's. And there's homemade lemonade and sweet tea. All for you, so help yourselves, alright? :)

I love to feed people! If I didn't blog about decorating, I'd blog about food. But there are so many good food blogs out there already...that's why I started A Beautiful Abode. See until a couple of years ago, I wanted a pretty home but I thought I couldn't make that dream a reality until we had more money.

So I was trying to make due with hand-me-downs that were so awful, the junkman didn't want them! My living room looked like the landfill threw up. And it made me so depressed! Especially after I turned 30.

One day I had an epiphany- as a one income family of five, our income was always gonna be stretched tight. If I wanted to have an attractive home that I felt good about I'd have to get creative. And that's what I did!

My home has come along way since then and I'm really proud of myself. Along the way, I've developed a passion for design- especially budget decorating. I believe that feeling good about your environment positively influences your life and I began A Beautiful Abode to share inspiration, tips, projects, and resources with others who might be longing for a beautiful home but think they can't achieve it because of their tight budgets.

Beautiful is only three months old, but I get so much satisfaction from the great response it's received-over 10,000 visitors as of last week! If you're interested in design I hope you'll stop by sometime...

'Til next time!

Shauntelle

Connecting our Community

Don't you just LOVE justBeConnected's new  banner by made by Hanna!?!

I DO!

I was very excited when the VERY talented author and artist Hanna Anderson emailed me her creation after I wrote about wanting a new banner for justBeConnected.

Thank you Hanna!

Have you seen this article on Etsy? I posted about it on my blog the other day. I am kind of surprised more Etsians have not gotten behind this project started by the Crafty Chica.

All you have to do is pledge that you you will donate the proceeds from the sale of your designated item to idol gives back ~ all the money you donate will go to charity.

Here is my contribution

"Again" available Here.

More contributions available Here

I would love to see yours!

If you have anything you want to share with your fellow Creative Bloggers please leave a comment here or email me and I will spread the word in a future Sunday; Connecting our Community post.

Email me if you want to be a guest hostess.

Have a wonderful week!

XO, Melba

{If you want to be added to our list of Creative Bloggers email me~ melbamcmullin@comcast.net.}

You have a voice we want to hear at justBeConnected; Please Share Yourself!

all is well

Hi~  Melba here for my last day of hostessing, but I will be back most Sundays posting about happenings in our Creative Blogger Community.

I am part of a tele group called Circe's Circle*** led by the fabulous co-active coach Jamie Ridler. Each week we give ourselves, with the help of the group, homework. My homework this week was inspired by my Circe's sister Jessie. Recently Jessie posted on her blog about her dream studio space. I know from experience that when we ask the universe for what we want, the universe delivers. Everytime. My homework was to write a wish list for my dream home.

Although we have lived in our home for 7 years we still have not fixed or changed many of the things we thought we would when we bought it. Right now there are some things about our home that are not meeting our needs or my desires, but before we do anything drastic we must first figure out what we do need and desire. I realized after the call that this homework needed to be something I share with my husband. I want us to co-create our ideal home. Sean is not really a "wish list" and "vision board" kind of guy.

and then a chain of events happened that kind of helped, but also put my homework on hold...

About a month ago our power went out. I remember it was a Monday and I was excited that I would have my Circe's Circle call that night. Feeling inspired I decided to hang all my art on the wall of my studio (aka our living room). My children were delighted to help me and were very encouraging. Six hours later when the power finally went back on our television seemed a bit off. The voice would come on and a few minutes later the picture would show up. Eventually the picture disappeared all together. For a few days my husband researched what could be wrong and tried to fix our seven year old television himself. What fun it was moving our 170 pound TV into my studio so he could take it apart!

He couldn't fix it.

I don't really care about the size or kind of television we own, and although my husband doesn't watch much television other than sports, he does care. For about a year Sean has been researching televisions telling me that we would soon need to upgrade to an HDTV. Usually it takes him a long time to make a purchasing decision so I was surprised when he said he wanted to buy a high definition flat screen television he found a great deal on. I encouraged Sean to buy it because he works very hard to support us all rarely spends money on something he really wants. Our Big TV was delivered this week and as Sean had warned me it did not fit into our existing armoire. Now we have to buy or make something to house this new television and it's components.

This open a whole series of discussions...

I am always doing more than one thing at a time, but this week I was suddenly forced to just sit and talk to my husband. Just sit. Not drive and talk or eat and talk or shop and talk (although we did all of those things) We just sat in the family room and then in the living room and talked and day dreamed and it was really wonderful. Eventually we will make a wish list of all we want in our home, but for now our focus is on creating a space for the kids to play, a space to watch TV as a family or with guests, a space just for the kids to watch TV, a space for my studio, a space for the computer, and many spaces for storage...all within the family room and the living room that is separated by a wall and the kitchen. In the next few weeks (I wish it would only take a few days, but I am being realistic here as rooms are difficult to rearrange with two children about) furniture will be moved, things will be given away, stuff will be thrown out, stuff will be purchased or made and needless to say I won't have my homework done by Monday ~ our last Circe's Circle :( ~ but in the end all will be well!

I encourage you to make a wish list for something you want in your life.

Please share here in the comments or on your own blog.

Normally I would go crazy with our house in disarray~ Instead I have been embracing the messiness of life. When I clean and organize I often think about titles of books...the books I would like to read or write.

This week mine would be

What would be the title of the book that would describe your life right now? either one you would want to read or write.

Please share here in the comments or on your own blog.

Hope this weekend is Full of Goodness for You!!!

 

***Jamie is getting ready to lead a new Circe's Circle group. All the information is here. If you have any questions about what the group was like from a participants perspective you can email me. I would be happy to share with you all the details of why I would recommend joining Circe's Circle.***

Blogging Moments

Hi! It is Melba again ~ When I sat down to write this post of "linky love" I kept thinking about the blogging events that have been the biggest catalysts.There have been many "Big Moments" for me. Here are three events/links that I want to share...

What intrigued me the most when I started blogging was the creative challenge blogs ~ specifically Illustration Friday and Self Portrait Tuesday (now called Self Portrait Challenge)

Those two sites not only inspired me to create, but the participants left comments on my posts and encouraged me to leave comments on theirs.

Comments opened a Whole New World to me!

About six months into blogging my Life Transformed when I participated in Leah's Blogging The Artist Way Group. Reading the book was ok, but completing the exercises, readings Leah's posts, and connecting with other Creative Bloggers was what made the experience fantastic. Many of my blogging friendships formed over that group ~ friendships that still continue today. (I tried to find a list of who participated in the original Blogging The Artist Way group but I couldn't ~it has been over 2 years, but if anyone has a link to a list of participants please share it~ thank you!)

I haven't been participating in creative challenges as much as I did in the past. Now I create and write more based on my mood than a prompt. I list my favorite Community Blogs on the sidebar and my personal Links I Love (this moment) page.

I would love for you to share...

What Blogging Moment has had the Greatest Impact on You?

What are your favorite Community Blogs...either as a lurker or participant?

I read my first two months of posts which consisted mostly of SPC and IF contributions.

It took me 3 weeks to show my face for SPC.

September 14, 2005

September 20th, 2005

 

September 28th, 2005

Here are a few of my first contributions to Illustration Friday...

September 4th, 2005

September 12th, 2005

September 17th, 2005

Hi! It is Melba again ~ When I sat down to write this post of "linky love" I kept thinking about the blogging events that have been the biggest catalysts.There have been many "Big Moments" for me. Here are three events/links that I want to share...

What intrigued me the most when I started blogging was the creative challenge blogs ~ specifically Illustration Friday and Self Portrait Tuesday (now called Self Portrait Challenge)

Those two sites not only inspired me to create, but the participants left comments on my posts and encouraged me to leave comments on theirs.

Comments opened a Whole New World to me!

About six months into blogging my Life Transformed when I participated in Leah's Blogging The Artist Way Group. Reading the book was ok, but completing the exercises, readings Leah's posts, and connecting with other Creative Bloggers was what made the experience fantastic. Many of my blogging friendships formed over that group ~ friendships that still continue today. (I tried to find a list of who participated in the original Blogging The Artist Way group but I couldn't ~it has been over 2 years, but if anyone has a link to a list of participants please share it~ thank you!)

I haven't been participating in creative challenges as much as I did in the past. Now I create and write more based on my mood than a prompt. I list my favorite Community Blogs on the sidebar and my personal Links I Love (this moment) page.

I would love for you to share...

What Blogging Moment has had the Greatest Impact on You?

What are your favorite Community Blogs...either as a lurker or participant?

I read my first two months of posts which consisted mostly of SPC and IF contributions.

It took me 3 weeks to show my face for SPC.

September 14, 2005

September 20th, 2005

 

September 28th, 2005

Here are a few of my first contributions to Illustration Friday...

September 4th, 2005

September 12th, 2005

September 17th, 2005