I love Collaborating

Wow, is it really Friday already? Man, the week has flown by and I did not even see it coming! Lots of fun crafty stuff coming your way over the next few days. :) The first one is in the new issue of VivaLaModa magazine. I absolutely love collaborating on this ultra cool indie magazine. It features all handmade items from around the web and I get to do the kids themed articles, which of course I totally dig! This month I featured items with a Valentine's Day theme. I also included a fun tutorial to make a sweet little owl pencil topper.
You can find the owl tutorial on page 20-21. I also put it in a sweet little PDF that you can download here. Oh and I have even more Valentine's crafty goodness coming your way tomorrow! I love the photo I took of Gia...it was completely on a whim. She actually stepped in front of my camera as I was taking finishing shots of the felt. I love candid shots that you get just at the right time...of course, that only happens once in a blue moon. ;)
This was the second shot of the owl up close.
Hope you enjoy. If you decide to make this little guy, I would love for you to share a pic!

Biz Monday - Simple Tool

Ok, so I completely forgot that my kids were home from school today that is why I am a little late in posting this week's Biz Monday. In fact, I am a little behind on everything since this threw me for a bit of a loop since I planned by schedule on Friday. Oh well, I will make it up...no worries!
For this week's post, I thought I would give you something that I use all the time in my business. Notebooks...yes, notebooks, it's that simple. I don't know what I would do without mine. I used my notebook to jot down ideas, keep up with new projects, sketch something if I feel the need, keep notes on phone conversations with clients and so much more. Needless to say, I can go through a notebook pretty quick so I always have a few backups waiting for me. For the beginning of the year, I got a new notebook so I could start fresh. If you have trouble keeping organized then a simple notebook may be exactly the baby step you need in the right direction. I believe that organization is key to running a successful business so grab a notebook and start down the right track for 2010!

The World of Coke

The Baconator was off on Saturday, which is a rarity with his work, so we wanted to take the kids somewhere. We really wanted to go play at Snow Mountain but they were sold out and it was raining so that was a no go. Since Georgia is the home of Coca Cola, they have a little museum type place in Atlanta called The World of Coke. There is a 4D theater experience thing there and some cool history of type things but the best part is getting to taste 64 different soft drinks from around the world. There are some crazy ones out there (both good and bad). My favorite was Smart (apple flavor) from China. We actually tried to see if we could find it in the US because it was that good. The yuckiest one was Beverly from Italy...I personally didn't try it but I took the look on everyone's faces that there was really no point. ;) Xander had to find some water to wash his down because it was that bad. I love all things Italian but they can keep that one. We left right before dinner and since we were really close to IKEA we couldn't help but to stop and grab some swedish meatballs. If you have never eaten at IKEA, I highly recommend it. I know it  sounds really crazy but they have super cheap food that is really good. We walked it off with a trip to the showroom and I actually managed to get out of there without buying a thing! I have to say it was a great family day. :)

The Week in Review

Wow, this week has flown by! There has been so much going on that I just haven't had a chance to get over here and blog about it all. On Wednesday I went to my first acupuncture session and was surprised at how much it didn't hurt...at one point it was even relaxing and I forgot where I was. ;) My second session was on Friday and I am actually starting to feel better. I stopped taking my stomach medication and I haven't been in pain at all. I have two more sessions scheduled so we will see how it goes. The only downside I see so far is the fact that my hands and wrists look like I have been shooting up something awful because I bruise easily. Oh well, I am willing to deal with that until they get used to it because at this point it looks like the pros clearly outweigh the cons.

I have been working hard on clients projects and have a few of them coming to a close. One of my favorite parts in the design process is seeing everything come together on a live site. I will be sharing a few of those shortly. I also sent out the first Moxie Email. I have been working on it through the week but didn't get a chance to send it out until today. I am super excited about being able to offer this freebie to small businesses. If you haven't signed up, I recommend you do so. Oh and speaking of freebies...I have some cute Valentine's Day crafts coming soon! I am actually getting ready to take photos of the process in just a few so hopefully I will be able to post them on Tuesday so you have plenty of time to craft them up in time for VDay.

With the helpful of my creative assistant (aka Xander) I made my first full stop motion video. I decided that I wanted to document my web design process so this is the first of several movies to come. I love the look of stop motion and I plan on applying this to a lot of future projects. :)

Biz Monday - Knowledge is King

With the new year comes new features! Each Monday (now Biz Monday), I will post something helpful pertaining to starting, running or building your small business. There is so much information out there and I really want to focus time on helping small businesses that may not realize the vast amount of knowledge that there is. You may even see me pop up on a video or two. ;)
Working from home can sometimes be less than exciting. It's great that you can work in your pj's and no one cares or you can stop and grab a snack (or the much needed caffeine) any time you feel the need. You have all sorts of freedom, which is sometimes the problem. Have you ever become hum drum with your motivation to get the day started? I have been there in the past and thought I could use a kick in the pants with some accountability. Yes, I realize that I am accountable to my clients with project deadlines and I am usually really good at nailing those down. The thing I have difficulty with is all of the behind the scenes stuff that I should (and really want) to be doing at moxie pear. I am so glad that I found Crissy (from Indie Biz Chicks) and her accountability sessions. We meet on Monday mornings to go over that weeks goals then the next Monday we come back and to see what we have accomplished. It is also in a group setting so you have a bunch of accountability buddies. This runs for 6 weeks but I am seriously thinking about participating in the next one too and keep this something throughout the year. Don't worry if you can't make it to the accountability group because Crissy has all sorts of other classes and services for small businesses. It is so important to focus on ways to build your business, no matter what field you are in. You should always be growing your knowledge and practice of small business.

*Just so you know these are not the same tips as the ones that are in the weekly moxie email so sign up for that and you will have tons of new information for 2010!

Kid Friendly Wallpaper

This wallpaper is meant to be drawn on, colored in fact. This would be a great wall finishing for a kids room. I am thinking about doing a wall in Gia's room with this. I know she would love it. It's made by nineteenseventythree and you can purchase it at their online shop.