Cloverdew Creative

For me, last year was all about gratitude. Without choosing the word specifically, I had a connection with it from the beginning of the year. I started each day with a morning ritual and took on a “less is more” attitude about social media and life in general. I wrote myself a love letter, reminding myself to be grateful for everything around me. I wrote often about things I love and that make me happy. I cleaned up and out and was more grateful for the fewer things I had. I worked at it and eventually, it became habit. Gratitude was abundant.

In 2010, I chose three words as themes for the year: Learn, Create, Invest. This year, I am revisiting the idea of putting all my energy into three aspects of my life. This year, my three words are: Create, Celebrate, Simplify.

Create

• Goal word: CREATE
• Path 1 to the goal: write and continue personal blog
• Path 2 to the goal: scrapbook
• Path 3 to the goal: finish family cookbook and continue cooking blog
• Distractions: time management, lack of patience
• Steps to the path: blog at least once a week, finish a novel; build a scrapbook from scratch; collect and organize recipes for cookbook
• The finish line: write “The End.”, have sections of the cookbook mapped out
• What’s next: edit the novel, put together and edit cookbook in InDesign, continue blogging with new features and fresh ideas, move on to photography and other media

Celebrate

• Goal word: CELEBRATE
• Path 1 to the goal: celebrate with friends
• Path 2 to the goal: celebrate with family
• Path 3 to the goal: celebrate myself
• Distractions: money, time management, other priorities
• Steps to the path: remind myself that each day there is something to celebrate; rejoice in small victories; take every opportunity to socialize, treat myself, and appreciate others; in short, Celebrate Everything!
• The finish line: feeling great about myself and the world around me
• What’s next: Celebrate more!

Simplify

• Goal word: SIMPLIFY
• Path 1 to the goal: simplify self-care
• Path 2 to the goal: simplify my space at home and at work
• Path 3 to the goal: simplify online presence
• Distractions: work and home responsibilities, time restraints, lack of motivation
• Steps to the path: eat well (no nitrates, chemicals, preservatives, or hormones, eating a balanced diet, eating often but not lots at once); exercise (walking, biking, and getting out more); clean and organize often; get rid of clutter and unnecessary items; donate to charity; cut down on the number of social networks I’m involved in; step away from technology more often; take great care of myself, including a nightly and weekly beauty routine
• The finish line: feeling mentally and physically healthy, a clean and organized living space and working space
• What’s next: Keep it up!

Image credits: create – IHeart Organizing; celebrate – That Kind of Woman; simplify – The Container Store

Love A La Carte features all the little things that make my life just a little more delicious.

the smell of LUSH stores, particularly of their bath bombs – ahhhhh ♥ free cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes (follow their Twitter feed for the secret word of the day) ♥ ♥ crumpets ♥ PsychologyToday asks and answers: Who Is Creative? ♥ Dana Tanamachi’s stunning chalk doodle cover of Oprah’s O magazine ♥ my friend Karen’s blog - she writes about life, love, friendship, and navigating today’s world with such eloquence ♥ Emergency Puppy! ♥ No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom – after 17 years, it’s still one of my favorite albums ♥ the image above from purple buddha project ♥ Bonobo ♥ hanging out in Barnes & Noble and finding all kinds of books for my to-read list ♥ terrible diner food and great company ♥ being asked to help out a friend from Germany who is writing a dissertation in English (about the assessment of aesthetic appreciation for different types of visual art) ♥ e-mails from my mom “just because” ♥

design by Fifi du Vie

Eat Like an Artist in 2012 ♥ my new Wonderland playlist on Spotify ♥ iCal ♥ the above image from Fifi du Vie ♥ Being Erica ♥ Jay Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne ♥ Move and the world will get the fuck out of your way. – <3 Hey Amber Rae ♥ Pinterest ♥ This post about a true adventurer and his 365 photography project (make sure to watch the fascinating and moving video). ♥ the complete works of Shakespeare free for iOS ♥ Shit DC Says ♥ letterpress business cards ♥ John Legend’s cover of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep (can you imagine if they collaborated? OMG.) ♥ Adobe Bridge ♥ mimosas ♥ President Obama singing Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together ♥

What adventures are you up to? I’m brainstorming my own for 2012…

Shiny New Year love list:

origin: unknown (Is this yours? Let me know so I can credit you.)

Pantone and Sephora teaming up for a new beauty line!  ♥ SARK at TEDxFiDiWomen ”Succulence is Powerful” (YouTube video) ♥ friends who are always there no matter how many miles or days come between you ♥ Inbox: 1 (as close to zero as I can get realistically) ♥ teaching my mom how to use Flipboard and getting links from her as a result ♥ Janelle Monae ♥ handmade quilts ♥ warm and fuzzy sweaters ♥ The Definitive Color Wheel ♥ these 30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself ♥ light and fluffy snow falling ♥ laughing with my coworkers ♥ my brand new Nook (thanks, bro!) ♥ my new nightstand and lamp from IKEA ♥ starting the New Year off with a fantastic brunch shared with good friends in my new home ♥ having less than an hour commute ♥ using traveling as an excuse to buy my favorite magazines ♥ Rihanna’s You Da One ♥ reading through my old blog entries ♥ President Barack Obama sings Lady Gaga’s Born This Way (YouTube video) ♥ LUSH’s Stimulating Spice Shampoo ♥ Twelve Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creative Thinking (great article on creative thought processes) ♥ some wonderful inspiration from Louise Hay on how to love yourself and why you should start NOW! ♥ research and creative projects ♥ Hyperbole and a Half’s alot (must read: hilarious, especially for grammar nerds like me!) ♥ the fact that it’s Friday ♥ a Lord of the Rings (extended editions, of course) movie marathon with good friends ♥ my new Tumblr theme ♥

The Alot is Better Than You at Everything (image source: Hyperbole and a Half)

What are you loving right now?

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude and I am full of it. I am so grateful for where I am in my life right now and for all the little things that help me get through each day. Following are lots of awesome things that make my days just a little brighter.

♥ Iron Horse ♥ peppermint mochas ♥ gchat ♥ a 5k day ♥ being nicknamed “Daria” by my coworkers ♥ Christmas music & movies (I must be in the spirit of the season already!) ♥ ♥ ♥ Thanksgiving right around the corner (my favorite holiday) ♥ homemade banana bread brought in by a coworker ♥ NaNoWriMo pep talks from published authors ♥ these Pantone Christmas tree ornaments ♥ Bing Crosby’s voice ♥ being grateful for pretty much everything (a place to live, good friends, family, a great church, enough food on the table) ♥ participating in an awesome spiritual swap community ♥ giving back ♥ getting a hand-written letter from my sweetheart who has been in basic training for the last 4 weeks ♥ getting out early on the day before Thanksgiving ♥ Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green Tea (which tastes like the holidays in a cup) ♥

*image credit: lennie hanazawa

No, I’m not talking about a run or a walk, but rather a word sprint. I spent most of my weekend writing. I sat with a computer on my lap and typed. And typed. And typed. When I got stuck, I skipped ahead in the story. I brainstormed with friends. I typed some more. Before I knew it an hour had passed. I had word wars with other writers (who can type the most words in 15 minutes? 30 minutes?) and took my characters from Greece to Italy. I gave my main character a reason to be pissed. And heartbroken. And by the end of all that, by the end of the day on Sunday, I had written over 7,000 words this weekend and over 5,000 words in one day. It felt phenomenal. And I felt totally exhausted. It was totally worth it. I had one of the best days in recent memory, holed up in my room, drinking a peppermint mocha, with no one but my characters and a few online friends for company. And it was heavenly.

If you ask me why I like to write, I’ll tell you: writing is therapy. There is a lot going on in my personal life and the best way to deal with reality is to use writing as an outlet, whether it be journaling or writing fiction, poetry or prose. You are what you read (or write) and an experience like this changes you. Writing helps to work out thoughts and figure out answers; it heals heartbreak; it builds character. Much like exercise, writing helps stretch you, challenge you. And at the end of the day, you come out stronger. You feel more yourself because of what you have put into your writing.

*image credit: Annie Rosse

NaNoWriMo is a wonderful adventure. And it sucks. It’s a fantastic writing exercise and a terrible thing for my social life. During the month of November, I tend to drink way too much caffeine, get way too little sleep, hide away from my friends (unless, of course, they are also writing for NaNoWriMo and we end up at Write-Ins together). I spend too much money on coffee and on food, eat too much junk, and neglect to get dressed on Saturday until I’ve finished my word count for the day.

I carry a flash drive with me everywhere, am constantly looking at my word count and refreshing my score on the NaNoWriMo boards, and I compulsively save after each paragraph. When I come to a stopping point, I save the draft on my flash drive, on Dropbox, on my computer’s hard drive and back-up drive, and e-mail it to myself via Gmail.

But, aside from the eccentricities, NaNoWriMo makes me grow as a person. I had no idea I was capable of writing this many words this fast. I’m actually on par with where I should be at this part of the month, something that’s never happened before. It’s quite an empowering experience to be able to come up with an entire story with just a few prompts and your own imagination.

This story has already taken twists and turns I didn’t expect and I’m sure there are more to come. It’s really a beautiful thing to acquaint yourself with characters and just let them talk to you. Here’s hoping mine keep talking!

*image credit: andy teo

Athena could not be fooled by her father, however. She stood tall and, as she had done many times before, swore to herself that she would never let a man be her undoing. She was not as weak as Hera. In fact, she was stronger, cleverer, and faster than any god, and more dangerous.

She did not need sex to feel powerful and she did not need love to get respect. She was admired and revered and worshipped far and wide and all she needed she got from her followers. Her wrath was her glory and her wit was her guide. Her wisdom made her a force to be reckoned with. Athena did not need the love of one man to make her happy; she had multitudes of worshippers who made her swell with pride.

Making her way around to the fountain, Athena filled her cup and drank to Dionysus as she passed. Everything seemed to be going rather swimmingly, especially for a party honoring Dionysus, but that did not last long. Although, the disruption wasn’t quite what Athena expected.

It was not a complete surprise when the Fates showed up, but when they climbed atop the table, Athena knew something was off. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos spoke with one voice that boomed over all of Mount Olympus.

“We are the Fates, the ones who hold your future in our hands. We spun the thread of life on our spindle, we measured the thread of life, and we cut the thread of life, which determines the outcome of all souls.

We are here tonight to inform you of your own destinies.

Because you have abused your power, playing with the lives of mortals for your own gain and entertainment, it is decided that you will suffer the consequences. You will be sentenced to life as humans. You will be given life, you will live life, and you will die. And then you will be given life again. You will live out the rest of your days in the form of those you sought to control for your own amusement.”

A list of gratitude and wonder:

♥ having breakfast with three beautiful deer, grazing in the morning sunlight ♥ opportunities to interview with interesting organizations ♥ Lark Rise to Candleford (who doesn’t love a period drama?) ♥ testing out fun recipes from foodie blogs ♥ picking apples and making homemade apple butter ♥ good friends who rescue you from going stir-crazy ♥ ending the evening with a phone call from my sweetheart ♥ being able to do something nice for someone else just to put a smile on his/her face ♥ pumpkin spice lattes ♥ fall temperatures and being able to wear sweaters ♥ putting together a playlist on Spotify for the express purpose of writing ♥ spending a full day outside with good friends at the Renaissance Festival, wearing pretty garb, watching a production of Hamlet, and enjoying music ♥ LUSH’s Dream Cream (with every essential oil good for your skin in one lotion… it’s decadent and scrumptious) ♥ Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s autumn scents (Pumpkin Latte, Sugar Skull, Samhain, etc.) ♥ leaves turning many colors, falling, and crunching under my feet ♥ It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! ♥ homemade cheddar, shallot, and chive scones and broccoli cheese soup ♥ the start of NaNoWriMo ♥ Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups ♥ having a job ♥ making holiday plans ♥ all of the fall colors ♥ pedicures ♥ drinking wine and socializing with some great people ♥ firing up the fireplace to keep the house warm ♥

*image credit: jek in the box

It’s almost time for NaNoWriMo and I actually have an idea of what I’m going to write this year. I’m very excited to say that I’m going to be writing a young adult chick lit adventure novel. The premise is this:

When the Fates decide the Olympians have been abusing their power, they condemn them to live as humans. With each life, the gods and goddesses have a fresh chance to learn their lessons. When they finally learn how to use their strengths and control their weaknesses, they will be free to return to Mount Olympus. Headstrong and calculating Athena does so by falling in love, learning to live in the moment, and deciding maybe living as a human isn’t so bad after all.

So, what happens when she’s finally learned her lesson? I’m not quite sure and I can’t wait to find out.

Here are just some of the things that are making my life a very sweet bowl of cherries:

♥ VLC ♥ Imelda May‘s new album, Mayhem ♥ new lenses for my glasses ♥ lynda.com ♥ my new 10-pound weights ♥ a clean and clutter-free desk ♥ homemade simple syrup for my iced coffee ♥ (free) Goodies from FontFont ♥ Nubby Twiglet’s Organization Methods: Tips and Tricks from a Virgo or How To Organize ALL THE THINGS (as a Virgo who would LOVE to be this organized, I had to recommend it!) ♥ Kate Spade’s simple, fun, and colorful Wedding Belles collection ♥ downloading albums from bandcamp ♥ actual cherries ♥ music reviews in BUST magazine ♥ road trips ♥ Ben & Jerry’s Red Velvet Cake ice cream ♥ Operation Sparkle Wedding which will support two great friends in having a legal fairy tale wedding in upstate New York through purchases of wonderful, magical items like Glamourkins, stories, and beautiful decorative wearable fabric flowers ♥ the Body Shop’s Strawberry Body Butter ♥ looking through old journals ♥ cupcakes ♥ the kindness of friends and strangers alike ♥ listening to old mix CDs and rediscovering who I was at different points in my life ♥ hugs ♥ Trader Joe’s ♥ driving the back roads of Virginia ♥ Wunderlist app for iPhone and the idea from a friend of taking a screen shot of my to do list and using it as my screensaver ♥ great interviews ♥ new possibilities on the horizon ♥ being told that my creativity is one of my best virtues and that I have excellent writing skills ♥ PG Tips with sugar and cream ♥ opening all the windows in the house ♥ being blessed by a family of deer in the back yard ♥ feeling like I’m in just the right place ♥ being visited by friends from faraway places in my dreams ♥ the smell of autumn in the air ♥ cards by Papyrus ♥ receiving handwritten letters ♥

What’s in your bowl of cherries?

Things I am loving right now:

♥ homemade sourdough pancakes ♥ writing over 1000 words of fiction in the novel I’ve had major writer’s block on ♥ spending the morning at the beach ♥ Red Sox on the radio ♥ Bon Appetit’s Summer Cooking Manifesto ♥ my brother’s newly-announced engagement to a lovely girl from Indonesia (where my brother is currently living and working) ♥ chocolate ice cream ♥ $3.00 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon that actually taste great ♥ cold-brewed iced coffee ♥ really hearty belly laughs ♥ talking forever on the phone with good friends ♥ fandom collisions ♥ Robot Pony (an enchanting short story) from Madeline Claire Franklin ♥ dreaming of old friends and faraway places ♥ the Bedford Diaries ♥ Spotify ♥ homemade popcorn ♥ Boyce Avenue’s cover of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep ♥ anything cold to battle the heat of the summer ♥ starting a new blog with my mom about our adventures cooking our way through our family (and friends) cookbook – Stories: Savory and Sweet ♥ New England Coffee’s Blueberry Cobbler coffee (best iced!) ♥ rewatching Grey’s Anatomy S2 and the soundtrack to it ♥ rain ♥ Hair Raizers Salon ♥ being able to support my friends by buying their books on Smashwords ♥ a dog in my lap while I surf the web ♥

What are you loving right now?