DELICIOUS etc...

Lookie at what I found! A gorgeous new book from Sibella Court, called Etcetera. Its packed with photos and ideas galore. Each more breathtaking than the next. Ill let the pictures do the talking...

This is a tough book to find, since it was just realeased here in the US. Its well worth the hunt. Trust me.

Its All About Choices

Steve Jobs' Commencement Speech from Stanford 2005. Inspiring words...


'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

********

A great speech written from a true American success story. As many of you who know me know....I adore quotes and because I am feeling particularly inspired this evening, here are some inspiring words of wisdom by some very heavy hitters... Perhaps they will awake us to some imspired ideas in this New Year

Curvy is Always Better...

So the other day I was searching for cupboards by Nathan Wierink (like this...)

when I 'fell down the rabbit hole' and discovered works by Vincent Leman, quite by accident. Here are some examples of his 'Alice in Wonderland' style pieces...

You can see more of his work HERE.

MERRY MERRY

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!"...And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. THEN the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "DOESN'T come from a store. Maybe Christmas..perhaps..means a little bit more!"

Merry Merry...Another Image...

Today's Altered Image...

Dont forget to stop by the store via the link below to get your 25% discount- ending in just a few days!

Todays Image...

Absolutely everything in the store is still 25% off. Everything. Just click this link to be brought to the sale.

Shipping is a flat rate of $5 regardless of the amount you purchase (inside the USA).

Here's today's free vintage image...

Free Vintage Image ... and the sale continues ...

I am listing everything in the store at 25% off. Everything. Just click this link to be brought to the sale.

Shipping is a flat rate of $5 regardless of the amount you purchase (inside the USA).

Also, your freebie image is below.

Today's Free Image

Another FrEe professionally retouched antique Christmas image for the 12 days of Christmas..

Snowman Funnies

Thought these would give you a chuckle to start your day!

Day Four Freebie

Here is your free image for today....I hope you like it!

Dont forget to click this link to be brought to the sale-enjoy 25% off absolutely everything!

FREEBIE DAY 3

Dont forget to stop by the shoppe and grab some sale items before they are gone- things are selling fast! Just click this link to be brought to the sale. 25% off absolutely everything!

Here is your free image for today...ENJOY!

A SALE AND A FREEBIE

I am listing everything in the store at 25% off. Everything. Just click this link to be brought to the sale.

I am embarking on a new journey in the New Year and would like to have more room to breathe in my office....Go shopping! Shipping is a flat rate of $5 regardless of the amount you purchase (inside the USA). Also, your freebie image is below. A huge sale and a free image. What could be better?

Here is today's free image....

My Gift to You!

In the spirit of giving (and in the spirit of DESTASH) I have decided to thank each of you for taking a moment to stop by and visit my blog with a daily freebie for the ramainder of the year and the haphazardly thereafter. I will be posting my altered version of a new antique or vintage image each day. These printable images are for your personal use. (These are not to be sold on CD's, collage sheets etc....) If you do use our images on your webpage or in art you sell, please include a link back to our blog, as a courtesy.

Enjoy! Here is your first freebie! Click the image and right click to save. Thanks for stopping by and Happiest holiday wishes!

Remembering Pearl Harbor....68 Years Ago Today

The facts on Pearl Harbor speak for themselves. Over 2,400 people were killed during the attack and eighteen American ships suffered damage.

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor with a force of 423 planes based on three aircraft carriers. The entire fleet of thirty ships went relatively undetected throughout its journey to Hawaii.
The entire attack lasted less than four hours and resulted in the sinking of 21 out of 96 of the ships anchored in the harbor.
Out of nearly 400 fighter planes sitting at airbases on the island 188 were destroyed and another 159 damaged.
An often forgotten fact is that in addition to the aerial bombings six Japanese midget submarines participated in the attack. One was sunk by the USS Ward as it attempted to sneak into the harbor just a few hours BEFORE the aerial attack started.

The Aftermath of the Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbor:
In the four years after the attack all but three of these sunken ships were repaired, refitted, and returned to active duty.
The Japanese had incorrectly assumed that if they could cripple the US Pacific Fleet that the country as a whole would be demoralized and significantly set the country back as they struggled to rebuild. Instead, the attack solidified the emotions of the people and led to the eventual fall of the Japanese Empire.
The United States entered the war as a strong fighting force within just sixty days after the Pearl Harbor bombing, a far cry from the six to eighteen months expected by the Japanese.

A Gift For Oneself...Merry Merry

What a fun find...$5 MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS, Click below to get them before 12/12~ HURRY!!

Country Living

Good Housekeeping

... and more...

***TIP*** Make sure you DO NOT choose the auto renewal option when purchasing as you never know what the rate will be next year! Enjoy...

...Change Is In The Air...

If you are looking for some inexpensive, high quality jewelry making supplies... I have tons of excess supplies that have been quite literally neglected over the past several years.

I have spent the last few years making a little bit of this and a little bit of that...but due to time & space constraints and a newfound clarity...I have very recently decided to streamline my business and focus more on the antique paperie, fine jewelry, and custom graphics aspect of Adored Before. In the coming year you will be seeing many new products (almost all of which will be exclusive to us) and you say goodbye to some old favorites. I have listed several things on clearance both on etsy and ebay. I will sell through them until they are gone.

You can visit my etsy shop
HERE

and my eBay shop
HERE

I hope you will find some good deals on all of the hundreds of supplies I'm getting rid of -most are at or below the price I paid for them and many are now discontinued supplies or hard to find...I will continue to list destash goodies until I can again move freely through my office/workspace.

Change is always difficult but I have to say that I am very excited about the new design of Adored Before. I have had the store since 2002 beginning on ebay, then etsy, many home shows, and eventually evolving into http://www.adoredbefore.com a few years ago. Its taken me that long to decide that while I feel like I can do almost ANYTHING .... I cannot do EVERYTHING. Thus, I am limiting my focus and hopefully you will be as pleased with my vision as I am. Please enjoy these wonderful deals while they last.

Happy Crafting!

Melissa

To Our Troops

Thank you to all of the soldiers who are away from home this season....you are appreciated!

Just a Lil Christmas Fun

Helping Them Fight the Good Fight ~ Breast Cancer Pink Glove Video!

Super fun video made by Saint Vincent's hospital and staff to bring awareness to breast cancer. I love the pink gloves!

Sending pink hugs to everyone who has been touched by this horrible disease!

SAHM Myths...

Stay-at-Home Mommy Myths
November 1, 2009
by Katrina J. Cummins, MEd


It was 5:00pm, which we like to call “happy hour” in our household, and my husband walked in the front door after a long day at work. As he walked through the toy obstacle course, saw the mountain of laundry on the couch, and dirty dishes in the sink he smiled and asked that one question that pushed my mommy button, “What did you do all day?” Smiling, I replied “It must be nice to have a lunch break and get a paycheck for your hard work”. At that time we had a five and a three year old home and I was a stay-at-home-mom.

I had been previously working as a professional and choose to cut and paste my schedule from working full time, down to part time, then to SAHM. I learned to navigate this landscape where there was no set job description, no 9 – 5 schedule, no evaluation, no thirty minute lunch break and no paycheck deposited into our bank account.

Two Camps
Reading and talking to lots of different moms, whether at the park, work or classroom, there seems to be two main camps that mommies hang out in. Either “Stay-at-Home Mommy” camp or “Work-Outside-the-House Mommy” camp.

There seems to be some tension between these two camps with an “us” verses “them” mentality. But as moms we need to be on the same team, camping out together, supporting and encouraging each other because mothering is tough on a good day.

I have camped out in both areas and have found that both have rewards and challenges. Everyone seems to have an opinion about whether a woman should be at home raising children or working outside the home. There seems to be a value judgment placed on those moms who stay at home raising their children.

Myths
Why is it that sometimes when we meet women and find out that they stay at home raising their children, we instantly assume things about them without really knowing them? I remember meeting a mom at a social function and chatting about our lives. I asked her a few questions and she said that she was a teacher. I asked her what school she worked at and found out she hadn’t worked as a teacher in over five years. I’ll never forget how this woman expressed her feeling that she would be accepted and valued more if she worked in a paid job. I have consistently run into different ideas about SAHMs. Some of these thoughts are myths which need to be addressed and openly discussed.

Some common myths about SAHMs suggest that they are:

* uneducated
* throwing away their education
* not really working as they are not in a real paid job
* lucky to be wealthy to stay home
* have the luxury of all this free time
* not using their brains
* unproductive
* not using their gifts or talents
* not able to handle the many pressures that working mom’s encounter.

Integrating Life
Every woman is different and each family has their own unique needs to be addressed. Being a SAHM is tough work and even though they may not pack up their brief case and walk out the front door to go to a paid job, nevertheless it is still work 24/7. From the physical work of cleaning to emotional work of handling the many different emotions of a toddler.

One of the biggest myths is that SAHM are wealthy and have the luxury to stay home. This myth needs to be kicked out of our neighborhoods and challenged. So many SAHM are struggling financially and make personal sacrifices to stay at home. They are skilled at finding a bargain and inexpensive activities, showing a kind of money savvy that should be welcomed in any business board room. SAHMs have to be money savvy working out how they can manage a tight budget so they can continue to be at home.

They use their education in different ways, such as working in their child’s classroom or volunteering in the community. Nowadays many more moms are running their own business from home with a creative schedule. They handle complex schedules from play dates, naps, carpooling to classroom volunteering. Their mommy brain and cell phone is always “on”, giving new meaning to multitasking with an ability to handle the many pressures placed on them.

Interestingly enough, research is finding that many woman are leaving their high paying jobs and careers to be at home with their kids (CBS News, 2004). With the many demands placed on them, SAHMs have very little free time and are highly productive in raising children, the future of our society.

Life is a Journey
Working as a counselor I have found a common thread woven between all of us; none of us are perfect or have perfect kids. We all have struggles along this journey called ‘life’. Maybe your journey is to be a SAHM mom right now. When the journey gets bumpy I encourage you to take time out for yourself. Maybe have coffee with a girlfriend or treat your self to a pedicure. When you are living on your last nerve, remind yourself that your kids are at home for such a short amount of time, pretty soon they will be packing up and walking out your front door to explore their own adventure.

At the end of the day other people’s opinions and judgments really don’t matter. What matters is that what you are doing, you are doing to the best of your ability with a right attitude, finding fulfillment along the way using your gifts and abilities.

Suggested Reading:
Stay at Home Survival Guide (2008)
Melissa Stanton The Mommy Brain (2005), Katherine Ellison

Katrina J. Cummins MEd lives near Portland, Oregon and balances her time between speaking, counseling and working full time as a wife and mother.

New Girl on the Block

My friend has just started her own photography business. She is so talented- you cant help but smile just looking at her images! Go have a peek at her pictures on facebook under 'Jennifer Wolsey Photography'.
We girls have to stick together! xoxo

Thank you, Veterans!

There are still 25 million living veterans... so today is not only a time to be proud of the soldiers who have died fighting for their country, but to also be grateful to those who have served and are still living.
Freedom is never free, thank a veteran today!

I'm a Quitter

Well, its official. It has become apparent to me that I am not cut out for the working world. I quit my day job and am officially making Adored Before my full time business starting in mid-November. Look for many more new and exciting changes coming up very soon! I'm very excited about what the future holds...

Meet the Ladies of the Folies Bergere

I have decided to share some of my coveted antique hand-colored images in the form of digital downloads. I had considered printing them but decided against it for s few reasons... I hate waiting for something I purchased to arrive as much as you do. These will be emailed to you as soon as paypal is received. Also, with the digital edition of these downloads, you are able to use them again & again as opposed to once. I hope you will enjoy these ladies as much as I do. More to come in the very near future!

New Pretties!

I recently added a bunch of new gems and cabochons-just in time for your holiday projects.

You can find them HERE

More Favorite Things...

Its been awhile since I shared my window shopping favorites with you. Here are some of the most beautiful (and reasonably priced) treasures I just adore...Just in time for the holidays!

This Glorious Necklace

This Yummy Neck Warmer

This Posh Little Number for Christmas Eve Dinner

This Beautiful Vintage Fabric

This Delicious Bracelet

ENJOY!

Happy Fall, Y'All

Quotable

Creativity is...seeing something that doesn't exist already. You need to find out how you can bring it into being and that way be a playmate with God.

Girlfriends

Spent a much needed & glorious day with beloved friends today. One of my angel friends bought me a wonderful book by Leann Rimes called What I Cannot Change...there is a song that goes along with it. I think it will resonate with everyone on some level...I highly recommend it. HERE is a link to the book, here are the words to the song...

"What I Cannot Change"

I know what makes me comfortable
I know what makes me tick
And when I need to get my way I know how to pour it on thick
Cream and sugar in my coffee
Right away when I awake
I face the day and pray to God I won't make the same mistakes
Oh the rest is out of my hands

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

I don't know my Father
Or my Mother well enough
Seems like every time we talk we can't get past the little stuff
The pain is self inflicted
I know it's not good for my health
But it's easier to please the world than it is to please myself
Oh the rest is out of my hands

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

Right now I can't care about how everyone else will feel
I have enough hurt of my own to heal

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

I'm BAAAAAAACK!

Apologies for the long blog nap I have taken....
So much has been going on in my life-wont bore you with details. But suffice it to say I will be paring down my inventory as you may have noticed in my shoppe. I am listing items in quantity at below wholesale to make room for some new items and to streamline my lines. I do so hope some of you can take advantage of these deals before they are gone for good!

Please stay in touch with me-I promise not to be gone for quite this long again. You can add me as a friend on facebook and stay up to date that way as well... (link to the left)

I plan to spend the day today adding more wonderful items to the shoppe- so please be sure to check back later! Thanks to you all for your continued support and your patience <3

Memorial Day Thanks

As we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day in honor of America's warriors (and their families) who have sacrificed so much to keep the rest of us safe, please remember...each member of the U.S. military, active or retired, living or dead, deserves our thanks and honor every single day, but particularly on Memorial Day.

The "Memorial" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice:


by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.

by visiting memorials.

by flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.

by flying the 'POW/MIA Flag' as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).

by participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance": at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.

by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our falled dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!