Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of the creative effort.
We should consider every day lost, on which we have not danced at least once.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
It is so crazy to think that March is already past us. This year has flown by already. It’s been a rather interesting year for the Masanotti household. A few wonderful celebrations so far, some beautiful reconnections and a hopeful season of waiting are just a few of the things filling our lives in 2012. March was National Craft Month and well, like many things in my life the past few weeks, I never got around to finishing/publishing this post until now…April 1.
We can still celebrate crafting in April, right?! I think so. I have the wonderful gift of being surrounded by some truly spectacular artists in Charlotte, NC, and surrounding cities. Seriously, there are pockets of friends and people in this small(ish) city that so reek with amazing creativity and talent, it almost seems unfair to the rest of the world to hoard all the goodies here in Charlotte, North Carolina. I must admit, more times than not, I shamefully allow my self-consciousness to leave me feeling inadequate and not quite talented or cool enough to interact with most of these folks like I want.
Right now I am in the middle of coaching my fourth Girls on the Run season. This week, I found myself teaching the girls about being unique…celebrating each others’ unique qualities. I caught myself pleading with these third-, fourth- and fifth-grade girls to not compare themselves because we were all “fearfully and wonderfully made” to be the people we are/supposed to be. As I was saying these things, the words felt bitter to my lips…not because they were wrong, but because it is and has always been a struggle for me not to compare myself to other women…to not let that comparison-game render me helpless, unable to move or be creative like I know I can and should, due to the weight of my inadequacy and self-consciousness.
I’ve been following Molly Barker’s Naked Face Project over the last 60 days and the revelations she had were so, so meaningful to me. If you’re not familiar with the project, Molly and a girl named Caitlyn, embarked on this journey to not wear makeup, etc., for 60 days. Visit The Naked Face Project to see their journey. In conclusion to the project, Molly realized that her negative self-talk, combined with our culture of “keeping up with appearances” from a young age, had made her feel less than, had robbed her of true joy. For me, the physical comparisons creep in from time to time, but more than that, the comparison of creativity has really robbed me from being to creative soul I was designed to be. There’s no denying God gave me a talent and sense of creativity…well, I say there’s no denying it…but I find myself denying it and in doing so, I am my biggest obstacle…my own source of un-motivation.
I’m working through it…just as I asked my girls to work through it last week. That may read pretty deep, but it’s what is on my heart.
In honor of National Craft Month, I wanted to highlight some of these amazingly talented folks around me and hope that you will visit each of their spaces and delight in their creativity as I do. I’m also posting a link to my Etsy shop, because well…I’m insanely self-conscious about promoting my craft, but I think my little invitations are not that bad and I’m not going to let me “inside voices” keep me from “celebrating the joyful, beautiful and enduring” in my own self.
Happy April. Enjoy!
via The Lightnest Etsy Shop
The Lightnest on Etsy
by the stunningly beautiful Paige {Beasley} Maitland
{of who I had a blessed RE-encounter with a few weeks ago }
via Naptime Diaries on Etsy
Naptime Diaries
by one of the most faithful women I know
Jessi Connolly
via Plumcake Goodsie Shop
Plumcake {a collection of vintage, fashion & more}
from one of the most fashionable, hip, SOULFUL:) women I’ve ever met
Anna Hollingsworth
(side note: she also is a FABULOUSLY talented photographer)
via Sarah Dawn Helser, painter
Sarah Helser is THE best PAINTER I’ve ever known {in person}.
Her work always calls out to feelings inside me, hidden in the depths of my soul…and it is a beautiful experience…every time.
Here is her blog where she also showcases her ridiculous talent for writing.
If you are in or around Charlotte, be sure to stop by the Renee George Gallery to see some of Sarah’s latest pieces
and prepared to be blown away.
via Swoon Bijoux
Swoon Bijoux by Kim Vinton Dean
{some of the most gorgeous, handmade jewelry from one of the most gorgeous people I know}
via Uglyspots Studio on Etsy
and mine…
I design invitations and sell them on Etsy
I have a few designs in the shop but also do custom work, just ask.
There.
I did it.
…and after erasing that last picture/post 5 times, I decided I better keep it up.
Monday, March 5 marked an amazing beginning of an online movement. A movement of awareness…a movement of knowledge…a movement with a call to action…to know and make known.
THIS THING SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE.
In just a matter of days, Invisible Children‘s video Kony 2012 (with over 15 million views!) hit Twitter and Facebook, trending like no other.
Invisible Children came to the school I work at last year to promote their Schools for Schools program. Hearing the stories from those affected IN PERSON changed me…changed some of our students and started a movement in itself. Now with the #StopKony2012 on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks has been met with its share of criticism. But what great movements aren’t.
I’m not saying you have to be a fan of Invisible Children, but I do say that to be a part of a movement (good or bad) it’s better to be educated, knowing the facts and NOT just following blindly. This movement calls for action…it sheds light on the atrocities (of today and the last 20 years) of Joseph Kony. It calls for his arrest. It calls for justice. It does NOT call for “white” to save Africa. It does NOT call for bombs and war. It does NOT call for a blind following. It calls for action. It calls for knowledge. It calls for you to look outside your life “bubble” and move for what’s right.
Don’t ignore or play the cynic. Change does not happen that way.
If you can’t agree on everything, that’s okay…but what we can all agree on is that Joseph Kony and the LRA needs to be stopped.
Here are some great articles I found yesterday in my research:
Stop Kony, yes. But don’t stop asking questions. by Musa Okwonga
The Lord’s Resistance Army. End Game? by Foriegn Affairs
RESOLVE response to Foreign Affairs article
Invisible Children’s Response to the Critics (LOVE THIS!)
It’s on tv, it’s on the news, it’s on blogs, Facebook, Twitter and pretty much every magazine cover for the month of January…New Year = New Year’s Resolutions = Dieting and Exercise for EVERYONE!
Here’s the thing, I’ve never really been one to hop on the dieting train…no, I’m not super skinny nor have I ever been a bajillion pounds, but I’ve always been of the mindset that if you eat SMART, splurging in MODERATION for the sweet stuff every once in awhile, you don’t NEED to diet.
pretty bacon
Being a lover of food, I can’t think of one thing that I would be willing to give up forever. One huge reason why I could never be a vegetarian is because I could NOT give up bacon. That stuff is just legit and don’t you dare suggest I drop it for that turkey bacon substitute {YUCK}. It’s NOT the same and I don’t care who you are or how you “make it”…it’s FULL of sodium and not at ALL like the real stuff. BUT…I’m not going around eating a whole pound {I COULD though…boy, I could} of the good stuff in one sitting either or even everyday…just a couple slices once in awhile…in moderation, people.
via
So I don’t believe in diets…they’re so temporary…like a band-aid over a wound that will just open right back up after it’s removed. Stick to the good stuff, the real stuff {vs. processed} and the sustainable…think organic, local, fair trade and all-natural {really and NOT just the labels…do your research}. Fruit and veggies are KEY! Keep it colorful. If you’re going to eat meat, try to stick to the all-natural farm raised, grass fed whatevers or the wild caught sustainable fishies. Limit your sugars, breads and dairy. Don’t completely cut out, just limit…in moderation.
Pay attention to what certain foods do to your body or how they make you feel after you eat. For women especially, certain foods don’t jive as well during the “lady time” as others. Portion size…good lord, most restaurant meals equal at least 3-4 servings when you should really enjoy only 1 serving of that delicious meal. Don’t worry, no one is making you clean your plate folks…eat what you need to be full.
I mean, if you have that luxury to eat what you need to be full {when SO MANY do not}, be a good steward of that blessing. We can only be in control of our own bodies, so the food we put in those bodies should be helpful…not harmful. Dieting doesn’t work because you’re limiting certain types of foods in order to follow diet rules or meet a calorie restriction…but depriving yourself a balanced meal can result in lack of satisfaction, which is not sustainable…which is why most people don’t stick to said diet.
So for 2012, instead of the usual dieting binge, resolve to eat smart, eat good and be thankful you even have food to eat.
for furniture. I know what you’re probably thinking…weren’t you just whining about all the crap you needed to purge and sell at this yard sale?! Yes. Yes I was.
I don’t need just ANY furniture. I need something special…actually three special pieces…and these three pieces need to provide me which some MAJOR storage function-age.
Our kitchen has one wall of cabinets…9 cabinets and 4 drawers to be exact. That’s not even HALF of the cabinet storage I have now. And it’s a small kitchen…no room for an table or anything…so I am on the search for a super cute kitchen cart/shelf unit. It needs to be somewhat slim, but have a couple drawers and/or cabinets and I’m thinking a cutting board top or something like that?
Here are some I’ve been scoping out:
I guess it doesn’t actually need to be a cart, it could be a slim shelving unit…possibly like these DIY kitchen islands:
Another piece I am on the hunt for is a fun sideboard/buffet for our dining room. We will need the storage space {desperately} for all the fun serve-ware I’ve accumulated over the years that I REFUSE to part with.
I found this beauty at Sleepy Poet today and for only $295, it is on my mind heavily…but I’m still looking:
and I found this one too…it’s a little cheaper but not as fun in color…i LOVE ^ that green!!
Here are some others I found on the web…
_full.jpeg "sideboard")
So if you are out and about, will you help me scope out some gems…I’m not opposed to DIY either…might actually be a fun thing to cove on the blog, so just let me know.
I’ll leave you with this photo from design*sponge. This is my ideal pantry…it reminds me of my friend, Nicole, she has the most organized pantry of anyone I know (and always has FUN snacks in there too!). I will probably have to commission her to come help me organize my stuff once we move:)
Emersonmade on design*sponge
Happy Tuesday!
Good morning! So…we found out yesterday that we officially have RENTERS for our house!! We’ve been unable to sell it so this is the next best thing and even better is that it’s not just some random person, we know the couple and they are super cool! So things just got really crazy, really quickly…we have to be out of our house by the end of June and into something new no later than July 1.
I’m on the search for something amazing in Uptown Charlotte or the immediate surrounding areas. I don’t want to just settle for the ho-hum house or apartment, I want it to have some character and to be in a relatively active/safe neighborhood. With three weeks before we need to be out, I’m hoping that is actually possible though.
So the school I work out gets out next Friday and Jay and I are staying local and low key this summer as far as vacations go. I might be heading to NYC again with Jay in July but with the house craziness now, that probably won’t be possible. So low key and local, here are some fun things in and around Charlotte to do this summer:
LOVE Shakespeare
Shakespeare on The Green (in Uptown)
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm
Sundays at 6:30 pm
Admission is FREE!!
for my fellow Charlotte foodies!
Taste of Charlotte
June 10-12, Admission is FREE
the ole' ball game in fort mill, sc
Go see a Charlotte Knights game! Tickets are CHEAP:)
gallery crawls in NoDa & SouthEnd
Gallery Crawls in NoDa & SouthEnd
NoDa is every First and Third Fridays of the Month
SouthEnd is every First Friday of the Month
free in the past, now a minimal charge
POPS in the Park
Mourning the past of free admission, this year’s POPS concerts are $10/adult (kids are free) which is kinda pricey BUT you can get a pass for $25 for all the concerts (5 in all) and that’s not too shabby…musicians gotta eat too:)
daniel stowe botanical gardens, Image by Patrick Schneider
Garden Nights at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens
Every Thursday, 5-9pm
Enjoy the cool of the summer evening with music and culinary delights offered by Best Impressions Caterers. Free with Garden Admission.
LOVE the jazz, LOVE the art
Jazz at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
First Friday of the Month
Free with Museum Membership OR $8/Adults
FREE Museum Passes, Thanks BoA
I had NO idea this was even going on, but apparently if you have a credit or debit card with Bank of America, you can visit the Mint Museum Uptown, Mint Museum Randolph, Levine Museum of the New South, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and the NASCAR Hall of Fame all FOR FREE on the first full weekend of the month until December 2011!! How sweet is that?!
food truck festival...sign me up!
Chow Down Uptown, a food truck festival
June 2-July 28 (Every Thursday, 5-9pm)
Seventh Street Parking Lot
A Vineyard, in Charlotte's Backyard!
Who knew we had a vineyard practically in our backyard!? In addition to free vineyard tours, they are hosting free music concerts on Saturdays and Sundays through October. Click here for more information!
I think that might be one of my longest posts to date, but there are so many cool things going on in our city (which I used to think was pretty lame…jury is still out) but I hope to do all or most of these this summer…will you join me?!
Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.
~Chinese Proverb
lake lure
Wednesdays are usually rough days for me. Middle of the week, my to-do list is usually not even CLOSE to being done…in fact, most cases, it has grown exponentially in just 3 days.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about stress and how it effects and infiltrates every area of your life. I am usually good about compartmentalizing my life…leaving work at work and drawing boundaries…but stress is one of those things that you can’t keep in a box. Or at least I can’t.
Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.
~Richard Carlson
I thought for today, I would share some ways that I try to DeStress (and it usually begins on Wednesdays)
don't lose yourself to stress!
1: Be Present in the Now
Ground yourself in the day-to-day. Be present in work, in play, in conversation. The worst feeling is when you are driving home from work and you can barely remember what you did or the people you talked to that day…most of the time, it’s because your thinking over, worrying over, stressing over the future…even if it’s the next day. I find that I feel more fulfilled when I am intentional in the moment.
2: Don’t Worry About the Things You Can’t Fix or Change
I know this seems like a no-brainer, but often times, we find ourselves consumed by worry and stress over big deal things that even in our strongest moment we would be unable to change. For instance…personal example…I could try to force the issue of getting pregnant, but even if we tried IVF or adoption or any other method there is STILL a chance it won’t work out…there is absolutely NOTHING I can do to MAKE it happen.
3: Weigh the Fear Factor
I don’t know at what point my outlook on life and people changed, but I have discovered that I have become more and more afraid. Blame it on too many Law & Order or CSI episodes, but in college, I would walk all over Downtown Columbia without the slightest fear and now, even in my own suburbia home, I find myself locking doors, shutting blinds and setting the alarm ALL the time. This one is a daily struggle and major area of stress for me, but like the thought above, I can’t know what is going to happen in the future, so even on my most cautious day, I still may not be able to prevent tragedy. I try to think of probability. To differentiate between fears and reality will help set your mind right and hopefully quench the stress that may consume you.
summer grillin' is a perfect DeStresser
4: Eat and Eat Right
Most of the time, when I find myself stressed, I do one of two things. I either bing eat where you would pull back a nub trying to stop me from buying a whole pack of oreos and eating them OR I forget to eat all together. I really love food. I have a deep appreciation for all things culinary and truly love to eat all kinds of food. So, a way I help myself DeStress is to eat something really good and really healthy. I almost instantly feel better in my mind and in my body. For the love of Pete, do not forget to eat…adding hunger to stress is a BAD combination.
5: Surround Yourself with People You Love…and LAUGH a lot
A tried and true way to DeStress is to surround yourself with your loved ones…sometimes it’s just my husband with his unconditional love for me, sometimes it’s my family who would take a bullet for me and sometimes it requires some major “girl time”. My favorite “girl time” is with my closest friends…meeting at Starbucks, playing hooky for an all-day movie marathon or for an excursion to the Flying Biscuit on an early Saturday morning. When I am most stressed, I just want to be around my friends who make me laugh, challenge my thinking and encourage my heart.
I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday…in the time it has taken me to write this blog post, I am already DeStressed and ready for the day! Hope you are too:)
Happy Monday!
I am truly sorry for taking a week hiatus from the blog, but I think (I hope) you will like some of the changes and the new direction this blog will go. I’ve got a couple ideas in the works and I will explain those more in detail later as I finish them….BUT in an effort to whet your whistle and give you a little glimpse into what’s to come…here are some things I am working on:
>> Travel Tips <<
One of my most FAVORITE things to do is travel. When Jay and I plan on taking a trip, I am a MAD woman when it comes to picking restaurants, finding fun places off the beaten path and scoring major $$ deals along the way. I think either on a weekly basis or bi-weekly basis, I’ll feature a different destination, give basic travel tips, highlight sweet food spots and more. My hope from these posts is that you get inspired, get on the ROAD and take a vacation from the hum-drum of normal life.
>> Cooking Challenge 2.0…Recipes on a WHOLE New Level<<
any excuse to wear a fun apron:)
I really have had a great time trying new recipes for Foodie Fridays. I think for the summer, I am going to up the ante (if you will) and challenge myself (and YOU) a little more. If you’re anything like me, you have a collection…quite a LARGE collection of cookbooks. In the digital age that we live in today, it’s just SO easy to go to GOOGLE to find recipes to make…it actually has become quite a challenge to bring myself to crack open one of those books that I actually PAID for.
So…(I really like elipses obviously) I am going to pick a cookbook (or two) and make ALL the recipes in the book. I have yet to decide which one but it’s looking like either my newest cookbook, “Super Natural Living Every Day” by Heidi Swanson OR the one I’ve been dying to actually use “I Like You. Hospitality Under the Influence” by Amy Sedaris. Either way…I’ve got approximately 60 days or so in my “summer”, so I will try to choose a book that has close to that many recipes.
Whether you feel inspired to do the same thing OR are perfectly happy watching me drive myself a little recipe crazy, please stick around and maybe join me by making some of the recipes I end up featuring.
SHAMEFUL PLEA: And for the love, please leave a comment for goodness sake. It always helps to know folks are “in it to win it” when it comes to reading your blog:)
>> A Book Club <<
I'd do a book club with this hottie...anyday!
Confession: I hate to read.
Okay, maybe “hate” is a little too strong…but for me, I can’t just crack open a random book and get lost…or get anything for that matter. I do read, occasionally, and by occasionally I mean average about 1-2 books A YEAR. (don’t laugh!) Now, I have been known to get sucked into certain book series (which may or may not have dealt with vampires and werewolves) that I manage to read in a matter of DAYS.
All this to say, I want to read more. When I do read a book and I LOVE it, I can get lost in it. I like that feeling. I want to read more, so I am putting together a summer reading list. I don’t want to aim too high, so I might pick 2-3 books for right now to put on said list. “Bossypants” by Tina Fey is definitely on the top of my list so far.
I’ve never actually participated in a book club before, but I would love to try it. So if you want to join me, let’s pick a book and read/review/discuss here on the blog. {again, this would require you to leave a comment…just sayin:) }
___________________________
So those are the three areas of focus this summer for Uglyspots. I really hope you will join me by participating in one or all three areas. I’m no “mommy blog” so I don’t have a “top this” or “top that” community to get votes or meet new web-friends, but I would definitely appreciate you passing Uglyspots along and recommending to your friends…or if you want to be super nice, even linking to Uglyspots or putting our button on your blog. Thanks again and stay tuned for fun times ahead…
Happy Saturday!! I am taking a wee break from my hiatus (got some really cool ideas brewing…so please stay tuned!!) to try to win this iPad 2 from Design For Mankind and I get 10…yes 1-0 more entries for posting this:
I’m posting this to enter a contest offered by MeridaHome at Design For Mankind! I want to win the iPad 2! (and I love Erin’s shoes!)
I mean, duh!! Gimme ‘dat iPad 2:)
Happy Monday to you! I am currently recovering from my NYC trip…always cramming so much fun and WALKING into one weekend leaves your body sore and achy, but I really had an amazing time with my friends. One of the highlights was getting to see the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibit at the Met…so stunning!
I hope to post a trip recap soon, but in the meantime, I working on a couple new things for the blog and will take a little hiatus. I don’t think I’ll be gone longer than a week, but I will try to work fast and get back to regularly posting. I’ll be back soon, hopefully you will be too:)
Seriously…It’s all I can think about this week! Tomorrow morning I will be en route, with my Kristin, to NYC to visit Marie!!
sweet (and gorgeous!) marie, our host:)
Like I mentioned yesterday, I have managed to make this trip to New York an annual tradition and Lord willing, I can keep it up for years and years to come. Each time I go to NY, I meet Marie with a laundry list of things to do, places to visit and must-eat restaurant spots. This time will be a little different, I’ve seen all the touristy stuff…this time, I really just want to go and enjoy the city for the not-so-touristy things it has to offer!
shepard fairey on Houston
I really am leaving a lot of the trip up to what my friends want to do and see and I know Marie has a couple placees she wants us to eat at, so I am looking forward to relaxing and really taking in some sweet time with my old friends. Girl time really is one of my favorite things in this entire world and these two ladies are super special to me. These are those kind of friends that you don’t see or talk to “too” often but when you do get together, it’s like you just saw them yesterday – ya know?!
love babycakes cupcake tops!
SIDE NOTE/shoutout: These ladies and I have traveled together before…to LONDON and PARIS back in college. My cousin, Allison, and he wonderful husband, Lee, hosted us…and by hosted I mean, rented a car and drove us all over the country…booked our hotels and so much more…they were PERFECT hosts and it was an amazing trip. We will HAVE to do that again one day:)
fully expect to have NY feet again...
Okay…back to NYC and my non-list of things to do, etc…well if you know me, you know that I CAN’T go without some kind of list…I know, I’m ridiculous…but come on…so I am off to make my list and get ready for the trip – if you have any suggestions to add to my list – leave a comment…
Until then, I leave you until Monday:) Have a great weekend and if you’re in NYC, maybe I’ll bump into you!! Cross your fingers I can find a way to get to NSS 2011 before I head back home!
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