Sublime paintings and prints from Clare Elsaesser of Tastes Orangey. Clare is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her paintings have a real serene quality to them and by keeping the background vague, the viewer is able to focus on the subject in the foreground. This piece, Leaving Oregon, is my absolute favorite.
say yes to hoboken is a new blog to me but it was love at first site. the layout is clean, modern, and lovely. the writing is warming and inviting. the resources are many.
and the balance between life, family, design, and craft is just luscious.
liz stanley, the editor, writes about her family, including son hank, cooking, handmade goodies, and design. she has a fabulous section of diy projects and tutorials, some her own and many gathered from around the web. i’m quite convinced a little fairy must whisper in her ear where the most fabulous projects are.
so – liz, why do you blog?
I love blogging. It’s such a fun and creative outlet for me. Although it is a source of a little income for me, it’s mostly just for fun and I really look forward to the time I set aside for blogging everyday. It’s always hard to tear myself away from it. Plus I’ve met some great people through blogging and love that comradery between fellow bloggers.
and how has blogging influenced the way you create?
It’s given me an incredible source of creative inspiration. There is so much wonderful inspiration found on the internet and I love spending time sorting through it and sharing it with others. The blogging community is so willing to share their ideas, their process and their sources. It’s such an unbelievable resource for inspiration.
click on thru to say yes to hoboken and see what i mean!
all images borrowed from say yes to hoboken
i am soooooo excited to tell you about a new program here at scoutie girl! as part of scoutie girl’s mission to support & extend the creative community on the internet, i am launching a “blogger in residence” program.
for a two week time period, i’ll be inviting an emerging blogger to come and bring a bit of their unique perspective to scoutie girl. they’ll experience a bit of the community that we have here while gaining valuable exposure for their own endeavors. each blogger in residence will post 4 times and, in exchange, i’m offering an hour of virtual brainstorming with me. if you’d like more information on getting involved as a blogger in residence, please email me!
i’m also happy to introduce our first blogger in residence: evelyn reeve of oh my word! evelyn is passionate about all things beautiful and handmade. she says, “I believe that objects have the ability to tell stories, but sometimes they just need the right storyteller.” while she’s growing her blog, she’s also developing an online boutique called “hello magpie.” here’s how she describes her boutique:
“It is up to each of us to make socially- and ecologically-responsible purchasing decisions.
At Hello Magpie, we try to make it a little easier by offering quality, creative gifts + goods made of natural, organic, handmade, recycled, upcycled, biodegradable +/or vintage materials. As often as possible, we source things made in the U.S.A. and all of our packaging is 100% recycled or biodegradable.
love!
evelyn’s first post here will be up tomorrow but, for now, stop over to oh my word! and say hi.
wolf and willow is a fabulous blog and shop for children’s goodies. the blog features designer nancy’s crafting passions and the adult inspiration behind everything she does (think: twiggy, vintage treasures, and runway shows). the shop features beautiful boutique children’s clothing & accessories. so sweet.
thanks so much for sponsoring scoutie girl, nancy!
believe it or now, march ad spots are almost sold out, for more information click here.
last week, i had the ridiculously difficult job of narrowing a list of 70+ nominations into a short list of 10 blogs for readers to vote on. how do you judge a blog? pick favorites out a list of blogs you’re not familiar with?
woah…
so i whittled it down and found 10 blogs that i felt represented the handmade community well. they were beautiful, inspiring, and full of personality. they inspired you to create more – no matter what your medium is. later today, you’ll be able to see my list and begin voting for your favorites. vote now! throughout this week, i’ll be highlighting each of these fantastic blogs here on scoutie girl.
you’ll also be hearing from others about why they blog and how blogging has influenced the way they think & create.
i’ve also got a super cool related announcement coming later today!
so to kick things off, i think i’ll tell you why i blog and how it affects my life. i blog to keep my sanity – and to lose it. i blog to build relationships and to advocate for beauty, quality, and a return to viable economy. i also blog because it’s fun, because i can express myself, and because, honestly, i allows me to earn a living doing what i love.
i started blogging in college on xanga (above). remember xanga? i blogged under the name “bonhoefferchk” – coincidentally, that was also my name at match.com! dietrich bonhoeffer, a theologian from the 1930s – a pacifist who was part of an attempt to murder hitler, was my idol my senior year. back then, i blogged a lot about religion, a lack thereof, politics, and consumerism. yeah, i was that kind of kid. still am 
now, i hope, my writing is much more measured. balanced. i hope i inform & persuade through example and not by ramming it down your throat.
thank you for giving me this platform – and for helping my platform grow.
enjoy this week celebrating creative blogging!
