St. Louis Photographer » A Journal by Holly McCaig

I actually LOVE them…really. I think it’s because all the build up of creative ideas and flow from the weekend can usually come to fruition because it’s more or less my real work/alone time during the week. Yeah – I have REAL work to do this week, but am excited about creative possibilities coming soon. For real.

So, you like this blog look? It’s from Smashing and I don’t care for the background and blue color…thinking I may have to edit it to fit “me” better. Means smaller images – so all my old ones will be hanging off the pages when you go back through the archive.

Here’s a scrapbook layout I did of pictures I took of Daisy last week. My pieces from this layout at Inspiration Lane are: The Apothecary Label, Vintage Label, and Vintage Alphabet. Other items from Weeds & Wildflowers, Cat Scraps and Lily-Pad.

I’m sure those that don’t work from home shout that when they leave for the day on Mondays. But, I have never welcomed a new week so much. I figure, change it around – be positive. The crap that landed on my feet last week is well on its way to working out. They are still transferring our massive amounts of files and we’ll back before you know it.

The private emails I’ve gotten of encouragement make me feel so much better. It’s a challenge to NOT let the bad ones bring you down, but I think that’s human nature. Something I struggle with a lot.

Anyhoo – a NEW day, here goes!

Just four work days for me. In fact, I’m sure Thursday will be short too. We’re getting up bright and early Friday morning and driving to Omaha, Nebraska. For a family wedding. No, I’m not the photographer. I’ve thought long and hard about shooting weddings and well, I’m not into that type of stress, so I’m glad NOT to do those. In fact, I keep debating on not taking my camera. I may talk Jake into letting me just use his Point and Shoot. He’s got a pretty sweet Olympus, and I just need to pull the trigger and get one. Will take my laptop – but probably only post via my iPhone. Technology, how the hell can one really escape it?

I’m a little anxious, because on Thursday I have to drop off the dogs at Dr. Pollack’s – Arch Animal Hospital. It’s where they will be kenneled. Egads I’m nervous. This will be their first time in this crated situation since being adopted in December. I have asked that they be crated together – though I’m VERY willing to pay for both. I just want them to both feel comforted by each other. I’m really nervous about them walking Daisy. The dog has Houdini’ed herself from her harness before. But, there I go again worrying and being negative. It can a perfect situation if I just allow it.

We come home on Monday but not sure if I’ll get home in time to pick them up. May have to wait till Tuesday. It’s tough being in your own home and your dogs not being there. It was like the time Merlin had to stay the night both from his surgery and when he passed away at the emergency clinic. Like a serious lonely feeling that something is missing.

Anyway – enough of that.

We’re going to be experiencing some serious heatwaves this week – should be fun to dress in black pants and top with makeup this weekend. Stay cool everyone!

Creativity still abounds. I’ve really been working hard at trying to stay creative and being consistent. Even if they are small things or I work on things a little at a time. It’s tough for me, because I love instant results. I want things done fast. It’s a lack of patience I have. So, not only am I having fun making new things, but I’m growing in that arena of patience too.

Here’s a few projects started over the past week and finished.

I made this for my grandmother’s Christmas present. Everyone gets homemade this year. I’m on a budget and it’s just something I want to get better and doing. The paper and rubon used are from my own designs in the Vintage Moon collection at Pink Paislee. The flowers are Making Memories with some Glossy Accents on them and the drawer set is Maya Road. I also have some Topsiders from Pink Paislee lining the top edges.

Finally, a cute thing I saw Davinie do. And, I finally found the blog with instructions on them through her blog. So, I made some – and I have more in the works! LOL

The paper used is Sasafrass Lass and the Stickers on the front are too. Button is Chatterbox on the front. Ribbon is American Crafts. Other buttons are just part of my huge stash!

You can see that it all represents my new color scheme going on in the office/studio:

Need to hem my curtains – trying to determine the length I want. Need to touch up some paint and then get these decals all finished and stuck down. So much going on in here still.

So, that’s been me, amongst all the worry and stress of our shopping cart going offline at Pink Ink Studios. See how I deal with it all?

Enjoy your Monday!

Last week, I also completed this album and turned it into a mini-album that you can purchase and make as your own. It uses the Cosmo Cricket, Abby’s Album Blackboard.

Those are the Holly Doodle stickers from Pink Paislee – just put some Glossy Accents on top of them to get them shiny!

Some Thickers for the numbers and a few fun flower elements.

Hybrid is so easy to do!

Anyhoo – you can purchase the template here:

Sorry…sometimes things get so crazy and creep up on you that other things get neglected…like the blog.

Yesterday – Thursday, I drove to Columbia to meet up with Rebecca. She is in the KC area so Columbia is halfway between for both of us. Less than 2 hour drive really. It was really great because we’ve nailed down so much that you’ll be seeing in Pink Paislee’s Winter Show release in January. Yay! However, I did have to drive in a horrific rain the entire time back. Not fun! Anyhoo – word is that orders are shipping to the stores now! So, if you’re a retailer that ordered AT CHA, you should be getting your orders soon!

I got up this morning and jumped right on things only to find that the hosting company for our Pink Ink Studios store area didn’t like the load we were using after I sent out a last reminder that our sale ended today. So, they turned it off. And, guess what? They won’t return any contact with me. Such assholes. I’m so not happy. Didn’t turn off the rest of that site, just the store – the poriton that makes us money! My living, my livelihood! Mutha F*ers. I’m really unhappy. So, I’ve had a few drinks, and am juust hoping something gets resolved tomorrow or I guess we’ll just start over and move the site somewhere else. It sucks because we’ll be down for longer because of that. Seriously irritates me.

Lastly, I am honored to be the Guest Designer at a new digital store called Inspiration Lane. I really don’t have time to get back into the digital world, but it is fun from time-to-time to create a few things. This was a great outlet. So, for the month of August, you’ll find a few BRAND NEW, exclusive designs from me over there. Including these:

I made this layout with this kit – and it’s also available as a Quick Page for purchase:

And, I have a new dog kit over there as well:

Here’s a layout for it that I did:

On top of that, I have a few other misc. items for sale there that are new:

I also contributed a few pieces to their Mega Kit that you can get free with purchase. There might be a few more extra things going in there before my Guest Month is up too.

So, thanks to the Inspiration Lane team for inviting me to be their first Guest Designer!

I’m excited…maybe a crafty weekend? Maybe work on putting up my curtains and the wall decor? Hmmm, so many options! Not like I don’t have a few deadlines or anything. I always come through – no sweat eh?

So, I must tell you about this awesome magazine I got in the mail today. I told you a few posts down that I met Becks all the way from England, at CHA right? See my horrific photo after a long day on the floor (yes, as tired as I looked!) here.

Anyway, Becks is the editor of this brand new magazine in the U.K. – and she sent me my very own copy! I am loving it! There are so many awesome things in it and the style is right up my alley. I am hoping it comes to the U.S. – then again, it could be on its way to our local Barnes & Noble and I just don’t know…I’ve begged her already, we’ll see.

The magazine is called, Creativity! Life and you can visit their website here. If you sign up, you can review a portion as a PDF file. Now, if you’re in the U.S. – go bug Becks to get it in the U.S. too!!! TEE HEE