Earlier in the week I spent a few hours hard boiling and coloring two dozen eggs. Instead of decorating the eggs as we usually do — with traditional store-bought coloring packets — I wanted to try my hand at watercolor painting the eggs like this post on Oh Happy Day.

In the morning I made a quick run to our local craft store for some inexpensive watercolors. I scrounged up old paintbrushes we had hidden away, laid some cut open paper bags on the table, and dried off the freshly cooked eggs. At first I had no idea what I was doing, and the colors weren’t blending like I wanted. I’m no Julia Manchik, that’s for sure! But eventually I found a groove of sorts and managed to complete my two dozen. Whew!

My mom sat down with me for a while and worked on a dozen herself. She wasn’t feeling the watercolor technique and eventually made up her own — improvisation for the win! And yes, those messy hands below are the result of my mom’s new egg coloring method, which resulted in a soft, more muted look then my watercolored eggs. Plus, hers took a third of the time to decorate!

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter holiday and enjoy family time if you’re fortunate enough to have it. X

I am an ever changing being, capable of wonderful and unforeseen things.

I think it’s important to set goals for oneself and then put those goals aside to leave room for actually achieving them. However, there comes a point where we begin to forget too much. We hopefully continue to progress further and reach new milestones personally and professionally, yet lose sight of where we started from.

For instance, six years ago pumping gas by myself made me very uncomfortable. But eventually I learned how and the process became second nature. Two years ago I wouldn’t have thought I’d feel capable of driving into the city on my own, but now I am proud to say I can do it and have done it multiple times. These are parts of my history that I make an effort not to slip away. Life is all about stepping stones and building upon what your personal best was and will become. It shouldn’t be about comparison, unless that comparison is encouraging your own journey in a positive and healthy direction. I proudly carry with me my evolution as a driver as a way to remind myself that I am an ever changing being, capable of wonderful and unforeseen things.

So this year why don’t we all take the time to think about what we hope for our future, whether it be 2 months from now, 2 years, or longer still. Personal or professional or both. On pieces of paper, jot down your aspirations and hopes – things unique to only you and your life. But don’t play it safe! I’m challenging you to write down the things you want so badly to happen for yourself but don’t think are possible — the things that you’re scared to ask for out loud. Give them voice on these slips of paper; make them real right here and now. Be specific, making sure to include start and hopeful completion dates and any other pertinent numbers. Now put those goals in a jar marked with phrases like “you can do it” and “be patient and diligent.” Every time you meet one of them, take the paper out of the jar and drop it into a slightly larger jar labeled with phrases like “way to go!” and “so proud of you!” Then take out a fresh slip of paper and right a new and slightly bigger goal on it.

If six months or a year from now you never came close to achieving them, so what? You stick them back in the bowl and keep charging forward. But what if you do achieve them? Won’t it be great to have a reminder of where you started and how far you’ve come? Let’s think big this year, friends. We really do deserve it all.

Now start writing.

Today we’re doing a photo shoot at the Barker’s studio in Chicago! If you follow Bri’s blog, you may recognize the studio being used for one of their Chicago Blogshop classes. I am so excited to collaborate with Kate and Erick De La Rosa today, photographing and filming various projects for Off Switch. We’ll be working on the final piece to this mighty Kickstarter campaign…a video! Plus, Kate will be photographing a final piece to appear in the upcoming spring volume. We’ll also do a couple outfit posts, take photos for the new website, the list goes on! I’m not entirely sure what to expect today, but I do know it’s going to be wonderful. If you’re as excited as me, be sure to check out the Off Switch Twitter and Instagram feeds on the right sidebar for behind the scenes photos throughout the day!

These fancy painted forks, knives, and spoons were super easy to make. I did not seal mine with any additional protective spray, though. If you plan to use your silverware as more than just a prop, I would definitely look into that. You should be seeing one cute gold fork pop up in our spring volume…so keep your eyes peeled!

Feeling all sorts of crafty the other day, I bought a two foot tree at Hobby Lobby for 50% off along with a string of thirty-five colored lights. I thought it would be fun to have a little Christmas tree sitting on the corner of my work desk during the holidays. Since I didn’t want to buy ornaments and I didn’t want a heavily involved DIY project to create them either, I opted for a simple and upcycled approach. I stopped by my local second-hand bookstore and purchased a colorful Christmas picture book in need of a new life. Then I proceeded to use my mini paper cutter to cut out strips of paper at about four inches long and just shy of a half inch wide. I did not measure the width of each one, as I would still be making this paper chain if I had. And one can only take so much cutting and glueing. Go with your gut and always remember, if it’s made with love it can’t be ugly. That’s a lie. It can be very ugly, but at least there’s love to soften the blow. Merry garland-ing to you!

I don’t consider myself an expert in anything really. So while I love to share posts here on the blog pertaining to recipes, kits, suggestions, and diy projects, please know that they are simply things I’m doing in my real everyday life and thought you might be interested. I want to be clear about my intentions with any “projects” you may see here. To me, Off Switch Blog is about a peek into my life with a healthy smattering of creative guest posts from my friends. An extension of the magazine, but with more of me added to the mix. Who knows, maybe as time moves along things will change and evolve…but for now this is what you’ll find. I hope you enjoy what you see here! Without further ado, my “winter car kit”…

With the weather getting colder, I realized that I needed to add a few items to my car to prepare for the blessing that is a Midwest winter. Typically I always have a first aid kit, flashlight, and window scrapper (not pictured) in my car. I keep the first aid kit under the driver’s seat, flashlight in my glove compartment, and window scrapper in my trunk. Don’t ask me why I never take the scrapper out, or I’d have to admit how lazy I am. Oh wait…

As for the remaining items, those are all ones I’ll be adding to my back seat. I’ve chosen the Off Switch tote bag (coming soon to our shop!) as a way to store the hats, scarves, and gloves I’ll be keeping in my car. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I’m in a rush to leave the house I forget one of those items and immediately regret my mistake. Having extras stocked in my car is going to be really helpful. I will also be storing a couple sets in case a passenger forgets his or hers and needs to borrow some. The same goes for the blanket. I know my grandma gets especially cold and really appreciates a blanket to get warmed up. And of course the Larabar and water are nice to have on hand as a quick snack if needed. Lastly, I like to keep a pair of inexpensive sunglasses in my car all year round just in case. Oh, and a de-icer would probably be a great idea for many of you. I don’t really remember using mine last year, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good thing to have!