Here Comes Halloween and Penelope the Witch

Jack o'lanterns, ghosts and ghoulies, and things that go bump in the night! 

We are entering that delightfully shivery time of year when the days grow shorter and darker, and the veil between the worlds thins. The perfect time of year for Penelope the witch to make her debut!

Cute enough for even the most faint of heart, but still surrounded by pumpkins, bats, and even a Venus fly trap or two, this little witch may steal your heart.

Working diligently to get her done for you by October 1st so you can light your pumpkin scented candles and drink your Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte while you color.

Penelope picking Love Heart Daisies for a potion

 Please tell me if you like her, or if you can think of anything you would like to see growing in her midnight garden.

xo

Your Work Style + Downloadable Shopping Page

Many writers and artists state that the first way to get things done is to have your butt in the chair. I think Steven Pressfield said it in The War of Art, and I took it very seriously.

In other words just be there, ready to work. I agree 100%.

I've had endless discussions with friends about this too--and we have come to the conclusion that you'll fail at everything you do not begin.

Of course.

But my question is: Do I get in the chair and STAY there?

After months of doing just that I find the answer is definitely MAYBE.

Actually it depends on the day.

There are days where I feel if I am interrupted I would cry, or at least be very upset at the disruption of the flow I am riding. Then there are other days where I feel if I don't get up and go somewhere I will get nowhere.

This is said after I did the butt in the chair thing exclusively for months. I fought every urge to go out for coffee, or meet a friend for lunch. I would not be able to jump up now if I were at an office, I would argue with myself. And I wouldn't. But that could be one of the reasons I do not work in an office, and was never meant to.

Don't get me wrong, I still get my hours in, but they might not be 9 to 5--in fact they may end at 2am, and that is fine with me. I do not allow myself to get distracted to the point where my work takes a back seat--I get my coffee, interact a bit, and get back to it. (Sometimes I get distracted by household stuff--pets, kids, bills, cooking, etc. Here is a shopping list page I created for myself to stay efficient, but I thought you might like it too. CLICK HERE to print :)

I think for some, sitting at the computer or canvas and working through a glitch works, for others the solution might be Starbucks or an episode of The Walking Dead. 

So to make a long blog post short, just because a famous writer or artist does their thing a certain way certainly does not mean you have to do the same.

Find your approach, and do it like a boss.

xo

Ah! Don't forget the art giveaway--click HERE to enter.

I Think I'm In Love With Target

Almost every time I visit the beach I stop at Target on the way off the highway. I can see the sign from the exit ramp, and even if I really don't need anything the sign reminds me it is there, so I go.

I go for a few reasons, the first one being snacks.

Things do not stay fresh at the beach for a long time. Yes, I have plastic bags and Lock n Lock boxes, but never enough. My intentions are to find a snack after my long journey. (It's not actually that long but anybody can go for a snack after an hour and a half ride).

Then I walk through the doors. Starbucks to the right of me, cute dresses to the left.

Of course I end up buying a latte, iced tea, or once in a blue moon a Frapuccino--and the caffeine kicks in. They are so smart, location is everything. 

My synapses firing faster and clearer, I have the energy to not only find the snack aisle, but to try on a few pair of stretchy jeans and really cute tops.

A few turns into a dozen and I can't carry them all while drinking my Frap, so I get a cart.

I find waaaay too many things I like, but since they are so reasonably priced I can buy them. Included in my haul was this adorable shirt that I had to try on two sizes too big because my size was gone. It was the cutest of the bunch and the larger size somehow made it look chic, IMHO. See shirt HERE

Strolling into undergarments, I immediately spot my favorite underwear. Now in grey and purple, a few of those go in the cart too.

I also found a Bali bra that is 100% comfortable, shapes without wire (no easy task for me), and comes in easy sizes like S, M, L, and XL. See bra HERE

End of summer and a sale on flip-flops. In the cart.

Ah! Back to school stuff. My son goes back to college and I'm sure he'll need a binder and spiral ring notebook. I also find a notebook cover for me--too cute pass. And notebooks for me in colors and patterns. In the cart. BUY notebooks from Target HERE:

Made it to the snacks. I beeline right to the drinks, because Target is one of the only places I have been able to find La Croix seltzer.

Although my fave is coconut (divine), it comes in other amazing flavors too, passionfruit and peach/pear. I get some pineapple juice too and start to dream of the delicious lo-cal non-alcoholic pina colada I make mixing it with the coconut seltzer. Coconut deliciouness HERE

Target also sells a brand called Archer and I love the chocolate chip cookies.

I think I'm done.

Wait! I can get my mascara here too. My personal fave is False Fibers by L'Oreal. I have very blonde lashes, and these not only darken them to the blackest black, but make them longer too without clumping. (You have to try this--everyone I turned on to this mascara loves it and thanks me. They sell similar fiber products elsewhere for four times the cost. This is under $7). Buy HERE

NOW I'm done. 

I'm checking out and the cashier asks if I have Cartwheel, which turns out to be an awesome App that I downloaded on the spot and saved over $50. Get Cartwheel app HERE

I drive off into the sunset.

Oh Target, I love you.

xo