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I was a little quiet around these parts last week, but I had two days off. TWO! That doesn't happen all that often. I took last Monday off since Andrew had the day off for Presidents' Day, and then we both took Friday off in order to take our annual three day weekend trip up to Syracuse. And now here we are, back to the grind on this fine Monday morning.

As many of you know, Andrew and I attended and met at Syracuse University. Every year, we go back to meet up with friends and go to a basketball game. We spent five years total in the Salt City because Andrew's architecture degree was a five year program. I spent that fifth year living there and working at a local coffee shop. As a result of my fifth year there, we spent a lot more time off campus and actually exploring the city. Each year when we go back, we have a plethora of watering holes and restaurants we want to check off our list both on campus and off.

Syracuse is not a city for the weak. It averages nearly 10 feet of snow per year and is known for its brutally cold winters and bitter winds. This past weekend, we were lucky to enjoy a pint at one of our favorite college bars on their patio, in the sun, without a coat. We had nearly 60 degree weather on Saturday, and we certainly weren't complaining. We've grown accustomed to mild Baltimore winters and don't usually look forward to the weather that we'll potentially encounter when we head back to Syracuse.

No matter the weather in Syracuse, a trip back always provides a break from our hectic schedules. We usually plan the trip for right after Valentine's Day, so it has become my light at the end of the tunnel during my busiest season. It's a chance to see friends that you don't often see and pick right back up where you left off. It's a reminder of the simple things in life sometimes as well.

While roaming campus after the basketball game was over, we made a last minute pit stop at Varsity, our favorite pizza joint. We grabbed a two dollar slice of pizza on a paper plate and walked across campus, back to our car, while eating the pizza. We laughed as we thought about how many times had we made that same trek back to our off campus apartments with a mouth full of pizza. It was such a simple thing, yet it was the most ridiculously fun way to pass the time ten years ago when we were students.

Despite all of the insanity that comes with being a sleep deprived, poor, and overworked college student, we made it fun. It made us wonder why so many people, and even admittedly ourselves at times, no longer seek joy is some of the silliest of things. We've let this notion of how our adult lives are supposed to be take over instead of savoring the smallest of things, like a silly old two dollar slice of pizza. As odd as it may seem, that trek across campus on Saturday was a reminder to take a moment to stop every now and again in our busy lives and just enjoy those simple things. It doesn't have to be as complicated as it seems.

The past week has been slow in all senses of the word. The post-Valentine lull has arrived in my shop, I'm physically tired from the busy season and have been slow to start my days, the week has felt as though it's been creeping along, and I'm having trouble in the creative department.

This is not unusual. I have times like these throughout the year where I find myself needing to reboot. I might even have a mile long list of card ideas just waiting to be designed, but I just can't jump start my mind to get to the point of putting those ideas onto paper. When I'm stuck, I've found that there are a few things that help me to get out of that creative rut and become more productive again.

1 // Find a change of scenery. Usually this means that I pack up my tote with some sketchbooks, my idea book, and my pouch full of pens and markers and head to a coffee shop. I leave my computer behind, so I'm not likely to fall into a black hole, and I order a latte and a snack and just start sketching. Getting out of my studio and out of the house is a break from the norm that helps with productivity.

2 // Look for inspiration by visiting an art gallery. Sometimes when I'm in a creative rut, I need something to act as my brain's jumper cables. Being surrounded by art, reading the stories of the artists, and taking in different colors, textures, and ideas always leaves me feeling refreshed. This past Monday, I found myself in the American Art Museum in Washington, DC amidst O'Keefe, Miró, Picasso, Hockney, Lichtenstein, and Calder. I left the gallery feeling refreshed.

3 // Do something creative that isn't what you normally do. Sometimes I simply need a break. As much as I love illustration and design, doing the same thing over and over again can be monotonous. When I'm feeling a little this way, I turn to other outlets. I work on a craft project, bake something or try a new dinner recipe, play guitar or piano, or try a different art medium such as paint or pastel. Doing something different helps clear the mind and leaves me ready to come back to the task at hand.

4 // Get outside and explore your surroundings. Fresh air is one of the best ways to get the creative juices flowing. I might go hiking at a state park, go to the arboretum, or take a walk along the water. And you never know what you might see that will be inspiring in some way.

5 // Make plans to meet up with other creative people. Talking with others that are artistically minded is a huge creative booster. Hearing about projects others are taking on often helps to get my wheels spinning. My gold foil landscape prints came about after grabbing coffee with my cousin who is a painter. And I sometimes get ideas for designs while chatting with other card makers.

Is anyone else feeling a little stuck these days? Maybe it's just the winter weather bringing me down. Nothing like some good sunshine to boost my mood and productivity!

Yesterday, I stumbled upon this article, and it was as if the author was speaking directly to me. You know, it was that kind of moment where the clouds in the sky part, and the sun shines down, and everything clicks, and you're having one of those breakthroughs.

Three years ago, when I quit teaching to work on my business full time, it felt like I was starting over. I was 29 years old, I'd spent six years already establishing a career in teaching, and I'd worked my way up the pay scale from the point of being that recntly graduated 23 year old that was trying to make ends meet to the nearly 30 adult that had it figured out and was living fairly comfortably. Generally, I felt as though I was making the normal progressions through adult life.

When I quit teaching, I expected to have a smooth transition from one career to the next. However, it didn't quite work out that way. Instead, it felt like I was starting over. I felt as though I had to figure everything out all over again-- like I was the fresh out of college twenty-something figuring out how to get by. Everything in my life felt like it was behind schedule by those six years that I spent teaching.

I felt six years behind in the progress of my career, in my pay scale, in the "I've got this figured out" department. When I looked at the others in my field, I would see other women who were at the same level as me though many years younger. And when I'd examine the women my age in my field they were already well-established, had things figure out, and were moving on to the "normal" stages of life that most people embrace at this age-- expanding their business, hiring help for the more mundane tasks that need to get done, having the ability to go on vacation and take time off, having babies, and even opening their own storefronts.

Comparison is a tough thing. I have often told myself that I can't compare my life to that of others, but I started to feel as though I was falling behind. I felt as though I was running out of time to open my own retail store and studio. I felt as though I was running out of time to establish my business in a constantly changing marketplace. I felt as though I was running out of time to have kids, if I even wanted to go that route. All this because I felt as though I was six years behind after starting over in life.

And I still feel this way. Maybe that's a natural tendency in life. Yet at the same time, I'm only 32. And in the grand scheme of things, that's only a few short years within the entirety of my life. Why should I feel as though I need to be where everyone else is at the moment? Why should my timeline match that of everyone else around me? Yes, it becomes harder and harder to relate to those around me when we're at such different stages in our lives, but I guess that is just part of the growing pains of life.

When I read this article, it was a solid reminder that even when I think I'm falling behind, I'm not. There is no "behind" to fall to because everyone is just where they're supposed to be within their moment in time here on earth. We're all on our own schedule, not a schedule dictated by those surrounding us, and that's ok. I shouldn't have to feel as if I'm barely staying afloat when I'm paddling in a completely different direction.

Am I the only one who has felt as though they're starting over? How do you try to remind yourself that you're right where you need to be?

It wasn't until recently that I really thought about the family I am a part of as all being one in the same. And I don't mean that we're all the same people. We're all very different, but we all have something in common with our occupations-- we're makers. This was the norm growing up, so I don't think I ever thought anything of it. Certainly, I had always felt a bit out of the norm while explaining my parents' occupations, but it was also what has always been, and so I knew nothing else.

It wasn't until recently when I wrote this post, and my dad happened to like it, that I remembered my battles are the same ones that many in my family have fought over the years. Yes, we've talked about these topics quite a bit, but I just never stopped to think that we're in our own little world-- a world that many don't quite understand or will ever understand. We're outside of the box drawn by traditional career pathways and social norms, making a living off of something we're all passionate about doing-- making things.

My father is a luthier. For those that aren't familiar with that word, he builds instruments for a living-- mostly acoustic guitars and mandolins. He taught himself how to build his first guitar in his 20s, and he kept building them. He is a master woodworker outside of the guitar making realm as well, having spent years also building furniture and creating beautifully detailed woodwork in others' homes and ours as well. When my sister and I were little, he was a stay at home dad. His guitar shop was in a spare room in our house and he was able to work away while also taking care of us at home. In high school, I would go straight to his guitar shop after school, and I worked with him to build my own electric guitar.

My mother is a baker. She owns and operates a European style bakery that offers bread, pastries, and other food options. She bakes a large portion of her bread in a woodfired oven that my dad built. Her bakery began in the same spare room that my father's guitar shop used to be. She moved a massive four shelf commercial oven into the room when I was in elementary school. 21 years ago, the demand for her bread grew so much that she moved the bakery into a larger space outside of our home and officially opened the bakery. Several years later, she moved the bakery again into an even larger space, where she is currently located. I grew up with amazing bread and food as the norm and early on, I spent my summer working for her, running the cash register and serving customers.

And my sister knits and paints. Her knitted and painted apparel is her occupation. I don't ever remember a time when my sister wasn't making something. Growing up, we'd spent countless hours at a newspaper covered table painting with watercolors. Or we'd be up in the wee hours hunched over our sketch books with a fist full of markers. In high school we shared art projects. She brought home a mosaic, I a massive charcoal drawing. She a painting on canvas or board, I a piece of pottery thrown on the wheel. As siblings often do, we didn't always agree on everything and have had our fair share of bumps in the road, but one thing we've always been able to connect with is making.

Recently, I began to realize that making is something that extends far beyond just our immediate family. My grandmother, who recently passed away, was an amazing quilter. She had many patterns and works published over the years and even had her own fabric store for quite some time. She was always making something and often sold her wares at craft markets much like my sister and I do today. I have a cousin who is painter. An aunt who is an amazing knitter and book maker. A second cousin who is an incredible potter. Another cousin who makes films. An uncle who directs plays and creates costumes. Another cousin who is constantly making whether it be all sorts of amazing food, building his own house, or installing new floors in his second home. And when I stop to think about it all, I wonder if making is in our blood. But genetic or not, I feel proud to be part of the tradition of makers in our family.

Are you a maker? Are many others in your family makers as well, or did you choose to take a different path than those around you?

It's Friday! I don't know about you guys, but this has been a rough week, so I'm ready for it to be over. Next week will be a fresh start after the craziness that is Valentine season.

When I have a rough day or week or what have you, I often look for laughter, and last night, I unexpectedly found some of the best laughter medicine. While getting some cardio in on the arc trainer at the gym last night, I was watching ESPN. They happened to show a clip of Peyton Manning and Magic Johnson smashing eggs on their heads. This was not the usual recap footage that I usually see, and it instantly made me crack a smile.

Now, I'm not really a Peyton Manning fan, but I still had to find out more about this egg smashing incident, so I turned to my dear friend Google last night. Apparently, unbeknownst to me because I'm an old lady who never stays up that late, this egg smashing is an actual thing that happens regularly on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. It will make your sides hurt. You won't be able to breath. And it will make you cry.

After Andrew and I watched Egg Russian Roulette with Magic and Manning, we of course fell down the rabbit hole of watching Egg Russian Roulette with a slew of other celebrities. And we continued to buckle over in laughter as we watched Jimmy Fallon go head to head with Bradley Cooper.

And there you have it, my friends. A good dose of laughter truly is the best medicine. I woke up feeling lighter and happier today, and I'm ready to take on the day before heading into the weekend.

Had you ever heard of Egg Russian Roulette or am I just late to the show?