Super Woman

New Year's was SERIOUSLY a great time.  How about for you? 

I got to be creative (what I love) by putting together a FAB gold glitter DIY 2014 sign & spend some much needed time with my husband & friends.  However - this new year will be a time to reflect on my business, my marriage, my health & more.   In the midst of everything,  I've been trying to listen to God's voice.  Like anything else, with so much going on, it's easy to miss a beat & end up doing the opposite of what I know I'm supposed to be doing.  I've made a few quirky goals for myself such as working out at least one more day a wk. & longer workouts. I'd like to get those 4-6 pack abs I had back a few years ago.  Why not?!  I'm aiming to stay healthy & maintain a stronger core, which means less back pain for me.  Another thought was painting larger paintings, I know that I tend to do a lot of little 8"x10"'s - but with the lack of time, they're easier to get through.  However, I need to focus & figure out when I could just drown out & paint. Noted.

Another thing was our on going journey to having a child.  I'm not going to lie, it's been a long road & certainly an emotional one.  There are days, I smile in public while quietly yearning for a child. I know it's a part of life to feel pain, but I'm learning that the way we deal with that pain... is what matters.  And, although I'm not ready to fully speak about this, I hope to soon. Until then, we are trusting that God is working behind the scenes for us.

Let's see....is that it?? Hmmm - now Marriage. It's not easy. Ups & downs are constant - but this year we are working to tip the scales, so that we could see more ups THAN downs. Trusting God - having family, good solid friendships & always picking ourselves back up when we fall...that is where we both want to be.  All in all, I AM blessed, and the blessings I see every day are reasons to celebrate.

My hope is to keep on inspiring women all over the globe..... to be strong, courageous, to be loving, kind, caring & to not be discouraged.  Even when I'M A MESS,  I somehow find my SUPERWOMAN vest & I put it back on.  To quote Alicia Keys....'I'm a Superwoman, yes, I am"- and we HAVE TO believe that... despite what others feel or view us as.  This year, I will strive to constantly see myself the way God sees me & I hope you ladies will do the same.  Happy New Year!!

-images by  jen ramos

My Office Gallery Wall + Tips

After months of thinking of whether or not I should do a gallery wall in my office, I have officially taken the plunge. I admit, I was inspired by Michelle Adams & her gorgeous NYC bedroom (last photo) and so that led to removing the large piece I had, & incorporating the gallery wall.  For the wall, I used mostly MADE BY GIRL (my own) pieces & some other random photography.  The figure drawings are by Chance Lee - a fantastic artist from Taiwan that I love ......& Kate Moss, well, it was a gift. All the frames you see below can be purchased via my shop. We have gorgeous shiny gold, matte gold, black matte frames & more!

The Kate Moss gold-corner frame was a DIY project we did, which we'll add onto the blog soon!

If you're looking to install a gallery wall,  here's a good way to start:

/// SELECT ART YOU LIKE ///

I decided to add most of my own art, because it inspires me & reminds me to keep creating. You should be able to know what kind of art you'd enjoy looking at everyday. This wall is in my office so it's a wall I look at pretty much ever single day. So, yes, I will be looking at Kate's face on a daily basis...oh well, she's gorgeous right? I find that mixing word art with photographic ones gives the space a lot of interest. You may want to do something similar or just choose to add personal photos of your family & so on. For me, I'm  not big on personal photos all over our apartment & neither is my husband. We prefer random art over personal shots. We tend to keep those to a minimum. But remember, select art that inspires, makes you smile, and that you love.

/// SELECT YOUR FRAMES /// 

MADE BY GIRL offers a variety of gorgeous custom frames. You can order them on their own from my shop or add it to the artwork before checkout. Custom framing looks amazing & is pricier, but if you're on a budget - you can always try IKEA.  They have a variety of sizes for under $200.
 

/// PLAN IT OUT ///

Think about where you want to place each piece of art.  See what pieces look good next to each other & try not to place all similar colors & styles together. As you can see, both my black prints are away from each other. This creates a more balanced look. Also, the higher you place the gallery on the wall, the taller the space will feel. Drawing a diagram with proper measurements on a piece of paper will really help keep you organized. Feel free to play around with different arrangements, that's what we did. You can cut-out shapes of each frame by using poster board and tape each one onto the wall where you will place the artwork.  This is a great way to move the shapes around & get an idea of what it will look like before committing to anything. Remember, you don't want a bunch of extra holes in the wall. Have fun!

 Ta da! The close-up.

Here's the roundup of most of the art featured on my wall. You can purchase them via MADE BY GIRL. 

And here is my husband helping put everything up - so sweet!

-top 3 images by jen ramos

-last image by patrick cline

Your Weekend

art via MADE  BY GIRL

-image by jen ramos

HGTV Magazine!!

Awesome to spot my Deeply Madly in Love print in the newest HGTV magazine. It's featured in Roxy Owens NYC apartment - she's from Shop Society Social! For the entire tour you'll have to pick up the issue - should be out this Tuesday! 

-image via HGTV magazine

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS LOVE SALE

With the Holidays approaching you'll have 12 shopping days to take advantage of our "Twelve Days of Christmas LOVE" special.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Everyday for the next 12 days, a different LOVE poster will be on sale, just for our Made By Girl customers!

*Make sure to check our calendar below to see which posters will be on SALE & when!

Which LOVE poster is your favorite?

Thank You

Hello everyone, 

Between all my work - I finally got to read every comment & email, I am so overwhelmed at God's power. It is through people like you that God shows his love. I'm amazed & overjoyed at all the orders coming in - which we will donate 100% of the proceeds to Women's Initiative. Thank you to all of you.

My friends told me to trust God & that he would stir the hearts of people who followed me online and that they would know my heart today.  I was moved with tears by many of your comments, but they were tears of joy & love. My heart even broke when I read that some of you were experiencing similar trials & were feeling down. I pray for those women today hoping they will shed their shame & hurt.

People will continue to call me names, lie about me & envy the new life I live today, but I don't care. I take responsibility for my past but I have been redeemed & TODAY my identity is in Jesus. I look to him & he gives me strength. For those of you experiencing something similar, something painful, something ugly, something challenging, you aren't alone.... God is always with you. 

Thank You.

video: hillsong united - 'hosanna' - sung by brooke fraser