And the Winner is...

Congratulations, Bailey and Ksenia! You each have won a Skillshare Premium Membership subscription for a year! You each completed the class project in my Skillshare class, "Drawing Creative Letters: And Introduction to Lettering for Beginners." and uploaded your project to share with the rest of the class. Great job!

I wish we could've picked more to win because there were so many great projects out there. But since we only had 2 memberships to give away, we had to narrow it down. The reason Ashley and I chose these were because not only did you upload the final image, you also shared photos of your creative process from warm up to thumbnails to final. And ultimately your letters were creative, representational of the word you chose and you both did a great job executing your idea. Way to go! You should be really proud of your work.

I also want to share a few other projects from the class because you guys are doing awesome!

I am blown away by the creativity in these! Check out the other class projects here.

The number one thing I'm most excited about regarding this class is the fact that a lot of you have said you didn't think you could draw before taking the class but after doing each lesson you actually amazed yourselves and created some pretty cool drawings! I love that. High five for trying something new!

So thank you all for taking a chance on my class and on me. You have been so encouraging and supportive and I'm so thankful for you all.

If you're interested in taking the class, you can still signup for a 3 month trial for only 99 cents! Use this link to enroll and let me know what you think.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Drawing Creative Letters: An Introduction to Lettering for Beginners & a GIVEAWAY!

Are you ready for my big announcement?!

I am an official Skillshare Teacher!



Let's not focus on that freeze frame though.


After a lot of bossing, or I mean, constant encouraging, from my sister, I started working on this class over the last few weeks, and today my newest class for Skillshare is officially live!

Most of you know I'm a huge fan of Skillshare and have heard me mention it a few times, but if you’re not familiar, Skillshare is an online learning community with thousands of classes on everything from business to graphic design to fashion – it’s the Netflix of learning. Classes are bite-sized and have a fun project so you can practice your newly learned skills.

My class, Drawing Creative Letters: An Introduction to Lettering for Beginners, is on drawing letters, where you’ll learn the basics of lettering, join me in my creative process and learn some tips along the way. I’m proud of what I’ve created and I’d really appreciate if you’d check out my class!

By using this special link: http://skl.sh/2foTeD7, you’ll get access to my class, plus all other classes on Skillshare for just $0.99. For three months, you can learn how to knit, take better iphone pictures or even how to make a killer grilled cheese sandwich, all for less than a dollar.

I'd love to hear what you think so I have teamed up with Skillshare and my sister, Ashley, to host a giveaway. 2 winners will receive a 1 year Premium Subscription to Skillshare.

To be eligible, enroll in my class here, take the class and post a photo of your class project by December 19. That's it. I will choose a winner and Ashley will choose a winner.

Good luck and happy drawing!

Be Crafty Workshop - Spokane, Washington

It's already been a week since I got to travel to Washington with my sister to help our friends, Amanda and Sara, host a Be Crafty workshop at the famous Farm Chicks show! I already miss those girls and thankfully have so many funny memories that will stay with me for a very long time.

The night before the workshop we went to a pre-party at Anthropologie. My sister pretty much summed up my thoughts on her recap here.

I stole this from Ashley's post.

I mean, our four awkward girls at a meet and greet - so out of character for us. And then the fact that I assumed we needed to check in at the door and no one knew what to say when our names weren't found on the guest list. Thank you Amanda for a new favorite memory, "our names are on the graphic." I still laugh when I think of that.



Thankfully the workshop went a little more smoothly! All the details were thought of, in true Amanda Rydell fashion. Hand gold-foiled swag bags, balloons, all the pretty colors, centerpieces and decorations! So much pretty.








Major thanks to Jessie of Shop Sweet Lulu for the event decorations. Her shop has THE cutest party supplies and she's offering 15% off with code FARMCHICKS!

 I am so thankful for the time spent setting up with these girls and for all the new, and old, friends I got to meet and see. I may not be the best at crafting but I can sit and chat with the best of them.









The event and swag bags would not have been possible without some amazingly generous small businesses that donated their goods for the ladies. So amazing, right?

1. Home Again Creative 2. Happy Socks 3. Be Crafty Workshops 4. Emily Steffen 5. Paint and Prose 6. Katy Girl Designs 7. West Pine Company 8. Noonday Collection 9. Recipe For Crazy 10. Rebecca Parsons 11. Pebble 12. Prospect + Ash 13. PaperWorks 14. Rainy Day Colors 15. The Doo Bob Shop 16. Dear Hazel 17. Freed Outfitters  18. Gingiber 19. Pen and Paint 20. The Simple Farm 21. For the Love of Joy 22. The Mason Bar Co. 23. Fit Chic Headbands 24. Gracelaced 25. The Belle and Beau 26. Maggie Holmes / American Crafts 27. Big White Farmhouse 28. Bumblelou

 (not pictured Fancy That Design House)

Thanks again, to all the swag sponsors!

We also had some great giveaways too. I really am going to need one of those buffalo heads for my boy's room!

Kelsey Davis Design

paisley Sprouts 

The Felt flower shop

sugar blossom 

 There were so many amazing moments during our day but getting to see my cousin and Aunt again was a major highlight.



And speaking of highlights, we were at the Farm Chicks show!



It was really everything I imagined and hoped it would be and Serena and her team were some of the nicest, humble people I've ever met. She is really something special and I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to meet her.

 While were on the topic of amazing people, I got to travel again with my sister. I haven't laughed that much in a long time. FYI, when you're bag exceeds the weight limit (because you bought a metal stool at the Farm Chicks Show) and you have to take some things out, it would be a good idea to have a box ready because the airport guy will only give you a very large, clear plastic bag to store your extra items. In this case, I did not have a box and I did have two irons (it was a crafting event after all) to take home to make the weight acceptable.

It should also be noted that said sister refused to carry my large, clear bag of irons through the airport and instead made fun of me. That bag of irons made for a LOT of looks and a lot of laughs. Sorry to the people in the airport, I'm sure we were obnoxious with the uncontrolled laughter. I blame lack of sleep, snap chat and poor packing for the giggles.

I could go on and on but I'll leave that to Ashley and Amanda - make sure you check out their posts!

And MAJOR thank you to Sara for taking all the incredible pictures during the workshops.

Ride Together with Brilliant

"Don't let having a baby keep you from doing what you love. Take her along and she'll learn to enjoy the things you do."

This was a little piece of advice my sister gave me nearly six years ago and I think about it often. There's so much truth to it and I've witnessed it first hand with my two girls.

It's no secret my husband and I love being outside and we want our kids to learn to love the outdoors as much as we do. Most nights or weekends you can find us in our backyard, hands dirty, music blasting, working in the garden. The kids are never too far off, switching from jumping on the trampoline, playing in the garden with us, chasing the chickens and going on adventures in the creek behind the house. I looked around one afternoon as my girls were digging in the dirt making mud cakes in their swimsuits and couldn't help but smile as I those words crossed my mind again. Here they were, enjoying the things we do, right alongside us.

And as they get older I want them to know we will be there to support them and learn to enjoy the things they love too, not just what interests us. So when my girls started riding bikes and getting better at longer distances, I realized I needed to get my own bicycle so I could ride alongside them.

Best decision I've made in a long time. You guys, you should have seen my girls faces when they found out Brilliant sent over a bike for me to ride with them! (Thank you, Brilliant, it's amazing!) They just kept saying, "you get to ride with us now!"

You would have thought the bike was for them by the little squeals they kept making as I assembled it, which was super easy by the way, thanks to the video tutorial. And when they realized Brilliant also sent over a balance bike for my youngest, man, the energy in the room went through the roof!

We hopped on the bikes for our first "girls only" ride as they kept saying. A quick ride up and down our street and I've never heard so many giggles or watched them smile so much. It was the most fun I've ever had riding a bicycle and can already tell that this is going to be a new family fun activity.

I want them to always know how much we love and support them and their unique interests and I think it makes such a big impact when we, as parents, step out of our routine and participate in what the kids enjoy.

I hope they'll keep taking me along to learn to love the things they enjoy even as they become teenagers, young women and adults because together is pretty awesome.

I am so thankful that Brilliant sent us the bikes and gave us a new way to connect as a family outside because, goodness, I forgot how much run riding a bike is!

And you guys, they're offering you, my amazing friends, a crazy discount so you can get your very own Brilliant bicycle! The prices are already great but goodness, they're giving you $100 off a Mayfair, like mine but any color you want, and $50 off a Biddle balance bike! Head on over and get your own!

Just remember to enter the discount codes at checkout:

$100 off a Mayfair: LESLEYxMAYFAIR

$50 off a Biddle: LESLEYxBIDDLE

And if you're local, one of the best spots to go for a ride with littles is along Riverside. It's a pretty flat, easy ride and there are lanes for bikers. And since kids are around a lot, the serious bikers are alert so you don't have to be too cautious or worried. Plus it's pretty and there's a fun park at 41st if you want to make an afternoon of it.

 
If you have a favorite spot to ride in Tulsa or Broken Arrow, I'd love to hear about it in the comment section. Also, any advice or recommendations for either an child carrier or trailer would be much appreciated so I can get my little guy out there with us!


All photos by Ashley Campbell, Mayfair in Ink Black and Biddle in Frosted Mint.

Spring Garden Workshop RE-CAP

Is it just me or is time just flying by these days? I can't believe it's already been a few weeks since our garden workshop. For those that couldn't make it, here's a little recap of the day.





We started the morning meeting and chatting with new gardening friends over coffee and donuts.  Sweet Shop Lulu sent some super cute decorations and my sister worked her magic all over the place!






The weather tried to scare me with a little slight misting but thankfully that was it and it quickly cleared up and even felt crisp. Although it didn't do much for my hair, I welcomed the cool breeze.



After some introductions we jumped right into garden talk. My husband shared our gardening background, some basic tips and then we got after it with information on composting, comfrey, natural fertilizers and more.




I think the number one thing I've learned this year, thanks to my husband, is how important feeding your soil is. We have been very proactive in giving our soil good food, stuff like compost tea, comfrey tea, organic mulch, etc. and I really think it's paid off.

Take a look at a radish from our garden, where we've worked the soil, and one from my girls' garden where the just dug a hole in the yard and planted some seeds.



Feed your soil, y'all.

We took a stroll through the garden and talked about plant spacing, companion planting and how we try to bring in beneficial insects with various flowers and herbs.

 


Then everyone headed over to our neighbor's backyard to check out how he does his garden. I personally love seeing how different people grow things and I think it just shows you that there's no right way to garden and how you can really make it your own.



Once everyone returned to the backyard, it was time for lunch. The table was set with a variety of veggies for each person to build their own salad.





We had mixed greens, sliced scallions and sliced radishes from the garden. There was also hard boiled eggs from our backyard chickens, grilled chicken, chopped bacon, different cheeses, sliced cucumbers and two of my favorite homemade salad dressings, buttermilk ranch and balsamic vinaigrette.



During lunch we wrapped up with a little Q&A time for anything we didn't cover and got to spoil our guests with some goodies from some amazing businesses.



Major thank you to our sponsors:

• Stringer Nursery - thank you for all the seeds, fertilizer and giveaways!
• Freckled Hen Farmhouse - everyone was excited to go home with some large harvest scissors! Thank you.
• May Designs - Thank you for customizing notebooks for each person. They are set to get to work planning out their gardens.
• Home Again Creative - that shop credit is calling my name!

And thank you One Lane Road for the tote giveaways!

After lunch we chatted a bit longer, let the chickens run a muck and then we said good bye. Earlier in the year I started several varieties of tomato plants in our greenhouse and my husband got some comfrey plants going for each person to take home.



I am so happy everyone got to get something in the ground and also so happy I no longer have to keep those 100+ plants alive!

Words cannot express how thankful I am to the new friends that came into our backyard to share a love and passion for gardening with us. You took a chance on a couple that just loves growing our own food and you let us talk your ears off! Thank you for being here with us.

Also, thank you, Ann, for capturing our day with your beautiful photos! Be sure to check out her site for your upcoming photography needs!

And thank you, Ashley, for letting us use your tables, plates, and everything else and for making our backyard look more beautiful than ever. I wish I had an ounce of your styling skills. Until that day comes, I'll just keep growing the plants and you keep making them look good.

And to all the family and friends that supported us along the way, either in words of encouragement, texts, decorating, watching our children and so much more, Thank You.