LW Designs

31 days ago I started blogging again and launched a new website and started counting down the days until I was 32. I missed a bunch of blogging days because I'm easily distracted, I've already made updates to the website {including an upcoming events calendar!!} and I'm officially not 31. But today was a combination of being full of gratitude and bits of sadness. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays since it is my birthday. I had low expectations for my birthday so I did nothing to celebrate Halloween; no decorations, no costumes, not even candy. Despite myself, I had a really awesome day filled with treats and sweets; Starbucks, LOTS of owls, pumpkin bread, cupcakes, apple pie (with cinnamon ice cream!!), pineapple cake, Smiley cookies , and of course - candy. I read such kind messages from people I've met and known throughout my life that made me feel truly loved. So many that I'm still reading through them. The lesson I learned? Celebrate...

It's birth week!! I sit here thinking about how I used to make out a birthday list every year. And soon after a Christmas list. As I grew older, I made general wish lists that encompassed lots of different things for various holidays, which then turned into goal lists, and now I have "to do" lists. Actually, not only do I have "to do" lists, but I have post-its and dry erase boards and reminders on my phone and email for things that I have to accomplish. Getting older my dreams have turned into tasks; not things that I want to do but things that I have to do. So here's a list of wishes instead of tasks... GROW my business into more than a hobby Take time to RELAX; manicures, massages, dancing in my living room EAT DESSERT first and maybe just by itself Tell people how thankful I am for THEM Spend time with my FAMILY Buy PRESENTS for others, just because TRAVEL somewhere new Be okay with SAYING NO Make a CHRISTMAS LIST Take my DOG for walks...

Today is Oct. 26. I missed days 21-25 of my 31 days of blogging. This is pretty much par for the course in my life. Unfinished business. Have you ever started something and got distracted only to leave things half-finished? A job? A project? A relationship? Imagine the things that would go crazy if some people only did half the job... What if a surgeon stopped half-way through surgery and didn't finish the repair and didn't close an incision? What if a road crew didn't finish paving a road and it dropped off into a pit of mud? It seems like this is more of a trend in society than my latest forgotten paint project. Did you hear that schools aren't teaching handwriting to children anymore ? Because of the increase of technology in learning, it seems that some states aren't requiring this basic life skill to be taught because it seems like it has become antiquated. What will be next? What are things if your life that are unfinished? I have a painting to fi...

Six years ago I got married to my awesome husband. Isn't it funny how sometimes it seems like that long is so much longer and sometimes it seems like no time has passed at all. Happy Anniversary to my sweet hubby! I couldn't imagine life any other way. We had lots of DIY elements to our wedding even though it was before Pinterest and DIY weddings were in style. Here are just a few pictures from our wedding: {Unity candle, flowers, table linen, invitations, monogram, programs and carved pumpkin all made by LWM}

Introducing... my first wreath of the 2013 Christmas season!!!   The special thing about this wreath? YOU can learn to make your own!! I am teaching a class at Carolinas Cornerstone on Nov. 2 where you can learn various techniques that are used to make wreaths all combined in this one gorgeous door adornment.

Here's my shameless Thirty-One plug: I'm a Thirty-One consultant because I'm addicted to their bags. Specifically, I am obsessed with the Large Utility Tote. I think that I have 6 of these wonderful, versatile bags. I use them for laundry when we travel, toting presents, carrying food and crock pots to parties, for teaching supplies, to carry the dog's travel necessities, and so much more. Here's something really awesome... in November the special is a MEDIUM Utility Tote for $7 with every $35 spent . Not only are they almost as fabulous as their bigger counterpart - they come in an OWL print AND snowmen print. AND check out some of these great bundle ideas that would make great gifts (there are only 67 days until CHRISTMAS )...   Want to book a party? Email me at lisamoseley@live.com . Just want to shop? Visit my website: www.mythirtyone.com/lwmoseley . 

Day 17 is brought to you by the rainy day blues . Just a little inspiration of pretty things to brighten up a rainy day. AND in case you need warming up... This is our FAVORITE rainy / cold day meal - white chicken chili . 1 lb. - chicken breast, cooked and diced 1 can - super sweet corn 1 can - petite diced tomatoes 1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese 1 packet - white chili mix 1/4 cup water 1 tbsp. - vegetable oil I love to top this with sour cream. The hubby likes his with corn bread. No matter your add-on this simple chili has been a big hit with everyone we've made it for and shared the recipe with.

I missed day #15... because I was working late... like a night owl!! HA! Tonight at church we had some fabulous cupcakes decorated like owls. So I've decided to write a post all about my love for owls. I have owls all over my house. Just in my kitchen I have 11; another 10 in my living room; and there are various more in the other rooms and some get added during fall and Christmas decorating. At one point my husband even said we needed to add more because some rooms didn't have an owl presence. I also have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to my obsession ( OWL Always Love You ). Here are just a few of my favorite owl pins:      

Today, Oct. 16, is Blog Action Day. There are bloggers around the world talking about human rights and causes that they are passionate about. So here are some organizations that I give back to (if you don't have your own cause already) that I encourage you to check out. Most deal with children and making their lives better. Isabella Santos Foundation Operation Christmas Child Bringing Home Ty Make-A-Wish Foundation RESOLVE American Heart Association

The hubby and I are catching up on our DVR tonight and the first show on the list: Master Chef Jr. These little kids are making beef wellington, which I've never had. It made me think. What are some foods you'd like to try? Here are some of my wish list foods: Beef Wellington Alaskan King Crab Maine Lobster Serendipity 's Frozen Hot Chocolate Kobe Beef Philly Cheesesteak (from Philadelphia) French Macaroons Baked Alaska Chocolate (anything) at The Spa at the Hotel Hershey

At church this morning, the sermon was on not just talking about the right things, but also living the right way and helping those in need. Our pastor opened with this clip from "Mr. Deeds": ... And asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. There were lots of really sweet answers - a vet, a teacher, a policeman. I didn't answer. I wanted to be a mom. Lots of people dream of what they will be when they grow up. They end up going in another direction because of the money (needed for education or desire to make more of it), practicality, or change in your personality as you get older. But who would think that being a mother would be something unattainable? I thought I was in a good place with my fertility struggles, but over the past few weeks I've found myself looking at Facebook posts of newly pregnant couples and being envious, and frustrated and sad. I know there are lots of people praying for us and being encouraging, but at the end of the day it...

I am not a web designer. I can design invitations, event decor, displays, murals, and various different kinds of graphics. But I can not design web pages. I was so excited when I found the free web page design site to create LWDesignsSC.com because I had wanted to create something for several years. Although there are still elements that I want to update on the website, it's pretty and I'm happy with the overall look and functionality. I will say that I know how to do some programming. I have taken classes in multiple different types of programming and taught myself HTML out of necessity at my first job.  But now I really want to change the blog design. I like how it looks, but there are no comments, no social share options, the navigation is hidden... I just don't get it. And I can't figure out how to change just the things I don't like and keep the things that I do. I look at the HTML and I just can't figure it out. I'm looking for inspiration and...

This week there have been several things that I have needed. I needed coffee yesterday to stay awake after two really late nights in a row and only three hours of sleep before a long day. I needed sleep this morning after the aforementioned long days. I needed to get a few projects done at work for some of my clients. I need to wash laundry today even though last weeks is still sitting on my couch and the laundry from the week before is still in the laundry basket next to my dresser. I guess I need to put clothes away, too. Isn't it funny how the needs in our life often revolve around stuff and busyness? Work, family, volunteering, friends, housework, church, responsibilities make us focus on all the things around us. But sometimes we need to take the time to do what we need for ourselves. I received an email yesterday that reminded me of this. Here's what it said, "Rest is NOT laziness. It's ok to rest Lisa -- YES IT IS! Tell yourself this affirmation in the mirr...

Have you ever done something, been halfway through, and realized you should have followed the directions? Or maybe just needed to re-read the instruction manual? I often cook without recipes because you can taste what you're making and make alterations along the way. My husband likes to build things without instructions and usually does a pretty good job. Yesterday I was driving to a seminar out of town. After about two hours of driving I realized that what I thought was a two hour drive was really a little over three hours. And when I got to my destination it was raining - which I was not prepared for. I had one thing in my mind and it turned out very differently than I had planned. Isn't it funny how things like that end up? When we miss a step and try to take things into our own hands we often create more work for ourselves. That's why we create business plans, itineraries, recipes, instruction manuals and guides that we can follow when we don't know what to do...

Every week I get to teach kids about Jesus. It's a pretty cool thing to get to do. I've worked with kids for a long time; which is ironic because I don't have kids of my own. It started as far back as I can remember. I was a troop aid in Girl Scouts, a peer tutor in high school, a teaching assistant at my dance studio and a baby-sitter for many years. I got a job in college at a local amusement park, then at Walt Disney World and then another park when I graduated. I volunteered and worked at Make-A-Wish, was a Girl Scout leader and volunteered at my church to teach crafts at VBS. Now, I lead teach our church's Wednesday children's class which focuses on service, teach children's church every other month and help with musicals, VBS, and Bible camp during our yearly mission trips. I find it an honor and privilege that people allow me to work with their children, and so I try to give it my best effort. Tonight, I was teaching 19 children about the Good Samar...

Did you know that the average adult needs 7-9 hours asleep? How many people do you know can honestly say that they get a full night sleep every night? We are so distracted by life that sleep becomes a nuisance instead of a necessity. I'm convinced that one of my purposes in life is to sleep. There is nothing better than a mid-afternoon nap; or late morning; or early evening. But even though I love to nap, I usually wear myself down to where sleeping is no longer a luxury but a remedy to repair my exhausted body. Between my job, family, volunteering, business and life, I stretch myself thin trying to accommodate everyone else and often forget to take care of taking care of me. Tonight I came home from work and laid down to rest for a few minutes and ended up taking a 3 hour sleep. I apparently ran myself too thin and shut down. Want to see when you should go to sleep to get the best rest? Here's a simple website that lets you know the best time to go to bed for when...

I often claim to not enjoy reading, but I really like doing research and finding out meanings behind things. I've been working on a logo for my church ladies retreat. The theme is "The Journey" but the story is from the book of Ruth. So I looked at feet, hearts, transformation, butterflies; and then started looking at beach symbols... sandcastles, star fish, and then it hit me - an anchor. The anchor has obvious purpose and functionality in the journey of a boat. Check. It incorporates a cross. (This is where it gets interesting.) Early Christians used the anchor as a symbol of their faith while they were under Roman persecution in the first century. The anchor represented Jesus, with whom their faith was secured. In Greek, the word ankura means "in the Lord." After their husbands died, Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, left where they lived with their husbands to go to a land that presented them with many unknown circumstances. They put their trust in t...

Weekend recap: I am addicted to caffeine. On Friday I had SunDrop for breakfast, sweet tea for lunch and an afternoon iced mocha from Starbucks. YIKES!! (Can't wait to get my free birthday drink.) When I'm home alone I can gets lots accomplished. 8 hours of design work done in the late hours of Friday night/Saturday morning and some more on Sunday. I eat like a child. I have extensive food allergies and can't eat many of the things that I want to or that sound good. It frustrates me until... Halloween Oreos. It may be a psychological thing since they are for Halloween, but I swear the cream in the Halloween Oreos is creamier. The best. Paint is AWESOME!! I have a small library of sample paints, acrylic paints, spray paint and nail polish. I sometimes see things on TV or the Internet that makes me think I could be friends with people that I don't know. Today it was Khloe Kardashian . Watching her infertility struggles play out on TV make me want to ca...

Stop me... Before I volunteer, again has been a kind of half-joke, half-inside look at my crazy busy life for the past few years. I started a blog with that name and got so busy that I forgot about my blog!! And why I'm on day 4 of 31 instead of day 5. I am constantly running from one thing to the next with little down time. And when I do slow down it's usually because I've worn myself down from being too busy. I have a serious problem saying no. I like to help people, and to make others happy. I feel like an opportunity not taken is an opportunity missed. I also once heard a speaker recount that he started to say 'no' to people because he realized that by saying 'yes' all the time that he was actually saying 'no' to his family and personal needs. Something to think about...

Dance has been one of the most important outlets to me for as long as I can remember. I think I was dancing before I could even walk. For years I even got in trouble for dancing; because I was tapping and kicking and plie'ing through life everywhere I went. I went on to audition for the Radio City Rockettes, and at my last audition in 2001 my dream of dancing ended when I broke an extra bone in my foot that required extensive surgery and landed me with two screws permanently holding my foot together. I recently found an awesome local dance-inspired fitness class that has been giving me a newly rejuvenated love of dance. Queen City DanceOut has classes around Charlotte AND they currently have a Groupon for 5 or 10 sessions (because who doesn't love a GREAT deal!!).   Check them out. Maybe I'll see you there!

I LOVE Shoeboxes. My closet is full of them; I have some of those plastic ones for shoes that lost their shoeboxes; and I love these ones:   Operation Christmas Child GO Boxes Tonight I had nearly 20 kids putting together Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for our 2013 collection. They were so excited and I was excited to see them come up with ideas of what they want other children to receive for Christmas. Our goal is 150 boxes. I can't wait to see them start piling back up, packed to the brims and overflowing with goodies packed with love. Want to learn more about Operation Christmas Child and how you can pack a shoebox this year? Visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ . And check out my Pinterest page for ideas of what to pack in your Operation Christmas Child shoebox.

31 has multiple meanings to me today. It's my current age. The days until I'm not 31. The virtues I desire to possess (Proverbs 31). The name of the direct sales company I belong to. But today, as I start the last month of my 31st year, I'm also starting a 31 day challenge inspired by The Nester (If you don't follow her, you should. She's awesome!) on my all new website that went live today. My 31 day theme is going to be all about me. The things that make me who I am - likes, dislikes, inspirations, dreams and shortcomings. Day 1 I'm from Pittsburgh. This means a lot. Today it means I'm super proud to be from a city that loves it's sports teams in good times and in bad. My poor Steelers (yes, since I'm from the city they belong to me just like they belong to everyone else within a 250 mile radius of the city) have had the worst start to a season since 1968. But the Pirates are going to postseason for the first time since 1992 (I loved me ...