Andra Weber Creative
Design & Creative Development
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Create & Change

Posts in May
This Is 40. It's Time To Stop And Smell The Roses.

Yesterday was the 1st of May or the day some of the world sets aside to celebrate spring. When I was a kid my mom, and I would make a May Day basket every year. May Day baskets have fallen out of popularity since the get-off-my-lawn privacy has infiltrated our lives. However, at one time May Day baskets were a sweet little way to celebrate life. 

When I was a kid, my mom and I would pull out the construction paper and make a cone shaped vase. We would then go out to her garden and pick a bunch of perfect flowers. After hopping into the old blue pick-up truck, we would tip toe over to our neighbor's house. I'd jump out of the truck and sneak up slowly to Carol's door, set the flowers on her step, knock and run! 

Carol never opened the door or peeked to see who was there. I always thought she didn't know who left the flowers and I was proud that I was so speedy with my delivery. Years later, Carol told my mom, every year she watched me deliver the flowers but wanted me to have a moment of thrill. She wanted me to enjoy the moment. 

Years later, I sent Carol a bouquet of flowers on May Day. This time she was surprised that I had remembered our May Day shenanigans. It's funny how things we create today can have an impact on the present and future. Little moments, we stop to enjoy, can forever change who we are and the connections we make. 

Until tomorrow Rosebud.

 

 

MayAndra Weberyet
Day 152 - Style Fail.

Day 152 - Hey! Recovering from a long weekend can be tough. It's hard to pull ourselves out of bed the morning after too many pieces of flag cake and the a big mound of BBQ ribs provided by yesterday's Memorial day picnic. Getting the week started on a Tuesday is kinda tough sometimes and the idea of hiding under the covers seems pretty appealing today.

Not to mention todays post is a total failure. I keep telling myself it just happens sometimes. In fact, we should fail more often than not but today's post ended up uncomfortable. It was suppose to be about styling a perfect photoshoot. For the record, styling isn't something that comes naturally to me. After four hours of shopping, beautifying and shooting photos, I ended up just laughing at the whole preposterous idea of today's creation. Let's just agree that I created less style and more mess today.

First, let me start by saying styling is a tough job. Making something or someone look amazing is hard work and it takes a special craft to make it look effortless. Check out some of these Instagram accounts: The Darling Detail, Food 52,  Ash Rose Conway and Oh Happy Day to get a sense of great styling. In the meantime, here are some lessons learned from my failure today.

Lesson #1: Hire a photographer. Don't try to use the automatic timer on the camera to take an interesting style photo. You will end up with this:

Lesson #2: Who are these style bloggers who take attractive selfie photos of themselves from above? Yes, thank you. I have captured a great out of focus photo of my feet. Very stylish.

Lesson #3: Plan your photoshoot and the location. Otherwise:

Lesson #4: Hire a real model. Otherwise you will be forced to use a photograph of your out of shape leg.

style_failure_4.jpg

Lesson #5: Ignore pre-planning just throw random stuff on an unmade bed and don't worry about reflections.

Lesson #6: Styling is work.

Yep, you guessed it. Today's project is to style something and take a photo or in my case two-hundred and fourteen. Take extra time and attention to style the way your cereal sits in a bowl, the order your desk is organized or the pieces that make up your Tuesday morning outfit. Was it easy or hard to create style today? I need to get back to thinking about lessons learned and adding some more bronzer to my forehead. Until tomorrow, keep styling and watch out for those pesky reflections.

MayAndra Weberstyle, yet
Day 151 - See Shells.

Day 151 - Hello! It's Memorial day here in America and today is a day to remember people lost. It's also a day to celebrate being with family. My brood decided to create memories today and take a trip to the sea shore together. It wasn't an especially beautiful day here. The sky was overcast some of us were a bit grumpy and the traffic turned from smooth sailing to snarled. It wasn't looking good to be a great day. In fact, I was about to turn the whole team around and go home when we decided to take a quick walk on the beach.

I was anticipating with the cranky environment brewing, the walk was going to last no more than five minutes. What I didn't anticipate was something magical was created when we went "see shelling." That is, we created a game to see who could find the most seashells. We also took time to see every shell and take a close look. It turned into a treasure hunt at the beach and created a day that will forever be one of the highlights of seeing my kids grow up. 

Today's project is to take time to create a new way to spend with family. Make up a game, bake a cake, go for a walk or make a phone call but create a new way to spend time together. When I say family, I mean friends too. Find a creative way to hang out and make memories. It's amazing how a simple creative idea can turn a potential bad moment into a great day and create forever lasting moments.

Enjoy the time together and keep looking for those "see shells." You know what they say, there is a pearl in every oyster. "Sea" you tomorrow beachcombers!

150 - Life Lemonade.

Day 150 - Greetings from the land of lemons. Yep, we have a lemon tree and boy is it full of fruit. Personally, I love everything about a lemon. They are delicious in just about anything. Lemons can be used to clean stuff and beautify the body inside and out. Who doesn't love a cup of hot water with lemon? Nothing says summer better than a glass of cold, sweet, tart lemonade. A bowl of lemons sitting out on a counter says home sweet home. In short, lemons are an amazing little fruit and make life lovely.

Today, grab some lemons. What can you create with them? I'll leave this creating project up to you today. Maybe it's a piece of artwork or a homemade lemon, gin and tonic? How about a lemon tart? A lemon photo still life? Make up a game with the lemons and call it lemon toss. Paint a room lemon yellow.

Well, whatever project you decide may it be sweet and sour. I've got to get back to sipping on some lemonade and enjoying the start of summer. See you tomorrow lemon heads!

MayAndra Weberquote, yet
Day 149 - Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia.

Day 149 - Hey you. It's Saturday! Who wants to create something delicious? Me! Me! Me! How about something that involves lots of chocolate? Me! Me! Me! How about something healthy? (insert crickets noise here). Healthy? How can chocolate and health go hand in hand? Well, funny you should ask that question. If you are looking to create some indulgence with less guilt, I have a pretty delicious recipe to start Saturday.

This week has been full of creating in the kitchen and whipping up healthy food. I guess you could say I am working on creating a more healthy body and mind. Studies show that the food we eat plays a big part in our mental well being and chocolate can actually be a passive source of revenue. Ok, I lied about that last part but I bet you are paying attention now.

Maybe to get your attention more, let's remember the Chia Pet commercials from the 80's. Here is a refresher: 

It turns out chia seeds are great for selling novelty items at Walgreens and chia seeds are also a super food. That is to say, there is an incredible amount of nutrition packed into a tiny little seed. Chia seeds are high in fiber, magnesium and protein. Let's use these little super heroes today and whip up a batch of super dark chia seed chocolate mousse.

Ch-Ch-Chia Chocolate Mousse 

Makes 4 servings

  • 1 cup coconut cream
  • 1 cup water
  • 2/3 cup chia seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup coco powder
  • Berries or other garnish (optional)

Step 1: In a bowl combine coconut cream, water, chia seeds, honey, vanilla and coco powder. Whisk till smooth. Pour into four individual bowls and cover. Let set for 10 min to overnight.

Step 2: Serve with berries or other garnish. Enjoy!

Well, what do you think about chia seeds? Drop me a note and let me know how you like the mousse. I need to get back to creating ways to combine eating chocolate and making money. See you tomorrow chia pets!

MayAndra Weberrecipes, yet
Day 148 - Venus Verde.

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Day 148 - Hola Everyone. TGIF. I usually reserve Friday night as the junk night. I  binge watch movies such as "San Andreas," which, by the way, is a cinematic tour de force. Oh! and I pig out on dark chocolate peanut butter cups.

However, there are no peanut butter cups in our house today. Someone in my family has decided to go on a slow carb diet. What is a slow carb diet? I don't want to tell you specifics because frankly I don't know. I can tell you a slow carb diet means there is no bread, no sugar and no fun happening in our house right now. I might as well cue up a war documentary for tonight's veg out time. I would be a perfect complement to living with someone who has pulled the plug on fun eating. It's admirable that said person is trying a slow carb diet so they live longer. However, what kind of dinner do you create for someone who eats a can of beans for breakfast?

Well, after some research on slow carb diets, it seems like green leaves are an acceptable slow carb item. In that case, salad is on the menu for tonight. Actually, this is a report on the dinner made last night with left overs for tonight. The best part of the salad was the delicious Venus Verde dressing which made us want to lick our plates clean.

Where did I get such an delicious and amazing recipe? Gwyneth Paltrow's Green Goddess dressing recipe is hands down one of the best salad dressing recipes ever created. It's spicy, herby and tangy. It works great as a veggie dip as well as dressing for salad. Since the weekend might hold a party or two, let's create a batch of this Green Goddess dressing which I have renamed Venus Verde. It turns out if you use the whole jalapeño, things go from Green Goddess to Venus Verde very quickly. However, the original Green Goddess recipe can be found in Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook: "IT'S ALL GOOD: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look And Feel Good"{affiliate link}

Venus Verde Dressing  

  • 2/3 cup sheep's yogurt or greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 2 scallions, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
  • 1/2 jalapeño, roughly chopped 
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend till smooth. Place in a air tight jar for up to one week.

Step 2: Enjoy this kick-in-the-pants dressing on ripe avocados, fresh corn and sliced tomatoes. Dress a full salad or give veggies a bath in green goodness. For the record, when I presented the salad to my kids, they looked at if someone had just handed them a plate of barf. They also both also started crying in unison. So this recipe isn't for everyone. Well, I'm off to cue up a war documentary and dream about peanut butter cups. See you tomorrow goddesses!

 

 

MayAndra Weberrecipes, yet
Day 147 - Lunar Landing.

Day 147 - Hey, all. Did anyone catch the full moon this week? No, I didn't either. It's amazing how these little wonderments go unnoticed when life gets crazy. A full moon is a beautiful thing and brings a sense of awe to ordinary life. Why don't we take the time to look up more often to see these natural wonders that happen around us?

Are we so focused on our computers, we don't take notice? Today let's honor the natural space around us and draw something something enchanting like a full moon. You will need a piece of drawing paper and a pencil for this project. Pick a natural object of wonder. Now start to draw. Look at the shapes within and around the object selected. Start to sketch and let the wonder of the object translate on the page. Spend 10 min on this project. 

How did it feel to create something that brings wonder to life? For me, it was frustrating and meditative. I wanted to translate what I felt but ten minutes was so short! Well, that's all for today. See you tomorrow. Over and out.

MayAndra WeberDrawing, yet
Day 146 - Monster Sketch.

Day 146 - Hey guys. Today, I've been thinking about monsters. We talk a lot about monsters in our house. I try to reassure everyone that monsters don't live under our beds. However, I know for a fact that monsters do live at 7-Eleven and they do like to consume copious amounts of Slurpee drinks. When we drive by our local 7-Eleven, we always look to see if the Monsters are causally loitering outside. We talk about how these Monsters might look and describe what they might do for living besides Slurpee drinking. Today, we sat down and created some Monsters.

Today's project is to sketch up your own special monster. Creating a monster is an excellent way to imagine and create today. How will your monster look? What is their name? What do they do all day? Where do they live?

Let me know how the monster creating goes and see you tomorrow monsters!

MayAndra WeberDrawing, yet
Day 145 - CocoLimeCherry!

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Day 145 - Hey Y'all. Who's starting to plan their Memorial Day BBQ? Memorial Day weekend is always a great time to fire up the BBQ, slice up some watermelon, pull out the cooler of crisp refreshing beverages and invite over pals to kick off summer right. I've been fiddling in the kitchen today to create a creamy, sweet treat for any hot Memorial Day bash. The idea of popsicles popped into my brain today and who doesn't love cold, refreshing popsicle?  

Nothing says "hello summer" better than creamy coconut, lime, cherry popsicle. Today's project is to whip up these tasty treats in preparation for this weekends festivities. Trust me. They won't make it past Wednesday.

CocoLimeCherry! Popsicles

(Makes 9 small popsicles using the Zoku Mini Pops {affiliate link}) 

  • 1 cup coconut cream
  • 4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1-4 -1/2 cup fresh bing cherries
  • popsicle molds or small dixie cups & wooden popsicle sticks

Step 1: Cut 5-10 cherries in half and remove pit. Place half the cherry in the bottom of each Zoku Mini Pop cup. If you are using the small dixie cups add a few more cherry halves to the bottom of the cup.

Step 2: Pour coconut cream, lime juice and honey in blender and pulse for 1 minute. Pour mixture into each Zoku Mini Pop container or dixie cup. Place the tops on the Zoku Mini Pops cups. If using the dixie cups, place all cups on a freezer proof pan or plate.

Step 3: Freeze according to the Zoku Mini Pops directions. If the dixie cups are being used, place the cups for 1 hour in the freezer and then insert wooden popsicle sticks. Freeze for 1 more hour or until solid.

Well, let me know if these little cool sweet treats make it to the weekend! Hope you enjoy the kick off to summer and see you tomorrow.

Day 144 - Ikebana.

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Day 144 - Hello Monday. It's the start of a new week and I think it's a good day to learn something new. When I was in college, I desperately wanted to take a course in Ikebana or Japanese flower arranging. Needless to say, I never got the opportunity but today I decided to try Ikebana on my own.

After doing some research, the word Ikebana translates to ike, meaning 'alive' or 'arrange' and bana meaning 'flower.'  Ikebana is a true art form and a meditative practice. It takes a years of study to become a master. Typically, what is needed for an Ikebana arrangement is a vessel, a kenzan (flower frog) and flowers. A general and detailed breakdown can be found here at Make Magazine and FTD "The Art Of Ikebana Flower Arrangement." Ikebana is amazing because the arrangements appear very simple however the more I learn, the more I realize it's an incredibly complicated practice. There are over 3000 schools of Ikebana which emphasize balance, minimalism, shape, line, humanity, aesthetics, form and balance. 

Today, I am going to attempt an arrangement but it's going to be very difficult to do this art form justice. I encourage you to try it too for today's project. Find a vessel, buy a flower frog {affiliate link} and trim a bunch of lovely flowers from nature. Now, find silence and focus on the flowers including their shape, color and the negative space they provide. 

Wow. I learned so much with this project. For me this was a difficult practice. There were many factors into making the arrangement work from all aspects. I would move a stem, another one would fall over and ruin the whole aesthetic. I also struggled with creating balance from all angles of the arrangement.

Well, it looks like I have a ton to learn and  years of practice ahead. However, it was amazing to get out of my comfort zone to create something new. Let me know how your arrangement looks and see you tomorrow!

MayAndra Weberflowers, yet
Day 143 - Sail Away.

Day 143 - Oh hey. I woke up this Sunday morning with a desire to go sailing. There is something about a boat that says freedom! However, I am terrified of the water. So what's a girl to do? An easy solution is make some of these little origami paper boats and just imagine sailing in the French Riviera or the Aegean Sea. You will need a few sheets of 4" x 6" text weight paper. Watch the below tutorial and let me know how your boats turn out. What imaginary trip will you create with you as the captain of your fleets?  

Let me know where your boats take you and see you tomorrow skipper!

MayAndra Weberorigami, yet
Day 142 - Poppy Walk.

Day 142 - Helloooo! Happy Saturday. After a long week, the first thing I needed this morning is a walk. Did I want to get out of bed this morning? No! However, after sitting at my desk for a long periods of time this week, my body hurt. I knew a good old walk around the neighborhood would get the blood pumping and the energy boosted. So I pulled myself out of bed, put on my clothes, laced up my shoes and cruised around the sidewalks this morning. At first I was, grumpy to be out of bed early. However, the more I walked, the more I cleared my head. As my grey matter fog faded, I started to notice amazing things around me. One of which was these various poppies. 

Today's project is to get outside today and find inspiration in the everyday. Create a photo of something you find inspiring on your walk. Study it. Decide why it's inspiring to you. 

For me the poppies are so diverse in color and texture. It's inspiring to me to see that nature can create something so perfectly designed. That's all I have today. Have a great Saturday and see you tomorrow.

MayAndra Weberyet
Day 141 - Jokes On.

Day 141 - Hey guys. Who wants to joke around today? Who thinks Friday is a great day to tell a good joke? There is just something about Friday that lends itself to making light of the what's going on around us so we can ease into the weekend. Today, I thought we could try to write a joke. Now, let me be clear, attempting to write a joke is a stretch for me. Comedy is a tough business. Getting people to laugh takes a certain kind of magic. After a very short search on the Google, I found this site, Jerry Corley's Comedy Clinic that helped me develop my first joke.

Here goes nothing:

At breakfast, my husband used a rock to bust open a gallon of orange juice and shoveled eggs in his mouth with his hands. When I asked him what the hell he was doing, he replied "Justifying my unibrow."

Unibrow.

Unibrow.

Today's project is to develop and deliver a joke. According to  Jerry Corley's Comedy Clinic think what is new, what has changed and what have I acquired. Break the idea down further by asking Who? What? Why? Where? When? How? and then pick your audience. What was the hardest part? 

Let me know how your joke goes over and signing off with "That's all folks!"

 

MayAndra WeberFunny, yet
Day 140 - Hello Haiku.

Day 140 - Hey! This morning, the moment my eye lids fluttered open, I said "What's next?" It's the end of the altMBA workshop and I realized I need to tackle something more. The stretching was big in the class and I am thrilled to think of all the hard work that was done in the last four weeks. However, I missed my family. Last night I was able to take a walk with them after dinner. It was the first walk we had taken together in weeks.

It was a lovely evening and I was strolling along with the kids but my mind was still on the work done in the altMBA. It was a strange sensation to be outside in the golden sunset versus making power plans for the future. As I slowed behind my family, a sense of calm gather over me. Just ahead, under the train tracks, was a wide field of glowing daisies with their faces gleaming in the the evening light. I was stuck by how much I had missed my family, our walks and our lives during the four intense weeks. I was so grateful to be outside. 

In the spirt of stretching myself, as the altMBA taught me, and the beautiful moment last night, I decided to write a Haiku. If you don't know what a Haiku entails, you can read more about it here: Haiku Poetry. The general idea is that a Haiku is three lines containing 5/7/5 syllables. It was uncomfortable to write because I felt out of my element. It's not going to win any awards but here is my first Haiku poem.

Today's project is to take a five minute walk. Then come home and create a Haiku. I had trouble understanding the number of syllables in each word. If you need help, here is a great site to help. "How Many Syllables"

Send me your Haiku and let me know how you felt creating your poem. See you tomorrow!

Day 139 - Ship It.

Day 139 - Hey gang. Wednesday is here and although it hasn't been a full week, I am ready for the weekend. In short, I am shorted out. The altMBA was amazing but it took sprinting a full four weeks and now I want to collapse. Going into the program, there was one key point that was instilled throughout. You have to "ship it." Whatever you are trying make or do it's never going to be perfect. Perfection is fear hiding. 

I Didn't Want To Ship This. What Do You Think?

I Didn't Want To Ship This. What Do You Think?

Today, ship something. Show someone your story, drawing, website, recipe, business idea or photo that you just don't think is quite good enough to send out into the world. Showing someone this artifact should make you feel uncomfortable and nervous. Create tension in yourself. Notice how you feel before and after the big reveal. 

Let me know how it goes and see you tomorrow.

MayAndra Weberyet
Day 138 - Crayola Kid.

Day 138 - Hey guys! Whew. The sprint of the altMBA is almost over. It has become apparent that I haven't had time in the last four weeks to spend with my kids. They were both begging for attention today. One needed a nap but the other one begged me to draw with her this morning. She pulled out her set of ninety-six Crayola crayons and we went to work. It was magical, as I sat and we drew together. Her imagination is remarkable. We drew the following gumball machines.

A 30 Somethings Version Of A Gumball Machine.

A 30 Somethings Version Of A Gumball Machine.

A 4 Year Old Version Of A Gumball Machine.

A 4 Year Old Version Of A Gumball Machine.

Look at these two drawings. Which one is more interesting? Yes, completely agree. The 4 year olds version. Look how she put fruit in the top with the gumballs and the shape it self is more energetic. She told me I needed to add clouds and a sunshine on my drawing. I asked her why. She said because the gumball machine was outside. Of course!

What happens when we get older? Why do we lose the art of possibilities? Why do we tell ourselves that a gumball machine can't be outside? Today's project is to pull out the Crayolas and draw like a kid again. Maybe it's a hot dog at a circus, a panda self-portrait or ice cream truck in a snow storm. Think of something and then add something that you would think would never go together.

I need to get back to drawing with my Crayolas but let me know how it feels to create like a kid again and see you tomorrow!

Day 137 - Cherry Day.

Day 137 - Hey Monday. Whew. What a great weekend. How about you? I'm going to keep this short and sweet because it's the last day of my altMBA class and things are still crazy. As I was fast and furious going through the class, I didn't have much time to enjoy anything. I stood and ate, barely had time to bath and ignored my loved ones for weeks. Today, I am going to take time out to play with my kids and enjoy the sweetness of life. Like a bowl of cherries, life goes way too fast. 

cherries_bowl.jpg

Today's project is to find five minutes in your day and simple create joy. Try slowing down for just a few moment by looking around and taking it all in. In other words,  enjoy your bowl of cherries to the fullest. That's all I have today. Keep creating and see you tomorrow!

Day 136 - Birthday Bash!

Day 136 - Hey everybody. What goes better with Sundays than sundaes? Birthday parties and champagne of course! Today is my birthday. Yes, I will be forever twenty-one. Yes, I am from Generation X. Yes, I know it isn't possible to be twenty-one and Generation X. I consider twenty-one my Hollywood age. Ok, I digressed. Let's get back to talking about champagne. Champagne and I go together like vinegar and baking soda. My friends call it "flipping the switch." What can I say? It brings out the crazy in me. So let's talk about getting crazy and celebrating. 

Today's project is to grab a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine, some grenadine and create a celebration with me. Pour about 6oz of champagne and 2oz of grenadine in glass and enjoy. Drink a glass or four. Kick back and enjoy today! Bottoms Up. That's all I have today. I am going to go back to celebrating. I'll see you tomorrow!

Day 135 - Hello Video!

Hey everybody. How was the week? It's Saturday and to switch things up here on the blog, I'm trying video as a a new way to show creating. Video is an interesting medium and a very powerful form of communication. The tools to create rough videos have become more simple and easy to use. There are so many easy tools available, anyone can make an cool little movie.

Today's project is to make a short video of something fun. Maybe it's when the pancakes get flipped this morning? A video selfie on a morning run? Or the sun going down over the ocean. Post it to Vimeo or YouTube and share it with your inner circle. Create a new medium to express yourself today.

Well, I need to get back to eating some pancakes and making more short films. Let me know what kind of feedback you get on your videos and see you tomorrow!

MayAndra Webervideo, yet
Day 134 - S'mores Please.

Day 134 - Hey you guys! It's Friday and that means Funday. What's more fun, delicious and friday than S'mores?  There is the crunch of the graham cracker, sweetness of the marshmallow and the creaminess of the chocolate. Could there be a better Friday snack? No way.

Today's project if you haven't already guessed it, is to celebrate Friday and create some S'mores. Fire up the oven and broil up some sweet, crunchy tasty snacks to give Friday a hooray!  If you want some tips on how to make the perfect S'mores here is more information from the Food Network.

Let me know how your Friday feels after that yummy treat and keep on creating. See you tomorrow!