make something days five&six

This weekend I made: a little bow keychain and another bracelet using an old moon bead. I know they're just little things, and were pretty simple to make but it is the weekend and it was a busy one. I gave the keychain to one of my friends, so heey I'm a pretty good friend to have, hang around me and you might get some free stuff. ;)

In other news, I had a great first week of the new year. How was yours?

friday

There's an apple pie fresh out of the oven, I can smell it. It's a good night already. My idea of a perfect Friday is just this, a quiet night, dessert and a glass of red wine. I've been stuck for these past two days updating my shop and working on new listings, I feel like I'm developing couch sores from all this sitting around, staring at my computer screen. But, it had to be done and now I can enjoy my weekend and come Monday I'll have a clean slate to start on some new items, and then the cycle continues. I feel like I'm finally getting better at running my shop so hopefully my positive attitude towards business will reflect in my work. I basically just started around January of last year so I'm now starting on my second year. I learned so much in one year, now it's time to take everything I know and put twice as much effort into making my dreams come true. I know I have the talent, all I need now is my own studio so I can continue to spend my days filling orders and making products that people love. <3 Is that selfish or is it possible for life to be so great?

Now that the holidays are over it's time to get back to business. (Until New Years at least.) I had a wonderful Christmas and I enjoyed making gifts for my loved ones, and my customers. With happy thoughts in my mind I can get working on all my plans for the new year, which are extensive. I'm going all or nothing so it's business first for 2013. And it's 2:00 in the morning so it seems like I'm getting good head start on that... I'm going to have to seriously reevaluate my sleep schedule if I want to catch any of these short winter days. Or I'll learn to be a night owl, either way I'm doin' work, son!

Sometimes I wonder if I should even keep this blog, I don't update it quite as often as I intended to. It's more of a place for me to ramble I guess, but I put a lot of work into it so I'll keep it around. Most of my shop updates nowadays are posted to my shop instagram: @noelebelle and my facebook page.

now that the rain has dried

Diaries of an amateur shop owner.. All I seem to know how to make now is scarves. Not to say that that's a bad thing necessarily, at least I'll have a good variety. However, I feel like making the same thing over and over is limiting my creativity though each one is made differently. After I make it through this holiday season I'll be able to come back next year with some new, creative holiday and winter ideas for my shop. As for this season, I feel like I started my preparations a little late to successfully promote myself as a "one stop holiday shop." Christmas is right around the corner and I still have so many presents to make on top of coming up with new winter listings, but I'm more excited than worried.

I think today I'll paint for a while. Get my hands dirty and test out my abilities.

It feels so nice to be getting orders again.

winter welcomes

It's the rainy days like these that remind me to breathe in and enjoy life. Though I may mostly stay indoors there's nothing stopping me from changing my state completely and going out to run in the rain. Whenever I go outside I always find myself looking up the sky to see how it's changed since I last saw it. When you look straight up in the rain it's as if you're looking up into the infinite. Raindrops fall from a vortex above you and the sky, grey, glows beautifully as if there is no sun but instead some sort of mystical place beyond your daily imaginations. The cloud cover is a dreamland, reminding us to step back and relax for just a moment.

Maybe it's the clean air or the calming winter chill, I don't know, but seasons greetings always seem to ease my mind. That is until the holidays get closer. I look forward to the busy-ness though, especially since most of it will be creating gifts for people. One thing that I desperately need to do is get my sleep schedule back to normal and start waking up earlier! It doesn't help that I always stay up til 2 in the morning but getting out of bed at noon is starting to become a real drag. 

 xo neena noel

november

I'm just now getting a chance to say, happy November! This is going to be a busy month for me as I'm sure it will for all of you with the holidays so close by. I've slowly been receiving all of the goodies that I ordered for my shop including this giant box of yarn! My intentions for it was to make a whole bunch of different types of scarves, but just yesterday I came up with a very chirstmas-y idea while playing around with some red wool. I looked through tons of Santa hats on Etsy and wanted to make something just a little bit different. So I came up with a pattern and worked with it until it matched my vision and looked just right. It's not in my shop yet but I should have it up tomorrow. I'm pretty happy with my design so, steal my idea and I will hunt you down! >:]

Every day may seem like just another struggle, but I know now that life is what you make it.  I realize now that I can find the solutions to my struggles instead of letting them carry me down further. I've always been a human of impulse, relying on habitual behavior I would have rather chosen to give in to my addictions than to wait out a feeling of uneasiness. 

I know now that positive actions will lead to a more positive life but if you had told me that a year ago I would not have cared either way. I can look back on my personal problems and see growth and improvement instead of filling myself with regret. I no longer let my choices today affect my well being tomorrow. I no longer let a temporary downfall bring me down into a deeper depression. 

This is only the beginning but I feel like this time I am truly free from the chains I've kept myself locked in. Once the scars have faded it will be like nothing ever happened. We take each day one step at a time and even then it still feels like we're moving way too fast. Sometimes I just have to slow it down and put everything into perspective. Sometimes I just need a minute to think before acting to realize that I can come out stronger as long as I stay strong through the battle.

I've found my solace through keeping myself busy. Learning and finding new interests, keeping my brain and hands occupied, setting goals for myself and starting new projects. Breaking addictions and creating healthy habits. I'm moving further away from the things that keep me unhappy and I find myself moving closer to a peace of mind every day. Moving further away from the complications of society I find the natural simplicity of the Earth will guide me through. I question and I find the answers. I keep moving forward until I find my way to enlightenment.

two months<3
xo neena noel

unfinished scarves

crochet troubles: feeling the need to make every combination of scarves possible

and every version of every scarf in every color that you have.

red and blue

Strawberries are red,

oceans are blue,

I had a nice day

and I hope you did too

my photostream

with love, neena noel

Just bought myself a Flickr Pro account, woooohooooo! I'm really, very excited because now I have a reason to make my photos and my photo albums presentable since I have money riding on it. No, money doesn't really mean all that much to me, but I'm not going to let the three months of photostreaming advantages that I paid for go to waste!

my new and improved photostream

the blank page

I'll keep searching and I'll keep dreaming

I'll keep loving and I'll keep leaving

I'll fly high and I'll swing low 

I'll live fast but I'll take things slow.

I just want a world of my own.

Hello, Autumn.
I'm glad you're finally here.
Summer made me miss you even more.

Because there is always room for improvement,

l. Keep everything clean & organized

ll. Take more pictures

lll. Make things that I am proud of

lV. Keep an open mind

V. Live by my schedule

I'm ready for the harvest

Oh, luminous moon,

black nights alone

it's for you that I swoon.

Bold, aglow

it's all too soon

I'm shot back down

to wait again, 'til high noon.

with love, neena noel

meow mow

I'm going to be busy this weekend and probably won't have time to make any new posts. However, I do have some new pictures on my flickr including these ones of my pretty kitty, Pele. I'm semi-happy with the way the photos I've uploaded have come out, but still finding room for improvement. So yeah, there's a little preview of some of my recent photo taking fun. I'm studying more about editing and photography, so I hope to have some better pictures soon.

 

with love, neena noel

laundry day

This ended up taking my mom and I almost all day to do all of the household laundry. We really need to get our dryer fixed.

I've been such a day dreamer lately. I want to go live in a tent and explore without fear of what might happen. I want a life full of great pictures and good times. At least for a little while, that's all I ask. I want some time to just adventure so I can learn from my experiences and my mistakes. Ah, wanderlust! I hope to get out someday soon.

with love, neena noel

snapshots

 What was it that brought me here? What is it that keeps me here? My mind spins in circles and though sometimes it may slow down I keep getting asked questions I don't know the answer to. When going with the flow stops flowing so easily I need to create my own current. My life would be so much easier if my decisions didn't affect other people, but it's for the best that they do. I can continue to chase my dreams but how long will that last once I've gotten what I want?

Though I have so much inspiration, I'm losing motivation. My hopes may be irrational but only because I'm not trying hard enough. I keep telling myself that I need to just sit down and work but I never know where to start. So many times I want to drop everything and just explore the world with nothing but necessities, no need to keep track of time, no time to waste, nothing to waste. I feel so disconnected now yet all I want is to disconnect further.

I am no where near breaking. I have some of the greatest friends a girl could ask for. My life is so full of inspiration, I just have to stop diluting it by taking the wrong paths. When I wake up from my dreamland, I'll know which direction I have to take to find my solace. My life only continues to improve despite all of my negativity and all of my worries are only temporary.

with love,

neena noel

who am i anyways?

I come from the Myspace generation and you all know how fun those bulletin board surveys were. Here's a little "twenty things about me," and I know people rarely read them but we all love to dig into our minds and think about a few things that we'd be willing to share with the rest of the world. When I find a blog or a webpage that I'm genuinely interested in I'll be curious about the person behind the photos. I've been scouring the internet for inspiration and also for other beginning photographers like myself. So, I've started up a couple new projects and I'm revamping my webpages in hopes that they can appeal to like-minded people. 

Project one: I've redirected my old tumblr to a new one with an about me for people who are interested. I hope to be a friend to those who have battled with similar issues and a friend to those who aspire to reach similar goals as me. I have a few photos of my own on there, but it's mostly a collection of photos that inspire me. --> http://noelebelle.tumblr.com

Project number two: I've been getting way into Flickr and joining groups to share my photos. There are so many talented people hiding out on that website, though I feel like my photos are no where near as good as some it gives me room to grow. I created a group for people to share their favorite photos with me. I'm asking a favor of other photographers to give me something to be inspired by and I can't wait to see others photography and what they've chosen to share with me. Come join, everyone is welcome --> http://www.flickr.com/groups/letmedream/

Now for the fun part..

One. I've lived in Southern California for my entire life, all the way from birth until now. 

Two. I could never keep a journal. I'd write a few pages for a couple days straight and then give up on it. Eventually I'd grab a new notebook and try writing again, but I never finished a single one. I have piles of empty and partially full notebooks in my closet.

Three. I have been a pescetarian since the age of six. Meaning I don't eat any meat besides eggs and fish. (I'll occasionally eat chicken ever since I was reintroduced to poultry when I was fifteen.)

Four. Natural Born Killers is my favorite movie of all time.

Five. I have never broken a single bone in my body, nor have I ever been pulled over while driving. People always tell me to "knock on wood" when I say such things, but I think I'm just lucky. (:

Six. I have 442 artists on my iTunes and 7,834 songs. That's 21.8 days of non-stop music. (Thanks for the stats, iTunes.)

Seven. I'll make sense out of something in my mind, but can never seem to put my thoughts into words that make sense to others. Sometimes I just wish I kept things to myself.

Eight. I take most of my photos with a Canon Rebel XSi that my father passed down to me. I have three other cameras, one digital and two film. I hope for my collection to grow.

Nine. Though I control how often I eat them, I am obsessed with Hot Cheeto Fries.

Ten. I would rather read a textbook and learn about a subject on my own than take a class about it. I graduated high school a year early by going to a school that allowed me home school myself and I found that I learned more that way. Classrooms full of people just distract me.

Eleven. A couple of my pet peeves are watching commercials and people who yell out of moving car windows.

Twelve. I drive a 1998, silver Mustang convertible. The paints peeling off in places and it has some dents and bruises, but I love it all the same.

Thirteen. Both of my ears are gauged, size 00.

Fourteen. I love reading but I can never find time to finish a book. I like autobiographies, drug stories, true stories, Hunter S. Thompson, tragedies, comedies, etc.

Fifteen. I've been clean from heroin for a year and half to this day. It's a thing of the past, don't judge.

Sixteen. I have one of the cutest dogs in the world. Her name is Kokopelli and I got her as a little baby puppy only seven weeks old. She's all black, medium sized, pointed ears and an unknown breed full of love.

Seventeen. I love the ocean, I really feel like it keeps me sane.

Eighteen. I have no tattoos but I want many.

Nineteen. I consider myself to be Pansexual, choosing my partners based on who they are not their color, creed or gender. 

Twenty. I love incense and hookah and all those other peaceful things.

with love,

neena noel