Heather K Powers

Wednesday’s Word Resilient

February 20, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education

: characterized or marked by resilience: as

a : capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture

b : tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

Psychology Today identifies some of the factors that make someone resilient:

A positive attitude
Optimism
Ability to regulate emotions
Ability to see failure as a form of helpful feedback

Over the past few years I have reflected many times on where I’ve been and where I’m headed. I’ve become more adaptable to situations and circumstances by trying and doing things that perhaps I might not have seen myself doing. I’ve also enjoyed things I never dreamed I would have and surprised myself! Optimism is something that comes to me pretty naturally (I think I have my mom to thank for this:). And I almost never view anything I try as a failure. I’m not sure where I learned this from but I’ve always felt that everything I do I can and will learn from. Failure is something that happens to all of us in different forms but it’s not the failure itself that’s the lesson, it’s how we learn from experiences and how we bounce back.

Best selling author Seth Godin devotes a whole chapter to Resilience in his book Linchpin.

Here’s an excerpt:

You will fail at this. Often. Why is that a problem? In fact, this is a boon. It’s a boon because when others fail to be remarkable or make a difference or share their art or have an impact, they will give up. But you won’t, you’ll persist, pushing through the dip. Which means that few people will walk in the door with your background, experience or persistence.

If our young men miscarry in their first enterprises they lose all heart. If the young merchant fails, men say he is ruined. If the finest genius studies at one of our colleges, and is not installed in an office within one year afterwards in the cities or suburbs of Boston or New York, it seems to his friends, and to himself that he is right in being disheartened, and in complaining the rest of his life. A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont, who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township, and so forth, is worth a hundred of these city dolls. He walks abreast with his days, and feels no shame in not “studying a profession” for he does not postone his life, but lives already. He has not one chance, but a hundred chances.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Are you resilient in certain areas of your life but not others?

Textile Ice Dyeing Pt 1

February 3, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Inspiration & Education, Textiles & Pattern

I’ve been very excited to experiment with Ice Dyeing and this week I finally had the time, space and necessary materials available to get started. I have a friend who works for a florist here in Charleston and she knows I’m always on the lookout for flowers with vibrant color. Over the last 6 months I’ve collected different varieties of petals separated by color and have frozen them in 1 Gal zip bags. With Valentines (and the prospect of more red flowers to come my way) I decided to begin with the batch of red petals (mostly from red tulips). Below I gathered a variety of fabric and yarn materials to test. I included a few types of silk, cotton, linen, wool and some blends of these.

Textile Ice Dyeing

When I experiment with Dyeing I always try to keep notes on specific quantities, materials used, times etc but so much of the fun of this process is the unexpected!

I put the red frozen flower petals inside a pillow case (anything else would work that would keep the materials contained).

I presoaked the materials in about 2 gallons of lukewarm water with vinegar (mordant) and I submerged the petals inside the pillow case in the bucket giving it a good swish around. I continued to stir the materials, squeezing the dyestuff inside the pillow case several times a day over the next 48 hrs. This is the hard part, leaving the materials alone for so long when you can see the beautiful colors developing. I waited the full 48 hrs before removing the fabrics to be rinsed and dried (by hand).

Once out of the dye bath the colors varied quite a bit from pale pink to grey to purple. The wool and silk (protein fibers) took up the colors much more intensely then the cotton and linen (cellulose) fibers. I pretty much expected this result. I gave the materials a few soaks in warm water with a bit of detergent (delicate wash type) and sorted them into “satisfactory” and needs additional dyeing. I did not discard the almost spent tulip petals and as you can see below (the yellow areas of the petals), much of the color has already been extracted from the plant material but I wanted to extract more so I decided to keep going with this dyebath.

I added red/orange shade petals from orchids and roses right on top of the partially ‘spent’ tulip petals. Another 1 gallon bag of materials went back into the bucket (pic below) along with the “unsatisfactory” materials (cottons) and some new undyed materials (again wool, silk and cotton). This time I did not add additional vinegar so the mordant will not be as strong.

The process of dyeing (weather natural or synthetic) is a little mysterious and always yields some surprising results. I have used mostly synthetic dyes in the past but as I experiment with natural dyeing I feel much more comfortable with the materials knowing that for the most part they do not pose a threat to my health or the environment. The water will eventually be used in the garden and the plants will go into the compost heap. The fabrics can be worn knowing they don’t contain dangerous chemicals and I’ve created something from NOTHING!

Sunday Savings::GO-Month Wrap up

January 27, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Organize

I’m back with a end of the month Sunday Savings round up for you. There are a lot of great deals out there right now on all things Tax Prep related but there are other great savings on organizing related products as well.

Staples has deals on a range of external Hard drives (from 1-3 TB $79-$149) if cloud based backup isn’t enough or right for you. Below are a few hi-lights of some of their helpful organizing products on sale this week.

If you are lucky enough to live near a Container Store (which, sadly I do not!) the Elfa Sale continues through this week with 30% off shelving & installation!

Over at World Market this week all storage baskets are 25% off. But PLEASE-don’t buy it unless you know exactly where it’s going and what will be stored in it!

Baskets

Another one of my favorite places for organizing supplies and inspiration is Ikea. They currently have 15%off their Besta Storage line with the “Family” card (free program).

Finally, if you are planning a garden for this upcoming growing season Botanical Interest currently has free shipping (orders over $50). They are one of my favorite seed companies for quality and selection!

*On a slight side note, with the big game count down in full swing there are some great deals on TV’s this week. Not that a TV will help you with organizing, I’m just saying if you are already in the market for a new one, now might be a good time to check them out.

If you’ve got to shop this week, hopefully some of these ideas will help you save.

Wednesday’s Word::Tenacious

January 23, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Tips & Resources

Tenacious is a great word. One we don’t hear people using much in today’s everyday language but it’s tenacity that usually helps us to hold our course.

Definition of TENACIOUS

(courtesy of Merriam-webster)

a : not easily pulled apart : cohesive <a tenacious metal>

b : tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance <tenacious burs>

a : persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired <a tenacious advocate of civil rights> <tenacious negotiators>

We all find at times we may need to cultivate tenacity, especially when we feel uncertain, discouraged or otherwise like we want to give up because something is sooo HARD! Some people can naturally be described as tenacious and others may find that Tenacity is a skill that they need to cultivate. There are naysayers out there that say Tenacity can not be taught and although it’s not easy or a “traditional” subject to try to teach I’d bet every parent has tried to varying degrees to teach their children tenacity. I think it’s also important to be selective about being tenacious. No one wants to be constantly pushing towards goals or ideas that no longer serve them so most importantly, evaluate when to let go of things that are not appropriate and cultivate tenacity in more selective terms.

5 Ways to cultivate tenacity:

Listen to your gut (intuition, instinct or whatever you want to call it)/Ignore your Ego (that naysayer, little devil on your shoulder etc). If it’s making you miserable, it’s time to re-consider it.
Try it a different way; often times if we’ve tried and given up there may be a different system or solution that might just click! Keep trying until you Succeed and keep track of what works!
Embrace the Process; not the outcome. There’s no denying we are a result driven society but by being more process centered we can appreciate and congratulate ourselves along the way (to the bigger goals)
Surround yourself with tenacious people. When we see others emulate qualities we want to cultivate we will be much more likely to succeed.
Hold yourself accountable but let got of the guilt! Maybe you need an accountability partner (one of those other inspiring tenacious people in your life). Putting it out there in front of others helps hold you to your word.

Your Desk Assignment

January 14, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Paper management, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources

Since January was GO Month, I’m continuing to bring you Get Organized tips. Today, here’s your Desk assignment if you choose to tackle it! Because, you know…it might be a mess regularly, or you may need to start getting tax papers together.

You know your why, I’ll show you how.

Spend the thirty minutes to hour of your day at work keeping your desk organized for a more productive week, month & year!

Really! If you spend 30-60 min’s today and clean up your desk, it will make you feel so much better, more productive, more effective and less stressed when you sit down (or stand) to get back to work.

Here’s a quick breakdown with a few tips to keep in mind as you are tackling this little (or maybe not so little?) task:

If you already have a good filing system in place, sort & file or toss/shred the rest. IF NOT…
Decide if you are A filer or A piler (more here ). If you are a ‘filer’ proceed to the next step using a vertical file sorter. If you are a ‘piler’ then proceed but modify this system using a horizontal filing baskets, bins or small drawers.
Create a ‘Tickler or Action file system’ for the items that need to remain nearby. There are several types like 43 Folders or a more action-based system. Sort items & file or toss/shred the rest. Action files may include: To Do, Pay, Contact, Research or Decisions, Complete, Pending, Read, Delegate, Upcoming events, File, Current projects (by name) and more.
Clear supplies off surfaces. Put them in drawers or bins/boxes/baskets and label as needed. Keep only what you use regularly on the desk. One pen/pencil and one notepad and the electronic paraphernalia.
Utilize vertical space. Hang a cork, whiteboard, calendar, or action file sorter (not where things should live permanently!). Consider anything else that you can remove from your desk to better use vertical space.
Remove anything unrelated to work or home office (toys, mail that hasn’t been sorted, tools, knickknacks, etc.)
Optimize your workspace ergonomics. Check the height of your chair, monitor, and desk. Add good lighting and consider using or adjusting arm rests, using a riser for your monitor, a wedge for your wrists etc.
Include something beautiful (not a bunch of things!). One or two beautiful objects like a plant, a crystal, a photo, candle etc. that give you a place for you to rest your eyes. Cast your gaze on these when you are taking recommended 3-min breaks from your monitor.

IF this doesn’t seem like a task you can tackle in 30-60 min’s and you can’t do it all at once then tackle the tasks above that seem easy and check them off the list. When it comes to the BIG piles, can you do a quick sort and keep only the things you really need on/near your desk in a desktop sorter of some type? The rest can go into a box for you to label “SORT” and work on a little at at time (30 min’s a day) for the rest of the week or until it’s done.

Coming to work tomorrow will be that much more joyful with a neat an tidy desk!

Brought to you by National Clean off your desk day! Who thinks of these things? Hallmark? Is there a card for it?

Now, I’m off to take my own medicine! Happy Clean Desk Day!