"Your mind is the enemy of your creativity." I went to a professional training seminar yesterday and this has really stayed with me. The facilitator used me as an example because I raised my hand when she asked who thought they were creative. Here's the thing, I don't think it, I know it. It's such a part of who I am I put it on my license plate. The facilitator went on to say that while creativity comes from the heart, logic comes from the mind and therefore there will always be conflict between the two. This resonated with me. When I am in my creative element, time doesn't matter. Then my mind will notice the time and the conversation goes like this:

Mind: Heifer, it's 3AM!!! You have to go to work in a few hours!!!
Heart: Aww, come on. It's almost finished.
Mind: Who cares! Go to bed.

Too often I let my mind win and my heart is saddened because it knows it may be awhile before I make the time to finish what I started. I say all of this to ask are you listening to your heart when she wants to create? Whether you scrapbook, sew, crochet, paint, write...have you made the time to create a physical representation of your God-given gift lately? I don't know about you, but I will be listening more often. 

Creative Spark - My Craft Room

I have a thing for purple and butterflies.  Imagine my delight when my mother (God bless her) told me she would be okay sleeping on a futon so that I could reclaim the guestroom and turn it into my creative space. It's far from finished (my creative brain still wants to improve my creative space!).  I love the fact that I can go in the room, shut the door and create to my hearts' content or at least until one of my daughters call for me.

Happy Crafting!

Creative Spark - Upholstered Banker's Box

The saying is "necessity is the mother of invention".  I say, "I'm bored...let me make something".  This time around, I really did need something to put family picture albums in.  I got sick of looking at them on the dining room chair.  In the process of cleaning my dining room, I came across a banker's box that I used to transport items to my 40th birthday party.  I had a lightbulb moment...I have fabric and batting to cover this.  I used upholstery fabric leftover from when I recovered my kitchen chairs, batting left over from quilt that I haven't finished, scissors, stapler and a glue gun.

Here's the box covered with batting:

Box partially covered with fabric.  I got stuck on trying to figure out the pleating...

Finally figured out the pleating:

Here's the inside of the box.  The obsessive compulsive in me will probably finish it out at some point, but I just wanted to get this puppy done.

Can't forget the lid.  How lucky was I to have a perfectly matched solid in almost the same type of fabric?  It wasn't luck...it was leftover fabric from covering my kitchen chairs for the 4th time.

Here's the finish product.  I am so happy how nice it turned out!  My girlfriends have all requested a box to match different rooms in their house.  I'm thinking about making some more to match my craft room.

Now, if I didn't tell you, would you think this was a banker's box wrapped in upholstery fabric?  If I was looking for fabric to match my living room furniture, I would still be searching for it.

Making myself a priority

When I started my weight loss journey, I was so focused.  Tracking everything I ate, making sure I drank enough water and exercising.  Fast forward 11 weeks and I have only lost a total of 3.8 lbs.  I have a great week, a horrible week followed by a worst week.  I get refocused, re-energized, follow the program and drop weight without a lot of effort.  I've come to the realization that I'm an emotional eater and I do not put myself first.  I resolve to do the following this coming week:

• Track my food and be honest about my points.  That coffee that I drink in the morning is probably closer to 5 points than it is 3.
• Drink more water.  Lots more water.
• Eat more fruit.  They are 0 points.  Seriously, I can get full and still have points leftover for a snack.  That's truly a no-brainer.
• Exercise and give my Fitbit what it wants....10,000 steps, 10 flights of stairs, 1000 activity points and 5 miles a day.  However I can get the stats, I'm getting them.  Wii Just Dance, walk during lunch or hit the treadmill.  Come hell or high water, I'm going to give it what it wants.

I can prepare for the week ahead, but won't pack my breakfast and lunch.  Seriously?  This week, I will make myself a priority.

I think I'm going to start posting my weight next week...

Do you know who you are?

I was on Pinterest looking at all things purple and came across this graphic.  As I started to read the words, they resonated with me.  At any given moment, I could be described by all of words listed below.  Depending on what hat I'm wearing (mom, wife, administrative professional, friend, president of a chapter, etc.) I run through all of the description s in a span of 24 hours.  I'm learning to be a little bit more patient with myself and giving myself some slack.  I'm not perfect and I've stop trying to be.  Amazing how I give so many other people space for imperfection and growth while denying myself the same luxury.  

The Best Quote Ever About Creativity

This is, by far, the best quote I've ever read about creativity.  I hope it inspires you to embrace the creativity that inside of you.  


"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. You might say, I am not the creative type. If that is how you feel, think again. Creation is your opportunity in this life….. Start small. Creativity does not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you. You will make the World a better place. Improve, beautify, extend, smile, cultivate, develop, create." ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf


Here are some more great quotes:
And I found that when I built my own place and just shut the door, the creativity was endless.
Billy Sherwood


Anxiety is part of creativity, the need to get something out, the need to be rid of something or to get in touch with something within.
David Duchovny


But out of limitations comes creativity.
Debbie Allen


Can anybody be given a great degree of creativity? No. They can be given the equipment to develop it-if they have it in them in the first place.
George Shearing


Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.
Dee Hock


Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting.
Edward de Bono

My 40th Birthday Party

Let me start by saying that I've wanted to celebrate my 40th birthday in a BIG way since I was 35.  I've talked about it, dreamed about it and couldn't wait to start planning it.  It almost didn't happen because I allowed someone's thoughts about extravagant parties change my view.  I'm so glad that I listened to my heart instead of someone else.  Memories from my party will be with me for the rest of my life and no one can take that away from me.  Lesson learned: Always celebrate your major milestones, even if you are the only person excited about it.  You will find that there are more people than you think that are just as excited about it as you are and they will help you celebrate.


I created the save the date cards, invitations, rsvp cards, thank you cards, program/menu, bar menu, guestbook page sign, the card box, design of the centerpieces and the overall layout and color scheme of the room.  I hired myself to give myself a party :-)

Low Tech Weight Loss Buddy...

Last week's weigh in was a happy one...2 more pounds gone.  Combined with getting compliments from co-workers saying that they can see that I'm losing weight, last week was awesome. This week strategy was letting go of stress any way possible.  What worked for me was doing a to-do list every day.  I had lists going for work, home and as President of the Prince George's Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals.  Simultaneously, there were multiple balls in the air and I had no one to delegate to.  It was beginning to stress me out and I couldn't focus on where to get started.  One night I wrote down each area of responsibility on separate pages in my notebook and every night I would write down what needed to be done.  Not that I expected to get everything done the very next day but it released my mind from the pressure of how much had to get done.  You know what happened? I slept like a rock every single night which meant I woke up energized which meant I didn't crave sugary, carb-filled foods during the day.  No emotional eating, no eating to keep me awake.  The wonderful, incredible to do list was my weight loss buddy this week.  So low-tech but oh so very effective.  

It's Not A Fluke...

After being very disappointed by my weight gain during my birthday and the holiday, I stepped on the scale today at Weight Watchers and was very happy.  I lost what I gained and even though I'm basically broke even, I know what I did right in order to lose weight this week.

One of the things I did right, at the urging of a very good girlfriend, was purchase a FitBit (www.fitbit.com).  This little gizmo is about the size of a bluetooth earpiece and fits comfortably on the strap of my bra (and it stays there all day until I go to bed).

It tracks how many steps I've taken in a day and converts it to miles.  It also tracks how many flights of stairs I've climbed and what my activity level was throughout the day.  I've found myself checking the number of steps I've taken during the day and doing whatever it takes to get to the magic number of 10,000 steps.  It even tells you, based on your height and weight, how many calories you burn a day before you eat a thing.  This is an awesome device that helps you realize how much you are moving and how active you are.  You may not think that you are being very active by running around and playing with your kids, but if you check your activity levels throughout the day, you can jump from lightly active to very active while dancing around to the opening song to Yo Gabba Gabba.

If you thought all of that was cool, place it in a wristband and it also tracks how you sleep.  Yeah, you read right...how you sleep.  Did you know that how you sleep has a direct effect on your weight loss?  I found that out a month or two ago and makes perfect sense to me.  FitBit tracks what time you go to bed, how long it takes you to go to sleep and how many times you were awakened during the night.  What a HUGE revelation!  The nights that I fall asleep in 5 minutes and awakened once or twice resulted in mornings that I bounced out of bed, bright eyed and bushy-tailed. 

Okay, enough of me sounding like a commercial, I just get passionate about things that I love and I love FitBit.  You don't have to take just my word for it, check out the reviews on the FitBit website.

Always Ayanna

I'm No Jennifer Hudson...

But I'm singing it's a new day and I'm feeling good.....

Okay, before I get into that, let me first say that this blog as been neglected (kind of like how I've neglected myself) and its content is all over the place (kind of like how I say yes when I should be saying "no").  I love putting together beautiful personal parties in intimate settings, I love realizing that losing weight for a "special event" is for the birds (I need to do it for my health) and I love doing projects around my home and being crafty.  When I thought about what I loved, it became very clear about what I needed to write about: parties, weight loss, home projects and crafts.  Sounds like a lot?  It is, but it's who I am and it's what makes me happy.  If you aren't doing something that you love, what is the point?

Ok, back to the reason for the post...I joined Weight Watchers about 8 weeks ago and so far I've lost 5.8 pounds.  Doesn't seem like a lot over the course of 6 weeks but for me its a huge achievement because I'm losing weight and not gaining :-) Slow and steady wins the race (or at least that's how the saying goes).  This isn't my first time enrolling in Weight Watchers.  As a matter of fact, this is my 5th time.  You might be asking, "Why did you enroll for the 5th time??" The answer is simple, the program works but I wasn't putting the work in to see results.  Your next question is probably, "Well, what's so different now?"  That's a real easy answer...ME.  My goals are realistic and I'm running my own race.  I'm not comparing my journey with anyone else's journey.

Here I am at my 40th Birthday Celebration on 12/10/11 (5.8 pounds lost).  I'm a visual person, so seeing progression is important to me.  Hope you don't me mind me chronicling this journey.

Spring? Is that you??

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of winter.  Sick of the cold damp days.  Sick of the threat of ice and snow. I'm looking forward to spring and looking forward to warmer days.  Imagine my delight when when Pottery Barn Kids introduced their Easter decorations for this year.

Valentine's Day Crafts

I love Valentine's Day, it's a romantic day full of opportunity to show those who you love how much you love them.  So it's not just restricted to romantic couples, you can send Valentine wishes to your mom, dad, BFF, your sister, your hairstylist, your childcare provider..well you get the idea.  Here are some fabulous ideas from Ms. Martha herself that won't break the bank.

Martha Stewart's Valentine Treat Cups

Martha Stewart's Sweetheart Pops

Martha Stewart's Bath Fizzies

Ahola!

I know, I know it's January.  What do you mean Ahola!?  Quite frankly I'm sick of the snow and cold so I'm thinking warm and tropical!  Hawaiian Luau's are my favorite type of party.  It's fun and colorful and you don't always have to stick the "traditional" luau food to pull the theme together.

Case in point, these pineapple mango cupcakes.  Can you say delicious???  I might not have mentioned it before but I am a huge fan of Bakerella.  I mean HUGE!  Talented and creative beyond words, she churns out cute ideas like some women change their hairdo.

For instructions on how to make go to the Bakerella website

Terrific Thursday!

The very first Terrific Thursday product is.....Bedazzle My Bonbons!  The first thing that caught my attention about this fabulous product was the company's tag line: Bedazzle My Bonbons...Chocolates for the FABULOUS that are both Dessert AND Decor!  Don't you just love getting a two for one? The bonbons come in 24 awesome colors that are guaranteed to compliment any decor theme you can think of for a party.  

Here are some of the ideas that are shown on their website, all of which work for a smaller scale party and celebration:

Now that's a Sweet Party!!

Do you remember the childhood game "Candyland"? A game board covered with bright colors and candy. No wonder it's a favorite game of pre -schoolers. My twin nieces will be turning 16 this year and thought about having a "Candyland" theme party (of course they have changed their mind already) but I searched for the possibilities for desserts anyway! Who knows, they may changes their minds again...back to "Candyland".

Photo & Recipe from Party Ideas Galore

Easy Candy Cake Instructions

• Mix 2 boxes of cake mix or double your favorite cake recipe.  Funfetti was used for this recipe.
• Put in two 8 inch and one 6 inch pans.
• Bake the cakes and cool.
• Place one 8 inch cake on your cake plate.
• Ice the top of the cake.
• Place the other 8 inch cake on top of that. Use skewers to hold the cakes together.
• Ice the two layers and add the last layer.
• Cut ice cream cones in half.  Use 8 big one and 8 child sized ones.
• Place cones on cake and fill in the "ice cream" with butter frosting and a number 32 star tip.
• Put a skewer in the top layer to hold the small cone on top.
• Place one on it's side with "ice cream" coming out.
• Add any candy you desire like gumballs, Twizzlers, gumdrops, and suckers.

A little more sophisicated for my nieces from http://www.pinkcakebox.com/.
And to make it easy on the chaperones...self serve, individually wrapped cupcakes!

Found at http://www.cakecentral.com/


Happy New Year!!

It's 2011 and for the first time in many years I do not have any resolutions.  Everything that I want to do and need to do should become part of who I am not part of a list that will probably be completely forgotten by mid-March.

My main goal for this blog is to share as many fabulous ideas for parties as possible.  Planning and executing a great party is something that I'm passionate about and I hope that I convey that passion to you through my blog posts.

Decisions, decisions

I haven't posted since October and instead of giving a bunch of excuses I'll sum it up by saying I've been busy.  Busy working full-time, busy being a mom, busy being a wife, busy being a friend, busy trying to figure out if I'm happy doing what I'm doing or if I need to do more or maybe even less.  I look at some people and I have to ask myself, "How the hell do they do it?"  I mean seriously.  How do they manage to have a successful business of their own, have multiple kids (more than 2), a husband, appear to manage old friendship and create new ones all while seeming to appear completely unflappable like it's so easy to do. 


Obviously I'm missing something.  Maybe it's not meant for me to have my own business but at some point I thought it was a very good idea.  Maybe I shouldn't pursue my graduate degree but at some point that was all I could think about.  I know for a fact that I need to lose 50 pounds and that will not go away no matter how much I try to ignore that spanx are a permanent part of my wardrobe.  Instead of being so scattered, trying to accomplish everything, I should focus on one or two things. I just need to decide where my focus should be.  Not to make anyone else happy or impress anyone but to make me happy.  Wow, wouldn't that be a novel idea?

Who is on your board of directors?

In the October 2010 issue of Essence magazine they focused on women having power in the work place.  One of the articles that jumped out at me was "The 5 People You Need to Have on Your Personal Board of Directors".  As I read the different types of people that you should have, my mind immediately thought of one or two people who already fill one or two of the positions.  The article suggests the following people:

1. The Company Veteran 
2. The Spiritual Adviser
3. The Reality Checker 
4. The Industry Insider 
5. The Fun Seeker 

I'm fortunate to have these people in my life.  Do you?  No matter what your profession is, you need to have these people in place to help you learn about the company, keep you in prayer, look at things from a different perspective, keep you abreast of what's new and help you blow off some steam.  If you have have your board of directors in place but haven't formally acknowledged them, let them know how important of a part they play in your professional and personal development.  You might make someone's day a little brighter.  You might even find out that you are on their board of directors too.

A Kick In the Pants (a much-need one I might add)

So after not posting a single entry for months, I have burst of energy like I haven't felt in well, months.  I went to an awesome Administrative Professional conference this past week in Las Vegas and was inspired to do and be better.  The ladies that I met weren't your typical 9 to 5, just give me my check types...they were truly professionals who loved doing what they do.  Now granted, was I excited beyond comprehension to get away from my kids and husband for a week?  Heck yeah! But I had no idea I would learn so much. 

In the last few days I've installed TweetDeck (based on the recommendation of the awesome Will Paccione - http://wsinetspecialists.com/Blog.aspx), bought a web domain (www.ayannacastro.com) and I'm playing around with ideas for what to name my jewelry line.  Not to mention all of the things that I want to do professionally like getting certified and taking some graduate certificate course.  Talk about a spark of creativity! I wish I could thank everyone personally but I'll start with Peggy Vasquez (http://peggyvasquez.blogspot.com/?spref=tw).  Her positive spirit was infectious and she had a smile that lit up the room.  She could have been the snobby type, her title and credentials allow her to be but somehow I don't think she's that type of person.  I met a bunch of ladies like that.  Women who are willing to help out, reach back and pull up the ones coming up behind them. 

Life Happens

When I first started my blog I told myself that I would blog everyday with infomation about everything from planning parties and great home products.  Well, I quickly realized that blogging is alot harder that it appears and I just don't have the time to blog daily....hence the month-long break.  I love anything to do with planning a social event, great ideas on how to run my household more efficiently and anything to empower women in all aspects of their lives and I want to share it with as many people as possible.  So from now on I'll be blogging once a week.  I hope you continue to come back and visit.