Days On My Floor - Establishment 17

Do you see that photo up there? I am super proud of it. What in the world? Yeah. These are my two completed Summer of Love books. The top one is from 2010 and the bottom one is from this year. Do you see the difference? I am stoked about the difference. This year's book is huge compared to last year's. I love it and will stop going on about it now.I feel like summer went by super quickly this year. The beginning of summer was pretty decent, but it didn't quite end right. I was so grateful when fall finally fell. Fall is just such a comforting season, with it's sweaters and pumpkin-spiced Chai teas, that it was perfect after the heavy stress of the final weeks of summer.I think I expected a bit much from this summer, and thus killed it before it had a chance to live. Oh well. That being said, this Summer Of Love book turned into such a wonderful book. It was definitely full of the unexpected - like that hospital bracelet up there (four photos up)? Long story in a short breath: I ended up in an ambulance and the ER one day, due to a seizure caused by a procedure at, of all places, the eye doctor. Apparently the numbing drops they put in your eyes to check the pressure just do not agree with me. Scariest day of my life. Anyways.Looking back at the Introduction of this book (bottom of the post), I think it worked out perfectly. I am horrible about, uh, exaggerating and fantasizing to make a better story. But here's the thing - sure, it makes the story better, but it takes away from the heart of said story. That's exactly what I didn't want to do in this book. So I threw it out, the hyperboles and all that jazz, and decided to only put down the bare truth of the stories. And out of that, grew this book, full of heart and soul and truth. It holds the frustrations, the gritty details nobody wants to know about. And it holds the glorious days. Like the Introduction says, "the good, the bad, and the downright horrible".And as the good, the bad, and the downright horrible all together, it became something worth making.

I'm Back.

Hello. My name is Hannah Clare and I am (finally) returning from the Land of the Downtrodden, the Uninspired and the Unproductive. Yeah. True story. I am blaming it all on the fact that I am a senior this year. Mmmhmm.

Anyways. Enough of that depressing stuff. I finally took photos of my finished Summer of Love book, so look for those tomorrow. And, if it's not up tomorrow, come yell at me. Nah, seriously. Scare me out of this funk. I'm over it.

Also, I finally started working on my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project. So, look for that, soon, too. So. That's all. Happy Thursday, all.

Ghost Home

This song is so beautiful. It makes me want to cry every time I hear it. I was going to work on a Days On My Floor post yesterday. It didn't happen. I was going to work on it today. Again, it didn't happen. Instead, I decided to make myself some coffee and just do some journaling for myself. I might pull out Kara Haupt's Fall In Love class. (Because did you know that fall is here already? Amazing, right?) But, I might not. Right now, I am simply going to take it slow. Breathe. And listen to music like the above song - music that is just so wonderful and joyful and beautiful that it overwhelms the soul.
Happy Saturday, all.

September Shop Update!

This is probably my favourite, and largest, shop update yet. I'm in love with everything that has just been listed. Four one-of-a-kind journals that I posted a little sneak-peek of earlier are up. I have never been so excited about a journal in my life. Also, new Found Elements Grab-Bags are up!And some new journal styles! These two journals are a bit experimental, so let me know what you think?Alright. Enough rambling on my part. Give the shop a visit? And don't forget that you can still get 15% off your purchase if you order before September 23! Happy Wednesday, all!

Summer Archives: Things I Have Learned While Road-Tripping

1. There are a lot of levels on the Brick game Alex has. Like a lot. And if I'm bored, I can get to some pretty high levels.

2. If you sit next to an open window the whole time you are driving, your entire face will eventually go numb. It's really kind of disturbing when your face goes numb.

3. Knitting is dangerous when sitting in a moving bus. Your yarn is likely to go flying out the window and get stuck on something. True story.4. Many things are not worth crying over. But trying to get to sleep when it is about 150 degrees and the humidity is so bad you can hardly breathe? That you can cry over.

5. Also, said heat and humidity will not kill you. Even if you all think it will.

6. Watch out for slamming doors. Also, forever be prepared for the bus to come to a sudden stop/turn (or as sudden as a bus can stop/turn). If the heat and humidity don't kill you, getting slammed by a door or going flying down half the length of the bus might.

7. Put the groceries away as soon as possible. Because when you fall on a bag of canned-goods, it'll hurt like heck.

8. Even if it doesn't feel very fun when it's happening (whatever "it" is), you will love the memory later on. So chill. And have fun.

Promise the next post won't be a list. Ha, maybe. Happy Monday, all! Make it good.

15 Pieces: Part I - Well, Hello

15 Pieces. 15 simple (or not) things about me; 15 pieces of my life. Join me?

1. I was adopted. (And no, in case you're curious, I was adopted before I was born - meaning my parents where present when I was born and I have never lived anywhere else but here.) I could write a whole post (or series of posts, really) on this one sentence but here's the summarized version: I am a Hispanic-Italian adopted into a Caucasian family, and it took me until I was 14 to figure out what any of this meant to me. (Just what it means to me is a whole 'nother post.) I love my family to death.

2. Pretty much, my cure-all remedy is "Get a hobby!". Bored? Get a hobby. Losing your mind? Get a hobby. Mid-life crisis? Get a hobby. Don't want to clean your room? Get a hobby. I don't care what it is, but I am forever telling people to, please, get a hobby. Find a passion. Run with it and don't let anyone talk you down.

3. I've been drinking coffee since I was 5. It is a tradition in our family that when you turn five, my grandfather takes you out to get your first cup of coffee and teach you how to "drink it right". My entire family drinks coffee, right down to the four-year-old. We love that stuff.4. I will listen to and love pretty much any kind of music. Except rap. And country. Don't get me started.

5. I have been playing guitar for 5 or so years. Who knows if I'm any good at it. I took piano for a bit when I was younger, but it never stuck.

Make your own list and link me up? I'd love love to read it.

The Sketchbook Project

I got my sketchbook in the mail this weekend. I chose the theme "Untitled" and I have about six million vague ideas as to where I'm going to take that. It is sitting on my desk looking pretty until I figure out what to do with it. Are you participating in The Sketchbook Project this year? Done it before?

Happening Here

Working on some special limited-edition journals for the shop (it is going to kill me to part with these!). And some new books in my ever-growing vintage paper collection. Seriously, my paper collection is taking over my bedroom these days. I think I need a studio.

Days On My Floor - Establishment 16: This, That And Some Love

I feel like saying this to start off this post: This is my 150th post. I mean, yeah, I've seen a lot of people say that on their 100th or 200th post, but, really, I like the number 150 better. So. This is my 150th post! I think, out of the dozen or so blogs I have had in the past, this is the furthest I have ever gotten in keeping with a blog. Go me! Go CAVE IN THE CLOUDS.

Back to the real point of this post: Days On My Floor. Before I finally cleaned my room yesterday, my floor was one big art journaling disaster. But it was wonderful. I think I journaled like 15 pages in three days. It was good. I was just in this place where the pages would not stop coming - know what I mean? And every time I sat down to clean up it all up, I would pick up a scrap piece of paper, and I suddenly knew the perfect way to use it...and then, of course, I had to use it before I forgot. It was, like, art journal magic.

Lately I've been mixing prompts from Kara's This & That class with the prompts from Kara's other class that I'm working with, Summer of Love. And the results have been some serious art journaling action as mentioned above. Some of my very favourite pages recently have come from these two classes, especially when mixing prompts from the both of them.

I absolutely adore how this Summer of Love book is coming along! It is so, so different from last years. I have this crazy desire to pack it full to bursting in these next two and last weeks of summer. We'll see how that goes. Happy Friday, all.

CAVE IN THE CLOUDS Sale!

I cannot believe it is already September - this year has gone by so quickly!

Summer is nearly over, so CAVE IN THE CLOUDS is having a little end of summer sale, with everything 15% off with the code "GOODBYE15"! Some of the Found Paper Journals in the shop will be expiring soon, so if you've been wanting one, now is the time to snag it! Also, don't forget that if you purchase a Found Elements Grab-Bag in addition to a Found Paper Journal, you will not be charged any additional shipping for the grab-bag! Sale lasts until September 22, so have some fun and support a starving artist. Happy Thursday, all.

These Days Are...

...learning not to fight the emotions, but rather to embrace them.

...realizing that decisions are conscious efforts.

...long, hot showers at night, talking to God and maybe crying.

...too much coffee in the mornings; and splattering that last little bit of coffee that hides in the bottom of the cup onto journal pages.

...making an effort to be content, and even joyful, with what I already have.

I will be gone all day tomorrow, attending the funeral and such for my grandfather's brother. (And because I feel like clarifying: I, personally, did not really know my grandfather's brother much...but, clearly, the rest of my family did.) Hopefully I will be back soon soon with some good stuff! Happy Monday, all.

Shabby Apple Giveaway Winner!

Mr. Random has once again chosen a winner for our giveaway!

Congratulations Suzanne! Keep an eye on your inbox lady, I will be e-mailing you soon soon! If you didn't win, but still need to get your hands on some Shabby Apple goodness, you can still get 10% off your order using the code "CAVEINTHECLOUDS10OFF" until September 24! Happy Saturday, you all!

Rush and Rattle and Rest

Photo by: girlhulu
All this past week I have been collecting photos for another Days On My Floor post. All this past week I have been putting off things I needed (and still need) to do - like clean my room, and read that book for the Bible Study that started last week, and actually finish up my school. But it is so very annoying to be responsible, so I did none of the above. And now I am behind in the Bible Study book. Very behind.
It drives me crazy how much time I can waste on the internet, without even realizing it, especially when I have things I need to be doing other than being on the internet. I will click a link and then, oh look at that, and I'm off to another place. And again. And before I know it, I have fifty tabs pulled up and I am bouncing back and forth from tab to tab and window to window and then hours have past and I have gotten nothing done and all those tabs are still open. And all those tabs are still open because I cannot get my mind to sit still long enough to finish reading the article I pulled up, or to finish ogling the project that tripped my trigger, or to even remember why I opened that tab in the first place! And, of course, I haven't gotten off my butt to do anything about the inspiration that occurred, multiple times, within those tabs.
I have about fifty tabs opened right now. And it is driving me insane. There are piles of paper on my floor, and a very long To Do list being written in my head. But all I want to do is crawl into bed and continue reading Jane Eyre, and then go to sleep. And not care about the fact that I have not done anything I intended/need to do; and to have it all be okay.
I want to rest. But I am very bad at resting. I am very bad at putting it all down, taking a deep breathe, and just letting my mind and my body heal and recuperate from the late-nights and all that coffee and the constant rush and rattle of my brain. Let me say it again - I am very bad at resting. Even when I'm sick (like these past three days) I cannot get myself to rest. I've been cooking and attempting to clean and do school and working on shop stuff, and generally not giving myself any downtime. I know I need rest. But where is there time to rest among everything I need to do? There isn't. Maybe resting should be on the To Do list.
All of that to say I am going to spend the next hour, or however long until I finally go to sleep, just chilling out. And maybe I will let said "chilling out" continue into tomorrow. Because I have church and Bible Study on Sunday and lots of school on Monday and a funeral to attend on Tuesday, and anything else that will pop up in between all those events and the trials of my patience. But. For right now. I'm going to try to rest. I'm going to turn off the computer and maybe turn on the Christmas lights. And just breathe.
I might delete this post tomorrow. Goodbye.