02 January 2008

on the spot • no. 06

today i get to post my first 2008 on the spot interview. this is a gal whom you will want to be bff with. once you read her blog and step into her land of fun, you'll see all the glamour that she adds to a simple life. her photos alone will amaze.

savoring the details is a blog i landed upon by happy accident last spring. i saw some of her creations and immediately emailed her in hopes she could create a pair for me! we were fast friends and have been in touch ever since. melissa is a super mom, a crafting queen, a very sweet friend, and an incredible photographer. constantly creating gifts, making happy memories for her little ones and clicking her camera, she seems to be one of these women that does it all and still saves time to savor the moments. i have learned a lot from her details of living the good life. and am happy to introduce her on m. writes.

Interviewing melissa of savoring the details

Name: Melissa

Line of work: Stay at home mom


Favorite tool in your studio?
It is nearly impossible for me to select just one of anything, but my ‘go to’ supplies always seem to be cardstock, my paper trimmer and ribbon.


Favorite activity on a lazy Saturday? It has been a long time since I have had one of these, but my favorite activity to do when I am alone without any time constraints is to browse the books and magazines at Barnes and Noble.

Favorite coffee table book?
Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern. This book is pure eye candy and incredibly inspirational. I love getting a peek at Amy’s creative world.

Best store to spend your dough?
I am a big online shopper so these are some of my favorite sites where I spend my cash for books, scrapbooking, & fabric. I am totally addicted to shopping at Target and would be lost without it. Fortunately for me, there is one literally less than a mile away from my door. My husband probably wouldn’t agree with me saying fortunately. LOL!

A must in your handbag? There are two essentials that must always be in my handbag: lipgloss and dental floss.

An every day ritual?
Something that occurs everyday in our home is snuggling in bed in the morning. We have a king-size bed, so the two boys, my husband and me begin our day together talking and laughing. It is truly my favorite time of the day. I am trying to savor it because I know when Sean has to take the bus to school next year our mornings will be rushed and this little ritual will be reserved for the weekends.

A must-see in your town? Living in Buffalo, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Niagara Falls. While I had visited the Falls as a child, seeing it as an adult was amazing. It is obvious why this is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. If you ever visit this area, Niagara Falls must be on your to-do list.


You seem to have a knack for finding the perfect quote, do you have a favorite? It is nearly impossible for me to select ‘one’ favorite quote, since I have been collecting quotes for as long as I can remember. It is an addiction of sorts. I love that quotes can be inspiring and reading one can change one’s perspective and outlook at a particular moment. This is one of my favorites: “Be happiness itself.” -Buddha

Your snapshots always make me smile, what kind of camera do you use? I shoot with a Canon 20D. I love this camera. It was a gift from my husband for Christmas a few years ago. People often ask me about my camera and if I think it is worth to spend the money on a good camera. I truly believe that purchasing a quality camera is an investment in your family. The moments I have captured of my children ‘on film’ are truly priceless.


What are your tips for capturing the moment in your children's lives? Have your camera accessible. My children are so used to me having my camera in my hand, they are not phased by it when I begin shooting. They hardly even pay attention to it. Therefore, I am able to capture them in ‘their element’, doing what they do best…being kids! I would also encourage people to snap, snap, snap. With digital photography, you can always delete the photos that didn’t work, but the more you shoot, you increase your chances of getting one or two gems.

Most recent favorite font? I am seriously addicted to fonts. I love them and have so many, but I truly believe one can never have too many fonts. Two of my current favorites are: Glengary which is similar to the font used in the Target ads this Christmas and Clarendon which is a classic font.

Which magazines pull you in? I love magazines. I find so much inspiration from magazines for layout ideas, photography, design ideas, home décor, etc. These are some (but not all) of my favorites:
Home Companion: I love to see different artists’ studios and what is inspiring to them. I also love the section entitled Noteworthy which highlights stationery.
Blueprint: I love the graphic design flair of this magazine. I have heard that this magazine will be closing shop and this makes me very sad. I am glad I have all my back issues!
Wondertime: I love this magazine’s articles on parenting and family life. It is visually soothing to look at.
Martha Stewart Living: Not much to say here that isn’t already known…no one does it like Martha!
Marie Claire Idees: I can’t read a word of it, but it is true what they say that a picture is worth a thousand words. This magazine exudes inspiration.

Words for those of us climbing towards motherhood? the best advice I can give for one moving towards motherhood is to enjoy the moment you are in right now. Life has a tendency to move very quickly and when you become a mother it seems to really fly by, so I would say enjoy your life and the journey you are on at the moment because life really does change when you become a mother. Motherhood is truly the most amazing experience. Shortly after my first son was born, I stumbled across a quote that went something like this, “It was after my first child was born that I realized how much my mother loved me.” This really is an incredible statement. It sums up the transformation to motherhood perfectly. When you have a child, it feels as though your heart is going to burst because it is filled with so much love and to know that your mother felt (and feels) the exact same way about you is very humbling.


Words of advice on being a darling wife (as you clearly are)? I hope that my husband thinks I am a darling wife…some days I am better at this than others. Sometimes it is hard when you have young children to take the time as a husband and wife to focus on your relationship, have date nights, etc. However, it is the little things that can strengthen a relationship. I like to send my husband emails and tell him I love him, pick him up something special when I am at the store, buy a favorite treat at the grocery store, make a favorite dinner. These are just little ways to let him know that I am thinking of him throughout the day.

What/who is your source of inspiration? I would say that my biggest source of inspiration is the internet. I am continuously inspired by reading other people’s blogs. The internet allows me to connect with the outside world without leaving my home. When I became a stay-at-home mother and gave up my teaching career, I felt quite alone and isolated. It was then that I began scrapbooking and developed many special online friendships. Connecting with others who were in a similar situation (new motherhood) really helped me and showed me I wasn’t alone. Now that I have a blog, I have met even more spectacular people and I find this so comforting. Online friendships are something that our parents never could have envisioned, but it is a wonderful thing!

Do you have a favorite artist / designer? I am inspired in some many different ways by so many different people..
scrapbooking: ali edwardspaper & inkwaters five
crafting: wee wonderfulsi heart linenpink lemonade
design: decor8design sponge
photography: simply photolaura crowtuesday frog
writing & all-around inspiration: m.writes hip, hip.

A must-see daily blog / website? too many to mention, but in addition to the above mentioned sources of inspiration, I love to visit these sites:
3191: I cannot wait to get my hands on the upcoming book that chronicles this site as well as experience their newest adventure ‘a year of evenings’
twopeasinabucket: I love to check out the layout of the day featured in the designer garden.
cuteable: Tons of inspiration found here.

You are the ultimate crafty lady. What are your favorite crafts to whip up? I love to make cards, a set of stationery, a mini notebook holder and for a new baby, some bibs.


Your little boys seem unbelievably charming. What is the best thing about being their mom? I touched upon this earlier, but the love one feels for his/her child is almost indescribable because it is so strong and powerful. I have been richly blessed with my two boys. They are so much fun to be with everyday. I am so lucky to be able to stay home with them. I would say some of the best things are the kisses I receive everyday and to hear them say, ‘momma’ and know that they won’t settle for anyone else but me. Now does that sound selfish or what?


Inspiring words for aspiring designers / mothers / photographers.. I would say the most important thing one can do as both a creative person and mother is to take some time each day to fill your creative soul. Even if it is for just a few moments to jot something in your notebook, create a quick card, work on taking some new photos. I know that when I haven’t given myself some time to create, I feel cranky and irritable. When you are someone that enjoys creating, you need to allow yourself the time to focus on that…otherwise you are less than whole and often other things in your life suffer as a result.

Makes you happy...
my life. This may sound hokey, but it is so true. I couldn’t ask for anything more than I have right now. I am healthy and my family is healthy, I have two darling boys and a fabulous husband who supports me and loves me despite my shortcomings. I have wonderful friends and I am in a place in my life where I can explore my creativity and grow. The journey I am on right now is wonderful. I am truly blessed.

What does
Savoring the Details mean to you... to me it is a place where I can record all the ins and outs of my life. It is a journal of my life as a mother, a photographer, a sewer, a cardmaker, a scrapbooker, etc. I would love to have had the opportunity to read my mother’s thoughts when she was 35. My blog is a gift to both myself and my children. The details of my daily life and those of my children are so precious and I want to record them and preserve them.

thank you, melissa for sharing your philosophies + inspirations. your creativity is astounding and your adventures in motherhood is enviable. i am surely going to treat myself to a fabulous camera when i start a family. i have never thought of it as an investment for my future. what a great concept! also, i love what you said about filling your creative soul. that is truly what having a passion is all about.

for more about melissa, check out her blog: savoring the details. she is planning to open an online shop in the next few months featuring papercrafts, photography related items and fabric crafts. am very much looking forward to seeing melissa's handmade things for sale and have been begging her to do so for months! she is so good at all she does. being the lucky recipient of her goodies, i see that melissa knows how to put thought, detail and her heart into everything she creates.

the beautiful photography in this post belongs to melissa of savoring the details. please don't re-post without gaining her permission. thank you.

14 comments:

kat \ Taylor Made designs said...

great interview. I love melissa's blog. she is a true talent and you can just tell, a wonderful mum.

Laura said...

wonderful interview. definitely some words to live by in there.

Jake said...

i love your on-the-spot interviews. i hope you don't mind if i copy this idea (gabstyle) for my own...it is so fun to read interviews and always makes me want to visit those blogs. i really liked what she had to say today!

Holly O. said...

Thanks for introducing her! I can't wait to check out her blog!

Susie said...

Yes, I have been following Melissa's blog for a few months already too! I am always happy to see when she has a new post.

{natalie} said...

sounds like melissa is a cool girl, i will be checking out her blog. thanks for the tip!

Travelin'Oma said...

Isn't it awesome that we can share thoughts and ideas like this? I love the connection the internet gives me to people who inspire and uplift. Thanks to you both!

KELLY said...

thanks for that lovely introduction...i feel so inspired by melissa's joy for life + creativity!

Kristi said...

I've been a long admirer of Melissa and her blog- but it was fun to read more about her!!

Whatever Dee-Dee wants said...

I love her blog! She is very creative.

Missy said...

I love that bib - a button closure - perfect simplicity!
Happy New Year!
Missy

Kristin said...

Your right about her and her blog...definitely something to add to the list of blisits (blog visits)

My name is Vanessa Rae said...

Marta you did it again! Inspired me, that is. Thank you for the great interview, as a new stay-at-home mom it's refreshing seeing someone who who still finds outlets for creativity and personal passions. It's also nice seeing that even online, you can find someone out of the blue that you have so much in common with and draw inspiration from. Thanks again...

Nicole Morell said...

Hello Marta - it's so nice to meet you. Thank you for stopping by my blog and for introducing me to yours, which is delightful.

I'm jumping over to Melissa's blog now, but I will be back!

Nicole

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...