Under Construction

Hey! The blog design is still a work in progress. I usually prefer a design using my photography, but this time I thought of using graphics I made. It's something new for me and I like it. I may go back to using photography again, but that's the great thing about a blog, I can change it. For now though, I think I will stick to this new design and tweak it along the way. I still have to add some pages, start a sponsorship thing, and plan some new post and features. I'm pretty excited about the outcome of this blog and its future! So stay tuned for much more.
Thanks for reading!
-Jen

New Design and Financial Friday Tip

Hey there! I'm just up late working on a new blog design. Which means, i'm keeping up with this one (and only)! I think it would be best, plus i've been this far with it! My goal is to have a fresh new look by Sunday evening. I'm so exciting designing it, I really can't wait to try it out. And since it is Friday, I want to keep up with Financial -Fridays feature. I didn't plan out anything, but I do have a tip: Start an Emergency fund. You should have saved up 3-6 months living expenses, an extra $1,000, and whatever else you want to put in there. It's good to have money set aside just in case something does happen from an unexpected job loss to a household repair to car repairs. This is probably one of the first things you start saving up for and building. Well, that's all I have for tonight. Look for a new blog design soon and more financial tips. And I promise to have a more in dept better blog post for this feature in the future :)
See ya later!
-Jen

You're So Brilliant, Don't Soon Forget

As I mentioned in an earlier post, i'm having trouble coming up with a name for the new biz/blog. Thinking tonight, I just can't get away from something Brilliant related. Here's why- 1.) I Love the definition.
Brilliant: 1- shining brightly; sparkling; glittering; lustrous  
                2  distinguished; illustrious  
                3  having or showing great intelligence, talent, quality, etc 
                4   strong and clear in tone; vivid; bright  
                5  splendid or magnificent I also love the synonyms too:

Main Entry:	brilliant [bril-yuhnt]
Part of Speech:	adjective
Definition:	shining, glowing in appearance
Synonyms:	ablaze, bright, clinquant, coruscating, dazzling,effulgent, flashy, fulgent, gleaming, glittering,glossy, incandescent, intense, lambent, lucent,luminous, lustrous, radiant, refulgent,resplendent, scintillating, showy, sparkling, vivid

2.)It originally came from the song "Unwinding Cable Car" by Anberlin.
The bridge of the song is "You're so brilliant, don't soon forget. You're so brilliant, grace marks your heart." I instantly loved the song when I first heard it, but that part stuck out to me.

And 3.) This verse: "Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever." -Daniel 12:3 (The Message (MSG))
Originally I first read this from the New International Version (NIV):
"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever."
I like both, but I like the Message version best. I actually just read this version today.

The reason I named my blog "So Brilliant Life" is based on those three. I think everyone is brilliant. We all have something inside of use that makes us unique, special, brilliant. And live truly is brilliant. Just the way God created it is brilliant. There are good days and bad days in life, but there is always chances and opportunities to shine despite the circumstances. I also love making things and I think being creative is the best. Everyone has a talent, something they are really good at. It doesn't matter how big or small, it's still something you are good at. And that's quite incredible, because you put your own special, brilliant point to things. I think that's so important in crafting and diy. Don't just copy, make it yours, make it unique, add, take away from it. Just remember to give credit where it's due.

So with all that, I may just keep this blog and balance life, diy, and business in it. I may change things up though and maybe tweak the name, but i'm unsure so far. Well, that is that.
Keep being brilliantly you!
-Jen

Name

Naming things is hard and easy for me. Babies (not that i've named any personally, I just like coming up with names), groups (like prayer groups, or church groups), pets (my last pet's name was Nolan Rutherford Alexander. He was a betta fish!), and colors ( I like to try to come up with better names than what things are named, for example- I work in a craft store, with scrapbook paper, so sometimes I rename the cardstock colors (ok now i'm starting to sound weird.. but it's true, also with crayons :) ) -those are easy for me. Business and blog names are harder for me. Blogs, depending on what the blog is about. But a business blog... i'm stuck. Why is it so hard. But I'de rather put time into this one because my last names I thought of and tried didn't work for me. By the way, one of my new baby names I like is Paisley.. though i don't think I would name my child that, but maybe a pet or a business with something else. I also like the name Jane, but as a middle name like Evelyn Jane. Maybe I should start a Baby names blog... I think, though babynames.com is pretty good. I just like pairing names I guess. Anywhoo... so this is why it's taking me a while to introduce (and start) the new blog/business venture. Also, i've been kinda dealing with health issues in my family that has taken a lot of my time. But family is most important. So that's why i've been away a bit. Hopefully progress will be made and a new blog and business will be made in April ( my favorite month, also my birth month!).
Well, I guess that's all for now.
Night,
-Jen

New Idea...

I'm still working on my new blog/business concept, and until that's up i'll continue updating here! :)   I've been really wanting to craft lately. I miss sewing so much. So I'm think of doing either a 30 day craft project (craft a day) or weekly crafts. I'm not sure yet, but i'm going to start pinning things for it tonight. I bought some cheap pink erasers to try stamp carving, maybe i'll try that tonight.
Well, that's all for all !

Later,

-Jen

A New Direction...?

Hello! I've been thinking lately about taking a new direction with my blog. Instead of starting a new blog, I think I will just re design, re purpose, and (slightly) re name this one. Or I could make a new blog on a separate gmail account and just link the new blog to this one. I may do option B. It seems easier. My goals are actually to build this blog more, well the new one, sponsor a blog I like, and generate traffic here (there to the new blog), and do a sponsorship on my blog too. I also want to start up an etsy shop too under the same name as my blog or similar. I guess I have a lot of thinking and planing going on as of lately. I really want to start what my dreams are and I think through blogging for profit and an etsy shop, I can! I totally want to live the creative, hand made life and be self employed (my ultimate dream). And I see so many people being able to be self employed through their etsy or handmade business. How cool would that be?! I'd prefer to set up shop when I move to my new house, but for now, I think I will have the new blog up and running by this weekend maybe. I'm still in the planning zone now though. I guess that's all for now. Just wanted to keep you posted on my ideas and direction for the blog. Thanks for reading!
Have a lovely night,
-Jen

Photography Project

I just got back from an awesome wealth building weekend at my church. It was amazing!!! I'm so excited to start my business and actually try out an etsy store. Between packing, waiting, and moving i'm going to start to develop it first and build inventory. Lately i've been working on a few ideas. Here's my recent work.

I'm going to be working on a series of these. I may sell prints of them on esty as soon as I find a good printer. If you have any verse suggestions i'm game. I'm mostly  going to use landscape photography with it. Well that's all for now. Going to design more of these prints soon! Also the original photography is mine, the verse is from the Bible, NIV.
-Jen