Hi, and thanks for visiting! I enjoy hearing from you. Your comments & emails make my day. I read each message with gratitude and though I intend to reply to each one, I do not always get the opportunity. If there is a relevant question for other readers, I will respond within the comments section of that blog post. Please check back there and you can subscribe to comments for this purpose.
My email is Berlinsmith@yahoo.com
A little (or a lot) about me...
I enjoy all things creative: photography, cooking & baking, sewing, knitting, crochet, spinning & felting, drawing, and all things in between. I'm always up to something. My blog pages are strewn with my interests...My day job allows me to work around lots of books and they provide me with plenty of creative inspiration, as well. My desire to find and create beauty in life and in the world is what ties all of my interests together.
Some answers to FAQs, and more...
IN GENERAL--
"Why Berlin?"
My childhood nickname is Berlin--- it seems fitting to use my nickname for this whimsical blog...
CREATIVITY & TIME---
"How do you find the time to be so creative?"
I make the time because it is who I am. I have no choice but to filter everything I do through eyes of creativity and beauty. I'm always working on something, or dreaming of working on something!
That said, I don't finish as many projects as I intend to. Far too many unfinished projects line my closet shelves. In addition, I have many, many ideas still swirling around in my head that have yet to materialize... Now that I'm working full-time, I must make a concerted effort to carve out time for creating. I am now setting aside 30-minutes a day to do some sewing, without an end in sight. Just the practice of it.
LUNCH--
"What are the lunchboxes you use for your lunches?"
I love both the Laptop Lunchbox system and Planetbox lunch boxes and here is why:
1) They allow for a variety of food items in my children's lunches----in fact, it forces me to provide a variety. And for me, they force portion control and variety.
2) They play into my natural need for organization and they are cute, too!
3) The way the lunchboxes are designed, my kids can eat their lunch sitting in the grass or on a picnic table bench without items spilling (because at their school, they don't eat in a cafeteria).
4) It's easy to clean and the containers are reusable.
5) This Flickr group provides tons of wonderful ideas.
6) Obentec, who makes the Laptop Lunchboxes, use only the highest grade plastics in their lunchboxes and accessories (no BPA). Planetboxes are made from high-quality stainless steel.
7) The Laptop Lunchboxes come with a great little recipe and how-to book providing lots of ideas for using their lunchboxes to their full advantage.
"What are those other cute things in your lunches... How do you make those shapes?"
I collect Bento items & accessories. You can find Bento accessories at Daiso (if you have one near you), Uwajimaya, or online on Ebay. I have a lunch/bento supply store on Amazon.
PHOTOGRAPHY--
"What kind of camera do you use and do you use specialty lenses?"
Sometimes, I use a very basic Nikon D40. I have only used Nikons and I am very familiar with them. I believe their lenses are superb.
Besides my D40, and because it is convenient, I also use the camera on my iPhone. When needed, I render my photos using Adobe Photoshop. I upload my photos to Instragram and Flickr
When I was very young, my desire was to be a photojournalist and I went on to take journalism and photography classes in college----you might notice a bit of this background within my images and words here. If money and family were no consideration, I probably would be a photographer. Or a baker. Or a seamstress. Or a dreamer.
SEWING---
"What kind of sewing machine do you have and do you like it?"
I have a ten year old Bernina 150. I love it. It's the best purchase I could have made at the time and I've never regretted it. Now, I also have a Janome 6600. I use that most of the time now because of its power, speed, and accufeed feet (dual-feed).
CHICKENS---
"Are chickens easy to raise/have?"
It depends. Obviously, they require daily feeding and watering, but past that, it's up to you. Great little pens now allow anyone to raise a couple chickens in their backyard (check with your homeowner's association and city ordinances first). Initially, chicks require a few gadgets to keep them warm and healthy. We let our chickens out into the yard daily and they expect it (spoiled). In addition, chickens are animals and they exhibit behavior that will probably make your kids wonder... (read: It might be time for the "birds & the bees" talk)...
***Surely, I missed a few questions here and there so if you have any additional questions or just want to chat, please feel free to email me directly at Berlinsmith@yahoo.com.
~Amber
