by Kimberly | May 27, 2014 | creatives
While I anxiously await the updates for this website and all the fun that it will bring – I want to introduce you to my creative side. I know you’ve seen it in photography and cooking, but now you will see it in hand-lettering (which I’ve always loved), calligraphy (picking up from my 7th grade days), and other art.
This is one that I did for a sweet friend of mine. I have several pieces like this around our home because another mutual friend did them. I love, like her, to get the Word into peoples homes and hearts. While I was penning this art I got to pray that a sweet little girl would grow up to love Jesus, make him known, and that she would realize that God made her beautiful – and wonderful. Most of our girls growing up in our society today won’t here that. I think we do need to tell every child that, especially now when they hear so much contrary to that.
How do you get Scripture into your child’s heart? How do you pray over your children?
And I accept custom orders. Email or contact on fb for order information. My Etsy store is KDCcreatives.
by Kimberly | Apr 14, 2014 | creatives
Sometimes, when you get to watch someone do an every day job (say, an office assistant), you know they have a creative streak in them that is just dying to come out. That is the way I felt as I’ve gotten to know Beth of BPaperie. Beth and I worked at the same location in Louisville, then went to the same church. She of course is a wife, and has her sweet dog which you can always find pictures of. And she has a day job which she is great at. But, a love of hers is creativity. She is wonderful at taking the ordinary and making it bright and lovely and inspiring.
For my office (which is really a corner of our dining room), I wanted something new and inspiring as a I write and do photo editing. She happily obliged with a giveaway for my readers – just like you! And she designed this beautiful art with a quote I got from singer/songwriter Christa Wells from Emily Freeman’s book A Million Little Ways. Since this has been such a hard season of life with many changes coming, I picked this quote because it spoke to me of hope. When I look at it encourages me to keep going and keep pressing on in my dreams.
I asked Beth to answer a few questions so y’all could get to know her. Here is a sneak peak into her life as a creative:
1.Why bpaperie?
I started bpaperie as a creative outlet. My “about” section on Etsy says this, which I think might answer the question: I’ve wanted to own a design shop for as a place that smells good and is filled with fun things. A place to be inspired; a place where my puppy can run around in a cute sweater. And a place that’s affordable, too!
But since my husband’s in school, I’m stuck with a boring 9-5 job instead. I’ve wanted to open an etsy shop for a while — a creative outlet of my own — but I’ve been too scared to do it. It’s easy to let doubts fill my heart and keep me from doing what I love — what if no one likes my work? What if nothing sells? What if I’m a failure?
I can’t let those things hold me back anymore! Bpaperie has been a long time coming. It’s the next best thing to a “real” store. And if you want to see pictures of my cute pup in a sweater, shoot me an email. I’m happy to oblige. 🙂
2. How did you come up with the name for your store?
My husband, Wes, often calls me “B,” and I love paper goods. I was trying to decide between two names, and this one stuck.
3. What does your creative time sometimes look like?
A lot of times I end up designing while on the couch watching TV. Glamorous, right? 🙂 Usually while Wes is watching Law & Order or something I’ve seen before that doesn’t require a lot of attention. We sit as a family of three on the couch (Wes, me, and Lucy, our puppy) and I’m content to play around with different fonts, textures, quotes, and graphics until I figure out something that seems to work.
4. What happens when the creativity just isn’t flowing – kinda like writer’s block?
I’m not sure what you mean by this question. Like when I have “real job” deadlines and I don’t have time to get creative? It’s hard. My day job demands a lot (most!) of my time and mental energy during the week. I’m still in the start-up stage for bpaperie, which requires a lot of investment in terms of time, money, and creativity. I’m trying to get my name out there via facebook and instagram, I’m selling in a shop in downtown Louisville (
Block Party Handmade), and I’m looking forward to the day when most of my customers aren’t friends & family members. 🙂 But mostly, I love what I’m doing; this has been a dream of mine for a long time. So that motivates me to work hard and make things happen!
I hope you can find encouragement to pursue your creative dreams by hearing just some of Beth’s story. Here is the fun information on the giveaway: Beth is giving away one print from
her Etsy story to one reader of kd316. Here is how you can enter:
1. Go to BPaperie on Etsy and come back and tell me which one of her prints you would want to have in your home
2. Follow thekd316 and
bpaperie on Instagram. Come back here and tell me that you followed.
3. Share this blog with your friends on FB or Twitter and return here and leave me a comment telling me you did so
Winner will be announced on Friday!
by Kimberly | Apr 11, 2014 | Arkansas, creatives
Last night I had the fun privilege to enter through the doors of i o metro in West Little Rock – and be wowed by their new spring line of interior furniture and accessories for any home.
IO Metro hosted me and some of my Arkansas Women Blogger friends to help spread the word of their new spring line. Their line is full of charcoals, grays, navy, cobalt, oranges, tangerines, and aquas. The food was delicious and so were the beverages!
Thank you iometro for hosting us and spoiling us with prizes and giveaways.
For the giveaway – are you ready??? This was my favorite prize they gave away – and I didn’t win it – but I did pick it up to give it away to one blessed reader! You either have to be local – or be willing to pay for shipping – or have it hand delivered. The white bird cage is about 2 feet tall – and beautiful!
This White Bird Cage Candle Holder is so easy to use in every room of your home:
1. Put it in your living room as a statement piece of light with a soft candle flickering in it or some bold flowers to let spring in your home.
2. In your bedroom, you can light a candle to help a night of romantic chilling with your husband.
3. If you use it in your bathroom – make a bath much more enjoyable by putting a soothing candle in it – just adds beauty.
4. If you are hosting ANY type of shower you can put a candle, or flowers, or a show-stopper tower cake or the star cupcake or a tower of cookies in it.
5. Use it when celebrating the birthday of someone you love by setting it in the middle of the table with their dessert cupcake with a flickering candle.
6. Use it on your patio for adding elegance to your next outdoor party!
Creativity flows from everywhere. You don’t have to have everything from the latest magazine – but gather inspiration and look around you – incorporate your creativity into everything!
To enter giveaway:
1. Leave a comment on how you would like to use the white bird cage candle holder.
2. For an extra entry: follow iometro and thekd316 on instagram and leave a comment here telling me you are following both.
(Disclaimer: I was invited to the blogger party as a part of the Arkansas Women Bloggers, and was given the bird cage to giveaway, but was not compensated in anyway for this post. All thoughts are my own. Thank you IOMetro
I will announce winner on Monday morning!
by Kimberly | Mar 16, 2014 | Arkansas, creatives
Bakeries. Just the sight of them makes me want to stop, talk to the folks who run them, and eat their fabulous goodies that adorn their windows. This one is no different. How I came across Sweet Love Bakes was cool. I asked some friends if there was a good place in Little Rock (local, not grocery store or pre-packaged) to get macarons because I wanted them for our Valentine’s dessert. All friends pointed to the same bakery – Sweet Love Bakery which is only miles from our home. 
So, the husband and I went in there, sampled their peanut butter cookie (of course) and took home some French macarons for the dessert the next night. Pink Champagne and Lavender Honey. Oh. My. Gracious. So light, deliciously flavored, and hit the spot. I emailed Kelli right away to see if I could come to take some photos of her bakery and interview her. She was delighted and we made a plan for a couple of weeks ago.
Kelli was hard at work preparing for a weekend full of delicious treats including an anniversary, a birthday, and goodies for the bakery shop. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me and for the French macarons and cupcake. They were amazing and the husband loved the cupcake filled with lemon curd! Enjoy getting to know her and if you need any bakery needs here in Little Rock or Central Arkansas, please stop by.
How did you get started in baking?
Kelli has been baking for nearly 10 years and got started doing family baking. She had the opportunity to make a cake for her grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. That’s not intimidating. Her grandparents were thrilled to say that their granddaughter had made their cake. With many other family opportunities, reading, and practice – she was hooked. She loves to create art and knows that it is only temporary – but a temporary meant to be enjoyed – not immortalized!
What inspires your creativity?
She loves following other bakeries/chefs. That will get her creative juices going. Also, different mediums. (That was really interesting to me. So other mediums can inspire your love and creativity in the kitchen too).
What would you say to encourage others in their pursuit?
You really have to pay your dues. Its taken her ten years to get to where she is and she started Sweet Love Bakery two years ago. She wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the demand and business if she had started the bakery 10 years ago (side note: she has her business degree, so that helps in running the bakery). Quality can’t suffer as you grow. Quality has to only improve! When you are ready – it will happen! Be prepared!
What is your favorite creation?
Her polo cake. And that’s also her biggest lesson. Watermark your photographs. (I’ve started doing this because of our conversation.)
What is the hardest part of owning Sweet Love Bakery?
You can’t take things personally. You try your best to get things just right for the customer’s specifications, then let it go. You should always be learning and improving.
What do you think about French Macarons?
They are so time consuming and precise! She has learned about flavorings and colors from making so many of them though!
by Kimberly | Feb 5, 2014 | Arkansas, creatives, Events, Festivals, Uncategorized
(This post has a giveaway at the end! Please comment for a chance to win. The AFGS provided me with these tickets at no cost to me and all opinions are my own. Thankful for their generosity and I look forward to the event to see the beauty that will be displayed.)
All day the city of Little Rock looked like a frozen glass house. Ice was on every tree limb and wire. But, at a blogging and flower and foodie event: it was warm and colorful inside.
Last night I went to a wonderful event hosted at a lovely home here in Little Rock. It was all about flowers, food, spring, the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show (coming up in a few weeks), warm weather, friends, and wine & food pairings. What a night filled with beautiful color and helpful information and prime rib and salmon (oh the salmon)!
For me, the night was about color.
Yellow is such an inviting color. Have it in your guest room, your entry way, or anywhere in your home where you would like people to feel completely welcome.Art can make a statement.
The owners of the home we were invited in to love art. There was a piece on every wall. Gorgeous ways to bring in color to your home.
Strawberries and black pepper – new fave combination!
I had on a pink scarf and there was so much purple in the room – love it! All these different hues found everywhere at the event!
I’ve been reading in Exodus in my devotions about how God was detailing the colors for the tabernacle. I love God gave us colors and instructed us to use them in worshiping Him! He is a colorful, creative God!
The last thing I learned was later when I was talking with my husband about the event: make sure your home tells what is really the most important thing in life. When people come in your home – what will they remember? What will their takeaway be?
And I have a giveaway for you!!! Thankful for the free tickets to the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show. I have three pairs to giveaway to readers! So, if you are going to be able to attend the event at the Statehouse in a few weeks, leave a comment below (only blog comments will count) about your favorite flower and how you bring it into your home to brighten up the blah months of winter. I will pick three winners who will each get a pair of tickets to the event. Thank you AFGS!!! I can’t wait to attend the event on Friday morning with my family! And if you have Sunday afternoon available – it is going to be a great time for the youngest gardeners out there!
So thankful for the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show, the owners of Colonial Wine and Spirits, Chris Olson and his talents for making flowers come to life inside your home, and the Arkansas Women Bloggers, and all those who gave us such lovely SWAG for this wonderful event.
by Kimberly | Jan 9, 2014 | creatives
Today, I went to the Rifle Paper Co. store in Winter Park, FL. If you aren’t familiar, take time and saunter through their website. There you will find beauty, flowers, letterpress, stationary, gifts for everyone on your list (male and female), journals, candles, etc.
As I walked out of the store with my (clearance) 2014 Secret Garden Botanicals wall calendar and a Valentine’s Day card (also on clearance)…one of my thoughts was this:
When you surround yourself with beautiful and creative…you desire beauty and creativity.
Being in Rifle Paper made me want to be creative. I didn’t feel beautiful enough to be in there (jeans, tank, and my husband’s sweatshirt, hair in a ponytail, no makeup on). But, it spurred me on to be more.
The calendar now has a place on my desk on an easel. So does stationery, my camera, sketch pads, journals, pens, markers, and space to write and create.
Do you have a creative space?
Do you desire to be creative? If you are a believer, God created you to be creative. He is the Creator. We are made in His image!
You really can be creative anywhere – but it sure does help to be surrounded by beautiful and creative!
