Design*Sponge Best of DIY: Notecards and Stationery

Something really wonderful happened this afternoon.  These note cards were featured at the top of design*sponge's best of diy 2011: notecards and stationery.  Now, I don't know about you, but I absolutely adore design*sponge. Grace Bonney has such elegant and beautiful taste, yet uncovers intriguing and unusual finds.  And, I love Kate Pruitt who edits all the diy goodies. To be on the top of any design*sponge list has me over the moon.  It gives me a reason to celebrate!

Still, this reminds me how important it is to take things in stride - both disappointments and successes.  I was actually contacted about these notes by Better Homes & Gardens back in July - which was also thrilling.  They wanted to potentially include them in a handmade hostess gift feature in the November '11 issue.  The opportunity to be featured in a widely distributed magazine blew me away.  I madly worked to get off a set of cards in color schemes they wanted.  

I loved how they turned out.

But, in the end, they did not include them in their issue :(.  That felt like a whopping blow. I think they wanted jewel tones all together, which is not really my thing. These things happen, and how you handle disappointment is just as vital as how you handle successes.  Inevitably, they will both happen.

I think it is especially important to show my children how to gracefully accept defeat or a mistake or a disappointment. I remind them to look at the reason behind their efforts. What it comes down to is why are you doing what you're doing?  Do you love it?  Then, get back up on your feet and keep going, keep practicing, keep doing.

In my case, I garner true and untarnished joy from making something that feels beautiful to me. Its even better if it carries meaning. Whether its knitting or sewing or crafting or photography, pretty much anything I do with my hands, I love it.  As a result, I love this blog.I'm thrilled with my design*sponge exposure and my place in their "best of" list.  Yet, rich as this success makes me feel, and I do want to enjoy it, I'm going to celebrate and then take it in stride, because I never know what's around the next corner.  I'm just gonna keep on doing what I love to do.

Here are my favorite design*sponge best of 2011 stationery picks:

Image above: Brenna’s linoleum-cut monogram correspondence set with vintage wallpaper-lined envelopes

Image above: Derek and Lauren created a personalized stationery suite using samples of pretty vintage wallpapers and blank notecards.