Made Box Cushion Covers

Apr 7, 2020 | Create

Ian had previously mentioned that our seat covers for the living room chair was getting old and had some water stains we tried washing out but wouldn’t budge. So last weekend, I picked up a few yards of this gray cotton patterned fabric from Manu’a store, and sewed these box cushion covers to update one of our second-hand chairs in the living room (both are secondhand from neighbors).

Because we’ve been using our studio office space primarily as our WFH stations, I set up Sista (my sewing machine) on the kitchen/living room table, and used the floor as my cutting space.

I liked both photos with exposure of inside and outside views. It was a beautiful day, but it was so humid and hot. At a later point, I had to ask Ian to put up a makeshift curtain to keep me shaded.

I was actually in a grumpy mood (probably because it was so hot and I was sweating bullets) when I made these so the covers are sewn quite a bit sloppy and a little too large for the actual cushions, but more importantly it’s functional and still looks nicer than the old covers.

Here’s the completed sewn box cushion covers! I like the color and the pattern a lot, it fits our tiny bright living room space. I have leftover fabric, so will probably make a fitted cover for the circle papasan chair too.

Rummaging through the archives

Feb 15, 2020 | Create, Moments, Photo Diaries

I’m searching through my archives this weekend for fine art photos that I can use to sell prints of in the near future (!!!). Attending an artists’ social mixer a couple of weeks ago has lit a spark for me to get back to the arts. I’m starting with photos, but I’d like to eventually get into hand crafts and graphic illustrations as well.

Anyhow, here are some photos I re-edited from my trip to Ofu early last year that I stumbled upon while rummaging through the archives.

Design Your Future event

Feb 10, 2020 | Create, Moments

A few weeks ago, a friend invited me to join a “Design Your Future” event. At first I had no idea what that meant, I was just like ‘sign me up’. After finding out that it was a social mixer for local creatives to network with the Chamber of Commerce, and that I would have to show my work at a booth, I got nervous. I mean I was excited, but I had that butterflies in my stomach feeling.

I kept asking my best friend and fellow creative, Gabby, about details and how I should prep for the event since she was helping with coordinating the artists and the setup. Basically, we were just asked to show our portfolios and share our business cards. And I got extra nervous because I didn’t have a physical printed portfolio, and only had my really old business cards. I think the last time I had business cards made was in 2016, and I barely had any left, so I quickly designed a new logo for myself (which I’m actually quite pleased with) under “nerelle / creative” to encompass my photography/ web design/ marketing consulting work. Gabby helped me get my business cards printed super last minute, along with poster prints of 4 of my photographs, so that I could show those along with my website. I also brought a polaroid digital frame that Ian’s parents gifted to us last year, two photo books that I had made, a seashell marquee lamp, and a spider plant in a lens cap vase.

Here’s me at my booth:

To my knowledge, this is the first time an event like this has been organized in American Samoa for creatives to network with the business community, so I greatly appreciated the initiative. I shared a table with another fellow local photographer, Sam Solaita, who I just officially met in person recently, and it was so nice to see other creatives that I know already like Gabby, Pua, Ammon, Tulaga, and Matauaina; and to officially meet other creatives I’d never met before like Duffy, Cinta and Esaia. I even sold a couple of my posters! Even though I was nervous initially, I’m so glad I participated.

And a few things that I learned from the event, as a note to myself for future events:

It is soooo important to show up – literally.
It’s also important to get out of your comfort zone every once in a while.
Feign confidence, at the very least.
Have genuine conversations, people will appreciate it.
Bring a fan in case it gets hot lol.
Network with your peers, and promote their work too.
Just be yourself.

In a creative funk and how I cope

Oct 22, 2019 | Create, Lifestyle, Moments

As a creative, I find myself in a funk more often than I want to admit.

This doesn’t always happen, but every now and then, there’s this gross state of limbo where I feel like I’m not enough, that my work isn’t representative, that it serves no purpose, that I have no audience… I question myself and doubt my creativity.

Just to be clear though, I am mindful that this creeping emotion is only when I’m in a really deep funk about what I’m doing as a creative, and this does not affect other parts of my life, which are otherwise pretty rad.

Most other times that I’m feeling down on my creative ventures, it usually induces more of a numb state of emotion. A funk where I’m just there but not really present… Picture me sitting in bed looking like a sad potato, scrolling mindlessly and sighing inwardly. It sucks.

I wish I could always be motivated and productive with the act of creating, but it can be hard to keep myself on the up and up. It’s not realistic. Anything can put us in a funk, because (and many artists would probably agree), it’s the artist’s curse.

When I find myself in any type of draining dramatic valley, I have a few different ways of coping.

I’ll clean my home. This is when I’m feeling particularly productive despite my state of emotions. I have a really simple cleaning routine that puts me in autopilot mode, cleaning out the junk in my life and effectively clearing the junk out of my mind.

I’ll watch lifestyle videos on YouTube. This sounds like a weird way of coping, but here’s how it helps me. I’m not always inwardly motivated. Sometimes just watching others live their life helps bring perspective to my life, and seeing others thriving gives me motivation to look at my journey from the sidelines for a minute before jumping back into my lane. Does anyone else do this?

I’ll make something anyways. I know I know… even when I feel so unmotivated and that gross state of limbo funk feels debilitating, I’ll make something anyways! And it will probably be crappy, like 99% of the time. But that’s ok. It’s a speed bump in the road, but at least I’m still moving forward.

I’ll go outside. Take a couple of breaths and move my body literally outside of my comfort zone (aka my bed). Being outside is healing. And it’s personally my inspiration for a lot of my work. So I’m taking myself out of my funk and immersing myself in every day inspiration.

I’ll wallow in it. This one is something that I think most people do without realizing it, but wallowing in the very thing that makes me feel glum can sometimes feel like the only way to get out of my funk. I’m not sure how effective this actually is as a coping mechanism, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. It takes time.

These are just some of the ways I can think of that have helped me when I’m in a loop.

I’ve been in and out of a creative funk for the last few weeks. And on one of the days, I used my “make something anyways” method. I quickly made this kinda crappy, but not too crappy graphic to use as my desktop wallpaper. It has all my favorite colors, and a little note to self: you got this.

This post serves as a little reminder that we all cope in different ways, and since it was recently Mental Health Awareness Day (October 10th, 2019), I thought it would be good practice to jot down my thoughts and share my experience. Maybe you’ve felt the same way too?

Anyway, if you read this all the way to the end, wow so cool of you, and thanks for reading! And if you want, you can get this free desktop wallpaper too! Just right click on the image, open image in new tab, then on the new tab, click on the image to make sure it’s at it’s full size, right click on the image, then select “Save image as…”

Thanks for reading, and remember – you got this!

4 easy tips for a sustainable home

Sep 20, 2019 | Create, Lifestyle

1. Add greenery.

Literally make your home more green by adding your favorite plants. You can start an herb garden so you always have fresh herbs for mealtimes. Succulents are super cute and easy to care for if you’re the type to always forget to water plants. And there are a number of houseplants that thrive in low-light areas. My favorite right now is the golden pothos vine that drapes beautifully around my window frames.

2. Ditch harsh cleaning chemicals.

I used to have a spray bottle for every area of my home like the kitchen, bathroom, and the living room. They all claimed to do different things, but all I really needed it to do was clean. Now, I literally have one spray bottle that does the job without being too harsh, and is safe for pets and kids. The secret concoction? Water, vinegar, and dish soap. Yup, it really gets the job done and cuts grease like NBD. If you’re not keen on DIY though, try Meyer’s multipurpose cleaning spray made with plant-derived ingredients and doesn’t contain parabens and phthalates.

3. Make reusable cloth napkins.

Seriously, go grab an old lavalava right now, and cut down into small squares, or whatever size/shape you want. And voila. This is the easiest DIY project of all time, saves you money on sad-looking single-use napkins that end up in the trash, and makes you look and feel classy whenever friends come over and they’re like “how cute are these!” And you’re just like, “yeah I made them”… yeah, you did that!

4. Clean, declutter, and minimize your stuff.

We all have a weird attachment to STUFF, which makes it easy to amass junk along the way. I’m not saying you need to fully go KonMari on your house if that’s a little too intense for you. But go through your stuff, make a pile of stuff you don’t care about, and donate it or figure out a way to reuse it for a different purpose. Try your best to not buy anything else that might take its place.

(in love with the natural light in our home)

DIY Beeswax Wraps ft. Alafaga

Feb 18, 2019 | Create, Sustainable Living

In 2017 I started my journey with zero waste, making small changes to adapt a more natural lifestyle. One of my big goals in 2018 was to reduce my plastic usage drastically, and now in 2019 I’m committed to making steady strides in sustainable living. It’s been a fun learning experience.

Enter: Beeswax fabric wraps.

What are beeswax wraps? They’re a reusable alternative to plastic cling wrap that’s super easy to make! They are great as lids for jars, bowls, and containers, and can be used to wrap sandwiches and snacks.

I hung out with one of my bestest friends Gabby Faaiuaso (@Alafaga) and it was her idea to blog about our creative afternoon adventure, so I hope you enjoy this post and get inspired to make your own beeswax wraps!

What You’ll Need:

Bees wax
Cotton fabric
Scissors
Grater
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Tongs (optional)
Paintbrush (optional)

Method:

1 / Choose a medium weight pre-washed cotton fabric and cut into desired size and shape. We decided on larger square pieces that were 12 inches x 12 inches, so that it could be used to cover most bowls easily. For a clean cut with no frays, you can use pinking shears (zig zag scissors) but since we didn’t have any, we just used regular scissors.

2 / On a baking sheet, lay parchment paper over the entire tray and place your cut fabric on top. It’s important to use parchment paper (do not confuse with wax paper as it cannot be used in the oven) so you can safely continue using your baking sheet for other obvious reasons like baking cookies.

3 / Then use a grater to shred your block of beeswax down into smaller bits and scatter an even layer on top of your fabric. This will require some elbow grease so be careful and go slow. Make sure that you have enough wax to cover the entire fabric, but not too much that it will melt into a thick glob. We found that a handful of shredded beeswax was enough to evenly cover the fabric.

4 / Next, preheat your oven to 250°F, then place baking sheet in and set timer for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on your project. Once all the beeswax shreds have melted, check to see if the fabric is evenly covered in beeswax. You can use a clean paintbrush to spread the melted beeswax around.

5 / Pull your baking sheet out of the oven and immediately remove the fabric from the parchment paper using tongs. Be careful as the wax will be very hot. Hold it in the air to let it cool for about 30 seconds before touching. You’ll notice the fabric become stiff once it’s dried.

Uma lava – That’s it! You’ve made your own reusable beeswax wraps!

Mold your beeswax wraps around containers, bowls and jars to keep your food fresh in the fridge. Beeswax wraps are great as gifts too so grab a friend, choose fun fabrics, and spend an afternoon making a batch to share!

To care for your beeswax wraps, wash with cold water and gentle soap, then air dry.

To store your beeswax wrap, fold and keep in a cool dry place.