life with Lucy 31 months

lucy sing from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

happy mothers day!

I was never the kind of gal that dreamed of being a mom, in fact when I was younger the thought of having children was the last thing I had ever planned for my life. I wanted to be an artist, I wanted to get married, I wanted to live by the sea but becoming a parent...no way! Whenever I was asked if we would have kids I always answered, "kids are not in our plan unless suddenly we are visited by an angel in the middle of the night who tells us it's time to start a family"...in other words... NO!

And then something changed...no I was not visited by an angel but at age thirty-five, after dealing with some really heavy stuff going on around us, Andy and I literally woke up one day and wanted a family. We were both on the same page (miraculously) and decided to give it a go- better late than never! A few months later I was pregnant, scared and suddenly questioning our decision. I had spent thirty-five years of my life never thinking about kids. Never considering what it means to raise a child, how much it costs, what life would look like, what it would mean for our marriage, my job, our future, my identity or what it would take to bring a little person into the mix. Somehow I pushed past all my fears and trusted there was a plan for us. A plan bigger than my inexperience, bigger than my insecurities and bigger than my fears.

And that plan was made clear the day Lucy was born. I'm not gonna lie and say that all my worries melted away when I held her for the first time, because they didn't. In fact my fear grew even more intense during those early days and I still struggle (deeply) with fear and worry. But something happened to me that is hard to put into words and is very likely something that only my fellow mamas out there understand. Pregnancy, birth and taking care of a child strangely felt right to me- which is crazy because I spent so many years not wanting motherhood. Suddenly, I felt like I was fulfilling my destiny and becoming the person I was meant to be. 

And while there has been tons of juggling, many challenges and lots of learning in the last two years, becoming a mother has been the single most wonderful experience of my life. It makes me smile to think back to my younger self who thought having kids wasn't right for her- boy was that gal wrong!  I am so happy that I changed my mind, closed my eyes and took a big leap into motherhood because I cannot imagine my life without Lucy in it- she is the best thing that has happened to me.

For all the mothers out there I want to wish you the happiest of weekends! Hug and kiss your kiddos and celebrate each of your own journeys!

dress:forever21 cardigan:old navy shoes:ugg tote:made by me from old curtains

updates from the studio

Things are crazy around here and before I forget (cause lately I am forgetting everything) I've got a few studio updates!

A couple of weekends ago I taught two Larger Than Life classes in my studio-I don't teach live as much as I used to but when I do I have so much fun inspiring others. I've got a couple more studio classes/retreats- Beneath the Surface and You, Me & the Sea coming up and a handful of spots still available you can head over HERE for more info.

I am SUPER excited to have designed some exclusive Mother's Day greeting cards for UGG Australia stores! The cards will be an accoutrement to any in-store purchase over $100 from May 1st- May 11th. Head on over HERE for more information!

I've been hard at work on my next online class- Flower Power and its gonna be a fun one! The class goes live May 23rd. You can head on over HERE for all the details.

Mothers Day is this weekend and to celebrate I've got a sale going on this weekend! Head on over to the SHOP for a complete list of all my class offerings.

a peek inside my sketchbook

make time to sketch

Once in a while I like to pull out all of my sketchbooks and take inventory of everything that I have created over time and I am always reminded how important the process of sketching is in my life. Each and every drawing, doodle, colors and images all represent a day, a moment and a time in my life that has been documented and preserved in the pages of a sketchbook- some people scrapbook...I sketch. And while I love to take time to sketch, if I am being honest, it can be challenging to carve out time. After years of sketching, juggling work and a kid, I have figured out simple ways to fit sketching into my schedule every day. Today I thought it would be fun to share a few of my tips!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Sketching is not for everyone- it is a process that involves LOTS of discipline, it is not always easy and can be down right challenging BUT... if you stick with it, sketching can be wonderful way to document the world around you!

ALWAYS KEEP SUPPLIES ON HAND

This the the best advice I can give! Often fitting in time to sketch everyday means doing it at strange times so it is really handy to have a sketching kit that can go anywhere with you. I typically have a pencil pouch filled with my favorite supplies (you can read about my favorite supplies HERE) and a sketchbook that can be tossed into my purse. Because inspiration can strike at any moment I take it a step further and keep sketchbooks in different places- one in the car, one in my purse, one in the kitchen, etc. this way I always have a place to draw when the mood strikes!

DOUBLE UP

As much as I love to spend hours sketching, these days I just don't have lots of time so the best way I can use my time is to double up. I try to look for time and things in my schedule that I could fit sketching into. Obviously Lucy sleeping is an ideal time for sketching but other things like waiting at the DMV, doctors office, lunch breaks, riding in the car or public transportation (as a passenger) or sports practice all make great opportunities for sketching.

BE OK SKETCHING IN SMALL CHUNKS OF TIME

In my dream world I would love to have 1.5-2 hours a day for sketching but these days I am juggling too many things. Once in a while I will clear out lots of time for a sketching project or will stay up late while everyone is sleeping but in my daily schedule I've had to learn how to be ok creating in small chunks of time. Ten minutes here while I wait for dinner to cook, 15 minutes drawing while Lucy draws, 20 minutes while watching t.v., another 10 minutes before I go to bed all adds up over the course of a day or a week. 

TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF

As much as I love drawing things that push me, I don't always have the time or patience to capture subject matter that is challenging. Over time I have accepted the fact that doodling, mark making, pattern, documenting color, going abstract and capturing shapes are all simple ways that I can quickly fill a page. When I take the pressure off myself to create a "masterpiece page"(which takes lots of time), I am able to much more relaxed, inspired and happy with sketching with limited time.

To read more about my sketching process you can visit:

SKETCHING 101

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS- MY SKETCHING PROCESS AND SUPPLIES

THE BEAUTY OF PEN AND WATER

DIGITAL DRAWING

SKETCHING ON THE GO

 For more details and sketching techniques- check out my online classes- Sketchbook Delight and Sketchbook Delight Part 2 and Watercolor Bliss they all cover most of the process and techniques that I use in my sketching.

cement flower pots

We have been hard at work on our yard and recently we decided to tackle a cement DIY project that has been on our to list- making our own flower pots. I first have to say that it would be much easier to buy flower pots from the store- making anything with cement or concrete is really time involved and super messy- but once you get the hang of it, the process is easy and really fun! 

The first thing we did was mix up the cement- we used Cement All and added a little bit of pea gravel to the mixture. My husband has extensive experience working with concrete and cement so I left this part up to him!

Next we filled all kinds of containers and pots with the cement. We placed a smaller container in the middle to create the inside of the planter. Spraying everything with Pam or some kind of oil or grease helps the cement pot release from the form.

*Some of the pots we added a pipe to the bottom to create a drain hole and others we drilled a drain hole after the cement was cured.

We also create a couple Orbs for garden decoration by filling glass light fixtures with cement. Once the cement cured we broke the glass to reveal really cool cement orbs.

Once everything was cured (took a couple of hours) we cut away the plastic containers and were left with cement pots. I used outdoor paint and added some fun designs to a few of the pots.

We were incredibly excited about the results and have all kinds of ideas for more cement projects!

giveaway winners!

Below are the winners for the Flower Power online class giveaway! Congrats to all of you! Send me an email at alisaburke@gmail.com and I will get you the class information.

fashion friday- for the love of polka dots

source- 1  2  3  4  5   6  7  8

flower power online class giveaway!

My next online class Flower Power starts at the end of this month and today I am giving away 10 free spots! 

Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite flower!

I'll draw 10 names and announce the winners over the weekend.

Flower Power

class goes live May 23rd

$30.00

I'm obsessed with flowers, they are colorful, beautiful, full of details and are the perfect inspiration for any creative medium. I love flowers so much that I decided to dedicate an entire class to flowers! From finding inspiration to drawing to doodling to painting, (even a little bit of crafting) Flower Power is a fun little class that will focus on using flowers and all things floral as your subject matter.

Flower Power is a "mini class". It is structured into 3 large lessons. 

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SUPPLIES: This class like all of my classes, does NOT have a required supply list. Instead I will be sharing the supplies that I like to use and then give you a variety of options and inspiration to use supplies that work best for your process and your budget.