Tip for back and neck pain

Remembering to move...


As a graphic designer I've found that sitting still in a chair for 8 hrs is very hard on your neck, lower back, and hamstrings. It's something that nobody really talks about, but I'm pretty sure it affects a lot of people. I was recenetly rear-ended which has amplified my pain. My chiropractor recommended a timer to remind myself to get up and move every 30 minutes. I went home and immediately downloaded this free timer for macs. It's very easy to set it up to chime every 30 minutes. It's a subtle reminder to nod your head yes and no and stand up for a second to stretch and to be more aware of your body so that you can sit with correct posture. Ahhh!

Other tips that work for me:
• Back bends such as camel pose to counter act the hunching forward. Laying on the edge of the bed with your head hanging off seems to do the trick for me too.
• Ice the area that hurts for 20 min.
• Wet heating pads help relax tense shoulders. Here is a DIY tutorial on how to make your own.
• Yoga is great for keeping the spine and overall body healthy. I use Yogatoday.com which gives me unlimited yoga classes streamed from the internet for 10$ a month.

What do you do to cope with your back/neck pain?

DIY Gift Wrapping Idea for Musicians

Actually I think non-musicians could appreciate it as well. I made this for my roomate. Happy Birthday Hannah!


I got this idea while packing up calendars for my etsy customers. I ususally wrap twine around the package a few times and thats when I got the idea to wrap the twine around 5 times to make a musical staff. This is a great way to personalize gift wrap. Here is how I made it.

1. Use a ruler to draw the 5 equally spaced lines (use a pencil so you can erase later) on the wrapping paper. This will be a guide for where to place your notes. Mine were about 1 cm apart but this will change depending on how big your gift is.

2. Find the sheet music via the internet for the song you want to feature.

3. Draw the notes onto the package.

4. Erase the pencil guides

5. Wrap the twine around the present so the lines are in just the right spot. Then tie a knot on the back to secure the twine in place.

If anyone decides to try this project out I would love to see pics!

Embroidery Card On Etsy Homepage

I was plesantly surpirsed to see etsy useing my image in one of the storque articles about Understanding Online Advertising. Advertising is one aspect of my handmade business that I have been a big fat slacker. Anybody have any good ideas for getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to advertising?