Gratitude first (plus: a brief writing hiatus)

“Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond” Rumi 

Be grateful for whoever comes. 

I’ve had this quote in my mind for a while now as a reminder to re-frame any challenging experiences, but it’s also helped me to see how much good there is all around us.

There really are so many little daily love moments that can get lost in the shuffle of trying to make it through the day.

Here’s one of my recent favorites where Isaac reorganizes some of my supplies.

Sometimes when I need to get an order together quickly during the day, Isaac joins me in my studio. I used to get totally frazzled by him throwing my supplies around, but through the lens of gratitude I see a curious little boy who loves to explore and isn’t actually hurting anything.

It’s a simple mindset shift – I don’t want to spend my days stressed out over the smallest things. Thank you little guy, as it’s clear that you’ll guide me your whole life, teaching me more about myself and the world than I ever could have anticipated.

Who are the biggest guides in your life?

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I’ve been working on appreciating the details in my art life as well, starting with updated detail photos of all of my prints. The paper I use for my prints has such a beautiful texture and so we’ve been taking new photos for each print to better show the texture and the vibrancy of the colors.

Here are a few examples:

Love! More updated photos to come, including all of the larger print size options.

You can find all available prints in my shop.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

In other fun news, we finally got to celebrate our little guy turning 1 (only a month+ late!) and here he is trying out cake for the first time. He seriously devoured it.

Finishing up this first year (of parenthood, of his life) feels so huge. We all survived, he’s such a happy kid, and I’ve managed to keep my business moving. I really couldn’t ask for more than that.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Last but not least, I’ll be taking a brief hiatus from my blog and newsletter during the month of August. I’ve never missed a regularly scheduled blog post or newsletter since I began writing them in 2014 (not even when Isaac was born!), but I’ve deeply felt the call to simplify my life for a few weeks and actually recharge before the super busy Fall season. It’s been years since I’ve really prioritized my health over my to-do list and it’s about time. I’ll be back in a few weeks ready to write and share again.

If you want to connect with any of my adventures in the meantime, feel free to check out my Instagram and Facebook for more regular updates.

Enjoy these long summer days and nights, friends! I hope there’s some relaxing in your future, too.

With love,