{in my sketchbook}

I've been experimenting  in my sketchbook with a new style of handlettering and lots of little houses...

My boys came home talking about idioms they had learned at school, including saying something is "my cup of tea," which was the inspiration for the doodle above. 

One of the best things about home is you can be as weird as you want between those four walls, am I right? 

Having fun with this new lettering style...what do you think of it?

XO,

{life lessons from Lego Movie}

So you may not have seen Lego Movie, but I think all of us can relate to the quote above, credited to the ever-happy Uni-Kitty...

Yep...a unicorn/cat. Can you think of anything happier?

My son Landon's favorite book right now is based on the movie, and is called "Emmet's Guide to Being Awesome".  It is equal parts funny and inspiring, teaching kids that they are unique and awesome just how they are.

Pretty much one of the best lessons to teach children, and one we need to be reminded of as adults as well, right?

YOU are awesome, my friend. And in order to share our best awesome-ness with the world, we need to cling to our good ideas and thoughts.

Any idea is a good idea, except the not-happy ones. Tweet this 

For example:

I'm a good mother. <<< good idea.
It is selfish of me to want time to myself. <<< not-happy idea
I should go get myself a coffee. <<< good idea
I look fat in these pants. <<< not-happy idea

You get the point.

Of course we're going to have not-happy days, but we can still do our best to fill them with good and happy ideas.

So thanks Lego Movie for this life lesson, and here's to lots and lots of good ideas!

XO,

{in my sketchbook}

Hello friends! Happy Friday!

Are you enjoing these weekly-ish "in my sketchbook" posts? I hope so, because here's another one!

A mix of springy flowers and graphic shapes this week...

I'm finding an almost daily practice of drawing in my sketchbook is slowly helping me find my personal style. It is also a great way to experiment with new techniques and tools. And on top of that it is good therapy...something about the feel of the pen gliding across the paper and creating pleasing shapes releases the tension from my soul. 

It is giving me reason to seek out inspiration for new doodles. For example, the shapes inside the flowers were inspired by a knob on our TV cabinet.

Inspiration is everywhere friends. 

Hope you have a fantastically inspired weekend!

XO,

{just go with it}

Are you an over-thinker?

I ask because I don't want to be the only one in the room with my hand raised.

We can certainly be our own worst enemies...sabotaging ourselves before we give the good stuff a chance to settle in and make itself at home. 

99.9% of work day mornings, when my alarm goes off, my immediate reaction upon hearing that horrible buzzing noise is "nooooo!" met with anxiety the minute my feet touch the floor, if not sooner.

This morning, however, was that .01% of mornings. This time when the dreaded alarm sounded, I was greeted by a foreign feeling of OK-ness that was so lovely, and caught me so off guard, that my mind instantly wanted to return to my well-worn friend, anxiety. Like turning down a cozy fleece blanket for an itchy piece of wool. 

Before I could get there, though, this phrase was spoken to me... 

Just go with it. {Tweet this }

Stop over-thinking and just be grateful for this unprecedented 180 degree turn. 

And so I did.

Because who knows what tomorrow morning will bring.

Maybe you need to just go with it today too?

Turn off that default switch in your brain of anxiety, worry, judgment, fear or I'm-not-good-enough-ness.

If your mind suddenly decides to do a 180 like mine did this morning, embrace the heck out of it!

XO,

{march desktop calendar}

If you're on my email list, you already received the free March desktop calendar.

But wait...there were a few dates wrong. Oops!

So here is a new and improved calendar with only one of each date! You know, for those that like to keep their days straight. ;)

Click on the image below to grab the calendar, and if you want future freebies, be sure to sign up for my email list here!

XO,

{in my sketchbook}

My sketchbook is my constant companion these days, always in my bag in case inspiration strikes, or in some cases, anxiety. 

Doodling has become my go-to anxiety buster. And lately repeated patterns are my doodle of choice.

One of the many hats I wear at work is event planner, and this past Saturday was one of the big annual conferences I put together. Being in charge of 80+ people can often lead to lots of anxiety for me, so of course my sketchbook was put to good use. 

Here is what I came up with during the lunch break...

And then during the afternoon workshops I added color...

Drawing all of those little circles is such good therapy, but coloring them in was even more relaxing. I love how they look like little bits of sea glass, or like a few friends added on social media, soap bubbles and river rocks. 

These types of doodles are a fun change from my usual handlettering and illustrations. 

XO,

{goal for today: just be}

We got a fresh blanket of snow overnight, it is my first day off since last Sunday, and this is my goal for the day. 

I can tend to let a messy house and undone projects overwhelm me on the weekend, which leads to a cranky attitude. So today I'm ignoring it all and going with those two words. 

Hope your Sunday is equally low expectation! 

XO,