{fall favorites giveaway}

How about a fall giveaway?!

My friend Alyson has put together an awesome team of bloggers & handmade shop friends to offer a fun fall giveaway with fall themed prizes like a $55 Gift Card for Starbucks, a scarf, a zipper pouch & key fob, a fall print from my shop, an arrow clutch, and a fall sign! SO many awesome prizes, you could keep them all or share with a friend, maybe use one to gift at Christmas? 

Keep scrolling to see all of the prizes and good luck! 

Happy Fall Y'all, print from me!  This Girls Doodles

Arrow Clutch from The Barefoot Seamstress

Navy Blue Infinity Scarf from Forgotten Cotton

Fall Sign from Prim & Proper Signs

Fun Zipper Pouch & Key Fob from Little Ms Fancy Pants

I really wish I could win, because, wow! Lots of really great stuff. And, $55 to Starbucks?! That's a LOT of coffee & tea, or some super cute mugs. A total value of over $150. 
Good luck and thanks for entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

XO, 

{happy mail day!}

So today = one of the best mail days EVER!

I came home to a ginormous box filled with 32 sample canvases from my art licensing company, METcolors. 

32!! 

Most of them are 8x8 inches...don't they look like a bunch of little pizza boxes all stacked up? :)

A few of them are larger like this one which is 16x24...

It has flecks of gold in the background which is so pretty.

And these three are my definite favorites...the colors and patterns turned out so perfectly...

They are all SO gorgeous and I'm so happy with the quality. They have a painting process that makes them look hand painted and it is really beautiful. 

Here are a few of the cute 8x8 sizes...

The photo quality isn't the greatest on some of these because of the dim evening lighting and my crappy camera phone, but this just couldn't wait. :) 

So if you see me in person soon you'll probably notice my feet aren't touching the ground. I'm hoping to have definite news on where you can shop for them soon too!

Eeeeee!

XO,

{hello friday}

Happy Friday friends!

Today is a bit dreary and I'm fighting a head cold so I drew myself a little sunshine. :)

Yucky weather and stuffy nose aside, there are so many good things going on around here that I can't wait to share with you...I'm so amazed at how far my doodles have taken me in a year. Lots of fun stuff coming so stick with me, OK?

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

XO,

{around here lately}

Hey there, October!

Can you believe it friends? 

October is my favorite month of the year for many reasons. Our wedding anniversary is the 11th (11 years!) and everything fall just makes me happy. Like walking through a crunchy blanket of tiny yellow leaves. And wearing comfy sweaters. And cuddling on a chilly Saturday morning on the couch with my boys. 

I want October to be a slow month.

But the reality, just like every other month of the year, is that it isn't. While I'm so thankful for my full time job, it is always super busy in the fall with events and extra meetings and it is frustrating trying to balance that necessary busy with my need for slowness and time to savor every tiny yellow leaf and couch cuddling session. 

I'm currently reading The Best Yes, and it has showed me how even though I can't get rid of all the busyness, I can say no to things that, even though they are good, they aren't the absolute best way for me to spend my time. I said no to some custom doodles recently that was a really hard no, but the relief I felt when I didn't have those orders looming over me was beyond worth it. 

Sure, I have the literal time to do them. But I don't have the head space. I've become hyper aware that I need a lot of margin, or white space, in order to be happy, calm and available to the really good things in my life. 

Like taking my boys on a date to the coffee shop and making silly faces in the bathroom mirror...

And noticing the awesome animal train they made in the family room and not being annoyed by the mess, but instead being in awe of their creativity...

And finding joy in sorting their socks which ALL had a match...

miraculous I tell ya.

And take some time to pretty up our entryway...

I'm also super excited about some ways I'm working on my art these days. I'm working on my first line of Christmas/holiday cards (EEEK!) and taking an online class to learn about turning my doodles into repeat patterns. SUPER exited about both of these things. 

I'll be sharing more about the holiday cards soon but for now here is a fun sneak peek...

And of course if you follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook you'll get lots more updates in real time. :)

So here's to an October we can live as slow as possible!

XO,

{hope is never in a hurry}

Lately I've found myself overly frustrated with the lack of time I have to dedicate to my art.

I compare my journey to other artists and start feeling sorry for myself. You can probably relate to this in some way...wanting to hurry up hope.

But this is the thing...hope has no expiration date. It is always ready and available for us, especially when we are frustrated or feeling down about things not going the way we thought they should.

So hold on to hope, but let's stop being in such a darn hurry about it, OK?

XO,

{hello friday}

Thank goodness it is Friday, am I right?!

This week has just dragged. Has it for you too? I think it is partly because I'm so looking forward to the weekend. Fall weather is here and tomorrow there is a big festival in our town with handmade vendors, food and activities for the boys. 

My definition of a perfect fall Saturday. 

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

XO,

{new prints!}

One of the biggest challenges of running a shop & chasing my art dream while working full time is finding time to not only create the drawings I want, but also fit in all of the work it takes to put new products in the shop and make them ready to print/ship. 

I've had four new prints scanned for weeks and finally made/found the time today to take photos of them on my lunch break and added them to the shop tonight. My goal is to improve the photography of all my Etsy listings and I'm excited about how these turned out. You can find them here. I hope you love them!

I'm also SUPER excited about a leap I took today. I signed up for a class that will teach me how to turn my doodles into repeat patterns. This is something I really want to learn, so I can create patterns for paper, fabric and all sorts of other products. Eek! Can't wait to share what I learn with you!

XO,

{hello fall + a new printable}

There is something about fall that makes me insanely happy.

It is the mix of cool breezes, soft scarves, the scents of pumpkin and cider, vibrant sunrises and crisp blue skies, trips to the orchard, bringing my boots and sweaters out of the closet, and sprinkling autumn touches around the house.

The start of September means fall to me and I'm not wasting one second of it this year. I've already purchased yummy fall-scented candles made a new wreath for our front door.

I decorated the entryway table, mantel and a few other little spots around the house.

I'm noticing the changes in nature and feeling thankful for the vibrant colors.

I'm most looking forward to making memories with the boys.

Fall activities are my absolute favorite...the festivals, orchard trips, Halloween and Thanksgiving. So many opportunities to hold them close and see the wonder of the season through their eyes.

I doodled these leaves the other day on my lunch break...

And now they are in the shop as a $5 printable you can purchase here.

So happy fall, y'all!

What's your favorite part of this season?

XO,

{good-bye august}

This is the first year in my memory that I can say I didn't enjoy August.

August is my birthday month and so it has always been one of my favorites. But in the past few years that has changed with having children in school {that starts WAY too early} and my biggest work event smack dab in the middle of the month.

This whole month has been a huge contradiction of emotions. The boys started school on my birthday and that day represented pretty much the entire month...tears mixed with joy, anxiety rubbing up against gratefulness.

In many ways I'm happy to say good-bye to August. It was filled with tears and nervous stomachs and a mind so full that I really didn't know what to do with myself.

I said goodbye to a beloved pet {rest in peace my sweet Melvin} and hello to a schedule way more full than I would have wanted.

I gratefully and humbly accepted the love and support of family and friends when I was hanging on by a very thin thread.

It wasn't all bad, that's for sure. I said hello 36, to being the mother of 1st graders, and to new art adventures.

I'm so very thankful for the constant balance of difficult and defining moments.

But I've felt so out of balance and at war with the state of my life right now. One of my new goals is to find a way to balance my obligations with the very best things that I want to do, all while finding time to rest. Easy enough right?

I can't say I have much confidence I'll find a solution anytime soon, but it is a daily challenge that I need to fight for the sake of my sanity.

So, good-bye August. Hello September. I'm thrilled to see you. And I welcome you to be just as boring as you would like.

XO,

{fear does not equal failure}

We took the boys to my hometown fair last week and did the predictable things...ate fried food, petted baby ducks, filled our mouths with fluffy cotton candy. We taught Landon how it will melt in your mouth if you have the patience to wait, and watched the look of childhood amazement in his eyes as he felt it disappear into bits of crystallized sugar on his tongue. Man, that is the best.

The one thing that I never saw coming was that both the boys rode a roller coaster. Granted, it was the miniature kiddie coaster, but STILL. MY children rode a roller coaster. If you know me at all, you will understand why this is a big deal.

I was shocked when Landon stopped in front of the dragon-themed mini coaster and insisted on riding it. The look of excitement on his face was contagious. It even transferred over to me, and I would rather clean a toilet than ride any variety of coaster.

Landon has been rather timid lately...displaying anxiety over lots of new life experiences, so the fact that he wanted to ride this thing made me all sorts of proud and freaked out all at the same time. Ben wasn't quite so sure, and I thought that would change Landon's mind. But he didn't care one bit. He eagerly jumped in line and practically ran up the steps and hopped into an empty car.

This is my son who has had major melt-down freak-outs on two different "train" rides, both of which were the most harmless rides you can imagine. 

I have to admit I was waiting as the ride started for him to realize what he had gotten himself into and start screaming for someone to get him off.

But he didn't. He didn't look like he was having the time of his life as the cars bumped around the track, but he didn't freak out. He even smiled when he got off.

His enjoyment was apparently so convincing that Ben decided to ride it next. He was the only one in line, so he had the ride all to himself. Out of my two boys, Ben is the more adventurous, and after Landon's success I was optimistic that he would enjoy the ride as well.

Not so much. After the first tiny hill, I focused in on his face and he was overcome with fear. He was crying and screaming for them to stop the ride. Thankfully, since he was the only one on the ride, the operator stopped it and let him get off.

He thought he had failed. But I was SO proud of him for trying, and I told him that more than a few times on the way back to the car.

Why is it that when we are afraid of something, we equate that feeling with failure?

I'm amazed, at the age of six, how the boys already do this. They define success by completing a task with zero fear and seeing it to completion. If they are afraid, they feel like they have failed. Failure is already a thing for them. This amazes me and makes my heart sink all at the same time.

On our way home , the roller coaster was the prime topic of back seat conversation. Landon said that Ben shouldn't have gotten on the roller coaster because he got scared. I was quick to jump in and talk to them about fear, and how it can be a good thing. How trying something new, even if you are afraid, is a wonderful thing.

I'm hoping some of it stuck in their little brains.

And it was a good reminder for me as well.

What about you? Do you equate fear with failure? Or do you jump into something new with both feet, fear and all?

XO,