New Family Member

I'd like to introduce you to a new family member.

A new member of my fake plant family! 

Which one is new, you ask? 

I know. There are four in this photo. (I have a problem.)

That tall, white potted beauty up there. That's her. 

She came to live with us thanks to the nice folks over at Silk Plants Direct. 

When they offered to send me another plant to add to my ever-growing (and never dying!) collection, and I saw their awesome selection, I couldn't turn down their offer.

I'm even thinking about buying a plant stand. For my fake plants. Is that weird?

I really don't care. Because my available surfaces are getting full. And these puppies aren't going anywhere because, well, you know.  

Just call me the crazy fake plant lady. 

And if you want to join me in this fake plant craziness, you can get 10% off everything but custom orders by using code BLOGGER10! 

Brown thumbs unite!

XO,

Photowall Product Review + Coupon!

Happy weekend friends!

I hope you are enjoying some time to rest and relax from the week behind us. I know today, for me, was deeply needed after a week full of extra work responsibilities.

My soul needed time to breathe today.

This morning I put together a lovely canvas sent to me from the folks over at Photowall. 

They offer lots of ready-made artwork, or you can upload your own for them to print, which I did for this canvas.

It was a super easy process to attach the wooden frame and screw it together.

And now I have this lovely piece of my original, hand drawn, digital artwork to display.

Thanks Photowall for this lovely piece of artwork! 

And if you would like one of your own, you can head over to their site and enjoy 20% off your purchase with code MandyFordCampaign2018. 

But hurry! The code is only good through April 30th! 

You can also grab this lettering piece as a print in my Etsy shop here!

XO,

This Week in My Planner

Good morning friends! Happy Tuesday!

How is your week going so far? It is a busy one for me but I'm finding lots of reasons to be thankful, and my planner sure is one of them!

This week I decorated using printables from The Reset Girl. 

Goodness they are adorable! 

I was itching for some new stickers and since I didn't have somewhere to shop locally these were the best form of instant gratification!





I'm enjoying using the notes area to keep track of daily gratitudes!

SO ready for Friday! Spring break starts AND pizza night. Perfection.

I really love these little phrase strips. 

And I never forget to include my weekend morning coffee date with myself!

I didn't take the time this weekend to create a video of the process, but you can watch my first two over on my YouTube channel.

Hope you're having a fantastic week!

XO,

New Happy Planner Video!

Hello friends! Happy Saturday!


I did another fun little video showing how I decorated in my classic size Happy Planner this past week. If you love adding stickers and other cute embellishments to yours as much as I do, I think you'll enjoy watching my process. I really love watching how others decorate theirs and getting new ideas.




If you head over to the video on my YouTube channel, I've left details for finding the stickers I used. 


Hope you have a great weekend!

In My Planner This Week

Happy Monday friends!

I hope you're having a great start to your week.

Mine has begun on a happier note because I set aside some time yesterday to prepare for the week in my Happy Planner! 

I have to say that since I started using a paper planner, it has really helped me focus and keep track of things. And it completely satisfies my craving for using cute stickers and washi tape, now that I don't scrapbook like I used to. I've been able to use stickers I had been hoarding for years, so I feel like I'm saving us money by not buying a ton of new ones. 

Always thinking about our budget! *wink* 

I thought it would be fun to do a video of how I decorated this week's spread, so you can check that out below!




Sending good vibes for a fantastic week!

Living the Hygge Life

I finished my third book of 2018!

And I have A LOT to say about this one.

Holy heck do I have a lot to say.

First thing I have to say is HOOGA.

That's right - you pronounce it "hoo-ga" not "higgy" like I had been saying it in my mind for about a month.

Have you ever tried to switch up how you're pronouncing a word in you brain? Not the easiest thing. But after about a month of saying it correctly I think I'm about 85% there.

I don't have everything I want to say about this book formulated in my brain yet, but I know it will be more than one blog post. Probably multiple posts.

Because I am in absolute love with HYGGE.

So much that I started a Pinterest board.

I know this term has risen to Instagram and Pinterest fame here in the US recently, and has, dare we say, become a trend? I'm sure the Danish find that somewhat annoying considering the bulk of US culture is anything but hygge. (But we can talk about that later.)

I will say that I am not in love with hygge because it has become trendy. In fact I tend to go the opposite direction of trends in general.

The whole concept and feeling of hygge is something I was already working on integrating into my life without realizing there was a word for it.  

Everything in this photos oozes hygge to me...the soft, cozy rug, my favorite comfy shoes, and my arts supplies!

Hygge is about comfort, togetherness, feeling cozy, warm, and cared for. 

Oh, and lots of coffee and candles.

So basically my dream life. 

But not to trivialize hygge...it is so much more than a cute mug full of caramel flavored coffee and a burning candle. 

It is a complete lifestyle revolving around living, what the kids say these days, your "best life." 

It is about happiness and what truly matters. 

So I'll be back later for more on everything hygge, but for now I think I'll sip my coffee and add some more inspiration to my Pinterest board. Come hang out over there and be inspired with me!

Hope you have a cozy, happy Saturday!

New Printable!

Hello friends! Happy Friday!

Oh my goodness are you as glad as I am that the weekend is here??

I've been busy over here drawing all sorts of fun Valentine's Day goodies to share with you for my newest printable set, which I added to my Etsy shop today! 

If you love February and Valentine's Day, I think you are going to love this set as much as I do. I mean, there are letter boards AND vintage typewriters. SO fun!

This set includes:

*Two patterned papers
*Six letterboard stickers (LOVE these!) including four blanks to personalize 
*Four journaling/quote cards
*Nine bullet point/list stickers
*Three tabs
*Six banners
*Six "coffee date" stickers
*Six "remember" stickers
*Two ridiculously adorable typewriters
*Three washi strips
*Three scallop strips
*Over twenty other stickers/images

I used it in my Happy Planner for my February monthly spread...

I can't wait to use it throughout the month too! That's the great thing about buying printables...you can re-print the pages/images you want to use more than once! 

I don't know about you, but I think I need about 10 copies of that "treat yo self" sticker. 

You can check out the entire set and purchase it here!

I'm also sharing more peeks into how I'm using my planner over on Instagram...come hang out with me over there! 

XO,

What I've read so far this year...

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it is January 13th, and I've already read two books this year.

I know. You're wondering, "How does she do it?" 

Well, for one, I have a fairly messy house. 

And these books aren't exactly novels. 

BUT. I READ TWO BOOKS.

And I want to share them with you, because they are both lovely!

So here goes...

The first book is The Velveteen Principles by Toni Raiten-D'Antonio. I technically began this book before the new year because it was a Christmas gift, but I finished it in January, so I'm counting it. 

I make up the rules around here, OK? 

The Velveteen Principles is basically a guide to being human, revolving around the lessons in The Velveteen Rabbit.

The theme of this book appealed to me because I love everything about this quote from the original children's book:

"It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But those things don’t matter at all, because once you are real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”


It is an easy and lovely read. 

I can't say I learned a whole lot of earth shattering things or had a lot of light bulb moments. I can owe that partly to working in an environment with, and being surrounded generally in life with, people who have taught me a ton about the value of being authentic, and the beauty that can be found in being real and flawed. 

But this book was certainly a great refresher course & kick in the pants to keep moving in that direction.

Here is one quote that gave me a whoa moment:

"Remember, the most important and most lovable parts of you are invisible." 

I mean I already knew that, but forget it so often. The visible things about being human can be great, but they sure don't make up your worth as a human being, soul, friend, sister, wife, mother etc. 

This book was a fairly quick read and I recommend it if you need some extra shots of encouragement in a world that is constantly bombarding us with messages of how we need to measure up to others. 

The second book is My Friend Fear by Meera Lee Patel. 

I devoured this book in only a few sittings because it is not only beautifully written but visually stunning. Meera Lee's paintings and lettering accompany her words in such a way that you really feel like you become part of the book as you read it. 

As someone who has dealt with anxiety and fear for as long as I can remember, her honesty around how she has befriended her fear encouraged me to do more of the same. 

I typically do a lot of underlining in my books, but this one is so gorgeous that I didn't want to mark up the pages. 

Quotes that especially stuck with me...

"If the pull of fear is holding you back from cultivating your dream, spend more time listening."

"Where there is self-awareness and surrender, there is no shame in blooming alone."

And a few beautiful images from the book...

I really recommend this book if anxiety and/or fear are holding you back from experiencing your best life. 

I'm looking forward to sharing more of what I read this year with you. Any suggestions? What are you reading? I'd love to hear about it!

XO,

Shutterfly Feature

If you've been around here for awhile, you'll remember about four years ago when I redecorated the boys' shared bedroom...

Well, a little site called Shutterfly recently included 
it in their list of 100 Kids' Room Decor Ideas!

So fun!

I'm happy to report the room still looks mostly like this, with a few added posters and random piles of boy things.

It looks like they will be outgrowing the bunk beds (and possibly a shared room?) in the next year or so, so we'll see what happens!

XO,

For You

A bouquet for you...

Just because.

Maybe it has been a rough morning, or week, or year so far.

Maybe you are doubting yourself or your talents.

Maybe you simply feel like crap.

You are OK, friend.


XO,

One Little Word 2018

Can you believe it is time for a new year and a new one little word?

I've been choosing a word since 2012, and looking back on each year's post about my words and why I chose them is such a crazy trip. The things I talk about wanting and moving toward have slowly been taking shape over the past 5 years, and just like last year's word, it has literally been like magic. 

When I started to think about what word I would choose for 2018, it was pretty darn clear that whatever I chose needed to move me toward caring for myself in a way I hadn’t been the last few months of 2017.

I personally had a year of wonderfully surprising victories, and at the same time felt weary over and over again with the state of our country and the world. Such a strange space to find yourself in - that mix of joy and grief.

2017 was amazing for my growing art career, but that growth meant I found myself filling every minute of my spare time with to-do’s and hardly any white space. 

I signed with my art agent, Pink Light Studio, in October, and that was when things really kicked into high gear. I spent that first month overcome with a mix of joy and intense anxiety as I figured everything out. 

If I can be completely honest, it was around then that I started experiencing panic attacks in a new and terrifying form of chest pains...a sign that I needed to take more time to slow down, breathe deeply, and give myself more margin and some extra grace as I traveled along this new learning curve. 

So in 2018 I’m going to allow myself time to rest, to dream, to explore, and to take more deep breaths. (And I'm very relieved and happy to say I'm slowly getting the hang of this art agent thing!)

My word for 2018 is BALANCE.

I am full with giddy anticipation for what this year has in store, and I hope you are too. 2018 is going to be a good one friends. 

If you are choosing a word for your year, I would love to hear about it!

Oh, and instead of ordering my word on a piece of jewelry this year, I got this. SO excited to find a perfect spot for it in the house. 

To a year full of good things!

A Year of New Things

A new year brings about all sorts of resolutions and exclamations that, "This year will be different!" I'll do this, and stop doing that. 

I've never been much for resolutions. I don't perform well under pressure. I like to move where my soul leads me. 

But I do like this idea of starting something new. Fresh beginnings. Not a new diet, or a new set of goals, but new practices that will bring me closer to my best self.

New breath

New choices

New joy

New grace

New attention

And maybe not always so much "new" but "reNEWed." 

What will be new or renewed for you this year?