{free coloring page!}

I've been hard at work on coloring pages for my adult coloring book, and if you follow me on social media, you've seen lots of peeks at them. {Like here and here and here.} 

I'm having so much fun with it! And I'm super thankful for all of the wonderful words of support I've been receiving from friends about the project. You all keep me going!

I'm getting close to having it finished, but until then I thought it would be fun to share a free printable page with my email friends...

To get the page, simply head to my main website and sign up for my email list. You'll instantly receive this coloring page and a fun July desktop calendar {I send one a new calendar each month!}. 

If you color the page I would love to see your finished masterpiece...tag me on social media and use #coloringwithTGD!

Thanks friends and happy coloring!

XO,

{celebrating rejection}

Today I want to share a quick little story about how I'm celebrating rejection.

I know I sound a bit crazy...but just stick with me.

I created the doodle up there as a submission for a book about hand-lettering. I was super excited about it and my confidence was pretty darn high when I sent it in.

And then...yep, you guessed it. It wasn't chosen.

Insert sad face.

But how could I create something that says "Everything is OK" and not stand behind it, right? Everything IS OK, even if my happy little drawing isn't going to be published in a book.

No time for sad faces around here. There is always something to celebrate! So...I'm giving it to you for free in this month's This Girl's Doodles calendar!

Wait...did you know this is a thing? If you aren't signed up for my email news, you might not know about my monthly calendars. 

It is super easy to sign up. Just click here, and enter your email address in the yellow box at the top of the page. 

I promise to only send you good things a few times a month, including my calendars, random inspiration and of course This Girl's Doodles news. I even throw in other free printables from time to time. 

Hope you enjoy the calendar and find ways to turn rejection into a reason to celebrate!

XO,

{a new song}

When I have a favorite new song these days, I add it to the playlist on my phone, and it is the first thing I want to hear when I start my morning drive to work. 

The second the melody hits my ears, I instantly feel alive and energized and happy from the inside out. 

Do new songs make you feel that way too? Like you want to soak in every drum beat, drink down every ounce of the singer's voice? 

New songs equal possibility for me.

And it occurred to me this morning, as I blasted "Nothing Without Love"...my current favorite, that I want to feel this way about each new day. That it is full of energy and life and possibility. 

Imagine what life would be like if every morning felt like a brand new song. Pretty great, huh? 

XO,

{unique in the best of ways}

Often the things we hide and consider awkward or ugly are what make us unique in the best of ways.

I have a band-aid shaped brown birthmark smack dab in the middle of the top of my left foot. Until about late high school, my primary criteria when summer shoe shopping was if the straps strategically covered it. I treated it like an unhealed wound. I was embarrassed by it and thought people would judge me because of it. (And in those difficult teenage years I was probably partially right.) 

It wasn't until my early twenties that I let it free. I bought flip flops with abandon and laughed when children or the occasional adult would ask, "What happened to your foot?!" with equal parts fear and curiosity. 

Now, at the age of 36, my brown band-aid and I live in a fairly decent state of harmony.

The other day, a new-ish friend and I were enjoying a mid-day chat about all sorts of random life things and I must have mentioned my birthmark. And she said, "I love your birthmark!"

Our conversation kept going at the same happy pace, but inside those words stopped me in my tracks. This was the first time anyone had equated positive feelings with this part of me. She saw what I considered to be an awkward thing I tolerate as something that contributes to my uniqueness. 

We could all use more friends like this, right?

What is something unique about you or someone you love that you can celebrate today?

XO,

{in my sketchbook}

I've been a bit obsessed with Rumi quotes lately. 

Here are a few I've added to my sketchbook...

I hope you have a weekend filled with inspiration!

XO,

{logo designs}

I've had the fun opportunity lately to design logos for three local customers. 

I'm always excited when new work comes my way that challenges me and opens my mind up to areas of design I wouldn't have thought about taking on. 

The first is for a handmade shop...

I created the square size above, and also a horizontal version for her Etsy shop and Facebook...

She gave me lots of ideas and told me to mash them all together. I was thrilled when her response was overwhelmingly positive to this design. I have to say I'm a bit in love with the button centered flower. 

The next logo is for a local non-profit organization...

And finally this logo design is for a new handmade artisan fair in our town this fall...

I am really enjoying logo design and am open to new clients if you or someone you know would like a unique doodled logo! 

XO,

{who are you inviting?}

Hello friend,

Today I want to chat a bit with you about company. You know...the people we spend our time with.

I've been reading lots of inspirational books and articles since I started drawing again, and many of the authors talk about surrounding yourself with people that encourage and inspire you. And while that might sound cheesy and cliche, it is SO darn important. 

Last night I picked up the book The Crossroads of Should and Must and read almost the entire thing in one sitting. It is THAT good. Not only is the content wonderful, but the presentation is beautiful. Lots of hand painted images and quotes. This is one that particularly stuck out to me...

The book inspired my doodle up there and this question...

"Where are you going and who are you inviting?"

This is a super important question.

The people you invite into your life have a direct correlation to where you end up going. Of course we are never sure of our destination, but if we want it to be somewhere happy and positive, darn it if we don't need happy and positive people around to help make it happen. 

Say you love writing and started a blog. And you ask your childhood best friend to give it a read and let you know what she thinks. And even though you've been friends with her since you were in diapers, this friend has no appreciation for the value of good writing and her feedback is less than encouraging.

Time to stop sharing your writing with her.

I'm not saying you need to dump the friendship, but you must find another friend that appreciates 
your talent and values your goals. Someone who will encourage you, offer constructive criticism, and ask you from time to time, "Hey! How is your writing coming along?"

If you have a calling you are working on, you HAVE to surround yourself with people that see value in it. You just have to. 

Do you have good company in your life? Write down the names of your friends and family that encourage your calling, and when you need to share something, go to them and only them.

They will help you get to whatever destination you are meant to reach.

XO,

{in my sketchbook}

My sketch book has seen a lot of action this past week! 

I purchased a pot of happy, floppy daisies which of course inspired some doodles... 

I also added to my seed pod collection...

And added some butterflies and birdhouses as I'm in the beginning stages of dreaming up a coloring book...

Hope your week is off to a good start!

XO,

{happy mother's day}

Searching for a quote to doodle this morning, this Mary Oliver one stuck out to me as a symbol of what motherhood has been for me. Pretty much every second of being a mother has been made up of the unimaginable. 

I couldn't have planned for how it would feel, how it would change me. 

And each season of their lives brings new joys and anxieties. Right now we're in the losing teeth and learning about how their actions effect others season. Learning geometry and deciding what they want to be when they grow up season. But they still like to cuddle with their momma, and they ask me to sing them songs at bedtime. 

I hope this season stays awhile longer. 

Wishing a happy day to all who mother and do this unimaginably wonderful thing for another human being. 

XO,

{Minted holiday card contest}

Oh boy it is waaaay too early to be thinking about Christmas, right? 

But can you humor me for just a minute?

 I've entered two of my card designs in a contest over on Minted, and I would greatly appreciate your votes on them!

I sold both of these designs this past Christmas and it would be SO much fun to see one or both of them in production and sold through Minted. 

Here are the links to both cards:
Merry & Bright
Tidings

Thanks in advance for your help friends!

XO,

{in my sketchbook}

I had a few spare minutes on my lunch break yesterday, and the weather was gorgeous, so I decided to stop in the park and doodle for a bit. As I drove along looking for a place to stop, I asked God for a bit of inspiration because nothing was coming to me. A few minutes before I found a spot in front of the pond this one popped into my head...

And here it is with some color added...

I'm always extra thankful for divine help in the inspiration department. 

And coffee in the morning. 

XO,

{process of a pattern}

Hello friends and happy Friday!

I've been busy making new patterns which has me all sorts of excited, and I thought it would be fun today to give you a peek at my process for creating a pattern. 

My pattern-making confidence was given a big boost when my owl greetings design won one of the editor's choice prizes over on Minted. It will be available soon for sale as fabric! I'll also have fabric for sale soon over on Spoonflower <<< click that link to see the patterns I've added so far. 

I just feel like someone should pinch me..this is my dream and SO darn fun to see it becoming a reality. 

But back to my process. I'm always finding inspiration in nature, and last week seed pods caught my attention. So first I saved a bunch of pretty pods over on Pinterest.

Then I used those as inspiration for a bunch of pod doodles.

And last night I started turning them into a pattern...the most fun part! I scan the original, save the individual motifs in photoshop, and then create the pattern in Illustrator. Thank goodness for Jessica Swift's Pattern Camp...best class I've taken to teach me practical and highly useful design skills. 

I'm still playing around with colorways but I'm kind of liking this one. No turquoise or yellow in sight...I'm trying to move away from my favorites. 

Here is another pattern I recently finished that is available in my Society6 shop on a bunch of fun products including mugs, tote bags, pillows and even a shower curtain and duvet cover. I'm also going to have it available on Spoonflower as fabric...

So that's the process! I am having way too much fun with this and am beyond excited to have fabrics available for purchase soon!

XO, 

{in my sketchbook}

Happy Monday friends!

I hope your day is off to a good start with coffee {or tea} in hand!

Here's a peek into what I've been doodling lately...

All of these involved drawing something new which was a fun challenge. I'm especially in love with those birdcages...I see a fabric pattern in their future.

Wishing you a happy day!

XO,

{5 ways to curb anxiety}

Something I don't talk much about on the blog, but is a huge part of my identity, is anxiety. I've struggled with anxiety and panic attacks in many different forms from as early as junior high and have experienced a variety of symptoms and tried lots of different things to treat it. If you suffer from anxiety issues you know what I mean when I say it can rule your life and make it very difficult to go about normal daily activities. 

Today was a horribly bad anxiety day for me...one of the worst in recent memory when I honestly felt trapped in my own mind. It is a scary and hopeless feeling. And so I turned to some of my loyal anxiety remedies, which got me thinking what others with similar problems do when their anxiety flares up.

First let me say that this post is about simple things you can do to help alleviate mild anxiety. I'm no doctor friends, and in many cases, medication and therapy are needed to get it under control. 

These are simply activities that I've found to help me shut off or at least turn down my anxiety. Sometimes clearing your mind and focusing on something else can work wonders. Here are five of my go-to anxiety helpers...

1. Doodling

Of course this is my #1. The best part about doodling is anyone can do it. All you need is a pen and paper. And it is such a great way to relieve stress. I find repetitive shapes or patterns like the one above can be very calming. My focus goes entirely into the doodle and after a few minutes I find myself quite a bit calmer. I've also found it helpful to relieve a tension headache.

2. Knitting 

This one isn't for everyone, but knitting for me was a hobby that truly saved my sanity during a really difficult time. I took up loom knitting a few years ago, which is super simple to learn, and I found the repetitive motion super calming. I've heard crochet and other needle crafts are similarly relaxing. 

3. Journaling

Writing down your fears, worries and anxieties is a wonderful way to get them off of your mind. It legitimizes them and is also a tangible way of letting them go. If it helps, write on loose paper and rip it up and throw it away afterward as a way of saying...OK...I'm done with that now, on to happier things! Art journaling is also a fabulous way to de-stress, using magazine clippings, paint, washi tape and other pretties along with writing. 

4. Deep breathing & meditation

I'm a novice to this whole realm, but I've listened to a few calming meditations when I'm having panic attacks, as well as practicing simple deep breathing, both of which have helped calm my mind. Liz Lamoreux has some good meditations. And here is a deep breathing exercise to try. 

5. Nature

This isn't always something easily accessible, but if you are able to get outside into the fresh air, do it! It is amazing what a few deep breaths of sweet, clean air can do for your soul. Exercise is also tremendously helpful, so double your benefit and take a walk! Add some calming music and you are so set. Right now I have the Greg Laswell station on Pandora playing on repeat. 

So there you go! 5 of my go-to ways to curb anxiety. Remember friends...these aren't cures but can certainly help when you are getting overwhelmed. Do you have any tips for keeping anxiety in check? 

XO,