The Magic of Fire I hope you're enjoying the winter weather wherever you are and staying warm, Reader. Last week was bitterly cold here in Lancaster County, PA and we also had some snow. Fortunately, this week is shaping up to be much milder. In fact, on Friday Mother Nature may provide me a birthday gift with temperatures approaching 60 degrees F, quite warm for January. :) Because of the unpredictable nature of January weather, my dear friend Angie and I had to postpone our plans to perform...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
A New Way to Approach the Year Ahead Happy New Year, Reader! I’ll be honest. This time of year used to send me into a productivity frenzy. The yearly review. Setting new goals. Creating vision boards. Choosing a word of the year. The prospect of a clean slate always seemed so exciting, especially after the chaos and hustle and bustle of the holiday season. I didn’t want to waste a second, always filled with the sense that everything was going to be different. But the truth is, I wasn’t any...
over 1 year ago • 3 min read
A New Project on the Horizon Hello Reader, I hope you're enjoying these first days of winter and are having a wonderful holiday season. I know I've been absent from your inbox for the last 2 months, but I'm back now and excited about a new project I'm working on. It's just in the beginning stages, so I can't say too much at the moment, but I wanted to let you know that inspiration is afoot. I've really enjoyed putting this newsletter together over this past year and I want to thank you for...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
A New Addition to the Family I hope you're enjoying the first few weeks of fall, Reader and settling into cooler temperatures and colorful leaves. Fall is always full of changes and that's certainly true for me and the sweet kitten pictured above. Bella joined our family about 2 weeks ago now, thanks to a neighbor who found her on her front porch meowing one evening. My neighbor wasn't able to keep her and asked if I might want to adopt her after she had scoured the neighborhood to find out...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
Returning to the Beginning and a Gift for You When I first started exploring my creativity almost 10 years ago, I discovered that drawing mandalas gave me the perfect structure to practice my skills and create something beautiful at the same time. I began with simple designs and marks. There was just something satisfying about starting with a circle in the middle and adding layers of shapes. The mandala pictured above is from day 10 of a mandala class I took from Andrea Schroeder, founder of...
almost 2 years ago • 2 min read
A Peek Behind the Scenes Happy September, Reader. You may have noticed that I wasn't in your inbox last week. That's because I was knee-deep in a new project with a deadline. I've started a brand new class that features a design brief each week. The first week's project involved designing pajamas for kids 5-8 years old. The design needed to appeal to both girls and boys using the provided color palette. The brief also specified a theme, Adventure Awaits, so the design needed to capture a...
almost 2 years ago • 3 min read
A Happy Accident Happy Blue Supermoon, Reader! As I write this I have a beautiful view of the bright full moon right outside my studio window. While I knew it was a blue moon (the second full moon this month), I didn't know this blue supermoon is a rare event that won't occur again until 2037. If you want to know more about blue supermoons, check out this article. I am so happy to be back in your inbox after a nice summer break. I took some time in the last few weeks to get outside more and...
almost 2 years ago • 2 min read
Nature's Random Beauty I was looking over my camera roll in search of photos for the inspiration section this week when I came across this magical photo of wildflowers I took last summer. I remember pulling over to the side of the road to take this picture, captivated by this lush display of flowers in a field near my house. Unlike many of the beautiful gardens in my neighborhood that are tidy and organized, these flowers are scattered randomly in a way that stirs my soul. I can picture...
almost 2 years ago • 2 min read
Amazing Flight Good morning, Reader! I hope you're enjoying the summer and planning some sweet treats for yourself. I love indulging in ice cream this time of year. :) I've felt a bit sluggish of late and I'm sure the heat and humidity are partially to blame. I wasn't sure what I'd share with you this week until a friend sent me the most amazing video of birds in flight. I hope you enjoy it and find it just as inspirational as I did. Until next week, In the Shop - Whimsical Leaf Pattern This...
almost 2 years ago • 1 min read