Aren't these the happiest darn illustrations? I came across Katie Vernon's lovely work while browsing for all things spring on Etsy. While busy curating springtime images, I was stopped dead in my tracks by Katie's work. These prints embody everything I love about spring; flowers in full bloom, lively creatures (mystical unicorns included) and bright, fanciful color. Plus, they make me smile. Alot. 

Katie is an illustrator based in Bloomington, Indiana and her illustrations are heavily influenced by her career as a florist.  I still can't decide which image is my favorite although that squirrel and hedgehog have my vote for cutest of the bunch. Katie sells all of  these delightful prints in her etsy shop, Chipmunk Cheeks.  You can make a whole wall of happy with these Flora & Fauna prints. Which one is your favorite? 

It doesn't take much time with me to know that I dabble in the occasional swear word. My mother says that it  should have been me who was the sailor in the family instead of my brother. I say, I like to keep it real.  Whatevs. 
All foul-mouthed fun aside, there is still  one "F" word that renders me speechless, even motionless. 

Fear. 

A blasted four letter word that is tough to confront, even for this potty mouth. I remember a simpler time when fear was caused only by the thought of a night creature grabbing my lone foot dangling off the side of the bed.  Or the "basement monster" chasing me up the stairs. Looking back, that seemed more manageable, more rational even. 

These days, fear is more tricky. It's subtle and doesn't grip me in the same way I imagined the monster under the bed would. Instead, it distracts and distorts. When I'm in fear, I can be found procrastinating at all hours. I mean, I get real deep with it. It may look like I'm cleaning the house, but what I'm really doing is avoiding the two hours of writing I should be doing.  See that delicious cake? It's made with love and procrastination.  Did you say you needed help with something? I'll be right over! 

The funny thing about this type of fear is that it has nothing to do with the natural sensation that accompanies real danger. Rather, it comes from a strange and false worry,  one that tells me I'm not going to get what I want or that I'm going to lose something I already have.  It includes the fear of failure, fear of success and fear of the unknown and it almost always  occurs prematurely. 

 I could spend hours asking myself  "Why?"  but then I'd only be playing right into the hands of this dirty "F" word because, remember, it distracts. Fear wants me to avoid the challenges in my life that promote growth and healthy risk. It says things like "What's the point? Nobody is going to care about it anyway."  Distort, distort, distort. Blah, blah. blah. 

What really eats my lunch is that when I look at my fear, there is never any sign of  real  danger. I won't die once I complete a certain task. I cannot seriously injure myself by following through. Still, for reasons yet obscure, I can be rendered useless when fear rears its ugly head. 

It happened to me last week, which is why I am beginning the week with this mantra: 
                                                               
                                                               The only way out is through

To conquer fear, I must move through it, even if it means wading knee-deep in the muck.  The only way out is through and the only way through is one tiny/tough/painful/agonizing/sometimes pleasant step at a time.   Fear can be quite powerful if you let it. It can eat away at precious time. It can rule the decisions that shape your life. It can  buy you a one-way ticket to the lonely landscape of isolation and self-pity or sail your ship right into the vast, hopeless ocean of "always" and "never".  Fear is a motherfucker.  It's an experience shared by every person  and will repeatedly reveal itself over the course of our lives. 

The bright side? We all have the power to move through it.  So let's!  

It's a new week, friends. One with great possibility and the opportunity to take small steps away from fear and closer to the things we love most.  Who's coming with me? 

Springtime feels like this lovely collage print by artist Hollie Chastain.  Everything is alive and colorful. Springtime evokes a sense of freedom where all I want to do is run barefoot in the grass, sip lemonade, cook with the windows open and get my hands dirty in the garden. I love the message that Hollie conveys in the picture above. It's all  happy trails and carefree adventures. My kind of  happy artwork, for sure. 

Most of this week was spent enjoying the weather, hunting for the perfect props and looking into new opportunities.  I'm looking forward to broadening my creative path in the near future and am currently working on the "making it happen" portion of the plan.  It's part scary, mostly exciting and all good.  Not to worry, the blog isn't going anywhere. In fact, I hope to be posting more as I continue to learn and grow. 

In the meantime, have a listen to the song that has been stuck in my head all week. I've woken up to it two days in a row and find myself humming it all the livelong day. Hopefully, sharing it with you will help it escape my brain and bring a little happiness to yours. 

The  Mister and I  made our nuptials all sorts of official when we mailed our save-the-dates to our beloved family and friends on Monday.  Seven months from now, we're tying the knot directly across the street from our current home in a vintage inspired wedding. Our concept blends a rustic feel with vintage inspired ideas mixed with a little K+P personality. 

We plan on pouring the love into our big day with handmade projects and personal touches. Our save-the-dates mark our first handmade DIY attempt and we couldn't be happier with the results. The Mister did the graphic design which was inspired by these engagement announcements I found on Pinterest. The idea was so simple and personal and right up our alley. 

On the back, we incorporated an image from a vintage postcard I stumbled upon while shopping at one of my favorite antiques spots. It was too fitting to pass up.  Then, we got to stamping! 

I found a simple heart punch and pretty envelopes at my local Paper Source and got creative with some antique lace I found at a local antiques store.  The idea was to add a simple and tactile detail to the envelope. Of course, this "simple" detail led to another creative element, the envelope liners. 

Gluing the lace to the back of the envelope left an unsightly piece of fabric for everyone to see once the envelope is opened and I just couldn't bear having such a pretty detail lessened by an unsightly inside.  So...we (I) decided to make envelope liners from some decorative paper I had in my office. 

This turned out to be the most labor intensive part of the project, but also one of  my favorites. The paper was so dynamic and colorful and it really added some color and interest. Totally worth it. Now. 

I decided to use a custom stamp for our return address and found this stamp set via one of my favorite DIY brides and blogger, Chelsea Costa, of Lovely Indeed.  The Mister assembled the letters after losing the microscopic letters several times. Apparently, tweezers and big hands don't mix well.  

While on the hunt for my stamp set, I lazily wandered into the Martha Stewart section of the Staples and found these lovely Kraft Labels which I decorated and addressed by hand. 

It was so fulfilling to see these come together and I love how the creative process evolves in unexpected ways. We were really pleased with our handmade efforts and I think our loved ones are too, at least that's what their text messages say.  I'm looking forward to sharing the rest of the planning process with you here. I'll be posting as I finish each project. Stay tuned! 

Have you read the Holstee manifesto before? Chances are, if you have the internet, you probably have a time or two. 
It's a statement of truths that  never fails to resonate with me. I've read it many times and each time, I take away a different piece of it. 

Today, the Holstee manifesto brought comfort to a particularly challenging day and hope because, well, my life is mine and I have the power to change it. "If you don't like something, change it." 
I believe every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow and, if possible, take action.  I received a gentle reminder of that today. The manifesto  is full of words worth repeating for a life worth living. Thank you for the inspiration, Holstee! 

What will you take with you this week for inspiration?  What resonates with you when you read the words above?  

Here's wishing everyone an inspired and happy Monday! 

I love stumbling upon new (to me) bands. I get so excited about things like this, especially because I'm attracted to older  sounds (think Motown). Finding a modern band that I dig is like scoring a sweet vintage find when I least expect it. Except it's new and not old. Am I making sense? 

I discovered Gardens & Villa last week for the first time. I often feel that indie bands can all sound the same so you have to know that I was pleasantly surprised to hear the dreamy sounds of Gardens & Villa. I especially like the video above. It rocks me right into an indie lullaby. 

What bands are you listening to lately? I'm always on the hunt so please feel free to share away. Tell me what you think about G&V too. More tracks below. 

You like? Or no like? 

Have I ever told you about my love affair with nutella?

Well, get comfortable. This may take awhile. I first discovered this sweet nectar of the goddesses while backpacking through Europe in 2003.  If you don't know, Nutella and baguette are essential to traipsing through foreign countries on a budget. I blew through entire loaves, ripping and dipping to my heart's content. I felt like a Dr. Seuss book. 
I ate it on a train. I ate it on a plane. I ate it with a friend. I ate it 'til no end. 

All rhyming aside, it was like the best thing ever and today, I am banned from keeping it in the house. Left to my own devices, nutella finds it way on anything that looks remotely spreadable. Banana? Don't mind if I do! Strawberries? Duh! This savory cracker? Why not? Who cares! 

This is the kind of reckless abandon that created the "no-nutella in the house" rule. I'm just NOT allowed. I have no self-control, therefore, absence is the best form of control I can muster.  Unless, of course, I'm baking salted nutella tarts for friends. 

Then it's okay because it's "not for me". Or whatever. 

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food sites, spoonforkbacon, and for weeks, talked about making a batch. Do you ever find a recipe and then it's all you think about until you finally make them? This was me. 

I'm not sure if it was the recipe or the license to buy nutella that began the obsession. Luckily, the recipe calls for the entire jar so there were no leftovers for me although I did manage to try one. The Mister had one too.  He wanted more, but got his paws slapped. 

These little nuggets of delight sit inside a super crumbly almond butter crust as evidenced by all the crumbs and imperfections in the pictures above. The crust literally falls apart in your mouth and then there's the nutella. And the salt. And whatever else you choose to add. 

Oh, nutella. You'll always have a special place in my heart and each time I don a bikini, I'll forever remember our torrid summer love which began so long ago in Europe. 

If you've never been to the Depot at Gibson Mill and love anything collectible or vintage, you must go.  It is one of my favorite places to find treasures in the Charlotte area and it never disappoints.  I'm typically there for a minimum of three hours bumbling about,  digging through baskets and collecting inspiration from every nook and cranny in the place. 

 It's a sprawling 85,000 square feet of  vintage pieces, furniture, dining sets, clothing, jewelry, tchotchkes, records, collectibles, ephemera and things you never even  knew you wanted . Prepare to be amazed and maybe even slightly overwhelmed. Before my first visit, a friend told me to "pack a lunch" and "wear some sneakers." She was right. The Depot is one bad mammajamma! 

These pictures were taken from my last visit when I had the pleasure of going with my buddy Brooke, who had never been there before. I really can't decide what's better, digging for treasures for hours or bringing people there for the first time and seeing their eyeballs pop out of their head. As you can see above, Brooke scored a lovely repurposed peach side table for her adorable home.  I was on the hunt for vintage details for my wedding and ended up leaving with a Turkish Kilim rug and vintage postcards.  NOTE: If you go into the Depot without a plan, be prepared to leave with a Turkish Kilim rug or something equally off-course. 

That being said, I'm never mad when I leave the Depot. It's one of my happy places. If vintage is your thing, here are a few other local "spots" to check out- Oak Street Mill, Sleepy Poet Antique Mall and Downtown Mooresville. 

Hello! I hope you all had a happy weekend. Mine was full of creative endeavors- a birthday project for my best friend, crafty assembly of our save-the-dates and hunting for supplies at the antique store. Speaking of antiques, I'll be posting about one of my favorite spots to find treasures later today. 

Above is a photo I took with my phone yesterday. I was having coffee with a friend post-run and the morning light was gently pouring through the window. The camellia, sitting in a simple plastic cup, couldn't have looked more beautiful. It was the perfect beginning to a most wonderful day. Honestly, one of the best Sundays I've had in a while. 

Since I'm feeling all relaxed and lovey-dovey (maybe a little hippy-dippy too), today's Monday Mantra is focused on finding the beauty that surrounds you everyday. Look for the small gifts from the Universe.  It could be the sun hitting the trees just so, or the birds chirping merrily. Maybe it's a kind interaction you witness on the way to work or the fanciful pattern of the clouds that speak to you in passing. 

Cherish these moments. Soak in their beauty. Appreciate the life around you. I find balance when I can pause and take it all in. Life doesn't seem to move as fast when I do this.  It's not often that I stumble upon these moments of true peace and ease. When I do, it's something worth passing along. I hope similar small moments find their way to you. 

The morning sun is starting to peek through my window, drawing lines across my desk. I can see my kitty crouching on the lawn outside, on the prowl for birds and squirrels. Coffee is made. The Mister is sound asleep and life is good. 

How about you? Where does your beauty lie today? I hope you all have a wonderful and peaceful week. March is here and spring is on her way. Happy Monday!