it's just paint.

When we moved into our house 12 years ago, I was a big fan of Trading Spaces. And sage green. I'd never owned a home before or painted a wall. I carefully chose the living room color to match my couch (a color called mochachino) and a happy yellow for the kitchen because it has a deep blue tiled counter. But the rest of the house I just went with what I liked.

Which is how I ended up with a minty green bedroom that didn't look like sage at all with a deep purple Trading Spaces inspired accent wall.

And I pretty much hated it for 12 years.

The wall was supposed to be kind of like a headboard. But I didn't measure and it turned out that when the furniture got there the bed and nightstands didn't work on that wall.

Ooof.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have stopped as soon as the first wall started to dry and said, "wait! I don't like this color." Because it wasn't sage at all and I knew I would't love sleeping in that room.

But I didn't say that. Because we were only going to live there a couple of years. And then 12 passed by and we never repainted.

It's now this really gorgeous gray and I hope the people who will buy this house and make it there own magical home feel serenity in that room.

Of course this is more than just a story about paint colors. It's really about listening to your gut and asking for help and the ways we get trapped into old stories and how sometimes the change we need is right in front of us but we just can't seem to shift enough to make it happen.

My new house is painted in shades of blue that feel like an invitation to take a deep breath. I went about choosing colors in a totally different way. And some might say there's too much blue. But gosh I feel at home.

But that's not really the story either.

It's really about how sometimes it takes 12 years of stuckness to realize you've been free all along. 

gosh i miss you like crazy.

The stories are stacking up inside me, and instead of thinking about all that I should be sharing or what this blog should look like now that I've got a bright shiny new website coming out, I just want to share some of the little snippets of stories that I'm trying to catch. Like this one, shared over on Instagram earlier this week.

It's my last day in my 30s and I woke up with questions for my grandmother. I've lived a decade plus of birthdays without her voice singing in my ear. I've lived more than a decade of mornings unable to call her to say all the things.

So I walked around my yard this morning, like she did every day at her South Carolina home, and checked out the new growth. Letting in the crazy beauty that is this life.

And if I could, I'd call her and say:

I think these might be big purple blooms whenever they're ready. And the little pink guys, like the neighbor's have, are hanging in there. I want to plant a butterfly bush to invite in your hummingbirds. Mom says she thinks the two little ones under the maple are peonies and we've got to move them when it's not so hot because they don't get any sun. Imagine if I have peonies? The noise from the busy road is loud this morning. All those people zooming to work. I'm in the studio alone today. Writing and making a few things. It's a good life over here, even when it feels upside down. You'd love the light in this house. Might even change your mind about this part of the country. And oh how you'd love the energy and wit of the six year old living here. Gosh I miss you like crazy.

inner excavate-along 2016

Join me this summer for another round of the InnerExcavate-along! We start Monday, June 27th!

It's the read-along meets create-along six-week journey into my book Inner Excavation. 

It's my way of helping you take my book off of your shelf and actually work through it so you can get all the juicy goodness and learning you can out of it. Yes! 

All you need is the book, the course itself is FREE! We'll share our stories and what we're creating and finding in a private Facebook group. 

And for a limited time, Inner Excavation is just $16 plus shipping (list price $24.99). You can find it right here in my shop and then sign up for the read-along below.

I hope you'll join me and invite some friends to come along.

A Little More About the Book

In Inner Excavation, I gathered up many of my favorite ways to unearth pieces of who you are using the mediums of poetry, photography, and mixed media.

This book is really about using self-portraits to tell our stories.

Through the prompts and examples in this book, you'll be inspired to take photos of the everyday beauty around you (and even turn the camera on yourself), find the poet inside you, play with the art supplies you probably already have in your home, and take time to seek stillness in your daily life.

Most importantly, you will explore new ways to dig deeper into the stories just waiting inside you.

How the Inner Excavate-along Works

Each week you'll receive 3-4 emails from me that follow along with the chapters. I've chosen one prompt to dive deeper inside each week, and you can play along with that one or choose the one that speaks to you the most from that chapter. I share some more words about the chapter and my take on the prompt I've chosen to explore. There are videos that I recorded during the first round of this course a couple of years ago, and the course also includes some updates from when I played along last summer. And of course, there will be some new surprises along the way as we journey through it together again.

I can't wait!

What you'll need:

A copy of Inner Excavation

A journal to hold your responses to the prompts

A camera

Simple art supplies if you'd like to play with the art prompts in the book (here's a peek at what I took into my dig site last year)

How to sign up:

First you need the book. After you have the book in your hands, all you need to do is sign up below. (And after the course is over, you'll receive my (almost) weekly newsletter about more adventures in telling our stories and creative self-care, which you can unsubscribe from at any time.) 

If you signed up last year and want to come along, you'll need to sign up again.

Join the Inner Excavate-along

Join the Inner Excavate-along

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Be sure to take the time to confirm you signed up via the confirmation email you'll receive from me via MailChimp. This step is really important or you won't receive the course emails. 

To answer a few questions I've received:

Is this only for people who buy the book from you now?

If you already have the book you are invited to come along! I'm so delighted to have those of you who have had my book from the very beginning join us. You can also check my book out from your local library and you might even find a copy at a used bookstore. You can also buy Inner Excavation online at Amazon and other online bookstores.

What supplies do I need?

I've listed a few above, but all you really need is a notebook and your curiosity and an open heart. You could just work through the writing prompts. You could use your phone to have fun with the photography prompts. And you could take simple art supplies like crayons and colored pencils and magazines to dive into the art prompts. 

Let this be simple.

I will share supply resources as I share my own responses to the prompts along with a brief supply list of items I'm carrying with me into my dig site. 

Do I really need the book? 

We'll be reading through the book together, so the stories being shared and prompts people will be responding to in our Facebook group are all in the book. They won't be listed somewhere else.

And, there's an energy exchange here that is really important to me (and hopefully is to you too). Meaning, I gathered up all these juicy prompts and shared stories in the book and asked a few artists to join me, and I put them all together in a book that I'm holding out to you right from my heart. And now I'm inviting you to come along and dive into it all with me in a private Facebook group where I'll be holding space and cheering you on. So yes, the course is free, but having a copy of the book from whatever means works for you feels right to me. If you don't have the book and don't plan to get a copy, this course really isn't for you.

What if I'm traveling during the course?

The awesome thing about this course is that the emails arrive in your inbox and you can work with them whenever you have time. So you really don't get behind, you just go through the course at your pace. The Facebook group will remain open indefinitely, so you can share and connect whenever you want to. 

I signed up but I haven't received any emails yet. What's going on?

Your first email should come within hours after you sign up. If it hasn't arrived, be sure to check your promotions folder. Often course emails appear in different folders in your inbox, so be sure to watch for it there. Also check spam and even do a quick search for my name to see if your email is hiding somewhere. Because so many of us check our email on our phones, often it's been accidentally deleted or archived. Also, if you use a plugin like unroll.me, you might not receive the emails due to your settings, so be sure to check them.

Why is the course free?

One of my biggest hopes is to help women get out of this loop: Buying more "stuff" and ecourses and books to help them tell their stories and live their dreams only to watch them get overwhelmed and not actually do the "stuff" they want to do. 

This is my way of saying, "Let's take one of the books off of our shelves and really dive into it in community and see what we find. Let's get out of the gathering of ideas phase and actually get to the doing. Let's hold hands as we go so we can gently hold each other accountable and help one another push throug the hard moments." It's my way of helping you build a bridge from your daily life to more really good days.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

I hope you'll come along.

xoxo,

Liz

the peonies are here.

My love affair with the peony continues.

Last year, I tried to articulate why they affect me: "These huge heavy bursting blooms are an access point to wonder, to that unwavering truth that spring comes again even when our hearts try to convince us it won't."

This year, I find myself just whispering, "Yes, yes" whenever I walk by them in my new house.

Follow along on my love affair with peonies on IG at #allpeoniesallthetime. 

xoxo,

Liz

current favorites {may}

Over here, May is all about being in the midst of moving and choosing paint colors and kitchen cabinets and getting the last of all the things from the old house into the new and putting that house on the market. It's a beautiful and messy time. (And I'm sharing peeks at the new house over on IG using #thehouseofmagicalbluesky.)

As lots of stories are stacking up, waiting to be shared, I thought I'd make a list today of my current favorite things. These are the things that are keeping me going over here - from helping me stay organized to inviting in some deep breaths.

The "hello" welcome mat from Target makes me smile every time I see it at the front door. It's possible this house is going to have just about every shade of blue in it.

I'm rereading the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. I. Love. These. Books. She's an incredible, thoughtful writer who happens to write detective stories. They aren't gory mysteries. They're beautiful stories about what it's like to be human - the setting just happens to be a small town in Canada where murders seem to happen. Highly recommend them.

After visiting Lori Portka last month and drinking her delicious coffee, I bought a milk frother. (It's possible I can't stop myself from sharing photos of foam and froth on IG. It's crazy how happy it makes me.)

I'm using my Trust Yourself perfume oil from Anna Wingfield daily. Always. It is my favorite scent to wear (photo from Anna's shop).

I've been eying the "OK" vase from the Oh Joy collection for a while now and finally bought it. Those of you on my newsletter list know that our golden Millie died the day before we got the keys to our new home. These letters are helping me just remember that all is okay, even when it feels upside down, like it has without her.

My favorite go-to inspiration deck from Kris Carr with illustrations by my friend Lori Portka. I'm choosing one every day. Lori's illustrations are like balm for my heart.

Love using Staedtler pens in my planner and my journals. Whenever I share them on social media, someone asks about them. They are awesome for coloring too! And because I (mostly) keep them in their case, I can usually find them amidst the chaos.

My Get To Work Book is helping me hold it all together. From ideas for articles I'm writing to paint colors to notes for future ecourses to just noting the days I do my practice - I'm finally getting into a groove with using a planner. I'm so glad I didn't give up. I'm a person who holds my to-do list in my head, which really is never the way to go. And it's taken me months to finally use it (almost) regularly. The new school year planner is out and I'm loving the black covers! (In the next few weeks, I'll share a post about how I'm using the GTWB and what I love about it.

The beanbag pouf from Pier1 (shown above) is my new favorite chair. It's possible my mom bought one for Ellie's new room and then when it was our only chair in the new house, I couldn't stop myself from buying one for me. It's my current go-to perch for working.

And pictured in the photo at the top, my vintage suitcases are acting as tables and desks right now in my studio. I've found several at flea markets and antique stores, but Etsy has some awesome options too.

Note that some of these links are affiliates, which means I receive a small commission if you purchase through the link. All photos are copyright to the businesses and makers mentioned.

To check out other posts where I share my favorites including the "I heart makers" series, click here.

there are stories to be told

The blank page, the blinking cursor, the big white canvas, the camera in the corner.

They sit there waiting.

Always waiting.

But in that empty space, an entire world awaits. A world that you (yes, you) create by simply picking up your pen, putting your fingers to the keyboard, grasping your paintbrush, bringing your camera up to your eye.

There are stories to be told honey.

Stories waiting inside you that are ready.

And I want to help you tell them.

Come along for my newest ecourse: Tell It.

You choose the medium you want to play with - from writing to painting to journaling to photography to blogging or anything else that calls to you - and I'll give you prompts to help you put pen to the page, paint to the canvas, pick up your camera, and have some fun. 

Together, we'll cheer each other on and create connections that will last long after our 15 days together.

Tell It is just $25 and includes daily emails full of juicy goodness and a Facebook group that will stay open beyond the course for continued connection and sharing.

Learn more and register right here.

adventure is out there {i heart makers}

to be brave print

Another edition of {i heart makers} for you today! As the days warm up here in the Pacific Northwest, I can't help but start dreaming about little adventures to take with my family. While looking for a collection of goodies to celebrate getting outside, I was struck by how many awesome handmade designs there are the directly celebrate the adventures we experience in our lives. So I focused on that word and discovered all these goodies.

One thing I love about almost all of these is that they'd also make really thoughtful gifts for grads, new parents, and some would even be sweet wedding gifts.

First, the print at the top of this post is from Mae Chevrette, and I love how it celebrates the way we have that deep desire to connect with our bravery and make our way in the world. From big decisions, like moving across the country after college or starting a new business, to smaller ones that feel big ones, like simply moving into a new house, we all know this feeling. 

The Adventure Moleskine from The Wild Creatives would be a sweet way to keep track of the adventures you want to take and what you find when you get out in the world.

I'm also a little obsessed with their Breathe Adventure Drink Coffee mug. 

The Adventure Awaits globe from Everthine Designs is simply gorgeous. Hand lettering makes me happy and I'm pretty excited that this is a trend that is sticking around. You can customize a globe with your own wording too, which is so much fun!

The "adventure is a family value" sweatshirt from elSage designs delights me. I had the chance to connect with these makers at Urban Craft Uprising and this couple is the real deal. Awesome customer service and just a very sweet, genuine vibe to them.

This "Blessed are the curious" watercolor print from Winsome Easel is breathtaking. 

And while curating over on Pinterest, I've seen quite a few prints and other good things that celebrate this idea that "you are our greatest adventure" but I think this one, also from Winsome Easel, might be my favorite. A gorgeous gift for new parents.

You can never have too many bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils, and these Adventure Awaits pencils from Earmark Social Goods make me smile.

Here are two products that celebrate the adventure captured in the movie Up (which is one of my favorites ever...that first 10 minutes or so...hashtag I can't even). First, this sweet print from Wanderlust25 Paper Co.

And then this handmade "Our Adventure Book" journal by Akeidah is the sweetest!

The "life was meant for good friends and grand adventures" t-shirt by ShopAugustInk takes me back to the summer in college that I spent in Jackson, WY with dear friends from the boarding school I went to. Wish we'd had these for the iconic photo we took by the Welcome to Wyoming sign we stopped at during our cross-country drive. Also love their not all who wander are lost tee.

An invitation: Are you a maker? Share a little about you and your shop with a link to your site in the comments so I can visit. Would love to possibly feature you in a future post.

Note that some of these links are affiliates, which means I receive a small commission if you purchase through the link. All photos are copyright to the makers mentioned.

To check out other posts in this ongoing series where I celebrate makers and the good things they create and design, head over here.

the beauty of real

Words from March 17: Today was a little girl home from school and pink eye and cancelled meetings and cuddles and movies and working in tiny slivers of time and a very sweet pediatrician and bangs that made me happy and cherry tree blooms moving on to unfurling green and chocolate chip cookies and taxes and paperwork and several "holy cats!" moments of adulting and more complaining than I'd like to do and a list of joy made in my head and a list of real made right here while I tried not to burn the hamburgers on this gorgeous night where the light is luminous and I'm feeling gratitude for the inbetween moments that bring me back home.

Sometimes you have to snap a photo and pair it with pieces of the true stories that make up a day. Use the prompt "today" and just start writing down every word.

There is so much beauty in telling the true, real stories. 

(Imagine a journal filled with images + words. Now imagine reading your grandmother's journal like this. Or even a stranger's. I think of that song "Virginia Woolf" by the Indigo Girls and the idea that someone else's journal can become a letter to your soul. Yes. Yes. Yes. And writing it out, taking self-portraits, telling the true stories is like writing a love letter to your own soul. For real. Love that image. Love it.)