Emily Bode 2/25/17 Emily Bode 2/25/17

Our Harvest Moon Wedding

No one is more surprised than me to see this picture of us with me as his bride, pure joy emanating from my face during our Harvest Moon wedding in September 2016. I couldn't contain my happiness during our wedding weekend and I can't contain it now.

Because I was never getting married!
And we all know what happens with our nevers.

Getting married was the first moment of my life I hadn't planned. Seriously.

Pathetic, yes. True? Very.

I never imagined the dress, the ring, or the flowers. I LOVE a wonderfully styled tablescape and obsessing over centerpieces, it just wasn't something I pinned, doodled, or dreamed of for myself. I loved my relationship with Joel and I didn't think we needed the foo-foo to feel it. This changed once we were engaged as I was very particular about details. More on that later.

So you can imagine my surprise when Joel got down on one knee after a run to the lake on an ordinary Sunday. I said "yes, yes, yes!" before he even asked me anything. It's crazy how life changes in a matter of seconds and I was stunned.

I never imagined myself as a bride.
But, we all know what happens with our nevers.

I may have never imagined a wedding but I've always known Joel and I will be together the rest of our days. It didn't mean I was fully ready before saying "I Do" though. Is anyone, really? Because I couldn't have been ready for the outpouring of love we received from our family and friends. I couldn't have been ready for how nervous I felt before the processional began. I couldn't have known I'd feel light-headed in love for my soon-to-be husband. How I was unable to take my eyes off of him. How handsome he was. All the planning in the world wouldn't have made me ready for the emotion that washed over me when I saw him across the dance floor and smiled.

I'm blessed to be with him for the rest of my life.

You can't be ready for the magic Life gives to you but you can follow it. It doesn't mean you'll know what the outcome will be or that you'll have all the steps figured out. You don't need to have it figured out to believe in Love. You must believe it will open itself up to you. Love might look different than you imagined but not knowing is the secret ingredient.

The best thing to do is take it all in and soak it all up because you deserve good love, baby. Don't let your nevers take you away from that.

I read a quote a few months into being newlyweds.

“The very definition of preparation is “becoming ready.” It is not “being ready,” or “getting ready,” or “the very act of readiness itself.” It is becoming ready: the slow growth, the missteps, the process, the transformation...”

— Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind

We are The Bode's. And we are Becoming.

There are so many more posts I'd like to write to share the details of our day because I never want to let go of the magic! Do you want to hear more? Anything specific you'd like to know more about?

All photos by Leigh Ann Cobb Photography

Emily Bode 1/21/17 Emily Bode 1/21/17

2016 Year in Review

2016 Year in Review: A recap of celebrations and goals met in my personal and professional life.

2016 was an amazing year for many reasons and challenging for other reasons. Today, I want to focus on the good!

Personal

Joel & I got married! A life-changing moment to say the very least. I have multiple posts planned to share all the magic and details.

My brother came home from California. He was stationed there for 4 years as a Marine. He lived with us for a few months when he got back and it was awesome to see him every day and have him home again.

My two best friends got engaged within months of each other! I was lucky enough to be with one of my friends when she was proposed to under the Chicago skyline. We celebrated double engagements with champagne and manicures the entire weekend!

Learned of my Irish heritage. It was a wedding gift from my Grandma. To know where I come from was one of the most special gifts I've ever received.

Travel

Aruba My first time out of the country. We watched the sunset behind the Caribbean Sea each night, palm trees and relaxation were our silhouettes for an entire week. We took a Jeep around the island and explored the heritage. I made 7 wishes out of 7 stones piled high and dove into a natural pool, surrounded by vibrant fish and sea urchins.

Biba Dushi, Living the Sweet Life.

Asheville We road-tripped to Asheville for our Honeymoon. Live music, breweries, and hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains was THE BEST way to unwind from the whirlwind of planning our wedding for the past year. I got to see Black Mountain College and Joel got to climb Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak East of the Mississippi.

To Be Rather Than to Seem, the North Carolina motto I brought home with me.

Beaver Island It was our 4th trip to the little Michigan island 50 miles west of Charlevoix, this time on the tiniest plane I've ever seen (my mom was co-pilot, that's how tiny). We helped my Dad with a basketball clinic during the day and roamed our favorite hangouts the rest of the time. There is only one of everything on the tiny island so we saw it all. It's charming and always a nice reminder that slow and simple things are always most important.

If once you have slept on an island, you'll never be quite the same, from a poem on the wall of my favorite BI bar, Donegal Danny's.

Professional

Promoted to senior-level designer at work. I had been at Nucraft for 9 months when I was promoted. This was a big deal to me because it's something I've always wanted to achieve since my days in design school. A lot of sweat and tears and lessons to get here and a role I really enjoy!

Attended The Yellow Conference in L.A. I was honored to attend this creative woman conference and listen to 2 of my favorite designers and artists, Elle Luna and Jessica Hische. I've always admired their approach and beliefs as women in design. Seeing them IRL was a real magic moment. I was in a room full of entrepreneurs, creatives, leaders, and go-getters. The energy and the feminine power were uplifting and unforgettable.

Creative Mornings event with Mayor Rosalynn Bliss of Grand Rapids. Another uplifting event closer to home where our mayor talked openly about the challenges she has in our city to create positive change, what she's doing about it, and urging us as creatives in the community to be more involved with local politics. I left feeling like I can make a difference and that we can all make a difference together.

Was a professional reviewer at the AIGA Student Portfolio Review Years ago I was a student being reviewed at this event. To be able to give back as a reviewer this year was so much fun. The projects by students soon entering the workforce were thoughtful, intimate, and inclusive. I haven't seen a better example of designing for a bigger purpose, and in such quantities, as I did at this event.

I also had 3 goals for the year and am happy to report I met each of them in some sort of way:

1 | Openness to fellow creatives

I can get very protective about my work and don't share much about the challenges I have with others so I actively wanted to meet more creatives and be a good listener to their experiences and not be so guarded to share mine. My promotion helped give me confidence with my work and to network more. I attended some great events where I met amazing people in the Grand Rapids creative community doing great things.

2 | Less Debt

I have a lot of student loans and before this year, was sinking in them. I went to Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey and learned how to make a budget, how to stick to it, and how to use the "snowball" method to reduce my debt faster. It was quite the learning curve but I paid off one loan in 6 months! I also set a budget for our wedding that we stuck to and had some leftover that we used to tackle a house item debt!

3 | Removing the nonessential

Although I'm far from being a minimalist, I try to keep only essential objects in our home. The Moon Lodge is modest in space and I don't like clutter. I started with my closet last year – I have 180 clothes total in my closet for 4 seasons, including shoes and accessories! Any non-joy items were donated once a month and I got really intentional about being a conscious consumer when I did shop. A free capsule wardrobe workbook from Caroline of Unfancy got me started on this goal a few years ago and it's truly changed my outlook.

Woo, what a year! Of course, there were challenges and improvements I'd like to make but the celebrations are more fun to remember during the most difficult months of the year in moody and cold Michigan. I know we have our work cut out for us in 2017 due to the state of our nation's politics but I'm also looking forward to both of my best friends' weddings, a few trips we're planning, and focusing on my health and wellness in the next year. Cheers and Happy New Year!

Emily Bode 11/16/16 Emily Bode 11/16/16

I'm Late, Keep Going

Do you ever feel like you just can't catch up? Let's use today as an example. It's 7:30 am, I need to leave for work in 10 minutes. I try to dedicate 30min-hour to writing each morning so I get all off-kilter when I can't.

So far my dress is too short to be acceptable in an office environment – or even a nightclub, really – so I added tights that are a far cry from matching. I'm wearing an old plaid shirt underneath the hooker dress because the buffalo plaid shirt I would've had is now out of my size. Whoever said the early bird gets the worm was definitely talking about shopping at Madewell online.

I go to put creamer in my coffee and it comes out like cottage cheese. Apparently leaving it on the counter last weekend did have an effect on its consistency. It was the good almond-based creamer too. Damn. The entire time I've been getting ready there's been a nice soothing background sound of my aging kitty, Belle, as she cries out for attention and my adorable german shepherd, Tiger, whining for cuddles. I step over them, a quick pat on the head because I'M RUNNING LATE guys.

These mornings remind me of when I was little watching my mom get ready for work. There was a lot more juggling and a lot less whining about clothes she didn't have the way I remember it but that feeling of not being able to catch up looks similar. I wish I could be so go with the flow these little things didn't bug me and I'm sure it's from some deeper reason that I'm rushing around too fast to hear what that is.

I like to think there's plenty of women rushing to work today, mismatched with her black coffee and trying to do the best she can for her family, education, independence, whatever it is she's hustling towards because I know damn well she's hustling. If that's you, keep goin' girl. And don't forget to enjoy the sunrise on your way to work.

xo, Em

Emily Bode 11/15/16 Emily Bode 11/15/16

Thieves EO + Help From a Friend

We've been sick since Sunday, as I mentioned yesterday (still aching for the mountains!). I'd used my last few drops of thieves essential oil the night before and was slowly on the decline as I slogged through the afternoon at work.

So I put in a quick EO order with my friend, Amber, and complained to her about how I really haven't been taking care of myself lately and I'm not sure what to do about it. All my usual basics weren't working and feeling overworked between my full-time job and this favorite space of mine was leaving me exhausted, falling into bad food habits, and lack of movement.

Amber shared many great reminders about self-care, at-home cold remedies that don't involve medication (woo!), and some of her daily routines in the morning and before bed. I went with her nighttime routine last night – hot shower, a good book, and warm drink – and woke up wide awake this morning, feeling good! It was the first time I've had a full night's rest in over a month.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, sometimes we know how to take care of ourselves. We've made our own routines, have our own special remedies, and can get by when we need to. But more often than not, we need help. We need each other. And we need reminders from the people in our lives that it's ok, give yourself a break, and rest!

You can bet I'll be doing the same nightly routine tonight. I feel too good not to! What are some cold-weather remedies you have? How do you heal when you're drained?

Keep a lookout for Amber's new blog, The Earth Conscious Sisters for more health and wellness tips for mind, body, and soul. I'll share more about the logo I made for them once they've launched. I'm so excited about it!

Emily Bode 11/14/16 Emily Bode 11/14/16

Your Relaxed Mind

“A relaxed mind is a creative mind. ”

— Cold Season Yogi tea

Sometimes it takes an adventure to a Northern Michigan island to get back to your relaxed mind. Other times it takes jumping in the car on a lazy Sunday to go see the November Supermoon rise over the bayou. And then there are other times where your relaxed mind wakes you up in the middle of the night and demands that you listen to her. That you must stay home because there is such a thing as working too much with your mind and not enough movement with your body. That you're worn out with all the list-making, tasks, and being there for everyone else but yourself. When your relaxed mind wakes you up, it's best you listen to her.

Because she is the real you.

Emily Bode 11/10/16 Emily Bode 11/10/16

Brave Girl 2017

I've been thinking a lot about this little space of mine lately. What it started out as, what I want it to become, how it's being perceived in balance with how I think it's being perceived.It drives me nuts some days because I don't always know the direction for Brave Girl. She's had about 3 evolutions in 3 years.

2013

First, it was a place for experimenting with my creativity as an outlet to my 9–5 job out of college. It was a lot of natural-ingredient recipes and chakra-healing.

56DA7E6E-9FE3-4FC0-8AD6-005EBCB23AF6-4317-000005638204C5AE.jpg

2014/15

Then it became my main outlet to share my brand design projects and guest blog. I designed the site and worked with my good friend and developer, Justin, to make it entirely customized. The About page is still my favorite.

2016

Now, Brave Girl feels like a mix of all 3. Some of these categories either aren't my love language at this time or can be refreshed so they're more aligned with categories I love talking about more. BG is in a transition (aren't we all?). After a lot of reflection, I want this space to maintain the essence of why it started while making space for the room she needs to grow. I want to show more of my graphic design work, more of my inspirations, and more of my life.

Life. Style. Design.

I also want it to be a space that fosters more connection. So one of the biggest things I'm looking to update is the comments section! I know I haven't made it easy for you to share your thoughts with me here. It definitely wasn't intentional and is a buggy part of BG that I want and need to improve for you. Do you agree?

2017 – Coming Soon

Starting 2017, Brave Girl will have a little refresh to clean up the categories, post more consistently, and be more of a community that fosters creativity and human connection.

Thank you for all of your support over the years with Brave Girl! It truly lights me up to see every comment and connect with you on our desires, our inspirations, and our humanness. It keeps me going when I'm not always sure where BG is headed next. We're all human and don't know what's next, no matter how carefully laid out our plans are. At the end of the day, Brave Girl is a visual representation of this. Of our messiness. Our wildness. The pull of our creativity in all its forms. Most of all, Brave Girl is a pillar for all of us brave women and men who KEEP. SHOWING. UP.

Thank you for being here with me, thank you for showing up. All the love, Em

It's my 100th post! It's Veteran's Day! There is no better day than today to celebrate courage, service, and gratitude for you (self-love y’all) and for all the men and women who've served our country. Because my comments section isn't updated yet, post an example of courage that inspires you on Instagram with #thanksfromabravegirl

Emily Bode 11/9/16 Emily Bode 11/9/16

This Week: Love & Links

I went to the YWCA Tribute! luncheon yesterday and saw a group of women being honored in their different industries for their service and change they're making in the West Michigan community. We gave each one of them a standing ovation. I left humbled and with the urge to serve.

This article about designers not being the same as artists turned me off until I began reading. I enjoyed the tough love perspective and resonated with Joe's examples of how to bring your creativity to a business meeting. The waters are hard to navigate because a lot of designers don't really talk about it. I'm happy Joe did. He's inspired me to talk more openly about being a graphic designer and the challenges associated with it.

To and from work I listened to Garance Dore's podcast Pardon My French on How to Build a Brand Your Own Way with Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge and Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. I respect each of these women so much as they've built their blogs and businesses from the ground up. I hope to do something similar someday. I also have Grace's new book, "In the Company of Women", on my Christmas wish list!

I have my eye on this buffalo plaid shirt and got a blush velvet duster on major sale this week for my Winter Capsule Wardrobe.

How has your week been?! What's been on your mind lately? Any fun design links I should know about?

Love, Em

Emily Bode 11/8/16 Emily Bode 11/8/16

A Moment of Silence

How can I know the way when I'm speaking out before looking inward? I need a moment of silence. This nation needs a moment of silence. Not to memorialize, not to give honor, not to remember a time in history. We all need a moment to ourselves. The answer is within you.

Emily Bode 11/7/16 Emily Bode 11/7/16

Soul

“We will leave for others what we should do with the soul.”

— 365 Tao, Daily Meditations, Deng Ming-Dao

My grandma shared the history of our Irish heritage as a wedding gift last winter. I never knew our ancestry until the newspaper articles and a note listing our lineage.

It traced back to our great-great-great-grandma in Ireland. She came to America during the potato famine and lived with family in Chicago until she met my great-great-great-grandpa, a farmer in Michigan. She raised children on the farm, had an extreme work ethic, was strong-willed, stubborn, and tender-hearted.

We will leave for others what we should do with the soul.

I wanted to know more. Her inner thoughts, maybe her fears or names of other people she shared the boat with to get here. Her time in Chicago? Maybe life on the farm?

My curiosity might have something to do with the 20-some journals I've filled so far. One of the desires to write for Brave Girl. When I pass, there will be more information than anyone cares to know on my inner thoughts, my fears, the names of the people who have made an impact on my life. A lot of it could get lost in time, space, damage. Some of it will stay, hopefully, the most important stuff.

Maybe I'll be a great-great-great-grandma someday and my surviving family will say, "She had an extreme work ethic, was strong-willed, stubborn, and tender-hearted."

We will leave for others what we should do with the soul.

Emily Bode 11/6/16 Emily Bode 11/6/16

How To Build A Following Organically*

Be kind.

Be of service with your skill sets.

Be grateful exactly where you are.

*Not limited to screen-time.

Real-time is highly recommended and very preferred.

Now go kick Monday's ass.

Love, Em

Emily Bode 11/3/16 Emily Bode 11/3/16

A note on authenticity in your creative business

Happy Friday! What did you think of yesterday's post? I was so excited Joel came to the forefront to share his expertise on the power of influence in professional relationships. It was more business-oriented than maybe you're used to for Brave Girl but we felt it's an important topic for my reader base.

As I mentioned yesterday, when it comes to technical and business jargon, I zone out a bit. It isn't because I'm not smart or serious enough to understand the terms and concepts, it just isn't my love language. It made me wonder if other creatives feel that too? I know a lot of solopreneurs, bloggers, and small business owners who are geniuses at expressing themselves and relating to their tribe but hate talking finances, SEO analytics, or quarterly goals, myself included.

These deeper dive topics are what keeps your ship afloat and running smoothly when you can't be in front of the screen or when you need to do the work, as well as reach more people.

Joel & I were talking more about this last night as we were celebrating his first blog post (he's so popular, god) and the phrase, "Remember why you started". I don't want to lose sight of what Brave Girl is for me and what I want it to be for you. But I'm ready to keep growing and trying out new things that I feel are a closer representation to what Brave Girl is and who I am as a writer and designer.

Remembering why you started is always a good memory to look back on but it isn't a check post for authenticity. Why you started isn't always why you're still here.

Tag your daily biz vignettes and fresh office style with #bravegirlofficestyle

Emily Bode 11/2/16 Emily Bode 11/2/16

Guest Post: The Power of Influence

Brave girls! This is my first guest blogger in over a year and I’m super excited to introduce him. Joel is a genius when it comes to the modern workplace. As an IT recruiter, he has over 4 years of experience in what it takes to navigate relationships in your career &/or business. He’s basically been my career coach the last few years. As a creative who prefers pretty visuals over business talk, the way he explains things makes me realize I can hold my own as a professional in the biz world and still maintain my creative integrity. He also happens to be my hubby of two months. Heart eyes over here. Seriously, so proud of him! I hope you find his tips on the power of influence in professional relationships as helpful as I have. xo, Em

Written by Joel Bode

As my first guest post on Brave Girl, I want to share 3 tips that will help you create and maintain your relationships in the workplace. The expectation of most workplaces I come across is to be heads down in your work and to focus on direct accomplishments. While these are important to your daily productivity, I want to focus on the long-term benefits of creating influence amongst your co-workers, customers, and social network. Being aware of these few steps as you go about your workday will create long-lasting relationships and a strong network of supporters.

1. Understand vs. being understood.

Inspired by one of my favorite books, the best way to create influence is to understand the other person’s point of view. What’s important to me may not be as important to you so how can our differing goals & objectives align? My role as a recruiter has a lot to do with matchmaking a person to a company based on that company's culture and mission (and you thought all I did was LinkedIn message you about your skillset all day!). If you want to develop a positive relationship with your co-worker, ask them questions to gain knowledge and insight into their goals & objectives first.

2. Seek points of common alignment.

Once you understand what your co-worker is trying to accomplish, find alignment between their goals and yours. It creates a give-and-take relationship that encourages trust and creates positive effects for both of you. If I say I can help you achieve a goal you’re after you'd listen, yes? And if I deliver on the help I promised, no matter how small, I’ll start to be considered in future situations where that kind of help is needed again, yes? And it’ll most likely be needed again.

3. Genuinely care for your tribe.

Please know that most people you come in contact with are part of your tribe in some way. I once talked to a candidate who competed in dodgeball at the national level (yes this does exist and is not just a movie). I came across a relatable article I thought he’d be interested in so I sent it to him. He was excited to hear from me and ended up sending me a contact he knew was looking for a new job. I eventually helped his friend get a job at a company he was excited to work for. We developed a mutual respect for each other and will potentially help each other in the future due to our positive interaction. Make it a point to connect on a deeper level with someone you’ve come in contact with. Send a “thinking of you” email and you may be surprised at the response you get.

Whether you’re trying to build a business or further your career in the workplace, don’t forget the power of influence you have by simply understanding what’s important to those around you. In return, you'll always be the first person they think of which will open more doors than just getting a lot of work done or staying in the office later than anyone else. Focus on the relationship between your co-workers, customers, and new acquaintances and you’ll eventually become friends.

Emily Bode 11/1/16 Emily Bode 11/1/16

Consumerism & the Scarcity Mindset

Nothing like looking at your budget the month after you get married to reevaluate your spending habits.

I'd been using the zero-dollar budget to keep track of my expenses and start saving last January when I took a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class. I even paid off an entire student loan completely in 4 months! It was a mindset switch that took some getting used to but it was the most freeing move I've ever made with my finances.

I fell off the wagon right before our September wedding and haven't done my healthy habit since. I definitely didn't budget for 3 sets of fake eyelashes, acne cream for my stress-induced breakouts, and all the other shit I got at Target days before our wedding (like a white case for my sunglasses because it was WHITE, jeez).

Now, I'm back on the wagon, and this time with a partner! Joel's joining me for November's zero-dollar budget and I'm really excited (yes, these are the kinds of things that excite me, friends).

One of the most interesting observations through this process has been realizing how crazy consumerism is in America and this scarcity mindset that comes along with retail marketing. Go into any store right now and you'll see. The Christmas decorations were practically pushing out the Halloween decorations two weeks before Halloween even happened! Not only is this emotionally confusing (who sticks Santa next to skeletons, seriously?!) but it's reinforcing this idea that we'll never have enough or be enough.

When you don't have it in your budget to buy more sequined pumpkins for your holiday mantle – and you don't have credit cards to rationalize just one more package of glittered leaves – you start to get resourceful with what you do have. Your actual desires and wants start to surface as a result and you have two choices:

1. Save for next month when your budget renews and get all the sparkle at 70% off.
2. Go outside to discover a plethora of real leaves all around you, bring some inside and realize what you just had to have wasn't what you really needed.

Emily Bode 10/31/16 Emily Bode 10/31/16

It's All Messy

“It’s all messy: the hair, the bed, the words, the heart. Life.”

— William Leal

Mess is something I rarely embrace. I'm usually cleaning up before it's dirty (washing dishes are the exception). One of the things I like about blogging is it appears everything is in order and that I have my life figured out, a direct opposite of how I truly feel as I navigate chaotic waters, the endless uncertainty from one wave to the next.

But messy is what we can all connect on. Because life is a mess.

I think the one's who embrace this are the one's living fully, soaking up one moment to the next with little desire to control the outcome. The feeling of control is just a safety net anyways, isn't it?

The hair rarely goes to plan, all tangles & wildness.
The bed, well, I like what a messy bed is the result of.
The words, always trying to find the right one's.
The heart, by nature is a ball of emotions being set free.

And Life, when you think about it, would you want it any other way?

Emily Bode 10/30/16 Emily Bode 10/30/16

Making Space

I had a professor in college who told me no matter what season of life I'm in, I must always make space for my art.

As a freshman design student, I thought this was a given. I was my art, & my art was me, so that would be something very easy to make happen. A desk & a closet was something I always made a priority with each of my moves. Pencils were easily accessible, laptop always had enough room to be docked for charging, and any other tools and past projects tucked away in a drawer, cupboard, closet for when I was ready to use at a moment's notice.

Always make space for your art.

Then my studio slowly became filled with a bed, a chair, and a nightstand for guests. We needed a room for family when they came to town, a place for friends to crash late at night. I became more happy to host our loved ones than I did to take up space with my art. Something to do someday but not today. An idea would chime in my head and leave before I could find my sketchbook. Pencils were never within arms reach. Tools tucked away in boxes in the basement made an easy excuse to let the idea slide by.

But, always make space for your art.

I now see what my professor meant. Life happens and other things take priority. It's easier to rationalize budgeting your financials than it is taking off an afternoon from work to sketch without a goal in mind. It's a helluva lot easier to sketch when you get home from work though when you have a designated area to do so.

Joel mounted a 5-ft. desk to the guest room wall last night on a whim (Sundays are relaxing in different ways for everyone, ha!) and I fell in love with him all over again. He made room for ideas to get jotted down, for creating to happen. Even though I wasn't making it a priority, he did, and I took it as a sign to honor this new space. Grateful for it, and grateful for him to remind me when I couldn't remind myself.

Always make space for your art.

Emily Bode 10/28/16 Emily Bode 10/28/16

Creativity

“Creating one thing at a certain point in the river feeds those who come to the river, feeds creatures far downstream, yet others in the deep. Creativity is not a solitary movement. That is its power. Whatever is touched by it, whoever hears it, sees it, senses it, knows it, is fed. That is why beholding someone else’s creative word, image, idea, fills us up, inspires us to our own creative work. A single creative act has the potential to feed a continent. One creative act can cause a torrent to break through stone.”

— Women Who Run With the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.

I always disagree when people say, "Oh, I'm not creative". Yes, yes you are.

It's your idea of what creativity means that is a little skewed. Creativity is not just for the painters and the illustrators and the poets. That is one outlet, yes, but it's also in the way you care for your child, the way you solve business problems, that thank you letter you sent, how you braided your hair. To name a very few.

That is what lights me up about creativity. There is no chosen few. There are so many things in this world that feel limiting, negative, and impossible to improve, but creativity is for everyone.

It's limitless. It's a natural talent. It's your birthright.

It's Río Abajo Río, the river beneath the river, in you that will change the very forces in this world that feel limiting, negative, and impossible to improve.

What is your creativity? There are no wrong answers (except "I don't know" & "nothing").

Emily Bode 10/27/16 Emily Bode 10/27/16

Fall Style: Moon Lodge Edition

Since we moved to the Moon Lodge 2 years ago, I've slowly been adding touches to our little home by the lake and slowly discovering my style along the way. This season it's been fun adding some items to make our home cozy, moody, and a little spooky!

Last week I started filling out the mantle in our living room with some leftover tchotchkes from our wedding, a book from our honeymoon, and a birch tree branch for a natural element. But something was missing.

Thanks to you guys, I added a candle (black birch scent, perfect!), a skull to complement the taller height of its crow counterpart, moss to fill in the empty spaces, and a black garland for an added layer above the buffalo plaid. Oh & a "B" tin letter to honor our new family name.

I think it's a million times better, what do you think?!

I filled in the rest of the mantle with pumpkins, gourds, and my favorite candlesticks that I use every season in different ways. I kept the tallest candlestick to the right of everything because Joel hates when they block the TV, especially on Sundays. I have no idea why, ha!

One of the biggest things I've learned about my style is how much I love texture and mixing them in unlikely combinations. It needs to be soft, durable, and usually has a natural-looking aspect to it. Buffalo plaid has become my favorite secondary texture, instantly making any space feel like a cottage. I added muted oranges with notes of moss green and black to have that moody and cozy fall feel.

In preparation for Halloween weekend, I added paper bats on a blank wall in our kitchen and put a fun bat curtain up in our living room. I'm not much of a fake insects kind of girl so skulls, bats, and pumpkins are as spooky as I get. I freshened up our doors with some moss-like wreaths and surprise, more buffalo plaid!

We're celebrating Halloween with my family this weekend which was a great excuse to have our house ready for a laidback celebration with cider, costumes, and hopefully a bonfire in the backyard! I have a fun DIY napkin idea for the stew/chili cookoff my parents have challenged each other to (score for being the host, woo!). I'll be sure to share if they turn out!

I think what I'm happiest about with the fall style at our Moon Lodge is that it's decorated for a holiday and can span the entire season with the textures and hues by simply removing the bats and skulls and replacing them with more browns and golds and softer textures as we near Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. I'm excited to reuse and rearrange for the winter.

The temperatures are getting cooler and I want the Moon Lodge to be the warm place we can come home and unwind in. Happy Friday, friends! May your weekend be wonderfully spooky, Em

You can see more day-to-day style vignettes throughout our Moon Lodge at #bravegirlstyles

Emily Bode 10/19/16 Emily Bode 10/19/16

Time & Empathy

Last Sunday I was dead set on cleaning our yard for fall. With the past year being everything about our wedding, it was refreshing to focus on the leaf piles, trimming the bushes, picking up soggy pumpkins.

Soggy pumpkins: compost pile.
Leaf piles: fire pit.

Branches from spring, a lone leaf bag that hasn't moved for months, and beer boxes from summer nights also went into the fire. Like a period at the end of the sentence that makes room for the next thought to solidify, this Sunday bonfire was releasing the past to make room for us and our new dreams.

It was clarity, and it was cleansing.

Then Monday rolled around. Joel and I came home to our birch tree in the front yard cut into tiny pieces, detached from the stump that used to hold it all together. Its branches protected this little Moon Lodge for the last two years, always welcoming us back home after a long day. Now the spot where it stood tall is barren. Empty. Exposed.

I look out the back window and see some of the remnants from our poor birch in a huge pile near our fire pit and think, how funny life is. You cleanse, you find clarity, and the next moment you're wondering how to save your world from destruction. How to clean up the mess without being wasteful. How to get rid of your piles in a conscious way. The only constant I have found in this cycle of clarity and chaos?

Time. Empathy.

Fortunately, you all responded to save our fallen birch after I sent out this PSA.

Some of the uses so far:

decor for a first-born's nursery
fireplace decoration
centerpieces for a work holiday party

Woohoo! Thank you for saving our birch and letting her live on for your special events and homes.

Emily Bode 10/13/16 Emily Bode 10/13/16

Find Your Here

Truth is, I don't have a life like the ones I see on my Instagram feed and aspire to have.

I'm not a #ladyboss. I don't run my own anything (dishwasher, yes. company, no.). I'm not at home writing in the morning and cuddling my adorable baby in the afternoon (my wish, yes). We're not building our dream home with a wraparound porch and view of the water (soon Joel, soon). Or traveling to beautiful places to attend beautiful events in beautiful clothes.

It's taken me a very long time to hear this truth of mine. To really acknowledge I'm not exactly where I want to be and I can't exactly get there tomorrow. I guess I thought if I admitted this to myself I would feel I had a very long way to go and do something drastic like quit my job or chop all my hair off.

Then I realized I've already tried that.

All the quitting and chopping doesn't actually make the uncertainty of what's next go away. It lasts for a fleeting moment – when I've put in my 2 weeks or when I look in the mirror with my new hairstyle – but that nagging feeling always comes back. Listen to this song and you will be 5 steps ahead of me in this lesson. I will not go anywhere if I'm not at first, here. Maybe some of you are here too?

My here currently looks like:

Wanting my aspirations so impatiently that I frantically email, post, and text my closest network (sometimes strangers) to PICK. ME. Choose me because I follow you and know all about you on-screen, so why would we not be a perfect fit to collab on something together?! (Admittedly, this is creepy and weird. I need to stop doing this.)
Using this method to lessen my student loans so Joel & I can get on with it already. Wraparound porch, remember?
Trying to find the balance between my full-time job and my passion projects while still making time for part of me who loves nothing more than a walk in nature.
Desperately needing to know how to wear a professional outfit without losing my very hard-won, completely mismatched, style.

I'm stepping out of the arena of perfectly curated pictures and the endless wishing I was somewhere other than where I am.

Maybe you are here or right down the road from here? I want to meet you where you are because maybe we can get through it together. Maybe we can figure out how to keep working full-time without losing our spirit at 5 o'clock. Maybe we can look at all the lady bosses, mamas, writers, homemakers, and jet setters and cheer them on for living their hard-fought dreams and for showing us how to.

Let's raise a glass to each of them.

The women. Our aspirations. Both. Knowing damn well they deserve it all and have been grinding for years to get to their here. Let's not let their moments discourage us from continuing the path to ours. Let's also know mine will look different from yours will look different from hers and we all deserve them for our own reasons.

Oh, and let's also remember we can encourage each other at the same time as staying on our own path. No need for a choice between one or the other. (Funny, this is also kind of how I pray. "Oh and", "Oh and this too".) Finally, let each of us begin. I'll meet you here.

Always love. Usually tough, Em

Connected. Supported. Held. Do you need this too? Join The Yellow Collective with me, a tribe of women dedicated to their creative life while celebrating yours.

Emily Bode 8/24/16 Emily Bode 8/24/16

My Bachelorette Celebration

A bachelorette party is similar to what you'd say about Las Vegas, Mexico, or anywhere else you're doing something you don't want others to know about...What happens there stays there. You want to keep people thinking you're a classy lady with strong morals and are definitely not dancing on a trolley pole to "Back Dat Ass Up". I'll continue with that tradition because it's one of the best parts of being a bachelorette. I wouldn't want to be the girl in the wig who ruins that for you. I was completely surprised with a trolley ride around town! We were definitely turning a few heads at the local bars and "on the strip" of Grand Haven, such a fun time!

One thing I will share is how absolutely amazing it was to celebrate with some of the most hilarious and down-to-earth women I know. Admittedly, I was very nervous about a bachelorette party and strongly considered not having one. I was uncomfortable with an entire day dedicated to me but I was rest-assured to "lighten up and enjoy this season of your life"!

So, yoga & beach day & wigs & sparkles, it was.

I was so honored with my friends who came to celebrate and my MOH who hosted the entire weekend (thanks Kate!). Knowing the travel, the planning, and the preparation it took for each one of them to arrive made me emotional the entire time. One of the things I wanted during our engagement was to celebrate this next phase of my life with women who are a huge influence in my life. Their advice, stories, and spirit have guided me through many moments in my life and here they were, doing it again, this time in neon wigs and bright dresses as #EmsBrideTribe2016.

There are moments in your life you are meant to celebrate. They are not given to you to worry away or to anticipate sadness. There isn't a hidden agenda or a strategy or a need to read between the lines. It is all play and laughter and silliness and fun. No need to over-analyze or ask why this is.

It is because you are here.
And they are here.
And we are all here celebrating love that was, love that is, and love that is about to be.

Here's to love and the one's who celebrate it with you, Em