The Greenhouse

It's my third day working at the greenhouse. I quit my 9–5 because I lost connection with people & how I can be of service in a positive way. So I started working with plants to remember. It's a big change. One I did not make lightly, at first.

Will I still be relevant as a designer if I work at a greenhouse? Maybe that sounds like a silly question because for most of you who know me, you know I'm a designer at heart. But when we tie our identities to our careers, a large part of us can get lost along the way. Or maybe you have figured out the delicate balance & you can turn off your work when you get home, look around, & see what it's all for. I couldn't do that. I got so tangled.

Now I'm caught up in the chaos of being a beginner again. I've found peace in it. Have you ever been in a greenhouse? Oh my goodness. I've been in one for three days & already I've felt a calm wash over me that only water, dirt & seed can do. Back to basics. I'm a designer, + now an amateur gardener. I want to hear your ideas, your passion, that thing you've wanted to make happen for years.

Happy Monday, stay brave! xo, Em.

*Oh, I've also got a new friend. He hangs out in the plants with me.

Blossoms & Blogging

So, this is kind of going against my attempt to live more in the moment, but I couldn't wait to share!

In June, I'll be spending a day in a beautiful barn with some wonderfully talented women at The Bloom Workshop! It's a day full of learning about blogging, photography, interior design & styling. As some of you may know, I'm a newbie to the blogging world & have become obsessively curious about the topics this workshop is geared around. I haven't run into an event that gathers a bunch of women running their own blog or business in the area so it's an understatement to say I'm geeked to be a part of it. It sold out in less than 24 hours which means there is a community of passionate people interested in this world that I have not met. I'm excited to hear their stories.

Tieka, the blogger behind Selective Potential, is going to be on the panel of experts during a Q & A session. I've been following her blog for a few years now. She has such great style! I plan on asking her how she juggles being a blogger with a 9-5 job since I'm also juggling these 2 passions. I'm looking forward to her insights on blogging.

Thank you for following along with my experiment. Often times things don't make sense until hindsight rolls around but it feels incredible knowing you enjoy reading this journey, whatever it tends to be. Here's to using the dirt of life to bloom into the blossom you are. Cheers, Em.

The Art of Communication

There are a lot of forms of art that can be felt wholeheartedly even when they cannot be seen.

Kind of like when you go to the art museum & there's this beautiful canvas that is speaking to you with its intentional strokes. You see a story unfolding, the piece is pulling on your heartstrings & you melt into its motion.

Then a person walks up to it & says to you, "This is art? It's a big yellow box. I could've done that."

The art of communication. The art of perspective.

It's a tricky art, to say the least. I think it's why people hold on so tightly to the ones they meet where something just clicks into place. Because to find a few gems who truly get what you're saying, or will listen despite it sounding a bit coo-coo, is pure magic.

& I'm not sure taking pure magic for granted is allowed.

— xo, Em.

25 Days of Thanks

25 days, 1 notebook & whatever pen I could find.

The month of November challenged me to be more thoughtful & kind. The smile on the waiter's face when he found the note next to our coffee cups, the responses from old friends when they unexpectedly heard from an old friend & the grumpy neighbor who must have found the note in his door; he waves to me now. Intentional appreciation for daily wonders made me see the wonders of the world.

Filled up with thanks. Goodnight, world.

Notebook Love

I am a list-maker. I make lists of lists to remember my lists (because doesn't the checking off of things feel so good?). I have found more convenient ways to keep track of all my to-do's, thoughts, questions, and ideas but there's something about writing in a notebook with my favorite pen I can't let go of. So if you crave a fresh sheet of paper to mark up with tasks or are longing to vent on a page because you can guarantee she won't peep a word, this list of notebooks may be of interest to you:

The Confidante

The notebook I turn to when the world goes quiet. She holds my ponderings, frustrations & everything in between. Same.

The Nature Lover

I got these cute little things at a paper show. The covers are made of natural ultra-thin wood veneer & printed with a gold foil stamp. They feel like you just chopped down the tree to take notes but without the guilt of deforestation. The supplier assured me with enough facts that I believe the company is sustainable & replenishes more than what they take. Same (send a request) or similar.

The Go-Getter

This planner has enough space for the busiest of days, a secret pocket in the back for those inevitable scraps of unreadable-yet-important notes and a cover that makes you want to get shit done to the tune of any musician at Woodstock. Similar for 2014

The Idealist

Nothing like a classic to let your craziest ideas run free. I jot down fleeting thoughts from poems to personal branding exercises in this notebook. Some of the ideas come to fruition, some don't. They all hang out together here, judgment-free. Similar.

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There are so many great resources to find the perfect notebook. I've listed a few of my favorites. Where do you find your gems?

The fear of beginning

It has taken me 3 years to get here. My heart is pounding & my head feels dizzy. I'm not sure why. It's purely a space to share my thoughts, my experiments, the things that make me want to get up & DO. But it also feels a lot like jumping off a cliff, not knowing where I'm going to land.

I have a secret to admit...I don't always feel brave. I am terrified of failing. I don't want people to know I can't do it all. So that's what this is for me. A place that says, "you are brave, girl, not in spite of your weaknesses but because of them".

I am excited to explore whatever that means. And after 3 years of talking, stewing, doubting & annoying my people about starting this, I finally understand this word in its entirety: begin.