Sometimes I truly wonder where the time goes. Just when it seems like time can't go any slower, boom, six years pass faster than you can snap your fingers. And today, I honestly cannot believe this little monkey is already six. I remember the anticipation, the seemingly endless months of waiting, and the excitement like it was yesterday. I was that proud sister who burst into that homeschool meeting we were supposed to attend that Monday she was born, yelling at the top of my lungs, "It's a girl! It's a girl!". My dad still has the post-in note on which I hastily scrawled, "Baby born! 7:10am, 7 pounds 8 ounces." And later, looking down at her nestled between pillows on the bed, committing her tiny body and sweet newborn scent to memory, is a moment I'll never forget.

Lilly, Lilster, Monkey, Lil, Lillybug (and the myriad of other nicknames you've managed to accumulate in your short life), happy birthday. I love you so much and can't imagine life without you. You're the best.

xx

[poncho: gift from my grandmother, bought in chile / top: unknown / jeans: target / boots: stolen from mama / bag: target]

A few highlights from this past week:

[1] kinfolk 

My local Anthropologie was finally stocked with volumes of Kinfolk. I may or may not have had a heart attack. It's absolutely stunning, seeing it in print and getting to feel the weight of it in your hands.

[2] blossoms in february

Yes, really. I cannot get over it.

[3] ponchos

Officially the best piece of clothing ever. It's like getting to walk around in a super soft, super warm blanket--what's not to love?

[4] give me love

...by Ed Sheeran. Go give it a listen, if you haven't already. So good. And while we're on the topic of music, I learned how to play the Downton Abbey theme song on the piano. (I'm sorry, loves, can you ever forgive my fangirling?)

[5] you!

I feel so crazy, incredibly blessed to have wonderful people like you reading my little posts. Thank you all so much for your amazing feedback in regards to the changes of this space, too. You're the best.

What are some highlights from your week?

The air had that smell and feeling that is only present in those precious hours before noon – crisp and clear and refreshing rolled up all together in an intoxicating scent. I pushed myself harder. My lungs ached from breathing in the cool air, my legs burned, and I was gasping for breath. The birds continued to twitter, oblivious to my self-inflicted distress. Ricocheting through my body, my heart beat as if a drum, the blood pulsing fast through my veins. I didn't mind the pain so much, though – it meant that I was alive, gloriously, wondrously alive.

I'm a normal, living, breathing human being. I cry more than I'd care to admit. I get frustrated, overwhelmed, angry...and the tears come, slipping down my cheeks, salty and rapid. It's okay to cry sometimes, though. It doesn't mean you're weak – it's always been a sign that you're alive. Wondrously, gloriously alive.

Late the other night, I sat in my bed and wrote. Nighttime does that to me -- it makes everything clearer and more straight forward, and it's one of my favorite times to fill pages with words. On this particular night, the time had come to narrow down and find what exactly I want this space to be, as well as how I want to be defined as an artist. It was an accumulation of weeks of branding, from design to aesthetic to posts and everything in between. It's not that I'm unhappy with the blog -- on the contrary, I've reached a place where blogging comes easily and freely; it's my unwinding time, honestly.

But, having said that, I think at some time in every artist's life -- whether it be photographer or designer or painter -- there comes a craving to be a little more different, a little more you than everyone else. I suppose branding can also be defined as refining and identifying one's personal style. It's rather hard to stand out as an individual when one is trying to be like someone else and comparing their work to others', don't you think?

One of the main things I'm focusing on, besides aesthetic, is interacting with my readers more -- that is, all you lovely people. Blogger has recently implemented the threaded comment system and I'm going to try my hardest to be more active in the comment section of posts. And as for the posts themselves, they won't change too much for you, but they'll be more streamlined and focusing on a few select topics.

So, I've redefined and dug deeper into my personal style with a blog redesign and further branding both as a blogger and for this space, and I'm excited, loves.


much love.

ps guest posting about oklahoma over on kristen's blog -- come say hi!