Vous Êtes Mon Coeur

Today grace looked like the smiles of my favorite friends,

the Word of peace, and Cadbury eggs.

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

~ Romans 5:8

Stand in awe today of how God has blessed you. Breathe deep of grace.

+ Happy Easter! How are you all? 

Everyone having a "hoppy" holiday? 🐇

how to create your own creative space

Creative motivation, yo: It can be hard to come by. 

Something I've noticed that helps me focus on projects and be more productive is having my own creative space. For me, it's my desk. ♥ 

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN CREATIVE SPACE

Get a signature scent. How can you think and feel and create with stale air? YOU CAN'T, THAT'S WHAT. I've probably burnt through 14,000 candles in my lifetime (rough estimate), but it's totally worth it. TJ Maxx has great candles that won't break the bank, and this one from Target is my absolute favorite.

Create a soundtrack. Now that your space is smelling great, put on a record or a Spotify playlist. It's important to relax your mind and create an encouraging atmosphere in your space.


I like to listen to the melancholy music of... 


Milo Greene,



Max Richter,



or Novo Amor.

If you can't write or work with music playing in the background,

try the calming coffee shop sounds of Coffitivity.

Bring the outdoors in. Open a window, listen to the birds chirping, make friends with a plant. (I have owned but one plant in my lifetime, a Venus flytrap I named Rex. I fed Rex salami. Rex died. I was nine. Moral of the story: Be kind to your plant friends.)


Flowers can refresh and beautify 
your space for little to no cost.

Personalize. Find a way to make your space your own - buy a bulletin board and add old photos of friends and family to keep you smiling while you work. Plushies, paintings, fun mugs and journals can also make your space feel more like you. ♥

+ What about you? What is your creative space like? Where do you blog?

how to spark joy in the everyday: part one

Lately, I've been craving more joy in my life. Life can throw quite a lot at us - worries, circumstances, expectations - but we don't have to fear or fight or compete. We can have peace and rest and joy right where we are.

HOW TO SPARK JOY IN THE EVERYDAY

Go for a walk. Or a run. Or just sit outside and soak up the sun! There's nothing like a little nature to make you feel small in the best possible way. Find a park, a beach, or a favorite walking trail. Make these places your own. It's amazing how much they can feel like home. ♥

Unplug. This goes along with the sentiment of the previous point: take some time to de-digitize. I'd noticed that I'd gotten into a bad habit of scrolling through social media and watching endless amounts of YouTube videos to de-stress after work. While there's nothing wrong with this, it can leech your joy. The more time I spend online, the more often I feel dissatisfied with myself. Know your limits and savor those offline moments.

Seek adventure. Be perpetually in the state of seeking adventure. We can't all go backpacking in Europe at the drop of a hat, but we can have the perspective of adventure in our daily life. Find things that are beautiful and wonderful about doing homework, cleaning out the litter box, buying groceries. Find the joy and adventure in the smallest of things and your joy will be through the roof.

THROUGH THE ROOF, I SAY!

Do the thing. This life is short! Have you always wanted to read Catcher in the Rye but never found the time? Do it! Ever considered violin lessons but didn't think you'd be good enough? So what? Do it! Want to learn how to bake, hike, knit, give epic public speeches? YO, JUST DO IT. Live your life in such a way that at the end of it, you will not regret the way you spent your time. Find joy in pursuing what God has made you passionate about.

+ What about you? What are some ways you spark joy in your everyday life?