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The Constraints Collection

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She's turning ONE a week from today and I am not okay 😭. . To all the new mamas in those first few weeks postpartum, when seemingly everyone is telling you how quickly it goes and you're all like, "QUICKLY?!? My life exists in 3 hour increments of sameness and time is crawling by and I'll probably never sleep again", I'm here to tell you that those sappy mamas with older kids are correct. Pretty soon, your tiny baby is going to be a tiny human with not-so-tiny opinions of her own. . The other day I was shopping with Miles in the Ergo and a very well intentioned woman said, "Aww...my daughter wanted to ride in that thing when she was way too big for it too." TOO BIG?! No. She's still a newborn for another week. Lay off me.
Had the most rejuvenating 'mamas night out' last night with my dear friend @mattietiegreen. We both took social media breaks recently and we were chatting about what we learned. An overarching theme was that creating margin in our lives helps us to pay attention. Look up from the phone and look at the world around you. Find beauty in the way the tide marbles the sand, the way the light casts shadows through the trees, the way our daughters' eyes light up when they see something new. We saw a sign hanging in @tenderlovingempire last night that said "There's so much beauty it could make you cry". HOW TRUE. But we have to have eyes to see it.
Y'all. I still can't really wrap my head around yesterday. I've been preaching to myself over and over again that sales and numbers and metrics don't matter. Painting this collection helped me rediscover the creative part of myself that I had willingly brushed aside when I became a mother. And bringing that side of me back to life, regardless of whether anyone wanted to purchase the paintings, was beyond worth it. But I'd be lying if I said that selling nearly ALL of them in one day didn't make me feel super duper affirmed. . So THANK YOU for all the love, support and kind words yesterday. Know that I'm over here hustling during Miles' nap, knee-deep in shipping supplies and thank you cards, with the most grateful and full heart. ❤️ . P.S. I totally staged this photo. The reality? My guest room is covered in paintings, sticky notes, boxes and envelopes. I'm in my pajamas, haven't showered in a while, and I've reheated my coffee in the microwave twice. But I'm listening to Christmas music, so at least there's that. 😏
I just hit "publish" on my first collection of original paintings. And instead of wanting to crawl into a hole because I can physically feel eyes on my work, I feel....well, normal. . WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HECK. Old Me would be constantly refreshing all-the-things, praying for a sale or at the very least, a handful of "likes". Not-so-subtly seeking acknowledgement of a job well done because when you work from home and for yourself, affirmation can be difficult to come by. . But all of that 👆is what drove me away from my art. The desperation to sell, to be liked, to be "successful". Especially when I would compare myself to my husband and friends who literally save babies for a living. . After a year-long creative rut (and, you know, birthing a tiny human), I finally rediscovered my passion for making things. I painted this collection because I wanted to. With as little attachment as I could manage to how it would be received, financially or otherwise. And today, without fear, I'm excited to release it into the wild! . So, yeah. The link is in my bio. I'd love for you to take a look, but for the first time, I don't NEED you to. And that feels really, really good. ❤️ . (The quote above is from Elizabeth Gilbert's book, "Big Magic", which I should probably re-read every other month.)
This time last year, I was hugely pregnant. Miles took up so much space in my belly that I barely had room for turkey, and I was constantly wondering when she would come and dreaming about what the next Thanksgiving would be like with her here. Well here we are a year later and "thankful" doesn't even begin to cut it. This little girl brings joy deep into my bones and I'm so incredibly grateful for her. And also for Beau, who holds us together and loves us so well. Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃 . (Also yes, we are the a-holes who got a Christmas tree BEFORE thanksgiving but at least I waited to post these pictures? 🤷‍♀️😂)
I feel conflicted about giveaways. I've done them, I've participated in them, and we all know the drill: follow an account, tag some friends (and feel a little awkward about it), and then unfollow a week later when you realize you didn't win. Am I right or AM I RIGHT? . But here's the deal. I sincerely want to give away this painting in celebration of my new artwork launch. To say thank you for cheering me on over the past few years and for supporting me in this new venture. And also because a grid of 18 paintings looks way better on my website than a grid of 19. 😂 . But, to stay true to my new mantra of painting for myself and not for external validation, I don't want to ask for more followers or attention or anything else. I really, truly mean that. . So, as we approach the holiday season and particularly this Black Friday week, when we're affronted with so much consumerism and material STUFF, I want to bring the focus back to giving. Tag a friend in the comments below to enter THEM to win the painting. And if you're feeling sentimental, go ahead and tell them WHY you're thankful for them in the comments too. . Oh, and I guess I should tell you about the painting itself. It's an 11x14, gouache/watercolor/acrylic on coldpress watercolor paper with torn edges. It's called "Blue Ridge Mini" (because I have a similar, larger one available that will be launching next week!). The giveaway will close on Saturday at midnight, and you can enter as many people as you'd like. Ill put all the names in a hat and have Miles pick a winner on Sunday. I'm so grateful for each of you! ❤️