Pep Talks

What if your best life is out there looking for you, hoping to bump into you at the grocery story or after yoga class? What if it doesn’t care if you’re not wearing makeup, or if you said the wrong thing or should have replied to that email yesterday? What if it it was bring magnetically drawn to your unique you-ness and was hoping to coax you out of your shell and into you greatness? Something about living in a small city makes it easier to see the connections between people. How when you make a positive connection with a like minded person, in the right place at the right time, you can propel yourself forward in the story line that you half imagined for your life by leaps and bounds. As all small towns do, it can also crystallize how relationships or situations that don’t serve you can slowly pull you into a life that doesn’t fit your heart, which can make linger on forever in the worst way. This week is the anniversary of one of those small moments where it really felt like the life I was hoping for actively found its way to me. Eight years [...]

Read more »

This has been a hard week for the world, and I’ve seen a lot of people feeling profoundly shaken. And rightly so. I’ve also seen an overwhelming amount of love and support pouring out from strangers to emergency relief and to those in need. My husband is a runner and we travel to races for him now, just like so many other families out there do. So much is luck and happenstance that it’s hard to know what to do with that knowledge. So today I’m just sitting with it and reminding myself of this: that staying soft and experiencing the hard stuff is better than hardening to it or pushing it away. And that the world is an achingly beautiful place full of caring, heartfelt people who are ready to help each other. That includes you, lovely. Don’t you forget it. Today or any day.

Read more »

Whew! I thought that I was going to have lots of time to post last week before my trip to California for the Stratejoy Elevate Mastermind kick off weekend retreat, and life picked me up and swept me away. The retreat was incredible (since how could a spa weekend in California with soulful, hilarious women who want to make the next year their best ever not be amazing??) and I have a re-cap post brewing complete with more pictures that you can shake a stick at. In the mean time, yesterday I was hanging out with Ashley at Your Super Awesome Life, talking about what my version of a super awesome life looks like, how I became my own boss and carved out online work, and what living with intention means to me. We also dream up changes for the world and imagine who would play me in the movie of my life.   Check it out! Let’s talk: Who would play you in the movie of your life? I would try to trick Carey Mulligan into playing me, but only if her hair people we part of the deal. Pixie cuts are so cute, but you need a committee to [...]

Read more »

In case you’re having trouble finding clarity today, this might help find your inner compass and take your next big step. Squash that negative little voice inside your head, Tip your hat to all the unknowns, Make the best plan you can, And see what happens. Even if you embrace this in a tiny way, like saying no to making more plans when you can’t take on more commitments or taking an evening to explore a library and gather up inspiration with your best friend, I bet you’ll love the results. image: apartment 34 via pinterest

Read more »

photo: mau by milena guell “In my experience, if you steer clear of dogma and muster up more love than you thought you had to give, then your vitality increases, satisfaction sets in, sweetness surfaces. . I believe in the creative power of good feelings. I’m convinced that the desire to be real is everyone’s divine imperative.” . -Danielle LaPorte  

Read more »

I don’t usually share videos here, but Neil Gaiman is an author I love and his advice to the University of the Arts class of 2012 is charming and a must watch. It’s also (I think) a really down to earth & relatable take on manifesting (he calls it pretending), working hard, confidence, and being a working freelancer- which are all things that have become a huge part of my life over the past few years. Today is my birthday, and I’m so thankful to be spending it working with web design clients and in the company of so many inspiring friends. This last year has been more wonderful than I could have imagined, and I can’t wait to see what the next holds. xo, k.

Read more »

This post is part of the “What I Wish I Knew” series being hosted by Ashley at Your Super Awesome Life- a new site dedicated to helping teen girls live a life that they love. Ashley has rounded up an inspiring ground of women is asking us what we wish we knew about all different parts of life when we were teenagers, and I’m excited to be sharing a post about passion. I remember people telling me to find my passion when I was a teenager, usually in a career searching sense, but when I was a teenager I had very little interest in what I’d be doing when I wasn’t in high school. I had important things to worry about, like how impossible it was to get a boyfriend while going to an all girls school. Eventually, with the help of some amazing teachers I discovered that my passions were in organizing people & projects, creative problem solving and design. In high school those things intersected in theatre, and I started working as a stage manager on every project that came my way. Now those things come together in my work at Freckled Nest Design, but even three years [...]

Read more »

fresh croissants, reading in bed, vegetarian s’mores, early morning dog walks, junior high style sleep overs, thrifting lunch dates with my husband, dreaming up fall DIY projects, & knowing cardigan season is right around the corner :) What’s making your your week a little brighter? {image: dekanimal}  

Read more »