Hello dear friends! It’s been awhile, eh? Ever since coming back from my trip to Portland it’s been work work work, so I’ve been away from TNC for a few too many. I realize we haven’t done a monthly check-in in awhile, and there are a LOT of new faces around here, so I wanted to take a few minutes to catch up over some virtual coffee (I’m literally drinking a cup of coffee at 8pm as I write this). 😉 What have you been up to lately? Here’s me:
1. Like I said, we got back from Portland on Tuesday and the trip was so much fun! We ate tons of good food (Paul thought he was going to throw up on the last night because we ate so much…cue *crying laughing emoji*), saw gorgeous autumn colors, and did lots of touristy shtuff. I can’t wait to share some of the highlights and my recommendations next week. Trust me, there’s a lot! 😀
2. One of the more random things Paul and I did while in Portland was visit an animal shelter. We both love dogs and for some reason got the urge to check out the Humane Society. I now want a second dog even more than before, gah! My dog, Monja, brings me so much joy that I can only imagine the feeling of having two furry little babies. I do want to wait until I live in a bigger place though, and would like to do some more training with Monja because he can be a bit territorial. I think Monja needs a sibling though, don’t you? 😉 I mean, who wouldn’t want two of THIS:
#NSFW
3. I had an insanely busy October for work. By far the most packed month I’ve ever had for my business. It was totally unexpected! It has been really exciting to see my business grow, but those feelings of “overwhelm” definitely crept in a little, too. Overall, I feel really grateful about the work I’m creating, and proud of myself to see where I’ve come since starting my business about a year ago. I can’t wait to see what happens in 2015!
4. I’ve been going to yoga classes pretty consistently ever since my first class and I’m still diggin’ it! I think I’ve found my “sport.” I enjoy it over other forms of exercise primarily because it involves both a mental and physical workout. I also just like yoga in general — the stretches feel good and I can actually feel them working my body. I noticed that I greatly prefer classes that combine a spiritual component though. Some are only about the workout and that’s not really me. Fellow yogis, which style do you love most?
5. I’m still toying with the idea of moving to a new city when my lease is up in February. The area I live in now is safe, residential, and…pretty boring. I currently live in Orange County, and after returning from Japan, I chose the OC because I went to college in Irvine, a nearby city. I figured a lot of my friends would still live here, but after more than two years away, a lot of them have migrated up to Los Angeles. I’m not sure if LA is a perfect fit for me either, but I’m definitely considering making the move in early 2015.
6. I’d really like to do some sort of volunteer work sometime soon. What are some of your favorite places to volunteer at for the day?
7. My favorite shoes right now are Rollie Nation’s oxfords. I usually buy shoes from places like Target, so my first pair was a bit of a splurge, but I loved them so much that I’ve bought two more pairs since. They’re crazy comfortable, durable, and I feel like they make my otherwise plain outfits look a little “spicier,” na mean?
8. For now, I decided to close my print shop. I’m still working on what I’m going to do with it, but I realized that having a print shop doesn’t really fit into my goals and has become a bit of a time-suck. Admitting that to myself was kind of hard because I have literally wanted to start a print/greeting card business for years. It can be a hard truth to face when you finally set out to accomplish one of your dreams only to realize you don’t love it all that much after all. I DO love calligraphy and creating pieces of art, but I don’t love the other components of running a shop, like inventory, shipping, creating product listings, etc. I have an idea for how I can make physical products work for me (and you!), so we’ll have to see if that idea comes to fruition next year. 🙂 Until then, I’ll still be drawing and writing, and I hope to share more work on my Instagram soon!
9. I’ve been buying a lot of books lately, and I’m really excited to dive into them! The newest ones in my collection are The Happiness Project, Everything Is Illuminated, and Gone Girl. Do you have any recent favorites? Also, what are your favorite magazines? I’d love to subscribe to some. I feel like magazines can be such wonderful and creative sources of inspiration.
Well, that’s what I’ve been up to lately! I’d love to hear about what you’ve been doing. And if you’re new around here, introduce yourself down below! I would seriously love to meet you. 🙂 Have a super weekend, friends! I’m grateful that you’re here.
