NEW BLOG MAKEOVER

I got a wild hair today and decided to makeover my blog!  It's actually something I have wanted to do for so very long but just haven't found the time.  I thought about it most of the day yesterday and wasn't able to, so since today was saturday, I decided what better day to spend some lovin' on my site! 

I wanted to create an easier navigation.  For so long now I have had a very full navigation bar on top that had several pages that were outdated and some that never got updated.  They just kind of sat there.  It felt like a maze to get to where you wanted to go.  So now the Home Page should have everything you need in one space.  I made easy on the eye circle buttons for all the main content on the blog, social media and my other websites & shops. 

I also finally filled out my About Page!  It's just been a photo forever.  And now there is an easy Collab Page for anyone looking to collaborate with me, or to visit brands pages easily that I have featured.  I still need to add all the links to the brands shops, so that part will be coming soon.  I know old blog posts tend to get lost over time so this will be an easier way for you to find something that I have featured.

I changed my sidebar on the blog up a bit as well.  It just feels so good to have a fresh look here.  It's actually really inspiring me to get back to blogging more often. 

I will admit I didn't take very good care of myself today b/c I basically sat in my computer chair from 9 am to 9pm.  I did take one dance break though.  I danced to the first 10 songs of an Eileen Jewel cd.  And I did not falter from my new health goals with food!  Normally on days like this I would literally grab chips & salsa for lunch or eat pb&j's... I did eat a Kind bar for lunch today, but other than that I made sure I nurtured myself with food & lots of water/green tea.  Tomorrow I must not allow myself to sit so much, or my bum may be quite mad at me...

I'd love to hear your thoughts about the revamp!  Do you feel it's easier to navigate around the site?  I like to make things pretty, but I also want it to be super easy for my readers. 

THREADS // OFF TO A CONCERT

I think I wear a variation of this outfit pretty often.  You just can't go wrong with a pair of fun bell bottoms, a great tee & your favorite vintage jacket.  This is my first outfit post with my new hair!  Although I have a few already shot from weeks ago that I haven't shared, so you may see my hair flip flop around for a while.  It's starting to really grow on me.  When I look at photos of my ombre I really miss it, but I'm embracing a new look for this season at least, allowing myself to feel comfortable with a new look.  Bottom is beginning to fade and blend into the top a bit more, so its looking better that when I first dyed it.

Last friday I went to go see Fred Eaglesmith with my bestie.  It's been a little tradition of ours.  Weve been seeing him play live for about 13 years now.  This was our 6th time to see him together.  I have to admit, I was a little disappointed for the first time with the show.  They played pretty much the same songs as last time, and told the exact same jokes, which aren't as funny the 3rd or 4th time hearing them.  Just about every show we go to they call someone out, for talking too much, or something.  This time they called out my bestie b/c her phone rang.  It was pretty uncool.  They may think its annoying to hear a phone ring, but when a mother waits months to see your show and can't turn her ringer off b/c she has 3 little ones at home who may need her... Surely it's all in good humor and fun, but after time and time again it just becomes rude, especially to fans who love you and pay to come see you play.  I may just stick to the albums for a while and forget the live shows, sadly.  I really cannot wait for Steve Earle to come back around... that is a show you leave with nothing but a big full heart.

Anyway...I am pretty damn excited it's jacket weather! 

P.S. Don't forget to check out the GIVEAWAY page this week!  A new one just went up this morning :)

GIVEAWAY BLOG PARTY + NEW WILLIE SHIRT

Today I'm attending to some business before I head off to Whole Foods to stock my shelves with self nourishing yummy-ness.  I'm making huge shifts with what I put into my body right now, so I'm really looking forward to going in with new eyes and not just grabbing my 'go to' items.  I'm challenging myself in big ways without eating grains, dairy or sugars.  It half scares me and half excites me to no end!  Hopefully the more I learn to get creative in the kitchen it will lean more towards pure excitement. 

I wanted to take a moment to officially share this bad ass tee that James and I released last week for Skyline Fever.  I'm not sure how many of you are Willie Nelson fans out there, but my love for this man runs deep and true.  And not to brag or anything, but Ive had the surprise honor of being kissed by him on the lips (I know Ive mentioned before, but come on... it was awesome!).  Although I'm pretty sure he kisses alot of girls surprisingly on the lips, ha ha.  I also fell madly in love once to a boy at my very first Willie concert and danced for hours.  And this last year I had the honor of seeing him play at his very own ranch at the Heartbreaker Banquet.  I have about 50 other special Willie moments in my life...

One more announcement I would like to make is that there is going to be a week long GIVEAWAY BLOG PARTY going on here, starting today.  Hop on over to the Giveaway page every day this week to find a new giveaway.  There may even be a giveaway coming up one day for the tee above ;)

A WEEK OF {RE}MEMBERING...

It has already been one week since my "Hitting my reset button" post... I actually didn't even realize during this time that I haven't blogged in a whole week.  Which is very unlike me.  I'm not sure where the fear comes from of not blogging regularly.  Maybe that people will forget about you?  Or that you will lose momentum altogether and just become uninterested?  Even though I don't blog 'business' related stuff all that often, and this blog is more of a personal behind the scenes of my daily life, in a way it can really feel like a 'job' at times when you are constantly trying to 'keep up'.  With what?  I'm not sure.  But going a whole week and not even stressing about it has been so good.  I have been filling my days up with so much more this week.

This has been the BEST thing I could of ever done for myself and I truly hope that the changes I am making continue on once my life does pick its pace back up and I become full heartedly involved in my next magazine issue, or creating a new collection for Roots & Feathers, or whatever my 'busy' looks like.  I pray that I continue to integrate what I am learning now within those times too.  But I think it has been so very important for me to take a real, long break.  I have said no to so many wonderful opportunities already this past week.  Or not necessarily a NO, but a not right now... But, sometimes in this fast paced world, saying Not Right Now could mean that offer moving right along to the next and never looking back your way.  And I have allowed myself to be okay with that.  If its a collaboration that is really worth something, it can wait.

I have been overjoyed with the comments and emails I have been receiving about my decision to take a pause.  You guys make me feel so supported and I want to thank you for all of the encouragement and reaching out you have done.  It has meant so much and truly filled me up. 

The first day I was off I worked on a project I had thought about for a good while.  Taking down all of my mom's stuff off of this shelf my dad built.  She had it in her sewing room, and when I transferred it over to my home I put all of her stuff back up on it.  This room used to be my studio at that time, but its been a long time since its been a functioning room of any kind.  Right now it is just to used to workout in.  This shelf feels so out of place in there and I realized it was time for me to take her things down and fill up with my own life.  I have plans to move it from this room to our living room and to paint it a fresh new color and then fill it will all my own little trinkets.  This will also help alleviate my clutter problem.  I will be able to move alot of the small objects I have all over all my desks and countertops to this shelf to be nicely displayed.  I think it is just going to be an overall good move.

After I got the shelf all cleared off I came across this photo below, of my parents sitting below this same shelf in their home (before it got painted).  I love that my dad made this shelf.  He was such an amazing craftsman, so to be able to showcase one of his pieces in my home just feels so good.  But the photo below was pinned on a board with the word "re member" on it.  It just felt like a connection with them, as I was making this transition with this shelf I felt like I was re-membering myself, and then I found this.  I will definitely be adding this photo to the shelf once it makes it into its new spot!

Speaking of my parents, this photo above was taken out at their place on one of our check-ins.  The leaves are falling in masses out there.  They have so many trees there that I don't have in my yard, so the leaves always look different.  I almost always walk away with a handful of leaves when I'm out there.  Two people just this week have gone to look at their house for sale.  It's still all very surreal, but its happening.  The process is in the works and people are requesting to see it. 

We have had a TON of fires this week.  The other day I woke up and made a fire and just kept putting logs on all day long, and I sat by the fire until it was time to go to bed.  It was incredible.  Just the day I needed.  And Bella quite enjoyed it too.

I made a batch of (slightly over roasted) rosemary almonds, which are sadly all gone now.  Can't wait to make some more.  I sort of devoured them.  Another huge shift that has happened this week during my downtime has been my diet.  For the past 5 or 6 days I have not had any grains, dairy (except eggs) or sugar (except a small amount of coconut palm in my morning cup off coffee).  I'm experimenting with eliminating some things to see if I can reverse a few health issues.  In just a short time I feel such a huge difference.  HUGE.  So far I have not given in, but I won't say it has been easy.  I knew this break time was going to lead to some life altering choices, I felt it in my bones, and each day something new is coming to me in my down time.  I keep feeling led to certain information and pieces of my puzzle are starting to fit together.  And it EXCITES me!

A moment of beautiful bits of light coming through the window, creating rainbows on the way, along with twinkle lights.

This has been my daily tonic for a few weeks now to combat allergies.  A cup of filtered room temp water with one whole lemon, 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar,  1 tbsp cinnamon and a shake of cayenne, with local honey to taste.  It tastes so yummy and has tons of health benefits.  I found it on the Farmer's Almanac site.  This, lots of water and green teas have been some of the ways Ive been nourishing myself everyday.

Yesterday I had one of the best days in a long time, although by the end of it my head hurt so bad I had to retire to the tub.  But I spent the day cleaning house, listening to good music, using my yummy face mask from Wild Honey Apothecary and making yummy nourishing meals. 

I scrubbed my floors with my hands.  I washed shelves and cupboards, baseboards.  Just really giving my home some love and attention.  I'm still not done b/c this process takes alot longer, so I only got to a few parts of the house.  But I am going to continue as I can each day.  My intention was to do the second half of the house this morning, but the world had other plans for me today and now I feel mentally wiped.

I got brave and dyed my hair.  I got rid of my ombre that I have had for several years now.  This was HUGE for me.  My hair has been like a security blanket for me.  It is all now dark brown and I'm still adjusting.  But I think I'm liking it more and more each day.

James surprised me with Neil Young's new album.  Already one of my favorites.

I remembered yesterday that I had a pomegranate bush growing in my backyard!  One was ripe enough to eat.  So I sat on my back porch and ate it for about an hour, b/c that is about how long it took to eat, ha ha.  It was wonderful.

Through this time I have still had do attend to work.  I finished a wholesale order up, Ive helped James make Skyline Fever shirts (which by the way we released a new one last week), Ive filled daily orders and answered about 50 emails.  I have just been spreading these things out and really taken down time in between, and staying offline as much as possible (except for instagram).  Allowing myself to be fully present if I am cooking, or doing the laundry, or eating a pomegranate.  This is where the shifting is occurring...