Blog — gift giving

Ahhh... summer! My garden is bursting with new blooms every week. In addition to painting them (and filming quick painting tutorials with voice over - check out my Instagram & Facebook reels and TikTok's), I've decided to bring in something special to my silk scarf shop.  It is no secret that my illustrated square silk scarves were painstakingly painted and designed over months - I added them to the shop exactly a year ago.  This year I decided to offer something a little more light-hearted! 🌸 In addition to the existing 4 collections (Naturalist Notebook, Legendaria, Not So Junk Journal and In The Dark), I'm...

I'll tell you a little secret dream of mine: I would really love to illustrate a stamp. I sent my submission over exactly a year ago to USPS (United States Postal Service) art commission and even received a reply from Washington DC that they'd put me on the list. Even though it seems virtually impossible, I'm not losing hope! I draw a lot of inspiration from snail mail (and "the old ways" in general!), vintage ephemera and botanical illustration. I have combined all these things in my Postal Reminiscence design. (It had been completed a couple years before I submitted my art to USPS!)  It took a...

I’ve noticed there’s a certain stigma about buying things for yourself, especially the ones on the pricy side. I’ve embarked on a journey to find out why it is this way. It is deeper than we think. Here are 7 reasons to get that pretty thing you want so much or take some time to pamper yourself: Treating yourself is not selfish. Do you believe doing things for you is egoistic? First of all, why is selfish always seen as negative? In the 21st century the word has so many nuances to it. What about self-sufficient? Confident? With healthy boundaries?...