Happy Thoughts

After one of the worst weeks ever, I am tired of feeling down in the dumps. It is time to turn that frown upside down and start focusing on the positive! It's there somewhere, sometimes you just have to look for it. Sometimes just a little visual stimulation can do so much for our mental health. Check out some of this imagery I gathered on Pinterest, a collection of pink themed images. Check out the whole board, here. I was going through my boards and this one felt so warm and inviting that my spirits were instantly lifted. Aaahhh. That is what is so great about design, something as simple as a few pictures can be so powerful that it can pull you out of your own despair. This week I am challenging myself only to think of the positive, even in the wake of all the bad. Think happy thoughts this week and maybe they will come true!

{1// A Hoot A Day, 2// J.Crew, 3, 4}

Saying Goodbye

It is never easy to say goodbye to our pets. We had to put our sweet Cooper to sleep this past weekend and I have been a complete mess ever since. This has all been complicated by other difficult things occurring simultaneously. The result is a super emotional lady here so I needed to find a way to have a little closure and to send up some good thoughts to my dog who I miss so much. Plus, I figured it would be a nice ceremony for the kids to participate in. A party for our Coop.

We decided to send our Cooper some love notes via balloons. Balloons go to heaven, right? I think so. Have a good read Cooper, we miss you buddy.

{photos by Monkey & The Whale, and partner}

Tomorrow morning we say goodbye to our boy Cooper. He was a great dog, so sweet and good. I will always love you buddy. xo

{photo by Monkey & The Whale}

Lately I have been reminiscing on our 2 Disney visits last summer. It was such a fun time. It is amazing how much fun Disney is, even as an adult after all these years. I love the picture of M looking at the castle--so confident, so ready to tackle Disney!

{photos by M+W}

So, at my dear friend Kathi's recommendation, I am thinking of chopping my hair and doing a pixie cut. I actually used to have short hair years ago and after having babies I let it all grow out. (Thanks to the super human growth of my hair while pregnant-twice!) Now I am just throwing it up into a knot every day, no style, no shape. Aren't these looks so cute? You can check out my pinterest collection of looks, here. I am dying for something easy and cute. What do you think-yes or no?

  {1. // 2.}

2012 Style

It's that time of year to start looking for something stylish and inspiring to keep track of the coming year. I decided to design my own this year and add it to the shop. I found myself inspired by the wilderness and created original illustrations of wilderness critters and plants. It is the latest item to hit the shop, check it out here. As usual I kept things minimal and clean, using silhouettes and abstract shapes for some of the plants/fungi. I also added in some bright and cheerful colors to keep things modern.

{photos and calendar by Monkey & The Whale}

Of course I want you to see MY calendar and fall in love, BUT...In addition to my own, I did a little window shopping of some fellow Etsy sellers and found a few lovely calendars to share with you. I also included one from EggPress since they always do lovely work. I am a bit of an addict when it comes to calendars. If I didn't have my husband to help, I would buy way too many of them! I hope you find something to liven up those walls of yours. Happy New Year!

Here are the links so you can see these lovely calendars in detail. I particularly love the LA/photography in #2. Enjoy!

{1. GirlInGearStudio, 2. MyanSoffia, 3. Mademoiselleyo, 4. EggPress}