bits & pieces.

hello. i'm so glad you're here. joining me for my weekly link up, sharing the {bits & pieces} of joy and beauty from my week. and there were plenty of those moments to choose from.

one // gosh i have amazing friends. and my mail box has been exploding with artistic love!

two // i've been swooning over this fake tattoo from this etsy shop all week...makes me want a real one!  (we put them on the same night! just doing what we know in our hearts to do!) <3 

three // latest art journal page. finding light wherever i can. considering it gets dark at 4 pm here now!!

four // a #secretmessage found in a fashion magazine.

five // j and i were given the most precious gift this week. we traveled back to michigan for the holiday, and our dear friend was due to deliver her baby boy any day (official due date next week). i prayed and prayed that we would be able to meet our little nephew before we left. and my prayers were answered!! jeremy and i fell in love with little jude alexander just hours after he was born. thank you JUDE for making your way into this world on the very day we were heading back to CT. SO grateful.

thank you for the feedback on last week's post. i found that so many people resonated with the idea that our {bits & pieces} are more often than not, the ordinary parts of our days. not the *fireworks* or monumental moments. it's so transformational to start capturing those {bits & pieces}. gratitude soon follows...

i'd love for you to share your {bits & pieces} posts here: 

have an amazing weekend, everyone. you are {loved.}

seen.

i am afraid to show you who i really am, because if i show you who i really am, you might not like it--and that's all i got. 

-sabrina ward harrison

i've always been a "girlie girl." applying a full face of make up is just a part of my routine as brushing my teeth. 

i had a recent epiphany about this "practice" of applying my make up.

{the less make up i wore, the clearer my skin got.} 

when i have breakouts, it's such a natural instinct to plaster on layer upon layer to try and hide each blemish and uneven patch of my skin. but in reality, all of this make up is just further clogging my pores. and not allowing the healing to happen--but just providing a "quick fix" and cover up.

and i thought, wow. that translates to our lives too.

the more we let ourselves be seen, the more freedom we find. 

there is such healing in our lives {and "clearing" of our skin} when we peel back the layers and shed our defense mechanisms {hiding, retreating, reverting to what is comfortable}.

cleanse. 

the fear and anxiety of the "truth." uncovering what's hidden. what no one really "sees." {release and allowing}. daily.

exfoliate. 

slow, circular motions. the deep cleaning. to remove the dead cells, that which no longer produces life, and stunts growth and forward motion. we must exfoliate to reveal the beauty, underneath.

moisturize. apply life giving nutrients to the body & soul. once the filth has been removed, drench yourself with affirmation and healing emollient. {pamper.}

sometimes it starts with first, seeing ourselves. and not grimacing or wincing. but smiling. and delighting. and accepting. and loving. 

kelly & liz have helped me to embrace the practice of self portraits. capturing ourselves, for who we are:

And here it is. Me. Breathing, being, knowing me. The me who walks this path trying to tell her story through words plus photos. The me trying to just lean into the truth that loving this body, this beautiful body that houses this soul who is me, is the only way forward now. Me. Beautiful. Real. Me.

Try it. Take a few self-portraits. Take 100 if you want. Find the you in there. The beautiful you. Choose to see your beauty. 

(original post here).

i am beautiful. today. now. just the way i am. 

i am not too much. 

i am not too scarred. 

or imperfect.

i do not have to hide.  

i am seen. 

i am accepted.

i am embraced

i am loved.

i have an account at goodwill. {plus, a video}

hope you all had a wonderful holiday! we drove 16 hours {straight} back to michigan to spend the week with our friends and family. it was a wonderful time of catching up and seeing so many people we love. (and i, of course, hit up goodwill while i was back!)

my thrifting has now gone to the next level. i now have an "account" at goodwill. yep. you heard right. goodwill has a rewards card and now i will get 25% off after i earn so many "points." (can't remember exactly how it works. but if you happen to be at your local goodwill, ask them for details!) at least it's a reasonably cheap hobby, right?!

i scored some great deals recently during a thrifting trip. hope you enjoy this video highlighting a few of them! 

happy thrifting everyone! 

bits & pieces.

i came to a roadblock this week. looking through my iphone, trying to scrounge up some photos to include in my weekly bits & pieces collage. i didn't find any that particularly caught my eye. nothing that "screamed" blog worthy to me. 

but then i stopped and thought...

these are the true bits & pieces of my life. 

not a life carefully constructed so as to gain followers. not an artistic-wonderland-fantasy-frolicking-life.  {although, there are those occasional 'artsy' moments}. but my ordinary, every day, life. it's full of beauty & wonder. brimming with photo opportunities...if i just take time to notice.

(then, of course, a few hours after i wrote the intro to this post, the most breath taking sunset reflecting on a lake of glass appeared before me...)

one // sparkles for the win!
two // the most perfect crescent moon.
three // yeah. that's really the sunset on the lake. unbelievable.
four // my co-worker treated me.
five // thanksgiving bonfire!

there is beauty in the {seemingly} simple things. (donuts for example. i mean those sprinkles are lovely, right?!) so i encourage you, you don't have to do a bohemian photoshoot or take the most artful picture of the three course gourmet meal you made. just continue to take snap shots of your day. recognize and capture the colors that surround you. and i'd love for your to link up your {bits & pieces} posts here:

i'm thankful for all of you. who join me here in my online home. 

i truly hope you have a wonderful weekend with those that you love. 

guest post // Amy from Fate-Filled Times.

Hello fellow Style of a Songbird readers! My name is Amy and I blog over at Fate-Filled Times. I'm thrilled to be meeting you here on Erica's wonderful blog.

Hello there!

 

I've recently learned that Erica and I have a common love for Art Journaling.  



We thought it would be fun to explore our techniques and inspiration on each others blogs--especially for those who feel they just don't know where to start.



It can be really intimidating to stare down at a blank page wondering how to turn it into a personal expressive space that's decorated to your liking.



Here is a step-by-step tutorial to share how I create an Art Journaling page from beginning to end. I hope to share how easy it can be to fill a page without feeling intimidated by it.

 

First, start by finding a great journal. There are so many options!


Here are some of my favourites:



*A great vintage find from a thrift shop or a family member's attic

*A brand new journal you are drawn to in a book store

*A used book that can be re-purposed (I know Erica is great at this!)

*A book you make and bind yourself. There are many great binding tutorials online.

To make a page interesting, add some colour. There are many ways to do this. For this particular page, I first used a warm tea bag to stain a portion of the page. Simply rub the tea bag on the page until you achieve your desired shade. Second, I used watercolour paint to fill in some of the spaces. Third, I sprayed some Glimmer Mist on the page, which sprayed poorly to be honest and left more of a puddle rather than a mist. Oh well! It's important to go with the flow.

Next, let's figure out what to write. I happened to put on a record by Raffi (a popular Canadian musician for children when I was growing up) and was inspired by one of his songs I had never heard before. It is called "Thanks a lot". It is an ode to Thanksgiving, so I felt the timing was suitable. Our Thanksgiving was celebrated on October 8th, but I know American Thanksgiving will be celebrated on November 22nd.  Happy Thanksgiving!



Instead of writing my own words, I thought I would write Raffi's words. This is a great way to journal when you feel uncertain about what to write. I used pencil, but you could use any type of writing instrument you prefer. Writing can be intimidating, and so I find using quotes, lyrics, snippets from stories or books to be a great way to begin. 

Next, it was time for more colour and texture. My lovely friend Annika sent me some wonderful victorian style ephemera in a recent gift package and I decided to dive in and use some of it. I have a bit of an obsession with victorian roses, so I cut out three of them and glued them to the page wherever they seemed to fit that was appealing to my eye. Don't be afraid to play! Place them upside down, scatter them, even cover up some words with them. It's fun to try different possibilities and see what pleases your eye the most.

Next, I added some decorative tape to the bottom of the page for added colour and texture and accented it with some blue glitter glue. I love using glitter paints in my art, but I'm not as big a fan of loose glitter. It just seems to make a mess! If you don't have these types of products, you could used a piece of coloured paper to accent the edge and markers to enhance the edge. Your materials do not need to be expensive or fancy. I find many of my supplies at thrift stores.

For some added interest, I added a vintage pattern. I found arrows and decided to glue them to the top of the page. I played with directions and balance and decided I like the look of them crossing each other. I glued these to the page and then outlined them roughly with pencil.

The finishing touch was added using stamps. This created a title for the page. Since this page is all about being thankful, I titled it Thank You. I have a great love for alphabet stamps. I think they are really enjoyable to use and they look great. I am not afraid to make mistakes with them, either. I find my art is one place where I do not allow my perfectionist tendencies to thrive. I push them aside and go with the flow. It is much more meditative and relaxing that way. Any "mistake" is just an added element on the page. If you look closely, you will see some smudges on the final page. I had a bit of a slip with the glue and made a bit of a mess! I tried to fix it to no avail and now it is simply a part of the final look.

And, here is the final product:

I hope this peek inside my process will help you to feel inspired to make your own journal page...and maybe even a whole book!


I truly believe Art Journaling is all about the journaler, and this means every bit of your personality adds elements unique to you. Whatever flows out of you naturally is exactly what others are drawn to.



If you decide to create a journal page, please share it with us!



And, a big thank you, Erica, my fellow Art Journaler, for hosting me on your blog.

{Amy, thank you for sharing a peek into your process with us. You are a beautiful & brave soul and I'm so glad our paths have crossed.}