ETSY PARADE | VALENTINE'S DAY PICKS

i know, i know.  i'm a bit late to the valentine's day shenanigans, but i couldn't help myself when i came across these on etsy.  seriously, the talent blows my mind every single time. and i kinda wish these were sold in stores. the originality is amazing compared to the cliche every year items which pop up annually. how cool would that be :)

i remember being super excited about valentine's day as a kid. mostly, because a day filled with no schoolwork and all play was definitely something to celebrate. and of course, valentines were a big deal back then. sometimes i wished i could buy all of them, from barbie to power rangers to disney princesses. making them was the best part, and so was staring at the aisles and aisles of candy in the local grocery store, taking my pick.

one valentine's sticks out fairly well in my mind. it was fifth grade, and a little classmate of ours was not allowed to celebrate with us. we all gushed in whispers wondering why our friend couldn't join in on the fun. we figured he surely would want to. his personality was bright, always cheerful and always cracking jokes. it hurt our feelings for some odd reason he was not allowed to "party" with us. making sure he did not feel left out, some of my friends and i gathered the valentines we made with his name on them, and snuck them into his locker. it was a wonderful feeling in doing so. it felt like we were deceiving, mysterious little crooks breaking the laws of fifth grade. we did not get caught, and surely enough our little friend was thrilled to find the valentines in his backpack. best.day.ever.

do you have a particular valentine's day quite vivid in your memory?

etsy picks:
one: adorable blue little owls make for one sweet, thoughtful gift
two: for your favorite gem of a person

three: french romantic to the max, perfect wall art
four: make a statement with these arrow and heart earrings. cupid would be proud.
five: will ya? ;)
six: the minimalism of this piece is stunning!
seven: pretty and thoughtful, for the chef of the house
eight: the perfect delicate necklace
nine: the most loveliest cup with the loveliest saying 

PHILOSOPHY | LOVE WHAT YOU DO

last week, i was feeling particularly doubtful about a creative writing piece i had written. i was going in a circle i drew for myself, and simultaneously not finding the exit route. i suppose like anybody may generally think about a passion of theirs, i was wondering if what i believed to be my talent was actually talent. 

on a whim, i decided to ask a fellow creative what they thought about the piece. this creative is young and filled with her very own caliber in conquering her dreams. i wondered what she would think about my style, and if she could find herself being captivated by it.

the feedback she gave me blew me away.

she didn't sound like the typical teenager she should be. she was a mind reader, understanding my thought patterns and where i was coming from within the piece. i didn't have to tell her a thing. my respect for her climbed even higher into the skies. she ignited a clear spark in me, tumbling in courage and hope- two qualities i felt i had lost for awhile. i owe a big thanks to this young creative for making me realize i needed to hit the rewind button and press play at a point where self-doubt wasn't even part of my vocabulary. thank you MC, this post is for you :)

after having this conversation with her, the only afterthought that paraded my mind was the steve jobs quote you see above. the philosophy of loving what you do and in turn, whisking out great work is not experienced by everybody. talking with MC and seeing how fresh her dreams were, made me go down memory lane to the same stage. i had and have many dreams; it would be a real shame to reach a catalytic point and feel like i didn't do justice to the teenager inside me, who created the hopes for carrying out what i would love to do. if anything, this post is a reminder for anyone and everyone seeking out the same view as me: go after what you love to do, be it a passion or a hobby you miss finding the time for. seek it, and you will see the game of life becomes much easier.

happy wednesday y'all! 

image by morgalily on society6