Little Gems - It's All About the Awesome

There are little gems in my life - places I go on the internet to recharge my spirit, have a good laugh or marvel at someone's unique brand of creativity.     These are places of innovation, humor, grace and beauty.    Please take a moment to check them out; you won't be disappointed.

Hyperbole and A Half is the blog of an amazing woman named Allie.  I go here when I want a belly laugh - you know the kind that makes tears stream down your face and call to someone in the next room to say "You HAVE to come see this!!"    Yeah, that kind.   

I don't know how to describe Allie's blog, other than to say she uses Paintbrush to create cartoon images that boggle my mind, she is one of the funniest women on the internet, and I think she's a genius.   My favorite post of hers is this one, so if you're not going to go to her blog and check it out, at least click on that link.   If you don't start reading her, though, you're simply not laughing enough.

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Storybleed is an online magazine (it is also printed quarterly) that combines images and words in a way I've never seen before.   It shouldn't surprise me that Storybleed is all sorts of awesome, because many of my favorite women in all the land are editors and writers.   Founded and published by the amazing Megan Jordan, this is how Storybleed describes itself:  

"Find yourself where stories blur the lines.   Story Bleed aches for you to discover yourself where the lines between our stories bleed together, unexpectedly resonating. Lines smeared by the eager hand. A literary magazine celebrating essays and art that move and enlighten."

Do yourself a favor:  find a few quiet moments, a steaming cup of hot coffee and lose yourself to the beauty that is Storybleed.  
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EllisLynnStudio is the shiny brand new Etsy shop of my friend, Catherine.   While I love doing nice things for friends and promoting their businesses and stuff, I'm here posting about Catherine's shop because I love her creativity.    Where the rest of us see an ordinary household object, Catherine sees art.   She even makes her own handmade paper, creating stunning colors and textures that display her own unique style.

My new favorite pieces of Catherine's are her Let Go/God Boxes.      When I'm struggling with something in my life that I just can't seem to let go of, I write it on a piece of paper and put it into my Let Go Box, close the lid, and walk away.  I have a little ritual around how I do this - you can discover your own - and all I can say is it really helps me stop ruminating cycles, negative or corrosive thinking and reminds me that I don't have as much control as I'd like to think I do.

I also use it to store my recovery medallions - each box has a heart inside, as well as an inspirational message:

Each box comes with a beautifully crafted message, too:

These boxes are the perfect gift for any friend or loved one, someone going through a difficult time, or someone in recovery.  

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I was recently introduced to another wonderful Etsy shop, LadyBird Land.     I love her folk art, with its vibrant colors and powerful, oftentimes funny, messages.   She sells magnets, prints and pendants and I love how she arranges her shop not by the type of piece, but by categories like:  For the FUR LOVING Girl, For the CREATIVE Girl, for the FAITHFUL, etc.   My favorite?   For the SASSY Girl.    I have this magnet on my fridge:

And this Print is a favorite, too:

"She's Sassy, Classy and a Little Bad-Assey" 

If you follow Brene Brown's blog, Ordinary Courage (and if you're not, shame on you) she's hosting a giveaway RIGHT NOW for LadyBird Land.   Run, don't walk, to check out her amazing store.

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So, that's my list for today.   Please tell me about the awesome places you go, too.   

FULL DISCLOSURE:   I wasn't compensated or even prompted to talk about anything in this post.  I did this all on my own because I'm all about spreading the AWESOME around.