Dear Friend, || Stationery Favorites With Lauren Of Chic Éthique

If you've been visiting for awhile, you may have gathered that I  l o v e  writing letters. Sending and receiving mail is such a fun & beautiful way to connect with friends, family, or even people you haven't met. A couple years ago I started sending thank you cards to lovely people who have said kind words about my music. To my surprise, many started asking if they could send me mail too! My love for writing & storytelling only grew as I started exchanging mail with wonderful & inspiring people I have yet to meet face to face. A kindred spirit, Lauren of Chic Éthique, and I met through social media last year and have loved exchanging mail since. Her blog is filled with beautiful photos and the best recommendations for just about anything you can think of! She is so lovely & inspiring, I know you will adore her as much as I do! Because we both share a love for writing letters, we thought it would be fun to share our favorite stationery with you. 

            Rifle Paper Co., Parisian Foil Assorted Card Set

For as long as I can remember, my friends and I have always exchanged letters, even when we saw each other in person on a regular basis. At school we'd leave envelopes in each other's lockers filled with memories, secrets, and jokes that only we could ever understand. We passed notes in class and made birthday cards celebrating every adventure we had that year. Most of my teenage years are documented in written words exchanged between those who experienced them alongside me...I wouldn't have it any other way. Among the letters I've kept in a box of favorite memories, there is one in particular I know I will cherish forever...

Molly & Rex Notecards available at Barnes & Noble

Upon high school graduation, an unexpected letter arrived...one written in handwriting that looked vaguely familiar. As I read: "Dear Hayley, How are you? I have about a million questions to ask..." I immediately flashed back to my first day of high school. I remembered sitting on the gym floor surrounded by classmates I barely knew the names of, waiting to be given a blank piece of paper, and pondering what I wanted to say in a letter to my future-self. Four years later, I had this letter in my hands, made up of words laced with innocence, hope, and excitement.

Punch Studio Notecards available at Barnes & Noble

I'm so thankful I wrote that letter, that I have a souvenir from a precious moment in time. That's what letters are don't you think? Souvenirs commemorating moments you felt one way or another. I've adopted the habit of writing a letter every time I have a story to tell someone, a thought to share, or words I wish I had the courage to say out loud to them. In fact, I've written quite a few letters I've never sent. Sometimes it's enough to just to write a letter and pretend it was delivered to the mailbox of the person you wrote it to. 

However, most of the time, I do send the letters I write - like this one :) I got this card with Lauren in mind as it is her birthday this month! I'm truly grateful for the opportunity to connect with kindred spirits like her. And of course, for the simple joy of writing down how you feel at the exact moment you feel it ❤️

Please be sure wish lovely Lauren at Chic Éthique a happy birthday & take peek at her favorite stationery as well as her links! // Instagram: @chicethique | Twitter: @chicethique | Facebook | YouTube | Pinterest | Snapchat: @flowerchildmuse

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Summer Celebrations

Hello Friends! How has your summer been so far? Mine has been absolutely lovely. I've been spending my days in the studio recording a few of my most personal songs. I've gotten completely lost in the creative process in the best way...to say I'm elated to share these songs with you would be an understatement. I  c a n t  wait! 

When I'm not in the studio, I've been soaking up as much summer sun as possible.  I've been trying to find simple ways to celebrate summer everyday which means a lot of neighborhood walks, late afternoon swims, and ice cream runs. Today was National Ice Cream Day which made it quite easy to find a way to celebrate summer: pistachio ice cream, rainbow sprinkles, and some brownies for good measure :) 

Summer has always been such an important season to me. For as long as I can remember, some of my most cherished memories have taken place during this time of year. When I was 8, my mom and I would spend summer days walking to CD Warehouse (oh how I wish it still existed!) We'd browse through all the albums and I'd undoubtedly come home with a new single to pop in my portable CD player. 

Middle school summers were filled with innocence and adventures, visiting Barnes & Noble to pick up the latest issue of Teen Vogue and staying up way too late. 

Summers in high school were particularly memorable - filled with young love, magic, and wishing September would never arrive. Nowadays, I still feel the remnants of past summers when June comes around and some how, I feel as though this season holds the most possibility for unexpected surprises & once upon a time's. 

"There's this magical sense of possibility that stretches like a bridge between June and August. A sense that anything can happen." - Aimee Friedman

Because I have such wonderful memories of summer, I've always felt it was an important time of year to celebrate, even if only in the simplest of ways. And inevitably, by celebrating the simple joys of summer, by the end of August you'll find yourself with beautiful memories - ones worth writing songs about :) 

I hope you are having an unforgettable summer so far. Do you have any special summer memories? I would love to hear about them 💕