June Around The Web

Recapping the month these days feels so different. With so much happening there is a lot, and many necessary things, to take in and learn and grow from. I’ve been reading a lot, participating in a listening series on racism in Kansas City put on by the KC Chamber, and have still been working from home during the pandemic. Growth is happening all around us, and hopefully within ourselves too, but it’s hard and some days I really do miss my normal routine. Also at the same time life continues on. This month we celebrated my sister Grace’s 16th birthday and my sister Sophie got engaged! Time is moving so fast and so slow, in many ways I can’t believe we are already headed into July but here are a few things that caught my eye this month:

Stay safe, friends!

The More of Less

Hello, friends! It’s been awhile since I recapped a book, but I recently finished The More of Less by Joshua Becker and I couldn’t help but take a few notes. This book talks about minimalism and now living with less can lead you to live a happier, more generous, life. I definitely don’t consider myself a minimalist, but I have been making an effort to be more conscious of my purchases and I found many of his points really inspiring.

Letters Are Lovely | The More of Less

If you have ever been overwhelmed by your possessions, or thought about living a more minimalist life this book should be on your list! I think this quote best sums it up:

“Liberation from the need to possess. And liberation from conforming to a society built on consumerism. This is the promise of minimalism: to rejoice at the sight of all the things we do not need. And to have our lives finally freed to pursue the things we want to do. I want you to have the same joy, to experience the same liberation.”
— Joshua Becker

Book Wish List

With the holidays right around the corner I have been gathering a book wish list to share with family and friends and I decided I would go ahead and share it here as well! I constantly add books to my Amazon wish list and usually end up buying the kindle or audible version. However, lots of these are ones where I would really love to have the hard copy. Happy shopping/reading! 

Letters Are Lovely | Book Wish List

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life

I recently finished reading Bill Burnett and Dave Evans' book Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life. It's been awhile since I last shared a book, but this was a good one. As someone who went through design school, this book made total sense. I love the idea of approaching the way you life your life with the same lens and tools used in design thinking. The authors believe that:

“A well-designed life is a life that is generative – it is constantly creative, productive, changing, evolving, and there is always the possibility of a surprise.”
— Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

Each chapter of the book ends with actionable steps and exercises you can complete to make real changes in your life. They truly embrace finding problems and deciding upon actionable solutions, not ones that are impossible due to the realities of life. One thing you can always change is your thinking. 

“Life designers don’t fight reality. They become tremendously empowered by designing their way forward no matter what. In life design, there are no wrong choices; there are no regrets. There are just prototypes, some that succeed and some that fail.”
— Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

I won't go into too many details about the exercises, but at one point you are tasked with defining your life view and your work view. The most interesting part of this exercise is seeing where the two overlap. Ultimately, I found that this book opened me up to a completely new way of thinking in regards to goals and long-term dreams in life. By considering different realities, I was able to see that mindset and perception really are the concepts that define how we view our lives. If you are in a period of transition (like I am this year), or pondering your career path, or even happy with your current state of affairs I still recommend this book for the insights it gives into using design thinking and theory to embrace the joy and enjoy the process of life. Happy reading!

July Around The Web

Happy Monday, friends! I'm not quite ready for these long summer days to head into Fall – I have loved all my July adventures. This month began celebrating my friend's wedding in Lawrence, and was followed by a weekend at home in St. Louis and then two lake weekends in a row. The first was spent at Dale's parents home at Lake Winnebago, and last weekend I enjoyed the unseasonable cool weather crafting and boating at Turkey Hill. At work I have been busy executing Mother's Day cards for next year, including lots of designs featuring my hand lettering! This month did not disappoint around the web. I'm dreaming of trying this Rosé and Blood Orange Sgroppino recipe this weekend...

Letters Are Lovely | July Around The Web

Here are my other favorite finds this month:

Until next month, enjoy!