Studio Vibes

A tale of a tortilla
A tale of a tortilla
I genuinely thought this past week was launch week. I had the date locked in my brain like a countdown I couldn't turn off. And then I looked at the... Read more...
A garage door battery, beef stew, and June 3rd
A garage door battery, beef stew, and June 3rd
Five ends on one candle, a client message that stopped me in my tracks, and the collection I've been quietly painting in every spare minute — plus the meals getting... Read more...
A Sunday from the 1990s
A Sunday from the 1990s
A Sunday I mostly lost track of my family (in the best way), three lasagnas in the name of science, watercolor woodland animals layer by layer, and a small Lego... Read more...
Miranda Priestly has opinions
Miranda Priestly has opinions
Out of creative winter and into spring mode — what happened when I finally just picked up a brush with no expectations, the woodland creature request that gave me a... Read more...
The Year I Stop Waiting to Feel Ready
The Year I Stop Waiting to Feel Ready
I did something a little scary last week. I signed up for Emily Jeffords' Making Art Work course — something that's been on my vision board for a year —... Read more...
The Turkeys (trust the mystery)
The Turkeys (trust the mystery)
Back from Paris with jet lag, five kinds of French butter, and a Monet obsession I didn't see coming. Studio Vibes bonus edition. Read more...
I named my AI bot Manon. IYKYK.
I named my AI bot Manon. IYKYK.
Why the Sarah J. Maas Call Her Daddy episode hit differently, big feelings about AI and what I'm actually using it for, Molly Yeh's farro bowls paired with Pinch of... Read more...
Justice for February birthdays
Justice for February birthdays
February always disappears too fast — especially when it’s your birthday month. Between ice cream negotiations, studio automations, casseroles, and dreaming of Paris, here’s what’s happening behind the scenes at... Read more...
2026, but make it handmade
2026, but make it handmade
I quit Adobe Illustrator and leaned fully into the handmade vibe of 2026. This week’s studio notes include watercolor experiments inspired by William Morris, sewing curiosities, tomato soup redemption, and... Read more...
You don't need the whole staircase
You don't need the whole staircase
February didn’t start the way I expected. Instead of resolutions and fresh enthusiasm, everything feels heavy — and I know I’m not alone in that. This letter is a reminder... Read more...
Vacation Planning Spreadsheets are BACK...& Type A messes
Vacation Planning Spreadsheets are BACK...& Type A messes
A little newness, a Substack experiment, a freshly reset studio, vacation spreadsheets making a comeback, and what’s cooking, reading, and inspiring me as 2026 unfolds. Read more...
Subject Erm, no ❤️ to New Year resolutions
Subject Erm, no ❤️ to New Year resolutions
A slow start to the new year, a word-of-the-year bracelet crisis, a pricing manifesto in the works, and the great cinnamon–cardamom mix-up of Christmas morning—welcome to the studio. Read more...
What if your New Year started… later?
What if your New Year started… later?
I’ve been busy writing down intentions for the new year and burning one each night like a little wish witch. Resolutions? Stuffy.Burning an intention every night? Mysterious. Fun. Slightly dramatic. More of that energy... Read more...
How a cooking show summed up 2025
How a cooking show summed up 2025
Wow. It’s almost the end of the year! I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but here we are. I’m popping in with a last call for art prints, some suggestions... Read more...
Should we talk about the cinnamon roll focaccia?
Should we talk about the cinnamon roll focaccia?
I somehow convinced myself this was the first Tuesday of the month but - plot twist - it’s actually the second?? Time is hilarious. Blink twice and it’ll be 2026 and we’ll... Read more...
The only email today that won't spike your cortisol
The only email today that won't spike your cortisol
Happy Tuesday, friend! The holiday week is officially ON, which means one of two things is true for you right now: You’re off work and blissfully existing with your only responsibility of... Read more...
Who gave November permission to be this fast?
Who gave November permission to be this fast?
I’m in full holiday prep mode over here — which means the shop is, too! My holiday sale will run November 25–December 2, and I’ll send your discount code straight to your inbox next... Read more...
Flat tires and caterpillars
Flat tires and caterpillars
It’s been a shockingly busy post-launch season over here. You know that “calm before the holiday storm” everyone talks about? Yeah I stuffed mine with a full collection launch and... Read more...
Your $10 gin fizz moment
Your $10 gin fizz moment
This weekend, we had one of those rare unicorn moments: a child-free afternoon out. Naturally we celebrated the only way two tired parents know how – by showing up to... Read more...
Your art crush just called
Your art crush just called
What a wonderful feeling… the Wonder Collection is live! And I won’t delay the best part: your secret discount code to shop the new launch (and all the pieces) during... Read more...
That time Samin Nosrat and I talked tablecloths
That time Samin Nosrat and I talked tablecloths
Two major things happened recently: 1️⃣ the launch of the Wonder Collection and 2️⃣ I (kind of) had a conversation with Samin Nosrat. She read my question about her ideal... Read more...
Pretzel bites, a wood joke, and launch prep
Pretzel bites, a wood joke, and launch prep
Last week’s newsletter spilled the tea: the Wonder Collection launches October 21. Meanwhile, my studio is a wild swirl of mockups, test prints, color tweaks, admin tasks, and yes —... Read more...
My therapist would have a field day with this one.
My therapist would have a field day with this one.
Ever had a moment where your brain goes off its rails, and even your therapist would raise an eyebrow? That’s exactly what happened to me this week, and I’m here... Read more...
Elle Woods Energy 💗
Elle Woods Energy 💗
Rolling into launch season like Elle Woods marching into Harvard — with hot pink pens, layers of scans, imperfect brushstrokes, and a whole lot of heart. Editing, dreaming, and behind-the-scenes... Read more...
The not-cute stage of painting (and meal planning)
The not-cute stage of painting (and meal planning)
If your creative process (or dinner routine) feels like the awkward “bangs growing out” phase...welcome, you’re in the right place. From watercolor flops to weeknight meal slumps, I share why... Read more...
Scatterbrained mom, reporting for duty.
Scatterbrained mom, reporting for duty.
It started with a missing backpack (and a preschooler carrying my “smash the patriarchy” water bottle into class 😅). But what began as a Monday morning fail turned into a... Read more...
Why I hung up a bulletin board (a year late) + a sugar cookie of a book
Why I hung up a bulletin board (a year late) + a sugar cookie of a book
Sometimes the best perspective comes from looking back. After letting a bulletin board sit on my studio floor for a year, I finally hung it up—only to find that seeing... Read more...
Forgive me, Italy - a new dinner idea and a surprise art sale
Forgive me, Italy - a new dinner idea and a surprise art sale
Inside this behind-the-scenes studio update: new art print duos (hello, Safari Jungle and Sports collections), cozy weeknight dinner recipes, back-to-school energy, and a reminder to say yes to your own... Read more...
Inside: my no-stress dinner menu & behind-the-scenes sewing fails
Inside: my no-stress dinner menu & behind-the-scenes sewing fails
Get my behind-the-scenes look at designing and sewing my first-ever tablecloth (spoiler: it’s perfectly imperfect!), plus a full easy dinner party menu, mindset shifts from my latest read, and a... Read more...
Girls’ night prep, tomato fabric edition 🍷
Girls’ night prep, tomato fabric edition 🍷
I just got back from a family trip to Boston—and while it was the perfect brain-break, the week leading up to it? A mad scramble. Between wrapping up work, dodging... Read more...
Summer Art Projects, Party Snacks, and My Favorite Book-as-Food Ratings
Summer Art Projects, Party Snacks, and My Favorite Book-as-Food Ratings
Hi friend, Now that the ABC 123 collection is officially live—and the subscribers only sale ends tonight!—I’ve been turning my attention to a few fresh updates behind the scenes, and I’m excited to... Read more...
ABC Collection Release Date + Return to the Blog Era where newsletters > doomscrolling
ABC Collection Release Date + Return to the Blog Era where newsletters > doomscrolling
Let’s talk about time. More specifically—how we use the teeny tiny pockets of it between the big stuff: work, parenting, dinner, laundry, grocery runs. These days, I don’t get hours... Read more...
ABCs, promiscuous pasta, and a caviar power outage adventure
ABCs, promiscuous pasta, and a caviar power outage adventure
I’ve been deep in the editing trenches, fine-tuning the ABC series so it looks just as vibrant in print as it does on my painting table. Truthfully, painting is about... Read more...
A Surprise Sale, 280 Files, 10 Hours, and a Whole Lot of Heart
A Surprise Sale, 280 Files, 10 Hours, and a Whole Lot of Heart
Let’s talk about passive income—it might sound dreamy, but behind every “easy” digital download is a whole lot of work. Over the past week, I processed 280+ files for 14 baby animals,... Read more...
Free Class Drop: Learn to Watercolor a Recipe! 🎨 + a summer peach drink
Free Class Drop: Learn to Watercolor a Recipe! 🎨 + a summer peach drink
Happy bonus newsletter day! I have something new to share—and it’s a good one. Last week, I taught a watercolor lunch-and-learn at my architecture firm. We painted a grassy landscape,... Read more...
Store-Bought is Fine… But Handmade is Better
Store-Bought is Fine… But Handmade is Better
A wild hare that resulted in ABCs and 123s, plus how imperfect humans are greater than AI. I’ve been thinking about the role of AI in art. I strongly considered... Read more...
Garden Party Patterns & Learning to Sew
Garden Party Patterns & Learning to Sew
Lately, I’ve been waking up at 5 AM to paint, and it’s quickly becoming my favorite part of the day. The house is quiet (Bonnie is FINALLY sleeping past 6am), the world... Read more...
A tablecloth fit for a backyard garden party
A tablecloth fit for a backyard garden party
2025 goal: host a dinner party on a tablecloth I designed. t’s been a while since I’ve made something just for me. Over the past two years, I’ve refreshed older... Read more...
A sewing experiment, new art, and a 2025 dinner party resolution.
A sewing experiment, new art, and a 2025 dinner party resolution.
Instead of jumping headfirst into resolutions on January 1, I’m embracing a slower start—January as hibernation, February as awakening, and March as full momentum.  Read more...