capital LMT!

me.  licensed.  officially.  yessssss....

sunblock, episode 3. a 2-fer

this is a pretty great lotion, if you're prepared for how fluid it is.  i was not.  and half my sample runneth over onto my bathroom floor.  3 oz for $34 is beyond my price range.  shisheido ultimate sun protection lotion is quite lovely for your moisturizing and sunblockey needs.  and spf 60 is as high as you can go without getting screwed on prices above the magic number of spf 60.  if you're a fan of this brand, you won't be disappointed.








i'm a big fan of this stuff.  nice, soft, matte finish - but the low spf 15 is a deal breaker for this girl.  plus $42 for less than 2 ounces really hurts my feelings.  if this was spf 45, i would consider, but aveeno's spf 30 is doing me real fine at the moment for $10.
















i really super bad want to find a natural sunblock in the spf 45 range, but i have yet to find non sticky, non stinky coverage that isn't as good as the old faithful... this neutrogena is my most favoritest.  $9 for 5 oz!  i'd also like to try the aveeno version of this in the same price range.

i have a logo!!!! (now i need a license.)

as i tap dance around my house impatiently "waiting" for notification of my licensing approval, i'm trying to create forms, signup sheets, and line up some work.  i also needed business cards, thank you notes, and the little teensy details that make a business.  oh, and a little brand recognition might help.... therefore, i enlisted the services of my friend James at LaCroix Design.  when your friends help you out with their professional and creative services - it's such a humbling gift.  i was blown away by James' enthusiasm to make me a logo.  let's be honest, i cried when i got to my car after seeing his work.  not because i am a melty wuss, but because he truly cared about what i wanted to do.  plus, it's always FUN to work with your friends.  i am continually stunned at the talent that surrounds me here in nashville.


i will now brag on James.  we go back a few years, but both ditched the music business and sort of lost touch.  when i contacted him needing help with my new logo & identity, he jumped.  i was thrilled, especially after nosing thru his site!  (his work speaks for itself - i would preach on, but you can see i don't need to.)  


it's a bizarre process, this branding thing.  unlimited options overwhelm me.  i baby-stepped it from there.  i found a tablecloth with the colors and texture i liked.  this tablecloth is now a drape in my home studio.  use what you like, i say.  i knew i wanted the color pallet from the tablecloth with the imagery of leaves.  i learned about leaves and essential oils in my aromatherapy class and was blown away by their healing properties.  i searched out images of these healers... eucalyptus, comfrey, olive, arnica, barberry.  i emailed him some zip files of the color pallet, the tablecloth, and leaves.  "here are things i like.  i want it to be simple and classy."  i'd like to be an idea person, and sometimes i am, but for the most part i am a planner, a finisher, a completer, a fixer.  logos are out of my creative strengths.  and i tell myself that's ok.


we then met up a week later.  he showed me a few ideas, but i knew the first one was what i wanted.  you can see his work on my logo here.  the 2nd attachment was the first one he showed me - and i thought to myself, "self, that one would be perfect if it was in a square."  i loved that it looked like a seal or stamp.  OMG I CAN MAKE A STAMP AND STAMP THINGS.... (i love and delight in the little things) and he even made me a pattern!  we chose pantone colors, a business card layout, etc.  


he loves the mathematics of design.  i love the elements of line & repetition.  he either read my mind, or intuitively knew what i needed even if i couldn't verbalize it.  even the leaf is based on one of my favorites, the eucalyptus, which has wonderful healing properties.


and so cheers to you, my friend, James LaCroix.  and dear internet universe, hire this fella.  you will be thrilled you did.  

quitter!

so my beloved friends over at BGLU have decided to read Jon Acuff's book, Quitter, and chronicle their journey.  since i already quit my money job to go to africa, came home and wondered how i was going to make a living, and then went back to school to become an LMT, i can say with a smile that i am already a quitter.  but i want to read it anyhoo, because i love a good dose of encouragement.  especially as i start my own little business.  read along with Tia & Toya - they are hard at work to whip their side hustle into their full on dream job.  and i may put in my 2 cents.  


ok, let's be honest.  i will totally put in my 2 cents.


i hope parents don't hate me, because i think everyone should quit their job to go to africa and then sit around wondering what it is they really want to do... how they really want to invest their lives...  to be in a spot where they must figure out what their mission(s?) really are - in their very guts and not just what someone tells them.  


total random side note:  the best roadie shirt i ever saw in my former touring life?  "rehab is for quitters."  it still makes me chuckle.