everything you can imagine is real

A few weeks ago I got to experience something really amazing! I got to attend The Atelier conference here in Toronto at Evergreen Brickworks, and it was *magical*

My wonderful friend Ericka from work and I attended together and it was such a special, inspiring day that I felt I really needed. The past three months of work have been non stop as I was planning my biggest event of the year, a charity event in support of SickKids. The event was a huge hit and after a last minute date change (due to the crazy rainy weather we'd be having) this conference ended up taking place the day before!

Thankfully, I was still able to enjoy the event regardless of everything else that was going on during that time. Since getting pregnant, I really wasn't feeling myself and letting my usual creative juices flow to the extent they usually do. Now that I am into the second trimester and HALF way there (omg!) I have more energy to focus on these things.

I find that going to events like these, where people you admire talk about their struggles and successes is always good for the soul. Hearing from so many wonderful people really made me excited for some things to come!

I have so many special moments to highlight but the main two for me would be:
1) Meeting and getting to chat with Sarah Nicole of The Birds Papaya (omg, I can't even)
+ 2) When Jillian Harris WAVED TO ME and said MY DRESS WAS CUTE (!!!) zero chill.

The theme of the event was LIMITLESS which I loved.

lim·it·less

/ˈlimitləs/

Learn to pronounce

adjective

1. without end, limit, or boundary.

Honestly, the conference was so well done. Everything was beautiful, just perfect. The food and drinks were awesome, you could get your hair and makeup done, there were flowers everywhere, everyone who was attending looked soooo pretty (and lots of other moms to be) there were amazing brands and small businesses there. I would definitely recommend this conference, it was just lovely. ♥

1. 
   

1. I took lots of notes during the conference, a lot of which were things I probably already knew but loved hearing again. Lots of amazing quotes and words of affirmation from great people. I thought it would be fun to share these with you all!
2. 
   
3. + All that is possible is possible for you
4. + Have continuous quality time with yourself // self check-ins
5. + Everyone deserves to feel - loved - respected - heard
6. + Own who you are, live authentically
7. + Come as you are
8. +Your body is the least interesting part about you
9. + Every single day you make decisions for yourself
10. + Strength is getting back up
11. + Know who your people are
12. + Comparison is the thief of joy
13. + Everyones success looks different than yours
14. + Honour each other, be happy for one another
15. + BLESS EM AND BLOCK EM
16. + Lead with love (cc: Coach Carey, who is so amazing!)
    + Find success in your failures
17. + Just ask, you've got nothing to lose
18. + Spend time with people who are uplifting
19. + Happy people make people happy
20. + No one can be you
    + No ones got their shit together
21. + Fake it 'till you make it
22. + Find the balance
23. + Don't be afraid to fail

+ make lemonade +

happy monday :) - it's a chilly day in toronto (finally) and i'm so excited to share this post with you all, because it makes me very excited.

when i first heard of make lemonade i knew it would be a place that would instantly excite and inspire me, even hearing about the concept got me beyond pumped!

"Make Lemonade is a brand new, coworking space for women, in the heart of Toronto. Born from the idea that creating your destiny can’t be store bought, we’re on a mission to create a community of driven women who create, dream and get.sh*t.done"

last week i got to visit this gorgeous space in the heart of downtown toronto, and meet with rachel who is the talented gal behind it all. rachel was even more lovely, kind and inspiring then i could have imagined. it was so great to be able to chat with her and find out all about how make lemonade came to be, and hear more about her hopes for the future and sheer excitement of the response so far.

when i told rachel about my blog & brand, i explained how much supporting local, our community and uplifting others meant to me. toronto (& beyond!) is filled with so many creative women who i've been able to connect with in some capacity. i love seeing places like this pop up to help connect us all, and i personally left there feeling eager and excited.

make lemonade is a gorgeous, inspiring, cute-as-can-be space for women in toronto and i can't wait to head back soon! looking forward to planning some events with make lemonade & my work! also can't wait to head back to attend some of the amazing events that will be happening at the space in the coming months

follow make lemonade on instagram for some inspiration, and if you live in and around toronto you can stop by for a tour on monday, wednesday or friday at 11am -- there are lots of really cool events happening as well so keep up to date on those! so exciteddddd.

& now, a speak inside make lemonade:

This Can Be Beautiful

H E L L O  G O R G E O U S ♥

// Ok, so it seems like I blinked and we're more than half way through October. It's been almost two weeks since my last blog post (sorry!) and it's been an insane couple of weeks for sure.

So, I've gotta gush over this book because it was written by one of my favourite humans of ALL TIME! If you don't know who Tiffany Pratt is yet - it's time you got to know her. I've been following along on Tiff's crafty adventures for a few years now and have had the pleasure to get to know her IRL. What I love about Tiff is that she as beautiful, creative, positive, exciting and inspiring in real life as she is on her Instagram, on TV and in her book!

She's got a zest for life like no one I've ever met and what she creates is beyond incredible. Her world is filled with colour, patterns and GLITTER (can you tell why we get along so well!?) 

Basically what I am trying to say is, Tiffany Pratt is my spirit animal.

She inspires me to follow my dreams, to make, to create, and to live a life of colour and love. Tiffany just came out with her first ever book and it is literally a dream come true. It's filled with the most magical DIY's, and beautiful colours, confetti and you guessed it -- GLITTER! Tiff proves that everyone can be crafty and creative and that you don't need to be Martha Stewart to make beautiful things. 

The book is filled with crafts to try at home like tie dye sheets, salt bath, hair powder, body scrub, streamers, candy heart studs, donut hole necklaces and so much more!

Here is a quote I love from the end of the book:

"This Can Be Beautiful is about returning to our true and little selves. It's about loving and accepting who we are, and making magic with the tools we have at hand. Children can make something out of nothing every time. They can turn a stick into a wand and wish on a petal. And, now, as your fairy godmother of glitter, I wish for you to take steps every day to return to a place inside of yourself and the place inside your home that is filled with treasures ready for you to celebrate and use. Embrace the life you always wanted while using what you already have. Wave your own magic wand, become your own fairy godmother, and little by little, develop that mantra for yourself. All you have to do is remember: This Can Be Beautiful"

I'm so glad I am blessed to know the magical human who is Tiff and I hope you will let her full your life with joy and love. You can get a copy of Tiff's book on Amazon & Chapters/Indigo and you can follow along on Tiffany Pratt's adventures on here Instagram and on her new&lovely website

*Thank you for being you Tiff, you make the world a better, happier, more sparkly place!*

inspiration to write your 2016 goals!

h a p p y   t h u r s d a y ♥

I wanted to share a little inspiration for you guys to start your 2016 off right! I will be sharing my goals later this week and these 5 people were all big inspirations for me while doing so!

1. Tiffany Pratt's Creative Morning Podcast!
So, my girl Tiff is a magical unicorn and explosion of happiness and sparkles. And since she came in to my life I've most definitely known that to the extreme. One of my 2016 goals is to listen to more podcasts and when my work bestie Amy sent me Tiffany's creative mornings podcast, I listened to it right away. I knew Tiff was an amazing soul but this podcast inspired me beyond belief! Tiff's outlook on creativity, art and the world will do nothing but inspire you in ways you couldn't imagine. She believes that we're all artists, and that we can be whatever we want to be no matter the circumstance. I laughed, I smiled and I cried during this podcast.

2. This Renegade Loves 35 before 35 List! 
Lauren is such a cool girl. Legit the definition of #GirlBoss and she just radiates good vibes. I got to meet her a few years ago at a blog conference, and since then have been following her journey online through her instagram & blog. In 2015 Lauren turned This Renegade Love from her hobby to her career, and she has inspired so many people along the way (including me of course!) One thing that she posted a while back really got me excited and ambitious and that was her 35 before 35 list - this list of goals really got me thinking! It was different than most I see and had such a variety of different  things, some HUGE goals, some adventurous, some personal but all so special. Follow Lauren on all outlets to constantly feel engaged, refreshed and inspired.

3. Two Canadian babes who started their own Coffee company! Calgary Heritage Roasting Co
One of my very wonderful, handsome and ambitious friends Mike and his pal Jamie followed their dream and opened their own Coffee Company out of Calgary, Alberta. When I first talked to Mike and learned that this was happening, I was beyond stoked! Not just because coffee is one of my one true loves, but because I loved the idea of two young people following their dream and making it a reality. When I hear of stories like this from people in my life, it inspires me even more. In just a few short months these guys spread the word around western Canada about their love of coffee roasting and creating a coffee that is described as "the home-grown, outback, rugged, mountain-fresh, clear skies sort of thing that Alberta is all about" - Check these dudes out for some serious inspiration, and follow their instagram too because the photos are simply perfect.

4. The Nectar Collective's full time blogging success!
Melyssa of Nectar Collective is my go-to girl when it comes to learning about growing my blog, instagram or getting inspired to do so. Her posts are always so well thought out, and filled with useful exciting information that leave me wanting more. I think the fact she is so candid and honest about her success really lets us trust her and want to listen to what she has to say. I find myself on her blog very often, and wanting to read every post because I am so in awe of how useful the information is. From something so simple as the best hashtags to use on instagram, to something as big as how to earn $1000 from your blog in the next 60 days what ever the subject, I am all ears!

5. Kyla Roma's advice on small business & blogging growth!
Kyla is so cool. I have followed her blog for years and recently just re-discovered her and remembered how wonderful she is. She has created a life of helping people with their small business, blogs and branding and she really rocks at it. Her posts are thoughtful, educational and inspiring. After spending some time reading them this week and bookmarking her blog, I felt even more stoked for 2016 and all it has to offer. You can always learn something new by reading Kyla's posts and she also has cool free workbooks (my weekend plans) and challenges to keep you on track. Start 2016 with a bang by getting connected with Kyla!

Happy New Year - Resolution/Goal Setting!

*Happy New Year Everyone! *

2015 was probably one of my best years to date - it was filled with so many special moments and all in all I feel beyond lucky for what I experienced through out the year.

Obviously getting engaged to Pete was by far my favourite moment of 2015! I am looking forward to doing a wrap up post of my favourite moments of 2015 and reflecting on such an incredible year.

So with a new year comes a new list of challenges, adventures and goals. This is my favourite part! I've spent some time the past few weeks thinking of my goals for 2016. Everyone chooses what is best for them when it comes to looking at the year ahead - some like to make resolutions, some make goals, some want to keep things as they are because life is just too good.

Ever since I started this blog I have done my goals for the year and it's something I always look forward to, especially after Christmas is over. Take a look at my 2015 goals to get an idea of how ambitious I can get (haha) - Also, for the past two years I've chosen to do a word for the year - In 2014 my word was Dedication and my word for 2015 was Gratitude - I will be posting my 2016 word along with my goals in the next week!

So what works best for you? Setting goals? resolutions? or both? Looking forward to another amazing year and feeling more inspired than ever (as Pete and I look up healthy recipes, open our new blender and read joyous health!) 

goal

ɡōl/

noun

1. 1. 

   (in football, soccer, rugby, hockey, and some other games) a pair of posts linked by a crossbar and often with a net attached behind it, forming a space into or over which the ball has to be sent in order to score.
2. 2. 

   the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.

   "going to law school has become the most important goal in his life"

   
   

res·o·lu·tion

ˌrezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/

noun

1. 1. 

   a firm decision to do or not to do something.

   "she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more"

   synonyms:

   intention, resolve, decision, intent, aim, plan; More
2. 2. 

   the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter.

   "the peaceful resolution of all disputes"

Christmas Quotes!

Oh hello there, well that last week went by lightning fast! Can you believe that it's already December 8th? Oooh baby, here we go! I've got one fun-filled week in store!

Our next couple of weeks are seriously jam packed but I wouldn't have it any other way! So many amazing things to look forward to ♥

One of my favourite things about Christmas is reflecting on the joy & love we get to feel an extra amount around this time of year. With that, I wanted to share some of the most magical, beautiful, Christmas quotes.

In the photo above I doodled one of my favourites & here are some more:

"My idea of Christmas whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: LOVING OTHERS, come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" - Bob Hope

"Christmas isn't a season, it's a feeling" - Edna Ferber

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." - Calvin Coolidge

"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." - Charles M. Schulz"

"Don't let the past steal your present. This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone." - Taylor Caldwell

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”  - Charles Dickens

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ” - Norman Vincent Peale

Etsy 30 Day Challenge With Hey Jules!

Oh hello there, I've got some very exciting news that I am beyond thrilled to (finally) share! I have been selected by Etsy to host the Etsy 30 Day Challenge and I could not be more excited about this adventure!

What is the 30 day challenge? First off, definitely take a few minutes to check out the site for all the details, but to sum it up for you: I am going to be opening my own shop in 30 days! I will follow 8 different lessons to get me ready to make a dream I've had for a while finally come true. There will be 8 lessons & videos (starring yours truly) talking about the lessons & sharing some tips. There will be mentors to offer advice and support and a wicked awesome Facebook Group where myself and other creatives will be posting about their progress, ideas and all things related to the challenge! I am excited to support others with a similar dream to make it happen! I will also be posting my progress, struggles, ideas and more on this little blog here.

I've really thought about opening an Etsy shop for a while now. At first I wasn't too sure what I'd sell, but in the past year I've realized how much I love to write and create pretty things and knew this is what I would do when thinking about what to sell in my shop. I've done some thinking about what I want to create, but I am still in the very early stages and will be really taking this challenge and crushing it out. I've had the thought so many times before, and have even had it on some of my goal lists (like yearly goals, things to do birthday my birthday etc) The 30 Day Challenge is literally the exact push I need to MAKE THIS FINALLY HAPPEN!

Have you or anyone you know ever thought about opening your own shop? I'd love for you to join me! Join & like the Facebook Group and sign up for the challenge if you're up for this!

I will be updating all my social media outlets throughout my etsy adventure, follow along ♥ :

Instagram (personal account)// @heyjulesxo 

Instagram (crafty/etsy account) // @cutebyjules

Twitter // @heyjulesxo

Facebook (hey jules) /HeyJulesBlog

Facebook (30 day etsy challenge) /HeyJulesEtsyChallenge

Cute By Jules - Sneak Peak!

Monday, let's do this.

Today was VERY Monday, if you know what I mean. I am excited to share this post with you guys because it's something I've been spending a lot of my time doing lately! Hand lettering quotes and lyrics and gearing up to make some prints very soon.

Remember how I've mentioned that I am working on something exciting with ETSY? Well here is a sneak peak for you guys! I will be posting more about all of this very soon, can't wait to share more! In the mean time, please follow me on my crafty adventure on Instagram @cutebyjules