Here's to a Good Year (+ Bedhead)

Dear twenty seventeen,

You have been a good one. I've had my ups and downs during your rotation around the sun, but all in all they've helped me grow and get to a really good place.

Most of my bumps were adjustments: adjusting to moving home after living away for school, adjusting to doing work from home and not having classes to go to, adjusting to new work roles and juggling a plethora of tasks, adjusting to my fella being back in school, adjusting adjusting adjusting.

That being said, I also have come to accept myself on many levels this year, and that's a really important feeling for me. I started my Bedhead project during a low period, which has greatly changed the way I see myself and my appearance (read about it here, and more on that another time!). I grew out my armpit hair, I gained weight and didn't wish to get rid of it right away, I am kinder in my words to myself, and I am able to accept all the moods and feelings and ways of being that make me, me.

One of my big realizations has been that being "sensitive" (highly emotional? feeling things deeply? however you want to put it) is my strength. Not a weakness! The difference is really just a change in perspective: being sensitive and emotionally aware helps me so much in my work with persons with dementia. I wouldn't be as good at my job if I weren't sensitive. It also helps me form really honest relationships with those around me: if I can pinpoint my emotions instead of ignoring them, I can help myself and others work through them with me. It is so freeing to look at this as a strength!

In 2017 I was able to create freely, work for amazing clients, join a research team that is doing amazing things with relational caring in long term care, hone new skills and rekindle old ones, continue loving the most amazing guy, spend time with my wonderful family and friends, take a risk and chop off my hair, and so much more. So here's to you, 2017! Thank you for a good spin.

And for 2018? I hope to floss more. I hope to use my phone less. I hope to write more. I hope to overthink less. I hope to learn more. I hope to consume less. I hope to read more. I hope to watch TV less. I hope to love more! I hope to stress less. I hope to work out more. I hope to procrastinate less.

What do you hope for, for 2018?

Why I am returning to my Year of Thrift Manifesto (with an update!)

In 2015 I wrote my Year of Thrift Manifesto outlining my plan to buy my clothing only second hand or handmade, allowing for a few functional exceptions I had decided upon based on experience and common sense (second hand undies? an obvious no-go). Part of my manifesto covered body products as well - essentially expressing that I wanted to eliminate bad chemicals and nasty stuff from my body/face/hair care and makeup routine. I pretty much succeeded, save for one sweater I accidentally bought but waited until 2016 to actually wear. In 2015 I found good alternatives for my beauty products, and have since continued with my use of only natural products. I have however since shopped in several mainstream stores. It has left me feeling really, really conflicted.

(A recently thrifted necklace + sweater.)

I really want to own quality, long-lasting clothing. Garments made of good materials that fit me nicely and make me feel fabulous. Of course I do! Most of us do. Sometimes you don't find this thrifting (but sometimes you do!). Unfortunately I began itching to upgrade from my current wardrobe. So I bought a few things, albeit decent quality items. It still made me feel kind of icky. I still feel as though I'm doing something wrong when I buy a shirt so cheap that I can't help but wonder which part of the process the company cuts corners on, or a gorgeous jacket from a company that I know steals from independent artists and small businesses. And those aren't nice things to be wondering about.

An update that I want to make to my Manifesto is the primary goal of not buying. Not only do I want to shop wisely and well, I want to shop way way way less. One of the side effects of thrifting is you feel like maybe you can buy more.... or is it just that I LOVE clothes? ;) That being said, consuming and spending in any capacity contributes to the disposable fashion world and capitalist ways of being, and thrifting is not separate from that. Also, my bank account and my closet will thank me for keeping the former full, and the latter more spacious.

So I want to bring back the Thrifting Manifesto and not limit it to a year. What is a single year in a lifetime, anyway? I want to have a life-long, positive impact on the world and stick to my guns about how I feel about sustainability. I want to feel good about what I own. I want to help others feel good about what they own, too. This and 'self love', being the most and best me I can be, are big themes for me right now so.... here we go!

See the original Year of Thrift Manifesto here, and stay tuned for the updated list.

Have you made sustainable changes in your life recently? I'd love to hear what you've been up to!

Two FREE Holiday Printable and E-Cards!

'Tis the season for giving!

My holiday gift to you: 
Two festive collage card designs for you to use for free! Because who doesn't love a little something goofy (and strange) and totally unique amidst all your regular holiday imagery? Both designs are 100% designed by me, half collaged by hand and half digitally.

Print them out, save them to your computer, add your name, and send them out by email. Or, print the e-cards smaller and use them as gift tags! Whatever works best for you.

I'm personally emailing these out to some people who live abroad or are hard to get a hold of, and hand making the rest of my cards using recycled magazine bits and pieces. If I come up with any good designs in the rest of my card making this year, I could scan them and offer them as free printables next year - if you all like free printables/sendables and want more!

Above, you have the 'Fala lalala" design with two cheerful carollers serenading you and/or your card recipients. Below, you have the Lil Festive Yeti celebrating the seasonal precipitation (if you live north enough).

HOW TO USE:

Printables (below):
• Click on the images below and the full size file should open up for you in your web browser. Right click (or control click) to save them to your computer.
• Print the file onto an 8.5" x 11" regular printer paper.
• Cut the printed paper in half (horizontally). There is a subtle little line on each to help guide you.
• Fold your cards in half, so that the image is on the front and my 'signature' is on the back.

Each print should give you two cards with these files.

E-Cards (above):
• Click on the images below and the full size file should open up for you in your web browser. Right click (or control click) to save them to your computer.
• Open the file into your favourite photo editor and add the names and any personalized message you'd like onto the images.
• Save As a jpeg (technically pdf or png would also work)
• Attach the file to your emails as you send out holiday greetings!


Printable versions:

I hope you enjoy these designs, let me know in the comments if you plan to use one!

Happy Holidays to your and yours! xo

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Note:

These cards are free for you to use, print, or send out for the holidays. They are not for you to edit, to re-distribute, to use for commercial purposes, or to claim as your own.  Please do not remove my credit from the images. Thanks!

Trying to do the Holidays without Consumerism

I love buying gifts.

I love picking out just the right thing for so-and-so, or the perfect surprise gift for the hard-to-buy-for person on your list. I love walking into a store and looking at all the wee gift options, all the visual stimulation of pretty things. I love scouring webpages online until I find exactly what I'm looking for. It's exciting and it really puts me in the spirit of thinking of others for the holidays.

This is in direct contrast to how much I take issue with consumerism. As you know if you've been following along for a while, I am all about the thrifting and the handmade/small business shopping. Not only is it nice to support smaller companies, it also contributes to helping the environment (reuse recycle!) and not "buying in" to big chain businesses that almost definitely come with a bundle of ethical concerns.

So, how do I give gifts and not buy into buying?

(Illustration credits to Sarah Lazarovic!)

I'm not very good at it. I bought most of my gifts this year, and I ended up buying for myself too. Oops. I wrote here about a Good Gift Guide a couple of years ago, and it's still true. But I feel conflicted even in so doing. I love making gifts, but for one, that takes buying materials, and two, there are only so many scarves I can knit for loved ones before they run out of room on their necks and in their closets!


Here are some of my brainstorm ideas for how else to cut back on consuming this holiday season:

1. Do a "Secret Santa" or Gift Exchange with your family
Talk to your famjam and see if they're down for a Secret Santa or similar gift exchange this season. My cousins/aunts/uncles/grandma on one side all decided that we would do a Secret Santa where we each buy a gift for only two people. It is insane that we've been buying gifts for everyone for the last 25 or so years - the family is huge! We are spending and buying and receiving way less if we do it this way, and I think we, the universe, and all of our bank accounts are happier for it!

2. Donate. Donate. Donate.
This one was on my Good Gift Guide too, and I'm still into it! I really learned this in the last few years from my fella and his family who all have a strong belief in giving back, especially during the holidays. It is inspiring and I realize that it can mean a lot to some people. I was looking for the perfect final piece of a gift for a friend, and everything I found felt repetitive and useless. Then it clicked! A donation to a cause that is of great importance to her. Perfect cherry on top.

3. Gift experiences.
In my schooling I've come to realize that "experiences" are also a huge part of consumerism: we work to make money, we then use our money to 'better' our leisure time. Leisure and recreational activities are damn expensive. But offering them as gifts doesn't have to involve experiences that cost you anything. Gift a family member an afternoon at a gallery with you, and go on the free day! Your presence and time is the gift. Gift your lover a weekend together at one of your places (if you're like me and don't live together yet) when you can spend dedicated time just the two of you. Maybe throw in some free massage coupons and a home cooked meal ;)

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I suppose a lot of this involves having the receiver of said gift be into the idea, for it to have the same effect. This is the part I stumble over a lot. I want the gift to feel good for the recipient, and not impose my beliefs on them when it should be all about them! But at the same time, you've got to start somewhere, and who knows when you might plant the seed for change on their end, too. It's all a balance, one that I haven't really perfected yet. But here's to trying!

Thrifty Outfit: Orange and Jeans

The weather has been fluctuating between blustery, grey and cold, and then some lukewarm days where I can wear my lightest jacket - the denim patchwork kimono from my last outfit post! Most of the time, though, I'm wearing my comfy cozy jackets with faux fur that wraps around my neck and cuddles my cheeks if I zip them up all the way. This is one of those jackets!

This outfit made me feel really faboo! I don't know if it was the headband, the flare pants, or the heels (which I never wear), but I felt pretty gussied up... while also casual. Either way I felt great!

(Jacket: Black Market Clothing | Headband: St Jacob's Market | Sweater: Thrifted | Flare jeans: Secondhand | Cowboy boots: Thrifted Bag: Handmade by Cass Moy)

Total Thrift Tally: 8/8

Wahoo, a perfect score! You can't see them, but the white blouse and necklace I have on here are also thrifted. Hence the 8/8 tally here. 

These jeans were a find from my grandma's barn, where lots of my mum and aunts' clothes were stored for decades! A few things fit me just so, so I've been wearing and cherishing them ever since.

Photos taken by my talented friend Annie Somers.

Lessons from an Instagram Hiatus (+ Bedhead)

My dear friend instagram, you are that friend I love and find inspiring some days, then totally anxiety inducing the next. I find myself 'tolerating' you, more often than not. But I just can't quit ya.

Instagram was one of the reasons I started my Bedhead project in the first place. When I post flattering photos of myself, I get on average about 50% more likes than posts of my artwork do. If it's me AND my artwork? Bonus!

So what happens when I feel I can't take a flattering photo because of x y or z about my face or my body or my outfit? What happens when all these other folks are looking faboo in every post they put up and I'm left here on my end feeling real frumpy? Well, that answers it. I feel frumpy.

While the bedhead project has helped me greatly in feeling better about myself, I decided to also try a whole month without Instagram. I did this for several reasons:

• That frumpy feeling. It's no good, and the artistic or creative inspiration that instagram gives me isn't really worth that feeling.

• I spend way way way way way too much time on instagram. I tried imagining all the work I could get done or the creating I could do in the time I spend scrolling through photos of others' work and life.

• I'm working on tackling some anxieties that cause me to fidget, all the time. I constantly need my hands and eyes to be stimulated and I found that instagram was an outlet for that behaviour. Probably a relatively healthy one, but I'm trying to work on mitigating the need for that stimulation altogether.

I managed to stay off instagram for the month of October! I did check it once when someone had told me they'd sent me a message, but otherwise I deleted the app and kept it off my phone altogether.

It's hard to tell if it was instagram alone, because of other efforts towards minimizing my stress and anxious behaviours, and I moved in with my boyfriend for a October as well (as a 'trial run'... exciting stuff for another post!), but my anxieties were at an all time low! Honestly, my appearance was rarely even on my radar beyond having fun with clothes and making myself presentable for work. It was very freeing. I also found myself knitting or reading or working on school work much more deeply and frequently, without little bubbles of distraction from my phone.

As soon as I put instagram back on my phone on November 1st, I spent way too long "catching up". The feeling of being sucked right back into the app was so apparent to me, that I deleted it again the same day! I started comparing myself to others again, mainly when it comes to appearances. I started day dreaming about cutting my hair or dying it or getting a nose piercing. I've caught myself online shopping and wanting more more more, flattering outfits, trendy outfits. Something new. I don't actually want to do these things, but here they are, new ideas in my head.

I've decided not to delete instagram again, though I have been feeling very close to it. I want to learn to find the self confidence and will power to use it wisely. To use it in a way that works towards my goals: sharing my art work with followers, and engaging with other artists on the platform. That's really what I want it to serve as. So, I started by unfollowing all the beautiful fashionistas I followed. Not because I don't still love their style, but because it is damaging to me to see their feeds day in and day out on my phone.

Do you have an instagram where you share your art? I would LOVE to follow you! My instagram for my art is @katiaengell_ , and my instagram for this blog is @house.of.ell if you'd like to follow back.

Window Shopping: Gold Statement Earrings

1. Fierce Deer | 2. Natalie Catalina | 3. Gibson Vintage Shop | 4. The Galvanic Flea | 5. Bario Neal

I went through a minimalist jewellery phase, where all I wanted were little studs in geometric shapes or cool designs. Always simple; understated. Somehow in the last six months or so, I've become absolutely enamoured with gold statement earrings! Earrings with cool shapes that are relatively simple in that they are for the most part, just gold. No gems, no tassels, no colours. Just engraved and/or uniquely shaped gold metal.

Here are a few of my favourites from some online window shopping. Some vintage, some handmade!

It's funny to reflect on my own "jewellery evolution". I also had a silver phase where I was soooo not into gold. I found it tacky and not good for me. I feel the exact opposite now! While I still like silver, I find I much prefer the warmth of gold.

How about you, are you more of a silver or gold kind of person?

Thrifty Outfit: Upcycled Denim Jacket

Wahoo! It has been way too long since I've done a thrifty outfit post. When I moved to Waterloo last year for school, my focus shifted completely. Not only was I super focused on school, I didn't really have a good set up for photos or somebody to help me out with them. Also, in my spare time, I was often at work or hopping on the bus from city to city to get to work or back to school. It was a pretty wild year, and outfit photos were just not a priority. I'd like to try and post more now that I'm more settled back in Toronto again.

You may recognize the bag in these photos from my last outfit post over a year ago. My friend Cassandra made it for me out of leftover scraps from her previous projects. And we've been at it again! A couple of months ago I sent Cass a photo of a jacket that I really loved from a store that I don't love so much and don't want to give my money to. I asked her if she could make something similar for me. Now, Cass is a woman of integrity, and she told me she could make something like it but didn't want to copy someone else's design. So we started brain storming, and thinking, and dreaming up an entirely unique jacket that still fit into the style that I was hoping for.

For this jacket, we gathered pre-loved denim that was going to be thrown out if not used, and turned it into something brand new and totally perfect!

Bag: Cassandra Moy | Jacket: Cassandra Moy | Sweater: Thrifted | Scarf: Garage Sale| Pants: Urban Outfitters | Earrings: Scotch and Rye (Arts Market)

Total Thrift Tally: 5/6! 

One of my favourite parts of this project is that each piece of denim tells a bit of a story:

 • We used a pair of my Grandfather's jeans that he must have purchased just before he passed away; they still had tags on them and a few mouse-eaten spots from being stored in my Grandma's barn for 24 years. My grandpa was a big guy (the jeans were sized 48!) so we had tons of material from this to work with! I never met my grandpa, he passed before I was born, so it's special to me to have his jeans included in this piece.

• About 6 years ago I was convinced I would start my own upcycled denim jacket business. My plan was to decorate existing jackets that had holes or stains in them, to make them fresh and usable again. Evidently, it never actually happened. I didn't get around to throwing out the jackets though - thank you past self!

• Cass's fella Elliott (who also took these photos!) donated some of his jeans that had ripped in un-patchable areas to the project. These sleeves were once jean legs, and Cass intentionally placed the creased, worn sections right where the elbows are.


Here's a before shot, which we only thought to take after already ripping up some of the seams:

The other amazing part about working with Cass was going to her studio and helping out with the stitch ripping. It was so special to be included in the process of this jacket on so many levels! This is the beauty of bespoke and of working with friends.

I'm so in love with the jacket - I'm wearing it right now, sort of in place of a sweater. It's that comfy, and perfect for the fall weather that is just starting to creep into Toronto now (it's been on and off like crazy!). I've also already received so many compliments on it, and people love the story of how I got it made!


Be sure to check out Cassandra's website, and Elliott's photography!


xo - k

BEDHEAD: Update & Writing for Self Love

First, I want to thank everyone for being so supportive and kind to me about my Bedhead Project. If you follow along my Instagram, you'll know that's where I've been posting the photos fairly regularly (except for during October- my Instagram 'detox' month! That's a whole other post in the making...). I'm going to share more of them here as I go, too.

I admit that I have started to let go of the Bedhead Project as a daily part of my routine - some days I just have the same old sloppy bun and the same old face and there's nothing new or exciting about that. But then again, maybe that's the whole point of the project - I AM exciting, every day! Because I'm me! What a great thing to be.

Ok, real talk; I just came to that realization as I wrote it... writing can be so good for sorting out your thoughts and realizing some of the damaging self-talk we get ourselves into. I didn't realize I was calling myself boring and "same old same old" until I wrote it out, and that's not a great way to treat myself. It's pretty antithetical to the whole Bedhead Project's purpose; to treat myself as a subject worth photographing, whatever state I find myself in first thing in the morning. Natural and as is.

Which brings me to another 'self love' practice I've been trying to get into: Writing! A few weeks ago I attended a writing workshop for Artist's Wellness, put on by Toronto's Artist Health Alliance. We focused on identity, on the self, on using writing to explore one's inner world. It was a really healing and wonderful workshop. The other attendees were super supportive and created a beautiful, safe space to share your writing in. It reminded me that I used to want to be a writer, before I dove into visual arts. I had forgotten how much I loved writing - also one of the reasons I started a blog way way way way waaaay back when (I've been blogging, I think, since before I was a teenager. Yeesh.).

Writing in a journal most days (because I suck at 'every day' challenges it seems) has been a really great self-love experience. It helps me check in with myself, see how I'm feeling. It also helps me get out of my head without having to reach out or share with others if I don't feel like it (or if they don't feel like it!). I'm exploring different ideas about writing for self love, and I'm curious:

Do you journal? Or heck, do you blog about your life?
What kind of language do you use to talk about yourself, when you write about yourself? What words stand out to you?

Take a second to think about what your language says about how you feel about yourself, how you treat yourself.

xo -k

Photos: Victor's Apparel

Last spring I helped out the good folks at Victor's Apparel with a photoshoot to show off their luxurious, comfy silk boxers! Rachel and Nick have been two of the best clients ever - from design work to photos we've had a ton of fun working on their brand and making stuff happen together! I reflect back fondly on scouring a Value Village in Waterloo with Rachel trying to find fancy robe props for this shoot - and if you know me I love thrifting - so this was all in all a very fun project to work on.

For this shoot I wanted to capture a really luxurious feel with decadent textures and tones, but also natural light and natural, somewhat candid moments!

Also, fun fact! This shoot took place at my grandma's house - HA! I figured she'd have the nicest couches and chairs and natural light of any place we could comfortably have 3 men in their boxers hanging out and lounging for the shoot. I'm actually not sure if she's seen the photos... hi Mamy!

I recently edited some REALLY funny marketing photos for Victor's Apparel, which I will share soon! I realized I hadn't shared these though and thought they should come first.

Interested in some silk boxers? They also make for very comfy pyjama shorts ;) Check out the Victor's Apparel website here, and their Facebook and Instagram!

xo

Summer Withdrawal • 2017

Oh, friends. What a summer. This happens to me every year, at the turn of the season. I get nostalgic and - admittedly - melancholic, when fall rolls around. This year, my life doesn't change so dramatically as those returning to a new school year, but by proxy I am still neck deep in the back-to-school blues. Many people around me have returned to school and even just by that it feels like it is over. So I thought I'd share some of my favourite photos from the season - I took many on a point and shoot film camera that I'm thrilled by! It's got a date stamp that reads 1998... so let's pretend we've really time traveled because I'm a bit of a geek like that and think it's funny.

From when my fella and I woke up in time to see the sunrise and the full moon set on the lake.

Camping! We did our first hike-camp together this summer, with about 20 other people! It was someone's birthday weekend and we were invited to join in on the fun. By the end there were only a handful of us left, including a sweet 3 year old who was really the life of the party.

Two of my closest friends from highschool - still eating yummy food and getting up to shenanigans almost a decade later (what the heck how did we get that old?).

One of my bosses, Johnathan Ball, painting a mural. I got to assist but mostly just edited photos and watched the magic happen.

My fella and I have a bad tendency to reverse-match when we go away and pack clothes. Here was a real full-on reverse match while camping, and a pretty sky!

This guy just started his engineering degree this month and I am so excited for him!

This summer also marked the 1 year birthday of my mural! And still, no damages or tagging (knock on wood). Yay!

There are so many specifics and beautiful moments I could get into and talk about when I reflect on my summer, but for now I'll leave it at that - a collection of nice images to remember parts of it.
Of course there are plus sides to fall, too. Fall is my favourite fashion season, so that's been fun! I'm going to try and do some thrifty outfit posts soon, as I recently got some GEMS for fall!

What was the highlight of your summer?

Summer "Done" list! • 2017

See my original to-do list post here!

• Read a ton: I read two Harry Potter books, The Colour Purple, and Sweetness in the Belly. The last two were really touching, poignant books. I also read a ton for school - my brain is filling up fast!

• Visit my grandma more often: I did my best to visit when I could. We are selling her house this year and there are lots of things to be done in preparation!

• Go camping: CHECK! I've been wanting to do this again for years, and finally had the time a couple of weekends ago. It was a really great time and I felt very refreshed after some time in the wilderness! (This was already checked off when I posted the list initially!)

• Go to the beach: Womp womp, I didn't manage this one this year. But I spent lots of time by lakes on docks at cottages!

• Make horchata (again!): It was labour intensive but super delicious.

• Ride a bike: Towards the end of summer my good friend moved to England, and she gifted me her bike! I didn't have an excuse to not ride anymore, so my fella (who also just got a new bike for school) and I went on my first bike ride in a DECADE. I will write more about this some other time - it was great!

• Host a girl's craft night: I've had a couple of collaborative art-making nights and hang outs this summer and it's one of my favourite things!

• Make more smoothies for breakfast: I have a thing with breakfast. I am rarely into it, which is why I thought smoothies might be a good option. But I never really got into them either. Oh well....

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I'm pretty pleased with how I did with my to-do list this summer - I did all this and so so much more! I want to post about a sort of, regeneration of self, that I felt this summer. I revisited many things that made me feel like a kid again, and I tried new things that helped me grow. It was an excellent summer and I am sad to see it go!

Did you make a summer to-do list? Did you manage to cross many things off it?

NEW PROJECT: Bedhead

As an art student I developed an immense appreciation for the human body. In life drawing classes I realized I could find much beauty in the "atypical", "flawed", "unique" bodies of the life models. Through my propensity for art, I value the capturing of "imperfection" in human faces. Crooked noses, textured skin, body hair, scars. I see these in others and love it all.

I use these words: flaw, imperfection, atypical, in quotes, because they are not really how I see them at all. They are unfair descriptors and show just how skewed our perception of beauty is. But what else is new. We all know that in our social context, these are how these traits are seen and described.

As much as I can more easily accept and embrace these traits in the photos and depictions of others, earlier this summer I realized that I still have unrealistic expectations of myself. I see a photo of me and I don't settle for "imperfection". I don't embrace the deep purple circles under my eyes. I don't like the fact that one eye seems droopy in some photos. I don't want to keep photos where my smile is so big you can see funny shadows in my smile. I cringe at photos of my profile. The way my neck and chin look as I gain a bit of weight. This isn't how I feel about myself in real life - but the more photos I see of myself that I don't like, and the more I try to engage in an online world where photos of the self are aplenty, the more my feelings of "imperfection" seep into my day-to-day, outside of photos. I think part of this started when I decided to stop wearing make-up all together. I don't like the feel of makeup, but I stopped liking photos of myself without makeup for a while. I love photos and photography, so this made me feel pretty badly.



So I decided to do something about it. Throughout this summer I have taken photos of myself immediately after I wake in the morning. First thing. Whatever my hair, face, and feelings were doing, I captured it. There is something psychologically empowering, I suspect, about choosing yourself as a subject worthy of photographing. And not just in selfies for instagram, but for my own artistic experiment. I felt excitement. I felt that I loved the photos even though I could see what I normally wouldn't like in myself. My fella got involved, whenever we woke up together, and his photos of me are my favourites. It became an act of self love every morning, and source of love and support from my partner. I've grown so much through this project and am surprised at how much it actually has helped me. At first, I made a point of not publishing the photos. This was a personal practice, a project just for me. How novel in our instagram obsessed world. But now that I've realized how much it impacted me, I want to share my experience.

Here is a small selection of my photos from this summer, and I will continue to post and share them here, as well as on my instagram account.














AND NOW:

I want you to join me - if you'd like? Just once? Maybe twice? This was such a transformative project for me, I imagine it could be for others, too!

I want to see you embrace your unfiltered bedhead and I want to see you become reacquainted with your early-morning, natural self, in whatever form that may be. I don't want another hashtag-no-filter post or a phoney "I woke up like this" comment (though humorously that's exactly what this series is about, ha! The REAL "I woke up like this" type of photo). I want you to do it for you. And if you want to share it online, you can use the hashtag #ellbedhead or share the link to your post in the comments.

Go forth - beautiful bedheads!

ps. I'm nervous to post this because it is such a personal project and a personal experience. Also it's all just photos of me, taken by me.... boring? I don't know. I think it's worth it even if one other person tries this and gets something out of it though, right?