This year has been a bit relentless to say the least 😂 I'm learning to not cling too tightly to plans or good news, which sounds incredibly depressing but I would assume that most people reading this would agree and understand what I mean. This year has been rough! And the curveballs are never-ending. 

All that build-up to say, Porter Flea (the Summer Market I've been looking forward to) has been cancelled due to COVID-19 😩. Though I'm so very glad they are taking our situation seriously, and I agree it was the right call, I still can't help but be disappointed. ​

It's officially been one month since I moved. I cannot believe how quickly time has flown... My time in Sparta so far has been altogether productive, relaxing and motivating.
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I set up my new studio space and have honestly been loving it. I thought for sure that I couldn't beat the coziness factor of my little closet studio in my apartment, but I was wrong. Mom and Dad have graciously allowed me to completely take over their sun porch. It's exactly that too, a beautiful little sun room that my cats love and was my original play room aka "studio". Please see photo below of fuzzy haired baby Ellen living her best left-handed, coloring book, nightgown life.
I love this picture. I've had it sitting on my studio desk everywhere I've moved for as long as I can remember. It reminds me that I've had this deep rooted desire to create instilled in me as long as I've been around. It's comforting and assuring that I'm following the right path.

When I've not been in my new studio painting or working my part-time hours at my job, I've been taking it pretty easy and actually allowing myself to rest. I know this is a very pivotal time for me and I have lots to do to prep for whatever my next season is, but a girl can pretend she has a Summer break once again! It feels like I've come back from a verrrry long semester away at school or something and now it's my Summer before the next school year starts up.

All that to say, poolside lounge time has been an absolute must. Though, it did take some work to get it operational and open for the season, and after my dad fell through the deck (true story) we decided a few patch jobs were in order. This is where I got to play with  power tools! And I loved every second :) 

So after one month in, and I have to say, I'm a very lucky girl. It's not always perfect, but I plan to cherish this season once again at home with my parents. One of the most exciting things that's happened since I moved in though, was receiving my acceptance email letting me know I'm going to be a vendor for the first time at Porter Flea!! 

For those that don't know, Porter Flea is an AMAZING modern handmade market. The market is curated and vendors are hand picked for their work, quality, following, etc... I actually applied a few years before but didn't get in, so I really had no idea what to expect this time around. Needless to say, I did quite the little happy dance when I found out :) It's August 7th & 8th and I've got a LOT of prep work to  do, but I couldn't be more excited to dive in. 

Life is still coconuts... but it's all good.