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What happens when you stop posting? What I learned from taking a break from Instagram.

Who’s guilty of checking Instagram while you’re having a conversation with someone or playing with your kids? My hand is raised. It’s so rude, but it’s becoming a part of our day-to-day.

I would constantly be checking my phone to find out how many likes my latest Instagram post had. Instead of being happy with whatever engagement I was getting, it was never enough. I always felt like I needed to do better. Comparing myself to this person or that business. It felt competitive, not in the good way that pushes you to achieve your goals, but in a bad way that made me feel like a loser.

I want to be open and authentic, but there’s got to be line somewhere. I’m trying to spin everything in my life into an Instagram post. WTF. Ugh, what am I going to write today?
How can I use this for Instagram?
What’s up with the stupid algorithm?
Write something clever.
More witty. More authentic.
Do more Stories. Share more.
More. More. More!

I started to dredd social media all together.

As a business owner, we’ve been told how crucial your presence on social media is. You have to post at least once a day! It’s important. Like your entire business depends on it!

Instagramming used to be fun. It was a way to share and connect with people. A fun little burst of inspiration in my day. Now it was just a choir.

It went on like that for months. Throwing something together half heartedly just to put something up. Feeling crappy about it.

When I was about 6 months pregnant in early 2018, packing up our lives to move across the country and working full time – I reached a tipping point. I just didn’t care anymore. There was too much on my plate. I was overwhelmed.

I decided social media was the first thing to go. These are actual thoughts that went through my head… Is this career suicide? Will people forget about me? Will I lose all my followers? How will I stay relevant? I gotta keep up with what everyone else is doing!

Guess what? I didn’t post anything for months and the world didn’t end!

Orders kept coming in. Business went on as usual and I was less stressed. I did lose some followers, but not as many as I thought.

Sometimes I would catch myself taking out my phone for no reason. I was so used checking Instagram a million times a day, it was like muscle memory. Whenever there was a lull in my workflow, I would take out my phone. After a few days of not posting, I wasn’t checking my phone all the time. I was slowing breaking the habit.

Now that things have settled down – I had the baby (a beautiful little girl), we moved into our new house, and I’m working intermittently on maternity leave – I’m planning on getting back in the game. I’m not sure what that looks like, but if it doesn’t feel good, I’m not going to do it.

Maybe my social media solution is posting less. Maybe it’s planning more. I’m not sure yet. I can tell you that I’ll be worrying less, comparing less, and enjoying more. Living in the moment instead of trying to document the moment on my phone.

I would totally recommend a social media detox if you’re feeling weighed down by social media. Take a break, even if it’s only a full day without Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I promise it will be okay. You might even feel better afterwards.


I have two big announcements to share with you! I’m terrible at big reveals, so here it is… drumroll… We’re moving to Texas and I’m pregnant!

Two pretty huge changes coming up for me personally and for Harken Press. Obviously both of these have been in the works for several months now, but we just recently finalized everything so I can officially share the news.

The first thing people ask when I tell them we’re moving is “Why?” Why would you leave beautiful San Diego?! Honestly, the reasons why we’re relocating to the South aren't glamorous. It’s a combination of several reasons, all could be categorized as old fashioned adulting. Let me break it down…


Amazing and nostalgic Halloween movies to get you in the spooky spirit.

Halloween is my favorite holiday! That’s probably for 2 reasons. I love any excuse to dress up in costume. Give me a theme and I will run with it. My husband and I once hosted a Jurassic Park movie night at our house with smoke machines, tiki torches, dinosaur masks, and an ambient rainforest playlist. My point is, it’s fun to go all out!

The second reason is that Fall is my favorite season. Shopping for school supplies, there’s a chill in the air, boots and sweaters, football season, apple picking, pumpkin patches, pumpkin flavored everything – I could go on and on.

I should also point out, I really don’t like horror movies. I’m such a wimp. I admit it. I can trace it all back to watching the movie It at a sleepover when I was 10 years old. I had nightmares for the next year. I was honestly scared of the dark and taking a shower. No, I did not go see the reboot that recently came out and never will. Hard pass, no thank you.

So if you’re looking for serial killers or demonic clowns, this is not your list. If you want to feel festive and nostalgic, you’re in the right place.
 Whatever you call your Dad – Griller of Meats, Helper of Homework, Superdad, Mr. Fix It – Father’s Day is an opportunity to say THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU to someone who raised you.

Saying thank you and I love you on ANY day is great, but I also like having an actual holiday that reminds me to send that card I’ve been putting off because I’m “too busy”.

It’s no surprise that greeting cards are my preferred way of sending my love. Duh, I’m a stationery designer. But sometimes it's hard to know where to start. How to put my feelings into words. Sincere words, authentic words, special words.
 What I’ve learned about postpartum depression, baby blues, Pitocin, and other new Mom issues.

The other day I was scrolling through Facebook and an article headline caught my eye. Childbirth Drug Linked With Postpartum Depression. They didn’t even have to say the name of the drug, I knew what it was. Pitocin. Goddamn Pitocin. I knew what the medical study was going to say. I had been living it.

16 months after the birth of my daughter, I could see it clearly. It was only now, that I could see I obviously had been dealing with postpartum depression. With no previous experience with depression, I didn’t know what it looked like or felt like. I was afraid to look for answers. Afraid of finding out I was a monster.

I had asked my other mom friends how they were doing, how they were adjusting. They would agree, the newborn phase is hard. But deep down I think I knew my baby blues was a shade deeper than everyone else around me.
 It landed with a splat.

I whipped around frantically, scanning the floors to assess the damage, and there it is. A single piece of poop on the kitchen floor. Shit had happened.

My husband was teaching that night, so I was doing our evening routine solo. Our 13 month old was running through the kitchen naked and screaming with our two dogs close behind. She was not interested in a bath, but does enjoy streeking in the evenings.

At first I couldn’t determine who produced the poop – was it human or feline. When I heard the splat, I said “Freeze!” in my best concerned Mom voice. It worked like a charm, because all three of them stopped and looked at me, waiting for my reaction. When I got closer it was obvious that all signs pointed to the toddler. The evidence was a few inches from her feet and there was an “ugh oh” look on her face.
 It’s a wonderful feeling when you give someone the perfect gift. The person is genuinely delighted and you know they’ll actually use the gift. Both parties are pleased. But what do you do when you despise shopping? (Gasp) Blasphemy! It’s true, some of us end up wandering around the mall aimlessly, feeling overwhelmed and uninspired until you settle on something mediocre and call it a day.

If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about myself. Shopping stresses me out. I’m an adult. I’m creative. I’m usually a considerate human being. Why is finding a good gift so hard?!
 Photo (above) by Kendra Jekel Photography

Planning a Unicorn and Rainbow Themed 1st Birthday Party

When my husband and I spotted unicorn cupcake toppers, there was no question what our daughter’s first birthday party theme would be. We’re both designer, so we spent the next few months dreaming up some fun ideas for the party – all crafted around magical unicorns and all things rainbow.

We applied the “rainbow” effect to everything we could. First was the custom letterpress invitations. I designed them with hand drawn elements like clouds, stars, and of course, a unicorn. Then I experimented with a faux split fountain letterpress technique where I inked the rollers with two colors and let them blend together. The neon magenta and neon blue created a darker purple color, so the finished print has a stunning ombre effect– perfect for our magical theme.
 Working From Home: Dream or Mirage?

Depending on your personality, working from home may sound like glorious freedom or a prison of isolation. I’ve worked from home for the past five years and have found it to be both. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an employee working remotely, the number of people working from home is on the rise.

Pros of Working From Home

Let’s get the obvious practical reasons out of the way. The low overhead and tax breaks make the home office an attractive option. Overall, you can get more done without office distractions, but it does require discipline and structure.

No Commute
No more road rage. Expletives tend to fly out of my mouth during rush hour when people drive like dummies, which would put me in a cranky state of mind by the time I got home. You can take the 20 minutes you spent in the car in the morning and add it to your morning routine to meditate, journal, go for a quick walk or just sleep longer.

No Rules
Play your music or podcast as loud as you want. Get comfy. Skip the makeup and wear yoga pants. Have your cat on your lap while you work.

 Social Media Detox Two Big Announcements: Bye Bye San Diego, Hello Baby! One Word for the New Year | 2018 Are You a Polar Bear or a Penguin? 7 of My Favorite Not-So-Scary Halloween Movies

In the Shop Polar Bear Snow Globe letterpress card Penguin Sweater letterpress card Palm Tree Holiday letterpress card Retro Trailer Holiday letterpress card