love like this.

guess what? i was listening to this song last night {a little too loud} with my big headphones on. it’s one of my go-to songs and it always makes me happy. you can’t not want to dance and smile and feel joyful about love {or at least the idea and possibility of it}. it’s one of my favorite songs from the 90′s. and i mean, come on. the video? you’ve got beautiful faith evans with her amazing voice, bright colors, and people looking like they are having so much fun on roller skates. too good. play the video. download the song if you don’t already have it {do it. i’m serious}. take a dance break and just radiate some frickin’ happiness…

don’t you feel like you’ve just received a boost? i honestly danced to this song in my apartment before/after/during typing this post {hopefully nobody could see in!} and mouthed the words pretending to be all faith evans-like.

ps – so do you have a go-to song that brings an instant smile to your face? you know, those songs that just make you feel good.

betty raspberry.

betty raspberry‘s illustrations are gorgeous. then you put them on up-cycled vintage ceramic pieces and…swoon…

ps – i’m loving the sassy flair on some of these!

sweet and low five piece tea set; eat me up buttercup plate; tea and oranges teapot; betsy plate; frankie serving plate; bite me plate by betty raspberry

bee’s knees.

just a reminder to you…

bee’s knees print by the black apple

note to self : communication is key.

so here’s another post dedicated to some of my friends who have been having a tricky time dealing with funky communication in their relationships {myself included!}. a couple of them have been expressing to me that they are frustrated with significant others, co-workers and friends. since i’m sure we can all relate, i thought i’d share some thoughts…

communication is key in any relationship. from friendships to work related and romantic ones, being able to communicate effectively is vital. the ability to truly be open and free in sharing how you feel for someone, how they make you feel {good and bad}, and what your intentions are with one another and in your situation {whatever that may be} is not always so simple. we can agree on that, right? i always thought i was such a good communicator until someone i love recently pointed out to me that i am not. i am apparently horrible when it comes to text communications. i’ll admit that i cannot stand it since there’s no real “voice” behind what is being said. so, i don’t deny that i am horrible at it. i probably say things the wrong way and definitely read things the wrong way and sometimes get offended. and i don’t always tell the truth. let me clarify that. it isn’t to say that i’m not honest. i would never lie to someone i care about. it’s more that i’m not honest in how things affect me. sometimes things hurt me so bad and i just bury it inside rather than discussing it. sometimes i just think i can let it go. and other times i just feel like i’ll be defeated so i try to ignore it. i try to be strong and hide my pain. note to self: quit doing that! things get bottled up and you just start to resent the other person{s} you are dealing with. i’m working on it. you should, too.

what i have learned recently from some of my relationships {again, not all romantic types} is that people are just different. we have different stories and life experiences and shit we’re dealing with. and some of us may not be ready to fully commit to complete open communication. or some of us are only capable of seeing and hearing what we want to. what i am now working on is deciding which relationships are worth being invested in and to what degree if communication cannot be pure and 100% open. i’m not saying i want totally easy in my life’s relationships. but i sure am ready for a little less in the maintenance department. i mean, i’m just a low maintenance kind of girl. i guess sometimes you just have to get your rhythm back so that you’re both on the same page.

so how do you do with communicating your feelings, wants, needs, desires, issues, etc. in your relationships? have you ever been in a position where you just felt “stuck” because you felt like you weren’t being heard and understood?

ps – for me if i really love and/or care about a certain relationship, i will always try to push on and stay committed to making change so that things progress in a manner that fulfills all parties involved. i’ve hung in there for a long time in relationships purely out of my belief in love. have you?

image via paper pastries

custom return address stamps.

do you have return address stickers/labels that you use on your mail? i remember always printing them up for my family when i was a kid {avery labels to the rescue!}. or we would always get them ordered by the roll and they’d arrive in our mailbox {weren’t there always coupons in the sunday papers for them?}. because i’m a big believer in handwritten notes, i am obsessed with custom return address stamps. i don’t have one and have been thinking about it but get stuck because there are so many great artists who offer this product. i’m currently loving these by native bear…

cat; feather; bull return address stamps by native bear

 

your value. your worth.

it seems that lately a number of people i really care about have been going through it. they’ve been going through some rough patches and a number of my girlfriends have been down on themselves. part of it has to do with typical girl stuff {feeling inadequate :: ps – you’re not!, feeling unattractive :: ps – you’re gorgeous!}. and part of it has to do with relationships both past and present {and not just romantic}. include me in that bunch. and you know what? i’m much harder on myself than on anyone else, so i can get pretty dark. yeah, i’ll admit it. so it was perfect timing when i came across this on pinterest…

did you read that? good. now remember it. share it with others you care about. write it down. print it out. get it tattooed on yourself. say it each morning when you wake up and before you close your eyes at night. it is the damn truth.

sometimes we get unhappy with how we’re being treated. but the truth is it all boils down to how we allow others to treat us. and it’s something i’m learning and going through right now. something that in my 30′s i am still figuring out how to deal with and handle. and it isn’t easy. it’s a process because it involves changing a behavior or habit.

i dedicate this post to my friends {and that includes you} who need this as a reminder. remember that you are a beautiful, amazing, talented, strong, brilliant person. you are super valuable to me and to the people who really matter in your life. it doesn’t mean that the person who can’t see your value and worth is bad or evil. maybe they don’t know how to see it. or maybe they just haven’t recognized it yet because they’ve got some shit to work on. either way it is not your problem, nor is it your fault. so keep it moving and know that you are worthy of love and to be treated with respect and to be treasured.

sending you lots of love…

wanna be a sponsor?

do ya?

just want to let you know that i am going to start having a sponsors post where i’ll include links to your shop/site/blog {of course} as well as your important social links {facebook, twitter, instagram, etc.}. and when the newsletter goes out, guess who will be included? that’s right! cool, huh? more exposure for you. now that’s what i like!

if you’re interested in partnering up with mixed plate by becoming a sponsor, head on over here for more info. go ahead and shoot me an email at advertising@mixedplateblog.com to reserve your spot now. space is limited.

ps – i’d love to have you!

color: pastels.

the weather here in san francisco has been beautiful. i mean, sunny and somewhat warm. minus the wind, of course. warm enough to where i didn’t have to wear 30 layers of clothing {maybe more like 28}. seeing the sun shine has been making me smile so big because it reminds me a little bit of home. does this mean it’s spring? for real? in honor of the season, how about some pastels…

via francoise rachez

via style me pretty

via cherish

via decor8

via moody’s home

via charlotte love

via gaby j photography

seventh tree soaps.

a couple of weeks ago i came upon seventh tree soaps on etsy. i first fell in love with the sydney, australia based company’s coconut soap that is shaped like an owl. why? well i love coconut and coconut scented things and it’s shaped like an animal! my sensitive skin makes me very cautious when looking at bath and beauty products, so i was happy to see that their vegan items are made with ingredients that are gentle on the skin. on top of all that they’ve got pretty packaging (you know i’m a sucka for that!)…

green apple owl soap; oh my coconut lip balm; carrot & bergamot lotus soap

bees’netta. grand opening.

for the past few years i’ve been following suzie‘s journey as she grew her company of handmade wares. handbags and accessories grew to also include jewelry and more. in the future she hopes to expand to carry other handmade brands and eventually apparel. i was more than excited to see an announcement for the grand opening of the new bees’netta online boutique.

congratulations, suzie! everything looks absolutely beautiful!

ps – for a limited time, suzie is having a grand opening sale. visit her site for the coupon code for a discount!

the dye zipper pouch; dyed turban headband ii; serpent forearm bracelet; blue lace + embroidered hobo