Diary Visual Splendor

Our Anniversary Weekend Away in the Country

10/24/2021

To briefly preface this, this is the first time I’ve been away from Beatrice overnight. She’s two and a half. We decided, since it’s coronavirus life and mainly because we have never been apart, that we would just go to the country and stay in our cabin for our yearly anniversary trip. Our cabin is on a little secluded hill in a next to a small pond. We’ve never been there without our baby.

One of my anniversary gifts!

When we go to the cabin we like to wear our “cabin clothes” or what we deem as a country style. LOL. My style is mostly the same except I have a Hello Kitty camping themed backpack that I use and I’ll wear a pastel flannel occasionally.

While out in the forest, I found Turkey Tail, a healthy mushroom you can use to make tea. I made a spiced tea with it when we got home. David’s was black tea and mine was green.

We rode our 4-wheeler that we got exclusively because we wanted fun, silly things to do at our cabin, and found a beach on the White River. The river is not super clean near cities. I wouldn’t say it’s safe to swim in even away from them. It’s sad. But also confusing why when traveling on dirt roads in the country we found a big sandy beach completely undisturbed!! We relaxed here for awhile. I always bring snacks and things to do. It was perfect.

It seemed so long and so short at the same time but I know that I needed the break. We even went to a town about an hour away (Bloomington) and ate at one of my favorite restaurants, Chow Bar, and a cute coffee/juice place called Soma that I featured in the past.

At Chow Bar, I asked if I could order sesame balls and they were happy to make them off-menu (they used to have them and all of these pretty buns and bao on their amazing buffet) and I was elated).

My husband used to live here. Bloomington is another nice city-ish place to live in Indiana. It feels like a cute district of Indianapolis only it’s over an hour away,  but it’s not like an acutal city. The State college is there. A great thing is they are very forward-thinking, and there are a lot of cute shops and diverse restaurants, that even Indy doesn’t have. Sadly, of course, it looks as though coronavirus has taken down some of the cute vintage stores there such as, Cactus Flower.

One of the cutest parts of our trip was that we had to bring our, not one, but TWO dogs with us to the cabin. One of them is new to the family so she cries while I’m away. I’ve started taking them everywhere. Walking them around the forest and being surrounded by them at night was definitely a highlight. Even now I’m writing as I drink my coffee in the forest watching the sun come up and while, on each side, a small Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is sleeping quietly.

Business Features

Bodhi, Thai Me Up, and Being Inspired

10/21/2021

I originally created this website/blog in the late 90s (ack!) because I wanted to share the awe-influencing things I see around my part of world (and my travels) so we can be inspired together. I stopped featuring places a lot, and don’t blog much except for inspiring photos, but… this place was pretty cute! The plant wall was inclusive of 2 monstera deliciosas and the patio was surrounded by vines, lights, and bamboo.

My eve during the week to go out alone and to hang with a friend is Wednesday — it makes for the perfect middle of the week re-center and is a great time to catch up with best friends. I have a toddler, a preteen, 3 bonus kids, and 3 jobs — haha. It’s hard to take breaks for art or fun but so important.

Bodhi is an adorable Thai Bistro Bar with delicious Thai food, craft cocktails, craft beer, and loads of plants.

Bodhi is located at located at 922 Massachusetts Avenue – Indianapolis (at the northeast end of Mass Ave adjacent to the Bottleworks District).

Visual Splendor

Mew for Today: Pastels Cheer Me Up

09/30/2021

I love to curate content and inspirations most of all.

That’s all I can really seem to do with the blog lately. I’m inspired and in love with many things as always, but don’t have a lot to say.

Stay healthy~ xx

@h.ireathz
Mew for Today Visual Splendor

Mew for Today: Tuesday Tea & Baby Pink

09/28/2021

It’s not Monday, but it still seems far from Friday.

Tuesday.

It doesn’t blow my hair back with force, but it is full of opportunity for finding treats, teas, and treasures. My favorite new Tuesday ritual is to make a mood/inspiration board to inspire myself for the rest of the week~

Go on and make a cup of TUESDAY TEA while you look for inspiring mood board photos~

xx

Shop

Can I Get You a Pikachu Happy Meal or a Tamagotchi?

09/24/2021

Funny story, long ago I redesigned my Live Journal (back when Live Journal was a thing) with a McDonalds theme. At the time there was also a guy who was infamous for trashing other people’s work on his own blog to their own horror.

Well, my McDonalds blog was certainly featured front and center. However, I was honored. Most of the things I post online are in sarcasm anyway, if you know me, so the press was simply appreciated.

I realized today that I haven’t updated here with any of my newer products so this post is a shameless spill of pins and tees.

Also, side note, would anyone like it if I made and posted original phone wallpapers like the old days?

I hope you enjoy. xx

Artist & Designer Features

Selkie’s Sunscreen Dream Couture Candle

09/02/2021

Feel like the belle of he beach at home~


Selkie’s first scent, a sweet, nostalgic tribute to summer. There is nothing quite like the feeling of summer, the memories of warm nights, long swims and new love.

Scent

12oz  100% soy wax

Top Notes

Nostalgia (toys, floaties) Sunscreen bathed skin, Jasmine

Bottom Notes

Cedar Wood, Amber, Lime, Soap

Design Your Life

Social Media Babes: Don’t Fall for These Scams

08/27/2021

I just want to make sure you know about the main scams that have been going around the last few years (or more!) that are specifically designed to catch social media users. I’m going to tell you about the big 3 of them just in case you don’t know — I’m tired of hearing of you superstars getting snagged by some low life~

The Collab or Influencer Offer

Imagine this, you’ve just posted a photo of yourself and you look amazing. You get a comment from an account asking if you’d like to collaborate and asking you to DM another account, the same account, or reply! DON’T. If this is a legit company you will be able to tell immediately by visiting their profile. Companies do not tend to find influencers by commenting — they will email you. (Pro Tip: Always have your email on your bio if you want work!) This is generally a company that will charge you money (not a large amount) to send you a bunch of cheap knock-off clothes or accessories so that you can be one of their “Instagram Influencers.” Sadly however, you are just paying them for cheaply produced clothing and accessories. They may even promote your photo but no one pays attention to these spammy accounts.

The Sugar Daddy Offer

Let’s say you posted a cute photo only you get a message request in your DMs. It’s a random older man and he’s offering to be your “sugar daddy” or pay you an allowance for your attention via chat… as in, you don’t even have to meet! He may offer to Cash App you OR offer to transfer the money to your bank (by asking for your bank info and stealing YOUR money).

They rarely try PayPal but if they do, they will send a FAKE PayPal email to you about a deposit, assuming you will believe it without checking your balance. The same kind of action happens with any online payment app, you will receive a fake notification that money has been deposited and you may even be asked to pay a fee to access it.

It’s all an illusion. There is no money. They are trying to steal your hard earned cash in return for a big fat waste of your time.

The Job, Purchase, or Service Request

They aren’t always “too good to be true” offers. Sometimes it looks like a potential client is contacting you to offer you a job (depending on what you do — I’m a designer so I get offered fake design jobs) and you only need to accept their PayPal payment of X amount of thousands and send back $100 for their partner, fees, or whatever lie they are spitting.

They may also offer to buy something of yours you have listed on some other site, like Craigslist.

After you send the payment they will revoke the former payment, as PayPal often sides with buyers. They will get their illusionary money back and you will be stuck without your “fee.”

Now get back out there and ignore them. x

Design Your Life

Staycations and the Cutest Above Ground Pools

07/08/2021

Listen — I know above ground pools are pretty ugly. They can be a mega eyesore from the siding to the filter. However everyone does not live in the suburbs (I don’t) nor do they have the budget to covert their entire yard into a pool paradise.

These days, especially thanks to quarantine, (dare this be a positive of lockdown?) many people in cities are converting yards into urban gardens, fire pits, eating areas, paradise escapes, playgrounds, and chicken coops! I selected all of the above and so I do not have the space nor desire to evacuate my garden or my massive chicken run. Thus, the above ground pool it is.

The only question is… how can we make it cute?

Enjoy this pool eye candy and please let me know what sort of design techniques you adopted if you also took on this project! I will also say DO NOT assume an above ground pool is less work. In fact managing the water safety, cleaning, and maintaining chemicals in them is a daily task.

Above Ground & Stock Tank Pools

Inflatable Pools

If you’re looking for something a little less intense, try a cute blow up pool and float for the day. In fact, the current kiddie pool options are ADORABLE and perfect for a projected movie at night, snacks, candles, and a close friend.

The Fundamentals

Self Decoration

Dress Me Like One of Your French Girls

07/01/2021

SELKIE. SEL·KIE. ALSO SIL·KIE. NOUN.

A creature or spirit in Scottish and Irish folklore that has the form of a seal but can also assume human form. Alternative forms[edit] saelkie, selky, seilkie, sejlki, shelky, silkey, silkie, sulky

A typical folk-tale is that of a man who steals a female selkie’s skin, finds her naked on the sea shore, and compels her to become his wife. But the wife will spend her time in captivity longing for the sea, her true home, and will often be seen gazing longingly at the ocean.  Once she discovers her skin, she will immediately return to the sea.

Filled with color, exuberance and power, this collection is for the Selkie women everywhere, setting themselves free.

Keep fighting to make the world more beautiful for every race, gender, and animal, but don’t forget about YOU, and the opulent option of covering yourself in pastel organza while you’re doing it.

Amber Renée Fawn Cunningham

Enjoy this donut croissant recipe (cronut) by Spruce Eats.

Eat and be Marie (Antoinette).

Artist & Designer Features Visual Splendor

I Like to Draw Picnics

05/11/2021

I’m not really sure why I’m drawing them now but you know picnics have just hit different since Covid, huh?

Not to be extra, I am just as happy with grabbing a bag of food or a pizza and heading to the park. That’s the best thing about picnics, they can be made out of literally anything. You can be as fancy or as low key as you want and it’s still fun.

What’s your favorite think to take to a picnic?

I’m going to offer postcard packs of these soon! Stay tuned. xx

the FIRST one
for National Mental Health Awareness Month xx

“Artist Amber Renee’s shop, Miseducated, is ground zero for the best in kitsch, retro, kawaii, whimsical, and psychedelic pins and original art products. Active since 2018, Miseducated has over 600 sales and counting and a solid five-star rating. The positive energy and creativity is infectious and Amber prides herself in putting customer service as a top priority.”

For more information be sure to visit http://www.miseducated.com. And shop at Miseducated here.

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