The Purpose of a Headstone 

A headstone serves multiple important purposes, primarily acting as a lasting tribute to the deceased. It marks the final resting place of a loved one, offering a physical space for family and friends to visit, reflect, and pay their respects. Beyond its practical function of identification, a headstone also tells a story. It conveys the essence of the individual’s life, values, and legacy through inscriptions, symbols, and designs. In many cultures, headstones are an integral part of mourning rituals and traditions; they provide comfort and a sense of continuity by preserving the memory of those who have passed. 

Material Options for Headstones 

One of the first decisions you’ll need to make when choosing a headstone is the material. The material affects not only the appearance of the headstone but also its durability and maintenance requirements. 

Granite 

Granite is one of the most popular materials for headstones due to its durability and wide range of colors. It is extremely hard and resistant to weathering, making it an excellent choice for an enduring monument. Granite headstones can be polished to a high sheen or left with a more natural, rough texture, depending on your preference. 

Marble 

Marble has long been prized for its elegance and beauty. However, it is softer than granite and more susceptible to weathering and erosion. Over time, inscriptions on marble headstones may become less legible. Despite these drawbacks, many people choose marble for its aesthetic appeal and classic look. 

Bronze 

Bronze offers a modern and versatile option for headstones. It can be cast into intricate designs and patterns, providing a level of detail that other materials might not easily achieve. Bronze plaques are often mounted onto a granite base, combining the strengths of both materials. One consideration is the cost, as bronze can be more expensive than other materials. 

Other Materials 

Other materials used for headstones include limestone, sandstone, and slate. Each of these has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Limestone and sandstone are relatively soft and can be easily carved, but they may not withstand the elements as well as harder stones. Slate offers a unique texture and appearance but can be prone to cracking. 

Selecting the Appropriate Size 

The size of the headstone is another important factor to consider. This decision will depend on several factors, including cemetery regulations and personal preference. 

Common Sizes for Headstones 

There are standard dimensions for headstones that are commonly accepted by most cemeteries. These standards help ensure that the headstone fits within the allotted space and complies with specific guidelines. 

Single vs. Companion Headstones 

Single headstones are designed to mark the grave of one individual, while companion headstones are intended for two people, typically a couple. Companion headstones are larger and can accommodate more text and design elements. 

Cemetery Regulations 

Before selecting a size, it’s crucial to check with the cemetery for any restrictions or guidelines. Some cemeteries have specific rules regarding the dimensions of headstones, which may limit your options. 

Choosing the Right Shape 

Headstones come in various shapes, each offering different aesthetic and practical benefits. 

Upright Headstones 

Upright headstones are the most traditional and common shape. They are tall and vertical, providing ample space for inscriptions and designs. Upright headstones are highly visible and can be customized with various tops, such as rounded, pointed, or sculpted. 

Flat or Lawn-Level Headstones 

Flat headstones lie flush with the ground, creating a sleek and simple appearance. They are easier to maintain and provide a clean, unobtrusive look. Flat headstones offer less space for inscriptions and designs but can still be personalized to a significant degree. 

Slant and Bevel Headstones 

Slant headstones are cut at an angle, making them easier to read from a standing position. Bevel headstones are similar but have a less pronounced slope. Both types are midway between upright and flat designs, offering a balance of visibility and simplicity. 

Custom Shapes and Designs 

For those seeking a unique tribute, custom shapes and designs are available. These can include hearts, crosses, or other meaningful symbols. Custom headstones allow for a high level of personalization, ensuring that the monument reflects the individuality of the deceased. 

Color Selection 

The color of the headstone can significantly impact its overall appearance and emotional tone. 

How Color Affects Aesthetics 

Different colors evoke different feelings and associations. For example, black or dark gray granite conveys a sense of solemnity and permanence, while lighter colors like white or pink can seem more gentle and serene. The choice of color should align with the message and mood you wish to convey. 

Popular Colors and Their Meanings 

Common headstone colors include: 

• Black: Represents strength, dignity, and permanence. 
• Gray: Neutral and timeless, suitable for various designs. 
• White: Symbolizes purity, peace, and reverence. 
• Pink: A softer, more affectionate tone, often chosen for its warmth. 

Tips for Choosing a Durable Color 

Some colors, particularly lighter ones, may fade over time due to exposure to the elements. Darker granites generally maintain their color better. It’s worthwhile to ask your memorial provider about the long-term durability of the color you are considering. 

Cost Factors 

Several factors influence the cost of a headstone, including material, design complexity, and installation. 

Material Costs 

As previously mentioned, different materials have varying costs. Granite and marble are generally less expensive compared to bronze. Within each material category, there can also be price variations based on color and quality. 

Design and Customization 

The level of customization you desire will also impact the cost. Intricate designs, detailed engravings, and additional elements like photos or symbols will increase the overall price. It’s essential to balance your budget with the desire for personalization. 

Installation and Maintenance 

Installation fees vary depending on the cemetery and the complexity of setting the headstone. Additionally, consider potential future maintenance costs, especially if you choose a material that requires regular upkeep. 

Personalization and Customization 

Adding personal touches to a headstone can make it a truly unique tribute. 

Importance of Personal Touches 

Personalization allows you to create a headstone that reflects the personality, interests, and legacy of the deceased. This can be a comforting and meaningful way to honor their memory. 

Options for Engravings and Epitaphs 

Engraving the name, dates, and a heartfelt epitaph are standard practices. You can also include quotes, poems, or verses that hold special significance. Some headstones incorporate photographs or etched images, providing a visual element to the memorial. 

Religious Symbols and Motifs 

Incorporating religious symbols or motifs can be a powerful way to reflect the deceased’s faith and beliefs. Crosses, stars, or other religious icons can be integrated into the design. 

Working with a Memorial Provider 

Selecting a reputable memorial provider ensures quality and satisfaction with the final product. 

Choosing a Reputable Provider 

Look for providers with positive reviews and testimonials. Recommendations from friends or family who have gone through the process can also be invaluable. A good provider will offer a range of options and work with you to create a fitting tribute. 

Questions to Ask Before Purchase 

Before making a purchase, ask questions about: 

• Material durability and warranty 
• Customization options and associated costs 
• Installation procedures and fees 
• Maintenance recommendations and services 

Warranties and Guarantees 

Ensure that the headstone comes with a warranty that covers material defects and engraving quality. Understanding the terms of the warranty can provide peace of mind and protect your investment. 

Conclusion 

Choosing the right headstone involves thoughtful consideration of various factors, including material, size, shape, color, and cost. By taking the time to explore these aspects and working with a reputable provider like Headstone Designs by SunsetStone & Memorials, you can create a lasting and meaningful tribute to your loved one. This guide aims to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions during this significant process. 

The post Headstone Selection 101: Everything You Need to Know  appeared first on Half Asleep.

And even though being a teacher actually was on my top 10 list of things I wanted to be when I grew up (but only because I had a thing for creating worksheets and correcting paperwork – which surprisingly happens to be kind of a big part of my current job as an e-book designer!), I wasn’t 100% sure what I would be getting myself into in terms of actually running my own course or teaching content of my own. I have had some previous experience creating graphics and membership sites for my client’s e-courses, though, and it kind of seemed like fun. So, I finally took a leap and set out to find out for sure if it was something I was cut out to do for my own business.

Here are some of the many lessons I have been learning along the way…

1. You have to start somewhere.

I decided that I would start by creating a free 3-day e-mail mini-course, and I was originally thinking about making it a free opt-in offer to help grow my e-mail list. But by the time I finished creating all of the worksheets, writing, recording, and editing the videos, creating all of the resources and bonuses, and put together the course itself, I realized that I probably had waaayy too much content for a short 3-day mini-course.

I tried to make the steps as actionable as possible, but ultimately the rate people were opening the course e-mails and actually taking action declined over the 3 days. I believe that is in part because there was simply too much to do all at once, and because the course was free, no one was fully committed to the process.

So, instead of using the mini-course as a free opt-in offer and overwhelming all of my new subscribers, I decided I would take the first 30 people who signed up and turn them into my own beta audience to test out the content and the structure so I that could possibly turn it into a longer course down the line.

The lesson here is that it wasn’t until I committed to actually creating a course and I allowed my content to begin to take shape that I was able to see what will actually work and find out where I can improve in the future. No one starts out being a master! If you don’t try something, you’ll never know, and guess what – if it doesn’t work out the way you hoped, you’re the boss, and you get decide which way to steer the ship next.

2. You don’t need to have a lot of people on your list.

My first e-course ran with just 30 free students. But that’s also 30 people I got to learn a lot from. Even though it was a smallish group, it gave me a great chance to test out my ideas and see how people responded, who downloaded what, and who ended up finishing the course, as well as what they created from it.

I also got to learn about the process of creating a course without a TON of pressure resting on my shoulders. I was recording and editing videos for the first time and there was a bit of a learning curve for me at first. I needed a public deadline to actually put myself out there and force myself to step out of my comfort zone and get it done, but I certainly didn’t need all the stress of the size of a sports stadium filled with raving fans at the superbowl half-time show.

Big e-mail lists are very nice to have, but you seriously shouldn’t underestimate the power of starting small and mastering your delivery before you really rev up your reach.

3. You do need a lot of time.

Like, a LOT. Especially if you’re a perfectionist like me! The idea of “passive” income sounds glamorous and all, but I don’t know if I’ve worked harder in my life to try to get everything done on time for launch day.

From writing the course to creating the materials and then promoting and launching the course, there are so many big & small tasks involved in putting on a course that you may not even fully realize at first, not to mention troubleshooting when things go wrong (and they usually do at some point). I completely underestimated how much time it would actually take me to finish everything on my list, and the week before the launch I was working 14+ hour days to finalize all of the materials and test out all of the kinks.

I recommend giving yourself plenty of time to create all of your content and get everything done as far ahead of time as possible, so you can create a wonderful experience for your students that you can be fully proud of. Make a list with everything you’re going to do from the time the course is fully written, to the time the last student finishes the course, and then stick to your plan day by day. You’ll totally thank yourself later when you have a managed to create a massive set of resources your ideal audience is loving!

4. You’re going to make mistakes.

…And that’s how you learn. No one is born knowing everything. Life always holds issues and challenges for us no matter what we’re trying to do. The truth is, you’re definitely going to mess up at some point! I know I did, when the huge new video files on my computer sent my memory capacity over the edge and crashed my computer before I could send out Day 3 of the course. I ended up having to take it to the Apple clinic for a few days, thereby delaying the course for everyone, although I will say that I was very lucky that I was able to get all of my files back and eventually pick back up where we left off (although much later than anticipated!).

Mistakes like this can be super nerve-wracking and embarrassing, but they do happen to everyone at some point. Just don’t let the fear of making a mistake hold you back from conquering your goals. Learn from them, vow never to let it happen again if you can help it, and keep moving onward!

5. Keep trying to become the best you can be.

Through my experience of creating my own e-course, I learned a lot about what I’m capable of, as well as what I still need to work on for the future… and I actually did have fun doing it! It did make me feel pretty good to step out of my comfort zone and try something new, and it’s even given me the confidence to want to teach more classes in the future.

For now though, I’ve decided to transform my entire 3-day mini-course into a full-on e-course which is now available for enrollment today on a platform called Teachable.

Instead of relying on my students being able to find my course updates in a sea of other e-mails in their crowded inbox, they can now go directly to my colorful but uncluttered course website and go through the content step-by-step at their own pace, without having to feel so overwhelmed by everything there is to learn. Plus, since I’m charging money for it now, I also decided to add some additional resources & bonuses to really make it worth my students’ while and amp up the overall value they will get for their money.

The course is all about becoming a boss at streamlining your social media content process each month – from deciding on your style guidelines, to coming up with powerful posts, and designing and scheduling your posts, too (even if you’re not a graphic designer!).

>> Learn more about my new full-length DIY social media e-course “How to Design Ahh-mazing Blog + Social Media Graphics” here!

Obviously there is a lot more you need to know than just these 5 lessons if you want to learn how to create your own e-course, but truthfully I’m no expert yet. As you can probably tell, I’m still learning about this stuff myself!

However, if you are thinking about making an e-course, or you’ve been on the fence about expanding your business and sharing your expertise with a much wider audience by creating your own e-course, I really hope I was able to shine a light on what it was truly like for me.

The only REAL way to know for sure if creating a course is right for you is to try it out for yourself! xo

The post 5 lessons from creating my first e-course appeared first on Half Asleep.

Maybe you have been wondering how people like Leonie Dawson, Kris Carr, and _________ (insert your Facebook idol here!) possibly find the time to come up with all this great stuff all the time, even while still running the rest of their booming online empires. Even if they do have a team to help them out behind the scenes, you can still tell that each and every post is authentic and handpicked by them especially for their audience to enjoy. So, how do they do it?

The real reason why these brands have been able to stay consistent with such a steady stream of on-point social content is because they’ve taken the time to streamline their process.

Once you can get crystal clear on your branding, decide on exactly the right things to say to your audience, and discover how to use all of this knowledge to put a solid schedule in place for your blog & social media, you would be surprised how much easier and yes, even FUN, it will become for you to prep & design all of your posts for the entire month ahead, all in just one sitting. A little bit of prep work really can make a huge difference!

Let me break it all down for ya…

Step One: Understanding Your Brand’s Vibe

If you want to design ahh-mazing blog and social media graphics, you first need to start off by knowing what your blog or business is all about. I guess this is fairly obvious, but it sure doesn’t make it any less important. Figuring out the who, what, why, and how behind your brand is what it’s all about, especially if you’re just starting out. If you don’t know the answer to these questions (i.e. who you help, what you offer, why it’s needed, and how it will be delivered?), how are you supposed to be able to explain them to anyone else?

From a visual perspective, it can also be incredibly helpful to create a brand board featuring something as simple as just your logo, some inspirational imagery that displays your brand’s vibe, a color palette, and a couple of solid signature fonts that you can easily reference as you design your posts each month. It will seriously make your job SO much easier if all of the basic design ideas & elements have already been chosen. Not only that, but cohesion is beautiful and attractive to your audience – it shows that you’re consistent & trustworthy!

Step Two: Pinpoint Your Most Powerful Post Ideas

Once you’ve gotten crystal clear about your brand’s vibe, you can start to think more about the type of people who would be particularly interested in what your blog or business has to offer, and then come up with ways to cater your blog & social media posts specifically to them.

If your audience feels like they can trust you to understand what they’re going through, it’s a surefire way to build & nurture stronger and more rewarding long-term relationships with past, present, and future clients or customers. That is why all of the blog posts, inspirational quotes, helpful tips, or articles you share should be primarily based around helping your audience solve their biggest problems and highlighting how the way you solve them is unique to your brand along the way.

To better streamline this process, you can set up a weekly theme schedule – i.e. Monday – Quote, Tuesday – Tip, Wednesday – Blog post, Thursday – Q+A, Friday – Article. The first month might require a little bit more prep work to figure out what will work best for you and to see what types of posts your audience responds to best, but once you start to get ahead, you can begin saving all of your content ideas into a document on your computer as you come upon them. Then, when it comes time to plan your postings for the next month, all you’ll need to do is fill in the blanks, and voila!

You may also want to grab this new Weekly Social Media Planner from the shop:

Step Three: Design Ahh-mazing Graphics

Okay, so now that your branding is nailed down, you understand your audience on a deeper level, and you’ve planned and written some posts you think they’ll truly appreciate, it’s finally time to bring it all together with some ahh-mazing graphics. Please trust me when I say you do NOT need to be a professional designer to do this! It will obviously be less time consuming for you if you CAN hire someone, but please don’t let it hold you back from growing your brand if you can’t.

No one said you had to be an artist – think of yourself as an assembler instead. If you have your brand board on hand and your post ideas already laid out in front of you, it really is all just a matter of assembling the designs in a beginner level graphic program like Canva or an intermediate level graphic program like Photoshop (whichever you prefer!). First, bring in all of the elements you know you want to use (i.e. your logo icon, your message written in your signature fonts, and the colors from your color palette), and then add some flair. Once you get into it, it can be really fun!

If the blank page is still really freaking you out, and you have no idea what to do, you can also invest in some gorgeous, free or low-cost backgrounds, stock photos, or clip art as long as they fit in with your brand’s vibe. You can find some nice design assets from Creative Market, or do a search on Etsy, and then save them all into a ‘Design Resources‘ folder that you can pull from when you’re in need of some extra inspiration to guide you.

The more time you spend sussing out your visual language in the beginning, the easier it will get over time. Who knows, it might even become something you really start to look forward to!

The post how to design ahh-mazing blog + social media graphics. appeared first on Half Asleep.

First of all, I have to say that the last couple of months have not gone AT ALL as planned. Nope, instead of making great progress towards all of the exciting goals I listed out in my last post, I woke up one random Thursday near the beginning of May and found myself feeling sicker than I think I’ve ever felt in my whole life. It has been a pretty stressful last 12 months and I have to admit my self-care was severely lacking. Luckily I have recovered in leaps and bounds since then – largely due to taking some temporary time off from being so overly ambitious all the time and MAJORLY upping my nutrition & exercise regime (which has been pretty much revolutionary for me!). Now I’m finally feeling pumped up and ready to ease back into the good ol’ creative flow again, but this time with a completely different and slower moving mindset in place.

In a way, this whole experience has been a blessing in disguise, because it forced me to reconsider pretty much everything in my life, from how I handle my own self-care, to how I manage my time and my business, and what really matters to me in life in general. It’s too bad that I had to get so sick to figure this all out, but now I’m feeling a lot happier and much more balanced than before, so I guess it has all worked out for the best!

Even though I haven’t been around as much on the blog or social media lately, I’ve still been working on TONS of design projects with some pretty awesome creative entrepreneurs behind the scenes (in between some heavy doses of self-care, of course!). So, instead of taking weeks & weeks to catch up and post about each one separately, I thought I’d just share them all here in one massive post because I have lots of other fun things I would love to debut on the blog before the month ends!

Are you ready for this? I don’t know if you are, but here we goooo…

Luna Prosperity Planner

I have been hyping this one up quite a bit over the last few months and I think it’s finally time I told you the full scoop! Psychic + author Pamela Chen and I have been working together on all sorts of projects and e-books lately, but one of our biggest endeavors has been creating this Luna Prosperity Planner, which is a combination of a moon cycle tracker and a day agenda, and it was so much fun to design! I especially love when I can see my work come to life in print and know that it’s going to benefit so many people, not to mention make their lives more fun. The best part is that it’s something that I really loved using for myself! You start off using it at the New Moon – which is when you decide what you would like to manifest during the upcoming moon cycle – and then you can track its manifestation through to the Full Moon all the way up until the next New Moon begins. The 30-day version is available to order here and a 90-day version will hopefully be coming available at some point in the future, so you can continue tracking your manifestations for 3 whole moon cycles instead of just one.

Besides the awesome planner, Pamela and I have also worked together on these 3 mini guides which focus mainly on healing and manifesting using crystals, sage & feng shui:

The best part? You can grab all of these magical e-books for FREE (or pay what you want!) from Pamela’s website HERE!

(FYI, The clip art shown on the covers was sourced from Creative Market!)

The Online Moon Lodge

Following along a similar lunar theme, I have also been working with the lovely Melanie of The Sacred Womb in Germany on lots of pretty printables for her new membership platform for women called The Online Moon Lodge. Every month she debuts a new bundle focusing on issues surrounding women’s reproductive health and spirituality and it has been so much fun to expand her mystical tribal + woodland theme into interactive PDFs (also using some gorgeous watercolor clip art from Creative Market) as a gift to her members. If you’re interested, you can find out more about the Online Moon Lodge here!

Patchwork Planner

A couple of months back, Becky from the quilting blog Patchwork Posse asked me to go through and revamp her incredibly in depth DIY quilting planner to give it a more professional look. The cool thing about this planner – besides the fact that it was also designed so it can be colored in like a coloring book (!) – is that you can choose exactly which of the 30+ pages you want to print and create your own customized quilting planner according to your needs. If you enjoy quilting or have a friend or family member who does, you can find out more information on the Patchwork Planner here!

DIVINA Personal Moon Calendar

…And dipping back into the lunar vibe once again (I think I may have become the official expert moon-themed graphic designer at this point and I have to say I’m pretty happy about it!), I’m super pumped to announce that I was lucky to work with one of my favorite authors and the creator of the DIVINA Dream Planner, Darla Antoine (who was interviewed on the blog here!), to create an awesome AND very useful Personal Moon Phase Calendar to accompany her super cool upcoming daily Moon Phrase e-mail series. This personal moon calendar can be downloaded for free right here to help you track your moods & dreams each day of the moon cycle and become more aware of how the moon affects you personally depending on which phase it’s currently in.

JenTex Training & Consulting

Last but certainly not least, I recently kicked off a major re-design project for a unique social work training and consulting company run by the super sweet Dawn in upstate New York. This is the final logo design and mood board that came out of the branding process and I’m excited to keep building it out into her other business materials including social media graphics, an e-course, and a new website design. More on this project soon, I’m sure!

Whew! If you are still reading this, BRAVO! After putting this all together, I guess I have been doing a lot lately. But I’m happy to say as of right now I am finally caught up on design work, and I’m ready to accept new clients once again. If you have been thinking about hiring on a graphic designer to help you make your business or blog graphics, PDFs, branding, and/or website look their absolute best, you can find out all about my custom design services here.

And if hiring a graphic designer is not exactly in your budget this summer, but you still want to achieve beautiful and professional visuals for your social media, opt-in gift, branding or website, stay tuned for my future posts because I will have some exciting updates on some upcoming DIY design courses to share with you next week!

The post latest design work. appeared first on Half Asleep.

So, instead of blogging and posting flower pics on Instagram (like the beauty I see everyday on my morning walk above)… I was mostly off sitting in the blazing hot car outside the library trying to keep up on my design deadlines. Sadly we don’t have too many coffee shops around here where you can sit and work in peace, so the high school library is pretty much the only choice when it comes to free internet if you’re having trouble with it in our tiny town!

Now that that‘s over with (thankfully we FINALLY found a company who agreed to come out & install it for us along with a big ugly satellite last week!), I’ve finally had a chance to get back in the groove and catch up on my internet reading, so here are some interesting things I’ve discovered and wanted to pass on.

• The 100-day project started a week ago, but it’s not too late to get started! Basically it’s 100 days of anything you’ve really wanted to work on. Want to make more art? Want to make yoga a bigger part of your everyday life? (I think those should both be mine!) Pick anything you want and do it every day for 100 days and track your progress along with the rest of the 100-day project community on Instagram. (Kiana Mosley, for instance, is doing 100 days of artgasms!) 
  
• How finding your hook can help put your brand or biz ahead of the crowd.
• Always remember to take some time to ask yourself, “What is most important?“
• Try this awesome idea from Deluxe Modern: Use floor tile samples from your local home improvement store to create lovely backdrops for your Instagram photos, like this fancy marble background.

• I looove this Etsy shop filled with floral-painted wooden cut-outs of the U.S. and its states. They would be so cute for a wedding decoration or just to place on a knick knack shelf in your home.
• Speaking of decorating, I’ve finally decided on the color I’m going to paint the new Half Asleep Studio. Here’s a sneak peek at what I have in mind!! 
• And here’s a pretty comprehensive list of 15 ways to promote your blog posts!

What’s the longest you’ve ever had to go without internet? Did you cry a lot like me?

HAHA – SO excited to be BACK!

The post loving lately / 03. appeared first on Half Asleep.

Hello! We are The Postess – an online postcard shop that includes handwriting, mailing and scheduling services with every postcard you purchase. Technically, we are Kayleen Veatch and Mali Fischer. We work together on all decisions with the business but we each have our own roles and strengths, which we use to get things done! The Postess was born out of a desire to facilitate communication and share art with the world. The following photos provide an insider glimpse into the tasks we complete in order to make The Postess work.

MONDAY

Mali: My main job at The Postess is to be coming up with new drawings for postcard designs. It’s awesome because it gives me a constant creative outlet and adds purpose to my illustrating. However, it can also be a challenge because, unlike when I draw for myself, I need to consider what others would like to see on a postcard and try to assess the purpose or occasion that accompanies each image. This is a shot of my desk, in its honest state – with a never-ending to-do list and mug of coffee that has probably gone cold.

TUESDAY

Kayleen: With Mali in the Creative Director’s seat, it’s my job to take care of all the administrative, marketing, and business development tasks that need tending to. Currently Tuesdays mean catching up on customer inquiries via email, researching local printers here in Portland that we might be able to utilize in the future, and reaching out to other artists who we’d like to collaborate with down the line.

WEDNESDAY

Writing cards is something we share equally. It’s one of the most fun jobs we’ve got, but also has to be done with great care because we want to be so respectful with other people’s words! It’s a fun task that usually gets done in the evening, in preparation to mail cards within the next 2 days. Even though we do our best to meet once or twice a week, a lot of our work happens separately. Here we are in separate studios (read: coffee tables and bedrooms closets) writing cards and fulfilling orders.

THURSDAY

Kayleen: In addition to running our small business, Mali and I both work full times jobs. My 2.5 mile morning walk to the office, across the river and into the city, is a time to clear my head and set intentions for the day. My neverending list of small business to-do’s will be waiting for me at the end either way, and it’s important to take this time during the workweek for myself. But it doesn’t stop me from waving to my friends at the post office (and dropping off postcards) as I stroll by! Tonight I’ll meet with a local chapter of fellow creative entrepreneurs in Portland to discuss the topic of collaboration. Though such great networking could be considered work, these monthly meetings, my busy brain surrounded by likeminded individuals, are a lot more like therapy for the entrepreneur’s soul!

FRIDAY

Mali: Mailing off two blue cards today! We try to drop cards off at mailboxes right near the post-office, because they have more frequent (and later) pick up times. It’s a bit nerve-wracking, dropping into the box, because once they’re gone you can’t take anything back! I always try to do a double check on addresses and notes.

WEEKEND

One week wraps up and another begins. If we didn’t make the effort to see each other weekly, this business would essentially exist in text message feed – which can leave some room for miscommunication and ideas that slip through the cracks. On Sunday we refocus our goals, celebrate successes, and define what we’d like to improve on next week. Meeting in person reminds us that we’re in this together.

The post inspiring entrepreneurs: the postess. appeared first on Half Asleep.

Once again, my friend & astrologer Lunara is here to give us all our own creativityscopes so we can all have a head’s up on how best to work with our own creative energies (& businesses) in the month ahead. Ready?! Here she goes…

ARIES
{Mar 20 – Apr 19}

This month will be a great time for you to finally step back into your creative flow, Aries. With this being your birthday time of the year, the Sun is shining on YOU, giving you the extra energy you need to go after your big dreams. The New Moon on April 7th may even bring you an epiphany about an upcoming passion project. If you’re thinking about changing your job description or making over your entire career to explore a whole new facet of your skills & abilities, just remember: slow and steady wins the race. The bigger the dream, the more time it may take to reach it, so be sure to pace yourself and consider your next moves carefully. Whatever projects you begin this month will come to fruition by the Full Moon in October, so plan ahead and think hard about where you’d like to see yourself by then, and then figure out the exact steps you will need to take to get there!

TAURUS
{Apr 20 – May 20}

 Has last month left you with a flurry of new ideas, Taurus? I actually have some counter-intuitive advice for you: Rest! If you can take some time to smell the roses, re-group, and relax a little, it will help you subconsciously sift through your ideas to find which ones are truly golden, and which ones aren’t really meant for you. Once you’ve had time to clear your head, re-consider your options, and re-ignite your inspiration levels, the end of the month brings you a wonderful chance to begin your creative research with new-found clarity. Just don’t plan to launch your new project quite yet! Even if you think you’ve found all of the missing puzzle pieces, you’ll still need to keep shifting them around for a while longer, as the bigger picture may still be yet to reveal itself.

GEMINI
{May 21 – Jun 20}

Prepare to socialize, Gemini! April will be a great month for creative collaborations and group networking. As they say, your vibe attracts your tribe, so don’t afraid to show up as your real self – not just what you think others will want to see. Your authenticity will attract more like-minded partnerships into your life (that will be much more beneficial to your true career path) than if you sugar-coat or edit yourself to fit in. Also make sure you have your own business strategy in check before you start taking on a million new projects that involve other people, especially if you start to suspect they might cater more to others’ interests than your own. Shore up your foundations and work out a 12-month plan to make sure anything new you decide to take on will actually lead you to where you want to go with your business and your life. Then be prepared to say NO to any projects that won’t!

CANCER
{Jun 21 – Jul 22}

Ready for a creative career boost, Cancer? This month could spell sweet success if you can keep your eye on the prize and block out anything that isn’t conducive to a productive working environment. In other words, try to keep your work hours focused on work – not for dealing with other people’s insane issues or second guessing yourself while endlessly scrolling through social media. The only real cure for stress is doing the work! When you’re not busy focused on work, taking enough time for self-care and exchanging ideas with true friends who support and energize you will help encourage you to be at your best. You’ll have no time for toxic people while you’re scaling new heights! If you can put your perfectionism aside and get the work done, there will surely be some brilliant benefits in store for you too.

LEO
{Jul 23 – Aug 22}

You may find yourself on an entirely new level now, Leo! While last month was filled with big insights and exciting opportunities, this month is all about getting acclimated and showing what you’re really made of. Now that you’re the one to watch, you may decide to take a new class to brush up on your skills or go on a business trip to discover ways you can do your job even better. Putting in extra work behind the scenes like this will surely impress your clients, customers or collaborators and show them that they definitely made the right choice to work with you. Just watch out for Mercury Retrograde as the month comes to a finale, as some of your hard-won accolades could potentially fall down the toilet (along with your iPhone!) if important technological or communication details become overlooked.

VIRGO
{Aug 23 – Sep 22}

You’re on to something good, Virgo! April is the perfect time to hole up and get to work on a new top secret scheme. In fact, it may be quite hard for you to think about much else! Just don’t keep your ideas hidden behind the velvet curtain for too long, as it will eventually take stepping outside of your comfort zone and putting your ideas in front of real people to make your project pick up some real steam. Big changes are definitely on the horizon for you and your career, but getting where you want to be will take doing things you haven’t had the guts to do, until now. Try to have faith in yourself and remember that a positive attitude and excitement for the unknown (rather than incessant worry or fear) will take you anywhere you want to go, and beyond!

LIBRA
{Sep 23 – Oct 22}

Feeling any different, Libra? March was a major month of personal transformation for you, but luckily April will be a bit more tame. It’s going to be a great time for you to pair up with a collaborative partner and discover the amazing things that can happen when you put two creative minds together. You may even stumble upon a fresh opportunity that will allow you to shut the door on your old job title for good, opening you up to start something more exhilarating and more in line with what you want for your future. Just be sure that your new-found excitement doesn’t cause you to take on more than you can handle! Do your research, don’t be tempted to double-book yourself, and prepare to do lots of behind-the-scenes planning to make your dreams come true.

SCORPIO
{Oct 23 – Nov 21}

Don your comfiest sweatpants and get to work, Scorpio. The beginning of April is a fabulous time to hop out to grab a venti latte and then get back to the office for the day to catch up on any loose ends that may have been distracting you or keeping you from doing your best work. Organize your workspace, file your taxes (if you haven’t already), update your social media profiles, and check up on any other details that will allow you to better streamline your process. By the end of the month, you’ll be all set to shine in the spotlight with the hard-won culmination of a big project you originally began working on last fall. Just remember this phrase: keep things simple. Take some time to slow down and reflect before your over-excitement causes you to promise more than you can deliver!

SAGITTARIUS
{Nov 22 – Dec 21}

Brace yourself, Saggitarius. April is going to be awesome! You’ve been learning how to step into your innate creative power and now you’re finally able to express your full authentic nature. Be true to yourself and speak from the heart in your newsletter or social media, and you will find yourself attracting new fans left and right! Now that you are beginning to see that what you have to offer has great value, it might also be a good time to update your pricing. Start with a gut check, but don’t let limiting beliefs keep you stuck in old financial patterns. Towards the end of the month, you’ll want to accelerate full speed ahead, but some bumps in the road may send you back to begin again. If you find yourself feeling frustrated, you should get yourself outside to de-compress and re-discover your center.

CAPRICORN
{Dec 22 – Jan 19}

Ready for some time to recharge, Capricorn? After last month’s action packed adventures, you’ll finally have an opportunity to take things down a notch and get cozy with creative activities you can do from the comfort of your home, such as writing, cooking, scrapbooking, or decluttering. Once you’re feeling more balanced and reinvigorated from spending time in your sacred space, you’ll be ready to get back out into the world to co-mingle with others in your industry or explore an exciting new creative direction for your business. Relaxation is an especially important theme for you this month, so keep your dreams big, but be sure to break them into smaller, more manageable chunks so you can also give yourself enough time to unwind and keep yourself from burning out.

AQUARIUS
{Jan 20 – Feb 18}

You’re ready to share your knowledge on a new level, Aquarius! What do people keep telling you they want to learn? Why couldn’t you be the one to show them the way? This month the spotlight for you is on powerful communications and unveiling the expert within. You may receive a surge of creative inspiration around teaching or writing, or get a vision of yourself in a leadership position where you can share your ideas and positively help others. Increasing your efforts in these areas might even grab the attention of someone important who has the power to grant you the opportunity to show what you know on a bigger scale than you may have originally imagined. Getting this chance to surround yourself with a supportive network of like-minded people could be just the thing you need to begin see your long-term career plans bloom this spring!

PISCES
{Feb 19 – Mar 20}

Look at you go, Pisces! You’re in reinvention mode until early 2017, and you’re already starting to discover some important insights that will greatly benefit your life & business in the long run. No need to sprint to the finish line or over-work, however, just focus on a few key goals, do the best you can each day, and you will get where you want to be naturally. Staying aware of your energy levels and striving for a more efficient workflow from day to day will especially help you NOT to over-plan or over-pile your plate with too many projects that you may not necessarily have the ability or energy to follow up on later. Just stay focused and don’t procrastinate, and by fall you should start to see the culmination of your efforts become magnified!

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With everything said and done, I was only able to get 2 out of 6 of my big life & business goals FULLY accomplished for the month. I wish I had better news to report, especially now that I am publicly announcing my goals here, but I still feel like I made a lot of really good progress even if I can’t check everything off my list quite yet.

{ Ready to plan your own Amazing April? Click here to download the free calendar printable above, and hang it up where you can see it to start making it a great month right away! }

March 2016 Overview

Before I tell you all about my goals for April, let’s go over how everything went with March’s goals, shall we?

Life

• Put together a wedding plan. I was hoping to have a chance to cement some more of the details for my wedding next year (so we can start to spread the word to our families & get them prepared to travel out here to Hawaii), but Max & I didn’t get a chance to get past the ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we ____________’ stage quite yet. Luckily our friends are getting married this month so maybe their wedding will give us some more solid ideas?  
• Get our Airbnb ready to rent! Not yet… but progress was definitely made. We got a comfy new bed set up, bought a huge stack of fresh turquoise towels, and lots of stuff for the kitchen, but we still need to gather a few more things, so this one will be going back at the top of my list of goals for April. 
• Work on landscaping the garden. This didn’t get to happen a whole lot, mostly because we haven’t been able to get the right tools we need yet, like a weedwhacker. However, we did get a new greenhouse set up and we’re already sprouting lots of cucumbers (a big staple in our house), so that’s pretty exciting!  
  

Business

• Publish at least 10 blog posts in total. Oh man, so close! My goal was to get back on a steady blogging schedule by posting at least 10 times during the month, but instead I was only able to fit in 9. Still, that is up from only 4 the month before, so I’d still say I did pretty good with showing up around here more often. 
  
• Design a Weekly Goal Planner Printable. Finally, something I can check off! I did design a new Weekly Goal Planner Printable to help break down big goals into smaller chunks and it’s been great for me to be using it myself all throughout the month to help me simplify my schedule too. 
  
• Prepare to launch the Dream Design Community. Consider it launched! However, I just decided to make a BIG last minute change and make the community 100% FREE and open to EVERYONE who signs up for my e-mail list so that I can connect with more of you outside of the blog & newsletter and share design tips & planning advice with you throughout the month. Learn more & join here!  

April 2016 Goals

I have a feeling that April’s going to be a really great month. Here are 3 life + 3 business goals I’ve set for myself:

Life

• Rent out the Airbnb for the first time. I’m giving this goal another push this month, as we still have a handful of details to take care of before our guest house is officially ready to rent out, like picking the perfect bedding, installing the TV and cable, and finding a nice little patio table and chairs for the deck. Then, of course, we’ll have to take pictures and set up our listing before we can actually get our first booking, but it all sounds pretty exciting to me, don’t you think?
• Take engagement photos & design ‘Save the Dates’. Max and I have been engaged since last summer, but in all of the craziness of looking for a place to live, we haven’t had a chance to formally announce our engagement or wedding date to our friends and family, so this month I want to get some photos taken of us so I can design our ‘Save the Dates’. I’m not really a big fan of taking photos, but it will be so fun to make the postcards afterwards! I can’t wait.
• Take Sundays completely off from work & un-plug. Since I work from home, it’s pretty easy to stay glued to the computer and let the work week blend right into my life without looking up to realize what day it is, but whenever I’m able to take a full day off from work, it feels so good! In order take every Sunday 100% off, I’m not only going to have to be better about planning things in advance (specifically blog posts), but also stricter about my time. It’s all worth it though because I really think it will pay off big time in the long run when it comes to my sanity and being more creative during the work week. Plus it = MORE BEACH DAYS! 

Business

• Set up my new home studio. I’m so excited because I finally get to work in my new studio – Hawaii style! But it’s not exactly the most comfortable This month I want to get the new studio painted, set up a new desk & chair, get my iMac shipped over from my dad’s house, and make it a more comfortable place to work overall (since I spend so much of my time doing just that!).
• Post to the blog on a set schedule. I would love for Half Asleep Studio to be the kind of blog that you can check in on knowing there will be a new post up on a certain day of the week, so I want to try to start sticking specifically to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to publish new posts if I can from now on!
• Get new headshots of myself taken. I know I already said I’m not a big fan of taking photos, but while we’re already taking our engagement photos, I wouldn’t mind getting a couple of new snaps of myself to replace my old, grainy profile pictures. This is something I’ve definitely needed to do for a while, so I think now is just as good of time as any to suck it up and get it done.

Well, that’s it for my goals for April! I hope you enjoyed reading about all of the things I’ve got planned for myself this month. If you want to post your goals to a blog post too, I would love if you shared your link in the comments below!

The post april 2016 goals + free calendar. appeared first on Half Asleep.

But expanding your reach and getting your fans to ‘like’ or even see your posts is sadly only HALF the battle! Do you know what’s also important? Getting your fans to actually click through and go to your website, shop, or anywhere else you’d like to lead them. As great as it is getting lots of ‘likes’ (or even 1, depending on where you’re at!), you want to eventually to get your fans to swing by your internet headquarters – aka your website, blog, or shop – to learn more about your offerings (you know, so you can make money & stuff!).

So, here is just a little something you can do to get more traffic back to your site, shop, or anywhere else you would like to promote…

You can add Facebook tabs (also called apps) to your Facebook page, and they can contain any design or link you want!

It may seem like such a small detail because people will have to actually be ON your page to see them, but it surprisingly does help. Ever since I installed mine, I have received over 150+ clicks from my Facebook page to my website, shop, and other social media profiles. I know this number because the tabs are trackable, too!

I realize it’s not exactly a humongous number of clicks, but if the tabs hadn’t been there at all, I would have missed out completely! Plus, they add another beautiful branded element to my page to help my page stand out better overall, which is always nice, right?

Here’s how to install tabs to your Facebook Page:

1. Go to Woobox.com and create an account by clicking “Try it for free.”
2. Sign up with Facebook and all of the pages you manage will be added to your account automatically.
3. Choose the Facebook page you would like to manage from the dropdown at the top of the screen (unless you only have one).
4. When your Facebook page is selected, click on ‘Static Tabs‘ from the top menu.
5. Press the green button that says ‘Create a New Tab‘.
6. Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube tabs are already pre-made options that are available for you to choose, but picking one of these pre-made options will NOT link to your accounts – instead, when someone clicks on it, it will open a page within your Facebook page with a mini version of your profile. If you’re okay with this – you can go ahead and choose one of those pre-made options. Otherwise, if you just want to create a link to your actual social media profiles, website, or shop, you can choose the first option, ‘HTML Fangate Tab‘.
7. Fill in the options on the ‘Edit/Customize Tab Content‘ page, like your URL and any other advanced options you would like to play around with if you so choose. If you’re using the HTML Fangate option, be sure to choose the ‘Redirect‘ tab on the left side of the Page Source setting (instead of HTML!) so that the button will link directly to a new page, rather than showing a new page inside the frame of your Facebook page.
8. Finally, on the left sidebar, click on ‘Tab Settings‘ to upload your tab image and enter a name label that you want to show up on your Facebook page.
9. Click ‘Save Settings‘ when you’re done, and then go check out your Facebook page. The changes should be live on your page immediately (even if they don’t show up on Woobox right away).
10. Rinse & repeat for every tab you want to create. However, ONLY the first 3 tabs you create will show up on your page – the rest will only be visible behind an arrow – so make sure to choose your favorites for the top spots!

*Please note that tabs can only be installed to Facebook Business Pages (not personal profiles).

The post how to add colorful tabs to your facebook page. appeared first on Half Asleep.

And so, today I’m incredibly pumped to present to you, the Dream Design Community! It’s a new Facebook group featuring DIY design tips and life & business planning resources for creative entrepreneurs. Although it will be starting out small at first, it’s hopefully going to eventually be chalk full of everything I know about designing an online business you can be proud to show off to others.

I can only work with so many people with my one-on-one design services at any given time, so I have been thinking about how I can share the design knowledge I’ve gained throughout my career to help make others’ blogs, brands & businesses look amazing online without having to hire a professional to do it all for you. And this is it!

This awesome resource is especially for you if…. you’re an artist, blogger, coach, shop owner, photographer, virtual assistant, fellow designer, crystal healer, or creative entrepreneur of any kind… and you have BIG dreams to create an online presence you love, but you’re not exactly sure what you need to do to get there or how to build a strong foundation along the way.

The post introducing the dream design community. appeared first on Half Asleep.