// You Are Good Enough

Today I have a special guest, Ebonnie, here to share her Tumblr project that aims to inspire girls and remind them that they are good enough. Ebonnie's idea is simple enough, and sometimes that's the perfect way to get your message across. Her project is accessible and far-reaching. I'm a huge fan of any and everything that helps promote positivity and self esteem. Today Ebonnie is going to tell us a little more about You Are Good Enough and share how we can all get involved!

Hi Ebonnie! Thanks so much for joining us today and for being our PRIME sponsor for this month! I want everyone to get a feel for what You Are Good Enough is all about.

What inspired you to start You Are Good Enough?

I started You Are Good Enough after I started to suffer from depression, I would go online and all I could seem to find were pictures and blogs about never being perfect, never being beautiful, never being good enough and it drove me deeper and deeper down into that black hole, and then one day I woke up.

I realized that none of that is true, and that for the sake of the girls and guys who run those sorts of blogs, and for the sake of the girls and guys who read them, there had to be something positive out there as well, so I created my You Are Good Enough Tumblr, in order to help me out of my depression, and hopefully will help others as well

Can you tell us a little more about you? The girl behind the project?

My name is Ebonnie and I’m a 19 year old makeup artist and body piercer living in the capitol city of Australia, I’m tattooed and pierced and believe that your body is a canvas for you to decorate how you please.

While I was in college I bought my first of many loves, my beautiful back Kawasaki cruiser Polly, who I rode until only recently when she broke down and I had to buy a car. One day I hope to move to New York and study fashion design, but I try not to make concrete plans in my life. I prefer to let life come to me and just enjoy the ride.

If you could sum up your message in one, short sentence, what would it be?

Every girl and boy on this planet is good enough for anything they could ever possibly hope to achieve

How has You Are Enough grown from the very beginning?

Well that’s the thing, other then a few people submitting when I first started it, life got busy, things got in the way and I stopped promoting it, it fell to the back of my mind and it never really became what I wanted it too, but that’s why I decided to sponsor Kaelah, so I can get this blog really going and hopefully brighten someones day.

Any specific reason why you chose Tumblr as your platform?

I chose tumblr because I think it’s the easiest site for anyone to access, you don’t have to have a tumblr account to few and get involved with this blog, you just need the url and a few minutes to snap a photo of yourself and upload it!

Do you have any “end goals” you’d like to reach with your project? Or is it more of a hobby you do for fun?

I would love to see people from all over the world upload pictures to this blog, I would love to have you are good enough written in all different languages presented on the blog from all different people of different walks of life, to have submissions everyday so the flow of positivity never stops

What do you hope your audience will take away from You Are Good Enough?

I hope that they will take away the knowledge and understanding that they are good enough, that people set their own restrictions in life and that doesn’t have to be the case, and that there are places you can go on the internet that won’t fill your head with negativity, that you can come to this site and not only help yourself but help others as well.

How can other people get involved? Do you only accept photos or do you have plans on expanding into writing at some point, too?

Getting involved with You Are Good Enough is as easy as snapping a photo of yourself, or you with some friends, with the words You Are Good Enough written on your hand, once it has taken off, I would love to expand into getting people to share their stories of success and achievement, but for now at the beginning I’d like it to be an easy thing for people to do and get involved in that will only take 5 minutes

Do you think the power of positivity has the ability to affect people and inspire them to live fuller, richer lives?

Absolutely, positivity has the power to change the world

Are there any last words you’d like to share with my readers today?

I would just like to say thank you for taking the time to learn about me and my project and I would really love to hear from you and see your pictures getting uploaded to the blog, it would mean so much to me to see everyone getting involved and spreading the word about it! I hope you guys have an amazing day!

Thanks so much Ebonnie! It's been an absolute treating having you!

If you're interested in submitting a photo or two to Ebonnie's project, be sure to visit You Are Good Enough and click "Submit" in the very upper left corner of your browser! (It's a little bit hidden but if you look you'll see it!) If you'd like to support her project without contributing yourself then you can always share the project on your blog or reblog straight from her Tumblr!

If you're interested in becoming a PRIME sponsor (or any size at all!), don't hesitate to get in touch! Email me within the next 5 days and get a special discount! xo

Featured Sponsor: Eager Beaver (+ Giveaway)

Okay, I'm just going to put it out there, I love Sara. I love her outlook, I love her site, I love her whole deal... it's good. What I love even more is that I get the opportunity to share inspiring ladies like Sara here on LCH. Remember Stephanie's post last week? So many rad gals to meet! Here's her story!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Do you mind telling us a little bit about Eager Beaver and yourself? How did the idea for EB come about? 

I’m Sara Kinninmont, a writer, dreamer, adventurer, and, most importantly, an Eager Beaver. I created my website as a means of not only combining my loves, but in hopes of inspiring myself and others to Live Like You Give a Damn!

I started keeping a list of fun to-do's back in 2007. It wasn't until December of 2010 that I decided to create Eager Beaver. Once I had the name and the tag line, there was no denying that it had to happen.

Incidentally, the original list now has over 6000 things on it!

The sidebar of EB boldly states the "Top 5 things people wanna do"… all 5 of which I think would be awesome to experience. How do you come up with the ideas, or are they user-submitted?

I’m always fascinated by the Top 5s. It’s interesting when they differ from my own and when I see an item on there that I hadn’t expected so many people to connect with.  So far, all of the items on the list are ones that I’ve dreamed up, but I am always open to suggestions and would love to hear them. I try and make a concerted effort to cover a broad range of interests and geographic locations. The list is by no means only things I want to do. I certainly don’t ever see myself “wearing a Speedo with confidence.”

If you had to pick 3 things off your list that you're eager to get done as soon as possible, what would they be? 

I LOVE animals. An absolute must for me is to watch a baby elephant in the wild. 

Lately I’ve been dreaming of an epic cross-country road trip, preferably the US. I think it’s something that must be done at least once. 

And third, I want to eliminate “coulda, shoulda, woulda from my lexicon.” I’m not horribly prone to it. I believe things happen as they should and try not to worry too much, but there’s always room for improvement.  

What are some list items you've accomplished that you're most proud of?

In terms of physical bravery, the skeleton was amazing. I felt invincible afterwards. The CN Edgewalk was also great. It was strange because I had no butterflies. I just felt at peace up there. Anything that takes you out of your normal comfort zone expands the very definition you have of yourself. Whenever I feel doubtful about my ability to do something, I think about how I hurdled head first down an icy track going 96kms an hour. That normally puts things into perspective.  

What would you say inspires you on a daily basis? Any specific people, places or events?

In terms of ideas for the list, inspiration comes from paying attention and lots of reading: blogs, magazines, books etc.

Inspiration for Living Like You Give a Damn comes from my family, namely my parents. I was essentially raised to live this way. No matter how hair-brained the idea, my parents were supportive. Whether I wanted to take synchronized swimming lessons or lapidary classes, they were game, regardless of the fact that I very rarely showed an actually affinity or talent for any of it. They also stressed the need to try everything once food wise. If I didn’t like something I never had to have it again, but I had to try it once. Because of this, my favorite food when I was a child was escargot. I was never told they were gross therefore I never thought there were. 

You've been hard at your list for half a decade now… do you plan to keep adding and attaining as long as you possibly can?

I do. But not just for the sake of checking things off, but more so as a continuing journey of uncovering pieces of myself. I certainly don’t love everything I try and many of them are a one-time thing, but you also never know when that one thing you push yourself to try might be your new favorite thing. 

What is a typical day like in the life of Sara? Is there such a thing as "typical" day for you?

Right now things are a bit quieter than normal. I’m doing the research for a travel book I’m writing. A typical day involves lots and lots of reading and a visit to the library. Despite the seeming monotony of it, I get as excited about finding a nugget of information I want to share with other EagerBeavers as I do from bungee jumping. 

If you could build Eager Beaver into something even bigger than it already is, what would you do? How would you share the EB bravado with the world?

Ideally, I‘d love to reach as many people as I can with the list, not so much with the intention of making them want to do all of the things on it, but to make them think about living with intention. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut. Whether it’s always watching the same show, listening to the same music or eating the same food, we make choices daily out of habit. What about instead of subs for lunch you try that little Vietnamese place you always walk by and have a banh mi instead. Maybe just once watch a documentary instead of your latest HBO-obsession. It’s easy to do as you have always done, but trying something new can be deeply satisfying in ways you never could have imagined. 

I see EagerBeaver as a tool for inspiration. The book I’m working on will be an extension of that, full of ideas for things that will break you out of your comfort zone and hopefully have fun in the process. 

Okay, enough faddy duddy serious talk, let's get silly. What is the absolute most-ridiculous silliest-thing-ever item you've check off of your EB list? 

“Embracing entomophagy” – bug eating. I ate some salt ‘n vinegar flavored crickets. If you can get past what you are eating, they’re actually not bad. Eating weird things is never really an issue for me.

The difference between delicious and gross is really just a social construct. North Americans love cheese and cannot imagine living without it, but many cultures find it disgusting. Vice versa with bugs etc. 

How about the silliest/most ridiculous one you aspire to?

Maybe it’s a Canadian thing, but peeing my name in the snow. A girlfriend even bought me one of those pee funnels. For some reason, the idea of actually doing it is more nerve wracking than sky diving for me. 

If you could advise the Honeybees in anyway, about how to make goals and attain them, what would you tell them to do?

Doing things out of habit can sometimes mask fear of the unknown. It seems safe because we know what to expect from them, but that safety is an illusion. Remember that everything you now do regularly and likely take for granted, like riding a bike or sending an email, was once brand new to you. You had to move out of your comfort zone to do it. It’s not about doing things “before you die” but making the most of your life in the moment. For me, having live too little and not having take advantage of life’s abundance is far more frightening than death. 

Go out and Live Like You Give a Damn!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 
GIVEAWAY!

Okay, so are you inspired yet?! Just reading what Sara has to say about Eager Beaver (and living with intention, in general) is just so seriously awesome. Seeing things like this really make me want to get out and do something rad... something that I may not have otherwise done.  (But probably not pee my name in the snow... I don't know... maybe.)

Now Sara wants to help motivate you to really live out your dreams (both big and small!) by offering up one lucky winner an amazing Kate Spade passport cover! Travel the world, see the sights, and check things off of your list! 

In order to be entered to win, just pop on over to the Eager Beaver and sign up for her site! It's a simple, painless process and it'll put you among hundreds of other individuals seeking out adventure in life! Please leave a comment below after you've signed up and let us know what you'd like to check off of your list!

For extra entries, please do the following and leave a separate comment below for each!

+ "Like" Eager Beaver on Facebook!

+ Follow Eager Beaver on Twitter!

You've got a total of three chances to win! A winner will be drawn at random next week and contacted shortly thereafter. Now let's hear about things on your list! Good luck! xo

XL Sponsor Feature: Ever So Lovely

This month LCH is happy to have Brandi of Ever So Lovely as our Extra Large Featured sponsor! Brandi took some time out of her and her husband's hunt for a new home to talk to us about what's going on in her neck of the woods! Everyone, meet Brandi!

Hi Brandi! Little Chief Honeybee is so excited to have you as our XL sponsor for May! Do you mind telling us about your endeavor with Ever So Lovely? Sure! Hello all! I am the founder of Ever So Lovely, a lovely little design studio in North Carolina and I offer Graphic Design services to small businesses. I also have a line of illustrations, scarves and vintage jewelry that I create as well.  What inspired you to delve into the world of design and illustration?  I have always loved art since I was a little girl and I was never too far away from a box of crayons or markers. After years of art classes and illustration I went to Meredith College where I majored in Graphic Design and I've been working in the industry now for thirteen years. After doing the corporate thing for a while I decided to launch Ever So Lovely as a design studio for small businesses. It was originally an art and design blog, which I've had since 2009 and creating the other aspect of my business.  Are you formally trained or are you more of a self-taught kinda gal? I am formally trained in Design, Illustration and Photography but I also dabble in oil painting, textile design and fiber art. You offer a wide array of services through Ever So Lovely. How do you keep up with your project tasks? Are you a really organized person? (And if so, mind giving me some lessons?!) That's a good question! Being a design studio I do offer a wide array of services and I have a great calendar to keep up with everything from printing dates, proofing, client meetings and other things I have going on.  Sometimes it can be tough if deadlines get pushed up but I keep everything in line and have a lot of reminders in my calendar :) What is a typical day like for you in terms of ESL?  There really isn't a typical day for ESL. Every day varies which is great! Some days are spent interviewing artists for the blog, researching new projects, brainstorming for a new design and making lots of coffee! Coffee is essential to my day. I'm usually working from early morning till in the evening. Recently I've been designing a logo for a lovely Farm out in Arizona that I'm really excited to work with. When I have downtime I'm working on my new line of botanical illustrations.  Do you ever collaborate with other designers and artists or do you prefer to be a one-woman-team? I haven't collaborated in a very long time but I like being a one-woman-team. What do you see on the horizon for ESL and your personal career path? 1 year? 5 years? Etc I'm really excited about the future of Ever So Lovely! The past two years have been great and there are so many things I have planned for this year and next. Since we are moving into a new home soon I'm excited to redecorate my studio to accent my brand. I also want to offer apparel designs featuring some of my illlustrations. I also want to keep working with businesses to assist in their design needs for their companies. In five years move into a brick and mortar studio where I work with clients and have a gallery in the front to showcase emerging artists from around the world.  If you could bestow any type of advice on our little honeybees, what would you say? Stay true to yourself. And with everything you create, be original. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ SITE - FACEBOOK - TWITTER Many thanks to Brandi for sharing her story with us! What do you think, honeybees? How about a big round of applause for the gal behind ESL?  As many of you know, I'm "technically" graduating college today (finally... after being done for 6 months!). I'll be spending the day with my family in my hometown (as it's also my Mom's birthday! Happy Birthday, Mama!) so I'll be back tomorrow! xo

Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: Elle of Elle.MNOP!

Today we've got our Extra Large sponsor (and my crafty gal pal), Elle from Elle.mnop indulging us with a sweet little interview and insights on her crafty life with her sweet pup and fella! I know several of you read Elle's blog already and I think all the rest of you should as well! It's a really fun and inspiring blog which will motivate you to break away from the computer and get your hands dirty! (Seriously... we made mosaic pots two nights this past week and we were covered in glue and grout! Dirty!)

Hi Elle! LCH is super tickled to have you as our Extra Large sponsor this month! I already know tons about you so how about you introduce yourself to the rest of the Honeybees? Tell us what makes you tick!

-Kaelah thanks again for letting me sponsor LCH this month I am so excited about it! Well for those of you that don't know me I have four loves in my life: my boyfriend Bryan, my awesome dog Riley, my career in web design, and of course crafting projects and creating things. I spend around 8-10 hours every day in the computer designing and as much as I love it it is very important to have a break from it at some point in the day. This is where the crafting comes in... There are many different ways to stay creative and inspired and as much as I love to look at other designer's work I get the most inspiration when I am creating and getting hands on with something.

So you write a blog called Elle.mnop… That's a super clever name! When did you start Elle.mnop and how did it come to fruition? What's the buzz all about?

- Well my name is Elle and at a serving job I had at Macaroni Grill everyone had nicknames and after many failed attempts of nicknaming me they came up with the nickname "lmnop" for me. At first I hated it and then I decided to embrace it and have loved it ever since! So when thinking of a blog name it just seemed right.

What are some things you hope to accomplish with your sweet blog?

-I have been blogging for almost a year now and I really love it! At first I mainly posted on online inspiration like artists and designs with a few craft projects sprinkled throughout. For the month of April I have done a craft project everyday and while its been challenging to complete sometimes I have loved how creative it has made me. For the future of Elle.mnop, I hope to continue to inspire people and create tons more projects that everyone can do.

Since you dove headfirst into blogging, what has been your favorite part of the experience? How about least favorite?

-My favorite part has got to be all the people I have meet in the process along with the great feedback. It makes me so excited to hear that people have actually tried some of the projects that I have created! My least favorite part was probably the beginning and starting it all. I found it to be hard to keep writing and creating for my blog when only a handful of people actually read it and it was mainly family. I am so glad I stayed with it though and didn't give up. Of course I want tons of people to read my blog but I had to learn to focus on the people that were actually reading it and keep them inspired.

What is a "typical day" in the life of Elle like?

-I am a hardcore multitasker so my days are pretty packed! I work at a web design firm in downtown Nashville from 9-6 and then head home to walk the dog. Walking the dog is actually my favorite part of the whole day because it lets me unwind and relax and of course get outside and walking around which I don't do much during the day. Next I try to cook a nice dinner for myself and Bryan but I'm still in the learning stages of cooking so sometimes its not so nice haha. The rest of my evening involves working out, creating, doing the next day's blog post, playing with the dog, and the occasional tv watching. Somehow I get it all done and don't sacrifice too much sleep which is always good!

Where do you find most of your inspiration? Do you read loads of other blogs to get the fire burning or do you find it in more unexpected places? 

-I read tons of blogs and normally have around 300 posts each day sitting in my Google Reader. I get a lot of my inspiration from fellow bloggers and designers but honestly most of my inspiration comes while driving. I drive an hour rounddtrip each day to work so I think a lot in the car. A lot of my craft projects come about from an idea while driving or a desire to recreate something with a twist on it.

What are some of your  daily reads that you can't get enough of?

- I of course read LCH everyday to find out what you are up too since I don't get to see you that much (sorry probably my fault) and I also love to read A Beautiful Mess, Design Sponge, Oh Joy, Turquoise Ink, the Martha Blog by Martha Stewart, and so so many more. One of my favorite things though is finding new blogs and new bloggers to get inspired by.

If you could just imagine awesome things into being, where would you see yourself in five years? What would you be doing?

-In five years I would love to see myself with a greeting card line in local boutiques along with options for custom invitations for weddings and baby announcements. I used to do illustrations for a shop in Murfreesboro, TN and I absolutely fell in love with how creative you could be and how much you could impact someone's special days. As much as I love web design, my dream has always been to own my own business so I would love to see myself working towards that goal in the next few years.

Any parting words of wisdom to the little honeybees looking to start their own blog or delve into a handmade life?

-I definitely recommend both to everyone! My main piece of advice would be to not focus on the number of people reading your blog but more enjoy writing it and just have fun! Write about things you want to and not just things you think people will read because your heart won't be into it then.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Elle is offering up a lucky winner two handmade journals with custom marbleized paper along with a hand sewn binding. If you don't win the giveaway you can find both of these DIY projects HERE and HERE!

All you gotta do to enter to win is visit Elle.mnop and leave a comment below!

You can earn extra entries by following her on Twitter and/or "Like" Elle.mnop on Facebook! Just leave a separate comment for each entry (up to 3 total)!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥