Indieland

Favorite weekend treat: coffee and donuts. Since we haven’t been venturing out nearly as much in the last several months, I haven’t had a ton to post about...and I have missed checking out all the local spots. But I got back to it today when we made a stop at the drive-thru . These beauties are delicious, especially the pumpkin pie donut. I was in the mood for a fall treat, and I got it!

Never have I drawn a more appropriate card from the by than this morning. It was exactly what I wanted to say and post about here today.

There is so much more to learn...about racism in this country, about systemic racism, about our part in it...as well as the part we can play in creating a much better world. The learning doesn’t stop now that the social campaigns are over, now that it’s been a week since we all posted a black square. The learning must continue. And then we must do something with all that we have learned.

I have recently learned of so many amazing black-owned indie/small businesses, in San Diego and elsewhere. I am sad I did not know of them sooner. I should have. (Please feel free to tag any I should follow in the comments below.)

I have a new episode of Indies Inside to share with you that was recorded a couple weeks ago, but I have held it in order to give everyone time to listen, learn, and reflect. I will release the episode this week, but wanted to first say that we all have so much more work to do, and we have to keep going.

I am currently unsure about the future of the Indies Inside series, and unsure about the future of indieland itself. Things are shifting in the world and within myself, and I’m not sure yet what role it can play in the future. I will continue to think on it and share more as soon as I have some insights.

Love you all. Keep learning.

A list of black owned businesses here in the San Diego area that we can support. Thanks to .punchcard for creating and for sharing so I saw it in my feed.

Please learn about and support these businesses. And if you aren’t in San Diego, I encourage you to do some research in your area. ❤️ @ San Diego, California

Muted.

Thanks to for sharing this post from . If you are looking to buy antiracist literature right now, I encourage you to buy them from black-owned bookstores. Jane links to a list of many independent, black-owned bookstores in her bio.

You all know about my love for independents and books, so I feel strongly about showing my support in this way. I still believe, and will always believe, in the power of stories and the written word to unite us, bring understanding, and build empathy. Want to learn more about how the world got here, and what we can do about it? Read. Research. Listen to the stories. Reflect on the stories, but also share the stories, teach others what you have learned from these words and stories.

Sending love to everyone right now.

This weekend, I would have been happily and joyfully celebrating Independent Bookstore Day. Thinking about this made me sad, so I dug through my phone to find photos of any indie bookstores I’ve been to that I somehow didn’t get around to posting about yet. And one of them was this awesome bookstore, in San Jose. We stopped here on the way back to San Diego from my friend’s baby shower in San Mateo. It was one of the highlights of our road trip for me. I bought 8 books! Their selection was amazing. And I see now they are raising money via Go Fund Me, the link is in their bio.

Remember your favorite bookstores today. And it’s not just about placing an order, especially if you can’t do that right now. Show them love with a review or a post, or liking and sharing their posts. Let’s make sure these lovely safe spaces are still there for us when we come out of this!

(P.S. Swipe through the photos to see an awesome bookstore cat very appropriately placed near the magic section.)






@ San Jose, California

Okay friends, after some brainstorming, meditating, and adjusting to this new normal, I have settled on my newest idea to raise awareness of indie brands and small businesses.

My new campaign “Indies Inside” will focus on what indie businesses and creators are doing with this unexpected time inside. Maybe it’s creating something new, learning a new skill, planning for a new offering, or finding ways to get some rest and peace in a crazy time. Whatever it is, there is surely something we can all learn from or appreciate. So many of us have had to get creative with how we work, and I think the learnings and innovations that come from this time will be incredibly valuable.

So, indie creators and small businesses, what are you up to? If you’d like to be featured, DM me. What I’ll need are images or a video of what you’re doing inside/from home, and I’ll email you some interview questions. I intend for these to be Facebook and Instagram posts, but am also toying with the idea of this being a podcast recorded on Zoom. So if you’re interested, let’s talk!

I had the pleasure of spending last Thursday evening in this amazing space, , with the .sd. It’s truly beautiful and serene in this shop, down to the tiniest of details—I’m obsessed! I can’t wait to go back for some shopping or another event (their event space is so pretty and cozy). If you’re in the San Diego area and you love all the pretty things, you need to head here ASAP!!






@ Gathered Home

This Pisces is ready to do some New Moon journaling! I love these journals. The first one is the 2020 Moon Journal that I use throughout the year from and the second is a journal specifically for this new moon and Pisces sun season from . Both are small, indie businesses who create amazing content like these journals.

Is anyone else doing something special for the new moon today?

We visited Encinitas last weekend and discovered another indie bookstore we hadn’t been to yet (I love when that happens). has a great mix of new, used, and rare books. You’re sure to find something, even if, like me, you didn’t have any intentions of buying another book that day 😊. I just can’t help myself, even when my two bookshelves at home are completely full!






@ Artifact Books