## 🎀 Today is My Birthday… and I Chose to Create Instead
Today is my birthday.
Fifty-nine years old.
And if I’m being honest… it didn’t start out feeling like something to celebrate.
There’s been a lot sitting on my heart lately—fear, uncertainty, medical appointments, and the quiet weight that comes with waiting on answers no one ever wants to hear. Oncology has a way of making everything feel louder and heavier at the same time.
Add in real life—money stress, an empty bank account, trying to keep a household running—and it would have been very easy for me to spiral today.
And for a minute… I did.
But then something in me shifted.
Instead of staying in that place, I got up… walked into my dining room—which, let’s be honest, is currently a whole situation—and I started creating.
Not because everything is okay.
But because I needed something to be.
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## ✂️ Chaos, Coffee, and a Couple of Dogs Supervising
Lincoln was nearby doing his usual “I am emotionally supporting you by existing” routine…
and Tucker… well, Tucker was being Tucker—probably plotting snacks and blanket domination.
Nothing about the moment was perfect.
But it was real.
And right there, in the middle of all of it…
I made my very first custom notepad.
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## 💛 It Wasn’t Just Paper
When I held it in my hand… something changed.
It wasn’t just paper.
It was proof.
Proof that even in the middle of fear, I can still build something.
Proof that even when everything feels uncertain, I can still create something steady.
Proof that I am not done.
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## 💻 From My Dining Room… to Something Bigger
I have an upcoming surgery that will keep me out of work for at least a couple of weeks, and I don’t have the luxury of just “waiting it out.”
So this… this is me doing what I can with what I have.
Not perfectly.
Not fearlessly.
But faithfully.
And because of that, I’ve decided to start offering these custom-made notepads as part of my Dixie Dust Design Co. collection.
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## 🛍️ Birthday Pre-Release (Local First 💛)
Before these go into my shop, I’m doing a small community pre-release.
👉 Custom-made 5x7 notepads
👉 30 pages
👉 Personalized name option
👉 Made to order
Birthday price: $6 each
(They’ll be $8 once listed online)
Local pickup available.
Uber courier or shipping available (additional cost applies).
👉 Visit the shop: https://dixiedustdesignco.com/
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## 💌 Come Hang Out With Me (Freebies Included)
If you’ve been following along, you know this journey is about more than just products—it’s about faith, rebuilding, healing, and finding beauty in the middle of real life.
I’d love for you to be part of that.
👉 Join my mailing list for:
- Fun freebies
- Printables
- Behind-the-scenes peeks
- First access to new drops
(Sign-up info coming soon on the site 💛)
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## 🌿 If You’re Struggling Too…
Today didn’t become a celebration because everything is great.
It became a celebration because I chose not to quit.
If you’re in a place right now where things feel heavy, uncertain, or just plain hard… I see you.
Maybe today isn’t about fixing everything.
Maybe it’s just about creating something anyway.
One small thing.
One step.
One decision not to give up.
That’s where I’m starting.
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## 🙏 A Prayer for Today
Lord,
Today I come to You exactly as I am…
tired, uncertain, a little afraid, and still trying.
You see the things I don’t say out loud.
You know the weight I’m carrying, the questions I don’t have answers to yet, and the places where fear tries to creep in.
Thank You for meeting me in the middle of it.
Thank You for the strength to get up today.
For the creativity to make something out of nothing.
For the reminder that I am not done.
As I face what’s ahead—the appointments, the surgery, the unknown—
I ask for peace that steadies my heart and quiets my mind.
Provide for every need.
Open doors I cannot open on my own.
Bless the work of my hands, even when it feels small.
And remind me that nothing I create, nothing I go through, is wasted in Your plan.
Cover my home, my family, and yes… even the little dogs who never leave my side.
And if anyone reading this prayer is hurting too, meet them right where they are.
Give them strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.
I trust You… even here.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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*Happy birthday to me. 💛