Last week my friend Kate gave birth to her second baby, a little girl! Now Kate and Erick have two little ladies to love and guide through life. I’m so happy for their happiness, truly. I decided to give little Alba Mae (love that name!) a baby blanket that I crocheted in gender neutral colors. I hope they like their homemade gift! The card I included was one I had on hand; I love it’s multi-purpose design.

PS: Remember, if you’d like a card sent your way, the offer still stands! Email me at offswitchmagazine@gmail.com with your name, mailing address, and a short introduction. And I will absolutely be sending out cards to all of you who have emailed me already. Thank you for your patience!

Click to see the entire 52 Cards series!

“Give grace freely”

Bottom line: don’t be stingy with your grace. It seems like a simple concept, but it is one that I’ve learned isn’t easy, not even a little bit. It requires swallowing pride and reminding ourselves that no one is perfect– not even us. I’ve been learning just how important it is to remember that there are many factors that affect everyone’s lives, their relationships. Nobody makes decisions isolated to what’s in front of us. There is a back story to every encounter, every word, every action. It is important to remember this when dealing with ourselves as well. Give grace freely, and find beauty in the fact that there is always time to start again.

Mae Laubhan is a photographer and writer living in Grand Rapids, MI. When I was introduced to Mae and her husband Bryan via The Fresh Exchange last year, I reached out and extended an invitation to photograph for Off Switch. Since then Mae has contributed to Off Switch Magazine on three occasions — check out her work in volumes three, four, and five! Her writing literally makes me swoon…and I of course think she’s magic behind a camera. These photos were taken at Joshua Tree National Park at the same time as Jillian’s.

Marcus Mumford and the gang have kept permanent residence in my car since the week their sophomore album, Babel, came out. And by that I mean their CD has been the only CD to stay in my player for the past six or more months. Yes, yes. I’m obsessive. But, I’m also a girl in love with a band for over two years now. And no matter what music you love, I think we can all agree that the moment you find an artist who you feel such a connection with is the moment you have discovered your passion for music. My tastes may not be for everyone and I don’t profess to be the “biggest Mumford fan alive,” but I am inspired and invigorated by this band and their love for making music. Someday I’ll see them live and in that moment — as I’m jumping up and down to the beat of I Will Wait — I’ll think of all the months and years spent listening to them in my car. And I will smile. Because music can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere. That’s the beauty — there are no rules, just songs.

If you want to learn just what discovering one’s “Ella” means, I invite you to read the wonderful essay that Meg Fee wrote for the spring 2012 volume of Off Switch Magazine entitled, The Bold Year. It’s always been one of my favorites. And after you’ve read the essay, I invite you all to come back here and share in the comments who your “Ella” is. I’d love to know!

Illustration — Faye West

A couple months ago I was strolling through my Instagram feed and found a photo by the lovely Jennifer Harr featuring her new photography book from a company called Artifact Uprising. I immediately visited their website to see what set this company apart from other photo book companies before them. Well, needless to say I fell in love at first click. Since visiting their site I’ve emailed with one of the founders — her name is also Katie, and she’s a sweetheart — and ordered my own 5×5 inch Instagram book chronicling my 2012.

The folks behind Artifact Uprising are good people with an outlook and business intention that I can fully support. Kindness, thoughtful message, a compassion for the environment, drive, clean design aesthetic — these are all words and phrases I gladly use to describe Artifact Uprising. I am so excited to work with Katie and the other folks at this young, blossoming company in the months to come. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I suggest you do! And if you have any specific questions about my experience, I’ll gladly chat with you in the comments.