7 for 7 • being gentle

Sometimes I set an intention for the week, and sometimes the intention picks me. This week has been all about learning to be gentle and embracing my nurturing side.

I think a major part of being gentle (aside from your approach towards others) is being gentle with yourself. Pushing yourself to do things but also Giving yourself grace and room to breathe. I’ve noticed that helps me show up as a better me and be gentler towards the people in my life.

Monday
I started the week nurturing myself- going to a new coffee shop, feeling amazing in a summer outfit, and getting ahead on work for the week has really made a huge difference

I nurtured my soul with BINGO at Longleaf - so enjoyed the amazing patio / summer evening, craft tiki cocktail and the sheer hope of winning.

Tuesday
Nurturing / Fostering work relationships - trying to be intentional and loving and going above and beyond to make sure everyone is being taken care of. I’ve learned this from my short stint in the hospitality industry.

I also nurtured my high school girl soul- things came full circle for us as we got to enjoy talking about the women we are all becoming and how we still embrace the little spark in all of us we had back then. It’s amazing to see how we’ve all nurtured that girl into amazing women!

Wednesday
I nursed a hangover LMAO!! But I still made sure things were taken care of - my dog, me and my 3 hour nap, picking up items for an upcoming collab from the printer, getting groceries and even dropping off a gift to a friend in need.

Thursday
Today was about helping family. My mom had a small outpatient procedure and I was able to help her and help my dad take care of her. It felt nice to know they could rely on me and to go above and beyond for my parents and have them appreciate my help. I also FINALLY got back to the gym- nurturing my body felt incredible! Post weights: I hit the sauna and the shower and left the locker room feeling invigorated. I followed it up by a small sunset walk with Georgia, an amazing salad and some tidying + cleaning (there’s a difference I swear) of my space.

Friday
Tomorrow I will make an effort to love especially on people I don’t know. A weekly to-do I started a few months back has been to do a kind thing for a stranger at least once a week and I love getting creative on what I do each week. I will finish up my lingering to do list for work to the best of my abilities and find something fun to do for myself Friday night.

Saturday
A whole secret adventure planned

update: adventure was had. soul was fed.

Sunday
I spent the day nurturing my community, my business and new customers at my booth!

7 for 7 • allowing space

This week’s theme is about allowing things the space: space to grow, decluttering old thoughts, ways and physical spaces in order to make way for new, positive things to come.

To be very blatantly honest - I used to hate change. I used to try to run from it at all costs. I attribute this to my sentimentality and my love for experiences. What I didn’t realize - is things always change - and if you’re proactive - you can allow them to change for you for the better. There will ALWAYS be road blocks - it’s not what we face it’s how we face it and how we deal with them that allows us to grow.

So this week- I’m allowing space- for the new and the beautiful things to come (she says sitting beside her bedside table full of her plants 🌱 🪴) .

Here are some key ways I will be incorporating this theme and being mindful of my space:

Cleaning out my closet / storage

donating items to thrift store and allowing just 1 thing to come home with me as a reward

decluttering my mind - brain dumping thoughts emotions and to-dos into my journal

upleveling CKCreations with a mindfulness Mastermind with Katelyn from Gift Muse: we will be incorporating this method once a month to insure we are both experiencing growth / and making the most of our services / time and potential. - particularly excited for this day because I desperately need to organize CK systems to make way for a part-time worker!

taking space / time for myself to rest with humans (and dogs) that truly feed my soul. (Hint: they all live in the small town of Wendell.)

Allowing space by taking it slow. Exploring and nurturing. Hitting reset. Enjoying the very present. Enjoying live music and the littlest of things like my feet on the pavement and the breeze on my face.

if you join me this week - let me know! Leave me a comment or shoot me a DM. I’d love to know how you’re connecting back to yourself and taking space.

XOXO,

CK

7 for 7 • 7 days of doing what’s best for me.

This week my plan is to do what serves me - whether that be through exercise, holding myself accountable to my goals + business obligations or doing things that feed my soul- we will be doing a little of each and doing our best to keep the balance!

My exercise routine for the week: 5 miles each day x 50 jumping Jacks x 50 squats.

(optional: 15 min of Sumo Squats with the booty bands, 50 bicep curls, 25 triceps pulls etc.)

Monday

Today was an amazing day. I slept in because -what a weekend- much deserved! Woke up + Georgia and I did a quick lap then came inside for breakfast. I made the bed and had a little bit of morning reading (Atomic Habits). Took a work call and did some light work (emailing, invoices, etc.) FaceTimed with Whit and G was ready to go again- we ended up walking 2 miles. Came home and was still fired up for the day so I decided to do my cardio work (squats, JJ’s, biceps) then did laundry. I drank my coffee black (out of creamer) and then booked an appointment for a much needed 90 min massage. Made a quick target trip for creamer + a card and walked out with Dog Toys + La Croix. Decided to have dinner at ZenFish by myself so I could journal and enjoy a little mom’s day. Came home and grabbed a sparkling water + Georgia- we did 4 miles around Carter Finley then back home to finish laundry / chores and give G her new toys (idk who was more excited). I also batch made my iced coffee so there’s no excuse to get coffee out and it only cost me $10. We winded down for bed and I got in bed to enjoy a cup of tea and work on my book and write this first entry.

Today was entirely about me (and Georgia) and doing the things that will move us forward in a positive way. I said no to socializing today and I’m happy I did because I accomplished so much for us. Excited to see what the week brings us- one thing is for certain- I will be fully present and showing up for myself.

Tuesday

on the agenda for Tuesday:

finishing up two work items ✔️

connecting my iPad to my Apple Pencil ✔️

writing a bridal invoice ✔️

getting in my workout - maybe at the gym! ✔️

Designing my gym-inspired sticker collection ✔️

Taking some fun photos of me and a pink cowgirl hat. Y’all already know it’s gonna be fun!

Got my workout routine in with 600 calories burned in 50 min!! Not including the 2 miles I did before. Feeling very accomplished! Also accepted a new client today which I’m really excited for. Spent the day perusing a used book store and having blind dates with books in brown paper packaging tied up with string.

Wednesday

Well not every day will be a day filled with momentum. You could definitely consider today hump day. Woke up with a sore throat - which I’m sure came from the snot-nosed kid at the Fourth of July party who shan’t be named. 😉 Workout waited until post babysitting at 1 am but me and G got in a few miles before the storm tomorrow. I was also able to get in my JJs, squats and biceps. Today, more than ever, I practiced advocating for myself by saying no. It was a liberating feeling to protect myself and my boundaries.

highlights:

• being able to give small thoughtful gestures to loved ones
• being able to make decisions that are best for me • being helpful • protecting my energy

Thursday

Due to the rain we ended up staying inside to work. I made it back to the Gym for my 3 miler but had to rush home and didn’t get to do squats or JJs. Came home and walked Georgia another few miles and we came home and watched a movie.

Friday

Got up and atem early because we knew we were going to have quite the busy day. Left the house at 1 to pickup coffee for Gift Muse where I also picked up a gift for new clients Greenhouse Picker Sisters. Made a quick Lowe’s trip to pickup Acrylic for the bride’s signage and headed to the warehouse to work on signs! Left quickly and just made it back in time before more rain. Had a cozy night in.

Saturday

Started the morning off with the neighbors and letting the dogs play in the yard with our morning coffees. Then we headed to the pool for a fun afternoon. I swam laps in between white claws and we had a blast. We all headed home for some much needed R+R.

Sunday

Started our day with a walk and made coffee and watched Gilmore Girls. Went to brunch with my cousin at Jubala then popped by the Pawfect Match event at Unleashed (Lots of cute puppies). Then I came home to my puppy and we did some cleaning and a big long walk (and a big long shower). Finished my workout with some JJs, Squats, Sumo Squats and Bicep curls and tricep pulls. Got back to chores and finished up ALMOST all of my to-do list! Ended the day with a fresh from the garden Kale + shrimp salad.

Monday Magic • self-discipline

Let’s talk about self-discipline as a form of self care. Probably one of the toughest lessons to learn but so vital for developing healthy habits and personal boundaries. Self-discipline is a part of everything we do as humans and a society. Especially as entrepreneurs we rely on our self discipline and passion for what we do to drive us to succeed. I have noticed during my personal 7 for 7 journey - a new personal challenge each week - that more than learning all of these great new habits and enjoying trying new things, I’m also growing exponentially in my self-discipline. And in realizing that, I’ve also noticed it’s helped me so much in honoring my word, facing problems head on instead of running away due to anxiety, and honoring myself in personal boundaries and personal goals for self.
They say that showing up for yourself, helps you show up better for others and this last year has been true proof of that. Taking care of my mental, physical and spiritual health has in general made me feel more grounded, reduced my anxiety and stress and in-turn helped me be more fully present with myself and my loved ones. I am definitely still flawed and have my moments of panic or stress which affect my life just like anyone else, but they are SIGNIFICANTLY less frequent. It’s also just SO WILD to me that I’m actively preaching exercise and self-care when this time last year I was giving in to all my self-indulgences as a form of self-soothing behavior due to the world crashing down around us. Treating yourself is definitely still an important part of self care but I’ve found that you’re not “denying” yourself by choosing YOU and choosing your health more than that glass of wine or chocolate cake. It’s knowing when to give yourself those things and knowing those treats won’t make or break your happiness.
Another unexpected benefit from these self care challenges has been turning inward for validation and learning how to TRULY be proud of myself, not only for my worldly successes, but for my personal small wins within. What is something you’re working on within yourself lately? I’d love to hear more about your personal journeys and know that I’m always here to chat more magic with you.

XOXO,

CK

Monday Magic • 7 for 7 Challenge

Hey friends,

It’s me again! Back to bring you another fun idea for your self care + self love journey. If you’ve been following along on my personal Instagram - I recently started a series called 7for7 - I’ll be trying out new things each week from things health related like drinking a gallon of water a day-to more playful things like 7 days: 7 hairstyles. My close friend, Whitney suggested this idea to me as a way to keep the weeks exciting and continue my personal growth each week. I will admit it’s easy to get distracted in life and get distracted from yourself and your goals. It’s fun that I have a goal each week that’s relatively easy to achieve and keeps things interesting. I’ll probably do a one month check-in with you all and keep you updated on my adventures!

Last week I challenged myself to drink 3 32 ounce bottles of water per day. Half way through the week I was informed that 128 ounces equals a gallon and I wasn’t that far off from hitting that goal. I ordered a large 75 ounce water bottle and started hitting that gallon goal for the rest of the week! Overall, I saw my skin and hair improve, less soreness after workouts, and less food cravings in between meals. I also noticed I had more energy: ie the night I was up drinking water trying to meet my goal before 12 am I was bouncing off the walls like I’d just drank 2 cups of coffee. I can already tell these challenges are going to be a fun way to incorporate new habits into my lifestyle and I’m going to do my best to maintain two 75 ounce jugs of water a day.

This week, I’m going to keep it light-hearted and do 7 days - 7 thrifted items! I’ll wear some of my fave thrifted pieces incorporated into my wardrobe and at the end of the week I’ll take myself on a thrift trip to get a few more goodies as a reward! I’ll show you all some of my fave thrifted decor + vintage finds and my fave ways to thrift! Follow along here: https://instagram.com/christin.king

Any other ideas for the 7 for 7 challenge drop them in a comment below! I’m going to try to keep this up all year. Each week something new!

xoxo, CK

Monday Magic • take care

Hi! I hope that you had an amazing weekend and that you were able to unwind a bit. Here in Raleigh it has been cold and dreary so my weekend consisted of cozy comfy fits + decompressing in my space. If you have been following me for a while then you know that my idea of unwinding looks a lot different these days. Old school CK was completely consumed by my work; so much so that I just kind of stopped taking care of myself in other aspects. Think: overworked, fatigued and frustrated. I was struggling to understand why living my dream was actually so exhausting. I’m not sure what exactly happened- I don’t know if I unconsciously read something or what, all that I know is I woke up one day and decided to change up my life as I knew it. I know that sounds pretty ridiculous but that’s how it happened. I woke up one morning around 11am, looked at dozens of notifications on my phone, shuffled over to my coffee machine and fell into my daily pattern. Brew coffee, head back to bed, drink said cup of coffee, scroll through social media, check my emails, get back on social media; before I knew it I looked up and my clock said 1:30pm. My heart immediately sank as my anxiety crept in to remind me of all of the work that I had to get done and all of the time that I had wasted thus far. I needed something different. I needed some kind of change. I needed … to get outside. So, I grabbed some old tennis shoes and took off outside. 

That decision to go for a walk drastically changed my entire life. I didn’t even really know what my plan was and I arrived back home some hours later, feeling surprisingly refreshed. That was it. That was all it took for me to change the entire relationship I had with myself. I started trying to wake up earlier and earlier which translated to me going to bed much earlier than I was used to. I began walking two miles a day… then five … then ten. My energy skyrocketed and I even managed to find a few friends to accompany me, which in turn strengthened my relationships with them. I started opting for kombucha instead of wine and skipping the sour cream on my Chipotle order. The next thing I knew, an entire month had passed and I felt like a completely different person. My body moved differently and my mindset shifted; I was falling in love with slowing down and showing myself love and acceptance.

CK, good for you but why do I care? Good point! I’m sharing this with you to hopefully inspire you, just a bit. My transformation actually led me to create a self-care collection, which was one of the funnest projects I have ever completed. I am sharing this to remind you to speak kindly to yourself, to love yourself the same way you do those around you. I am sharing this to encourage you to do something extraordinary for yourself today and then again tomorrow. I am sharing this because this platform has allotted me so many wonderful opportunities but I also know the stress that comes with that as well. I’m sharing this to remind you that I am an artist, a confidante, a loving friend and a human being. Please do not ever let this virtual space keep you from reaching out to me- I want to hear about your goals and ambitions. I want to talk about your favorite self-care rituals and celebrate your accomplishments. I have been and will always be right here for you, in any capacity you may need. 

Linking my walking playlist below:

Monday Magic • growth

Happy Monday! I’ve spent all weekend racking my brain and trying to figure out what I can do to better my business. I have been blessed with so much support and such a loyal customer base; however, sometimes I need to step back and acknowledge things that may not be working. When I started this business I was just a young artist. I didn’t know what the future would look like, I just knew that I wanted to create. Somewhere between unfamiliar and resolute I found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with my craft. I found myself falling more in love with this space, this community and YOU! However, if we are being honest, (which we are because I don’t mind being vulnerable) there are some things that I have been putting off because they absolutely terrify me. I’m not afraid of change, I actually think change is so powerful and necessary. I’m not afraid of making mistakes or having to reconstruct my current systems. I’m afraid of losing you. I am afraid of doing something - or not doing something- and then losing the people who have constantly been there for me. 

 If you have met me you know that I am rather upbeat and I LOVE to drink bubbles and chat about everything under the sun. At the end of the day I am human and I have days when my anxiety gets the best of me. I worry about how I am showing up for my clients and my business, how I can hit my deadlines, how I can source new items, etc. You name it and my mind is going a million miles a minute trying to process it. For the last four years I have been running my business all alone and I haven’t really adjusted the systems because … well, I didn’t know what that would look like. I’m here to tell you that I have decided to change up some things behind the scenes because I want to give YOU the best experience possible. I want to provide you with the kind of experience that feels like receiving the biggest hug possible. I want to show you how grateful I am for your support and be extremely intentional about our interaction. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me so far— but it’s time for me to return the favor. This next season I will be working with a team to enhance my customer service and truly provide something real, authentic and quality. From the bottom of my heart, you are so loved by me. 

• xoxo, CK