Grateful for the incredible @stephboutari & honoured to be a model for her latest merch pre-sale. This gal is on fireeeee.
If you don’t know Steph, you’ve probably seen her abundance of work throughout the region and beyond. She’s got gorgeous colour-filled murals from @uptownwaterloo (@kentuckywaterloo ) to @belmontvillagekw (@arabellaparkbar ) to @stjacobsvillage to @dtkitchener (@aokdtk ) to @discoverpreston to name just a few locally. This incredibly talented woman is everywhere and going there fast!
I am so, SO proud to call her my friend and an inspiration. ♥️🥹
If you’d love to wear a little bit of @stephboutari art wherever you go, head to her link in bio and snag yourself some of her gorgeous gear!
🌈
A cute illustrative window sign for a cute, new community shoppe! If you’re looking for beautiful stationery & art made by local artists, community events, or just a space to land, @papermarcheca has gotta be next on your list.
Bernice and Ryan have poured their heart and soul into make this space something truly special.
It also happens to be located on the corner of Wellington and Ahrens in Midtown Kitchener, nestled beside @lenjobakes and our love letter collab mural to Midtown. 🥹
📍Paper Marché • 132 Ahrens St W, Kitchener, ON
💝
The last few weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions to say the least. I hate to say it out loud, but I’m back in the grief fog.
What does that even mean? Aren’t you sunshine and rainbows? Aren’t you joy-joy-joy?
Well for context, my daughter’s teacher passed away over March break, and shortly after, my papa. And with my papa’s passing came a whole bunch of stuff about family dynamics and missing my parents even more, especially my mom.
By writing this post and saying it out loud, I’m trying to give myself some grace (and maybe you some too). After all, we are only human. I am only human. And grief fog is completely normal. Sunshine with a side of fog. 😉
This means that I bob in and out of joy, sadness, frustration, anxiety, all with a side of brain fog.
Mike (or anyone, really) will need to repeat things 5 times for me to hear it. I can’t focus or think straight. My anxiety is intense ~ overwhelm and overthinking social situations. Crying. Lots of random crying.
Time keeps going, deadlines need to be met, I still want to show up. I still have a life to live. News, good or bad keeps coming. But living feels really hard. My tender little heart aches.
♥️
My coach told me to focus on the moments that don’t feel foggy. The glimmers. Find the joy.
I sent the email, I did the thing, I showed up, I hugged my kids, I made dinner, a client called me a magician, and someone else did again the day after, Mike said I looked beautiful, a friend said, “could you shine any brighter? (I laughed ironically at that one, especially when I’m this deep in the feels).
I’m still sunshine, rainbows, and joy-joy-joy ~ just with a side of fog for a little while.
Thank you for being here.
For being human.
And for wading deep in the feels with me.
💝
To my papa, hug my mom a little longer for me. Love you to the moon and back.
*PINCH ME!!*
Last week, I flew 3 400 km to see @creampony ‘s grand opening of their second location in Mount Pleasant, Vancouver!!!
There have been so many feelings over the last couple of weeks; a whole lot of excitement, with a little sprinkle of, “should I actually go?!!”
I help businesses build their brands. I get to see the signage, menu boards, packaging, socials, websites, etc., that I have worked on ~in the wild~ every. single. day.
That feeling is so, SO good.
So why did this pull to visit BC feel so important to me? Why did I NEED to experience the new Cream Pony location in real life?
This grand opening was a culmination of the last 4 years of dreaming, building, and cheering. This was a whole new level of joy and success for my friends at Cream Pony. This was the brand in its full metamorphosis — the truest Cream Pony experience thus far. It was absolutely priceless to be there. And to be a part of their local community cheering them on!
Any sprinkle of anxiety was gobbled up by joy when I landed in BC. The joy doubled down when I walked up Main St to the new shop. I stood outside in the rain, crying happy tears as I took it all in. It was a very typical rainy Vancouver Wednesday. And yet, the shop was full of joyful customers, snacking on donuts and picking up their southern fried chicken. It was buzzing. I was buzzing.
A huge congratulations to Ali, Erin, Chun, and the entire team at Cream Pony! CP is the perfect addition to the community of Mount Pleasant. Thank you for letting me be a small part of this opening. I am so grateful to be here and to help make the CP brand come true!
Sending all my love from Ontario!
🌼 Brie
I don’t know where February went, but January was really cute. 😂 Hello March, I see you.
The audacity to create something cute like this and feel cringe about posting it. 🥵😅
2025 recap! 🥳🎉 ! It’s already mid-February??
Last year was a WILD RIDE; full of some pretty big ups, some pretty big lows, and a whole lot of lesson along the way. Just wanted to celebrate some of the glimmers along the way.
I am incredibly grateful for all of the love and support throughout it all. 🥹
Cheers to 2026!
Okay, @briepointer said something on the podcast that’s been stuck in my head ever since:
“Your brand isn’t just a logo. It’s people’s first experience with you.”
Whether it’s the vibe you give off when you walk into a room, how you show up for your community, or the energy you bring to your work, that first impression is everything.
And Brie? She gets this on such a deep level.
This woman is an artist, brand designer, illustrator, AND runs @waywardfarm with her partner.
What I loved most about this conversation was how real she was about the juggling act. Running a business, managing a farm, raising two kids... it’s A LOT.
But she also talked about recognizing when she needed to pause, focus on the farm’s soil health, and trust that stepping back would actually move things forward.
The collaboration over competition energy? I’m here for it.
Brie talked about how being part of this interconnected local community has created so many opportunities for creative collaborations. That’s what makes Waterloo Region special, we genuinely support each other here.
If you’re a creative, an entrepreneur, or honestly just someone who loves hearing authentic stories about building community and doing things differently, go listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts 🎧
2025 was all about finding my way home. The last 6 years have been tumultuous while I navigate massive loss and yet, the growth in this process has gifted me with so much gratitude and appreciation for life, love, and community.
I am incredibly grateful for the ability to find joy even in the darkest times. It has been the bread crumbs for me to finally return home to myself.
There are some incredible things on the horizon, friends. I cannot wait to share all the exciting adventures 2026 will offer. 💝
Cover photo by: @patriciasdaughter 👀
Unboxing joy, one pint at a time❤️ 📦
‼️LAST CHANCE to get $15 flat rate shipping across Ontario on our ice cream subscription, available only until December 31, 2025. Our next ice cream subscription box ships in January 🍦
Each month, you’ll receive a curated box of our small-batch, gluten-free, peanut-free ice creams, delivered straight to your door and packed with dry ice to ensure they arrive perfectly frozen.
Choose your subscription
👉 3 months more than 12 pints
👉 6 months more than 24 pints
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⏳ January box cut off December 31, 2025
📦 January shipments begin January 7, 2026
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#fourallicecream #icecream #unboxing #a2dairy #ontario
✨the end of an era✨ for this mural.
In 2023, @kwfamous / @rlindner.design and @briepointer collaborated on a cutie little mural outside of the old location of @revivekaraoke in @uptownwaterloo ! It was a lot of fun to work *together* and bring some big blocky colour to this area of Uptown!
Over the last few months, we’ve watched this space transition and slowly but surely the mural was covered. 💝 While it’s the end of the mural; it’s definitely only the beginning of @revivekaraoke ~ they’ve moved just up the street to 28 King St N.
Thank you for bringing @revivekaraoke to @uptownwaterloo@ramijsaid 🥹😭(and karaoke back in general - RIP Chainsaw)
ALRIGHT, now let’s go to @revivekaraoke to sing our lost art sorrows away! You in @kwfamous ?!
Thank you for helping to paint and make this happen @waywardroaster / @waywardfarm@uptownwaterloo@sharedplacesinc@_sam_star
