Adventure. It’s a word I use often these days. Whenever anyone asks what I want to do my most common response is adventure. I don’t think I would have always classified myself as an adventurer. Growing up I was fearful of getting in trouble so I stayed in the lines and lived a pretty normal life. Then I moved away from everything I knew and realized even if you stay in the lines, life may not. It is the funny thing about the world we live in. We can make a plan and take all the right steps, yet one day something out of our control goes wrong forcing our plans to change. I no longer choose to view those plans or changes as hardship, yet as adventures. But recently my life has felt less adventurous then normal.

I spent last week in San Diego (sorry for the lack of posting) and while there I started to reevaluate my life. I work a lot and love what I do, but sometimes I beg to ask the question why am I here and what am I doing. I would love to say its part of being in your 20′s. Even with good progression in my career, experience under my belt, friends that are such a blessing, and a great place to live I still fear the unknown, cave under pressure and at times am full of more anxiety then I know what to do with. It is in those moments I find myself wanting to adventure, wanting to break free and almost trying to change my life before something crazy happens and it is forced to change. It is in these moments that I know I need to stop and look at where I am and be present. I am defiantly always thinking of the future, my next adventure or move, but what good will that adventure or move be if I don’t fully embrace where I am now, what God has blessed me with and how he is trying to use me in this place. I need to be present in everyday for you never know when adventure will arise, a door will open or God may need you to play a big part in his story. You just can’t predict your adventure as much as you may want to for that is what makes it an adventure. Therefore I am learning to hold my plans loosely to allow God to work, confirm and move as he always does.

(Sorry for the what may seem rambling my friends, but some days a girl just needs to type. Happy Monday friends.)

As a freelancer designer without a studio, the local coffee shop tends to serve as my office. Although I will admit that you can most commonly find me in a your neighborhood Starbucks, but from time to time I like to try out different coffee shops. In honor of the fact that I will be spending the rest of this week in San Diego (probably working from a coffee shop) I have decided to share with you my favorite coffee shops in San Diego!

I really love all of these’s shops, but my new favorite is Cafe Moto. I had never heard of it until a couple months ago and now I am kinda obsessed. It’s in a different part of town I never really spent much time in when I lived in SD so it’s new and exciting. It also has great coffee! Along side Cafe Moto I will always love Coffee & Tea Collective! It’s a clean and creative space with amazing coffee, plus there is a good chances I will run into someone I know there (I love that). So check out one of these awesome coffee shops next time your in San Diego and who knows maybe I will see ya there!

CAFE MOTO // BIRD ROCK CAFE // DARK HORSE COFFEE // COFFEE & TEA COLLECTIVE // THE LAB // CAFFEE CALABRIA

If you know of any other good coffee shops I should visit this week please share as I would love to adventure to a new spot!

I went sailing this past weekend and it was so refreshing to get out on the ocean and clear my head for a bit. Work and the pressure of having your own business can really be rough at times. You want to do your best, make people happy, be original and at times it’s too much. It starts to make you feel like work, your career, and what you do is who you are. Then tragedy strikes. I think it is times like yesterday you realize how short life is and how important it is to spend your time with the ones you love, doing what you love, and serving for the greater purpose. Although life still must go on and I still desire to own my business and produce good design I must remember I am a person first and a business owner second. So I tell myself:

Take a deep breath… everything will be ok.

We live in a crazy world right? But I still believe we will be ok. I still believe there is good. I still believe our God is very good.

Happy Monday friends!! I am just stopping in quick to say hi and announce the winner of the birthday giveaway! I am spending a long weekend with my lovely family in my favorite city, Portland, taken a little breather from life! O and Congratulations to Lauren Frances who won the birthday giveaway!! Thank you so much to everyone who entered! I promise there will be more giveaways in the future. I hope you all had a restful weekend and got to enjoy the ones you love! I also hope you have a beautiful Monday and get time to enjoy life today as Mondays can always feel like a quick rush! Have a wonderful day friends!

I started blogging a year ago because I was thirsty for a creative outlet that was just mine. I wanted a place to be able to create whatever I want and post it in hopes it may inspire or move someone. I took some time last weekend to look back over my blog. While flipping from the my first post to my very latest I noticed how much I have grown in the past year. I see life changing events that have made me grow up, make choices and take risks. I see growth in my design developing while learning new skills and taking more risks. I see a girl who is not just a designer, but on her way to being a small business owner who has her very own voice, style, vision and dreams. You see a year ago I was sitting anxiously in a different city, with a different job and I had no idea how to get from where I was to where I wanted and felt called to be. Now I sit here a year later and although I have a lot of growing up to do I know now I am right where I need to be and in time everything will fall into place. I didn’t plan on this blog being such a big part of my life. I didn’t plan on it tracking such a pivotal season of my life. I didn’t plan on it being something I love so much, but it is. Thank you so much to all who have followed me on this path for the last year. I promise some big things are on the way for Casey Lynn Designs and I hope you continue on this journey with me. Well enough chatter lets get to that highlight reel!

MY FAVORITE ADVENTURES SHARED ON THE BLOG : BALBOA ISLAND | CARNIVAL | BIG CHANGES

FAVORITE FOOD FOR THOUGHT : LAUGH | COMMUNITY | PORTLAND REFLECTION

A FEW OF MY DESKTOP FLARE FAVORITES: WALK IN A MANNER | TOO BLESSED TO STRESS | GREAT LOVE | SOME HEARTS

MY FAVORITE PICES FROM MY PORTFOLIO I SHARED THIS YEAR: ADVENTURE AWAITS | REKA & ZACK | BOBBIE

REMEBER WHEN I DID THE POST ON WARBY PARKER OVER HERE! IT IS MY FAVORITE POST OF THE YEAR! (SERIOUSLY!)

I am excited that my blog has started to share my hearts passions by mixing together peoples stories as well as design. I plan on continuing to share stories, display my latest work, give away free design and share my experience of both work and life in hopes that you maybe inspired and encouraged. I hope this conner of the internet can become a visual storybook full of stories in the same breath as good design.