Welcome to my blog that took me 5 years to start! A time frame I have totally convinced myself is normal to start such a thing! My whole life I have been a writer. I would write about happy times, sad times, nice letters, not so nice letters – you get the picture. Writing was my way of escaping, communicating and dealing with what’s inside, which is why it came as a complete shock when I was thrown into the most terrifying moments of my life and I could not write a single word. I think the pain was too great in present life that I couldn’t bear to write it out as a repeat. Once was enough. But today is a new day (thanks, therapy!) and I’m ready to write.

In 2011, I was living a very normal, privileged life running a design build company with my boyfriend turned husband, Jonathan. Our world was rocked when Jonathan was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in October that year. We left everything we had in New Orleans, and relocated to Houston so he could be treated at MD Anderson. Jonathan bravely fought for his life for 18 months and died while fighting March 27, 2013.

A lot has happened over the last 5 years and it has completely changed every aspect of who I am and where I’m going. I have a story to tell, a new life to embark on, and now a blog to share it all through. Along with dealing with the grief, I’ve also had to face some pretty tough realities about myself and the world I’ve created. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s definitely been worth it.

Over the last 1.5 years, I’ve revamped our company, Avitia Design, and I’ve started a company, FIYA – Fight In Your Armor, based on a shirt designed by Jonathan to eliminate the hospital gown. You can learn more at facebook.com/setfiya and setfiya.com. Both businesses have been overwhelmingly joyful and difficult to navigate. Professionally, I control the design and how things turn out, so I naturally thought I had that same control of my personal life as well. Hard (and long fought) lesson to learn, but it turns out I do not. I have such passion for both companies and look forward to sharing them with you and seeing where they go.

I plan to share my journey, my struggles, my passions, and my work. My hope is that this blog finds it’s way into the hearts that need to know they’re not alone, encourages people to know there is light at the end of the tunnel, and inspires everyone to live your best life now. Whether you relate to me in your personal life or maybe in your design style, I hope you leave the blog feeling inspired and ready to take on your next challenge.

My clients ‘surrender’ to my designs all the time, and sometimes even when it goes against what they have envisioned. They put they’re faith in me and trust me to make the right decision. This is neither the life I would have designed nor the story I thought I would tell, but after years of fighting it, I can finally say, ‘God, I have surrendered to your design.’

Keep going,

Lindsey