top of page

All Posts


Through the Looking-Glass Into the Chaotic Underland: My Health Journey, Recovery, and Holding onto Hope
These past few months my health journey has felt like stepping through the looking-glass and landing straight into my own chaotic Underland — not the whimsical version with riddles and tea parties, but the kind where everything turns upside-down at once and refuses to land neatly. A Sudden Health Spiral and a Hospital Stay That Changed Everything In early October, what began as mild nausea turned into nonstop, uncontrollable vomiting. Within hours, I was in the Fayetteville h
Stephanie Swain
Dec 6, 20254 min read


Why I keep to a small to-do list (even when my brain doesn't)
Some weeks, my energy dips. My thoughts spiral. Even the simple idea of writing a list feels like too much. That’s when my bullet journal...
Stephanie Swain
Sep 26, 20252 min read


From Brush to Button: Why I Make Across So Many Mediums
Same Hands, Different Canvases Some artists find one medium and settle in like it’s home. My path has never been that neat. One day I’m...
Stephanie Swain
Sep 17, 20253 min read


Through the Looking Glass at 35: Reflections, Glitter, and Grit
Today, I turn 35. If that feels like crossing through a mirror into a new realm—one painted with both gleam and shadow—you aren’t wrong....
Stephanie Swain
Sep 12, 20252 min read


Inside My “Glending” Tent: Glamourous, Accessible, Cozy, and Uniquely You
Introduction Wind was my nemesis in the early days. Those farm events, swirling with dust and critters, taught me that simple screens or...
Stephanie Swain
Sep 8, 20254 min read


Face Painters, Balloon Artists, and Beyond: Rethinking Vendor Fees for Service Providers
Intro: The Numbers Organizers Don’t See At my busiest, with brushes flying and a line that never lets up, I can paint maybe twenty faces...
Stephanie Swain
Aug 31, 20254 min read


Who I Am: A Journey Through Whimsy, Survival, and Becoming
Hand Illustrated Honeysuckle Bloom I was born in Durham, North Carolina, but grew up in Garner, back when it still had a small-town...
Stephanie Swain
Aug 29, 20253 min read


Behind the Brush: Professional Face Painting Secrets
Discover the hidden world of professional face painting—safety, artistry, and whimsy that turn simple designs into lasting memories.
Stephanie Swain
Aug 26, 20253 min read


A Handful of Whimsies: Current Creative Projects in Process
My creative world is a little like Wonderland itself—overflowing, unpredictable, and rarely quiet. Here’s a look at the long-term...
Stephanie Swain
Aug 22, 20252 min read


Step Into My Whimsical World: Face Painting, Festivals, and Inclusive Art Across NC
I never set out to build a fine art business from my whimsy. It began with a book in hand — Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass...
Stephanie Swain
Aug 20, 20256 min read
bottom of page


