Blog | just julia

Shaming Women Who Choose to Stay Home and Have Kids

There seems to be a predominant message in the circles that I occasionally engage with that places the value of a woman on her ability...

Social Issues

A Thought for Those Who Are Suffering

The Russian government is currently invading Ukraine and my heart is breaking. I can't imagine what people are going through right now...

Free Printables

Cultivate: A New Minimalist Art Collection

Hey! I just added a new four-piece minimalist art collection to my free printable library over at juliadawndesigns.com. (And yes, I...

Interior Design

Why I Will Never Stop Hanging Word Signs on My Walls

I've been seeing an attitude in the high-end design world lately that basically sticks a nose up at word signs. And yeah, I think I could...

Mindful Living

Slightly Jaded, But Cautiously Hopeful

Sometimes life knocks you down. Hard. And it's times like these when it's difficult to find the rainbow after the rain or the silver...

Interior Design

An Easy Way to Design a Room

I love interior design, but I REALLY don't love the technical parts of room planning. I'd rather just randomly grab the things I love at...

Personal Well-Being

"Good Vibes Only" Is a Form of Toxic Positivity That Doesn't Serve Anyone

The phrase "good vibes only" became hugely popular during one of the most challenging chapters of my life. I had been fighting for my...

Mindful Living

Ten (Almost) Free and Simple Things I Love To Do

Life is full of so much of everything and I'm trying to do better with tuning out a lot of the noise and consumerism and simply being...

Cultivating Joy

My New and More Flexible Way of Creating a Vision Board

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved the process of collecting pictures and words to capture the essence of who I am, what...

Personal Well-Being

How Writing In a Dumping Journal Has Saved My Sanity

I am both a chronic over-thinker and an extreme HSP, which is kind of a rough combination for someone who just wants to cultivate peace...

Personal Well-Being

Can You Always Trust Your Intuition?

The world is kind of a messy place. People from all walks of life seem to have the answers to all of life's biggest questions. Many of us...

Social Issues

When the Term "Victim Mentality" is Used to Silence and Gaslight Actual Victims of Mistreatment

The term "victim mentality" (or "victim mindset") is often used to paint the picture of a person who has a "poor me" attitude and refuses...

Cultivating Joy

The Interior Design YouTube Series I Am Currently Obsessed With

It's always a bit hard for me to let go of the magic of the holidays. You know, saying goodbye to all those white lights and glittery...

Mindful Living

My Four Words for the New Year

It's New Year's Eve and I'm sitting in my room trying to decide what inspirational word I want to choose for 2022. I've always liked the...

Love Matters

Why I Am a Firm LGBTQ+ Ally

I was raised to believe that being gay was a choice and that "living a gay lifestyle" was a sin close to murder. I just kind of ignored...

Mindful Living

My Current Favorite Podcast: The Mindful Kind

The world is full of so much of everything right now. So much. And I'm fully aware of the fact that I, myself, am just contributing to...

Love Matters

Is It Selfish to Ask Someone for Forgiveness?

I was listening to a podcast the other day that had three people discussing the concept of forgiveness in a slightly atypical way. This...

Cultivating Joy

The Easy Way to Do Gingerbread Houses

I've never had the desire to make a gingerbread house from scratch. It's always just seemed way too time consuming and complicated for me...

Mindful Living

Free Printable 2022 Monthly Calendar

Yes, it's almost 2022 and I still like to use an actual paper-and-pencil calendar system. Nobody will ever convince me to do it any other...

Personal Well-Being

The Secret About The Secret

I'm just going to cut right to the chase here and say that I believe the secret about The Secret is that there is no secret. There is...