Fresh Parchment & An Open Heart

Welcome to Token & Bliss, a blog dedicated to all things crafty and pretty and minimal.

My name is Cathie and I am the creator and writer behind Token & Bliss. You can read more about me here.

I’m going to be honest: I am terrified to even be writing this right now. I’d be lying if I said I knew what I was doing. Everything that you see on the screen in front of you came from countless hours of trying to figure things out and potentially even threatening violence. Shout out to my amazing husband Scott for helping me keep my cool (bless his soul) and spending  much of his precious time helping me figure out all of the technological aspects that goes into creating a website.

Now that I’ve told you how great my husband is and gotten the fact that I don’t have a clue what I’m doing off my chest, I can tell you more about the history of this blog and why I even made it in the first place. You see,  creating a blog has been a dream of mine for approximately three or four years.

Why, until now, did I not get off my butt and do it? Fear. Uncertainty. Anxiety. Doubt in my abilities. All the usual things that prevent people from taking risks and stepping out of their comfort zones. I only began to really consider undertaking such a venture once a friend of mine asked me what my dreams and my passions were.  Once he knew that crafting and decor and writing were my passions and creating a blog to share my passions with the world was my dream, he would ask me every single day when I would be launching my blog. Prodding of this sort certainly pushed me into action, and it was nice to know someone believed in me and my abilities, even when I didn’t believe in myself.

So here I am. Cathie Bennett of Token and Bliss. Not really knowing what I’m doing but eager to learn along the way.

You may be asking, “Why Token and Bliss?”

token (tō′kən)

noun

1. a sign, indication, or symbol of something else
2. a visible or tangible representation of a fact, quality, feeling, etc.
3. a keepsake, momento, or souvenir.

bliss (blis)

noun

1. perfect happiness
2. great joy; ecstasy

For me, the definition of “Token and Bliss” is twofold. I wholeheartedly believe that crafting, creating new things, and turning the old into something new is an excellent way to relieve stress and improve overall mental health. Thus, creating “tokens” and things that bring joy, leads to “bliss” in one’s life.  Furthermore, when a person minimizes and declutters their material possessions, their newfound space with less stuff represents peace and serenity, and more time to spend doing the things they truly want to do.

While minimalism is about decluttering, I hope that this is a blog that fills your life and surroundings with beauty and things that you will value. I don’t want to bring more useless items into your space; instead, I want to show you how to create high quality items and gifts that will enhance your space and make you feel good knowing that you, not a machine, made the beautiful things that surround you.

My blog is very empty at the moment, as this is my very first post, but I hope to soon fill it up with many beautiful DIY projects, home decor ideas, and tips and tricks on minimizing. If you have read this far, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.  I am so excited for this  journey and absolutely can’t wait to see where this new adventure leads.