Seeking Light — Chelle Summer “There is darkness in all of us.” What was said around that doesn’t matter because it’s all about that one statement. It was one that made me pop my head up at mass Saturday, resonating in a way that...

We all have light– and darkness- in us because part of life is continually seeking light and hope. www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/10...

An hour here, fifteen minutes there — Chelle Summer Cyndi Lauper taught me one of the most important lessons for my creative life. I read once where she said that she would write songs while she was ironing. This struck me because I was learning earl...

I had a long day to create on Saturday, something that feels like a luxury because most days I have learned that I have to fit it into so many other aspects of life. www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/9/...

Seeking Hope in Loss — Chelle Summer Last month, when I was a featured speaker for a zoom group for people who have lost a sibling to suicide, I was asked if I had been suicidal after my sister’s death. I very much understood the importa...

Reflecting back, I now see that the suicide loss of my sister Denise might be the reason I embrace colors and prints so much as it caused me to embrace life even more, too. Read more at www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/10...

The 1970s Barbie Country Camper is now a handbag. And Barbie has a new dress to match. Find it in the boutique at www.chellesummer.com. #itswhatIdo #handmade #chellesummerstyle #boutiqueshopping #vintagebarbiestyle

Keeping Focused — Chelle Summer Most of the journeys we take aren’t short. They aren’t something we can do in one day, especially the more meaningful ones, the ones that we can’t complete in a short time. For me, my journeys– whic...

Seeking shorter goals within a big goal helps us keep the bigger goal in focus– and renews our excitement for the road to accomplishing it. www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/9/...

Praying for Others — Chelle Summer For the many years (I’m not counting!) that I’ve been speaking at suicide-related events or planning them, one of the hardest parts always has been getting people to show up. I have done events where ...

While I've always wanted to reach everyone who has lost a loved one to suicide, I was reminded last night at our church prayer service that it's also about praying for those who aren't there– and the reasons they choose not to attend. www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/9/...

National Suicide Prevention Month — Chelle Summer September is National Suicide Prevention Month, this week is National Suicide Prevention Week, and Wednesday is World Suicide Prevention Day. Please always remember that if you’re worried about yourse...

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and this is my yearly message, my thoughts on the lack of help for people on the how of going forward. www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/9/... #worldsuicidepreventionday #wspd #hope #light #inspiration #movingforward

Early Early Mornings — Chelle Summer I don’t jump out of bed at 4:00 am; it’s more like I roll out of bed. But once I start running and I look up at the night sky and the stars, then the first outline of the Sandia Mountains as the sun...

There's something to be said about the quiet as darkness becomes light in the early hours of the morning. #inspiration www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/8/...

Embracing Ourselves — Chelle Summer On my desk, I have a small stack of newspaper clippings that I’ve kept for some sort of inspirational purpose. One article, from The New York Times in 2022, is about Ben Crowe, a mind-set coach who ...

Life (via people) often squashes us getting to know ourselves and loving ourselves, too. It's a challenge, but well worth the journey. Yet many choose not to take it. Read more at www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/8/... #inspiration

The Endurance of Faith — Chelle Summer I saw Fr. Gene, the Norbertine priest with whom I do my spiritual direction. here at their Abbey in Albuquerque, on Friday. We were discussing world events and how they impact the reactions of many pe...

Sometimes it's just about holding on for the ride. www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/8/...

Finding Chelle Summer Style — Chelle Summer I bought a Lilly Pulitzer sweater recently (sweaters, sunglasses, and shoes remain out of my realm!) and on the tag there was this: “It all started with one incredible woman who had the courage to f...

While I always say that Chelle Summer is rooted my '70s childhood and '80s teen years of fun colors and prints, it's also because I found in life I never really felt like I fit in. Instead, I finally learned to create my own "place." www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/8/...

You know what they say- you can take the girl out of the '80s, but you can't take the '80s out of the girl. Swim coverup made from a late 1980s beach towel.

Happy 10th birthday, Chelle Summer! It was a decade ago today that I created the first bucket bag, made from a vintage dress I had found at an estate sale, that I then called the Eleanor. I had no idea what that bucket bag would inspire or where the journey would lead me.

Pattern Stories — Chelle Summer The original title was “Pattern Stories.” I envisioned each chapter was a pattern and the dress that that particular pattern became, a dress that was made for a special occasion. But as the story un...

I never set out to use vintage patterns to make handbags. They started as the inspiration for the most recent book I wrote– Ida Lee. www.chellesummer.com/blog/2025/7/...

Popping Fear — Chelle Summer This photo describes fears so well. I remember in high school, as a runner, being told that fear comes down to not knowing what’s going to happen. On that morning in Maine last summer, as seen in th...

I believe fear to be the biggest challenge most of us face in our lives because it crosses so many aspects of our existence. www.chellesummer.com/blog/2024/11...

Happy Friday! #fallvibes

New Chelle Summer handbags made from a vintage Vera Neumann rainbow tablecloth. Now in the boutique at www.chellesummer.com. #vintagetextiles #rainbow #handmade #handbag #chellesummer #boutiquestyle #veranuemann