Name Change

I was featured on Harley & Jane yesterday! Check out the post here :) I love their blog and you should definitely check it out when you get the chance. They asked me about what inspires me and about my blog and I'd like to share that with you. Especially since you might have noticed I made a few changes recently. So here it is.

First, if you are new to the blog, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am a 24 (almost 25) year old graphic designer who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. I work a 9-5 job and also co-own a graphic design company called Maiedae with my best friend. We work nights and weekends in order to achieve our dreams. I am married to a bearded, nature-loving, Renaissance Man (meaning he can do just about anything he puts his mind to) whom I met in college. We have two little kitty boys who are crazy and sometimes make quacking noises. I have been an artist my whole life. I love doing crafts and DIYs, and I love decorating our home.

I started blogging exactly a year ago last month. My business partner, Savannah, introduced me to blogging after she began a blog for Maiedae. At first, I blogged purely because we were doing a lot of blog designs and it was necessary for me to teach myself how to be a better blog designer - hence, I started my own blog to practice on. However, I've always loved writing and journaling my thoughts, so it didn't take long for me to fall in love with blogging. I'm not good at closing up to people. I'm the type who opens up, is easily transparent, and finds myself in "deep water" fast. I love that about myself, because I love forming deep relationships - it's part of my passion for life. So, at first, my blog was purely about life and designing. But then, I slowly found myself bringing more of my passions into my blog - DIY, home decor, inspiration, encouraging self-confidence in others, and development. I am so excited about where I am now compared to where I started a year ago. When you write about what you love, it's easy and fulfilling.

Now, about the name. I first chose the name Pulchritude Fest because "pulchritude" means beauty and "fest" means a gathering place. I wanted my blog to be a gathering place for beautiful things. I desire to bring out beauty in others, in the things I create, in decorating, and most importantly, in relationships. And it's much more than just outward beauty. I desire to help others see the beauty within themselves (hence, my Uniquely You series). My desire is to encourage and inspire others to find out and develop in who they are and to have joy in that. Each of us are so unique and I love discovering and celebrating that. Now, recently - okay, maybe like a week ago - I changed my blog name to match my own - Jenny Highsmith. The reason for this wasn't because I didn't like or agree with the name Pulchritude Fest anymore. I still feel that my blog's purpose matches what was behind the reasoning for Pulchritude Fest. The reason I changed the name was because, as Maiedae grows, Savannah's and my vision is that our blogs would be an extension of our company. I desire for my blog to be more closely associated with Maiedae instead of having its own name and branding. So, I decided to change the name of my blog to match my own, that way people might recognize it as a part of Maiedae and not as a separate company of its own.