Hi! I’m April Eileen.

Creator of Life and Lovely Things, writer, and resident romantic.

For much of my adult life, I knew something was missing. I would stumble upon moments of magic and they awakened memories, however hazy, of a once-upon-a-time that seemed more alive. Somehow I had lost something as vital as breath and I wanted it back. So I searched. 

First, I checked all the “right” boxes. I thought if I could just put together the right set of circumstances, I would finally feel my life. I was educated, built a career, got married, ditched said career and struggled in said marriage, bought a lovely little house, had my two beautiful daughters, and pinned lots of things to Pinterest boards. I progressed so quickly, so efficiently, I scarcely smelled a rose along the way. No matter how many boxes I checked, I was still not at peace. I was “LOL-ing” but not really laughing, busy but not really fulfilled, breathing but not really alive.

So I did what any woman privileged enough to reach such a state does. I embarked on a campaign to “improve.” Once all was fixed - once I became more confident, more self-Loving, more centered, more grounded, or even more spiritually enlightened - I would finally feel alive, I reasoned. I waded through layer upon layer of seemingly broken this and not quite acceptable that. I analyzed and worked on and bought self-help books related to every perceived imperfection with the goal of eradicating it. I tried to be present, to manifest things, to work “on purpose,” to learn the secrets of the Buddha, to get witchy on new and full moons. None of this was wrong. In fact, much of it was quite useful in learning to “life” better. But it wasn’t exactly the answer. I didn’t want to create the “right” life. I wanted a deeper, richer experience of the life I had. I didn’t want to be perfect and much as I wanted to simply be. I didn’t want to transcend Life. In fact, I wanted to get all the way in it.

And then it happened - a shift in perspective, seemingly without impetus but one that, in reality, had been steadily building…and it changed everything. My family and I attended a customer appreciation dinner on a rustic Ohio farm, complete with grass-fed burgers and colorful veggies, hayrides, and opportunities to snuggle baby turkeys. At one point, it began to rain. My daughters ran barefoot, wild and free, water streaming from their textured curls, in search of kittens and eager kids alike…and I realized I was the woman I had always wanted to be. I got my daughters up to watch sunrises and let them stay up late to see the stars, I chased fireflies and reveled in warm wind, I lit candles and drank tea, I made even grilled cheese sandwiches look pretty on a plate, and I always looked for the biggest Christmas trees. Somewhere in the heart-opening process of living, of experiencing the lows of deep grief and the highs of wide delight, I had become a woman wildly in Love with life. I just needed to make space, again and again, to deepen into what was already there.

Life and Lovely Things is such a space - a space to deepen into Love in all things, filling the well and becoming inspired to live more fully, more richly, more deeply, more in Love. I invite you to share space with me. Check out Life and Lovely Things’ services and values for more.

Love in all things,

April Eileen

A Brief Bio:

Before creating Life and Lovely Things, April spent nearly a decade managing marketing strategy, communication planning, and product launches for some of the world’s largest brands. She is a writer, avowed romantic, coach, and homeschooling mother of her two greatest Loves. She dares, amidst chaos and laundry, to dream of moving through Life in a state of awe and delight, and to invite others to join her. Choosing to be in Love, she believes, is not naive or idealistic, but might be the single most revolutionary choice a person can make. At the end of the day, she’s a woman, finding her way like everyone else.