Butterflies + Halos

08/11/2026

There's something about putting away the pool towels, packing up the patio furniture, or watching the days get shorter.

The changing season quietly reminds us that time keeps moving.

Grief often notices those changes before we do.

08/07/2026

☕ Cup of Hope

We put so much pressure on ourselves to always be moving forward.

To be productive.
To be positive.
To keep blooming.

But healing doesn't look the same every day.

Some days you'll feel hopeful and energized.

Other days, simply getting out of bed, taking a deep breath, or making it through the day is more than enough.

Both days matter.

Both days are worthy.

And both are part of the journey.

So if today is a "breathing day," be gentle with yourself.

Tomorrow will be there when you're ready.

☕ Wishing you a little cup of hope today.

🤍 Angie

08/07/2026

Is it ever too late to send a sympathy card?

I hear this question more often than you might think.

"The funeral was months ago..."
"Life got busy..."
"I wanted to reach out, but now it feels too late."

If that's you, I want you to hear this...

💛 Grief has no expiration date.

The flowers may be gone.
The casseroles may have stopped.
But grief doesn't end because the calendar changed.

In fact, a card that arrives months later can become one of the most meaningful reminders that someone—and their loved one—haven't been forgotten.

That's the inspiration behind this week's Story Behind the Card and one of my favorite grief cards.

If you've been wondering whether you've missed your chance to reach out...

My answer is almost always: No.

🦋 Read the latest Story Behind the Card on the blog https://butterfliesandhalos.com/blogs/news/is-it-too-late-to-send-a-sympathy-card

Because compassion doesn't have a deadline.

08/06/2026

Grief leaves behind so many things we can see—photographs, letters, familiar places, and the empty spaces where someone once stood. But it also leaves behind things no one else can see: the memories we replay, the words left unsaid, and the love that continues long after a person is gone.

Filmmaker Vivek Pranavamurthi recently invited me to preview his micro-short film, Paper Ghosts. In only a few moments, it captures something many of us who have experienced loss understand deeply: sometimes the people we love are gone from the room, but they are still woven into everything around us.

Paper Ghosts is now available to watch. It’s brief, beautiful, and quietly powerful. I hope you’ll take a few moments to watch it—and then come back and tell me what it stirred in you.

Watch here: youtu.be/8_PKsbzCcjQ

08/06/2026

Shop local for all your cards and see how this boutique gives back! 🩵🦋

💜 Sometimes the hardest part is finding the right words.

Whether someone is grieving the loss of a baby or loved one, walking through a difficult season or simply needs to know someone cares, our Declan’s Project memorial section has cards that say what can be so hard to say. Honest. Encouraging. Real. No sugar coating—just meaningful words that remind people they aren’t alone.

Even better, 100% of the proceeds from these cards go directly to Declan’s Project, helping us continue to spread awareness to rural hospitals that babies can come at any time. 🦋

If you haven’t looked through this section yet, I hope you’ll take a few minutes the next time you’re in. You never know when you’ll find the perfect card for someone who needs it.

🕒 This week’s maternity leave hours:
Tuesday–Friday: 12:30–5:30 pm

Need a different time? Just send the store page a message to schedule a shopping appointment!

08/05/2026

There are words I used to say without thinking.

Home.
Forever.
Family.
How are you?

Then grief happened.

And suddenly those same words carried entirely different meanings.

Grief doesn't just change your heart.
It doesn't just change your life.

Sometimes...

It changes your language.

If you've ever stumbled over introducing your "late husband"...
If you've ever caught yourself saying "we" instead of "I"...
If you've ever smiled and answered, "I'm fine," when your heart was anything but...
..this letter is for you.

I shared a new Grace & Grit Letter today called The Problem With Grief Is That It Changes Your Language.

You can read it—or listen to the 7-minute podcast version—on my Substack (or Apple or Spotify).

I'd love to know...
What word has grief changed for you?

🤍 Link in bio.

08/04/2026

Every August, social media fills with first-day-of-school photos.

For someone who is grieving, those same photos can also stir memories of the child, parent, grandparent, or spouse who isn't here to celebrate another milestone.

New beginnings often awaken old love.

And that's completely normal.

08/01/2026

The Strange Loneliness of Building a Beautiful Life After Loss

No one tells you that gratitude and grief can share the very same heart.

If you looked at my life today, you might call it beautiful. And you’d be right. It is. I married Chantz, I built my business Butterflies + Halos, and I found purpose inside pain I never wanted.

But the part almost no one talks about is how lonely that can feel. The more beautiful your life becomes, the more complicated the grief gets. Because you find yourself wishing two completely different lives could somehow exist at the exact same time.

I’ve learned that love doesn’t divide—it expands. Loving my life today doesn’t mean I loved my old life any less.

If you’ve ever felt guilty for laughing after loss, or wondered if moving forward meant leaving someone behind, my latest Grace & Grit letter is for you. You aren’t doing grief wrong. You are doing something incredibly brave.

Click the link in my bio to read (or listen to) the full letter on Substack. 🤍

07/31/2026

☕ Cup of Hope

Some chapters of life are exciting.

Some are heartbreaking.

And some are simply the pages in between—where we quietly learn to trust ourselves again.

If you're standing at the beginning of something new...or wondering how your story will unfold...I hope this little reminder finds you today.

You don't have to have every answer.

You don't have to see the whole path.

Sometimes courage looks like simply turning the next page.

☕Until next time...keep choosing hope, one cup at a time.