Growing up, there was a quote on the kitchen wall that said,
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
Maybe it’s because I love food and was in the kitchen a lot, but that saying is ingrained in me. I’ve wanted to be many things ever since I was younger.
One time, when I went out to dinner with my dad and his friends, I was asked by one of them, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And I had a plan, I had a pitch ready. It was about five different careers and I laid out my timeline for my dad’s friend. I remember her reaction — not of encouragement, but more along the lines of, “That’s not realistic.” My dad turned to me at some point afterward and told me she didn’t know what she was talking about, and I could do all those things. I believed him, instead of her.
My mom also encouraged me. I would draw marker designs on paper plates and she took them to work and her co-workers bought them for $1 each. I sold out! (Thank you co-workers who graciously encouraged a 6-year-old.)
I also had a sewing business with my friend Jen called “Jennifer and Madeline’s Creations.” We made baby blankets and tooth fairy pillows we sold (actually rather successfully) at my mom’s booth at craft fairs (ideal business right here — investment by someone else and you retain all the profit!). See the business card for proof we were highly professional. Do you see that hand-drawn border detail?
More recently, May 1st,2021, Matt and I introduced…
Pedal & Petal is a project that we’ve thought about for a couple of years! It’s amazing to see it come to life. The message is focused on “blooming through life’s cycles.” We’ve really enjoyed the process of creating and learning, as neither of us has launched an e-commerce store before. And we have some big dreams for it!
With Pedal & Petal, plus my freelance design business, Five Ducks Design, my actual full-time job, and this blog, I think my pie is sliced enough.
I love that each piece teaches me something different, lets me interact with people differently, and helps me to grow. This blog, for instance, teaches me more about web design and layout, creates a resource I can share with others, and just feels like my own little virtual home filled with a lot of memories and experiences I would have otherwise forgotten.
It can be very intimidating and challenging to start something new, and there’s always a risk you won’t “succeed,” especially if it’s something that is visible to others. Since we’ve launched P&P, there have definitely been moments like, “What have we done? What if this doesn’t go anywhere? Now, everyone will know.”
But in the end… so what? Did you learn something? Then, isn’t that successful? Did you grow yourself, and/or your skillset? Then, isn’t that successful? Did you help anybody with a message you shared? Then, isn’t that successful? There are so many measures of success. Perhaps just beginning something is success for you.
It is easy to 1) get caught up in wanting validation from others and 2) think success is tied to money. Oftentimes in our culture, if something isn’t monetarily successful, then what’s the point? For instance, this blog. I’ve had it for 6 years now, and I haven’t made money on it. In fact, I’m losing money to host it. If I defined success for this blog on how much money it makes, I would be gravely unsuccessful. However, the “success” here is on me writing, getting out of my comfort zone, sharing resources, my stories, and learning all the things I mentioned earlier.
Find the right people to encourage you, and don’t be afraid to fail. My grandfather recently told me:
“You shouldn't be afraid to fail. Most people take the easy way and they take things they know they can do because they're afraid to fail. If you fail, you try again. If you fail at the same thing 3 or 4 times, then you say maybe I'm not going to do that, but at least you tried and you know.” — David Kleinman
So…that thing you’ve been thinking about? That you’re worried you’ll fail at or not be good enough? Whether it’s a new business or something just for you — go for it! The time will pass, and it will never be perfect, but you’re going to use those hours on something — it might as well be something you’re excited (and maybe a bit nervous) about.
If you've ever stood in front of the CVS photo kiosk wondering whether it actually matters where you print, this post is for you.
I finally started my daughter's photo album this spring. And because I apparently cannot do anything the simple way, "starting her album" turned into ordering 111 prints from ten different photo printing companies so I could figure out — once and for all — where those photos deserved to be printed.
I recently finished The Art of Making Memories by happiness researcher Meik Wiking — and this episode is about the ideas that hit hardest as a parent of a young child. The reminiscence bump, what the science says about baby memories, and the family story I had to rewrite as an adult. Plus: why "they won't remember it" isn't the point.
I just finished reading The Art of Making Memories by Meik Wiking — the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and one of the world's leading researchers on happiness.
This book made me rethink some things.
15 moms night out ideas with at-home and going-out versions. New experiences and recurring rituals for building friendship. Sober-friendly, South Bay spots included.
Female friendship in early motherhood can feel thin—even when you’re surrounded by people. Maddie shares why connection changes after kids, what’s helped her build real support (text threads, Marco Polo, evolving community), and permission slips for creating deeper friendships in your season. If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll leave with small, practical next steps.
If you've ever wanted a fun, low-pressure way to make a trip more memorable for your kids — and actually turn the photos into something they'll revisit — this episode is for you. I'm sharing how two tiny souvenirs from our Japan trip became a creative travel activity, and eventually a custom children's storybook made in Chatbooks.
Here's what I've learned from 15 years and 50+ photo books about which platforms are actually worth your time and money.
We took the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Seattle with our 10-week-old — and it became one of our most memorable family trips. In this story episode, Maddie shares the behind-the-scenes moments and what surprised her most about slow travel by train.
Everything you need to know about taking the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Seattle with a baby or kids — booking tips, what to pack, what it’s really like, and our honest 35-hour experience.
You take 500+ photos on vacation. Then what? Here's my system for actually preserving travel memories—from planning through creating tangible memories to revisit.
If you’ve ever wished you could bottle up your voice reading bedtime stories—or make it easier for your child to hear family voices without needing your phone—this episode is for you.
The books my daughter has loved from baby through toddler—and a few new additions that help with the emotional chaos of being three.
Capturing grandparents’ stories can feel overwhelming—so this episode makes it simple. Maddie shares the system she used to ask 52 questions over time, stay connected through weekly touchpoints, and turn interviews into a keepsake book. You’ll get two ways to start—weekly touchpoints or a 4-session story build—plus tips for recording, photos, and book creation
If you have trip scraps—tickets, stickers, postcards, and little “I can’t throw this away” pieces—this episode is for you. Maddie shares a simple method to turn those artifacts into a framed collage you’ll actually display, plus how to use a shadow box collage to remember someone you love in a way that feels meaningful (not overwhelming).
A kinder reset inspired by The Gap and the Gain: write 3 gains, 3 intentions, and 1 memory each night (pen + journal, no screens). Plus: the 2018 sunrise commitment that reminded me I can be consistent—and the “one non-negotiable” mindset that helped me start again.
If your camera roll is overflowing but you rarely look back, this episode is for you. I’m Maddie from Love, Maddily, and in Episode 1 I’m sharing why this podcast exists, what I tried (private Instagram + Chatbooks), and the shift toward keeping what matters—without living behind a screen.
A simple guide to the best memory-keeping tools—photo books, prints, video editing/storage, digital frames, audio keepsakes, and design tools—so you can preserve what matters without overwhelm.
The adventure is the entertainment. But in case you want a few things to use, here are my favorite.
It’s not about picture-perfect outfits or spending a lot–it’s about freezing a moment in time you’ll never get back.
Some memories deserve more than a spot in your camera roll. These are the tangible gifts — thoughtful, creative, sometimes nostalgic — that turn a moment into something you can hold.
During my daughter’s first two years I photographed everything. (Live mode forever.) After she turned two, something shifted. I wanted less proof of the moment and more presence in it.
It’s time to start saying “That was on my Bingo card this year!” All you need is Canva and you can access this free template to create your own monthly Bingo card.
Big news – we had our baby, Eden. She was born in late August of 2022 and has changed my life; almost all the cliches about having a child are true. I had no idea what to expect, and for most of my pregnancy, I had trouble reconciling that I was growing a human in my body and that this human would one day be walking around, communicating, and developing her personality that I get to enjoy being part of each day. It’s added another level of purpose and love to my life that I didn’t know was possible.
As I previously mentioned, Warsaw, Indiana is a gem of a town and I truly loved living there. So, please, if you’re anywhere near northern Indiana in the future, consider visiting this cute town and the surrounding areas.
Just when we think that we’ve had enough change for a time, and we start getting a bit comfortable, we just dive right into creating something new: WE’RE HAVING A BABY GIRL! I’m halfway through this pregnancy and it has gone by so fast and has been filled with many differences between what I was expecting vs. reality...
While darkness can have a psychologically negative effect, light, in contrast, has a psychologically positive effect. We need light to survive. I’ve realized that not only physical light in our lives is needed, but also the light that comes through faith, hope, love/charity, and – perhaps above all – gratitude.
In a very unexpected turn of events, we have moved… back to Los Angeles. Not only did we move back to Los Angeles, but we are living literally a mile from the house I grew up in, in Redondo Beach.
If you had told me six months ago that we would be here, I would have said you’re crazy. But now I just know we’re crazy.
“You shouldn't be afraid to fail. Most people take the easy way and they take things they know they can do because they're afraid to fail. If you fail, you try again. If you fail at the same thing 3 or 4 times, then you say maybe I'm not going to do that, but at least you tried and you know.” — David Kleinman
My mom, Donna, on scrapbooking, memory-keeping, and what she's learned helping clean out the homes of people who've passed. Episode 10 of Postcards for Posterity.