Hi besties! Quick note to let you know that I will be sending The Mood Board once a month for the remainder of the year. With writing a novel, planning a wedding, and trying to incorporate more rest and play into my life, it’s been hard to keep up with the bi-weekly schedule, so I will be sending it on (or around) the third Sunday of each month. Creative Conversations will continue to be a couple times a month (usually around Fridays/Saturdays), and Creative Prompts will still be the first of every month. Thank you so much for being here and reading my work! I appreciate you all so very much. <3




Let’s take a moment to breathe together.
That was nice. We should do that more often. Breathe, that is.
I’ve been running, moving fast, going from one thing to the next, then pulling back and doing nothing all weekend. A vicious cycle, one of go-go-go then STOP. Rinse repeat.
It’s time for for slow summer, take your time, take a breath, I’ll see you when I see you. Lazily written poems in the margins of my notebook while I sip an iced coffee and pick at a scone while a couple passes by with their dogs on the sidewalk. It’s time for sweaty kisses from my love but I swear to god if you touch me right now I’ll throw you off this bed because it’s 84 fucking degrees in here. It’s time for creativity in the kitchen, what can I make with these in-season ingredients without heat and how can I avoid wasting all of this bok choy in my crisper drawer?
It’s hot. You can’t move fast when it’s hot.
We bought an air conditioner.
I want to move fast and live slow. I want to write and relax and cook and rest and read and dance and sing and lounge and come together and be alone and live as much life as possible because I’ll only be 25 for so long and next thing I know this will all be over.
Life is short. But it’s also long.
It’s ugly. But it’s also fucking beautiful.
Let’s take a moment to breathe together.
xx Brianna
serendipitous (adj.): occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way
“It was so serendipitous to run into them at the park!”
I genuinely have been listening to this song on repeat for the past month! I’ve always been a big fan of Lorde, and I’m extremely excited about her new album coming out. I’m loving her exploration of gender expression, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the album is (it comes out on June 27!).
Stories I enjoyed recently:
💌 How To Turn Your Summer Into a Love Affair With Being Alive from
💌 An Interview With Lorde: ‘I’m an Intense Bitch’ by Brittany Spanos in The Rolling Stone
💌 oh f*ck, is this my life now? by Annaliese Godderz of
💌 Maggie Rogers on the Truth About Dreams in The New York Times Opinion
💌 the step challenge by
of Books Aditha Read(dy)Earlier this year, I stumbled across the brand Noble, which has quickly become one of my favorite clothing brands. Their clothes are sustainable and made from 100% organic cotton that’s grown, milled, and sewn in Peru. The process uses less water because Peruvian pima cotton is drought-tolerant and because it’s made into yarn, knit into fabric, dyed and sewn all in and around Lima, Peru, reducing the carbon footprint of the products. It’s also GOTS certified, Regenerative Organic certified, and shipping in 100% recyclable packaging.
I bought the Utility Dress late last year, and I’ve worn it so many times. I love how comfortable it is and how versatile it is for styling. I wore it with tights, with a turtleneck underneath in the winter, with clogs in the spring time. I also bought earrings from a collaboration they did with Natalie Joy (who I recently interviewed for Creative Conversations – stay tuned for that!). All this to say, I’m a fan—not just of their clothes but of their mission and their high quality materials.
I reached out to see if they’d be interested in collaborating for The Mood Board, and they sent me the Long Utility Dress in Pebble Blue to try out and share with y’all. This dress is so comfortable and durable! I got the size Medium, and I love that it cinches at the waist and has some give to it. This weekend I wore it out on a date night to eat pasta, and it was so perfect for the occasion (and to eat pasta haha!). The quality is truly unmatched. This piece and the ones I’ve purchased for myself (I also recently bought the Flared Vest, pictured above in the mood section ^^^ I LOVE IT!), are so soft, a sensitive girlie’s dream, truly.
All this to say, I genuinely love Noble and all of their clothes. I’ve been really trying to add more high-quality, sustainable investment pieces to my wardrobe, and these are so perfect for it. They’re timeless, versatile, and comfortable, and I highly recommend checking them out.
(Blue dress was gifted, the others I purchased myself. All thoughts are my own!)
Recent reads in the wild!
📖 Work Nights by Erica Peplin (out now!!!), paired with a girl lunch (bread and butter, cheese curds, chips and dip, on my porch.
📖 On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, paired with a lavender oat milk latte from Vendetta Coffee Bar in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.


Paid subscribers get daily creative prompts sent to their inbox every month! Here’s today’s prompt:
Set a timer for 15 minutes. Doodle whatever comes to mind.
Ceramics update! On the left/top: the first mugs I’ve ever thrown (plus a little cream dish). I’m super proud of how they turned out and am obsessed with those colors. In the middle: worked on trimming some bowls this weekend. On one of them, the bottom blew out because I trimmed too hard. Whoops! The others turned out really well, and I can’t wait to glaze them. On the right/bottom, my favorite little espresso mug with a squiggly handle. I can’t believe I made this! It’s incredible to see myself create something from a lump of clay to a function (and beautiful) object.



✨ A beautiful meditation to start the week about embodying the person you would like to be
💛 My writing friend Melissa is hosting a Q&A today about the unique needs of the queer and trans communities in dying and grief. Sign up for free here.
📰 Just a reminder to check out The Intentional Muse! I love writing and creating for this publication, and it’s such a lovely way to wind down and find ease in a busy day/week/life. Use code BRIANNAMUSE to get your first issue half off!
🍋 My friends An and Yen over at The Fruity Studio and Monroe Briggs just created this incredible zine called Fruits’ Preserve. It’s about food and culture, written by queer and BIPOC folks, and records histories of the community around them. Check it out!
💙 A few (fun, quirky) things on my wedding registry that are a ~vibe~ and you might enjoy having too:
The Mooka Pot (cow print Moka pot… because of course!)
Striped Bath Towels from Quiet Town (life is too short for boring bath towels)
Meet Your Staff’s Bathroom Bundle (the cutest plunger and toilet brush you’ve ever seen)
🥗 My fiancé called this the best salad dressing he’s ever had. It is pretty damn good!
Thank you for reading The Mood Board! It means so much to me that you are here, and I hope you found bits of inspiration here today. Say hi on Instagram here, shop my faves here, and read my other writing here.
Your pottery is gorgeous! And I LOVE On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous! What a great mood board!
Love all this goodness! Sending great recipe to use your extra bok choy!