Tag Archives: Morgan Day Cecil

How the Light Gets In

Posted on by

Words and Photography by Morgan Day Cecil

My husband and I have a story made for daytime television.

Whenever a new acquaintance asks how we met, I cringe for half a second, anticipating their reaction. I try not to assume they’ll think “Scandalous!” and kiss our friendship goodbye, but I fear it every time. Our “how we met” story is kind of scandalous, and, yes, the soap-opera parallels are obvious.

But our story is also the very thing that shines the brightest in our lives as a beacon of hope and love and redemption.

You want to hear it?

To read the rest of Morgan’s story, subscribe to CAKE&WHISKEY magazine or purchase the single issue here.

Dreaming My Dreams With You

Posted on by

Words and Photography by Morgan Day Cecil

What was I thinking, sharing my heart with the world?

That afternoon in my daughter’s bedroom, I was ready to border up my sensitive soul, punch a motivational speaker in the nose, and forget about ever making a dime from my passion.

But quitting my dream wasn’t an option. Not because I said so (I was ready to fold), but because my husband said so. That day he knew who I was and what I really wanted better than I did. He knew, because two months earlier I had shared the dream with him.

Flashback to before the scene with the tears. The kids had just been tucked into bed and, curled up on the couch, I shared with him my desire to open an online shop featuring quote prints to start creating for the public what I had been creating for our home and for friends for years. Talking to him about my ideas energized me. I was excited. I was totally lit up. He loved seeing me so alive and told me so.

I carried a wishy-washy version of my small business dream for years, but, once I spoke it out loud and shared it with the person I love and respect most in the world, my dream became an online storefront, stocked in less than a month.

When we are dreaming alone, it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality.

To read more of this article, subscribe to CAKE&WHISKEY magazine or purchase the single issue here.

Curating Your Memories For Better Relationships

Posted on by

Words and Photography by Morgan Day Cecil

I live in Portland, Oregon, a city full of hip, young artisans, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs who all seem to be curating something.

There are folks in my town who curate donuts. Plenty who curate motorcycles. Lots curating leather goods and Pendleton products. And, of course, coffee and beer.

But curating isn’t unique to Portland. In fact, “curate” has become a marketing buzzword for those with blogs, websites and company Pinterest boards.

My husband and I also curate, leading workshops to help couples create a life of true romance and meaningful adventure together. One of the first lessons we teach is the art of curating memories.

The verb, to curate, comes from the noun, curator, which literally means, “one who manages or oversees, specifically as the administrative director of a museum collection or a library.”

We manage the objects we put on display in our home. We oversee the shoes stacked in our closet. We thoughtfully collect books and wine with the heart’s desire to collect meaningful things so those meaningful things can be properly appreciated.

The mind is a mysterious thing. It possesses so much power and capability and also so much tendency to sabotage. A relationship is made marvelous or miserable first in the mind and then in the home.

To read more of this article, subscribe to CAKE&WHISKEY magazine or purchase the single issue here.