A Little Evening Update 🖊️

Hey everyone! Just popping in with a quick little update while I’m out Ubering tonight. I’ve decided to add a personal note (here) each night I am out for those of you who get a Thank You card with your delivery and wonder what that is all about—just a tiny way to spread a little cheer. No subscription necessary 😅

This weekend’s been a whirlwind because we celebrated my daughters’ joint birthday party, and their room is now a treasure trove of dolls, Legos, and all things fun. We’ve been doing some reorganizing to fit it all in, and in the middle of that, I’m diving into Halloween prep for Alesha Made. I’m working on some Halloween stickers and goodies for a pop-up shop I’m hoping to line up for fall.

Right now, a lot of my sketching happens in those little in-between moments during Uber deliveries. It’s kind of fun turning those quick breaks into mini creative sessions, even if it’s a bit of a juggle. So stay tuned for more crafty Halloween fun coming soon, and thanks for being here on this journey with me!

My Latest Cluttered Cat Drawing 🐾

Here is another cluttered cat drawing, and this one might be my favorite yet. It’s a whole little world inside a fashion showroom — cats designing, sewing, modeling, and even selling the clothes they’ve made. The scene is busy, playful, and full of details that make you want to zoom in and explore every corner.

For this piece, I decided to make all the cats dark-furred, except for one. That lone cat is a little tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, because what’s a fashion scene without him? The darker fur also ties back to a practical idea — if cats were really in charge of making clothes, their fur would be less noticeable on the fabric. (A designer’s dream, right?)

Outside of this project, I’ve also started sketching some Halloween-themed drawings that I can’t wait to share. My goal is to debut them in time for a pop-up shop at the end of September — fingers crossed everything comes together in time.

Drawing has become this mix of play and possibility for me. Some ideas turn into finished products, others are just fun experiments, but each piece feels like another step toward building something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time.

Stay tuned — more cats, costumes, and clutter are on the way 🐾

Life Lately: Bills, Birthdays & Waiting for the Rain

Some days it feels like life is just one giant to-do list, and no matter how fast I move, it only gets longer. The bills never stop showing up, even when the motivation does. I’ve been telling myself to keep going, to keep pushing, but wow… it’s getting hard out here.

I keep waiting for the rain. The literal rain, yes — because Arizona heat has been relentless — but also the kind of rain that washes everything clean and makes it all feel lighter. A little reset would be nice right about now.

In the middle of all that, I finally finished my daughters’ digital birthday invitations 🎉 (aren’t they cute?!) but of course, the work doesn’t end there. Now I’ve got to make hard copies to send to school with her. The list never ends, but that’s mom life, right? 😓

For now, I’m just taking it one thing at a time: one bill, one invite, one deep breath.

The Cluttered Cat Office – My Latest Obsession

I started this one back on the 9th, and it’s been my little side project every day since — adding a desk here, a spilled coffee there, until it finally became the busy, chaotic, and slightly ridiculous cat office you see now.

I’ve been calling this style my “cluttered drawings” — almost like a Where’s Waldo?, but for cats. I love that the more you look, the more little details you find. In fact, after I finished, my daughter and I played a “find the thing” game with it for a while. We spotted coffee cups, catnip, guitars, and of course…

🐾 My cat Socks, making her cameo in the bottom left-hand cubicle.
Yes, that’s her with the glasses, living her best “busy office worker” life.

What’s Next for the Cluttered Cats
I’ve already got ideas for more scenes — a fashion/runway studio, a coffee shop, maybe even a music festival. I think these could be so fun as:
• Calendars (each month a new “cat chaos” scene)
• Coloring pages (some with full color, some left blank so people can bring them to life)
• Prints or desk decor for anyone who needs a smile at work

There’s something addictive about filling every corner with activity and little surprises. It’s almost like creating a mini world for people to explore — or for your own cat to claim as their office.

What do you think the next Cluttered Cat scene should be?

New Thank You Cards Are Here — And They’re Full of Gratitude (and Cats)

If you’ve ever ordered from me on Uber Eats, there’s a good chance your food came with a side of… well, me. Or at least a tiny piece of my heart in the form of a thank you note.

My newest batch of cards features a very cool, slightly smug delivery cat — rocking a hat, carrying tacos, and proudly holding a drink. She’s my cat, Socks, and she’s here to say “Thank You!” in the most colorful, unapologetically Alesha Made way possible.

Here’s the thing: every Uber order I deliver isn’t just a delivery — it’s a step toward keeping my dream alive. It helps support my family, keeps my schedule flexible so I can be there for my daughters, and gives me the freedom to work on my art and my teeny-tiny business. It also means I get the priceless opportunity to teach my girls that their own creativity matters — that their ideas can turn into something real, something worth sharing with the world.

Thanks to Uber (and YOU), I don’t have to clock in at a place that drains my energy, I get to pour it into designing calendars, shirts, stickers, and, yes… even these little cards.

Each card also includes a QR code that links right to this blog. If you’re new here, I hope the card was a fun surprise and maybe encouraged you to take a peek at what I’m working on. There’s no subscription, no email list you have to sign up for — following along is completely up to you. You can just drop by anytime for a little window into this slightly chaotic, fully creative journey.

So if you get one of these in your next order, know that it’s not just a thank you — it’s a piece of my story, my hustle, my family’s livelihood, and the dream I’m chasing… one delivery at a time.

🩵 Still Designing… But It Feels Right

This week, I finally shared something on Facebook that’s been sitting in my design folder for way too long—my clan shirt concept. I’ve been thinking about this idea for weeks, tweaking the layout, reworking the text, wondering if people would get it… and now it’s out in the world (kind of).

The front says: “My Clans Are My Superpower”

The back will be your first clan in Diné language, big and bold. It’s a simple design, but personal. Deeply personal.

I posted only the clan list on Facebook mostly to see what would happen. I wanted to get a sense of whether this was something people would connect with, or if it’s one of those ideas that just stays in my sketchbook. I don’t know yet. But hitting “post” felt like a small win.

I’m still in the middle of designing. Still figuring out how to balance the cultural pride, the emotional meaning, and the style I want to bring into everything I make. But I know one thing for sure—I don’t want to wait until it’s perfect to start. I want to share as I go. Build as I learn.

So if you saw the post and you liked it—even a little—thank you. That tiny bit of feedback is fuel. And if this does become a finished product (which I really hope it does), just know you were part of it from the beginning.

More soon. Still designing. Still dreaming.

– Alesha 🩵

Just Alesha: The Blog Post I Probably Shouldn’t Write, But Here We Are ⚠️

This post isn’t about tips or launches or “how I did it.” It’s just… me. Hi. Welcome back to Just Alesha—home of random thoughts, emotionally charged car rides, and me deciding at midnight that I’m going to cap my snuggle muffins nails 🐾

Here’s where I’m at lately:

I’ve been Ubering in 107° heat like it’s part of my origin story.
My husband drives. I do the running. I call it cardio. It’s a hustle, but we make it work—he’s the calm one and I’m the one yelling “Land HERE” like a pit crew chief.

I got back into crafting, then got annoyed by my printer, then fell back in love again.
There’s a rhythm to it: love the design, hate the cut, cry over misalignment, recover with a good sticker idea. I made mini calendars, cut five, cursed one, questioned my life, then remembered—I actually like this. Sometimes.

I said I’d print something three days ago. I still haven’t.
I brought the iPad. I opened the file. But somehow a Starbucks drink and a full-blown sketch session happened instead. I don’t know if I procrastinate or if I just “re-route creatively.”

The kids are back in school and I still don’t know what time it is.
Early release, meet late brain. We’re doing the “mom of girls” life—uniforms, snacks, McDonald runs, and me saying “we have to go” thirty-five times before they even put on shoes. It’s giving… slightly feral but functional.

I started talking to myself like I’m a character in a documentary.
“Here we see Alesha, standing in the kitchen again, wondering why she walked in here. She thinks she needed a snack. It was, in fact, water.”

I keep daydreaming about booths with striped awnings, fancy bag tags, and a little ‘kingdom’ I’m building.
Even when I’m not making stuff, it’s in my head—like I’m one good nap away from launching a Parisian sticker empire out of my trunk.
Anyway, that’s the update. I’m still here. Still sketching, still sweating in mall parking lots, still choosing glitter when I probably shouldn’t. And somehow… it’s all kind of working.

Until next time—

Just Alesha (but always a little extra)

Issue No. 2 - August 2025