Welcome to Avec La Vie

2014: The Making of a Card Deck

Avec La Vie was born in 2014 during a deeply personal reckoning. After ten years in nursing, I found myself disheartened by a system that was failing its people—patients, families, and healthcare workers alike. I was troubled by how often blame was misplaced, how burnout was normalized, and how compassion was losing its footing in the very spaces meant to heal.

In the middle of this struggle, a voice came to me—soft but insistent: “Create some birds.”

That strange whisper led to my first deck: Animal Spirits—a set of 50 animals, each created in just two weeks. I paired each illustration with three powerful words drawn from science, lived experience, and the deep well of wisdom shared with me through years as a nurse and social worker. Combining my background in graphic design and a leap of faith, I printed my first 100 decks locally with Jim at Morrell Printing.

That first pop-up at Soul Tree Yoga Studio was magic. There, I realized that I wasn’t just making cards—I was creating a bridge between art, contemplation, and healing.

2018: The Nature-Inspired Deck Series

By the end of 2015, the Animal Spirit deck had sold out. While I was happy with their reception, I decided to take a pause and reflect on their purpose. It wasn’t until 2017, I teamed up with my dear friend and brilliant illustrator, Phoebe Hunt, to create a three-deck Nature-inspired Series that would focus on three stages of change:

• Fauna Inspiration (Awareness)

• Flora Healing (Reflection)

• Fantastic Being (Action)

These decks have proven to be more than a set of cards—they’re a reflection of my ten-year journey back to myself. Their presence offered me perspective when mine was clouded, courage when I felt small, and a sense of belonging when I felt adrift. In their company, I learned to trust my own voice again. These cards are a record of that learning—a living map of wonder, resilience, and soft transformation. Creating them helped me find the confidence to name what I know, and the reverence to keep listening for what I don’t.

From 2018 to 2020, these decks have found their way across the world—Australia, France, the Netherlands, Venezuela, Thailand, and beyond—touching hearts, sparking insight, and encouraging connection.

“I love this deck. It is thoughtfully written, a great size, easy to read, easy to shuffle, and inspirational.” –Jen

Going out of Print
Limited Supply Available
Order Now!

Although these decks have touched thousands of peoples’ lives, I made the hard but necessary decision in 2023 to retire these beloved decks to make space for some new things I’d like to manifest.

As of now, the remaining inventory of these three decks is limited, and once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. If you've been thinking about adding one to your collection—or gifting one—shop now before they're out of print forever.