Meet Briana
Hi, reader(s)! I’m Briana, and I’m genuinely so happy you’ve found your way into this little safe space of mine on the internet. Here, you’ll find vulnerable mental health musings, plenty of metaphorical cozy coffee cups, and lots of love for my whiskered, silver-coated feline best friend, Starburst Penelope. She’s a five-year-old Russian Blue I adopted from a cozy little cat café on December 15, 2023—a day that still feels like a tiny bit of magic every time I think about it.
I hope this space feels like a soft place to land.
This blog began as a quiet desire to build a place of comfort for myself and others. For me, comfort looks like all things coffee (especially a Maple Cold Brew from a locally owned coffee shop, Mechanism Coffee Roasters—I know, it’s a bit of an obsession), cozy books, the quiet, grounding presence of my cat Starburst, and being honest about life’s darkest parts.
When it came time to name this little space, I chose “Sips” to represent life’s small joys—an iced coffee, a rainy day, a quiet bookstore section (where you’ll most likely find me curled up with My Friends by beloved Swedish author, Fredrik Backman). They’re little reminders for me and my readers that lightness still exists in the world, even in the middle of messiness and darkness. I chose “Stardust” to weave in Starburst, my soft, four-legged shadow. Her nickname is Star, and she brings her own kind of everyday magic into my life—soft wisps of stardust that make even heavy days feel a bit more bearable.
I’m a 30-year-old who still mostly thinks of herself as a girl—”woman” still feels like a slightly too-big word I’m growing into. I live with the physical disability of cerebral palsy, and I also navigate anxiety, depression, and the messy complexity of mental health. Along the way, I earned my MSW in Social Work and am working toward my LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), but underneath all of that, I’m really just a girl who has felt completely alone at times—and, if I’m honest, sometimes still does—in a world that often isn’t built for her body or her mind. Everything I write here is for the ones who feel that way, too—so if any of this sounds like you, I hope this little corner can be a small, steady light in the dark, sitting quietly beside you when things feel heavy.
Until the next sip,
Briana
But, because the best cozy corners aren’t built alone… this one has two hearts — one human, one furry — and it wouldn’t be the same without either. Sips of Stardust was built on late nights, too many books, and a cat who insisted on being involved in every single step.
Meet Starburst Penelope (Star) ✨
Hi reader(s)! 🐾
It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Starburst Penelope, but you can call me Star. I’m the aforementioned four-legged shadow you read about in my mom’s bio. I’m a five-year-old Russian Blue, and my birthday is April 26th, 2021—a day my mom says feels as warm as a sunbeam on the carpet.
My mom adopted me on December 15th, 2023, from a cat café in Tallahassee, FL, where I spent nine months waiting for her. From the very first cuddle, we’ve been soulmates.
A few important things to know about me:
I love my toy mice and my wands, freeze-dried chicken, wet food (pâté only, please), my mushroom cat scratcher, sleeping in my mom’s power chair while she works, and of course, sitting on her keyboard. Most days, you’ll find me sunbathing on a warm windowsill or sitting on my perch in the living room, birdwatching and listening to the rustle of leaves outside.
Things I don’t appreciate (although I’m pretty easygoing): closed doors or being away from my mom. She always says that I saved her, and I know she saved me, too. We saved each other.
My mom thought it was important that you get to know me because we’re a team, she and I—two hearts curled up together in the same story.
So, welcome to Sips of Stardust, the safe space my mom and I created together, for us, and for you, too. We’re really glad you’re here. 🌟
Until the next sip,
Star 🐱
For more Star, iced coffee, and whatever I’m reading next, come hang out on Instagram → @sipsofstardust.