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To read our minute-by-minute coverage as the severe storms spawned damaging tornadoes Friday night,click here.

Towns across the Midwest and Plains are picking up the pieces after a severe weather outbreak spawned numerous damaging tornadoes that killed at least eight people and injured dozens more.

The National Weather Service has confirmed 18 tornadoes between Thursday and Saturday, eight of which were rated either EF2 or EF3. Damage survey teams will be out this week, so that number could climb.

Deaths have been reported in these towns:

-Union City, Michigan: Three dead, 12 injured

-Edwardsburg, Michigan: One dead, several injured

-Okmulgee County, Oklahoma: Two deaths

-Major County, Oklahoma: Two deaths (Thursday night's severe weather)

(MORE:Tornadoes Surge In March, Here's Why)

Some of the most severe damage from this outbreak occurred Friday evening in the town of Union City, Michigan, located just west of Interstate 69 in the southern part of the state. Homes along the St. Joseph River were destroyed in the town of about 1,700, left unrecognizable by the killer tornado.

On Saturday afternoon, an NWS damage survey confirmed that an EF3 tornado with peak winds estimated at 160 mph hit the area. This is the first EF3 tornado in Michigan since May 2022.

Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and videoed a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground. Trees were torn from their roots and debris flew into the air.

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"It's lifting houses!" she said. As the devastation continued, she exclaimed: "Oh my heart is pounding. Oh, I hope they're OK."

Part of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Union City was damaged, although its nearly 150-year-old grand piano was spared, it said in a post on Facebook.

(MORE:Track The Ongoing Severe Weather Threat With These Maps)

Michigan gets an average of 15 tornadoes a year, which is much less than the 155 for Texas and 96 for Kansas, according to David Roth, a meteorologist at the weather service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the state's Emergency Operations Center Friday "to coordinate an all-hands-on-deck response to severe weather," she said in a statement.

Volunteers helped residents sift through rubble and begin cleanup of a trail of destruction that included flattened homes and scattered debris.

Two Nights Of Tornadoes In Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, a tornado cut around a 4-mile path of damage in Okmulgee County, some 30 miles south of Tulsa, although more details wouldn't be clear until daybreak, said Jeff Moore, the county's emergency manager.

Two people were killed and two others were taken to a hospital, officials said. Electrical lines were down and large trees were toppled. Power was out for more than 1,600 people, according topoweroutage.us.

"We're just getting everywhere as fast as we can, clearing roads as fast we can," Moore said.

Damage from suspected tornadoes was also reported in northern parts of Tulsa.

On Thursday night, a mother and daughter were killed after their vehicle was hit bya tornado near Fairview, Oklahoma. The Major County Sheriff's Office told KOCO News that the woman was driving near State Highway 60 and 243 when the vehicle was struck.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

After the death of King George VI in February 1952, his daughter Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth

NEED TO KNOW

• Queen Elizabeth was officially crowned on June 2, 1953

• Her coronation took place at Westminster Abbey

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor becameQueen Elizabethin February 1952 — but she wasn't officially crowned until over a year later.

Queen Elizabeth immediately acceded to the throne following the sudden death of her father,King George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952. Due to the unexpected nature of the King's death, Queen Elizabeth's coronation was delayed by more than a year. She wasofficially crowned on June 2, 1953, in front of 27 million viewers who watched by television, 11 million who tuned in via radio and 8,000 distinguished guests who attended in person.

As might be expected for such a momentous event, the coronation required detailed planning for everything from how the Queen would arrive (in a horse-drawn gold carriage) to what she would wear (a gorgeous gown thatshe had a hands-on role in designing) and to who would attend (then-4-year-old Prince Charles received ahand-painted invitationto the ceremony).

Nearly 70 years later,King Charleswas officially crowned King on May 6, 2023. Thecoronation, which also sawQueen Camillaofficially become Queen, took place at Westminster Abbey. The church was also where the royal family heldQueen Elizabeth's funeralin September 2022.

Here is a look back at the coronation ofQueen Elizabethin 1953.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Date and Venue

Queen Elizabeth acceeded to the throne following King George VI's death on Feb. 6, 1952. Because no one had any idea that she would be crowned only 16 years after her father, planning the Queen's coronation took time.

The coronation was held on June 2, 1953 — a full year after her father's death — at Westminster Abbey.

Prince Philipplayed aninstrumental part in planning the occasion, chairing the Coronation Committee, which was one of two committees created to organize the event.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Carriage

On her Coronation Day, the Queen traveled in a golden horse-drawn carriage. But despite the vehicle's opulence, she latercalled the transportation "horrible,"before explaining, "It's only sprung on a lever. Not very comfortable."

Three million people lined the streets to see Queen Elizabeth make her way through London in the gilded carriage.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Gown

Queen Elizabeth played a large role in the design of thegownshe wore to the event. The white duchess satin dress was created by Sir Norman Hartnell (the same designer who made her 1947wedding gown) and included several personal touches requested by Queen Elizabeth herself like embroidered flowers that represented the United Kingdom as well as countries from throughout the Commonwealth, which at that time included Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan.

Hartnell also stitched a four-leaf shamrock for good luck on the left side of the skirt, placed precisely where Queen Elizabeth's hand would fall during the ceremony. Additionally, the dress was threaded with leeks, the symbol of Wales. As Caroline de Gautaut, deputy surveyor of the Queen's Works of Art, told PEOPLE, "Back then, the Earl Marshall, who was in charge of everything to do with the protocols of the coronation, was adamant that the leek was the leading emblem of Wales — it does look very beautiful."

The gown was onlypublicly displayed three timesduring Queen Elizabeth's lifetime, most recently during the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. As de Gautaut explained to PEOPLE, "It's probably one of the most important dresses made in the 20th century — certainly a great piece of British design. The combination of rich fabrics and beautiful embroideries was really Hartnell's absolute signature and I think the greatest expression of all his career."

Queen Elizabeth's shoes were also special. The ornate shoes,which were designed by French shoemaker Roger Vivier and British shoemakers Delman Ltd, were said to have been inspired by the Chartres Cathedral in France. The royal heels were gilded in gold and covered in rubies, making them truly fit for royalty.

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Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Regalia

Queen Elizabeth wore two crowns on her Coronation Day: the St. Edward's Crown and the Imperial State Crown.

According to theHistoric Royal Palaces' website, the St. Edward's Crown is "the most important and sacred of all the crowns" and "is only used at the moment of crowning itself." Originally made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661, the crown weighs nearly 5 lbs and is encrusted with semi-precious stones.

For her departure from Westminster Abbey, the freshly-coronated Queen replaced the St. Edward's Crown with the lighter 3 lb.Imperial State Crown, which is made of gold and features diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, pearls and rubies.

Other pieces of the Coronation Regalia (which are part of the Crown Jewels collection) were also used during the coronation, including the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross, the Sovereign's Orb and the Coronation Spoon.

As coronation expert Alastair Bruce told PEOPLE, the Jewels themselves are well-known, but their importance is often misunderstood. He said, "The Crown Jewels include 'The Regalia,' which are used at a coronation when the monarch is invested with the best known, if least understood, symbols of this kingdom."

Bruce continued, "Post boxes, police helmets, income tax returns and almost every visual expression of the United Kingdom displays a Crown and Orb. The meaning of each of the key objects has evolved from emblems of authority that date way back before the Saxons arrived. Yet there is an enduring relevance to modern leadership wrapped into each symbol that express values of humility, duty and service, while representing total power. Discovering their meaning helps to define what the Sovereign is to the Crown and how that Crown is the property of us all, in the constitutional function of Monarchy."

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Broadcast

The event was a major one in the life of Queen Elizabeth and in the history of the United Kingdom as a whole. This was the first televised coronation, a fact that popularized the medium in the country. Up to that point, many considered television "radio's weaker brother," but allowing millions of people to enjoy such a momentous event changed that.

Nearly 27 million peoplein Britain watched the events as they unfolded. They were joined by another 11 million who tuned in to hear what was arguably the most important part of the day: the Queen's coronation speech.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Speech

In her speech, Queen Elizabeth spoke to the millions of people who were watching and listening.She said in part, "I have behind me not only the splendid traditions and the annals of more than a thousand years but the living strength and majesty of the Commonwealth and Empire; of societies old and new; of lands and races different in history and origins but all, by God's Will, united in spirit and in aim."

"Therefore I am sure that this, my Coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendor that are gone but a declaration of our hopes for the future, and for the years I may, by God's Grace and Mercy, be given to reign and serve you as your Queen."

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Attendees

Roughly 8,000 guests were invited to attend the coronation ceremony in person. Among these guests were Queen Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, and her son, then-Prince Charles.

While he was not crowned alongside his wife,Prince Philipstill enjoyed the royal treatment during the coronation. He was outfitted in a luxuriousermine-trimmed red robe, under whichhe wore his Admiral of the Fleet uniform. The Duke of Edinburgh was also the first person to pay homage to the new monarch following the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Charles, who was 4 years old at the time, was the first heir apparent to ever attend such an event. He had received hisown hand-painted invitation to the ceremony, one that was specifically designed with the young boy in mind. Decorated with British guards playing instruments and cartoon animals, the invitation read, "By Command of The Queen the Earl Marshal is directed to invite His Royal Highness Prince Charles to the Coronation." However, Charles wasphotographed appearing intermittently enthused and boredby the day's events.

Read the original article onPeople

In 2021 whenBethune-Cookman Universitycalled him,Reggie Theuswas semi-retired. The former NBA All-Star and NBA coach was living in Southern California, golfing three to four days a week and doing the occasional basketball broadcast while volunteering as a Division II coach at Cal State LA.

It was a good life. He was content, he thought. Then, opportunity knocked.

Bethune-Cookman, a historically Black private university in Daytona Beach, Florida, wanted Theus to come aboard as athletic director even though he had no experience in the role. Theus was intrigued but countered the offer with a condition – if he took the AD job, he'd hire himself as men's basketball coach, an unprecedented move. The school agreed.

In Theus' fifth season at the helm, B-CU is on the brink of history. The Wildcats won theSouthwestern Athletic Conferenceregular-season title and are the top seed in this week's conference tournament, where they are hoping to clinch the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

If they do, Bethune-Cookman is primed to become one of the tournament's Cinderella stories following a gargantuan turnaround that took place on a small palm tree-dotted campus an hour's drive from Disney World – and under the leadership of Theus, the only person in Division I college sports to hold the dual titles of athletic director and men's basketball coach.

"It would be a phenomenal thing for the university and for the players, for their careers and their lives," Theus said. "I always tell the guys, when you dig your ditches, when you go through the battles, when you're tested, you can look back and say, 'This is where we came from. This is where we earned it.'"

Why Reggie Theus took the Bethune-Cookman job

Bethune-Cookman is one of40 eligible Division I men's basketball teams that has never made it to March Madness.The Wildcats, who have competed in Division I since 1980, are the only SWAC team on the list.

Theus has been to the NCAA Tournament once as a player on UNLV's 1977 Final Four team and twice as a coach, with New Mexico State in 2007 and as an assistant with Louisville's Final Four squad in 2005. But most of his Bethune-Cookman players, many of whom previously played at other schools, have never competed on the sport's biggest stage.

Theus, the former ninth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft who played 13 seasons in the NBA, enjoyed a brief acting career as the star of the sitcom "Hang Time" after his playing career. Theus followed up coaching stints at Louisville and New Mexico State by jumping back to the pros. He was head coach of the Sacramento Kings and worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers' D-League affiliate before returning to coach college hoops at Cal State Northridge from 2013 to 2018.

He never envisioned himself here, manning two high-pressure positions at an HBCU with no NCAA Tournament history to speak of. But Theus had already successfully completed one rebuilding project at New Mexico State, turning the Aggies from a six-win team into an NCAA Tournament squad in the span of two years. So the idea of an even larger challenge at B-CU was equally as appealing as it was daunting.

"It was a little bit scary and that got me excited," Theus said. "I felt like this was something I've always asked for was an opportunity to do more. I never knew, what does that look like? I wanted to coach but everybody asks themselves that question at some point in their lives, 'Is that all there is, or is there more?'"

He had his work cut out for him. Bethune-Cookman was in a state of transition with an interim president and athletics facilities in dire need of upgrades. On Theus' first visit to campus, university officials didn't even show him the basketball gym because they thought it would dissuade him from taking the job. Now, Theus boasts that Moore Gymnasium is the best environment in the SWAC because of the energy Wildcat fans bring to games.

Theus started at Bethune-Cookman in July 2021, just after the school moved from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to the SWAC. Prior to his arrival, the men's basketball team hadn't made the postseason since the 2010-11 NIT.

In Theus' first season, 2021-22, the Wildcats won just nine games. The next season, they won 12. The following two seasons, their record was 17-17 and 15-15. This season, B-CU's record in the regular season was 17-14 (14-4 in conference play).

Theus said he strives to combat annual roster turnover by being consistent with his coaching style and messaging. He is direct but in a way that lets players know he cares. He hammers home the importance of watching film and preaches about character and humility. He routinely schedules games against high-major opponents to expose and address the Wildcats' weaknesses.

"He's very hands-on and he's not going to let things slide," said Wildcats graduate forward Ariel Bland. "If he sees one little thing that he needs to tweak on the offense or defensive end, he'll say it. It's really cool to see how much knowledge he has of the game."

The approach paid dividends this season, when the Wildcats led the SWAC in field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, rebounding margin and blocked shots.

The team's nonconference schedule was a gauntlet of ranked opponents from power conferences; B-CU played road games at No. 1 Arizona, No. 25 Indiana and No. 20 Auburn, taking the Tigers to overtime in a five-point loss.

"It was a really cool experience," Bland said. "The environment is probably the biggest thing, just because it's probably like 14,000, 15,000 people rooting for them. So we don't really have a lot of people rooting for us, but I feel like it also brought us closer because we knew we only had ourselves in the gym and so we just got to go out and compete."

How Bethune-Cookman basketball became a SWAC favorite

Like most mid-major schools, B-CU's roster is a patchwork of transfers and journeymen that reflects the increasingly nomadic nature of college basketball. The Wildcats started the 2025-26 season with 10 newcomers and four players who were on the roster last season.

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Senior wing Jakobi Heady played the 2023-24 season at B-CU and, wanting a taste of playing in a bigger conference, transferred to Central Michigan last season, where he averaged 15 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Heady returned to the Wildcats this fall, a decision he said was motivated by his close relationship with Theus and his desire to win a ring.

"I thought, coming back, we'll have a great chance of winning it all," Heady said. "Some days I feel like I shouldn't have left, but sometimes God has different things for you. So coming back has been a blessing and nothing short of that."

Theus made team bonding activities a priority early in the season. The Wildcats went paintballing together and even had a group session with a therapist. But Theus knew that time to jell would be the biggest factor in creating chemistry on the court. He's seen his team grow into one that moves the ball and moves without the ball, an identity predicated on unselfish play.

"The hardest thing about the portal and NIL is that it's very hard to build a culture," Theus said. "We're all getting to know each other very quickly and things happen fast. Probably more than any time in my career I've had to have a lot of conversations with my players about life and how we're going to build this and make it work. … We're just now starting to play the way that I envision us to be able to play."

Jakobi Heady is the team's leading scorer, averaging 18.1 points per game. His younger brother, wing Quentin Heady, is one of five players averaging double-figure scoring. Senior point guard Seneca Willoughby pilots the offense in his third season at B-CU.

Starting forward Daniel Rouzan dominates the paint alongside Bland, who is the team's best shot blocker even though he comes off the bench. Backup guard Arterio Morris, a former McDonald's All-American who started his college career at Texas, is so valuable that Theus likes to say his team has six starters.

B-CU's playing style takes cues from Theus' time playing for UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian and NBA coaches Mike Fratello and Hubie Brown, as well as coaching under Rick Pitino. The Wildcats utilize their big men in an inside-out offense and push the ball up the court but can play either slow or fast. They take advantage of their athleticism to switch defensive assignments and occasionally break out an aggressive press to suffocate the opposition.

"Everyone's bought into their roles," Bland said. "Everyone wants to win and that's what has been our No. 1 goal. So it's not, everyone is trying to go ahead and get their 20 (points), get their stats up. With winning and playing the right way, you see people starring in their roles."

All the while, Theus balances his coaching duties with his athletic director responsibilities. Over the last several years he spearheaded renovations of B-CU's baseball, softball and football facilities and upgraded locker rooms for the volleyball team and both basketball teams. Theus secured millions in donations for the athletic department, including a six-figure gift from Charles Barkley.

This January, B-CU president Dr. Albert Mosley promoted Theus to the role of Vice President of Athletics on a three-year deal, a testament that this unorthodox arrangement is working.

"He handles it well. Hat off to coach, man," Heady said. "He's a pro and that's also another reason why I came back, because he teaches you how to be a pro on and off the court, and he teaches me specifically to be intent on everything I do. That's on the court, off the court or on scoring, trying to get my teammates involved. He's just amazing."

Will theBethune-Cookman Wildcatsmake the NCAA Tournament?

The Wildcats aren't shy about making it clear that their goal is the NCAA Tournament. They talked about it in their first team meeting last summer. Theus wants to make sure players don't lose sight of that objective in the pursuit of personal goals.

"You have to be hungry and humble," he tells them, a phrase that's become a team mantra. "Do your job."

Only two current Bethune-Cookman players have been to the NCAA Tournament. Morris was part of Texas' Elite Eight run in 2023. Bland's UC Santa Barbara made the tournament in 2023 also, but he was redshirting that season and did not play.

As the wins piled up this season and B-CU's chances of earning an NCAA Tournament spot crystalized, there was palpable excitement on campus. Jakobi Heady noticed crowds getting bigger at home games, a sign that people outside the program were buying into the team's goal.

"We definitely do talk about it a lot and it's a dream for all of us, from the coaches all the way down to the trainers," Heady said. "It ain't just the people that's on the men's basketball team. It's the whole school. It's the whole community that wants to see us get there, and our families, so it'd be a blessing for everybody."

Heady said the team doesn't feel pressure to live up to predictions like being picked to win the SWAC in the conference's preseason poll, which he described as being crowned a "paper champion."

Even though the Wildcats are the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and could secure an automatic NCAA Tournament bid if they win, they aren't looking that far ahead just yet.

"It's in the back of our minds, but we know that it's not going to be handed to us in any way," Bland said. "We got to put our heads down and work and if we get it, we get it. But that mentality (is) that we got to show up every day. The most important game is the next game."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NCAA men's tournament: Reggie Theus has Bethune-Cookman cooking

NÜRBURG, Germany (AP) — Four-timeFormula 1champion Max Verstappen is taking on a "bucket list" challenge as he prepares to tackle his first 24-hour sportscar race at the historicNürburgring Nordschleifecircuit.

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Verstappen and his sportscar racing team said Monday that he plans to take on the storied endurance race in May, sharing aRed Bull-liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3 car with teammates Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer.

"The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a special place. There's no other track like it," Verstappen said. "The 24h Nürburgring is a race that's been on my bucket list for a long time, so I'm really thrilled we can make it happen now."

Running nearly 13 miles (20.8 kilometers) through wooded German hills, with more than 150 corners and barriers often close to the track, the Nordschleife layout at the Nürburgring is known for high-risk thrills. F1 hasn't used it since 1976, when then-reigning champion Niki Lauda suffered severe burns in a crash.

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Verstappen made his debut at the circuit in September in a slower GT4-specification car in a four-hour race which served as his test to get a full permit to race faster cars on the circuit. He returned and won another race in a GT3 Ferrari later that month.

Verstappen's team says he plans to also enter a race there March 21 to prepare for the 24-hour challenge, fitting that appearance in between this week's Chinese Grand Prix and the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29. The 24-hour race starts at 3 p.m. local time on May 16 and ends the following day, a week before the Canadian Grand Prix.

AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Akshay Bhatia found several sources of late-day momentum, which led to another victory on the PGA Tour.

Bhatia used a late-round eagle to help secure a 3-under-par 69 before winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in a playoff Sunday in Orlando, Fla.

His par on the extra hole was enough when Daniel Berger missed a putt from about 7 1/2 feet.

They both were at 15-under 273 for the tournament at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

"Everyone knows when you show up to Bay Hill it's going to be a test and to play one of the hardest golf courses," Bhatia said. "And to succeed is really cool."

Bhatia won for the third time on the PGA Tour with his first victory since the 2024 Texas Open. It was the tournament's first playoff since 1999.

Berger, seeking his fifth tour victory and first in more than five years, shot 70 in the final round.

"Obviously it didn't go the way I wanted it to," Berger said. "But at the start of the week if you told me I would have a chance on the 18th hole to win Bay Hill, I would be ecstatic with that. So a lot of positives, a lot of things to learn from."

There was plenty of drama on the last hole in regulation. With his tee shot into the rough on No. 18, Berger chose to lay up rather than try to carry the lake guarding the green. Bhatia put his second shot within 19 feet of the hole and then needed a tap-in for par. Berger sank a 13 1/2-foot putt, with the ball curling into the cup, to match Bhatia's par and extend the tournament.

"You just never know what can happen in this game," Bhatia said.

Berger was in the rough off the tee again on the playoff hole, and this time he couldn't make a full recovery.

"It's tough to win (a tournament)," Berger said. "It's tough to battle. But I feel like I did a good job, and a shot here or there was the difference."

Cameron Young (69) and Sweden's Ludvig Aberg (67) tied for third place at 12 under and Collin Morikawa (70), seeking his second victory in four weeks, was fifth at 11 under.

Hours earlier, Berger's lead dipped to one stroke on Bhatia after they were among a few groups completing the weather-interrupted third round Sunday morning. Bhatia posted birdie on No. 18 to finish the third round.

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Berger and Bhatia were in the final pairing for the second round in a row.

Bhatia drew even briefly with an eagle 3 -- courtesy of a 3-foot putt -- on the 16th hole. The approach shot came from what Bhatia called the best 6-iron shot of his life.

Berger, however, left the green with a one-stroke lead after making birdie. He relinquished the final-round lead with a bogey on the following hole.

Berger dodged early trouble when his tee shot on the par-5 fourth hole went into a shallow creek off the fairway. He took a risk by powering his second shot out of trouble with water spraying, and he managed to produce a birdie on the hole.

Bhatia got back in it with four consecutive birdies to begin the back nine after a three-bogey, one-birdie front side. He said a bogey on No. 9 led to a change of mindset.

"I played with some anger for those couple holes," he said.

His birdie splurge included a 58-foot birdie putt on No. 11.

"That putt on 11 was a huge bonus for me," he said. "That really switched my momentum."

Young liked being near the top of the leaderboard.

"I got myself in a place where I hit a bunch of good shots and sometimes the putts just don't go in," Young said.

Sahith Theegala had the final round's best score with 66, allowing him to share sixth place at 10 under with Russell Henley (68) and Australia's Min Woo Lee (70).

"This week was big," Theegala said. "I played some really, really nice golf. Just got to figure out how to get one of the really bad round."

World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler's 73 marked his worst round of the tournament. He tied for 24th place at 2 under, yet he was far from discouraged.

"I hit a lot of really, really nice iron shots," Scheffler said. "Some worked out, others got some wind shifts, but overall, I felt like I struck it really nicely."

--Field Level Media

Los Angeles–based artist Amanda Oleander is already familiar to manyBored Pandareaders for her playful and deeply relatable lifestyleillustrations. Through simple lines and expressive gestures, her drawings capture the quiet emotional moments that often go unnoticed — from tenderness between partners to the vulnerability of everyday life.

While Oleander has long explored themes of love, relationships, and emotional honesty, a new chapter in her life has naturally found its way into her work. Becoming a mother opened a different emotional landscape for the artist, one filled with both wonder and chaos. In her recent illustrations, she turns her attention tomotherhood, portraying its intimate, messy, and deeply human moments with the same warmth and honesty that made her work resonate with millions.

More info:Instagram|amandaoleander.com

© Photo:Amanda Oleander

In an interview withBored Panda, Oleander shared that becoming a mom naturally shifted the stories she feels most drawn to tell, as her perspective evolved alongside this new role in her life.

"Before, my work often focused on romantic or self-reflective love, but motherhood introduced me to a new spectrum of vulnerability, joy, and frustrations, the little victories, the quiet moments of connection, and the raw, unfiltered reality of caring for another human. My stories now often explore this nuanced balance between tenderness and chaos."

© Photo:Amanda Oleander

© Photo:Amanda Oleander

Motherhood is often portrayed online through carefully curated, picture-perfect moments. However, Oleander's illustrations embrace both the beauty and the chaos of parenting. The artist explained that showing the more honest side of motherhood is important to her, especially in a world where there is immense pressure to present only the "perfect" version of it, while in reality, it is a mix of joy, exhaustion, worry, and wonder.

"I aim for my illustrations to reflect that complexity, the messy, chaotic, yet deeply meaningful moments. It's wonderful to connect with other parents that can see themselves in my work and feel less alone."

© Photo:Amanda Oleander

© Photo:Amanda Oleander

Oleander revealed that one of the most surprising things about motherhood was how much it changed her relationship with time and perspective. Small moments—such as sharing a laugh over a spilled drink or watching her son discover something new—suddenly felt monumental.

"These instances of heightened awareness, where ordinary experiences feel extraordinary, often become central in my art, as I try to capture both the intimacy and the fleeting nature of these moments."

© Photo:Amanda Oleander

© Photo:Amanda Oleander

Ultimately, Oleander's illustrations remind us that motherhood isn't just about the big milestones, but about the countless small moments that shape the journey. By capturing both the tenderness and the chaos of everyday life, the artist offers an honest glimpse into the emotional depth of parenting—one that many people can recognize, relate to, and feel comforted by.

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© Photo:Amanda Oleander

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