The Artful Life | Your Place to Find Life Balance and Inspire Your Creative Soul!

spring is coming.... really....

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:07:00 +0000

My friend Katarina is a talented painter, and, it turns out, also a great teacher! I signed up for a Thursday evening acrylic painting class with her, and indulged in a whole delicious evening of playing in paint last night. Behold the results, above. Yes, I am learning and having fun!!

This is all part of my year of Transformation; getting out of the house, out of my comfort zone, into my creativity and joy. It's working!

What did you do this week to indulge your creativity?

Oh, and go check out Katarina's 'drawing a day' blog, The Slow Studio, here. You'll love it!

making a cozy sewing machine cover with song birds

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:29:00 +0000

Last week I found this photo over at Geninne's Art Blog (I love her); it's an adorable cozy she made for her sewing machine. I immediately wanted to make my own, inspired by this one!

One of my projects for the winter is to get all my for-fun-not-for-work art and craft supplies out of the ceramics studio, where I really don't use them, and into my new home office, neatly organized, and ready for winter evening craft fun.

A strategy I use to get myself moving on projects is to start with the fun.

It might seem more sensible to start working on my home office by cleaning, decluttering, and painting - yet, if I start there, it's likely that I'll wait a lot longer to start, because I don't actually want to spend a rainy winter weekend cleaning. I'd rather have fun. So what works for me is to start with a fun project like making a sewing machine cozy. Then I'll likely get really excited about cleaning and decluttering, to make a home for for the new fun sewing machine cozy. Good strategy, right? It's like starting with dessert.

So I spent yesterday evening and this morning making a Gennine-inspired cozy, with my own flowery vintage twist. I got out my stash of vintage fabrics and found some really cute florals in happy colours, as well as a hand embroidered table runner with sweet blue songbirds. I made a quick-n-dirty paper pattern with scotch tape and printer paper and got busy. Here are the results:

What do you think? I love it, and I'm so inspired now to do some cleaning and painting to create a worthy home for this new loveliness. Is there a fun project you can do this week to get yourself inspired?

being present: witnessing death, savoring life.

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:47:00 +0000

We received news today of another death in our extended family. This unexpected passing leaves three teen children without their father.

I have to wonder why we work so hard in our society to shut our eyes to the ordinary, daily reality of death. Our entertainment consists of weird gory/glamorous fetishization of death (CSI et al,) and yet we turn our backs to the mundane, far from glamourous, but very real face death.

I believe this denial impacts not only our abilty to deal in healthy ways with death and grieving when they occur, but also our capacity to fully enjoy life and be present in the precious moments we do have with our loved ones.

I am sorry to bring a somber moment to your Saturday morning. Yet I believe if we can be truly present in and aware of all the moments of life, we will live more fully, more joyously, more artfully. We will be able to be more present for those who are in grief, and those who are dying. We will savor our moments of ordinary beauty all the more.

What can you do today, right now, to savor your precious aliveness? What can you do today, right now, to savor your time with those you love? Go do it!

friday i'm in love - alternative stress management

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:12:00 +0000

Hello Beautiful,

I hope that every week I can fall a little bit more in love with the world.

Seriously.

This mysterious dance we do on the earth, in human skin, it's like a love affair.

Deluded, yet exquisitely, perfectly real. Gorgeous, all encompassing, so beautiful. Perfect, ecstatic, unbelievably unfair and painful.

Sacred, mundane.
Prepare for transfiguration, miracles, euphoria, ecstasy, boredom, and dirty dishes. Then more ecstasy. Don't forget the mystery.

Love. I don't reserve it only for my most intimate beloveds: child, partner, buddha, pug, self, island. I bestow it widely, on many things and people and experiences - I love so much. Don't you?

SO Fridays on The Artful Life are devoted to being in love. And talking about it. This feature is all about whatever I fell in love with this week, on the interwebs or otherwise. And whatever I think you might fall in love with too. Little loves and big loves. So here we go:

This week, I'm in love with a few special alternative stress management tools. And by "alternative," I mean, an alternative to a glass or three of excellent central coast cabernet.

Because this is what I'm personally working on for my month of moderation.

Now don't get me wrong - I'm not powerless, and my life is perfectly manageable, thank you. But I confess, over the last year or so (did I mention what a year 2011 was?) I'd become a little too comfortable reaching for the red as my first line of defense against a stressful day.

I don't intend to give up my cabernet. I just want it to resume its proper place in my life; as an occasional pleasure, and enhancement to celebration, an accent to a great meal, a special treat shared with friends. In order to help this adjustment along, I've given up the stuff entirely for the month of January. What a great chance to encourage a healthy body, and find new (or renew tried and true) ways of managing stress!

I've had some work to do re-adjusting my habits. I needed to retrieve my somewhat dusty toolbox of stress relief stuff, and get busy. I've even added some new tools to that toolbox. And right about now, I am feeling SO good... and I really am in love with these beautiful alternatives:

hot baths

This gorgeous print by artist joojoo is available here on Etsy! I'm getting one for sure.

the elliptical trainer

I know, I know. The very words 'elliptical trainer' used to fill me with a kind of nauseous dread. But that was before. Now, this is my new best friend. In case you didn't know, cardio is an awesome mood elevator.

meditation

You've heard me say it before, and you'll here me say it again. Simple mindfulness meditation is really, really powerful.

polyvore

It's retail therapy without the bills. I know you have probably been on here for months - years! But I just tried it for the first time and it's so fun! Above is my first set.

Ok, now you are prepared to go forth and have an awesomely de-stressful weekend. Happy Friday, and go have a glass of cabernet for me!

how to live fearlessly: tiny fears, tiny steps, tiny victories, tiny miracles.

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Practicing fearlessness isn't just about the big stuff. It's about the little day to day stuff, the small fears that hold you back in seemingly small ways. Maybe that feeling doesn't even feel like fear. Probably it feels more like I-don't-want-to-be-uncomfortable.

Say you are sitting in front of the fire with your laptop, watching the snow fall outside. You're actually feeling virtuous, because you're working. It strikes you that it would be beautiful to walk in the woods with the dog.

But then, it's cold, and the zipper on your warmest coat is broken. That might be uncomfortable. Also sometimes it feels awkward to walk across the neighbor's yard to get to the park, it feels intrusive, and that feels uncomfortable. Your feet might get wet, too. All kinds of possible discomforts. Probably better to stay home.

All this happens in your mind in the space of about 3 seconds, and the absurdity of it would probably go unnoticed, if you weren't working with the idea of fearlessness. So you ask yourself "What would a fearless woman do?"

In a few moments, you are tramping across the neighbor's yard with your coat flapping open. You wave cordially to the neighbor, and zip your cozy fur vest a little higher under your broken coat.

I know it's little. It's tiny, actually. Tiny, mundane fears, tiny, mundane steps towards fearlessness. But it's important. And it's useful. And it's how we learn.

And if I hadn't gone out yesterday, I would never have seen the tiny miracle in the photo above: a perfect, crystalline snowflake caught for a moment - just a moment - in the arms of a glowing red rosehip.

my word for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:51:00 +0000

Fearless like Siddhartha sitting in meditation under the Bodhi tree, gazing unflinchingly at the turbulent river of his own consciousness. Fearless like the warrior goddess Athena whose weapons are her wisdom, her sense of justice, her autonomy, and her far-seeing, beautiful grey eyes.

And also fearless like a child learning to walk, willing to fall with each step and keep laughing with joy. Fearless like all those ordinary people in the Palliative Care wing, facing into the ultimate change with grace and courage.

Fearless. Not reckless, not lacking in caution or discernment, not arrogant - fearless; unwilling to allow my thoughts, decisions, and actions to be ruled by fear. Willing to take risks, willing to make changes, willing to fail, and to succeed, refusing to be held back.

And you? What is your mantra for this year of transformation?

2012: 12 Months, 12 Habits, 12 Transformations. (and a free goodie for you.)

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:42:00 +0000

wide open to the new year

2012 is going to be a year of transformation, I just know it!

I'd love it if you joined me this year on a journey of transformation. Here's the story:

In 2011 I took a little break from setting New Year's goals, and set myself one simple vision: to let my light shine. I believe my intuitive wisdom led me to do this at the beginning of a year which turned out to be a wild ride from one unexpected destination to the next. Best laid plans were left in disarray. The major events of the year were two profound losses in our family, one in March and one in November. The summer was spent dealing with the fallout from a criminal fraud perpetrated against me. Yep, it was NOT a year of highlights.

Still, 2011 was a year of healing, learning, and unexpected gifts. I'm genuinely grateful for the incredible set of tools and skills I acquired on the journey. I'm so much wiser, clearer, and stronger than I was one year ago today.

12 Months, 12 Habits, 12 Transformations

So this year, I'm ambitious. I'm enthusiastic. I'm ready to take it on and succeed.

Here's my vision: I want 2012 to be a year of radical self-care. I want to love myself deeply and strongly enough to just go ahead and do those things that I know will make me shine and glow.

After a lot of brainstorming, I was able to name 11 transformations I want to make this year, (based on my seven keys to an artful life):

1. embrace moderation

2. make home a sanctuary

3. love my body with movement

4. love my body with food

5. embrace a daily spiritual practice

6. nurture my relationships

7. nurture my sensuality

8. practice fearlessness + optimism daily

9. love and heal my finances

10. practice daily creativity

11. practice excellent self-care

Next, I started to think about how to succeed on this journey of transformation, by making
a simple plan for profound changes:

take my time: focus on one transformation a month (and one for celebration!)
target one key habit that will catalyze each transformation
set reasonable, specific goals
create do-able action steps based on each goal
plan, plan, plan!
seek support and information to help with each transformation
share my journey!

Do you want to join me? Each month I'll be posting my monthly goals and goal collage as usual - and alongside, a reflection on the transformation for the month. You are welcome to reflect along with me on the month's theme, then commit to one transformative habit each month in your own life. You can check in here for inspiration.

Sound like fun? Well, first up is moderation. I'll be posting this week on my adventures in moderation so far this January, and I'd love to hear yours. Where do you need more moderation in your life? Is there an unhealthy habit you've given up this New Years? How is it going? Do you need some help and support?

Maybe this will help - my New Years gift to you. It's a pretty 10 page printable Monthly Goal Journal to help you keep your goals for January. Grab it here.

not too early....

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:59:00 +0000

It's never too early to bring a breath of Spring into the house. There is a sprinkling of snow on the ground today, and more in the forecast. My cupboards are full, we have lots of firewood, and I'm ready to be snowed in - I actually love the snow.

But I needed a reminder that green life will return. I redid my centerpiece this morning, with narcissus and hyacinth to force, vintage glass with tea lights floating in water - it really is a breath of Spring. I can't wait until that hyacinth blooms and fills the room with sensual fragrance.

What can you do today to remind yourself that Spring is around the corner?

By the way I have a treat for you guys, coming later today. It's to help you with your 2012 Intentions. You're going to love it. Stay tuned.

holiday highlights, walls & beds.

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:35:00 +0000

Sometime this afternoon I hit the wall - two months of hospital and hospice vigil, grief, grueling travel days, crazy work catch-up, then Hello Christmas - I got through all of it, somehow, strong and in good spirits - and today I just felt my knees buckle, so to speak. Time to be quiet and fill the well. Time for an immediate mini-bed-retreat. Cozy PJ's and a spritz of Betsey Johnson perfume. Twinkly lights on, bed curtains closed, hot cocoa on side table, in bed with MacBook, 2012 Goals Journal, idea book, new Steve Jobs biography, and pug. Not coming out until tomorrow!!
But I wanted to share some of my holiday highlights with you before the Christmas mood slips away...
so here is a selection of my favourite holiday moments:

arranging flowers in a silver bowl for the coffee table, just like Grandmother would

pugdeer

daughter, sweetie, & pug seek the perfect tree...

and here it is...

handmade ornaments

lunch at the bistro with my daughter is a rare treat

daniel made us a beet and apple salad with minted goat cheese

turkey dinner for everyone at the Community Hall is an annual event

lots of cooking from scratch

and mother-daughter cookie baking marathons

this years handmade gift for friends


stayed up late making labels (hand painted, scanned, then text added with photoshop) & tying ribbon while sipping mulled cider and listening to Christmas stories on the radio...

handmade solstice wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:01:00 +0000

On Saturday, I participated in a handmade wreath workshop at our little Arts Centre. What fun! The instructors, two island fibre artists, brought in great bags and piles of fresh locally gathered greens of all kinds, and taught us how to adorn a simple willow base with this bounty of nature. I added peacock feathers gathered from my meadow, along with lichen and bay leaves and a big soft satin bow. I love it!

I wanted to share some how-to's on this with you, and because we used very traditional methods and all natural materials, it was hard to find any how-to's on-line! I did find this excellent series on a blog from the UK, so if you live somewhere with an abundance of natural greens, you can try it!

christmastime creativity and an artful tabletop challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:34:00 +0000

The past few days have been full of artful creativity and inspiration! It's good to be home. Here is a bit of what I've been up to. I'd love to hear about your holiday craftiness too!

Here's my December Goals collage. My wish is to take really good care of myself, and be open to feeling true comfort&joy. I want to relax, play, and be OK with lots of imperfection.

I love making these goal collages in my journal/planner. They really help me to move through the year with vision and focus.

washing all the glassware

Sunday was my sweetie's birthday, a big one with a zero at the end.

I planned a special dinner party. I don't usually fuss much with table settings; I have a kitchen full of mismatched seconds from my studio, and cute thrift store cutlery. Flowers, candles, good wine, and good food usually make up for my haphazard tables.

But... I really wanted to honour this birthday in a new way. Also, we were recently blessed with the gift of some beautiful family silverware. I wanted to set a real table.

What to do? Could I translate my mismatched, artful, thrifty ways into a real table setting?

I did some cruising around online for inspiring pictures, and started dreaming of lots of candles, sparkly glass, vintage white and cream, and cute mismatched floral vintage china... I set myself a challenge: to create the entire table setting - china, centerpiece, candles, runner, and glassware - for $100!

I spent an afternoon cruising the thrift stores in town, and came home with a huge box of pressed glass vessels, and service for 12 in mismatched floral china. It took four thrift stores and lots of scrounging and pondering, but it was fun. I also procured two big bags of course salt, 100 tea lights, a bunch of mini-roses in a gorgeous antique cream shade, a box of cheap restaurant style wine glasses, three metres of burlap, some white paint, and a metre of cream dingleballs. I kept track, and in the end I spent about $110. Yay!

glassware plus course salt and tea-lights lining the centre of the table

washing the thrift-store china

an almost completed place setting.

the completed table! painted distressed white, with burlap runner, cut-glass and tea-light centrepiece, mismatched vintage china, white flowers, and the family silver.

The table was gorgeous. The party was great fun, with wonderful food, friends, and wine animating my well-set table. And the whole project was just such fun...

shinrin-yoku

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:18:00 +0000

Shinrin-yoku is Japanese for "wood-air bathing," the therapeutic practice of walking and taking in the air of the forest. Here's an interesting meditation on the practice. And here are some images from my recent session of shinrin-yoku:

friday i'm in love - traditional comfort

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:38:00 +0000

enjoying the crunchy maple leaves in a park on the shores of Lake Ontario

Hello Beautiful,

I hope that every week I can fall a little bit more in love with the world.

Seriously.

This mysterious dance we do on the earth, in human skin, it's like a love affair.

Deluded, yet exquisitely, perfectly real. Gorgeous, all encompassing, so beautiful. Perfect, ecstatic, unbelievably unfair and painful.

Sacred, mundane.
Prepare for transfiguration, miracles, euphoria, ecstasy, boredom, and dirty dishes. Then more ecstasy. Don't forget the mystery.

Love. I don't reserve it only for my most intimate beloveds: child, partner, buddha, pug, self, island. I bestow it widely, on many things and people and experiences - I love so much. Don't you?

SO Fridays on The Artful Life are devoted to being in love. And talking about it. This feature is all about whatever I fell in love with this week, on the interwebs or otherwise. And whatever I think you might fall in love with too. Little loves and big loves. So here we go:

I just spent seven weeks in that place us left coasters lovingly refer to as 'back east,' or, sometimes, 'back home.' And yeah, even after twentyish years, it does still feel like home. And that hasn't always equalled comfort, but this time, it really did. There's lots to love.

I love, for instance, eastern Autumn. I really had forgotten. I love the crunchy leaves, the bright days, the clean slanted light, the smells of dry maple and stirred-up lake. Experiencing these sights and smells made me nostalgic - strangely nostalgic for things I've never really experienced - do you know what I mean? So this strange nostalgia has launched bit of a love affair with all things traditional.

painting by Julian Alden Weir

I love roses in silver bowls. One treasure I brought home from my journey is a silver bowl that belonged to my mom-in-law. I'll be proud for it to grace my table, and I'm thinking white roses and evergreen for Christmas, then pale green roses with mistletoe for New Year's...

A delicious bistro dinner shared with my husband and sister-in-law

I'm loving traditional comfort food. Lately it's all about braised meats and red wine. I'll be making this traditional recipe tomorrow.

The obsession continues - I love these old brick Century homes. I saw this particular one in Bloomfield, on the shores of Lake Ontario. And it's for sale. And it has a studio. Yep.

I love these traditional chalkboard menus. And just chalkboards in general. I'm wanting a big one in my house, so I was really happy to come across this simple recipe for making your own chalkboard paint. I'm planning to do my entire entryway wall - in traditional black, of course!

So this is where my nostalgia has led me this week. Nostalgia is akin to regret, but it is bearable and bittersweet. True regret is torturous, and I am committed now, more than ever, to live without it, which takes real courage. This simple article I came across this week was deeply inspiring: "Top Five Regrets of the Dying." Please read it.

a journey

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:50:00 +0000

My dad-in-law Joe Simons passed away on November 21st. I was privileged to be with him in the weeks leading up to his death, and in the final moments of his life. Have you ever had the honor of sharing this passage with anyone? For me, it has been a life-changing gift.

Having Joe in my life was a gift, too. I miss him.

As time passes, I'll write about these last weeks, about lessons in grace and courage, impermanence and belonging. For now, I'll leave you with this image; the earliest, most tender signs of a spring thaw, painted by Joe in the 1980's:

Have You Set Your Goals for October?

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:39:00 +0000

I love the clear slanted autumn light that comes in my office window this time of year. You can see it casting shadows of bamboo leaves on to my desk in this picture!

There is a reason I left a lot of white space on my goals page this month. I want to focus on clarity, completion, and visioning for the future. I want to open up some space in my life by clearing out the stuff that really doesn't belong anymore: the clutter, the busywork, the habits that don't heal me, the work that doesn't inspire me, the people that don't support my dreams. I'm opening to let that stuff go. My desire is to be discriminating, in the best sense - careful, very careful, about the energy I bring in to my life, my home, and my body.

My wise astrologer has said that this time - until early November - is a significant time for visioning and creating the next major (29 year!) cycle in our lives. It's the time to put in place the structures and habits we want to carry in to the next phase - even if we are putting them in place simply by visioning them. It's also very important to let go of anything we do NOT want to carry along with us - take a look and ask, "Do I want to carry this (habit, person, decision, idea) with me for the next 29 years?" If not, let go now!

I know, it's kind of daunting. But I have actually really enjoyed the opportunity for clarity and visioning. I began a journal, dedicated to visioning the next phase, and it's really been a profound exercise, looking at my daily life, my world, my habits and ways, and asking myself, do I want to keep carrying this for 30 years? It makes things really, really clear. And clear is good.

For a start, I've added in my five daily must-have habits, and I've been dedicated to them. Right now they are yoga, meditation, a walk in the forest, a superfood smoothie, and my important supplements. I know that the form of these habits will change over time, but the important thing that I want to carry forward is daily dedication to my spiritual and physical well being - so that every day has a time for spiritual practice, a time for physical practice, some contact with nature, and attention to nurturing my body with what I put into it! Yeah, I want to carry that for 30 years. For sure.

The other big piece this month is building focus and follow-through in my work and home life. HUGE. As a passionate and creative person, I just love to start stuff. I'm brimming with creative ideas, and I want to dig into them all. It's that last 20% that gets tough. Can you relate? And sometimes it's OK. If I never finish that art journal, it's not a big deal. If I fail a work deadline, it is a big deal. So again, what I wish to cultivate is clarity and discrimination. I want to open up a bit of space, maybe put off starting a few things until a few other things are finished, and hold myself gently accountable for finishing up the important stuff and getting the satisifaction of tying a big bow around the completed package. It means a bit of a shift in the rhythm of my days - they seem slower, but the sense of completion and accomplishment could definitely become addictive!

So, a much longer and more personal post than I expected to write. Thanks for being there to read it. I'm honoured that you're interested, and I hope that some of my experiences resonate for you in a way that brings comfort, or sparks something in you that needed to light up in you.

What are you wanting to bring into your October?

friday i'm in love: deliciousness & colour

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:18:00 +0000

I totally love Mary Ann Moss. I can't believe I didn't discover her sooner. Her blog, Dispatch from LA, is an absolute treat, and I recently signed up for her Remains of the Day scrappy journal e-course, which generated the work above, and caused several sleepy days due to late night creative frenzies. SO fun!! Just fun. I really have not indulged in this kind of playful art-fun for much too long. I'm so grateful for the inspiration and the invitation to play.

I love my new livingroom colour (jewelbox turquoise) and this week I sewed up these pillows for the couch, from five different vintage fabric pieces I've been keeping forever, each of which feature exotic vines and flowers and birds in delicious rich colours. Chloe loves them too.

So, right now, as I write, the house is filled with this mouth watering, savory, garlicky, tomato-y smell... oh my. I love it. I'm roasting a batch of heirloom tomatoes from my garden, inspired by this un-recipe on Elena Rego's Food Practice blog. I'll pop them in the freezer, and be able to tap into this late summer richness later in the winter... yum....

I love my forest home. I love the immense sacred trees, I love that I can walk among them to the ocean every day. Sometimes I forget how special this place is - one of the world's only temperate rain forests. Sometimes I take for granted the sweet ocean and cedar air, the raven calls in the silence, the tides, the trees. But this week, I am breathing it all in, in gratitude.

What are you in love with this week?

New Moon, Compassion Rose, and some fun.

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:52:00 +0000


'Compassion' rose, climbing the post-and-lintel entrance to my front patio. Sooo fragrant!!

Yesterday's New Moon in Virgo was a great opportunity to set intentions around health, daily habits, details, and how we organize our lives. (For more on setting New Moon Intentions, see this post!)

I celebrated by playing with a fun exercise from Kimberly Wilson's book Tranquilista. I made two lists; the first was a list of the top ten ways I spend my time. The second was a list of the top ten ways I'd like to spend my time. Then I reflected on where the lists meshed, and on how to create a daily life routine that looks more like list #2. I found a lot of it is simply about giving myself permission to spend time with the activities I love. I also reflected that mindfulness is the best time management strategy... if we are truly present and engaged in each task we do, if our focus is clear and single-minded, the flow of time is easier, and almost miraculously, more gets done with less stress. Which in turn opens time for more joyous and fulfilling activities. Try it! And try this deceptively simple exercise - it's powerful.

Oh, and if you're riding the Virgo planning-and-organizing wave, you might want to check out these pretty and free downloadable planner pages from Crystal Wilkerson!

Happy Monday!

starting with my toes and ending with everything

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 13:23:00 +0000

There are a few delicious days every summer, when I can float on a warm rising tide, watching the snow-capped mountains in the distance across the waves, with my toes bobbing in the foreground. Those days when I can smell the special sweet tidal smell that sailors know as the smell of land and all the rest of us know as the smell of the sea, and when I can let my whole body melt into the bliss of sea and sun and clean exquisite wild beauty.

There aren't a lot of these days each summer; the conditions have to be just right. Weather, tides, time, temperature, ocean currents and seaweed bloom, all must line up to create the perfection of late afternoon warm high tide, sunshine, calm seas, and clear water.

This year, there have only been a handful of these days, and today is one of them. I've just come in from surrendering to the warm ocean... now I feel clean and light, the sun is setting all I can hear is a few crickets and the dog gently snoring...

So, my solo bittersweet end of August swim got me thinking.
As I sat on the beach
and contemplated my sandy toes and breathed in the sea air,
because we've been thinking about making a change, a move, I thought,
Could I really leave this place? All this beauty?
And then I thought
I will leave this place,
I must,
we all must, someday sooner or later.
Someday sooner or later
I'll leave it all, starting with my silly big toes (sand covered and needing a fresh coat of polish)
I'll leave my toes
I'll leave the gorgeous oceans and the people I love
and my dog, and the sunshine
and the rain and my soft-skinned body and finally everything.

So what is important now?
Joy, breathing in, giving back, loving everything up to the enth degree. Celebrating. And learning, little by little, to let go,
just for the practice.

friday i'm in love: bricks and stones and stars

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:06:00 +0000

For some reason, old brick heritage houses are making my heart go pitty-pat lately. It's just one of those out-of-the-blue cravings - perhaps I am craving order, safety, tradition, groundedness - and, as always, beauty... I wish I could buy this beauty tomorrow, it even has a pottery studio...

photo via resurrection fern, by margaret oomen

I love Crochet covered beach stones - the original genius behind these beauties is Margaret Oomen of resurrection fern (that's her photo above). Now it seems everyone is making them, and yes, I love them! I recently received one as a gift, and now I'm determined to make my own.

We drove down the coast a little way the other day, to pick up ceramic supplies and have a bit of a play-date. At my fave thrift store I found some crochet hooks and a big bag of vintage crochet cotton for lace making, in all kinds of lovely shades of buff, cream and white. Also a book from the 70's, Learn to Crochet in Less Than One Day.

On the way home, after sushi, we stopped to walk the dog on the beach, and
I filled my bag with a wonderful assortment of smooth oval beach stones, some buff, some grey granite with sparkling quartz bits, some the smoothest black. And now I am struggling with my new crochet hook, hoping to get good enough soon to attempt something simple like the one in this tutorial.

photo via thecherryblossomgirl.com, origin unknown, wish I could credit the maker, so gorgeous....

We are starlight
We are golden
We are billion year old carbon...
I love learning about the stars. Last weekend I had my second wonderful appointment with this talented woman, and I highly recommend her weekly column - it has helped me better understand the patterns in my life and is endlessly fascinating and mysterious. Love it.

Have a lovely weekend. Bask in the last sweet breaths of Summer. Take care of your precious self...

August Break #24

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:33:00 +0000

from the garden today

Today, dahlias, chard, kale, and gorgeous heirloom black russian tomatoes. Breakfast: a handful of blueberries eaten while picking, fresh eggs from down the road, sauteed greens, and fried tomatoes all from my garden.

August Break #7

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:32:00 +0000

Have You Set Your Goals for August?

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:39:00 +0000

Ahhhh... my mission for July is accomplished.... pushing the 'pause' button,
taking much-needed time to breathe and dream.

Honestly, I had no idea how much I needed this, or how small my mental & creative worlds had become through so much time spent just-pushing-through, not resting and breathing.

I love the new spaciousness I feel in head and heart;
and in that space new dreams and goals are gently taking shape... it feels exciting, fresh and hopeful.
For August, my goal is to hold that spaciousness; a challenge, as I have a few big pushes for work & business, but I am still prioritizing dream-time, creative time, and rest.

Have you set your goals for the month? What is your vision for the coming weeks? How will you balance must-do's with time to dream and create?

August Break #6

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:18:00 +0000

Tiny white moth on my turquoise wall - I am loving my new jewel-box livingroom, painted brilliant turquoise. Even a tiny moth looks gorgeous and special on this colour....

Follow @TerraHome

August Break #3

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:13:00 +0000

August Break #2

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:05:00 +0000