wise words

Filling the corners and ledges in my house with wise and uplifting words helps me to remember. I thought I'd share some of them with you… in case you need some pearls, too.

Most of them are from my dearest friend, Christine Mason Miller, who is the world's most amazing snail mail goddess… and who's incredible e-course is about to begin! Every word lover must check out her The Conscious Booksmith.

And these words from Maya Stein are above my sink and never let me forget how to ride a wave.

Right now- I'm wearing my words. #coyoteloon's brand new line of sweatshirts has me feeling good! Because "I love this life now!" 

 You can find out more here. No matter what is happening in your life… a few choice words make all the difference. And learning to love NOW is wonderful place to be.

Have an inspired weekend!

re-entry

It's never easy to adjust to the crazy end of the year schedule that awaits me when I return home from Squam each June. This year, feels smoother. Although I just spent many days perched above a stunning lake and nestled in woods, there is often little down time for me. Very much like being home. Surrounded by beauty, but often rushing about. I made a practice of waking up early and going to the dock every morning. I returned in the evening. These moments of quiet and stillness bookended my days and created a sense of peace that I am planning on replicating now that I'm home.  

I've certainly been known to slip outside at the crack of dawn or take a beautiful sunset shot, but I've never made it a conscious act. I'd like to make this an intentional practice, at least while the weather beckons me out in bare feet.

 Stay tuned for posts this week about the workshops I taught and the amazing folks who graced my days...

Oh June!

The last week has been packed to the brim! End of the year stuff mixed with everything else. Squam Prep, sewing, writing, town parades (with my daughter in it!), Jazz Concerts (with my son soloing!), and the installation of the school art show (which is tonight)... and what has kept me mellow and happy throughout? Running. Yoga. I can't stop. It makes everything possible. Or at least makes me feel sane when everything possible is happening!

I'm also surrounded by heavenly scents. Aromatherapy inside and out. From stuffing lavender sachets and sleepy owls (first pic), to the delicate perfume of wild dame's rocket that permeates the air on the country roads I travel.

The busier life becomes the more important it feels to learn how to lean into the places of slow and connected time with my body and nature.

This is may be a hectic time of year for you, too. What do you do to create space for yourself? Or perhaps I should also ask... what would you LIKE to do to create some ease and peace amidst the buzz? Take a minute. Really think about it.

You can share below or just nod your head and say "Yes, _______ is just what I need right now."And then go find a way to make it happen- I'm rootin' for you!

Welcome June, thank you for your loveliness!

cups of light

Happy May! We are having the most glorious spring in memory. This year's weather has provided the perfect conditions for a spectacular showcase of blossoms... and each day is more stunning than the previous. What a contrast to last year's tragic ice storms, which impacted every shrub and tree. It's hard not to feel that the earth is singing with me as I emerge from the shadows of my darker days. As soon as I push "post", I plan on dancing out into the garden in my shorts and farm boots to clear more beds and just enjoy the beauty of this moment.

YES! 

 Sure- there is the checkbook to balance, camp details to plan, e-mails to return, laundry to hang... but I will be doing it all OUTSIDE with a glass of ice tea...  and barefoot! Oh May, I have never been happier to see you! And I gathered this morning's sunlight in cups of tulips to send to all of you!

****

clearing

Spring cleaning is happening in full force around here. I'm pausing briefly to encourage you to join me in getting rid of what's been weighing you down. This post is for me, as much as for anyone else who needs the message that "you are enough". Do not let your stuff define you. I am getting rid of decades of unnecessary belongings and household items that no longer serve me. Making piles, filling boxes, and clearing the clutter. Letting it go.

Because I live in the watery depths of my emotions, I have held onto the belief that each item has a story worth telling. Well, let's get real. Some do and some truly don't. I'm being ruthless. Purging with wild abandon! Do I really need that extra popcorn maker my ex in-laws gave us a million years ago? My goodness, the amount of junk that accumulates within a lifetime. My new found freedom has unleashed me from my need to hold onto things for that rainy day. The storm came... and all that was necessary were my wits. So out with the old. You don't need a storm to wash away your extra debris. Just a little reminder. You are enough. Say it with me... "I am enough. My stuff does not define me. I'm letting go."

Ahhh... it feels so good to create space and lighten the load. Happy spring cleaning, my friends!

worthy

Whenever I create something for myself, I have to fight off feeling a bit guilty... as if  I was being too self indulgent. This is ridiculous because it's actually an essential component of self-care. Just like exercise and fresh food is good for the body, creativity feeds the soul... and forming something for one's self goes even deeper. It has the power to mend a broken spirit and give meaning to our making.

 With that in mind I devoted yesterday morning to completing a project that was entirely for my own pleasure. How exhilarating! I've leafed through the pages of this Japanese felt book for years. I got it in NYC at Kinokuniya - ISBN978-4-579-11115-2. It's filled with inspired ideas and just what I needed to give me a sudden light bulb. I grabbed an vintage woolen blanket, the book  and a pencil. I sketched a similar botanical design to this skirt featured.  Free handed it. Then I used scissors and a rotary cutter.

 I wanted to transform this tired and dull woolen skirt into something a little more "powerful and exciting". Two words I'd like to see more of in my life these days.

  I arranged the branches in place, pinned them down.  Lovely is always on hand when I choose to work on the floor in front of the wood stove instead of my studio. As I headed for my sewing machine, sun streamed in through the windows, music blasted, and I let myself relax into process of making something up as I went along. There was no pressure and it came together effortlessly.

Pretty nice, eh? Feels a bit Anthropologie/folk artsy, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

  I wore it the rest of my busy afternoon filled with grocery shopping, an orthodontist appointment, and an after school playdate. I'm certain it made my very ordinary day more "powerful and exciting". Most of all, it kept me conscious of the time I had devoted to myself. I am worthy of an hour or two just for me. So are you... and let's not forget it!

You'll find my experience of  a different kind of time in my new post up at honoring hope.

tea time::me time

I took my own advice. I put on my boots. I went outside. I also brought a wool throw and a tray of tea. It was 20 degrees with fresh powder on the ground and a bright blue sky overhead. A sunny spot out by the pines looked just right for settling in. I was glad I had taken an extra moment to make it special. A little lace... a few blossoms. I'm worth it,  I reminded myself. Time is scarce for each of us, I've never known this to be more true. But care for our souls is essential. Feeling that we are deserving of this should be the goal, shouldn't it?

 

Sitting with my hot tea, I listened to the crows.  I heard the snow falling off heavy branches. A cardinal swooped by in a crimson streak. A cow lowed in the distance from my neighbor's farm.

 And there was silence. And sipping. And quiet. Thoughts  landed momentarily before flitting off like the winter birds. Answers came to little things that had been tickling at the back of my mind. A solution to something bigger was found. In the silence.

 I put them to paper. Several pages filled up easily. And I was grateful I had remembered my pen.

And this I wrote for you. Because I can't be the only one that needs and deserves some peace now and then. 

Will you give yourself the gift of a little solitude some time soon? This weekend would be good, you know. Can you make sure it's outside without any walls or ceilings to box your thoughts into the usual circles they travel in? Perhaps with a tray of tea...

{special thanks to Lis who lovingly knit me a new pair of woolen wristies just in time for the snow!}

the answer

 You know those days when everything and everyone is a little off?  We had one over the weekend. It happens to all of us, right? It's these moments when I tell my kids to throw on their boots because we're heading outside. Nature is the trick... you know this, I'm sure. Fresh air, earth beneath our feet, wide vistas, small details... they bring us back into our bodies and still the noise in our heads. And for my little crew... it inspires harmony.  I often seek out water. It soothes me. I know it has the same effect  on my children. When I was young, there was the ocean. Now, there is the lake.

At home there are baskets of stones and jars of glass from previous lake adventures, but we stuff our pockets anyway. These new treasures are freshly infused with the energy of the lake and this moment. Who wouldn't want to hold onto that? And as I sit here in the early hours of the morning, sipping tea and writing to you, I am grateful for every bit we gathered. Snow came silently in the night, and who knows how long it will be before we see the shore again. I wish you all a peaceful day... and if something or someone feels a bit off, don't hesitate to throw on your boots. With or without snow- outside is always the answer.

*****

mini retreat

I ran out of windowsills to set my next round of paper whites on. So my last pot went right next to the sink (near a window). It was an unintentional gift. I'd like to tell you that I planned on something so marvelous, but truly didn't realized it until this morning over the breakfast dishes. They are almost in full bloom and greet me cheerfully every time I come to the sink.

We don't have a dishwasher so anything that makes my job a little sweeter is recognized as a small miracle. I can't believe I've never done this before. Granted it's a tight squeeze, but it will now be my new tradition.

I'm sure you've heard how bringing your focus to even the most everyday task can be a form of meditation and source of peace. Well, fresh blooming flowers over dirty dishes seems to transform the task into a mini zen retreat! At a buck a bulb, this is one indulgence that I plan on giving myself regularly. Go hunt down some flowers or bulbs for beside your kitchen sink this weekend! Simple goodness.

new beginnings

 I slept! I went to bed before 10 pm! Just needed to tell y'all. It's as mundane as sharing what I had for breakfast, I suppose. But you know it's a big deal for me, so I felt confident you'd smile when shouted it out.

And guess what? Today has been super productive. Crazy productive. Checking things off that were on yesterday's list from the day before that, if you know what I mean. Might try it again tonight. Living dangerously, that's me!

The embroidery? Those gorgeous free-form stitches, that explode like a burst of fireworks, were created for my new year by my dear friend Kathrin of Annekata. I cherish it. Nothing like friends who know how to support and inspire new beginnings. I hope I might be that to you in some small way.
Thinking of you all with your fresh starts and baby steps.
xox,
Maya 

grateful

Here's some insight into last week's adventure... via instagram. (username: @mayamade)

I landed in my favorite city and hometown during a heatwave. I went from our first snow to 80 degrees in a matter of hours. oh, San Francisco in November! It was incredible and thrilling- a true gift as we gear up for our long winter out east.  I was so fortunate to be working with the amazing folks at Creative Bug. I am in love with each of them, and feel so honored to now be part of their family. I'll share more soon, but my lips are sealed until then.

I ate tacos for almost every meal... had to fill up on the real stuff, and the Creative Bug "headquarters" are adjacent to my old neighborhood... and down the street, so to speak from my Dad's. Crazy! Serendipitous!

Paid a visit to SCRAP. That is a post in itself... scheduled for later this week. Here's a peek at my haul of rescued treasures...

It was one of the best weeks of my life. I kid you not. I felt so seen, and the world felt beautiful. Bliss was at my side constantly. After how my 2012 began, my gratitude for this kind of ending to the year has no words. It's just a deep knowing and thankfulness that no matter how dark it gets, if you keep truth in your heart and never stop reaching for the light... it will find you! And who knows... you may even be more on top of the world than ever before!

As much as I love... LOVE my city, you know how happy I always am to come home to my nest.

We got right down to work, because the warm weather followed me back, and there was a last opportunity for farm chores. Nothing like mucking out a chicken coop to bring you down to earth... in the best possible way. Grounded, I am. And so are my favorite helpers, who love HOME just as much as I do!

And just in case I needed a bit more acknowledging of the goodness of HERE... a little more rejoicing in the great community we have, our friends called us over for a spontaneous bonfire last night. Staring into the flames, I counted my blessings- there are just so many. In this month of gratitude, I feel full and at peace for the first time in so long. My hope in sharing it with all of you, is that it gives anyone else experiencing the darkness and despair (that is a part of each of our stories at one time or another)... HOPE. It really does get better!