April~ The Urge To Purge!

  Dear friends, 

  As I walked around our yard today, barefoot for the first time since late last fall I couldn't help but let out a huge sigh of relief. The ONLY redeeming thing about this long, bitterly cold, dark, dank winter are the extra hours it has forced me to stay indoors and do some serious DE-cluttering, hence, my brief absence from blogging on a more regular basis. I hope you'll forgive me for not sharing pics of my car loaded to the gills with boxes of books, old clothes, and various household items we no longer need or find useful.

Tis the season for clearing the decks so I though I'd share a few "creative seeds" to help get YOU started if you haven't already. But wait! I'm not just talking about hauling boxes and bins full of " stuff" to the nearest donation center. Sometimes we humans need a good DE-cluttering too! 

Ya follow? I know this is certainly true for me and this year my urge to purge is stronger than ever!

 I think it has a lot to do with my trying a gazillion and one creative ideas last year. Imagine me standing in my front yard, blowing on a big ole fluffy dandelion sending out hundreds of scattering seeds hoping to find rich, fertile soil where they'll be loved, watered and nurtured into beautiful maturity. Romantic isn't it? In reality, I learned that's it's darned near impossible to take care of all  my little dream seeds at once and do it well. 

Most creative people have a hard time saying " no" to opportunities to try new things. I know, I'm one of em! And, I still believe in saying YES more often than NO. But what's a gal to do when she starts feeling stretched and worn out?

TAKE STOCK!

Ask your beautiful self these questions and BE HONEST!

1. Where is the bulk of your creative energy going?
2. Does it feed your creative soul or are you starving yourself by wasting your precious creative energy on tasks that don't fit your idea of living your best creative life? 
3.  Are you feeling inspired or are you perspiring too much and not feeling any forward movement? 

There's nothing wrong with letting go of a precious dream seed if it didn't quite take-off the way you had hoped. Perhaps it just isn't the right time and you need to put it on hold for now. Or maybe it just needs a new setting with different circumstances to take-root and bloom! It could be the hard truth is that it just needs to be ripped out of the ground and tossed into the compost heap where it can die in peace.

I had to make the tough decision this spring to close my booth Burlap and Bling. I learned that I enjoyed some parts of running a vintage booth and others not so much. It was a wonderful "creative experiment" and I'm glad I gave it a try! I'll admit, it hurt a little to let it go, but I LOVE the feeling of  more FREE space on my hard-drive ( and in my basement ) for new ideas to develop and grow! 

The  urge to purge is paying off. Rather than going into spring time feeling like the head juggler in a traveling circus act, I'm feeling a sense of calm and peace. I'm ready to get outside and be one with my gardens without the distraction of feeling like I should be doing something else.

 Life is too short for "shoulds"!

Here's wishing you all a beautiful April filled with fresh ideas and the energy to create and share as all creative seed sisters are meant to do!

Tell me, what are YOU making room for this spring?

Buds of Happiness and Bee Friendly Blooms

Dear friends,
 Is there anything more inspiring than seeing the first shoots of  GREEN sprouting from the earth after a long winter? The onset of spring is here and I couldn't be more ready! But, I'm taking it slow just like these pretty Snow Crocus Bulbs. I'm so grateful to the woman who lived in our house before we did for planting a handful or two of these cute little buds of happiness!

 Snow Crocus are among the first spring bulbs to emerge even before spring has officially arrived! They brighten the garden with blue, orange, purple, yellow and white blossoms. All it takes is a few warm days in late winter for them to pop up out of the frozen ground despite the likely possibility that they will be covered in snow a few more times before they actually unfold entirely.

 They are easy to grow. Simply place a few bulbs together about 3 - 4 inches deep. Plant in holes spaced randomly about your garden bed for a natural look. Over time Snow Crocus bulbs multiply giving you more lovely flowers to look forward to each spring. They tolerate over-crowding but not praying squirrels who will love snacking on young tender bulbs. If you have squirrels in your neighborhood I recommend placing chicken wire or weed barrier cloth over your newly planted area to keep your bulbs safe from hungry rodents.
 

It's not just humans that get happy when they see them in bloom.

The Bees will be buzzing with delight as they hop from one bloom to another drinking nectar cocktails! 

Be gentle with yourself as the unfolding of spring begins. You've been in a deep sleep and it will take a while to wake up fully. Start slowly by noticing the little signs of spring. Longer sunny days, brighter blue skies, singing birds, and NEW growth sprouting from the earth are here! It's as if the whole world is taking a giant slow stretch!  Enjoy the unfolding...

The smiles of spring will be here before you know it! 

Much Love! 

 

This Moment~ A Friday Ritual

{this moment} with Soule Mama  

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.