Summer Daydreams

What is it about summer and daydreams? A summer without daydreaming is not summer. At least in this house. We dream of gardens, days spent floating around the lake on the boat, drifting down lazy rivers in the kayaks, and of what's to come.

For me, I am dreaming of the fall too [not that I am wishing these precious days away] and all that Lucky Star Art Camp will bring. The classes, the connections and the stunning surroundings.

If you're a daydream believer, love dreaming under a star filled sky or by a campfire with like minded spirits, consider joining me for an experience like no other.

Friday's Quote

Summer's bounty sure is a charmer. The fresh fruits and veggies are as alluring as alluring comes. They awaken the senses, nourish the body and feed the soul. A glass of freshly brewed pink iced tea doesn't hurt either. 

With farm stands popping up around every corner, farmers' markets in full swing and backyard gardens sprouting lovely produce, I can't help but think of this quote by Virginia Woolf: 

'One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.' 

May you dine well with summer's finest this weekend. 

Whispers of Encouragement

Each week in this garden of mine, is new and exciting. The plants that went in this spring are amazing me with their growth and greenery. I swear during the evening watering ritual they whisper soft, encouraging things like, 'I'm growing strong.' 'Plant more.' 'You can do this. I'm thriving.' 

And thrive they are. Everywhere I look there is green. Green shrubs, hostas, herbs, basil and more. All the rain we have been getting sure is a huge help too for this newbie gardener. 

As beautiful as all the greenery is, I was ready this week to start adding in some color. Violet, purple and lavender colors were the first to be picked out and planted. 

Speaking of lavender, my existing lavender garden is getting ready to bloom. They came up strong and ready to make their debut.

For the coming week, my goals include, getting that previously mentioned pumpkin patch in, sourcing some catmint plants and perhaps finding some easy to care for pink flowers to balance out all that purple. 

Touching Your Soul

There's one place that time after time, not only touches my soul, but enables me to touch my soul too. Maine. I'm sure you know this 'touch your soul' feeling. It's the one that tends to come during a getaway or vacation. Part way through, you relax into your body, the stress that was being carried around releases with a big cleansing breathe and without any conscious thought, you sink into your being. 

From there, you breathe. Deep breaths that connect you to all those parts of yourself that are not always easy to reach. Now connected to your beautiful body, you think, feel and act clearly and with purpose, truly feeling, as you move through these cherished minutes, hours and days. 

And then you notice this beautiful self for all that it is and all that it is capable of. Oh how I wish I could bottle this feeling and the glow that comes with it. Until then, it becomes an exercise in learning how to touch my soul. 

A Green Thumb

As the days get longer and warmer, I find myself spending more and more time in the garden. Although I use the term, 'garden' loosely. My green thumb is in it's infancy, but steadily getting greener by the day. I'm happy to report the seedlings that were planted late winter, are thriving in their pots on the back deck, my lavender is noticeably larger than last year and I've learned how to replant hostas. Funny, I know.

Over the next week, I hope to have sunflowers in the ground as well as a lemon tree and a pumpkin patch started. Oh how I dream of my very own Charlie Brown pumpkin patch. It's going to be pure magic.

As my green thumb develops, I've learned quite a bit along the way, including:

:: Weeding is a never ending task.
:: Proper gardening tools make the job so much easier.
:: Dairy farm soil is the best for an herb and vegetable garden.
:: Plants don't have to be super expensive. In fact, check the brush and woods around your house for plants that can be added to the garden [they are free of charge].
:: Lettuce from your own garden is the BEST!
:: Add to the garden in phases. The inner superwoman powers should not be applied to gardening [Speaking of her, I'm letting my inner superwoman take the summer off].

And last, but not least [insert drum roll, please]....

:: Ants in your pants, is not just a funny saying. It can happen.

Vision

Vision. It's a mind boggling function when you think about it. The amount of images our eyes process over the course of a day, week, month, year and a lifetime. And yet vision is so much more than what we physically see. The vision our heart and soul has for us brings the meaning of vision to a whole new level. That my friends is where I have been hanging out the past couple of weeks. 

I wish I could say it was and is an easy journey, but when this tender heart speaks and brings these images to life, my mind has a seemingly natural tendency to struggle out of fear. Fear of the unknown, the mishaps that can happen along the path to this vision and the thoughts of failure. Oh those thoughts. They are hard to shush up, aren't they?!

As I learn more about color therapy, totems, relearning to trust signs and myself, these powerful tools are helping me surpass being in a state of coping and allowing for full empowerment and self-permission to be on the path to follow this said vision - even if I am still figuring out how the heart's vision translates into my dream reality. 

Flea Market Lessons

'Where have I been,?' you may ask. I've been a bit quiet with checking in and saying, 'hello,' this I do admit. Behind the scenes I have been painting night and day. No joke. For the past two weeks, I've spent most of my free time painting different upcycled pieces, gathering and making for my very first flea market....as a vendor. 

Boy oh boy, the work that goes into a small tent full of goodies. There is a whole new appreciation for this sort of thing. And you better believe the next time I walk into someones tent or pass a stand I like or enjoy, I will be sure to tell them what a visual treat it is. 

The first lovely ladies of the day to come by sure were the sweetest. We chatted mixed media collage, design, furniture and collecting just the right pieces. These ladies, my aunts and mom who sat and chatted with me throughout the day, literally made my day. 

I also learned A LOT! One of my aunts is a merchandiser for a store and gave me loads of tips on how to improve upon what I already know. 

In the mix of my pastel pretty goods, loving family and happy customers I also learned the hard lesson of how to move on when people who are downright rude, loud and mean about their dislike for what I do and how I do it. Not that I haven't encountered these qualities before in someone, I assure you I don't live in a bubble, but I certainly wasn't expecting this within my own little makeshift 'shop' for a day. 

I've been in plenty of shops that don't appeal to me. My approach is that, what I see, is the taste and enjoyment of someone else, not mine and I quietly and politely leave. Plain and simple. Oh but the world does not always play according to my rules, so when this person's words became negative [and loud], my feelings were hurt.  

Thicker skin I will grow. Looking back, I'm proud I took a chance and put myself out there.

Hearing people ask if I have a store or online shop, reinforces what I do is worthy of my time, that there are like minded people out there and my goods brings enjoyment and comfort to their lives.