Hello lovely people!

I was thinking about this while walking Mabel this morning.

We’ve had a few days of proper rain lately….the English kind of rain. I love a cosy day at home when it’s raining and there’s nowhere I need to be. Sitting on the back deck listening to the rain hitting the plastic roof is one of my favourite things.

It was very nice for the sun to make an appearance this morning though, and Mabel certainly appreciated getting out again. Perhaps I’ll get a little less sighing happening today now that she’s been walked. 😂

As we walked, I was thinking about my Glimmers. I know I said they would be weekly, but lately I haven’t felt much like keeping up with that particular timetable. And I think that’s okay.

I’ve been feeling the loss of Mum more intensely these last few weeks, and I’ve had less inclination to push through.

We often feel as though we should keep going through the tougher days. That somehow we’ve failed if we haven’t ticked enough boxes, been productive enough, or kept up with whatever pace we had set for ourselves.

But who is watching?

We are the ones who set the speed on this treadmill.

It’s okay to go at your speed.

Without the pressure of deadlines, I’ve actually had more time for pondering. This week I finally opened up my journal again. I haven’t been able to face it since Mum passed. It felt like too much.

But this time felt different. It felt like the right moment to start making sense of some thoughts and finding my way towards some kind of direction again.

And thankfully, it didn’t turn out to be the heavy experience I had imagined.

Instead, one of the thoughts that came through was hopeful:

Anything is possible

It was enough to send me into the studio with a renewed sense of possibility for the day.

So perhaps that is the Glimmer for this week.

That we don’t have to rush our way towards the next version of ourselves.

Sometimes taking our time is exactly what allows us to find our way there.

A few Glimmers from the last couple of weeks

As always, these are the things that have had a little feeling of connection behind them. And I think those are the best kind of Glimmers.

I’m ready for some things to look forward to

It has been lovely hibernating in the studio, but I do need to get out into the world a little more.

Brooke made us some gorgeous little cards, so we could start a pinboard of random things we might like to do — big things, little things, anything really…putting them out there and perhjaps we might make the effort to actually put some of them in the diary.

There has to be more to life than scrolling and paying bills, right?

So we’re going to start putting a few things on the board and making some plans.  Small things to look forward to count too.

Now what to write? Haha

Making something just for fun

A few weeks ago I took a two-day creative workshop with Spanish textile artist Aitor Saraiba.

I was so excited when I discovered he was hosting a workshop in Fitzroy that I signed up immediately. I’ve been following Aitor on Instagram for ages and couldn’t quite believe he was here in Melbourne!

I wanted to make something just for the fun of it. No purpose. No outcome. Just two days of stitching and being around other lovely, creative people.

And it was everything I hoped it would be.

There’s something really good about making things simply because you want to.

The beautiful creations of Aitor Saraiba

Been listening to...

Anderson Cooper’s All There Is has been one of my recent listens.

It’s a deeply personal exploration of grief and all its complexities, with Anderson talking to people who have experienced life-changing loss.

It’s honest, moving and comforting in that strange way that comes from hearing someone else put words around something you’ve been feeling yourself.

And Homing by Matt Gibberd continues to be one of my go-to podcasts.

I love the way it explores the importance of home and how the spaces we live in shape who we are.

Here are a couple of episodes I particularly liked

All There Is - Anderson Cooper - Facing what’s left behind - Listen here

Homing - Matt Gibberd - Patrick Williams on Grief, Restoration and the house that shaped his life - Listen here

Been watching...

Vogue: The 90s on Disney+.

A six-part look at the fashion industry in the 1990s through the eyes of Vogue editors including Hamish Bowles, Edward Enninful, Tonne Goodman and Anna Wintour.

I loved looking back at this time.

The 90s somehow feel like they were only ten years ago, while also feeling like another lifetime.

It gave me a huge sense of nostalgia for all that has changed since then without us really noticing it.

And perhaps it was just the nostalgia talking, but there was something about the era that felt more hopeful.

Clothes and dressing up just seemed to be something to be enjoyed then.

The Trailer

Loving reading...

I’ve only recently discovered a love for poetry, and Lucas Jones is one of my current favourites.

I love his work so much that I bought his book I Still Believe in Miracles — and I also have it on Audible because I particularly love the way he reads his own work.

His poems feel so resonant for this particular time in life.

They have a lovely way of helping me find my way back to myself when I’m feeling a little lost or low.

I met god at the supermarket - Lucas Jones - watch here

(Heads up: strong language)

And perhaps that’s what I’m learning at the moment.

That finding your way back doesn’t always mean pushing forward.

Sometimes it means slowing down.

Taking your time.

Letting yourself be where you are.

And trusting that there will be something waiting for you when you’re ready.

With love,