Counting My Blessings

A Heavy Heart

The past few days have been heavy. I did not know Charlie Kirk personally, but I was familiar with his work. While I did not always agree with his political views, he was first and foremost a brother in Christ, a husband, and a father. To hear that he was so brutally murdered simply for speaking, debating, and seeking to shine light is both horrifying and deeply troubling.

What shakes me even more is witnessing people publicly celebrate the violent death of another human being. Such cruelty, such callousness—it reveals something very dark about the state of our society. My heart grieves for his family and friends, for our Christian brothers and sisters in America, and for the wider world in which hatred is allowed to fester so openly.

On Community

After sharing a simple Instagram story—a photograph of Charlie Kirk with a few words of sorrow—I immediately saw my follower count drop. A sharp decline, just like that.

Now, let me be clear: I have no concern for vanity metrics. Numbers on a screen do not define me, nor do they measure the worth of my life. I come from a time when relationships and real connections meant far more than “likes” and followers.

What I do care about is the kind of community I nurture around me. If those who unfollowed me are people who would celebrate the violent death of a Christian man, then it is best that our paths diverge. We clearly do not share the same value for life, compassion, or truth. Circumstances such as these always reveal the true heart of people.

Drawing Nearer

And so, I turn my gaze back home and count my blessings. In a world that feels increasingly fractured, I am reminded of the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who share our values, who offer encouragement, and who seek light over darkness.

Even in sorrow, we can choose to draw nearer to God, to hold fast to His truth, and to be grateful for the community of faith He gives us.

Counting My Blessings

In times like these, when the world feels harsh and unsettling, I find myself cherishing even more the peace and beauty I can create within my own home.

Home is where we practise gratitude in the ordinary, where we nurture our families, and where we remind ourselves that God’s goodness is still all around us.

One of the small yet meaningful ways I mark this season is by showering our home with autumnal touches—simple decorations that speak of warmth, abundance, and the comforting rhythm of God’s creation.

My hops garland arrived from Huskin Hops on Friday. I absolutely love decorating my home with natural material, usually gathered from nature on my walks.

I had seen hops garlands in various places over the years and really wanted to have one for my own home. However, our previous home just did not lend itself to a hops garland. We didn't really have a natural place where it would hang.

Our new home has a lovely inglenook. The moment I saw it I knew that I would be ordering a hops garland for my autumn decor. It has not disappointed! I absolutely LOVE it!

Of course, I have added a few other autumnal touches because September 1st is autumn for me. There's no waiting until the autumn equinox in my home. I want to get every ounce of autumnal goodness from the season before we transition into the festive season.

So the candles are out and the house fills with the scent of apples, cinnamon, pumpkin and spice each evening.

Autumnal pictures have been hung...

Corners of my home are lit with fairy lights and adorned with garlands and much loved homespun decorations have been brought out of storage and now take pride of place for another autumn season.

Books are being gathered in preparation for longer nights and cozy days. I'll share my autumn book basket in another post. I have added some lovely books to my home library over the last few months that I am excited to share with you.

I love the changing light at this time of the year, it comes in gently and pools in little puddles of warmth throughout the house at different times of the day. What a lovely small blessing!

I have always paid attention to the simple, small things and I love making my home a haven for my family and for those who cross the threshold. Last night, I overheard my husband telling my daughters boyfriend that after a long day at work, he always got excited about coming home because it was his 'happy place' and it was made so because of the love lived within its walls and the care taken in making our home a haven. 

I was so touched by that. That is exactly why I do everything I do, and why I place such value on the simple things that go into running a home.

I want my Biblical womanhood, love and faith that I hold in my heart for my Lord and for my family shown in practical ways through the canvas of my home and it appears that my husband has felt that. It touched my heart hearing those words. 

Thinking about it later on in the evening, I was reminded of the importance of the woman in the home. We set the tone, we are the thermostat to the atmosphere of our home. We can bring blessings in so many ways. Be encouraged. I know it can often feel like a thankless and overlooked task. But what we do matters. It brings blessings!

Before I go, I wanted to share a beautiful playlist that I came across the other day. I hope you enjoy listening to it as I have and may it be a blessing to you.

May your homes be filled with faith, love, peace and joy this next week.

Seasonal Living in September: Welcoming the 'Ber' Months

 The Seasonal Home in Early Autumn

The approaching autumn brings a gentle shift in the air—a coolness in the mornings, the first golden leaves crunching underfoot, and a quiet turning inward that seems to come quite naturally as we prepare to welcome in a new season.

Early autumn always brings with it a sense of settling. The light softens. The evenings come sooner. The pace slows, just a little. There’s a deep comfort in the changing season, a rootedness I always look forward to.

In my Seasonal Living in August post, I mentioned how I would mark each month with seasonal themes that helped shape our learning and home life. Now, though the season of homeschooling has passed, I find myself still looking to the calendar and the natural world as gentle guides for how I care for my home and heart.

Autumn invites us to look inward—not just within our homes, but within ourselves. And in a world that often rushes headlong through the year, I want to pause and dwell in this moment. I want to notice the beauty, the comfort, and the provision. To let the Lord remind me that He is present in every season, both around me and within me.

🍂 Biblical Encouragement for the Homemaker’s Heart

There’s something profoundly spiritual about this time of year. The harvest season has long been a symbol of gratitude and dependence on God's provision. As the trees let go of their leaves, I’m reminded to let go too—to release the things I don’t need to carry, and to trust in the One who provides what I do.

“Come before Him with thankful hearts. Let us sing Him psalms of praise.”

—Psalm 95:2

In these quieter days, when the world outside begins to hush, I’m turning my attention more intentionally to home and heart. I’m asking God to make me sensitive to His rhythms, to help me honour Him in the small, unseen acts of homemaking, and to fill this season with His peace.

🍁 Early Autumn Homemaking Rhythms

Autumn homemaking doesn’t need to be grand or hurried. It’s the season for softening, for making things cosy and warm, and for drawing our families close. Here are a few gentle shifts I’m making around our home this season:

✨ Create a Cosy Atmosphere
Soft blankets are finding their way back onto armchairs. Candles are being lit earlier in the evening. I’m tucking away the lighter summer décor and pulling out warm amber tones, soft browns, and rusts. Even something as simple as a small pumpkin on the kitchen windowsill feels like a quiet celebration of the season.

🍂 Autumn’s Bounty
The kitchen begins to fill with richer scents—cinnamon, apple, roasted vegetables, and slow-cooked suppers. I find joy in baking again. A batch of apple muffins or a simmering pot of soup on the stove fills the house with warmth. I might even attempt a new recipe or two—something comforting and nourishing to match the mood of the season.

🌾 Preparing the Home
As we begin spending more time indoors, I like to refresh the spaces we’ll be using most. I’ll give the sitting room a bit of a tidy, perhaps add a seasonal cushion or a dried flower arrangement. These aren’t tasks so much as gentle rituals that help me mark the changing days.

🍎 Simple Autumn Joys

The beauty of autumn is that it doesn’t demand much—it simply invites us to notice. Here are some quiet pleasures I’m leaning into this month:

• Wandering through crunchy leaves with a warm scarf and a brisk breeze

• Collecting conkers and acorns on a walk through the park

• Sipping hot tea while reading by a rain-streaked window

• Lighting the first fire of the season

• Setting the table with seasonal touches—a mini pumpkin here, a linen napkin there

• Pressing leaves between the pages of a book, just like I used to as a girl

🕊 Tending the Heart

As the world quiets, I’m leaning more intentionally into quiet time with the Lord. This slower season lends itself beautifully to reading Scripture, journaling prayers, and simply sitting still in His presence.

I don’t want to miss what He might be whispering in these quieter months—those small nudges that are so easy to overlook when life is loud and busy.

And Finally...

Early autumn invites us to return home—to settle into rhythm, to light the candles, to fill the pantry, and to wrap our loved ones (and ourselves) in warmth and grace.

My prayer is that this season will be one of reflection and peace. May we not rush ahead but savour what is. May we be mindful of the beauty tucked into ordinary days. And may our homes, whatever their shape or season, be a haven of comfort, welcome, and faith.

As always, dear friends, thank you for walking this journey with me. I’d love to hear how you’re embracing early autumn in your home—do drop a note in the comments or come visit me on Instagram.

With warmth and gratitude,

Shirley Xx

Where Badgers Visit and Owls Call: Life in Our Welsh Country Home

It's 5am on the first morning in our new home and I am sitting in the conservatory, my hands cupped around a steaming mug of tea, watching a badger gorge on bird seed from the feeder he has tipped over and raided. 

I move to re-adjust to a more comfortable position, alerting the badger to my presence. He freezes, our eyes lock for a second, and he turns tail and lumbers off across to the far end of the garden before disappearing through the hedgerow into the field beyond. A small mouse darts out of the undergrowth to steal a few sunflower seeds left behind by the badger.

At dusk I watch bats zig-zag across garden hunting for insects and at night, just before I slip into sleep, I hear the mournful call of an owl. the I feel like I may just be living in a Brambly Hedge storybook!

I had forgotten the deep, beautiful silence of the countryside. This morning, that silence was punctuated by birdsong and the sheep having a chat to one another, no doubt discussing their plans for the day.

It's been 10 days since we moved into Hillbank (the house name reminds me of Beatrix Potter's 'Hilltop Farm'), our home in a small village in the Welsh hills. It feels comfortable, like pulling on a favourite well-worn comfortable jumper on a chilly autumn morning. The house embraces us with its warm wooden flooring and deep inglenook fireplace which promises to wrap us in warmth and cosiness throughout autumn and winter.

The garden is wild. It has not had a proper caretaker for many years. The grass has been allowed to romp freely into the flowerbeds, the rushes have taken over the pond to the point that you would not know that it is there, and the moss in the lawn could provide a hundred florists with all they need for their floral arrangements for months. 

It will be a labour of love to restore the garden to what it once was.

Last week I picked up a few supplies at the small farm shop in the village and met some lovely ladies. "You must join the WI when we reconvene in September!"; and, "We have a choire, do you sing?", then, "Oh we are short of a soprano, I do hope you will join us".

I can see that life will be rich and full here. I am very much looking forward to being part of village life.

This home would have been a perfect homeschooling home! It was the first thing my daughter said to me when she popped over for a visit. She's right, it would have been 😊.

But this home is the start of a new chapter for us. It's a home that anchors us as we start new ventures. My husband has semi-retired - that is, he has left the hotel industry and will be starting his own artisan food and coffee shop. I have finally started writing again and am working with a mentor as I journey to get published. 

I don't know what the future holds, do any of us? But I know that for this next season in our lives, we are exactly where we should be. It won't be our 'forever' home as we are just renting 'Hillbank' while we build our businesses, and I still have a hankering to live in the beautiful Lake District. 

But for now, I know that this is the right place for us to roost. It is near to our adult children, both of whom are in their own seasons of building and establishing their lives and who appreciate the support and proximity that this home offers to us all.

It will be our place of recovery after a really difficult and emotional home sale process (please do pray for us that our house sale goes through and does not fall at the final hurdle once again). Our place of gentle adjustment as we move out of suburbia and back into the countryside, losing many of the conveniences that come town living. 

It's a place gentle reconnection as we adjust to what life looks and feels like with both us working in a self-employed capacity. I'm grateful that we will get to be the caretakers of this beautiful home and garden and to write 'Under a Welsh Sky' for a season 💕

It's The Simple Things That Count

Materialism is an ever-constant assault on our senses. It's everywhere. All the time. Trying to convince us that happiness and contentment can be bought. 

I was scrolling through my archives and found this post that I wrote in 2015. I couldn't help but think how much pressure to 'have more to have happiness' has increased with the growth of social media and influencers since writing this post.

 

Honestly, it's exhausting to be constantly told how to 'find happiness'. Ultimately, the people who are trying to convince us of their wealth = happiness gospel are doing so because it has a direct correlation to their own bank balance!

So, I thought it may be a good time to re-publish this post as timely reminder to rebalance our thoughts and hearts on what truly matters in life.

From the Archives:

In today's post I wanted to share some lovely simple things from my week that have made me happy. It seems to have become a bit of a ponderous post for me though after our read-aloud time this morning. So instead of speaking about those lovely simple things, I will pen out my thoughts and pepper this post with pictures of them instead.

I am reading the book 'Daddy-Long-Legs' by Jean Webster to my girls during our read-aloud time. In today's reading the main character, Judy, writes to Daddy-Long-Legs of her first visit to New York. She writes,

 "I can't imagine any joy in life greater than sitting down in front of a mirror and buying any hat you choose without having first to consider the price! There's no doubt about it, Daddy; New York would rapidly undermine this fine stoical character which the John Grier Home so patiently built up."

Her very next letter sees her in a more rational frame of mind. Daddy Long-legs evidently sent her a cheque after reading her letter, but she returns the cheque with a note explaining why she cannot accept the money, she writes, 

" I am sorry that I wrote all that silly stuff about the millinery shop; it's just that I had never seen anything like it before."

I'm sure we can all find a time in our life when we felt like Judy. It is so easy to get sucked into a world of materialism. I usually try to avoid shopping malls that hold every top brand name, or those streets in London that house the same. It sucks you in and you begin to feel a little like Judy. I know what she means when she says that *New York (*fill in your own city/mall/shopping weakness here) would undermine her stoic character.

Materialism is a terribly enticing and bad master and the truth is that shopping up a storm or adding 'stuff' to your name does not make you a happier person. Unfortunately we spend our lives having advertising companies bombarding us with messages on why we will only ever be happy if we buy x-y or z.

The best way of counteracting this is to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness for what we have and appreciating the simple things in life. 

There are many, many things to be thankful for and appreciate if you just look around you. Here are some of mine this week:

* The good health of everyone in my family

* BBQ's on a warm spring evening

* Nature walks with my children

* New life springing out from all quarters every single day

* A roof over our heads and food in our tummies

* A good job to keep us in above-stated condition :)

* Being able to sit quietly and work in my nature journal

* Good friends to talk to

* Happy memories of family holidays and times together

* Living in England! I love this country and feel blessed to be here

* Seasons - I love the seasons

* Birdsong - how can you not be cheered when you stop to listen to them

* Buzzy bumble-bees and fluttery butterflies - all out in the sunshine

* Washing dancing in the wind as it dries outside on the washing line

* Freshly cut lawn

* Clouds scudding across the blue sky

* Blossoms and blooms - they are everywhere at the moment

* The feel of my fountain pen moving over paper as I write in journal entries

* Reading good books together with my children and for myself. We have many wonderful memories of books read together. I'm so grateful that I have given my children a living-books rich curriculum

* Jumping on the trampoline with my daughter and laughing until our sides hurt

* Eating ice-creams outside in the warm sunshine

* Seeing the Cowslips blooming - they are so sweet, I love them.

I could go on but I fear I might bore you LOL. But I'm sure that as you read my list you will see that none of the things I have listed as precious and thankful memories and moments have cost very much or anything at all.

In a world that seems to have gone half-crazy on materialism, I'm immensely grateful that its the simple things in life that make me most happy.

A blessed Thursday to you all...

A Year of Waiting: Our Long Road to Moving House

It’s been a full year since we first placed our home on the market. To our surprise, it sold within just two days, and with multiple offers on the table. We had hoped that this was a sign of things to come—swift, smooth, and straightforward. In truth, that was where the ease ended.

Since then, we’ve experienced just about every setback the UK housing market can throw at a seller. We are now on our third buyer. Yes—third.

Buyer One: A Lesson in Disappointment

Our first buyer, as it turned out, was not acting in good faith. We were given reassurances that their sale was progressing, their finances were in order, and that everything was proceeding as planned. Sadly, these turned out to be untruths. The week we were due to exchange contracts, they suddenly withdrew—having apparently found “something more suitable.” It’s difficult to understand how some people can so casually disrupt the lives of others.

We will miss this garden that we have so lovingly built!

Buyer Two: A Heartfelt Attempt

Back on the market we went—and again, the house sold in a few days. We’re fortunate that our home has always attracted interest; it’s in a good location and offers lovely spaces. Our second buyer was a kind couple, genuinely lovely, but they faced repeated setbacks with the sale of their own property. After several failed attempts, the stress became too much for them, and they made the understandable decision to withdraw entirely from the process.

By this point, seven months had passed since we first accepted an offer. Our own intended purchase understandably could wait no longer and returned their home to the market.

This is a bumper year for our little apple tree. If we have not completed on our sale by September, we will be harvesting these apples!

Buyer Three: Hope With Caution

And so, the house went back on the market once more—and again, sold within days. We were careful this time, choosing buyers who had already sold their property and appeared to be progressing steadily. They are, again, a lovely couple, but complications in their chain have brought fresh delays. We are reassured each week that completion is on track for the end of August—but after the year we've had, I take such assurances with a pinch of salt.

What we’ve come to realise is that throughout this process, buyers have not always been transparent about the challenges they are facing. We’ve often found out about issues far too late, when momentum has made it difficult to pause or pivot. It's disheartening. I find it very difficult to reconcile with the idea of withholding truth to preserve a transaction.

A Change of Direction

A year of living in limbo—of half-packed boxes, cleaned cupboards, and cautious hope—has finally taken its toll. We need to move forward.

So we are.

The new house - we are looking forward to making it our family home.

We’ve found a lovely house in the countryside to rent—a peaceful, pretty place that feels just right. By removing ourselves from the chain, we can hopefully make the next step a little simpler. When the time is right, we’ll be in a position to buy again, this time as cash buyers, and with far less uncertainty surrounding us.

We had been due to move at the end of May, with all parties in agreement, but then the bottom of the chain collapsed again. That was the final straw. Thankfully, the owners of our new rental home were happy to delay our move-in, and it suited their needs too.

We have a wonderful new garden to look after!

Now, in just under two weeks, we’ll be making our move—this time for real. I’m grateful we’ll be able to settle in without the exhausting pressure of a same-day exchange and completion. Anyone who has experienced that will know the near-impossible task of handing over a clean, tidy house while simultaneously moving your worldly belongings into a new one.

This past year has revealed just how deeply flawed the UK’s house buying and selling system really is. It’s costly, fragile, and frankly, in desperate need of reform. Too much is left to chance and goodwill—both of which can run out quickly in a long chain.

But in spite of everything, I’m choosing to look forward. A new chapter is beginning, and I pray it will be marked by peace, stability, and new rhythms of home.

Making Home with Your Hands & Your Summer Peace Plan Printable

There’s something deeply comforting about crafting with your hands—especially in summer, when the days stretch long and golden, and the pace of life invites us to slow down, savour, and make space for peace.

This week, I’ve been leaning into that sense of intention and simplicity—creating with joy, prayerfully preparing for the seasons ahead, and grounding my days in gentle rhythms. I’m delighted to share a few of those things with you today: a cheerful handmade rag wreath to brighten your home, beautifully decorated candles ready for gifting, and a free printable to help you map out your own peaceful summer.

✽ Creating a Home that Whispers “Welcome”

I started the week with a simple, satisfying craft: a fabric rag wreath. This is the sort of project that feels timeless and comforting—no fancy tools required, just your hands, some fabric scraps in soft summer hues, and a bit of time to tie and tuck.

Each scrap carries a story—a memory from an old sewing project or a remnant too pretty to part with. As I knotted them around the frame, I found myself praying quietly for my home and those who pass through its doors.

✽ Preparing for a Season of Giving

While the warmth of summer wraps us in sunshine, my thoughts often stray to Christmas. Yes, really! I love to use these quieter months to prepare small, thoughtful gifts that can be wrapped up with care when Advent arrives.

This week, I dressed a few candles with a collar of brown craft paper and seasonal trims—tucked away for December gifting. There’s such peace in this kind of quiet preparation. It feels like sowing seeds of love in advance, ready to bless someone months from now.

Perhaps you’d like to make a few too? Pop on a hymn or soft music, brew a cup of something soothing, and let your hands create beauty.

✽ A Printable to Help You Plan a Peaceful Summer

To accompany your slow summer days, I’ve created a Summer Peace Plan printable, designed to gently guide your heart and home toward peace. It's a one-page resource you can tuck into your journal, pin on your fridge, or keep near your Bible.

It includes:

• Daily Anchors for Peace like prayer, time outdoors, and creative moments

• Soul Prompts to reflect on what God may be inviting you to release or embrace

• A Gentle Summer List of soul-nourishing ideas—from pressing flowers to reading under a tree

This is not a to-do list, dear friend, but an invitation to slow down, breathe deeply, and dwell in the quiet, nurturing presence of God this season.

✨ Click here to download your free Summer Peace Plan printable

PS. You can download this plan anytime from the FREEBIES page on this blog.

✽ Homemaking as Worship

Whether you’re stitching, baking, tying ribbons or simply sweeping the kitchen floor, I believe these acts can be a form of worship. When we make our homes with love and intention, we reflect the heart of our Creator—who made all things good, and called them beautiful.

So as summer unfolds, may you find peace in the small things. May your hands be blessed in the work they do. And may your home be a haven of grace.

With every blessing...

Starting a Simple Stitching Practice This Summer

There’s something about the slower days of summer that seems to invite me to pick up something gentle and meaningful with my hands. Perhaps it’s the longer evenings, or the unhurried rhythm that naturally follows the school year winding down, or in my case, a considered return to the gentle art of homemaking.

Whatever it is, this season feels like the perfect time to begin—or return to—a quiet stitching practice.

Needlework has long been a companion to peaceful moments. Whether it’s the soft click of knitting needles, the rhythmic pull of thread through linen, or the satisfying neatness of tiny cross-stitches forming a pattern, there is a kind of stillness that settles over me when I work with my hands. It's a way of grounding myself, of inviting beauty and creativity into the everyday.

This summer, I’m leaning into those slower moments by spending more time with needle and thread. I find that cross-stitch and embroidery offer just the right amount of focus to quiet the mind, while knitting feels wonderfully meditative—especially when paired with a cup of tea and a breezy open window.

Needlework has threaded its way through may seasons of my life - some joyful, some trying - and it's always brought a sense of clam and comfort. 

Needlework has been my companion through many a season. It has been a link from my role as a young homeschooling mother with days packed with learning and the challenges that parenting can bring, through the transition over the turbulant rapids of discovery throughout that empty nest season, into the still waters of acceptance and a new season.

I recently spent some time sorting through the stitching supplies and fabrics I’ve gathered over the years and came across three unfinished projects, along with materials set aside for others I’ve yet to begin. I'm so grateful I took the time to store these treasures carefully—they’ve waited patiently, ready to be picked up again.

This summer, I’ll be returning to these three projects, gently weaving a simple stitching practice into the rhythm of my days and weeks.

A Little Winter Robin

This little "Feathered Friend" stitchery in issue 234 of The World Of Cross Stitching magazine which I started in 2018. 

It was going to be a gift for my grandmother, we have shared a love of the little British Robin since my childhood. Sadly she passed away a few years ago and I never got to gift it to her. 

It's a stark reminder to not put off for tomorrow what we can do today. 

I think that finishing this little chap and displaying him in my home this Christmas time will be a beautiful tribute to her. 

I can imagine it catching my eye as I work in the Kitchen during that joyful season, and to be reminded of her. It will be like she is with me in the ordinary moments of my days. So my goal is to finish this project over the next 8 weeks.

Forest Snowfall

I started this Country Cottage Needleworks chart, Forest Snowfall, about two years ago. It's been tucked away for far too long, and I would love to complete it in time to display during the early winter months.

In my mind’s eye, I can see myself gently packing away the festive decorations after Twelfth Night, the house quiet once more after the joyful flurry of the holidays. In their place, I hang this wintry stitched scene—a quiet nod to the season, full of charm and stillness.

There is something so comforting about those first weeks of January, when the world slows down and home becomes a sanctuary once again. This sweet little chart reminds me that the return to simple domestic rituals are their own kind of celebration.

Changing Seasons

This was a more recent start. Autumn is by far my favourite season—there’s something quite magical about it. Outside, nature begins to slow down. Leaves shift from summer green to rich golds and russets, a final glorious flourish before the stillness of winter, when all things rest and gather strength for the season to come.

Yet even in this slowing, there are new beginnings. The rhythm of the year turns toward harvest celebrations and the quiet anticipation of winter festivities. It’s a season of both stillness and expectancy—a slowing and a quickening.

This chart was designed by Durene Jones for the World of Cross-Stitching Magazine. You can buy this design from her Etsy Shop.

I love to decorate my home for autumn with natural items gathered from nature, warm blankets, autumn scented candles and of course, my homespun stitchery's. I try to make something new for my home each year and I think this little sampler would be a great addition.

Starting a Simple Stitching Practice This Summer

What I love about this hobby is that you don’t need to be an expert or have a drawer full of supplies to begin. A simple hoop, a few threads, a free chart found on Pinterest, or better yet, treat yourself to a lovely cross-stitch magazine packed with charts and advice ... is all it takes to open the door to hours of peaceful creativity. And in a world that often moves too fast, returning to these traditional crafts can feel like reclaiming a bit of quiet joy.

As I settle into this slower rhythm, needle and thread in hand, I’m reminded that creativity doesn’t need to be grand or complicated to be meaningful. There’s such comfort in the familiar motion of stitching, in watching something beautiful emerge little by little. It’s a quiet, grounding practice—one that draws me back to the heart of home, to peaceful winter afternoons and the gentle blessing of making something with my own hands.

So why not pick up your needle and thread, find a quiet corner, and begin? You might just rediscover a deep and quiet joy waiting to unfold, one stitch at a time.