These days life is full, full, full. Parenting, transitioning our boy to school, work contracts, getting back into yoga, cooking warmer foods and shifting with the season. Fall is my absolute favourite time of year and I am trying to stay slow amidst the chaos and breathe in little bits of inspiration throughout my days. Here's what's happening around here and what's inspiring me these days.
Floor time with my little boy – fat markers and paper and some slow time together, that's all we need :)
More floor work, this time solo, at my studio. Sketching, pinterest, email... all the pieces of work.
winter veggies, baking, loving being that 1950's mom :)
A batch of geli mono prints I played around with the other day, and a new painting in the works.
Packaging up stock for Barefoot Contessa boutique. Happy happy moment!
Digging into my big stack of magazines - Uppercase, Darling, Somerset Studio etc.
I am so inspired by Anahata Katkin - her as a person, an artist, her PapayaArt brand, her shop Papaya Living (serious heaven). I'm loving seeing her art evolve over time. I'd like to meet her and do some art together.
Check out these colours on Bows & Arrows – peachy pinky salmons, greens, whites. These are the colours that move me right now. My colour palette keeps changing and I love that, there's space to keep growing and evolving.
I stumbled upon Hilary Rushford and Style & Styleability, through a much admired art coach that I follow, Laura C George. They're both great! Check 'em out. These style videos were fun to watch.
My pinterest style board. I love fashion in the fall. The layering. The colours. It's my fave fashion season, and I've added some great pins here.
(i heart) Instagram. I simply love sharing a little piece of my world with others and having them share back each day. I feel so connected and part of something, surrounded by beauty and creativity and intentional humans. It has become my daily dose. Join me on Instagram – @redpearcreative
And saving the sweetest for last :) Me and my little boy. He loves his angry birds high tops and I love my floral high tops from Barefoot Contessa. We make quite a pair. We've been having so much fun together lately.
That's all for now. A little peek into my life and what has been inspiring me lately. What's got your fancy these days? Leave me a wee note with your fave moments.
xo
It was a studio day today, yay. Sharing "Truth Journey"
painting in progress. Loving the soft colours and feminine feel, and
just happy with this piece overall so far. She is my truth – a little
documentation of this journey I'm on. I was planning something totally
different for this piece, but that's the beauty of life and art isn't
it, sometimes we change course on instinct and it's exactly where we
need to go.
Today is my 36th birthday. I'm taking a moment to reflect on what I want life to be about, and to celebrate and cherish who I am—the woman I've become, and the girl I have always been. I was looking through a stack of memories my mom passed on to me and this picture held my heart. I'm about 10, and I'm a picture of the feminine, gentle and creative soul I'm still nurturing to this day.
As I sit in this reflective space, I feel like the last few months have all been connected to this moment. I pulled back from the world over the summer and took time to be with myself and those dear. I found a lot of stillness in myself, along with a pool of grief and uncertainty, and more strength and confidence than I knew I had.
Here are a few of the moments that added up to a summer:
Quietening My Mind. In August I unplugged. It wasn't planned or unplanned, but it came together. It was what I needed in a deep way. I took care of myself and I worked on being the kind of mom I want to be. Accepting and embracing our son's recent autism diagnosis and parenting in a new way was a sort of surrender. I let myself feel the grief and the uncertainty of it all. I feel like this is the beginning of a new journey for us.
I spent renewal time with my mom in her garden oasis. I'm so grateful for my mom. She's something special.
Nourishment. Growing and eating fresh food, practicing yoga, making art, cooking, surrounding myself with beauty, and heading into the mountains with family to soak up nature's beauty.
Reading. Stacks of books are everywhere in our house. I got some of these titles from this local blogger. I love her perspective.
I read an interview with Julia Roberts recently (InStyle mag). These words struck a chord in their simplicity and truth: "Be nice, be happy, be grateful." This is the way to live. I'm a fan.
Dreams. A favourite Vancouver boutique—Barefoot Contessa—will start carrying my wholehearted art products this fall! A dream come true. Stay tuned.
A word. The word intentional emerged out of the chaos in my studio one night. It's definitely my word for right now. I am working hard to bring intention to everything that matters to me. It's a daily practice full of imperfection but also possibility.
And so, as I celebrate 36 I sit with the chaos and beauty of life, and know that I'm living it – my feet are dirty, my hair is messy and my eyes are sparkling. I'm grateful for this. Happy birthday self, with love. And welcome Autumn. I love this time of year.
ginger
