May-be I'm Amazed!

Hello, friends!

What change a month’s time can bring!

My sentiments from last month’s blog post were pretty uncertain and unsettled. This month, I still have some of those feelings, but they are coupled with a sense of forward motion, which is a good thing! The act of blogging on a monthly basis serves as an introspective lesson that life is constantly changing and evolving. If you ever are feeling stuck in a feeling or situation, I highly recommend journaling because it will show you that each day, week, month, and year are truly different. One of my friends recently affirmed this practice as well through her own journey of slowing down and navigating anxieties. What are some of your tools to push through a challenging time?

Beautiful spring dunes in bloom - I have never seen this before! The flowers were short lived, they are already gone!

For me, the month of April leading into what is now mid-May has been a lot of transition (what else is new, lol). I have taken on some external freelance projects that have been keeping me busy and have helped alleviate some financial pressure off my husband and I. As I had mentioned last month, there has been a bit of a learning curve with being an independent contractor coupled with a small business owner trying to advance my own craft forward. Balancing my time between each project, determining the best mutually agreed upon terms, and ensuring that it all is worthwhile for all parties involved are all new skills I’m developing. I used to be really shy at work and it would be hard to muster up courage to ask for anything that seemed like it might be a minor inconvenience, so I have come a long way in that regard.

A photo I took at one of my freelance events I helped to produce - it was fun to blend two skills (event planning and photography) in one setting!

All that aside, I still have uncertainties about where this all will lead me to (do I sound like a broken record yet? lol). I have my hand in a lot of different things now - will they eventually level out into one clear path? I was always insecure about being a jack of all trades, but I’m starting to think it’s turning out to be a strength as a freelancer. My father has been an accountant and worked in the financial field for his entire career, so I feel silly being the total opposite - a creative person that has done a million things so far. I guess it goes to show that there really is no one size fits all scenario and success is interpreted differently for everyone.

With Mother’s Day having just passed, it’s also had me thinking a lot about family and career too. I’m not a mom yet (although I treat my pug like my baby), but I hope that whenever the time comes, I can find a way to continue my professional efforts while nurturing my family. My hat goes off to all moms, including my own, who have forged the path ahead. I know there are times where it is not easy and similarly to jobs and careers, there is really no one size fits all formula to being a mom either.

In my gardener / beach cottage era! Lol - modeling a little bucket hat that I will sell soon, just need to take photos!

As far as shoppe news goes, all is well but a new goal of mine is to try to find some kind of co-op situation where I could have something as small as a shelf within an existing shop to try and sell product that way. It is sometimes challenging being a new business owner in this area since I am technically an “expat”, lol. I didn’t grow up here and so I don’t have all of the ins that a true local would. Sometimes it feels like you need those special connections to break through, but I will say that the community I have met through Spruce Lane has been very kind and welcoming, so I feel optimistic that in due time it could be feasible. A recent mini series that I have really been enjoying on HBO Max is Growing Floret. If you are an aspiring female creative business owner, I highly recommend this show. It is really interesting seeing how the owner, Erin Benzakein, is relentless and very candid about growing her flower farm business over the past decade! She and her husband truly came from nothing and now have built a remarkable online community around flower growing. It definitely motivates me watching her do her thing.

One of the best sunsets we’ve seen to date! A random weeknight - I hopped in the car and zipped to the beach to catch it before it was too dark!

Speaking of flower growing, our backyard has been our main personal project this past month. We have cultivated (and inherited) quite the little garden! I have been sharing a lot on my stories about our blooming peonies, my wildflower seedlings, and our raised bed with a variety of herbs and veggies. It’s a lot of work to maintain everything but I’ve also been treating it as special “me” time, which I think a lot of gardeners can relate to. It is a productive outdoor activity that disconnects you from your phone and the hustle and bustle of daily life. I find it very therapeutic. Oh, and composting is my next journey! I bought a pail for our kitchen and we have a little pile started out back, so if anyone has tips on that please send my way! My husband also recently got a small boat that we are going to take out on the bay, so I am eager to explore water activities with him. Being connected to nature in these ways really does wonders for the mind and body. I am glad I got my fun city years in as a young adult, but am grateful for this slower chapter as well.

Our first backyard peony bloom! More to come :)

In the spirit of change, we’ll see what next month brings! I hope you all have had a lovely spring thus far and that summer is just as good, if not better to you!

x L