In the Midst of Winter, We Dream of the Sun...

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Sometimes life can get us down. When it does, we have at least two choices: to wallow in our discontent... or to get up and just get on with it, hoping to find a bit of joy where we can. Surprisingly, option two — although initially requiring more energy to kickstart — also offers a lot more kickback on our investment.

The last two weeks have been difficult ones for our family as we continue to struggle through a time of crisis; but in the midst of the anxiety and the sadness, we have tried to instil joy in the small moments where it can shine:  a sunbeam through the icy window, a smile of trust and mutual support, those brief bursts of inspiration when creativity takes hold and pushes all the other worries aside for a while.

Along that theme, part of my self care during this stressful time has been to revive a long-ignored interest in fabric design, and to create a few cheerful and colourful patterns inspired by tropical islands and sun-soaked shores. I have even created a new shop on Spoonflower (castle_of_miranda) to share those images, and have ordered some sample swatches for myself.

It's late and I'm tired; it's still winter outside, but I think I can find summer in my heart again.

 

Missing Person Report (I'm Still Here)

Sorry, folks... I fell off the blog wagon the day I planned to change my routine; I got very sick for a couple of days back in May and never got back at my daily blog. After prolonged consideration, I have decided to take a relatively blog-free summer and—hopefully—make some progress on a couple of big projects before I get back at it diligently in September.

In the meantime, I am planning to take a mini-summer course online from "Make It in Design" to break the ice for my emerging sideline interest in surface pattern design, starting July 28th and ending in early September. Wish me well! :)