Irish Custard Tarts ♥ St. Paddy's Day Tea Party

A happy March morning to you, dear readers! 

Next Tuesday is St. Patrick's Day...and, in my opinion, a day to celebrate the lovely heritage of Ireland and all the beautiful things that the Emerald Isle holds. Last year, my mom, sister and I put on a sweet and simple tea party with some favorite recipes. I've decided that it's high time I shared them here on the blog...even though I fully intended on doing so last spring. So this week on my blog will be devoted to recipes perfect for a St. Paddy's tea party, then next week, I'll share some reflections on the gorgeous land of green, as well as some personal photos from my two trips across the Pond.

Let's get started, shall we?

These custard tarts are the most simple dessert...in flavor and appearance, but sometimes simple is best, and this recipe really drives that point home! I think they very well may be one of my favorites. The gentle hint of cinnamon adds a wonderful taste and who doesn't love a puff pastry crust? I'm convinced the combination of the custard with the pastry shell is a heavenly duo. Treat yourself to a bit of Irish goodness and bake up a batch of these wee babies...you won't be sorry you did!

Irish Custard Tarts

5 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/2 cup pure cane sugar     

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

2-inch cinnamon stick

2 strips orange peel

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 box store-bought puff pastry

ground nutmeg, for sprinkling

Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the cornstarch and mix to a smooth paste, then whisk in the milk.

Heat the cream in a saucepan until just starting to simmer, but not boiling. Gradually whisk the hot cream into the egg mixture, then return the mixture to the pan. Add the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Whisk continuously over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Immediately pour into a pitcher. Stir in the vanilla and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is touching the custard, to prevent a skin from forming and set aside. 

Place the sheet of puff pastry on a cutting board and trim to a rectangle of 11 x 9.5 inches. Slice in half lengthwise to make two rectangles, each measuring 11 x 4.75 inches. Sprinkle one rectangle with ground nutmeg...just a little dusting. Place the other on top to make a sandwich. Roll up from the narrow end to make a log. Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut the log into 12 half-inch slices. 

Roll out the slices on a cutting board to 4.5 inch circles. Place the circles in a muffin tin that has been greased with baking spray, lightly pressing down into the bottom and leaving a slightly thicker rim around the top edge.

Remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel from the custard and discard. Pour the custard into the pastry shells.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375*F, or until the crust and filling are golden brown. Let the tarts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out to a wire rack to cool.

**Note: I made the custard the night before and allowed it to cool in the fridge overnight. The next day, I removed the cinnamon stick and orange peel and allowed it to come to room temperature for a bit before pouring the custard into the shells. Then I baked them as normal. This worked quite nicely for me and made for less work on the day of our tea party.**

**Note 2: You do not have to be precise with the measurements of the pastry shell. I did not use any exact measurements, as my style is more easy-going and eye-balling measurements anyway. I have been known to get out a ruler and be ultra-precise whilst baking, but I just didn't with this recipe. Again, it turned out perfectly fine!**

Enjoy with a cup of your favorite tea!

Cooking with Hope's Table

Cooking has been one of my favorite things ever since I was a little girl. I would pull a chair up to the countertop and help my mom by pouring or stirring or sneaking a taste. I was the weird eight year old who would rather watch the Food Network than cartoons. Then when I was fourteen, I discovered the grand new world of cooking on my own...and thus began my obsession with all things related to cooking! 

I've been collecting recipes and magazines and cookbooks for just over a decade now. I've come to learn that there are many different avenues in which one might go about finding recipes to try, not to mention the endless variety of ingredients and flavors to incorporate. Through all of that experimenting and adventuring in the world of food, I've also come to learn that there are but a few cookbooks that are really special, that stands out among the rest, that you turn to again and again, without hesitation. And today I am excited to introduce you to one of those books that, though I just recently discovered it, has quickly become a treasure in my home and kitchen.

Hope's Table is such a book. 

I've spent the last month cooking the recipes in this book. All of February saw me picking and choosing recipes here and there to make for dinner. So far I've cooked fifteen, but I can assure you that there are still others that I want to cook. In fact, tonight's menu plan is Hope's Beef Enchiladas with Rice and Beans. Anyway, about the recipes I've tried so far...

Each of the recipes I chose was delicious! I loved that the ingredients weren't anything crazy and I didn't have to search over all known creation just for one ingredient. Her recipes have the easiest to follow directions and best of all, her cookbook is absolutely full of gorgeous photographs for each and every recipe. And that, in my book, is a must in a cookbook! 

She emphasizes the importance of home and family and the table, all of which are things that I wholeheartedly believe in. Her book feels like that kind that will be passed down for generations and the recipes in it will become family favorites with stories tied to them that will be shared from one person to the next. Truly, this book is a treasure.

I decided to document the meals that I cooked last month so you could see for yourself just how scrumptious her food really is. Please excuse the quality of some of these photos, as it gets quite dark in our home come evening. But I do hope you can get some idea as to the superb recipes that you can find in Hope's book.

Creamy White Chili

I've had a recipe for chicken chili that I've been making for years. I always thought it was really great, that is, until I tried this recipe! My, is it wonderful! I made this one twice last month because we loved it so much...and my other recipe has since been thrown out. A new winner has come to town!

Chicken Parmesan

My mom declared this better than a restaurant...and it is!

Grilled Spicy Peach-Glazed Chicken

Sweet Potato Fries

Southwest Dipping Sauce

My sister is a fan of sauces, so when I saw a wide variety of sauces and dips in Hope's Table, I was excited to be able to try them out. This southwest dipping sauce compliments her sweet potato fries just perfectly...seriously, it is just so good. And chicken is always a favorite around here, so I was happy to find a new way to flavor it...and it tasted so yummy on the grill. It was like a taste of summer in the middle of February!

Hearty Chili

Hope's chili is simple but oh-so-good! I added corn just because we like it, but you could easily leave it out.

Cheesy Breadsticks

Oh my! These breadsticks are to die for! So much yum! 

Friday Night Pizza  

As I am writing this, it is Sunday night and I've got this pizza crust rising in the oven. Believe me when I say that I've tried probably a dozen different pizza crust recipes over the last few years. I've found a couple that were good, but then this one was awesome. It gets crunchy on the bottom and soft on the inside and is incredibly easy to make. Needless to say, this has become our new family pizza crust recipe! (Thanks, Hope!)

Barbequed Meatballs

Perfect Broccoli

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Comfort food is what I think would describe this meal...and we enjoyed it on a cold, wintry night. So it was perfect!

Crispy Chicken Nuggets

Honey Mustard Dressing

Honey Green Beans

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Okay, I maybe twenty-five, but chicken nuggets are still one of my favorites! I think they always will be, and these are so tasty. The honey mustard dressing is ridiculously good and so much better than the bottled stuff from the store. (I also made these twice last month!) Who would have thought honey and green beans would be good? I'll let you in on a secret: it is divine! And, well, I can always find a new way to make roasted potatoes. These were a winner!

My family always tells me that I am a picky person...and they always remind me that I'm picky about everything. I admit it because it's the honest truth. And cookbooks are just one of the many things that I'm picky about. I like lots of pictures, easy to follow directions, recipes that don't call for off-the-wall ingredients and for the layout to be neat and clean. Then, of course, I'd love for a cookbook to have lots of recipes that my family loves. After all, I consider my bookshelf space very precious and only want the very best to reside there. Hope's Table is very precious. It has already become a beloved addition to my library and has honestly been living on the kitchen counter for the better part of the last four weeks. 

I hope you enjoyed this little foodie adventure through Hope's Table. If you are looking for a cookbook that is family-friendly and contains delicious recipes, I highly recommend you check out this one. Hope also has a gorgeous Instagram page, which is how I first found her and book, as well as a beautiful blog where she writes and shares even more recipes.

Do yourself a favor and pop over for a visit!

Thank you for visiting today, dear friends! I hope your week is a beauty!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions, ramblings and photographs are my own. I only recommend books to my readers that I love and cherish, and this is, indeed one of them.*

Adventures of the Reading Life

Books are the plane and the train and the road.

They are the destination and the journey.

They are home.

-Anna Quindlen-

Adventure comes in many ways. Sometimes it means getting in the car and driving country roads and admiring the beauty that you come across. A field of cows or horses peacefully grazing a meadow. A sunset in the distance of violet and pink and light blue hues. Other times, adventure can mean packing a suitcase and getting your passport stamped as you travel many miles to a foreign land, exploring the nooks and crannies of a land that is fresh and brand new to you. And yet, there are also adventures that await you right outside your front door. Rambling around your neighborhood or town, and even your very own yard. You may spot a flower you've never seen before, or find a park tucked in the middle of town that is hidden enough for it to feel like you've left behind all civilization.

I've experienced all of the adventures above. I've gone on my fair share of rides through the countryside...they truly are one of my very favorite things. I've gone across the Pond to a land more glorious and beautiful than I can put into words and seen castles and centuries-old abbeys and rolling hills so lushishly green it's ridiculous. I've walked out my own front door on many occasions and encountered beauty and wonder right there in my own garden. I've discovered new flowers and plants and walked under a canopy of tall, old green trees reaching to the sky right where I live. And they are all wonderfully amazing and fun and lifegiving and thrilling. They are delightful and feed my soul in boundless ways.

But there's also another sort of adventure that I've experienced. That is the grand world of bookish adventures. You don't need a passport. You don't need to pack a suitcase and you don't have to worry about whether or not you've forgotten to pack enough pairs of pants. You don't need to get in the car and drive somewhere, or even walk outside your front door. You simply need to pick up a book and open it and allow it to take you where it desires.

Oh, the adventures I've gone on through the pages of a book. Sarah Clarkson calls it "the reading life" and she often writes about the precious gift it is. In fact, she wrote an entire book on this very topic, which I highly recommend by the way. It's one of my personal favorite bookish treasures! She's right, though. The reading life is a gift and the fact that you can go on an infinite number of adventures simply by reading a book is a wondrous gift.

You see, my passport may only have a few stamps in it so far, but the passport of my mind and heart have so many more. I've travelled to the ancient town of Oxford where Lewis and Tolkien walked and shared their imaginations and stories together along with Peter and Emilia in Can't Help Falling. The stories of Sophia, Ginny and Emily in The Secrets of Paper and Ink took me to the seaside town of Cornwall in England. Last spring, I found myself in the Italian countryside as the love between Emily and Chef Ben grew sweetly and tenderly in A Portrait of Emily Price. I visited the land of Anne Shirley not only though the Green Gables series but also through a contemporary series, in particular my favorite book in that trio of stories, Where Two Hearts Meet. And finally, I just returned from New Zealand and the land of all things Tolkien and hobbits in Close to You.

Each of the above books has taken me to places I've never been before, and in all honesty, sometimes places that I didn't even think I'd want to visit in person. But the thing is...now I do. The world of bookish adventures stirs something up in my heart for more real-life adventures and to see these places with my own two eyes and to experience these things for myself.

I distinctly remember the red sand beaches on Prince Edward Island and the sunflower fields in the Italian countryside and the old churches in the village and how beautiful they were. I remember the descriptions of the seaside town of Cornwall and how beautiful the sea was and how charming the shops and pubs were. I can't forget the beauty of the New Zealand mountains as well as the lovely Queenstown and how fun it sounded. And the historic English town of Oxford and how rich it is in story and legacy of such remarkable writers as well as the quaintness and charm it holds. All of these things stayed with me long after I closed the pages of those books. Something resonated with me, not just within the story, but also regarding the location and places that I was transported to by simply reading and reading some more. 

Bookish adventures are at our fingertips and to embrace their call is the act of giving ourselves a gift that costs nothing, except for the cost of the book itself. But, oh, the things you'll get in return! You'll be richer and better for it. 

The funny thing is that in each story I read, I almost always find myself in bits and pieces, whether they be big or small. I think that's what we're looking for, in some way or another, when we pick up a book. We want to see ourselves and find someone else who we can relate to, even if it is a fictional character. Another funny thing is that to the authors whose imaginations create and cultivate such characters and stories will tell you that these are, in fact, real people to them. Authors often speak of how the characters come to life and write their own stories. I, for one, can tell the difference when an author allows the characters to guide their pen to those who aren't as organic in their writing process. Last year, I watched a video of an author sharing about her new book and writing process and it was magical...this lady practically enters the Wardrobe, if you know what I mean. When she writes a novel, she steps into a world all its own and meets these characters as they introduce themselves to her and slowly, but surely, they begin sharing their story with her as she puts it to paper. Her stories are captivating and mesmerizing and full of magic. Those are the stories I want to read and they hold the adventures that I desire to go on when I pick up a book.

Thank goodness for bookish adventures and thank goodness for writers who bring such stories to life.

I'd love to hear what bookish adventures you've been on, so do share all about them below! 

Normal Days and Treasures They Behold

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.

Mary-Jean Irion

The air was hot and humid and very summer-like. It was the perfect day to stay in the air conditioning and perhaps venture outside once the sun was setting. Seasonal fruits and veg were in full abundance and there was a pot of fresh basil growing right outside our kitchen window. Watermelon was a staple in our house and never lasted for long. Oh, and bruschetta! I spent quiet, peace-filled time in the kitchen washing tomatoes and chopping them, cutting ribbons of curly basil and drizzling in olive oil and sprinkling salt and pepper. A fresh baguette carefully browned under the broiler and then once all was done, the tomatoes were gently spooned over the bread pieces, looking ever so beautiful in their summer colors and just bursting with fresh, earthy, summertime flavor. It was heavenly.

Later that evening, I found myself at the kitchen sink rather merrily doing the dishes. Rinsing plates off and piling them into the dishwasher. Washing the pots and pans, allowing the suds to form and the scent of citrus soap filling the room, little bubbles floating up as they escaped the sink. It was quiet, except for the instrumental music softly playing in the background. I moved onto the stovetop and wiped it down with a warm washcloth and a sweet-scented organic cleaner. The counters were last, then I turned the dishwasher on. The music stopped and the lights went out. 

I trodded up the stairs and rummaged around my bedroom, putting away clean clothes, tidying up my books and desk, putting magazines in their place on the shelf and lighting a candle in between. Night had fallen, and a warm shower was calling. I picked up a book and enjoyed some moments of bookish adventure before drifting off to dreamland.

Nothing but a normal day. 

But a treasure, nonetheless.

The quote I shared at the beginning of this post is one that reminds me of the beauty of a normal, ordinary day. It challenges me to see the treasure in simple pleasures. I am convicted to keep my senses aware to all the wonders that surround me. And most often, these come in ordinary moments on normal days in simple ways. The day I described was one of my finest summer memories from last year. I was reminded during those hot, humid summer days and nights that there is peace found in simple daily tasks. There is purpose in their hiddenness and there is ample joy found in doing something as simple as washing dishes. I found such calm and healing in those ordinary tasks, but I think domesticity has a way of doing that...calming and healing oneself. There are profound beauty and value in the domestic life and all the many endeavours and tasks it holds and calls us to.

There is much to learn from, to love and to find blessing in, in normal, ordinary days. Just as the quote says. And it is my humble opinion, that the domestic life offers elements of beauty and delight that bring us to that blessing and joy.

My challenge for you today, dear ones, is to love your normal days. Find beauty in the ordinary. See the value in the tasks given to you. Allow the domestic life to feed you blessing upon blessing upon blessing, and then as your cup is filled, seek to pour those blessings out to those around you.

Normal days, they are treasures indeed. What beauty and wonder there is to be found in them!

Blessings on your week, dear friends! May you find much beauty in your ordinary days!

♥

To read all the posts in my Further Up and Further In series, please visit this page. 

Further Up & Further In ♥ Bloom · Grow · Flourish || Introduction

Perhaps you have heard the ever-popular words from C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, "further up and further in". I'll admit to not being the hugest fan of Lewis, as there are many of his writings on love and life that I don't personally don't agree with. However, there are some of his words that I find remarkably wise and profound, and full of beauty. These being some of them. Further up and further in. Such promise and hope I find in these words, knowing that there is still so much ahead. Just going further up and further in. I have long pondered these words and have felt the desire to implement them somehow in my writing journey. 

That brings me to today.

Being the avid reader that I am, I am always devouring some sort of book or another. In the past, this meant exclusively non-fiction books, but last year, the world of fiction opened up to me the way the blue skies opens up after a summer thunderstorm. All bright and lovely and more than welcome. I have found a grand world amongst the fiction novels. I've met characters along the way that have felt more like friends than some result of a talented author's imagination. I've travelled to places near and far and shared many adventures with these fine people. In the non-fiction books, I've been reminded that loving, cultivating and cherishing that which is good and true and beautiful is still very much worth it. And that it is still very much out there and alive in the world, though dark it may seem at a quick glance at the news' headlines. I've been reminded of timeless truths that have reawakened a richness within me that I once knew as a little girl. The writers who I have come across have become mentors and examples and teaches for me. They have encouraged me, taught me, inspired me and challenged me. 

Needless to say, these things have been gifts in my life. 

Through the strange invention of the internet, I have also come across some lovely writers through this thing called blogging. Some of these folks have written things so beautiful there are no words to express how thankful I am to have read their words. These people, though they may not have their works published in a bookshop or on Amazon, are about as gifted as they come. Their words have provided a kindred spirit hug when I felt alone and like I was the only one who thought a specific way. I have found mentors and examples and teachers this way, too.

Throughout the past couple of years, I have kept notebooks full of these writings and quotes and words that have inspired, challenged, taught or encouraged me. I have quite the treasure trove, and yet it is growing all the time. I return to these passages often and am filled up once again with the boost of encouragement and truth that I need. And I want to pass it on...and walk further up and further in with you.

This is the start of an ongoing, endless series here at the Inglenook, in which I will share some of these wisdom nuggets with you and offer you a kindred spirit atmosphere as we journey further up and further in together. To bloom, grow, and flourish together.

As a lover of words, I find learning the precise definition of words fascinating. For example, as beautiful as the word bloom is, once you know the exact definition of this word, it takes it to another world. Bloom means to produce or yield blossoms; to flourish or thrive. When I hear the word bloom, I think of a flower, obviously. But I think of how unique that flower is among all the others. How it blooms contentedly and confidently just as it is, in its own perfect way and time. I think of how beautiful a flower blooming is and what beauty it adds to the world. I think how wonderful it is when we apply that same attitude to our own lives. 

Grow is another word that I love. I think of springtime and the earth reawakening from her long winter slumber and how she returns to her glorious green color. Everything is growing fresh and new. I think of how, we, too, grow. Every day we are in the process of growing. Sometimes that growth is visible and on the surface, and other times it is deep within our souls and hearts and even though it's not visible to the eye, there is much beauty taking root down deep within us. To grow is to arise as a natural development from an original happening, circumstance or source.

And finally, to flourish...I think that flourishing comes along with blooming and growing, as I believe they all work together. While it may seem as though only one may be taking place at any given moment, in truth, we are always blooming, we are always growing and we are always flourishing. To flourish is to thrive or prosper. I think of nature, once again, and how nature often is a mirror image of ourselves. Nature thrives when it receives water and nourishment and care and yet, nature also needs the rest of winter so that it can properly thrive come springtime. We are the same way. We need rest and nourishment and care. 

These words are all verbs, which of course, are words that show action. If we want to bloom, grow, or flourish, we must put an action forth. I believe this is where the whole further up and further in thing comes into play. As we learn and expand our minds and read and ponder and chat together, we are walking that road together of blooming and growing and flourishing. We are journeying further up and further in to a whole side of the world that is completely shut out to those who refuse to learn.

I invite you, dear one, to my new ongoing, endless series here at my cozy Inglenook. May we walk further up and further in together. May we find kindred spirits here as we bloom and grow and flourish. May the atmosphere be gentle and soft and sweet and full of wonder and imagination and encouragement. May we open our minds to learning and reading and embarking on the adventure that awaits us if only we open our minds to it. 

Be sure to come back often for new installments in this series. If you ever want to catch up on any posts in this series you may have missed, you can simply click on the "Further Up & Further In" tab on the menu at the top of this page. All posts will be gathered there for easy reading!

What do you say...are you with me? Will you journey further up and further in? 

Let the adventure begin!

Bright Green Smoothie ♥ A Favorite Recipe

Good morning, friends! What a beautiful January day it is...whether you are knee-deep in snow or soaking up lots of sunshine, whether it is the middle of winter or the midsummer months, whatever your weather and wherever you are in this grand world, I hope you are well.

Smoothies are a favorite of mine, especially in the warmer months. I admit that I don't have smoothies that often once the weather turns cold. But as soon as the first warm day reappears after months of cold, grey, wintry days, I am always excited to pull out the ol' blender and make a healthy, fruity smoothie.

I have quite a collection of recipes that I love rotating through. Green smoothies have been all the rage for years now. I've constantly heard folks online talking about them and how much they enjoy making and drinking them. Well, several years ago, I decided to try one for myself. Let me just tell you, it was not good...or pretty. It turned out into a most dreadful, disgusting brownish color, and I just can't eat or drink something that repulses me. Oh, it was so gross!! That quickly turned me off to the idea of putting anything green into a smoothie because I thought that it would automatically turn it into a sick brown color. That is, until last autumn...

I stumbled upon a super simple recipe for a green smoothie, and guess what? It's really, actually, totally, completely GREEN! Hallelujah! Not only is the color bright and beautiful and so inviting, but the flavor is absolutely wonderful! My sister and mom even declared it was awesome, and they aren't always smoothie fans. But this one was different! I've made it more times than I can count and practically have the recipe memorized.

If you are looking for something bright and beautiful and healthy to start your day off with...or for a mid-day snack...or if you crave something in the evening, this is just what you want to make. It is packed full of goodness and yumminess, and I hope you get the chance to try it very, very soon. I don't think you'll be sorry! {{smiles}}

Bright Green Smoothie

2 cups fresh spinach

2 cups water

1 cup frozen mango

1 cup frozen pineapple

2 bananas- fresh or frozen

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend well until smooth and creamy. 

Note: I have found that in order to get the smoothest drink, it is best to first blend the water and frozen spinach together, until it is a green juice. Then add the frozen fruits and blend well, until thoroughly combined and wonderfully smooth.

Also, we have found that it is cheaper to buy bigger bags of fresh spinach at Aldi and then we come home and lay out the leaves on a baking sheet tray, in a single layer. We stick the tray in the freezer for a few hours and then transfer the frozen spinach leaves into a baggie. We repeat this until the entire bag of spinach has been frozen. The leaves will last a couple of months, but honestly, they don't last that long around here. Just grab about 2 cups when you're ready to make a smoothie and you're ready to go! 

What are your favorite smoothie recipes or flavor combinations?

2020 ♥ A Year of Living Gently & Slowly

Happy new year, friends! I'm so excited to be back here in my cozy blogging corner. My little break was a delightful one...relaxing, peace-filled, and renewing. I read books, baked lots of bread and tried new recipes at dinnertime, enjoyed listening to the rain outside my window in the evenings and going on a few drives on sunny afternoons. I discovered a new show that I am now obsessed with and watched a few old favorite movies that I hadn't seen in way too long. I cleaned and tidied my room and did a bit of redecorating, listened to music that gives life to my soul, and just breathed in the freshness that a new year brings. It was a good, much-needed time off, but all that to say, I am happy to be back!

What better place to start the first post of 2020 off with than a list of goals, right? Well, my "list" isn't actually that, but rather a certain direction that I want to steer my life in 2020...and beyond.

In the last so many years, as blogging and social media have become less and less personal and more and more about numbers, followers and building a platform, it has become trendy and extremely common to pick a word for the new year. I've done this for the past three or four years (I lost count) but decided against that action for this new year. Personally, it didn't mean a thing to me...literally, it had no influence over my year or choices or anything at all. I've come to notice that for a lot of folks (not all, mind you, but most) that this yearly tradition is nothing more than a means of making a blog post or social media post and to shoot up the number of likes or comments or followers on may receive. That just doesn't sit well with me, as I'm growing more and more intolerant of the impersonal and money-making-obsessiveness that seems to be overtaking the blogging and social media world. I'm choosing something different for myself in 2020, and here's what it is...

To live slowly and gently. To live authentically and organically. To live freely and wildly into who I was made to be. I'm saying no to resolutions and goals and lists and all these things I "have" to do. I'm saying yes to slowness, gentleness, authenticity, genuineness, simplicity, and to seeking, savouring, creating and delighting in the beauty and magic of ordinary, everyday life. To the sweetness of smallness and the value of hiddenness.

My "goals" for 2020, if you can even call them that, are to steer my life in such a way that I notice small things in all their beauty, even if it's just the way an old book smells and feels in my hands, or the swirl in my french vanilla latte, or the way the ivy twirls up and around the tall and wide and bumpy tree trunk in our front garden or the gentle sound of knitting needles clicking together as I create a cozy cowl. I want to live slowly so that I don't miss any little thing. I want to live gently so that I can focus on real-life instead of perfection. I want to be formed by beauty in all its many ways and forms and to taste the magic of my every ordinary day. I want to return to the abundant life that I believe I was born to live. I want to embrace wonder again and rekindle my imagination and to be secure in the wildness that it invites me into. I want to live freely, like the wild wisteria that grows in our garden, completely at peace in its design and ways. This is what I want, not just for this new year, but for all my life. And I feel that now is the time to start.

For me, there are several practical aspects to this life I want to embrace. My four things are creating, writing, wandering and reading. Creating for me means many things, cooking and baking, knitting and sewing, taking pictures and crafting, decorating and so on. Writing is mainly done through my blog, though I do have other endeavours that I wish to venture out into at some point. It also means keeping a reading and commonplace journal and a travel journal whenever I find myself in a different place on an adventure. Which brings me to wandering; this doesn't always mean far from home, perhaps more often it means right near to where you already are. This year I hope to visit parks and nature centers and gardens galore, as well as hopefully a small trip here or there. Wandering also means simply stepping out into my own yard and taking an afternoon ramble to admire the beauty set right before me. Spring and autumn are my very favorite seasons and at our home, it is especially true. Summertime brings more mosquitoes than I ever thought possible and in wintertime, I'll admit it can be hard to find beauty in nature unless there is a blanket of white covering the ground. I find it difficult to think that the dead, brown, lifeless branches and grass are lovely, but I try to see beauty even in the dead of winter. And finally, reading...ah, this one is quite obvious. I'm declaring this the year of "delighted reading" and am choosing to read anything that appeals to me, with no boundaries or feelings of guilt or pressure. If I want to read a children's book, then so be it; if I pick up a 500-page classic, that's fine, too. I've even thrown out all ambitions to reach a goal of reading a certain number of books this year. I would, of course, love to read a lot, but I've completely taken any pressure off of myself. It's about the delight and wonder of reading, not the number of books I can shove into my year.

It is my hope to share more on the beauty and goodness of living gently and slowly this year, as well as all the other things I shared in this post. For the first time in so long, I feel excited again, as though beauty is just around the bend. Because I know it is. And I believe the secret to such a life is in living it in a slow and gentle manner, embracing authenticity and being wild and free and fully welcoming the abundance that we were intended to experience. Small things are beautiful and lovely and wonderful. However, a small life is not what we were born for. We were born for abundance and richness, and that means finding beauty in the small things, and happiness in our ordinary days. It means wandering this grand, beautiful green earth to savour and drink up all the wonders it holds. It means immersing oneself into the grand world of books and movies and shows and music that bring life and joy and goodness back to your soul and fill you up to overflowing. That's what a wondrously marvellous life looks like, to me at least. And that's what I crave and desire and hope for and dream of. And it's exactly what I intend on cultivating for myself.

Dear friend, what's on your heart for 2020? Do you desire the richness and splendid beauty that a slow, gentle life offers? If so, you are in good company, for I believe that all those who find their way to this corner of the world wide web are hungering for the same beauty and goodness. You are in the right place and I invite you to stick around because 2020 is going to bring lovely things...

May you live slowly so as not to miss the beauty right in front of you and may you live gently so as not to focus on perfection and rules and strictness, but rather, live into the wild and free and gloriously marvellous life you were created for.

Bless you, dear reader! May you find a kindred spirit atmosphere here and may you be ever so welcomed as we seek the lovely things together...I'm thankful and delighted that you're here!

Happy new year!
♥