A seasonal reflection.
As my birthday draws near, I find myself reflecting on the year that’s passed ~ all the things i’ve learned, how i’ve grown, and the seeds i’m now planting as i prepare for another lap around the sun.
One of the biggest things i’ve learned is this:
Taking accountability for yourself ~ your choices, your words, your patterns ~ is the most liberating thing you can do.
There is so much strength in saying goodbye to what no longer feels aligned. And the more i write to you here, the more i see how every so-called “mistake” has shaped me into exactly who i’m meant to be in this next phase of my life. I feel a shift, like something is beckoning me to jump into this next year with fire. To fully show up for the life i’ve built and to honour how much i love it.
As a true Cancer baby, i’m deeply empathetic ~ sometimes to a fault. I feel everything. The emotional weight of others settles into my body, and when i let someone pour their energy into me, it can take me days to recover. I’ve learned to honour that. I’ve learned to rot when i need to rot. To slow down, retreat and protect the softest parts of me. I’ve grown to love my alone time so much. Cause by the end of the day if your not content in your own presence, then why should you let someone in your orbit? My social battery is a candle flame, not a roaring fire but a soft flicker. If too many come too close, it starts to sputter. If the wind of others chaos blows in too strong, it struggles to stay lit. And when i don’t honour that delicate flame, i can feel me start to dim. I used to fight that, and sit with my discomfort, and deal with the anxiety, and feed off of others for energy until i burned out when i was all alone in the dark. It was exhausting. But in that soft flicker of the flame, i’ve built something sacred ~ an understanding within myself and those around me.
Some might call me a hermit, but really…i’m just wrapped up in the things i love most; my husband, my dogs, my home. This is where i feel the most me. And i’d rather soak up every second here and be completely present, creating memories i know i’ll cherish for years to come.
Home is everything to me ~ that’s why i made it my career. But lately…something’s shifting. Something new. Something still creative, but more emotionally honest. Something that let’s me express my soul, not just my style. I’m yearning for something that gives me the freedom to express my emotions in my art forms. It’s not just about aesthetics ~ but expression. I’m craving a space where my emotions and my art can meet.
Home will always be my biggest sanctuary, its my safe space. My passion for interiors was never about picture-perfect design. It came from wanting to create real homes. Spaces were people could thrive. Where mistakes could happen and where personality could bloom. Design doesn’t have to be polished. It should be personal. It should change as you do. For me, home is made of layers ~ books, textures, scent, memories. It’s the little alters we build without realising. It’s my treasures, my trinkets, my comfort items. It’s soul over showroom, always.
A few of my rituals for protecting my space:
Smoke cleanse with herbs or incense ~ rosemary, lavender, white sage, mugwort (ethically sourced) depending on the mood. I love growing my own herbs and drying them to make my smudge sticks.
Rearranging furniture or decor ~ moves energy and invites a new flow.
Opening the windows ~ always a first step, even in winter ~ let old air go.
Intuitive cleaning ~not perfectionist scrubbing, but lovingly tending to surfaces that feel “off”
Blow cinnamon for abundance ~ at your front, or any door that’s a common path way in and out.
Simmer pots on the stove ~ seasonally change (citrus, clove, herbs etc), fragrant energy cleanse that lingers long after
Black Tourmaline, Rose Quartz & Quartz at your front door ~ a powerful synergy of energy, love and clarity.
Aromatherapy diffusers ~ my favourite blend; bergamot, basil, frankincense, peppermint and lavender
These rituals aren’t about perfection. They are just small ways i keep our home soft and peaceful.
The more i tend to my home, the more i tend to my spirit. It’s a rhythm i return to over and over ~ one that reminds me i don’t need to chase peace or wait for the world to soften. I can create that softness here. Every candle i light, every corner i tend to, every boundary i honour is a quiet declaration; this is who i am, and this is what matters to me.
Because the world outside feels like it’s forgetting how to feel. So many homes are sealed shut ~ all clean lines and sterile walls. Shutters instead of curtains. Rooms without rhythm. Spaces that look good in photos but hold no warmth, no energy, no soul. It’s like everyone’s afraid to live in their homes ~ afraid to let them breathe. But i’m not here to live that way. I’ve chosen something slower. warmer. I’ve chosen to stay close to the things that ground me. I want homes with stories in the floorboards, spices in the air, books stacked sideways, and a mirage of memories.
My home is an extension of my inner world ~ and no one else gets to define that for me. Not a trend. Not a strangers opinion. Not the pressure to perform or perfect.
I know what feels good.
I know what feels like me.
And i won’t dilute that for anything.
I want rooms that invite you to exhale.
This next chapter is about honouring that even more ~ sharing my deeply fulfilled mess and letting my sacred softness of home hold me as i continue to grow. Because home, to me, isn’t just a place. It’s a feeling, a decision. And i’ve chosen to live in mine fully, fiercely, and unapologetically.
“With freedom, flowers, books and the moon, who could not be perfectly happy?” — Oscar Wilde
Always, in the glow of Honey and Moonlight
xx
Mon