Happy new year! (plus: my holiday art project)

“Know yourself fearlessly (even quietly) for all the things you are” Aberjhani

Happy January, friends!

I hope that you’ve entered the new year feeling great, or at the very least, rested. 2016 was an intense year for so many (also: wild, turbulent, joyful, emotional, expansive, and over the brim with lessons to be learned, then learned again).

I’ve expanded so much this year and sometimes even joyful growth felt miles outside of my comfort zone. I tried to keep my eyes wide open about what it would be like to care for a new baby full time and also run a business from home, but of course I also hoped for a semi-manageable transition.

Naturally, the transition has been soul-transforming and also breathtakingly hard in lots of ways. Passion, stubborn determination, and an amazing support system have gotten me through the past seven months.

Thankfully I’m beginning to breathe a little bit again. I would do it all over for the amazing little boy I spend my days with, but one of my goals for the new year is to treat myself (body, heart, mind) with a little more gentle kindness.

I also want to keep creating lots of new art, as working with my hands is one of my favorite ways to show myself that kindness. Today’s example: I made hand-painted ornaments for Christmas presents this year and I’d love to share them with you.

I first found these beautiful unfinished ornaments on Etsy (shop: MainelyInspiredArt).

I really wasn’t sure at first what I wanted to do, so I began as I usually do by playing with color.

I decided to use a bright, cheery red for the backs of the ornaments so I could stamp Joy onto each one. I love how sweet the white stamped letters look with a bit of gold metallic detailing.