in the kitchen: good food is best shared.

truly, good food is best shared in good company.  

life stories: {this} moment. nest building + wish casting.

in some of these moments i'm making a little nest. a literal nest. one that will be shared soon.  one that holds memories and hopes of life ahead for a dear friend.  i'm building something sweet that fills my soul. 

the nest you see pictured here was made by these hands for a sweet hazel wren, daughter to two dear, dear souls.  i love my kindred spirits around my world that bring light and life.  i love stitching for each of them, sending light and love with each stitch.

i love that these sacred stitches will hang in hazel's room, adding color that reflects the bright life she will lead.  such dreams we put into their sweet little lives.  as i stitch i'm sending out wishes for each: i wish for each love. wholeness in mind, body, and spirit. peace (in the spirit of shalom & wholeness). kinship. to be known. to be seen. to be heard.  i wish for each friendship. true friendship. forever friendship. soul friendship.  

kindred connections: my dear friend r

we've been friends since we were 12.  i'd said 13, but she corrected me.  

that seems fitting, as she has the better memory of the two of us.

we ventured around the city and stopped in hollywood cemetary to look, to listen, and to capture.  it was a beautiful day. 

there are many layers to our friendship, so many that are present but don't need naming.  we know them. we've named them over the years.  we know the source of that first meeting, the spaces that we have been, and know that we're present to each other no matter what lies ahead.

we found adventure out in the city, locating treasures here and there.

we savored our time together, drawing close.  we dined well.  we laughed well.  we recalled stories of living well.  we're present to each other in this weekend together and in these spaces of away.  she's one of the reasons that i have my heart in two places, for she's my kindred, my family, too.  

in the garden: a new first bloom.

what a beautiful bloom from the sarah bernhardt peony recently planted in my garden. 

it's meant to tell a story of friendship.  

may friendship continue to bloom, 

being planted in the proper soil to receive 

just enough light, water, and blessing. 

creative love: shop update + friendship

in honor of friendship, kindred spirits, and my soul friend jayme, i've created some fun, lively prints. each of my friends creates sunshine in my life, so it's fitting to see the golds. they encircle me with the birthing waters as some function as creative midwives, a part of the creativity within me coming to life. the colors move from our core out into the world that surrounds us. the world is better because of the good energy, love, and compassion we share for one another. we become better people.

so, as folks think about lovey-dovey hearts and cupids and boxes of chocolate, i think of these lovelies in my life who make me bloom. i'm sure you have a few, too.

and so... each of these are available in my etsy shop as reproduction prints (my first to offer) for $12 each. combined shipping saves $ and you can have a set of three or 5 lovelies that tell your own story of friendships you share. enjoy these. enjoy friends. enjoy this day.

who feeds your soul? who brings life to you? pause and send love their way. breathe deeply, allowing yourself the space to name them, send gratitude for their presence, and feel within your soul what they bring to life.

in the studio: friendship wreath

a friendship wreath in the making for Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt

representing a wonderful circle of women who surround her.

a friendship quilt on its way to its new home.

a fuzzy image of the meeting between wreath and book,

each created by the women whose gathering first took shape over stories shared

ending with these gifts: a lovely wreath and the awesomeness of this book.

ready to be received.

the friendship wreath received well, hanging at its home

where the friendships here are tied together,

gathered through this special woman.

the themes of friendship influencing the creation of this wreath:

blooming.

ties that bind.

a little birdie told me...

"i love rik rak!"

life stories: a prayer wreath

it's been the season for wreaths. for a number of months, I've been creating this wreath as an act of prayer for a sweet one & her family. each time I code fabrics, ripped fabrics, cut ribbon, tied them on, and looked upon it, I prayed.

a old friend now new friend prayed through selecting fabric, then constructing & creating birds to represent these sweet three.

we are honored to have presented this wreath and invite you to share your prayers as you look upon them here. take the idea and use it. share love and prayer and goodness.

life stories: stretching moments

there are moments when stretching takes shape in daily rhythms, like the practice of yoga. where our muscles are stretched, awakened. there's a path that this stretching takes: releasing the muscles aids in bringing me fully into the present. being present to the stretching clears my mind and allows rest and recovery. i am who i am in that moment, fully alive, breathing deeply and sending peace and love through each stretch. (my blonde arm hair looks so, so hairy in this image...but it's really not so hairy...really)

there are other moments where the stretching takes a different shape. where the once stubborn resistance meets a moment of clarity, where reconciliation happens at table over wine, bread, local foods, and dessert shared. where the stretching isn't just about your muscles and mind, but about all the muscles, heart strings, and resistance meeting a letting go. there's a point in stretching where you must release. this stretch as pictured above reached across six years. yes. 6 years. it's one that was met with tears, thankfulness, and gratitude. there's a release where we are each fully present to the moment, even if the moment is a bit surreal at times. even if the moment is all that's known and the future unknown. it's a stretch that's proved to be good for all involved, where reconciliation, love, and gratitude will stretch on, reaching other relationships and providing the necessary spaces for life & healing, in self and others.

sometimes, always, it's a stretch for me to say: i was wrong. but sometimes, often, those stretches bring me fully into the present: binding my heart, mind, body, and soul.

she is to be remembered

she was made alongside others, alongside women. we retreated from the world, kicking the dust off our feet at the door. we met in a circle of chairs in the chapel, sacred space. each moment was pulling us closer together, closer to our focus. each space of time was like moving into the inner circle, into the sacred circle.

through her i'll remember the comments from women i have known during my first master's & on staff at this church lo those years ago. a selection here:

i am so proud of you.

i'm excited! listing to you and being with you i was thinking, "this is suzanne in HER element!"

you're so comfortable to be around. you have such an easy-going spirit.

you are certainly called to minister to women.

your words touched me. they were just what i needed to hear.

my habit is not to truly allow these words to sink in from others, so i'm record them here as a reminder. i must see them, recognize the words and allow them to reach my toes with their warmth. of course, there were many comments, hugs, a few tears, and lots of affirmation & acknowledgements. i trust that the spirit of God was at work in our time together, lending our gifts & deepest needs to meet in the safety & sacredness of the space. my first retreat in a monastery. delightful.

and to boot: the workings of a new retreat a few months in the making have really been coming together in thought with word and writing. i am thankful for so much: for a more relaxed time in my childhood home, for creative spaces, for kindred spirits, for time at retreat, for lunch with a best friend, and for all the moments that add up to this. the creative spaces are at work.

may the blessings you receive from others be a light to hold up: a light that shines your strength, beauty, and joy in the spaces of your life where light is needed. be the mirror for those who offer that strength, beauty, and joy to the world. you are a gift. your presence is a gift.

my dearest of friends

Lately I've been attempting to articulate the blessings of kindred spirits in life. I will let you know when those words come forth into a guest post on another blog, but until then, I'll celebrate my friend Black Betty. My friend BB has been a close friend since the 7th grade. She's the longest running friendship of my life, and will be until I die. Black Betty wrote a beautiful blog entry celebrating our friendship, see below. She's family. She and her family came to my home in VA over Thanksgiving for a day & night. What joy. She used her amazing skills to take photos of our family and some of me (as seen above). She's been a light in the dark over the last 20 years. I love you, huh. Thank you for celebrating our friendship, BB. My love goes to you as well.

See her work and the work of her business partner & creative spirit at frick frack foto!

From Black Betty's Blog:

Reverendartistmother and I have been friends for over twenty years now. She was the first friend I had when we moved to the Jackson area.

Since we were in 7th grade, I could see the artistic talent in her. She always had the cool handwriting, the cute graphics, the best ideas about decorating…and an easy way of showing herself artistically, either through tangible works or audible expression. She was soothing and easy going. It was like being hypnotized when she talked to you, but you should never think she was a pushover. Those eyes told another story; they had fire behind them. She could lure you in or push you out…all without a notice of ungraceful demeanor. She could tell you off and keep smiling, and I LOVED it. She was my quiet soul that ALWAYS stood in my corner.

Over the last fifteen years, we have lived our relationship long distance. Between school, jobs, families, kids, we have been separated longer than we have been together, but that hasn’t kept us from remaining friends. I have watched her develop her talents in ways I never dreamed of. She is a truly amazing woman, friend, artist, wife, daughter, mother…

I now have the honor of hanging HER artwork on the walls of my new house. It brings tears to my eyes when I think back to 8th grade and us swapping notes…looking at each other’s handwriting and trying to mimic it so the teacher wouldn’t know who was who. It brings joy to my heart to know that she is living her dream. She is actually doing what we all wish we could do. These pieces of art allow me to look into her soul and be close to her every day. She is always with me. Her spirit lives in my home and with my children…watching over them as she watched over me so many years ago.

I love you, girl and to depths that you will never know. I don't think there are enough words available to express how proud I am of you. May God continue to use your hands, mind, and body as an outlet from His soul…Amen.