Muse Letter: January 2024
roller coaster ride, paralysis, flower power, books, music, movies, tomato soup, vintage bottle openers, and sunshine.
Welcome to the very first installment of my Monthly Muse Letter Series.
…but first a little story.
So shortly after my substack kick-off post last week for Textures of Grace I experienced a bit of a crazy roller coaster ride of emotions. From: a complete peace, to pure joy and excitement, to a renewed place of inspiration and ideas, to sudden overstimulation, anxiety, and dread! I became so overwhelmed with fear and panic that I eventually had no choice but to surrender to a case of mental paralysis. I thought to myself,
‘what have I gotten myself into?…I don’t know if I can actually do this if I have to go through all this.’.
My brain became useless! Part of the reason for my sheer panic started when I asked myself ‘What do I want to post next?’. My mind went BLANK! All the ideas I had and felt inspired to share suddenly felt not good enough and something just pressed the delete button on it all. I felt so bummed, really annoyed, and deflated. And even a bit silly for being so affected by it all.
Thankfully that crazy little emotional roller coaster ride only lasted a week. And now after a time of embracing a stillness I felt the necessary clarity I needed to take another step forward in this journey I’m inspired to pursue.
I feel my most inspired creatively when I go with my own flow. So until I get in a nice groove on the when, what, and how side of things here I thought I would start with a Monthly Muse Letter Series. The series will house a recap of things I’ve read, listened to, watched, ate, experienced, etc that have contributed to my muse over the past month. Hopefully there will be something in these monthly letters that will spark some form of inspiration for you as well.
first up…
Flower Power
My purple Bearded Iris are usually the first to bloom in our garden. Their glorious welcoming faces at the start of each year always get me excited for the upcoming spring season peeking just around the corner.
My orchids are also having a lovely moment. I’m always surprised when I start to see new blooms appear. For some reason I imagined them to be a difficult flower to keep alive. But so far over the last four years they have graced me with their beauty with at least two bloom clusters each year.
Book Favorites
I have a Non-Fiction and a Fiction that made my favorite book reads in January.
The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker - I initially went in to this book back in November for some hosting inspiration for the upcoming holidays. But I quickly realized this book was going to be a true gem and that I needed to take my time with it in order to digest everything it has to offer. It is packed with helpful tips on the art of gathering and why it matters, and so much more. Gatherings have amazing benefits and the host should not take for granted their part in contributing to that. The book definitely exceeding my exceptions! I loved it!
You should read this book if:
You host social gatherings, meetings and/or social events.
You want to get to the heart of your gatherings with an identified purpose and intention.
You want your guests to get the most out of your gatherings and walk away from the experience with a lasting memory of positivity and fulfillment.
You want to understand ways to prepare, think outside the box, read your guests, and how to be the hostess/host of the mostest.
Wellness by Nathan Hill - This book is a thick one! But it read so smooth and kept my interest the whole way through I enjoyed every 624 pages of it. The story centers around a couple that met in college in the 1990s and how their lives evolved together and as individuals. I really enjoyed how the author takes the reader back and forth between timelines from when they were young children up to their middle aged 40s. Being that I grew up in the 80s and 90s I very much related to the references from that era as well as the evolution to where we are today as a society in the world of technology and social media. My favorite read of the year thus far. :)
You should read this book if:
you enjoy stories with strong character development.
you grew up in the 80s and 90s or want to learn something from that era.
you enjoy (or don’t mind) timeline variances.
you don’t mind big books.
you want to learn a thing or two on how the internet and social media works behind the scenes and how it is taking over people’s lives in today’s day and age.
Music to My Ears
Sailing by Christopher Cross
I’ve developed a new and improved love for Christopher Cross. I am in complete awe of his music at the moment. I recently sat down and really listened (more like studied) his famous song ‘Sailing’ and fell absolutely in love with it all over again. I’m embarrassed to say I have never really paid attention to the lyrics before (and I grew up on this song), but wow!! The song is a beautiful masterpiece both lyrically and musically. I now want to visit with Mr. Cross over coffee and have a lovely chat about life. Please go have a listen. The words and melodic rhythms will take you away to a dream like fantasy of all things lovely that you’ve ever hoped for.
“Well, it's not far down to paradise, At least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away, And find tranquility
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, Just you wait and see, believe meIt's not far to never never land, No reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy, Of innocence again
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, Just you wait and see, believe meSailing
Takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me, Soon I will be freeFantasy, It gets the best of me, When I'm sailing”
…
Sailing by Christopher Cross
My January 2024 Playlist - I’ve been creating monthly playlists for about 4 years now and that ritual is still going strong. Whatever music that moves me during that month makes it on the playlist. A bit of a music mood diary if you will. Sometimes the songs are quite cohesive and consistent and other months the collection of songs are all over the map. I love that and wouldn’t want it to work out any other way.
Movie Magic
What I watched:
The Holdovers - I can’t think of a single movie that Paul Giamatti has been in that I didn’t like and this one did not disappoint either. I almost watched it at the theatre by myself when it came out because I didn’t think anyone in the fam would enjoy it, but the ‘me day’ fell through. So once it hit the home screens James saw it advertised and was surprisingly intrigued as well (who knew?). So we watched it together at home one evening and it was just so lovely with beautiful 70s aesthetic and a good ol’ wholesome feel good kind of story. James loved it. I loved it. It was a win win!
What I Want to Watch:
FUED: Copote vs The Swans - Scandalous entertainment is not really ever my go-to. But with a casting line up like that I’m intrigued. Plus I’m sure the fashion is amazing! It’s now streaming on hulu! I need to watch it pronto. Have you seen it yet? Did you like it?
My New Collection
So it turns out I like to collect things. Never have I ever considered myself to be a collector, but after some home organizing and serious soul searching evidence has revealed otherwise. I’m still discovering throughout my house what all I have chosen to collect over the years. But for the sake of this muse letter I’d like to share my newest collection: Vintage Bottle Openers!
Cool right?? I just love the vintage heavy brass pieces. So far I only have two in my collection. But I think they are quite the beauties!
Homemade Tomato Soup
Soup season is in full swing here and I recently made a tomato soup that I discovered on Instagram and it is soooo delicious! It’s super simple with very few ingredients, yet so rich and flavorful. James and the kids love it too! I’ve made it twice so far and already planning another pot of it soon. Highly recommend! Recipe below.
Moments of Sunshine
…in a rather gloomy, cold, and rainy season.
Conclusion
I’ll leave you with a little excerpt from a book I’m currently reading as well as a few things about myself I recently shared on my IG stories.
Thank you so much for reading. Until next time. xo