Hi Friends,
Our stories truly do matter!
Today I am celebrating the power of words…
as I document a bit of my story.
Adventures
Antiques
Artistic
Birthdays
Blessings

For each of the past eight years, I have focused on a ‘word.’ Throughout our home, there are visible reminders of each word. This year I created Word Stones for my Friendship Garden to carry this mindfulness practice into the garden, too! 🙂
Blogging
Blossom
Books
Breathe
Candlelight
Cards

I just LOVE creating handmade cards in my little Paper Garden studio downstairs! Each one feels like a little ‘visit’ with a loved one the entire time I am working with paper and ink. Mailing cards off to warm hearts brings me so much joy!
Cherish
Children
Chocolate
Connecting
Coziness

A cup of herbal tea, a good book, soft candlelight, and favorite music add such coziness to cold, Winter days!
Creativity
Dancing

Dancing has always been a special part of my life. I can still remember standing on my daddy’s feet and dancing together in the living room as a young child. I loved taking ballet lessons while growing up. During my college years, we all loved disco dancing on the weekends. This year, I’m having a fabulous time line dancing every week at our Senior Center. It’s boot scootin’ fun… and we laugh a lot! Gotta dance!! 🙂
Daisy
Dawn
Earth-friendly
Explore
Family
Friendship
Gather
Garden

Gardening with perennials and herbs is one of my passions! My Friendship Garden bed (in the foreground) is filled with perennials given to me over the years from gardening friends.
Grace
Gratitude
Handmade
Happiness
Heartfelt
Herbs

The ‘heart’ of my garden is my Herb & Tea garden, built with love, and surrounded by a white, picket fence.
Home
Hope
Hydrangea

Oh, how I love Hydrangeas (and Daisies)! My wedding bouquet was filled with Hydrangeas. I asked the florist to create a simple bouquet that looked as if I just walked through the garden picking blossoms. It was perfect!
Inky
Inspired
Intentional
Invite
Journals

Morning Pages inspire my creative journey. Looking back through my Garden Journal warms the coldest of Winter days. For the past two years, my Self-Care bullet journals have taught me so much. I can’t wait to begin my 2020 bullet journal. Journaling is one important way that I nourish my creative heart and soul! ♥
Joy
Kindness
Learning
Letters
Love
Memories
Mindfulness
Music
Namaste
Nourish
Old-Fashioned
Paper
Perennials
Positive
Present
Renaissance

My Renaissance (the ‘R’ word that I use for my Retirement) is such a wonderful gift of TIME. After thirty-five happy years of teaching young children, I continue the same goals that guided my teaching ~ learn something new every day, be creative, and make a difference! ♥
Restore
Self-Care
Serendipity
Story
Sunshine
Teacups
Teacher
Walking

Oh, the places I’ve walked! I enjoy walking along the prairie, in the desert, on foreign cobblestones, through the woods, and on beaches along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. When my sweet husband and I first met, many of our dates were spent walking hand-in-hand along sparkling water. We got to know one another as we walked along rivers, ponds, lakes, creeks, waterfalls, and a peaceful bog. He even proposed on a very special hike in one of our favorite places! 🙂
♥♥♥
Every single word on this list holds a part of my life story!
It was such fun to create my long list of words,
and a challenge to edit my list.
(There were so many more words that I wanted to include!)
What words would you include on your list?
Today’s post was inspired by Stacy Julian, one of my favorite Memory Keepers, Storytellers, and Scrapbookers. Stacy’s podcast, Exactly Enough Time (Episode 20 ~ “Words I Love”) resonated with me several months ago. I’m so grateful for her inspiration! As time goes on, I hope to share a bit more of my story here…
I’m hoping that you might feel inspired to tell your story, too.
Our stories truly do matter!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Warmest hugs,
♡ Dawn