Boho Girl

dear deer,
so grateful for all you teach me.

xo,
boho girl

Last night while we were preparing for Cedar’s nightly rhythm, I said to him…”when you wake up in the morning, there will be a surprise!” His face lit up with a smile wider than usual “ a soupwize??” he asked. Of course he was suddenly inspired to walk up the stairs and into the bed. As I held him until he fell asleep, he kept saying “soupwize” and then sighing.  Once he fell asleep and I went back downstairs, I said to Boho Boy,  “if he remembers when he wakes up, then he is far too smarty for a 2 year old!” Guess what happened. As soon as he opened his eyes this morning, he looked at me and whispered “goo-mownin! soupwize, mama??”.

I wasn’t sure what he was going to think about it. I had a feeling he was imagining and dreamed all night about some cool car or train but what I handed him was a gift that Boho Boy’s dear friend and previous assitant (when he was a Librarian) gifted to Cedar right before we moved. It was a wooden birdhouse…waiting to be painted and hung on one of our trees. We are blessed with a plethora of beautiful birds that visit our neighborhood. We wake up to melodies every morning and we were told that the man living in this home previous to us had many bird houses throughout the trees. I wasn’t sure Cedar would be into it, although I know he loves to paint on his easel. When I handed it to him and told him that his surprise was that we get to go outside and paint this birdhouse, he was totally delighted and my heart melted.

So, I brought his table and chairs outside in the late morning, under a tree and we took out our Glob natural paints for the first time. These paints are pigments made from fruits, vegetables, flowers and spices. They smell delicious and the colors are gorgeous. I think the bottles are so pretty I want to use them to decorate!

This morning, painting with him under the tree, listening to acoustic music and the birds singing and saying hello to our neighbors passing by…was one of the most favorite mornings of my life. We just sat there quietly painting together. Comfortably in silence. I enjoy his company so, so much.

{cedar’s fisherman pants were made especially for him by my friend em…who added a darling patch with trees! i have a feeling cedar will always have some sort of tree theme in his life}

Inspired by the beautiful Amanda, the five of us sat around the table on Christmas Eve and created our own Gratitude Garland. Each of us had gathered beauty from the earth to paint, draw and write on. We wrote what we feel grateful for. Boho Brother stayed up the latest layering found objects with his unique arty style. The next morning I woke up to Boho Brother and Omi hanging it on the porch of the beach house.

Mmmmm…so magical.  I think I will take it home and hang it in our house to remind me how much being grateful for even the smallest of things, can shift your heart.

So many more images to share but here is one of our most cherished that we continue to gaze at with hearts swollen with love.

{People always ask me what Cedar is wearing, so I think I will start doing that at the end of my posts. ; ) Hat is from Baby Gap. Handmade crocheted scarf made by Cedar’s Auntie Pammie, branch shirt by Kicky Pants}

My dear friend Em is teaching a yummy ecourse…and there is still time to sign up!! For those of you that are dipping your toes into the world of crafting, like me, this is a wonderful and un-intimidating place to start. And for those who are already bonafide Craft Goddesses, this is a fun way to explore another obsession. ; )  Read more information about it here and here.

Em also makes the most gorgeous camera straps.  Such an awesome Christmas gift!  My camera feels so much more dazzling with it.

xo

Boho Butterfly from e.darcy on Vimeo.

Here is my dear friend Erin, from the land of pixies & faeries (Ireland) painting our Boho Butterfly (seen in my Press & Connect links of my website). I love that she recorded her process. Such a mindful artist she is. Now, not only can we benefit from witnessing the layers of her magic but she will always have this to cherish and to share with her brand new baby girl Claire.

Erin and I connected through our fertility journeys. The paths to our babes were long and twisty and deep and wide and each of ours very different but also the same. She was always such a comfort to me. She is one of my soul-friends that has an ability to give me permission to release hard and messy feelings in a space of not being judged and where my tender heart is seen through it all. Because she just got it. Always.

I know this is why she was deeply connected to the paintings that are infused on each of the pages of my website. She knew my journey intimately and what poured out of her was the way she honors me as a woman that is fertile in a different way than the world may understand.

I love her so.

photo of me taken by pixie campbell yesterday, during our post photo session pleasure field fest

I heard when your child approaches two, that a transformation of sorts begins for parents.  A dear friend the other day described it as gaining more awareness of how to balance “mother” and “other” and of course I had to joke about her and I dancing around to a chant with the words motha’ and otha” in it.  : )

I truly do feel this transformation.  Its feels as though space is opening up in my mind and heart for what I feel passionate about again, aside from consciously parenting Cedar.  I am singing more.  I photographed an incredibly special artist yesterday.  I felt brave enough to launch my new website today which shares what my e-course is all about. I feel that inspiration swirling around in my gut. Fresh ideas are peeking around the corner in my mind.

I see this transformation in my husband too.  He is recognizing those other parts of himself aside from being an amazing father to Cedar and providing for our family.  The urges to go kayaking or play disc golf, to read and also write are surfacing for him again.

I think so much of it is Cedar turning two and becoming more independent.  I also think another element is that we are moving in June and our whole lives are going to shift in ways that will be so nourishing for our hearts, our bodies, our well beings and our family.  Perhaps subconsciously, we are preparing for it all.

I am so blessed that my beautiful web designer Jo, from The Darling Tree was somehow in touch with this transformation in my life.  It was like we joined forces and she TOTALLY got me and worked her magic to make it all come together and launch at just the right time. A while back, I sent Jo a messy dump of thoughts and inspirations on how I envisioned my website to look and feel.  It included gorgeous illustrations from my soul-friend Erin at Starving Artist Ink.  Over a course of a few months, Erin had painted watercolors for me that would be on every page of my website and infused throughout the theme of my e-course.  I wasn’t sure if using someone else’s illustrations was going to feel comfy for Jo but then she sent me her mock-up ideas and I literally got up out of my seat with my hands over my mouth saying “oh. my. goddess!!!”  I love how the art of these two outrageously talented women interwove images and emotions straight from my heart, my journey, my dreams.  I feel blessed and wrapped up by both of them…completely.

I look forward to sharing the messy and beautiful bits of this transformation taking place in my life…on these new whimsical pages.