Happy spring! If it's not obvious, I've been bad at keeping up with posting monthly delights. A close family member has fallen ill, and I had to re-prioritize where I put my attention for a while. But things are looking up, and I'm finally getting around to sharing some small delights with you all. I can't believe we're already in mid-April.

I'm a little late to the party, but I recently discovered Conflict by John Carroll Kirby through a sound meditation I did on the Open app that I shared back in January. As another plug for meditation, the founder of Open shared this reel talking about what to expect from a meditation practice that was a good reminder for me.

I finally finished reading World As Lover, World As Self. It's a really convicting read, honestly. It gave me a lot to think about. But it introduced me to the concept of Holonic philosophy, which I find intriguing.

I liked this reel that came across my feed. I love how the conversation about how we relate to our food has been shifting. I think it's an incredibly important topic to consider.

This collection on Hilma Af Klint works has been on my wishlist for a couple months. Just today, I came across this video of Joy Harjo interpreting some of Klint's works and it made me fall deeper in love with Klint as an artist.

My husband just finished designing and building our first garden beds! Next step is to fill them with compost and soil and seeds. I'm very excited to start growing some of our own food.

I've been putting together this playlist over the past couple months. It feels like sunshine to me. I like to put it on while I'm throwing pots on the wheel to get me into my happy place.

I hope your year has been off to a nice start. January always tends to fly by for me. After a hectic move last year, I'm getting back in the swing of taking note of small delights to share with you all.

I can't quite remember what corner of the internet I was poking around when I came across the Portuguese tradition of Dia da Espiga. In short, it's a spring ritual where one forages a bouquet of wild plants and flowers to hang in their home, setting intentions for the season. Each plant symbolizes something specific. This article was a nice overview. I find incorporating rituals like this into our lives to be a lovely practice. They encourage us to slow down, reflect, and stay attuned to our environment. Dia da Espiga has me looking forward to welcoming spring.

If you aren't familiar with the work of Andrew Nyer, I suggest checking him out. His work is delightful and clever. He also recently created a Top 100 project where people can submit their own curated playlists. I finally submitted mine.

Bailey Elder's work has captured my attention this month, and I am enamored with her authentic and consistent style across so many mediums. John Zabawa has also been on my radar lately.

I started meditating back in November. Highly recommend! I experimented a few different apps, but have finally settled on Open. They have a robust library with various offerings, and the aesthetics are on point.

Continuing with the theme of meditation, I started reading Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch. I'm having a hard time putting it down. It's one of those books that I dread finishing because I don't want it to be over.

Cheers to a new year! Thanks for reading along, hope you've enjoyed.

This year has been filled with many moments of gratitude.

In my last post, I shared that Sean and I officially closed the deal on our 1925 home back in April. The journey since then has been a rollercoaster of sweat, dust, dirt, unexpected surprises, occasional frustrations, and joys. As I write this, Sean is knocking down plaster to revamp some electrical work. Each day is a lesson in patience.

Beyond the extensive list of house projects, we've been fortunate enough to travel with close friends, host gatherings, and cherish quality time with our loved ones. Personally, I've dedicated time to expand my knowledge by enrolling in more herbalism courses, participating in ceramics and plant-dyeing workshops, and experimenting with various art mediums. Amid the persistent awareness of what's left to be done, it's crucial not to overlook the considerable accomplishments of the past months.

While I try to remain rooted in the present and maintain a mindset of gratitude, I can't help but feel an excitement for the year ahead. Wishing all of you joy and abundance in 2024.

The biggest delight of April is that my husband & I closed on a house this month! It's a cute little 1925 home in a northwest neighborhood of Detroit. We are very excited to start fixing it up and hosting our friends. Obviously, the home-hunting and home-buying process has kept us very busy so I don't have as much to share this month. Sorry not sorry!

However, we did have time to watch TV, because of course we did. BEEF came out. I mean, wow. They absoultely nailed the spectrum of human emotion. It was almost too hard to watch at points because it felt too real. For me, at least. And I consider that a good thing.

I'm working my way through Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach. I'm about 70% through it now and it has been the medicine I've needed. I initially found a free digital copy via an online library. About 30 pages in, I knew it was one I needed to purchase and own and write in and refer back to. You know, one of those books.

I've been putting together a new playlist. I'd say it's good for pleasure and rest.

And that's all I've got! Wish us luck as we adjust to becoming new homeowners. Much love.

Greetings, friends. I hope you've been making it through the gloom. I hate to admit it, but March is one of my least favorite months. I'm trying to shift my mindset, but it's difficult. The vernal equinox is like the promise of spring, but it never feels like it arrives then and there. Maybe I'll work on preparing for the seasonal shift rather than expecting it, yeah?

Anyway, I heard the word qualia on a podcast this month. I think it's one of my new favorite words.

My husband brought home another book from John K. King recently. A Stuart Davis book, to be exact. Obviously, we both fell in love with his work, especially the later pieces. It's so interesting to see how he is likely an influence in some modern art & design I admire. One of my favorite local artists, Jesse Kassel, seems to have some commonalities in his work. It's cool to discover your influence's influence's.

A friend of mine put together a short film highlighting some Black climbers in the Detroit climbing community. It features a few of my favorite people. It's called Project vBLACK and you should give it a watch.

Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA just dropped Scaring the Hoes this month. I mean, holy shit. I am floored by this album.

I came across the poem, Hokusai Says. It's simple and beautiful and really touching. Today, I'll leave you with an excerpt of my favorite part:

He says it doesn’t matter if you draw,
or write books. It doesn’t matter
if you saw wood, or catch fish.
It doesn’t matter if you sit at home
and stare at the ants on your veranda
or the shadows of the trees
and grasses in your garden.
It matters that you care.

It matters that you feel.

It matters that you notice.

It matters that life lives through you.

Contentment is life living through you.
Joy is life living through you.
Satisfaction and strength
is life living through you.

Peace is life living through you.

If I've spoken with you in the past few months, you probably know my newest obsession is pottery. It's given me a space to play and make mistakes and let go of perfection while still making art. And at the end, I have a (mostly) functional item! I've also recently picked up a matcha drinking habit, and wanted to make some matcha bowls that I can use during my morning ritual. I went down a rabbit hole researching Japanese tea culture and stumbled across this article on what sets a chawan (Japanese tea bowl) apart. It helped me understand what to aim for when making my tea bowls. A couple years back, I read a book about Wabi-Sabi, which was my first introduction to tea ceremonies. Japanese tea culture is really quite fascinating.

If you're in the creative field, you've likely heard of Rick Rubin's new book The Creative Act. I have yet to read, but this interview was a great teaser. I actually wrote a whole blog post on my take-aways from it here.

White Noise released last August, but I didn't watch it until recently. Honestly, I watched it right before the eerily parallel tragedy in Ohio occurred. It's a brilliant movie. It touches on some heavy themes in a way that feels so down to earth and humorous. Just a great watch all around. And the end credits scene is just the best.

My husband and I attended the DIA's screening of 2023's Oscar nominated short films. My favorite was Ice Merchants, which can be watched in full on YouTube for free.

I'm just happy that this t-shirt exists and I want someone to buy it for me.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by. I hope something here captured your interest, like it did mine. Take care.

For me, January meant signing off social media—a Digital Declutter of sorts. I'd recommend these 'declutter' periods for everyone once in a while. The intention isn't a detox. It's to create empty space in your life for you to step back, reflect on your values, and decide if how you spend your time aligns with them. Cal Newport goes into more detail on this concept in his book Digital Minimalism.

Due to the lack of a constant stream of stimulation, I started paying closer attention to what I was consuming this month and how it affected me. I started a list of some of my favorite things I stumbled across in Notion.

First was Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. Ironically, this film has gotten slammed by critics for being too self-indulgent and falsely humble. But quite honestly, this is one of my favorite movies I've ever seen. I think if you can identify with Iñarritu’s character, even in the slightest, this movie can be powerful. But it's also possible it's not for everyone.

This blurb on Cosmic Insignificance Therapy was a really compelling read. The link also includes an audio clip you can listen to while you're washing the dishes if reading isn't your thing.

I've been thinking more and more about health these days. I love the perspective Selena Ayala brings to our relationship with food in this article.

Finalllyyy listened to Sudan Archive's Natural Brown Prom Queen. Selfish Soul is a banger.

I was looking into who did the album art for Colleen's Captain of None and came across Iker Spozio. The way he has blended his influences is really inspiring to me these days.

Anyway, that's all for this month! Hope you were able to enjoy at least one thing here as much as I did.