I’m continuing along once again with a sneak peek into my book, “Seashells in my Pocket”.

CHAPTER 23: PLANT A BEACH INSPIRED GARDEN

When we first moved into our house 18 years ago, I had a pretty impressive flower garden, with lots of variety. Living on the coast, some plants thrived, and some did not. Eventually I just surrendered and let nature do my landscaping. These beach roses (rugosa roses) are taking over, which is fine by me. They are hands down my favorite flower!

There are so many beach inspired plants that are hardy and will do well most anywhere. Rugosa roses are at the top of my list of recommendations to bring home that beachy vibe. I also love tall grasses that ripple like waves in the wind.

What’s your favorite beach inspired plant? 🌊🏝🌺🌸🌺

Chapter 4 of my new book is titled "Set Yourself Up for Success". In it I discuss small ways to create a work-from-home space that encourages productivity and inspiration. ⁣
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Whether I'm writing or doing accounting, I like to add touches of beauty to my home office space. Creating a pleasant atmosphere makes unpleasant tasks more enjoyable. Being surrounded by beauty improves my creativity when I'm working on a writing project. ⁣
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It's no coincidence that this bouquet of wild roses in a mason jar ended up on the cover of my new book. This is what sat on my desk while I typed up the words to 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦. Its image seeped into my psyche when I was brainstorming ideas for the cover.⁣
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What's your favorite way to elevate your home office workspace?

One of my favorite ways to elevate the atmosphere in my home is to welcome in a bit of nature each day. I picked this little handful of beauty on my run this morning. Wild roses are abundant where I live, and they are one of my favorite flowers. I’m excited that they will be featured on the cover of the new book I’m working on. In fact, I just received all the final artwork today from the talented @flourishellis ⁣
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I love that we live on opposite sides of the world and can come together on a project like this. Yesterday we were sending each other photos of our gardens as we worked on finalizing the designs. It was fun and interesting that we both have the same variety of roses in our backyards! ⁣
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What’s your favorite wildflower?

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 ‘𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳’ 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯!” Chapter 10- Elevate Your Health ⁣
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Summer, (or rather blueberry season) just happens to be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ for me! I went to visit my parents in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia this week so I could milk it as much as possible. My mom and I picked 33 pounds between the two of us. This is just the beginning. I’ll be back for a refill once these are gone. You might think I’m freezing them, but I’m not! I’ve been eating blueberries three meals a day ever since. My son, who follows in my footsteps, sits down with them as if they are a bowl of popcorn. I feel pretty fortunate that my favorite food in the world is classifed by some as a super food! Win-win!⁣
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What classifies as the most wonderful time of the year for you? How do you milk it for all its worth?

I’ve become obsessed with the smell of roses and lavender lately since everything is finally in full bloom. I’ve been experimenting with making potpourri. Air drying on a screen produced the best results. I tried the oven method but the colours and scent faded so quickly. Has anyone else tried this? I’m looking for tips on retaining the scent. I sprinkled some rose and lavender essential oil over top of it to give it a boost. I’d like to think this pretty bowl of blooms with lift me up in dark January days! 

I spend so much time weeding and tending my flowerbeds, only to walk in the woods and realize Mother Nature has it all figured out. This bunchberry ground cover is stunning. I was also treated to a single lady slipper sighting.

Inspired by the book 30 Chic Days at Home by @fionaferrisnz Day 22 – Self talk. Fiona encourages those of us who are lucky enough to be able to stay at home feel thankful and frame the situation in a positive light. I am enjoying a much slower pace of life these days with less running around to kid’s activities and appointments. The kids haven’t skipped a beat. They replaced organized sport with biking and are probably spending more time outdoors than ever before. I am lucky in that I live in a rural setting so we have a lot of natural space. This experience has made me more thankful for where I live. I’m also enjoying giving our home a bit of love and attention. Little projects that were always on my dreamy to-do list are finally coming to fruition. There are so many positive things about “being stuck at home”. I think this whole situation might help people rethink their hectic lives and slow down a simplify going forward. How has slowing down impacted you and what might you change?