Rapunzel: Our Crowns and Creativity

 Her story is teaching me to weave play and self‑acceptance as I age into my life.

November is Rapunzel’s month. When I watch the movie Tangled, I appreciate how much Rapunzel makes her life brighter with creativity. In that spirit, I recently changed my hair to a bold chocolate cherry color! It's delicious. Also, today I crafted a crown of leaves, and wandered into the woods for a photo shoot.  

These small acts of play are reminding me to be gentler with myself. Lately I have felt insecure about my body as it ages, noticing the aches and wrinkles more often. Thinking of Mother Gothel, the woman who stole Rapunzel and locked her away, I see how her cruelty was rooted in fear of aging and obsession with youth. Even though it is a fairytale, it shows how destructive self‑hatred can become and that has made me want to choose self kindness instead. 

So here's to November and shifting my focus from perceived flaws to confidence, wonder, and a softer way of seeing myself in my 50's.

Reclaiming Our Wildness: An Autumn Tea

 

Our second annual Autumn Tea Party felt magical this year. We met again at the Lavender Ridge Farm in Gainesville under a warm October sun, surrounded by trees and bright gardens. The café serves simple, stylish lunches of fresh sandwiches, fruit, and drinks like tea or lemonade, with lavender if you like. It was the kind of meal that felt easy and nourishing, just right for the day. We sipped from handmade yellow tumblers with original paint drippings. They were crafted by a Cherokee artist in the 1980s and I had found them this year at a local antique store. Each one had it's own wildness but were comforting and nestled perfectly in our hands.

My October this year is Merida's month. The fiery-haired heroine from Brave is a symbol of wildness, courage, and emotional honesty. Her spirit shaped this tea party in theme and heart. We gathered not to perform, but to be. To speak freely. To laugh loudly. To cry gently. To reclaim the parts of ourselves that feel most alive. This year has been heavy for each of us in different ways, and we needed this space to breathe. It also happened to be my 27th baptism anniversary, so I felt held and happy in every way.

I had created an activity titled, Sip & Share  and after going around the table sharing our responses with each other, we also did a gentle ritual called Reclaiming Your Wildness, where each of us selected a tiny jar of either dried basil, rosemary, or mammoth sunflower seeds. These tokens came from my new garden and though small, my hope is that their sincere invitation leads our spirits to be more alive in the season ahead. [examples below]

As we were chatting, a woman from a different group wandered over, curious about our setup. My daughter and I offered up our jars so that I was able to gift each of those women with their own jar. It was a sweet exchange.

Another wonderful surprise was that the farm had a photographer offering mini portrait sessions! The talented Jae Grey captured our afternoon beautifully. You can find her work on Instagram at "heyitsjaegrey." The location photos and activity photos are mine. Enjoy! 

 

 

 

 

For my Grandma Mac - she found straight faced photos hilarious, because we do them so poorly. 

 

Reclaiming Your Wildness Activity

 

"To the wild within us: the parts that feel, that dare, and that dance with the leaves."
Consider what wildness you’re ready to reclaim, then choose a jar. 

 Let it be a gentle reminder for the season ahead. 

 

Basil 

Clarity: Quiet the noise, focus on what matters 

Voice: It’s confident, true expression 

Intuition: For trusting your inner knowing 

 

Rosemary 

Homecoming: Returning to your truest self 

Boundaries: Protecting your peace 

Courage: To be intense; without shame 

 

Sunflower Seeds 

Joy: Showing delight without apology 

Growth: Turning toward what feeds you soul and spirit 

Radiance: Letting yourself be seen, without shrinking  

 

I adore that I was able to make these tumblers look so similar. :)
I also hand placed each element of the design

Invitation. AI helped me by crafting one to match the theme and even the centerpiece!

The Gilded Scriptoria: October Is My January

For the past three years, I’ve set up my annual planner to run from October–September. It started as a gentle refusal to rush into resolutions while still recovering from the holidays. I had found that by the time NYE arrived, I was often too depleted to dream big and get organized. So, I began prepping in summer and starting fresh in October.

Since October marks the final quarter of the calendar and the beginning of a season filled with connection, celebration, and reflection, starting "my year” here felt intuitive and more honest. 

Today, without searching for it, a video from a psychologist surfaced affirming this idea that October, not January, is often the best time to change your life. Researching more, another psychologist, Dr. Julie Smith, agreed and calls this moment “eustress” which is described as a positive tension that energizes and motivates. So, with cooler weather and steadier routines, autumn naturally primes us to assess, recalibrate, and begin again.

This year, my planner is titled, The Gilded Scriptoria and it's shaped entirely around this rhythm. 

A Scriptoria (plural of scriptorium) were quiet, sacred spaces in medieval monasteries where monks copied and illustrated manuscripts by hand. Over time, the term has come to mean any space devoted to thoughtful writing and creation.

For me, The Gilded Scriptoria is a beautifully designed planner that feels like a regal, intentional sanctuary for reflection and planning. While leaning heavily into a royalty theme, each month is dedicated to a different Disney heroine but ones who are reimagined through a more adult lens: strong women who lead with courage, grace, and depth. 

This planner has activities that match the archetype of the month, which I plan to blog about in the days ahead. The Scriptoria also has seasonal bucket lists, secret pockets, and hidden journal areas. I opted for an entirely new format than the planners in previous years, with this one having the 12 months at-a-glance first and then all of the weekly pages with hourly planning after those. I've included pages for scribble journaling and quotes, a page dedicated to my health, my reading logs, garden planning pages, seasonal movie list to enjoy, and more. 

Below are some photos and I hope they peak your curiosity. 

These are written with a royalty flare for fun!

Unique written but I have the key to decipher the meaning

reading log

Cynicism Is Easy

 

 

This weekend I strolled through a local antique store. I wasn’t searching for anything specific, just taking a mental break. I turned the first corner, and this landscape painting caught my eye. It was quiet and weathered, full of sky and stillness. I admired it for a while and felt a deep pull to bring it home. 

 

The world feels heavy these days. Maybe the calmness this framed piece held was what moved me most? Headlines blur into heartache, and even my quiet corners seem touched by weariness. I find it tempting, sooo tempting, to meet this world with contempt and let my eyes blur with anger or to lose heart. 

 

Cynicism is easy. 

 

It lets us feel right without being kind. 

It lets us shout without listening.

The hardness of the world can stir such emotions of anger, gloom, and pessimism. And while these feelings deserve some space, they certainly don't deserve sovereignty. Once you've listened, then you've really gotta turn the record over and choose not to replay the same sorrows, tragedies, and traumas on loop. Otherwise, anguish becomes your anthem. 

And I just don't think we were made to echo the ache. We were made to answer it. Eventually, we must decide what kind of presence we will be in the world’s pain.

Gentleness in the face of division. Goodness in the thick of sorrow. Faithfulness when so much feels uncertain. Patience when others are short-tempered. Kindness when cruelty is trending. Self-control when the weight of it all seems too much. Peace when harshness is applauded. Love when others dispense hatred. Joy to believe in a better tomorrow. For me, these are more than Christian virtues. They’re evidence of Christian faith. Galatians 5:22–23

As I reflected on all this, a few decisions I needed to make began to form. If you find yourself needing them too, they’re yours. These decisions were:

• You’re not going to stay sad or hopeless. (You already know what helps...start there.)
• You’re not going to surround yourself with people addicted to outrage and arguing.
• You’re not going to ignore your health. (Get some water, sunlight, fresh air, & move!)
• You’re not going to let bitterness be your default setting.
• You’re not going to give up on people.

Instead, you are going to…

1. Focus on the people right in front of you. (Family, friends, the ones who share your table, your texts, your Tuesdays.)

2. Let rest reshape your perspective. (Give your mind and spirit a break from the media hamster-wheel.)

3. Share your truth without losing your empathy (Cynicism speaks in absolutes. Wisdom speaks to heal, not harm.) 

4. Hold space for complexity. (The reason for any of the world's issues does not fit neatly on heads or tails of a coin. Cynicism demands a villain but the wise know that blaming one “thing” isn't honest.)
   
   
5. Choose to cultivate, not critique. (There is enough tearing down - what or who will you build up?) 

I may have looked a little odd taking a photo of that painting. If it’s still there next time I visit, I plan to bring it home. It feels like a kind of invitation to meet the world differently. The quiet, the misty rain, and the calm green plains reminded me that hopefulness isn’t instinctual. We have to decide to be hopeful. Sometimes that reminder arrives as a calm whisper, like the one held in this painting. And sometimes it’s simply the choice to stay soft in a world that feels sharp.

Wit, Wonder, and Well-Worn

✨ Turning the Page… Almost! ✨

While most planners run January–December, mine follow a gentler rhythm: October to September. That means I’m just a few weeks away from opening my next one. Oh yay! 

Heartistry, this past year’s planner, has grown delightfully plump with adventures, reflections, and memories. Reflecting back, this Heartistry season, themed and inspired by Pride & Prejudice characters, was full of warmth and creative charm. 

🪶Coming soon: The Gilded Scriptoria

My nerdiness knows no bounds as my upcoming planner's theme leans into a royalty vibe based on Disney heroines. However, my heroines are reimagined as adult archetypes full of courage, curiosity, and grace. These are not princesses in castles, but women in motion who navigate real life with security. I can't wait to show you! I’ve already dreamed up activities and pages that honor their spirit and invite a little magic into my weeks ahead. 

Hooray for the new chapters in life "gilded" with intention and joy. 💛

Heartistry - left; Scriptoria - right

Living the Lore: 3 Ways to Enchant Your Day

Most of us have heard the phrase "romanticize your life." Today, I discovered three new ways to weave a bit of magic into my everyday that I hadn’t come across before. This blog was sparked by Baylie Fortier’s video on YouTube.  Let's have some fun! 

---

1. Train Like You’re Preparing

Picture this: instead of just exercising, you’re training for battle or for your travel through the wild lands. You’re not just lifting weights or doing yoga but forging the strength to wield your blade with precision and power. Running the treadmill isn’t just cardio, you’re preparing to flee an enemy’s pursuit through the darkened woods.

Example: A Court of Thorns and Roses series - Think of Feyre at Windhave, the Illyrian war-camp, or Nesta training high in the sparring ring atop the House of Wind. Every movement is more than just working out...you are preparing to defend your realm. 

---

2. Write About Yourself in the Third Person

There’s something that shifts mentally when narrating your own life like it’s part of an epic tale. You are the world-weaver! 

Here’s an example when I thought about my drive to work today:

As pink and gray sunlight crested the hills, the light-keeper pulled a soft shroud around her shoulders. She sipped a chilled, creamy brew and noted a mist curling over the meadows but felt there was nothing nefarious in its movement. After a deep, calming breath, she walked over and slid into her traveling vessel. It was a blue machine bearing the power of 151 unseen phantom stallions. As she took hold of the halo reins, she whispered to herself and the awaking morning, 'Whatever lay ahead, I'm ready.'

When you write about yourself this way, your actions, even small ones, feel more alive and meaningful. And sometimes we just need that. So, finishing a work project can become the final strike that secures victory in the day’s campaign or cleaning changes into banishing the dark spirits that linger in your fortress. It's refreshing.

---

3. Rename Landmarks

Your everyday surroundings may feel ordinary, but they can take on new life when you rename them in true fantasy fashion. When I thought about it, I remembered that Anne of Green Gables did this. So, that intersection you drive through? It’s now Prickle Crossroads. The route you run for exercise through the neighborhood? Dragonfly path. The tiny doughnut shop across town? The House of Sugar Enchantments.

Once you rename a place, you can’t help but see it differently because to rename it makes you notice details you once overlooked. Your senses awaken because you are looking for a name to describe the white glow spilling from your office window or renaming the streets on your way to the dentist because a tall cactus always catches your eye at the corner of 5th and Main. The world feels more vibrant because you give it more of a story.

---

Enchanting your day in a fantasy style isn’t pretending your reality is something it’s not but maybe just uncovering the magic already there. Why do things have to be bland? So, whether you’re sweating through your “battle training” or renaming the corner store like it's from a fairy tale, I think that weaving a little more wonder into the everyday is beautiful. 

My hope is that tomorrow when you pass your favorite café, or lace up your shoes, or pick up your cell phone, maybe you’ll take a moment and see your life through the eyes of a storyteller.