Total eclipse of my heart
sweet nothings, sweet reflections
〰️ eclipse :: e·clipse :: noun ::
1. an obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination.
Hello dear readers,
As I return to writing regularly, I would be remiss not to mention the April 8th eclipse. Wasn’t it just stunning & beautiful & ridiculously magical? I love this earth so much, I love light and darkness and balance. I wasn’t in the path of totality, and still, the awe came naturally & easily.
I love writing on my new couch. Yes, Juulia and I bought a couch! Shout out to Bob’s Furniture. Feels like a very adult move. It’s quite cozy & fits perfectly in our living room nook & I am so happy. I’m sipping on some ginger tea & the candles are lit & Nigel (our cat) is curled up by my legs.
What I’m noticing about my newsletter (which is really just a noticing about my life) is that I really root into the simplicities and mundanity of everyday life because I find SO much magic in them. Like, I get to sip ginger tea out of a gorgeous blue mug while my partner sits next to me? And all the trees are in bloom and, from my view on the couch, it looks like I live in a magical treehouse?
There is so much to be in awe of. It’s easy to focus on the big things, career moves, whatever, but at the end of the day, how sweet does your life feel? How much space do you make for sweetness & simplicity & ease?
🍊 What I’ve learned is this:
I can have all the big things in the world,
but if I don’t have a life, a sanctuary, I can come home to and feel the most myself,
if I can’t admire the beauty around me,
if I can’t find eros in peeling bright orange citrus in the warmth of spring sunshine,
if I can’t be awed by the glimmers because I’m too focused on the “big,” external shit,
what’s the point of it all?
This is all to say: it comes down to how much I trust myself. It comes down to my relationship with myself, my body, how grounded I am.
Some reflection questions:
🕯️ Do I allow myself the simple pleasures of life, or am I ruled by ‘shoulds’?
🕯️ Do I let myself feel ease, or do I feel compelled to control every second of my life?
🕯️ Do I enjoy time with & to myself, or do I avoid being alone?
🕯️ Am I avoiding anything?
🕯️ What does my body need in this moment?
May you find spaciousness in your everyday life. May you create a life you feel awed by. May you be fulfilled by the simple, mundane things that make up a life.
It’s been a minute since I’ve shared some things I’ve been paying attention to in my portal of delights. Shall we? ~~~
(Note: Typically, my IN THE PORTAL & EARTH SPELLS sections are behind the paywall, but since it’s been so long I figured I’d keep them open to all readers today.)
🕊️ “This Is a Politicizing Moment. Let’s Spread Our Wings and Lift Up Palestine” by adrienne maree brown.
🧺 Willow on Tiny Desk. Willow is SO talented & I love the song “Symptom of Life” so much.
🏀 WNBA season is here! I love basketball & I’m so glad women’s basketball is getting the recognition it deserves.
💠 The new Kendrick song is honestly incredible.
🥀 I think I used to think Hozier was kind of lame (file under: terrible opinions???) but I was extremely wrong. Also, “Why Would You Be Loved” is so good.
🍬 I’ve been listening to a ton of the Off the Grid podcast by Amelia Hruby. It really inspires me & keeps me in the practice of staying creative in my business.
🪄 High Frequency Love Music by Beautiful Chorus is a magical spell.
❤️🔥 Website update alert!!! Feels good to have more specifics & personality on my website. Always a work in progress.
🏳️🌈 I love watching these gays (Julie & Camilla) renovate their stunning home.
💸 I’m healing my relationship with money & have been using YNAB for budgeting & understanding where my money is going.
🥝 My Duolingo streak is going 269 days strong.
🧧 Hilma af Klint is everything. That is all.
🐾 I’ve never been a dog person but have rounded a corner & am entering a phase where I’m learning to love them & would love a dog someday. The next audiobook I’m going to listen to is “Good Girl” by Elaine Castillo and I’m excited!
🧊 Sound by the Sea, a fun channel on YouTube I discovered via
. I like working with some of these videos playing in the background.❇️ I would be remiss not to mention that tax season is… a disaster for those of us who are not on w2’s. I paid around $4k in taxes this year and am finding myself recentering in gratitude for the freedom I feel throughout the year not being on a w2. But also, I’m going to start paying quarterly taxes… and if you’re not on a w2, I recommend you do, too.
🎤 This American Idol contestant (Abi Carter) singing an incredible cover of Bring Me to Life by Evanescence… wow! Middle school me is obsessed.
SPELLS FOR HEART OPENING 🌸❣️
The bleeding hearts are in bloom down the street from my house. I can’t even believe how much I love them. I pass them on my daily walks & they blast my heart open every time.
<3
Christie
receiving these sweet reflections with gratitude tonight🥹🌿 also i loved WILLOW’s new album/tiny desk as well and symptom of life has been on repeat!
magic is truly made up of the mundane <3 thank you for this reminder