“Life is beautiful because it is hard sometimes.”

-* Paola from The Cottage Fairy

Most families have experienced some form of change, heartbreak, or unimaginable loss these past few years. It is often in those moments of life where we come face-to-face with a harsh reality and have no choice but to be open to what is in front of us. We receive the truth along with glimpses of beauty only when life halts to a sudden stop and forces us to be present.

Sometimes that beauty is the presence of empathy, a new truth, being at peace with an old truth, or just seeing someone as they truly are in an unfiltered light. The hard moments cause us to be ourselves because we don’t have much energy left in the tank to put on any appearances. It is quite beautiful really.

Life’s most difficult experiences seep into our daily life leaving their fingerprints on moments that we often took for granted. Those moments shape us, guide us, and force us to see what is right in front of us. Difficult moments hand us a mirror to see ourselves, a magnifying glass to identify what is happening with the situation or the people around us, and a telescope to figure out what is next. If we listen closely to our heart, look inside at who we’ve become, reach for the hand of someone we love, and look ahead to where the path might lead, we are able to take the next step, no matter how small or how difficult.

* how to be the main character in your story - a video from Paola on The Cottage Fairy You Tube Channel

*If you see an asterisk next to a link, that link takes you to a video with sound. Just a heads-up in case you need to turn the volume down or pop on your headphones.

HOME + TRAVEL

The air is beginning to feel like fall. Cooler daytime breezes paired with drier air and shorter days have my family eager to get outside.

Fall camping season is almost here, so why not begin booking some spooky fun with the family? Campsites all over the country are transforming their campgrounds by adding fun fall and Halloween decor making your next camping weekend one to remember.

Find your spooky camping adventure using Campspot ($).

After doing the work to demo the inside of our Airstream, we’ve now handed it off to an Airstream remodeling specialist to take care of sprucing it up in time to head out on some spring and summer trips. In the meantime, we’ll be using Campspot to find some little jewels to visit around the Hill Country here in Texas.

I’m so excited to share West Elm’s press release announcing their collaboration with local Texas children’s illustrator and author pair Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey. Visit @wjpumphrey on Instagram to see a few sneak peeks. I mean the little red truck from The Old Truck ($) is just the best. Wouldn’t these make amazing gifts for new parents or creative little ones?

GARDEN

This week I added Mexcian Mint Marigold (a native and heat tolerant version of tarragon) as well as Flame Acanthus to welcome more hummingbirds and pollinators into our garden.

The Wildflower Center hosted a class this past weekend with local authors Eric Knight and Stacy Coplin on foraging in Texas. My foraging experience is limited to chile pequins, one lucky find of morel mushrooms, the occasional blackberry, mustang grape, or just enough agarita berries to make jam.

A few important tips from the class included making sure that you are not foraging from stressed plants or ones out of season, as well as not taking more than 20% of the plant or 10% of the root. Using a photo to identify a plant while foraging is important, but be sure to also look for identification traits such as leaf structure, seasonality, and eco-regions where the plants are usually found.

You can read more in their new Foraging Texas guidebook.

WELLNESS

Twitch and Alison are back with dance videos! I’m adding these back into my weekly workouts. They got me through the first few months of the pandemic, and I’ve missed their upbeat energy. (*Clicking on this video includes sound - heads up)

Begin your morning with a little music. It can change the mood of the whole day. Here’s a recent favorite of ours on Spotify (*heads up - music will play when you click the link)

CREATIVITY

We wandered into an art gallery in Colorado this summer and came across the incredible artist, Tim Kapustka. The artist’s retro prints reminds me so much of my childhood.

BOOKSHELF

For those in love with New York City, be sure to check out my new book list on Bookshop.org called In the Streetlights and Shadows Are the Untold Stories of New York City

New York City has a rich and complicated history. Beyond the stories of fortune and fame are the stories of struggle, community, resilience, beauty, and sometimes cruelty in ways unimaginable. This much-loved urban setting provides the backdrop for stories of courageous characters and bring to life the experiences of those who were not given a voice or a place to share their own versions of NYC. 

Reading: The Personal Librarian ($) by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, Dear Miss Metropolitan ($) by Carolyn Ferrell, Queen Sugar ($) by Natalie Baszile, Harlem Shuffle ($) by Colson Whitehead, and Another Brooklyn ($) by Jacqueline Woodson

Listening to: The Cemetery Boys ($) by Aiden Thomas and The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together ($) by Heather McGhee

Recently Finished: Address Unknown ($) by Katherine Kressman Taylor and Margot Livesey, Finding My Voice ($) by Nadiya Hussain, and The Jane Austen Society ($) by Natalie Jenner, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything ($) by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Whispering House ($) by Elizabeth Brooks, and Sparks Like Stars ($) by Nadia Hashimi

Up next:  Parable of the Sower ($) by Octavia E. Butler, Pride ($) by Ibi Zoboi, and The House on Vesper Sands ($) by Paraic O’Donnell

In case you are looking for book recommendations for kids (or yourself!), gift ideas for all ages or want to peek into my TBR List for 2021, head over to the 52 Seasons Book Shop on Bookshop.org.

COMMUNITY

Albania is taking a different approach to helping refugees born out of their own experiences.

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read 52 Seasons. I’d love to hear your feedback and ideas so that we can grow together.

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Disclosure: ($) If you see this dollar symbol in a post, the link is an affiliate post. I will receive income or a discount on products if you purchase that item on Bookshop.org or anything on the Etsy, Campspot, Beauty by Earth, or Prana website using my link. Income from the products in these links helps me to keep this blog growing