A mum for all the mamas
Hello my lovely friends!
It has been several years since my last post here, and I am thrilled to be stepping back into the world of sharing again.
I know that many of you subscribed when I was posting primarily homestead and food related content. I thought I would share an update and some of the exciting new things on the horizon.
I am still finding joy with my hands in the soil, growing food alongside my local Plenty Heirloom Farms community, however the last 10 years of my life has also included plenty of transition and change. Our daughters are now 15, 17, 19 and 21, (one - almost two are out of the nest!)
In 2020 I dipped my toes back into sharing about my transformative trip to Italy, which changed me deeply. My Italian heritage continues to enrich my life, and at the start of this year, my brother and I created a Youtube channel sharing our travels and our journey towards gaining Italian Dual Citizenship. It’s been a blast digging into our heritage, traveling together, researching - and I’ve even got my brother studying some Italian with me - go Luke! We would love to have you follow our page - Half Italian, if you’re interested.
With the support and help of a group of board members, we are in the process of turning Plenty Farms into a Non-profit organization, allowing for others to join in and share in the work and the learning. In stepping aside a bit and allowing others to help co-ordinate, lead and organize, I hope to create more space for what is calling to me - my art, writing and sharing. I plan on staying actively involved in our growing project, but will enjoy sharing the weight with others.
I will continue to use Instagram as a platform to share about sustainability, gardening, spirituality, my art, videos, interviews and discussions in the future. If you don’t already follow me there, please do! @livinginplenty I am thrilled to have some amazing thought leaders, inspiring artists and authors to share with you in the upcoming months.
This website will also host my artwork for sale. I have fallen in love with hand-carved block printing, a printmaking method that was once used for textiles in the 1940’s. I love the imperfection and uniqueness of this style of art. It teaches me to let go of perfectionism, to slow down and to trust my intuition. After many hours of love and craftsmanship by my husband, I recently moved all of my creative tools out to a new studio in our backyard. I’m thrilled to have a space for myself, to create, write and I plan on sharing the stories and inspiration behind each piece of art here, and on Instagram. Although the shopping cart is not complete, you can view a sampling of my art at the tab on this site.
A gift for you
As a start to this new season of life for me, and a small mother’s day gift, I’d like to share a free pdf download with you, that features a quote by an author I deeply admire and have followed for years. Beth Berry is an inspiring author, activist and life coach who is passionate about supporting mothers.
5 years ago, deep in my own journey of mothering my four daughters, I came across a post of hers that made me stop in my tracks. In reading her words, I felt so seen in my challenging circumstances, supported and reminded that this mothering journey is far deeper than I could have ever imagined when it began. Her words were just what I needed for the season of life I was in.
With her permission, I’m sharing those beautiful words with you, paired with an image I carved of a Chrysanthemum. A mum for all of the mamas out there.
The file is formatted to be printed on an 11x17 size piece of paper - as a small poster, but it will fit on a standard sheet of paper as well. I hope you enjoy it, and share with any other mothers in your life! Follow this link to get yours.
I am also VERY excited to say that I will be scheduling an Instagram live call with Beth to discuss her wonderful book, Motherwhelmed, at some point in the near future. I was so impacted by her story, and know that you will want to be connected to her work in the world! You can find her online at revolutionfromhome.com
Thank you for taking the time to follow my journey. I look forward to connecting soon!