chipping away

Goings on + a little block discount for my paid subscribers!

Happy belated Solstice!

Things have been a bit quiet over here as I plug away at various work projects. I’ve felt guilty at times that I’ve not kept up enough with this Substack lately— but I have to keep reminding myself, that escaping that feeling of obligation was one of my primary reasons for moving more of my content sharing here in the first place.

I’ve been adjusting to life with a three year old and four month old (and newly graduated 18 year old!). I’ve been reveling in the results of new, life-giving medication pulling me out of a sneaky spell of postpartum depression and compounded ADHD symptoms (more on this another time). I’ve been picking bouquets from our garden. Been making a frog mask, holding toads, and dancing in my studio, and soaking up contact naps, and bedtime stories, warmer weather, and meals outside with friends.

Been writing songs, and having witch circles, and baking sun cakes, and picking strawberries, and smelling roses.

All while chipping away at a bunch of big work projects. Primarily my book, Around the Wheel of the Year.

Progress on it is slower than I’d like, but I’m doing what I can while infant and toddler wrangling. And am extremely happy with the work I’m doing, even if I wish I was further along. I’m making it the way I know it’s meant to be made, which takes time. Some days I feel completely absorbed and engaged with the work, and others, it’s like a physically painful, all-consuming inner battle to keep my attention focused on it, instead of pinging around to other new projects and ideas (wonderful new meds don’t, unfortunately, help directly with the focus aspects of my ADHD…)

One of the other new projects I’m feeling excited about, that I think you will be too, is a NEW GNOME CALENDAR FOR 2026!

We were all set to re-print an old one for next year, but I got an irresistible itch to make a new one, since it’s been driving me nuts that I haven’t had time to make any new calendars for the last few years. I’m squeezing it in mostly at night, after the kids are put to bed. It’s also moving slowly, but I think it’s going to look really nice. Here’s a little time lapse of me working on the illustration for May:

One of my other side projects, that I don’t want to say too much about now because it feels like an exciting, magical secret that isn’t quite ready to talk about yet, has also been majorly tugging at my attention over the last month. One of the biggest gifts of going on a mood stablizing medication, is the return of my creative capacity. I feel as if a dam that had been dulling my creative ideas, and passion and drive has burst, freeing my brain to spiderweb in a million different exciting directions. A wonderful gift, and also a bit of a curse since I still don’t have a lot of time… haha!

I’ve been working on my Mystery Project late into the night with my friend and collaborator Sarah, who is a dancer and choreographer, and let’s just say it involves puppets of all sizes, a massive crankie, and one of my books.

In shop news, my wooden ABC blocks have been re-stocked!!! If you’ve been eyeing these, now is the time to get them, I’m not sure when we’ll do another re-stock! They are made in Vermont by a family owned business, and have been a big hit around my house every since I brought the prototypes home.

And as promised, I have a little discount code for you. This is a perk for paid subscribers only unfortunately, so I’m going to add a paywall now…!