Something is happening in The Creativity Studio next Saturday, June 13, and I wanted to make sure you knew.

This is the very first Guest Creative session at The Hummingbird Nest. And it felt right that we begin with this.

We’re going to paint a hummingbird.

Artist and watercolor coach Chris Vabre will guide us through a 45-minute watercolor session. We’ll begin with a short arrival practice to settle in, and I’ll share a little about the symbolism of the hummingbird before we pick up our brushes. Chris helps students who don’t think they’re very good become confident painters. She believes your uniqueness is your superpower.

You don’t need any experience. You just need to show up.

Saturday, June 13. 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm MDT. Free and open to everyone.

Register Here!

Can’t make it live? The replay will be available afterward.

What to bring

• Watercolor paints. Chris will be using mostly pink and aqua, with some brown or gray.

• Watercolor paper, preferably 140 lb / 300 g. Chris will be using a 5 x 7 sketchbook. Very small sizes can be tricky for beginners.

• A medium round watercolor brush, about three-quarter-inch bristles.

• A pencil and eraser for sketching. A polymer or kneaded eraser works best.

• One or two cups or jars for water rinsing.

• Paper towels or a rag to wipe your brush.

About the Guest Creative Series

Once a month, I open the doors of The Creativity Studio and invite a guest artist, maker, or creative practitioner to lead us through something hands-on. A skill to learn. A process to explore. Something to make together.

Think of it less as a class and more as an afternoon in someone’s studio, where you are welcome to pull up a chair and try.

Some sessions will be live on Zoom, where we gather in real time. Others will arrive as a recorded video you can return to whenever the moment is right. Either way, the studio is open, and something is always being made.

For the creatives who join us, it is also an opportunity to share their work with a warm and growing community of women who appreciate handmade, thoughtful, and beautiful things.

If you are a maker, an artist, a teacher of something creative, and you would love to be a guest in the Studio, I would love to hear from you. Reply below and tell me a little about what you do.

Guest Creative sessions like this one will be a regular, once-a-month offering inside The Hummingbird Nest membership, launching soon. This first one is my gift to everyone.

I hope to see you there.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

I have always loved what happens around a kitchen table. Where someone refills your cup without asking, where a question gets passed around like a dish of something warm, where you find yourself saying things out loud that you didn’t know you needed to say.

I come from a long line of hostesses and connectors. For Sunday dinners and special occasions, my grandmother set the table with white linens, silver candelabras and fancy china. She showed me what it means to gather family in a way that felt very special. Around her table, I learned that a meal is never just a meal.

My mom carried this tradition forward in her own way. Most mornings, kids in tow, she and her besties would gather for coffee hosted by someone at their kitchen table. Some came with stories to share, some with worries to set down, some with knitting needles and a ball of wool, quietly working on a sweater that would become someone’s Christmas gift. Nobody announced what they needed. They just showed up, and somehow the table held all of it.

I too have been known to create connection around the table. Special occasions, birthday cakes and tea for best friends. Tea parties, complete with fancy sandwiches, delicate sweets and lifelong friends. Gatherings with community are my favorite. Women meeting in sacred spaces where creativity was on the menu. Long, unhurried hours that left you feeling more like yourself than when you arrived.

That’s what a kitchen table does, if you let it. That’s what I wanted to create here.

The Kitchen Table is a monthly virtual gathering inside The Hummingbird Nest. Each month, I host two separate gatherings on Zoom. Same theme, same menu, two different groups of women. Two chances to find a time that works for you. We slow down. We go a little deeper. We leave feeling more like ourselves.

It sounds simple, because it is. And somehow, every single time, it becomes something more.

What to Expect

Picture this: you close your laptop from the day, light a candle, make yourself something warm to drink. You open Zoom and find yourself in a softly lit room with a small circle of women. At the center of the table, there’s an altar, a candle, something living and green, a word that anchors the evening. Before long, as so often happens when women gather, a hum of conversation begins. Gentle. Curious. Open.

Each gathering runs about an hour and a half. There’s no agenda to rush through and no pressure to perform. Just a thoughtfully held space and a group of women who showed up because something in them was ready.

Gatherings are kept intentionally small. Everyone is seen, heard and included. That’s not an aspiration. It’s the design.

Before we gather, you’ll receive your Kitchen Table Menu, a guide to the evening’s experience. Like any good meal, it has a natural flow.

After each gathering, members receive Taster Notes, a written keepsake of the evening. For those who were there, it’s a way to linger a little longer. For those who weren’t, it’s an open door into the warmth of what was shared.

Themes We’ve Gathered Around

Over the months, we've gathered around some beautiful themes:

Surprise & Delight. Awaken Possibilities. Your North Star. Ancestral Whispers. Love is in the Air. Reservation for One. Friday the 13th. The Life List. Connection. Leaves Falling, Autumn Calling. Simplicity.

Each theme arrives like a season. Some land softly. Some catch you off guard. All of them leave something behind.

What Women Are Saying

“There’s something really special about what Kathy creates with The Kitchen Table. It’s so much more than just a virtual gathering. It’s an experience you feel in your whole body. She has this beautiful way of bringing women together in a space that feels safe, real, and deeply connected. The question bowl always opens up conversations you didn’t even know you needed. You leave feeling more connected to yourself, more present, and honestly, a little more alive.”

“I love the way you pull people together, somewhat strangers, but still create an atmosphere of safety and comfort, as if we were actually meeting around your kitchen table. I love that you give me time and space to explore, create and settle when I do not give myself the time and space.”

“It was absolutely wonderful as always. I just love these gatherings so much. The women who join are amazing and soul connected and your leadership is absolutely spectacular.”

“I love the opportunity to be in community with your group of friends, scattered as we are around the continent. It speaks to the power of connection, even with those we haven’t met in person.”

“LOVED it. Thank you for creating such a warm and accepting space for us, Kathy.”

“It was a very enjoyable evening. So nice to hang out with all of you and have some fun creating.”

Not Sure Yet?

If you’re wondering whether this is the right fit, you’re always welcome to reach out before joining. A short conversation can go a long way. I’d love to hear what you’re looking for.

Pull Up a Chair

The Kitchen Table is part of The Hummingbird Nest membership, launching soon. Each month brings a new theme, a new menu, and the same warm, unhurried space to come home to.

Our next gathering is Friday, June 12. If you’d like to experience The Kitchen Table before the membership opens, this is your invitation.

Join Us at The Kitchen Table

And this summer, watch for a special Saturday afternoon gathering. A taster for anyone who wants to pull up a chair and see what we do here, before the fall season begins. No commitment required. Just come as you are.

If something in you has been craving this kind of connection, there’s a seat here with your name on it.

Whenever you’re ready.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

If this stirred something in you, I'd love to know. A heart ❤️, a comment, a coffee, or a quiet share with someone who might need a pause. Every small gesture helps this nest grow.

Buy Me a Coffee ☕

Share

The Hummingbird Nest. Retreat experiences curated by Kathy Barlow.

Pull up a chair. Have your journal ready.

Take a breath before you begin. There is no hurry here.

This poem came from my own journal, written during a time when I was finding my way back to myself. I share it because I suspect you know this feeling too.

Trust and I have had a long, complicated relationship. “Trust the process” were words I heard often, yet took many years to truly understand. And if I’m honest, I’m still challenged by it sometimes.

Read the poem slowly. Let it settle.

Trust

I am a message in a bottle.

Drifting and tossed by the waves

sometimes lost, confused,

joy has escaped me.

I am longing to find calm waters,

to reach the stillness of the shore.

I remember…

I am always tethered to the land,

by the beauty of my inner spirit.

By connectedness with kindred souls.

I am strong, I am confident, my life has meaning.

I am at peace, I am home.

I accept this is part of my journey.

I am trusting.

Grab a cup of tea, find your coziest chair, and open your journal. Take a deep breath.

Is there room in your life right now to allow for trusting the process?

If something surfaces that you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it. Leave a word, a sentence, or whatever feels right in the comments. This is a safe place to land.

Carry the warmth with you.

Warmly, Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Soft light. Warm water. A moment to set down what you've been carrying. This is one of the simplest rituals in the nest, and one of the most quietly powerful.

The full ritual is waiting for you below. Download it, print it, keep it close.

Warmly, Kathy

A Ritual A Shower By Candlelight

4.73MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

This is where the stillness practice begins. Not with a technique or a timer, but with a corner of your home you can claim as your own. A candle. A chair. A quiet place to say, this is for me. Download it below, tuck it away, and begin when you're ready.

Warmly, Kathy

Create Your Sacred Space Guide

13.7MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

A glass jar. A few found words. A tealight. This simple creative project takes less than an hour and leaves you with something luminous to carry into your stillness practice. No experience needed. Just curiosity and a quiet afternoon.

Warmly, Kathy

A Creative Invitation A Light Made Of Words

939KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

A short meditation to walk you in through the meadow and bring you all the way to the garden bench. Pour yourself something warm, find a quiet few minutes, close your eyes, and let me take you there.

Warmly, Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Pause.

Notice how it feels

to be here.

Breathing.

Listening to birdsong.

Just be still for a moment.

Warmly, Kathy

PS. A chair is always waiting in The Garden. Return as often as you need to.

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

As the nest grows, I want to make sure nothing gets lost. Here you’ll find everything organized by space so you can find exactly what you’re in the mood for.

Wander wherever your heart leads you.

The Garden

Journaling Prompts

Meditations

Moments

Rituals

Your Sacred Space

The Creativity Studio

Creative Invitations

The Kitchen Table

Monthly Themes

Looking for something specific? Head to the Archive and use the search function. Or leave a comment, and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.

Want to save something to come back to? Just click the bookmark icon on any post to save it to your reading list.

New practices, projects, and themes are added as the nest grows. Come back often.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

Come in. Find a comfortable spot.

If you're like me, you have a mountain of journals waiting to hold your thoughts.

Today I gathered mine. Some from a drawer, some from a tote, a whole stack of them by my desk. I really wanted to run out and buy a brand new one, but that seemed silly with so many half-filled pages still waiting. So instead, I paused for an hour and made something.

I chose one journal and gave it a new beginning. A Receiving Journal, in honour of a beautiful practice I've been sitting with, incomplete, and begging for my attention. A 30-day quest to make room in your home, your body, and your life, for everything you've been calling in.

All month, I've been noticing both small and generous receivings already coming my way. Two hamburger buns from our local bakery, given with a smile and "these are on the house." A spa treatment, a gift from my daughter on our weekend away. Imagine what might come if I really leaned in.

Download the tutorial below; it will walk you through making your own. All you need is a journal, a little time, and a willingness to begin again.

Warmly, Kathy

PS.
The studio is always open. Come back whenever you feel like making something.
PSS. Journaling prompts are coming soon to The Garden. This makes the perfect companion. One practice opens the images. The other opens the words.

MY VISION JOURNAL COVER

Vision Journal Cover Tutorial

3.68KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

On a quiet afternoon, when your hands need something to do.

a note from the studio —

Today, I want to give you a little sneak peek inside The Creativity Studio.

Come in. Find a spot at the table.

There’s no agenda here. No project to finish by a certain time. No one watching to see how it turns out. Just an invitation to be creative.

The Creativity Studio is a simple place. A place where your hands get to do something just for the pleasure of it. You don’t need to be creative to be here. You just need to be curious. Or restless. Or in need of an hour that belongs entirely to you.

To begin, I’d like to offer you something I hope becomes a small ritual each time you visit. A glass jar. Some found words. A tealight. And a poem that is entirely yours, lit from within.

Download the PDF below, gather a few simple supplies, and make yourself something luminous.

Warmly, Kathy

PS. The studio is always open. Come back whenever you feel like making something.

A Creative Invitation A Light Made Of Words

939KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

A little of what’s ahead in The Creativity Studio

If something in you wants to make, you’ve come to the right place.

The Creativity Studio is just getting started, and in the weeks ahead I’ll be adding new creative invitations, some seasonal, some to mark the holidays, some for your home and celebrations, some just because. Consider what’s here right now your first taste.

What I’m especially excited about are the Guest Creatives. Once a month, I’ll be welcoming someone in for an up-to-one-hour session, and our first guest is watercolor coach Chris Vabre of Octopus Connection. Chris will be leading us in painting a hummingbird in watercolor. I know. Perfect, right?

Date and time coming very soon.

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

Sometimes I don’t want to show up. Even to the things I’ve created. Even to the gatherings I love. There’s always something else. Another reason to stay busy. Another thing that needs me first.

Maybe you know that feeling.

And yet. Every single time I show up anyway, something happens. Not something dramatic. Not a breakthrough or a transformation. Just a small, quiet shift. An exhale I didn’t know I was holding. A tiny discovery about myself that surfaces through a still moment, or a simple creative project, or a real conversation with women who get it.

That’s what The Hummingbird Nest is for.

Settling In

The Hummingbird Nest is a gentle gathering place for women who are longing to slow down and reconnect with themselves.

A place to come home to yourself. To move more gently through your days, with space for rest, creativity, and meaningful connection.

This space was created for women who have spent years caring for others and are now choosing to live more intentionally, making space for what matters most to them now.

It’s not about fixing yourself or reinventing your life. It’s about shaping your days with care, clarity, and intention.

This is not a course. Not a program. Not another thing to complete or achieve. Just a warm, unhurried place to pause. Whenever you need it. In whatever way feels right for you.

There's nothing to keep up with here. Only an invitation to arrive.

Three Invitations to Start Your Journey

There’s no right place to begin. The Nest is here for all of it. But if something is calling to you right now, follow that.

Stillness in the Garden

…is here if you need to exhale.

The Garden is where you come when you need to be still. Simple practices, quiet moments, no agenda. You don’t have to do anything except arrive and breathe. Sometimes that’s everything.

If you’ve arrived feeling a little frayed, a little overfull, this is where to start. Step into the quiet. There’s nothing to do here except let yourself land.

I need to rest.

Take me to the Garden.

Creativity in the Studio

…is here if something in you wants to make.

Perhaps there’s a creative self who has been waiting patiently, tucked behind everything else.

The Creativity Studio is a simple place. Somewhere your hands get to do something just for the pleasure of it. The projects are simple. The supplies are minimal. You don’t need to be creative to be here. You just need to be curious. Or restless. Or in need of an hour that belongs entirely to you.

You come when your mind needs to soften. And you almost always discover something you didn't expect.

I’m ready to create.

Take me to the Studio.

Connection at The Kitchen Table

…is here if you’re longing to be seen.

The Kitchen Table is where you come when you’re ready to be with other women. Each month, I host two separate gatherings on Zoom. Same theme, same menu, two different groups of women. Two chances to find a time that works for you. Every gathering prepared with care. A story bowl holds questions that open real conversation, the kind you didn’t know you needed. There’s a simple creative practice woven in too, because something about making together opens us in ways words alone can’t.

There’s an exhale waiting for you here, the kind that comes when you stop performing and just show up.

Come as you are. No need to show up as anything other than yourself. Just honest women, showing up for each other.

Each gathering comes with its own menu. A little taste of what’s waiting for you at the table.

I want to connect.

Save me a seat.

And four times a year, for those who have been nesting here a while and are ready to go a little deeper, there are the seasonal retreats.

Half-day experiences that weave stillness, creativity, and connection together.

A longer exhale, for when you’re ready for one.

Some days you’ll want the quiet of the Garden.
Some days your hands will lead you to the Studio.
Some days you’ll need the table and the women around it.

All of it is valuable. All of it counts.

The hummingbird is always moving, always giving.
But even she needs a place to rest.

Come in. Nest a while.

The kettle is on.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

Share

A letter from the Garden, mid-May.

the days following my return from the ocean —

There is a particular kind of disorientation that follows a deep rest.

I came home from just a few days away to Vancouver Island, on the west coast of Canada, bags full of salt air and silence, and for a full day I could not quite find my footing. I felt unsteady. Unfocused. Like someone had shifted the furniture while I was away, and now I was moving through a familiar room in the dark.

On the drive home from the airport, I watched a crow fly above the freeway. I turned to my daughter and said, just a short time ago we were watching eagles soar across the water. Now look at us. We laughed. But something in it was also true, and a little tender.

The island does that to you.

It takes time to arrive at that kind of stillness. And apparently, it takes time to leave it too.

As you press play on the videos, close your eyes.

Imagine yourself there by the ocean.

Take what you need.

The sound of the waves. The birdsong overhead. The wind.

What I know now, and wish I had remembered yesterday, that foggy, unsettled day after I returned, is that the ocean was never really out of reach. It was sitting right there in my camera roll. One small moment away.

And then I remembered the wind.

That sound does something the quiet lapping of water couldn’t quite do on its own. It moves through you, blowing the cobwebs loose from all the corners of your mind. The mental clutter. The low hum of obligation.

I could have stepped away from the unpacked bags and the grocery list, and let myself be there again, just for a few minutes. Not to escape what was in front of me. But to ease the crossing. To give myself a bridge between that open, unhurried version of myself and the one who had to do laundry and think about what to make for dinner.

Stillness is not a place. It turns out it’s portable. We just forget to carry it with us.

I’m curious whether you have ever felt this, the day-after-return feeling, the slight grief of ordinary life rushing back in. And if you have, what did you reach for?

Warmly, Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

Early May, while the garden is still new.

a note from the Garden —

The garden has just been planted.

The lavender is still young, the roses not yet climbing, the chamomile just beginning to soften the edges of the path. I have been out here in the early mornings, tucking things into the earth, wondering what will bloom and when. There is something so hopeful about planting before you can see what will grow. It asks you to trust what isn’t visible yet.

That is what I am doing here, in everything I am building. Planting.

The Hummingbird Nest is new ground. The paths are being laid, the spaces are taking shape, and everything is a little tender the way new things are. But the garden is open. And I wanted you to be the first one in.

The garden is the place I built for stillness. Not the kind of stillness that asks you to empty yourself or get very serious about breathing. The kind that simply invites you to stop moving for a little while. To sit down. To let the morning be enough.

It is the first place I come each day when I need to remember who I am beneath the noise. I think it might become that for you too.

I have recorded something for you. A short meditation to walk you in through the meadow and bring you all the way to the garden bench. Pour yourself something warm, find a quiet few minutes, close your eyes, and let me take you there.

Warmly, Kathy

PS: The garden is always growing. Come back whenever you need it.

A little of what’s ahead in the garden

In the weeks to come, I’ll be adding stillness practices, meditations and journaling prompts to help you find your way back to yourself whenever you need it. Consider this your first taste.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

a note for you —

I’m so happy you found your way here.

This space was made with you in mind, the woman who is ready to stop coming last and start coming home to herself.

If you need permission to put yourself first, consider this yours. Permission granted.

There’s no rush here. No agenda. Just an open door, a quiet garden, a studio waiting for your hands, and a table where women gather.

Behind the scenes, the nest is being built.

Plant fibers, dandelion, cattail down, moss, tiny feathers, spider silk. Each small thing gathered with intention, woven into something warm and whole.

Stay close. You’ll want to be here when it’s ready.

Warmly, Kathy

P.S. The kettle is on.

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

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I had dental surgery yesterday, went to bed very early, just couldn’t sleep anymore, and here I am.

Birdsong is very calming to me, and because the birds aren’t even up yet, I listened to this.

Thought you might like to listen as well.

In my last newsletter, I shared that I’m working on some changes to my Substack publication. I’m in full building mode. Whether you’ve been here a while or recently subscribed to Gather & Pause, you may start to notice things changing - the structure and, more notably, the publication name.

Let’s address the hummingbird in the room first.

She's the reason for the name change, and I'll share her full story very soon. For now, I want you to know I’ve changed my name from Gather & Pause to The Hummingbird Nest.

Part of building this nest has meant finding the right guides along the way. If you’re in a season of building something of your own, building a nest might just be what you need. Lise-Lotte Design helped me build mine. You can find her workshop here. Make a Nest Video Workshop.

I’m planning a special gathering where the hummingbird story will unfold. It will take place sometime in the latter part of May. I’m excited to have Chris Vabre, a watercolor artist and owner of Octopus Connection, lead us in watercolor painting. Guess what we’ll be painting? If you guessed a hummingbird, you’re right. I’ll share plenty of advance notice, so you can save a spot on your calendar and gather your supplies.

In the meantime, part of my building process has been laying the foundation. The forms are in place, and the floor has been poured. This has been inspired by a beautiful invitation from to create first a directional mood board which answers the question: How do I want women to feel when they arrive in my world? Then my mood board was turned into a brand vision board.

Here’s my vision board. I would love to know how it makes you feel, and I would be thrilled if you could share in the comments.

Warmly,
Kathy

If you feel moved, I’d be grateful if you like this post with a ❤️, share a thought in the comments, buy me a coffee, or pass it along to someone who might enjoy a pause. Each small gesture helps this quiet space reach others who may need it.

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I am not quite ready to tell you exactly what is being built, but I promise, it’s worth the wait.

It’s always been my intention to make you, as a reader or participant in one of my gatherings, feel safe, welcome and special. And, there’s another thing about me. I’ve always believed in inclusion.

So instead of tucking myself away until it’s all perfectly finished, I’d love you to join me, right here, as it unfolds. Not just to see the finished result, but to be part of the journey that gets there. Come along. I think you’re going to love where we’re headed.

I’ve always been a builder.

These photos - me as a little girl, hands deep in mud, completely lost in the serious business of making mud pies, and me as a young girl, maybe nine or ten, painting a shelf my dad helped me build - focused, a little stubborn, and likely delighted in the outcome. These images make me smile now, because I can see so clearly that this is simply who I am. Making things, building things, bringing something new into the world. It’s in my DNA.

And right now, I’m in full building mode.

So, in May, things will look a little different. I won’t be publishing the magazine, or Nestled in the Pause newsletters, and the Kitchen Table gathering is taking a pause. If there’s a theme for May at all, it’s simply this: refreshing, remodelling, refinishing. Any of those words will work.

What I will be doing is showing up for at least one live creative gathering. Details coming soon.

I hope you’ll travel along with me and enjoy the journey!

Warmly,
Kathy

P.S. Hit Leave a comment and tell me, are you in the middle of building something too? Maybe a garden or summer holiday plans. I’d genuinely love to know.

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If you feel moved, I’d be grateful if you like this post with a ❤️, share a thought in the comments, buy me a coffee, or pass it along to someone who might enjoy a pause. Each small gesture helps this quiet space reach others who may need it.

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Hello, I’m really happy you’re here.
This is a quiet corner where I explore what it means to live with more heart and less hurry - through stillness, creativity, and connection. I’m someone learning, right alongside you, how to pause long enough to listen for what truly matters. Pull up a chair. There’s space for you here.

As I write this newsletter, we’re having a Spring snowstorm. The wind is blowing, the snow is whirling, and even Cora, our granddog, stepped just a few feet away from the front door to relieve herself quickly.

Early next week, the temperatures will rise, the snow will melt, and the little green shoots, just beginning to emerge, will find the sunlight once more.

I won’t be going anywhere today, other than to suit up, as they say - winter boots, coat, gloves, and toque, and play in the snow with the dog. I might even pull out a counted cross-stitch piece to work on. I started it at least 10 years ago, and would love to complete it.

!!! STOP THE PRESSES !!!

As I’m writing this newsletter, Cora saunters over. I lean over to pet her and discover a lump on her neck. Further examination reveals what appears to be a tick. I’m totally freaked out. Not wanting to deal with removing a tick, we decided to brave the snow (remember, just a paragraph above, I said we’re not going anywhere today because of the snow, and we just had our snow tires removed, which makes it even worse to head out in the middle of a snowstorm.

As I was walking to our closet, I almost wiped out in water left on the floor from my boots when I took Cora out first thing in the morning.

Off to the vet we go.

They examine her and discover an abscess - likely just a hair follicle. Nothing serious. And, happily not a tick!

And somehow, we leave without paying a thing. They never charged me! I must have had that desperate grandma energy written all over me.

Recently, I’ve come across a few videos on YouTube that made me pause. I’d love to share them with you.

These videos remind me of what it feels like to bring something into the world.

You may notice on my Substack that a few things are shifting. I’ll share more as the month unfolds, but I wanted to mention it now, in case you feel it too.

There’s an energy moving through - Spring, perhaps. Or maybe the forward-moving power of the Fire Horse year.

I hope you’re having a great week!

If you feel moved, I’d be grateful if you like this post with a ❤️, share a thought in the comments, buy me a coffee, or pass it along to someone who might enjoy a pause. Each small gesture helps this quiet space reach others who may need it.

Buy Me a Coffee ☕

Share

Subscribe now

Hello, I’m really happy you’re here.
This is a quiet corner where I explore what it means to live with more heart and less hurry - through stillness, creativity, and connection. I’m someone learning, right alongside you, how to pause long enough to listen for what truly matters. Pull up a chair. There’s space for you here.

I forgot to send my Nestled in the Pause newsletter last week. Here’s why…

Let me tell you, it was a week full of activity.

My 15-year-old granddaughter was on her Spring break. She asked if I’d help her quilt the sleeves of her new hoodie. I thought it might just be strips of fabric. No, she wanted triangles and strips. OK, challenge accepted.

We visited a quilting store, she chose three coordinating fabrics, and we got down to business. I helped with the cutting, and she did the sewing and ironing. It was a lot of fun to work alongside her, to witness her creative spirit and see the result.

Do you like it?

My childhood friend visited. We attended an evening with Dr. Gabor Mate, along with 8,000 others. It was so good. He’s an amazing storyteller. The knowledge he shared left me with much to think about.

One of the questions he suggested we ask ourselves the next day, I’d love to share with you.

Is there someone or something you need to say NO to?

Great question, and it permitted me to ask myself and practice saying no for the rest of the week.

His parting words, I’ll share in a little while.

We’re pet-sitting our granddog, Cora. It’s been fun, but we are growing weary. We’ve had her for one month. Her dad will be home this week.

What was especially challenging were the coyotes we encountered twice. Connection is one of my top values, yet this connection, I wasn’t too thrilled about. Mostly, they are afraid of humans, yet it’s mating season and they can be unpredictable. And, after all, they are wild animals.

A border terrier cross that is bred to hunt does not take this predator lightly. Let’s just say there was a lot of barking, restraint and calming required of me, and anxiety by her afterwards.

I did some research and learned a lot about her behaviors. I found it very interesting and will share a few facts.

They tend to have:

• High prey drive → strong urge to chase or confront movement

• Quick arousal → they go from calm to “on alert” very fast

• Fearless temperament → even when the other animal is bigger

I wondered - how do dogs detect coyotes before we do, and how do they know it’s a predator and not just another dog? Here’s what I found out.

1. Scent (the biggest one)

Dogs have up to 300 million scent receptors (humans ~5 million). A coyote can leave scent trails on:

• grass

• wind currents

• even where it passed hours earlier

A dog can detect a coyote long before it’s visible. That explains her growling before we were even outside.

2. Sound

Dogs hear higher frequencies and at greater distances. They can pick up:

• movement in brush

• distant footsteps

• subtle vocalizations

3. Body Language + Energy

Even before close contact, dogs can sense:

• predator movement patterns

• tension or alertness in another animal

Coyotes move very differently from domestic dogs - more stealthy, more direct.

She knows it’s not “Just Another Dog” because it gives off very different signals than a pet dog. The key differences a dog picks up are:

• Scent signature → wild, unfamiliar, predator-based

• Movement style → quiet, stalking, purposeful

• Eye contact → more intense, less social

• Posture → not playful or relaxed

Fingers crossed we won’t have another encounter.

On Friday evening, I hosted my monthly Kitchen Table Gathering. Our theme was Reservation for One.

This idea of a “reservation for one” is inspired by a phrase connected to Matthew McConaughey and his journaling companion to the book Greenlights. It’s really a gentle metaphor - an invitation to intentionally spend time in your own company, to reconnect with yourself.

For some, that might look like a quiet cup of coffee in the morning, a solo walk or an hour softly set aside just for you.

And for others, it might be something a little more spacious. A day away. An overnight. Even a retreat that’s been quietly calling your name.

What matters isn’t how big or small it is. It’s the intention behind it. A moment, or a space, where you choose to be with yourself and notice what’s been waiting there.

I invite you this week to experience a taste of our gathering.

1. Find a quiet corner, light a candle and spend some time with yourself.
2. Gently arrive by listening to this Table for One meditation.

3. Complete this Reservation for One Worksheet.

Reservation For One Worksheet

118KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

4. Read this Closing Blessing:

May you remember
that you are worthy of your own time.

May you find small moments
to sit in your own company…
without rushing away.

May the spaces you create for yourself
be gentle,
and nourishing,
and enough.

And may you carry this knowing with you -

That even a small reservation for one
can open something new within you.

My Reservation for One Today

I chuckled to myself today as I sat in Tim Horton’s - waiting for my snow tires to be changed. Not a glamorous reservation for one, yet one just the same.

Sitting next to me were three women engaged in conversation. One was telling a story about how her 50-year-old son was planning to sell everything he owns and move to Spain. Sounded like quite an adventure to me! She explained how she’d suggested he was doing the wrong thing, etc., etc. What I chuckled about was that this conversation reminded me of Dr. Gabor Mate’s parting words, which I promised to share with you.

He said something to the effect of…
As parents, it is not our responsibility to judge, to fix, to comment on our adult children’s lives. Our job is to be there for them when, and only when, they ask for help. It’s their journey, their life.

I leave you with these wise words.

Have a great week!

If you feel moved, I’d be grateful if you like this post with a ❤️, share a thought in the comments, buy me a coffee, or pass it along to someone who might enjoy a pause. Each small gesture helps this quiet space reach others who may need it.

Buy Me a Coffee ☕

Share

Subscribe now

Hello, I’m really happy you’re here.
This is a quiet corner where I explore what it means to live with more heart and less hurry - through stillness, creativity, and connection. I’m someone learning, right alongside you, how to pause long enough to listen for what truly matters. Pull up a chair. There’s space for you here.

Inside The Nest This Month

Here are a few ways to enter this month’s theme, Reservation for One.

Join us inside The Nest as we move through it together

Tending this Space

Throughout the month, just as a gardener tends her garden, I’ll be tending this space on Substack, sharing a little more, so you can get to know me along the way.

It feels like new energy is arriving. Like seeds being planted, just beginning to sprout.

I’ve been building The Nest, layer upon layer, piece by piece.

Spring has arrived, and The Nest is holding something not yet fully seen - like a nest in early Spring.

I’ll share more of what’s being tended here as the month unfolds.

For now, you’re warmly invited to take a peek at my welcome video - a small hello from me that will appear in the welcome emails to new subscribers.

The April Magazine

A guided experience with reflections, rituals, and creative invitations.

READ THE APRIL MAGAZINE

On your phone or tablet, gently swipe to turn the pages.
On a computer, use the small arrow in the corner to move through at your own pace.

Nestled in the Pause

Weekly moments of stillness, creativity, and connection.

Each week, I’ll share three gentle pauses, guided by the three pillars at the heart of this space - stillness, creativity, and connection - all centered around this month’s theme.

Here’s a simple place to begin.

A minute to pause and listen.

Find a quiet moment.
Step outside if you can, or sit near an open window.

Close your eyes.

Let the sound of birdsong be the only thing you follow.

Just listen.

Even a minute can be enough
to soften the edges of a day.

The Kitchen Table

A monthly gathering where women come together
to slow down, share, and create.

A space to be nourished,
not just by what we make,
but by conversation, inspiration, and connection.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE

And a special thank you to Petal + Hearth, who gave me permission to share her amazing Reservation for One ideas.

Petal + Hearth

Reader Request: How to Live Like You Have a Self-Care Budget… When You Don’t

Today’s post was inspired by a reader request for self care resources. I’m making it public so it’s accessible to all. If you have a topic you’d like to see covered, you can submit it here…

Read more

10 months ago · 23 likes · 3 comments · Olivia Wickstrom

Whether you’re craving stillness, creativity, connection, or simply a place that feels steady for a moment, the door is open.

I hope to see you in The Nest.

Warmly,
Kathy

Buy Me a Coffee ☕

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