July 1, the garden asks you to slow down.
A note from The Garden -
A Flower Pause
Before we begin, I invite you to pause for a moment.
Take a look at the flower below.
(And, if you have a flower nearby, bring it close.)
Notice its color. Its shape. The tiny details you might normally rush past.
Take a slow breath in and imagine leaning close enough to catch its fragrance.
Flowers don’t hurry to bloom. They simply open when the time is right.
Take one more breath, and let this be enough, just for a moment. Carry this sense of presence with you as you continue.
Flowers don’t hurry to bloom. They simply open when the time is right.
I’d planned to open the doors this month for my newly remodelled virtual Canadian retreat center, The Hummingbird Nest. During construction, I followed the blueprints, added some beautiful touches along the way, and had my first inspection with Claire Venus of Sparkle on Substack. I’m a member of Claire’s Diamond membership, which offers a personalized annual Substack audit, a fresh set of eyes on everything I’ve built.
Claire had a few suggestions for further revisions, and so the doors will open a little later than planned. I’ve moved the Open House to September.
I’ll still carry the theme I’d chosen for it, In Full Bloom, right through this month instead.
Looking ahead to September, The Hummingbird Nest will open its paid membership. And if you’ve been wondering what that might look like, July is a beautiful preview. A Kitchen Table gathering, a Guest Creative session, Stillness Practices and Creative Invitations.
And as a bonus, the archive is free to visit for the months of July and August. Subscribe now so you don't miss a thing.
The Kitchen Table, Friday, July 10th - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Our monthly gathering, live and in person around the table.
July at The Kitchen Table
Sharing again, from the archives
I arrived at July’s Kitchen Table theme in a very unusual way. Let me explain…
I went looking for something under the bathroom sink.
I found Italy instead.
Two bars of soap, still wrapped in brown paper. A shopkeeper’s careful taping. A memory held in place since May 2025.
My daughter and I had taken a boat across the Venetian lagoon to Burano. The colored houses. The lace. A blue scarf I couldn’t resist.
I’d already spent too much. Then a shop window stopped me.
Linen aprons, hanging still. Exquisite. The kind of thing you stand in front of longer than you mean to.
You could almost see the women who would wear them. Hands floury. Glass of wine on the countertop. Something on the stove. A family waiting to be fed.
I went in anyway.
The aprons I could only admire. The soap I could bring home.
I didn’t know then that she was wrapping up more than soap.
Neither of us did.
Which got me thinking about the next Kitchen Table gathering. And it shaped my theme.
The Things We Carried Home. Coming to The Kitchen Table, Friday, July 10, 6:00 - 7:30 pm MDT
There’s a place at the table with your name on it. We’d love to have you join us!
Pressed Flower Stickers, Substack Live, Monday, July 13 at 12:00 noon MDT
Snail mail is making a bit of a comeback. What better way to dress up a letter than with a handmade pressed flower sticker?
Join me live in The Creativity Studio as I demo an easy method for making your own. They’re perfect for decorating journals, envelopes, and anything else that could use a small, pretty touch.
If you’d like to make some along with me, here’s what you’ll need:
Supplies:
Pressed flowers (Tip: smaller flowers work best)
Parchment paper
Packing tape (clear)
Scissors
You’ll receive a separate email soon with an opportunity to add it to your calendar.
Flower Pounding, Substack Live, Thursday, July 16 at 12:00 noon MDT
I’ll return to The Creativity Studio and show you how to press color straight from petal to paper, an old technique with a lovely, unpredictable result.
If you’d like to make some along with me, here’s what you’ll need:
Supplies:
Fresh flowers and leaves (see list below for what works best)
Watercolor paper or cardstock
Parchment paper (to place over the flowers)
Hammer or mallet
Hard, flat surface (like a cutting board)
Tweezers (for removing petal bits after pounding) optional
Masking tape (to hold flowers in place before pounding)
If gathering flowers ahead of time, here’s a little guidance on what works well:
🌸 Flowers That Work Well:
Pansies & Violas, high pigment, great detail
Coreopsis, brilliant orange/yellow
Cosmos, soft but vibrant imprint
Ferns & Herbs, lovely shapes & greens
Roses, juicy, but can bleed heavily
Petunias, deep color, may need blotting
You’ll receive a separate email soon with an opportunity to add it to your calendar.
July’s Guest Creative, Lise-Lotte Loomer,
In the Creativity Studio,
Monday, July 20 at 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm MDT
Lise-Lotte Loomer grows specialty flowers on an urban farm on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, and she’s known for helping women find connection through creativity. She’s bringing the Petal Potluck to The Creativity Studio, a simple, beautiful idea for gathering friends around flowers.
Come on your own, learn the idea, and tuck it away for summer. More details coming soon in a separate note.
Flower Pot Cakes, July 23, A Creative Invitation delivered straight to your inbox.
I’ll be whipping up a batch of these special cakes for a July birthday, and on July 23rd I’ll share the tutorial to make your own.
I’m really looking forward to a month together In Full Bloom.
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.
Oh the calendar for July looks so exciting! Thank you Kathy for building g this beautiful interactive space. xo 💗