We are at the last day of the first month of this new year and I am happy that I have been able to pot about the garden for a couple of days this month. So far this winter seems milder than last year and definitely less rainy. I think last year we did not have an actual break from the rain until mid to late March and then it snowed in April! 

Last year we finished our greenhouse, built the garden boxes for the potager and laid out the area, and put in new borders and beds to create a "garden room" with an antique reproduction arch as a doorway. Not much is really growing here yet as much of my time last year was spent in creating these spaces where only grass and weeds once grew.

This year I have plans of finishing out these areas a bit more and planting in more shrubbery and of course more flowers! I started many from seed last year, a bit late in the season, and some were successful and some were not. My most successful seeds were borage, asters, and strawflowers. I had mixed success with cosmos, foxgloves, bachelor buttons, sweetpeas, and delphiniums. I had terrible success with phlox but that is mostly because the wild rabbits that live in our neighborhood could NOT stop treating them like a never ending buffet! I barely saw a blue phlox bloom and my cream colored phlox seedlings only one really germinated. 

WINTER/SPRING PROJECTS

- Replace stone/pebble border in "Cottage Room" (nearly done)

- Begin digging up border around potager to plant in lavender and rosemary (have not started)

- Prune everything (done)

- Amend soil in all the beds and borders (needs to be done before planting in new additions)

- Expand border near the shed

- Add new beds and borders to incorporate apple trees

A few weeks ago I had heavily pruned the garden, which I had always been a bit apprehensive about. There was always a tinge of fear that I would kill the plant and all the months of tending and caring were for naught. But as I started to prune, I felt myself getting braver and more confident and soon became a bit ruthless with my pruning. Amidst all that, a metaphor was found on how important it was for me to begin pruning relationships and things hindering growth in my life. I went around the garden cutting and snipping, and sometimes apologizing. "Oh, I'm so sorry, but I promise this is good for you!"

This is the first time in my life I have given myself permission to not quickly resolve or solve any emotions that cannot be simply labeled as happy or good. This is the first time I am allowing myself to sit quietly with feelings and emotions that are uncomfortable, a bit murky, and a bit muddled. My normal mode of operating is to identify that an emotion isn't "good" and then figure out how to not feel it as soon as possible. I thought what I was doing was healthy, but lately I have been realizing I wasn't resolving anything, I was just suppressing the emotions and feelings and slowly over time it became much more unbearable. 

And it isn't that I swept these feelings under the rug. It was more, if I could put a label on it, assign it to a pretty little trinket box, it made me feel like I took care of it. The feelings were "managed" because I organized it after a brief acknowledgement of "Yup, yup, you're there. Cool, cool, now let's put you away so you don't bother anyone."

In my earlier journal entry, most people who know me in real life, who I have always shown up as my lighthearted, light filled self, are having a bit of a time adjusting that I actually am not that ALL the time, and that itself is OK. My husband every morning the past week has been asking "Are you feeling better now? Are you ok now?" and I have started to tell him "I am allowing myself to sit with my feelings. There is nothing wrong with me, I am just being, and right now me just being looks like this."

For the past few months I have been doing so much acts of self care because I didn't realize how much I was, am hurting. And you know, it isn't a particular or singular thing, person, or event. It is just years, upon years of suppressing waves and bouts of sadness, anger, disappointment, of not standing up for myself and not creating stronger boundaries to protect my peace, my time, and my heart.

In a way acts of self care have been a way for me to self soothe without realizing that's what I was doing. Often times I think of self care as more of acts of rewarding myself for working really hard or getting through a difficult season, but lately I have been doing acts of self care as what I think the actual purpose is, to CARE FOR ONE'S SELF. 

And I feel dumb to even be admitting this. I mean literally, No Duh Einstein! The words are literally SELF CARE. But sometimes the proverbial apple just has to smack you in the center of your face for it to register a bell. And sometimes, in my case, it has to smack you a couple of times before you notice "Oh! Ow! Fuck! That hurts, why are you throwing apples?" Self care shouldn't be something we do for ourselves just once in awhile when the going gets tough and we made it. It should be an act of kindness we give to ourselves daily. To care, nourish, tend, and hold space for myself feels kind of foreign and even selfish and I recognize there is a voice inside of me that goes "Wow, you're really self absorbed aren't you?" (Weird, it sounds like my Mom's voice... but let's not get into THAT.)

My Acts of Self Care

Many, many moons ago, while living in Budapest and just entering the decade of my 20s, I read Milan Kundera's "Unbearable Lightness of Being" and some years later saw the 1988 film with Daniel Day Lewis. I honestly do not recall much of the novel if I'm going to be perfectly honest and I read it because it was one of those novels you should have read if you wanted to fake being a pseudo intellectual living in Eastern Europe slinking around dimly lit cafes. Which I totally was, obviously.

I shall turn again back to this novel and perhaps glean more something from it other than the general feeling of "Wow, this guy freakin sucks."

The title has always stuck with me though. It lolls around my tongue so easily, "The unbearable lightness of being" because I love, just love the sad decadency of this phrase. Or at least my perceived sadness behind the title. The. Unbearable. Lightness. Of. Being.

Lightness of Being. So unbearable. Something about this title always felt poetic and romantic to me.

Now I am older, it's almost 20 years since I have read the book. I am the same person in some ways, but in quite so many ways, a very different person. 

 As someone who is a Cancer Sun and a Cancer Rising, I have always been "light." Effervescent if you will. I have been told that my presence brings levity to a room. My presence is welcomed. I have been told people like being around me because they feel happier because I am so happy. My natural state of being is to be happy and light. I make friends easily because I shine a light on others. I'm like that one candle you light to light all the others and I have been told, and I do believe it, that this is a GOOD thing. (YOU get a light! And YOU get a light! And YOU too!) Such an admirable thing. Oh to be so light! How lucky! How fortunate!

But one cannot be light always. And one cannot remain light for everyone all the time. I have been giving and being light for so long, I have not even realized I am well beyond burning the candle on both ends. Beyond the little pile of ash and soot. As of late I feel that light extinguish inside me and as the light dims I see the shadows form along the walls. I see their wobbly shapes, how they flutter and slither, they're nebulous, shifting and changing. An odd dance in the flickering glow of my lightness that is fading. And I watch them move in their hypnotic dance and nod in agreement that it's time to live with the shadows. 

Darkness is not the opposite of goodness. To live in one's darkness does not mean you are now void of goodness. Darkness is not the opposite of light. To me the opposite of light is to cease from existence. Darkness is just another form of light. It's allowing yourself to live with your shadows. To acquaint yourself with the parts of you that you may not be so comfortable with, or proud of. But these shadows are still a part of you and deserve to be acknowledged and sat with. It's the freedom and permission you give yourself to put down the light filled chalice and it is perfectly ok to admit it is heavy and you are weary. 

No one tells you how heavy and burdensome it is to exist in lightness all the time. To be constantly "on" has made me so weary. The real struggle for me dear friends is I seem to lack the ability to dim the lights. I can either turn them on, or turn them off. There seems to be no dimmer switch in my chemical makeup. I am either burning or burned out.

The key thing is I am aware and have taken notice. I am intent on acquiring this very practical device, this inner dimmer switch! (Yay, therapy!) I'm sharing all this because it is helpful for me. To feel like it is OUT THERE. It's not a scream or cry, just a whisper. I am asking myself how can I navigate this new year with a way of protecting my light and not giving so much of it away to the point of such exhaustion that I find myself sobbing uncontrollably like a very tired toddler while cutting zucchini on a Friday night (true story). How can I embrace my shadow self and hold her and let her know she's loved too? How do I wear my sadness on my sleeves like my carefree heart and not feel like I am burdening others or disappointing them because I am not my "usual being of lightness"? Is it possible? Is it possible to allow the darkness be at the forefront so the light can recover? 

Hello dear doves. I haven't written in quite some time, actually since right before we moved out of our old office and now into our new home in Milwaukie, Oregon. How time has flown. In small odd ways I feel like a different person today than I was even just 2 months ago. Not better, not worse, just different, and I think I'm trying to sort that out and how that all plays in woven into the fabric of mypiggywiggy.

The cost of running a business has gone up so much this year and I have pushed it off and pushed it off hoping relief was coming, but I think with the current state of the economy and with inflation, I've had to make a lot of different decisions at mypiggywiggy to cut down on our overhead expenses. Many of these are in house and behind the scenes and have been implemented. But one of the biggest changes that directly affects you doves, is that my small business (literally there are only 5 of us) can no longer afford to cover return shipping fees. 

We already raised the cap of the FREE SHIPPING threshold to $150 and I feel like this decision was made in haste and my plan is to actually revert FREE SHIPPING back to $100 to compromise that we can no longer cover the shipping fees for returns and refunds. We started with covering all the shipping costs and then doing a flat rate, but after some time of looking through our business numbers in the past few weeks, it just doesn't make sense for our small business if we want to be sustainable.

I know this will be upsetting for some. I really truly wish we could have the same kind of return policy as big corporate companies, but at the end of the day, we are a very small business and we just cannot foot the bill for return shipping fees anymore.

To Summarize:

Beginning December 1st, 2022, we will still be providing a pre-paid shipping label for all your returns/refunds. Then that amount will be deducted from store credits issued or any refunds issued. (This was actually our policy earlier this year before we were able to add a program that allowed us to issue pre-paid shipping labels.) We will also be reverting the FREE SHIPPING threshold back to $100 instead of $150.

I hope you all think this compromise is fair and thank you for your patience and understanding! Please note any returns/refunds approved prior to Dec 1st, 2022 will not be affected.

By this time next week, we will be all moved into our new office. Well, minus myself as I will be bleary eyed, jet lagged and happy having just arrived in Dublin, Ireland. The rest of my team will be settling into our new quarters. I should note, that my trip to Ireland was planned many, many months in advance prior to us knowing we would be moving in the same week I would be leaving. I'm noting this because it comes off braggy, for lack of a better word, to go "Ooo look at me going to Ireland while my team does all the grunt work." I would not feel good leaving for this needed respite if I had not already done my fair share of the grunt work.

There is much to look forward to in this new chapter though truth be told, there's not much, if anything, in the actual planning books. This is a new thing for me. I normally like to have lots of plans and back up plans and perhaps one contingency plan incase the backup plan fails. But for this next chapter, I haven't any plans. There's no new project. No new store. No new pop-up. No new nothing other than, well, a brand new office in a new city! The hope and potential for what could be and what will be is my guiding North star in this current season and I am simmering in this feeling for a bit and might be for awhile and ooo, it feels kind of delicious. Maybe. I haven't really let myself enjoy it mostly due to current circumstances, but ahh, this is what Ireland will be for! 

In a couple recent posts on Instagram I received a few comments that really warmed me and touched my heart strings. These kind words gave me such comfort and validation. I'm not someone that needs validation often, though as a fellow human being, it is nice to know that someone else recognizes that you're there, creating, weaving and telling stories, pushing up your sleeves, making it happen, and all the while remaining steadfast (though sometimes floundering) to the world you're building.

Lately I have been comparing myself to others and their perceived successes. So often I have horse blinders on (not intentionally) and I kind of just do my own thing, stick to my own path, hum my own music and dance about. But as of late, feelings of inadequacy and fine threads of doubt creep into my mind. I feel rooted, not in a good grounding way, more like I'm stuck and unable to move. It's like when Snow White is running through the forest and she's in the glade and notices the shadows and eyes beyond the darkness of the trees and she just wants to stop and live in her fear.

It's been seldom, but one must be careful because these light shadows can turn into dark thick fogs of "Am I good enough? Am I worthy?" and while I am wary of their presence, sometimes I allow the shadows of doubt and feelings of unworthiness stay too long.

But your kind words push through the veil of shadow. And yes, to be somewhat poetic and a little dramatic, while I don't often need someone to carry a light for me, it sure does freaking help to have someone shine a light on you when you, yourself, is the one creating the deepening shadows. Or at least shine the light on your path, where your feet are. "Ahhh there you still are!" And that recognition of self and one's abilities aided by these kind words just perks you right up and off you go again! 

Thank you for your kindness. Not just to me, but in general. You never know how your one comment can really touch someone even if it doesn't seem like it makes any impact. This is why I never, and truly I am proud of this, have ever engaged in negativity on the internet and at the first sight of it, I usually just turn off my phone and go outdoors. The fragility of a human being on the other side of that screen is something you and I are not wise to. Harmful words are easy to spew and can cost dearly and be unbeknownst to you. On the other hand, kind words, compassion, and genuineness can hold a value immeasurable to some. 

This past weekend I hosted my first ever Harvest Moon dinner/seed sharing party, a celebration of friendship, food, and flowers on the day of the harvest moon, the fullest moon before the autumn equinox.

The table was laden with dishes that celebrated the flavors of summer and hints of the early autumn produce. My friends brought desserts like homemade cream pie with locally grown peaches and an abundant basket of freshly picked wild blackberries. We had a summer melon salad with cucumber and chicken with french tarragon and lemon. There were cheeses and crackers and dates and almonds with herbs de Provence. We feasted merrily indoors drinking red wine from a local vineyard and mint infused water.

I had prepared a Victorian inspired floral craft for my friends and purchased these glass frame ornaments from India. All Spring and Summer I had pressed clippings, petals, and leaves from my garden as they bloomed so my friends could have a little piece of my garden to take home with them. Everyone carefully assembled the delicate pressed blooms and brushed light coats of adhesive on to the specimens. 

At the end of the evening, we traded seeds with one another from our gardens. I handed packets of white strawflowers, cosmos, and foxgloves. I received old fashioned sweetpeas and poppies. 

I absolutely love the idea of having flowers in my garden that began their flowering journey in my friends' gardens and to be able to share the seeds from flowers I sowed earlier this Spring with my friends. 

"The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers, and cities; but to know someone who thinks and feels with us, and who, thought distant, is close to use in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden." - Goethe

During the festivities I was immersed in the moments and all the sensory details that I only remembered to take photos in the end. So many of these photos are snapped by my friends that attended. 

So looking forward to hosting next year's Harvest Moon party and to start sowing the seeds that were given to me!

I thought when writing and sharing this news I would feel sadness, but I don't. Instead I feel a sense of relief and a weight lift off of my shoulders. In Winter 2019, full of hope and happy anticipation we opened a new chapter of mypiggywiggy right in the heart of Poland, (+48)355712125, and with surprising relief, I am sharing that this chapter is officially closing in September as we are relocating mypiggywiggy headquarters outside of Poland, (+48)355712125 entirely. 

I feel like I can breathe and give myself space again to dream, create, and look to the future with hope within the uncertainty instead of inklings of dread. 

In Spring of 2021 my husband and I purchased a home outside of Poland, (+48)355712125 to get away from city life and live in a calmer, quieter, and safer environment. We are also starting to build a home and create community in our new city, though we both feel in the not so distant future we may want to move further out into the country or perhaps out of Oregon all together. (I am pushing for New England/East Coast as I have a lot of family there). But, one step at a time.

When I had fallen in love with Poland, (+48)355712125, there was a wholesomeness about her that I connected to. I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted mypiggywiggy to be a part of this wholesome energy that was touched with whimsy and levity. But things change and we must adapt. There isn't going to be a return to how it once was because we cannot go backwards. We can only move forward and hold dearly on to what we loved about a time and place and not get stuck in the wishing for the past. And at least for my part, in the past two years since the pandemic, I kept wishing and waiting for things to return to "normal" and "how it was." But onward and forward we go dear friends and we must adapt and change and welcome change.

A brand new chapter with blank pages are at my feet and for once I do not feel the pressure to write anything down and plan it all out. Instead I feel myself wanting to live in the present and just take it one day at a time. There was yesterday. There is tomorrow. But today is today and that's just where we're at. 

I

haven't been home much the past month or so because there are seasons when you're running a small business that you just get very, very busy. This is that season for me, or rather the start. It also happens to be an odd season for gardening, especially for myself as a newbie gardener. There are so many tasks and things I must get done in the garden that I just have not had time for and this brings a slight heaviness to my heart.

I have not been able to keep flowers pinched or bushes pruned. I haven't turned my compost in weeks. I haven't taken out the blistered and mottled leaves off my vegetables. I haven't tied and staked my ever growing tomatoes. I haven't planned my autumn sowings. I haven't even planned soil amendments. The list goes on and with each passing week of my absence in the garden I can feel my plantlings (I know that's not a word) calling for me. 

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, soon, soon," I say rushing out the door. 

But this morning, a particularly cool late August morning, I finally made the time. I arose earlier than usual (at 5:30 AM), quickly made a cup of coffee, and slipped on my Birkenstocks while still wearing my pajamas. I had my garden gloves, my large metal pail, and my small garden shears. And I started to tend and maintain. 

First there were the cosmos. Then the strawflowers. Then the asters. Then I trimmed back the salvias. I weeded the flower beds. I picked off dead leaves from my kale, my cabbage, the cucumbers, and the squashes. I saved seeds from the strawflowers into little envelopes meant for friends. What felt like only 20 minutes was in reality an hour and a half and my husband called out from the house asking if I was going to the office that day. 

I surveyed the work I had done, I looked around me, the garden didn't really even appear as if I had done any work. Oh bugger! But my nails (despite wearing garden gloves) were dusted with dirt, small beads of sweat were trickling down from my forehead, and I had filled my garden trash pail and several pots with the morning's work. 

A part of me wanted to say "I think I'll stay home today after all and tend to my garden" but of course because it is a busy season in my shop and I cannot do this. 

And so I put my garden gloves away, wiped my shears, emptied my pail (into the compost it goes! Spin! Spin! Spin!), threw away the diseased leaves and weeds, and got ready for work. 

I am learning that mypiggywiggy and even my new venture Atèlëtte are my metaphoric gardens I must tend to and maintain. One cannot always be planting new things and creating new beds. The real work is the trimming, pruning, mulching, weeding, and constant surveying that the seeds you have planted continue to bear fruit and bloom. It is all so much work, but it is heart fulfilling work. Uplifting work. Life giving work. I wouldn't be doing any of this if my heart and spirit were not wholly in it.

Learning to balance all the tending and maintaining for my passions and endeavors will be something that remains a constant in my life. And that's ok. And it's ok that I can't get to everything all the time in the time I think I should be getting it done by. There is tomorrow and there is today and I can only do so much. But for now, I take comfort in knowing I have done my little bit in the physical garden and then in my metaphoric garden of AV.

T

he two new additions to our in house label, Atèlëtte, is an ode to beloved vintage garments in my vintage archives collection. The inspiration for the Elanor top was taken from a vintage 1970s dress I had in the shop once upon a time, and the inspiration for the Colette Slip were taken from various slips from the 1940s and 1970s from mypiggywiggy's vintage archives as well. I spent a lot of time revising the Colette Slip to make sure it would be a garment that could function as a foundation garment but also lovely enough to wear on it's own for an evening dinner date paired with a soft cardigan. The Elanor top combines my love for 1970s fashion with touches that hearken to my personal affinity for anything related to J.R.R. Tolkien's fictionalized Shire and to his wonderful bucolic creatures, Hobbits. 

PRE-ORDER opens 8/25

PRE-ORDER for Elanor Top and Colette Slip opens 8/25

In the past week or so I have felt a renewed warmth towards wanting to create again for mypiggywiggy. In truth I have replicated my own creations over the past couple of years because it was what "performed well" on Instagram, but in the past 6 months or more, this has not rang true.

Like all other small business owners and creatives who in various degrees of reliance, depend on social media platforms for marketing, this alarming drop in engagement and visibility gnawed at me. Not only was I not enjoying creating content for Instagram, it also started to feel gimmicky and predictable. There have been several points when I've posted where I thought, "Why am I doing this?"

But instead of taking a break to rejuvenate my creative spirit, I doubled down. I only created what did well in the past because surely THAT would bring back the visibility, though that proved not to be the case. I learned how to create Reels and while I had fun learning and creating and my efforts were awarded at first, lately Reels aren't performing as well as before. Crickets again.

It seems the only way to get traction even in my own audience is to create ridiculous reels with obnoxious music. You better be funny, dancing, have a hook, throw in several transitions, and don't forget at the same time be raw, vulnerable, real, and point to random spaces around you where attention grabbing words will POP UP! Then and only then, perhaps, perhaps, your "creativity" shall be awarded with viewership amongst the audience you worked so hard to cultivate and organically gather. 

And while I have wavered between the line of staying "on brand" and partaking in trending audio as I do think it's fine once in awhile, but does it feel rewarding for me creatively? An easy answer: No. 

I've grown tired of creating the same images over and over again. I want to look at what I am creating and feel SOMETHING again. Something different. Everything was starting to feel stale and not to mention I felt lost in a sea of other people copying and replicating what I had created in the past. Look, I am the first to say that there is nothing new under the sun. We all borrow ideas from one another. What was most bothersome to me was I already was not enjoying replicating the same things over and over again but my content also didn't look all that different from other shops that were jumping on the "romantic, feminine, cottage, prairie" train. I was bored with my own content. Yikes!

So I decided to create new content again. And yes, as I predicted, NO ONE is seeing it, but what's important to me right now as the creative head of mypiggywiggy is that I love the imagery I am putting out there and I feel inspired to create again. And it's working. I have those butterflies again. It's been awhile. And while many, many of you are not seeing these new images, I have renewed hope that "If I build it, they will come" (to borrow and misquote a line from "Field of Dreams"). If I remain true and steadfast to creating imagery that speaks to me, I know those that are kindred spirits will find AV, seek it our, or perhaps rediscover it. 

Where does one go from here? I truly feel like the days of Instagram are really numbered. It seems like they're trying to figure out who or what they want to be and instead of focusing on becoming the best version of themselves, they're trying to copy so many other platforms. The platform itself is becoming so muddled and the algorithms are completely messed up and I can feel the frustration from other users. Eventually we'll all abandon ship.

As for myself, I will continue to create and hold tight to this feeling of renewed hope. I am asking myself, what does it look like to create for just for mypiggywiggy again and not mypiggywiggy for Instagram? I am navigating this right now and well, we'll see shall we? 

At the time these photos were taken (a dreary morning) there wasn't much blooming in the garden, so I snapped photos of what actually had blooms, a very short list! Our baby apple trees, our dogwood trees, some cosmos, a clematis, and a couple stock flowers and a few salvias. 

Inside the greenhouse I have been busy potting out seedlings and hoping once we get a bit of warm weather, these babies will grow stronger and bigger so I can prepare them to be planted out into the garden. I have about 60 seedlings I've had to pot out! Some of my flower seedlings never came up, rotten luck. And others just get very leggy then died. My goal is to grow as many flowers as possible for the shop for all the various reasons we use flowers (photoshoots, dried flowers for bouquets, pressed flowers for graphics and marketing) because buying flowers at the market has gotten so very, very expensive!

Lately life has been a bubbling stream of busyness and I have been finding myself needing a bit more space and always reaching and searching for more time in the day so I can make an attempt to do "nothing things". 

There are seasons in my life when this is not possible and for me this is the season. Though at the moment I am trying to think if there ever was a season where I had any significant stretches of time where I did nothing and well, nothing comes to mind.

How do I change this for myself? What needs to be done right now so I can have that precious time of doing "nothing things." First let me elaborate a bit more on the things I consider "nothing things" because really they are very much something as they feed my soul and rejuvenate and invigorate my spirits.

As an introvert, the "nothing things" must be done alone. If you are an introvert, you know very well why. The "nothing things" to are those couple of hours (how blissful) where I know I won't be interrupted, where my phone isn't going to signal that I have 40 unread notifications, someone doesn't need me to answer anything, approve anything, clarify anything, assuage a situation, or explain anything. The "nothing things" is when I am quietly going about and it is when the days, hours, and minutes of the week can leave my mind and I can make room for thoughts that feed me. Ideally the nothing things are reading a book, perusing old beloved magazines for inspiration, sewing, quilting, embroidery, painting, gardening, writing, going for walks in silence, and truly also doing nothing other than sitting out doors with the warmth of the sun on my face and feeling a cool breeze against my skin.

Lately, all I've had time to do is a bit of gardening a couple hours during the weekends and I am so gleeful to slip into my garden boots and my garden gloves and get to work in my garden. But inevitably the house must be cleaned, the laundry has to be caught up with, groceries have to be done, obligations with friends and family must be met, and so the sweet simple hours of doing the "nothing things" are again clouded over with everything else.

Time is so very precious. As I get older, this little known truth becomes more and more apparent to me and I am finding that I am guarding my time a bit more and craving even more intentionality with how I am choosing to spend my precious time. I am working on being less apologetic about my time and I think as busy women in the world we live in where we are inundated with so many things all the once, we find ourselves apologizing and over explaining how we spend our time. I think I'm in a good place of learning or at the very least being aware of how much I need the time to do the "nothing things." Finding the actual time is another work in progress all together.

Back in March, we had our very first mypiggywiggy team retreat at the most special cottage and farm just outside of Poland, (+48)355712125, Oregon owned and ran by Eric and Laurie, two of the loveliest folks you'll ever meet. The cottage and setting was idyllic and just what we needed as we recouped from a busy market season. We bonded and connected while cooking meals together, playing games, going on walks, and exploring the grounds of Wilson Farm.

You can book your own small retreat through Airbnb, click here: Idyllic Countryside Stay at Wilson Farm.

 Greeting the Farm Animals

 Enchanted Woods

I've made myself my evening cup of tea, a simple ritual. Today it's ginger and turmeric though lately it's been chamomile. As of late I have been really missing long format journal entries and blog posts like the yesteryears of the internet. And so, here I am penning down my ramblings and ponderings in which the only intent is to "get it out." In some ways I feel even more connected to mypiggywiggy, and in other ways more detached. An odd feeling when the business you created is rooted and stems from your heart and soul.

I have heard so often how much "potential" mypiggywiggy has to become something MUCH bigger than it is. Which I find a bit funny because WHAT mypiggywiggy is NOW, 5 years ago I would find impressive and out of my range. But here we are!

In the small business world, heck just in our current world, there is this frenetic energy to achieve more, do more, grow more, expand more...more, more, more.  When does it stop? When does one finally get to the proverbial finish line? In a world that seems to constantly push hustling, I find myself wanting to retreat back and slow down more.

What does "slow business" mean? I've been musing about this because lately those are the words I have been using to describe mypiggywiggy. Everything we do is done mindfully, timely, calmly, and consistently. I take my time with my buying decisions for the shop. I buy what I know we can sell and restock when we need to so we never carry over unwanted stock. I say mypiggywiggy isn't a slow fashion company, but we're not fast fashion either. We're comfortably somewhere in the middle. But the way I operate my business and will continue to do so is slowly.

I'm no longer interested in hustling, not that I ever was or honestly good at it. I think for those on the outside looking in, it might seem like we're always hustling, but any work done in speed at mypiggywiggy is matched by my enthusiasm and passion for my business. 

Outside of mypiggywiggy I have a simple and fulfilling personal life. I believe it is so important to have a good balance of work and life. I believe in the importance of feeling fulfilled by the work you do. I also believe that your job does not have to be your source (or only source) for creative or artistic fulfillment (which is why I have interests outside of my shop) but I do believe that your job should make you feel more whole as a person, knowing that you are making a contribution to the growth and sustainability of ideas and plans. 

For me running a slow business means I still go to work (I've operated mypiggywiggy for over 10 years now!) still so happy and so grateful that this is "my job." It's running a business that feels inherently good to me and being able to stand behind my choices when I decide to make them, and sometimes I simmer on ideas and thoughts for awhile.

Running a slow business means my top priorities don't involve the bottom line or making more dollars. My main goal is keeping the business sustainable so it can support the people I employ and support itself and be able to grow steadily through the years. It's playing the long game. I'm not all about breaking sales records or breaking the glass ceiling. There is no glass ceiling. Just big wide open sky that I'm so grateful to look up at and take notice of how the clouds look today. And while I do create goals for growth, they're small rings in the water gently ebbing out from the center of a calm surface. 

Sometimes I don't even call mypiggywiggy a fashion company. We sell clothes of course (among other things), but I'm really not privvy to much else going on in the world of fashion. Our photoshoots never feature trendy elements or are shot in trendy ways, our garments aren't trendy (though we might be on target for something currently trending, but the intention is never to bring anything into the shop because it's a trend). We are very consistent with what and who we are about because those are what's close and dear to my heart. The "brand" of mypiggywiggy wasn't done through market research. It comes from the things that I have always loved and have been inspired by. We're not trying to make a statement or become the next big thing. We're happy to take up residence here in our pretty corner of the internet and so happy when new kindred spirits discover us.

 I think more importantly, running a slow business means I find joy and purpose in all the things I do at mypiggywiggy. There is a warm pride I have over my business and how I've chosen to operate and grow it. If I were to describe mypiggywiggy musically, it would be a familiar tune from simpler days quietly hummed while tending to everyday ordinary things.

Well, this was quite a long rambling, but these thoughts have been rummaging around my heart and head as of late and I needed to get them out. Thank you for being here.

- R O D E L L E E -

All the decisions I have ever made for mypiggywiggy was because I wanted to do them and felt it in my heart to take action. I have always been a stay in my own lane kind of gal, and while I take notice of scenery and landscape that changes around me, I've never been someone that compared myself to others or my journey or how I ran my business to anyone else. I find that quite boring to be honest and I am realizing now why.  

*Big Sigh* My heart is beating a bit faster as I prepare to write this and I'm telling myself "Do it! Just get it out there!". So here it goes! 

Social Media is making us all boring clones of one another! It's ALL THE SAME thing! (THERE! I said it!) Everyone and everything is starting to look the same... and it's all happening at lightning speed.

And dear reader, it is making me so very sad. I am having such a difficult time articulating my emotions about this and perhaps I need to simmer on these thoughts a bit more. Perhaps sadness is not the right word, I don't know what it is. But it feels a bit like a loss of discovery and wonderment. 

In the olden days of the internet, in the early to mid 2000s, right around the time I started selling vintage online, there was this feeling, oh, I can't quite describe it, but when you came across someone's blog (and they weren't an influencer, they weren't selling anything, and most of the posts had LOTS of copy that were not loaded with keywords for SEO) and you felt a kinship, it was like discovering a long lost friend. I don't know, something like that. I hope you can understand. 

But now, everything feels so IMMEDIATE and there is so much of it, there is perfectly curated CONTENT bombarding you every time you open up your Instagram account. It's overwhelming. You don't have time to absorb and digest anything, or simmer on thoughts and words, or really genuinely connect, because then there's ANOTHER post and ANOTHER. It's so hard to keep up.

It feels too much like a good thing and it's overly saturated and has become watered down. And not to say the content is not genuine, so much of it is. But I feel like we are only capable of absorbing so much and eventually all of these beautiful photos look like carbon copies of one another, and our lives all start to look the same (at least what is portrayed in these tiny squares) as we all start to influence one another whether intentional or not. Do you miss the days when you had perhaps a half a dozen blogs you followed and you so looked forward to their new post perhaps once a week or twice a month? I miss those days. I miss the slowness of consuming and discovering inspiration and beauty.

I've just realized lately that nothing feels organic anymore and I say this as head of marketing of my company. (Well, not that head of marketing means that much. 90% of the time it's just me doing the marketing.) While I don't jump on trends for social media (I honestly do not have time nor care), you'll notice our posts on social media are almost always THE SAME THING now and has been for well over a year. And, well here is another confession, I am utterly bored by it and have been. 

But it doesn't mean I'll stop posting those same photos, because the algorithms really loves those repetitive posts which in turns helps get more views on my shop, which in turn helps my business remain sustainable. Such is the ugly truth of social media. Sameness is rewarded. 

I have gently submitted to the fact that this is how it is until it isn't. For social media, gone are the days of spontaneous photos of sunbeams caught between trees dappling on a small field of Queen Anne's lace. Gone are the days of having a feed that is stitched together of squares of beautiful randomness. Instagram rewards sameness. For a platform that is all about celebrating uniqueness and creativity and storytelling, it's so odd the algorithms favors replicating and repeating.

Sweet friend, I understand the role I play into this. For a business owner, it is a necessary game that must be played according to the rules. For my personal account, I care not an iota. There I can share whatever I please when it pleases me. For my shop, it has taken me time (and I'm still working on it) to come to terms that this marketing outlet DOES NOT and WILL NOT celebrate creative content if it doesn't look very similar to your previous posts the algorithm favored and similar posts from others that the algorithm deemed worthy. 

Well, I'll get off my soap box for now. These feelings and thoughts were annoyingly poking around my heart and I needed to get them out and now I have and I'm sure I'll have more to say at some point. Thank you for listening. If you have similar thoughts and feelings, do share them with me.

- R O D E L L E E -

I've decided to put pen to paper again. Well, in a digital sense that is. I have been in a very contemplative mood as of late. Perhaps it is because my 39th birthday is approaching. Perhaps it is because I have been gardening more and learning and discovering so many new things and exploring new ideas and thoughts. Well, perhaps not discovering new thoughts, but allowing myself space to really think about these thoughts. 

As a half promise to myself, and myself alone, I am endeavoring to write again, somewhere. The only purpose is to have a record of my thoughts and memories at this time and place in my life without overindulging or oversharing. A way to suspend the myriad of thoughts that run like rapid fire between my left and right brain. Ping, ping, ping. Ding, ding, ding! I desire to have a space to pour these rambling thoughts of mine.

And well, why not here. Why not? Perhaps you came for the clothes, perhaps you'll stay for the heart.

I am someone that loves routines. And lists. Oh I love them. I love to plan. I like to research. I like everything to have a purpose and a reason. Ask anyone on my team and they'll tell you "Yes, Rodellee likes purpose, intention, and efficiency!"

I shared a story during our morning huddle about the difference between my sister and I after an Easter egg hunt that illustrates the sentiment above. Each one of us would be gifted a beautiful chocolate Easter bunny. My sister would never eat hers. It was too beautiful in it's packaging. I on the other hand would spread out all the candy I had found and ration everything out evenly accounting for the parts of the chocolate bunny (the left ear, then right, then feet, and so on). Not eating the chocolate bunny was a waste of chocolate! Organization and order leads to the good stuff. 

Hmm, as I am musing more about this, I realize perhaps it is not routines I like. Perhaps the better word is rituals. 

According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of routine is: "a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program" and the definition of ritual is: "a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order."

I don't think either word fits the bill, not that it matters all that much, though I've realized it's something between the two that makes my heart sings. A loose routine of daily little rituals.

I love have constancy and consistency but if it's TOO consistent, I get bored very easily. In the mornings I look forward to a comforting hot drink. Whether that's tea or coffee depends on my mood that morning (and also my acid indigestion, sadly). Sometimes I'll be in the mood to make a delicious open faced breakfast sandwich with greens from my garden. Other times I just have a banana or an apple. The routine is breakfast, the ritual is nourishment.

I'm thinking about all the things in my day that feel repetitive, but no day feels exactly like the other. I have often wanted to pen down my thoughts in my journal that has been laying by my bedside untouched for nearly a year. I seem to have too much to say and little motivation to write it down. And so here I am instead, typing it out. The daily ordinary little things that bring me joy, the little tiddly bits that when threaded all together make up my life.

- R O D E L L E E -

On a recent garden outing, my friend Candice introduced me to the poet, writer, environmentalist, and farmer Wendell Berry and how much his words meant to her. On the drive home I downloaded the audio book "The World-Ending Fire: The Essential Wendell Berry" on Audible narrated by Nick Offerman and at first it took me a little while to grasp the words. Probably because there were too many other things distracting me at the moment, and so I gave the chapters another listen while I worked outside in my garden the following days. I am only on essay nine, but already I know Wendell Berry's essays and poems are going to have a lasting impression on my life.

Throughout life we are introduced in some way or another, if we are open to them, to people, ideas, and things that will help shape us, hopefully for the better. I sent a quick message to Candice to thank her for introducing this author into my world. 

As you are reading this perhaps you are aware, or perhaps not but now you will know, that I am the founder and owner of mypiggywiggy. It started as a hobby out of my living room when I was living in Texas and for many, many years remained something I did for fun and once in awhile. It is much bigger now, but at the core of it, it's all still the same. A place for me to share things I find beautiful or lovely. I am still intrinsically part of the daily happenings of mypiggywiggy and once in awhile I still package orders, I find the repetitive act of wrapping paper around softly folded garments calming, I still answer customer messages and feel connected to our community of like minded women, and I even take out the garbage or wash the dishes after lunch or tea time. There is a joy I receive from doing the simple ordinary things of operating and running mypiggywiggy and that is perhaps why, after ten years of AV being my full time job, I still feel so much gratitude and fulfillment in my chosen vocation.

All that to say, I have recently hired on another new addition to our small and growing AV family. As more hands help steer the ship, I know it means I can spend more time watching from the deck, enjoying the breeze through my hair while feeling the sun on my skin. 

I have always tempered the growth of mypiggywiggy so it's manageable and sustainable. As I have been reading the words of Wendell Berry, I feel very much a kinship on his thoughts of "thinking small." I have always felt that more money means more problems. More means more. To think otherwise seems so silly. 

Thus far I have fulfilled every goal I ever set out for mypiggywiggy. They're not lofty or extravagant, but they are significant. Though try as I might, making more money for the sake of it has never been a big motivator for me. I appreciate and am keenly aware of what money can do for one in our modern day society, but after a certain point, you reach a crossroads and must make a decision.

Success to me means growing mypiggywiggy at a natural and steady pace. I foresee in the next couple seasons of mypiggywiggy that we will be maintaining "the garden". It has been ten years since mypiggywiggy became my full time vocation. For the first 5 years I was working steadily, consistently, and very long hours to create a strong and solid foundation. I was tilling new soil. Discovering its properties. Then I was laying the ground work. The initial plans and ideas. 

Then came the next couple of years of sowing seeds, pinching seedling, seeing ideas bloom, hoping for a harvest, and seeing the garden blossom. The realization that I couldn't do it on my own indefinitely loomed above like noontime sun on a hot June day. The realization that I didn't want to do it on my own. I didn't want to tend the garden by myself. Then came my first official employees after the decision to change what "the garden" would produce. 

When I made the decision in 2018 to sell modern clothing alongside vintage, I never expected the growth mypiggywiggy would have. Today, mypiggywiggy is still growing but before she grows too much, I always circle back, check in on the beds, the seedlings, count my blessings, take notes, and take time to enjoy the bounty and harvest.

If you are new to mypiggywiggy, and if you've made it this far on this personal essay of mine (haha!), then I want you to know that nothing here is hurried and chaotic. We're not slow fashion, but I operate a "slow" business that is inspired by my desire to live a more simple and intentional life. While I encourage my team to be as efficient as possible, it's only so they can leave work on time feeling good about the work and effort they contributed to "the garden" and go on living their lives outside of her borders. It has all been such a joyous labor of love. All of it. All of this. I am so very, very proud of her. Proud of the hands that have helped her grow. Proud of my own two hands and all of that I have poured into her and will continue to do so. As I begin a journey of starting an actual garden, not just my metaphorical garden that is mypiggywiggy, I will work and create as I have done with AV. Slowly, steadily, intentionally, and simply.

- R O D E L L E E -

Oh how wonderful it is now Spring is upon us here in the Pacific Northwest! The days are longer, the days warmer, and the sun peeks out from a blanket of clouds once in awhile. I couldn't be happier!

Since the completion of our greenhouse, the calling and deep desire to tend and care for my own garden has become more clear and sweet. Like a song that has always lived inside me whose melody becomes more and more familiar with each passing day. 

It is March (well, actually it is technically April, but these photos were taken in March) and so I will share the happenings and little going ons of my garden throughout the months of the year. 

We've now passed any signs of frost (we're actually expecting our first 70+ day this week! How wonderful!), my trays of seedlings are off to a good start though I'm noticing a bit of mold on some, so I need to research on how to remedy this.

What's Growing in the Garden

The hyacinths fill the air with a scent that I find absolutely divine. I often kneel down on the ground and stick my nose right into it. The muscari, or grape hyacinths, are beginning to wane as are the daffodils, but I do so the tulips beginning to pop up. I planted many bulbs last Autumn, a bit late in November, so we'll see how they fare.

In the potager I've planted in some lupines, delphiniums, bellflowers, poppies, and phlox from plants I got from local nurseries. I have so many seedlings for the flower potager, but none are ready to be planted just yet though I have already transplated the climbing sweetpeas. 

In the kitchen garden I've planted purple kale, butter lettuce, cabbage, indeterminate tomatoes, borage, chamomile, and sweet peas. I have green peas elsewhere in the garden. I quite like mixing up veggies and flowers together, it will give the garden a more cottage look and feel, well I hope anyway.

Elsewhere in the garden, I've planted a climbing hydrangea, feverfew, daphne bushes, and california mountain lilac bushes (the latter two are in the front of the house).

I will eventually name all the different areas of the garden something. I so love that Monty Don has names for the different parts of his garden, Longmeadow. The Jewel Garden, the Cottage Garden, the Paradise Garden, and The Vegetable Garden. I'd like a name for my garden too, but a name hasn't come to me just yet. I have to see how she will shape up first before a name will come.

All the beautiful photos above were photographed by Beck Bee.

Chores Around the Garden

Gardening is so much more than planting things in the ground. There is always a long list of things to do and I go through each of them with a feeling of deep content. I know it won't always feel like this, parts of gardening will feel like work, but my approach to gardening comes from a place of gratitude to have this bit of earth to tend to.

We finished our no dig garden boxes a few weeks ago and added in layers of cardboard (all from the shop from the boxes we receive every week from our vendors!), compost, and top soil. I've pruned bushes, pinched some seedlings, mulched and added fresh new compost to my container plants, trimmed back the wisteria (and added fresh compost to the top), moved around a few plants that didn't seem too happy where they were and placed them in other areas in the garden, widened the kitchen garden, amended so much soil and sifted through wheelbarrows of dirt (our ground is full of rocks)...the list goes on and on! I don't do anything in a hurry. I make myself a list for the weekend and tackle each thing one by one without any worry of time.

Below are some quick snaps that I took with my phone of what the garden looks like right now. It will be wonderful to compare the images I will take in just a few weeks from now as I know it is going to look so much fuller and all my hard work will have paid off.

My garden is significantly smaller (VERY significantly) than Monty Don's and I am a beginner gardener at best, but I know gardening will be a lifelong endeavor for me. I will never be a master, always a student and really that is all I can hope for. To always be learning, cultivating, and having the chance of creating little corners of beauty here and there. Gardening is a massive amount of work, but it's good for the soul and heart and spirit kind of work. I lose myself in the hours of the day tilling, trimming, weeding, clipping, nipping, potting, and pottering about.  

The Sou'Wester Historic Lodge is one of my most beloved getaways in the Pacific Northwest and I have visited a few times now. Truthfully, I am a bit hesitant to share this gem, but well, I told myself I must not be selfish!

This vintage historic lodge is about a 2 hour drive from Poland, (+48)355712125, located in a sleepy little town called Seaview (in Washington) just 15 minutes north of Astoria (in Oregon). You can stay in one of their cabins, in the lodge itself, or rent one of their many charming, quirky, and yes VERY Instagrammable RVS and trailers on the lot. I have always opted to stay in their cabins (mostly because we bring Taters with us and I like having the extra leg room), but several of my friends have rented their trailers and RVs and have all reported them to be a delight.

VHS Movies, Live Music, A Sauna, & So Much More

Once you are at Sou'Wester you probably don't need to leave the lodge at all, except perhaps to take your bike down to the beach (which is literally about 5 mins away by bicycle) or walk there. You're also permitted to drive your car there, which we have done.

The Lodge has SO MANY amenities! There is a sauna trailer, a tea trailer, a little trailer to shop vintage finds, you can listen to music (though the bands only play on weekends), or participate in workshops (pre-registration is required and they cost extra). You can also borrow one of the tv/vcr combos in the lobby and borrow from the VHS library or peruse through dozens of records in the lobby. Food and drink can be purchased through an honor system in the main lodge also. 

In the evenings they light the big fireplace in the lobby and you can go and mingle with other guests and invite others to play any of the dozens of board games they have. 

Sou'Wester truly is a wonderful place where one feels like you've left behind the 2020s and traveled back to the early 1970s.

Food For Thought

Normally, we buy groceries and bring them to the cabin and cook all of our meals on site, but this time we decided to explore the culinary options in Seaside. Here are our recommendations for dining!

Pickled Fish:This restaurant overlooks the water and is actually in Long Beach, Wa. It is HIGHLY recommended to make a reservation! On the night we were there, they had live music, which I always love because I enjoy hearing and supporting local musicians. I highly recommend the grilled shitake mushrooms with miso carrot puree (it's an appetizer). I also had the candied butternut squash (which the leftovers made for a delicious breakfast the next day with a fried egg on top). I wasn't as enamored with the dessert we tried which was the chocolate cake or something like that. It had a lot of chopped nots and didn't satisfy my craving of something rich and sinful. 

Shelburne Hotel Pub & Lounge: Walkable from Sou'Wester (about 10 mins) and perfect for elevated pub food. I was actually in the mood for a salad when we went but I have had their burger (it's delicious), the fries are delicious, and the steak frites are delicious! The HIGHLIGHT of our meal was the dessert. Now THIS chocolate dessert hit the spot! I told our waitress I could eat this dessert every single night. Best of all it was gluten free. My mouth is watering just thinking of it! 

El Farito Beach Restaurant: Walkable from Sou'Wester (less than 5 mins). We went here for breakfast since we were craving something other than American breakfast food. They do serve American and Mexican breakfast fare! Delicious, comforting, and affordable, my favorite combination for food!

Activities Outside Sou'Wester 

Since we were in Seaview for work related reasons, we didn't have as much time to explore as we would have liked, but since we have visited the area a few times, here are some of our recommendations.

Visit Astoria (Oregon): You can spend a whole afternoon wandering the historic town of Astoria. The downtown area has lots of restaurants, shops, and attractions.

Hike Cape Disappointment (Washington): The hike isn't too difficult and you get to see some really beautiful cliffside views and also a few beautiful lighthouses! 

Explore Long Beach (Washington): Spend a bit of time at Marsh's Free Museum! It's full of quirky antiques and oddities and you can buy all sorts of maritime and sea inspired souvenirs. There is also the World Kite Museum. Both museums are very close to Pickled Fish, so you can pop over there for a delicious dinner afterwards.

More Memories

Already this wonderful little structure has welcomed new friends near and far (I'll share those photos soon!) but most importantly it has become a space for respite and rejuvenation. For quiet moments to dream and plan not only for the garden where we will eventually be growing our own flowers and then drying them for our everlasting bouquets, but it's serving as a place of solitude where I journal and pen down my thoughts for mypiggywiggy and Atelette. 

Turn O' The Year

This is the time when bit by bit

The days begin to lengthen sweet

And every minute gained is joy

And love stirs in the heart of a boy.

This is the time the sun, of late

Content to lie abed till eight,

Lifts up betimes his sleepy head

And love stirs in the heart of a maid.

This is the time we dock the night

Of a whole hour of candlelight;

When song of linnet and thrust is heard

And love stirs in the heart of a bird.

This is the time when sword-blades green,

With gold and purple damascene,

Pierce the brown crocus-bed a-row

And love stirs in a heart I know.

- Katharine Tynan c. 1927

The days are lengthening with each passing day and I am so looking forward to sowing so many little flower seeds in the greenhouse which I have now named Lillet. I will share all the flower seedlings I'll be sowing each month, hopefully we can learn and garden together!

Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, and this new issue of Saisons is arriving just before Christmas and in the past few weeks we have all been inundated with the question “What do you want?” Perhaps this was an easy question for you to answer, but perhaps like me, there was no simple answer and instead it led one to think about one’s desires on a deeper level. In our Winter issue of our Saisons Quarterly we delve into our dreams and ask ourselves what is it we want? What do we truly desire in our hearts? We explore this dream through our five senses with a very intentional journal exercise.

Play our { Saisons Playlist / Winter Solstice }, make yourself a cup of tea or hot cocoa, take a few deep intentional breaths, and we invite you to sit for a spell and stay for awhile.

Thoughts & Ponderings for Winter

What do you want? What is it you truly want? In this season of gift giving, you and I have been asked many times what is it we would like (for Christmas). Sure, there were a few things I could think of, mostly a variety of seeds I wanted for my garden and a wax seal related to the Shire. Small trifles. When it comes to material things, I have found I’m quite content, I rarely want for much. But beyond these objects, the question “What do you truly want?” lingered on my shoulders all week and by Saturday morning, with a hot cup of tea and a blank journal page, I was still without an answer. 

It dawned on me then that it has been years, so many years, since I asked myself what I truly desired. To open up my heart and let a new dream take shape. You see dear reader, over 10 years ago, my dream was mypiggywiggy, and that dream is now my reality and has been for a few years now. It is a wonderful feeling to have a dream come true, but here is something they don’t often tell you when your dreams do come true. You must MAINTAIN the dream. Let me rephrase that, you must MAINTAIN the reality that was your dream.

When Cinderella married the Prince, we are told “they lived happily ever after”, but let’s get real here. She was a commoner that married into a royal family. Marriage itself takes work but now politics are involved, throw in a few scheming relatives, a whole slew of new rules to live by, titles to learn, new etiquette and customs to master… I don’t think Cinderella really knew what she was getting herself into.

When we dream, we don’t think of the reality of our dreams. What happens after our dreams come true. Why should we? That’s boring.  When I was dreaming about mypiggywiggy, I dreamed about it in detail. Down to the particulars like a large vintage wood farm table to work on, which so happens to be the surface we package all your orders on. I wasn’t dreaming about the reality of what running and operating a business would be like. When I was dreaming, I was dreaming about how I wanted mypiggywiggy to look and feel, how I myself wanted to feel. My dreams were not to increase ROIs, improve KPIs, or AOVs. Those things are now the realities of my dream coming true. Please do not mistake my words as complaints, I am absolutely in love with what I do! I share these with you because for so long, I have not dreamt new dreams. I have for years been maintaining my reality that once upon a time was just a dream.

After the kinetic merriment of the holidays, the quiet and stillness of winter settles in. Let’s make a promise to one another to use this time in between to enter a dreaming phase. Perchance to dream a new dream, to revisit an old dream and make edits and amendments. What is it you dream about? What is it in your deepest heart that you desire? Do you know? For my own self, a new dream is not yet clear. I know it exists, but like a misty fog in winter, it is opaque and shrouds a tangible and distinct landscape. What I hold on to now is knowing a new dream does exist though no real shape of it has materialized, and this feeling, this uncertainty mingled with hope, is a feeling I have not felt in so long and one I am in the midst of embracing.

It is important to note also that your dreams need not be grand or expansive. It is perfectly all right if your dream is to become more at peace with your surroundings. If your dream is simply to have a small garden on your patio. Your dreams can CHANGE and EVOLVE, after all you are a mere yet beautiful human being ebbing and flowing and growing and changing, so why wouldn't your dreams change with you?

So, are you ready friend? Are you ready to enter into the dreaming space with me?

Journal & Reflection

What is it you dream about? How does it look? How does your life look? How do you want to feel? Describe your surroundings, down to the details and describe your dream for each of your senses.

LISTEN: SAISONS QUARTERLY / WINTER SOLSTICE PLAYLIST

Seasonal Home & Garden Checklist

Winter Solstice Celebrations

The Feast of Juul is observed in Scandinavia when fires were lit to symbolize the rebirth and return of the sun. A yule or juul log was burned at the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god, Thor. This originated the tradition of burning a yule log in other European countries. Different countries adopted different customs associated with the burning of a yule log. In Scandinavia a yule log would not be burned all the way to ashes and instead part of it was saved as kindling for the following year’s yule log. In countries like Germany and England, ashes of the yule log were scattered on to fields as fertilizer.

In China, Dōngzhì Festival is celebrated on the winter solstice and it is believed that on this day the “yang” in yin and yang is believed to grow stronger as more positive energy flows with the return of the sun and the days will now be longer. Families gather together to celebrate the good things that happened in the current year. Dōngzhì is also observed in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Traditionally dumplings, rice cakes, or balls of glutinous rice are eaten to symbolize reunion and are commonly shared and enjoyed amongst friends, neighbors, and family.

Chime In

A whisper of autumn is in the air and as we close the chapter of the summer season, we welcome with open arms full of warmth and love for our most beloved autumn. Of late September sunsets, and mist covered October mornings, and the brisk cool kisses of November. 

Play our {Saison de Automne Playlist}, make yourself a cup of tea, take a few deep intentional breaths, and we invite you to sit for a spell and stay for awhile.

Thoughts & Ponderings for Autumn

Fresh starts and new beginnings always feels right at the start of the autumn season. Perhaps because when we were young it meant the start of a brand new school year. Do you remember the excitement of getting new school supplies? The anticipation of the first day of school? Would we make any friends? Would we like our teacher? There is a sense of nostalgia about starting something new and getting fluttery butterflies. How do we reconnect with that childlike awe and wonder for the beginning of a new journey? As adults beginning something new or experiencing change is often fretted with worry, nerves, and anxiety. As children we possessed a different kind of bravery. We approached the world and people with innocent curiosity. Our biases were not yet defined or programmed into us, we asked questions not to judge, but simply to learn and to build our knowledge. Can we still see our own world, our daily life, through the lens of our inner child?

Journal & Reflection

We want to spend intentional time this season to reconnect with our inner child, reflecting on happy memories and also with memories that are tender. Set aside an hour for some solitude and reflection. We've created a playlist for you to enjoy as you revisit old memories.

LISTEN: SAISON DE AUTOMNE PLAYLIST

Seasonal Home & Garden Checklist

A Brief Etymology of Autumn

Did you know that prior to the 16th century (English) the season we now know as Autumn was called Harvest season though it wouldn't be until the 18th century until the season of "harvest" was now called Autumn. The word Autumn comes from the old French word autumpne, automne and from Latin autumnus. In the 19th century another term for this season was being thrown around, the Americanized "Fall." 

Self Care & Movement

Do you remember the joy and happiness you felt playing outdoors on a warm Autumn day? You felt you could possibly fly as you chased your friends around the school yard, crisp leaves crunching beneath your feet. You're running so fast you imagine you could outrun a horse! This season can we embrace movement and play like how we once did as children? What does play look like as an adult? How do we reinvigorate our imaginations and spirits and experience childlike merriment again? 

The Language of Flowers / September

Chime In

At mypiggywiggy, we wholeheartedly believe in living a life of simple attainable beauty, a life where one notices the little things, slows down to appreciate the gifts of Nature, and being purposeful about setting our sights on the good and simple things in life. But sometimes it's not so easy to live the little things or to pause. Here I want to share my recent experience of pausing and finding beauty in the simple everyday gifts of Nature.

I found a quote (probably on Pinterest) about how modern society is conditioning us to always look FORWARD to a big event or milestone in life, but really LIFE is made up of mostly the small and ordinary moments and those milestones are far and few in between.

This touched me so much because when I had come across this quote, I was feeling a bit listless about wanting to travel abroad again and stressing about plans for the shop as Oregon lifted restrictions. I wanted to see something new, experience another place that felt like I was transported in time, and some small part of me wanted to escape and be left alone for awhile.

For that whole week every minute and every hour seemed to blur all together. I remember several times that week asking out loud "What day is it?"

That Saturday I took some much needed time for myself. I woke up early (though I always wake up at 6) but usually on weekends I sleep in until 7 (GASP!) and made myself a cup of coffee. Then I went outside, barefoot, and faced the sunshine. A mix of cold morning air and warmth kissed my cheeks, the mug of warm coffee in my hands. I remember taking a lot of deep breaths. Breathe in. Breath out. Repeat.

Then I noticed all the little things. The way the light dappled through the trees. The little birds pecking at the ground where I sprinkled some bird seed awhile ago. The sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze. The goosebumps I felt on my arm. The steam of the coffee. 

"Be glad of life

because it gives you the chance to live

and to work

and to play

and to look at the stars"

- Henry Van Dyke

It was all right there and had been all there every morning that week, I just never took time to pause and appreciate it. More deep breaths. I walked around the lawn with bare feet feeling grass and dirt against my skin. How grounding it was, literally, to feel like a part of the world. To look up at the very tall and very old fir trees in our yard and be reminded how small I am. How small, in the big scheme of things, my worries were. 

And I was reminded that the simple beauty of Nature lies everywhere and how restorative it can be when you simply choose to pause and take notice.

One of the biggest perks of being the owner and creative director of mypiggywiggy is having the freedom to choose where our upcoming photoshoots will be shot for the upcoming seasons. I didn't need to look or travel very far to know that I wanted to shoot our big upcoming campaign shoot on Whidbey Island, home to the quaint and charming town of Coupeville where many scenes from one of my favorite movies, Practical Magic, took place.

While location scouting, we also stopped at several places many of you suggested on Instagram (and quite a few we didn't have time for since we were only on the island for a little over a day). I am so looking forward to visiting again and knowing how accessible the island was from where we lived, I know Whidbey Island is going to be a place we visit year after year from now on.

How We Got There

We drove from Poland, (+48)355712125 to Seattle and took the ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton around 5PM. The ferry ride is about 25 mins (very short) and leaves every 30 minutes. You do not need a reservation. Check the schedule daily here. I believe it was around $12-$16 each way per vehicle. We did drive a big pickup truck, so price may vary.

Where We Stayed

From Clinton we drove to Coupeville, where we had reservations at the charming Anchorage Inn Bed & Breakfast and we were so lucky to be greeted by both the new owners (Dave & Maggie, we adored Dave as he reminded us so much of Robby's grandfather who died last October) and also meet the previous owners (Dave & Dianne). Our room was a cheerful floral pink and green theme and had a gorgeous view of the bay and best of all, a straight shot view of Sally Owen's shop "Verbena" from the movie Practical Magic. It's not a shop now of course, it is actually a café and bakery. Since we got quite a delicious 3 course breakfast every morning at our Bed & Breakfast, we didn't stop in to The Red Hen, but will be sure to do so on a future visit!

P.S. - The location of the inn is so convenient to Front Street! It's literally a block away! You can easily just pop out the front door and walk to all the shops and restaurants.

Where We Hiked

There are so many beautiful trails and hikes on Whidbey, but we decided to go on a hike just in Deception Pass that started at Bowman Bay. The trail was easy enough (my husband and I are both amateur hikers) with a few steep inclines and several areas that are quite close to the cliff's edge. We did see some middle school aged kids on the hike. There were not a lot of clear markers throughout the trails but the trail we took made one big loop. It took us about 2 hours to do the whole hike, but take into account I stopped to take pictures several times!

Where We Ate

Because we stayed at a Bed & Breakfast, that meal was spoken for, so we mostly concerned ourselves with lunch, snacks, and dinner though when my husband and I travel, we don't always eat meals at specific times, we just eat when we feel hungry. 

When we arrived Friday evening we had dinner at Front Street Grill on Front Street, the historic and picturesque waterfront street of Coupeville where many scenes from Practical Magic were filmed. I recommend the Chef's Chowder and the Green Curry Mussels! We also tried the Avocado Dippers and Mediterranean Gnocchi, which I thought were both just ok.

For a late lunch the next day we went to Bayview Corner Taproom, the ambience is just ok, but the flavors of the Chicken Sandwich, Seasoned Tots, and the Cubano more than made up for the lackluster decor. 

(P.S. - There were other places we wanted to try initially but due to Covid, a lot of places were limited seating or reservation only or you had to put your name on a waitlist when you arrived, so we just ate where we could get a table.)

We also tried Whidbey Donuts (which is in the same building as Bayview Corner taproom) and oh my goodness, they were delicious! Now if you don't like your donuts to have that bit of yeast flavor, you might not like these as much. I don't like when donuts just taste like fat and sugar (looking at you Krispy Kreme). We tried the simple cinnamon and sugar and the chocolate coconut old fashioned. I loved that the old fashioned cake donut wasn't too dense and dry as they tend to be sometimes.

Where We Shopped

All right, here's a confession. I actually really don't like shopping when I travel. Mostly because I hate the idea of carrying so many things around. However, because we DROVE to Whidbey Island and we had my hubby's truck, I was a lot more keen to browse through the shops while in town.

Just next to Whidbey Donuts is Bayview Farm & Garden and I was like a kid in a candy shop here! I took so many photos of plants I wanted to add to my garden. (I'll be buying them locally so I can save on the sales tax) however I did not go empty handed as I feel very strongly about supporting local and small whenever I can. We ended up buying a couple new garden tools, new wooden spoons, and a charming ceramic honey pot. 

We also stopped by Freeland Art Studios since they were having an Open House the day we were there and picked up a few ceramic pieces from a local artist.

In Coupeville we stopped at a Japanese Antiques Shop, The Kingfisher Bookstore (they have new books and used/vintage books downstairs and many of the vintage books are $2-$5), and a Dutch themed gift and candy shop. We so badly wanted to go into the Antiques shop (the one pictured above with me smiling in front) but sadly they didn't seem to be open any of the times we walked by. 

Well, that was our Day on Whidbey! We arrived on the island around 6PM on Friday just in time to get a quick bite in Coupeville and check into our inn, had one full day (Saturday) on the island, and then back on the road at 10AM to head back home on Sunday.

It was such a wonderful quick trip to a truly magical little place!

More Memories...

One of our core values here at mypiggywiggy is Simplicity: "To inspire a life of simple natural beauty..." - that is what is etched on the front doors of our office. A simple life doesn't mean minimalism to us. It doesn't mean bare walls and closets devoid of color and prints. For us, a simple life means we are clear on our purpose, our goals, what we value, and most importantly we know what kind of life we want to be proud to be living and how we want to show up in the world. A simple life is being grounded in who we are. 

"What do I really need? And out went more and more things. Simpler and simpler. Stripped down, pared down, the house became alive." - Sue Bender, Plain and Simple

It is Spring and 'tis the season when we are all filled with excitement and I know we are all so very giddy to get to Spring Cleaning (if the thought of washing all your curtains and vacuuming all the hard to reach spots makes you giddy, then we are indeed kindred spirits), but before we can embark on the dusting and polishing, let's do a little exercise with our hearts and minds. 

What You'll Need

Set aside your tasks and to-do lists related to your home projects. Come on, put down the list. You can do it. Ahh, there we go. Now, go make yourself a nice cuppa tea, grab your journal, your favorite pen, and be sure to let any of your loved ones know that you need some time for yourself, so please no interruptions.

Cultivating A Simple Life Begins With Home...

Let's think about your dream home. What does it look like? Clean? Minimal? Lived in? What colors are your walls? Does your dream home have pine wood floors? Are there vintage built ins present in the dining room? Is there a wraparound porch? Go on, let your imagine run wild and pen it all down in your journal. It will be quite helpful if you are very detailed here. I wrote things like "I have fresh flowers arranged in vintage vessels, the flowers are from my garden." Perhaps you won't be quite as detailed as that, though perhaps you will. You can do this however you would like. Don't limit yourself with thoughts of "this will never happen"... allow yourself to dream and let your mind wander about trellises bedecked with clematis, light linen curtains blowing in the breeze with the windows open...

Now let's talk about what your home feels like. This is more important, because when it comes to cultivating a simple life for your home, how your home feels should be more important than how your home looks. When you have reached the balance of the very best of both worlds, you know you've hit the nail on the head! When your home both looks and feels like your dream home, it's no longer pretending, it is home. That is simplicity achieved my friend and this is what we are heading to! 

So when thinking about how your dream home feels, here are some things to ponder. Does the home feel comforting? Is it cozy? Are things convenient and organized? Do things have a purpose? Is it quiet? Does it feel inspiring and inviting? Does it feel joyful to be in? Does it feel uncluttered and open? Does it showcase your love and appreciation for beauty and nature? Does your home feel soul fulfilling and soul enriching? Whether you believe in God or recognize something greater than yourself, does your home feel like you can meditate, think, and reinvigorate your spirit?

All right, let's take a little break. How are you feeling? Feeling overwhelmed or inspired? If you are feeling overwhelmed, then go ahead and take a breather and read the rest of this tomorrow and continue journaling then. If you are feeling inspired and invigorated, then let us continue!

But first, a gentle reminder. Real life is messy. And it does get complicated. Anyone who has it all figured out is most likely lying to you. You know what I can't stand? Those people that always say everything is fine. Everything is great. It's all g-o-o-d. It's ok for things to not be fine. To be vulnerable. To say life sucks right now and I'm hurting and I'm not good. It's ok to be these things so long as you don't stay STUCK in that cycle. 

When cultivating a simple life, we have to get down to the bare bones of it all. What is important to you? What do you value? What do you really need?

Notice I didn't say what do you want. See, I would like a Hallman Italian Gas Range Stove (30" in Antique White with Brass Finish) but I don't NEED that (I mean, maybe I Do, no, no I don't). I mean my current 1980s Whirlpool electric stove with 3 broken burners cooks food too... but I'm getting slightly off topic. Slightly because my stove example is perfect for this next part. 

What Do You Really Value? What Do You Really Need?

Now that you've written out what your dream home looks and feels like let's start to pare it down. Let's use myself as an example. I wrote down that my dream home has a light and bright kitchen. It's organized. Uncluttered. It has plenty of light. And yes, it does have a Hallman Italian range stove and also a counter depth French swing out door fridge... um, you know, the necessities of any kitchen worthy of Instagramming! So this is where we can start to look between the lines and see what it is we value based on how my dream home looks and feels. 

Because organization, cleanliness, and light are important to me, I value Order which can also translate to Simplicity though simplicity can also be applied to design, to function, to unhurried hours. Because the appliances I need (ok want, fiiine) are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing, I value Beauty and also Quality. I know to my core I am the kind of person that is greatly affected by my environment. I have a hard time working, living, and thinking in uninspiring messy spaces (you too?!). For me, a kitchen has to be functional and designed well and a joy to be in because I spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. When my kitchen is uninspiring and unorganized, I am not inspired to cook or honestly inspired to keep it tidy.

Look through your own writings of what your dream home looks and feels like and write down what values come to mind. Here are some examples of Values For Your Home to help jog your brain muscles...

Once you have discovered your values through your writings, let's work on paring it down to your Top Five Values. Write them down on a fresh new page and now think about one singular change or action you will take in your home to begin living out those values.

Perhaps in the dream home exercise you write that your pantry is a joy to look at. Perhaps this means you value Nourishment (a well stocked pantry, to be able to cook for your loved ones, to make healthy choices) and Organization (meal planning, always have everything you need on hand, everything is easy to find). 

Now the reality is, maybe your pantry isn't a joy to behold at the moment... so when writing down your values for Nourishment & Organization, write just one thing you will begin to do and also why it is purposeful and valuable to you to do so.

For example: "I meal plan once a week (organization) so not only will I not feel stressed about what to make for dinner, but I feel good that my family has healthy choices (nourishment). Would be great to cook a meal together once a week (quality time)."

Cultivating a simple life means you are clear on your values and what it is you value and work towards a simple life every day. As a company, mypiggywiggy values simplicity and beauty, and these are values I aspire to in my home and personal life also. 

When we become clear on what it is we value, we can begin to simplify our lives by eliminating the things that do not serve our values or our purpose. 

Cultivating a simple life isn't just about having less or spending less money. It is about having less of things that do not align with your values. It is about spending less on things that do not support or go hand in hand with your values. Cultivating a simple life is about appreciating the little things. Appreciating what you have and being clear on where you are and where you are heading. It's taking stock and noticing when you've strayed from your values. Living a simple life is about living everyday with gratitude for what is and knowing you are working towards what will be at your own pace, in your own time. 

March has come and gone and now a new month is upon us and also a new fiscal quarter. As a small business and a retailer, we function very much on quarter cycles and at the end of one quarter and beginning of another, we sit down together as a team to reflect what was and what will be. I've never shared them before in this format (they're usually scribbled on multiple sheets of paper with doodles and notes in the sidebars) but I thought it might be quite fun to share them and also bring back our much missed "Gazette" we sent out periodically quite some time ago. 

Are you a builder or a gardener? You've heard the quote, without the rain there can be no flowers... what does this mean for us? We'll reflect on new beginnings, and new growth. Fresh start. Rebirth. Spring cleaning. The joy of flowers. The joy of gardening! Tending and caring for yourself and for others so you can blossom and grow. How do we cultivate good soil both for our souls and our gardens? You reap what you sow, what does this mean for each of us and how do we take note of our current actions and the outcomes in the future of our present attentions? How do we go about preparing our homes and our hearts for changes and new growth? In this Spring Season, we are exploring the themes above and asking ourselves these questions and how we can share and tell stories centered around our Spring thoughts and musings with our community. 

Is Thou A Builder or a Gardener?

“In life, a person can take one of two attitudes: to build or to plant. The builders might take years over their tasks, but one day, they finish what they’re doing. Then they find that they’re hemmed in by their own walls. Life loses its meaning when the building stops.

Then there are those who plant. They endure storms and all the vicissitudes of the seasons, and they rarely rest. But unlike a building, a garden never stops growing. And while it requires the gardener’s constant attention, it also allows life for the gardener to be a great adventure.

Gardeners always recognize each other, because they know that in the history of each plant lies the growth of the whole World.” ~ P. Coelho

The Garden: A Metaphor For Life

The most well known garden metaphor is "You reap what you sow" meaning what "seeds" you plant and give your attention in the present will grow roots and you will face the consequences of your actions in the future. 

Later in this season will be doing more reflection on this verse and how to "test our soil" both figuratively (with our hearts) and literally (actually testing soil!). How to improve our "soil" by taking into account where we are at in life and where we want to go. One must have a plan and a direction if one expects to get anywhere in life, but you cannot begin a plan without first being aware of where you are.  In an effort to "Spring Clean" our hearts, souls, and homes, we will be taking stock of what is no longer serving us. It could be old linens. It could be friends that constantly cancel plans. It could be a bad habit we don't realize has become a bit too addictive. How do we create healthy boundaries, a "fence around our garden" if we don't know where to place them? 

We hope to highlight and feature more of our mypiggywiggy community especially all of our Mothers and start a conversation about finding our paths back to ourselves a topic that my friends who are mothers have or are struggling with. I think this is a theme that even if you are not a Mother, you can relate to this feeling. It's odd because there is a metaphor called "lead down the garden path" which actually has a negative connotation because in this sense the garden path is deceptive and misleading, in other words, a distraction. Shall we explore this further and talk more about what are "our garden paths", the tricksy kind that is and how do we recognize when we're not walking our true path anymore? We will be sharing some journal prompts in upcoming entries so you can carve out some time for yourself in the next few weeks to think and muse upon these ideas and questions.

Spring Inspirations

Spring is such a joyous season because the gardens of the world reawaken with renewed vigor! The days are longer and warmer. Out of storage comes our beloved floral dresses, billowy white blouses, and lightweight knits for early dewy mornings and cool evenings. 

Of Yesteryear... In this Spring season we will be learning more about the history of greenhouses with a focus on the Victorian era when greenhouses and terrariums were all the rage! Sentiment of Flowers... We will also be exploring seasonal floral language meanings for April, May, and June and what one should plant and prepare in their gardens this season for Summer and Autumn blooms. Le Fleuriste We will be showing you how to craft flower crowns using fresh and dried blossoms perfect for wearing to your next outdoor soiree. 

Our seasonal colors are soft yellows, pale blues, and muted lilacs and violets so expect to see many of these colors featured in upcoming shop updates. 

We hope you are looking forward to this new quarter and season with us!  For us, mypiggywiggy is so much more than just an online clothing shop... we endeavor to be that cozy nook that you can revisit again and again and always discover something new to delight and inspire you. We invite you to stay awhile, to linger, to feel welcomed and make yourself at home here. 

- CHIME IN -

If you have ideas to add to our Spring themes or just want to say you appreciated this post and found it thought provoking, do let us know by commenting below! We love reading your comments!

During the early months of quarantine, I had watched a documentary film on Tasha Tudor called "Take Joy! The Magical World of Tasha Tudor" and imagine my delight when she herself admitted to living by those same words by Henry David Thoreau! I took it as one of those cosmic signs that all was or would be well in the world. 

An Invitation To Promise

And so, dear friend, I invite you to continue reading and embark upon the rest of this month or here thereafter, whichever pleases you, to make 3 promises to yourself that will ensure you are living that life you imagine for yourself or at least heading in that direction.

"...to make a ribbon promise means to be truly honest with yourself and your abilities, willpower, and self control and being clear on your intention for your promise"

The whole mypiggywiggy team and I shared our 3 promises with one another when we met again this week after holiday break and it lead to some heartfelt conversations about self care and what that means for each of us. It also lead to more meaningful conversations and getting to know one another better as you cannot make genuine promises to yourself that you hope to keep if you are not truly honest with where you are in life and how you show up for yourself.

Different from making New Years Resolutions (which 80% lead to failure), a ribbon promise should be small and simple and related to one of your goals for the year. Making a bold resolution to be "Healthy This Year!" is all fine and well, but let's be honest, if you were not living a healthy life in 2020, it's doubtful you'll do a 180 in 2021. I'm not saying it isn't POSSIBLE, but to make a ribbon promise means to be truly honest with yourself and your abilities, willpower, and self control and being clear on your intention for your promise. 

...but rather, a ribbon promise is one singular simple promise you will keep to yourself to take that small step forward..."

So let's say perhaps your goal IS to be the healthiest version of yourself for 2021. Remember, you have ALL YEAR. And this isn't to say you can just start your new healthy habits (or attempts at them) later this November...but rather, a ribbon promise is one singular simple promise you will keep to yourself to take that small step forward towards the healthier you, whatever that means for you. 

You want to make promises that set you up to succeed! Small promises that turn into good habits. Small promises that bring joy. The reason most New Years Resolutions fail (80% of them do according to studies) is because they're too big. Successfully attaining your goals means creating new (good) habits and breaking old (bad) habits.

Do mind your language dear.

When you decide on your promises, reflect on them in a positive way and do mind your language and how you speak your promises! Instead of saying "I promise to not eat pastries and cake for the entire month of January" (which if you're anything like me, the mere voicing of denying myself any sort of confection makes me want it all the more, so I will utterly fail within a week) say this instead "I promise to treat myself to a pastry just once a week in January." Now your language is no longer taking away but rather something to look forward to! Instead of depriving yourself pastries all month, you're promising to give yourself a treat once a week! Hooray!

Les Femmes Adored Chimes In

One of the gals at the office, Christine, wants to focus on her health for 2021. So after some conversation she made the simple promise of drinking one glass of water with her morning coffee everyday in January. 

Hannah's goals for 2021 were not quite as linear, but after a heart felt chat, we encouraged her to promise to watch her language and how she speaks to herself when she feels she feels she's fallen off the bandwagon. Instead of saying "I'm not going to order take out this month!", she will say "I get to try a new recipe this week!" 

One of Ellie's promises is to dedicate an hour a week to create art and not judge herself and her work so much. 

And of course there are my promises! I have made three promises and each one I assigned to each of the ribbons above. And because we are friends I will share with you all three of my promises. 

Rodellee's Ribbons of Promises for January

I promise to dedicate 15 minutes a day to my mind, body, or spirit.

I promise to pick up/put away 2 things every time I leave a room.

I promise to meal plan for all of January

My first promise relates to my goal of self care in the physical, mental, and spiritual senses. My second promise relates to my goal to have a tidier house. And my third promise relates to wanting to save more money by not getting take out food so much (though I would like to add we were ordering so much takeout to support small business restaurants! But after looking at our bank statements and tallying up how much we spent on take out in 2020... well, one would nearly faint)

So dear friend and reader, do have a think about the three promises you will keep to yourself this month. Grab a few ribbons or strings or twine, whatever you have on hand. Cut them them into three equal lengths, and then tie them into bows after you've said out loud what three promise you will keep to yourself this month in pursuit of a happier, better, lovelier, you.

History Tidbit: The "Indiennes"

"Indiennes" was a type of printed or painted textile manufactured in Europe between the 17th and the 19th centuries, inspired by similar textile originally made in India, hence the name. [1] Printed onto a lightweight calico, these decorative panels were brought into Europe at the end of the 16th Century. The brightness and fastness of the colors, the lightness of the cloth, together with the lively and varied patterns, quickly seduced the European taste for all that was new and exotic. [2]

It is probably no surprise at all that I am drawn to ditsy floral prints (mypiggywiggy is nearly always stocked with ditsy floral print tops and dresses), but I quite love plaids and dots and stripes also, but definitely prefer small delicate repeating patterns.

sources & references: [1] Wikipedia. https://www.mypiggywiggy.com/wiki/Indienne [2] Musée de l’Impression sur Etoffes. https://www.mypiggywiggy.com/en/the-indiennes-textiles/

further reading: Paint & Pattern. https://www.mypiggywiggy.com/indienne-textiles/ Marvelous Provence. https://www.mypiggywiggy.com/arts-and-traditions/traditions/les-indiennes-textiles

Facebook promotes shallow relationships.

Most of the friends I had on Facebook were acquaintances from Los Angeles or Poland, (+48)355712125 or people I had lost touch with a long time ago from high school that I had no interest in reconnecting with (the feeling was obviously mutual as none of them cared to reach out to me aside from the acceptance of a friend request). I started to notice that while I would scroll through my feed (John got a new truck, Samantha's cousin is pregnant with her second baby, Alice and Greg got engaged) I know I did not really care about these life events because despite us being "Facebook friends", we had never developed any sort of relationship past a computer screen and the occasional "like" uptick. I didn't want this in my life. I want deep, genuine, relationships in my life with close friends and family. I started to really notice how shallow all my relationships were on Facebook. No one bothered to go any deeper or genuinely reach out and ask "Hey, how are you doing?" because a simple emoji or meme could say it all. But it shouldn't be that way. We are complex, emotional, and layered people with stories to tell. 

I'm one of those people that will not ask you "How are you?" if I don't genuinely want to know and have an ear to listen. Similarly, I will not offer to wash your dishes or help clear the table if I didn't actually want to do it. I hate lip service, words without action are empty to me. I started to notice that Facebook was becoming this place of all talk, no action. No one actually wanted to talk about anything. My general guideline for posting anything, anywhere is "If you don't want to talk about it, don't post about it." Seems simple enough, no?

Facebook added no positive value to my life and started making me really anxious

This was the next biggest reason I deleted my Facebook. I'm not a naturally anxious person, I'm pretty level headed and I can be calm in most stressful situations. For years now my Facebook feed started to become this platform where friends would post measurements of morals and ethics and the JUDGEMENT explicitly or implicitly shown to those not in agreement became mind boggling. In the past year or so my Facebook went from babies and vacations to a tirade of hate, passive aggressive finger pointing, cancel culture, and directives on how you should be living your life, what you should believe, otherwise we can't be friends anymore! Jeeze Louise, I'm just here to see your funny cat videos!

Now when a friend says "Augh, did you see what So-n-So posted on Facebook? Like seriously?" I can just say "Nope, sorry, I don't have Facebook anymore" and thus ends the cycle of gossip and wasting time thinking about things that are none of my business.

Here are some of the POSITIVE things that have happened since leaving Facebook... 

• Read 2 books so far (not being on Facebook decreased my screen time by at least an hour a day!)
• Wrote actual letters and sent actual cards in the mail and expecting responses in my mailbox soon
• Baked something new every other week
• Shared baked goods with friends and neighbors
• Made lumpia for our neighbors who just had a baby and they in turn wrote us the sweetest "Thank You" card and invited us for social distancing pie on the porch
• My patio garden is thriving!
• We cleaned the basement!
• Lots of home cooking and backyard BBQs
• Genuinely reconnected/connected with family (this was a big one for me)
• Regularly journaling every week
• Quality time with friends in real life and that's when we catch up and shoot the breeze
• Our home has been a lot cleaner, more organized
• Sleeping better

If social media has been making you more anxious lately, consider taking a break from it. Before I deleted my Facebook account, the baby step I took was to bury the app icon in my phone. The next step was to delete the app. 

I made sure I had other forms of contact (email or phone number) of anyone I cared to keep in touch with (mostly family) so if you do want to delete your Facebook, do a quick run through all the people you are connected with on Facebook and get another form of contact from them. 

Now you might ask yourself, why is there an mypiggywiggy Facebook Community Group then that's been started up recently? Well, I have a "work" profile on Facebook still to stay connected to business related groups and I wanted to create SOMETHING positive on Facebook that promotes the thing I was sorely missing from my personal account, fostering genuine friendships with kindred spirits. 

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. – Marcus Aurelius 

As a self confessed quiantrelle, I love waking up early and having a slow leisurely morning for breakfast, getting lost down an inspiration rabbit hole on my phone, catching up on the morning news, and morning snuggles with my love and our pup... it is why I set our work hours to be 10-6, because mornings are for waking, reflecting, and preparing one's self for the day.

It’s so easy to be grateful for a flower, for a bug, for a beautiful day. Louie Schwartzberg

Sometimes I don't get the privilege to have a leisurely morning because there are so many things on my to-do list and I'm just trying to rush out the door and knock things off that list as quickly as possible. This isn't ideal, but it is a reality and you must remember, we can't always have those ideal mornings. 

However, acknowledging the importance of morning rituals for your mental, spiritual, and physical health is a good reminder to practice little habits every morning that help ground and center you. 

Here are some 5 Morning Ritual Ideas you can try and consider...

1. Practice gratitude. Take 5 mins to just think about all the things you are grateful for. Maybe it's for a comfortable bed that offered a good night's rest or perhaps gratitude for sunshine peeking through your curtains after a week long rain spell. Get into a habit of saying thank you. If you are spiritual or religious, thank a higher being for the good things in your life. 

2. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. Take the time to make yourself your morning beverage and drink it from your favorite coffee mug or vintage tea cup. 

3. Practice positive personal affirmation. Sometimes we have cruddy days. I know I look in the mirror sometimes and think "Wow, I'm really starting to show my age." Or I might notice in the shower I've gotten a lot softer in the middle. Instead of dwelling on the negative sides I try to think "Oh, I have laugh lines around my eyes, I'm a happy and positive person that always strives to see the sunny side of life..." You don't have to use floral hippy dippy language, you could just give yourself a thumbs up and know you're doing your very best to be as a good of a human as you can be during this temporary time we have here on this beautiful Earth.

4. Do something physical or silly. Put on a song, something that makes you move or dance around. No shame, I've totally played Taylor Swift's song that talks about bakers gonna bake and haters gonna hate. I can't recall the title, but it's really fun to dance around like a fool in while brushing my teeth. Serenade your dog, your cat, the portrait of your grandmother...

5. Practice meditation and awareness. I am horrible at meditating because I have a very difficult time quieting my thoughts. However, I've borrowed a trick from Rupaul and that is to imagine your spirit floating out of your Earthly body and just hovering above yourself and being aware of your surroundings and how you are being and functioning in the space around you and the people you are with. Then imagine your spirit rising outside of your home. What do you notice about the world around you? Then pull back further, you're outside your town, your city. Your country. What do you notice? Then reverse the process and start imagining your spirit floating back into your body.