Shadow Cats & Realizations 🤯

#12 Small Biz Wishlist, Cat Photos and more...

Hi Friend!

In this week’s podcast, I sat down to go over Q2 goals (since I did an episode about goals in Q1) and I realized that I hadn’t made any progress on my big yearly goals, or any of the other projects I’d wanted to accomplish in the first part of the year.

It might have sent me into a mini spiral. Who am I to give advice when I can’t follow it myself? What has taken up my time that’s kept me from doing these relatively simple things? I must just be terrible at time management and am a horrible person, lol.

After I let my brain have a hissy fit for a minute, I sat down and had a more practical think on it. I came to the same conclusion that I ruminated on in the podcast. Overthinking and perfectionism had snuck back into my life and were wreaking havoc.

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I had been scrolling Pinterest for projects I could be doing instead of making the time to actually do some projects. It felt like being on a hamster wheel of possibility. Just spinning my wheels, planning potential projects instead of just starting.

As I was pondering my perfectionism, I realized something else that was key to my predicament. In my effort to slow down, I swung too far in the other direction. I was trying so hard to choose slow crafts, take my time, and avoid instant gratification, that all of my projects ended up being huge, weeks long efforts and I wasn’t getting any of the dopamine I needed in the short term.

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SO! The plan now is to find a balance. I need to have some projects that are quick, easy — things I can do from start to finish in one sitting. My brain needs to play, not plan. Then, I can have some other things that I slowly chip away at over time.

Realizing all of my projects were long-term things really opened my eyes. No wonder I was feeling so frustrated! Between that and over thinking about the projects I could do, of course I was stuck! I’m excited to give myself a break and find some fun, quick art projects and crafts to do, so I can get that sweet, sweet dopamine back.

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Ok! On the the fun stuff!

Podcast!

I talked enough about it already, but you can listen below!

Check our the full episode below (or listen on Apple, Spotify or watch on YouTube).

Small Biz Wishlist!

• Stacey McEvoy Caunt - I’m obsessed with her medieval collection. Everything is hilarious and this dragon sticker is incredible.

• Not Sorry Art - I’m lucky enough to have an original of Sari’s and just want more! Someday I’ll have an original disco ball, but for now, a print would be pretty great.

• Bunny Dee - I adore Danielle’s work! She’s got a shop update on Saturday with these amazing earrings. Check out her Instagram for more details! I also love the cat tarot deck she made a while back and use mine all the time.

• Katnipp - Katnipp Studios is actually closing up their shop to go in another direction (lordy, do I know how that goes!) and you should help them clear everything out! How cute is this sakura keychain?!

• PS: I feel like these products and photos accurately depict the two sides of my personality lol.

• Renee Lopresti Ceramics - She’s got a shop update happening on Sunday and I can’t wait to check it out! I hope she’s got another space mug available.

• MBMB - I saw this shirt (which reminds of the quote “I am le tired” which I’ve been saying for the last 17 years apparently lol) in an Uncommon Goods ad on Instagram. But, with a little sleuthing, I found the original artist!

Crafts!

Last week, I mentioned getting some beads because my brain went on a crafty tangent and I think she was subconsciously leading me to a quick craft. And y’all, it happened! Just like with my Christmas quilt, I made something just so I could tell you about it in the newsletter. To the handful of people actually reading, THANK YOU!

I’d been saving a lot of beaded earrings to my Pinterest and I just went for it. Honestly, I stopped writing just now so I could get it done and I kind of love them!

I went to Scrap and Michaels this week and grabbed a few things. It was SO fun, looking through all the secondhand beads. I could spent a full week in that shop.

But yeah, I’m fully obsessed and will probably make a few more pairs this afternoon.

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Craftcation is on right now and I’m getting all the FOMO on Instagram. Crossing my fingers I can go next year! I went in 2019 and it was transformative.

Also, don’t forget about Snart if you’re looking for some crafty ideas!

Current Reads

• Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi (audiobook on Libby) - This one kind of took a hard left turn from the first two, but I’m twenty minutes from the end and was just bawling my eyes out in the car (again). Tomi Adeyemi knows how to write an emotional scene!

• Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli (paperback) - I’m still plugging away at this one. It’s fun, but I’ve been distracted with Children of Anguish and Anarchy, and going to be super early, so it’s taking longer than expected.

This Week

There has been no snow this week and it feels like our whole neighborhood has exploded with color! The vinca is out (this exact flower would bloom in my Grandmother’s yard and I took it as a cosmic sign we’d found our home when I saw it in the yard during our first visit to the house). And we have so many violets in the yard, too! So many sweet purple blooms.

This first photo is from a walk with my kid and the second is our cherry tree. She’s the first to bloom and the first to lose her color, but it’s a beautiful week when she shows off! There are also so many bees 😬 so I’m not made when she calms down.

And I couldn’t leave you without a cat photo! The extra sunshine this week has made for many a sunbeam nap, and I loved how dramatic Beans was in this photo.

Thanks so much for making it to the end! I’m hoping to start my new feature next week for paid subscribers, but will make the first couple of posts free, so you can see what they’re all about.

Have a fantastic weekend and go make something, cutie!

Don’t forget that you can comment on this newsletter (and it lives forever) on Substack!

K, love you, byeeee!

♡ Becky