Hit Refresh.

The husband and I went to the woods today and stayed there all morning. I took my shoes off and felt the ground radiating warmth for the first time this year.

We stopped at our favorite greenhouse on the way home, and wandered through all the beautiful flowers and leaves.

I initially wasn't going to go, due to my fibro being an incredible nuisance, but my better half convinced me to give it a try. I still hurt, but my soul feels refreshed, and that counts more than anything.

What are you up to while the sun shines?

I Made Underwear.

I've been wanting to make my own underwear for ages, but was waiting until a few t-shirts of mine were ready to be upcycled. That stretchy, well-worn cotton makes for some incredibly comfy undies, and they cost basically nothing to make. I did a color-block thing here, but next I'd like to make something flowery and pretty, maybe with some elastic lace around the edges.

All in all, they took me an hour, and were incredibly satisfying. I have something wearable, functional, and cute, that provides almost instant gratification, unlike making dresses, pants, blouses, etc. Ideally, I'd like to see my panty drawer full of handmade-by-me undies.

Some linky love...

Have you guys checked out the My New Roots cookbook yet? It's written by Sarah Britton, from the famed blog of the same name. And it is a beautiful cookbook, full of healthy, plant-based recipes that I actually want to try, and none so difficult as to immediately turn me off. I think I'm most excited to make the chocolate and blood orange layer cake (gluten-free!) because CAKE FOR BREAKFAST PLEASE.

Here's a few other things I've recently loved:

1. Sara's post on the "I-woke-up-like-this" myth.

2. Camillia Heirloom's instagram feed. So much lovely inspiration there. Check out her website too!

3. 9 Perfectly Appropriate Responses If Someone Asks You To "Calm Your Tits".

4. The Perfect Body, by Cassey Ho.

5. Pasta making with Marc Vetri!

6. These one-day-old babies and mama's. Baby fever, anyone?

The Hooded Woman.

Getting back to mixed media. I've had this woman in my head for quite some time, but couldn't succeed in capturing her how I wanted until recently. The muse is a fickle being, isn't she? It's hard to see here, but I used some of my great-grandfather's school papers in the background, some dating back to 1932. I don't use them often, as they're limited and precious, but I feel so proud to have them peeking through some of my art pieces. I think he'd like that.

Chocolate making.

We've been making our own chocolate, something far more fun and satisfying than I had initially thought. The one above houses whole almonds, crispy rice cereal, chia seeds, and sea salt. Hayden wants to make a batch sprinkled with Fruit Loops cereal, which, I have to admit, sounds at least visually appealing, don't you think?