I have a confession to make. For many years I placed too much value in my work. This is not easy to admit, but it’s true. I have always loved owning a business. To me, it didn’t feel like work, it was just how I operated. I could spend hours, days, weeks on projects and when I wasn’t working on my business I was thinking about it, weekends included.

As I sat down this morning to write this post, I noticed the weather outside my studio windows looked rather chilly and that the sky was bleak and foggy, it felt a bit eerie. Autumn will always be my favorite season. The whole coziness factor makes it a given. Really though, who could say no to drinking a warm spicy beverage while being bundled up under a blanket with a good book? That’s my idea of a perfect fall afternoon. Here are a few other things that have me excited for the season!

When life changed for all of us and we secluded to indoor activities, I became slightly fixated on a very relaxing hobby I hadn’t done in years, stitching by hand. In the evenings I would pick it up while watching a movie or take it with me any time I thought there might be a bit of down time to work on a piece. What began with a stitched portrait of a Henri Matisse ink drawing, quickly lead down a path of reinterpreting works by other famous artists. There were no self imposed expectations or goals of perfection, only quiet mindful stitching by hand. I thought I’d share how my simple approach to handwork ended up being the best stress reliever over the last seven months and how you can create your own little works of art.