Bonus Post! May has Arrived!!!

May has arrived!!! ... and the theme for the month is Nest & Bloom

By early May - here in Wisconsin - the birds have returned from their winter travels and are back to singing in summertime nests. The perennial plants are busting out of their slumber, flowering trees blossom, and optimistic gardeners grab their trowels with fingers crossed that the frosty nights are behind us.

So … the two images that pop into my head when thinking of the month of May are a Nest and a Bloom!

With respect to this blog’s focus on House Magic, there are so many yummy ways to dive into the words “Nest” and “Bloom”. We’re going to focus on our bedrooms this month as our invaluable Nest, and we’re going to think of the word BLOOM as my favorite topic: growing and opening up to the highest expression of ourselves. That sounds like a big-hairy statement. It might even sound too big – so just think of “the highest expression” of yourself as simply allowing more joy into your day. More of what you truly need or just plain want. More fun! More love! More money! More comfort! More laughter! Or whatever it is you’re craving right now.

If you think about it, Nesting and Blooming are two ends of a spectrum. On the ‘nest’ end of the spectrum we are ever-so gentle with ourselves, knowing that rest and comfort is of utmost importance to our health and wellbeing. We climb inside our safe nest and give our mind, heart, body and spirit the rest they deserve.

We are still. We are quiet.

On the ‘bloom’ end of the spectrum, we get down to the business of moving through all the phases of growth, knowing that growing (until the day we die) is what our soul wants for us. True growth involves mindful planning and then acting on that plan. In order to grow and evolve, we start by setting our intention (what do we want for ourselves and for those that live with us?) We make a list of the things we want to show up in our experience. Then we trust the universe when the necessary action steps to our growth present themselves.

We actively grow.

Our Magic House supports us every step along the path of this fun evolution (growth) just as much as it does in supporting our rest and rejuvenation.

My FAVORITE graphic designer (madisondaredesign.com) has been busy this past week creating the beautiful artwork above for this month's theme and the symbols (shown below) for our Four Characters: Cinderella, Kate, Lorraine, and the Hobbit. (If you don't know about them yet, refer to blog posts #4-6). The manifestation of these symbols that represent each of the four characters is abolutely nothing short of a miracle to me. It is a great example of your intention becoming a reality. I gasped and got a little weepy when I first saw the artwork for each. Because: It's scary launching a blog and putting yourself out there! It's scary allowing your creativity to come through for anyone and everyone to see! I've been listening to my intution and trusting the action steps that are required for my growth - so these images of the characters that only a month ago were little glimmers of inspiration feels like an unbelievable waking dream! (Here's where I throw my face up to the sky and jump around a little and scream in wonder and appreciation)

Okay, let's go! Here's how the 4 Characters interpret our Nest & Bloom theme:

Cinderella: Clear the Air

o Nest = Making the bed: to make or not to make???

o Bloom = Before we set out cleaning and organizing our houses, we need to organize our minds. You’ll set your intention and list out the ways you need your house to support you this year.

Kate: What’s the Project?!?

o Nest = Does your bedroom feel delightful to you?

o Bloom = We'll define our style to set the stage for all our design projects

Lorraine: Cultivate some magic

o Nest = Create a sacred space

o Bloom = Define your vision (Collage / Vision Board / Map)

The Hobbit: Magic in the forgetten things

o Nest = Noticing nest potential all over the house!

o Bloom = Are you getting enough sleep? How much do you need?

Check back in tomorrow for Cinderella’s take on May!