Hello Dear Ones.
It has been far too
long since I have posted here. It’s hard to believe so much of 2024 has already
passed. As September ends, I have been reflecting on the past few years and
making changes in my life. This includes bringing some changes to how I share
my life and my creative endeavors. I look forward to sharing my personal and
creative endeavors through Hearth & Sickle, the new branding for all my
platforms.
After a couple of rough years, I
am starting on the journey to rebuild my life and find my way forward. I am
unsure about how detailed I will get with what has happened over the past 15
years. What I will say is that life choices and circumstances both in and out
of my control have put me in a place that was as close, if not completely rock
bottom for my life. During one of our conversations, my aunt reminded me that
the second half of my life can be as amazing as the first. Her encouragement
has been such a comfort as of late. And after meeting a new community of people
and having someone come into my life that encourages me to swim up and break
the surface then has been there to pull me back onto the boat. He has inspired
me to pick up the pieces, to be creative again and start rebuilding my life.
My
hope on this blog (as well as my other socials) is to share my journey of
living a simple and creative life. This will include the variety of creative
endeavors I am embarking on along with the practical side of starting over and
rebuilding one’s life at 34. I have a few ideas for topics to share including
some fun fantasy-based characters that will be making an appearance to share
the sewing projects I have planned and have completed. I am also looking at
getting into some live streaming with both my creative process and gaming.
There might even be a little Dungeons and Dragons tucked in here and there. I
will also be reaching out on social media to see if there are any ideas from those
who follow me to see what they would like me to share.
Where
did Hearth & Sickle come from? At first it was going to just be the name of
the boarding house where my D&D character was going to reside, but it has turned
into so much more. As I have said before, I am turning towards becoming more of
a creative and lifestyle niche than the old fashioned and “homesteading” niche
that I had started out with. While the Flying V-S Farm name served me well,
it’s time to let it go. After some reflection, I came to realize that if things
in my life took me away from a farm setting (which it highly likely to do) I
wanted to have a brand that could move and grow with me.
As I was coming up
with the name, I wanted something that would denote the multiple facets of my
lifestyle. A hearth is often a place where friends and family would gather, cook,
talk, and spend time with one another. In farming, a sickle is a handheld tool
used in harvesting. While I probably should have picked something sewing
related, I decided on sickle as an ode my past adventures and passions.
Look for new content
to come out on Instagram, YouTube, this blog, Facebook, the podcast, and
Threads. I hope you will come spend time with me there and join the Hearth
& Sickle adventure. Welcome to the Hive.
Cheers ~ B
