practicing and expressing gratitude can have positive impacts on our mind, body and spirit. an attitude of gratitude improves your wellbeing, enhances empathy, and encourages an optimistic outlook towards life.

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦

• i am grateful for sunsets that blush the skies rose and lavender.
• i am grateful for the pop of a champagne bottle at a picnic.
• i am grateful for cicadas humming through bedroom windows.
• i am grateful for morning breezes wearing wisteria perfume.
• i am grateful for little stars gently touching the ocean’s edge.

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 𝑓𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦

• flowers: hyacinths ⋅ roses ⋅ lavender ⋅ baby's breath ⋅ wisteria
• colours: periwinkle ⋅ mauve ⋅ porcelain ⋅ gainsboro ⋅ lilac
• scents: baking bread ⋅ blooming roses ⋅ the earth after rain
• names: amelia ⋅ sophia ⋅ cecilia ⋅ oliver ⋅ nathaniel ⋅ antoine
• weather: misty mornings ⋅ sunlit afternoons ⋅ gentle night rain
• feelings: connection with nature ⋅ contentment in stillness
• teas: chamomile with honey ⋅ earl grey ⋅ black darjeeling
• art movements: baroque ⋅ impressionism ⋅ rococo
• sounds: songbirds at dawn ⋅ child's laughter ⋅ rain's soft patter
• words: mellifluous ⋅ silhouette ⋅ ephemeral ⋅ epiphany
• desserts: blueberry cake ⋅ macaroons ⋅ shortbread cookie

• name: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ florrie, the dearhearted.
• profession: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ early-childhood educator.
• personality traits:
  • alignment: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ lawful good. ⟡
  • mbti: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ infp. ⟡
  • color: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ quartz (#F9F0FA) ⟡
  • temperament: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ melancholic-phlegmatic. ⟡
  • global 5: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ rcoan. ⟡
  • enneagram: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 2w1 (the companion). ⟡
• proficiencies:
  • offering well-timed hugs.
  • befriending stray animals.
  • decorative handwriting expert.

• dew-kissed petals greet the first light of dawn.
• robins' trill weaves melodies through budding branches.
• cherry blossoms paint the world in tender pinks.
• soft raindrops quench the earth's thirst, renewing life.
• fiddleheads unfurl, embracing the gentle sun's caress.
• fragrant lilacs dance on the breeze's tender sigh.
• tulips stand tall, offering vibrant cups of color.
• bees hum in harmonious gatherings, savoring nectar's gift.
• bluebells carpet the ground, a sea of azure dreams.
• butterflies waltz, their painted wings aflutter in mirth.
• peepers' chorus serenades the night's dar...

• lavender fields paint purple hues across the canvas of spring.
• beeswax candles flicker with the memory of summer meadows.
• beneath ancient pines, the scent of moss and quiet wisdom.
• leather-bound books weave their stories with ink and time.
• petrichor dances, a rain-soaked earth's quiet, tender embrace.
• jasmine vines intertwine confessions with the twilight breeze.
• woodsmoke curls, tales of warmth and shelter in the night.
• vanilla whispers a comforting secret in the kitchen's warmth.
• incense swirls, carrying wishes and dreams to the heavens.
• damp earth and fallen leaves sing the forest's tender lullaby.
• pine needles underfoot, a path to the hea...

• un bal · symphonie fantastique, mvmt ii · berlioz. ‍ ‍ ‍୨୧
  • an artist finds himself amidst the excitement of a majestic ball, in contemplation of the beautiful sights, until he is bewildered by the figure of his beloved.
• le jardin de capulet · roméo et juliette, mvmt ii · berlioz. ୨୧
  • the capulets' garden is silent and deserted, until it is filled with the sound of the young capulets leaving the banquet singing snatches of music from the ball.
• poco allegretto · symphony no. 3, mvmt iii · brahms. ୨୧
  • once described by clara schumann as “a pearl, but it is a grey one dipped in a tear of woe and wrapped about with the mysterious charm of the woods and forests”.

• ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ florrie /FLO-hee/.
• ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ she/her/hers.
• ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ early-childhood educator.
• ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ melancholic-phlegmatic.
• ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ english; french; portuguese.

i am an april-born daydreamer, quiet-talker and rabbit-hearted girl. i'm an enthusiast of handwritten letters, secret gardens, old music boxes, overgrown cottages, forgotten journals, and all things that can safekeep memories. i enjoy watercolour painting, reading poems, drinking tea, daydreaming, listening to orchestras, and writing little notes about it all.

• delighting in: empty journals with promising blank pages
• paying attention to: the solace in the moral of a fairytale
• spending time on: starting new habits & improving at old ones
• listening to: the chirps from a nest outside my window
• indulging in: blueberry & coconut pavlova w/ white chocolate
• visiting: the children's literature section of the library
• practicing: listening to the language of birds ✰
• looking forward to: new year, experiences we've yet to know

• i want to have a conversation with a flower — in its language;
• i want to paint the walls of my home in a colour that is lively;
• i want to memorise more poems and quote them when i desire;
• i want to sleep beneath a constellation and awake scintillant;
• i want to have a designated space to go when i wish to write;
• i want to have my meals at the kitchen table, even when alone;
• i want to translate the scent of hyacinths into journal entries;
• i want to find my direction and navigate using only the stars;
• i want to create something with my own hands, from the start.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ♡ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ reading ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ┊ ‏‏‎‎‏❋ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎listening ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‏ ┊‏‏‎☆ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎learning ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ┊ ‏‏‎‎‏✶ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ watching

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦

• ♡: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ dream work, mary oliver.
• ♡: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ the book of pleasures, clarice lispector.
• ❋: ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎mozart's coronation mass, gustavo dudamel. ⟡

keep a jar of memories on your shelf and open it often to review the moments that shaped you, the people who loved you, the beauty that surrounded you. these are the treasures of the heart and by preserving them you keep the past alive and make the present even more meaningful. ♡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦

• the first aurora colouring the skies in rose and lavender tones. the crescent moon hidden just above the trees. a year of jubilee. cold coffee with hints of vanilla. stringing up paper lanterns, fairy lights, and sun-bleached driftwood. the neighbourhood's stray cat napping in a hammock. hunting for secondhand books. the feast of epiphany's house blessing with wet chalk. gardenias forgotten in a bicycle basket, petals curled from the sun. ballet-slippers nail polish. family members shari...

the bible in a year by fr. mike schmitz is a podcast that reads and commentates the full catholic bible in 365 episodes. it organises everything into a single historical narrative, so you can follow the story as if you were reading a regular book, which is great for the curious and religious alike.

• ▨ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 01/01 to 05/01 ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ⋅ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ the early world ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ⋅ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ beginning-2200BC
  • ↪ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ genesis (part I) ♡ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ⋅ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ psalms.
• ▨ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 06/02 to 26/01 ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ⋅ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ the patriarchs ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ⋅ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 2200-1800BC

• miniature pie tarts with a blueberry filling ⟡
• blueberry macarons with a cheesecake filling ⟡
• blackberry and lavender macarons with lemon filling ⟡
• the best chocolate chip cookies of all time (really) ⟡
• buttery shortbread cookie with blueberry jam ⟡
• raspberry crumb bars with a sweet jam filling ⟡

a vase of white peonies on a glass table ⋅ a beige cat bed ⋅ a porcelain dish holding my house keys with a white rabbit keychain ⋅ sewing materials inside an old butter cookie tin ⋅ a vintage handheld mirror & hairbrush set ⋅ a curio cabinet filled with dinner plates ⋅ a swivel chair covered in cat hair ⋅ a stick-figure portrait of me drawn by a student ⋅ a jewelry box with a twirling ballerina ⋅ a wall clock with roman numerals ⋅ a collection of colourful little stones ⋅ wall shelves with ceramic flower planters ⋅ a poster of water lilies by claude monet in a filigree frame ⋅ earth-toned throw blankets ⋅ my grandmother's old typewriter ⋅ dog-eared volumes of mary oliver books ⋅ a framed photo of myself as a child standing in a field ⋅ alice in wonderland on vhs ⋅ a plush bunny with bows tied to its ears ⋅ a sachet of dried lavender petals ⋅ a comfortable bed with white ruffled bedsheets ♡

i believe that poetry is the most beautiful form of human creativity. every month i select my five favourites of the poems that i’ve read. they are often about hope and wonderment, the beauty of nature, and love for the world.

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦

• for the new year, 1981; denise levertov. ⟡
• where everything is music; rumi. ⟡
• who knows if the moon; e. e. cummings ⟡
• if no one ever marries me; laurence alma-tadema ⟡
• in blackwater woods; mary oliver ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ 𝑓𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦

• in the name of the bee; pádraig o’ tuama ⟡
• where does the temple begin; mary oliver ...⟡

• a: attentiveness ⋅ auroras ⋅ affection ⋅ affirmations ⋅ autumn
• b: blossoms ⋅ bookshelves ⋅ blueberries ⋅ ballet ⋅ butterflies
• c: clovers ⋅ cottages ⋅ compassion ⋅ candles ⋅ constellations
• d: delight ⋅ dandelions ⋅ daydreams ⋅ dewdrops ⋅ daffodils
• e: evergreen ⋅ eucalyptus ⋅ empathy ⋅ evenings ⋅ ephemeral
• f: forests ⋅ feathers ⋅ forget-me-nots ⋅ friends ⋅ fireflies ⋅ fawns
• g: gardening ⋅ green tea ⋅ gratitude ⋅ golden hour ⋅ gentleness
• h: hugs ⋅ hummingbirds ⋅ hyacinths ⋅ hope ⋅ honeysuckle ⋅ hues
• i: ivy vines ⋅ instrospection ⋅ irises ⋅ incense ⋅ imagination
• j: joy ⋅ jardinières ⋅ jasmines ⋅ journaling ⋅ january ⋅ jokes
• k: kisses ⋅ keepsakes ⋅ kindness ⋅ kn...

• dew-kissed grass, tender beneath our eager, exploring toes.
• skipping stones across the glassy, mirrored face of the lake.
• warm bread and butter after sun-soaked afternoon adventures.
• wildflowers, brave and bright, painting fields in joyful hues.
• muddy hands sculpting sandcastles by the ocean's soft embrace.
• endless hours lost in the pages of enchanting faerietale books.
• playful chase of lightning bugs, tiny lanterns in twilight's grasp.
• petal treasures, clasped in eager hands for an honored recipient.
• barefoot dances, twirling through the sun-drenched meadow.
• blanket forts built and stitched with whispered confidences.
• pockets filled with treasures: stones, sw...

• wake every morning with gratitude for the blessing of living.
• offer a kind word to bloom in someone's heart like a flower.
• bear witness to the sunshine, let it bring gratitude to your heart.
• speak kindly to yourself so you may speak kindly to others.
• carry the burdens of others as softly as a breeze lifts the leaves.
• embrace your silence, allow others to share their own stories.
• let hope become a light to someone stumbling in the darkness.
• use kindness as your compass, follow where it leads your heart.
• use your words like a river, flowing gently yet unwaveringly.
• walk barefoot on the grass, connect with the earth beneath you.
• be mindful of each footprint you leave on...

• when she enters a room, she meows at everyone present.
• she smells every new flower that blossoms in the garden.
• hates visitors and bites their ankles when she wants them gone.
• climbs fruit trees, then meows for someone to bring her down.
• only hunts the bugs and critters that are colourful and pretty.
• enjoys being carried stomach up, like one would carry a baby.
• prefers to drink from the watering can than from her own bowl.
• is terrified of fireworks, but calms herself when chopin plays.
• squeaks, purrs, and hums in her sleep when she is dreaming.
• poses elegantly when someone approaches her with a camera.

therefore i am... ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎birds singing in the early morning ⋅ chamomile tea with honey ⋅ claude monet paintings ⋅ flowers that grow against all odds in harsh places ⋅ public libraries ⋅ reading books while sitting by a window ⋅ evenings at the ballet with my friends ⋅ lavender perfume ⋅ raindrops tapping gently on the roof ⋅ receiving handwritten letters ⋅ nurturing plants into flourishing ⋅ first dates at the café ⋅ old music boxes with twirling ballerinas inside ⋅ identifying constellations ⋅ the french and italian opera ⋅ freshly picked blueberries ⋅ albert camus novels ⋅ old photographs of family members ⋅ the scent of the earth after rain ⋅ barefoot dancing ⋅ gentlemen that open doors for you ⋅ the full moon in a clear night ⋅ frederic chopin ⋅ the pages of a well-worn journal ⋅ sharing smiles with handsome strangers ♡

• "instructions for living a life: pay attention. be astonished. tell about it." — ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ mary oliver.
• "and now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." — ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ antoine de saint-exupéry.
• "drink tea with your friends; pay attention to the tea, and to your friends, and pay attention to your friends paying attention to the tea. therein lies the meaning of life." — ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ sarah perry.
• "the dream of my life is to lie down by a slow river and stare at the light in the trees – to learn something by being nothing. a little while but the rich lens of attention.” — ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ mary oliver.
• "we don't read and write poetry because it's cute. we read and write poetry becaus..._n.h. kleinbaum._