Spring is Here!🌷

 Happy spring, friends!🌞🌱

We've had a lot of rain here in the Hoosier state. It's getting warmer, and things are greening up. I can't wait for sunny days when I can go for walks and start working on my garden. This year, I'm planning to try my hand at container gardening. My garden plot is pretty small to start with. I like things that are straightforward and practical. So, this seems like it might be a good fit. And less weeding! Which is good, because I'm continuing to work through final tweaks for Champion's Sword. I should be done by the end of April. Then I'll move on to formatting, followed by one final read to check for commas and such. I'm looking forward to refilling my creative well and returning to drafting after so long in editing land.😉

Reading . . .

This month, I re-read Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young. And I finally got my hands on Ignite by Kara Swanson. If you've read Champion's Key, you'll understand why this book appealed to me. While my Iyans possess powerful melodies and wings that can ignite, Kara's phoenixes have fire in their very veins. And Mara might be the most powerful of them all, possessing a fire only her father can control . . . until she learns the crushing truth. This book is full of unique world building and tons of heart.

Music . . .

Tommee Profitt dropped a couple more songs from his upcoming album, including a cover of David Kushner's "Daylight," and it is 🔥! Another song I've had on repeat is "The Search" by NF. It's raw and gritty and, well, it's NF. Enough said.

Enjoying . . .

When I first converted our spare bedroom into an office, I painted it gray. It made sense at the time, especially since it's a blue gray and blue is my favorite color. But for some reason, the color doesn't really work. I think it's a combination of low light and the orangey doors and trim. Rather than repaint, I've tried changing the decor color a few times. This time I'm being a bit more strategic with it. I even created a Pinterest board and printed off some pages to have on hand for reference. My theme is: if Briar and Rose got married and lived in their own tree house. Think lots of browns and greens with hints of blue (orabellas!💙), plants, etc.

You may have seen the plastic sword I painted then weathered on social media. It's currently hanging above my office door! I added more vines and other faux plants. The top of my bookcase is covered with goldish things and feels a little like a princess vanity. I even have a "treat box" with a dead leaf, acorn, and dried black-eyed Susans from my yard. Yesterday, I painted flowers and butterflies on the dresser, which I use for storage. I'll be adding more detail to it this afternoon. I'm not rushing, taking each mini project one step at a time, and attempting to ignore the pile of random things on the floor (even though it's driving me batty😂).

Let me know on my socials what projects or creative endeavors you're working on this spring!

Blessings,

Jessica ♡