I have been enamored with the beauty of flowers for as long as I can remember. Their textures, colors, and fragrances enchant me to this day.

In my mind, there is a journey of memories where flowers are at the center of imaginative play and creativity.

Some of my first memories are as a little girl playing in a patch of summer blooms, crafting little homes out of twigs and foliage for the fairies who roam within this floral land. Turning the page to a different memory, I see her surrounded by pages of drawings where, with colored pencils or a big box of crayons, she created a land of furry little animals, gnomes, and various bugs (ladybugs appear to have been a favorite), all wearing a variety of colorful garb, living in their towns under the foliage, among the blooms, ferns, and mushrooms. Moving forward in time, when she is a young wife and mother, she creates a small business by crafting custom floral arrangements late into the night for parties, weddings, or various locations in clients’ homes. As her life progresses, there are days when, once again, she creates imaginative scenes, but this time on the walls of rooms with the help of brushes, paints, and ladders. Rooms where clients will bring home a new baby, or in their kitchens, family rooms, bathrooms, anywhere life is lived, that long for a touch of beauty or whimsy to catch the eye as you pass through.

As you can see, my journey through life has been filled with flowers, foliage, and imagination in one form or another. For me, I cannot fathom life being lived any other way. Creativity feeds my soul and fills my bucket of joy.

But, there are days where joy seems a little bit harder to feel, deep within.

When I focus too much on the hard things in life, or the thoughtless words and actions that appear to surround us on the news, social media, and the public in general, and not the beautiful, I allow an imbalance to form in my life. I give power to others, allowing them to rob me of my joy, and I feel it deeply in my soul.

To keep the scale in balance, along with prayer, Bible study, and creativity, I prepare a positive email each month to send to people who are in my essential oil group. The process of creating this email helps me to see more blessings in the “everyday.”

Every month, I pick a different theme to focus on. Last month’s theme was joy, and this month is about life changes. At the core, both of these topics are profoundly impacted by your attitude. Are you a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty kind of person? No matter what your answer is, you get to choose. That’s your superpower!

If you would like to receive a positive note from me, along with essential oil education and a free diffusing calendar, subscribe here at Abundance in Simplicity.

Are you in search of a little more joy to balance out the negative? Can we really have enough joy in our lives? Here are a few of my favorite ways to fill up my joy bucket. I have found that it isn’t hard, once you start practicing to search for it throughout the day.

Look on your bookshelves or visit a children’s library. Something as simple as picking up a beautiful children’s book is an easy way to bring a smile to my face. My children are all grown up, but this momma is especially delighted that I kept many of their beloved stories around, specifically because I now have a sweet little granddaughter to explore them with.

One of my favorite stories, of course, involves flowers. Miss Rumphius is a sweetly illustrated story of a little Victorian girl who has decided that when she grows up, she has three things she wants to do: travel around the world, live in a cottage by the sea, and meet the challenge that her grandfather gave her in leaving the world more beautiful. We follow her journey as she accomplishes her goals. Known as the lupine lady, Alice spreads lupine seeds wherever she roams. What a wonderful thing to do to spread a little joy around! This year, as the weather warms up, I’m going to make sure that I have a variety of seeds on me that are native to my area so that I too, may spread a little joy around, because really, who doesn’t like to see flowers popping up along the way. Don’t worry, I won’t be spreading seeds in some random neighbor’s yard, but the open roadways might be beckoning me to create a patch of beauty. Can’t you imagine the joy of driving along and finding random wildflowers along the road? It brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. If you could plant any flower, what would it be?

For all my adult life, I have enjoyed creating with needle and thread. There is a peacefulness that settles within me with the rhythm of bringing my needle up and down through the fabric, creating a picture where before there was none. I have made more counted cross-stitch samplers than I can remember. When I need to spend a little time puttering and pondering, I pick up my needlework and start creating. What a joy-filled pleasure it brings me to gift someone with one of my creations. My eyes might be getting older, but I still enjoy playing with color combinations, whether I make up my own designs, or use the patterns created by someone else. When I find beautiful ones, such as the one here in the photo, I like to add my personal touches to them by changing out the colors or tucking in a surprise within the scene. Meditating on a sermon that I’m listening to, watching a gentle movie, or listening to an audiobook as my fingers work away is a simple, productive way of bringing peace & joy into my life.

I’ve shared this dear set of Ivy dishes with you before. They are something that I truly treasure. This past Christmas, my husband gifted me with a matching tea set. I’m not a big “gathering” kind of person, but I do enjoy having a friend or two in my home. Making a homemade treat for them, and sharing a time of fellowship and laughter as we sip our tea, will be extra special to me as I use this new-to-me tea set. There are so many wonderful sources for trying out new flavor combinations of teas, but a couple of my favorite sources are,

Mountain Rose Herbs  or  Fresh Roasted Coffee.

Where is one of your favorite places to gather with friends? Do you enjoy having them in your home, or do you like to explore other options? No matter where you gather, friendship is a delightful way to add joy to your life.

As you reflect on becoming more joy-filled, what are some ways you will pursue growing joy in your heart?