Redbuds, Tea Cups & New Beginnings
Springtime in the Shenandoah Valley is one of my very favorite things. There’s something so special about watching everything come back to life—trees budding, flowers blooming, and the landscape slowly filling in with color again. This year, our daffodils and tulips truly put on a show. And along our country road, the row of redbud trees has been breathtaking—those perfect pinky-purple blooms with a soft blanket of purple and white wild violets beneath them. Just beautiful.
I even tried something new this season—making redbud jelly! It has the most delicate flavor, almost like a mild honey, and when you add a bit of lemon juice, it turns the loveliest shade of pink. Such a fun little spring project.
At church this month, we hosted a fancy ladies’ tea for our gathering, and it was such a treat. We brought out one of the ladies’ fine china sets, served four different kinds of tea, and filled the table with all sorts of dainty bites—scones, tea sandwiches, lemon posset, macarons, mini cheesecakes, caprese skewers, fruit, cheeses, and more. It felt like stepping into a storybook for an afternoon.
We also had a very special family celebration—our daughter graduated from massage therapy school! We are so proud of her and all the hard work she’s put in.
In the studio, I finished up a soft flannel baby quilt in a sweet jungle theme, with blues, grays, aquas, and white. There’s something about baby quilts that just makes my heart happy.
On the design side, I stepped outside my usual lane a bit this month and created two birthday collections—both for cards and wrapping paper. It was so much fun playing with bright, cheerful colors. One collection is Happy Birthday Blossoms, full of florals and joyful color, and the other is If Birthday Wishes Were Fishes, filled with whimsical, colorful fish. I loved bringing both of these to life.
Behind the scenes, I’ve also been on a mission to reorganize my design files and safely store everything in Dropbox—trying to stay ahead of any accidental losses. Not the most glamorous task, but definitely a necessary one!
Looking ahead, one of my goals for the coming month is to start bundling some of my products into gift boxes—beginning with baby-themed sets and then expanding from there. I’d truly love to hear from you—what kinds of bundles would you enjoy seeing?
As for the garden, I’m holding off just a bit longer before planting. Around here, we often get one last surprise frost, sometimes even into May, so I’m trying to be patient.
We also picked up bicycles to enjoy the warmer weather—now comes the real question… do I still remember how to ride one? 😊
I hope you’re soaking in the beauty of this season right along with me. There’s so much to enjoy.