In Kinship – for makers who crave a vibrant life

Okay, did you picture your ideal day?  Do you have an idea on how your energy flows through the day?  Share with me what you've learned!  Hit reply, I would be delighted!

Today we're going to talk about the value in finding out more about your personality type and how you operate!

• Give the audio a listen.
• Found out more about yourself through a personality type of test.  All four of the links below lead to sites that I have used and liked and that offer a free summary.
   
  Human Design.  Maybe you'd like to learn more about what human design is first?  Click here)
  Myers Briggs Personality Test
  Your Astrological Birthchart
  The Enneagram Institute  

Day 4, we'll talk about saying NO!  Yes.  We will.  And about honestly pruning your life to remove what is not bringing you joy

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How was day one?  Did you write out your list of joyful things?  What were you grateful for this morning?  Yes, comment below  and tell me!

Today we're going to go deeper into thinking about how our energy flows throughout the day and what your ideal/dream day would look like.

• Give the audio (above) a listen.  I tried to keep it really short. I REALLY did.  But it's 22 minutes!  ...What can I say?
• Track you energy through out the day.  How do you feel first thing?  At lunch time?  In the afternoon, the evening and at night?  When is your brain the most powerful, when do you like to exercise, when do you like to get hands on?
• After you listen to the guided mindfulness exercise (I call it a meditation in the audio, but really it's more of a mindfulness exercise!)  write out what comes up for you and your ideal/dream day.  No judgements, no editing!

Day 3 we'll talk about getting to know yourself even more!

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So, today for lesson one. 

• Give the audio (above) a listen.  (released 8/16/23)  It's roughly 10 minutes long
• Start a gratitude practice twice a day.  Say aloud one thing you're grateful for and for better success, tie it to a habit you already have, like brushing your teeth.
• Make a list of all sorts of things that bring you joy...don't edit it, let it flow.  It could be sunshine on your face, or a project in your hands or a walk with a friend.  Set the timer for 10 minutes and free write.  Just let it out!!

Day 2 will include a guided meditation and thoughts on your rhythm and natural flow!

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Today's episode is about turning on the heat and holding it steady.    I once heard Cathy Heller use this water boiling analogy for showing up in life and it stuck with me.   So I share it with you today.

Showing up in life,   relates to a new program I have coming out and a free 5 day workshop - Finding Your Joy that that is live August 7th.    

Sign up here!    https://courses.kinshiphandwork.com/f/find-your-joy

I believe, a joyfilled life is your birthright.  And living vibrantly is within our reach.   And if we can do it together!!!  All the better.  

As the wise African proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together."

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this water boiling analogy and have you join us next week!

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(w/Emma Brassfield) You've just put in another 11 hour day at the studio, rushing in to add some padding here, or attach a tail there, poised to help Chewbacca to the loo or fix a broken seam at the drop of a hat...but mostly waiting and chatting with your coworkers and drinking bottomless lattes.  Sounds exotic and fun to this homebody, but day after day after day of long hours and little family time seems wearing. 

And they were to my guest Emma Brassfield.   She loved, mostly, her career doing costumes and special effects for film and tv, but after she had her eldest child, the hours and uncertainty of the next gig began to wear.

So, she took her creative juices to her own business, Studio 7t7!  She started out selling toys she had hand crafted and soon discovered the production of sewing for resale didn't suit.  BUT, that road led to another...folks kept asking her for patterns for her creations and a new path was born.  The 7t7 club is her pattern membership and its feeling just right.

I love how life flows along like that, especially if you have the gumption to follow it.   Do what your passionate about, discover what's not working, make a change...continually adjusting to fit the person you are now and the wished you have today.  

Have a listen!

Emma's links online...

The 7t7 club

Studio 7t7

Youtube

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

Emma Brassfield

Based in Surrey, UK, Emma Brassfield creates all of the Studio 7t7 items and patterns.

After having her eldest daughter, Emma wanted to find unique gifts and items that you would be proud to give and equally thrilled to receive. After finding a distinct lack of affordable, beautiful and well made items, Studio 7t7 as you see it was born.

Since 2001 she has been creating magical creatures and wonderful characters for film and TV. Her credits include The Batsuit for Batman Begins, Mythical creatures for Harry Potter,  Chewbacca for Star Wars, The Flash for Justice League and her most favourite creation: Iggle Piggle for In The Night Garden.

All of the skills she has learned through her adventures during this time have been harnessed into her special creations and sewing patterns.

In 2020, Emma started a Youtube Channel to teach others to sew and to make their own gorgeous gifts via sewing patterns and free tutorials.

Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa and browse the Studio for gorgeous gifts, sewing patterns, tutorials and classes.

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{w/ Laureen Nowlan-Card}
Do you ever do this?  You meditate, get really clear about where you want to go and who you want to be and you make a plan. 

A realistic plan, for crying out loud!  Not one of those pie-in-the-sky plans you used to make, no a plan you can actually achieve by putting one foot in front of the other. 

And you feel so good, patting yourself on the back, ready to usher in change, and then…15 minutes after you decide to not go out to eat this week because you’re budgeting your money in a different, life-affirming, good-for-future-you kind of way, your best friend texts with a “wanna meet for dinner tomorrow night?”.  And your inner rebellion rears her head and says YES!!!…and let's go to the GOOD restaurant, and get drinks.  Blowing your newfound budget out of the water, moments after you set it. 

Yeah, me too.

My guest Laureen Nowlan-Card has some beautiful, grace-filled insight into why we do that and how to work with it.

In this episode, we take a closer look at how our subconscious mind is wired to protect us and avoid change, even if that change is something we know is good for us. We examine the six dimensions of self – body, emotion, spirit, thoughts, energy, and belief – and how to address self-sabotage through practical steps that can help both sides of ourselves come to an agreement.

Laureen also shares several different exercises she uses in her work and offers listeners her six-senses guide to support their personal growth.

Give it a listen.

Email Laureen at [email protected] and ask for her Six-Senses Guide

Laureen Nowlan-Card

Eighteen years into her career as a Trial Attorney,Laureen Nowlan-Card decided she wanted to use her “soft skills” and ability to see the magnificence in everyone to coach women to achieve their greatest potential. 

She is the creator of Heart of the Heroine and The Feminine Freedom Solution, a Certified Women’s Empowerment Coach (since 2014), an Emotional Liberation Facilitator (since 2017), Speaker Trainer (since 2016), Podcast Host, Yogini and devoted Mom. 

Laureen is on a mission to change the world one woman at a time, by supporting women to share their ideas in both their personal and professional lives. Laureen guides women to release their self-doubt and limiting beliefs, and to work with their emotions so they can attain increased joy and peace, and create a life they love.

Laureen also leads women’s public speaking training, where she creates a safe and inspiring container for women to unleash the brilliance of their voices and ideas. Laureen’s podcast, Women Leading Change, is dedicated to amplifying the voices of women who are leading positive change in the World.  Laureen is also the founder of The Awakened Woman’s Evolution Group, a Community for Women in Business and Leadership which she describes as “a soft place to land when the world feels hard”.

Mentioned in the Show

Website:  http://LaureenNowlanCard.ca

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/laureen-nowlan-card

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002911292604

WomanSpeak:  https://www.womanspeak.com/lnowlan/

Join The Awakened Woman’s Evolution Facebook™️ Group here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/theawakenedwomansevolution/

Listen and Subscribe (or contact me to be a guest) on my Podcast (Women Leading Change):  https://podcas

[email protected]

(with guest Eliza Wheeler) Once upon a time, a tired and worried mama and her young boy ducked into a bookstore for both a bit of shelter from the storm and for the love of books.  While the wee fella fawns over books about fierce dinosaurs and strapping knights with swords, the mama spied a magical book that drew her from across the room. 

That book was Eliza Wheeler's children's book Home in the Woods, a story about her own grandma, a story so deeply rooted in her family history that her siblings and cousins acted it out in the woods of their land, and a story that in the telling would, unbeknownst to her, inspire this mama to remember that she is indeed capable. 

I'm honored to have Eliza join me on this episode and share the long and winding path that brought that story from her childhood play to that mesmerizing book cover that drew me across the room on a cold day in November. 

In our show, she tells of how finally, she had to let go and allow herself to produce next to nothing in a 4 week prestigious fellowship, as the story brewed inside of her.  And you'll cheer alongside me when finally it burst forth.  And she shares what it is to write a children's book that includes hard topics like death and homelessness and have it speak safely to children in a way that builds empathy and understanding of the world. 

Her intention is palpable in this book and it's a joy to hear about that process.  

Have a listen!

Mentioned in the podcast

that gorgeous video about the making of the book

her website

Her newsletter Creativi-Tea

Her books

Home in the Woods

Miss Maples Seeds 

Eliza Wheeler is an illustrator and author of books for children. Her first picture book, ‘Miss Maple’s Seeds’ was a New York Times best-seller, and her newest book ‘Home In The Woods’ is based on the true story of her grandmother’s childhood experience of living in a tar-paper shack in the woods with seven siblings and their single mom. She has illustrated for numerous books, including the Newbery Honor book ‘Doll Bones’ by Holly Black, and the picture books by Pat Zietlow Miller; ‘When I’m With You, ‘When You Are Brave’, and ‘Wherever You Go’. Eliza was also a recipient of the prestigious Sendak Fellowship in 2017. She grew up in northern Wisconsin, spent 10 years in Los Angeles, and now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Hey!  Do you know of someone who would make a great guest on the show?  (maybe you?)
Email me [email protected]

[email protected]

(with guest Michaela Buhrman of Black Squirrel Flowers)  
I am thrilled to share with you my friend Michaela Buhrman. 
Michaela is a farmer florist and in our show we go into why she did not just become a farmer who grows flowers, arguably her favorite thing to grow, but a farmer florist.   A person who starts the seeds, grows the flowers in a way that is in alignment with her values and then takes those flowers and creates beautiful bouquets to bring joy into our homes. 

I can completely relate to her desire to be part of the entire process from start to finish. And I'll bet you can too. 

By having a hand in the entire process she has a deeper connection and knowledge of all the different flowers that she's growing and selling. Getting to know each bloom and how it thrives, gives her more instinct when it comes to arranging flowers for sale...allowing for a bouquet that simply thrives.  

And that just sounds like magic to me. 

Michaela doesn't just grow things...she sews her own clothes, cans her own food and has been known to pick up paper and pencil and draw enchanting things.

I've been watching Michaela grow her business in this really thoughtful way for awhile and I wanted to share that with you.  When there's a new idea for her business or a new offering, she slowly brings that in to make sure that she's not overwhelming what she's capable of doing well or overwhelming her sense of balance in life.

A lesson, I love to be reminded of...often!

Have a listen!  One of the joys of listening to other people's stories, is that we get to connect with another human and also pull little tidbits from their way of living into our lives that are going to help increase our vibrancy.  How fun!

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with my guest Cristina Threloff of My Lovely Muse.  
Join Christina, from My Lovely Muse, and me as we talk about how we hold onto the memories that made us feel good in a life that is not always easy.  And how recreating those experiences in our adult life and can bring so much joy.  We also talk about how this dreamy Pisces listens to her body, rests when she needs to and reads!  So many books!! 

She also shares her business journey from selling on Etsy in her spare time to creating a business selling sustainable housewares and teaching others how to make beeswax wraps and sew things for themselves!

She's inspired me to take more naps and not make ALL the things.

Meet Christina -

My name is Christina and I am the owner and sewist behind My Lovely Muse. I am a mom, wife, and lifelong teacher and learner who loves Star Wars, Real Simple magazine, and canning homegrown food. I’m on a mission to save the planet from fast fashion and other needless waste by teaching DIY eco-workshops and handcrafting quirky, convenient eco-conscious housewares to help prevent the unintentional contribution of waste to our landfills.

Take a listen! 

[email protected]

I strive for that sweet spot.  The space between apathy and overcontrol, between sticking your head in the sand and beating yourself up over something, between perfectionism and doing things without a care.  It’s a balance.  Always.  Every day.  Every hour.  But it’s worth it.

Today I share my ideal work day, why getting to know yourself and working with your energy instead of against it are the first steps in living an intentional, joy-filled life, and how I know when to give myself grace and when to push past my resistance.

I love hearing about how others structure their days and lives to allow for more creativity and more integrity while not tipping over into too much control.   That sweet spot!

I love it so much, and I suspect you might too, that it will be a constant companion to this podcast.  Exploring what brings joy and vibrancy to another’s life and actionable steps on adding that to our own journeys; in whatever ways feel right.

Share with me your routines, ceremonies, and structures that support you!  I’ll share it on the podcast.  [email protected]

Take a listen! 

Mentioned in the podcast

Human Design  (I’m a Sacral Generator and it resonates deeply!)

Myers Briggs Personality Test  (ENFJ here!  What are you?)

Your Astrological Birthchart  (I am a sun sign – Aries, rising sign – Taurus, moon sign – Pisces)

The Enneagram Institute  (now this shifts and changes for me.  ??  But right now I am a 3 with 2, 4, and 8 hot on its heals) 

Julie Cameron’s The Artists Way 

Sarai Mitnik’s writing on Substack – Making Time

Hey!  Do you know of someone who would make a great guest on the show?  (maybe you?)
Email me [email protected]

...and just because, an update on the Maker's Studio

A huge thank you for the support of our sponsor...Kinship Handwork!

Have you ever dreamed about coming to a sewing retreat?  Gathering with other women, talking, laughing, getting deep, and soaking in the spa pool…all while getting creative, learning a thing or two and working with your hands?

I have just the thing for you!  This October (2023) we’re meeting for our semi-annual clothing sewing retreat on Mackinac Island in Michigan, US. 

The Knit Pants of Your Dreams – Sewing Retreat held Oct 15 – 19

Sometimes, we like to wear pants.  And by golly, if those pants fit us perfectly and look professional, have pockets and are comfortable! SOLD.  Jump on the link and check it out!

Take me to the retreat page

[email protected]

(w/ Kitty Wilkin)   Living a joyful life on her own terms is exactly what Kitty Wilkin, my guest on the show, is doing.  And she's spreading it around...through her work as a quilter (Night Quilter), her internal work that she vulnerably shares, and her open, sparkling heart. 

Several years ago, Kitty impacted my life in a profound way...and she didn't even know it.  We begin our conversation with me sharing how her ability to stand in a room with 30 other humans and advocate for herself left me in tears, the kind of tears that bubble up like a tsunami and point directly to an internal wound in yourself, and that started a ripple in my life.  In fact, I couldn't get through editing this episode without tissues nearby.

We then dive into Kitty's self-growth & creative journey and how she cracked the door open with some "self-ish" sewing under the permission of sewing for her child and several years later has followed her heart and her path to be a more empowered and self-aware human who's not afraid to ask for help, fill her own cup and prioritize pleasure in her life. 

And she's done it in the most lovely way.  

She pairs her love of quilting and "earning" a block or strip of fabric by doing or experiencing the things she wants more of in her life.  Like the summer of adventures, the year she hiked 40 mountain peaks and....the one that stopped me in my tracks...her Summer Lovin' quilt.  Kitty couldn't honestly create a quilt that explored what brought her pleasure and helped her bring more of it into her life without including sexual pleasure.  We're talking orgasms here.  

Kitty shares her journey to self-acceptance and opening up to her own sexuality and how that prompted her to include and earn blocks in that quilt for the orgasms she had over that summer.  AND, in an attempt to normalize it and because she's brave and vulnerable, she posted about it on Instagram and even shares how many blocks she earned!  Which is so delightful!

"Each yellow inset circle block in my quilt represents an orga$m, and while I certainly won't be sharing photos here :-), I am no longer afraid of talking about it. It was a very good summer, and I feel more secure in who I am, happier, and more joyful having prioritized my s&xual health and wellness."  (from that Instagram post)

Now, Kitty has a membership, the Quilt Your Life crew, that's focused on creating positive habits and tying them together with quilting and living more intentionally.

So go ahead...take a listen, you'll be so glad you did!

Get on her email list
Check out her blog & website
Instagram: @nightquilter
Facebook: nightquilter
Pinterest: Kitty Wilkin
YouTube: Kitty Wilkin – Night Quilter

[email protected]

(with guest Kat Eldred)   Naturally when you don’t have the deep yellow fiber that you want…need?…and your spinning wheel is hot, you don the rubber gloves, get the turmeric from the kitchen and start the dye vat!  At least that’s what happens when color grabs you by the throat and you have the good sense to follow that passion like my guest has. 

Kat Eldred is the founder and dyer behind Why Knot Fibers, a small hand-dyed yarn company specializing in rich nature inspired tonal colors, as well as farm-to-needle yarns and fibers. She began crocheting and knitting at at an early age, though she took a break in her teens before returning to yarn crafts in college. Kat has also been a musician most of her life, making music with friends and family and songwriting since age 12. Kat began dyeing after she took up spinning in her twenties and couldn’t find “just” the right colorway she wanted: Enter powdered turmeric and some alpaca roving, and the rest is the colors you see now see from WKF. Nearly a decade later, she is still playing with color, creating color, making music, spinning, and knitting in Traverse City, Michigan with her husband, Steve and their teens, Liam & Sadie (as well as 2 dogs and 3 cats – much to their annoyance, are NOT allowed in the studio). The business name came from a phrase that Kat says quite often “Sure! Why not?”

Kat and I talk all things making and how her love of color led to a business dying yarn.  A path she didn’t intend on taking.  But she allowed the magic of following what she’s passionate about lead her and here she is! 

Take a listen!

Mentioned in the Show

Why Knot Fibers

Hey!  Do you know of someone who would make a great guest on the show?  (maybe you?)
Email me [email protected]

A huge thank you for the support of our sponsor...Brooks Ann Camper!

Brooks Ann Camper and her Prep School for Custom Sewing are offering In Kinship listener’s 10% off her ebook…”Figure it out, a guide to padding a dress as your body double” 

You can use the code INKINSHIP when you check out.    While you’re there, look at Brooks Ann’s custom sewing e-courses and her blog “How Fitting!”!   https://brooksann.com/

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Perfectionism. 

It ought to be a four letter word.  You know, one of THOSE four letters words.

It's constricting and such a thief of joy.  And no good comes from perfectionism.  A bit much?  I don't think so. 

Now to be clear, striving for excellence and to be better and better and something...that I can get behind.  But I feel that's a different thing altogether.

In this episode, I talk about perfectionism and ask you to let it go and disconnect your self-worth from what you can do.  Your value is not in how good you are at things.  Your value is in who you are.  

Take a listen!  

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(My guest) Anne Morningstar, is a smart, kind, and deep human.  And this was the kind of conversation that stretches you.  Expands your mind to think with new language and relate it to your own beliefs, and come up smiling.  

She shares her journey as a time-based creative and how her classic fine arts training in animation translates to and informs her intentional work with the customer experience on her family's organic farm and her role as a professor of art and design.  And how we can limit ourselves with expectations, our own or others.

Midway through she shares this moving exercise that she has her Art and Design students do to start to unearth their mission or purpose.  (Yes!  An exercise to go deep...perfect! So grab a BIG piece of paper and pencil and then share what you come up with!)

And then, our conversation comes to a sweet and vulnerable end with Anne sharing her heart in her wish for everyone.  It's an hour well spent!

Take a listen my friend and let me know what you thought!

Anne Morningstar is a full-time Professor of Art and Design at North Central Michigan College. She is co-owner of Bear Creek Organic Farm and the design mastermind behind the brand. Anne considers herself an artist who designs, and views each aspect of her daily life as a creative endeavor. Her mission as a professional creative is to ensure access to art, design, and creative growth for all.  

You can email her directly at [email protected]

Mentioned in the podcast

Bear Creek Organic Farm 

Fredrick Buechner

The Awakened Woman by Dr Tererari Trent

Hey!  Do you know of someone who would make a great guest on the show?  (maybe you?)
Email me [email protected]

[email protected]

(with guest) Brooks Ann Camper and I are now best friends.  And I dare say, you just might have the same thing happen when you listen to this episode.  Brooks Ann embodies so much of why I teach women to sew clothing…letting go of sizing, living a world of your own making where who and what you are is just right and embracing the pleasure of making with your own hands. 

I got so much connection from this conversation, but what was truly lovely was how inspired I was to embrace the process even more. 

About midway through the show, Brooks Ann mentions that there are two types of makers…process makers, those who make for the joy in the act of making the thing and product makers, those who sew for the joy of the thing they’ve made.  I sort of identify as both but probably lean, quite far, towards being a product maker and I look at this other way of doing things and feel a craving to bring more of that into my life. 

And it’s not just in my making practice.  In my life in general, I’m working towards trusting the path as it unfolds before me and loving the act of going somewhere, anywhere, rather than waiting for the destination to get here, already!  And being curious and nimble and SLOW enough to change course when joy is presented to me. 

I admire Brooks Ann ability to take opportunities as they appear, without worrying too much about where they will end up, and embracing a slow and curious path.   Join her email list – Custom Sewing Love Letters

Take a listen my friend, you’ll be glad you did!

Brooks Ann Camper first learned to sew as an adult working in professional costume workshops. After an internship at Yale School of Drama, and an MFA in Costume Production from UNC, she moved to NYC where she worked as a Broadway milliner for productions such as Wicked and Mama Mia!, and sewing for celebrities from Boy George to Big Bird – including Bernadette Peters, Felicia Rashaad, Kristen Chenoweth, John Lithgow, Sean Combs, The Undertaker, the Rockettes…

When she left New York and started her own business as a custom wedding dressmaker, she began blogging the process as each one-of-a-kind dress was designed and created. She realized that she was getting as much interest from “sewing people” as from “brides” and started teaching her unique methods of custom sewing. She absolutely loves sharing her passion with kindred spirits!

Mentioned in the podcast

BrooksAnn.com

Brooks Ann’s Prep School for Custom Sewing
Brooks Ann’s Couture Bridal Site
Brooks Ann’s Blog – How Fitting –
And her ebook – Figure It Out

Also mentioned:
Camp Workroom Social

Hey!  Do you know of someone who would make a great guest on the show?  (maybe you?)
Email me [email protected]

[email protected]

(with guest Corrina Ferguson) Get your pens and paper ready!  Today's episode is chock full of tips for how to get more things done and prioritize self-care. 

Corrina is a delight to talk with, just the perfect blend of witty humor and wisdom.  She shares the ways she organizes her days so that she has the time to design over 200 knitting patterns, take care of tech editing clients, and walk that new rescue dog! 

She has a knit design business, does tech editing for other knitters, and when she couldn't find the co-working space of her dreams to help her actually accomplish her dreams instead of feeling deflated at the end of a non-productive day, she created one.  And as a listener, you can check it out for free.  Simply email her at [email protected].

Corrina Ferguson is a Florida-based knitting designer and productivity specialist for
entrepreneurs. She runs a virtual coworking space for fellow creatives, teaching strategies to improve focus and productivity. This lifelong crafter, who also boasts an unreasonable love of math and spreadsheets, is the author of two knitting books and the former editor of Creative Knitting Magazine. When she's not toiling away in Excel, Corrina spends her time trying to figure out how to move to a climate where her main hobbies of baking and knitting sweaters might actually make sense.

Find Corrina online at
corrinaferguson.com and
craftststarstudios.com

Have a listen!

Mentioned in the podcast

Pomodoro Method
Corrina's coworking space (try it for free!)
Mason Dixon knitting (now called Modern Daily Knitting)
Bullet Journals
Asana - project management software
Author Jen Sincero

Hey!  Do you know of someone who would make a great guest on the show?  (maybe you?)
Email me [email protected]

[email protected]

Small space living, how do you find room to be creative?  I live in a 400-square-foot house with my wee boy and in this episode, I share my tips for being creative and making things in a small space.  I also share some exciting news!   

I recently purchased an Amish-built building that measures 12 x 20 feet and is going to become the maker's studio of my dreams!  I share with you what that will look like and what I hope to do in that space. 

[email protected]

(with guest Nicki Sizemore) Do you have a favorite bowl?  A bowl that you nestle up in your hands and joyfully spoon delicious food into your eager maw?  I do!

Not only do I have a favorite bowl…it’s a locally made large flatish wooden bowl made from the deepest darkest walnut that I purchased at my favorite farm store, but I have  favorite spoons. 

Like the tarnished silver one with the slight hourglass bowl and rose embossed on the stem that I found at a thrift store.  Favorite knives.  Favorite copper drinking cups.  Favorite cloth napkins that I made from the left over curtain material in my first vintage pop-up trailer love, Shirley.  

You get the picture.  Do you do that too?  

Of course it helps that I LOVE to eat good food.  And let’s be honest, good is completely subjective and for me ONLY refers to the fact that it tastes good and brings joy to my senses! 

Well, my guest today knows all about that and has been bringing sensual, delicious food into my home for years!  Food I joyfully eat in that favorite bowl.

Nicki Sizemore is a three time cookbook author, writer and educator.  She writes and publishes the newsletter (and podcast) Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD, where she explores the rituals, traditions, and cultural influences around food, and how they connect us to our minds, our bodies, our spirits, the earth, and our communities.

And I am a fan.  I am.  The kind that gets a little tongue-tied!

More about Nicki

Nicki Sizemore is a writer, cookbook author and educator.  As a trained chef, she spent two decades in the food industry, working as a recipe developer, food stylist and producer. She’s the author of three cookbooks and is the publisher of the blog, From Scratch Fast. Her work has appeared in publications such as The Washington Post, Parents, Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, Eating Well, Fine Cooking, and others. Connect with her on social media @nickisizemore.

A huge thank you for the support of our sponsor...Ricki Oldenkamp Marketing

For listeners of the podcast Ricki has a sweeter-than-a-caramel-macchiato offer for anyone wanting to dip their toes into working with her. She’s offering her Strategy Matchmaker Session, normally $250, for only $97 for the first 20 people to take advantage of the offer.  (get more info here)

www.rickioldenkamp.com

[email protected]

(with guest Carol Johnson) You want space to make things?  Set boundaries.​  
(It's so ironic, but true...create a container to give yourself freedom)

My guest today, Carol Johnson, is a maker; primarily a clothing sewist, but also as a cook and gardener.  In our conversation today we talk about fast fashion, how her Mom made ends meet by being a creative maker, why she sews clothes now, how she shows her love to people and what she wishes we all knew.  

And boundaries  Learn how Carol finds space to make things.  

We laugh about why she stopped sewing clothes many years ago and she tells us why she picked it back up and gives us a peek into her journaling practice.  Prepare to be moony eyed!

A word from Carol - We are all makers! My goal and greatest joy as a maker is to become comfortable with myself and allow those around me to be comfortable with who they are and give them the confidence to seek new knowledge and explore the unknown. I hope to provide them the roots to find refuge and feel grounded when needed. And always a reason to stay and find joy in the present. It doesn’t matter what kind of maker we are, just remember to enjoy the entire journey.

Hey!  Do you know of someone who would make a great guest on the show?  (maybe you?)
Email me [email protected]

[email protected]

My guest Mindy Taylor shares her story of finding her sense of belonging, along with her name, on today’s podcast. 

As well as what it is to be a maker when you’re not actually making.   What she wishes all people knew about themselves and why telling our stories and hearing others stories is so important.

Mindy Taylor, my guest on today’s episode, is a mother, wife, sister and blessed friend, in addition to being a maker.  Creating connection and community with folks is her passion.  You can follow her upcoming blog at midwiferytovoice.com

Books mentioned in the podcast

The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

A huge thank you for the support of our sponsor...Brooks Ann Camper

Brooks Ann Camper and her Prep School for Custom Sewing are offering
In Kinship listener’s 10% off her ebook…”Figure it out, a guide to padding a dress as your body double” 

You can use the code INKINSHIP when you check out.    While you’re there, look at Brooks Ann’s custom sewing e-courses and her blog “How Fitting!”!   https://brooksann.com/

www.brooksann.com
Instagram @brooksanncamper

Learn more about Brooks Ann!

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BUT,  I have a flint and steel in my go bag just the same!

This episode explores how I came to start my business, and what prompted the craving inside of me for a community gathering where we work with our hands and laugh and bond.  OTHER than post-apocalyptic movies! 

I also talk about what's in my go bag and why I'm still miffed at that one season of being a Brownie.

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A sacred ceremony for looking back at 2022 and dreaming of 2023

First of all…

get your A Vibrant Life workbook in the show notes..

And then, if you're listening to this at the release time, register for our live gathering on Tuesday, January 24th, 2023.  It’s at noon (est).

Okay. 

Now that that is done, this episode is all about why I relish in taking the time to reflect on the year gone by and dream of the year to come.  I set the stage with candles, pretty rocks, meaningful objects, a soft cushion, my notebook and a HOT beverage that brings a smile to my lips. 

Make it sacred. 

Maybe, do it with a circle of friends?!

Either way…

1. begin by listening to the podcast episode
2. download the workbook and register for the live gathering
3. give yourself some space, even 30-60 minutes, to go through the workbook
4. join us on Tuesday, January 24th for a live zoom gathering!

As mentioned in the podcast

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck

Do Less by Kate Northrup

The Boulders, rocks, pebbles, sand story in a great short illustrated story.  (where you can see I’ve taken quite a lot of literary license with the original story!! 

A huge thank you for the support of our sponsor...Tip of the Mitt Fiber Fair 

An annual event since 2014, the Tip of the Mitt Fiber Fair takes place this year at the Emmet County Fairgrounds in Northern Lower Michigan on June 3 & 4, 2023. The fair features fiber animals, workshops, demos and of course fantastic vendors! 

www.tipofthemittfiberfair.com 
@tipofthemittfiberfair on Instagram
Tip of the Mitt Fiber Fair or @mittfiberfair on Facebook

Check them out here

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How I got started making clothing... hint, it WASN’T from my seamstress Grandma.  Sadly.

Mentioned in the podcast...

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

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Hey there, you found the In Kinship Podcast, and I am your host, Tina VanDenburg. I'm a maker and I imagine you might be a maker too, and you stumbled upon this podcast because maybe you want to  elevate your life as a maker. 

In this podcast, we're gonna explore the idea of living a vibrant, fully awake life as a person who loves to create  things.

Do you have to be a maker to have a fully awake, vibrant life? No. No, you don't. But there's some of us out there who love to create with our own two hands, create things like clothing or spoons or canned jam, or any number of things. And we want and crave an intentional life full of the things that make us feel alive and vibrant.

And this podcast is for us. This podcast is to explore what it looks like and also explore how to live really intentionally beyond just making, but also in making a life, right?!? 

So choosing  what you bring into your life, choosing how you spend your time, choosing your mindset, all of that. We're gonna explore all of that.

It's gonna be a journey. We're also going to explore what it is to master your craft and what it is to bring intentionality into what you're making, and less, umm... frenzy, perhaps. I am so glad you're here to join me for this journey. You can expect two podcasts a month dropped on Tuesday. There'll be a combination of me sharing my insights and thoughts and how-tos, and there'll be interviews with other makers out in the world..

People you might know, people you might not know, but people who are living really authentically and intentionally and in their truth. And I am so excited you're here. Be sure to hit subscribe on your favorite podcast service so that you don't miss any episodes. Let's get started.

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