I watched the Secrets of the Bees documentary on Disney+ this month. It was amazing. There are facts you pick up about bees (like how they need their queen, how they swarm, how they pollinate 1/3 of the world’s food) but when you see these facts in action it’s awe-inspiring. (It did not make me want to be a beekeeper, but it absolutely made me more appreciative of the tiny garden heroes.)

I found a new favorite spring candle this month. The Otherland Daybed candle is excellent if you love a rose scent. (Official scent notes are rosebud, peony blossom and red currant.) Otherland currently has an endcap at Target with their “essential candles” if you want to smell in person but they sell direct through their site too. Super strong throw (I could catch it upstairs when it was lit downstairs) and good price.

Two space related stories held my attention this month. First, I saw Project Hail Mary in theaters and absolutely loved it. I read the book when it first came out and the screen version was so well done. I love Ryan Gosling, I love Rocky and I love anything celebrating the power of science and the unknown. (Plus we finally got a karaoke scene to rival Cameron Diaz’s in My Best Friend’s Wedding.)

And, of course, I was transfixed by the Artemis II mission. As always, the human part of the story is what got me most. I loved this article about the astronauts returning home and the quote from the mission’s commander Reid Wiseman, “Before you launch, it feels like it’s the greatest dream on Earth, and when you’re out there, you just want to get back to your families and your friends. It’s a special thing to be a human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth.”

Ranunculus season came in late March and will probably wrap up in the next week. I had a full bed of blooms this year and was able to give away bunches and bunches. (That box above went to my book club.) I realized this month that Ranunculus may be the perfect flower for me to grow in bulk in my climate; the corms are planted in November and then usually need nothing but rain water until they bloom in the spring. Underground the corms multiply, meaning each year I could have more plants. I am dreaming about how I may expand the garden and where I could add more beds for 2027.

I continued to think a lot about film this month. In January I shot a roll indoors to share a Day in the Life. In February, I tried two different rolls indoors (that photo of Poppy and Ellerie was shot with CineStill 800t). And in April used only film photos for my current Art House tour. I stumbled on the work of film travel photographer Michael Turek and loved his quote in this interview: “Film…helps me to create new compositions in a linear fashion, rather than getting hung up on any one frame. With digital, you lift the camera, take a shot, check it, and then likely take another one too similar to the first — you end up walking in creative circles, over-perfecting the same shot.” I am interested in anything that turns my creative circles into creative spirals.

Is anyone else enjoying the Scrubs reboot? Paul watched the original first few seasons in college (he credits it with why he went into medicine!) and I have seen a few episodes. We both think the reboot is fun. They have brought the main characters forward 15 years (no small feat) and added a new cast of interns while maintaining the quirky charm. It makes us laugh and is a nice companion show to The Pitt.

I dove way back into garment sewing last week and finished three pieces that have been on my mind for months. A Simone slip dress for a wedding in May, a pair of Clyde pants in washed cotton and an Avery skirt. All three projects were not without issues: I accidentally put a small hole in the dress while serging the bodice to the skirt and had to recut the back. I redid the waistband on the Clyde pants four times to make sure it fit right. One of the cats clawed a hole on my skirt (my fault; I left it out before hemming) and I had to take it apart and trim the tear out of a panel before resewing it back together. AND YET — I loved it. I have missed garment sewing so much. It’s following a pattern, yes, but it’s also such a creative challenge and still, after 10 years of practice, feels like magic.

Speaking of sewing — I have reopened my pop-up deadstock fabric shop for the final time! All remaining stock is marked down and priced per yard. Lots of pretty stripes and plaids left. Check it out here. I will close up Thursday morning for good.