Happy Sunday, Folks!

Thank you so much for bearing with us as we set out on various adventures!

Since you last heard from me, I packed up all my belongings in my Somerville apartment and moved them home to New Hampshire, where I promptly purged and organized all of my childhood and current possessions, then packed up again and headed to Europe! I am a bit of an aspiring minimalist and it was my goal to feel like both the bag on my back and my room at home have only things that serve me. My most recent post on the She and Jim Blog dives a bit deeper into this idea. I’m so excited to start this trip and I can’t wait to share with you all along the way!

On a separate note, we also recently celebrated Mother’s Day! I hope you all had a day filled with love, joy, and gratitude. I am thinking especially of those today that don’t have their mother present in their life, aspiring mothers that may not get their wish, and mothers that have lost children. I had originally intended to ignore Mother’s Day, because it’s my first year without my mom to celebrate with. It dawned on me that it’s a bit challenging to ignore and hey I might not be the only one trying to look away. So instead I’m celebrating this amazing woman that filled my life with abundance. Adding to my #threegoodthingsproject I’ve selected three good things my mother is, this time photos are in c o l o r. Check out the Google Photos link and feel free to create your own, add, and share. May it be a mother or a bad ass lady that’s impacted your life, “She Is” celebrated.

My mom is An Ideator, A Light, A Friend to All.

On to the newsletter! You’ll see that Brooke and I decided to add a section called There She Goes, so that I can share some of my experiences with you along the way. As always, you can also follow the She&Jim blog.

Songs To Stitch To, Sing To, Get You Through The Week

Saturday Night -- NÄM

Happy If You’re Happy -- Matt & Kim, Skizzy Mars

Too Fast Too Soon -- ZOLA

Set Aside Some Time This Week For Some Self-Care

I. Turn Your Melodrama into Mellow-Drama: The next time you feel your blood boiling and your anxiety rising remind yourself that your life is not a soap opera or emergency. You are capable of breathing, calming your mind, and thinking rationally.

II. Thank Three People in Your Life: Happiness and gratitude go hand in hand. Think of a few people in your life that you are immensely grateful for. Do they know it? Pick three people that you want to prioritize this week, then spend some moments writing them a note or giving them a call.

III. Lady Date: Schedule a coffee or glass of wine with one of your favorite ladies -- Be it your mother, grandmother, or good friend. Give yourself (and them!) specific time and space to talk it out, to listen, and to learn from one another. Mother’s Day is a reminder of the influence and power that women have and share with one another. Let’s all be vehicles of this!

Sunday Salutations:

Below are three mantras to meditate on this week:

“Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror.” Byron Katie

“If you want to be a woman in power, then empower other women.” Nina Shaw

“I am a woman with thoughts and questions and shit to say. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story – I will.” Amy Schumer

There She Goes

This week I’m in Slovenia! It’s my second time here but my first time sharing it with my partner, James! It’s been a beyond exceptional experience already and I’m excited to share some highlights.

Sights that have made me say “WOW”

Slovenia has it all-- a quaint European city center, mountainous region for paddling and hiking, and coastline to while away the weekends. I truly don’t think I could ever get tired of the views of the Alps, the blue waters, and thoughtful cityscape. I’m sharing a few of my favorites from the week.

Lake Bled shown above

If you ever happen to find yourself in Slovenia GO TO LAKE BLED! It’s an easy day trip from the city center (~50 minutes) and it’s a place everyone can find something to love. There are easy walking paths, steeper mountain climbs, a historic castle, and a crystal blue lake to paddle on or just stare at in awe. On my last trip I took a kayak to the church in the middle of the lake, and this time I opted for hiking around the lake to different viewpoints. It could be up there in the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.

Bovec

Bovec is a mountain town in the northwest of Slovenia. It boasts easy access of hikes to waterfalls, trips to Triglav National Park, and watersports on the Soča River. My partner, James, and I ventured to Bovec on our second day in Slovenia, and we embarked on a 3 day rafting trip with Packraft Touren. We paddled the emerald green water of the Soča and marveled at the snow capped Alps. I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it! James wrote a blog post about our trip for the packrafting company, Kokopelli, to come out in June. We wrote another post on our Bovec activities on our She&Jim blog.

Predjama Castle

On our way back from a day trip to Trieste, Italy we stopped by the Predjama Castle, which is a Renaissance castle built within a cave mouth. This historic creation has been sitting on a 123-meter-high rocky cliff for over 800 years! It’s definitely worth looking up, and looking at if you are ever in the area.

Places I’ve Stitched

This is my first time traveling abroad with my Thorn Alexander canvas! I’m impressed with how easy it’s been to just pick up and stitch and also grateful for the way it brings some quietness to my at times hectic traveling mind. Below are a few places I’ve found myself stitching during the trip.

Along the river in Ljubljana shown above

The heart of social life in the city center is arguably the picturesque river embankments. There are outdoor cafes, canal-side benches, and various walking bridges. After a few hours walking around town the other day in the heat of the sun, it was a true joy to sit and stitch as I listened to Ljubiana life happening around me.

Plane ride from New York to Venice

I have a hard time sleeping on planes and watching movies really isn’t my thing. It was nice to swap between my book and my canvas throughout the flight, and the combination of the two eventually did lull me into a two hour nap!

In the mountain house of Kranjska Gora

Kranjska Gora is an alpine region of Slovenia. We were lucky enough to spend some time at my friend’s house there last week, where we did some hiking and also some good ‘ol R&R after the packrafting trip. It was here that, for the first time, I picked up my canvas and started stitching without even consciously thinking about it. Has that ever happened to any of you? I’d be so curious to hear! It really proved to me how healthy moments of stitching are for our bodies and mind.

Good Eats

I follow a plant-based diet and I love tasting new and different things as I travel. Slovenia has a wealth of options as far as healthy eats, fresh produce (there is a daily farmers market in the city center), imaginative sweets, and inexpensive drinks. James and I typically will make two meals a day and go out for one. This helps us control our budget and keep out cooking skills sharp, while also allowing us to get a taste of the place we are visiting. We’ve tasted some amazing things, here are a few:

Salad and plant-based burger at Public Bar & Vegan Kitchen shown above

This Lake Bled find has extremely fresh food, substantial portion size, and yummy drinks. I got a juice with apple, beet, and carrot and James opted for an americano.

Buckwheat dumplings at Gostilna Pri kolovratu

We were drawn here simply because they were advertising the buckwheat dumpling special on the board outside. The dumplings were dressed with a sauce of the typical Slovenian cheese and did not disappoint!

Turkish-style coffee

This is something my friend and host Spela always prepares for me at her home. The coffee is prepared using finely ground coffee beans (we’re taking ground like coffee powder) and is unfiltered. You can prepare this coffee at home or visit a place like Cafetino in Ljubljana

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and listen with us today!

We hope you have an excellent week filled with lots of happy stitching.

Be well,

Brooke & Sheila

There She Goes: Slovenia Part I