Taking Stock

Oh, it has been too long since I posted here from my heart to yours.  I could say that I've been busy, which would be true, but that's not the whole reason.  Mostly I've been putting all my energy and heart into work, friends, and family, and I've had little left to share on the blog.  This has never, ever happened to me before. I hate it!  I mean, I love all those other parts of my life, but I've always had room in my life for blogging, no matter how busy I've been.  Honestly, I think I've just felt drained.  We had company staying with us nearly every weekend over the summer and early fall, which was a joy, but I think I'm coming to the realization that my life is a little out of balance at the moment.  Because all of my work involves writing, teaching, and photography, I need loads and loads of alone time, but I haven't had much of that in many months.  Maybe it's time for a little autumn re-prioritizing.  In fact, I think it's time for a retreat.

So, this morning I decided that I would devote several hours today to giving The Magpie's Fancy a new header and a new overall mood for autumn, my favorite season.  As soon as I placed this lovely Cinderella pumpkin on my grandmother's old silver tea tray, I knew I had the image that I'd like to see each time I come here for the next couple of months.  I'm usually kind of a stickler about polishing my silver, but in the fall I like a little tarnish.  It warms up the metal and goes beautifully with pumpkins, gourds, and leaves.  Okay, and I just can't seem to get around to polishing right now!

I haven't quite finished with the blog design redo, but I was anxious to catch up with you and share news about my photography.  Several of my photos are now available for commercial use through Getty Images.  You can find the link here and on my sidebar under "My Other Nests."  I have other news as well, but that can wait for a later post!

In the meantime, I'm excited to begin blogging in earnest again, and to share with you the creative work I've been doing for the past several months.  I'm also anxious to come visit you.  Thanks for sticking with me even though I've been absent so much.  I've been giving much thought to why I began blogging in the first place.  I've come to several realizations that I'll be sharing in upcoming posts.  Taking stock--that's what autumn is all about for me.  More soon.  xo