Amelia Garvey
I was the kind of kid who spent hours alone in the forest, looking for fairies—and that kinda explains everything this newsletter is about. Every two weeks, I send a letter from my small town in Eastern Ontario about what nature is up to, what I’ve noticed lately, and the things currently taking up far too much room in my brain. So if you like a brisk walk, a warm cup of tea, and the occasional spookiness, come join me in the woods. Bring a sweater.
notes from the bog | my creativity is not complying
Currently romanticizing: the creative process. Hi friend. As I write this, I'm sitting at my desk with my window cracked open. It's cool, blustery, rainy, and grey out there—a quintessential October day. The wind is whipping leaves off the surrounding trees, and my cat Willow is perched on the windowsill, trying to catch maple helicopters through the screen as they spin by. The air smells like wet earth and rain, decaying leaves and woodsmoke. I wish I could take a bite out of it. October...
a little equinox reset | it's time to hunker down
Currently romanticizing: the start of the dark. Hi friend. Happy autumn! 🍂 I'm writing this to you on Tuesday, the autumn equinox—where day and night are of equal length. After today, we give into the season of dark, my favourite time of year. (And for the few of you reading who are in the Southern Hemisphere [I see you], happy spring! Here is a more spring-themed read for you, if you'd like). In my last send, I wrote that there was something about burrowing into this season of dark,...
to be of autumn | how to feel rooted in the season
Currently romanticizing: moodboards. Hi friend. It's no secret that I'm a fan of a moodboard. First of all, I think it's fun to look at pretty pictures. And more practically, I think they're a really great way to figure out themes and motifs of what you want—particularly if you're a person who struggles to identify your own wants and needs (guilty!). It is now September, the start of my favourite season. The 'Ber Months, as the internet calls them, marks the stretch of September to December,...
five augusts later | commemorating my worst day
Currently romanticizing: the ever-present nature of change. Hi friend. Happy end of August to all who celebrate. The end of August is a weird time for me, emotionally. August 26th is what is known unaffectionately in my house as Cancer Christmas, the anniversary of when I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cervical cancer. This week marks five years since that diagnosis (I've been in remission since January 2022—knock on wood for me!). We call this anniversary Cancer Christmas...
let august be august, you freaks | let's live on nature's timescale
Currently romanticizing: the fuck outta August. Hi friend. Last week, I posted a reel on Instagram where I said that I think we all need to chill out about fall. I know—that's me saying that. As you're fully aware, I'm a fall bitch. This is me, spiritually. I love everything about fall: the weather, the food, the spookiness, the aesthetics, the coziness. I love pulling out my beloved sweaters, lighting candles, turning on dim lamps when the sun sets early and the rain lashes the windows. I'm...
slower doesn't mean less | auditing my summer
Currently romanticizing: breezy mornings. Hi friend. As I write this, it's one of those rare cooler summer days—the kind where you can throw open every window in the house and let the wind swirl in. Our house is 126 years old, and sometimes in the dog days of summer I swear I can feel the weight of those years gathering in the corners, the air conditioning no match for the staleness that's seeped into the floorboards. But not so today: today, the breeze is sweeping everything out, the...
it's only in the doing | the world needs your weird
Hi friend. The thing about starting your own business is that at a certain point, you gotta start talking about your business. That’s been my main struggle over the past couple weeks, as I figure out a way to ✨ put myself out there ✨ that isn’t, you know, the most obnoxious thing on the planet. As a marketer who has been entrenched in the world of marketing for nigh on fifteen years (jesus christ, lmao) I’m pretty allergic to oh, 85% of marketing out there. Do not ever have the misfortune of...
Life is about the little moments 🫧
Hi friend. Over the past few months, I’ve been circling around a set of ideas about creativity, curiosity, routines, and lifestyle in this newsletter. At first these all felt pretty unrelated, but I’ve started to realize that they’re all pointing to the same underlying question: how do you build a life you love? How do you actually design your ideal life? Lately, I’ve been trying to answer that question by finding the “right” next step in my career. I feel like I keep trying on personas that...
The start of Summer Cozy™ ☀️
Hi, friend. As I write this, the windows of the house are all wide open, letting in a cool breeze that feels like heaven after a week of intense humidity. It feels like the house—which, despite our air conditioner's best efforts, was getting stuffy and stale—is exhaling. Outside, the birds are singing and the wind ruffles the leaves of the trees. The air has that green tangy scent to it that you only get on summer mornings, the kind of scent that promises a beautiful day ahead. It's cozy....
A slow and cozy trip east 🌊
Hi, friend. Last week, Mike and I flew out to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia to hang out in the small town of Chéticamp on the Cabot Trail (that's a mouthful). Old friends of ours have opened a fine-dining restaurant in Chéticamp called Table Doucet, and we wanted to visit them in the new place they've made home. For those of you reading this newsletter, it probably doesn't come as a huge surprise that I'm usually a hyper-planner of trips: while I'm not big on having every day scheduled...