It’s possible that my life couldn’t possibly get any cooler. I mean, I wake up early and enjoy amazing coffee with my husband in the cutest, coziest apartment ever and shop a thoughtfully curated closet in preparation for a day at work. And when I say work, I really mean in my tiny shop where I get to spend each day making stuff I love and folks come by all day every day to give me their money so they can keep a little bit of the stuff I make. That, dear human is what they call living the dream.
So I thought it’d be fun to dive into what a typical week looks like for me. I currently work in the store Tuesday through Friday. I spend weekends with my husband either at our cabin, in the holiday trailer somewhere (Ideally fishing in Haines AK or doing amazing things with friends in Atlin BC or Smithers/Terrace BC). We recharge when we’re outdoors. Mondays, which are my favourite day of the week are when I do mountains of computer work (research and webinars, mostly).
This is what it looks like:
Tuesday-Friday
I love Tuesdays almost as much as I love Mondays. Tuesday is my first day back in the store after the weekend and I get to MAKE THINGS! I try my best to leave my desk tidy on Fridays but sometimes, if I’m in the middle of a big project (weaving, knitting, sewing, etc.) I leave it out so that I can pick up right where I left off. But if I don’t have to finish up anything, I usually get to the shop with a renewed case of gotta-make-itis. Usually I’m making jewelry. This is a never-ending list for me.
Wednesday is all about flow. I set the flow on Tuesday and keep on keepin’ on when it comes to Wednesdays. My desk is seldom bare mid-week. Reading glasses, fur bits, earring parts, paperwork. Definitely a water bottle and possibly a half-drunk coffee. One of the biggest occupational hazards for me is dust bunnies. I’m usually chasing them across the floor and more often than i care to admit, I’m also chasing them off my desk. Here’s a peek of me at my mid-week desk. No big projects currently underway. It’s possible I can pull off a decent before/after here. Cleanup sucks, the results are ALWAYS worth it.
Thursdays aren’t so different from Wednesdays. Making, selling, socializing. While I recognize that this might sound dull, believe me when I say that I’m deeply happy and am my best self in this place doing these things. Grateful, joyous, grossly fulfilled.
Fridays are when I try to wind down projects. I’m attempting to use my Fridays (AKA braindead days) for less mentally taxing work. This is often yarn spinning or creative writing like blog posts (which is only really doable and easy if I have a plan or topic ready to go. I’ve noticed that on Fridays, I know I won’t be in the shop for a few days and I’m a little sad. If I work late, it’s most likely to be on a Friday because I can’t bring myself to leave! I love it in here. I’ve created a space that is an extension of me. It’s what my insides look like (creatively speaking. def not my actual guts although, I wouldn’t be surprised if my guts were made of wool).
Saturday/Sunday
If we’re at the cabin (which is most of the time) we definitely sleep in. No alarm clocks, nowhere to be, just resting and restoring. Someone (George) lights the wood stove and when its warm and cozy, the coffee pot is usually perked and ready to pour. That’s about the time when I get out of the covers. I find a comfy spot near the fire with a coffee beside me and some kind of knitting project while I savour my caffeine. A big hot breakfast is usually the next step and an afternoon of myriad activities. This summer has been all about cabin upgrades - new windows, painting trim, etc. but also lots of foraging. The dog and i head up the road to one picking spot or another to gather Labrador Tea, arnica, rose petals, fireweed petals, berries, and sometimes birch bark but that’s better done when George is with me because chainsaws.
We eat lots, we spend a ton of time outside and we often nap. It’s a life of luxury, for sure. In the evenings, we play cards - usually cribbage or sometimes dice like Moose Farkel. We laugh a lot and are reminded of all the things we have to be grateful for. The drive home is a few hours and it’s a nice, gradual return to the hustle and bustle, in time for another week of work. It’s a pattern we’re really happy to repeat.
It’s not a fancy or glamorous life but holy hell, we’re happy. I hope you enjoyed getting a peek into a typical non-winter week. I’ll try and remember to update what this looks like in the winter because it’s SUPER different.