Give Paper Flora

20/01/2025

🌱

20/01/2025

“Creative healing strategies
…can turn down pain signals, actually change the pain messages, and help rewire their nervous systems’ pain routes – which is really empowering.”
(medcentral.com)

It’s been a day of utilizing what I have to work with, in this given space, to navigate ongoing pain. The process of making these fire poppies (Papaver californicum), is healing & serving a few purposes.

These flora will become small arrangements, with profits going to a few creative families who are rebuilding their lives from fire damage & piecing back together what has been broken in life.

I will post finished arrangements online as they are completed. If you would like to special order a specific size, please send a DM.

Nature Metaphor:
Fire poppies are a group of flowers called “fire followers”, which emerge after wildfires. Smoke & heat signal a message to begin germination. When shrubs which brought nutrients & water to land are gone, these flowers provide a vegetative cover, protecting against erosion. It is a story of resilience & rebuilding.

13/01/2025

tonight’s indescribable moment

08/01/2025

At 4:30am our little ‘Ohana artist group received a text that those we love had to evacuate due to the California fires. We ask for your prayers. I won’t share details. We pray for healing to begin for all involved, including those are extending help to everyone there.

So many of you have loved ones also affected. We are praying for you. Our hearts are with you. As soon as possible I will get together a flower oriented fund raiser and post more information.

Thank you ❤️

03/01/2025

creative practices for 2025
holistic artistic 🌱🌲🎶

“The human brain and nervous system
are hard-wired to distinguish music from noise and to respond to rhythm and repetition,
tones, and tunes…”*

For me, guitar & uke playing have been
spiritual moments of quieting
myself & listening in between playing,
whether under the evergreens 🌲 or
on mossy velvet ☺️.
Taking just 15-30 minutes to
tell my body, “you belong in this
space of tranquility…take this
moment of calm into your day”,
has provided tranquility for my visual creative mind.
From this refilling, healing well, I can step into & pour out that creativity. I’m getting
a little better each week at this intentional practice. In this new year, I’ve decided to add it to my calendar
as if it were an appointment.

“Meditation, particularly mindfulness
meditation, which is focusing on one
activity with full sensory engagement
in the present moment is a mental
health activity with many benefits
such as improved mood, lower stress
and anxiety, reduced negative thoughts,
and more positive emotions. Practicing
the guitar is a deep sensory activity
that occupies attention in the
present moment, so by definition[10],
it is a mindfulness meditation activity.”*
(1. health.harvard.edu 2. psyguitar.com)

My hope is that the above encourages
you to invite your body to calm spaces,
however brief or long, whatever that
practice is for your wellbeing
😌…and if you can find a spot surrounded by plants, trees, or any form
of nature nature…even better!

02/01/2025

holistic artistic: living with intention 🌱

😌 victorian early grey + winter stew with fresh herbs
😌 mapping out this first month
😌 housemate check-in time/ a
discussion of vagus nerve reset practices
😌 and r e s t
…before diving into the new year

the creative mind is a labyrinth…lots of paths, which can be visually beautiful…but a need to follow one centering choice of path at a time 🌱 my amazing friend, sister & housemate is one of the most brilliant artists i know 🌱 our brains operate in such a way that tools of organization are necessary to navigate daily life as we are filled with imaginary making (i love how jon batiste referes to this in ‘american symphony’) 🌱 we talked about approaching the beginning of this new year with an quiver of parasympathetic arrows to hit those times when the complexity of having such minds requires honing & intentionality 🌱

here are a few ideas:
- tea…lots of sit down, relax & refocus cuppas ☺️ & whole foods (+ a few treats!)
- vagus nerve reset practices
(finger tracing labyrinths, ice cold water hand immersion, dance breaks, mini fractal observation moments, prayer/journaling/creative practices, etc)
- regularly checking in with loved ones as we gain a greater understanding each other’s ‘life language’ with intentionality for harmony & over all wellbeing

happy second day of a new year!

(e)t

01/01/2025

unexpected new year 😌✨🌱🌳

after a rough, unexpected, wee-hours of the morning, ebb & flow of i.c./interstim pain, i wanted trail time today…but was so tired • instead, i found surprising joy in replacing that desire with this experience…found beauty on the ground beneath my feet at the park 🌳

i’ll bring these nature-healing, tiny, textured memories to our upcoming nature journaling library workshop, to share how we can reconnect in variety of equitable ways…beyond seasons & abilities with community fun & healing…stay tuned…

recommended watching ❤️❤️🌱😌🫶🏼✨American Symphony • this is a story of resilience with Jon Batiste & Suleika Jaouad

27/12/2024

a little canyon holiday cheer ☺️
& a lovely time of rest
while wand’ring the canyon

Cowiche Canyon Trail is open (Weikel & CCanyon Road)…this season is revealing all the beautiful changes nature holds for us to enjoy…so much color out there! Featured: Rhus copallina (Sumac)
More to come… ✨🌱

25/12/2024

Happy Holidays, everyone 😌✨

I’ve had such wonderful conversations this year, while tending the Flora Shop at Essencia Artisan Bakery, sharing life with many different points of view…all knit together in love of community. 🫶🏼🌱

“And in a time like this
How celebrate his birth
When all things fall apart?
Ah! Wonderful it is
with no room on the earth
The stable is our heart.”

Madeline L’Engle

21/12/2024

my why & holiday warmth

Thank you to those of you who are giving paper flowers & art as part of your holiday stories & celebrations. Your support for this small business is so appreciated & is part of my
over all story. 🫶🏼
There are many new items at Essencia, as the Cup of Cheer have been replenished & new, foresty ornaments & colorful original art- folk bird notecards & little arrangements in lovely vases await…I’ll be there wrapping your purchases Saturday & again on Tuesday.

is a really special place where people of varying backgrounds gather to meet in conversation. Often people meet someone new. In the midst of this busy time, I hope we can take a moment to say hello & maybe even learn something new from each other, creating a sort of ‘mycelium network’ which supports growth and helps turn this season into new life.

Happy Christmastime, one and all and Happy Holidays to those who celebrate in various ways, as we bring this year to a close and prepare for another chapter.

🌱 Mary

10/12/2024

encouragement commissions 😌🌼

lately, i’ve had the privilege of creating pieces to lift up people experiencing healing, resilience & celebrating life together • it is an honor to be part of your chapter by creating visual reference points for these chapters in your lives 🫶🏼

🎁💐 as the holidays are in full swing, i am accepting commissions until dec. 17, then beginning again in the new year.

thank you! - mary ☺️🫶🏼😀🌻

27/11/2024

host gifts & holiday shopping!

Essencia Bakery Flora Shop shopping is happening now 🎁😀.
Just scan the code & take your items. Gift boxes are free with purchase.

Due to unforeseen circumstances I am not able to be there, but gifts await!
Everything has a code you can scan to purchase. See you on Friday for more gift giving, giveaways & a new clearance box filled with sale items! Happy holidays!

19/10/2024

A community Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku) guided Nature Walk with Cowiche Canyon Conservancy .

24/09/2024

Free for Library Patrons this Friday! 🙂

05/09/2024

03/08/2024

flower making in a beautiful Seattle location overlooking the Puget Sound + Ikebana style arranging…spread the word, it’s going to be wonderful 😌☺️
Scan the code or go to www.givepaperflora.com to purchase a ticket - two times available.

15/07/2024

Erythronium montanum mountain magic
(Avalanche Lily)

stay tuned…new poppies & Tahoma flora making adventures await ☺️🌲😌