The Classic British Dessert Recipe

Photo Credit:  Pinterest

Years ago my mom went to England and loved the way they served custard. They poured it from a pitcher (they made it thinner, so it poured.)  Ever since then we’ve made it often for a dessert. The creamy yellow sunshine like colour is so comforting and delicious. Some people like their custard runny but we like ours a bit thicker.

We made it last night for dinner and I ran and grabbed my camera to take some shots of this yummy treat and thought I’d share a new twist we’ve added to this.

Let’s get started, you will need:

• a pot
• pan to pour your custard into
• a spoon to stir with
• graham wafers
• bananas are optional but make a nice addition
• whisk 

 The other half was devoured before I could snap a photo.  Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

• 1.  Mix 6 TBSP of custard powder and 6 TBSP sugar in a saucepan.
• 2. Gradually add 5 cups of almond milk (regular milk is fine) stirring with a whisk until well combined.
• 3. Bring this mixture to a full boil on medium heat stirring often. Serve warm or chilled (I really like it room temperature myself)
• 4. Lay graham wafers on the bottom of a pan (I used a square brownie size pan). You can also add a layer of bananas on top of the graham wafers.
• 5. Top with warm custard and let set.

 Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

It is sweet on it’s own, if you want it a bit sweeter you can top your custard with maple syrup for a really nice maple taste. Or you can use agave.  Honey would also make a great choice.

Custard is also great as a filling for cakes as it adds a nice layer of creaminess.

Have you tried custard and if not what is your favourite treat to whip up?  #IBN30

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About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

Living and Loving the West Coast

One of our beautiful beaches here on Vancouver Island Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

We are bringing you a sneak peak behind the scenes of the personalities of Two Blooms Design Studio featuring sisters Caron & Michelle.

What do you love about working with Michelle?

I love working with my sister, she is one of the funniest people I know – seriously.  And Michelle pushes the envelope all the time and I need that.  I tend to play things safe, make the same soap, same colors same scent.  She’s the one who will decide at the last minute, just as the soap comes to trace that we’re going to do the ‘Panamanian two legged, jaguar swirl J, so as I am pouring soap she’s mixing up colors and of course the soap comes out brilliantly.

What drives your crazy about Michelle?

She’s a night owl.  She starts working around 2-4pm and can easily go until midnight.  I am a an early morning kind of girl.  Plus she’s a perfectionist, (don’t I get to give you two crazy things :)

Still, one of my favorite people to hang out with. And a brilliant artisan that I am so glad I am related to

What is quirky about Michelle?

She has her own special language and this is just a short snapshot of some of her sayings.

• Bird Land Plan Quacitty Quack (she sings a song) = when she is eating healthy and clean
• Hollow Like a Tree = She is really hungry
• Miss Wanda = a pointed pink spatula
• Squatville = Nothing is going on
• Crickets = Silence
• What’s in the joint? = She has a craving and can’t seem to fill it.
• Clickety Click Barba Trick = What’s going on around here?
• Fribbled = Out of sorts
• Staring at her nails or standing like a stork = She feels awkward and out of place

What do you love about working with Caron?

She can get things done really quickly. I’m more of a process detail person and tend to be slower. So when we are in a crunch for time Caron can come in and really get me moving to the point where I’m saying:  “Slow down I need  time to make my essential oil blends or I need to organize my containers and clear my space.

She is amazing at social media. She has such a bubbly personality and is so engaging with people she hasn’t even met. I admire that about her and wish I had more of that in my own life.

What drives you crazy about Caron?

She is not a perfectionist like me. I’m loathe to let her label anything because she isn’t as fussy about it being OCD straight and perfect. Don’t get me wrong she gets it done, but it may be a hair out of place and believe me folks. it’s something that I notice like a neon light.

When I am really out of time though I’ll call her in to help me label because it has to get done.

What is quirky about Caron?

She loves to be eccentric in a fun kind of way. She does the opposite of everyone else. Her clothes are uniquely her because she likes to be comfortable. If everyone is on trend with  clothes she likes wear the opposite.  I admire her artistic flair as she is wildly creative. It seems like she can do everything and loves to be with artists.

The secret ingredient to our fabulous products …

We love hiking, sitting by the ocean, going out for coffee and having staff meetings. Our love of the west coast is reflected in each product through colour, scent and design.  We never stop dreaming and are always passionate and excited about each creation.

A little well known fact is we pump the dance music up high and get moving when working.

See our official blog home.

About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

DIY Saturday Gift Giving Mugs, Bowls & Saucers

Coffee Mug Design Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

This is the last DIY in our 30 day blog challenge and I wanted to share something really fun. It’s a great  project for kids and adults.

You will need nail polish in whatever colours you’d like. Word of caution it you want a more simple design and not something wild and crazy I recommend using only 1 or 2 colours that complement each other. ie. light blue with light green, light pink with light beige, light purple with light pink etc.

Buy some white cups, saucers and bowls if you like. I had cups and saucers already that were white so I just used those. Start with cups and then decide if you want to add in saucers or bowls.  It does take some practice to get a design you are happy with but this is meant to be fun and not perfect so don’t sweat it if it’s not exactly as you planned.

Summary of supplies needed:

• A few cups depending on size of your group
• Nail Polish in various colours that complement
• A plastic tub or bucket that you can throw away, it has to be big enough so your cups have ample room to move around
• Toothpicks or Q-Tips for the design part
• Wax paper to lay wet cups on
• Nail Polish Remover
• Throw away gloves
• clear acrylic sealant to protect your design

Optional

This is the last DIY in our 30 day blog challenge and I wanted to share something really fun. It’s a great  project for kids and adults.

You will need nail polish in whatever colours you’d like. Word of caution it you want a more simple design and not something wild and crazy I recommend using only 1 or 2 colours that complement each other. ie. light blue with light green, light pink with light beige, light purple with light pink etc.

Buy some white cups, saucers and bowls if you like. I had cups and saucers already that were white so I just used those. Start with cups and then decide if you want to add in saucers or bowls.  It does take some practice to get a design you are happy with but this is meant to be fun and not perfect so don’t sweat it if it’s not exactly as you planned.

Summary of supplies needed:

• A few cups depending on size of your group
• Nail Polish in various colours that complement
• A plastic tub or bucket that you can throw away, it has to be big enough so your cups have ample room to move around
• Toothpicks or Q-Tips for the design part
• Wax paper to lay wet cups on
• Nail Polish Remover
• Throw away gloves
• clear acrylic sealant to protect your design

Optional

-Saucers or bowls

 Various Mug and Saucer Designs Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

1. Get your bucket or tub and fill with lukewarm water

2. Add your 1-2 Nail Polish Colours on the surface of the water

3. Use your toothpick to make a design. Move quickly as the nail polish does harden up somewhat.

4. Dip mug straight in and out avoiding the inside. You will get some on the bottom that’s okay

5. Pat with paper towel, DO NOT WIPE. I didn’t use the paper towel at all.

6. Set on wax paper  to dry for about 3 hours.

7. Apply clear acrylic sealant to finished design but avoid the area where your lips drink from the cup. I didn’t use this but you can try it out.

You will need to hand wash your mugs. Do not use the dishwasher to wash them or it will ruin the design. I didn't wear gloves and got nail polish on my hands. Also I got the design on the inside of the cup on the first try so just used nail polish remover to get it all off. It’s easy to avoid the inside just dip your cup in and try to swirl it  around on one side end to end as much as  you can. I also continued to add colours in the same batch of water and didn’t really care if it didn’t look as pretty but fresh lukewarm water is probably best. You can see in the last saucer photo I kept layering on colour and even using a Q-Tip to push the colour onto the saucer in spots. This is a great idea for gifts for weddings, teacher’s, friends, birthday parties etc. The possibilities are endless.

If you try it I’d love to know how it turned out. I haven’t tried it but thinking this may look neat on clear glasses too. #IBN30

Do you like the DIY posts or would you rather see another topic covered?  Let me know.

See our main blog here.

About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

Discipline Through Doing

Photo Credit Left:  harpersbazaar.com Right:  moneysavingmom.com

We are now on Day 28 and I can hardly believe it. I accepted this 30 day blog challenge with hesitation not because I couldn't do it. I mean coming up with things to say wasn’t that hard and the mechanics of actually writing every day was doable but I think what scared me the most was the day in and day out of writing every single day and being accountable to a group of people. I said I would do this challenge and I wanted to see it through and stick to my word.

Week one was great, ideas flowing like the river through my head. I decided to stick with themes for 4 days of the week with Caron (the other bloom) guest posting one day a week and leaving 2 days open for whatever, which typically ended up being deep thoughts. This theme idea helped me tremendously because at least I had some idea of topics for those days. Week two went okay as well but it started becoming a little harder. Week three and now week 4 have been so difficult. It’s the sheer determination of writing and trying to come up with original content that is a challenge. I’ve written when I was sick, unmotivated, tired, during time crunches etc.

A very dear friend of mine once said about writing “You’ve got to sit your bum in the chair and just write” and it’s really as simple as that. Not every post is going to be earth shattering (although I’d love it to be and I try my best to write the best possible content I can) but you just keep going. The writing has become easier for me, and I’ve learned I love to write and have for a long time.  I never made time for it except when I was in university and had to write  papers. I still write poetry all the time but writing paragraphs has been more challenging in the past few years. I’m also learning to let go of some preconceived ideas of what others might think about my writing.  When I am thinking that way writing is never great. With anything in life you have to work to accomplish something and that is where discipline comes in. You just keep going no matter how you feel.

I chose two photos above. One of the always classic Audrey Hepburn who was very disciplined in her ballet classes but also in her life. When looking up photos for the word discipline I saw photos of Audrey and several with discipline quotes included so decided to find a motivational quote that worked. The second photo is in relation to exercise but it applies to any discipline because for blogging you do need to make healthy choices with your time in order to get it done.

So I continue to press on until the end of the challenge but where do we go from here you ask? Well I’m planning on blogging at least 2-3 times a week. Thinking Tues, Thurs, Saturday might be good days. What topics would you like to see me chat about or are you enjoying what I’ve chatted about so far?  Do you like the idea of 2-3 days a week for blog posts? I’m listening and really want to hear from you. After all I’m writing with you in mind. #IBN30

Catch up with us at our home blog page.

About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

6 Men and 2 Blooms

Photo Credit:  tiffanysavion.com

Today is a guest post by the other bloom Caron.

We were meeting a friend for coffee (and in our business, that’s considered a vacation :) and we were relaying a recent disappointment. He listened intently, bought us coffee, gave us a hug and tried to help.  We loved him for it and at the end of our time he said, “you need to come to a group I meet with every two weeks”.

Sure enough, two weeks later an invitation comes to a local restaurant for a breakfast meeting at 7:30am.  The morning of I was thinking of excuses why we couldn’t possible attend.  But the other bloom was up and getting dressed so I figured we could do this.

We get to the restaurant and 4 men were sitting over coffee laughing, too late to make a run for it we grabbed coffee and sat down.  Soon a copywriter and a government employee sat down and we were surrounded.  Awkward.  Where could we go?  How could we get out of this?  

Soon enough the leader started engaging us, what did we do, how long had we been doing this and soon enough we had 6 men completely immersed in our story.  They asked intelligent questions, they laughed at the right times and offered wise counsel and guidance.  By the end of the hour we didn’t want them to go.  They had looked at our business from a completely different perspective and given us advice that was golden.  Things we had been struggling with they dismissed kindly and told us to move on to what we were doing right.

Later that day the facilitator send us some materials that were spot on – we were in love!  And grateful that 6 men put aside their own agenda that morning and helped us see the other side of things.

Our takeaway - look for people not at all related to your business or even in your field and ask them what they think.  You might be surprised at the results.

Stay up to date with our most recent posts.

About Caron                                                                                                                                                             Caron is one of the blooms of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is the dreamer, production manager and the social media wannabe. Caron is married to the word adventure and she will never stop dreaming.

Kissed by Nature

Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

Your face is a delicate area and there are so many skin types and sensitivities so we wanted to create a face moisturizer that was light yet absorbed into the skin and left it soft and feeling hydrated.  Our ‘Rose Geranium’ Face Nourish is a dream on your skin.  It comes in a 50 ml glass amber jar. Key Ingredients include:

*Wildcrafted Organic Shea Butter from the Wali women in northern Ghana and provides the women with  an income to provide for their families.  It’s a great moisturizer because it contains fatty acids which help with the skin’s elasticity. 

*Rosehip Oil which helps treat dry and irritated skin

*Rose Geranium essential oil for it’s classic scent and rosy floral aroma.

I usually recommend this product for day time use and apply mine in the morning after I wash and cleanse my skin with our ‘Organic Face Rehab’ soap.

Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

For nighttime use you can’t go wrong with our ‘Ultra Luxe Organic Face Elixir’.  This serum is a dream on your skin and has a variety of uses.  A little goes a long way so you only need a drop or two for your entire face. Formulated with ultra sensitive skin in mind, it uses our combination of Organic Argan oil for it’s unique antioxidant and moisturizing abilities, Rosehip for improving elasticity and Organic Olive oil rich in Vitamin E.

You can use it a variety of ways:

1.     Works beautiful on cuticles, just rub a drop into each nail and give yourself a mini massage

2.     As a makeup remover, dab a few drops on a cotton pad and wipe off your makeup

3.     As a moisturizer

4.     Makes a great massage oil

5.     It will leave your hair glowing , dab a few drops in the palm of your hands and run them through your hair

You won’t be disappointed with either  of these summer beauty must haves.  #IBN30

Catch our bloom worthy posts when they happen.

About Michelle

Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

New York New York

The Solomon Guggenheim Museum Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

We flew to New York  a few years ago and stayed in the Chelsea District and absolutely loved it. The food is amaaaazing and in the 10 days we were there we actually had way more eateries to try but ran out of time.

We fell in love with  the Chelsea Market. The hot cocoa I had there was the richest and most divine I’d ever had in my life.  The atmosphere was  cozy with lots of brick and earthen colours.  It was  a great place to people watch.

One day we saw a pop up market happening steps from where we were staying and checked it buying some beautiful colourful scarves.

The bagels are to die for and I bought mine right near the big Apple store on West 14th Street. Oh the Apple store was awesome with cool glass stairs, I had to go in just to check it out. My sister and I bought iphone/ipod cases as a souvenir.

Being in New York I had to try  Crumbs cupcakes which is like a dessert instead of a cupcake. They were filled with caramel  filling instead, that is decadent .

Don’t go during spring break which is when we chose to go because there are so many people everywhere (more then usual).  One of  the things I remember most is that we walked about 4 hours a day. There was just so much to explore and see and not enough time in the day. We would come home at night exhausted from walking so long but we covered a lot of ground.

 Our trip to New York Photo Credit: Caron & Michelle Somers

Now if your on the C Train or any train for that matter and a guy walks in and says to everyone “Open Your Wallets” that’s completely normal. It happened to us and I looked around at everyone’s faces and no one flinched so I figured this must be normal,j then the man went on to say that he was raising money for a charity.

Speaking of The C Train as I was looking through my photos of this trip I found one where I was writing a poem called “The C Train” and I’ve delayed this post today spending time looking for it but can’t find it anywhere. Stay tuned in case I find it.


Our funny moment was when we bought orange trucker hats at some store because we there during a heat wave. Everyone thought we were truckers or something because we clearly looked a little crazy but we didn’t care we wore our hats everywhere to avoid getting sun burn. Another trick we learned years ago living in Hawaii is to take a cotton bandana and soak it in cold water and wear it around your neck. It really keeps you cool so we had that look going on as well. We were attractive looking tourists that’s for sure.


Would I go back again? Yes I would because Caron and I ran out of time and there was so much more we could have done.

Tell me somewhere interesting you’ve been in the comments below? We love hearing from you. #IBN30

See our new blog home.

About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

Match Tea Go Go Bars Recipe

Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

I love Matcha Green Tea lattes. We’ve even used it in our soap for a lovely green colour.  There are days when I’m on the go a lot like running a bunch of errands and I don’t want to go out and order a meal because it takes extra time during my day (although sometimes that’s a good thing). Or maybe I’m hiking and want to pack light nutritious snacks to just munch while I'm enjoying the great outdoors. Maybe some of you have kids and want to pack them a healthy lunch snack. Or you are running out to a fitness class and want a snack after you are finished.

Granola bars have always been a fun treat to eat but adding Matcha Tea makes them extra  special. Did you know that Matcha Green tea is full of antioxidants?  It has the nutritional benefits of 10 cups of regular green tea.  It’s rich in vitamins, chlorophyll and fiber.   It can boost metabolism and help burn calories (but you have to be watching what you are eating and exercising as I know some people think they can eat whatever they want and drink Matcha Tea (if only it were that simple).

We used to host International students at our house as we live near a university and one year a student from Japan brought us Matcha Green Tea and a ceremonial Japanese tea whisk with instructions. Every time I use it I think of her.

Steps to make the Matcha Tea Go Go Bars Recipe Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

Here is the "Matcha Tea Go-Go Bars" in a handy recipe card. Click to read, then there is a little arrow type button on the bottom kinda pointing in one direction and if you click on that there is an option to download it.

Tips for making this recipe.  Really cut dried fruit finely or bars are harder to cut. If you leave it in the fridge too long before cutting it's crumblier. A lower bar height wise will produce a cleaner cut.
Have your tried Matcha Green Tea or used it in some special way?  #IBN30

See our bloom worthy blog.

About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

Shake It Up

Photo Credit: theperfectpalette.com

Remember when you were a kid and you built forts, skateboarded, made mud pies etc. Then your mom would or dad would say let’s go for ice cream and you’d drop everything and just go.

When you're an adult it’s more difficult to just do something spontaneous because there is always something to be done and especially if your in business for yourself you always have a to do list a mile high and things just seem to get in your way. You stop and think about all the steps involved in spontaneity like you have to finish what you are in the middle of, check to make sure everything in your house is unplugged, make sure you are properly dressed and not in your PJ’s.

 McFlurry Photo Credit:  Caron Somers

So yesterday I was in the middle of designing a soap label and my sister was reading. This past week was a hectic one for us.  Victoria is experiencing very hot weather and we had just finished a day selling at our local market and were wilting in the heat.  So at the spur of the moment we decided to run out for ice cream but the rule was we had to wear what we had on and not change into something else.  My hair was a mess, I had an old dress on that was nice and cool.  So the instinct was I gotta  change, finish up my label design, get dressed etc.  Instead I saved my document and closed it, did a quick check that nothing was plugged in and we headed to McDonald’s for an ice cream sundae with nuts and giggled at our messy style.  I wasn’t really in the mood for ice cream but when we got to the drive through we saw they had the McFlurry and our eyes light up with glee (yup simple things amuse us).  It’s a Canadian thing and it’s like an ice cream shake with crushed up Oreo’s or Smarties or Skor bits. I got the Oreo Cookie and Caron the other bloom got the Smartie (a Canadian M&M) one.  We parked and hoped no one noticed us in our unfancy unkempt garb. The stress of the day, the rude customers, and the blazing heat melted away and for that moment nothing else mattered.  We enjoyed our ice cream and I felt like I was a kid again.

What fun things are you doing in this summer heat?

Why don’t you shake up your world and do something out of your comfort zone.  It just might provide some clarity.  #IBN30

See our latest posts right when we publish them.

About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

Mind Blowing Way to Take Macro Photos on an iPhone

Photo Credit:  Pinterest

To all of my American friends “Happy July 4^th” I hope you have a great day.

As I’m Canadian we had our celebration on July 1^st and instead of going downtown to watch the fireworks which is what we’ve done in the past, we hiked a mountain. Problem is there are way too many people and it’s mobbed in the city. You have to take the bus and down and there are so many people on there. On top of that everyone is really loud and screaming etc. Then when you take the bus home you sometimes are waiting for ages to get on because everyone is trying to get home just like you.  So this year the Two Blooms decided to go somewhere else that didn’t involve taking the bus and had a great view. There were people but only 1,000 instead of several thousands. If you really want to know all about the mountain hike in the pitch dark at 10pm at night I’ll tell you, but I think it’s pretty low key.

Today is DIY Saturday and I was trying to find something that men would enjoy creating too. Problem is I don’t have a lot of tools myself except the basics like a hand saw, some screw drivers etc. Also a lot of projects I looked up involved things I didn’t have so I looked for something that involved very few tools and I stumbled across a neat trick.

I found this on Pinterest. My sister (the other bloom) has a real old iphone (like from the Ark, hahaha kidding but it’s pretty old). Anywho it’s very hard to take a close up macro photo on a iphone on it’s own. Maybe that is easier on the newer versions but I can only speak of this older model that I'm experimenting with. So here is what happens when you take a close up shot with your iphone. It’s all black looking.

 Photo Credit: Top Three Photos my own, bottom three Pinterest

1.     So you need to get an old laser pointer. Don’t get a newer one, that is what I had on hand and it was impossible to get to the magnifying glass as it was glued underneath a plastic insert. I used pliers but gave up  after breaking the plastic insert.

2.     Then get the focusing lens and grab hold of it with a bobby pin.  Then attach that to iphone’s camera with tape. You may need to flip the lens upside down if it’s not working.

3.     Take a photo and lay the camera on the object and zoom in and you have your close up.
Sure you can buy some fancy attachment but where is the fun in that? 

Any cool tips you have to share? Let it rip in the comments section. #IBN30

Catch the latest bloom worthy blog news.

      About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

You Big Ole Beautiful Soul

Vintage Books Photo Credit:  blog.jennibick.com

Looking for yesterday's post? I forgot to post it so you can find it here. 

This is the second version as I write through tears because I lost that moment of the first draft when my browser decided to quit and I lost everything I had written.  It was a moment I can’t get back but through tears I choose to write it again in the hopes that this version will be even better because of it.

I saw him (at least 4 generations older then I) and thoughts took me back to two months prior the first time I laid eyes on him. This time I was grocery shopping and exiting the store and whispered to my sister “I think that’s him”.

Rewind two months ago and I was shopping at this same grocery store with my mom. We decided to have coffee and relax after we finished shopping.  There was a man nearby sipping his diet coke and eating a candy bar. While I continued in conversation I was riveted by this man. Did he fight in the war? Was he married or alone? Did he have anyone living who cared about him? What kind of job did he have and I wondered about the pages of his life he left behind. I fixed my gaze on him and I wanted him to know that he and his story mattered.  I wanted him to know for that moment that he wasn’t invisible and that his story was just as important. 

For that one moment in time I wanted to shout it to the rooftops that he and every other person mattered and were special no matter how they felt. Tweet This

Today this older generation is often forgotten and ignored. Media is all about the trends the young, the famous, those who have accomplished so much but is anyone more important than this man sitting in front of me?

I wanted to say hello to this man and ask him about his story and his life but I didn’t know where to begin and didn’t want to disturb him. He got up after finishing his snacks and stumbled away. He couldn’t walk very well but he was managing. I really wanted to know where he was going and was he okay?

Window Frame Photo Credit:  comeinjus.tumblr.com

After coming home I tried to go on with my day but I couldn’t stop thinking about him. So as I tried to fall asleep I cried over this man who I didn’t even know and through tears I prayed for him.  I worried he was discouraged or sad or had no one and I wanted him to feel loved and special because he deserved that.

For that one moment in time I wanted to shout it to the rooftops that he and every other person mattered and were special no matter how they felt. Tweet This

 

Today as I was exiting the store there was a narrow pathway and he wasn’t looking in my direction. He had a walker and bike helmet this time and seemed to be on a mission heading towards customer service. I told my sister I thought it was him and looked back but only saw the back of his head.  In seeing him again today I knew I had to write this post and not save it for another day.

The title of this post is “You Big Ole Beautiful Soul” and I don't mean the man was big in size but big in accomplishments and he had a rich soul that I’m sure could fill museums.

I’m still not sure why he tugged at my heart that day and maybe it was because he was a kindred spirit in disguise or maybe it was to show me the beauty and richness of this man’s life. Or maybe someone reading this needed to hear it.

What has moved you lately? I’d love to hear it in the comments below if you feel comfortable sharing.


See our blog posts right when we publish them.

About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

Why Typing Isn't To Blame

Here is yesterday's blog post that I forgot to post.

Today is a guest post from Caron (the other bloom in Two Blooms)

Long ago, I missed a week of high school due to some cold/flu sickness going around.  It was the week that we learned the numbers row in typing.  STOP READING if you don’t recognize the word t-y-p-i-n-g, this post will make no sense to you :)

So when I returned the following week, everyone was proficient typing out their numbers.  I tried to catch up but never did.  Finished the whole class ‘hunting and pecking’ for numbers and apparently passed.

I blame that week on a lot of things.  “Well, no I am not a brain surgeon, I can’t type numbers fast enough”. 

But today, while driving I started blaming my lack of: business skills/having a husband/being a millionaire on not learning to type numbers.  I actually went through the whole conversation in my head and managed to loop the blame back to that week of missed typing.

For me, it goes back to wanting what I don’t have.  Why isn’t Taylor Swift Instagramming about me?  Why don’t I get every account in the city?  Why do I have to work so hard late at night stamping soaps?  Sounds like a pity party doesn’t it?

Every morning when I get up I’ve started doing these gruelling exercises, they only take about 5 minutes but I hate them and they’re hard to do.  Yesterday I actually tried to hide under the covers because I didn’t want to get up to do these stupid exercises.  I started justifying why I shouldn’t have to do them (and no, I didn’t think about the missed week in typing and then I thought, ‘I am lucky to be able to move my body, I am privileged to have the freedom to exercise, this isn’t a hardship, this is my rent to live in this body’.

And I jumped up and did the whole sequence.  And this morning I got up and didn’t whine at all, I just got down to it.

For me, turning it around really helped and not that YOU ever whine/complain/envy – but if you did, how could you turn it around?  Share it with me, I love feedback!

See our blog posts right when they are published.

 About Caron:  Caron is one of the blooms of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is the dreamer, production manager and the social media wannabe. Caron is married to the word adventure and she will never stop dreaming.