It's the end of January… just like that. I'm not quite sure how we got to here, but mostly in that way that I don't barely even know what day it is. The past two months have slipped by in a whirlwind and a blur. 

December was the busy of makers making things to sell, and packing orders and the end of school count-down, and those days before Christmas where even though you don't want to rush somehow they zip past. 

January has been mostly spent in a slow sleepy stupor. The heat, but mostly just a relentless tired slipped into our lives and took us over. And we gave in to the tired and let it permeate our days. In a good way. I realised that we all needed these slow long languorous days, almost like catching up on the quiet that had been missing. 

And now - here. I feel like February heralds that official 'back to work', back to making, back to guiding things rather than being led / pushed / cajoled into something or other. 

I've set my word this year. It's not really a thing I do officially, cause I'm not so good at sticking to lists or resolutions. But it feels good to have a word to guide me, to remind me, to assist me. 

'Intention' - to do something with meaning, with thought, dedication, care. To have a pause before acting. To acknowledge the rhythm & ritual rather than the habit & routine. 

I'm also applying this word to what I do, not just how I do it. To think about the things I make, to plan them and make things with intention rather than just make for the sake of making. Making for the sake of making is different than making without worrying about the outcome. To allow the outcome to dictate the journey of making isn't something I want to take away, but I also want to make sure that the materials I use, the things I put out into the world have some meaning and aren't just to fill time or space. To use my time and materials with thought, attention, intention, consideration - it takes a little planning for a project and then allows me to enjoy the journey of the process.

I'll be sharing little snippets of my "intention" on Instagram #slowliving_intention - I'd love for you to share as well. To let us know what it means to you, and how you live with intention, how you let it into your days and moments. I'll have a prize at the end of February for the post that sings to me the most. 

I'll be back next week with some of my 'intention' ideas for projects for my slow making, and also some tips that I'm discovering on how best to bring intention into my days. This slow stitching project I'm working on is some of my naturally dyed linen and hemp. I'm working on samples for my upcoming Gather Create workshop, but they'll also form part of a quilt for our bed (in our new bedrooms). 

I'd love to know your thoughts on this word. 

Do you have a word for this year?

How does it fit into your life?