039/100

Bless 2020 by honoring the dead.

Happy Halloween!

💗 K.

 038/100

Bless 2020 by noticing the little things.

💗 K.

~As I've built these designs, for nearly 40 days now, I have looked to the ground, the small plants and leaves for inspiration. This beautiful knot on a log of driftwood struck me as needing nothing more then my traditional acorn. So much of the world is begging to be noticed, inside us as well. What small, quiet voices deserve attention in you?

 037/100

Love 2020 by being a tourist in your own town.

💗 K.

~This is one of my favorite things to do on my day off. I wander the streets of Duluth, the beaches, the little shops, I look at my town with fresh eyes and I'm always surprised at what I find.

 036/100

Bless 2020 with honesty tempered by love. Stand bravely in your shoes and own it.

💗 K.

~In my experience, honesty is not the best policy when it hurts people. Sometimes it's best to keep our mouths shut. But when we need to speak up, when our integrity is on the line, filling up with love before uttering one word is the best way to start. 

 035/100

Bless 2020 by turning off the news--for a day, an hour, a minute. Breathe into the quiet and just be.

💗 K.

~Starting now, I am quarantining myself from media for the next 24 hours. This is a gift I can give to my body, mind, and spirit. Join me?

 

034/100

Love 2020 by saying just three words... "I love you." 

💗 K.

033/100

Embrace 2020 by checking out Amy Palko's podcast, The Meaningful Stitch.

💗 K.

~Artists and creators alike have not stopped sharing their gifts with us this year. If anything, more people, with time on their hands, have undertaken projects (myself included) that otherwise would still be languishing in "if only I had more time" land. Discover a new artist, writer, or creator. There's good stuff out there.

032/100

Bless 2020 by thriving.

💗 K.

~When I get down, my Mom tells me to remember my Wrolstad genes. My Grandma's family and relatives who came here from Norway over a century ago were strong people. They lived through wars and depression. I can live through this. We all can, and we can choose to thrive with heads held high and boots on.

 031/100

Bless 2020 by accepting the darkness along with the light. Without shade the sun burns. We need the dance of light and shadow.

💗 K.

030/100

Embrace 2020 as the seasons change.

💗 K.

~It seems too early for snow where I live, but the weather doesn't care about my calendar, it gives what it gives. The seasons are a constant reminder that we are not in charge of everything. Embrace the inevitability of change.

 029/100

Love 2020 by star gazing!

💗 K.

~This rock caught my eye. Isn't it amazing that the patterns at our feet can mirror what we see in the heavens?

 028/100

Bless 2020 with some daydreaming. Devices down, news off, stare out the window and ignore the teacher.

💗 K.

~One really good practice is to gaze out the same window every day at a tree, a bush, an expanse of field or grass. Over time, you will see how the sun plays with color and shadow, how the seasons change your view. It's like visiting a friend.

027/100

Bless insert current date 2020.

We have this day, this moment, this now.

💗 K.

~Focusing on the present moment is not an easy thing to do. I am often pulled into the past, or worried about the future, but the present (when I'm able to savor it) is where true peace lies.

 

 026/100

Bless 2020 by learning one thing about your nationality, where your ancestors lived, how you came to be.

💗 K.

~When I was little, I wanted to be Italian, because the country is shaped like a boot! My mom assured me I was not. The challenges of this year have inspired me to follow a long held dream and plan a trip to Scotland, where my Grandfather was born. It's endless fun to think about this trip every day.

 025/100

Bless 2020 by having adventures with good friends.

💗 K.

~Our social circles may be smaller these days, but that means the friends we do see are more precious. Four of us recently hiked off trail to a stunning overlook up north. I'm so glad we made the time. Staying connected and building relationships is what it's all about.

 024/100

Bless 2020 with a prayer.

💗 K.

Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair shall not go on forever.

Isaiah 9:1

~I took down a bible that I've had since childhood and randomly opened to this prayer. What are the chances that I would land on such a perfect sentence? Goosebumps.

 023/100

Bless 2020 by sitting at the base of a tree. Let its roots be your roots.

💗 K.

~This is a powerful thing to do and very centering when the world feels crazy.

 022/100

Love 2020 by choosing joy today.

💗 K.

~Part of me is quick to anger. She takes up a lot of space in my head and heart. I acknowledge that part of me with love and understanding, then firmly tell her to sit down and take a few deep breaths. Today I choose joy. For me, and you. Ha!

 021/100

Bless 2020 by feathering your nest.

💗 K.

~This may seem like strange advice since we are all spending countless hours at home these days, but why not embrace it? Our homes provide shelter, warmth, comfort. Give love to your dwelling and it will love you back.

 

020/100

Embrace 2020 with a bird's eye view. It puts things in perspective to be sure.

💗 K.

019/100

Embrace 2020 by finding a trail, through the woods, along a beach, or around the corner, and following it. Curiosity cures loneliness.

💗 K.

~I am happier when I'm exploring. Getting out into the world gets me out of my head. Step by step I am ready to appreciate the wonder around me. 

 

018/100

Bless 2020 by saying, "I'm sorry."

Make amends.

Repair the relationship.

Today is the right day for this.

💗 K.

~Two nights ago I had a talk with my husband where I said some hurtful things. I hadn't realized that I had been holding onto a past event and letting it affect my feelings now. The next morning I felt terrible and immediately apologized for my words the night before. It allowed us to connect in an even deeper way. True accountability for where we've gone wrong can build an unbreakable trust when offered sincerely and with love.

 

017/100

Embrace 2020 by taking up that hobby you've been secretly jonesing for all these years. Don't wait for another New Year's resolution--give it a go NOW.

💗 K.

~Three years ago, the year I turned 50, I took ballet lessons again. Forty-one years after I first donned a leotard. I was nervous about seeing myself at the barre, anxious about my reflection and the anticipated negative self-talk. Once there I was surprised to hear, "Hmm. My body looks a lot different than when I was nine. Now, posture, first position, let's do this."  

 

016/100

Bless 2020 by cutting yourself some slack.

~I debated whether to share this mandala. The colors are off. Was there something wrong with my phone? The yellow leaves look too harsh beneath the clovers. I went back and forth, but in the end I decided to let it go. By welcoming imperfection, the whole world opens up!

💗 K.

015/100

Love 2020 for The Octopus Teacher on Netflix. If you haven't seen it watch it tonight. Incredible film!

💗K.

 

 

014/100

Bless 2020 by letting the kid in you come out to play. Never lose your sense of WONDER.

💗 K.

~When I built this design it reminded me of primary colors, and kindergarten. Mixing yellow and blue to get green, red and blue for purple, and yellow and red for orange gave me a taste of MAGIC. Before my eyes the world came alive! Such secrets she held. 

 

013/100

Bless 2020 by sending LOVE to EVERYONE you see, whether next to you in traffic, at the other end of a work email, or on the news. We all have value. We all deserve LOVE.

💗 K.

 012/100

Bless 2020 by buying rain boots and stomping in puddles.

💗 K.

~When I was a kid, I could entertain myself for hours after a good rain on our dirt driveway. I would watch the little rivers and streams making their way past pebbles and leaves. It really was like a enchanted, miniature world at my feet.

 011/100

Embrace 2020 for its moments. Blink and they are gone.

💗 K.

~I spend a lot of time at the beach. My idea was to build a mandala near the water and photograph it just as a wave rippled in, so Lake Superior herself could be part of the blessing. I waited and waited, but no wave made it to my creation. I moved it closer to the water, positioned myself for the shot, and before I knew it--WHOOSH!! My carefully anchored rocks rearranged. 

010/100

Love 2020 for the new friends you have made.

💗 K.

~I made two new friends this year, friends who live on opposite sides of the country. I was lucky enough to visit them recently on a trip we all took to the mountains of Utah. On a wet day, I was recording a video for them on how I make a mandala. Moments after building this one I was blessed with a rainbow.

 009/100

Bless 2020 by reaching out. Send a letter, make a phone call, give undivided attention to the next person you meet.

💗 K.