There’s neuroscientific evidence that looking at beautiful things, esp. plants & pausing to take in the details can alleviate stress & lift mood. Found these in the garden just now-they’re in a pale blue Victorian ink bottle. Pause to give your brain a small rest 🧠🌿

Tomorrow evening at 8pm UK time there’ll be a collection of one-off necklaces I’ve made using these Victorian & Edwardian stamp holders, lockets & charms. This time there’ll also be a cabinet of curiosities necklace, a garland of Victorian mother of pearl buttons & a 1920s freshwater pearl garland necklace. There might be Georgian pearls in there too, so yes, you could maybe pretend you are Mary Bennett (❤️):

My garden robin just had an ‘everything’ bath-watch to the end bc she’s drenched, spiky haired & in need of a towelling down when she flies off. One academic study shows that when we watch footage of ‘cute’* animals it dials down stress levels-my small feathered pal’s bathtime is for your brain. *actual word used in the experiment:

Making a date with a pal to meet down the garden centre to look at lavenders etc, only Jane Austen seemed to manifest on whatsapp because she’s very modern & has an iPhone17 (pro max)…👀🪶

When the bumblebee in this film sounds as though her buzz has inhaled helium it’s bc she’s using floral sonication to dislodge the pollen in this poppy-she increases the frequency of her wingbeats to literally ‘buzz’ the pollen off the poppy anthers & on to her fuzzy body. Listen out for this as many bee species use this pollen gathering trick-just one of the ways in which bees are utterly brilliant 💯:

This collection of pieces will be listed in my Etsy on Sunday evening, not tonight-so sorry, I overestimate how much I can do in a day sometimes 🌿:

Look what’s been built in Cardiff for swifts. My niece sent me these photos and said the structure was alive with birds. Heartening to see. It’s shaped like a swift in flight I think. Other towns have created similar swift nest sites including Exeter. Thank you for caring.

Unexpected item in the (wicker) bagging area… It’s 13 week old Leelu 🐾

In a field near Wicken, Cambridgeshire larkspur is grown for London florists along with cornflowers & Nigella. It’s quite a sight just now-some floral dopamine for you 🌿:

On Wednesday evening at 8pm UK time I’ll be listing a collection of one off necklaces I’ve made using Victorian & Edwardian chatelaine stamp holders, an acorn thimble holder, lockets (incl 1940s scallop & clock lockets) & oak leaves I’ve cast in silver. My shop is here: etsy.com/uk/shop/silverpebbl…

Some super busy white- (or possibly buff- ?) tailed bumblebees gathering snacks from lavender outside the local primary school. Watching them for a while alleviated my anxiety on Friday-hope they do the same for you today. Small-scale awe & wonder are incredibly medicinal for noisy anxious brains 🌿