It has been awhile since we have posted online regarding Enter The Sun items... this is more of a personal journey. We will see where it goes from here!

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I have been wanting to improve both my photography and writing for some time now. After years of putting off putting the time in to improve... here we go!

I love to capture moments that inspire, that take your breath away, that are meaningful. I love to tell stories. My hope is to get to a place where you feel it to.  

I have decided to hold myself publicly accountable on my various social media accounts to *hopefully* keep this regular.
I'll be posting a photo a day (photos may not be from that day) for 31 days. I'd love to go longer... but lets start with 31.

Feel free to leave me some feedback (and/or love notes... I like those too ;))

Day 1

I was sitting on my deck, drinking a delicious coconut and mint smoothie. Watching the sky, looking out over our small yard and listening to the sounds of the early evening. A pretty great form of multitasking.

As I was sitting there, I started thinking... there is something about summer that causes me to appreciate how fleeting times can be. How if you are unaware, so much can slip by. ...

Looking out at all the plants and insects at different stages in their life gave me a real sense of ephemeral life. The lilac tree that just a few weeks ago had been so purple and fragnent, now has dead flowers. Where there were black flies, there are now mosquitos and horseflies. Beautiful lupins came out of seemingly nowhere, and now dot almost every road in Nova Scotia.

These things changed almost as soon as they became, or so it seemed. We are all in a state of change, some longer than others.

I remembered the patch of wild strawberries I had been anxiously awaiting to ripen. I first spotted their tiny little three serrated leaves in early spring, and was so excited to have such a large patch in our yard... I love wild strawberries!

And so under my insistance, when we finally mowed, we mowed around our little strawberry patch. I watched them as they grew, flowered, and produced tiny little white berries... waiting until they darkend to a deep red, catching them at just the right moment.

Harvesting from the forest is all about timing. If you are unaware, you may miss out on something delicious like a little wild strawberry.

What do you think... some life analogies in there somewhere?

Taken: July 6th
Location: Wellington, NS

Enter The Sun's Top 10 Essentials for the Perfect Road Trip

Here at Enter The Sun, we're gearing up to head out on our journey up North! We're leaving tomorrow morning on a big road trip to Nova Scotia, with a stop over in New Hampshire for a little climbing trip. 

With road tripping on my mind, I thought it would make a great topic for this week... now is the time to get in those last summer road trips! 

Here are our Top 10s for the road:

1. Healthy Snacks - Stay on point with being healthy by packing some nutritious and delicious food. Besides, no one likes how they feel after they scarf down a bunch of junk food and then have to sit in a moving car for 10 hours... no one. We always stock lots of dried fruit, nuts, and jerky for snacks that won't go bad. 

(Another tip: If you're driving through an area that has local produce in season, stop by and try some! We drove through South Carolina and got some a m a z i n g fresh peaches from a sweet couple selling them out of the back of their truck).

2. Playlist Essentials - Good tunes are an obvious one, but after awhile you can get tired of hearing music. One of my favorite things to do on a roadtrip is listen to some interesting or funny talks instead. I usually download a bunch of podcasts for the road - CBC is one of my top choices, they have loads of things to choose from, from funny shows to educational to interesting interviews. National Geographic and Stuff You Should Know also have some really interesting ones... and there's so much more!

3. Headlamps - I love headlamps. Seriously, they're so much more functional than handheld or book lamps! They'll come in handy, trust me. 

4. Maps - Now I'm all for getting lost and exploring... but sometimes, ya just gotta get where you're going. 

5. Water - Drink lots of it! Although it can be tempting to resist so you don't make so many pit stops, you'll feel much better if you stay hydrated. Glass bottles for water are much more ideal than plastic, because all those hours sitting in the sun and heat may cause nasty chemicals to leach from the plastic into your drinking water, and then into you. The jury is still out on to what degree this happens, so personally I don't like to take the risk. 

6. A comfy cushion - Many hours sitting in a car = a sore bottom. Comfy clothing is a definite as well. 

7. Time for mini trips - The best part about a road trip? The mini trips! So many adventures all in one adventure :) Stop at a lake for a swim, take the coastal route for a bit, check out a park... whatever happens to be on the way. 

8. Swimsuit - See above. 

9. Sunglasses - Even if you're not an avid sunglasses wearer, many hours of squinting in the car will make you wish you had a pair!

10. First Aid Kit - I always travel with at least the most basic of first aid kits. Usually some antibiotic ointment, band-aids, bandages, and tweezers. 

11. Your wonderful attitude :) traveling with people can sometimes be a strain over long periods of time... stay positive and everything should run smoothly. Ok, that was 11, but this last one is important!

Remember to check out your car too! Check your oil, check your tires, bring a spare tire... that sort of responsible type stuff can save you a lot of headache. 

Oh and one more tip: Bring things to do, but don't bring a ton of things to do! It's great to have some road trip games in your back pocket and to bring a journal and a book for the road. But you only really need one. I am notorious for bringing waaay too many notebooks and books. You'll have lots of exciting adventures on the road, and will spend way less time than you think with the books! If you need more, you can always get more, but only take one of everything! 

What would you add to the list?

In the photo above, I'm hanging out in our big ol' van that runs on used vegetable oil and wearing Enter The Sun clothing and jewelry! 

All my love,
Janelle

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Make The Most Of Today!

"Ah! But today is the only day you are alive. "

- Claude Bristo

Do you ever feel like there's not enough time in your day? I've often felt that I have an endless list of things to accomplish. It can be easy to let the things that make you feel happy and whole fall by the wayside when you feel like that.

Here's 5 easy ways to make the most of your day:

1.   Choose happiness. Kind of a cliché, but I really have found that happiness is often a choice, and when you choose it, life is a lot more fun. There's always little things that happen that maybe didn't work out quite the way we wanted them to. Go ahead, give yourself a minute to be upset, but then choose to move on. If you're having trouble with this, one thing I like to do is just look around at all the blessings I have

2.   Take 5. If you feel like you can't devote a whole hour or two to going for a walk, working out, or just generally busting open the blinds with a huge smile singing about how wonderful the world is... just take five minutes instead! Or ten, or whatever you can. Taking a break from your work or writing a paper for just five minutes to sit outside, play a song, do some stretching (or those exercises your physical therapist told you to do but you just can't fit it in - I'm working on that one!) makes a huge difference.

3.   Schedule it! Make a "to-do" list of everything you want to get done. Choose the top three that are the most important, and schedule them in. Also, schedule in fun time! I know it seems ridiculous to schedule a walk or a time to read your favorite book or whatnot... but it works. During my really busy times, if it isn't scheduled, it probably isn't going to get done. Schedule in some "me" time and do what it is that makes you feel happy and alive!

4.   Really do whatever it is that you're doing. If you're making breakfast, make it a darn good delicious and healthy one!

5.   Smile! Smiling and being nice to people feels awesome.

And remember, today is a great day to wake up, and do something wonderful (not matter how small it may be!).

In the photo above, Terri-Lynn wears lots 'o Enter The Sun jewelry that is available for purchase at the Halifax Seaport Market every Saturday. Coming online soon! 

xoxo
Janelle

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Wildflower Bridal Showers ❀ Ideas on How to Throw A Great Party

First of all, I would just like to say that I am so blessed with an AMAZING family, who did all of this! I have a wonderful mother and sister, and wonderful mother-in-law and sister-in-law who made these showers happen. 

As some of you know, instead of one bridal shower, I actually had two. We're an international couple, so one took place in Canada, and the other one in the United States. Kind of fitting that I had two showers I suppose, as we're having two weddings! 

After just having my second bridal shower, I thought I would do a little post about them since they were so wonderful. I made some collages (I've been a little obsessed with collages lately) of photos from the shower, along with some notations for ideas. (Click the collages to enlarge.)

The best part of these showers though, was the love! As long as you have that, any shower or party will be a good one. 

Walking into my surprise bridal shower, lined with wildflowers - so happy! :)

Where have I been? Somewhere awesome! Read on to hear more...

So as some of you know, I have been away and a little out of touch for the past 4 weeks while spending some time in the beautiful land of upstate New York. Aside from my usual summer adventuring, most of my time was spent teaching children, youth, and families some of the survival and wilderness skills used by our ancestors, through the Children of the Earth Foundation (COTEF). I always find it such an amazing experience to share these skills with people, and to reconnect folks with a way of life that is simple, powerful, and part of everyones history.
It was a CRAZY busy few weeks, which is why you haven't heard much from me the past month, but I have returned with new stories to share and inspirations to guide me further!

Although I have much to learn in the realm of survival and primitive skills, my journey thus far has changed my life for the better. There are many things that I love about these skills. The first that comes to mind is that in practicing these physical, spiritual, and awareness skills I found (and continue to find) the purest and strongest connection back to the earth and myself.

The second is that these skills have brought to me what I sought for so long: real and true freedom. There is nothing so empowering and freeing as knowing how to build a shelter, make a fire, and feed yourself without modern conveniences like the grocery stores. So many of us have that free spirit... the desire to be free of the modern and cultural constraints that we are bound by, and these skills are a doorway - in more ways than one.

Spending all of my time outdoors over the past few weeks has been such a gift. These days I am often tied up on the computer or in the studio, so even though I love what I do, I don't get to spend as much time outside as I would like to. The past 4 weeks I have been able to observe and feel the forest as it changes... I’ve watched as baby birds grew and left the nest, as flowers bloomed, wilted, and were replaced by sweet berries, and as different animals and insects passed through. And I got to eat lots of wild edibles, yum!

I did up a little insta collage for you of just a few highlights of those weeks. There's a short explanation of each photo at the bottom, if you want to know what's going on!

Photos (from left to right):
1. The first few days of just the staff being there, building our lodge
2. The lodge turtle almost complete
3. Bee loving the milkweed flowers, which smell amazing!
4. Baby birds, almost ready to fly
5. My fire kit - it's hard to see in this small picture, but if you look closely you can see the orange glow of a coal!
6. Getting camo'd up. Even the little ones got in on it!
7. Muddy and loving it... ready to hide
8. Reveling in dirt
9. How many COTEF kids are in this photo?
10. Cute little red eft! (They are slightly toxic - Bren washed his hands afterwards)
11. Lost child scenario - they found Timmy! 
12. Momma and her baby deer tracks
13. Debris hut with a stylish door
14. Brendan teaching the fire lecture - he just made a coal with a bow drill and is now trying to turn it into a fire
15. Fire!
16. Happy family cookout on the coals

What have you been upto in the great outdoors so far this summer? Doesn't have to be fancy, just getting outside for a walk in the park can lift your spirits! Are you interested in learning wilderness skills? (I don't want to speak too soon... but if you're in Nova Scotia you may find some workshops available this year!). Anyway, now that we're getting into August (already!) I'd love to hear your summer outdoor stories, whether it was canoeing, camping, yoga on the beach or anything in between!

Lots 'o lovin',
Janelle

WEBSITE|ETSY|FACEBOOK|INSTAGRAM|TWITTER

*Sidenote - I've moved the weekly postings to Thursday to fit better scheduling wise. Stay tuned :)

Back to the Earth - Music Monday

Practicing some natural camo with Bren

I just got back from a week in the woods practicing some wilderness skills, so I thought this song was appropriate...

Remember the song 'Send Me on my Way' from Ice Age that we all love? The band who plays that song is called Rusted Root and this is another one of my favorites from them! Enjoy!

Oh, and we now have a mailing list! I'll be sending out updates about once a month about what we're upto, product updates, coupons and more. The first send-off we have coming up has a little something in it for ya (aka a discount ;))! Join our mailing list HERE

Hope you get a chance to get back to the earth this week,
Loads of love,
Janelle

WEBSITE|ETSY|FACEBOOK|INSTAGRAM|TWITTER

Dance It Out - Music Monday

I love this weeks Music Monday!

The song has a great message, and you're gonna wanna watch the video... trust me. 

(Seeing people dancing and loving it makes me so happy!)

xoxo

Janelle

WEBSITE|ETSY|FACEBOOK|INSTAGRAM|TWITTER

Fun in the Sun

Wow, things have been busy! Before I knew it, we're half way through June and I'm wrapping things up here in Nova Scotia and getting ready to go down to the States for the summer. 

As I mentioned on the Facebook page, I took a little break from the blog because I was extremely busy with dance performances, moving out of my apartment, and working on new designs for the summer (on top of working on current ETS stuff!). 

Now I'm back on the blog world! Dance has just wrapped up for the year, I'm almost moved out, and I will be leaving on Monday for the States. For those of you who come see us at the market - we'll still be there all summer! I have two lovely ladies who'll be heading up the market for me. 

We're not quite ready to showcase our new clothing designs for the summer, that is still in the works. However, the other day I spent the day at the beach with my sister, Terri-Lynn and we did a little photoshoot with some new jewelry we'll have at the market this Saturday. It includes handmade arrowhead rings (knapped by Brendan), song bracelets, stamped spoon necklaces, seashell and stone necklaces and also features some of our current clothing. 

It was so great to get behind the camera - normally I'm either setting up the tripod and running back and forth, or getting my (ever-so-patient) man to snap some photos. Ironically, my sister Terri-Lynn is usually found taking photos instead of being in them! She has her own photography business and so she's used to being behind the camera. She's a natural in front of it too ;)

Hope you enjoy!

Enter The Sun Clothing & Jewelry

Shop HERE

Model: Terri-Lynn Warren

Photographer: Janelle Warren

It was a perfect day to play on the beach. Super windy when we first got there, but after we walked along for a bit, we found a sheltered spot. 

Sand between our toes, the smell of salt water, and smiles on our faces!

Lots of love, 

Janelle

xox

WEBSITE|ETSY|FACEBOOK|INSTAGRAM|TWITTER

See The Sea

I am so excited to announce the introduction of our new Medicine Turtle design... and that we will be donating a portion of each sale to a non-profit! The organization that we have chosen to support with this design is based right here in Halifax and is called the Canadian Sea Turtle Network. It consists of a group of scientists working together with commercial fishermen, to conserve endangered sea turtles in Canada and worldwide. As you know, part of our vision here at Enter The Sun is to promote healthy living with a respect for the environment and a close connection with nature. With the introduction of this new design we thought it would be a great way to give back.

The Medicine Turtle design was inspired by the love of the ocean and all of its creatures - particularly the turtle, an ancient symbol of the Earth and life. Our design is modeled after a photo of a Leatherback turtle. It has intricate symbolism representing the 4 directions, phases of the moon, the rising and setting sun, mountains, waves, and more nature-inspired artwork. 

I can't forget my elementary school inspiration for this design either - when I was about 10, I painted a picture and wrote a poem entitled The Medicine Turtle.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Happy International Dance Day!

I've been surrounded with an extra amount of dance lately (awesome). This past weekend my dancers were in a dance competition, where they did amazingly wonderful and I am SO crazily proud of them for their accomplishments and positive attitude.

PLUS it's International Dance Day!!!

With all that in mind, how could I not make this weeks Music Monday a song about dancing?!

I've been singing 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' all day so I did some searching of acoustic covers and I found this beautiful version by a group called NOAH. Just listen, trust me, you'll be glad you did.

DIY: One of a Kind Boots (inspired by Luxury Jones) in 7 Simple Steps!

I LOVE these boots. They're my favorite go-to, to boho-ify an outfit... and best of all, they're eco-friendly! I have some for sale up in the shop, but today I thought I'd share some insight on how to make them. Keep on reading to find out!

You'll Need:
- cowboy boots (vintage/secondhand) - leather is preffered although other types will work
- vintage belts
- fabric (optional)
- glue gun/strong glue (industrial strength is best)/leather sewing material (read on for more info)
- any other extras you want to put on there - beaded necklaces, feathers... anything!
- time

Hope you enjoyed this! Check out my Etsy store for more. I'll be selling them at the Halifax Famers Market as well.

Happy crafting lovelies!
xoxo,
Janelle

ENTER THE SUN | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Love tip!: Instead of throwing something in the trash when doing your spring cleaning, think of other ways you could re-use or recycle it. Maybe donate it, or check out Pinterest for loads of ideas!

Earth Day, Every Day

First of all, happy Earth Day!!! Hope you all sent some loving vibes today and everyday. Every day should be Earth Day.

But anyway, before I go on a huge rant about that, I'll keep this short and sweet.

The song we have for Music Monday this week is a special one for me. I love singing this song, although the way that I sing it is slightly different than how they sing it in the video. I learned it through campfires, and my favorite way to sing it is at a campfire or intimate musical gathering and have everyone keep a beat by tapping their chest and joining in for the "hey-ya"'s.

Skip ahead to 0:34:40 to hear it. Head's up - here's a little (or a lot) of hippie love for ya.

Oh Darling, Let's Be Adventurers!

Today was such a beautiful day!!! It was the first day that really felt like summer was coming, with the warm sunshine and crocuses blooming. It also got me thinking about traveling and road trips, which is how Enter The Sun got started. You can read more about our travelin' soul shop beginnings here.

The past couple days I've been spending probably way too much time looking at photos on Pinterest, getting inspired for my upcoming beach wedding and for other inspiration. I've been coming across lots of roadtrip-esque photos, and I thought I'd share some of these inspiring road trippin' photos that capture some of the freedom, fun, insights, and hot summer days spent in vehicles.

A couple quick tips for ya on road trips:

- Make sure you've got a good playlist! The radio can be fantastic, but it may not be fantastic all the time. I suggest to mix up the music with some great intellectual or humorous podcasts (I'm a CBC diehard).

- Use big glass bottles to store your water. Plastic water bottles can get all kinds of nasty from sitting in the sun and heat (check out National Geographic for a simple and easy to read article). Opt for a thick glass bottle (sturdy) or something like stainless steel.

- Take yoga/walking/running/working out breaks. Your muscles will thank you for it.

- Tennis balls work as a great massager, perfect for getting the knots out from sitting for long periods of time.

- Keep the car organized! And make sure the food, pillows, and swimsuits are easily accessible.

 

I hope you're all able to take a road trip this summer! Traveling does wonders to open your mind, heart and soul. The people you meet, the situations you are in... it can be amazing and eye opening.
See you on the road,
Love always,
Janelle xx

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Love tip!: Compliment someone you don't know on something! Brighten up someone's day :)

Images from: Enter The Sun, personal photos, weheartit, Roxy, Sugerhigh + Lovestoned, Hitch Designs