Hey friend,
Okay, so I’ve been playing with a new idea for journaling, and I had to share it with you.
It’s called a Word Garden—have you heard of this? Think of it like a little patch of beautiful words that you collect in your journal. Words that feel soft, healing, or just really good to write down. Honestly, it feels like the most “me” idea I’ve come across in ages… and it might be “you,” too.
This week, the word at the center of our Word Garden is unfurling—which feels so right for mid-summer. Like soft petals opening. A breath, a bloom, a becoming.
This morning, I went out to my little garden and found this flower opened:
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Let’s take it slow and notice what’s blooming inside us, even if it’s quiet.
🎧 This Week on the Podcast: Summer Mask Recipes for Dull or Congested Skin
In this episode, I’m deep-diving into calendula, one of my go-to herbs for calming, glowing skin. You’ll hear why I love it so much, how to make calendula oil, and my favorite soothing mask for summer skin that feels a little off-balance.
​Listen on Spotify​
​Listen on YouTube​
​Listen on Substack​
Here’s the quick version of the mask:
A calendula face mask is perfect for calming inflamed skin or giving your complexion a boost.
✨ Calendula Glow Mask
- 1 tbsp calendula-infused oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp bentonite or kaolin clay
Mix it all up, smooth it onto your skin, and let it sit for about 10–15 minutes. Rinse with warm water, and voilà : happy, soft skin.
Benefits: This mask hydrates, reduces redness, and gently detoxifies the skin, leaving it soft and refreshed.
Moments of Light - August 2055
You were created to bloom.​
This month’s Moments of Light is here — and it’s a soft, healing invitation to return to beauty, rest, and inner radiance.
Inside the Created to Bloom issue:
🌼 Floral skincare + self-care rituals
đź’§ A soothing hydrosol guide
đź““ Reflective journaling & scripture
🕯️ Restorative rituals for burnout
✨ Encouragement to unfurl and flourish
Now available inside the membership. 🌿 or download here. Come bloom with us.​
Ink and Wildflowers: Word Garden – Unfurling
I’m starting something new in this section—each week, we’ll grow a little Word Garden together. We’ll center around one word and pair it with prompts, quotes, maybe a song lyric or a scripture, and see where it leads us.
​Here is a journaling page on Substack that you can use with space for all these things plus a gratitude list.​
This week’s word: Unfurling. 🌸
My Word Garden:​
unfurl · awaken · stretch · soften · gentle opening · becoming · tender bloom · light rising · unfold
Journal Prompt:​
What’s beginning to open in my life?
Where am I feeling the tug to grow or soften?
Scripture + Quote:
“They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.” —Psalm 92:13
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” —Anaïs Nin
Poetry Line:
“She is unfolding like a wildflower in sunlight.”
or
“I don’t bloom all at once. I bloom a little each time I trust the light.”
Creative Invitation:​
Try making your own Word Garden page with unfurling in the center. Add your own words, poetry, little sketches, or prayers around it. You can even turn it into a bloom list — things you're slowly growing into.
Radiant Things I’m Loving This Week
Here’s what’s softening and sparking joy around here lately:
- 💧 Rose + Lavender Facial Mist — this one’s like misting your face with a meadow.
- ​Unfurling - playlist by Carrie Scharf | Spotify​
- ​Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow​ — Women were made to give life—and they can do that right in their own homes. I’ve read about half the book and love it but I misplaced it. I hope I can find it soon.
- 🕯️ Jasmine + Neroli — currently diffusing this, and I feel like I’m living in a summer garden.
- 🌿 Stretch + Soften Ritual — I’ve been starting the day with a stretch, a smile, and just being in my body. Highly recommend.
Let me know if you try the face mask—or if you start your own Word Garden. I’d love to hear what words you come up with this week.
May you trust the quiet moments of becoming,
even when the growth feels invisible.
With chamomile calm and calendula joy,
Carrie 🌼
P.S. If you enjoyed this newsletter, would you please share it with a friend? Thanks!
​If you are not subscribed and would like to be, you can do so at this link.​
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