Embracing Our Perfectly Imperfect. There once was a girl called Sally who did just that !
Lessons To Live By …
Embracing Our Perfectly Imperfect.
How often do we subject ourselves to so much self inflicted stress striving to be the ‘perfect’ version of ourselves ?
I know I have and sometimes still do!
So much energy wasted on a daily basis causing us emotional stress aspiring to something that doesn’t actually exist!
Nothing or no one is perfect!
Sally, my best friend of 36 years and the inspiration for Sally’s Sunflowers suffered with facial Cancer for 15 years. This impacted her speech, her ability or eat and drink and left her increasingly disfigured…
A harrowing situation for anyone…
Our appearance is perceived as being such an important part of who we are and we are often judged on the way we look by others as well as ourselves …
Striving for perfect skin, the perfect dress size, the perfect hair the list goes on…
Striving for perfection causes us emotional stress and impacts on our well being… shocking, unfair but sadly very often true…
I had my boys, emotions a go go and I was struggling …
I worried that I was struggling to breast feed, not losing my baby weight ,struggling to keep all the plates spinning …My need and anxiety to be ‘perfect’ became more and more important to me… As my boys grew older the same stress and anxiety was still there but this time about different things…
To bake the perfect cake for the school fair, make the perfect costume for World Book Day and the list goes on !
Sunshine State Of Mind…
Embracing Our Perfectly Imperfect.
Sally however, instead of hiding away from the world never let the challenges she faced take away her confidence or impact on her mental well being…
Instead of asking ‘Why Me?’ She always said ‘Why Not Me ?’
This outlook on life meant she celebrated each and every scar as it meant that she had survived another day, month, year to spend with her precious son…the love of her life…
Sally was the most brave, funny, fearless, optimistic, hopeful, grateful and grab each day and every day person I have ever met – Perfectly Imperfect in her own special way.
Sally’s favourite flowers were Sunflowers and she always turned her face towards the sunshine in search of the light just as Sunflowers do and spread sunshine wherever she went …
Sally’s Sunflowers is a celebration of Sally’s outlook on life, designed and created to Spread The Sunshine and put a smile on your face.
Spread The Sunshine…
Embracing Our Perfectly Imperfect.
The Sally’s Sunflowers Collection is a celebration of ‘my girl’ and all the things she loved as a woman, mother and friend….
Comfy, relaxed clothing for standing on the touch line cheering on her beloved boy at his rugby matches.Walks on the beach and in the countryside with her dogs and camping trips with family and friends.
A big mug of steaming, frothy coffee especially with gingerbread syrup with cake, lots of cake ! Sally loved baking the most amazing cakes even though she struggled to eat them ! Undeterred she blitzed them up with cream and had a cake smoothly instead ! She was never defeated by the limitations imposed in her !
Cosy cushions to relax with on the sofa reading her favourite magazines and watching anything to do with baking and especially anything to do with chocolate. Her HUGE love of chocolate meant she always found a way to enjoy her favourite truffles even if she did have to mash them up with plenty of cream and Baileys !
She was never defeated by the limitations imposed in her !
Sally loved the social element and the joy of coffee shops, restaurants, pubs and rugby match’s with friends and family even though she was unable to eat or drink in a conventional manner…
This never stopped her from joining in because it was the joy she derived from the people she was with and her surroundings that she loved most of all.
Be More Sally…
Embracing Our Perfectly Imperfect.
So many of us can learn a lesson from Sally’s approach to life as so many of us get so hung up with searching for perfection in all areas of our lives – to be thinner, prettier, better at what we do…
Constantly worrying about our flaws and people’s perceptions of us instead of embracing our imperfections as Sally did and celebrating our imperfections as we are all perfectly imperfect just as we are …
Sally absolutely did not let her illness and the physical restrictions that resulted from it take away her zest for life. I will be forever be in awe of the way in which she faced her illness, never complaining and very often in pain she was very accepting of her situation and regarded herself as lucky to live the life she did .
I have learnt many lessons from having had the privilege of having her in my life… The most significant being to always make the most of every day…
Acceptance, gratitude, appreciation, self care and self love of our body, whatever shape or size embracing our perfectly imperfect selves.
Sally’s Sunflowers is so much more than a collection of jewellery, clothing and accessories… It is an attitude to life…
To turn your face towards the sunshine in search of the light, even when the dark clouds are gathering overhead…
Promise me and yourself next time you feel anxiety creeping in and the search for perfection knocking on your door…
Be More Sally and embrace your Perfectly Imperfect Self with love and gratitude.
Sending you love and sunshine
Gilly 🌻
P.S
Together We Are Stronger…
Did you know that on cloudy and rainy days it is said that Sunflowers turn towards each other?
Sharing their energy supporting and empowering each other…
Truth or myth what a wonderful way to be !
This is the essence of Sally and I’s friendship and a lesson we can all learn – Together We Are Stronger
My favourite picture of her and I this picture was taken a few short months before she left us …
Sally was not feeling well on and in pain yet still she sparkled and shone…
Spreadsheet her sunshine and making memories to last a lifetime 🌻
Welcome to Spread The Sunshine Blog
All about celebrating daily pops of…
🌻Positivity
🌻Joy
🌻Hope
🌻Love
🌻Happiness
🌻Resilience
🌻Strength
🌻Friendship
Inspiration
Spread The Sunshine Blog & The Sally’s Sunflowers Collection is inspired by Sally, who always turned her face towards the sunshine in search of the light just as Sunflowers do and Spread Sunshine wherever she went…
Best friends for 36 years we wrote our own book of adventures…
We laughed, we cried, we loved, we lost, we married, we became mothers…
We worked our way through a life changing Cancer diagnosis that she navigated with positivity,hope, strength and resilience…
Most of all an overwhelming joy for life and she quite simply astounded me.
Sally was diagnosed with mouth Cancer at 35 causing facial disfigurement and impeding her speech and ability to eat however, instead of hiding away from the world Sally ran headlong into every day … facing each day with perfect make up and a burst of brightness, positivity, joyfulness and sunshine.
Sally’s Sunflowers is a collection of joyful eco silver jewellery, responsibly sourced and organic cotton clothing and accessories designed to Spread The Sunshine & Make You Smile.
Based on all the things Sally loved as a woman, mother & friend.
Legacy & Donation
We donate 20% of the profit from each purchase to Primrose Hospice Children’s Bereavement Team supporting children and teenagers dealing with the loss of a loved one http://www.primrosehospice.co.uk
Planet Friendly
A packet of Sally’s Sunflower Seeds is included with each purchase to Spread The Sunshine wherever you are and help the environment too because Sunflowers huge smiling faces are giant landing pads for bees and other pollinating insects.
By wearing and having Sunflowers close to you radiates a sense of joyfulness, positivity, happiness, energy and friendship.
Spread The Sunshine
Colour psychology associates the colour yellow with sunshine, hope, laughter, warmth, happiness & energy to lift your mood…Therefore if
Positivity Is Your Superpower
Sunshine Is Your State Of Mind
Happitude Is Your Attitude
Then come along and join our journey to find pops of positivity in every day.
Spread The Sunshine blog and Sally’s Sunflowers is here to bring you a dose of vitamin C sunshine for your soul.
A reminder that positivity is your superpower !
Read our story and find your piece of sunshine at http://www.sallyssunflowers.co.uk
Thank you for helping to Spread The Sunshine
Gilly🌻
