Hi, I’m Sarai.

In 2021, after a lifetime in cities, I moved to five acres in rural Oregon. I came looking for a slower life. Instead, I found that my old habits and hurried mind came with me. The setting changed, but I didn’t… at least not automatically.

In this newsletter, I share the practices, ideas, and small everyday pleasures that have helped me to find more joy and presence in the everyday. I think they might help you too.

Subscribe and You’ll Get:

• Practices for living a slower, more vivid life. Slowing down is hard, and I believe it’s something you must practice each day. I share what works for me. These are simple practices you can build into your day for more ease and joy.

  • Get started with: Try this: The Daily List of Treats

• Garden dispatches. Building a garden is one way I slow down. I share what I’m growing, harvesting, and building.

  • Get started with: Easy Flowers I’m Growing This Year

• Seasonal eating. Cooking and eating are everyday opportunities for more joy and presence. I share seasonal recipes, ingredients, and all my favorite ways to stock a pantry.

  • Get started with: My 9 Favorite Homemade Pantry Staples

Plus, you’ll see life from 5 acres in the forests of Oregon.

About Me

I’m Sarai, and I’m glad you’re here!

By day, I’m the founder of Seamwork, an online community that helps people sew a meaningful wardrobe. You might also know me from our popular YouTube channel. I’ve been sewing for nearly thirty years, and making things with my hands remains central to how I understand the world.

I spent most of my life being hyper-focused on becoming as productive as possible. When I hit middle age, I asked the question that hits so many of us: Is that all there is?

But my attempts to slow down and live with more ease were often thwarted by an anxious brain. I spent 40 years conditioning myself to do as much as possible. I couldn’t erase those thoughts overnight.

What I found is that it’s not a matter of a sudden epiphany or reinvention. Slowing down and finding joy is an everyday practice, and one that you can embed in the simplest activities: eating, cooking, cleaning, gardening, making.

If you’re someone who suspects that the answer to feeling rushed isn’t doing more, but attending differently—this might be a place for you. I send letters a few times a month, and each one is an invitation to practice in your everyday life.