The Hummingbird Nest

10/05/2026

Hello, and welcome to The Hummingbird Nest. I’m Kathy Barlow, your hostess, writing from near the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, where the larches have turned the high slopes gold and the mornings have a bite to them.

The Hummingbird Nest is a virtual retreat center for women in midlife, and everything I make here comes back to what I value most: calm, creativity, and connection.

Over the past 35 years, I’ve gathered women in kitchens and by the seaside, in the middle of the forest, and in cafes almost too relaxing to leave. Now we gather in a barn I call my virtual home. So pull up a chair, because October is here, and I’d love to tell you what we’ll be gathering around this month. https://www.thehummingbirdnest.ca/p/october-this-month-at-the-hummingbird

09/04/2026

She's finished. My sample, a slow-stitched pumpkin wall hanging, is the creative activity we'll be making at my in-person pop-up retreat in Victoria, BC, on September 26.

Even though I'm providing a sample, each completed piece will be different. I love how each person adds their own special touches to a project like this.

The other thing I love about these gatherings is that they're not only about the creativity. It's an opportunity to slow down, exhale, and connect with other amazing women.

If you're local to Victoria, I'd love for you to join us. For details and to register, here's the link. https://luma.com/emmgivf8

09/02/2026

This September
Experience Your Inner Cozy!
Three gatherings.

Join us virtually...

Friday, September 11 Get Cozy at The Kitchen Table, 6:00-7:30 pm MT

Monday, September 21 from 11am-12 noon MT in The Creativity Studio with Guest Creative, Nance Scott for Nourish Your Immune System for the Season Ahead.

Join us In-person in Victoria, BC, Canada for a pop-up retreat
Experience Your Inner Cozy
6:30 - 9:00 pm at Imagine: Studio Café

Link to read my September newsletter and register for one or all of these gatherings.
https://www.thehummingbirdnest.ca/p/hello-september?r=1se1r6

08/29/2026

With Autumn less than a handful of weeks away, I’ve been pondering the term inner cozy. 🍂

To me, it’s more than a blanket wrapped around my shoulders as I sit in front of a fireplace. It’s the smell of apple pandowdy drifting out the kitchen window when I arrived home from elementary school. Before I even got to the door, I already felt held.

What’s yours? Not the aesthetic version. The real one. A smell, a sound, a room, a person. What comes to mind first?

08/24/2026

Join me for one special evening in Victoria, BC.

Gather around the table at my pop-up retreat and experience the simple pleasures of being welcomed, sharing stories, making something by hand, and giving yourself a little space to simply be.

We'll begin with a gentle arrival practice to help you settle in and leave the outside world behind. From there, we'll gather around the table for a simple autumn ritual, followed by Story Bowls - an invitation to share stories, memories and reflections with the women at your table.

Then we'll slow things down with slow stitching, creating a little pumpkin mini wall hanging to take home. No stitching experience is needed. This is about the pleasure of making, not making something perfect.

We'll close our evening with a simple blessing or ritual before you head home with your handmade creation and a little something to help you carry the feeling of the evening with you.

Think of it as a small invitation to continue the cozy at home - a few thoughtful autumn comforts gathered just for you.

You don't need to bring anything but yourself. Come as you are.

There's a place for you at the table.

📍 Imagine Studio Cafe
31 Erie Street, Victoria
📅 Saturday, September 26
🕐 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
🎟️ $55.00 (dessert & beverage included). Register through Luma. https://luma.com/emmgivf8

Limited seating.

07/29/2026

Had an amazing day reuniting in Kelowna with friends Stefanie Caskenette and I met in Italy last year. Shocked by a special surprise when a woman in the parking lot wearing a pretty dress and big floppy hat came up to us and said “can you tell me where to find my boat?”It was Margaret Flores from LA. Thanks Marco & Deb Nolin for travelling here to meet up with us. Antonio_Trafalgar_Insight_CS - look familiar?

05/28/2026