Glimmers from The Wallflower? More Like Wall-flair

Hi, I’m Noreen — resident wallflower, fairy-light enthusiast, DIY optimist (I say “optimist” because, let’s be honest, some projects should never involve watching a YouTube video for “know-how”), and hopeless romantic for stories, gardens, and small, magical moments.

If life were a romcom, I’d probably be the one in the background — sipping tea, reading a fantasy romance novel, and quietly judging the heroine’s life choices. Not because I’m bitter. Just because someone has to keep it real.

You’ll often find me at the edge of the room. Not because I’m lost, or waiting to be invited in — but because that’s where the quiet glimmers live. The ones you don’t notice at first. The way someone’s eyes light up when they talk about something they love. The sound of laughter bubbling up from a private joke. The stories people carry on their faces before they even speak.

I suppose I’ve always been a wallflower — the one who listens more than she talks, who observes before she acts, who feels the weight and wonder of the world from a quiet seat in the back. I have come to understand that being a wallflower is not in a tragic, “nobody sees me” way, more like, “I’m perfectly happy over here, thanks, watching everyone while mentally rearranging the living room in my head.” I’m the type who finds joy in small things: a sprouting tomato plant, a freshly painted thrift store find, or a doubles match that somehow didn’t end in a rolled ankle.

For a long time, I thought being a wallflower made me invisible. Sometimes, maybe it did. But what I’ve come to learn is that being a wallflower doesn’t mean being without color. It means blooming in the quiet. It means finding magic in small things: a shared glance, a moment of stillness, a kindness unspoken.

Being a wallflower doesn’t mean I’m shy. (Okay, sometimes it does. Unless I’ve had a glass of wine or two Or I’m talking about my latest DIY project. Then, good luck getting me to stop.) It just means I like to take the world in from a cozy corner — preferably one with fairy lights and a solid Wi-Fi signal.

I live for the little things: the flesh scent of lavender when I water the garden, a bookshelf styled just right, and fictional fae warriors falling in love with bookish heroines who are basically just me with better cheekbones and a sword.

The real magic is definitely in books! Epic fantasy, swoony fantasy romance, and romcoms with banter so good I have to pause just to absorb it. I love strong heroines, morally gray heroes, dragons (always dragons), enchanted forests, and a well-timed “accidental” kiss. I’ve been known to cancel plans because a book got too good. (Sorry, not sorry.) I’ve also lost entire weekends to fantasy books where fae warriors fall in love with mortal bookworms (relatable), and romcoms where everyone somehow owns a quirky bakery and wears adorable sweaters.

While I’ve never slain a dragon or kissed a prince in a field of wildflowers, I have done many DIY projects (some of them unfinished). DIY Projects are where I come alive creatively — especially the kind that start with “this’ll be easy” and end with another unfinished project, wondering why I thought I could reupholster a chair with one YouTube video and sheer willpower.

Family and friends are my heart and my chaos crew — my people who embrace my DIY-obsessed, plant-obsessed, book-loving self, who laugh with me, eat with me, and occasionally help me haul a curbside dresser into my SUV because “it has potential.” I believe in potluck dinners, tennis matches where nobody keeps score, and the magic of a good book recommendation at just the right time. My people remind me that the best things in life are shared (preferably with a beer or glass of wine).

When I’m not lost in a book, trying to keep my tomatoes alive (send help) or painting the wall for the third time, you’ll find me on the tennis court pretending I know what I’m doing (sometimes I do).

“Glimmers from The Wallflower” is where I share the joy, mess, magic, and mayhem of all of it — from garden experiments and DIY adventures to the book heroes currently ruining my standards. 

It’s a blog, yes – but more like a journal with open windows. Think of it as a collection of everyday magic: half-thoughts, little joys, things that made me pause, laugh, cry (in a good way), or just feel something real. No pressure, no perfection, just small stories or adventures, thoughts, and gentle reminders that there’s beauty in the small stuff or tucked inside the ordinary.

If you love power tools and plot twists, tomatoes and tall fae males, friendship and fairy lights… you’re in the right place.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a half-finished bookshelf, a new fantasy novel, and a tennis match to lose with dignity.