Pick a Day - Come and Play!

To follow-up on my last post...

Let's take time to work in our studios, finish that creative project we've been wanting to get to, or start something new.

This weekend - pick a day and time and do something creative for yourself.

Take a photo of your experience and write about it next week.

HAVE FUN!

Yo...Let's Play!

I wanted to write to extend an invitation to everyone in response to Dayle's last post about "finding studio time".  Honestly, if I don't either do the same thing at the same time everyday (which is really against my nature) or put it on a list in my calendar than I just can't find time for those things.  And "those things" are usually what matter the me most to me...like yoga, taking a bath, or working in my studio.

SOOO...since my days seem to continually fill up with daily tasks that really impose on my creative time, I wanted to see if anyone was interested in planning an evening when we all work in our studios or on a creative project...AT THE SAME TIME!?

Could this be possible?  It would be awesome to know that as I'm felting that some of my babes are enjoying their art at the same time.  And...how cool would it be to post a photo of our work, or us creating in the studio the very next day?

When and what time? A Monday night is my first choice but I can also do Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturday or Sunday mornings.  Who's in???

"I'm sooooo excited!!!"

Baby Got Barack

Since I could not add an image to a comment, I thought I'd just add this as a new posting in response to Shannon's posting today. Funny enough every time I took her picture she just started to laugh and laugh. I think she's pretty excited about the change in administration.

Today is my first day this year of having some space to move forward. I started the new year jumping into a quick design phase for a youth journal for a literacy exchange program (I'm pretty excited about this oppty and will share more later) and have been swamped since the holidays ended. Today feels like a great space for new beginnings everywhere. I am very grateful for what lies ahead.

GO OBAMA!

We ARE one.

Let this be the beginning of a deep shift in our global consciousness.  Let us come together and celebrate our ability to make great change through awareness, compassion and hope.

I feel blessed to be witnessing an extraordinary piece of our history today.  I commit to being an active participant in the work towards peace in our world.  I truly believe in Mahatma Gandhi's quote, "Be the change you want to see in the world."  I know that in order to truly support the incredible amount of work that President Obama has before him, I must do my part.  So I will commit to taking healthy risks, challenging injustice and living an authentic, truthful life.   Let's keep growing!

How do you feel on this most amazing day?

Happy Valentines Day!

We had friends over Saturday night for dessert, so there was my incentive to make something creative!  From a Betty Crocker Cookbook:

Raspberry-Fudge Fantasy Torte

1 pkg. Betty Crocker SuperMoist chocolate fudge cake mix

1 1/3 c water

1/2 c butter or marg., softened

3 eggs

2/3 c miniature semisweet chocolate chips

3 c whipping(heavy)cream

1/3 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 c fresh raspberries

1/3 c seedless raspberry preserves

1 1/2 c miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottoms and sides of 2 round pans. (I used heart shape pans!)with shortening; lightly flour.  Beat cake mix, water, butter and eggs in lg. bowl w/electric mixer on low speed 1 min., scrapping bowl constantly.  Stir in 2/3 c choc. chips; our into pans.  Bake 8" rounds 35-40 min.; 9" rounds 3-35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 15 min. Run knife around side of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to wire rack.  Cool completely, about 1 hr.  Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar in chilled lg. bowl w/electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.  Gently stir together 1c of the raspberries and the preserves in med. bowl; fold in 1 1/2c of the whipped cream.   Cut each cake layer horizontally to make 2 layers.  Place 1 layer, cut side up, on serving plate, spread w/about 3/4c raspberry-cream mixture.  Repeat w/second and third layers.  Top w/remaining layer.  Frost side and top of cake w/remaining whipped cream.  Arrange remaining 1/2 c raspberries over top of cake.  Press 11/2 c choc. chips into side of cake.  Store loosely covered in refrigerator.   Decadent!

Happy BIRTH Day!

One year ago, at this very moment, my sweet Kestan took his first breath.  This is a photo of the affirmation board I created as I started labor.  It was something I looked at often to keep me focused during the 32 hours before Kestan decided he was ready to come into the world!

All day I've had memories flood in of the first time our eyes met.  The day he was born is a moment that is fresh in my mind and I will never forget those details.  I was changed that day, forever. 

My friend Emily called me to wish Kestan a happy birthday, but especially to wish me a happy "birthing" day.  Wow...that was powerful for me.  Before being a mother I really didn't understand the great importance of a birthing day.  And tonight, as I celebrate the life of my child, I have also taken time to celebrate something else "being born" in me.  Not a baby this time... (which I'm ok about 'cause I'm really not ready for maternity clothes, heart burn and swollen ankles again).  Today, I feel a quiet confidence, as though for the first time the self-doubt that usually lingers around has faded and I'm actually allowing life's greater purpose to be born.

So regardless if you are a mother or not, my question tonight is this...

What, in you, is ready to be born?

Life Is Good

It's funny when you have kids, you want to do so many things with them, but then schedules get in the way and before you know it they are too old to make half the stuff you had planned. Well, luckily I have three boys and what I didn't get to with the first, I had a another chance with my second and now with my third and I KNOW my last.....I am not wasting a minute on anything. It's funny how when I am on the floor making a lego castle with my youngest or we have the paper and scissors and all of our art supplies spread out on the table, I think "He will be the last to WANT to sit and create with me". It's a little sad, but mostly fun. Especially when the older boys sometimes get involved. My youngest loves dress-up, and so Tess, our dog, gets to play dress-up, too. I'm not quite sure if she enjoys sailing the seven seas or playing with sock dogs that we made, but she never seems to mind and that's good enough for us!

How is 2009 so far?

Hi you all! I myself am having some trouble following my own advice about getting in the studio on a regular basis. I shared a couple ideas for establishing a Studio routine on my Journal page at my website and am not being very good about following my own advice! How do you all get yourself started in the studio? Once I'm going I'm usually okay but right now.....hmmmnnnn.... I could list a bunch of excuses why(several of them legitimate) but won't.

Love to hear your ideas, Dayle

Kestan Turns One

I am spending the day finishing a movie of Kestan's first year as we approach his birthday (Jan. 16th).  It has been a treasure looking through all of our digital photographs and videos of our special moments together.  I really can't believe how fast my sweet newborn turned into a little boy.  What a true JOY and complete blessing this past year has been with him in our lives.   

I feel that my heart has exploded.  Chris gave me this picture framed for my birthday - Kestan is signing my card.

This is how I feel today.

Tend to the Garden to Get What You Want

As I sit here contemplating the beginning of a new year I feel completely grateful for all of you!
Thank you for being honest and real and for valuing the vibrant energy that comes from *communing together.

As Dayle mentioned, the subject of balance seems to be an underlying theme in most of our lives. I know for me, that in order to gain more clarity and simplicity in this next year, I must focus my energy to regain the "balance" I so desperately need to feel spiritually alive! As I meditated this morning (while rocking Kestan to sleep!) the image of a garden kept coming up and I reminded myself that the only way to truly live the life I imagine, I must treat my dreams as I would a garden. We have to put attention to the seeds in order for them to grow and what do they need to grow? Dirt, water, sunlight, love, daily attention, space to blossom... If I neglect the "garden" - my dreams - then they wilt, they stop growing, or worse yet...they die.

What else keeps my garden from growing? Having too many gardens to tend to! So my intention for this year is to focus my energy and attention on fewer gardens, rather than doing a lot of many things and watching them grow only slightly, I'm ready to choose which of the many gardens I will tend to the most.

Now as I say this there is still fear within me and I know the fear of my garden not thriving can halt me from doing anything at all! I also know that the flip side of passion is fear and as a life coach said to me recently - "When you follow your passions you will always have fear. It's the ego pulling you back. So just accept that the fear will be there and go for it anyway."

Yes. For me...this is what resonates most for 2009...
1) Tend to my main garden with mindful, attentive, focused action
2) Do the things that scare me most - accept the fear and DO IT ANYWAY!

Peace, love and growth to you in the new year!

*to commune with: share one's intimate thoughts or feelings with someone or something, esp. when the exchange is on a spiritual level, to feel in close spiritual contact with.