Spring into Action

Present Magazine is a great online publication that just published one of my articles. Click on "Spring into Action" to take a look. Happy spring!

Going in Circles?

So I had a conversation with a trusted friend tonight who told me that I don't have any goals - but that I live in "tangent land". Whoa...pretty hard to hear.

I have this impression of myself that I'm very goal-oriented, planned, organized, responsible - all those descriptive words they use to describe Capricorns. In fact, my main practice lately has been to be less rigid, more relaxed, less planned, more spontaneous.

I took a powerful visual journal class last night with Lisa Sonora, author of "The Creative Entrepreneur. (We mentioned her in previous posts.) She prompted us to think about our intentions for taking the class. The main thing that came up for me is my desire to stay focused on my creative business ideas and dreams so I can make them real.

A goal is an investment in yourself; it clearly identifies what you want, how you will get it, and when you will get it.
When reading this statement about goals, I can absolutely say that I do put a lot of investment in myself and I have clearly identified what I want. Maybe what my friend is pointing out is that I haven't put the step-by-step action in place of how and when I will get it. This is a hard one for me because I feel like if I know what I want and flow in that direction, that the universe will open the pathways for me.

So as I journal about my specific goals and this reflective conversation, I ask you this:
Have you invested in yourself, identified clearly what you want, and determined how and when you'll get there?
OR
Do you have a different process when manifesting your dreams?

Stuck?

I'm stuck a bit inspiration-wise! One of the first things I do in that case is start flipping through books and magazines and look for colors that excite me. Color is one of the first ways that gets my juices going.

I'm still plugging along on this new work- jewelry and collages- inspired by Versailles. I visited last summer for a day, having not been there for exactly twenty years. The Hall of Mirrors has been newly renovated. The palace and the gardens are just a feast for the eyes.

bought a small book that focuses on closeups of items around the palace and gardens- statues, fabric, furniture, etc. This is a piece of upholstery on a chair that I hope will lead to something creative today!

What are some ways you get yourself going inspiration wise?

The Little Red School House

In response to Ni's post...thanks for sharing the Montessori links!! I am in the process of visiting area schools so that I can make sure to get Kestan on a waiting list. I believe so deeply in the Montessori philosophy and it's wonderful to hear that you have had such positive experiences.

The photo of the colored pencils was actually taken at a Montessori school called "The Little Red School House". This is a darling, one-room school house that my sister-in-law started on a 20-acre plot of land in a small town called Hayward, Wisconsin. Click on the title link of this post to see a short video that shows the family coming together to make her sweet dream a reality.

Also, I so appreciate "The Creative Entrepreneur" link you shared! In fact, it was so inspiring that I've ordered the book and I'm going to take the on-line "PowerFULL Visual Journal" class this coming Tuesday. Would anyone else like to take it with me? See the link:

http://www.thecreativeentrepreneur.biz

Sharing...

This picture that is linking us to a creativity article on Wikipedia made me want to talk to you about Montessori schools. (Because we have those kind of pencil holders in the school!)My three girls went to preschool in a Montessori school and the youngest one will have the chance to do her elementary years there too. I am putting a link so you can have an idea but if you have a chance to visit one of those schools, go for it! It is so respectful of the children's ways and rythms of learning...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2A3-z0qdCw
I suggest you also take a look all this website:
http://www.amshq.org/
I now teach yoga and body consciousness at my daughter's school and soon will be the Cosmic education teacher. I am very happy about this... happy that my children had the chance to go to a school were I would have wished to attend when I was their age!






Also,
I would like to suggest another website visit:
http://thecreativeentrepreneur.biz/
I bought this book a little more than a week ago and I am so grateful I found this!
I won't tell you more about it and let you find by yourselves...

So, leaving you with a wish of magic, balance and happiness for the week to come!
xx
ni

Relationships

The Mastery of Love

I wanted to share with everyone this most amazing book. It is life altering for me. I first read it 10 years ago and I refer to it over and over again. It is a book that has become, for me, a bible. Don Miguel Ruiz speaks of relationships with yourself, family, friends...... Here is Amazon's description:

Product Description
In The Mastery of Love, don Miguel illuminates the fear-based beliefs and assumptions that undermine love and lead to suffering and drama in our relationships. Using insightful stories to bring his message to life, he shows us how to heal our emotional wounds, recover the freedom and joy that are our birthright, and restore the spirit of playfulness that is vital to loving relationships. Using teachings from the three Toltec Masteries (Awareness, Transformation, and Love) as a foundation, don Miguel brings to light the fallacies and misplaced expectations about love that permeate most relationships. He gracefully shares his wisdom through delightful and engaging stories that clarify each point and bring his message to life.

It is a small book that can be read in just a few evenings, but it will change your life. I wish for everyone to be spell bound by this book as I have been and still am after all these years. Enjoy.

Time to get your felt-on!

Chris and I just recently celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Our tradition has been that he makes me something with a butterfly theme (I love butterflies) and I give him some type of time-piece (He loves watches).

Well this year I got creative with some left-over wool and decided rather than buy him a new watch, it was more personal and eco-friendly to make him one!

I love how this turned out and I'm inspired to make more. In fact, I really like the idea of wearing a watch that doesn't tell time at all. We all feel like there's never enough time, but with a watch like this the time is NOW.

Anyway...I'm going to continue playing with this concept - watches that don't tell time. If you have any ideas or suggestions on either designs, or especially words to describe them...please pass them my way!

Sweet Potato Fries

I haven't had much time making art these days, but I've had some fun in the kitchen!
Since sweet potatoes have become a favorite in our house, I'm always looking for new ways to use them. My friend, Shirley, gave me this recipe and these were some of the best fries we've had.

4 cups water, for par-boiling
6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs fresh sage, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cracked pepper
2 Tbs olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 425. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add fries, let par-boil for about 5 minutes. Drain fries and place in a large bowl. Add the garlic, sage, salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Arrange fries evenly on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Turn half-way through the cooking time.

Yum yum. Or as Kestan says, "num num".