2009 was divine...2010 let it begin

On the solstice, I made a point of creating a list of all the things I wished to leave behind as we entered the new year. I took each item on my list and wrote it on a piece of paper and burned it. Then I created a list of all the things I wished would come to me in the new year. I wrote those on paper and burned them as well. A simple but powerful and empowering act.

Tonight as we celebrated the new calendar year, we took turns saying what we were grateful for from the last year. Jude said, "I'm thankful I have pineapple for my pizza." And from that simple gratitude, I recognized the need to stay present and ever mindful of even the littlest things that bless us as we journey through the year to come. 2009 was divine. 2010...let it begin. I am willing to be pleasantly surprised one moment at a time.

blessings to you all!

yuletide blessings

May you be surrounded by and filled with...

I'll be back after the new year.

Be blessed!

handmade...very last minute gift idea

There has been such a wealth of inspiration out there for handmade gifts. I feel as though I need to make a little contribution of my own for those who are like me. I always get caught up in this energy of creating and giving and sometimes run out of time to manifest all the great ideas.

This is a great project for those on your list that you may not see until after Christmas or New Year. It does take a bit of time to put together but maybe you can send it along with some materials as a diy project for the recipient.

Last year I used the cut out calendar from a little hut using scraps from my fabric stash. That was so much fun picking out the snippets of fabric I thought coordinated with each month.

This year I purchased the blank customizable calendar and made a photo template with photoshop so I could print my photos to make a so wabi sabi calendar. Have you seen any of these before????



advent blessing to you and yours~

moment of mindfulness...thread the light

on this solstice eve,tomorrow being the darkest day of the year, these words are going through my head as they have for weeks, a song that has become a mantra...

thread the light,
thread the light,
thread the light,
thread the light,
shine the light,
don't hide the light,
live the light,
and give the light,
seek the light,
and speak the light,
crave the light, and brave the light,
stare the light,
and share the light,
show the light,
and know the light,
raise the light,
and praise the light,
thread the light,
and spread the light.

you can listen to the whole song by glen hansard and marketa irglova here (choose this low)

may your winter be filled with warmth, closeness, and *light*

a birthday and a present...giver unknown

About 6 weeks ago, I found this handmade hand-embroidered dress in an antique store for $4. I slipped in on over my head and was surprised that it actually fit. The dress wasn't finished. The sleeves were not sewed and it wasn't hemmed. I took it along with us to Chicago with the thought that I might be able to finish up the details and wear it even though that meant I'd have to do all the rest by hand. I had it done in time for my birthday, our last full day in Chicago and the last day of the one of a kind show.

I got a lot of compliments on the dress turned tunic (a bit short for this 41 year old;) And it made me feel so grateful for the time and energy that the original seamstress put into the dress.

Whoever you are, I love it. It fits perfectly...and it's just my style;)

not so wabi sabi...greetings from chicago

Since my last two posts were a bit melancholy, I thought you might appreciate some of the glitz from the Chicago One of a Kind Show. In contrast and as a bit of balance to polished metal and flashy lights, we are here for the week creating and sharing a little oasis of peace and connectedness to nature.

And hopefully making enough to continue this dream of ours. This is our third year at this show, and it is HUGE (I wish I knew how to make double caps). I have only walked about a 1/4 of the show so far. And it is so inspiring to be surrounded by so many artists living their dreams and creating from their most passionate heart. Etsy has a big presence here this year. They have a whole section of the show dedicated to etsian artists. And they are having raffles several times a day for etsy shopping sprees.

Because we are staying in a hotel that is connected to the Merchandise Mart, where the show is located, we really don't have to go outside. It is a foreign way to live for us. And I cannot cook...which is really like being transported to some other life, almost another planet for me. If I couldn't go sit in that rocker every now and then and see the beautiful wood from the forest that we are surrounded by at home and breathe, I'd be a little dizzy from it all.

I hope that wherever you are you have a little oasis of peace, a soft place to sit, a reminder to breathe....and a bit of glitz for balance too;)

blessings~