TGIFive on Friday

This might be the cutest cuddly creatures at play video! Enjoy!

1) I MUST make a Dear Universe jar to send gratitude and wishes out into the world!

My Smiling Heart

2) How to BE the Change from Liv Lane. Liv is so right on about being yourself and doing what you love to BE the change you wish to see in the world.

3) I just came across WISH (Women's International Summit for Health) and really enjoying the talks on health, fitness, wisdom, relationships, etc by an array of inspiring speakers (SARK is one of them!).

4) Have you heard of One Word? One word is displayed and you have 60 seconds to write about it without thinking into it.

5) Hanging Out on Our Growing Edge from Jamie Ridler reminds me of how much I miss yoga and one of the things I really loved was that no matter your level we are all the same, we are one, on the mat.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Quote - Shine

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People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.  ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Spring is in the air!

It's a beautiful day in Florida and I'm feeling the Spring fever!

I came across an awesome tutorial last year and have been saving it for this time of year. It's a tiered terra cotta planter from Positively Splendid.

I picked up 3 varying sizes of terra cotta pots from Hobby Lobby and some bricks, plants, potting soil, and spray paint from Lowe's. The spray paint is Valspar enamel gloss spray in Cut Ruby and Tropical Oasis. For the plants I picked patriot plantain lily, sweet potato vine, salvia (red), and impatiens (white). I spray painted the pots, added some soil, added a few bricks, more soil, and then the plants. Super easy. I decided not to stencil my house number on the pots but I haven't figured out what I do want on there.

I've wanted a garden gnome for awhile and found this sweet guy for 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby.

This mat makes me giggle every time I look down at it. :-D

And this is my little front porch.

What spring projects do you have planned?

Wishcasting Wednesday: What do you wish for your future?

Thanks for joining me for this week's Wishcasting Wednesday. If you'd like to join this magical circle of dreamers and doers, please visit Jamie Ridler Studios.

This week's prompt:

What do you wish for your future?

 

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This one has had me stumped all morning. I mean, I know I want a healthy, happy life. I hope to do lots more traveling, find my soul mate, and discover my life’s purpose. I want to mark as many items off my bucket list as possible. I want to spend plenty of quality time with my son, laughing and making memories. I want to not only find my true friends but I want to find my tribe. 

I want to sing, laugh, dance, and cry. I want to belong. I want to be wanted not just needed. I want to be important, not to everyone but to someone. I want to do things that make a difference in the lives of others. They don’t even have to be people I’ve ever met or will meet and they don’t even have to know I did these things for them. I hope to find peace within myself and forgiveness for items I no longer wish to take ownership for. I hope to explore my creative whims and follow my muse wherever she takes me. I hope to leave behind more than I will ever take.

I felt like all of these things are too small to apply to a wish for my future. When you put them all together they add up to a bright and joyful future. So my wish is for…all of the above.
 
Hugs,

 

My Favorite Things - Pillows

1) I love you to pieces pillow from Jadie Cakes

2) Pretty darling pillow cover from LeiLiLaLoo

3) Flower pillow from Tracy B Designs

4) Felt flower pillow from Jillian Rene Decor

5) Distracted pillow from Yellow Bug Boutique

Join me each Tuesday for My Favorite Things, beautiful and unique finds from Etsy and other favorite retail therapy sources.

Empower a Impoverished Family

You guys know how I love Kiva...

Buy a Kiva T-shirt on Sevenly and $7 will go toward helping us make more loans to households and entrepreneurs in need! This offer only lasts for the next 7 days, so get your shirt and spread the word before time's up!

Just Show Up

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There are times when the biggest step you can take is just showing up.

Baby steps.

The rest will fall into place. 

Quote - Respect each others journey

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How would your life be different if…You stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter? Let today be the day…You look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.  ~Steve Maraboli

What I Learned from Drake (or Lessons from the Lotus Flower)

So last night I finally felt like painting. Woohoo! After being blocked for awhile, it felt good to put a brush back in my hand. What's funny is where I got my inspiration from.

So I really like that song We Are Young by Fun (featuring Janelle Monae) and went to look it up on YouTube. If you haven't heard it on the radio you may know it from the Chevy commercial. I also looked up the song Somebody that I Used to Know by Gotye (featuring Kimbra) and Take Care from Drake (featuring Rihanna). While I was listening to Take Care I really paid attention to the lyrics for once and the words struck a cord with me. Here are a few random lyrics in no particular order:

I know you've been hurt
by some else
I can tell by the way
you carry yourself

Pushing me away so I give her space
dealing with a heart that I didn't break

Trying to run from that
say your done with that
on your face, girl, it just don't show
when you're ready, just say you're ready
when all the baggage just ain't as heavy

You hate the fact that you bought the dream
when they sold you one

Wow, I can so relate. I have brought so much baggage into relationships that it didn't leave much room for the guy and OUR relationship. It's kind of sad to not leave that baggage at the door, you know, check my bags with the concierge with no intention of picking them up. How does that ever give the new relationship room to grow?

It reminded me of a post I wrote back in October, From Bud to Blossom, during a particular fragile moment in my life. At the end I related that time to a lotus flower and how the lotus survives and thrives in muck yet it still manages to grow and blossom. That was the inspiration for this piece:

I wasn't really sure why I picked red for the lotus because I have never actually seen a red lotus only pink and white. It does indeed exist and symbolizes the heart. It's the lotus of love, compassion, passion, and all the qualities of the heart. Hence Compassion became the title of this painting.

Compassion
- Sympathetic consciousness of others distress together with a desire to alleviate it

At first I thought it was missing something but decided I like the simplicity of it.

I decided to make another smaller painting by recycling a canvas from a image transfer gone wrong. It was "mucked" up. LOL.

This one's called Thrive because that's what the lotus does (and myself!).

Thrive
- To grow vigorously: flourish
- To progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances

Lots of Love,

Quote - Let the beautiful stuff out

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We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out. ~Ray Bradbury