december 15

today was:

up early anticipating the arrival of grandpa and grandma

a little girl full of joy and happy and just one or two overtired meltdowns

christmas shopping and sushi and the gift of a new "go to" date night outfit 

today was:

listening to them read

a heart remembering so much

johnny mathis in the air

today was:

tulips in december just because

trying all the cheeses at metropolitan market and deciding the rosemary asiago is still beyond the best

a little girl who insists on drinking from a glass 

today was:

conversation and laughter

dinner with everyone at the table

an "oh my goodness you all have to try this" cupcake that tastes just like my sugar cookies

today was:

a deep tired from staying up so late cleaning (and the knowledge that you can't really even tell)

a titch of missing even though they are here for two more days

a heart healing with each breath

december 12

Inspired by Ali's December Daily and my past participation in Darlene's December Views, I have been attempting to take photos each day this month and then write a few words to capture just one story of the day. I am housing them in a set over on Flickr and adding to it as often as I can.

I am gently but firmly pushing myself to let go of capturing the perfect photos. So if I don't take any that I want to share or use on a given day or if I forget, I am not worrying about it. Because really, the guilt thing is not going to make this project fun.

I do love though that the thought to take photos is flitting around in my mind more often than usual, especially this time of year when we are so immersed in the darkness of the days and colder weather. This is pushing me to try to capture the real day to day living moments instead of just outside adventures that summer easily brings.

This is to explain how I found myself with my camera this evening as a little girl went from daddy to mama and back again. She seems to be a wee bit under the weather, which meant she was really quite cuddly tonight as she wanted to be held or at least attached to one of us in some way. (Usually she is on the move running from room to room.)

I had the camera literally sitting on my lap as I snapped this series of photos. Because I wasn't behind it, she seemed less distracted because my face wasn't hidden so she just leaned against me as I snapped. 

I love that this gives the first four photos a self-portrait feel because she isn't looking at someone "through" the camera but is instead looking at the camera and any reflections she can see, probably of the lights in the room. (And if you are connected with me on instagram, you know that she is already taking self-portraits. Yep.) And then in that last photo, she is looking up at me right before insisting it is time to come up onto my lap.

As I sit here tonight, I keep thinking this phrase on repeat: The little moments seem to hold the most living.

five (really) good things

one bite at a time . december 9

On this Sunday evening, as Christmas music plays and necklaces are waiting to be packaged and a house is waiting to be cleaned, I feel moved to bring this old favorite blog post category of mine out for a spin again...

1) "A Very She & Him Christmas" is fantastic. Yep. I see lots of twirling in our future over here. (In fact, I could see it even inviting one to want to dance cheek to cheek with someone after some holiday cheer. Bring on the eggnog!)

2) I adore Kristin's ebook Unspiking the Holiday Punch. In this little treasure of a book, Kristin invites you to realize that you are your own best support system during the holidays. She provides beautiful, accessible practices that will serve you during this time of year (and always). As you navigate the many roles you play during the holidays, this book will become a companion and light for you. Give yourself this gift of self-care and check it out.

3) This morning while eating breakfast, I watched Sark's TEDx talk. How I adore her. Take some time to watch this video and soak up each word. Every time I hear her voice, I remember being in my little apartment in college curled up on my small loveseat listening to her message on the Inspiration Line and feeling like she was the only person who really "got me." I am 99% sure I am going to her workshop at Tea House next Spring and I am so excited about it! I've met her once at a book signing, but spending the weekend learning from her will totally be a dream come true.

4) Ellie is loving puzzles by Melissa and Doug. The safari animal puzzle is a favorite because she can stand the animals up and play with them. Her favorite game right now is "take things from this spot and move them one at a time to that spot" all over the house. So these puzzle pieces move from the ottoman to the couch (one at a time) then to the hallway and on and on. And I think the farm animal version might just have to be under the tree Christmas morning.

5) Oh and she is talking...like more than just the three words I thought she was saying talking...and she has been for a while now but I have just not been understanding her. But as she ate during the moment captured above, I realized she had been saying, "Good job" to herself when she would get a bite into her mouth. Yep. Awesome. And then this morning she said, "Good morning" and and and... So, it's time to be quiet and listen more over here.

And you? What five really good things are around you in your world? Dare you to share them right now.

heart.full

you are loved . a new necklace in the shop and part of the heart.full collection

A year ago, I began to donate a portion of the profits from the sales in my shop to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Seattle Children's, two special places where Ellie has been hospitalized and had surgery for her heart conditions. In February of this year, the Heart.Full Collection became a permanent part of my shop. (You can read about how Mandy and her daughter Hudson inspired me to take these steps in this post.)

It has been fun to see what necklaces are the favorites this holiday season, and I really am enjoying hearing about who customers are buying the necklaces for and why. And it honestly feels like a gift to me when people share that they are gifting themselves with a necklace because they need to remember they are not alone.

I love when customers share their stories. Fills me up in a big way. And I am deeply moved when they share that they chose an item from the Heart.Full Collection because they read about Ellie's story or have a child who was also hospitalized or that they simply want to be part of giving back while giving this season. (Thank you.)

While working on orders, I felt moved to create two new necklaces for the Heart.Full Collection: the "You Are Loved" heart locket above and the "joy" necklace shown below. I adore these new large heart lockets (above) that just came in, and the word "joy" just feels like the perfect mantra to add to this collection

joy . a new necklace in the heart.full collection

And I just want to remind you that all U.S. orders placed by Monday will be sent to arrive in time for Christmas. I will continue to ship orders that come in after that date, but I can't guarantee they will arrive by Christmas, especially any custom orders. Please just let me know if you have questions.

Thank you for continuing to support my shop. It truly is an honor to be part of your gift giving this year. Each time I hammer another Soul Mantra phrase into a locket and then package it up, I am reminded of the ways we shine our lights on one another's paths. Yes. Thank you.

a few tools of the trade

yesterday's P.O. adventure

Over the last week, I have been pretty busy with holiday orders from my Etsy shop. And I have to say, it has been kind of awesome. As in "I am not as frazzled as I expected to be" kind of awesome. When last Wednesday's sale was a bigger success than I anticipated (thank you!), I knew I would get the orders sent in time for Christmas, but I didn't think it would take me less than a week to get quite a few of them out the door. As I was packaging while Ellie napped yesterday, I started to think about the tools that have helped me with my Etsy business lately, from using online shipping to being aware of self-care, and thought it would be fun to share a few. 

1) Uline has awesome customer service and they ship same day. I buy padded envelopes, those delightful little manila tags, glassine bags, tissue paper, and other fun things from Uline. You get things in bulk though so it might not work for everyone, but it also is much cheaper to get a big box of 250 envelopes than buying 25 at your local office store (or buying 10 tags for $5 at your local scrapbook store). If you have another favorite supplier, please share in the comments! 

took this right as i was having a "move everything toward the center of the table so ellie can't reach it" moment

2) Over the weekend, I started using PayPal shipping for the first time. I know, I know, how have I had an Etsy shop for more than four years and I just started using online shipping? Well, the simple truth: I was overwhelmed. But it is super easy. You need a postal scale and labels (and you need to know that the only labels that seem to work with PayPal shipping are this size, which are two to one sheet) and printer. Because my studio is pretty small and my kitchen table has to become my shipping station when I have a lot of orders, my wireless printer makes it so much easier for me. (This is my favorite printer since the one I had in college years ago and the first that was truly "plug and play" for me.)

3) Having a way to "store" the jewelry as I was making it was key to things going smoothly. As I made each necklace, I would hang it on a display piece I use for the pajama soiree/trunk show nights at my retreats. I have taken an old small wooden shutter and simply hammered small nails across the top for the necklaces to hang from. It is hinged, so the shutter stands up. This way they don't get tangled and I can see what I have made. Here is a not so awesome photo but it will give you an idea of what I mean. I love it so much that I think I might use another one in our bedroom to store my own necklaces. Although I might hang it on the wall. I will take a better photo soon!

4) Noticing the self-care I need. Here are just a few ways I am practicing self-care right now:

"time to pick up the pieces off the floor mom"

• Tea. Mugs and mugs of tea. I thought a cold might be coming on over the weekend, so I drank a lot of hot, hot tea and it helped. Mint tea from Trader Joe's is my current favorite.
• Continuing to enjoy this time of year and documenting it (more on the documenting part soon). We have decorated just a bit and put up a tree, but we might not do more than that. And the truth is that part of the reason I won't decorate more is that I don't want to go through the boxes of decorations in the garage. And I am okay with that.
• Stopping everything to simply have fun. On Sunday, I was vacuuming while Ellie and Jon listened to music. When I realized they were dancing, I stopped cleaning and joined them.
• Resting and reading. After I went to the post office yesterday, I still had some time until Ellie's babysitter was scheduled to go home (right now, we have an awesome high school student who comes over for 8-10 hours a week). I did have quite a few things on my to do list, but I didn't have much motivation to do them. So I went to Starbucks and had a peppermint mocha and read. It felt like I was majorly breaking the rules, but then I realized that there really aren't any rules when it comes to getting through and taking care of me so I can take care of others. And it wasn't a waste of money (which was a gremlin that came up for me) because today I feel rested, clear-headed, and ready to tackle more things. 
• Paying attention to what Ellie Jane needs. This really does fall into the category of my self-care, and it helps me to think of it like that sometimes. I am trying to really be aware of when she is showing signs of needing a nap or that she wants to go outside and run around. I am not altering our schedule too much by packing it with things (not that we have a schedule...but...alas there is a rhythm to it all in there somewhere) because if she gets overtired and has a meltdown, I know I won't be far behind. I am also becoming more aware of how much she enjoys playing by herself, so I am working a bit while she does that but including her in the ways that I can (even if that means just putting her in her high chair with a puzzle and drink while I package things and chat with her). 
• Using my altar daily and burning candles throughout the day and while I work. It is a simple thing but it helps to ground me and I believe that is passed into the talismans I send out into the world.

5) And another major help to all aspects of my business has been working with Nona Jordan for the last few months. I keep saying I am going to write a post all about her (and I will!), but the truth is that it is hard to articulate all the shifts I have experienced. Recently though, it really helped me to begin to see the numbers of how my business has grown this year. I have had some guilt around a few things concerning money (okay, that should read, "I have a lot of guilt concerning money for lots of reasons"), and looking at the numbers has pushed me to own that I am really running a business over here and I should be proud of that. In turn, owning this truth invites me to feel lighter while I work because I see how it all connects to what I feel called to be doing in this world. (Letting go of the guilt is key to so much for me.)

As I wrote this today, I started to add several paragraphs about what it is like to run a business from home and be a work at home mom and how it saddens me to think about the assumptions people make when they come to a blog and only see part of the story. But these paragraphs were beginning to ramble and suffer from explanation-itis, so I have popped them into a Word document to look at later.

That said, I really do want to share more about my business and the projects I am working on and pull back the curtain a bit. I get questions about how I do it all and I am sometimes puzzled by how to answer and wonder what others thing "it" is. But then I look how my life has changed so much in the last two years and realize I do have a few things to say about this.

In this moment though, I feel moved to say: I try to find my way. I live with my heart open. And I fall down. And I realize I have to shift things. And I have to realize I cannot do it all. And I have to honor that letting go of others' expectations is a piece for me (even though that is a hard one). And I breathe. And I try to be still. And I try to remember to choose love and seek the joy each day. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And somehow in the midst of it, I am beginning to see that it really is unfolding just as it should...

kind kindred

A quick little note to let you know I am over at Kind over Matter today with a guest post for the Kind Kindred series. Love this series and am so grateful to Amanda for inviting me to share.

The post is about acknowledging all this time of year holds for us and creating space for self-kindness as we walk through it. The post also includes a downloadable audio meditation that you can save and play when you most need to be reminded to sit in the quiet and let your mind rest within your breath.

May you give yourself the gift of being right here and noticing...

Blessings,

Liz

current favorite playlist

practicing self-care by taking a moment just for me while she naps

As the to-do list grows over here, I have been observing the ways that I do and do not take care of myself. My observations always tell me that I have to slow down and bring awareness to my day or I will lose my way. While Ellie naps or when her babysitter comes so I can get work done, I try to remember to also notice how I am feeling and what I need. Warm baked goods right from the oven are making that list. As is rest in the form of laying down for a few minutes and reading or closing my eyes. And then there is the music. In my world over here, there must always be music, and I especially like it when I can sing along and dance dance dance. 

Here is playlist that is currently on repeat this weekend:

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) :: The Proclaimers

Get Out The Map :: Indigo Girls

Son Of A Son Of A Sailor :: Jimmy Buffett

Get Back :: The Beatles

Kiss On My List :: The Bird and the Bee

Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man :: Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn

Bus Stop :: The Hollies

Midnight Train to Georgia :: Gladys Knight & The Pips

Stop Draggin' Around :: Lenny Kravitz

If I Had a Boat :: Lyle Lovett

Via con me :: Paolo Conte

The World's On Fire :: The Housemartins

Let It Be :: The Beatles

Born Feeling :: Sara Tavares

Better Life :: Keith Urban

I Want to Break Free :: Queen

Rock With You :: Michael Jackson

You Got to Me :: Neil Diamond

Loves Me Like a Rock :: Paul Simon

What Next? :: hello mtn

Antarctica :: The Weepies

Little Bird :: Jonatha Brooke

Fast Car :: Tracy Chapman

Brian Wilson :: Barenaked Ladies

The Gambler :: Kenny Rogers

I Hope :: Dixie Chicks

C'est Si Bon :: Eartha Kitt

The next few days are sure to include some Christmas music, but it was nice to sing along with these songs as I hammered and wire-wrapped and wrapped packages and took time to twirl with the beana.

And you? What are you listening to these days?

december 1

while she napped, i put up the little christmas tree that had been waiting in the garage since jon put it in there sometime in late january. it was waiting wrapped in a plastic bag with lights and ornaments still on. and i stared at that little tree that we put up last year around december 20 when i was deep in survival mode and unable to really find any holiday spirit. it is a great little tree. jon has had it for years.

but i stood there and said aloud, "i deserve more christmas than this."

and that is how we found ourselves walking through the trees as the sun began to dip low. ellie giggling as she touched each type of tree and then splashing in puddles as she wandered.

i always think i will be quick to choose one, but it always takes me so much longer.

i love all of them. they smell so good. and they are just waiting for someone to take them home.

with the chill in the air and the christmas music playing ("zat you santa clause?"), i felt so at ease and like me. just like i felt the night before thanksgiving while i was cooking (like from scratch cooking) for the first time in months while ellie and jon read and music played. feeling like i have maybe been waiting my whole life for this.

and i think perhaps the only way to stay close to that feeling of ease (of love) is to take care of myself in the midst of it all. like deciding to get a little tree and buying some lights instead of spending six hours in the garage trying to find the lights we used four years ago.

and deciding to get in the picture by just propping the camera right on the hood of the car and using the timer.

self-care gently pushes me to stay more open to love and light.  

*****

thank you for the orders during yesterday's shop sale. my heart is gently holding so many beautiful stories shared as customers placed orders and let me know why their chosen soul mantra was important to them or who they were giving the necklaces to as gifts. so many beautiful stories.

the truth is that life is so hard and so so beautiful. this fall has held some unexpected challenges over here. there has been beauty and there has been stress. this is living. and sometimes it feels like its harder than it should be. but we find our way all the same. and each day i have a choice. so i choose beauty and love and joy whenever i can.