five (really) good things :: this week

  

1. Amanda over at Kind Over Matter has created a gorgeous new book called Zen & the Art of Being a Work-at-Home Mama. I am honored to be one of the women interviewed in this book and was lucky enough to read a sneak peek this week. 

And as I was reading, I kept nodding my head and thinking about how the experience was like being curled up on the couch with a dear friend sharing stories about all that being a work-at-home mama means. Amanda holds nothing back as she shares glimpses into her real world paired with accessible tips you can implement right now. I loved every word! If you are a creative mama who needs to be reminded you are not alone in this crazy, real, awesome, hard magical work-at-home world, then this book is for you.  

2. Washi tape: So this is most of my ever-growing collection. I'm working on a project that has me playing with paper + words + color over here and washi tape is playing a big part. When I posted this on Instagram, people asked a few questions, so I wanted to share some of my resources. My favorite online shops are: Pretty Tape and Freckled Fawn. The birds on wire and in birdcages, the arrows, and the silhouette tapes are from Michaels (they have them right now). There is some Tim Holtz tissue tape in there too.

3. Oh my goodness how I love Molly's blog over at Orangette. And her post about granola bars had my stomach rumbling and then had me looking at several of her granola recipes,which caused me to begin to feel nostalgic for something I've never even experienced (aka home made granola baking in the oven while I sit at the counter doing a crossword puzzle). This weekend, granola in some form or another will be made around these parts.

4. Have you seen Jennifer Louden's new Creating Your Own Mastermind Group course? I've signed up and can't wait! 

5. Remembering this simple truth: When I get out of the house alone, even if just for a few minutes, I feel like I reboot and come back to center. And reading Andrea's blog post this week (and her link to this article) had me really feeling like I'm not alone (or crazy) in wanting and needing this. 

*****

Every now and then I make a list of five (really) good things. Sometimes I make this list just because I want to make a list (like today) and share some good things. But other times I do this practice because even on the days when there seems to be more crappy stuff than beauty, the beauty, well, it is still there. And finding it is how I keep my heart just a bit more open these days...

why retreat (with stacy kathryn)

Today, I am introducing a new series of guest posts from a few of the ladies who have attended my retreats over the last few years. My hope is that these posts will not only give you a glimpse into the Be Present Retreats, but also invite you to realize the importance of taking time away from your daily life to recharge, connect with your kindreds, and rekindle your creativity.

And I am thrilled that my friend Stacy Kathryn is kicking off this series today! Read on...

*****

The first time I was really awakened to the power of art, of the ability to evoke emotion in others and make people feel and understand without a word being spoken, it changed my perspective on life. But the ability to create is arguably a skill, like playing a musical instrument, and it requires effort and practice to improve upon. It requires a set of tools both tangible like paintbrushes or a camera, but it also means looking at tools in a broader sense.

The internet is a powerful tool in itself. There is a seemingly endless supply of resources at our fingertips for any interest we may have. And as an artist, it's a great place to connect with others from across the globe to share your thoughts and ideas, learn new skills and techniques, and communicate with others you might normally never have met. One could argue, though, that for as well connected as we all are, there's a certain isolation that comes with being behind a computer screen as well. That's where artist retreats have been extremely beneficial to me.

Now, I'm not what you'd call an extrovert by any stretch of the imagination. It's just not in me to interact with a group of people as effortlessly as some do. But taking a big step outside of my comfort zone to meet people who share my interests and feel the same way I do about art has been well worth the butterflies in my stomach - and these "strangers" quickly become good friends.

When people come together for a common goal, the energy and positivity in the air is remarkable. It's at these retreats that I always find a little part of me that has been missing. I also manage to walk away every time with invaluable tools to add to that creative toolbox of mine, as well as heaps of encouragement from my new-found friends. For me, one of the biggest "tools" I've picked up recently is writing poetry. Something I learned more about at the Be Present Midwest Retreat, and learning a whole new way to look at words and how we can put them together into these beautiful, mysterious, evocative poems. And different forms of art all have a way of finding relationships to each other. Being a mixed media artist allows me to draw from many inspiring sources: pictures, poems, paint, put together they seek a natural balance all their own at times and conspire to form new beautiful things in the process.

When I returned home from that retreat last May, I was bursting at the seams with ideas, inspiration, and new tools to put to use. I've been writing more than ever, eager to try out many of the new techniques I'd learned, and it helped me to see what I've created in a different way. I encourage you to take the leap, if you never have, and attend an artist's retreat. You will be truly amazed at what you can learn from so much creativity in one place. And you just might inspire someone else with your own ideas and thoughts!

How have you added to your creative toolbox lately? Was it a retreat, e-course, or just jumping into something new?

(Please feel free to share your answers in the comments today.)

*****

Stacy Kathryn is an artist, and dreamer who loves to spend time creating mixed media paintings and jewelry. Though her life has taken many twists and turns her passion for art has been a constant companion. She hopes to share her enthusiasm and inspire others to embrace change and creativity. You can check out her blog and website for a little bit of inspiration, or go check her shop out which is filled to the brim with fun, colorful goodies!

a note (to you)

for three minutes

For three minutes today, I stood at the kitchen table wearing my favorite apron, drinking a fizzy cherry coke, and gathering supplies for a new project that I can't wait to begin.

For three minutes, the windows were open and the sun was coming through them and ideas were buzzing about.

For three minutes, I was touching at the edge of getting into a flow while she napped.

Then, suddenly it became clear that she hadn't really fallen asleep and had no plans to.

So everything shifted.

Outside we went for sunshine and ball bouncing and snacking and that fizzy coke spilling all over my favorite apron and a quick change and more snacks and lots of seeing how fast she could run into one of mama's big hugs on repeat.

And really it was all just as it was supposed to be.

An invitation: Give yourself the gift of letting it be just as it's supposed to be today.

strawberries and soul mantras

new necklaces in the shop

Last Wednesday, I stood at the kitchen sink cutting strawberries while Ellie was eating them almost as fast as I could cut them for her. While getting into that rhythm of quartering them, I had a series of thoughts that went like this, “Maybe we could go to the Farmers’ Market Saturday. Wonder what they will have. Flowers! Maybe this could be the first Saturday in a long line of Saturdays that we get out and have this time as a family. She is so inquisitive. She will love picking out veggies and fruit this summer! And seeing the dogs…. Crap! I have so much to do this weekend. We can’t go to the Farmers’ Market. I have too many custom orders to make and emails to answer.”

And just like that, I dismissed my desire to live deeply and widely with my family.

I didn’t listen to this clear voice in my head telling me what I need and want and went back to the reality I was creating in that moment about not being in charge of my own business.

And then this weekend I spent an hour photographing some lockets + soul mantra pendants I have been meaning to put in the shop for weeks. These are the pieces I have been making alongside the many custom orders I’ve been doing over the last few months. These are the phrases and words that have literally whispered to me and insisted on being included in the batch I was working on. Phrases like: 

You Are Enough
Love Big
So I Fly
Each Day I Open Up More
I dance. I love big. I live.
Live It Baby Girl
Seek Joy
I choose love
Connect
Breathe
See Your Light
Trust
Here 

And as I opened each one, placed it on the rock I use as a prop, and snapped the photo of the mantra inside, I found myself saying the phrases aloud. And then nodding: yes yes yes.

This piece of realizing you have gotten a bit lost in the business of things and forgetten about the business of living – that is where I found myself as I took those photos.

I started thinking about how going to the Farmers’ Market (and all that it represents) is the most important thing a Saturday morning (and all that it represents) should hold. I know this. I would tell you this if you came to me with this as a piece of your story.

And now it is time to live it more often.

Things have been shifting with my business for almost a year now. I have owned my call to teach + write more and poetry is taking center stage again. I am listening to my desire to start adding mentoring sessions to my offerings (thank you for asking for this! more details soon!). And I am leaning into the truth that superwoman can do anything but she can’t do everything*.

Oh and I am realizing I don’t want to superwoman. 

The first step has been to change how I run the shop. I am not taking custom orders for the next few months. Probably until the holidays. The shop will still be filled with Soul Mantra jewelry, but they will almost all be ready to ship, “what you see in this photo is what will arrive in your mailbox,” items. They will be the phrases that are most insisting to be in this world, and I hope you will enjoy them!

Go see! I’ve already stocked the shop with several of these new pieces. 

Thanks for reading all of this today as I wanted to share these pieces of my story in case you have pieces of your story that need to shift. In case you want an invitation to shift your schedule to make more time for Farmers’ Markets and all that your heart is telling you it needs…

Big love,

Liz

PS If you or someone you know is a virtual assistant who works with Etsy shops, please email me. I am looking for someone with administrative experience supporting Etsy artists. Thanks!

*When I was little, this saying (superwoman can do anything but she can't do everything) was up in my house above my mom's desk. 

a girl and a remote

Sunday evening was one of those nothing is going right because i am almost two sort of evenings for Ellie Jane.

Until she befriended mama's camera remote.

Somewhere in in the midst of figuring out how to stand right in front of the camera and hit the button and "what is mama doing?" and "up up!," she found her giggle again.

(a big thank you to meredith and kristin and their now you workshop, which inspired me to take these photos today.)

a little sneak peek

So so excited to share this wee sneak peek of The Gift of This Moment!

I will be sharing more details soon, but I am so delighted by these postcards showing all the pieces of this project (which is really a home retreat kit) and simply had to share right now! Jen Lee is producing this project (and has gently held my ideas and hopes throughout this experience), and Liz Kalloch has made everything look so beautiful. 

I can't wait to hold all the pieces in my hands and share them with you. 

Over here: The Create Space classroom is ready, the students are gathering, and today I'm creating my personal altar I'll use and share during this session. Ellie Jane's new favorite game is asking me to put at least eight and sometimes twelve barrettes in her hair (and mine) at one time (evidence here). I'm planning to rest today as much as possible since a cold seems to have grabbed on to me during the trip home. Lots of mugs of tea in my future. I'm hoping a movie date might be part of our Sunday. (Seen any good ones?) The rhododendrons are in full bloom everywhere in our neighborhood (gosh how I LOVE them). I am filling a Smash journal with notes to myself (and using my new lovely Washi tape from Freckled Fawn and some fun designs I found from the Recollections collection at Michaels [can't find a link on Michael's site but found this great blog post about this new line of tape]). I am planning to begin The Best Day The Worst Day: Life with Jane Kenyon by Donald Hall while drinking the previously mentioned mugs of tea. And I know I will be soaking up the joy of hearing a little girl giggle as she dances with her daddy (life can be so so hard but joy still arrives when I choose to see it).

And what are you up to in your corner?

May your weekend be full of rest and joy and hopefully some time out in the sun...

Blessings and light,

Liz

here

here: a father and daughter giggle and chatter and dance to music he grew up on while i gather up the pieces of all that will be and choose to trust what i know.

yesterday: waiting between gates 12 and 14, she dances and giggles and bops her head while i sing more than 30 rounds of "old mcdonald" and think about how three generations really can travel across the country together very well as long as there is plenty of apple juice and singing.

the day before: alone in my eagle's nest home away from home, adele sings while i move across the floor with my arms raised and my voice loud and my feet turning in circles until the music until the movement until i rewrite the story i have been playing for much too long and find myself regrounded and renewed.