leaning. listening.

pausing in the dusting of snow we had for a few hours

Over here I'm leaning into softness and drinking mugs of spicy tea and letting in the grief and distracting myself with an audio book and several rounds of Mahjong and turning up the Christmas music and baking banana bread and noticing the ways I am loved and watching the wind blow from the kitchen window and trying to loosen my grip on expectations and wearing my favorite clothes and finding more patience inside me than I ever thought I could uncover and trying to remember that I can let in more ease with each breath.

Each day, I'm trying to create the space to listen to what I most need as I navigate what this season holds this year.

I do this for me because this is the only way I know how to make sense of this crazy, beautiful life. And because I trust that when I can show up as my most real, true self, I am also showing up for others in the ways they need me to.

What do you need?

Give yourself the gift of listening to that answer today.

a prayer.

here

a few good reads

A few good reads that have been filling me up lately:

1) Loving the Fall 2012 issue of The Studio Voice, which is a beautiful new publication from Amelia Maness-Gilliland. So delighted to be featured right next to my friend Jen Lee. Subscribe and find submission guidelines here.

2) The "Becoming" issue of Sprout Magazine is full of so much goodness. Amanda's online magazine looks gorgeous on my iPad. Looking forward to the December issue next week.

3) I've just begun listening to Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I'm becoming a bit obsessed after seeing Lincoln. I loved the movie so much that I want to go and see it again. (Not. Kidding.) 

4) This week, I began a new ritual of reading one poem as I stand in the kitchen and drink the first few sips of my morning cup of tea. This week I've been exploring A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver and Red Suitcase by Naomi Shihab Nye.

5) And a few blog posts that have resonated lately: "When Being Seen Is An Inside Job" by Jen Lee, "Thoughts on Working from Home" by Jenna McGuiggan, and "As Loud As I Wanted" by Molly Wizenburg.

6) While freshening up my studio altar space and the books I keep beside it to turn to during the day, I spent some time reading through the essays in Lanterns. I love this little book and the essay I have in it remains one of my favorite things I've written. It's about how we can hold space for one another. The book is full of beautiful stories, poems, and photographs that celebrate connection with your kindreds. When I grabbed the link to Jenna's blog post that I linked to above, I noticed she's having a sale on Lanterns for those needing a last-minute gift for their kindreds. Learn all about it here. 

7) Oh and you really should read Sam's monthly Bookishness column over on Chickadee Road. I smile through the whole thing every time and then add a whole bunch of goodness to my book wishlist.

holiday shop notes

the accidentally left justified but still true "you are loved" locket
in the shop and on sale

Thank you so much for all of your holiday orders! I'm sincerely overflowing with gratitude over here. While in the studio this weekend, I came across several lockets and simple soul mantras waiting to be used in necklaces, and I decided to put them all in a sale section in case you need a last minute gift. And one night last week while working a bit too late, I hammered a handful of You Are Loved lockets like the one pictured above. Notice how it is a wee bit left justified? I got into such a groove that I didn't realize I wasn't centering that last word. So I've also put those in the sale section here as everything about them is perfect except that one little off-kilter issue. 

a new mysterious listing in the shop

Sometimes when I'm hammering, words tug on me as though insisting to be hammered into metal for someone to wear as a talisman for their journey. In the last few years, I've learned to listen to words when they tug on me. This means though that I sometimes have a little pile of words hammered into circles just waiting for a home. I've put a new "Mystery Soul Mantra" listing in the shop at a special price (25% off) to give you a bit of an excuse to buy a present for yourself if you need one or a special price if you need to get a handful of gifts for friends. When you buy this listing, I will take a breath and listen for just a moment and then choose a Soul Mantra for you. A little woo woo and hopefully a lot of fun. 

Important Dates :: Please note that this Wednesday is the last day to order a customized item from my shop. The shop will stay open through December 19 and I'll be shipping all US orders by Priority Mail by December 20 so that they will arrive in time for Christmas. I'm still shipping international orders, but I can't guarantee their arrival at this time. I'll be closing for a week to enjoy time with my family and then will reopen on the 27th with a few new Word of the Year necklace designs. 

Sending you so much light and peace today...

Liz

five (really) good things

I've been living in my "love makes us brave" shirt over here. It is so soft and it makes me take a deep breath every single time I read it. My friend Jen designs shirts to be worn when you are the thick of it... in the deep living and creating and loving parts of life. And lucky for us, the shirts are 20% off today and tomorrow when you use code 2DAYSTOSAVE.

Curvy girl note: This shirt really does run true to size. I have an XXL and I love the fit. It is actually a bit more scoop neck than this photo shows.

In fact, everything over at Jen Lee Productions is 20% off, which means you can also get my home retreat kit, The Gift of This Moment, and my poetry collection, Five Days in April, on sale today and tomorrow by using the same code 2DAYSTOSAVE. I'm so proud of this work and deeply thankful for the space to share it.

For a few months now I've been using Anna's oils and sugar scrub. Sometimes my c-section scar really aches, and I was looking for something to use when that happens. It brings up a lot of emotion for me, and I want to tenderly take care of myself. Anna was wonderful to work with and I love how everything I have smells and feels. I use the "I Create" second chakra oil along with the Root "I Connect" oil and the Wise Woman scrub. I'm adding a few more good things to my "If I was buying myself a Christmas gift" pinboard to help Santa out when he goes to fill my stocking this year...

Tea. Tea. And more tea. Ellie now says, "Time for Mama's tea" when she sees me reach for a mug. Yes, sweet girl, it is time. Right now, tea really does feel like a deep breath in a cup. Currently loving: Trader Joe's winter tea called Vanilla Cinnamon Black tea (if you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, Harney & Sons Holiday Tea is wondrous) and Republic of Tea's Twenty Herbs Tea.

And twinkle lights. I've been saying I want to put them up forever. But each year they only go on the tree. We now have them in the bathroom and across the mirror that is on the fireplace. I love it. There is just something about that soft light that makes me smile. Planning to add a few more sets throughout the house. I'm sharing this because if you are like me and have been saying you want more twinkle lights in your house but haven't done it yet...well...TODAY is the day. Make it happen dear one. Yes.

what do you need?

It was a "get out of the house and into the fresh air or the grumps might take over the day" kind of morning over here.

So we bundled up and went to the park. And Ellie loved running around and going down the slide with her daddy.

And oh my gosh I love this photo. I love this real moment of Ellie's bravery when she climbed up to this tall slide and then looked at me and said "I'm scared." So her daddy climbed right up next to her so they could slide down together. Even though he groaned and mumbled as he tried to figure out how to fold down to join her, he did it anyway. And she cheered, "I did it!" when they got to the bottom. 

If I hadn't listened to what we all needed this morning, we might have missed it.

The days are full over here. This holiday season has me working like a little elf as my shop is the busiest it has ever been. (I'm deeply grateful for this.) I'm trying to be present to the holidays and this time of year with my family. As I move through the day, it can feel intense and awesome and beautiful and so damn hard at times.

I'm gently encouraging myself to try to let go of the expectations of this time of year. But goodness how they just hang there waiting for you to notice them, don't they?

In the midst of it all, I'm giving myself some space to notice what I need.

 Sometimes this means closing my eyes while taking one deep breath and saying quietly, "What do you need kid?" And then allowing for space to listen to the answer.

Yesterday that answer was 10 minutes of rest while Ellie napped.

Late last night that answer was a promise to myself that I need a vacation in early 2013.

This morning the answer was to get outside away from work and have an hour of play with my family at the park and then to Starbucks for treats.

In this moment, my answer is a big glass of water and music I love.

What do you need today?

It's okay to be honest with yourself.
It's okay to speak it aloud.
It's okay to let your loved ones know.
It's okay to rest, to dance, to ask for an hour alone, to ask for a hug, to say "no."

Yes. It's okay to do all of this and more for you to help you feel supported and present this time of year.

If you need someone to catch your answer today, feel free to share in the comments or email me.

Blessings,
Liz 

*****

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yes

yes

to ruffles
to layers
to soft i could sleep in this clothes
to letting go of "what not to wear"
to colors that feel like home

to hats
to headbands
to oils that glide across my skin
to white after, before, and on labor day
to candles lit at dusk

to cozy
to cooking
to letting the shoulds be 
to listening
to choosing love 

today, i say yes
to ruffles
to layers
to me,
just me. 

***

I cleaned my closet Saturday and instead of the usual "you should keep this because it makes you look thinner" or "what if you need that white blouse for a meeting" or "do you know how much that cost" voice that I usually hear in my head when tackling the closet, I first heard the wisdom of my friend Hannah encouraging me. And then after the first shopping bag was full, I began to just hear my own. Yes. 

Slowly, I will go through it all...the closets, the drawers, the under the bed stuff...and I will gently gather only what I love to me.