you are loved (and a giveaway)

Woke up this morning with a strong need to tell you (yes you) this:

I know sometimes joy might feel far away.

I know sometimes it might feel like people don't get it, don't get you.

I know sometimes the loneliness can feel tangible.

I know sometimes love feels confusing or even a bit lost in the midst of everything else.

I know sometimes the twirling, swirling thoughts take over even when you are trying to find the quiet spaces.

I know because this is my life too sometimes.

Today,
I want to invite you to take five deep breaths
and trust that you
(yes you)
are deeply loved.

***

(locket available in the shop)

This is my favorite soul mantra to hammer into lockets because I know the power of these words, of hearing them, wearing them, of having someone hand you a gift that says these words. So you know. So you trust. So you can hold onto the truth that you are loved.

Today, I'm giving away four of these "You Are Loved" Soul Mantra lockets to four different people.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment sharing who you would give one of these lockets to if you could. Be sure to put your email address in the email address box so that I can contact you. The giveaway closes Sunday evening, and I will announce the winners here in this post Monday morning.

Giveaway Winners:

I decided to giveaway 8 lockets because I was so moved by this entire experience. A new post about all of this coming soon, but here are the winners below:

Steve who wrote about giving it to his wife
Ashley who wrote about giving it to her friend
Alicia who wrote about giving it to her 18-year-old daughter
Missy K who wrote about giving it to her friend
Angie who wrote about giving it to her sister
Anita who wrote about giving it to her niece
BethAnn who wrote about giving it to her daughter
Crystal who wrote about giving it to her best friend

Please check your email as you should have a note waiting from me. Thank you!

Thank you for sharing your light with the world,
Liz

PS Working away on the new ecourse. Here is a peek.

this is me

this is me.

tired, hair needs washing, no make-up can't you tell because of those circles me.

the me who stumbles and thinks she knows and then has to just sit still to really trust me.

the me who seeks more sensuality, more space, more ease, less clutter, less spinning me.

quiet for the first time in days, calmed by her snoring dog, missing my mom so much my heart feels lost, me.

the me who keeps coming back to her own pace, to her own story, to her own way of being

me.

yes.

this is me. 

***

Over here, I'm sitting in the truth again of needing to go at my pace. Of needing to actually find that pace right now and wear it like a favorite decades-old t-shirt. This is nothing new really...this need to remember my pace is the only way. But when you are the CEO (plus every other possible position a business needs) of your own business that is run out of your home, it isn't easy. And no advice or words of wisdom that says differently is of interest to me.

And finding our way and stumbling and reaching out for a hand and hoping someone will be there and realizing that if no one is there we can actually still stand up on our own while we keep moving forward holding our flashlight. And then someone else will appear with a headlamp on and say, "Want to walk the next few steps together?"

And in that moment we find friendship and the reminder that we aren't alone.

Then we keep going and that person stops off to look at something shiny and we keep going and stumble and end up sitting right where we fall next to someone else who says, "I'm not sure what to do." And we give them the gift (but really give ourselves the gift) of saying, "This has worked for me. Want to try it?" And that person nods and we both get up and sit side by side on a bench for awhile and tell one another stories.

And it all repeats again and again in its twisty turny beautiful crazy way.

All of the truth nestled in these words is why I'm taking a few moments each day to stand in front of the mirror in my bathroom and check in. To choose love when I look at myself. To listen to the wisdom waiting in the quiet. This is why I'm taking more self-portraits of the quiet, tender-hearted, yes even super tired faced me.

I'm feeling a longing to be deeply seen for who I am and who I want to be, and I'm coming back to the truth that I'm the only one who can really give myself that gift in the deepest way that I need it.

I've hinted that I'd love for you to come along and join me in this adventure of looking in the mirror each day. Tomorrow, I hope to come back to this space and say, "Hey, this worked for me. Want to try it?" as I share more details about my next ecourse Water Your Soul :: Being Seen, which will be all about the mirror meditation and taking self-portraits in the quiet spaces. And then we can sit down and talk some more...

Today, I'm taking some time to sit in the stillness and go at my pace as I recalibrate after having house guests, an in-progress studio reorganization, a long to-do list, and the flu that has visited our little house. 

Sending light and love to you wherever you are on your path today,
Liz 

PS that necklace you seen in the photo is a little sterling silver sloth. yes, sloth. i found her last week on etsy (you might have spotted her on my adornments pinboard) and bought her as a talisman to remind me to keep going at my pace (even if that pace might seem slow to those looking in).

the beauty in this moment

new rug + timer setting on camera+ app + her joy + these boots over jeans was the beauty of a moment on friday afternoon.

the picture isn't perfect because the lighting was very dim...i might have overprocessed it a wee bit by accident because i sometimes forget how camera+ works...but i didn't want to forget how proud she was to stand still and hold my hand because "the timer is going!" and how her laughter is contagious and how much we both love the new rug and how darn happy these new jeans that fit in my boots make me feel.

getting us both in the photo makes me happy. remembering the laughter and joy is what matters.

yes.

i imagine a lot more photos like this one in our future.

(the boots are two seasons ago of this ecco style. also have the black. love them big time.)

the space between collection

open up and live bracelet

As I move in and out of the roles I play in my life...
teacher, mama, friend, wife, artist, business owner, writer, and how the list goes on...
I try to pause for a few moments
to notice the space found in between these roles
to notice the world around me so I can get out of my head
and back into my heart.

stand in your light necklace

During these moments, I take a deep breath, soak up the world around me, and listen to the words I most need to hear.

i am home necklace

The Space Between Collection is inspired by those words and the colors I see in the in between spaces of my day during this winter season in the Pacific Northwest:

As I look at the window holding my morning cup of coffee
When I walk from the studio to my house
When I notice the changing colors of the sky throughout the day
When I see just a peek of Puget Sound when I pick up my daughter from school
When I walk in the woods and try to just be present to this moment right here...

I'm having so much fun creating with these colors and phrases that have been swirling around my heart for the last couple of months. Like the "Forest to the Sea" collection, creating these pieces felt like a true meditation. And I'm excited to include several pairs of new Soul Mantra earrings in this collection. Almost all the necklaces are one of a kind, but I will be making a handful each of the bracelets and earrings. You can see more of the collection here in my shop.

trust this truth

This morning, I stood in front of my mirror and whispered these words to myself.

Sharing them here in case you need this reminder too...

(If you want to receive stories of my adventures in creative self-care and gentle reminders like this one in today's post, sign up for my [almost] weekly newsletter here.)

truth

Some days I can feel the mending with each breath.

Other days I just hold on to trust by my fingertips.

here

oh this face :: Millie, my daily companion for the last eight years (she's 12)

enjoying :: apples + peanut butter, coconut milk creamer, hearing Millie snore in the middle of the day (always, always)

listening :: I found my long lost iPod nano last month (lost since 2007), so playlists made circa 2006 are in the air around here. Like this one. Feels like yesterday and 20 years ago all at once.

seeing :: Spending more time with the mirror meditation...giving myself space to notice the truth, beauty, realness of showing up as me when I just look myself in the eyes and breathe. (And feeling moved to ask you to join me. More on that next week.)

reading :: This month's Sprout magazine is all about friendship. And Kelly and I have a little piece about how two little Indiana girls found their way to become friends and how it took one of them moving across the country for them to find one another. There is some really lovely poetry in this month's issue too.

loving :: My new Texture mini comfy skirts. I'm wearing them over yoga pants, and the pocket is perfect for my phone and the length is great for doing yoga (and, well, everyday living). I've been wearing Texture for about seven years now and so glad I decided to try this length. Almost didn't because the word "mini" seems counterintuative to someone who wears an XL, but really this length is great over pants (or even another skirt).

watching :: House of Cards (new Netflix series that is so darn good) + this incredibly hilarious video from Ophira Eisenberg's appearance on the Late Late Show (thanks to Jen for sending it over! Ophira is part of Jen's incredible Telling Your Story curriculum) + introducing my studio assistant (aka Ellie's babysitter) to Alias while we packaged this week (I remembered that first episode being like a mini movie but oh.my.goodness it was fun to watch with someone who had no idea what would happen next. oh and hello bradley cooper!)

trusting :: Trying to clear some distractions so I can trust what I hear in the space where the quiet and my intuition mingle. 

noticing :: Spring is returning. Yes. From the buds on the cherry tree to the green crocus shoots appearing, she is finding her way again.

can you choose love today?

It didn’t go the way you planned
(this day, this moment,
this month, this time in your life)

Can you still choose love?

You weren’t your best self
(your ego was in charge
you got caught up
in envy
popularity
silliness
simply wanting to be liked)

Can you still choose love?

You said things you didn’t mean
(or didn’t even understand
or didn’t even realize
because you were so caught up in the old stories)

Can you still choose love?

You have a tight grasp on what was
(you feel lost
disappointed
forgotten)

Can you still choose love?

You miss a piece of who you used to be
(you’ve tried to hide
or pretend you haven’t noticed
or stuffed the feelings down so very deep)

Can you still choose love?

Today
here
this moment
Can
you
choose
love?

I know it’s hard sometimes
I know the push and pull of life can feel heavy
I know the roles you move in and out of stack up
I know you thought being an adult would be easier
I know you have so many stories inside you

I know
Oh honey
I know

Today, I make a choice
one I’ve made many times
one that can still feel hard
Today,
I walk down the hall
stand in front of the mirror
close my eyes
one breath
then another
then another
then two more
and then I open my eyes and say,
I love you

Join me
Choose love today
Yes

***

I often read my posts aloud once before posting. When I did this today, these words felt like a powerful declaration. So I pressed record in case you need to hear them too. Just click "choose love" below to listen. You can also right-click and save.

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choose love