believe in your own magic {a guest post}

Today, I'm kicking off a new series of guest posts that I'm calling "A Circle of Kindreds." These will be stories from a few people I consider my kindreds who are shining a light on the true stories and sharing adventures from their own creative self-care practices.

The first post is from the amazing, thoughtful, and luminous Alana Sheeren.

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Is there magic inside of me mama?

Yes sweetheart.

When will it come out?

It already does.

This conversation took place in the car with my five-year-old daughter. Though I guessed she meant the abracadabra kind, I answered truthfully from my point of view. She is magical. We all are.  Our bodies are magical. Our hearts, minds, and spirits. 

Pure magic.   

Most of us have forgotten though. 

What would your life look like if you felt magical? What would the world look like if we all knew ourselves to be walking miracles, powerful creator beings in human form? 

I’m not talking about positive thinking, Law of Attraction abiding citizens. I’m talking divinely inspired beings of love and light, living beautifully and imperfectly on purpose. By which I mean that we all hold the seeds of greatness inside of us – whether that shows up by you being a loving partner and parent, a compassionate human being at work and dedicated volunteer on weekends, or as someone who is a force for good on the world stage. It doesn’t matter. There are no visions too big or too small. 

I am magic. So are you.

It’s hard to remember when we’re caught up in the daily to-do-ness of life. This is a problem. At least it is for me. When I stop long enough to witness the magic around me, to see my stillborn son in the twinkle of a star, my husband’s love in the clean dishes drying beside the sink and (my version of) God in the perfect feather at my feet, I breathe more deeply. I stop trying to control everything and stand squarely in my trust that life is good even when it feels bumpy. 

And if I am magic, then I am worth loving, and listening to, and knowing well, whether anyone else believes that or not. 

When I think of myself (and everyone else) as a miracle, I no longer need to compare my accomplishments with yours, or hers (that happy, successful woman over there who looks like she walked out of a magazine with her 3 kids). I can believe that my value is intrinsic and isn’t diminished by anyone else shining brightly. 

I invite you to join me in this practice of remembering. When the road ahead seems dark and life is full of challenges, when you’re not feeling as happy and shiny as your Facebook friends, when you’re wondering how long it will be before you lose the weight/fall in love/make six figures, try these words on and see what happens:

I am magic. I am a miracle. I am love.

It might make you weep. It could make you rage. But if you open to the possibility that it just might be true, it could also change your life.

Deep breath. Say it with me.

I am magic. I am a miracle. I am love. 

(If those words don’t work for you, find some that do. Because having a mantra that connects you to your inner brilliance is…well…magic.)

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Alana Sheeren writes and teaches about grief, transformation, love and luminosity. Through her e-course, Shine she encourages everyone to listen to their inner wisdom, claim their truth and shine their unique light into the world. She loves deep conversations, joyful connections, spending time by the ocean and everyday magic. 

You can find out more about her at her website, and sign up for the next round of Shine here. 

A PS from Liz: I was lucky enough to take part in Shine this spring. Alana's real-life stories + beautiful, accessible practices were a powerful combination that helped me create space to really notice what I needed, how I was moving through my day, and invited me to give myself the gift of slowing down to just listen to my heart. As a teacher, I don't always remember to give myself this gift I so often try to teach. Alana helped me to feel safe as a student so I could.

space around assumptions

Can you create space around your assumptions today?

Can you let go of assuming someone's life is perfect based on the picture you are painting with cobbled together Facebook statuses, Instagram photos, and stories you've heard someone else tell?

Can you spend time observing your own way of moving through the world before you fill in the blanks about how you think someone else does?

Can you put aside your comparisons and just be right here living your life?

Can you imagine what it might be like to be the person next to you right now?

Can you find empathy buried underneath the fear that you aren't enough?

Can you take a breath before you speak, write that status, send that email?

Can you take three breaths?

Can you walk outside and listen to the birds singing instead of comparing yourself to the chatter online today?

Can you create space around your heart and choose love?

Can you choose to love yourself right now, right here, in this moment?

Can you choose to trust you are enough and let go of those assumptions you are clutching?

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These are just a few thoughts I've been having over here as I continue to navigate all that this crazy, awesome, hard, beautiful life holds.

Sending peace and light to your corner,

Liz

PS To receive little reminders and love notes like this one in your inbox, sign up to receive my (almost) weekly newsletter here.

here

 rose garden sunday morning

it really was that good

 "mama, this is a friendly monster i just drew."

Poem. It. Out. is a way of life (currently reading this)

On the way to one of the most beautiful wedding I've ever witnessed (taking photos in the car makes me happy. always)

gosh, i love living in this corner of the world

retreating

Writing in The Lodge :: Gearhart, OR (photo by Vivienne McMaster)

When I get home from retreats, I always have plans to share photos and stories in this space. But each time it doesn't really happen. I get swept up in being back in the midst of family life and work stuff waiting for me. And I just can't seem to find the words for the few weeks after a retreat. By the time I do, I'm ready to talk about what's happening in this moment.

Photographers at play :: Gearhart, Oregon

Recently, I asked the ladies from the Your Story Retreat if they would share some words about their experience. When Hannah wrote the following in our private Facebook group, it was like a collective sigh of "Yes, just like this" was heard.

This is possibly the biggest and best gift you could give yourself, and actually your family and loved ones as well. You will change on a deep and meaningful level, and begin the transformation into the person you were meant to be.

Forget any little voices telling you that you can't take time for yourself, or it's not your cup of tea, or you don't know anyone and what if they're all weirdos....(all thoughts I had before I went!)

The truths are these: you do deserve it and taking this time to care for yourself will equip you to be present and truly see and love the people in your life when you return.

You already know the other women going, you just haven't met them yet. Within a few hours you will feel so comfortable talking and listening to them that you'll feel as though you've known them for ever. You'll make some deep connections with beautiful souls who will continue to touch and bless your life after you leave. 

You will laugh and cry and talk and write and dance and draw and breathe and heal and grow and be nourished and loved. 

But the most important truth is this: encircled by this group of women you will catch a glimpse of yourself as the woman they see (instead of the woman your inner critic tells you you are) and you will like her, you will want to see more of her. And when you get home and the laughter has faded, and the sand is shaken out of your shoes, you will make time for her. Maybe not every day, but she will stay with you forever.

-Hannah, Your Story Retreat 2013

So if you've been wondering about what it would be like to come to the Pacific Northwest for a Be Present Retreat, well, it's a lot like that.

Come to the Oregon Coast

 

We still have a few spots open at the Story Excavation Retreat with Jen Lee, Kelly Barton, and me. The dates are September 11-15 and we'd love you to come along to the Oregon Coast and connect with the kindreds you've been waiting for.

Learn more right here.

pinned it. did it. {with meg}

Meg is back with another Pinned it. Did it. post! This one has me making a special trip to the grocery store today to get a couple of ingredients so that I can make this bread (I have two huge zucchinis just staring at me on my counter right now). 

In the comments below, let us know how Pinterest is inspiring you these days! (And if instead you feel overwhelmed by Pinterest let us know that too - I'd love to write a few posts about this very thing so ask any questions or share your thoughts. Thanks!)

Read on for Meg's post.

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It’s that time of year when the fridge and the countertops are loaded with fresh produce either from the grocery store, the farmers market, or the garden. I remember planting a garden in high school and one thing we were certain would yield a lot of produce: zucchini. So if you have zucchini sitting around or have more to do with it than ways to cook with it, here’s the perfect way to use it or share it.

I first made this Lemon Zucchini Loaf with Lemon Glaze for some friends and it was devoured within minutes of cutting it. I knew at that moment that I would have to save this for special occasions or only pull it out when I really wanted to make an impression. And believe me, it does! However, today looking at all the zucchini we had in the fridge, I decided that it was also a perfect “just because” loaf. And I was right. 

It’s really easy to stir together. I followed the directions exactly as written for this loaf, but I think in the future I will play around with the recipe to see if I can make substitutions like gluten-free flour or applesauce instead of oil, or cut back on the sugar. I make note of changes to each pin when I re-pin something to my “I pinned it and then I did it” board and I think one other slight adjustment I will make note of for the future is to use less lemon juice for the glaze and maybe split the liquid portion of the glaze: half lemon juice, half buttermilk. The glaze is a bit sharp in flavor and is very sweet. I could use a bit less and still enjoy it. And I am a frosting lover. But don’t skip it altogether, it’s wonderful. 

This bread has the perfect amount of lemon flavor. It’s not overpowering, just fresh and light. I also think the buttermilk takes it from being good to great with the hint of sour to help balance the sweet. And with a full cup of grated zucchini, it is moist and light as can be. 

Lemon is one of my favorite summer flavors. I like to pair lemon with iced tea for the perfect summer duo. What other flavors resonate with summer for you? 

Meg Brothers is an artist, photographer, mama, and dreamer. She loves cooking, tattoos, and sporadic dance parties in the kitchen. She prefers dark chocolate, black coffee, and flip flops when weather permits. She is a lover of Pinterest and truly believes in integrating ideas and inspiration - big or small - into normal life. Meg lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, Dustin and son, Julian. Meg writes about photography, family, and creative inspiration at megbrothers.com. Find her on Pinterest here and on Twitter here. 

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Note from Liz: Over here in my corner, I'm trying to "use Pinterest for good." I really see it as a community of people trying to see the beauty and possibility in their lives. I'm adding a few new features here on my blog inspired by or directly about Pinterest as a way to invite others to look for this beauty within a social media community. I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds. Connect with me on Pinterest here. Read other "Pinned it. Did it." columns here.

and so i fly

Delighted to be including these new postcards with all orders from the So I Fly Collection.

It's been beautiful to read the stories about why people are drawn to the feathers and the birds and the words. The pieces from this collection are often gifted to friends going through difficult times or embarking on new adventures. I gather these stories and tuck them in the pockets inside me so that I can pull them when I need to be reminded of why I do what I do over here in my little studio in the Pacific Northwest.

And I'm so happy that my little shop just keeps growing. Working on some exciting new designs for fall that I'll be sharing some sneak peeks of soon.

Thank you for supporting my shop and my work and my family. I really am blessed.

Sending so much light and love to your corner of the world today...

Soul Mantra Stones

 

Since I first joined Pinterest a few years ago, I’ve loved all the painted rocks pins, but I hadn’t found a DIY for them that seemed easy enough to get me to actually use some of my favorite rocks from Puget Sound and Lake Superior and put pen or paint to them.

So when Infinity Markers sent me some of their markers to try, I decided I would just tackle these rocks and see what happened. 

First, I called in reinforcements via my studio assistant Bonnie. We gathered the rocks from spots around the house, gave them a good washing to remove any sand and seaweed, and let them dry in the sun. While they dried, we got out some paper and started sketching and making lists of our favorite Soul Mantra phrases. Then the fun began (while listening to Mumford and Sons of course).

The first few were pretty much not cute because we were getting a feel for the rocks as a new surface to doodle on. But then we found our groove and just played. I can’t wait to bring these markers to the Story Excavation Retreat next month. Kelly and I are already brainstorming ways we can use them for some fun crafty activities.

Creating Your Rocks

This is more of a “just have fun and play” sort of DIY but here are a few tips to get you started in the hopes that you will see this post and literally think, “I’m going to do this on Saturday.”

Things to think about: 

1. The texture of the rock: Just because a rock is flat doesn’t mean it will be easy to write on. We found that a smooth surface was more important than thin and flat. Some rocks were really porous and very difficult to write on and they soaked up the ink. That said, the flatter the easier to write on of course. 

 

2. The shape of the rock: The longer skinny rocks were perfect for the feathers. Rounder rocks created more space for words with decorations. The tiny rocks were perfect for one short word or hearts. It might seem obvious, but when you are staring at the rocks you love and thinking about what to put on them, the shape is a good place to start.

3. What to draw: Look at Pinterest for inspiration! What did you enjoy drawing as a kid or what do you doodle now? I used to love filling up a notebook page with circles, so I had fun adding circles. And Bonnie learned that I’ve never met a polka dot I didn’t like as I kept trying to add polka dots to every single rock we played with.

I really wanted some feathers on the rocks, so Bonnie looked at a few stamps in my studio for reference and then started playing. She used a pencil first to get a feel for the shape and then went over the pencil with both the very fine tip and fine point markers.

4. Consider other objects to write on: I had some drift wood and created a little altar for the heart rocks with my favorite quote from Mumford and Sons. I plan to put it on the windowsill in our bathroom as a daily reminder of the way I want to live. Love it! Bonnie also used one small piece of driftwood for the smallest feather. Some of the driftwood was really porous, so keep that in mind. 

5. If you don’t like what you draw, flip the rock over! You can also use the metallic markers to cover up any of the colors and then write a word on top of the metallic color. 

Why we liked using Infinity Markers: 

1. I’m just going to start with this one because we kept commenting on it over and over while we were playing: These are permanent markers that don’t stink. For real. In fact, at one point Bonnie said, “I think these smell kind of good.” If we’d been using any other permanent marker for as long as we played with these rocks, the odor would have been too intense.

2. The black marker and the metallics especially look like paint on the rocks. So you have the look of paint, but you have the control of a pen or marker. For someone like me who doesn’t feel comfortable painting freehand with a brush, they are pretty much a dream come true.

3. They dried very fast, which was really nice when we were adding multiple layers. The colors didn't smudge at all.

 

4. The metallics really showed up on the darker rocks. For this project though, when I tried using them to write the words, the result seemed too “paint-pen like” for me. It wasn’t the marker so much as the look of my writing (and made me think of craft projects from my middle school days), so we ended up using them for accents because they showed up so great. There is even a purple metallic that Bonnie used on her purple feather. Love that.

5. The black fine point was by far my favorite for this project. It would be fun to use all the other happy colors on some lighter rocks though. I could imagine making an entire bowl full of heart rocks in all different colors. 

Other Ideas

As we chatted while playing with these markers + rocks, Bonnie and I kept coming up with other ideas.

Letter rocks: It would be fun to make a whole letter set for Ellie to play with. Using one of those letter stencils with these markers would make this super easy.

Talismans: Most of the rocks we made fall into this category. They are words/phrases and images that ground me and remind me to be really present in the everyday chaos. It would be lovely to take a handful small rocks and write several intentions on them and then put them all in a bowl. You could choose one each day to carry in your pocket and then you could hold it in your hand when you need support.

Story rocks: You could draw objects like trees, a house, animals, etc. on the rocks and then you and your child could use them to tell stories.

This weekend, I hope you get outside and gather some rocks and just play. (You can get Infinity Markers at most Target stores! Print a coupon out here.) And let me know if you make them. I’d love to see pictures (and your pins!).

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Infinity Markers but the opinions are my own. Some links are affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you purchase from the links.

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A little note: Over here in my corner, I'm trying to use Pinterest for good. I really see it as a community of people trying to see the beauty and possibility in their lives. I'm adding a few new features here on my blog inspired by or directly about Pinterest as a way to invite others to look for this beauty within a social media community. I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds. Connect with me on Pinterest here. And stay in touch via my weekly adventures in self-care notes.

you are not alone

You are not alone.

Trusting this truth is really the core of the work I'm trying to do in this world.

Because here is what I believe:

Although our experiences are different, we've all felt lonely, misunderstood, confused, deeply hurt, abandoned, lost, and maybe even broken.

But you are not broken. You might have places that feel broken and moments that feel lonely and experiences that have left you feeling deeply hurt. 

You might even feel really lost right now.

But you are not alone.

The person beside you on the subway, in line next to you at the grocery store, dropping your mail off at your home, the person you deeply admire, your boss, your best friend, your mom, the girl who teased you in middle school, the person coming through the front door at the end of the day, that person has felt all these things too.

But so often we don't talk about it.

It's okay to talk about it. It's okay to hold hands with fear and courage and reach out. It's okay to tell the true stories.

And it's okay to trust that you aren't alone. 

If it's hard, just try it right now for one, maybe two deep breaths. (Try on that trust today.) And then for a few more deep breaths tomorrow. 

You might even want to reach out and let someone else know they aren't alone. So often we realize we aren't alone when we tell someone else that we see them...that we are here for them.

I'll be here beside you trusting too.

Sending you so much light across the miles dear one. Yes.

*****

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