i want to remember

I want to remember:

The sound of your laughter as we ran toward the water together.

The way you danced, singing to yourself as you picked up sand and felt the texture between your fingers.

Your excitement when we both walked ankle deep into the water in our rain boots so we could "wait for the waves."

The feel of your hands taking mine each time you were convinced "a big one is coming this time Mama."

The neverending giggles when the water went all the way down into your boots and how you were delighted that your socks were soaked.

The moment when I remembered you've been off of your heart medication for a year now.

The way you would run to Daddy and Millie to update them on how big the waves were and how funny it was when that HUGE one even got my pants wet.

The gentle kindness you showed Millie as you shared the backseat during our long drive to and from the coast.

The way you chatted during our entire picnic that we ate tucked into the back of the car, watching the waves and feeding carrots to Millie.

The truth that even in the midst of the stuff that is hard, life really is this beautiful. 

keeping our hearts open

Variations on these words, "keeping our hearts open will heal us," have tapping on me this week. I can't stop thinking about how our hearts crack and mend, and how the mending comes when we let ourselves really live.

I've been thinking about this idea so much that I felt moved to make a little video and tell you a story about a poem I wrote about this idea and to share more about why I believe this is true.

The poem is from my poetry collection Five Days in April, which you can find in my shop.

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

pinned it. did it. {with meg}

So excited about today's Pinned It. Did It. post from Meg. Quick, easy to do smart ideas that you just might need. Love using Pinterest to find ideas like this.

Read on for Meg's post...

*****

It’s been a few months now since Liz and I started to really focus on using Pinterest for good, and I’ve been thinking about how sometimes Pinterest can feel overwhelming. I often hear people say that Pinterest makes them feel inadequate or like they aren’t doing enough. But I think the beauty of Pinterest lies in the ability to tuck ideas away for the right time when there is a project that I’m ready to tackle or the recipe I have been meaning to try. I like to look at it through the lens of each idea, recipe, pin as a bonus. Something I can add to the life I am already living. Sometimes those are big things like tutorials for making a new headboard or reorganizing entire rooms of the house. But sometimes they are small little things that just fit into the category of “smart ideas.” Not everything on Pinterest has to be a big production or needs its own tutorial.

Here are a few simple “smart ideas” I’ve recently tried from my pins.  

Instantly hang a second curtain panel behind existing rods with a bungee cord  

I tried this a couple of weeks ago after I made new curtains for my son’s room. They were not as light-blocking as I’d hoped they’d be so I bought two bungee cords and hung the previous tan ones behind the new polka dot ones to help block out more light. This idea is brilliant. It was literally a $3 solution to my curtain problems. The second curtains were hung in about 5 minutes. I purchased a 2 pack of bungee cords at Target and I would say that the only draw-back to this solution was that I hadn’t thought about the bungee cords showing when the curtains are open. So when I pull them open, you can see the green bungee cords. It doesn’t bother me much but if I use this trick anywhere else in my home, I’ll spend the extra money for the black bungee cords that will be less noticeable.

 

Cover a letter with an old map (or sheet music or comic books or...)

We traveled to Ireland a year ago in May and I’ve had our map laying around ever since. It’s the actual map we used while driving through the narrow streets on the wrong side of the road and in the wrong side of the car so needless to say - it has a little sentimental value to us. I decided to try covering our last name initial with the map so we could display it on our mantle. I purchased the cardboard letter “B” from Joann Fabric for about $3 and used Mod Podge to glue it on. I managed to get all of our important stops somewhere on the front or back of the letter. I had to get creative and piece together bits of the map for the insides of the hole but this ended up being about a 30-minute project. I am so happy to look up and see that memory displayed on our mantle. And it’s fun when people pull it down and ask us about our trip. I love preserving memories through those stories over and over again. 

Hem your pants and keep the original hem

This is brilliant. I am 5’ 3” and I end up needing to hem nearly every pair of pants I purchase. It was never the same to try to recreate a hem line because it always looked homemade. Now, with this super simple way of hemming pants, I can finally keep the original hem. I have used this method for three pairs of pants now, and it’s nearly impossible to tell that the pants have even been hemmed when I am wearing them. I love that I can customize my wardrobe to be a more tailored fit now.   

Pool Noodle Car Door Guard

We bought a new car in April. The second day I had it, I opened the car door and hit the the cement garage wall and left a tiny little scratch on the door. I remembered seeing this pin on Pinterest and my husband installed our own pool noodles on the side wall of the garage the next day. Maybe they seem a little silly, but with a 2 year old, we’re in and out of the back doors a lot and it is so nice not to worry about the car doors scraping anymore. This was a $5 solution.  

Rubber Band Seam Allowances

The best thing I’ve ever done for sewing in a straight line, was adding rubber band seam allowances to my sewing machine (I used hair ties because rubber bands are few and far between in our house). A simple little addition to my machine and I now have very nice, straight seams on my sewing. It’s easy to adjust them for the project I’m doing. I also like that they are different colors so I can keep two seam allowances handy for any given project. Such an easy, simple idea.

I’m curious about how you’re using and liking Pinterest. Have you done any big projects or used any smart ideas lately? Link to it or tell us about it. I really enjoy hearing from you and how you’re using new ideas in your world. 

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. 

***

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.

over here

print/poster available at behappy 

Loving :: The above quote from Anne Sexton. I might actually be a bit obsessed with it. Some poetry folks considered her work to be "too confessional" and "too personal." I wonder how that criticism shaped her. I wonder how that kind of criticism shapes us all when we are holding our hearts out into the world and inviting others in. Hear her read her poem "Her Kind" on poets.org.

Reading :: I am in love with the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. So thankful that Kyeli recommended it. I love a good mystery because it actually forces my mind to concentrate on just one thing and not multitask. I'm on Book 6 and it is my favorite so far. Louise Penny is writing more than mysteries here. Her way of describing her characters, how they move through the world, well, some paragraphs take my breath away. I should probably write a whole post about this soon. (Oh and Kyeli and I are going to reread the Harry Potter series this fall. And we're inviting you along just for fun. More details coming soon!) Also soaking up Louise Glück’s Poems.

Watching :: Continuum (interesting and kind of intense sci-fi show) and The Newsroom (which is in the midst of an odd season but I still love it. Aaron Sorkin's dialogue is one of my favorite ways to take a break and it helps ease my deep missing of The West Wing) 

Thinking about :: The Butler. Go and see it. Seriously good. 

Enjoying :: Cuddling in bed with Ellie in the mornings almost every day last week. I was trying to savor it before school began today. We are having some intense toddler moments over here sometimes, so these minutes of cuddles and giggles have been super sweet.

Dreaming about making :: A quilt like this one. These homemade poptarts. And these bracelets.

Planning :: Meals for the week. Inspired by the way Meg uses Pinterest for meal planning, I'm trying the "make a plan, go to the store and get the ingredients, and pin the menu to the corkboard in the kitchen" on Sunday method. Doing the same thing with "lunch/snack ideas" for me now that we're starting the back-to-school routine around here and I'll just have myself to think about during the day. (My biggest challenges are having trouble remembering what we have in the house and grabbing what I see for my lunch or grabbing anything when I remember to eat. And working all the way to Ellie's pick up time, not thinking about dinner, and having Jon pick up take-out on his way home. Maybe you know variations on these problems too. I think the plan is the only way to go.) Started a pinboard of "let's make dinner (for reals)" to differentiate the doable recipes from "this looks good and wow I'd love to make it but let's be real" recipes I sometimes pin.

Thinking I might need :: This mug. This t-shirt. This necklace. And these big sticky notes.

Working on :: A new collection of jewelry. I'm actually going to be changing up the shop quite a bit this fall. Sneak peeks appearing soon on Instagram. 

Gathering :: Good things for the fall retreat. Can't. Wait. (And yes, we do have just a few spots left.)

And how about you? What are you up to in your corner of the world? I'd love to know.

senses. dahlia garden.

{smell}

{see}

{hear}

{taste}

{touch}

{and know}

where: Dahlia and Rose Gardens, Point Defiance Park
when: August 18, 2013

For several years now, I've been using my senses as a creative writing and photography prompt. They are my favorite creative tool because they are always available and they connect me to this present moment right here. Finding my senses through my camera lens (or through words) helps me get out of my head and often anchors me and reminds me to notice the beauty around me. I also use it as a meditation. And I always try to include a sixth sense of "know" that represents what I know in this moment. 

You can read more about this practice in my book Inner Excavation: Explore Your Self Through Photography, Poetry, and Mixed Media. 

See past posts about the senses here. If you join in with your own senses practice, I'd love to hear about it.

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.

*****

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.)

*****

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?

*****

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