YES to gratitude {on being positive}

the you are not alone locket

Every now and then someone who has found me via Pinterest will comment on a pin or send me a note that says something like this, "How are you so positive all the time?" 

And in my head, my reaction is often, "Oh honey, if you only knew me."

But last Friday, as I was hammering lockets and pendants that will be going out across the miles this holiday season, I was thinking about this question. And the truth is when I push past that immediate need to hide a little or worry about what you would think if you saw the real "messy" me on a daily basis, this is what I find resting inside this idea of being positive:

I do believe that most of us are all doing the best we can each day. I believe that we each have hard stuff in our lives. Sometimes that hard stuff is huge and literally about life and death. Other times that hard stuff is the daily living stuff that piles up and feels heavy.

And in the midst of all of this, we want to know we are not alone. We want to know that we are loved.

Being someone who creates talismans that serve as a tangible reminder that we are not alone on this crazy, awesome, messy journey has become a way for me to be in touch daily with what I believe.

The act of literally hammering phrases like "I am enough" and "You are not alone" and "I am brave" and "hope lives here" and "deeply loved" pushes me to believe these things even on the hard days.

I am pushed to believe them because I know you believe them. How do I know? I've hammered thousands, yes thousands, of necklaces during the past few years filled with these phrases and words of the year and prayers.

And I've shared stories and quotes and other good things over on Pinterest and you keep saying, "Yes" and "Me too" and reaching out to say that you look at my pins each morning as you drink your coffee because they help you begin your day with a positive feeling in your heart.

You give me the gift of believing so that I know I am not alone over here holding onto these truths...tucking them into my pockets as I go about my day...as I experience the ebb and flow, the beauty and the mess, that each day brings. 

Thank you for this gift. I'm so blessed to do what I do each day.

*****

This November, I'm exploring the idea of saying YES to gratitude in all its gorgeous, sometimes confusing, heart-expanding ways. And I'm inviting you to come along on the adventure here on my blog.

Throughout the month, there will be a practice in letting others know I'm grateful for them, a few stories, a collaboration or two, inspiration from others, some giveaways, and a few other good things. 

You can find all the YES to Gratitude posts right here. 

love this: doctor who goodness

So we are neck-deep in a Doctor Who sort of weekend over here. Isn't everyone? So I thought I'd pull together some of my favorite Doctor Who goodies I've come across lately (and have been adding to potential gifts for Jon for Christmas). And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, no worries. I'll be back to non-time travel related programming in a day or so.

1. So this shirt references the scariest hour of television I've ever watched. EVER. But gosh the "Blink" episode was brilliant. (And I don't ever want to watch it again.)

2. Love this iPhone case. (I actually think it would be an awesome tattoo...not for me...but for someone.)

3. A "Sonic Screwdriver" toothbrush. But of course this exists.

4. The only thing that would make this 11th Doctor Mr. Potato Head better was if it was the 10th. (Because well, Ten Is My Doctor.)

5. And he's my doctor because he says things like this: "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey… stuff." And you can wear that on a t-shirt, which is pretty much perfection.

Hope your weekend is full of good things and time to just have a little fun. 

yes, this.

Tonight, I'm thinking about the "yes" moments I've been collecting over the last week or so...the moments that gently pushed me to be really present and notice the beauty in the midst of the crazy and the hard and the real.

When Ellie Jane came out of her bedroom for about the tenth time after she went to “bed” to tell me one more thing but instead curled up on my lap for a few minutes and put her hand on mine, and I made the choice to just be right here instead of worrying about what tomorrow might bring if she didn’t get enough sleep.

Yes, this.

When I stuck with it even though I wanted to run. 

Yes, this.

When I realized he needed a hug more than he needed me to tell him how to do it right.

Yes, this.

When I paused to just listen to the rain fall on the roof instead of checking my email, then Facebook, then Instagram for the hundredth time. 

Yes, this.

When I picked up the phone and burst into tears as the words tumbled out and she said, "You aren't alone."

Yes, this. 

When I decided to make biscuits for breakfast even though I was the only one home (and I ate four of them).

Yes, this.

When I had an upside-down sort of day but remembered what I know. And what I know is Barbra Streisand's Broadway album, a scarf made with love by my mom, lipstick + mascara, and reaching out to Jon to say, "Can you come home soon?" all help me feel loved and not alone.

Yes, this.

When the deep missing caught me by surprise, and I closed my eyes to try to remember every detail of the guest room in my grandmother's house and suddenly I heard her voice but then it was gone and I wondered if I'll ever remember how it sounded when she'd say my name.

Yes, this.

When I let myself really hear you say, "You really are a good mom." And I tucked our conversation in my pocket to pull out on those days when I forget.

Yes, this.

What "yes" moments are you collecting over in your corner? Give yourself the gift of noticing.

*****

Water Your Soul is an invitation to see the beauty and the mess and making the choice to say "yes" to all of it (even on the days that feels impossible). 

It's about realizing you are not alone in feeling whatever this time of year brings up for you.

It's about making simple moves in December that will help take away from the chaos, not add to it.

It's about being right here giving yourself the gift of replenishing you even as you also give to others.

We begin gathering in our private Facebook space this Wednesday. In that space, we'll share stories, connect, and just be present with one another. We "officially" begin our time together December 1.

Click here to learn more and join us.

Please email me any questions you have.

love this: luvocracy favorites (november)

I've been adding new finds to my Luvocracy boards to give you some gift ideas for the holidays. Here are some favorites:

1. First, I might have found your new favorite pencil sharpener.

2. And this Tea Buddy might be one of my best finds ever. So glad someone finally thought of this!

3. Haikubes! A poetry game is a very good thing. Perfect for writers and poets and people who just love words. My brother also uses these to help him write song lyrics when he gets stuck. 

4. All 11 Doctor Whos as Doctor Hoos on a mug? Yes, please. Jon has this as a t-shirt and now this mug is at the top of my Christmas list (well, right after a new kitchen because a girl has to dream when she's making up a list for Santa).

5. So this "word a day" journal would solve my wordiness problem. Love the idea of looking back at the end of the year. It might even read like a poem.

Note that there's free shipping on orders over $25 over on Luvocracy through Monday. My current favorite boards are my stocking stuffer gift guide and "gifts for him" ideas and my really popular "fill it with something hot" mug + tea board.

If you need a quick refresher about Luvocracy, check out this post. And if you have questions or suggestions, let me know and I'll pass them along.

YES to gratitude {an hour steeped in it}

This morning, the house was quiet. I found myself slipping into the overwhelm about the to-do list, about the blog post ideas I had yesterday that I forgot to write down, about so many other things. I took a deep breath and decided getting in the shower would clear my head.

But instead, the ideas and "you should do it this way" thoughts started swirling. My shoulders were hunched and I could feel my face frowning.

So I turned my face toward the water and let it fall over me. Breathing. Noticing.

And I started to just make a list of gratitude in my mind. For this warm water. For the time I have alone in this moment. For the warmth of my home. For the strength I feel in my body today. For the ways I know how to take care of myself. For the kind voice Ellie used this morning. For the sound of my mother's laughter after Ellie handed the phone back to me when they talked before school. For Millie, curled up on the floor outside the bathroom door. For the way the soap lathered in my hands and felt on my body.  

When my mind would start to wander, I would pretend I was in a meditation and greet the thought (literally saying, "hello over there. I see you. I'm coming back to gratitude.") and take a breath and begin listing again. 

As I got out of the shower, I just kept practicing. 

For this favorite sweater and shoes that help my feet not hurt while I stand in the shower. For the notes my customers have been including with their Soul Mantra orders. For the warmth of this favorite brown rice tea. For the smell of this raisin bread as it toasts. For the silliness of licking the last bit of peanut butter off the knife. For the sound of the rain on the patio roof as I walk to the studio. For this sacred place of my own. 

And I didn't want to stop. I felt lighter. I started to cross to the computer to check email, but decided I wasn't ready to come back to that abyss of "to do" and instead took out my gratitude postcards and got to writing.

Letting this lightness I was feeling transfer to notes that will be sent across the miles. To an uncle I haven't talked to in years. To a friend who was such a kind listener while I was pregnant. To a new friend who teaches me with her open-hearted ways. To the friend whose known me for more than 20 years and still sticks around. 

And I felt rebooted. At home inside. Ready to be open again, stepped in gratitude, self-kindness, and love.

Yes.

A Gratitude Prompt: Consider spending an hour or even just five minutes steeped in gratitude. Noticing the truths of this moment. Noticing what you hold in your heart. Noticing the light that comes from paying attention to what makes your life so full of beauty (even in the messy times).

*****

I'm using artist Lori Portka's A Month of Thank Yous Gratitude Kit to send these notes of gratitude out into the world this month. There are 30 different postcards in the kit, so you are actually getting 30 small prints on gorgeous, thick, easy-to-write on cardstock. 

Lori's offering my readers a 15% discount this month with the code THANKFUL (just put the code in right above your order total on the shopping cart page).

*****

This November, I'm exploring the idea of saying YES to gratitude in all its gorgeous, sometimes confusing, heart-expanding ways. And I'm inviting you to come along on the adventure here on my blog.

Throughout the month, there will be a practice in letting others know I'm grateful for them, a few stories, a collaboration or two, inspiration from others, some giveaways, a special Etsy sale for my newsletter subscribers, and a few other good things. 

You can find all the YES to Gratitude posts right here. 

new silver collection (and a shop coupon)

I'm so excited to announce my new silver collection is in the shop. New pewter pendants (with customizable options!), silver-plated lockets, and a few sterling silver pieces (including the popular "so i fly" necklace).

Over the years I've had a lot of requests for silver pieces, and I'm so thrilled to be able to offer some options at several price points.

(And if you look through the new items, you just my spot my tentative word for 2014. Have you been thinking about your word yet? I'm going to spend some time writing about my 2013 word soon and what I've learned from it.)

And just for fun a little pre-holiday sale in the shop! Use coupon code FIFTEEN to take 15% off your order through Friday. (Remember, just click "apply coupon code" right above your shopping cart total and enter the code there.)

Thank you for supporting my shop and my family. I'm feeling deeply blessed to be able to share my stories and create these talismans to be sent out into the world.

Big love,

Liz

YES to gratitude {I want to remember...}

I want to remember how excited you are to wear your rainboots so you can walk in the water and explore.

I want to remember that you asked about Millie's family and listened thoughtfully as I explained I didn't know her dog family but that Daddy and I rescued Millie from a human family that didn't want her anymore for reasons we don't know or understand. We talked about how much we love her and are glad that she's part of our family.

I want to remember the moments when I realized you know almost every word to the first stanza of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" and just about every word of Of Monsters and Men's "Little Talks." I want to remember how your little voice was singing along with such joy as you painted.

I want to remember how much you love Grandma Fina's pasta sauce and often remind me that it is the best pasta sauce in the whole wide world.

I want to remember the way you talk to the little babies at school and how you gently touch them and say, "Good morning."

I want to remember the excitement you had on your face when you said, "Come on Mama and Daddy, be in a band with me!" And we got out all the instruments and played and drummed and sang and you were definitely in charge.

I want to remember how much you love making chili.

I want to remember how I found you in child's pose in your room after you'd stomped down the hall so mad because I said "no."

I want to remember that I'm trusting my intuition when it comes to so many things and modeling this for you is one of my most important moves as your mama.

I want to remember the moments when you wrap your arms around my arm as you cuddle up with me on the couch and say, "Mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, I love you."

*****

"I want to remember..." is one of my favorite prompts to use here on my blog, in Project Life, and when I'm stuck (or when I think I don't have any stories left). Each statement becomes it's own access point to a story I want to tell. And, so often I find threads of gratitude woven within the memories. 

An invitation :: Get out a pen and paper and write your own list today. You might even want to leave a comment sharing an "I want to remember" story.

*****

This November, I'm exploring the idea of saying YES to gratitude in all its gorgeous, sometimes confusing, heart-expanding ways. And I'm inviting you to come along on the adventure here on my blog.

Throughout the month, there will be a practice in letting others know I'm grateful for them, a few stories, a collaboration or two, inspiration from others, some giveaways, a special Etsy sale for my newsletter subscribers, and a few other good things. 

You can find all the YES to Gratitude posts right here. 

Spring 2014 Your Story Retreat

Come along to the Oregon Coast for five days with Elise Blaha Cripe, Kelly Barton, and me as your guides!

Next year's Your Story Retreat will take place March 26-30 in Gearhart, Oregon. During our time on the coast, we will explore ways to tell our stories through writing and poetry, painting and printing, sharing stories, and lots of other creative fun. We will look at how our dreams can inform our stories and dive into the topic of how to embrace the everyday joys and the messy parts of daily life. 

Throughout the retreat and workshops, Elise, Kelly, and I will share stories and creative tools while creating a safe, encouraging environment for everyone. We will let our cameras guide us, walk on the beach, and let the sun shine upon our heads as we listen to one another and share pieces of who we are.

Note: Registration for Your Story 2014 will open at 7AM PST on Wednesday, November 13. (Last year's retreat sold out in less than 24 hours so keep that in mind.) There are just 25 participant spots at this small retreat. 

Head over to the Be Present Retreats site to check out the retreat details including the workshops each teacher will be sharing. And just let me know if you have any questions.