around here

 

Snow. It rarely happens, so looking out the window last night and seeing a couple of inches brought about feelings of pure joy inside. Each winter I miss my Midwest roots even while I hold the gratitude of never needing to shovel or drive in it anymore. Having it stick around all day today when we had no where to go was awesome. 

While Ellie was sitting on Jon's lap while watching the Olympics yesterday, this conversation happened:
Ellie: "Valentine's Day is a season of family."
Jon: "Did you make that up or did someone tell you that?"
Ellie: "No one told me and I did not make it up. Valentine's Day is a season of family!"
Me (softly to myself): "That was awesome."

The days leading up to Valentine's Day have been busy ones for my shop, and I'm deeply grateful. From parents sending daughters away at college little reminders that they are loved to so many beautiful souls buying the kindred necklace set with the intention of keeping one and giving the other to their dear soul friends to sisters giving their siblings sets of talismans, my heart is honestly smiling. 

In the midst of it all, Ellie's had an on-again off-again fever that has her going from leaning against me almost asleep to running around with endless energy with hardly a breath between. Intense. Lots of crafting and reading and watching movies and cuddling while she sleeps on me and forgiving myself when I lose it a wee bit and breathing deeply. (And yes, I did let her go outside for a few minutes because she was feeling better and, hello, snow! Because she has only been in it once before, her version of "playing" is "Mama, I must clean the snow off of all the furniture in the backyard." I had to stop her from moving on to cleaning it off the plants.)

And in the inbetween spaces, I'm working on something new that has me so darn excited. Like oh my goodness this is really going to happen excited. I'm feeling plugged in to the reasons why I'm here and what I want to share with you. And in this moment, I'm pausing right here as Jon reads to Ellie down the hall and I'm bringing my hands to my heart and taking five deep breaths saying softly to myself, "Just keep showing up as you and those who get it will come along and stand beside you. Yes." 

Sending love and light,
Liz 

this is me

This is me. Standing tall in the midst of my 37th year. Me pausing in the middle of the day and creating space to notice, to say, "What do you need kid?"

And then standing and breathing and listening. 

Here in my 37th year, I'm claiming this truth: I'm so damn glad to be here.

To be able to feel and hold and see the beauty and the shit that make up this gorgeous, crazy, sometimes really hard life.

To be able to deeply know that I am whole in the midst of all that has come before this moment and all that is to come ahead of me. And that I will continue to be whole even on the days I don't feel like I am.

To be able to look at the wrinkles forming around my eyes and mouth, the grey roots that I keep forgetting to cover, the softness that holds me together and feel my shoulders relax as I settle into the beauty of all of it.

To be able to make mistakes and still choose love. 

To be able to know the difference between speaking my truth and knowing my truth.

To be able to gently hold the vulnerable bits. The parts where I'm learning how to ask for help. The parts where I'm trying to open up to even more love. The parts where I'm admitting that I don't know. The parts where I'm listening more and softening judgement more and letting things just be when that is the right move. 

This is me looking myself in the eyes with compassion.

This is me seeing beauty and wholeness and truth.

This is me softening and opening up even more to the love within me, that surrounds me. 

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.

****

Today is Susannah's Conway's birthday and she's asked a few kindreds to share thoughts on "the (delicious) truth about aging." Soak up the wisdom from Susannah and others here.

what do you need?

(A little reminder from the archives today.)

Asking myself what I need and then creating enough space to listen to the answer is one of the practices I return to almost daily.

Sometimes this space is a few seconds, other times a minute or two.

I don't obsess about the answer or "if it's right." I just listen and learn. So often the answer is about a basic need of rest, connection, nourishment. And using this practice has become a simple daily handhold.

Try it today.

Close your eyes.

Take a deep breath.

And ask yourself: What do you need in this moment?

And then take five more deep breaths and really listen to your answer.

(You might even want to leave your answer in the comments so that you can really claim this truth today.

pinned it. did it. {with meg}

Meg is back with another DIY she found on Pinterest. Ellie would love this! And I think it would appeal to the science teacher in Jon. Might be a perfect thing for them to do this weekend. Thanks Meg!

*****

The cold January weather has brought us the most lovely snow flurries this morning. When we look out the window, it looks like a snow globe in our neighborhood. It’s a comforting type of snow. Not a run out to the grocery store and stock up on staples type of snow. And with the windchill outside, it’s too cold to take my son out to play. So we pulled up my Pinterest board where I pin Kid Crafts and Activities and picked a fun indoor activity. I’ve been eyeing various homemade play dough recipes and we settled on a no-cook version that uses our essential oils.  

A perk to using a no-cook method, was that my son, Julian, was able to help measure and pour (all except the boiling water). This recipe requires few ingredients that are all non-toxic and chemical free. 

 

I split our dough into three portions so that we could have three different scents of dough. We are really loving using essential oils in our house and I love the therapeutic qualities it adds to an already therapeutic and soothing activity. We used Wild Orange, Lemon, and Eucalyptus. I used food-grade gel food coloring (which left a tiny reminder of our adventure behind on my hands - perhaps rubber gloves for that part in the future?). And we substituted coconut oil for the vegetable oil since that’s what we have in the house. The texture of this dough is so soft and silky which I love. I was worried that the use of salt would make it gritty but it ended up so soft and smooth like the store-bought versions. 

 

My summer-born baby is an outdoorsy boy and I always struggle through the coldest parts of the winter to keep him inside. We venture out when we can, but it’s days like today that I’m so thankful for the Pinterest goodness of toddler activities and ideas galore. How fun it is to scroll through my board together and select an activity for the day. 

What type of winter day activities are filling your days? We’d love to hear about how you are spending your cold, winter days and if you are using Pinterest for ideas. Tell us about them in the comments below.

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. Connect with me on Pinterest here. Read other "Pinned it. Did it." columns here.

just show up as you.

I sent this note out to my newsletter kindreds last week and as I continue to open my heart up toward connection over here, I thought I'd share it with you in case you too need these words.

At the retreats I host, I watch a special magic unfold over the first evening and then into the first day we spend together. I watch women shed the labels of their everyday lives and begin to just show up as them. They release their grip on being identified as the roles they play - mother, wife, daughter of someone who is ill, woman going through a divorce, a person unsure of her next step, someone feeling stuck - and they settle into their chosen spot in the circle. As they listen to the stories of others, they begin to realize they are not alone in it all as a quiet chorus of "me too, me too" echoes in our circle.

For these five days, they don't have to be the strong one, the one who has it all together, the one who knows exactly what to do. They can just be themselves in the circle. They can listen and hold space for another. They can share a secret dream and not worry about judgment. They can be the quiet observer. They can even instigate a dance party after lunch. 

I watch these incredible women make the choice to open up their hearts and let out pieces of their true essence. And when they do this, the others around them so often say with words and actions, "I see you. You are beautiful. You have so much to offer this world. You are not alone. I'm here beside you."

We all need a space where we can just be us. A space where we aren't in charge. Where we feel safe enough to unearth this true essence inside us. A space to be the quiet one or the one who gives the biggest hugs or the one who invites others to dance or the one who simply nods and listens murmuring "yes." A space where we can connect with other like-minded souls.

Over here in my corner, the truth is that I'm longing for a space like this here in my own community. A space where I can just be me while surrounded by kindred spirits. A few weeks ago, I discovered a "new-to-me" yoga studio that seems very much in alignment with that essence inside me. A few times a week, I visit their website. I look at the class descriptions. I come up with another reason why I probably can't go this week. And then I find myself alone in the quiet wishing for that space to show up as me.

Are you nodding over there and thinking "me too" as you read my words and come up with reasons why you can't find this space in your corner of the world? If yes, I'm wondering if you might want to join me in taking one step toward finding that space for yourself. 

This one move might look like going to a yoga class or signing up for an art workshop or asking that other mother at daycare to get coffee this weekend or reaching out to an online friend you met in an ecourse and saying "Can we Skype?"

But most importantly, this move is going to look like practicing showing up as you. That's the only way you're going to know if it is the right space for you. 

I'll be over here working toward making my small move and cheering you on as you make yours. Let me know how it goes or share what's stopping you. Know that you aren't alone over there.

*****

If you've been feeling called to take time away from your day-to-day life to practice showing up as you and deeply connecting with others, consider coming along to the March Your Story Retreat. Due to cancellations, there are a few more spots available.

Join Elise Blaha Cripe, Kelly Barton, and me and a circle of kindreds as we share our stories, play with paint, write, walk on the beach, and laugh late into the night. 

We will also 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. 

Learn more about the Your Story Retreat here. And please just reply with any questions. (Note that there will not be a five-day summer retreat this year, and this will more than likely be the only Oregon Coast retreat in 2014.)

a list of stories.

Over here I have a lot of stories humming about inside me. Stories I want to share with you. Stories I want to write into a journal. Stories that are almost begging to be put inside an art journal that is patiently waiting for me to dive into. Stories that need to be put down because they are getting too heavy to carry.

When I feel full to overflowing like I do today and know that I won't be able to get to these stories right now, I have to literally make a list of them so I don't forget. The truth is that they can kind of escape when the overflowing happens. The lines and ideas that are weaving there way around my mind and heart might escape through a side door and find someone else. So I have to get something onto a page.

Sometimes I add to the list in my green Smash journal. Sometimes I literally make a list on the bathroom mirror. Sometimes I just grab any paper I can find and start writing and then tape that paper to the wall of my studio (I've learned that I must tape it up or it will get lost.)

Most importantly I remind myself over and over again that it is okay to tell the true stories. The uncertainty around this can come up when the list writing begins. I find myself pausing and thinking, "Oh not that one. I can't write about that one." 

But this is the magic of the list. It is just ideas onto the page. It is a space to hold the stories until you can unpack them into more details and into another container that will gather the details. That next container might be a blog post, a story for my newsletter, an ecourse, a story I want to tell at one of my retreats, or even pieces of a new book.

What do you do when the stories are overflowing inside? Do you make a list? Do you ignore them? Do you pretend that you don't really want to tell them? Do you just start writing, creating, painting, playing?

true stories pocket talisman in the shop

My hope for you is that you seek out the spaces where you feel safe to tell the true stories: a journal, with a friend, on a stage, on your blog, in a private community, and how the list goes on. You deserve to tell your true stories honey.

Yes.

PS Updating this to add that I love Glennon Doyle Melton's take on letting the idea go when your hands are full. So if you suddenly have a story idea appear while you are in the middle of something in your life that needs you more than the story does, it's okay to let it go into the wind. Maybe it will come back to you; maybe it will move on. Believing in abundance is a very good thing.

a certain kind of morning

It's a taking five deep breaths in the midst of the fog kind of morning.

A Hall & Oats followed by The Cars on the "Oldies" station kind of morning.

The sort of morning where you drop your daughter off at preschool and see her run up to her teacher and her friends and tell them all about her weekend and you think about how every single person in her life is shaping her in the best kinds of ways.

The sort of morning where you realize there isn't a lot of space for the guilt when you really pay attention.

The sort of morning where you make the choice to feel compassion toward the person driving a car full of bumper stickers that are everything you are not that just pulled out in front of you causing you to quickly brake.

It's that kind of morning.

The kind where you feel the blessings deep into your bones when you think about the work you get to share with the world.

Where you stand in the intersection of all that you know and all that is possible and treat yourself to a chai tea latte + chocolate croissant.

Where you know you have to pause to write it all down so you can remind yourself that these mornings exist on those days when nothing seems to go right.

Yes.

It is exactly that kind of morning.

love this :: everyday outfits (january)

In the last few years, I've begun to realize that I want to invest more in clothing and shoes that I love love love, that will last, that invite me to feel the most like me, and that really look great on me.

This has meant fewer trips to Target and Old Navy to buy five (or more) inexpensive new items a few times a year because I hope they will make me feel better about myself only to realize they don't really fit all that great after I've worn them a few times. And I've instead saved money over a few months to buy a few items that will be in my closet for a long time. I'm also doing a lot more handwashing when it comes to things like shirts from Anthropologie because the fabric usually needs that extra care. And this doesn't mean I'm not buying clothes from Old Navy and Target. I'm just being a bit pickier and looking for staples that are made well and fit great.

Today, I'm sharing one of my current daily uniforms (see past everyday outfit posts here).

1. The Ansonia Pullover from Anthropologie is soft and comfortable and comes in several colors. I usually wear one of these tanks from Target underneath.

2. The Lapis Mala of Intuition from Tiny Devotions that a friend gifted to me when she felt like it was ready to move on to a new home. (I know, I am totally lucky.) And when I wore it yesterday, the most beautiful day of listening to my gut unfolded. For real.

3. The Dreamer jeans from Old Navy. This boot cut style is super flattering with the "tummy taming" panel (their wording) in the front. I really like the slight boot cut and the regular length isn't too long on me (I'm 5'5"). And if you are reading this thinking, "I never find jeans," I dare you to go to Old Navy and try on every single style in your size and one size below and above. I'll be cheering you on. You deserve jeans that fit honey. (And if you are ready to invest in just one pair of awesome jeans, I really recommend NYDJ. They are my ultimate favorite and worth the investment. And if you go to Nordstrom, you can have someone help you with all the styles and sizes. Worth it. I should write a whole post about this.)

4. Headbands continue to make me happy. This one is from Flipside hats. Also love this one.

5. I'm usually wearing my word of the year "wildness" necklace. Love having this silver-toned option now.

6. The Ugg Grandle boot is comfortable and provides enough support as I stand in my studio hammering. And they have a shearling lining, which makes me happy. (And the buckles make me feel a wee bit badass. Yes, I just said that "out loud.")

Have you seen Kelly Rae's Wear Your Joy Project? Totally behind that practice 100%. 

Hope you have a beautiful weekend in your corner of the world! 

Quick note: Some links are affiliates, which means I receive a small commission when you purchase from that online store.