you can do anything.

This was shared via facebook this morning by Danielle Fraser, and WOW is it good stuff! The things we know as kids, and forget along the way....

for all of us.

card source  

Hello Friday.

I'm sitting here looking back on my week so far, and I'm feeling grateful for my phone's camera. I snapped more photos this week than I have in a long time...and I'm so happy I did! This week's 5 {8} things is going to be in photos....(ok, so half of them). My week has been full of so many blessings.

My funniest moment of the week. I tried to tweet about this incident, but it was really hard to convey in 140 characters. I got the biggest and best belly laugh. It started with me running an errand, and I wanted to take the pup along. I put him in the backseat, and noticed the trash cans needed to be pulled in (glamorous real life detail), so I ran out and did that. I promptly hopped in the car and drove off....It wasn't until I was halfway to my destination that I became aware of the pup acting strangely, and noticed the golf clubs in the back seat (with the dog!).

I called him up to the front seat...thinking that he would sit on his butt and ride like the gentleman that he is (most of the time), and he simply could not wrap his brain around sitting (actually sitting down) in that seat. So he rode like this the whole way, with me laughing and laughing, and trying to explain sitting in the passenger seat to him. This was the best shot I could get, since he is so big and I was so close.

Me just moments after checking into the hotel on our mini vacation. On the deck of the balcony...breathing in the ocean air.

Sitting outside at the hotel restaurant, and enjoying happy hour with friends. Sun kissed cheeks, the sound of the ocean, conversation, cocktails, and laughter. Nuf said.

Me the day after we returned home. Working on a painting (which is calling me back to finish as I write this). I was feeling the call of duty and responsibility...unpacking, house cleaning, e-course work, etc. and yet the whisper to paint was greater. So I went with my heart. Resumed work on two canvases in progress, and one that was blank and waiting for love. It was a very good choice.

The other great part of my week, has been feeling the urge to dabble in design again. It's calling me, and I'm happily looking at ways that will work for me. One of which is to hold a local sale with a fellow design friend...featuring some of the flea/vintage finds I am collecting! (note to self...snap photos while out shopping).

I also had a chance to reflect on, acknowledge, and let go of an old story. We were driving near UCSD, and I was reminiscing about being on campus with an old friend. I remember feeling a sense of reverance standing in a lecture hall, loving the beauty of the campus, and wishing I could go there. This made me remember a similar experience on the campus of UCSB. The tears flowed. I was telling C that I always wanted to go to University, and that I just don't think that I believed that I deserved it. I let the tears fall, and I said...I'm sad for that girl. And I am so happy that today I know that she did, and I do.

Getting some love notes/tweets from happy ring purchasers. Oh, how I love that. It makes me happy to know that so many amazing women are out there wearing my rings.

Oh...and reconnecting with people you love on facebook (Chloe). Highlight of the week for sure!

I hope that your week has been full of blessings, realizations, belly laughs, and connecting with people you love.

all sorts of courageousness.

A couple of years ago I signed up for Kate Swoboda's newsletter. I had found her through one of the other blogs I read, and I felt drawn to her spirit. When I found out that she was taking a leap, and leaving her day job to start The Courageous Year (amongst other things), I knew I had to participate. I went through all of the excuses I could come up with. The biggest of them was, I can't afford it (see my - lack story). My desire to participate, led to my decision to dive in anyway. I went with it and trusted that everything would work out. And I'm so glad I did!

I can't even begin to tell you all that I have gotten out of being a participant in the Courageous Year. The changes that I have experienced have been a mixture of clearly evident, and very subtle. Some of the shifts I've seen in myself have snuck up on me. For instance, I started noticing that when I was out and about, I was more present, and interacting more with people that I came across throughout my day (see my - I'm shy story). I notice that I am tremendously more aware of the stories that I carry with me, and how they affect my life. I can identify when I'm living out of the story, and not in the present moment. And I've come to realize that my inner critic is not out to get me, she just chooses safety over anything else. It's all been such good stuff. Seriously.

Kate is super generous, and gives of herself so freely. She uses her own personal experiences as a means of teaching, and you can really see how the tools she shares are used in her own life. On top of that there are the forums, where I have met some really amazing women, and it provides another opportunity to be witness to the tools being used in real life. I told Kate that the money that I have spent on this e-course is the best investment I have ever made, and I meant every word of it. It's been a great investment in me.

I am honored to have been interviewed by Kate over at her blog, and wanted to share a bit about her with all of you. You can read her love letter to the world here. And if you haven't watched this video of hers yet, you should. She is so crush worthy, and I could go on....however, I will leave you to find out for yourself.

A Brief Bio:

Kate Swoboda is a life coach, teacher, and writer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She supports women from around the world in making powerful choices and rocking out their lives (side note: this involves a lot of courageous laughter, love, acceptance, and not taking ourselves too seriously). When she’s not writing, leading retreats in Italy, or connecting with other courageous women, she can be found sipping chai in libraries, buffing up on her Italian, taking photographs, or getting all bendy-stretchy on the yoga mat. Learn more at http://www.yourcourageouslife.com .


About the Courageous Year E-Books:

Courage is: Feeling afraid, diving in anyway, and transforming. The Courageous Year is a series of four downloadable e-book course modules that support you in courageous living. Organized topically and starting from a place of going deep into you and your individual journey, the Courageous Year also adds in a dose of connection (via the online Courageous Community) and one-on-one support (via sessions with Life Coach Kate Swoboda). The content, videos, and worksheets are designed to be worked at your own pace, making it ideal for people who want to step into their vision for their life while also having a life! Combined, all four course modules support you in making real shifts that you can work in manageable doses. Ultimately, it’s work that’s about heart, living big, and not just nurturing dreams but also creating real pathways for them to happen. For more information, see http://www.thecourageousyear.com .

Hello Friday.

 I'm so lucky to look at skies like these every night.

Happy Friday lovely ones. Every Friday, I've been posting some sort of fun facts, and last week I posted a list of things I loved about my week. This week, I'm doing both!

5 things about me -

I've discovered the beauty of contradictions. I used to think that it was unacceptable that I was both quiet, and full of moxie. That I was afraid to try things, and tenacious. That I was strong, and weak. etc. What a wonderous thing to embrace both all sides, and how really spectacular it is to be all of these things instead of any one. I cherish the conversations I've had on this subject.

Music is one of the things that I cannot live without. Somehow I forget for a few days or weeks, and then I put it on and my heart expands tenfold. And I remember again.

I once got up in the middle of the night to watch a meteor shower with my Grandpa, and it is one of my fondest memories ever. I think I was in my early 20's and living with my grandparents at the time. We laid on lounge chairs in the backyard looking up at the sky. Pure. Beauty. Simplicity.

I had a mole diagnosed as melanoma on my back in early 2009, and it changed my life. It was caught early, and removed. I kept almost all of my fear to myself, and I had a lot of it. What a lesson that was. It was such an intense experience...I would love to share a bit of it with you - a post will come.

I have been feeling the need to simplify, and de-clutter for some time. I've officially begun the work, and it feels good. Letting go to open up to what is yet to come!

Five things I love about my week -

painting! I worked on a piece that I've had half done, it's on its way... C said why did you ruin that piece? The truth is,  I never looked at it as anywhere near being done. I can smile because no matter what anyone else thinks, I see and love the process and progress.

framing some of the prints I've had laying around. Now I can't wait to play with where they will hang....

sending off 2 lovely rings this week, and getting a love note once one of the girls made it to her new home. There is nothing better than hearing how happy someone is when they receive one of my packages. Love.

getting my hair colored! this was a much needed and wonderful treat this week.

fun with friends this weekend. We are heading down to San Diego for some R&R, and did I mention I'll be indulging in great food?

ok I'm sneaking in a 6th thing -

discussing details of a designer tag sale! Think fancy yard sale...with flea market, vintage finds, and maybe a few new unique things - mostly home related (at least for the first one). In Fall. As we figure it out, I'll share the deets.

As always, I'd love to hear from you. Either something you love about your week, or a fun fact. Please share it feels good.

yellow shoes. dog hair. and smiles.

What's making you happy today?...For me, it's my new yellow shoes, they are collecting dog hair - and still making me smile. What simple pleasure is making you smile today?

5 things.

five things I love about my week.

love from friends.

finishing something that was challenging me in ways I can't even explain.

buying art supplies.

finally donating those bags of clothes that have been riding around in my trunk.

love notes all over the place - reminding me to make it easy.

New Rings.

I just wanted to give you a sneak peak at the new rings that I've either listed, or will be listing in my etsy shop in the coming days. And there are even more (not shown)! I'm so excited to be sharing these with you, I hope that they bring you as much joy as they do me.