Candles and Flowers

A friend suggested this to me--her theme for 2016 is Candles and Flowers. She was inspired by this video:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/Paris-Attacks-Bataclan-Memorial-Boy-Father-Heartwarming-Candles-Flowers-351073721.html

I was so moved by the father reassuring his son that I wanted to make a video about it.

 I was further encouraged by the unexpected early blooms just beginning on my beloved Purple Dawn camellia! I cut some for another friend as her face lit up when she first saw them. It gives me great pleasure to see someone appreciate beauty in small things like flowers. This photograph shows it blooming in very early spring last year.

Candles and flowers are small things that can brighten our surroundings -especially during dark and or sad times. It does not take too much effort or even very much money to have a few candles -even LED tea lights count ;^) and a few flowers from your garden or houseplants or  even from the grocery store.
Take a stand against the gloom and darkness; bring some light and beauty into your world and brighten the lives of others who see your candles and flowers!
Such an easy way to Appreciate Beauty Everyday....

A Pleasure from Childhood

This year I managed to get some of the sour cherries from my trees before the birds ate them all. Sour cherries for me are what a madeleine was for Proust (so are damson plums, but that is another story). The minute the flavor explodes in my mouth I am a little girl on a sunny day in early summer sitting in my stepmother's  cherry tree  reading a book and eating cherries from the branches. I smile just thinking about it. Sadly, I do not have a cherry tree big enough to climb up into - so a bowl of sour cherries from my trees and a seat in the secret garden or my  backyard swing will have to do.
What does this have to do with appreciating beauty everyday or Ageless Beauty Embodiment you might well ask. The pleasure! The cherries are a lovely color - beautiful on the trees and in the bowl. There is much pleasure from gathering them as well as eating them. There is even more pleasure savoring them one by one slowly while sitting in the garden.
Your Ageless Beauty is embodied whenever you are feeling pleasure, whenever you are appreciating beauty, whenever you feel good. When you are enjoying even a small pleasure you radiate the Ageless Beauty that you were born embodying and that remains with you no matter how many years you live. You are loving what is now and you are smiling from your heart- how could you be more uniquely beautiful?

Here is a link to the video:
https://youtu.be/p8v9_RlSn6U

I would love for you to share what small pleasures you are enjoying! Especially small pleasures from your childhood.  Please leave a comment here or email me at colleen412@gmail.com

Set - backs

Spring has been mostly  dark, cold, wet, and dreary.  The creek is running, though! And it has been great for the trees and flowers but until now it has been hard on the bees, butterflies and my energy levels ;^) The view from my kitchen in April:

 Now it is really looking and feeling like Spring! All that rain has really brought on the flowers. Bees, butterflies,  and dragonflies abound. Soon we will see the first fireflies!
I have been inspired by some friends to set up making videos and begin blogging again. I seem to be coming back to life with the sun and the flowers just like the bees & co. The same view now:

As ever, I always appreciate your comments and I welcome constructive criticism. How has your Spring been? How do you recover from set-backs? You can also email me     colleen412@gmail.com

Spring Flowers for YOU!

Do you cut or buy flowers just for you? Not because you are having a party or to give to someone else- just for your own enjoyment?
Flowers, especially scented ones -like my branches of first breath of spring (Lonicera fragrantissima in the video)-help you to become EMBODIED. Embodiment is being fully present to your senses- feeling good in your own skin. Do flowers light up your senses? Do you enjoy looking at them? Smelling them?  Touching their various textures? [Some of them taste good in salads or on cakes! Many of them are sounding boards for bees and bumblebees ;^) ]
Can you make it a practice to have a flowering plant or a vase of cut flowers in your room to see when you wake up and right before you go to sleep?   See if you don't enjoy having flowers just for you! You may discover that flowers in your room begin to influence how you feel about yourself! You may discover that flowers make you feel loved and beautiful....
Please leave a comment or email me  colleen412@gmail.com  your thoughts about cutting /buying flowers for yourself and the effect they have on you.
https://youtu.be/ajXzObDF3FA

Being Ageless

Age is just a number. Age is just a record of how many years you have been here on planet earth. Being ageless is about how you FEEL.  We all know people who are older (maybe in their 80s or 90s) who are so young at heart - so full of life that we forget or do not care how many birthdays they have celebrated. They are a joy to be around. We have also known younger people who are so set in their ways, so serious, ( maybe even so boring) that they drag our energy down.
The secret to being ageless is in your capacity for joy- for uplifting emotions. This does not mean that you are never sad or angry. It is about feeling your emotions and processing them in the moment - not dwelling on them and telling yourself stories to fuel  them. Being present in the moment allows you to appreciate what is good , what is beautiful right now.It is when you are distracted by your thoughts that you lose touch with the present and begin to dwell on the past or worry about the future.Very often in a not so positive mindset. Your emotions have a powerful effect on your health, your well being,  your appearance!
What are you doing to increase your capacity for joy, for happiness? Dancing to joyful music? Enjoying a sunrise or sunset? Hugging a friend or beloved? Wearing your favorite colors and admiring how you look when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror? Playing? Taking a nap? The list of small pleasures is endless.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvdFyFlXC94&spfreload=10
Please leave a comment and share the small pleasures that make you  feel young at heart/ ageless.

Appreciate Beauty Everyday – The Foundation of Ageless Beauty Embodiment

Do you wake up in the morning and notice something beautiful right away ?The color of the sky- even in the dark – you may see stars, the moon, clouds, the tracery of trees, city lights....Do you have something beautiful in your room to look at first thing in the morning and the last thing at night?

Do you have a ritual to begin your morning? A beautiful mug or cup and saucer for your morning drink? Some time to yourself – to be quiet or to dance to music while plugged into your Mp3 player? To journal, meditate, knit, crochet, draw, color, look at pictures, cuddle a pet, go for a walk, watch the sunrise...?

Do you dress yourself in clothes that feel beautiful? Colors that you love? A ring or piece of jewelry you can look at and appreciate throughout the day?

Do you notice the beauty around you ? There is beauty wherever there is life. In nature- look out the window – even in the busiest city can you at least glimpse the sky? If not, look around you- can you see any beautiful objects? If not, can you add something beautiful to your surroundings (in addition to beautiful you!).

Beauty is not an “add-on” to life- it is what makes life worth living. Appreciating beauty feels good!

If you are new to my blog, please look at some of my earlier posts about Appreciating Beauty Everyday. You may get some ideas about adding Beauty to your life!

Here are some photos of what my world has been looking like this last week of February!The "Jack Frost" on my Garden Room windows is different every morning! And a video on today's topic -Appreciate Beauty Everyday.  http://youtu.be/e1qpVBWx_jM

I would love to hear how you feel about appreciating beauty.Please comment below or send me your reflections!

Cheering Up On A Bleak Day

We have had a string of dark, grey, bleak days in my valley. After awhile, I begin to feel low on energy and enthusiasm. Not even my most favorite pursuits  seem alluring. What to do?
Often, dancing to some lively upbeat music will energize me.
Worst case scenario is when even dancing to music does not appeal.
My ultimate resort is to take a lovely, long , hot scented bath. Then I dress in pretty, colorful , fresh pajamas and climb into my comfortable bed in my beautiful room and take a nap! Sometimes for an hour- in really desperate cases for the whole afternoon!
What do you do when you are low on energy and enthusiasm?

http://youtu.be/vN5V8qryx74

Snow Falling

We are having a winter wonderland here in my valley. It's amazing how the view becomes black and white- not a trace of color! I could not resist shooting a short video and sharing it.
http://youtu.be/yEFzfya8xY0
How do you Appreciate Beauty Everyday? Please leave me a comment!

Courage and Vulnerability

Are you courageous? Are you vulnerable? Can you be both courageous and vulnerable at the same time? Being courageous is not only about being brave - it's about acting from the heart. Heart centered actions can make you feel vulnerable. You are opening yourself to being wounded. This does not mean that you WILL be wounded -only that the action you are taking opens you to the possibility. You cannot be vulnerable if your heart is not in whatever you are undertaking.
 Heart centered relationships, stage fright, publishing videos and blogs...these are some challenges for me. I feel vulnerable with super energized "flighty" feelings inside along with cold hands and feet! I am learning to harness this energy as I understand that it is heart based. If I did not love the people involved or care about my desire to always give my best I would not experience that energy. Knowing this now helps me to ground myself and take the required courageous action. This is definitely a work in progress ;^) .  This week's video is about one of my recent adventures with courage and vulnerability.

http://youtu.be/Jhml9RVrB7Q
What are the experiences in your life that require courage and vulnerability? Please share or leave a comment below!

The Music You Choose

I am so taken with the film ALIVE INSIDE. It is about how Dan Cohen discovered that  people with Alzheimers- even in advanced stages- come alive when they hear music they have known and loved. http://www.aliveinside.us/#land  It is currently available as  livestreaming on Netflix.
It got me to thinking. Why not really listen to the music we love everyday? I mean really listen - no texting, reading, or any activity ( except maybe dancing to embody the music). Just for a few minutes every day. If music we love can bring us out of Alzheimers for awhile, think how it can enhance our daily life- if we truly listen - not use it as background noise!
Have you noticed how the music you choose can change or enhance your mood? What you choose to listen to is an excellent indicator of your current emotional state and sense of well-being.
Have you seen the film?  I would love some comments here, on Facebook , on Youtube , or email me!
Here is my video on the subject:http://youtu.be/4_08cHYKk8A

Eccentric Glamour by Simon Doonan -Advanced Style for beginners?

Some of you know I LOVE  Advanced Style both the blog advancedstyle.blogspot.com/  and the film advancedstylefilm.com/ by Ari Seth Cohen. Gorgeous people expressing themselves - not just in their dress but in the way they live full out on their own terms. Ageless Beauty Embodiment and Crazy Beautiful to the max!
 One of my Crazy Beautiful friends, Laura Madden www.laura-madden.com/ recommended that I read Eccentric Glamour by Simon Doonan. Thank you, Laura! It is  an extremely entertaining book. Rapier sharp wit  with  advice on discovering the eccentric glamour that is exclusively YOU! Why not get dressed in clothes that express the eccentric glamour that is your unique style?
 Why are so many of us schlepping around in dull, boring, often unattractive, ill fitting clothes? Admittedly this book offers extreme examples of eccentric glamour (desperate cases require desperate remedies). I found the book very funny- I am sure my abs are in better shape after laughing so hard  all the way through it. It also got me to thinking.  I really do not fit any of Simon Doonan's basic types- but still...Why not wear what I really want to wear? 
Thanks to Simon Doonan I am on a mission to sew some 1950s vintage full skirted nipped in waist style dresses for spring and summer. I have already found some vintage patterns and I can cobble some together with some patterns that I already had. I LOVE making my own designs. Now the search is on for a proper 50s petticoat to make the skirts flare out ! 
Winter is a bit more of a challenge. I need to keep warm! I do like leggings with tunics...but they need vamping up with some scarves and jewellry- and why shouldn't I wear a tiara sometimes?
I made a video about the book ( part of my 52 Videos in 52 Weeks Challenge set by Michelle White Hart http://www.michellewhitehart.com
Here is the link for the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdSsgJ2Hk_c

One Life One Purpose Challenge set by Kristen Domingue

I just finished the One Life One Purpose Challenge set by Kristen Domingue on Facebook.
The hardest part is today- writing and posting! a love letter to myself..... and posting a video about the experience.

Hi Sweetheart!
You are making so much progress becoming more visible with your videos and showing up on various groups. The One Life One Purpose Challenge took some courage!- some of the exercises were a bit daunting. This work has been excellent preparation for the Webinar /Workshop tomorrow and Wedenesday.
Continue to Dance with Life, Love What Is Now, Appreciate Your Beauty and Let Your Light Shine!
Keep listening within and your Purpose will be revealed. By doing these things you lead the way for others to make their own discoveries!

http://youtu.be/9CiuKvQYIAI

Happy Even If.. and Playing on Pinterest

YAY! I am caught up on my 52 Videos in 52 Weeks Challenge after falling behind over the holidays. This week is about being happy even when circumstances are less than optimal and playing on Pinterest. Please look at the videos and send me some constructive criticism or comments.http://youtu.be/50MtPtMvxCY
 http://youtu.be/-DIJgdq-j-A

Sunny Day in January

Here is another video for the 52 Videos In 52 Weeks Challenge  set by Michelle White Hart . It was the first fully sunny day of 2015 where I live and I thought the natural light would be bright enough. It was not :^(   - as you can see. I apologise for the poor visual quality-lesson learned!
  http://youtu.be/T2QIV76mjao

Even though we have turned the corner and technically the light is returning, the days here are still very short and most of them have been grey and gloomy. No wonder most people's resolutions to get in shape, get organized, get a major project launched  are hard (or almost impossible!) to keep.

This is not to say that we cannot begin by taking small steps in the direction of our plans and dreams now. Just a more gentle approach! It seems to me that this is a time to dream and plan while nurturing and refining our plans and dreams. It is a time to nurture ourselves as well. Time to pay attention to our bodies by eating foods that nourish us and make us feel good.Time to rest - take naps, read enjoyable books, listen to music, take walks outside on dry days - have impromptu  dance parties with ourselves on cold gloomy days, write out or doodle/draw our dreams and plans. Have a bit of fun editing our closets - letting go of some of the clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories that no longer enhance our appearance to make way for new things that fit well and look good!
 As warmth and light return to the Northern Hemisphere we will have the energy to take inspired action in the spring.

Having Fun Along the Way-Are You Having Any Fun?

Here we are in 2015! Have you made resolutions? Have you set any goals? This year not only am I not making resolutions- I am not setting any goals. Not because I do not want to accomplish things. This year I want to have fun along the way to what I want to make my life lovelier. I want to respond to opportunities and receive inspiration and then take action- not plan in advance . Does this sound crazy? I want to feel more open to possibilities and I want to have fun taking inspired action.

http://youtu.be/LSp7lRBVMjM   here is a brief video!
I am also making a double column list.
 One column of things I  LOVE to do that are FUN. I am casting my net back as far as early childhood and writing down all the fun things I have loved doing - then as well as now. Some things are constant- I still love to sing, dance, color,make things, play with dolls and paper dolls, lie in the grass and imagine or see things in the clouds....- I haven't been roller skating in a while, though ;^)
The other column is a list of things that need to be done that I do NOT find fun - like cleaning bathrooms, clearing clutter, any sort of paperwork that is not creative....etc.
I am going to see how I can choose fun things to do before, during, and/or after I do the not fun chores. This will be an ongoing experiment!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-fjoZcS3EA  the second video on the subject.
Please leave me a comment-I would love to read your views on resolutions, goals, fun!