Some Lovely Wearable Art!

 Here is a gorgeous orchid I bought from AgatheBee on Etsy. I LOVE her work.
 DISCLAIMER -I do not know Agatha personally and I do not benefit in any way from sharing my delight in her work!

 I also have a beautiful poppy from AgathaBee shown below and from her shop a close-up of how she is making them now.

I also have this lovely rose!
Why am I sharing these? I truly believe that wearable art is a delightful form of self expression. When I wear one of these pieces I am showing the world that I appreciate beauty and that I value hand crafted wearable art.
I am delighted with how well made these brooches are. They arrived in a reasonable amount of time from romantic Bucharest!  I have had very happy experiences supporting  hand crafted adornments from shops on Etsy.  Here is a link to Agatha Bee's shop!https://www.etsy.com/shop/AgathaBee?ref=shop_sugg
 A feast for your eyes. Again-DISCLAIMER- I do not benefit in any way by sharing my appreciation of these brooches! I hope you enjoy appreciating the beauty she creates from felted merino wool!

Torrents of Spring Followed by Sunshine

This time of the year I always get into Spring Overwhelm. The weather seems to be in a similar state. The view from my kitchen window shows the turbulence

What a difference a day - and a New Moon- makes! Today is sunny and calm and the flowers are recovering from the stormy weather. The stream is now gently flowing...
I am beginning to feel the same way. After a tumultuous April , I am calming down into a more balanced routine. I have missed posting on this blog. I just had too many things to attend to in last month.

I love this viburnum "snowball bush". This year it is so heavy with blooms! It has been a very fast and beautiful spring.

These oenothera speciosa are my favorite spring flowers. I first saw them growing wild on the levee in New Orleans as a child. We called them "pink primroses". I now know that they are not botanically primroses, but the true primulas have a hard time growing in subtropical New Orleans!
I hope all of you are having a beautiful spring and that it is really easy for you to Appreciate Beauty Everyday!
I LOVE to read and reply to your comments! Are you having a beautiful spring? Do you experience Spring Overwhelm? Do you have special favorites among the spring flowers?
Thank you for stopping by! I would love for you to post links to your blog and Pinterest Boards. You can see mine at https://www.pinterest.com/colleen2322/

Ballet for Beauty, Grace and Alignment.

I have always loved ballet. I took lessons from the age of 4-14. At 15 I was told that I should find another performance art, because whilst I had magnetic stage presence I was becoming too tall and I was developing a very obvious hour glass figure unsuitable for the standards at the time. I was heart broken.
However, I continued to be an avid balletomane and I enjoyed season's tickets to the ballet for several decades. I have been fortunate to see so many fabulous dancers many times. As a youngster I saw Margot Fonteyn - to me the Queen of Beauty and Grace even to this day. I still  love watching film clips of her dancing.
I also continued to collect many books about ballet and, of course, I had (still have😉 ) many ballet themed paper dolls as well as about a dozen multi-jointed ballerina dolls (some with their original costumes and shoes!).
It was with great joy that I discovered Tiekka Tellier and her Everyday Ballet study programs and blog. After all these years (decades), I am having fun dancing again. True, I sometimes do what for me are some  high impact practices on my mini-trampoline! Recently Tiekka's blog was about Happy Healthy Knees. I thought I would share this because I have a sister, a cousin and some friends who are experiencing knee pain. I have occasional pain myself if I am not aware of my alignment. I found this blog very helpful. Also I am practicing my pliés and relevé's regularly.
I hope you will check out Tiekka's blog and perhaps-(if you love ballet) take a lesson or two or become an Everyday Ballet member. Here is the link to the blog
http://www.everydayballet.co/barre-essentials-healthy-happy-knees/
and here is a link to her Youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZpxhej9uvM

I am not in any way affiliated with Tiekka Tellier or Everyday Ballet. I am spreading the good news because  ever since I saw her first videos I have been enjoying ballet again and developing my "Poise-Posture-Power"as well as experiencing more Beauty, Grace and Alignment. Everyday Ballet is a major component now  for me to Appreciate Beauty Everyday

PLOG: Picture Blog - First signs of Spring! Part 2

Pink Wild Cherry and Forsythia

Daffodils are everywhere!

The trees are not awake yet.

Daffodils from England brought by the people who built the stone house (ruin in the background) in the 1710's - 300 years ago!

Lovely early white double spirea

The early promise of blueberries this summer! Bee boxes in the background.The bees have been out and about every sunny day!

The promise of hazelnuts-at least for the squirrels and chipmunks!

I really am enjoying photographing the unfolding of Spring this year. Thank you for stopping to look at my little world. Are there signs of Spring where you are? Please leave a comment. I LOVE your comments and I welcome links to your blogs and Pinterest boards!

PLOG: Picture Blog - First signs of Spring!

I am overwhelmed with many things right now- mostly good😌. I do want to share what is going on in my little world outdoors.  "A  Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words!"

Hellebores!

Pink Perfection Camellia

Purple Dawn Camellia

Blue flowers-unknown

Wild Pear Tree

Wild Pear Blossoms

 More next week! I LOVE your Comments. Is it Spring yet where you are? Any signs of Spring? Please share -and Appreciate Beauty Every Day! Thank you for stopping by.

My First Completed Project 2017!

 Ever since I saw this sweater on Ravelry I have been wanting to make it. I finally got going on it! I am very happy with the fit and the pattern was easier than I anticipated.
I did have trouble figuring out the sleeves...Not the fault of the designer!😉
 I photographed the steps once I figured them out. I am making another sweater from this pattern now.

 Here is my video of the sweater https://youtu.be/0fYSpzS1sLo
And here is the link to the pattern! I added the roses and the peplum. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chevron-stripes-3-season-sweater
 Have you started or finished any projects yet this year? Please share links to your blog / Facebook/ and or Pinterest page! I love your comments. I really do appreciate it that you stopped by to read my blog /view my video.

When a "win" can look like a "loss"

This week I was encouraged by my accountabilty partner and the Passion and Purpose Mastermind  I am in to post a video about an idea I have for a new career.  It was quite an adventure and I got some more practice shooting a brief video.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxL5slv1MTY

So far I have not  had the response I hoped for.  I am wondering if I need to rethink what I want to do next. It really pains me to see so many women not fully enjoying their lives, feeling tired,  and/or overwhelmed. I would love to use all my education and training to inspire open minded women to become fully embodied as the unique gifts they are to the world.
 Maybe I need to take a different approach? Several of my friends have pointed out that I do not spend much time with people who are low on energy😕. Also some have pointed out that I am much more enthusiastic about inspiring people to fulfill their dreams😄. I do like to see people light up!

As much as I enjoy a retired life in the country, I would like to have another career. This time for the pleasure of inspiring people to live their best lives possible.
I am open to suggestions. I do know that I have a gift for helping people to feel seen and heard. I am finally acknowledging and accepting my intuitive gifts (developed at a very early age as a necessity). I seem to be able to see other people's gifts and talents and how they can use them. I will be checking in here on this subject from time to time.
So, the loss is my disappointment at the response to my video- but the  win is that perhaps I am slowly gaining clarity!

Meanwhile, progress is being made on the new greenhouse! Also, I am almost ready to post a crochet update. See you maybe next week- I am having a root canal done😨...
Thank you for stopping by! Please leave comments, suggestions, constructive criticism - also links to your Blog, Facebook group, and Pinterest boards. I love your comments and I will reply asap.

Winter Contrast

Happy New Year! I am getting off to a slow start-not such a bad thing, actually.
So far, it is a time of what Abraham-Hicks calls "Contrast"for me. Yes, I am coming out of the closet - I read and listen to Abraham -Hicks and I even belong to a couple of Abraham- Hicks Facebook Groups.

My view of Contrast (just as I understand it!) is that things in my life are not so much what I wish for.
My ruined greenhouse, the necessity for a root canal next month on a tooth that was apparently injured during my adventures in orthodontistry - no one's fault and I am delighted to have my childhood smile back!😄 An ice and snow storm at the beginning of the year set me back considerably ... I do not thrive in cold weather.

Ice masquerading as snow

Only birds are venturing out

The only tracks anywhere on the property for days!

In my room all is well -one of my Calla lilies!

My cyclamen continues to bloom-over a year! and

 these lovely pink begonias!

The garden room is crammed with plants from the greenhouse

A view of greenhouse ruin and most of the plants safely stowed.

All in all life so far this year is giving me time to reflect. I am happy that I can appreciate beauty everyday - even when I am iced in!
Please leave a comment and tell me how your year is going so far. Did you make resolutions? Is 2017 looking like a good year for you? I hope so! I LOVE your comments and also links to your own Blogs, Youtube channels , and Pinterest boards!

Thank you, Barbara Fisher!

Imagine my surprise when my wonderful friend Barbara Fisher-http://marchhousebookscom.blogspot.com/  tagged me for this award!  A lovely challenge and a no brainer for this week's blog! Here are Barbara's 10 questions and my answers:

1) What is your earliest memory?   As a baby I remember a large, beautiful silver basket with flowers and leaves and animals. It had a wonderful texture. I could feel the shapes of the roses, the little rabbits, etc.  My mother usually had florist flowers in it- it was usually on a coffee table. I wish I had it! Or even a good photo!

2) Where is your favourite place in the world and why?   There used to be ( it may be there still under another name) a wonderful little bookshop across the street from Wells Cathedral in Somerset England. I loved that shop and when the Bevans moved to Wales I had dreams of buying it and living there! Otherwise I love London, Verona and the Veneto area, - and New Orleans -where I grew up.

3)Do you have a favourite piece of clothing or footwear?   YES!!                                                          

My beautiful blue skirt I bought many years ago in Paris. Here I am wearing it at Versailles soon after I bought it- and much more recently shooting a video in my room.
AND- the gorgeous cream boots and red Mary Janes from Anello and Davide in London also bought many, many years ago. Sadly they are no longer comfortable to wear!

4) What inspired you to write a blog?  The six word autobiography challenge set by Oprah years ago. My very first post!

5) Favourite snack : Plain chocolate Cadbury Fruit and Nut bar or plain chocolate Digestives.
 Otherwise just excellent quality plain chocolate!

6) Have you ever acted or sung on stage?  Yes many times -singing as an adult. Ballet until I was 14.

7) Have you or anyone in your family traced your ancestry?  Yes, my sister as well as cousins on both sides of the family - back to the 1600s. Must have been some  shady characters - we came to America before the Revolutionary War  and we have Viking genes. Certainly some marauding adventurers!

Have you ever experienced déjá vu?  Frequently.

Do you sing in the shower or the car or both?  I prefer baths and I do not drive a car- but I LOVE to sing!

Have you enjoyed participating in this tag?  YES! Thank you again, Barbara!
I am tagging
 Janet at http://yellowpinkandsparkly.blogspot.com/
Beth at  http://byhookbyhand.blogspot.com/
Miché at http://www.spoonbenderscafe.com/
Leanne at http://www.crestingthehill.com.au/
Laura at https://lauracarpi.wordpress.com/   in Italian, but Google will translate!

 If you decide to participate, here are the "rules":
Thank the blogger for the award  in your post. Answer the 10 questions set by me (see below).
Nominate your blogging friends! Ask 10 of your own questions for them to answer on their blog.
Display the award on your blog or in the post.
I would love for you all to check out their blogs! And if you like, answer any -or all of the following questions in the comments or email me or message me on Facebook!

1) What fun activity do you do everyday (or most days!)?
2) What was your favourite toy as a child/ Do you still have the toy? or one very like it?
3)What is your favourite type of music?
4) Are there books or movies you have read/watched many times? Which ones?
5) Do you like to create things:sewing, knitting, crochet, jewellry, toys, origami- anything? Please share a photo or description
6)Are you a morning songbird or a night owl?
7)What is magical about your life?
8)If you had 3 wishes what would they be?
9)What do you love best about yourself?
10)How would you make the world a better place?

This was fun, Barbara! I hope YOU answer my questions ;^)

A Thanksgiving Self Care Story

Thanksgiving is a big deal in my household. Frequently we have house guests as well as dinner guests for the main event.

My sister and I grew up celebrating Thanksgiving mostly in the high-end restaurants our mother managed. After our Thanksgiving meal, we would be sent off to a movie. Occasionally we enjoyed a more traditional Thanksgiving with our stepmother's family. The best was when we visited our father's extended family. All the aunts, uncles, and cousins would come to our grandmother's house. These were rare occasions involving long distance travel. I cherish the memories! ( I spent years and considerable $ acquiring the china pattern we used at the children's table- I use it frequently and always on Thanksgiving). This china makes me smile!

When I was 15 I decided that I would shop for and prepare the Thanksgiving feast rather than go to a restaurant. Our stepmother had taught me many cooking skills. As I worked, our mother was so impressed that she took the day off and invited some friends to join us. One guest actually brought flowers! Another guest was the owner of a large record shop. He was so pleased with the dinner that he gave my sister and me generous gift certificates ( I still have some of those vinyl albums!).
Almost every year since I have prepared  and hosted the Thanksgiving celebration.

This year (here comes the self care part -at last!😉 ). I woke up Thursday feeling totally stressed.  All of the stresses of this autumn took their toll- the loss of my greenhouse and the plant rescue operations, the temporary (I hope!!)  loss of my housekeeper/garden help, some growing pains about yet another career change... To top it off one of my cats has started leaving puddles of bloody urine all over the house. Fortunately we have a wonderful veterinarian  who makes house calls. My little cat is doing better.   Still, when I woke up early Thursday, I did not feel well, and after feeding the cats I slipped on  a puddle I had missed when cleaning up. It was the last straw. I sat down and decided  there was no way I was going to cook a big turkey, make pies, etc. I went to my room - put on clean pajamas and went back to bed.  I telephoned the guests and invited them for Saturday. Everyone was very obliging!

 I spent the whole of Thanksgiving in bed napping, reading, and listening to music. It was lovely!

In years past I would have pushed through- with less than optimal results. By Thursday night I would have been very ill indeed.  I have finally learned to take care of myself and not worry when I must occasionally disappoint people. As it was, no one was really disappointed. The turkey, the pies, etc. were delicious. We were all just as thankful as we would have been on Thursday!

Have you ever opted to take care of yourself and cancel an engagement? Have you ever enjoyed a holiday just resting?

I love your comments. Please leave a comment below , email me , or message me on Facebook! Thank you for reading my blog!

True Beauty - Embody and Energize Who You Are Inside

View of one of my windows in my room today

  I am discovering the change in the world I would really like to be. I want to inspire you  and shine a light on how embodying your true beauty creates energy!
 I discovered at an early age that beauty is not about looking like a movie star, a doll , a beautifully drawn paper doll,etc. I began to look for the beauty in the ways people express themselves. Have you  noticed that somehow animals and plants seem to express their unique beauty just by being?  People seem to have more of a challenge...
It can be a scary adventure to truly accept and love yourself. The first time I had to look in a mirror and find something beautiful about myself it took a long time. I chose my eyebrows!  It has taken me years to be able to look at myself and like what I see.
 Do you cringe when you see yourself on video, or in the mirror, or hear yourself on audio? I still do - after years of practice in accepting myself. Just when I think I really accept myself,  I see myself on a recorded coaching session or hear myself sing and I just want to hide!  I am horrified by how much I talk, how loud I am when I get excited, how messy my hair becomes, how I frown when I concentrate...
I am learning that loving and appreciating  my body -just as I am- is the first step to feeling better /looking better. I keep getting "wake-up" calls as several of my friends have had major health issues that are clearly related to taking care of everybody/everything except themselves!
Feeling good /looking good is an inside job. It is not about age-weight-size- these are just numbers! It is not about impossible photoshopped images in  the media.
Feeling good/ looking good is about letting your inner self/soul shine through your body!  Embodying the Real-Authentic-You! Your unique R-A-Y of light,love, beauty!
The first step is getting to know the R-A-Y. There are so many ways to do this! Danielle La Porte's book The Desire Map is a start. Julia Cameron's  books The Artist's Way and The Vein Of Gold are excellent. This may be another whole blog... ;^)
For this week,  it might be fun for you  to discover something  awesome about yourself and embody it. Here's a suggestion: Use an "I am" statement. It has to be something you truly believe about yourself- or at the very least something you are WILLING to believe about yourself. As you say it - see how your body feels. Gently tap or massage  where your body feels the statement- or move/dance to it.
I made a short video last spring about my Embodied Affirmations . You can see it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDz36e7gEZA

My message to you this week in a nutshell:
Practice accepting yourself as a beautiful being.
Find something about your body that you are willing to see as a part of  your unique beauty.
 Try some Embodied Affirmations that you are at least willing to believe (even if you are not there yet!).
You are an embodied beautiful soul- if only you will believe it and see it!
You might enjoy my Pinterest  boards https://www.pinterest.com/colleen2322/
Thank you for stopping by! If any of this resonates for you, please leave a comment or a suggestion. I LOVE your comments and suggestions.

Resilience, Rewards, Radiance, and Research

Most of my little world is still beautiful!

 I love autumn! Usually I am energized by the cooler weather and the ever changing colors. In light of my greenhouse disaster I have been feeling somewhat overwhelmed and not quite exhausted, but certainly low on energy. Although I continue to eat well, enjoy my walks, exercise, and sleep well, I notice that I am not always feeling as "lit up" or as radiant as usual. The task of cleaning up all the debris- even with help- is difficult, somewhat dangerous ( so much twisted steel and broken glass- some of which is still poised to fall!). Just plain daunting.

So I have been thinking about what I have done successfully in the past to get through overwhelm and low energy.. The first thing that pops up for me is "this too shall pass". I have a plan for getting through the cleanup and on to the fun part of planning the new greenhouse. I know I am resilient. I bounce back pretty quickly from difficult experiences. I have had plenty of practice!

Still, I am dragging my feet. This week I am just doing a little bit at a time. The weather is co-operating so I can afford to take baby steps for awhile. Sadly, my gardener is unable to help me because she is taking care of a seriously ill family member. I  miss her. She cheers me up as we do tasks I am unable- or unwilling- to do on my own. So I am carving out an hour or two a day when the sun is brightest. I am doing what I can.

Then I reward myself! Yesterday it was with a Youtube video in Italian teaching me how to crochet a sweater . Two treats in one! I LOVE learning Italian and I LOVE making pretty clothes. Rewards are necessary! Making a list of rewards I want can be a reward...

 Rewards bring back my radiance! I light up when I am enjoying life, having fun, learning new things... Radiance for me means feeling glow-y inside. Happy just to be alive. Enjoying and appreciating the beauty around me. Posting these photographs! Enjoying and appreciating my own beauty. Dancing!

 I want to discover how you deal with set-backs, disappointments, disasters...Here is the beginning of my research:
When you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, daunted : what words do you use to describe your feelings ? What concerns or anxieties are coming up for you?
When you feel lit up, radiant, full of energy, what words do you use to describe your feelings?
When do you feel  lit up, radiant, full of energy ?

Chestnut tree

Walk down the road

Driveway

Louisiana cypress trees

View from my kitchen

Thank you for reading my blog! I love comments. I would really appreciate reflections on my first research questions.  It makes me happy to see others in their radiance and high energy. See you next week!

Accepting a Disaster

My beautiful greenhouse is a total loss.  I have been growing fruit and flowers in it for 2 decades. Needless to say, I am very sad.  Here are some photos to illustrate the magnitude of the loss:

I have been around long enough to have learned that I can only accept what I cannot change. I cannot undo the damage- nor can the greenhouse be repaired. The structure is irreparably damaged. I may be able to salvage many of the plants and possibly the pool and some of the furniture. So, what is next?

 The damage needs to be cleared up, and this is a monumental task. My gardener and I have already been pruning all the damage to the roses. We have taken buckets of broken glass out of their pots. There are some precious ferns, small fig trees , a bay tree and a rosemary bush with strong sentimental value to me. So many of my plants came from people I love- many of whom are no longer with us. We will have to find some help to remove the remains of the steel and glass and other debris. I am hoping for a crew who will respect the garden and do minimal damage in the clean-up operation!

This is really quite an "Adventure". One of my primary values is "Growth "and this is definitely an opportunity for growth! Dealing with a big loss, mustering my creative thinking to discover how I want to garden now and what I want to save is quite a challenge!

I am planning to have a new greenhouse !  It is time to redesign my garden. I would like the new greenhouse to be connected to my garden room  so that it is closer to the house. I also plan to make the garden  easier to maintain. I cannot imagine life without roses, flowers for the bees, the butterflies,and the hummingbirds. I love having little water gardens for frogs and dragon flies! I enjoy growing (and eating!) fruit, vegetables , and my favorite herbs. All of my life I have been strongly connected to these things. Life for me without a garden would be desolate.

I understand that there are tragedies in life far more sad and challenging than what I am dealing with. I am curious to know how you deal with loss, challenges, Life Adventures. I keep receiving little signs that "All is well, really".  I grew up with that conviction and I know in my bones that it is true- but i do struggle with some of the evidence right in front of my eyes! How about you? What sustains you when disaster strikes? Something must- or you would not be here reading this ;^)
Please leave your thoughts /feelings about this topic in the Comments below. I love your comments and I truly appreciate it when you read my Blog! See you next week!