five (really) good things

I used to make these lists all the time here on my blog because it is just so fun to share the things that bring a little joy or delight, the things that make life easier, and things that inspire me or even take my breath away.

Here are five current favorites:

1) One of my favorite things about being part of One Little Word as a guest instructor is getting to know the other women who are teaching throughout the year. And one of these magical people is @azzarijarrett. She takes incredible photos (with film!) and creates beautiful things. I ordered the stickers and postcards above, which are now in my “current favorite things to inspire journaling” basket on my studio table. Thank you for the light you shine, Azzari.

2) This poem and this poem and this poem.

3) The comments on this Instagram post are (very very) worth reading.

4) Megababe Thigh Rescue has changed my life this summer. Hello dresses and skirts, my thighs are happy to feel you against them again. (If you’re looking for a layer to wear under skirts though, I also recommend these and these.)

5) Right on Time by Brandi Carlile.

five {really} good things

a card from my new One Move mini-deck

It's been a while since I did a five {really} good things post. I'm trying to get back to more blogging and more sharing here, so when the muse pulled me to want to share these things today, I listened.

1) I'm starting my days with lemon water over here (and drinking it throughout the day), and it has become a really good thing for my belly. I've done this in the past, but am trying to make it a daily self-care move.

2) I gathered up 10 of my favorite books to help you practice self-care in this article. I could add a lot more, but these give you a really good start. (And I just ordered a stack of new ones, so I'll be writing some book review posts here over the next few weeks too!)

3) My Week in the Life kit arrived! I'm so excited to participate in Ali's Week in the Life project next month. I'm one of those on-again mostly off-again want-to-be scrapbookers and this project and the kit that goes with it is helping me make this manageable for me. I've spent too much time "shaming" myself around how I don't do Project Life every week (or ever these days), and I'm ready to get off that train. If these words resonate with you, think about joining in. Learn more right here.

4) I'm delighted to be a contributor to Jessica's Summer Slowdown next month. It's a free daily email that invites you to take a deep breath and be present every day. Love this!

5) My Kata Fringe earrings from Lynzee Lynx make me so happy! Her shop is full of so many good things.

+1) The image above is from my new "One Move" mini-inspiration deck that I created for the beautiful souls who attended my One Move Retreat and who are joining me for Back to the Basics. I couldn't stop myself from ordering extras, so there are 15 sets in the shop right here. The mini-deck is just $8.

a few more than five (really) good things

 

The quote above feels like a good response to some of the thoughts stacking up in my head lately when I watch the news. Maybe you need it too. 

Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld = perfection.

"Some instructions before you write" from Heather Platt is a really good read. 

This love letter Pace has written to seekers, The 11 Most Dangerous Myths about Finding Your Path, is free and awesome.

One of my favorite programs out there about embracing all pieces of yourself as a path to joy is Alana Sheeren's Shine. It starts next Friday.

Love Vivienne's tips for getting through the winter without ditching your self-portrait practice.

This was my favorite find on Pinterest this week. And this is an old favorite I came across again.

It is possible that I'm on book five of the Vampire Academy series. Maybe. (And oh my gosh the ending of book three was shocking!)

This might have been the Valentine's Day card I gave Jon. He laughed out loud.

And the turquoise feather love necklace is on sale in my shop this weekend...because I miss the blue sky the turquoise bead represents. It's 20% off through Monday right here.

five (really) good things

1) I'm in love with these little wood slices from Kelly. She creates a little original painting just for you with your word of the year. Perfect for your altar, next to you bed so you see it each morning and evening, or even your kitchen windowsill. I keep mine in my studio. Order yours here (or the littler size right here). 

2) I had the best time chatting with Kelly Dahl for her ecourse Fulfill Your Year. We chatted about choosing a word of the year, why we're drawn to the practice, and give some insight into the ways it has worked and hasn't worked for each of us. I also had the chance to share about the sacredness I'm experiencing with my word of the year shop orders this year. Love being able to do video interviews about topics that are dear to my heart. There is still time to join Kelly. Learn more here.

3) Opening up the Spakona Personal Palette that Bridget Pilloud did for my word "wildness"was like unwrapping the best after-the-holidays gift ever. As Bridget explains, "Each palette is a personal intuitive experience where I tune into your word and identify the six words or phrases that round out the experience of that word. After I identify the words, I’ll go into my magic color pantry and pick the colors to match." This offering is just the right amount of grounded woo woo goodness that I needed to really feel supported as I begin this journey of inviting in wildness this year. And I can't wait to make a bracelet with the additional words + colors Bridget gave me. Love this offering. 

4) For the fourth year now, I'm over on Ali's blog reading the One Little Word list. You can read all the words and listen right here. (And this year I didn't go in alphabetical order so it would read even more like a poem of possibility.) If you are still hoping to find a word, reading through and listening to this list might help.

5) Lori Portka's calendars are my favorite favorite (just want to be clear on that). She has just a few left and they are on sale! Check them out here.

What five really good things have you found in your corner lately? I'd love to know.

five (really) good things

1. Another Chickadee Road Chat! Join Kelly and me for brunch/lunch on Tuesday, July 30 at 9AM PST/12PM EST for a chat all about finding your kindreds. (Actually I'm calling it "finding (and keeping) your kindreds" when I think about it because when you find those special people who feel like home, you will continually uncover new things about yourself that will push you to know you have to work a bit to stay connected in this crazy, awesome world. Yes.) On Tuesday, just join us right here over on Spreecast.

2. I read through Donald Miler's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story in about two days. As in I read through naptimes and until midnight. I saw him speak at WDS and I kind of swooned. (Not really kidding.) His blend of honesty + storytelling + self-deprecating humor had me actually looking to see if he was wearing a ring. (He's engaged. And I'm, you know, married.) As a dear friend said to me, "As if a ring is the biggest obstacle between you." Ha! That still makes me laugh out loud. But seriously, I was deeply moved by his talk and by this book. I hope you will read it because I'd actually love to chat with a few people about the concepts in it - identifying what makes a good story and then deciding to live a better story. I could go on and on. Find out more about him here.

3. And here is something kind of awesome: Earlier this week, I mentioned that maybe I could paint as my practice during the Chickadee Road :: Studio Sessions this August and a few days later, here I am joining in with Pixie Campbell's Visual Quest class. I can't wait! 

4. Love Viv's "Dear 35" post and this idea of writing a letter to yourself right around your birthday to thank the year you're leaving. A new session of Viv's Be Your Own Beloved self-portrait ecourse begins next week. Check it out here. (Highly recommend.)

5. And since I seem to be in a confessional sort of mood as I write this in the middle of the night (see #2), I might as well share that I'm slowly but surely becoming obsessed with unicorns. Never was much of a unicorn, rainbows, my little pony kind of girl. Was more into pretending pretty much all the time that I was Laura Ingalls and lived on the prairie.

(As in I pretended that for a LONG time and still miss the mid- to late-80s long soft buttons up the front denim skirt with layered "petticoat" my mom found for me. That I wore. A lot. To school. After school. You get the point.)

Anyway, I'm kind of blaming this new love for unicorns on Kelly. And this. So Wednesday evening, we might have found ourselves in Barnes and Noble buying a couple of these (and by a couple I mean two that had totally different box designs but then when I got in the car and realized that the unicorn inside was a "surprise" and not the one shown on the front of the box, my husband might have had to go back inside Barnes and Noble to buy a few more...for me...while my three year old and I waited in the car...said three year old in the backseat content with her new BOOK...me needing just "the right" small plastic unicorn figurine). 

Anyway, an idea for a fun project appeared in the wind, so watch for these little guys to appear here and there (probably mostly here). And they are available at Barnes and Noble stores (near the board games section), but not in their online store. And doing this middle of the night post might have led me to seeing that they are a bit like Beanie Babies circa 1996 where the "hard to find ones" are "worth" a lot and all I can say is let that one go right now honey and just buy the "blind" box for $6 something at Barnes and Noble and love what you get. Or just get this because dude she is CUTE!

Oh and a post about unicorns would not be complete without this. (Obviously.)

Have a beautiful weekend over in your corner. I'm writing a post about envy that I hope to share over the weekend or Monday...because WOW what a topic that is.

Blessings,
Liz 

five (really) good things

 

1. She did it! Ellie went down the big slide at the zoo yesterday. She's been wanting to do it all summer and tries each time we go. It has been incredible to watch her. She started earlier this summer by climbing the steps first with one of us, then alone, and then she would stand at the top and watch the other kids push past her. She came close twice but decided she wasn't ready. We've had a lot of conversations about what it means to be brave, how you can do things even when you are a little afraid, and how it is okay to wait until you are ready too. She seems to really be excited about the idea that you can be brave and still be a little afraid at the same time. (YES!)

Yesterday, she decided she was ready so we took a special trip to the zoo. When we got to the slide, she climbed right up the steps, sat right down, and away she went. It was awesome!

2. The recording of our Chickadee Chat is available for viewing right here! LOVED circling in this new way and am so thankful to those of you who gathered with Kelly and me last evening. More chats to come! 

3. Speaking of chats, I keep meaning to tell you that I had the incredible experience of being part of one of Alana Sheeren's Transformation Talks a few weeks ago. Alana creates a beautiful space for people to share about the ways life has cracked them open and how they've filled the cracks. We talked about how my creative practices helped me during times of grief. Honestly, this feels like one of the most important conversations I've had about the work I put in the world and how this work is really how I live my life. (Thank you Alana.) You can watch the video or download the audio here.  

4. And last month I spent the day with Pace and Kyeli in their new home in Portland! Oh these two are so delightful. I was an in-person guest on their Wild Crazy Meaningful Life podcast and we talked all about "Living an Instagrammed Life." I blogged about this idea here (and have a few more posts in the works about this topic) and it was great to continue this conversation with Pace and Kyeli.

5. Shop news: My Etsy shop Soul Mantras and Other Stories now has a Facebook page! I'll be sharing a few fun things over there including FB only discount codes and other good things.

I've just added this new turquoise feather love necklace to the So I Fly Collection. My hope is that it will remind you that you can look up at the sky above you and make the choice to fly even on the days when you aren't sure of the next step. Yes. (Turquoise always reminds me of my grandmother. After she died we realized she was wearing shades of turquoise in almost every photo taken of her during the last 20 years of her life. Gosh I miss her.)

And how about over in your corner. What are five really good things in your world? I'd love to know.

Blessings,
Liz 

five {really} good things

1) I snapped this photo just after I finished recording the "poem of possibility" that is the list of 2013 "one little words" over on Ali's blog. This is the third year I've done it and each time I enjoy it all the way to the tips of my toes. I really try to think about each word as it's own little one word poem. Makes me so happy. You can listen here.

2) The Seafoam Project Life Kit is here! Love Elise's aesthetic so much (she designed this kit). I dove in right away when the box from Amazon arrived, and I can't wait to use it this year. I'll be pairing it with some favorites from the Clementine edition I bought last fall (it isn't important to me that every layout be from one kit). And I'll be sharing some layouts and ideas and how it's going here on the blog. I loved working with Project Life last year and am almost finished. Just need to do the last two weeks of December. [This is the first time I've ever (almost) completed any kind of big creative project like this for my family. Not kidding. It gives me hope for the unfinished quilts and other good things hiding in my studio AND is proof that this kind of memory keeping really is that easy!]

I share my approach to Project Life in this post and will be sharing more next week. And if you are new to it, head over to Becky Higgins' site to watch an adorable really short video and learn more.

3) Next month, Vivienne is running a new course called "Be Your Own Beloved." I love the premise behind this course: It is a 28 day photo adventure designed to cultivate self-reflection and self-compassion through the practice of taking self-portraits. I am really looking forward to this one. Viv's having a giveaway on her blog right now for one spot, but even if you don't win, I hope you will come along.

 

4) The newest issue of Sprout Magazine (an adorable online e-zine) is all about inspiration. So many inspiring contributors. And I'm delighted that Amanda featured my Soul Mantra jewelry in this issue (there is a free shipping coupon code inside).

5) I've been wearing a lot of headbands lately (as evidenced by my self-portraits on Instagram). I never was really a headband person. My head is not small, which means headbands often squeeze my head until I have a headache. But when my late summer hair cut went a bit awry, I started to look for ways to get through it. Enter the headbands from Specifically Random, a shop I came across last spring. They come in sizes. Yes. Sizes! I've been adding some crochet flower pins to them that my mom sent me. I don't have a link for the pins, but these, these, and these on Etsy look similar. They would also be easy to crochet.

And you? What are five really good things over in your corner of the world? I would love to know.

Happy weekending,
Liz 

five (really) good things

I've been living in my "love makes us brave" shirt over here. It is so soft and it makes me take a deep breath every single time I read it. My friend Jen designs shirts to be worn when you are the thick of it... in the deep living and creating and loving parts of life. And lucky for us, the shirts are 20% off today and tomorrow when you use code 2DAYSTOSAVE.

Curvy girl note: This shirt really does run true to size. I have an XXL and I love the fit. It is actually a bit more scoop neck than this photo shows.

In fact, everything over at Jen Lee Productions is 20% off, which means you can also get my home retreat kit, The Gift of This Moment, and my poetry collection, Five Days in April, on sale today and tomorrow by using the same code 2DAYSTOSAVE. I'm so proud of this work and deeply thankful for the space to share it.

For a few months now I've been using Anna's oils and sugar scrub. Sometimes my c-section scar really aches, and I was looking for something to use when that happens. It brings up a lot of emotion for me, and I want to tenderly take care of myself. Anna was wonderful to work with and I love how everything I have smells and feels. I use the "I Create" second chakra oil along with the Root "I Connect" oil and the Wise Woman scrub. I'm adding a few more good things to my "If I was buying myself a Christmas gift" pinboard to help Santa out when he goes to fill my stocking this year...

Tea. Tea. And more tea. Ellie now says, "Time for Mama's tea" when she sees me reach for a mug. Yes, sweet girl, it is time. Right now, tea really does feel like a deep breath in a cup. Currently loving: Trader Joe's winter tea called Vanilla Cinnamon Black tea (if you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, Harney & Sons Holiday Tea is wondrous) and Republic of Tea's Twenty Herbs Tea.

And twinkle lights. I've been saying I want to put them up forever. But each year they only go on the tree. We now have them in the bathroom and across the mirror that is on the fireplace. I love it. There is just something about that soft light that makes me smile. Planning to add a few more sets throughout the house. I'm sharing this because if you are like me and have been saying you want more twinkle lights in your house but haven't done it yet...well...TODAY is the day. Make it happen dear one. Yes.