Art is in the mail!

Today the magic invitations to play and create at the studio where sent to all of you with snail mail.

Today my good friend Christine and I went to see Caroline the movie. It was wonderful and creative. It was also a little scary. Not sure I would take little kids to see that one. There is something highly inspiring about children's movies.It is the source of some really simple lessions in life. So if you are looking for insights and inspiration...check out a kids movie. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Studio Video

Here is the full process of making our envelopes. It was totally fun!

Our precious delivery...

Andrea, owner of A Work of Heart , and I thought it would be great to touch bases with some of our local friends to invite them to art and creative expression workshops at the studio. I just finished folding 68 hand painted, hand stamped envelopes to mail out to you guys who are local and on my mailing list. These are so precious I cant wait for you to see them!

The envelopes are really simple to make. There is a die-cut machine at A Work of Heart and we cut out the envelope shapes. Andrea shared some wonderful coloring techniques a-la- Traci Bautista. It was soooo much fun to play for a few hours with colors, textures and stamps. If you are in the area and want to learn how we did it...call the studio for a private lession.

SoulCollage®

I'm gearing up to lead a SoulCollage® workshop this weekend. This weekend we will be covering guides and inner guidance. This week in preparation for this weekends course I have been looking out for Animal guides and chakra colors. Last week I was sitting with my friend Michelle discussing the new eCourse I'm working on and we were so excited talking about ideas and what we might want to offer and all of a sudden a Possum walked right out of the woods and up to my car on the drivers side. I was preparing for it to jump on the car but it just sat there. Looking at me when it was done it turned around and returned to the woods.

I looked up Possum Totems and here is what they said

" POSSUM
The possum is the deviation expert in the animal kingdom. Working under the cover of the night possums movements are secretive and mysterious The possum teaches us to use one's intellect and intuition to find the way out of tricky situations. An attacker loses interest if the victim appears indifferent and uninjured. Possum people are great strategists and protectors. They are not phased by superiority and will calculate to confuse or surprise opponents."
Goddess Realm

So that is what we are going to work on on Saturday, creating SoulCollage® cards for Animal energies that may surround you and Chakra energies that you may be attracted to.

Creative Invitations!

Today I'm at A Work of Heart and we are working on hand painted envelopes for the lovely people on our mailing list. If I have a physical address for you and you are in the area...you will get one of these lovely creations.

If you would like to get on my mailing list send me a message!

Create Your Own Incentives.

I love Jewelry from Brighton. There is a store in the area and I was taking a break from some new projects I'm working on for you in the Spring (shhhh! I'm just telling you...more details will follow). As I was walking around I decided to look in the Brigton store. I found this beautiful bracelet (I love jewelry with meaning). I walked out of the store and I was not 3 ft down the way when I felt this strong feeling to return. I got the idea to buy myself the bracelet. I had them wrap it in a beautiful box and I wrote myself a card. Its beautiful and its on my meditation altar.

The gift is my gift to me when I launch my very first ecourse. I am launching an ecourse of one if my most popular courses over the last few years. This is me moving in a whole new space and making my coaching and my workshops available to more of you...when you want it. You may be in the Midwest, Australia or London...you will be able to take one of my courses online.

I'm excited and a little scared...but that's what it feels like when you are stretching into new areas. So to acknowledge me...first. I purchased something special for me.

My Question For You?
What will you acknowledge yourself for? What will you do to celebrate a victory you are creating for yourself?

Esty the Movie

ETSY is an amazing tool that was created a few years ago. I remember seeing it in its beta phase. I watched it grow and I have a store (nothings in it now) but it has been fun to create and sell things online.

We are OK...We are alright!

I found this video searching online for wildly creative things to share. This little video brings me soo much joy...I wanted to share it with you.

Doing things YOUR way for YOU!

Clothing options for my next photo shoot



Every once and a while life presents you with an opportunity... to do things the way everyone else has done it or do it your way. You get the chance to go with the flow or chart a new course. You get the opportunity to be a pioneer and do it in a way that leaves you feeling proud and satisfied with yourself.

I have been working with the group A Work Of Heart in my SoulCollage® workshop on the concept of extreme self care. The kind of care that puts us first in our lives. The kind of care that puts what matters to us on our calendar along with soccer games, movie nights, bills, etc. The kind of care that makes us happy and replenishes us.

For the past 3 weeks I have been leading a group in a SoulCollage® workshop around extreme self care and the gift of pleasure. We have been collaging, sharing and supporting each other in our own commitment to self care. We are seeing our own strength, the gift that we are to others and who we are becoming. Self care is a radical act but it is extremely rewarding.

Out of leading the class I took on having professional photos taken of me for my promotional materials, Twitter and SoulCollage® teachers directories. I have taken photos before...by myself with the camera timer. They came out Ok but not great. This time I wanted to do things great and do it in MY unique way. I wanted to have a professional photo shoot done. I wanted to have a photo of me that I loved. I wanted something that really expressed who I am. I wanted to give myself all the attention I deserved. So I decided to assemble a great team. I called my friend Michelle who is an amazing Creative Director and she called in a friend of hers John who is an amazing photographer. This weekend we met in San Francisco for cocktails and a light dinner to discuss the shoot. We talked about location, clothing choices, colors, make-up, hair, shoes. We even went through magazines to setup the poses. I felt like a princess. I felt totally taken care of. I am so excited to do this shoot and see the results. I love everything about this process. Working with people I love and admire and getting something I have always wanted...but have been scared to make it happen. I am so excited and energized!. I brought all of that juice on to lead the SoulCollage® class. By the way...that class rocked!

MY QUESTION FOR YOU...
What have you always wanted and how could you make it happen in your own unique way?

SoulCollage®: The Gift of Pleasure

Join Us for SoulCollage®
Date: Sunday, March 1, 8, 15, 29 April 19 May 5 2009
Time: 10:30 - 12:30pm
Cost: $35/person per session
Location: A Work of Heart, San Jose, CA 95125

Click Here to Register

The Power of Self-Care

Years ago I started this practice of creating an intention for each month. It usually came out of experiences that were repeating over and over in a prior month. Creating a intention allowed me to acknowledge where I was focusing and anchor in the wisdom that came from the intention. Giving each month a focus, helped me to make each month an adventure. It has been so much fun to create these regular intentions, put them down on paper and look back at them over time...some amazing things have come out of that simple practice.

I remember I few years ago I was focusing on Miracles and I wrote down that I wanted to go to Paris. I knew that going to Paris would be a Miracle since I didn't have the financial means or the time to go. A week later I was talking to a friend who invited me to come with her to visit her parents and Yes they lived in Paris. So I said yes...knowing this was the first miracle and more would come. I got a project from a client that required a quick turn around and suddenly I had a bit of unexpected cash for the trip...miracle again. I needed a ticket and when I looked online for a flight it was double the amount I had to spend. So I felt like maybe this would not happen. Then the phone rang, I was a friend and I shared with him that I was trying to get a ticket to Paris but the tickets where out of my price range. To my surprise he offered to sell me a ticket he had that he was not using...for the amount I had to spend. So it all worked out. I went to Paris for a week and a half, stayed in a beautiful apartment with good friends, did art at the Lourve, went dancing at the Buddah lounge and had a wonderful time.

Miracles do happen ...but first there was an intention.

So this month, I have started to see how much I love to get up in the morning and just relax, sit and watch the birds on my patio or read something before I start doing things in the day. So this month is about extreme self-care. Being an expert at knowing what I need so my own tank in full before I try to assist and support other people...and making that a daily practice...so I can always contribute to others and still get my needs met. What I am learning so far it that when I take care of me I have sooo much more energy and space to deal with anything that comes my way.

So far here is what I am doing as self care and really enjoying the experience...
- Getting up in the morning and eating breakfast and just listening to music...no news!
- Laying out my clothes the night before...keeps me from over thinking in the morning...love that.
- Leaving music on so when I come home it feels warm and welcoming...like coming into a fancy hotel.
- Making lists of things I need to do on pretty paper.


Let me know if you feel inspired to share what special things will you do to practice extreme- self care in your life? I'd love to hear your ideas!

:)