Again I have to mention the synchronicity of the Daily OM; this one was received on the day of my 42nd birthday!

May 2, 2013
Appreciating What Is
Enjoying Your Age
by Madisyn Taylor


Try to enjoy the age you are at now, for each age presents its own unique wisdom to savor.

In each stage of life, there are wonderful experiences one can savor and valuable insights one can absorb. Every new decade and, in fact, every new year brings with it wisdom, transformation, and growth, as well as ends and beginnings. Many people, however, believe that there is one age that eclipses the others. They expend energy trying to reach it and, once it has passed, trying to retain it. But wishing to be younger or older is a denial of the joys that have been and the joys yet to be, as well as the beauty of your life in the present. Holding on to one age can make it difficult to appreciate each new milestone you reach. Taking pleasure in the delights of your age, whether you are in your 20s, 40s, 60s, or 80s, can help you see the magnificence and usefulness of the complex seasons of your life.

Each new year gifted to us by the universe is replete with exciting and unfamiliar experiences. In our 20s, we can embrace the energy of youth and the learning process, knowing its okay to not have all the answers. As we move through our third decade, we grow more self-assured as the confusion of our young adulthood melts away. We can honor these years by putting aside our fears of aging and concentrating instead on solidifying our values and enjoying our growing emotional maturity. In our 40s, we become conscious of the wisdom we have attained through life experience and are blessed with the ability to put it to good use. We are not afraid to explore unfamiliar territory or to change. In our 50s, we tend to have successfully navigated our midlife reevaluations and have prioritized our lives. In the decades beyond, we discover a greater sense of freedom than we have ever known and can truly enjoy the memory of all weve seen and done.

Try to enjoy the age you are at now, for each age presents its own unique wisdom to savor.

May is a month full of celebration

I have a birthday and it's mother's day! If you're wondering what to get me I really love this apron that WILL NOT give me a neck rash!

Jessie Steele Apron Strapless Bows & Roses

 

To help you prepare for all of your upcoming parties or if you want to give a gift to the hostess (like myself)  Layla Grayce is offering 15% off Hostess & Entertainment with promo code SPRING15 valid through 5/16!  Don't miss your chance to shop this amazing sale! Here are a few more gift ideas for your hostess, mom or me.

 

Rosanna Décor Bon Bon Hue Pink Tall Pedestal

Here it is again I am obsessed with this gorgeous Antique Rose Blue Tea Pot

Finally I have been coveting this for a while and even plan to make a quilt based on this tablecloth.

Big Pink Flowers Table Cloth

Sometimes when I have alot to say I get writer's block too.

Right now I'm stuck. I'm working on a series of posts called: "My life is a Jewel Album; Reflections on the parallels to my life on the album Spirit by Jewel Kilcher." I refuse to start publishing a series of posts without completing them all  just in case they turn out to be just stupid and I change my mind. I realized that some most people may not see the parallels I make by the amount of questions they ask me with a confused look on their face but those links make perfect sense to me and a few kindred spirits.

To illustrate this at the moment I believe that my plateau in weight loss = writer's block.

 To clarify you did not wander on to the wrong blog. This is definitely not a weight loss blog not that I don't like them. If you're interested in them I actually strongly recommend "A Neurotic Glamour Girl's Weight Watcher's Experience and Fitness Adventures." she is so inspiring (I love you Sheryl). I love to be fit and move but I abhor anything that isn't pretty so most dorky fitness clothes and running shoes DO NOT make the cut. When I saw this retro style glamour girl writing posts about her fitness journey and taking self portraits of herself riding her pink bike all over New York city in full make up and heels I was an instant fan! 

But I digress what I meant to say was that everybody who reads my blog...Does anyone read my blog? (cloud bubble inserted here) must know my passion is design, arts, crafts and the underdog okay okay I know I'm rambling bear with me.

Now back to the point I was trying to make. Since I joined Weight Watchers last fall I have had a more or less steady weight loss. I never felt discouraged not really I mean you have those weeks you go up a bit just to get the big numbers later and everything worked for me without too much difficulty. It was very empowering to realize I wasn't actually a PIG (I'm sorry to anyone that may offend but I have this problem where I am really hard on myself) I just made some bad choices and with a few adjustments I lost weight fairly easily.  

You just know there is a but coming... BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT I have been hovering within 2lbs of a 20lbs loss which has become unattainable to me at the moment.  I started to question myself; "Am I eating enough fruits and vegetables?" and ate fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch. "Am I really tracking everything I eat??" I paid close attention and was relieved to know that yes I was. I spoke to my leader who advised me to get more active which turned out well because it spring in Montreal and I have a membership for BIXI and can hardly pass by a bike without taking one. So...I did and I still maintained this hovering position. 

When I got weighed the next week I spoke to my leader again who is so lovely and not judging me and trusting me and really there for me and not to mention beautiful, awesome, helpful, inspiring,  so cute, stylish and interesting advised that I drink my water which means at least 6 cups a day and I did even though it has me running to the bathroom peeing about five times more often to the washroom which is a feat in itself because I work in customer service on the phone where everything is timed even bathroom breaks but I still gained 0.4 lbs. 

Unfortunately for me all those paralyzing messages I used to hear have come flooding back: "You're fat, you're a loser, what is wrong with you..." the list goes on but you get the picture. These messages are draining me, getting me down, affecting my mood, my relationships, how I feel about myself, my health, my body well essentially affecting everything. I don't want to play guitar, prepare food, and finally I am getting to the point: WRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Taking my cue from Lena Dunham (my hero) to be brave and a my younger self who once had a writing project that made me so nervous that I decided to write about just that and had the teacher read it in class saying how brilliant it was. I decided to write about what was stopping me from writing and suddenly out came this post and hopefully several more will flood out of me now. 

The time for beating myself up is OVER. This is a time for ACTION. Until now this steady weight loss has opened up a whole new side of me. One that is in control of my life, my choices, my finances, one who feels like anything is possible. It's the reason I picked up the guitar, am going to Ireland this summer, started making time for my friends again and planning many more exciting things because there has been a switch in my brain. A new record is playing and it says you are worthy, you are creative, you are talented, you are fun, people love you and love to be around you.  

 SO STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP! YOU BULLY!

 Phew! *Deep Breathes* Moral of the story here is...

Even when you have writer's block you have a lot to say.

(Just a little tidbit. I wrote this the day before yesterday in the commuter train on the way home from my regular full time job. Being stuck in a train that isn't moving with no gadgets or book can inspire you (hmmm that should be another series) but yesterday I read my Daily Om (which is addictive) and it was about creative blocks. I have to say find these daily OM's uncannily ominous with their synchronicity. There must be magic in the world. If you subscribe to the Daily Om will you let me know if you find them oddly synchronized with your life PLEASE? Or am I just making crazy parallels again)

R.I.P. Jason Molina

In the words of his friend Henry on Chunklet: "Jason leaves behind him an enviable body of work that will be continually rediscovered because what Jason wrote wasn't fashion. It was his heart. It was his love. It was his demons. And ultimately, it brought his life to an end."

Jason Molina was a great and prolific songwriter by himself and was the driving force behind the bands Songs:Ohia and Magnolia Electric Company. Sadly he passed away on March 16th 2013. For a short time Magnolia Electric Co.  is streaming everything Jason released on cd or vinyl over the past twenty years on their bandcamp site.

Did you know that April 2nd, 2013 was World Autism Awareness Day?

During the month of April, Stella & Dot will donate 20% off all retail sales from the Autism Awareness collection to the HollyRod Foundation.

Shop these sweet pieces for a good cause; the Spirit Bracelet,

and the Tree of Life Necklace.

Help support Autism Awareness today and get some nice bling to boot!

Friday Music...Sandy Denny and the Straubs

Cannot find the guitar chords for this but it's awesome and I love it.

I first discovered this song when "The Once" put it on their debut album and I heard a Canada Live podcast featuring them. I was sitting on the train for my commute home when this song came on. That moment is cemented in my brain because it's one of those moments where your senses are awakened and I felt like time stood still. 





At that time I thought it was their original song but when the once were featured again on another of my favorite Podcasts: "The Vinyl Cafe" I happened to be talking to a CBC retiree (pension administration that's my day job) who had heard it as well and he told me that I just had to look up Sandy Denny and the Straubs that they were the ones who had written that song. Well hope you enjoyed it too and click my link in bold above for my post about "The Once" along with their Leonard Cohen covers which are really worth listening to.
            

Art art I want you...Jewelry by Natalia Milosz-Piekarska

I saw this jewelry designer on the Design Files and I was so intrigued. I just felt like I had to know how Natalia Milosz-Piekarska made such colorful beautiful original jewelry. If you have followed this blog you know I love color especially bold colors!

The first thing I thought was how does she do that? What does she use? I always want to know how it's done to try and do it for myself and enjoy it and later on do my own take on it and share it with my family but this artist's work is so unique that there is no easy answer to any of those questions. She uses a combination of wood and resin and you don't know where one material starts and another begins and she adds textures and paints the jewels in these incredible colors. I. LOVE. IT.

So number one I have to covet these other wordly jewels that are a complete mystery to me since I can't make them myself but number two I continued to read about her on Design Files and found out that Natalia was awarded the 2011 British Council ‘Realise Your Dream’ and Ian Potter Cultural Trust travel grants. Now who wouldn't want to add that to their list of accomplishments. "Both assisted her in undertaking a self initiated internship with renowned UK fashion/costume jeweller Scott Wilson in London!" That is not my dream but I would love the same opportunity for my own design endeavors wouldn't you? (I'm on it)

I am so inspired Natalia! Thank you for sharing your story with us via Design Files. DO visit Natalia’s blog here  for info on how to get your hands on these works of art.

Tragic Plastic

MIDWAY : trailer : a film by Chris Jordan from Midway on Vimeo.


 If you love the ocean and nature please view this and share you will be astonished and might be moved to act.

I am! Any ideas on what we could do?

Visit the site there's more videos; see plastic beach and plastic water and more (ghost net too).

Monday Musings...Another Daily OM

Another Daily OM check out their website it has been very "a propos" for me lately

February 11, 2013 Giving Excuses Prioritizing over Smokescreens by Madisyn Taylor When we offer nothing but excuses in our lives, we are not being honest with anybody, mostly ourselves. Excuses may seem like rational reasons for us not to do something, but if we’re not careful we can allow them to keep us from reaching our goals. Too often we accept our excuses as reasons why we cannot accomplish what we set out to do, and instead of finding alternatives we give up. But if we can be honest with ourselves and take responsibility for our choices, we will begin to notice that we no longer give excuses. When we keep our minds focused on our goals, we will find that excuses fade away in the light of our priorities, and issues become challenges that can help us become wiser and stronger. Sometimes we may give others excuses rather than be fully honest. We may think it is kind to tell someone we are willing to do something with them, whether work or play, but then keep putting them off. This diverts our energy into keeping the truth at a distance while continuing a falsehood. But when we can take responsibility for our feelings and express them honestly, but gently, the other person is free to find someone who is better suited to accompany them while we are free to pursue the things we like. When we can do this, our energy can be invested in building better lives and relationships. There’s another way in which excuses rob us of energy—and that is in the power of our thoughts and words. If we find ourselves in a situation, for example, where we are being asked for a financial contribution but we use the excuse that we can’t afford it, we create and attract lack and limitation into our lives. The same goes for seemingly simple things like pretending to not feel well or any other false statement. We may think that excuses make things easier, but they complicate matters with smokescreens. When we can commit to our priorities, take responsibility for our choices, and communicate them honestly to others, there will be no need to make excuses, and we will have much more energy to dedicate to all the things we love.

I am Nostalgic.

I have started playing guitar in the past few months. I'm taking it seriously and plugging away at it every single day. I have learned about 5 songs at this point. My son says that he and I are campfire ready. There are tons of great Canadian Musicians currently to listen to but in my latest effort to learn "A Case of You" by Joni Mitchell (little tidbit according to Joni Mitchell's website 211 different artists have covered this song!?) has totally and completely humbled me and drawn me to her website where she actually gives tips and tabs to play her songs along with a whole bunch of other amazing stuff.

I have been going through her Library of videos on the site and I am seriously blown away by the cool strange little shows that CBC was doing to feature Canadian Musicians and I fell upon this gem called "Mon Pays, Mes Chansons" which was to feature Canadian Folk musician's music against the backdrop of Canadian Scenery. It may be some of the first videos EVER. I don't know but it is so beautiful and sort of campy and moving somehow.



    
Joni Mitchell - Born to Take The Highway from JoniMitchell.com on Vimeo.