sperlygirl

coming clean...

someone asked me the other day 'how do you find the time?' (to do all the things you want to). it got me thinking today and i wanted to come clean a bit. this blog, it's a snapshot of my world. i choose to focus here on the creative aspect of my life, to document the ordinary times in my world that to me feel extraordinary. i don't share the messy - not because it doesn't exist - but because i am able to use this blog like a filter and that is such a gift that i can direct my focus to what's meaningful to me. i know what it's like to read through blogs and become caught up in the world of others only to start to beat yourself up over what you aren't doing, or how your home should look/feel, or how more creative you should be, etc. and it's at that point when (i usually phone a friend...and then) i realize i need to back away slowly and disconnect a bit.

but the reality is this: i work full-time as a teacher which is what provides our life overseas. some days that fills me up and others it drains me. i couldn't do any of this without the love, support, guidance, friendship, inspiration and help (that word doesn't cover half of it) that j provides. he keeps me grounded and believing that i can become who i hope to creatively. i would be covered in bruises with the number of times i have caught myself comparing my life to other worlds on the blogs - or with worrying over whether i should change over kai's college savings fund to a therapy fund instead with all that comes along with mothering.

it's my tribe of incredible girlfriends that remind me to laugh, lighten-up, and nudge me along my path. and of course, my supportive family who provide just the gentle wisdom i need at the moment. and it's the slew of lovely blogs that fill my google reader that i check in with who inspire me down to my core.

the reality is that most days, i dodge piles of laundry (which is the bane of my existence) as i walk through the house. most days, i don't even bother to brush my hair. and my life isn't neat and tidy like freshly made guest bed, but rather more lived and worn like a favorite pair of sheets - and i simply choose to focus on the possibility that comes from this, here on this little blog.

a shot of inspiration...

i am always so hopeful out the gates of the new year - so much i hope to do, to try, to see, and to accomplish. then february rolls around and life's little obstacles seem to start finding their way in front of my best intentions. i know i must not be the only one who feels this way?

so i starting thinking...what we need is a little shot of inspiration, a gentle nudge -- much like how it feels when i am able to catch up with my best girlfriend for a cafe. i walk out of the bar feeling a bit taller and like the world is possible. so inspired by pixie dust's kindness swap this summer, i'd like to host a inspirational exchange - and i do hope that you will join me.

here's how it will work...simply create (3) lovely postcards, embellish them however you'd like (photos, paintings, poetry, any medium you wish) and on the backside write out an inspirational quote (words that would lift, nudge, and gently encourage another along their creative journey). mail me your (3) postcards by Feb 22 and i will sort and send them. then all who participate will receive (3) different doses of inspiration staggered in the mail. hopefully, one will land in your mailbox and provide you that boost or nudge you might need that day to continue to follow your dreams.

if you are interested, please leave me a comment, and i will email a confirmation with further details.

simple joys...

my great green hat that j gave me for the holidays

the buzz of creativity that's happening in this house

being on the verge of 100% healthy - (my running shoes & yoga mat have missed me)

the amazing online possibilities that are being launched this year

teachers like kiran bir sethi and the power of 'i can'

four, that's the magic number...

amidst coughing fits and germs around here, a very special day occurred yesterday...kai's big 4th birthday. we have been eagerly counting down on the calender every morning for the past couple weeks. and although illness postponed celebrating with our dear friends, skype provided a chance for us to share the evening with family and friends alike. the only 'must have' last night ~ banana splits! and did we ever do those up to the max - sauces, candies, sprinkles, whipped creme. pure pleasure. kai is so happy with the new status of 'big boy' that four seems to hold.

to my little man of four...may you always dream with your whole heart and then with all your courage and strength go after them, may you always find a way to selflessly help another, may you always believe in others and most importantly in yourself, may you take the time to walk out into nature to simply absorb it, may you find treasures on your way everyday, may you laugh from your belly, listen with your heart, question the world around you, defend you opinions with wit and words, cherish moments of stillness and silence, trust your voice, and most importantly...may you always feel and know that you are loved. xx mama

"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone." ~ Ralph Waldo Emmerson

calling on the sun...

i needed some sunshine today. i needed to remind myself of the warmth of this day. this house has been hit with a variety of viruses and colds continually since september and finally, finally, they found me. i have spent the last 5 days nursing myself to a healthier state and allowing myself to be taken care of by j, who has been pretty patient and fantastic. today, i decided i needed a vacation - needed to feel the warmth of the sunshine, the calm of the seaside, the brilliant colors of the coastline - so i am posting this photo taken from our trip to amalfi last summer and it is doing wonders for my spirit. of course, there is a chubby, little baby cooing and smiling at me too from his swing, and that does wonders too. the one good thing about having a virus stop you in your tracks and slow you down a bit - is the buzz of artwork i have dived into these last couple days. oh, i know...i should be resting - did i happen to mention that i am a terrible patient this way? :)

passing it forward...

kt surprised me by passing on this kreativ blogger award, many thanks! this was a very sweet surprise. as part of the sharing, i get to select others to forward this on to. below you'll find a few (in random order) of whom i find inspiring for a variety of reasons. my list could be quite long as there are so many of you out there that bring me inspiration and i am touched (as katy and i discussed the other evening) that it is the gift of creativity that threads and connects us all - that is powerful stuff!

journeywildly

ramblings

annie lockhart

soul aperture

joyously becoming

the last part of this asks that you to share several unknown facts about yourself, so here it goes...

1. my hero, for a variety of reasons, is jane goodall

2. i get really nervous & uncomfortable in the middle of crowds and in elevators

3. the only sport i have ever enjoyed watching is the ironman on tv - because i love all the profiles of the 'everyday athletes' doing this extraordinary race

4. purple has always been my favorite color but lately i am sooooo lovin' orange

5. i have a little sun inked on my ankle - it's been there a very long time. i placed it there to remind me of the impermanence of life and the possibility that dwells within each new day (oh yeah, it's purple and orange)

dear haiti...

to the people of haiti...may you find the courage to walk through the dark days and may you keep the flicker of hope alive in your hearts in the days to come. know that all over the world, people are holding you in their hearts. 

**to support, try here , here, or also here**

filling the bucket...

teacher teach thyself...isn't that so true. and life is bringing that back into FOCUS for me. as i eagerly prepare to take misty's online class on drawing and painting portraits - i let loose a bit this weekend to trust my eyes with these blind contour sketches. i assign this as an assignment in my art classes, but so often times (and unfortunately) teaching requires so many other aspects and elements, that i am unable to just enjoy the lesson and the experience of teaching it with my students. i had completely forgotten how FUN and freeing these are to create. simply, i had forgotten the magic of LINE and the wonder it produces. 

today i got to bank some precious minutes on the yoga mat too - providing a bit of a mental focus and reprieve from the daily routine. i kept coming back to a quote that i read from cyndi lee with regard to creating a dedicated yoga practice; 'drip, drip, drip - fills the bucket.' this little phrase has been tucked in my back pocket ever since i read it. when i start to hear the gremlins whisper in my ear, it's this phrase that quiets them. i may not have the luxury of long pockets of time in my life right now, but i do have moments of time to collect a few drips along my day - and that too fills the bucket. 

***and a tune - 'just for now' for each of those moments***

moments of beauty...

there are times in life when i find myself overwhelmed with the world - and not in a negative sense. it's like my heart is full and then some simple 'thing' happens - be it an unexpected comment, gesture, kind act, something i notice, a surprise letter/email but usually it is simple and ordinary - and it causes my heart to overflow.

i say all of this at the risk of sounding completely corny, crazy or both but it's true and genuine for me. i can recall moments like this all the way back into my childhood. it's like a momentary awareness of all the inexplicable beauty in the world and it just hits you, shocks your system a bit, rocks your world, and then as unpredictably as it arrives - it gracefully settles back down into the recesses of your soul. it's a clarity...a lifting...a peace. nothing in your life is changed after wards, but you are left with the memory of this very difficult to articulate moment. i felt this today. i cannot tell you why or when it exactly came on, but i realized it in the moment. i was simply aware of it...and so very grateful for it.

**and to be true and honest, i have those other moments too - you know the ones where you feel deflated, defeated, and it's a struggle to define anything good in the world. i wouldn't be human if i didn't have the both. but i also believe wholeheartedly that it is my mind that creates my reality, so i work very hard to be completely aware of this during those darker moments. everything in life is as fleeting as the breath.

going more green...

i came across this challenge on soulemama's blog and i thought what a beautiful and mindful way to challenge ourselves in this new year for the next four months. j & i are always talking about ways we could be more environmentally conscious in our day to day. there are many things i would like to do, but will be very honest here and say that sometimes the reality of our lives make those options less feasible.

i want to be very real about the choices we will make in our home and make sure that they are things that we can do comfortably, that do not require additional "stuff" of any kind, and that would be easy to fit into our lifestyle. our changes may not seem as grand as some of the ones i have read through on the challenge so far, but in the end, they are all very real ways to live a more environmentally conscious life and i have always been in support of that.

so for january... my goal is to lessen (hopefully eliminate) our dependence on the all-handy 'cleaning wipe'. they are convenient, yes! and we do use them often in a house with 2 children and 4 cats but they are so very wasteful (and costly). while i am at it, i'd like to share with you some of my favorite natural cleaners too. i am particular about my cleaning products. while i'd love very much to be able to create my own, the reality is that i just do not have the time to do so. so i happily rely on these. scent is very important to me - must be a pleasing, clean, fresh scent but nothing that would smell 'chemically'.

herb-n-organics (my dear friend, diann and her friend started this company - heavenly products!)

mrs. meyers

seventh generation

method

**hope you'll consider joining the challenge - if you have any 'green' cleaning suggestions, please feel free to share in the comments. would love to hear about your choices.**