Do you see what I see?

Happy Holidays to you all...

xoxo

The promise of a journey

“Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world.
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before.
Let your soul take you where you long to be...
Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar,

and you'll live as you've never lived before.” ~ Erich Fromm

Thank you Tracey!!

{from journal notes 2012}

Today, on a day that some thought would be the end of the world, is actually born as another beginning. A beautiful glorious beginning, a sparkling ball of energy that we are able to fit into the palm of our hand. And what am I going to do with all this energy, with all this new possibility? How will I use it?

How will you?

Maybe it starts with sex, or a great cup of coffee. Maybe it begins with a hug from your loves, a run, a hike, or pen to paper. It really doesn't matter, as long as you know what that day looks like. The promise of any journey is that it will give you what you ask (and mountains of what you don't) but only if you know how it begins. And it begins with a question.

What do you want?

And once you know what you want,

what are you willing to do to go after it?

And when you decide to go after it, and that ball of energy burns your hand by spitting flames wrought with disappointments, failures, pitfalls, and setbacks, what happens then?

When you are in it, feeling like shit and not knowing what comes next, will you still remember what you wanted and why you began?

Remember.

The promise of any journey is that it will give you what you ask, with cascades of things you never knew you needed, if you are committed, if you are willing to walk through hell and fire to get it.
Are you?

A new journey is beginning.
What will you do with yours?

Happy end of the world friends
Welcome Winter Solstice
Cheers to a brand new day...
xoxo

Day to day

“You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.” ~ Paulo Coehlo
All is calm and well around here lately. The kids being sick has meant more crafting and more baking. Keeping my son out of the kitchen was nearly impossible as long as I was in it. He is such a love, wanting to participate in every step...Or, he could have just been bored out of his mind from being stuck at home with me for 5 days, he he... Crushing peppermint and melting chocolate fixed that :). We also managed to make cards, decorate paper, and play with brand new stamps that I am head over heels with. They are made by Yellow Owl Workshop, and you have to take a look!!

Okay, short but sweet, I'm off for more merry making...
much love to you friends
be happy

xoxo

Wishes

From our family to yours...

Many peaceful wishes on this Solstice morning. May these holidays be happy, full, and wondrous...

xoxo

p.s. and remember, just breathe :)

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family." ~ Anthony Brandt

May these next few days with family, be the greatest memories ever made.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our family to yours...

With love and virtual hugs,

MJ

Extra post--Excited!! We are wrapping things up...

Oh we are so close aren't we! Where did the month go? Somewhere along celebrating Advent, creating and crafting, sewing, crocheting, baking, playing, blogging, and making new friends-- the winter solstice has arrived. Will you be up in the wee hours to watch this lunar eclipse? We are going to try!!

Meanwhile, we are "wrapping things up" around here as some of my handmade projects for Christmas are coming to a close. My little elf happily helped me on this one.

I was so fortunate to have my mother bring me back some handmade Japanese washi papers this past fall. They are so pretty I almost hated to use them. But my goat milk soaps (which I had so much fun making!) are naked and need to be covered, so here they go...

Hope you have a beautifully rare and momentous evening and week!!

This moment ~ Treetops

As inspired by Soule Mama:

"A Friday ritual. A single photo -no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember."

I would love to see your links to your moments, too!!

Have a beautiful weekend!!

Creative adventures

In the spirit of Handmade Holiday, we are continuing our adventures in handmaking gifts. Here is one of our most recent, adapted from Family Fun's Bowling Boys.

So I promised my friend over at Lady Cordelia, I would post my adventures in yarn. She inspired me with this hilarious post about knitting her hat, to crochet my own. So here it is C, my crocheted hat from a pattern. Unfortunately, I couldn't do without one. Maybe one day...

P.S. Thanks for the inspiration!!

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues." ~ Cicero

I am overwhelmed at the moment as I think about all the amazing blogs, writers, and artists I met this week. The ones that I cling to are the ones that inspire passion, growth, authenticity and hope. These people remind me that there is soooo much to be grateful for everyday.

So, in celebration of discovery, and as I wander around the web, I am compelled to say "thank you". Thank you for getting up everyday and writing something, sharing something, making something. You inspire me:

Gypsy Forest with her openness and generosity. Her Advent post inspired and reminded me that it is never too late to begin a new family tradition, no matter what your background or beliefs. Oh and did I mention she is also talented! Thanks Stephinie, it is truly nice to meet you.

Zen and Coffee is an Etsy store that I discovered a couple weeks ago. Wren makes fingerless gloves, hand and arm warmers--and not the bulky, chunky kind. I am talking sexy, fun, cute, stylish fingerless gloves. You have to check it out. Why would I need fingerless gloves you ask? Especially in Florida? Yes, especially in FL. The sun can be brutal here, all year around, and when do I get the most exposure? In the car. Driving. Okay, this wasn't my idea. My mother has shared with me that the majority of women in Japan drive with fingerless gloves, for sun protection, and for all its fabulous style. I love it. Thanks Wren!!

The holidays in Florida

I grew up in snow. I remember the winters-- the snowflakes, the ice skating, the sledding, and the smell of pine and burning wood. I remember the comfort of being able to snuggle deep under the heavy covers, finding warmth, and never wanting to crawl out of bed in the morning.

There is so much joy and anticipation as each change of season relives family routines, rituals, and traditions. As I gander at other lives shared on the web, I realize that the togetherness so often brought about by the holidays, has a very deep and significant relationship to the change of seasons.  So how do we do that in FL when the leaves don't change, when the snow doesn't fall, or when we can plant broccoli in November (not that I can complain about that one)?

We go to the annual outdoor Christmas concert...

where the kids keep busy with their own project. The Nutcracker Suite, another holiday tradition, plays in the background.

We go ice skating, which then allows us to enjoy that lovely, sweet hot cocoa...

And we create new traditions shared with us from other web families...thanks again Stephanie for the ice lantern project. This one's a keeper :)...

You know, winter in FL is about the only time that we can do things such as have a fires in our firepit, or go camping with our friends. These are some of the traditions we look forward to every year. It's different, and I would be lying if I said that I have gotten use to it. But if there is anything else that I rely on to feel the holiday season, other than the change of seasons, it is family. Seasons do change, holidays come and go, but family is how traditions stay with us always, no matter where we are or go...