i am finally stretching out of my winter cocoon and am ready to get outside. the weather is slowly warming a little week by week.
today i am preparing to travel up to Wilmington NC for the Wilmington Chocolate Festival. UMMM.
two days surrounded by chocolate! starting the new year at a fun festival just in time for valentines day.
~i hope to see you there.
~i don’t know why it’s always difficult for me to jump right back into my life after being away. even when i come home feeling renewed & ready to create it still takes time to find my groove. every single time i come home i feel this need to do tedious chores and catch up on day to day necessities.
~right now i am still playing catchup from being away for 5 straight weekends, i just can’t seem to keep focus on anything for too long, nor have i been very productive. been feeling very moody & much like the weather, one day i am very sunny & warm and then the next cool & dreary with a hint of sharpness, i just feel very aware of it lately. the good thing is that i have been in tune with the weather and that helps. getting outside is always the best remedy! hadley never objects to some outdoor time.
“we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – winston churchill
“the ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully have been kindness, beauty, & truth. ~ albert einstein
i see kindness, beauty and truth in my daughter every day. what joy it is to be able to spend so much time just being mom…
~ i am bracing myself for a busy fall at festivals in sc, nc and ga. here is our current list and i will update it as things change!!
august 29- grape stomp at irvin vineyards, wadamalaw island, sc. 1-5 pm
septenber 12- wilminton art walk, 10-6, downtown wilmington
september 19-20- southern coastal bluegrass festival, kure beach, nc, 10-7pm
october 3-4- wilmington riverfest, downtown, 10-7
october 10-11- mullet festival, swansboro, nc 10-6
october 17-18- tybee island arts festival, tybee island, ga 10-6
november 12- blessing of the vine, wadamalaw island, 1-5
~~ believe it or not, this is just the confirmed shows. i will add more as i get notice. i am working on some more unique pieces and will post some pics soon. enjoy the last weeks of summer. let us all welcome fall and all it will bring.
“the aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.” ~ henry miller
this quote makes me smile. and wish i was perfect at being aware. i really have to think about awareness a lot so i remember where my center, my soul and my heart belong. it is easy for me to get wrapped up in diapers and cartoons and being mom and forget that i have to remain myself through it all. some days i wake up and forget to ground and center myself before i float along through my day. these days i feel lost and like time flies by with out really noticing each and every divine moment.
so, today, be aware of who you are, be joyful, have fun and be divine.
maybe after some practice, all of our days will be aware…
*
why is it that summer days seem to be only half as long as winter days?! if only i could give up on sleep, i could fill those extra hours with the things i cannot seem to catch up on lately. With trips to the beach taking in the salt air & the sand, plants & flowers to admire, books to read, jewelry to make, fresh produce to eat, places to walk, and meals to create. there is less time to sit and remember what it is i need to focus on. 
although, i find myself longing for more time to make new pieces, somehow i always end up with just enough.
i am looking forward to a new show this weekend, august 8 & 9th in myrtle beach, sc called art walk at market pavilion. i know the temperature will be warm (well, really… hotJ) but i hope the crowds come out to support handmade art!
I am definitely guilty of forgetting the importance of stretching! I do, as funny as it sounds, stretch in the shower. i love how just a little heat can really help me release tense areas, especially my back. I like the article below. It simply sums up the ease of stretching.
enjoy!
Stretching is an important part of muscle health. It is a simple, quick and effective way to bring oxygen rich blood into the muscles, making them more supple and relaxed. A relaxed muscle is less likely to tear or go in spasm. This means a decrease in body pain and an increase in general well being.
Most of us think of stretching in association with cooling down after exercising or playing sports. Of course, stretching at this time is an important part of decreasing your chance of injuries. However, stretching can also be incorporated into your daily living to give you more energy, introduce body awareness and keep your muscles more relaxed and less prone to pain or injury.
When you work for long periods in one position, your body needs breaks. You can achieve this by simply stopping every hour to stretch. If you’re at the computer, do some neck rolls; on your feet, stretch your legs and low back; at the wheel, stop and stretch your neck and shoulders. Simply 5 minute stretches every hour can save you from painful, stiff muscles at the end of a workday. Stretching regularly can also give you more awareness of your body and the ability to stop and relax your muscles consciously and ward off potential discomfort or injury.
It’s a good habit to get into for the rest of your life. A little stretching throughout the day can go a long way.
Be kind to your body and start stretching today.
©The Massage Garden
i love summer and all that it brings...
i like this rumi quote... as much as i like to think of myself as a handful of herbs or a thread hanging from a robe... i am a handful of herbs from the garden of your beauty. i am a thread hanging from the robe of your greatness. ~ rumi
today, like everyday,
we wake up hollow and frightened.
don’t open the door to the study & begin reading.
reach for the musical instrument.
let the beauty we love be what we do,
there are hundreds of ways to kneel & kiss the gound.
~ rumi
