not only because i adore the creative process – but also because I love the deepness that comes along with something crafted from the heart.

i enjoy being around people that create.

add the spirit of i want you to have this …not only to me, but all of us around the table

well…

that makes for many more smiles.

thank you maria

this piece is made on a bit of metal smaller than a postage stamp, with eclectic embellishment.

the artist makes these to unwind.

she had a pile of them that I wanted to look at all day!

The theme is Half-Year Resolutions hosted by our Lynn of OrganicMania.

I love the idea of re-evaluating our resolutions mid-year.  Currently on my mind are my work goals and a need for a super – duper pep talk.  I could be doing better.

At the beginning of 2011 my mind map brought to my attention the many gifts I have to offer.  A year ago I chose to dabble in many of my creativity desires.

This year I found myself hungry for more creativity.  Trust the process they say. Utilize my gifts, talents and strengths.  With a struggling economy and a move to a new community a few years back I have had to re-think, re-do, re-design and even re-think my business model.

This year I have also struggled.

That said I keep going back to my gifts and my strengths and utilizing them to propel my work life forward.

With any evaluation of self and goals.

My favorite mentor asks ” What do you want?”

When I was a kid a science project had us root a sweet potato.  The project sat on the dryer in our laundry room and produced the most remarkable plant!! For some reason I recently decided to start another sweet potato rooting.  It sits on my dryer. I am marveling at it’s rapid rooting and bud growth!

I’ve noticed in my outdoor gardening that I am skeptic ( oh that seed won’t possibly grow – I say to myself. ) I am hesitant or cautious with my vegetable plantings – to the point of a 1/2 planted garden plot.  I attribute this to expanding the plot and not really knowing what it might look like.  I don’t want to risk so I leave it. Do nothing. The unplanted 1/2 is weedy. I have some pulling to do, some shifts.  Am I like my garden ? Skeptic, hesitant, and cautious?  Do I have some weeding to do? Absolutely.

What do I want? I want to be like that sweet potato plant!  I want to grow.  Have the freedom to blossom! I want to deeply root!

On my “want” list for the year I had three things.

1. to build physical strength

2. create fiscal abundance doing what I love

3. to attract like-minded individuals in my life

What I have found this year is an intense observation of a need for balance.

Sound finances, physical and emotional strength and like minded individuals seem to be in my life randomly.  Not a constant. Not something reliable.

I am more in an unbalanced place than one of balance.

When I am doing what I do best.

Which is sharing, teaching and helping others in a consulting capacity either nutritionally or helping others start blogs.  Or hobbying in photography or something aligning with my creativity. I am completely in my element! I absolutely love it! This continues to affirm that I have chosen a really solid work/passion path for me.

When I am around people who appreciate me and encourage me or people who I love to talk to and share.  I feel awesome!!

What I’d like to say to myself today as I check in.

Keep at keepin’ on!

I may hear in my mind I don’t know, I am scared, I can’t decide or I can’t even.  We all do this.

I notice that I allow my personal life to be a distraction.

Or choose circumstances that don’t move my work life forward.

Stop that!

I am observing  who I am surrounding myself with, who am I reaching out to to share my knowledge and gifts with and best yet am I taking care of myself first?

This is my current focus.

These past 6 months have had some admirable and strident activities.  I am definitely planting seeds, these seeds need more water perhaps and this garden certainly still needs some weeding.

So …is there room for improvement?  Yes!!

How about you?

What kindof personal growth garden are you planting??

my new sweet potato plant.

He’s taking his phone, laptop, one humungous bike bag and riding his bike to the airport.  That’s going too.

Thoughts and images of him fleeting in my mind today are amazing.

I am letting them stream over me.

I feel celebration for him and his leaving.

Go fine son.

Journey free.

Be tremendously safe.

I adore you.

Love.  Mom.

Our THIRD!!

The carnival is hosted by the lovely Jen Savedge of The Green Parent.

The theme is Holiday’s Without The Hoopla.

There are some that holiday gift for mere quantity.  They are oblivious to the waste they produce or where those items were manufactured. Gifts they give are often of no practical use. It’s all about volume and getting.

For some the exchanging of gifts lacks ceremony.  There is a rapid tearing off a wrapping paper  It’s a garbage producing day. The entire gifting is over in ten minutes flat. Have you ever been in a circumstance where some complain about what they didn’t get?

I tried as a parent and especially during the holidays to gift practically and educationally.  I also tried to hold onto the meaning of gifting.  I tried to pause and watch as one gives a gift to another.

Less hoopla to me means:

Ceremony.

Pause.

Simplicity.

Practical.

I also enjoy getting creative.

I know for some creativity comes easier than for others.

and with with so much hoopla

creative gestures often take time.

Here is one holiday simple idea:

buy local art or handmade items, Amy Martinez’s ceramics are currently housed in Main Gallery 404

find a useful “vessel” to wrap it in – this vintage tin, cost $1

Add edible embellishment as packaging filler, bought in bulk – no packaging – I brought my own jar – be sure everything is clean.

The entire gift is useful, fun, holiday-ish. Reusable!!

We have been gift giving in “vessels” for sometime.

It’s part of the searching.  Makes it wonderfully fun

Here is one more idea:

take one sweet snowman dish, cost.25

add one or two decadent truffles $3/each.  Add one clean and pressed vintage hankie, this one cost $1 and some real ribbon.

Be sure to get full cat approval.

above images by Karen Hanrahan

“Esmeralda”  Intaglio Print by Matthew Tannebaum

I asked him a few questions about himself and his work.

Tell me about this print! The print – The genre of print is “intaglio” which is when an image is “incised into a surface or a plate” (wikipedia). Basically this image was created by applying a ‘hard ground’ to the surface of a zinc plate that protected the plate from the acid bath. I then hand drew the image into the hard ground, exposing the metal plate underneath. Thus when I placed it in the acid bath, the plate was etched in the exposed area leaving a place for the ink to gather. (This is actually my very first attempt at intaglio and this is the very first print I ever made of that plate – it’s since undergone a few modifications to improve the quality of the image. The AP to the left underneath the image stands for artist’s proof!)

What are your interests and future studies? Going to Syracuse University this fall for a Master in Architecture. I love interior design, technology, cooking, pop culture, fine dining, traveling, playing tennis, contemporary art and music.

Any quirks? I love to judge a restaurant by how their bathroom’s are designed.  Favorites are Mad Cow in Sydney, Australia, TRU in Chicago, IL, and RL (Ralph Lauren Restaurant) in Chicago, IL.  Number one travel destination and on the top of my list is Dubai, UAE.

May I have a picture of you? OK Matthew said – but it’s cheesy

Do you have a site w/ images of other works ? Matthew Tannenbaum

Matthew says if anyone is interested in contacting him they can at mltannenbaum ( at ) gmail.com.

All of his prints/drawings are available for purchase!!!

This slice of life wiglet of a story was inspired by the above photograph, which was taken by the brilliant and ever so amazing photographer Robyn of Birdznest Photography.

Once upon a time it was spring. We were digging in our great grand earth to prepare for yet another year of gardening. Digging with young ones around, as many of you know can offer a challenge or two. That particular year my son was five and his precocious sister was two.  I seemingly was the only mom on the block that was actively engaging the kids in gardening.  All the kids from the neighborhood were in our yard and I loved being the house on the block that drew the kids over.

It happened to be an amazing day for finding earth worms.  It had rained and the soil was perfect for working with your hands.  Whenever one of the kids found a worm I’d say, “AWESOME !”

I’d further explain the value of worms for the soil.  The kids of course could care less, they started talking about fat worms vs skinny worms.  Important stuff.  They even decided to make a worm pile so we could pick the best ones for our garden. The idea for a worm pile idea didn’t last very long, the boys started to put worms down the girls shirts.  Especially, the fat ones. More important stuff.  A lot of squealing prevailed.

I overheard one kid say matter of factly that birds eat worms.   I thought to myself oh my gosh I hope no one starts eating worms. Only to glance ever so quickly at my lovely two yr old.

She was standing in the middle of the yard with her mouth WIDE open.  Her silly tongue was wagging.

She was  swinging the fattest worm ever known to motherkind from her fingertips.

She looked me straight in the I got you mom eyes and swallowed the darn thing whole.

I think I screamed.

Actually I know I screamed as did all the kids in the yard.

She never even blinked.

Heck – it’s protein right????

Tastes like chicken?

Got a story that’s a slice of life?

I’d love for you to share it.

I asked him what the heck this was

his reply morning glory

he encouraged me to get rid of the pod and it’s seeds

they are weedy he said

by the time i went back outside the pods had naturally emptied

OOPS

photography by karen hanrahan

In January I attended two highly regarded what I like to call “think tank” conferences.  I am in a place in my life and in my business where I am ready to think outside the box again!  I came out of both of those events pumped!!

One evening during the January conference I couldn’t sleep…too many possibilities swimming in my brain.  I got up, made some tea and 45 minutes later had create what was for me a profound mind map.

In sharing this at my BNI meeting I was encouraged to partner with the life coach of the group to co-teach this technique.

It didn’t take much encouraging to work with Donella,  I just love her.  What was cool however, was when we sat down to discuss the potential of a workshop we simply created one – boom!

LOVE that!!!

Here is what we are up to:

What:   Heart Of The Matter Workshop

Please join us for  a morning of inspiration, direction, discussion, and reflection. Together in silence, we will mind map and collage our way to the path of our hearts.

When: Saturday March 6th  8:30  – 11:30 A.M.

Where: Normandy Village
1100 N. Beech Street
Bldg. 12A;  Normal, IL 61761

Fee:  $40.00
The fee includes room, snacks, some supplies, experienced coordinators’ compensation.

To make this even more deliciously fun, the fee is reduced to $35.00 each,  if you bring a friend.

Payment at the door, cash or check please.

Request:  Please bring magazines you have around the house – 5-10 or so will be plenty; favorite pencils or markers if you have them; your own beverage if you prefer something other than water; and if you can throw some scissors in your purse that would be great too.

Additional request:  Your on-time arrival will help all of us experience this workshop more fully; your courtesy is appreciated.

Who are these crazy facilitators?

Karen Hanrahan is a blog author, community wellness educator, closet creative and collage artist.  NEW to the Bloomington area, she brings 17 years of nutritional consulting to the table. Her passionate advocacy is prevention of illness through nutritional supplementation.  She created her first mind map in a course called Self Expression and Leadership 13 years ago.  Her collage work began when she studied the writings of Julia Cameron. Both types of media are part of what guides her personal and work goals. Sharing this technique with others fosters her belief that possibility strives on.  Blog: Best of Mother Earth

Donella Hess-Grabill, is a life coach and life-long educator with the necessary degrees, various related certifications, and over thirty years of working with people of all ages and stages.  Some of her favorite memories include times when she has nurtured students to self-discovery through language arts, or when she was a part of clients’ experiences of creating meaning, aliveness, and empowerment in their lives.  Donella has used life mapping and collaging extensively for her own personal and spiritual growth.  It took her only moments to decide that doing this workshop with you on a Saturday morning was what she wanted to do.

Wayfinder Solutions Professional Life Coaching
“Connecting Who You Are to Where You Want to Be”

Registration requested by March 2nd

The Workshop will be held at this location for a minimum of 8 participants.   If less, we have an alternative plan, if more that means we’re making more muffins!! Too Fun!!

If you are local to this area and care to pass this on to the woman you know – gosh, we’d really appreciate that!!

flickr image credit