Date with Myself

Yesterday, I decided to take myself out on a date. Fresh from a whirlwind of holiday festivities, I wanted some downtime with myself.

So I dolled myself up, and took myself to the movies!

I found the best parking spot, closest to the theater which was amazing as it was like a thousand degrees below zero. I got a ticket to the movie which was lucky as I went to see Avatar which has been selling out consistently since it was released.

The lineup for pop corn was small and speedy, and I found my absolute favorite drink - Glaceau Vitamin Water - XXX flavor which is oxygenated water with acai, blueberry and pomegranite juices. It's like liquid, healthy candy!

In the theater, I got the perfect seat, and despite the fact that the theater was packed, somehow the seats on either side of me remained unoccupied. Lady luck went out on the date with me last night!

And the movie?

Absolutely, breathtakingly magical 3D. It was clever, visually stunning, emotionally compelling and absolutely captivating. The final fight scene was a bit drawn out, but I have little patience for fight scenes... There I was, watching a brilliant movie, munching on buttery popcorn (they use real butter!) and downing my liquid heaven. I didn't even notice that almost 3 hours passed.

After the movie, I popped over to the Imperial Buffet and got myself some take-out Chinese food, focusing on the healthier choices, and went back home. I don't like eating out alone.

I got back to my warm cozy home, doled out the food on a plate, poured myself some wine, lit the candles, and popped in a CD. Very romantic dinner for one.

And do you know that the whole time, I did not experience even one moment of loneliness? Do I want to have a similar experience with a special man? Of course, I do! But, I spent the evening with someone special - me. And what a wonderful night it was! :)

Interview This Wrecker!

What a week! It has been a challenge getting through it, and I am feeling the effects.
I'm a bit under the weather, which is a major signal to slow down.

But before I get into all that... I have an exciting announcement to make!

Connie from Dirty Footprints Studio is interviewing me live on air tomorrow at 3 pm Eastern!
So, if you have the time and want to listen in or call in, join the fun!
The link is posted on her blog.
If you don't know Connie,
you should check out her deliciously creative,
amazingly energetic and
abundantly inspiring blog!

Now on to the wreckage.

This week I was caught in the rain without an umbrella.
So what did I use to cover my head?
The journal of course!

(click on images to enlarge)
My camera is disappointing, or it might be the user, so it's difficult to see the water drops.
The journal was drenched.... And now it looks like.....


THIS!
It can't and won't close. And it's water logged, but I still love my little journal!
I took some time to paint in it and have some fun, to balance out the heavy work week.


Evidence of my creative endeavors on this test page!
I am going to glue this paper towel I used to clean my water color pens.
But there's more!



I took some veggies that were wilting in my fridge, and I made some stamps!
Pepper and carrot impressions!
But I couldn't leave it at that! NO!


I wanted to paint it. Give it some color! FUN! :)


I took a peaceful moment to glue a page from a magazine.
It's actually two pages that I turned into a collage.
There are some powerful messages here! :)


I embellished my office supply page with things I found in my classroom desk.


I made a sign!
Life is infinite possibilities.
Enough so that we each can live our own way.
And isn't that amazing?

Last but not least, I am including a photo of the page I sent to Kara, aka Mother Henna!

This page was inspired by the workshop that Kara lead entitled "Find Your Own Hero".
I fell horribly behind and will be picking it up again when I am on vacay in 11 days!
I digress.

This is my Super Hero!
And who better to give it to than the woman who inspired the journey!
Thank you Kara!

If you have not checked out her blog, please visit!
Not only is her art and words infinitely touching, blessedly real, and remarkably inspiring,
she runs some juicy workshops!

My Super Hero.

That's it for week 7 for me!
Check out other wreckage, on our wonderful Guru, Jamie Ridler's blog, here!

Jamie a driving FORCE of creativity, leadership, and ongoing inspiration. I consider myself so lucky and privileged to have crossed paths with her. When I am in her presence or reading her thoughts, I feel a light emanating from her. A light that envelopes the world.

Jamie, if you're reading this, I thank you from the bottom of my being! Blessed be. :)

Hoops & Barbeques & Dreamboards, oh MY!

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Et Voila! My dreamboard for the Honey or Strawberry or Lovers Full Moon!

I made it at the effervescent and ever-inspiring Jamie Ridler's first Full Moon Dreamboard Circle yesterday! To say it was fun and deeply enlightening is an understatement! I got to meet, for the first time, some of my blogging friends and I was thrilled to see how absolutely wonderful they are in person, as they are online! I will write more on this when I have more time (?) this week.

I am in the process of studying my dream board, as I put it together intuitively. I grabbed images that I was drawn to, then put it together. I added the card I drew from the deck Jamie provided and kindly allowed us to keep. GOALS. How fortuitous is that? I added the advice on the back which I thought was particularly potent for me. Set a goal... and release the outcome. The second part is particularly important for me. Releasing expectation and worry. Just letting the wish and goal float up into the Universe. This dream board has a lot in it that makes my heart sing.

I welcome your thoughts. What do you see?

If you want to participate in the full moon dreamboard experience just go here!

This weekend, I was a bad girl! I finally sat down to do some of the work that has been piling up like Mount Kilimanjaro on Sunday night, after a nice dinner of (you guessed it!) sushi with my goddess daughter and my friend who also participated in the dream board circle.

On Saturday, I popped in to visit the ever talented and light-generating Danette who was hosting a hoop sale for the amazing and hoopalicious Allison. We hooped. Well they did. I managed to keep the hoop up for 15 seconds! We hung and chatted on Danette's porch and took in the beautiful spring morning.

Then I went to a barbecue, and dragged myself home late that night with enough energy to shower and plunge into bed.

Oh well! Life is meant to be lived, not graded. :)

And since it's Monday, you know what that means?

TIME TO DANCE!



YEAH BABY! :)

Swinging into Life

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Spring has sprung and so have I! Even though I am feeling the slight symptoms of a flu coming on (tickly throat, coughity cough, sniffles), I refuse to give in to it! Sorry, I don't have time for you! Go plague another body!

The sun is nurturing my soul and my spirit has been lifted right out of last week's doldrums. I know a lot of this has also to do with the fact that I am not in the pressure cooker that is my place of employment. It's really quite alarming what an awful effect it has on my state of being. I really need to reinforce my barriers so that it does not get to me as much! Or I really need to get out.

Yesterday, I had a meeting with two of the most awesome women I know and have the pleasure and honor of calling friends. They are helping me with my project to infuse the tired education system here with some creativity! It needs this transfusion desperately as it has been languishing in Intensive Care for eons! I will write more on this once it has been solidified. :)

I
am
excited!
!
!

:)

I have also been working on the textbook(s) I have been commissioned to write. I must admit, I was not very enthusiastic when this first fell into my lap, but... I am making lemon cake with it! I have been researching like mad, and have put together an outline that pops! It's chock full of fun and interesting activities! I will actually enjoy writing this :) The theme is Habitats and I have discovered such amazing projects in the works all over the world which gives me hope for humanity. More on this for sure!

Today, I am going to meet up with a friend of mine and her one-year old daughter, Maria! I am so looking forward to squishing, I mean holding, this new human! :) The sun is shining and so am I!

Brilliant!

I hope you are all well, and happy! My prayers are with those of you who need them. I have not forgotten about you, darlings!

Blessed be :)

Hooky

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Today, I'm playing hooky! Shhh! Don't tell! :)

Mental health days are probably the best preventative medicine. Studies would show, if there are any, that productivity increases when employees take a day of rest at least once a month. Everyone needs time away to refresh, regenerate, destress. A day away from idiocy, is a great day indeed.

Speaking of idiocy...

Today, I ask for the power of affirmation, and I need your help. The Principals and their Vices found out on Monday what their placements for next year will be. I need a collective prayer to go out into the Universe, to release us from the tyranny and incompetence of this Administrative Team. I need the Power of Positive Thinking to bring to our school a compassionate, competent, creative Principal to fix the shambles of our morale. Someone who has a vision and balls. I know we can all do it. :) Will you send out a prayer, please? :)

Back to my hooky. :)

Today, I will be going up to Newmarket (an hour drive) with a friend to visit our other friend who has just had a cute little baby girl! I am excited! What a great way to spend the day off!

Yesterday, I went a little overboard in the spending but I don't regret it! I decided to create a basket of goodies for the mom, the baby and the big sister. I bought two cute little outfits (okay, seriously, they are CUTE!) and a pink plushy rabbit for Mia(the baby), pampering lotions, bath salts and chocolate for the mom, and a High School Musical make-up and hair kit for the older sister. I put them all together in a nice basket with pink ribbons, and cellophane. It was so much fun! I feel like Genie Claus :)

The best thing about playing hooky is that you're feeling well, and you are doing fun things while everyone is working. Isn't that delicious? When was the last time you played hooky? I highly recommend it.

I'm still in my pajamas, sipping my coffee and blogging when I should be at work! Fantastic! It doesn't take much to make me happy. Hehe.

And the good news continue. I have been looking for a Naturopath and/or Acupuncturist to help me with weight loss. I have ballooned despite the fact that I have been exercising and watching what I eat. I lost not even an ounce. So there is something definitely wrong. And I don't like doctors because all they do is throw medication at you, even before determining the issue.

Anyway, a friend of mine went to this amazing Naturopath and is highly recommending him. So I will be going probably on the weekend. I have a feeling this is it! Liberation is at hand!


The sun is shining. The temperatures are rising. And positive change is coming. Hallelujah!

I hope your day is as fantastic! Blessed be :)

Picnic Party!

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Today I invite all of you to a
Picnic!

Bring something fun with you!

• a favorite song that makes your body groove
• a delicious dish that makes your mouth water
• a marvelous link that makes your mind go AH!
• a great book that transports you to another realm
• an inspiring person who makes your soul do the happy dance
• an act of kindness that brings joy to the heart
• a funny joke that fills your lungs with laughter
• a fascinating video that makes your mind juices flow
• a piece of art that puts you in a reverie
• a thought that flows into your blood

And Share it with US!

Let's celebrate!

Whether it's hot or cold outside. Sunny or snowing. Let's take a moment and gather together and share our blessings, in a wonderful creative picnic.

I've got some bubbly and brownies.

And THIS!

Blessed BE! :)

Doodles and things

So I tried my hand at doodling in photoshop last night. It was a great way to relax and play! It was also one of my first tries actually painting using the program rather than just using it for image manipulation and digital collage.

It wasn't easy. I don't have one of these, so this is completely done with my mouse. It's like painting with a brick...

There are about 15 layers to this piece creating the glow around her and her wings. The wings themselves have about 8 layers alone. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a beginning...

I also started my first landscape and this is the first stage...

I am pretty happy with this so far. I will be adding details to it as I go. It took me about 10 layers to create the sky and water just the way I like it. I really like the clouds, they have the voluptuousness that I was going for. I need to work on my land mass. It needs more definition.

Really, this was SO much fun! I decided I was going to play with photoshop last night instead of putting another dent in my marking. My brain was as reluctant to mark as a kid is going to the dentist. I tried dragging it, but it jammed itself in the doorway screaming at the top of its lungs. So, like a soft parent, I gave in and let my mind play instead. :)

Sometimes parents need to give in :)

I am ready, willing, and able to expand my creativity this year and start expressing the ideas that have been clambering inside my head for years. Creating a studio space on a small budget and getting all the tools and materials I need will be the challenge but I am up to the challenge.

I have reorganized my steps of achieving this by starting with the least expensive and most manageable. Getting a tablet, changing the light fixture in the room, and scouting for an affordable Mac laptop with all the trimmings. I found that I can get an educator's discount from Adobe, to purchase CS4.

I am also scouting used furniture places and the online lists for a table that suits my needs dimensionally; I can modify it later, starting with putting wheels on the legs. Because my house is so "cozy", I don't have a lot of room for traditional chairs, but a friend of mine was very generous to give me two upholstered benches that can seat four comfortably. As for storage space, since I cannot realistically afford that sideboard (I sigh), I will have to be scouting around for cheaper solutions. :)

Linda asked me how I did the bullets in my previous post. You can find a complete list here !

My groggy brain is having a hard time waking up this morning. I might have to rethink going to the gym in the mornings again instead of after school... It has been increasingly difficult getting up at 5 am so I can do that. Maybe when the days get longer...

Yesterday's routine of staying in my room during lunch made my day go so much smoother and reduced my stress levels by 90%. When my workload eases a bit (we are in the middle of finals and preparing for exams), I will be going on walks during lunch. Get out into the fresh air, get some exercise, and get away from it all for half an hour.

Indeed life is good. :)

Thank you all for your amazingly supportive and helpful comments yesterday. I know what I did was the right thing for me, and it is high time I started taking care of my emotional well-being not just that of others. It didn't stop the twinge of guilt that I was being an insensitive b♠tch. I genuinely care about people, and I don't like to see people suffering, but that caring has been abused by certain people in the past, and I am putting a stop to it. The guilty feeling was a residual, and you all helped me so much in relieving it. TH♥NK YOU again! :)

Blessed be my friends :) May your day be filled with play, peace and bliss! :)

FUN BABY!

The wondrous Molly at Her Speak came up with a wonderful idea of having a year Anthem. And after much consideration the following is mine! (Warning: Some spoilers if you haven't seen Wall-E)



The song makes my heart dance and this video absolutely encompasses the spirit of PLAY! Could You Be Loved? Mhmm, yeah baby! :)

Stay tuned for more play throughout the day! :) This is just the beginning! Weee!

And now, introducing the Flames suit of my Tarot deck!

I will giving more details about each card later, but for now, enjoy! I am off to the antique store to see about that side board! Wish me luck! :)

HERE IT IS! MY dream side board... I sigh! Look at the price and no lay-away plan :( I'm calling the boss on Monday!



I welcome your thoughts on the matter... This side board or a laptop? :)