Happy Thanksgiving (& what I'm grateful for)

It's amazing to me that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and that means the holidays are officially here again. Tomorrow I'm going to Asheville, NC with my husband for a few days, and we're going to have Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, which I've never done before. I'm a bit sad we won't be with any family, but I'm grateful to be able to go to a new place and have a brand new experience. I think it will be fun! And with any luck, I'll eat just as much as I always do on Thanksgiving, and I'll be lying on the floor in a half-awake state at the end of the night, moaning about how full I am, and then going to eat some more pie. :) Isn't that always how Thanksgiving goes?

Anyway, since Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, it feels appropriate to tell you all what I'm feeling grateful for right now.

• My husband. I am so lucky to share my life with him. He's the best snuggler in the whole world, he believes in me to no end, and he can make me laugh like no one else.
• My Spring ladies. (Our video post will be up later today or tomorrow!! I'll be sure to let you know when.) Wow, these ladies rock my world. Smart, sassy, opinionated, motivated, positive forces in the world.... I'm honored and grateful to be creating with them.
  
• That I'm self-employed. The simple fact that I get to structure my days exactly as I please and do the work that I feel compelled to do is beyond magnificent.
• All the people that read my blog(s), comment on what I write and draw and paint, send me words of encouragement and thanks and artists I might like... I could not do what I'm doing without all of you. You amaze me, endlessly.
• That I have enough. Money, time, love, clothing, food, an apartment to live in, friends, family...
  
• My life coach, Michelle Ward. She helped me to pull myself out of a funk and start being more grateful for my life and my world. And for that, I am forever grateful.
• Everything that makes my life easier-- my car that runs well, my computer, my lights that turn on when I flip a switch, the refrigerator that keeps my food cold... I take these things for granted, but wow, life would be harder without them.
• My warm bed. I love my bed so much.
• My cat, Anika. She lights up my days and keeps me company when home alone working. She chirps when she runs and always wants a treat.

I hope you all have a terrific Thanksgiving and that you think about all you are grateful for!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: keep out of the cookies (a new animation)

I can't believe I was able to keep this a secret for so long, but I have something really fun to share with you this morning! I've been working on another animation (you might remember the first one)-- I've been SO EXCITED to tell you all about it, and it's finally finished and ready to be released! And excitement = abundance for me, so I'm making it fit the theme of Pecannoot. :)

So, there is a purpose to this animation, which you will discover by watching it. {It is Christmas-themed, and oh-so-silly!}

And after you're done watching the animation, CLICK HERE to see what the purpose of the animation is. Here's a teaser:


Curious? My etsy shop holds the answer.

Wisdom for the brave: by Marie-Chantale Turgeon

I think this work speaks for itself. Marie-Chantale Turgeon is amazing and inspiring.
Here are her links:

Portfolio

Blog

Twitter

Etsy shop

Have a gorgeous weekend, my friends!
(And if you are in Atlanta or close by, come see me at the Indie Craft Experience tomorrow!)

a sad story of abundance

Last night a dear friend of my husband's family passed away. She'd suffered a massive heart attack the morning before and wasn't going to recover.

I am shocked. This woman held a wedding shower for me in her home in June. She and her husband helped Ryan and I with our wedding on the beach just below their home. She was one of the most generous people I've known.

So, while I'm obviously sad and confused, I also find myself wondering about what we're supposed to learn when someone dies. I have so many questions. Where is she now? Is she watching the people that she left behind? Can they feel her if she is there?

Is death supposed to teach us that life is so precious, worries are petty, and that we are meant to enjoy it and love as much and as deep as we can?

Is it supposed to teach us that there is more to life than what is available to our eyes? The universe is unimaginably vast, so much that it's impossible to comprehend. Where did we come from? If we came into being through the universe, which has always been here and will always be here, then doesn't that mean our energy just changes when we die, and remains in the universe? Does that mean we're eternal? Does that mean we are still connected to those who have passed, even though we can't see them anymore? What is the universe and where did it come from?

Where did we learn to associate sad feelings with being bad or wrong? What if we saw sadness as just another temporary emotion, and really allowed ourselves to feel it, knowing it won't last forever, but will change, just as all emotions do? I think I tend to resist feeling sad-- or when I do feel sad I tell myself that I "shouldn't."

Perhaps the purpose of sadness is to point us toward appreciation of the moment. Appreciating being able to FEEL.

What do you believe? I'd love to know your thoughts on all this, and I appreciate you allowing me this space to question. (big hugs to all!)

{image by natka.org, from The Little Chimp Society website}

happiness: by gal shkedi

If I could jump into Israeli illustrator Gal Shkedi's head for a few minutes, I'd search around for the inspiration behind this illustration, with which I am truly in love. I love the idea and the sentiment, and it makes me think: maybe we all have our balloon man in the sky, showering us with happiness and goodness, and all we have to do is look up to see him? (Or her?)

{If you'd like to see more of Gal Shkedi's work, please click on over to his website, his flickr page, and his vimeo page. He's super talented!}

I hope you all have a glorious Wednesday!

The Happy Book

I recently received a copy of this book, and it's just darling!
A journal to celebrate what makes me happy? Yes, please!

One of my favorite parts of the book is the "Spontaneous Happiness Generator" pages, sprinkled throughout the book. They are snippets of things that make people happy, in their own handwriting, and each one made me smile.

A few samples:

"Tea parties with my granddaughter- a cup of sugar water, graham crackers, + a sweet little girl."

"Waking up every morning and looking at trees."

"Daily good morning text messages from my father."

The book is terrific, because it's basically a place where you can document what makes you happy-- lots of room to write things down, questions and prompts to spark your happiness and get you thinking in a positive and fun way, and to discover and celebrate the special things that make you happy!

The authors say "you'll create your own personal pick-me-up that you can flip through whenever you want."

You can pick up a copy right here-- I can think of a few people in my life who I'd like to gift with this book-- the holidays are coming! Is there anyone on your list who would love The Happy Book?

Resurrections: by SooZeQue

It's not very often that I see something and think "wow, I've never seen anything like that before." But that is exactly what happened when I opened up my email to find these photos sent to me by SooZeQue, the woman behind these gorgeous creations. What other people see as treash, SooZeQue sees as worthy of resurrecting into a beautiful treasure. She works with a plasma cutter to cut through the metal, and says "I don’t have a long list of schools I’ve attended and degrees I’ve earned. I just have a love of working with my hands and the need to create art, whatever that might be." Amen to that!

Have you ever seen a wheelbarrow or a shovel so beautiful and intricate? I sure haven't.
You can find more of SooZeQue's creations on her website and blog.

Thank you, SooZeQue, for sending these to me!!*