give your love away: by jess gonacha

happy weekend to all of you! (it's almost 5 pm here-- officially weekend time, right?)

i just wanted to make sure that you all don't forget to go out of your comfort zone this weekend (if you choose to, of course-- you don't have to listen to me if you don't want to!)

what about riding around on a bike, giving your love away? what if you made someone's day?

just a thought. :)

i hope you like this drawing. me, i'm wishing i owned her dress. sigh. isn't it cute?!

'a call to spring' mandala: by bonnie wildwood

we should create more things to attract abundance and prosperity into our lives. bonnie wildwood is way ahead of me-- she created this mandala, called 'a call to spring' to do just that. isn't it magnificent? i would want to hang it somewhere where i would see it everyday, as a reminder to ask the universe for abundance (and also that we are already abundant, you know!)

now i'm inspired to make a mandala-- thanks, bonnie!

you can find bonnie's work in several places, like her blog, etsy shop (you can get this mandala for your very own!), flickr stream, and her brick and mortar shop in the wildwood flower in vermont.

grow: by michelle smith

boy, do i ever love this collage piece by michelle smith. i find that it's very easy to become set in my ways and routines and not go out of my comfort zone very often, but the most amazing things come out of stepping out and learning something new or trying something different.

the amazing thing is that we are in charge of our growth. we get to decide where and how we extend ourselves into the world, and what we put out, we get back.

here is what michelle has to say about this:

to me life is about the journey not the destination, however, sometimes I get caught up in the day-to-day of life and forget to branch out so to speak (pun intended). this piece is a reminder to allow myself to grow by trying new things and putting myself out there.

though i blog, and my businesses are highly visible, i am an extremely introverted person and struggle with sharing my creative pursuits. however, through experience i have learned that it is so worth it and that life should have an equal balance of give and take. since i am inspired by so much, i should give a bit of inspiration as well.

you can find more of michelle's work on her blog, feminine modern, and at indieNC.com, and you can find a print of this piece in her etsy shop.
***
so here is my challenge to you: this weekend, do something that is out of your comfort zone. smile at a stranger (heck, smile at ALL the strangers!), go on a walk somewhere unfamiliar and document your experience, call a friend you haven't talked to in years, take a bubble bath when you "should be" working... you get the idea!

i'm expecting reports back on monday about what you all did-- and i'll tell you all about my adventures!

*thank you michelle, for sharing your gorgeous collage with us!*

sometimes you just need to relax

i tend to work a lot (like, from morning until bedtime), and sometimes i just want to relax, but then i feel guilty about it. where does that come from? who says it's not ok to relax when our bodies and minds need it?

i say, let's make our own rules, and let's relax more often and more fully!

what do you like to do to relax? i'd love to know!

birdies series: colours & captions, by deanna pamenter

oh, these illustrations by deanna pamenter are just as sweet as can be! from the color choices to the sweet little sentiments, these little birdies have captured my heart this morning. what a fun and light way to remind ourselves to enjoy the world we live in and the people we surround ourselves with.

to see more of deanna's lovely work, please visit her etsy shop and her blog!

"flying girl gets a gift, or i am enough": by rowena murillo

oh, rowena. this is a goodie. don't we all need this reminder on a daily basis? we are enough, just as we are, flaws and all. that's just life, you know? no one is perfect, but we are all exactly as we are supposed to be. rowena knows how to tell it like it is. :)

here are rowena's words about 'flying girl gets a gift, or i am enough':

when i thought of abundance, the idea that came to mind is that we already are abundant. we don't have to buy things or have lots of friends or be cooler than everyone else or put other people down or make a lot of money or be famous in order to be good enough.

we are already enough in our imperfect, amazing selves.

rowena authors a couple *lovely* blogs that i think you will really enjoy:
warrior girl and small and heartfelt

please go visit her and give her some love!

*thank you, rowena! your artwork is beautiful, as are you.* :)

'sisters' by rachel ballard

when rachel ballard sent over this photo of her beautiful daughters, i was instantly smitten. i think this might be the sweetest photograph i've ever seen. what is more abundant than having (and appreciating) your loving family?

here is what rachel has to say about the photograph:

"sisters.

my girls inspire me every day. they make me remember what it means to love and be loved.
taken in early fall with my polaroid sx-70.
i almost always have a camera attached to my face. i feel blessed to be able to capture moments of beauty and share them with the world.
i'm a photographer and artist as well as a mother."

for more of rachel's amazing work, please visit her website, blog, and etsy shop!

2 gorgeous pieces by vineeta from artnlight

firstly, i must tell you that dear vineeta has one of the most beautiful blogs out there, in my opinion. she lives in mumbai, a city i long to visit one day, so each time i click over to her blog, artnlight, i get to live vicariously through her a little bit.

secondly, i think if vineeta and i lived in the same town, we would be the best of friends (i hope she agrees as she's reading this!)

anyway, vineeta sent over these gorgeous pieces that she created for her blog and wanted to share with all of us-- she created them to shake up her life and get herself moving and thinking positively, and don't we all need to do that for ourselves sometimes!

and the extra good news is that there are many more where these came from over on artnlight- click here to check them out!

*thank you, vineeta-- your work is simply beautiful.* :)

you make me wanna dance: by gemma correll

happy monday morning to you all, my little positive posies. :) i trust you're excited about this brand new week.

i can't think of a better way to start it off than with this *adorable* drawing by gemma correll. i just feel happy all over looking at this sweet piece, and i think i'm going to grab my kitty and prance around the house. i'm all coffee-d up, so it could make for a fun morning!

gemma creates some of the most wonderful illustrations around, in my opinion, and has an incredible list of clients under her belt-- so go have a look at her website, etsy shop, and flickr page!

{thank you, gemma!}

you are perfect just the way you are

just wanted to send you off into your weekend with a lovely little thought. :)

♥♥ and thanks to all of you who have stopped by pecannoot and sent in submissions this week-
you are so appreciated! ♥♥

blueberries: by jen wallace of indie fixx

what a treat this is to post! i've contributed a number of times to jen's super-awesome blog, indie fixx, and i'm so excited to now have her contributing here. :)

in jen's words, here is a bit about this sweet drawing:

"i think having an abundance of something simple like blueberries is way better than having an abundance of all sorts of other complicated stuff."

so true {if i do say so myself}!

if you haven't been over to indie fixx before, clcik your way over asap! what a truly inspiring blog, and jen is passionate about promoting artists and independent business owners. jen has also recently started a food blog called some clever spoons, and there's a recipe for a truffle-infused gruyere grilled cheese sandwich that's making me drool! is it bad to eat grilled cheese at 8:07am, right after you've eaten breakfast?

if you are looking for some kitchen inspiration, this is the place to go.

*thank you, jen!!*

you are so loved: by leah piken kolidas

i can't get over this amazing piece that leah from creative everyday sent over-- it's done in acrylic and ink on watercolor paper, and the color, the sentiment, everything is just beautiful.

in leah's words: "the piece came intuitively, but i believe it has to do with the blahs i've been feeling over the last few days mixed together with ruminations about self-love and self-care."

if you don't know creative everyday already, please go visit, especially if you are looking for more ways to live creatively in the world. she hosts amazing challenges (and you must read her 100 things!)

leah also has a gorgeous website with prints and calendars and all types of goodies that you can load up on for some good artsy inspiration.

*thank you, leah! you are amazing!*

cultivate faith in your imagination

i am slowly learning this one!

abundance & immortality: by liz kalloch

i am *beyond thrilled* to begin expanding pecannoot to include images of abundance from other artists with this beautiful piece by liz kalloch. liz is just as sweet as can be, and her artwork is truly spectacular. what makes it even more spectacular in my mind is the thought put into it.

in liz's own words, here is a description about her work and the piece above in particular:

most of my work is created with an underlying sense of the symbolism of the images depicted. so in this piece, a peony which in chinese culture is a symbol of wealth, abundance and honours, is also linked to the mineral cinnabar, which directly translated means the medicine of immortality. in ancient times, people in both china and europe ate cinnabar - a red sulphide of mercury - to rejuvenate the complexion, "giving the skin the sheen of the sun". The peony, linked to cinnabar, was seen as a symbol of re-birth, re-generation, kind of like the phoenix in the flames.

for me this piece is about remembering that there is abundance and wealth and even a bit of immortality in a life lived with as much purpose and positivity and open-handed sharing as possible.

does it get any wiser and more gracious than that? goodness. what a lovely way to be in the world.

liz has this piece for sale as a print in her etsy shop, so hop on over if you would like to own it as a reminder to live abundantly. you can also see much more of liz's inspiring work on her blog athena dreams design and her website.

{a big thank you to liz! i'm so honored that you wanted to participate in my new endeavor.} :)

you are like no other

you are absolutely unique. embrace it.

love is all you need

yes yes yes

say yes to life

why aren't you just going for it?

what excuses are you making for why you can't do what you truly want to do or be what you truly want to be?

let those excuses go. they're not serving you.

abundance

there is more than enough for us all

take a chance

this is the moment

let your worries fall away