Twilight Tale: by Linda Plaisted

I'm so happy I somehow got connected to Linda Plaisted in this big blogosphere. Her work, firstly, is gorgeous, and secondly, this holiday tradition that she's created for herself is so, so touching. (And let me just say again how gorgeous and amazing I think the print above is. I can't stop staring at it.)

She says:

I believe in abundance. I grew up without a lot of "things" in my life, but I always had love and safety, encouragement and above all, hope. Ultimately that has made all the difference in my life as an artist. That is why for the past five years it has been my tradition to offer a Limited Edition holiday print, the proceeds of which are donated to charity. Last year's edition raised almost $1,000 to help victims of domestic violence through Heartly House, a program that provides safety, hope, and compassion to women, children and families.

This year, I am offering a digitally-signed, limited edition 11 x 14" print on matte archival paper at a special price to entice gift-giving and thoughtful gift-keeping! I will be happy to ship your print anywhere in the world to anyone you choose. To make the deal even sweeter, through December 13, all prints in my shop are 20% off, including this one. It's my way of saying Thank You to my wonderful clients, customers, colleagues and the universe at large for supporting me in pursuing my creative dreams.

This piece will only be available through January 10, 2010 and then retired in this size and finish, but anyone could also choose any piece in my shop and just send me an email to let me know you'd like the proceeds donated to charity and I will be sure to add the funds to the Heartly House total.

I get so much joy and peace from creating my work and I just want to give a little of that back to people who don't yet have the same opportunities.

How incredible is this? What a generous gesture. I can imagine how good Linda feels knowing that her generosity is making people's lives be a little better, especially during the holidays. We need more people like Linda in the world.

So, please head over to her website-- do you have an art-loving friend or family member who might like to own this beautiful print? Or any other piece of Linda's work? What a way to not only give a gift to someone you love, but also a gift to someone you've never met and who needs a little bit of help and love.

*Thank you, Linda, for letting us know about your abundant outlook and wonderful tradition!*

Do Your Bit Jewelry: by Chrissy Foreman C

Australian artist Chrissy Foreman C is someone whose enthusiasm for all that she does oozes out of the computer screen. Every time I get an email from her it's filled with joy, and I can tell from the many projects that she is a part of that she truly loves spreading creativity and love as far as she can reach.


So I'm thrilled that she emailed me to share her line of eco-friendly jewelry, called Do your Bit, with us. She says:

One thing that there is an abundance of on our planet is WASTE and what better way to support the planet by snatching beautiful materials before they become landfill and transforming them into something unique! It’s kinda like alchemy!

Everything I create is made using salvaged materials such as fabric and leather off-cuts, plastics, computer wire and other wired and wonderful stuff that I come across (I admit all have new clasps, metal bits and/or sterling silver earring hooks ‘cause I feel that’s important in creating high quality pieces that last).

I feel a real rush and connection to ‘something good’ while I’m making them and I feel that each one quickly takes on its own personality in the process, hence why they all have their own names. It’s one of the ways I do my bit and share my commitment to nurturing our beautiful, abundant planet.

Inspiring, yes?
Check out more from Chrissy (and purchase from the jewelry line) on her website, and also visit her blog. You can also purchase the jewelry at Reverse Garbage in West End, Brisbane http://www.reversegarbage.com.au/

*Thanks so much, Chrissy!*

send your style into the world

How do you put yourself into the world?

How are you authentic?

What qualities about yourself do you share the most?

What qualities do you most admire in others?

What message do you want to send into the world?

Does your style reflect that message?

I don't focus on style very much, I think mainly because I work at home and most of the time in in a cozy sweater and yoga pants. :) But when I do go out, I think I could step it up a bit. I want to inspire creativity and positive feelings in people, through my work and my way of being. How can I make my outward style match my inner mission?

Something to think about.

{If you are interested in thinking in depth about style, I suggest Danielle LaPorte's book, Style Statement. I haven't gotten all the way through it yet, but it poses lots of great questions to think about!}

Blissful Monday: week 5

Good morning, my friends!

Here we are on Monday again-- let's make this a good week, what do you say?

I skipped my Bliss List last week, so I'll make this one extra good. :) The time since Thanksgiving has been quite nice around our house, so there's much to be grateful for:

1. 3 days away in Asheville, NC with my husband was the BEST. We stayed in a gorgeous house in the mountains, built fires in the evenings, snuggled up in the cool weather, slept later than we normally do, and had fun exploring a new city.

{That's us at an amazing waterfall in Highlands, NC-- definitely worth seeing if you're in the area!}

2. My Cyber Monday Sale in my etsy shop was a huge success!

3. To celebrate the success of my sale, I finally bought my dream boots. They are supposed to arrive today (I ordered them from Piperlime), and I'm practically jumping up and down I'm so excited! Now, I am not a shopper, and I hardly ever spend money on clothes or shoes or anything, so this was a big deal.

4. We put up our Christmas tree! Tonight we are going to watch The Grinch (the Dr. Seuss version, of course,) which is one of my favorite parts of Christmas.


5. Spring was launched, after months of talk between Michelle, Carolyn, Jess LC, and me. The response has been beyond what we'd hoped for for our first episode, and I'm so grateful and excited to be part of this project with these inspiring women!


6. Pumpkin pie. Need I say more?

*Please feel free to share what's on your bliss list in the comments!*

i make my own rules: by jess gonacha swift

I'm embracing this idea more and more lately. I embraced it full on a couple of night ago when I stayed out until 1:00am on a Wednesday night with a group of fabulous and inspiring women, didn't get out of bed until 9:15am (which is about 3 hours later than I normally get up!), and then I didn't post anything on either of my blogs yesterday. And I only felt the teensiest bit guilty about it! This is a step in the right direction. I'm very hard on myself much of the time and don't give myself a break to be human and sleep in on a Wednesday if I need to-- and it felt good!

What self-imposed rules is your body begging you to break today?

Have a fantastic weekend! I'll see you on Monday.

Spring Episode 1: GRATITUDE

Good morning!
I'm so excited to share our first Spring video with you this morning. (Remember when I announced it here a few weeks ago? It is finally here!)

We had so much fun recording the video, despite some technical challenges (which we will be working on improving in our future episodes.) Hopefully the gratitude shines through it all!

The video is available in 4 segments, which you can watch on the Spring website. Here is the first video (our introduction segment) to get you started, and then you can pop over to the website for the rest!



I really hope you enjoy our discussion of gratitude, and please feel free to leave us your comments and suggestions! We'd love to have you join the conversation.

Nelson II: by Sophie Callaghan

Sophie Callaghan makes pretty much the best handmade art dolls ever. They have so much life and personality! This one is Nelson II, and he has a hand-embroidered message of love from The Beatles on the backside of him. How wonderful is that?

I guarantee you will love all of Sophie's art dolls, which you can find on her flickr page, and oh man, there are so many!! It's impossible for me to pick a favorite. Go have a look! You can buy the dolls right here, and she also has an etsy shop with some other handmade goodies and a terrific website. What a talent!

*Thanks for sending this over for us to enjoy, Sophie!*