Good morning and happy Monday! Today is officially 12 days before Christmas, and while the 12 Days of Christmas were traditionally celebrated beginning on Christmas and going through January 5th, I thought it would be fun to celebrate these 12 days of Christmas leading up to the big day!

So, for the next 12 days here on Pecannoot, there will be something for you, from free downloadable goodies and sales in my etsy shop to donations to charities and free shipping. Every day will be different!

So today, since I imagine many of you are still in holiday shopping mode (and if you are like I am you may still have LOTS of shopping to do!), I have a little deal in my shop for you. If you spend $15 or more, I will send you 10 adorable gift tags with your purchase! Here's what they look like:


They'll make your gifts look so darn pretty, won't they?

Head on over to my etsy shop to check out the goods-- there's still plenty of time to order gifts and get them in time for Christmas. (I am very prompt in my shipping!)

And be sure to come back tomorrow to see what Day 2 of the 12 Days of Christmas will bring!

withholding

As I was laying in bed reading Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth last night, this sentence jumped out at me and struck me like a lightning bolt.

There are so many times that I want more more more. Isn't that essentially what much of our culture is about? We are so often taught to want more, to never be satisfied, to be selfish, to take from the world.

I realized that when I am wanting more and feeling like I'm not getting what I want or deserve, it's because I'm focusing on taking rather than giving. It's like waiting for inspiration to come from the outside instead of listening and cultivating it within yourself. If I am waiting for the world to give me the opportunity to express my genius, comparing myself to others in the process, thinking "it's not fair," then I am not giving my true self to the world. I am withholding the genius that already exists within me (and within all of us) from the world. If I think the world is withholding abundance from me, really I am not living abundance in the world. I am living lack. I am withholding that positive energy from the world. It's all about giving. If I want abundance, I need to be and give away abundance. If I am already abundance, how could I receive anything other than that?

Tolle goes on to say that "you are withholding it because you think you are small and that you have nothing to give."

Do I withhold the genius within because I think I'm small and what I have to give is of no significance? Yes. I think many of us feel this way, because we compare ourselves to others who seem to know more, have more, do more.... when really, each of us has our own unique and incomparable experience of life, and that is what we each have to give.

Each of our experiences can help someone, and if we go into each situation asking myself "how can I be of service?" then the world will respond by saying "how can I be of service to you?"

I'm going to try this out for the next few weeks and see what happens.
Have a terrific weekend!

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.