practical and meaningful

I am not afraid

My daughter just turned 13  and despite the warnings of what is to come, I am not afraid.

I am taking responsibility for making these the best years of our relationship and I plan to do everything I can to connect with her (and her friends), and to be there for her.

To guide her, to listen to her, to encourage her, to heal her, to respect her, to be in awe of her, to talk to her, to know her, to give her space, to keep her close, to open doors for her, to protect her, to empower her, to like her, to drive her around, to learn from her, to be there for her, to help her with homework, to feed her good food, to tell her I am proud of her, to photograph her, to love her.

Being her mom, is an honor and it is the most important thing I can do right in the world.

my one and only

I always  wanted only one . After she was born, my husband and I would talk about it and we were both good with one. Twelve years later and I know it was the right decision for us. 

I truly believe that having more kids was not my path to more happiness. I love my one and I have never regretted not having more children. I love each new phase and I welcome her growing up. She is pretty good at it.

Of course I worry about all the normal stuff. Will she be a good person? Will she find her way in the world? Is she  lonely? So far, so good. She likes to share. She has good friends. She is close to both of us. She seems to be compatible with life.

I am grateful for the parts of life that favor a smaller family -ease with travel, saving for college, quality time, organization, and simplicity.

It is a personal choice - a deep knowing  in your bones of what is right for you.  I love my one and only and I know it was right for us.

 

 

 

 

food porn

photographer + foodie = food porn

being in deep

We value the parts of our lives that we have invested in - with our time, our selves, and our money.

And yet, time moves so quickly that it is hard to keep up and keep everything pretty and stay in love with what used to move you, and to enjoy all that you have.

This feeling has been bearing down on me of late - a sense of inability to do it all and a deeper inability to appreciate it all.

I walk around my full life and see only the things that need cleaning or fixing. I find it hard to step back from all that I have to do to appreciate what I have done. I just keep going and doing because I am in deep. 

A perfect example is my patio garden that falters between pathetic and thriving.  I can never quite get the flow of creating it and maintaining it.  I seem to keep repeating this cycle of paying attention to it only to let it fall to the wayside when I get busy. I want to keep it going and thriving because I love it and I chose it. Instead, I keep investing in plants, refinishing the furniture and not spending any quality time out there.

If I am not enjoying it, and it adds to my work load, is it serving me? 

I do the work to keep it going, but keep forgetting to enjoy it in between. That is not very practical or meaningful.

 

He wanted heels with rainbows

My daughter was invited to celebrate her friend s' 12th birthday and she made him a pair of custom high heel shoes - which were at the top of his wish list.  Made with Sharpies and love. And HEART.

good advice from a 90 year old woman

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it..

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

11. It's OK to let your children see you cry.



12. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

13. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it...

14 Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

15. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

16. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

17. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

18. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

19. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

21. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

22. The most important sex organ is the brain.

23. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

24. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

25. Always choose life.

26. Forgive but don’t forget.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does..

31. Believe in miracles.

32. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

33. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

34. Your children get only one childhood.

35. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

36. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

37. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

38. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need.

39. The best is yet to come...

40. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

41. Yield.

42. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

hard work is heart work

When you are doing something you love, the effort feels effortless.

                                                                                                          hard work can be heart work

the holidays knock the wind out of me

From Halloween to New Years, I fumble around in a state of hecticness that literally knocks the wind out of me. This year is especially challenging and I cannot quite get my bearings to enjoy any of it.

The end of the year means more to do and less time to do it  I am buried with tax responsibilties, three businesses to run, holidays to celebrate, a family to make memories with, paperwork, employees to thank, clutter to clear, and life to live.

I hope to take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate all the forward movement in my life, be grateful I do have so much going on, appreciate my amazing family and friends, and achieve a little rest and relaxation this holiday season. Wishing the same for you and yours! xo

 

 

identify your bliss and make that your life's work

Ask yourself these questions. What motivates me? What am I good at? What is important. What gives my life meaning?

My list is varied but you can see parts of it shining through every thing I do.

Building things. Shaping people's experiences. Providing jobs. Feeding people. Knowing. Working hard. Loving hard. Organization. Seeking. Documenting. Sampling. Doing good. Creating spaces. Encouraging others. Standing back. Family. Details.  Friends. Meeting people. Making a difference. Believing. Soul work. No regrets. For the long haul.

Identify your bliss and make that your life's work.

my secret sauce

There is  a lot of talk when you are an entrepreneur about what "you" specifically bring to the table in terms of your work and your business. My friend Jan calls it your secret sauce.

This past week was busier than usual with  big events, parties, and catering  ON TOP of the usual cafe, art studios, and crafty work.  I thought about farming out the baking of the rainbow cakes since I had so much going on - but ended up doing them myself. As I was assembling them, I was inspired to switch up the order of the layers, so that each girl would have their own different cake. Had someone else made the cakes, I would not have had the insight to ask them to switch up the layers ahead of time. It was in the moment, and I concede, part of my secret sauce.  What did you do today that was done specifically a certain way, because you did it. Do you know what your secret sauce is?