The Queen's Got Her Groove Back ! - Joys of the Season

So the Queen has her groove back. I am not dancing to a crazy, rocking beat or anything ! But I am gently swaying, enjoying the mood... Think Johnny Mathis singing "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..." more than Brenda Lee or Hall and Oates "Rockin' around the Christmas tree.." but at least I am getting there.

Getting there in Kim time...the only way to go for me, it would seem, this year...

I think this is a good thing. You know, it seems like the world puts expectations of the Perfect Christmas on us, but really it is the expectations I have for myself that can be a real killer !!! This year, I lowered them waaaaaaaay down - almost to nothing and I think it will be a Christmas to remember just because of that fact.

The only expectation I kept was that I give some extra loving to those I love and to let them know how much I care. That can be in a word, a card, a gift, a hug, a shared song, whatever... I could never find a gift that would equal their significance in my world anyway so I have left that "perfectionist" attitude behind in favor of the really perfect gift ... Love !

Along the way, I have been learning some more about that never-ending lesson - Loving Myself ! I have been focusing only on what brings me joy and not on what fulfills my screwed up notion of what the perfect Christmas would be ! Now that is loving yourself !!! And I have discovered what I really love about the holiday in the process - the colors, the smells, the old traditions (only if they still work !!!) , the new traditions (finding ways to make it work in the Moment) and the time spent loving one another. Ah, the Gifts of the Season !

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I have been so luck lately in terms of receiving gifts ! Gifts from the universe keep landing in my lap and I am so very grateful for that ! It feels like that thing about when you give a little extra, give consciously, you will receive the rewards. I feel so rewarded !!!! Here are a couple of gifts that came my way recently:

1) I won a huge and very generous giveaway from Inka at Inkastamps about a month ago. Inka hosts blog candy giveaways of her magnificently arty unmounted rubber stamps on her blog each week, but I was fortunate enough to win the mother load of stamps from the BLOG Candy Party that Inka and several of her designers hosted ! Check out my extremely generous prize !!!(Thanks again, Inka !)

(There are over 20 gorgeous stamps here but they are difficult to photograph well - I promise to play with them a a lot soon and show you better pictures )

(This is one of my favorites - a fabulous new alphabet for the Queen's Art Journal !)

2) I also won the prize for the GPP Street Team Crusade #25 - Properties of Gesso for November. Michelle Ward is always a source of amazing inspiration for me - whether it is for creating art that is a true expression of self or living a creative life. I feel so lucky to have won a gift from her. She also takes the time and puts such care into making her gifts feel like a party in a package ! (Thanks again, so much , Michelle !!) Check this out phenomenal "Black and White and Red All Over" Prize as I like to call it :

(All of this was in my cardboard box !!!)

(Lots of little packages wrapped up added to the opening fun ! Love PopRocks - candy of my childhood!)

(Gorgeous hand written note from the Wonderful Michelle herself !!!)

(All the gifts displayed - included a "HIM" CD, the coolest goth tattoo scissors, and designer tissues with black and white flourishes !)

3) Another gift I received lately actually comes from myself ! A gift for me from me !!! Don't you just love that ?! The great thing is that I always know exactly what I want !!!;-)


I purchased these fantastic little tools from Jen Lemen's Etsy shop - Trust Cards. Not only are they gorgeous (love the toes !) but they hold little loving messages on each and every one - talk about gifts from the Universe ! And you can choose one from the cute envelope whenever you need one ! Jen's is one of those blogs that always brings me sighs and peaceful hums of understanding. Check her out here.

And finally I have to acknowledge the gifts I receive everyday from my Blogland Sisters - the arty ones, the deep seeker ones, the perfectly crazy ones, the questioning ones, and the "let's get real" ones. The gifts you give me are support, acknowledgement, hugs, laughter, eye-candy, food for thought, and above all, incredible inspiration to live my true creative life to the fullest.

To all of you, I am