Thankfulness/Share the Joy Thursday !

So much to be thankful and joyful about in my world these days!

I am feeling so very blessed !

I swear I have said “Life is so good…” to myself with a deep sigh of satisfaction at least once a day for the last week.

All that in spite of having a naggy little cold, feeling a little physically run-down and the fact that I still have a good chunk of Christmas shopping, decorating and baking left to do.

Loving this mellow, joy-filled, life-loving mood !

The lovely little gifties just for me from my Canadian Chickies Christmas Swap is adding to the joy.

Today is Day 4 and our gift comes from Kathryn.

Look at this gorgeous little decorated matchbox necklace she made!

Inside had this little note to store a treasure within the box.

I love the color so much ! Especially against the red and green of Christmas !

It even looks great with the new periwinkle robe I bought for myself for Christmas from Land’s End !

Thank you so much, Kathryn, for this lovely little treasure and all the creativity and beauty you put into it. ! I really love it !

***************

So yesterday, I had to make a trip to the post office.

Yes, about a week before Christmas.

The Rock Fairy had to make sure a few people got their orders of Rock My World rocks for Christmas gifties in time.

I had a feeling it was going to be a long wait in line so I prepared myself for that before heading out.

I had a fantasy about starting a flash mob of some Christmas Carol (it would never have been as good as this one !) in line to make the time more joyous…

While I didn’t have the guts to do that, I did bring a bag full of my Rock My World rocks and some candy canes with me and handed them out to people waiting in line around me,

to the very friendly post office employee who so kindly helped me out

and to the very last person in the line of about 40 people that were waiting behind me when I was leaving !

One lady who I connected with said in a very surprised tone “You are being so nice !?!”.

“T’is the season!” I replied.

But you know, her comment made me a little sad.

Even in this giving season, people are surprised by a little act of extra kindness !

It just shows how much the world needs more of it !

Kindness and joy spreaders will never be unemployed, that’s for sure !

And the payback for this kind of work is magnificent too !

Because whatever love you put out into the world,

comes back to you tenfold, Beautiful Ones !

It is an everyday miracle !

I think the rocks will come with me again today as I head for the mall…

Yikes, I have to go to the mall !!!!!

That’s okay though.

If I look for ways to connect to people and bring a little joy, the task will be a lot more fun !

And after all,

t’is the season, right ?

Spread some joy wherever you can too today, Beautiful Ones!

Big Love !

Head over to Meri's Musings for lots more joy today !

Fit for a Queen Wednesday…

Hi There !

It is Wednesday, December 15th.

This pic was taken yesterday, on my way out to do some shopping. I was having fun with the funky winter shadows around noon.

Also with the fact that somehow, there is NO snow on the ground in Manchester, New Hampshire in spite of the very snowy conditions in many areas around us.

Though it is very, very cold today, with a high of 18 (-7 C) and windy, I have to say that the lack of snow makes this shopping Queen very happy !

Before I get to the wonderful Canadian Chickies swap, I just have to share my beautiful kitty pictures of the week.

Look at my sweet Azzy, hugging his little Mousie.

Couldn’t he be a super cat model ?

He is beautiful, no ?

Okay, enough gushing…

So, yesterday was Day 2 of the Canadian Chickie Christmas Swap and Miss Brittni was up.

Even the inside of the envelop was special !

Brittni created this sweet little folded journal of sorts with music paper.

Tucked inside was this sweet dove ornament made of paper and lace ribbon.

Mar, another Chickie in the group, suggested that this little journal would make a great addition to a journal page and make a little pocket for hidden treasures. Great Idea, Mar ! I think that is what I will do with mine too !

Thanks for the sweet giftie made with love and care, Miss Brittni !

Now, Mar just happens to be the maker of the gift for Day 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is her lovely package before. Love the tag !

And here is part one of the gift. This pretty little tree magnet with our initials on it!

The second part of the gift was this tiny painting mounted on a tiny easel, painted especially for me by Mar. We has a database with our likes for our group members to check with and obviously Mar went with my love of mermaids!

So sweet ! I love the frothy waves done with mulberry paper !

  

Thanks so much, Mar, for making such a beautiful gift custom made just for me !

Happy Wednesday to my Canadian Chickie Friends and to all of you, Beautiful Ones !

(off to the post office to mail some Rock My World orders…wish me luck…)

What is Right with you ????

So my amazing friend, Paula, from Little Scraps of Magic, is participating in the Reverb10 writing prompt challenge to examine your 2010 and to set intentions and focus for the New 2011 year to come.

In her post today, Paula wrote a post in response to the Reverb10, Prompt 11: What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011?

She listed 11 dreaded things that she wanted to be rid of in 2011. You know all those things that we criticize ourselves about, that make us feel not good enough or like we are “imperfect” human beings that need to be fixed in order to be good, worthy, perfect ?

As I read Paula’s list, I saw many of the same or similar things that I wanted to be rid of in my own life. By the end of the list, like Paula, I was feeling the need to sigh deeply and heavily about all those things that are “wrong” with me and that I better hurry up at “fix” before it’s too late !

Then this other voice within me, the Voice of all Things Right With Me, cried out :

“Screw this list ! You have spent enough of your 45 years focused on what is wrong with you ! Has that “fixed” it all  for you? How about focusing on what is Right with you instead ! I promise, that is the key to feeling better about your life, Beautiful One ! That is the key to Loving all that is You !”

I grabbed hold of what that sweet voice said and I wrote this response to Paula…

and to my Self…

and maybe to you…

“You are not really far behind...you are exactly where you are meant to be.

11 things your life doesn't need ? All of us can think 11 or a few dozen things that we can do better at or want to rid ourselves of! Wanting to improve and be a better person is a natural part of living here on this chaotic planet. And yes, facing some of those boogie men is a good thing too.

But I also see how doing this list brought you into deep deep sighs...

How about deciding that the number 1 thing that you can be without in 2011 is focusing on what is wrong with you instead of what is right ? I am truly, truly coming to believe that focusing on what is right with us, what brings joy and mindful living to us is the key to solving even those dreaded "wrong" things !

And guess what, My Lovely, Inspiring, Creative Friend ? On the last day of your life, there will still be some of those 11 icky things on the list of what is wrong. Does that mean you will not have lead a beautiful, rich, deeply loving life ? I think not !

This was a lot of deep thoughts so early on a Tuesday morning for me. But very, very welcome. Every word I wrote here could be a letter to myself too, Miss Paula (Insert your name here).

So here is Kim's Prompt for the day, for you and for me :
What is right with you ? Discuss, explore and celebrate ! ;)

Love to you, My Oh so Right Friend.”

Love on that Beautiful Self today! Happy Tuesday !

PS : I will share my Canadian Chickie gifties for Day 2 and Day 3 of the swap tomorrow. This just felt like the right post for the day…Hugs !

Today is Day 1 !

One of the things I did while in Montreal last week was pick up all my gifties for the Canadian Chickie Gift Swap.

Even though I am a Canadian living in the US, my Canadian Chickie friends have let me play along with them in a multitude of great swaps, hosted by the incredibly generous, Dawn Supina.

I give the girls my Mom’s address in Quebec and my packages get sent there.

This year we are 12 participants and each one of us has made 11 gifts for the others in the group.

Here are all of my lovely packages tied up with ribbons, string and creativity and placed around my little table top tree.

Little Boo had to check it out of course !

Today is Day 1 of the 12 Day Christmas Swap and our gift comes from Arlene in Edmonton, Alberta.

Arlene was one of my first blog friends when I started blogging way back three years ago or so, and although she doesn’t hang in Blogland often now, I am always thrilled when we get in touch ! She is a beautiful, beautiful Heart.

Arlene’s gift was wrapped in a pretty cream colored napkin, and tied with red string and a home made tag.

And inside was this gorgeous leather cuff bracelet with a hammered metal swirly bit and a funky Majong tile intertwined !

How cool is that !

I love it, Arlene !

Thanks for much for all the care and arty attention to detail in your beautiful gift!

Yay for Day 1 Of the Canadian Chickie Fun !

Happy Monday, Beautiful Ones!

The Great White North trip…

My first hint that the weather wasn’t going to be quite what I thought it would be during my trip up to Canada last Monday was this light dusting of snow at the rest area in Randolph, Vermont.

New Hampshire had been cloudy and cold but no precipitation.

Little did I know that about 2 hours later, I would be stuck in a real snow storm, you know the kind where the snow travels horizontally and visibility is about 100 feet on the highway?

It ended up forcing me to get off the roads, find a cozy hotel and make the rest of the trip to Montreal the next morning.

I had a king size bed, a nice, deep jacuzzi  tit-tub and a remote control all to myself in my room at the Comfort Inn and Suites in Burlington, Vermont.

The weather was still a big challenge on the road on Tuesday in the city of Montreal where they had been expecting an inch or two and ended up with well over a foot and a half !

Even a snowy city like Montreal went into first snowfall of the year panic.

Funnily enough, using the mantra from my Mom “Go slow to go fast”, I actually made all of my rendez vous’ for selling my wares at my Mom’s office downtown, having a sweet dinner with my friend Kim (The Bodhi Chicklet), and then heading to my sister’s house to have a cozy sleep on her couch for the night.

The big challenges of the trip actually started when I got to the unplowed circle that my sister lives on and got well and truly stuck about two houses from her drive way !

Luckily, my bro-in-law, Dave, also know as Nat’s Dave, came out and helped me make it to the driveway !

(Nat’s kitchen window, the day after…)

(The stained glass my friend Suzy made and I made for Natalie – have to say I like sunflowers more than the winter wonderland myself…)

The challenges continued the next morning when Nat woke me up, asking me to move my car so she could get her car out of the garage to take her son, Nathan to school, and where I discovered, even before coffee,

that my car wouldn’t start…

at all !

Nat’s Dave had to come back from work to take Nathan to school while I waited for CAA to show up.

I love CAA !

(AAA in the US and the membership works in both countries !)

I ended up needing a new battery and after that was installed right there in the drive way for a mere $132.00 dollars Canadian (plus $100.00 of hotel, minus the sales of my arty goodies at my Mom’s office means I just about broke even this trip…),

and a lovely breakfast with my Sister and my newly home from out West niece, Jessica, I headed out to La Conception for the next part of my visit.

La Conception is about 2 hours north of Montreal in the mountains. They actually had less snow than the city !

Beautiful views outside my windows in spite of the grey…

I had a sweet time as always at my sister Kristina’s house !

The greatest niece since Jessica was there and we continued our love affair…

Miss Katie, 2 and a half, spent the day with me on Thursday.

She showed some interest in photography…

and I let her use my camera, carefully supervised…

Katie’s shot of the Weeble Snowman…

Katie’s 2 shots of her feet entitled “I ave gold shoes, just like a princess.”

Kate goes to a French daycare and has a cute, cute, cute French accent when she speaks English !

I had to take a few pics of her myself of course. This is my favorite one, half under water in the bath.

I have discovered that taking pictures of 2 1/2 year olds is pretty hard – they don’t stay still for long !

Here is the girl in the “Princess” outfit that she put together herself.

She is my kind of princess !

I also so enjoyed the time I spent with my nephew Thomas, Kate’s brilliant big brother, after school. We did some crafty stuff like he likes and managed to decorate two little Christmas trees for the brother and sister duo with our homemade ornaments.

I cooked supper for the family, and gave my busy sister and her sweet hubby John a bit of a break.

Their house is really one of my favorite places on the planet…so cozy and full of love.

Friday morning, I headed back to Montreal and got to spend some time with my Mom.

We did lunch and shopping, and a movie night at her place.

It was short and oh so sweet.

Then, Saturday morning, I headed out on the 5 hour uneventful (Thank God !) drive home to my man and the wonderfully clean and tidy house he was waiting in…

(Interesting truck graffiti in Candiac, Quebec)

What the pictures and the words I have put here don’t convey are the trips into gratitude, wonder, mindfulness, and even real love for myself that I had along the way.

I am continually amazed at how once you have started to live your life focusing on what is good, and on having faith in the path and your own strength, the more and more beauty and abundance you experience, even in the midst of chaos and challenges.

I am full up with love, Beautiful Ones.

And that is a sweet place to be.

Happy, happy Sunday!

The Queen is on the move…

 

Happy Monday, Beautiful Ones!

This is just a quick post before I leave my guard dog, Chica, the two ferocious kitties, and my hubby, David, alone at home and head off got a trip to the homeland to the North.

I am so looking forward to reconnecting with some of my peeps up there ! I haven’t actually visited since October and believe me, this Auntie/Sister/Daughter/Friend is having withdrawals!

Just had a great weekend with my pal Suzanne from Montreal. The craft fair was a good success for me and Suzy was good enough to hang with me there all day one Saturday. Yesterday was shopping and girlie chats, etc…

Now I am packing up what goodies I have left over to sell up there, some craft supplies to do some project with the nieces and nephews, and my clothes and heading out for the 5 hour drive.

Before I go, I just wanted to share the absolutely gorgeous gift that arrived in the mail for me on Friday.

This package was from Lisa at Priti Studios.

Last week she posted about how she felt that some of the art work in the Etsy shop needed to go to some homes and wondered if there were any pieces that we felt “belonged” to us. 

I had to express my love for this piece “The Key to My Heart” which I had been eyeing for awhile. I have offered to swap some art with the Lovely Lisa in the new year for it.

But she bundled it up with love and care right away and sent it to its new home, with ME!

She also thoughtfully included some art making tunes for me as well as a lovely angel card and a little “to do” note pad from her studio.

I can’t tell you how thrilled and touched I am by this gift!

And I adore this piece !!!!

I will find a special place of honor to hang it, likely in the bedroom. Hanging hearts is good energy in the relationship room, I have read.

Thank you so very much, my Priti Lisa friend ! I love it !

Have a great week, my Beautiful Friends, and I will check in with you when I get back next week.

Big, big Love !