Love this

While looking for baby clothes for my soon-to-be-arriving new nephew I came across some words of wisdom from my homeland:

He oranga ngākau

He pikinga waiora

 

Positive feelings in your heart will raise your sense of self-worth

 

Love that.

Love Fest

Yesterday was Valentines day. I know many people who say that they don't "buy into" the commercial nature of the day and I get that. But I have to say, though the hubs and I honor our relationship daily, I do love the energy of Valentines Day. The lovers young and old out celebrating their unions - some many years long, some in their infancy. Why not have a day like this?

We buy into it I'm glad to say. Dinner reservations were made and gifts were purchased - he did specially awesome this year and ironically we both went vintage in our approach for gifts - I found him a 1950's rockabilly workshirt and he...

The best part about this little lamb vase is that this past weekend the hubs and I wandered through antique store laden Snohomish and I said to him to look out for these little guys... Little did I know he had already purchased this one! My ultimate plan for spring time decor is to have fleets of these all over castle Allen. They are so cheery. Look at those faces! For now I have a big and lil sister. Thanks honey - you're the best!

He also found a stereoscope photo of two little lovers. I forgot to photograph this for you but it's awesome.

Gary is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I hope you all find partners like this dear reader. Daily he makes me a better person. He knows me better than anyone has ever known me and makes me feel valued and cared for like never before. He's my heaven on earth. I love you Gazza!!

For all of you I love, especially my Gary

http://vimeo.com/36705472

Weekend wonders

The weekend started really great. A bonus check, a trip to purchase our first brand new tv. I chose some great new glasses - some fabulous cats eye Betsey Johnson's black with pink sparkles (in the INSIDE), plus as luck would have it... The wonderful Mary at Costco shared with us that there was a voucher - $30 off a pair of frames .... So course I also got sunglasses. Prescription sunglasses. So a two pairs of groovy glasses for only $173. In only a few days I will have them.

Then the unthinkable. My besties fur baby Ashley passed away. I think if you have a dog in your family you will have some understanding of how much they mean to us and what a true tragedy their loss is. Ashley had gone through so much recently but her passing was unrelated to her recent trials. She was a great pup and will be missed.

Even though Tad was going through so much and had no sleep he pulled himself together as best he could and came down from Mt Vernon so we could all go out together. It was such fun, we played mini golf, raced go karts and the boys had a go in the batting cage.

And what is more comforting than fro-yo. There was nothing more to be done than to finish the afternoon with Menchies.

Sunday Gary and I had a couple of hours to ourselves. We headed to Snohomish for antique store grazing. There were a bazillion birds on wires in Snohomish

And unexpectedly, British telephone boxes, at the back of a furniture shop.

I really love Snohomish. We almost always come away with a little something from here... But I resisted this time.

The weekend finishes too quick. See you tomorrow Monday.

Day 9: Front door

Luminous, vibrant, timeless Puerto Rico. Oh how I love you. I can't wait to visit you again some day. Till then I live on the memories of old San Juan. Sigh.

Today's challenge is front door. What better place to have a front door pic than San Juan. It's a riot of color on color. And it somehow works in a crazy synergy. This is a very typical walk up apartment in old San Juan. Don't you love?

Day 8:The Sun

I forgot to post yesterday, but this was the photo from day 8 : the sun. Not so much mr sol yesterday do I was a tinch concerned I would get a picture.. But then the clouds parted and what do you know - a ménage of weather - rain clouds, wind, blue sky and sun on a winters afternoon all at once.

Cute as a button

Day 7 of the photo challenge - "button". This is a button on my favorite chair here at Castle Allen. It's huge. It sits in the corner of our room every month except over the holidays when it gives up its spot for the Christmas tree.

This chesterfield leather chair was $20 at a thrift store - and we happened across it on 50% off day so friends. Be green, green with envy when you realize this was $10. The cost of a glass of decent vino ... But years and years of comfort. I heart you big chair.

Day 5 and 6

French toast.... It's what's for breakfast AND what's for day 5 photo...

Day 6 = "dinner" and tonight thanks to Ollie's Mom, we had chicken and mushroom enchiladas made with love by the hubs.

Day Four

This is not such a great image. But it is of a stranger which IS the topic du jour

Day Two and Three

February's Project continues. Day two and three

Day Two - "Words":
The splendor - OH THE SPLENDOR!!!! There was no way to capture the majesty of this site on an iPhone. Yes - I love my iPhone - but the mount is over 200 miles from where I took this photo. Does that give you a clue as to how HUGEMUNGO this hill is?

I am fortunate, so fortunate, to work in an office with this breathtaking view daily.

Day three's task was hands.... As if you needed my help to work that out! Ha! This is B.I.L Patrick, Geneva, my Hubs, and Elliott. Love this photo.

Photo a day February

Photo challenge has been laid down by my hubs. A photo a day. Phew. I'm up for it. Here's the list:

Here's the first installment. This is my first picture, day one = the view, from my desk....

Sage advice

 Unkindness hurts, and it does not often fade away without leaving some hurt behind. Kindness is so important, and boundaries can be kept while being kind. You see, boundaries are SO important - critical, even. We must never allow others to identify and then abuse us where we are weak. We must not continually walk back into battles that will never never go away with some people, but we must kindly walk away from those battles. We must not let others determine our worth, ever. We must not allow our hearts to be abused, manipulated or exploited.

We can be kind to everyone and wish everyone the best, but this does not mean that we need to allow everyone to the closest parts of our souls. We must guard the gates to our hearts and recognize that it is a true honor for anyone to ever come close to the deepest parts of us, and this honor should be reserved for a select few who only want the best for us and who love us exactly as we are.

If you are being hurt, abused, manipulated, bullied or diminished by someone else, please put a stop to it, dear friend. Be kind, wish everyone the best, do what you can to help, but never ever ever allow someone to chip away at parts of you. You are way too important.

You have a right to stand up for yourself. You have a right to walk away. You have a right to go where the peace is.

You are so very loved.SOURCE: www.bravegirlsclub.com

Inspiration Time

I have some gems for you my friends:


and...this lovely letter from Brave Girls Club that I sent on to Tadpole today.  He needed some bolstering and just at the right time, when I was trying to think of the right thing to say the Universe delivered this email to me...which was perfect for him.  Its also perfect for us all, to remember, and commit to memory the sage advice it gives. 

Dear Patient Girl (or Boy),

If we can close our eyes and slow our breathing and think really really hard for just a moment, we can look back and find moments when we met exactly the right person when it seemed that all hope was lost, or found exactly the right article to tell us what we needed to know, or heard exactly the right song with exactly the right words that we were absolutely sure was written just for us.

If we are honest down to our very souls, we have to see it, we have to realize it, that no matter how dismal things may seem, no matter how alone we might feel in this moment. That all along, from the very time we were born, all along things happened that got us through. It wasn't always easy and sometimes we were clumsy, sometimes we did it through eyes so filled with tears that we could barely see.

But we always made it, didn't we? When we were at the very end of our rope something, someone, somewhere showed up and got us to the next place. That will never stop. We will always have exactly what we need. We may think we need more and sometimes it doesn't show up until the very last minute, but it has always showed up and it always will.

Close your eyes and trust.

It is going to be ok.

You are so loved.

Nothing but blue skies, do I seeeee

Yup. I'm a touch sad at my snow making a hasty retreat. But look at the day that the lord hath made:

It is so sunny, who can be anything but joyous on a day like this? Just to amp up the joy factor I had honey nut Cheerios for breakfast. Love love love those!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Gong Xi Fa Ca! That’s the traditional Chinese New Year greeting that means “wishing you prosperity” in Mandarin. The first day of the Chinese New Year – which begins at midnight on January 23, 2012 – is the most important of Chinese holidays, celebrated by billions in China, and by millions of ethnic Chinese around the world. It’s a celebration that lasts for 15 days, culminating with the Lantern Festival. Each year is associated with one of twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac. For 2012, it’s the Year of the Dragon.
Source: Earthsource.org

The Prez

I dont know whether you know this...but I LOVE myself some Prez Barack Obama.  I find him to be a delight.  Thank you to Carrie (who understands and concurs with my amore for this gentleman) for sending me this link.  As if I need another reason to love him, well here it is.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6uHR90Sq6k

Powder

Powdery, beautiful, crystalline snow. I adore it, and praise the weather Gods for bringing it in abundance for the whole week to my door step.

The only thing for it was play time and giant cups of tea with hidden friends... Hello Mr Fox! The pups spent a grand total of 20 seconds in it. They really don't love being cold, being wet and in general exercise of any kind.

Earlier this week, before the super heavy snow came, there were some incredible skies...dark looming ones under lit with the most spectacular light and saturated colors. I wish I were a better painter because imagine that cloud picture in an oil painting. Woah Nellie!!

My boys were happy the whole time - El in particular was beside himself with unbridled joy when school cancelled day after day. I thought I would burst with pride when he and his bud Mike went door to door shoveling snow for dollars from people's door steps. They made a tidy profit too. How industrious they were!!!.....and I think the neighbors preferred their sales pitch as opposed to the creepy dude that came a-knocking;

Mr Big: Hi, can I help you?
Creeper: Are you and your family carnivores?
Mr Big: ummm. No.

Sir, perhaps your sales pitch for selling dodgy meat from a traveling van should be polished mkay?

The neighbors house looks to be on a lean in this pic, it's not - it's just me taking the photo while jumping for joy at more snowy goodness. In the immortal words of Miss Kymberlee C "hot diggity!".

Yip - everything was beauteous - fire hydrants, my dead dearly departed plants - heck, even a love note scribed with my snow boot was a stunner. Oh snow. I love you!

I say friends, but the only thing I know about these charming individuals is the gentleman is called Dad. Lil lady and I were marveling at the frozen waterfall together. She was so sweet and offered to take a photo of me and Mr Big so I offered to take a magical photo and email it to her. See how the snow brings perfect strangers together. Love it. Om shanti new friends!

Today there is still snow in the hood (yay) but sadly it's diminishing. There's rain and temps above freezing (boooo). But we have our memories of living in a virtual snowglobe that will last a lifetime.

Comfort food

Every now and then, and sometimes more often we need comfort food. Grandma Jo introduced me to a simple yet delicious recipe that falls into this category recently and I think you should go make it ASAP. We polished off the entire batch in less than 24 hours.

1 small cottage cheese
1 small cool whip
1 pack Jello pistachio pudding mix
1 large can crushed pineapple
Mix all and chill

I know what you are thinking - blah! COTTAGE CHEESE... Think again, it's sensational.

The holiday season season

I was looking through my online instagram community today and happened across an image that brought a tear to my eye.

This might seem hard to wrap your head around but the Christmas/New Year period in my homeland isn't snowy. It isn't even chilly. It's hot throughout most of the country because it's summer. We spend the holiday time camping, sand between our toes, swims in the ocean ... And ice cream.

Preferably soft serve vanilla in a cone with a magical chocolate bar called a flake (A flake is milk chocolate in flaky layers molded into a thick bar) jammed in the top . It's Devine. Preferably you want to eat said cool treat on a beach, maybe wading in the water.

I was raised on the north shore of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. But one of the great things about living there is you don't feel like you're in a big city - especially because there is all manor of parks and beautiful beaches to enjoy - so lots of soft serve opportunities.

Friends, I present to you, a picture perfect summer/holiday in the homeland.

Photo credit to Ben McMahon, Takapuna beach, Auckland, New Zealand

12 Commandments

I've always enjoy the heck out of Louise Hay. I don't know if you are familiar with her work, she wrote a pretty famous book called " You can heal your life " which has a lot of wisdom in it. At the core of her teachings is the foundation that to heal your life you have to start by loving yourself. Course, that's easier said than done right friend? Well good news, here are Louise's " 12 commandments " to get you started on a path of loving yourself and healing your life:

Stop All Criticism.

Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive.
Forgive Yourself.

Let the past go. You did the best you could at the time with the understanding, awareness, and knowledge that you had. Now you are growing and changing, and you will live life differently.
Don’t Scare Yourself.

Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately switch your scary thought to a pleasure thought.
Be Gentle and Kind and Patient.

Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you really loved.
Be Kind to Your Mind.

Self-hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your thoughts.
Praise Yourself.

Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing.
Support Yourself.

Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is being strong to ask for help when you need it.
Be Loving to Your Negatives.

Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill those needs. So lovingly release the old negative patterns.
Take Care of Your Body.

Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need in order to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise do you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in.
Do Mirror Work.

Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself while looking into the mirror. Talk to your parents while looking into the mirror. Forgive them, too. At least once a day, say, "I love you, I really love you!"
Love Yourself . . . Do It Now.

Don't wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get the new job, or find the new relationship. Begin now—and do the best you can.
Have Fun.

Remember the things that gave you joy as a child. Incorporate them into your life now. Find a way to have fun with everything you do. Let yourself express the joy of living. Smile. Laugh.