Bergdorf Goodman....

So,... I'm really loving window displays, specifically the Bergdorf Goodman ones.... simply awe-inspiring. They make my heart giddily clap within my chest at the mere accomplishment of something so grand...

As a Man Thinketh

I ADORE this book, and think about it often. My hubby printed out the chapter called "Effect of Thought on Health and the Body", and I like to carry it around sometimes.

You can get it as a free e-book HERE.

So, here's that chapter, because I'm going to try and be better (I've been BAAAD lately) to my body:


EFFECT OF THOUGHT ON HEALTH AND THE BODY

The body is the servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of the mind, whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically expressed. At the biding of unlawful thoughts the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay; at the command of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness and beauty.

Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly. The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system.

Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and grace. The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.

Men will continue to have impure and poisoned blood, so long as they propagate unclean thoughts. Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body. Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and a corrupt body. Thought is the fount of action, life, and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.

Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.

Clean thoughts make clean habits. The so-called saint who does not wash his body is not a saint. He who has strengthened and purified his thoughts does not eed to consider the malevolent microbe.

If you would perfect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, disappointment, despondency, rob the body of its health and grace. A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts. Wrinkles that mar are drawn by folly, passion, pride.

I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a girl. I know a man well under middle age whose face is drawn into inharmonious contours. The one is the result of a sweet and sunny disposition; the other is the outcome of passion and discontent.

As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and goodwill and serenity.

On the faces of the aged there are wrinkles made by sympathy, others by strong and pure thought, and others are carved by passion: who cannot distinguish them? With those who have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly mellowed, like the setting sun. I have recently seen a philosopher on his death-bed. He was not old except in years. He died as sweetly and peacefully as he had lived.

There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison-hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all--such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.


I LOVE this. And I am not very good at it, ... which is why I put it on here. :)

YOU ARE ON FIRE

"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'who am I to be so brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God: Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
~Marianne Williamson
Widely mis-attributed to Nelson Mandela






I think it's so interesting when somebody points the selfish finger at others who are unafraid to be different, examples, or against the grain. There is a HUGE difference between SELF INTEREST (a good, god-given persuit) and SELFISHNESS.

BE A LIGHT ON A HILL. Because you are on a hill, no matter what.... you might as well be ON FIRE.

My blog is now public.

Homeschooling?

I really am becoming more and more disenfranchised with the public school system. More and more I'm learning that their method is depressing my son's desire for learning. I like the social aspect of it, but their force-fed and practically inartistic methods are pretty annoying to me. My boy is a creative kid--he LOVES all things creative, and I've never been one to want to squelch that. He gets excited at all the possibilities of being creative, and then has no time to follow what he wants to, because he has tedious paper-work homework, incredibly boring reading books and a tired family by the time he has any free time... and he misses being with his family. THEN, he's got about 15 minutes before getting ready for bed.

I really am liking what I'm learning about the Waldorf method-- and may be seriously considering pulling him from school.... because, dammit, if he wants a blue chunk in his hair (not allowed in his school), wants to give out Jesus Valentines (definitely risque at best), and has a hard time focusing on boring repetitive paperwork, I'm not so sure this system will help him AT ALL... I'm becoming more convinced it is actually hurting more than helping. Learning should NOT be a linear pathway--it should be in MANY directions, driven by artistic possibility and a child's curiosity.

One of my son's BIGGEST complaints about life lately is that nobody lets him choose. He never gets to choose how his life goes... are our children slaves? Are they indentured to follow one path of life that must be for everybody? I think NOT. I HATE that my son feels so powerless in his life... life is meant for us to be POWERFUL. If he learns the opposite, how will his life end up? Will he have bad experiences, because he feels powerless to change them and thus lets them happen? Will he feel like he is a victim, and thus perpetuate the mentality that things happen to him, not him choosing what happens to him? I want him to be able to ask, where's Yellowstone? What's there? And have us be able to pack up and go if we want, with a book about rock formations and forest life, and have him learn first-hand. OH, how I WISH I had had that opportunity.... to be able to follow what I wanted when I wanted... I believe our children should have that right.

I think if I let him continue much longer in this public system, it may be too late. He's at such a precarious age (1st grade), and after that, you're getting much closer as to how you'll look at life for the REST of your life.

Anybody interested in doing something like this with me? Julie? Kakes? I can definitely do this alone, but having more people up for it will be good--because my son is a social kid. I think that it'd be nice to do homeschooling most days, and maybe once a week get together with other kids and have a 'class lesson' per se....

Anyone?

So snowy outside....

I feel the need to cover everything with Christmas lights...

I'm watching "Chicago" right now... and man, can I just say that Richard Gere is so slimey.... eh. He totally reminds me of an old boyfriend of mine. Slick, lying out his teeth, multiple women.. etc.

Anyways,... I'm feeling very inspired artistically today. I've been working on a paperdoll that I plan on selling on Etsy... I'll show you in a few days, when I get my scanner hooked up (an old friend had one I could have, YAY!!!) She's got one dress designed for her so far, but I'm feeling like I need to dress her in something more 'Black Forest'....

This is the coolest blog/site I've seen for a while:

ANGELISKA.COM

Valentines' Day...

It's my 7th engagement anniversary today!! :) Happy Valentines' Day, YOU!! (And you, you, and you!)

Wardrobe conundrums....

My daughter is getting SO big!! She's practically walking now, says "Uh-oh", "Mama", "Wow", and "Aai-Ooo" (Thank you). And she's got EIGHT teeth!! She just started clapping the day before yesterday, and she gets so excited when people see her do it! She adores books and birds and pictures of fairies. Her hair is getting so long and floppy, I need to do something with it! :)

My 6-yr. old son had the idea of making his own Valentines, and (I kid you NOT) wants to make his own GOD valentines... He wants to make them on Paint, with pictures from the internet, and then print them out. Would this creep anybody out if their child came home from school with something like that? I don't see the harm in it at all, and think it's rather cool, but what do YOU think? Comment quick!! We'll be making them tonight!

*****

So, I've been thinking that I really like seeing people post their outfits on their own blogs... It helps me see new ideas, helps inspire me to be more creative, etc.

About 2 or 3 years ago, I decided I was SICK of waiting until I was "skinnier", "richer", "confident", etc. until I would dress how I wanted to... and I realize that I will regret the time I have now if I don't do it. I don't frankly CARE about waiting anymore. And it's fun to have friends to dress creative, inspiring me... I LOVE IT!!

Since I've never really done anything like that (documenting my outfits), it makes me wonder how I sometimes really DO look. Creative, outlandish, CRAZY? Hmmm... So, I think I may do some posts of outfits every once-in-a-while, just for my own sake, but I'm NOT looking for people to stroke my ego or any of that. I'm just gonna have fun with it! I'd LOVE it if YOU guys did the same, (if you're into that sorta thing!).

We'll see how it goes!

Art I've been working on...

Holy crap.... has it already been almost a week since my last post? I'm getting lazy!

Actually, I've been super-busy... lots to do, lots NOT done, too much getting in the way, etc.... sometimes it annoys me too much to admit.

Anyways, here's my first Etsy art for sale:

ELSIE GIRL

I've also been working on some beginning character drawings for the childrens' book I'm working on with my friend. We're still not sure what the publishers are looking for, or if they'll even like my work... but we'll see! These are the first two preliminary drawings (omitting the one in-between that looked AWEFUL):






That last one's face is based upon the face of one of my neighbors... she's got such a darling face!

We'll see how everything goes. As for my art, I hope to find the time to do more sketches that I can post, because this is really fun! Plus, the money, I do have to say, would really help a lot.