ignite the spark

There are so many things that inspire me through out the week.  Little pieces of inspiration that lift me up and encourage me to keep going.  I wanted to share some of the things that ignite my spark with each of you, and hope to do this weekly.  Below are somethings from this week.  

If you are in the Virginia Beach Area gather for a day of Book making with my sweet friend Donna Wynn at An Artful Spirit.  Oh how I wish I lived close enough to go.  It is going to be a day of inspiration for sure.  

Love how Artsyville covered here soap dispenser bottle.  Doing this would add some color to my kitchen.  I think I need to give it a try. 

Kelly Barton has been knitting these adorable granny squares and I am itching to give it a try myself.

Coveting these glasses and wondering how they would look on me 

Listening on repeat the soundtrack of 'My Mother has 4 Noses'.  If you are in NYC you must go see this play.  It is so good!  Bring tissues!

write on!

photo credit :: thea coughlin

For so long a book has been living and breathing in my heart.  I have said time and time again that I was going to write it, but I have yet to really truly begin.  

At work I have deadlines.  If I don't hit them I am held accountable.  That accountability pushes me to get it done . . .  even if it is done in the last moment.  When you are working on a project alone, you don't have that accountability.   I set goals for myself, but never stick to them.  I struggle with this big time.  I have learned that I need that accountability from others to keep me on track.  

So I am boldly stating right here, right now, that by August I want to have the first draft of my book complete!  That gives me four months to get it done.  Oh my goodness, I can't believe I just actually said that out loud to all of you.  

In order to have that accountability I have opened up a new mailing list that you can subscribe to.  Each week I will send out a piece of writing from that week, sneak peeks of the book, thoughts on the writing process, or whatever else surfaces as I try to accomplish this life long dream.  

I would love for you to join me on this journey.  This is new terrain that I am traveling so I have no idea what else will unfold as I continue to take the steps towards my goal.  I would love for you to allow me a little space in your email box to help me stay on track.  

Click here to Sign up for the Write On! mailing list here

seek out your happiness

photo credit :: thea coughlin

This is your on wild and precious life
What are you going to do with with?  
Do not worry about what others are doing
That is their path, not yours
Do not try to please them
Focus on finding your happiness
Seek out what brings you joy
Search far and wide for that one thing that opens your heart
You will not get a second chance at life
This is it
What mark will you leave?
Whose lives will you change along the way?
How will you spend your days?
Time flashes by
Before you know it, it is 2014 and here you are
You can't believe it
And you know deep in your heart you need to make every day count
How will you make those days count?
 

on blogging

There is something so fascinating about blogging
You set your soul free into this vast sea of content
Showing up time and time again
Sharing intimate details of how to navigate your heart
Showing your scars, your tears, and your laugh lines
You face your fears
You have setbacks
You stay away
But you always come back
Being here feels like home
With the light turned on you can see yourself again
For exactly who you are
There is a safety net that the screen provides
And the keys always allow you to type without judgment
Your history is contained within your site
You can scroll back and see how far you have come
You can talk a walk down memory lane
Shriek with embarrassment, be proud of what you did
And see how some things keep repeating themselves
There are highs and lows
Epic journeys taken
Moments captured that your heart forgot
it is amazing how space can hold so much of you
You never know if what you write is being read
But still, you show up
With gratitude in your heart
You spill open
Setting your words free

grateful

The sun shone brightly
Reminding us to slow down
Soak it in 
Allow the day to take it's course

We found our place
With feet in the sand
I Devoured the words before me
As I sat next to the one I adore

We easily fell into this new rhythm
Lounging, laughing, chatting, and napping
We took the time we needed to recharge
As the day gently fell into night

We watched the sunset as if it was an epic movie
Soaking in it's artistic brilliance
We were awed, and enamored
We fell more deeply in love

We were never in a rush
Time passed and we traveled with it
We choose what to do based upon how we felt in the moment
And we were blissfully happy

Upon returning home we are rejuvenated
Feeling the calm that has washed over us
We are glowing with love, smiling
And grateful for our adventure

home is . . .

Photo credit :: left : Randi Schmechel, bottom right : Sandi Rosenberg

I am in the middle of hosting another round of the Love Notes Post Card Project and my heart is bursting with love.  Individuals from all over the world have shown up to participate in this project and without knowing the recipient on the other end, they open there hearts and send a post card filled with love based off of the weekly writing prompt.  

photo credit :: Marilyn Peeks Boyda DiPasquale

I choose post cards for this project because of their small writing space.  It is less intimidating than a blank piece of paper, and postcards  are easy to find.  

I love collecting postcards when I am away on vacation.  And I have a stack of them that relatives sent to us when my brothers and I were younger.  It is so much fun to read through them and hear about their travels and the things that made them smile while they were away.  

What I never envisioned was the heart and soul that people would pour into making their own postcards.  

photo credit :: Lynn Adams

The writing prompt for the first week was

Home is ...

What I love most about the writing prompts is that they are so open ended.  You never know what is going to spill out of someones heart until they put pen to paper.  And even then, the pen takes over and the heart has it's own agenda sometimes.  

This is my seventh time hosting this project, and each time I am amazed at the love that spills out.  Yes we are all strangers to one another.  But we recognize our humanness.  We know that even though we don't know one another, we know that the other feels pain, knows laughter, and is seeking out love.  We know that human beings want to be seen and heard, as we want to be seen and heard.  So we show up.  Pouring our heart onto the page and sending it off to a strange.  We may never know how those words will affect the receiver.  But we know that we must send them.  And the beauty of a postcard is along the way it passes through others hands.  It has a life of its own as it makes it journey.  I love that!  

Words are powerful.  They heal our hearts, lift our spirits, and makes us smile.  The Love Notes Project is all about spreading the joy through mail, real mail.  

I will be hosting another round in June and hope you will join us.  There is something special about receiving a little ray of sunshine next to our monthly bills.