Midwest Beauty

 As I mentioned in my Embrace Winter post, I have spent a great many years of my life wishing I lived somewhere else. From the first time I traveled to Hawaii I thought for sure that was the place for me.Then I just KNEW I had to live in Northern California! That was the place for me!

I even tried out a few places in my mind...Costa Rica...Asheville, NC,... Tennessee... the all sounded so great. Anywhere had to be better than the MIDWEST!

When I started shifting my perspective and changing the way I looked at things I suddenly started seeing beauty all around me. Even in my own boring backyard. 

The colors of the sky are of course my absolute favorite . Blue, purple, orange, yellow and pink...oh, it's so divine!

 .

Waking up early enough to see the full moon shining above as the sun rises is like a precious gift. 

Even the stark and desolate mood of a white landscape has begun to appeal to me. 

It is truly Midwest Beauty. 

I'd love to hear how shifting your perspective has changed things for you. 

Embrace Wnter

I posted this picture on Instagram yesterday and it got me thinking about my Embrace Winter campaign and how it got started. I decided to go back into 2013 and find my original post that I wrote when I was in Inner Alignment Mandalas. This was written for our Winter Harmony series. I hope you enjoy it!

For most of my life I have not been a fan of winter! Even as a kid I was the one who walked a half a block to go sledding and decided it was too cold and I would be better off just going home.

Living in the Midwest where the winters can be brutal, I always felt like a fish out of water and the majority of this unrest happened in the winter months. Of course I never had a problem with it until the holidays ended and true, boring winter set in.

I tried to come up with ways to escape the darkness and the cold by going on vacation to Florida, Hawaii, and California and while that worked for the time I was there, I would inevitably come back and feel even more miserable then when I left!

I would whine and complain about my plight in life. Poor me! How could I stand to be living in this dark, cold, windy, God forsaken place when there were parts of the world that were so warm and beautiful?! I'm surprised my husband didn't want to muzzle me and lock me up until spring.

And then I decided ENOUGH! I had enough of the pity party I was throwing for myself every year. I had enough of the whining and complaining and the constant uneasiness that took over my world for a good portion of the year.

I launched my "Embrace Winter" campaign. It was a small campaign since I was the only person in it but it was the beginning of my attitude shift.

I started using the affirmation, "I embrace winter" every chance I got. I had pictures printed with that phrase on them and posted them up around my house.

I started looking out my window at the beautiful sunsets that could only be seen in the winter months. Because the sun was so low on the horizon the colors were even more vibrant.

I noticed that the same low riding rays of sunshine could reach into my house and warm it up, making it feel warm and cozy.

I gave up trying to eat salads that made me feel icky when it was cold and embraced the Ayurvedic tradition of eating with the seasons. I ate more cooked, warm, heavy foods and I felt so grounded and warmed from the inside.

I drank more tea and took more baths.

I purchased a full length parka, hat, gloves and super warm boots and I bundled up every time I ventured out.

I stopped ruining the autumn months with my negative attitude. While Mother Nature was putting on a beautiful show, I wasn't present enough to notice. I was always going into the future and dreading winter before it even got here.

I started being grateful for everything!

The dreary gray days,

the thousands of geese that swarmed my yard with their noise that was loud enough to wake us up,

the snow on the branches,

 the fog as it froze on the trees,

the laughter of my children as they played in the snow.

I realized that as is everything in life, my disdain for winter was not about what was happening around me, but how I was reacting to it on the INSIDE.

As I shifted my focus I could begin to see things with new eyes.

I noticed the beauty in the stark landscapes.

I saw the patterns the wind left in the snow.

I felt the silence of a blistery winter day.

By changing my thoughts on the INSIDE I opened up a whole new world.

I am happier...

I am more content...

I am grateful...

I have a deeper relationship with myself...

I have lost my yearning to escape where I am...

And it all started with a shift in my thinking.

Intention Stones

I have never been good at making resolutions. Like most people I pick something that sounds really good and do it for about a week and then move on. I do believe that is how most health clubs stay in business. ;o)

But a few years ago I heard about the Word of the Year concept and I was intrigued. I liked the idea of one word flavoring my entire year so I decided to give it a try. Let me tell you, it was life changing! I was really surprised that the word stuck with me all the way to the end of the year and even more surprised about the things I learned about myself and the world around me through the lens of that word. It changed everything for me.

Last year I didn't pick a word of the year. I was disenfranchised and lost and couldn't even muster up the strength to care about it so I let it go. I can't say I had a bad year or that I didn't learn anything about myself because of course I did but there was something missing.

• I missed having a touchstone that could remind me what I wanted and keep me moving in that direction.
• I missed having the lens of my word to view the world through to help me see with clarity.
• I missed the a-ha moments when I was able to understand my life in a deeper way.
• I missed the excitement of synchronicity when events seemed to line up to bring me closer to an understanding of my word.
• I missed having a word of the year!

So I have decided to bring it back into my life for 2015.

It's not always easy choosing a word and this year it took me quite a while to figure out what I wanted. My awesome friend Carrie Saba has a workbook that really is amazing to help you zero in on how you want to feel and how to choose a word that aligns with your desires. I worked through it and was really close.

I whipped out my trusty thesaurus and lo and behold my word popped out at me. I knew it was right. It was like a bolt of electricity ran through me and lit me up.

YES!

My word of the year for 2015 is

And let me tell you why. The definition of the word encompasses everything I am looking for and the synonyms give even more depth and clarity.

Def: a successful, flourishing, and thriving condition especially in financial respects. Good fortune.

syn: bed of roses, abundance, expansion, fortune, growth, success, the good life, well being, accomplishment, arrival, easy, plenty, thriving.

It makes my heart skip a beat!

When I was thinking about the Word of the Year and what I missed about it, "touchstone" popped into my mind and I knew instantly that I wanted to create an intention stone to carry with me and inspire me throughout the year.

Of course I had to crochet a little pouch to tuck it away safely.

It's my little personal talisman that combines so much of what  who I am...mandalas, intention and crochet...all rolled into one cute little package.

I got so excited that I knew I wanted to share with all of you and send you a personalized stone with your Word of the Year on it.

As you can see I have quite a few stones ready to be personalized. Each one is unique. Some are big and some are smaller and I will intuitively choose the stone that fits you and your intention. They stones are sealed so you can rub them all year long. Each stone also comes with it's own little crochet pouch made of an earthy wool blend yarn.

I am so excited to pour my energy into making

you the perfect stone for 2015. 

The cost is $20 per stone which includes shipping (in the continental US). For shipping outside the US, additional shipping will be required.

Email me to reserve your stone today!

xo
Michelle

Through the Eyes of Your Inner Child

When I was a kid I remember having a lot of unsupervised time. I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about. We spent a lot of time out of the house, by ourselves, without fear. We went out exploring empty fields, empty lots, parks, rivers, anywhere and everywhere in nature. There was a great sense of independance, freedom, and excitement in those excursions.

Today I went out for a walk and I came upon some wild strawberries in the field and it was like finding a little treasure. It reminded me of being a kid because in one of those empty fields we used to go to we would play hide and seek in the tall grass and I remember there being wild strawberries that we would pick and nibble on as we played and they were THE BEST strawberries I've ever eaten.

As I was walking today, as a woman in her 40s who origianlly had gone out for some exercise, I came across those wild strawberries and I was transported back to being a kid with all that freedom, fun and joy in just being in a field hanging out. It shifted my energy and I felt this increased sense of wonder.

I kept walking and I came upon a big open field and I found myself with an irresistable urge to plop myself down in the middle of a field of dandelions. So that is what I did! I was just lying there in the sun listening to the birds chirping, watching the butterflies flutter and feeling the breeze and the warmth of the earth on my stomach. 

I started exploring like a little kid and seeing the detail in the grass.  The 40 year old me would have just seen some grass and weeds but the little girl in me, began seeing the buds of the dandelions, these wispy fern like plants covered in a soft white fuzzy fur, little clovers popping out, giant ants busily working and a whole other world complete with vibrant color, texture, and the possibility for fantasy.

I would have never seen any of it or experienced the wonder of that moment if I wouldn't have plopped myself down in the middle of that field and reverted back to my childhood. Yes, I would have taken a nice walk in the sun and enjoyed my surroundings but I wouldn't have had that amazing sense of wonder almost as if the world was in technicolor. I was given the gift of seeing the world through child-like eyes and experiencing that pure excitement, joy and happiness.

I invite you to go out into the world and experience it with your child-like eyes. Do something you enjoyed as a kid. Act like a kid. Be silly, be carefree, be You before you became "you".

Summer Fun With the Kids

Remember back at the end of June when I talked about going out in nature and spending time playing with my kids? I was going to hit a few local hot spots for nature and I had it all planned out. Remember?

Well guess what. Here we are at the end of July and there has been no nature for us. Nope, nada, zilch, zero! Time just seemed to get away from me. The weather has been crazy. Most days have been unbearably hot and when it cooled off a bit it was because we had some severe thunderstorms rolling through.

Even when the weather was good, we were busy with Dr. appointments, orthodontist appointments, daily baseball games and there were just days where we just watched the time slip by. It's crazy how that can happen even when I have it on my calendar each week.


Guess what? It's over! I hit Mother Nature with my 2 youngest boys and it was great. We stopped off at the Fox River after a Dr. appointment yesterday. Yay! We did it!

We walked along the shore exploring the bugs,

the trees,





and the plants.

We talked, we walked arm and arm. I taught them things about life and nature and of course composition and taking unique photographs.

It was one of the best days I had this summer. I was in the moment with them. They were in the moment with me. I loved hearing the excitement in Aidan's voice with each new bug he discovered as much as I loved watching Liam walk gently through the grass being careful not to let a bug land anywhere on his body.


The thing is that they loved it. We didn't DO anything. There was no plan, there was nothing that had to get done. We were just walking, talking, and observing. Liam must have told me about 7 times how much he liked it. He pulled my arm around him as we walked and when it was over and we piled back into the car Aidan was the first to say, "Thanks Mom." What can be better than that?

Simple Childhood Pleasures

I've been feeling a bit of spring fever. I want to get out and enjoy nature again. I can remember being a kid when spring came and feeling trapped in school, just wanting to be outside. Even back then I could completely relate to the term spring fever. I got it every year and I still do.

Heading out onto my walk this week I was unable to find much in the way of spring beauty. Most of the trees are still bare and there are few blooming things to be found.

It's funny though, the two things I ended up taking pictures of have a direct link back to my childhood. They brought back such great memories.


I have always had a love affair with willow trees. It's just something about the fluidity of the branches and the way they hang down, swaying in the wind. It always seems like they are doing their own dance.

Standing beneath one and looking up makes me feel like I'm in a waterfall of leaves. I remember going underneath the trees with the really long branches and feeling like I was in a special fort. Who didn't love forts when they were a kid?

I wasn't expecting to have a strong memory of the dried up milkweed pod I found but I guess you just never know what will trigger those darn memories.

I can remember playing in these empty fields behind my parent's restaurants and finding milkweed pods. They were the most interesting shape and they seemed so plump and soft. There was something special about opening up the pod to reveal the fibers and milky center that made my heart skip a beat.

Isn't it great that when you were a kid, it didn't really take much to excite you. In childhood, simple pleasures were all the pleasures we needed.

I have to say that allowing myself some time to be excited about these simple things brought a bit of joy to my adult life.

What were some of your simple, childhood pleasures? I invite you to take a moment out of your busy, adult life to immerse yourself in them once again. Remember what it's like to be a kid again.

Be sure to tell me how it goes.

My Painting Retreat Part 1

I have returned from my week in Northern California and what a week it was! I can't begin to express how much I needed this and how fantastic it was!

When I walked up to the office and I saw the above sign I knew I was in for a treat. I was definitely stepping into the unknown and trusting, so this was a confirmation for me. A bit of reassurance that I was on the right path.



The Wild Heart Painting Retreat was held at the Mountain Home Ranch in Calistoga. It is about 90 minutes north of San Francisco, near Napa Valley. I had never been this far north in California and was so excited to experience nature in this part of the country.

The photo above is from the website of the ranch's website. It is a view of the painting studio where I spent so much time getting in touch with my creative energy.

The ranch is run by John and Suzanne. They are the third generation to work the family ranch. They were really personable and accommodating. We enjoyed our chats with them at each meal and I even learned a thing or two about mushroom hunting from John.

The food was TO DIE FOR! Every meal was divine! They made their own sourdough bread with a 30 year old starter. They brined their own olives, made their own plum jam, apple butter and apple pie. The scones were amazing, the polenta lasagna was delicious and the CHANTERELL MUSHROOMS were unbelievable, made even better by the fact that they picked them themselves!

The photo above is my cabin. I shared it with 2 other amazing women. It just happens to be named Love. When I checked in at the front desk John said, "You will be in Love while you are with us." I had know idea what he was talking about but once he explained, I got a big kick out of it.

I fell in love with the trees, the peace and stillness, the earthy smell, the crisp air, and the warm sun. While the painting was AMAZING, it was made even more special by the fact that I was in the middle of Mother Nature at its finest.

I mean look at this tree. It was right outside my Love Cabin. Every morning when I walked out the door I was greeted by this moss covered beauty. What a way to start my day!



There was a special little spot I found. It was on a ledge overlooking the canyon. I spent some heavy duty time there on two separate occasions. I even brought a little yoga chair out there with me one day and set up camp for a couple of hours. It was so peaceful, listening to the birds chirping and watching a couple of finches hop around a bush next to me. I even was lucky enough to see a hummingbird perched on a branch. I've never actually seen one that wasn't flying.

I wrote in my journal, and even did a little sketching. I brought my field watercolor set and had a little fun. I sat back and let the sun hit my face. The weather was amazing and I was especially enjoying it because I knew it was snowing and freezing back home in Chicago. It was so relaxing!

Continuing down the road past my special spot there was a rustic gate that marked the entrance to the enchanted forest. This was my favorite spot to be. I went down there at least 4 times with my fellow painters and even by myself a couple of times.

Once past the gate I found myself in this open field with the most vibrant green grass. I realized that it was so brilliantly green because it was swampy. That is why the created the little walking bridge of stumps. It was so fun walking across it. Many of them made this squishy sound as my weight caused them to move in the water below. It felt like being a kid again.

Once down there the terrain changed. The air got earthy, the ground became soft and fragrant. The air cooled as the sun was hidden behind the enormous trees. With each step I took I felt more and more grounded and at the same time it felt as if I were entering a magical world.

Here is a picture of one of my fellow painters Edie. She looks so small next to those big trees. It really gives you a sense of their size.

At the very bottom of the canyon was a creek. I remembered hearing the water from my special spot on the ledge and now here I was down there, seeing it in all it's beauty. I can't tell you how being down there made me feel. I've never experienced such beauty and serenity and a feeling of oneness with my surroundings. I wanted to sit there all day.

When I crossed over the creek I was given a special gift to experience a labyrinth tucked within the trees. I've heard about labyrinths but never actually walked one so I was excited to experience it for myself in such a beautiful location.


As I walked it I felt this enormous sense of peace and connection with the earth. I stopped to take in the trees, the moss, the spongy earth, and even this cute little salamander with the red belly (sorry for the blurry picture).


And while I was enamored with the natural beauty of the place I couldn't help but think of the people that created this labyrinth. John told us that his wife Suzanne originally created this labyrinth out of sticks for him when he could no longer run because of a knee injury. He would fill his backpack with stones and walk down there for exercise. Over time they replaced the sticks with stones. In fact for his birthday celebration they asked friends and family to bring stones for the labyrinth. What a history!

I got so excited when I saw these bright red mushrooms poking out of the ground. I had to brush the natural mulch aside to reveal the treasure and I HAD to take a picture.


I also spent a couple of mornings up on the lookout watching the sunrise. Seeing the moon there while the sun was making its way up over those tall trees added to the beauty. I had some incredible aha moments up there in the morning light. What a special place this is in my heart.

So now you've had a chance to see how the beauty of Northern California opened my soul and gave me such a beautiful backdrop for my creative unfolding. My next post will actually go into the painting process and the life-changing experience I was lucky enough to experience. See you then!

Read post 2 here.