Find Joy!

"Since all of us are connected, we affect those around us whether we realize it or not. Our emotions can also affect our children, our pets, and our plants. The best thing we can do for ourselves, everyone else, and the planet, is to find our joy and passion for life, and do what makes us happy. When we are happy, those around us will be happy, and in turn, those around them will also start to feel the same way."

"We always have to start with our self, and the best place to start is to do what makes you feel joyful."-Anita Moorjani

On 2nd February 2006, Anita Moorjani experienced what most of us will never. She experienced what many people spend their lives wondering about.  What is after all this?  Is there an after life?  Anita's book "Dying to Me." tells her story about how she crossed over and came back to share what she learned.

Doctors at the hospital had given Anita just hours to live when she arrived at the hospital that morning, unable to move as a result of the cancer that had ravaged her body for over three years.

Anita shares her experience of entering another dimension and being given a choice of whether to return to life or not. She experienced great clarity and understanding of her life and purpose here on earth.  What's amazing is the simplicity of the message that she was compelled to come back and share.  It is a message of love, living in your own magnificence, living fearlessly and living joyously!

Today I pledge to bring more of the things that make me feel joyful into my life! 

A joyful list

• sipping hot strong coffee outside on warm mornings
• Surprising people with gifts
• loittering in chapters...lol
• going on creative exursions to thrift shops
• polkadots
• stripes
• turquoise
• fresh flowers on my dining room table
• solitude surrounded by nature

 

What is on your joyful list?



Joy Blog: My new antique cabinet

Okay so here it is...the new love of my life.My mother in-law (who has a beautiful collection of antique furniture) used to have this piece in her kitchen but with a recent kitchen reno she didn't have a space for it. So lucky for me, it became mine! It brings joy to my heart just walking past it. I love it's teal/turquoise colour. I love the antique feel and way the other wood colour is bleeding through. I love the scratches and chipping. I said to my daughter Ruby, "what do you think about mommies new cabinet? isn't it nice?" Ruby looked it over and remarked that yes it was nice but "its a bit dirty and scratched" with a sour look on her face. I launched into to telling her that this shabby chic or antique style is something that mommy thinks is really nice. She didn't buy it. If its not new and sparkly and made out of taffeta it's not nice in her eyes. Oh well! I simply love it and I had to share.

Another great thing is it's functional, so there's enough space to fit all of my pots and pans and cookware. It clears some clutter from our limited cabinet space in the kitchen.

Isn't she pretty!?!

Anne Taintor

Vintage style photos juxtaposed with cleverly sarcastic captions are the specialty of Anne Taintor. I drink my morning coffee from a mug with the above photo on it...lol...I also have Anne Taintor fridge magnets and they always makes me smile. I love the retro photos and the irony of their smiles along side this sharp statements! My husband doesn't find her stuff as brilliant as I do...it's all in good fun darling.

Joy Blog...Ceramic Pitchers

Pictured above is my humble small collection of ceramic pitchers I have aquired from thrift stores.

I use them for flowers, and use them for water jugs at dinner parties. I think their simplicity is quite beautiful.

Below I have assembled some photos that also capture the love of my collection. The photos mostly feature ironstone china which is a glaze-covered earthenware first patened in 1813. I have added Ironstone to my "to collect" list.

Joy Blog...Crafting

Not my pizza, but similar to the one I made the other day

“There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.” — Martha Graham

When I was a child my mother was always creating and crafting something. She was a quilter, a knitter and a sewer. She made all of my halloween costumes with her sewing machine, funny now that I think of it I always envied the kids with those plastic store bought costumes. She made all of our birthday cakes, fabulously decorated. She always made sure that we were the kids that brought the awesome treats to our classes for all of the holidays, like pumpkin shaped chocolate pops at halloween. The list could possibly go on and on for this whole blog. However, my point is, I didn't really get how truly special that was until now that I have kids. I remember my mom and I would stay up late making christmas chocolates and candy like chocolate covered cherries and "turtles,"and I recall how joyful it was. As, I got older, my mom would try and teach me other more difficult crafts like sewing, knitting and eventually folk art painting and I didn't get it, I wasn't interested at all. Now that I am a mother of two, I find that I am slowly but surely finding the absolute joy in crafting that my mom knew for all of those years.


As a child when we went shopping with my mom, we would say "mom can we buy that?" and she would say "I can make that." And she did. The other day while browsing on my favourite website etsy I realized that I was no longer shopping, I was gathering ideas because I realized that I too "can make that." Funny how you swear you wont be like your mother, and once you have your children you start to hear your mother in you own thoughts all the time!



I have been busy with several crafts lately, unfortunately my dear camera is being serviced so I can't show pics of some of my latest projects. A couple days ago, browsing on etsy, I saw that felt play food is the latest thing. I got some coloured felt and began creating a felt pizza for my children's "house" centre. I spent all morning sewing the crust, sauce, cheese and toppings together with loving care and I was thrilled! Best of all, the kids totally loved it. I lost all sense of time as I was creating, expressing myself through this medium has brought passion and joy!


Soon as my camera is fixed I will post some of the great ideas, that are super easy and mostly quick crafts. In the meantime, check out this awesome blog for great ideas.


http://blog.craftzine.com/



P.S. Thanks Mom!

Joy Blog...Barn Stars

Photo: My front porch with barn star

I've always loved the country charm of these star decorations, and have a few within my house, I jazzed up a lamp of Jalen's with one, and have one hanging within a photo wall in my living room. It was only recently that it occurred to me that although I think the stars are really cute and charming, I have no idea what they mean or where they originated. I mean, what if I am saying with that star that I support slavery or something...lol. Okay, I knew it couldn't be that bad, but who knows. I did my research and basically the "Barn Star" as it most often called is used simply as decoration just as I have enjoyed doing, however some people hold them as a sign of good luck or good fortune. They date back as far as the 1700's were used by builders to "mark" their territory, but soon became used for aesthetic purposes and were added to the building when it was done. They are often distressed or antiqued, which is deliberate, to signify that this is a traditional decoration. I kind of like the idea that the star will bring us good luck, and I'll stick with that.

Joy Blog....Jadeite!

Photo credit: Country Living

So I'm still working hard at gathering all the inspiration for my kitchen makeover. The cabinets have been started in a creamy colour called White Down-Benjamin Moore. The other day I came across a couple photos in country style kitchens that used this beautiful vintage milky green dinnerware known as Jadeite or also seen it as just Jadite. It's not the first time I have swooned over Jadeite, I've seen it tucked away in Martha Stewart's kitchen and something about it just calls to me. I've started my research on collecting this much sought after antique most popular during the 50's and 60's. According to what I've read, the Fire-King glassware is durable and can also withstand high temperatures. Fire-King created a line called restaurant ware that is especially durable and this is what Martha Stewart and her daughter collect. Fire King created other colours like blue and creamy pink however "Jade-ite" was their most popular colour.

These cake stands below are absolutely darling, I am dreaming about having them on my kitchen serving cart, with scrumptious little cupcakes.( reality: my husband will polish off the sweet little cupcakes in 30 secs and then I'll get mad because he ruined the whole effect!) lol...okay back to dreaming...

Joy Blog....Pink and Turquoise

I am immediately drawn to this fresh and cheerful colour combination whenever I see it, this year I will finally take the plunge as I redecorate my new bedroom (I gave my old beloved master bedroom to my kids) and surround myself in touches of turquoise and pink. Here are some images that have inspired me!

Joy Blog: Tiffany blue and Red

So I've come across this cheerful colour combination that I have fallen head over heels for! I've decided that I must bring more of this into my life because the sight of those two together brings me so much JOY! Christmas this year at my house will be all things red and tiffany/aqua blue. I have visions of shiny red and aqua ornaments dancing in my head! Here are some pretty pictures to see what has inspired me:

From top: 1. Vintage button flowers photo- lilifish studios' photostream

2. Kimono silk buttons photo- tigerlillyshop 3. Aqua & Cherry Blossom print: art.com

4. Christmas packaging- Wink Designs 5. La La Love You print- etsy.com

6. Kitchen Display- apronthriftgirl.typepad.com

7. Christmas tote/gift bag- Wink Designs

8. Pinwheel pin- site unknown 9. Sailor Skirt- the fabled needle

Joy Blog...Pleasure Journal

"The secret to happiness is simple: Find out what you truly love to do and direct all of your energy towards doing it. Once you do this, abundance flows into your life and all your desires are fulfilled with ease and grace."-unknown

Sarah Ban Breathnach swears by a gratitude journal in her book "Simple Abundance." I agree with her when she says "the more you have and are grateful for the more will be given to you." So it is suggested that after each days end you reflect upon your day and consider all the things that you have to be grateful for that day. For me personally, gratitude is great for days when I'm feeling negative or in a slump. The days when I feel my life is a total mess, my relationships are a disaster, my finances are a sad state. Basically, on the days when I feel hopeless. Being grateful for the big things helps me to feel hope and remind me that my life is more abundant than I can remember at that moment. When I say being grateful for the big things I mean:

*My children

*My partner

*My health

*The health of my family

* Our house

*Our 2 cars

*My friends

*Our jobs

Those to me are the big things in life I am grateful for and most days even if I'm angry at the children and husband or I'm hating my house because it is "too small" I can recognize them as blessings, even through a negative filter. The big things convince me keep going...
A pleasure journal convinces me that life is filled with joys that make life worth living. Now, like I said, you can't be in a mood as discussed above when you sit down to write this. This is for days when I'm are feeling okay, or the days when I am feeling happy! Its appreciating the little things that bring me pleasure and focusing on those things in my day.

I like to consider all 5 senses (or somedays 6 senses) when I sit down to write in my pleasure journal. Here's an example of an entry in my own personal journal:

*Sipping strong hot coffee, along with my journals, my favourite books in the early a.m.

*Hearing Alex say "I love you" spontaneously

*Using colourful markers for anything possible

*Hot lemon water before bed

*Playing with Jalen and Ruby while they giggle hysterically

*Chatting up market vendors on Saturday morning.

*Buying my first pair of skinny jeans

When you begin to focus on these pleasures you realize what you should have more of in your life, like love and laughter and coffee out of polkadot mugs and you realize that if you brought more of these simple pleasures to your everyday life you would feel more joy. And isn't that what we all ultimately want...happiness.