Treasuring you - reflections and dreams

I've missed posting a couple of "treasuring you's", but the turn of a bright new year brings with it the perfect opportunity for reflecting and dreaming!
                                              

 Have you taken a moment or two to take in all that 2012 has brought? What you have learned and achieved? What has been dreamed into reality?.....and equally as important where you want the road ahead to take you in 2013?  :)
Susannah Conway has a perfect workbook, should you like a little prompting..click here!
(And remember my free feathery 'flights of fancy' printable is available here!)

For me, it's hard to put into words just how life changing 2012 has been, and how blessed and abundant my life feels as a result. Truly amazing..it blows my socks off just thinking about it!

My word for 2012 was "LIBERATION", and while I didn't pay too much attention to this once the intention was set...this year HAS been a real journey towards freedom. Sounds a tad cliched, I know...but I can explain it no other way!
The biggie and most obvious part being that I left my post as a midwife... and rather than simply changing "jobs" to that of being a self employed artist, I set the intention of  changing the way I lived my life. I wanted the WHOLE of it to be more authentic, creative and true... without getting bogged down by the should's, the "right ways", the limiting fears....
 Let me tell you , there were PLENTY of all the aforementioned gremlins to begin with! But with time , lots of quiet space delving inwards, and letting things naturally unfold, the gremlins quietened down and in replacement a trust began to grow.....a glimmer towards knowing that everything really IS good!  :) ......Liberation indeed!

Along side this, my girls have continued their blossoming, and I have had the true trump card of flexibility to nurture them AND me! Skye starts Primary school this summer and the feeling that they are only little for such a short precious time is paramount...I'm soaking in every moment.

My sweetest Stu also began his own business, following his heart and love of working with wood. Initially the gremlins surfaced loud and in full force on this one too...eek!both of us self employed in this current state of "economic crisis"!? ...but once more with quiet contemplation the space was created to trust and the limitations were released. Again it became clearer EVERYTHING is GOOOOOOD! :)  And it is! And for that I am deep. down. whole. heartedly. grateful.



The word that keeps presenting itself to me for 2013 is 'EXPANSION'.
Not in the sense of "worldwide business booming" expansion (though that wouldn't be entirely un-agreeable!Ha!) More in the sense of expanding further in all the areas I described before. A deepening of trust,  love, creativity, happiness. More time spent looking outwards, not just inwards....more adventures, more connections. Expanding, growing.

                               

Yippee! Feeling on top of the world :)

So if you've made it this far I'd love to hear your word of the year.....and how 2012 treated you? HUGE hugs xx

Treasuring you...short and sweet

This months "treasuring you" piece is short and sweet and is simply from a little piece of paper I found while rummaging in my paper scraps...I'd obviously cut it out to keep to stick in my  book and never got to the sticking part...
It was written by Maia (my eldest daughter) at age 7 or 8 for a school project...it reads:

What  magic possession would you like and why?
 I would like to have an invisible, very fast running golden donkey because it would let me  go to places quickly without anyone knowing. Having it to be golden is just extra.

Heehee! Makes me smile. a LOT!

another piece of paper that made it into my book already...a different school project!

I've got a rather large number of books that I use to store all my "treasures" in, this is my JOY journal 

which there's a tutorial for making here!

So what sweet funny wonderful things have you collected from your kids or grandkids, and have gathered in a box or book somewhere? :) I'd love to hear. 

And an even trickier question.....if you could have a magic possession what would you have and why??!!

.....now this I can't wait to hear :)x

Treasuring you...Today I...

Today I.....stitched a stag!

Its the start of the month again..time for "treasuring you.."
                                               
I've seen a few posts featuring lists of  "(number corresponding to age) things to do before I turn (age of next birthday)" and thought yep, thats a good one to put in my little book  because next week I'm about to have a birthday which will be the last one in my 30's (eek!).

However on sitting down I could only come up with 16 things I wanted to do/achieve before I turn the big 40, and half of those were all lame half hearted "aspirations"  (like read one book and get my hair cut!)..which lead me to think either I am a) incredibly dull with no imagination or ambition or b) quietly content with my lot......

Nah!
My final decision lay on c) which was : advanced planning never has been my cup of tea...I'm a wing it kind of girl, let the desires and aspirations reveal themselves as I go along...
Its served me well till now anyway!

So giving that list the old heave ho ...I decided to keep it simple and mark the mini milestones and 50 lives lived in one day by documenting... Today I......

Marvelled as my little tomboy daughter twirled in her new ballet outfit looking ever so pink and girly. Wore my green skinny jeans and got called "elfety elfety elf elf elf"! Hoovered, cleaned, squished spider webs. Nagged. Caught myself nagging. Stopped nagging. Belly laughed at the story of a sweet sister who prided herself on looking like Axl Rose. Couldn't find a pen. Attempted writing 40 things to do before I'm 40, came up with 16. Moved on!
Pushed and climbed, pulled and lifted, chased and birled at the Peter Pan park. Picnicked. Kissed a knee, stroked a cheek, wiped some tears. Smiled in the sunshine in a t-shirt in September. Breathed in the fresh air.Felt grateful. Restrained from having an ice cream..only to have it later. Sprayed and stitched. Ate a yummy tea cooked for me. Watched the film  Fantastic Mr Fox. Decided that this is my most favourite film. Hugged and laughed and tickled and kissed. Sighed and relaxed. Retreated to my fave place (the attic= my  creative space) Rediscovered The Doors, transported back to teenage-ness. Played "Skinny love" (bon Iver) over and over. Swooned. Stitched  a stag. Laughed. Kissed. Supped on a wee g&t . Hand embroidered and dreamed...

the offending green jeans.....love them! Also love how my book matches the wall! :)

When I see the little minutae written down like that it helps me realise just how magnificently different and wonder-FULL each and every day is! And how sweet and good life is :)

So what about you? What has filled your day so far? .. what many little moments have made today a good day to be here right now?  I'd love it if you shared :)x 

Magic messengers - Treasuring you

Remember I said I would do a post at the beginning of each month treasuring  and sharing a little of my story and hopefully you will join in and share a bit of yours...well here's this months! It was was triggered by the beautiful artwork of Marisa Redondo, (which you have to go and see!) and it reminded me of the magic messengers I've had throughout my life....

Here's what I jotted down the other day..

inspired by Marisa Redondo's feathers

Birds, they've always been there....feathers too.. symbolic message bringers...changing as I grow and move through life, but always there and always magical none the less.

As far back as I can remember it began with blue tits dancing in the garden, signalling warmer weather and the approaching freedom to play outside, followed by Robins flashing their red breasts to declare winter was on its way. 

Getting older it was the cooing evening call of the wood pigeons in the nearby trees, that would bring a sense of calm and "home", as I sneaky read my book under the covers, with the smell of summer in the air. 

 Then would come the overhead V-shape of long necked geese honking as they took off on their winter pilgrimage while I would do my early morning paper round..smiling in the knowledge hibernation time was just around the corner = family togetherness, trashy tv and school christmas discos! :)

recent feathery finds :)

Then there was a gap for a few years...off to Uni, socialising, having fun getting lost, not listening or paying attention....until I began to travel and the listening and seeing began again...with even keener eyes!

It was eagles this time...I would find their feathers and these majestic birds would find me..always there to let me know I was in the right place and being "watched over", always on the horizon beckoning me when I got lost. The biggest eagle I have ever seen (so big ,atleast 1.5 metres tall..I still think I must have been imagining it!) sat like a wise old man hunched on the only branch in the middle of the Nulabor desert and watched me with sagely eyes...as I drove past into one of the biggest adventures of my life (which I will have to save for another time!) 

Returning from my travels and becoming a mum, it became less about seeing birds, there was little time being a new mum...but feathers would keep making their way to me...white ones this time! Gifts from the "angels" I  would say with a smile :). A little white fluffy one would appear just when I needed reminding that everything was ok and exactly as it should be. I'd find them in the most unusual of places..lying on a doorstep, in my pocket, even in the "dungeon" changing rooms at the hospital where I was miserable at work!

A move back to the countryside, with my family in tow ,brought back the reconnection with birds and now it seems to be the heron that's my new friend and messenger. Apparently he signifies "new beginnings", as a friend tells me. I'm happy to take that as the message, though what my heart tells me is this large and cumbersome but rather beautiful bird is telling me to "stay the course" as he bobs in and out of my life, always flying over my head and off in front into the distance.

The white fluffy feathers still make an occasional appearance but less frequent now...  my youngest and I found one on the path of our forest walk the other day. I told her "its a feather from the angels"...she picked it up in her 4 year old fingers and gave it a sniff...."doesn't smell like an angel's feather" she said...

I left it at that, thinking she'll find her own magic and message-givers in life.

*

Do you have something in your life which symbolises or sends a particular message to you? Do you look out side of yourself for messages or do you find them all within?

I'd love to hear :) x

Treasuring you...beginning with an ending

blue water soluble crayons with black marker detail on top, and cut out photocopied butterfly image

Ok..so I rambled on the other day about treasuring ourselves and the stories we have...writing that book that we all have within. And I set out to share either something of mine, or yours, once a month....go here to read if you are wondering what the heck?!

So I'd like to begin by sharing the tale I wrote down in my little book the other day....a touching moment that I treasure....have you got a cup of tea?.....well maybe you'd better :)

 Grandpa died at the ripe old age of 93, after a long and adventure filled life. I actually felt kind of glad that he felt happy enough to let go and move on..he was beginning a new adventure somewhere else. It was Nana I wanted to hold  and hug and fill with love for she had a huge space needing to be filled until she could find her bearings again, and step into a rhythm where her dear heart of 65 years would not be by her side. 

We all went down to be with her for Grandpa's funeral, Maia came too, age 4..to her it was adventures on a train and catching up with Aunties and Uncles who would spoil her and tickle her. 

When it came to the time for the church service, Maia and I stayed at home..keep it light for her....so we stood at the door where my mum had grown up, and watched the procession of cars head slowly off with grandpa at the front.

With Maia lifted up in one arm we both waved and shouted "Bye Granpa"....a wee tear in the eye..."Bye"..

Suddenly, as if from nowhere  in front of my waving hand, this beautiful electric blue butterfly appeared fluttering. I was no longer watching the car procession but standing still with my hand mid air (and probably my mouth wide open too!)

"Grandpa?..I squeaked questioningly...

The butterfly landed on the index finger of my mid air hand..

"Grandpa....is that you??!!"

I laughed and shook my finger, my heart flipping summersaults, laughing at the crazy and magical -ness of such a thing happening....and how funny I must have looked questioning a butterfly to the nth degree!...the butterfly held on.

I stopped shaking and stood still, breathed out deeply...and off the butterfly went.

"Bye Grandpa" I said "Byeeeeee"

Soon after everyone came back and I gave Nana a huge hug. If I had been feeling sad I wasn't any more..just blessed and grateful and full of love. I told her rather incredulously what had happened...."only you would ever have something like this to tell me about" she said smiling.....Well I thought...I'll take that as being a good thing :)

Have you had a magical experience happen to you? Something where you really felt there was more to it that just "co incidence"?!(or a furtive imagination as some may call it! hehe!)

I'd love to hear.

Hey...and for the record...no butterfly has ever flown as close to me or landed on me at any other time since.... :)x

Treasuring you....

                          
                                
 I've been deliberating over doing a little feature "treasuring you"  for a looong time and its been my poor record of keeping to my bloggy word (as life always has other notions) that kept stopping me..but recently I feel I've become a bit half hearted and complacent towards the bloggy world....and it felt like time....to commit and step up. All right! (said with fist pump!) 

OK..so whats it all about?
Well....You know I make books right? Big ones and small ones, fabric and board ones, recycled and new ones...but most of all JOY ones!

I like to think they will be used to fill with all the sweet moments of life, reasons to be joyful, precious memories, belly laugh instances, adventures had...all the little happenings in life that make up the story of you...
And this "story".. I reckon is to be treasured....
well heck.... CELEBRATED!
Honoured, acknowledged  and shared (even if its just the paper that gets to see!)

If life has taught me one thing...especially through midwiferying and travelling...its that people are fascinating, incredible, resiliant, and NEVER fail to surprise....there are so many stories, laughs, tears and experiences all woven into the people we are today...tomorrow another adventure lies awaiting...another tale to unravel...

                                        

So I wonder if you would consider joining  me and start (if you've not already) acknowledging the treasures in YOU...the story of you so far :)

You'll need : a book!
I reckon it should be a special one  (after all this is to celebrate all that is YOU!)  ..so you can buy one especially, or make one..these links might help:

Joy journal tutorial 

recycled books guide 

book making kits 

     

And the next bit  : start remembering.....writing....drawing....sticking....
Documenting all the things that make you YOU!
Nothing is too frivolous, too big or too small...
it could be your favourite ever pair of shoes..your most proudest achievement...
a moment when you laughed until you cried, a step you took despite your biggest fears, the things that make you feel at "home", cherished spaces in time, what made you sigh contentedly today
What ever it is...make your mark...

I warn you once you start...it really IS like opening the floodgates (in a GOOD way!) :)

The end result: well it never really ends does it....but there will be a book full of moments of you so far... :) 
An amazing memoir.. glimpses that glimmer the WHOLE of you...a legacy worth treasuring that's for sure....
And for the duration it will be a blast remembering and getting creative with it....

My intention is to share some moments and glimpses from my "treasuring book" at the start of every month...this helps makes me accountable for actually sticking to my word :) I'm also hoping that this may help prompt/inspire you... as I would REALLY like this to be about YOU too.
I would be extremely honoured and delighted if YOU felt like sharing a glimpse of your treasures too..whether it be in the comments section or actually emailing me a little tale or some pics, of what tickles you, of where you have been or are heading too. And I can share that here too.....ooh imagine a blog FULL of treasures :)

Otherwise it'll all be about me me me...well I guess I can live with that ..but can you?! hehe!

You can email me at : loveandpeas(at)hotmail.co.uk
or simply leave a comment below....

I'll be back in a few days with my first little tale....

Let the TREASURING begin :)xx