Saturday, November 30, 2013

Developing Courage

As I was scanning my facebook newsfeed this morning, I came across this comment from Maya Angelou.  I had to share it with you.

Maya Angelou on Courage:

MS: If you could speak to the world community, what message would you most want to deliver to humanity?

Ms. Angelou: I would encourage us to try our best to develop courage. It’s the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can be anything erratically—kind, fair, true, generous, all that. But to be that thing time after time, you need courage. We need to develop courage, and we need to develop it in small ways first. Because we wouldn’t go and say, “I’ll pick up this hundred-pound weight” without knowing our capacity. So we need to say, “Oh, I’ll start by picking up a five-pound weight, then a ten-pound weight, then a twenty-five-pound, and sooner or later I’ll be able to pick up a one-hundred-pound weight.” And I think that’s true with courage. You develop a little courage, so that if you decide, “I will not stay in rooms where women are belittled; I will not stay in company where races, no matter who they are, are belittled; I will not take it; I will not sit around and accept dehumanizing other human beings”—if you decide to do that in small ways, and you continue to do it—finally you realize you’ve got so much courage. Imagine it—you’ve got so much courage that people want to be around you. They get a feeling that they will be protected in your company.

This hit me today, possibly because last week, I was having a conversation with someone with very different political views than me.  While I can appreciate that we are all entitled to our own opinion, due to my nature of not wanting to ruffle feathers, there are many times I stay silent.  Always after those conversations I walk away feeling awful, betrayed by myself.  Just because I don't verbally say I agree with them because I don't actually voice my own beliefs, I am in a sense agreeing with them.  

In a world where we are taught to get along and I always valued my gift as a peacemaker, how do I stand up for what I believe in without "gasp" people getting upset?  I always tell myself, you're not political, you don't have enough facts to back up your opinions.  I'm beginning to realize how much that "voice in your head" gets in the way.  You think it's there to keep you safe, you see a homeless person outside your grocery store asking for money and maybe you'll give him a dollar, but your inner voice says, make sure you don't make eye contact, you don't want to encourage him to ask for more.  You see a couple having a spat and it's getting heated and your voice says, stay out of the way, she can handle it, she's obviously been dealing with it for awhile.

So today, I am giving myself permission to tell my inner voice to shut up.  Maya Angelou says to start with a five pound weight, for me that means stating my opinion confidently because everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I've got to go with my gut.


Thursday, November 28, 2013

Etsy Wish List

What a happy Thanksgiving surprise to find in my email this morning.  One of my cards was featured in JulieEllynDesign's treasury.  Be sure to check out Julie's store.  I just got a beautiful pair of emerald earrings from her.

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzU0MDczMXwyNzI1MzM0MzQw/wish-list-2

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thanksgiving Tables

Trying to figure out how to dress your table for tomorrow?  Here are few suggestions.

Pheasantly Surprised
White Table Cloth
White Plates
Bunch of feathers in a large white vase (probably found at a craft store near you)

http://domino.com/three-festive-flower-free-centerpieces/image/526ece9e9ac35f7a2b3c3a02?crlt.pid=camp.vTsZd4iOjZsv


Log Chop
Gotta a saw?  How about natural wood place settings.  Keep the plates clear to show off the wood.


Fall Centerpiece
What says Fall more than pumpkins, bittersweet and candlelight?  As a recommendation, make sure those candles are unscented.   No one wants to smell fake vanilla, when they're about to devour a home-cooked meal.
http://www.theidearoom.net/2012/11/build-your-own-wooden-box.html



Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Heart Gloves

This is so easy and would make a cute stocking stuffer or Hanukkah gift.  You buy the gloves and some felt and emboridery thread.  Then cut out the two halves of a heart and stitch on right where your hands would make the heart if they were cuffed, like in this picture.  For the full instructions check them out here in the blog, maché.

http://www.machemag.com/2698/heart-in-hand-gloves/#

Monday, November 25, 2013

Thankful Pie

Oh. My. Gah! I saw this recipe and know what dessert I'm making for Thanksgiving.  Check this insane recipe out!  I think I can smell this Gingerbread Eggnog Pumpkin Pie through the computer.  (From the blog Thumb in Plum.)

http://www.thumbinplum.com/2012/12/gingerbread-eggnog-pumpkin-pie.html
Gingerbread Pie Shell Recipe
Ingredients for the crust
  • 1 box gingerbread  mix
  • 2 tbs unbleached flour
  • 2 tbs melted butter
Directions
  1. Prepare as cookies, as directed on the box (stop the prep after refrigeration)
  2. After cooling in the refrigerator break into 2 even balls and roll one out as you would a pie crust on a floured board or pan to 1/4" thick
  3. Flour the top and roll it loosely. Line it up with a 9" pie tin and unroll it, pressing down and making sure there are no spaces between the shell and the tin. Cut the dough hanging off the edges
  4. Use the extra dough for the top of the pie, another pie crust, or use the rest for some yummy gingerbread men you can bite the heads off of
- See more at: http://www.thumbinplum.com/2012/12/gingerbread-eggnog-pumpkin-pie.html#sthash.ujMmkHxR.dpuf

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Cran-Apple Stuffing!

Even in LA, it's starting to get "chilly" out.  Not compared to my Minnesotan roots chilly, but "LA chilly" and it doesn't take long to think that fifty degrees means breaking out the hat and mittens and marshmallow puffy jacket.

So when I came across this recipe tonight, while wondering what I can make to make the house smell yummy and warm, I knew I had found my delicious solution.  Cranberry-Apple Corn Bread Stuffing, straight from Better Homes and Gardens.  Just look at this savory picture, you know you want to make it.  Pair this with a roasted chicken from the grocery store and dinner is served.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cranberry-apple-corn-bread-stuffing/


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Letting Go

Does it ever seem like there's a universal energy going around and everyone you're connected with is facing similar challenges?  For the past couple months I've been noticing that with quite a few friends.  I came across this quote and found it relevant, maybe you're facing a similar situation where this might resonate with you as well.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/416020084299755200/



Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Stamped Coasters

I can't believe we're already coming up on Thanksgiving next week.  November is going by in a blink.  We just got back from Cabo, Mexico yesterday.  We were there for the Baja International Film Festival.  I will post pics as soon as I have them.  Lots of red carpet fun.

With December a little over a week away, I've been thinking more of gifts I can make for the holidays and came across this easy tutorial.  Also, we could use some new coasters as ours are old and looking pretty gross and stained.  This owl stamp is adorable.  I may have to take a trip to Michael's to pick out some fun new stamps.

The only supplies you'll need are:
  • Tiles from somewhere like Home Depot
  • Cork stickers (for the bottom of the tiles so they don't scratch your coffee table), I suppose you could use felt as well.
  • Rubber mounted stamps of your choosing.
  • Satin or gloss latex paint


http://thegirlinspired.com/2013/05/stamped-tile-coasters-diy/

Monday, November 11, 2013

Lilac Sugar

Now that there's a chill in the air and with the sun setting so much earlier, I've been in the mood to bake.  Truthfully, I need things to do inside to keep me from falling asleep before 7:30pm.  Last night I think I made it to 9:30pm.  When the sun sets, my body is ready to settle in for the night, but it's much too early.  So I've been searching the web for baking ideas to help warm the house up and add that yummy baking smell I always associate with the holiday season.
This quick recipe would make nice holiday gifts and add yummy flavor to some of your holiday baking.  Lilac sugar.  Simple and easy.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lilac-Sugar

Thursday, November 7, 2013

What makes you feel alive?

Today is Thursday, which means it's one of my favorite days of the week.  My acting class day.  I came across this quote that reminded me of today.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

I love sweating!

There is something so cleansing about sweating.  I love challenging myself with a tough workout, even though I may be screaming at myself during it.  The rest of the day, my body feels like it's been cleared out of all the gunk, all the stress that's crept in.  My endorphins go through the roof and the sweat is proof of all that I did away with.  Today after my bike sprints I went to go stretch and noticed this happy heart I sweat into my shirt.  I couldn't help but photograph it and admire all that hard work.  I call it my "sweatheart".


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Changing Artwork Easily

I change the artwork in my office and bedroom quite often.  I'm a photographer and love to display photos from my trips or celebrations or everyday life.  Since I have so many photos and keep taking more, I like to give each one their time on my walls.  These displays with washi tape are a fun and easy way to do it.  I'm sure you can get Washi tape from many places, one quick check on Amazon and I found quite a few.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Small Spaces Bookshelf

I have been living in small spaces since I went to college.  After college I moved to NYC and eventually settled in to a 200 sq. ft. apartment with a roommate.  The kitchen was so narrow at points, that two people couldn't walk by the stove at the same time.  I'm now in CA, but we still have a smaller space and need to conserve space and make all the furniture in the living room moveable so it can work for many different situations.  That's where this sweet moveable bookshelf comes in.  The how-to blog uses two pieces of wood braced together, but you could also just buy one of those cheap shelves at ikea or a hardware store and only have to add the casters.  It just depends what look you're going for.

http://thecleverbunny.com/2013/05/01/alternative-book-storage-diy/

Friday, November 1, 2013

A Haunted Walk

My hubby and I have no children yet, so we unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), don't have a plethora of delicious Halloween candy laying around the house waiting to be eaten.  We did however, take a walk around our neighborhood last night and boy oh boy, was it a party!  People from different parts of LA actually drive to our neighborhood to check out all the decked out Halloween homes.  At times we had to walk on to the street to get around the packs of Trick-or-Treaters.  Everyone was having a blast, including the parents out with other parents enjoying a warm evening walk with their deliriously excited kiddos.
Here are a couple homes we saw on our walk.  I have some day photos from a few days ago and a couple night photos.



The pic above is a close-up of the photo before it. That photo changes as you walk by it from an old-timie kid portrait to zombie kids portrait. Freaky!

I wish this one would have come out better. It really did look like a movie set, including that ball representing a full moon hanging in the tree in the upper-right corner.  You're just going to have to trust me on this one, super scary and cool.