I am so thrilled!  I won 4 tickets to take a ride on Thomas the Train!!  I’m excited for my little guys, but I’m super excited because I actually won something, and super duper excited about how I did it!

It’s a pretty cool story about how it all came about.

I have this video downloaded on my computer and it’s been sitting on my desktop for months and months now (maybe even years), but I hadn’t viewed it.  So last week, I realized it was there (for the 100th time) but this time I decided to check it out.  I had no idea what it was.  So I hit play and began listening to this 83 year old woman named Helene Hadsell (I had to google her to find out who she is!).  She blew me away.  She actually sorta kinda reminded me of my grandmother…Nanny B!  Anyway, she had my full attention.

She is known as the “Winning Sage“.  Her whole life she has been winning contests, sweepstakes, whatever you want to call them…she wins!  Here’s how she does it (and how I did it): S.P.E.C.

S: Select it.  (What is it that you want?  Pick it out.)

P: Project it.  (See yourself with the thing you selected.  How does it feel?  Visualize yourself wearing it, using it, riding on it (Thomas the Train), whatever it is, you have to project it out there.)

E:  Expect it.  (Have complete faith and trust that you will get what you want.)

C:  Collect it.  (It’s yours…go get it!)

This was taken in 2008 when we drove to Rusk, Tx to see Thomas.

So I watch the video, google her to find out who this amazing woman is, and then I decide to go to a site that I frequent called Moms Like Me.  Right there on the home page is a contest to win Thomas tickets.  So of course I enter!  I wanted to take the boys on this awesome train ride.  I saw us riding the train and visualized the reaction on my kids faces when they see it’s a real live Thomas.  I expected to win.  I would have bought tickets, but I just knew I was going to win so I didn’t.  Then yesterday I get an email saying I won and my tickets will be at will call for whatever day I want to go!!

HAHA I would say I can’t believe it, but I can!  I knew I would win.  I did exactly what Helene (my new grandmother, by the way told me to do.

I am just so thrilled by this!  You know, she’s really just using the Law of Attraction to get what she wants.  She never mentioned LOA on the video I viewed or anything that I saw online about her, but that’s exactly what she does.  I just love it!

——————————————————————————————————————————

Unfortunately the file size is too big for me to post the video.  I really wanted you to watch it, but doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to get it on here.  (I’ve been trying to get it to upload for some time now, but my server isn’t allowing me that space…my computer knowledge doesn’t extend beyond that

And as a side note…this picture of my family in front of Thomas was when we drove to Rusk, Tx in 2008.  Since the boys are older now and Miles (my little one) is totally diggin’ Thomas I think this time will be even better!

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Firsts are always exciting, always fun, and always eye opening.  This is my first blog post where I’m featuring someone.

I love it when I find people that are living their passion, and Gina Marie Dunn is doing just that!  She is an artist living in Dallas and I ran across her work at a cool little (affordable!) art gallery called Artisan Style (where my jewelry is being sold as well).  I noticed her art earlier this month at the gallery…she has an awesome heart collection that I just love (no pun intended!).  It’s not only perfect for Valentine’s month, but perfect for when you need a splash of red on your walls!

Gina Marie sells online through Etsy and does custom work.  Check it out!  She’s truly fantastic.

*Education: BA in Communitcations/Public Relations from Loyola University New Orleans, Minor inStudio Arts

*Current City/Hometown: live in Dallas, originally from Brooklyn, NY

*Tell me about your work in one sentence: With the subject matter of my paintings varying from cellular abstractions to modern landscapes, there is a dreamlike, organic aspect to my work that is always apparent.
*Describe your normal day. What would your *ideal* day be like? On a “Normal” day, I am up at 6:00 a.m. to get in a run before my husband and three kids are up at 7:30 (I am training for my sixth half marathon), then hubby is off to work and the kids and I spend the morning either hanging out outside if weather permits, playing with toys, or going to and from activities.  If the planets aligns and everyone takes afternoon naps at the same time I usually get some time to paint out in my studio. Painting time has been very limited lately with the arrival of our third child just three and a half weeks ago, but I look forward to painting more when the baby gets on a more regular schedule in the next few months.  Right now I am just enjoying my kids as much as possible because they grow so fast.

*What are your passions? my family and friends, art, yoga

*What are your goals? to become an internationally recognized artist and to raise a happy family in a loving home

*Who are your creative influences? Marc Chagall, Vincent Van Gogh, Joseph Cornell, Frida Kahlo

*Are there any other relevant experiences that shaped who you are today and what you do? It is in my blood to create. My mother is an amazing artist who has taught me so much about painting. I still have so much to learn from her.  She’s the only one in my family who will give me an honest critique!

*Is there anyone (celebrity, dead, alive, in your life) that you really look up to as an inspiration? While pregnant with my third child, I have painted more than I ever have in my life. The pregnancy was a very difficult one, full of concerns and worries, and to process all of the stressful news we received I took the term “art therapy” to a whole new level.  I painted through bouts of insomnia and turned them into productive hours in the studio. Luckily our prayers were answered and our son was born perfect and healthy, but the experience of carrying him has changed me forever, and I lovingly call him my little muse.  I feel some of my best work has been created in the past nine months.

*What motivates you on a daily basis?  Do you have a “guilty pleasure” that you can’t miss out on to get you going? On a daily basis, I am motivated by fresh air, sunshine and the laughter of my children. My “guilty pleasure” comes at the end of the day when the kids are in bed and my husband and I cuddle on the couch and indulge in our favorite TV shows and nightly dessert of chocolate chip cookies or an ice cream sundae.  I would rather run five miles every day mainly so I can enjoy dessert at night!
*What’s your working style?  Do you work for 12 hours straight nonstop, or do you take lots of breaks? Although I could easily work the day away if given the opportunity (I have too many ideas for my own good sometimes),  being the mother of three children under four simply does not allow for that.  My family is and always will be my first priority. Instead, I work in spurts, whenever I can carve some time out of the day, whether that is late in the evenings, early mornings, on Fridays when I have help at home, just whenever.
Website: web.mac.com/utopiapkwy
Art Blog: http://utopiapkwyarts.blogspot.com/
Etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/UtopiaPkwyArtStudi0
Twitter: @lvartmom
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32300883549&ref=ts

STRESS.  A 6 letter word that is used so frequently…”I’m so stressed out”, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.  I’m just stressed right now”.  Really?  Is stress that prevalent in our world today?  I know it is, but sometimes I wonder if it’s just an overused word.  I wonder if sometimes the word stress is used instead of “busy” or “beat”.  Is stress used just because that’s what we’ve been taught or because we hear that word so frequently that we want to be part of the “stress crowd”?  Is it cool to be stressed?  Does being stressed mean we’re successful?

Absolutely NOT!

I rarely use the word to describe myself.  I guess mainly because I just don’t stress.  I may have a lot on my plate, or I may be under a time crunch but I wouldn’t say that I’m stressed.  I just know what I have to do and do my best to get it done.  But really I believe the secret to not being stressed is to believe in well-being, to believe that everything will be okay, to trust that it’ll all work out.  And this is what I do!

When we’re stressed, we’re basically feeling and thinking negative thoughts, our confidence is low (“I can’t do this”), and we’re dreaming up what an awful future we have.  And when we do this, we feel terrible.  We have anxiety and nothing is right.  If we continue this pessimistic view, what we will see is more of the same…more shit to be stressed about!

But it doesn’t have to be this way!  There’s really no need to stress, no matter what your situation is.

To believe in well-being is to be optimistic, and when you have optimism you have hope.  When you change your perspective to seeing the glass half full, it is!

So I’m not saying that you should look at something that is dark and yucky and call it light and shiny.  I’m just saying shift your gaze.  Instead of looking at your problems and stressing over them, look for the solutions.  When you take your focus off what you don’t want and focus on your well-being, then the Universe will bend over backwards to give it to you.

Next time you start to utter the word “stress”, or you feel stressed and overwhelmed just remember to look in another direction.  Think back to the last time you were stressed.  After the stressful situation ended, didn’t everything work out?  You’re still here, you’re still alive, and you have so much to be grateful for.  It really is okay.  No matter what happens, it all works out in the end.  It may not work out like you had planned, but it did work out and may actually even be better than you planned.

Have Faith.  Believe.  Have Hope.  Live Easy.  Now these are cool words!

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I just love Will Smith.  This is an awesome compilation of his wise, wise words!

As I hope you know by now, I contribute to a great non-profit organization called Spirit Jump.  Their mission is to give hope and comfort to the many men, women, and children battling cancer.  They do this by sending cards and inspirational gifts to lift the spirits of those experiencing that difficult time.

I sent many cards and Self Symmetry jewelry to cancer patients in 2009, but this year I want to step it up a bit!  I’m leading a team in the 1st annual Cards 4 Cancer Day, which is April 10, 2010.  What I’ll be doing is gathering cards from now until then.  Then on April 10th, I will be delivering all the cards to Texas Oncololgy – Medical City Dallas.

So, I need your help!  I’m looking for team members.  All you have to do as a team member is gather cards.  These cards don’t have to be anything fancy.  They can be homemade or store bought.  They can be scribbles from a 2 year old, a fun drawing from a 5th grader, or an uplifting message from your coworker.  It doesn’t matter.  I don’t know who will get what card, so it doesn’t have to be addressed to anyone in particular.  The only requirement is that the message be positive!  It would also be great if “Spirit Jump” was somewhere on the card so the recipient will know what organization it came from.  If they find the card helpful and it lifted their spirit then they can log onto Spirit Jump’s website and register to receive more cards and gifts.

If you’re a team member all you have to do is help me gather cards.  You can gather 5 or 500, I don’t care!  You can ask your child’s school or classroom, your coworkers, church, family, friends….basically anyone you can think of.  Would be fun to have a card making party too!  Or, if you don’t necessarily want to be a team member but want to buy or make a card you can do that as well.  Just send me the card and I’ll get it to a person battling cancer.

I don’t have a number for a goal in mind, but let’s just say this…I want to gather a ton of cards.  This is so easy, so thoughtful, and it can mean so much to someone.  Just think how cool it would be to go to a radiation treatment and have a card or two waiting for you.  The thought of knowing that people care about you and are praying for you right before you have a procedure or right after you get some news about your disease.   It really can make the difference in someone’s day.

Let’s show those battling cancer how much we love and care for them.

If you’d like to be a team member, let me know!  Leave a comment, email me, let me know on FB, tweet me…just let me know!  If you just want to send a card that would be awesome too.  Again, just let me know.  I’ll get you my address.

I’m looking forward to gathering cards and doing some good.  Thank you SO much!

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As I sit here on the eve of a new year I think about all the people making resolutions…lose weight, quit smoking, no caffeine, be nicer, get a good job, work less, work harder, the list goes on.  And then I think about all the people in Feb (or sooner) giving up on those resolutions.  We’ve all done it, right?  We all do it, which is why I don’t make new years resolutions.

I totally respect those that come into the new year with resolutions, and I’m blown away by those that actually follow through…although come to think of it, I can’t recall ever meeting anyone who has.

As I’ve grown over the years I’ve learned the value of the present moment and how every moment is a brand new one and it’s okay to start over at any moment, so January 1 doesn’t really mean much to me other than it’s another moment!

So with that in mind, here’s my very simplistic intention for this moment, the next, the next and the next moment:  TO FEEL GOOD AND TO HAVE THOUGHTS THAT FEEL GOOD!  I truly believe that if in every moment I can feel good, then all will be well.  I will have anything and everything that I want and I will be living my dream life.  Period.  It’s that simple.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how I will feel good when something bad is happening and how feeling good will bring me anything and everything I want.  Let me explain — if something bad is happening it’s really just my perception of whether it’s good or bad, so if I can perceive it to be good, or at least see a bright side, then I’ll feel better.  Does that make sense??  AND, as you know I’m a HUGE believer in the Law of Attraction so the better I feel, the more things I’ll attract into my experience to feel good about, and I won’t be having “bad” things come into my life!

So there you have it.  My intention now, on Jan. 1, or any other day, any other moment is to feel good.  Wanna join me?

Happy New Year, Everyone!

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We all get crazy busy with the holidays, right?  Remember this:

Just do your best to keep yourself in balance. One of the first things that causes Energy misalignment, is asking or demanding too much of yourself in terms of time and effort. In other words, you just cannot burn the candle at both ends, so that you are physically tired, and then expect yourself to have a cheerful attitude. So, the rule of thumb has to be: “I’m going to be very, very, very happy, and then do everything I have time to do after that.”

This is from Abraham (Ester & Jerry Hicks) at an LOA workshop in 2005.

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This is such a great affirmation.  The entire thing is probably a bit too long to memorize, but just the beginning of it is pure greatness!  This is by Ester & Jerry Hicks.

Life Will Always Be Working Out For Me. . .

I like understanding that things are always evolving, and while there are many things that could be better where I am, it is not really a problem because “where I am” is constantly changing to something better. I like knowing that as I look for the best things around me where I am, those things become more prevalent in my experience.  It is fun to know that things are always working out for me, and as I watch for the evidence of that . . . I see more evidence of that every day.

Life Will Always Be Working Out For Me!

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One of the things that yoga has taught me is to be nonreactive.  I’ve learned, and am still practicing, that if my body is in an uncomfortable or stressful position that I should take a deep breath and relax into the sensation rather than freak out!  I practice developing a calm, nonreactive mind, and in doing so I feel confident, strong & peaceful.  In this confident, strong & peaceful state I realize that I can handle anything.  I realize that I have more power in letting go, than in fighting.  I realize that my yoga practice is just as much mental as it is physical.  I can do this.

Nope...not me!

I’m sure we’ve all had thoughts like this:  “Yea, you better get out of that pose, you’re going to hurt yourself”.  “How much longer are we going to hold this, I’m about to die!”.  Or, “I can’t do this any longer.  Why is this crazy ass teacher making us hold so long?  She’s not doing this pose, so she has no idea what we’re going through.  I can’t do this”.

I’ve noticed that when thoughts like this go through my head it just makes the pose so much worse.  Taking a deep breath and just allowing the sensations to be there, without judgment, opens me up to a more peaceful world.  It takes me deeper within myself and I begin to feel a sense of calmness.  When I get to this calm state, then I find this intelligence and it guides me.  That’s what tells me if I really need to come out of the pose because I may injure myself, not my mind.  My mind will make up all kinds of things!

So I’ve learned this and continually practice it on my mat, but what’s really cool is that I can take what I’ve learned on my mat and use the same principals in my normal everyday life.  When life throws me an unexpected curve ball, how am I going to react?  What am I thinking?  Am I dwelling in how awful things are (or could get)?  Do I want to bail out or hide and ignore the situation?

When that curve ball first appears my immediate reaction might be to cuss, pout, be bitter, mad, or sad, but soon (if not immediately) I remember my yoga practice.  I remember that I have more power in my peace, than in my rage.  I remember that no matter what is going on around me, my strong, positive mind will make it all better.  I remember that if I can just connect to my inner intelligence, I’ll know what to do.  I shift my perspective and look for the bright side in the situation, or if I don’t see a bright side at that particular moment, I realize that regardless everything will be okay.   Just like on my mat, my hip isn’t going to fall off…Everything will be okay.

**Hell no, that’s not me in the photo!**

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Day 21.

I can’t believe it’s been 3 weeks since I started this challenge.  Life goes by way too fast, which is why there’s no point in stressing, worrying, doubting, complaining, etc.  It’s all a complete waste of time.  Just think how different your life would be without doing all those things.  How different would your life be if you enjoyed every moment…if you took in all the little things that life offers you at that moment (good and “bad”) and were just totally grateful for it?  That’s what this challenge has helped me realize.

I’m understanding that what I consider problems or issues or stress or crazy situations is just my perspective of it.  When I shift my perspective to a more positive one, I get different results.  If I just shift my perspective to a grateful one, it changes the entire circumstance.

This challenge has made me feel better, and I’m so grateful for that because I know that feeling good is what it’s all about.  Don’t we all just want to feel good?  Doesn’t our life basically boil down to that one statement…I want to feel good!

When I would get irritated with toys strung all over the house, I would think how grateful we are to have all these toys.  When I want to honk & cuss at the car in front of me for not going fast enough, I would think how grateful I am for being safe and how grateful I am that I get to go wherever it is that I was headed.  When I had to make a choice, I was grateful that I get to make a choice and that I have options.  When I didn’t feel like making dinner, I was grateful that I had food to make, that I had a house to cook it in and clean dishes and gas to heat it.

This feels good!

This gratitude challenge has made me stop, take the time, and write about my gratitude.  I’m so thankful I did.  It puts things in perspective.  I realize more and more everyday just how great I have it, just how great my life is.  It has given me peace, and allows me to just relax and take it all in…to enjoy the now moment.

This feels good!

As you know (or maybe you don’t), I’m a HUGE believer in the Law of Attraction, where like attracts like.  When I have a feeling of appreciation it’s an energy that I radiate.  That energy is drawing to itself more energy of the same quality, so more things are coming into my experience for me to be appreciative of.

This feels good!

The challenge ends today, but I will never stop being grateful.  I will continue to write in my gratitude journal, and I will continue to be open to receive more good things in my life.

WOW – THIS FEELS GOOD!

(And thank you so, so much to everyone that reads my blog!)

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