The Hostess Gift and Saying Thank You

When someone opens their home to you and shares their personal side of themselves with you, it is special. Not only is that person inviting you "in," they are giving you their time and full attention.   That's why one should always arrive with a hostess gift as a simple gesture of thanks.

Your gift does not have to be costly or elaborate, but it should be genuine and from the heart.  It should signify "kindness and thanks" in appreciation for sharing a special time together or for a special gathering. 

Technology occupies every aspect of our lives these days but instant gratification of cyber connection and interaction cannot be compared to in-person relationships. They take care and maintenance -- and being thankful is a huge part of why those person-to-person relationships work -- and last.  

Thank you. These two words are so easy to say. They uplift the giver and the receiver's soul.  Use them often.

A handwritten note accompanied with a keepsake gift such as a candle, flowers or a plant, handmade craft, or a delicate food treat are the perfect way to express thank you to a friend, family member or a colleague.  

Give the gift of  "thanks" to those who share a personal time and space for you for it is truly a gifted moment.

Simple Pleasures and the Five Senses

Fall foliage is gorgeous. A treat for your five senses! 
It's a great time to get outside and refill your soul. 
Explore, connect with nature and acknowledge being human. 
Enjoy life's simple pleasures and hit 'refresh' often!

Why I Teach Art

Why teach art? Why teach creativity? Why be creative?

We all have different needs. We come from different pasts and live with different stories and experiences. When I teach Art from the Heart to people, my goal is to teach my students to get out of their "mind thoughts" and experience things again through their Heart senses. I give my students an opportunity to rediscover themselves through what they see and feel--through their heart. Art through the Heart opens one’s soul to the rediscovery of themselves through love and through the senses.

Most people today have stopped seeing what is around them. They are so busy rushing through the day to get ready for the next day that they forget to stop and take in the moment. Slowing down and creating art is not only cathartic for my students, it is cathartic for me. 

I'm sharing this video from Fast Company about Pamela Bell, Co-founder of Kate Spade and Founder of Prinkshop who teaches an art class for homeless addicts. As much as she is changing their lives, she says she gets more joy from teaching this class than she does from anything else. This video is such an affirmation of why I teach art. Art truly is a healing release for all.

Rest in Labor

After spending the day working in the garden on a cool Saturday morning and feeling a little tired and sore,  I felt a great sense of  joyous accomplishment, as I surveyed my labor.  











As I was finishing up the last area of my garden to-do list, the saying  "rest in labor" came to my mind.  As I put my garden tools away and cleaned up from the day, I kept hearing "rest in labor" go through my mind.  
With everything put away, I took a quiet walk through the garden, a gentle cool afternoon breeze at my back. I sat for a moment. "This is what 'rest in labor' means," I thought. As I was taking in the moment, I began to feel a peace and a restful refill of my soul.









What a wonderful way to end a glorious day in the garden by "resting in one's labor. " Enjoy the gifted moment of the present.

Give Yourself The Gift of Time

On a recent trip to the East Coast, I was invited to join a group of ladies for an informal lunch. We spent the afternoon sharing in various topics of conversations about our own lives.  As lunch was coming a close with a wonderful warm crepe dessert, complimented with hot coffee and teas, one of the ladies shared that she was going through some recent changes in her life and learning the value of giving herself time to sit quietly and be still.  She realized that by giving herself this quiet time to turn off the noise and busyness of the day, she was discovering that being still gave her such peace. 

After our dessert and coffee and a wonderful afternoon of conversations, we all parted ways and returned to our regular schedules and lives. As I was traveling to my next destination, I began to realize how easy it is to always be in motion in a noisy world and to never take the time to slow down and be still. I decided that I, too, needed to give myself permission to take time to be still and enjoy the gift of peace. 

Early the next day as I began to prepare for an "action" packed schedule, I stopped for a moment, took a deep breath and gave myself permission to be still.   I quietly sat, overcome by observing so many beautiful treats from nature that I may have missed by rushing through the day.

Take Time to Smell the Roses Daily

In a recent post, I wrote about the importance of taking time from one's busy day to stop and smell the roses.

As I put  my own words of advice into practice, I am awestruck with the many simple pleasures of life that I have discovered on my journey of slowing down and stopping to "smell the roses."

I encourage all to take the time to slow down as one never knows what one will discover along the way, like the gift of Love.

Take a Moment to Stop and Smell the Roses...

As I was rushing to fit in my morning exercise walk in between calls and meetings, as I was racing through my to-do list in my head, I stopped for a moment to realize that I was half way through my exercise routine and did not even notice the beautiful summer morning and many treasures of nature surrounding me.   I found out how easy it is to be racing through life and, once again, miss the simple joys of life.

As I slowed down a little more to look at the beautiful plants and trees and take in the gentle warmth of the morning sun, I started to understand more and more the old cliché, "stop and smell the roses."

Yes, I did "stop to smell the roses."  And what a refreshing difference it made for me.  After a few minutes of being in the present and taking in the gracious beauty of my surroundings,  I continued on my way with my morning exercise routine. I turned off my to-do list, my head became more clear with new thoughts and ideas. I began to breathe more freely and found that I was more energized, refreshed and refilled.  

Little did I know that those few moments I took to slow down my daily routine would have such an amazing impact.  I encourage all to slow down for a moment to "stop and smell the roses" and see what you can discover.