Category Archives: Community

Hello Monday!

Good morning!

I just wanted to stop a moment this morning and say hello to this FABULOUS Monday morning!! I am not sure exactly what you have in store for us today, but I know that what ever comes our way, we will be able to handle it with grace, gratitude, and an open mindedness that there will be a hidden positive message somewhere in whatever comes our way.

Today is the day, and for the rest of the week, that we find out who is being laid off and who gets to stay, at work. Even though I know that we are safe (at least for now), I know that there will be a lot of people who are not, and my prayers go out to them and their families. May God provide them each something above and beyond what they have now, or what they might have ever dreamed for themselves. I pray that these changes will bring about in those affected a renewed vigor to go out and go after their dreams in a way that they never thought possible. No matter what happens, we are and have been family. I don’t see that changing!

With all of that said, bring it on Monday! I am excited to see what challenges, lessons, blessings you have for us today!!! I am ready!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS day!! 😉

Creative Affirmations!

Good evening!

I know I have already posted my blog tonight, but I am going through my Artist’s Way Chapter for the week, and I realized there are a couple of thoughts that I may want to call upon later during this week, and maybe longer. So, I had thought, seeing that this is my online journal, I would share them here so I may refer back to them!

Taken from Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist Way, pgs 37-37

Creative Affirmations:

  1. I am a channel of God’s creativity, and my work comes to good.
  2. My dreams come from God and God has the power to accomplish them.
  3. As I create and listen, I will be lead.
  4. Creativity is the creator’s will for me.
  5. My creativity heals myself and others.
  6. I am allowed to nurture my artist.
  7. Through the use of a few simple tools, my creativity will flourish.
  8. Through the use of my creativity, I serve God.
  9. My creativity always leads me to truth and love.
  10. My creativity leads me to forgiveness and self-forgiveness.
  11. There is a divine plan of goodness for me.
  12. There is a divine plan of goodness for my work.
  13. As I listen to the creator within, I am led.
  14. As I listen to my creativity I am lead to my creator.
  15. I am willing to create.
  16. I am willing to learn to let myself create.
  17. I am willing to let God create through me.
  18. I am willing to be of service through my creativity.
  19. I am willing to experience my creative energy.
  20. I am willing to use my creative talents.

Have a FABULOUS evening!

Aunt Bee’s House Part II!

Good evening!

As promised, I am going to share some more pictures of my super fun outing over at Aunt Bee’s House from Yesterday! But first, I wanted to say that Jason and my Easter supper went VERY well this afternoon, and although I was SURE that he would LOVE the ham the most, it was actually the deviled eggs that he went GA-GA for!!! LOL! It really is the little things in life that make one happy!!! I REALLY do LOVE that man!!!

Anyway, here are plenty more pics from my outing yesterday!! ENJOY!!!

I absolutely fell in LOVE with this cheery red cabinet! I can see this fitting into my place perfectly filled with either books in the living room, or tons of quilts and blankets in the guest room!

These quilts and runners are so colorful, and I can see them changing up the feel of a room in an instant.

I am soooo drawn to the French vintage feel of all of these pieces, like you could have just stumbled upon them in your favorite auntie’s attic!

These eggs are just so charming! I love the idea of these having some words from my favorite books like Pride and Prejudice or Alice In Wonderland! HOW ROMANTIC!

This is a lesson that I am hearing over and over again, and honey – I am listening!!! 😉

This area rug has EVERY COLOR, reds/greens/blues from my home in it – I am SOOOO TEMPTED to go back and pick up this little TREASURE! I may swing by and pick that up after work tomorrow!!! I HOPE IT IS STILL THERE!!! 😉

EVERY girly-girl should have a vanity, and this is such a CHIC one!! BEAUTIFUL!! 😉

Sumptious green chair!! This would look soooo nice in my living room! and these bug print pillow – SO MUCH FUN!!! Firefly, and butterfly TOO CUTE!!!

I LOVE this whole little vignette! It is SERIOUSLY a FEAST for the EYES!!!

Everywhere I looked, there was just something else that just called to me! It might be a little hard to see, but this rubbed black farm table is JUST CALLING!! “CHRISTINA, YOU KNOW YOU WANT ME!!” Thankfully my place is just too small! So, sometimes logistics beats out  desire – at LEAST FOR NOW???

D-R-E-A-M! Need I say more?

This little wooden angel bird cage was SIMPLY HEAVENLY!!! 😉

This box was just a TREASURE TROVE of goodness!! 😉

Every single thing on this shelf, could move RIGHT INTO MY PLACE!!! My Sis, would say “THESE ARE SO YOU!!” 😉

WHEW!!! What a great way to wrap my FABULOUS visit to Aunt Bee’s House up!!!

The ULTIMATE goal!!

HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!

I would like to send a quick shout out to the ladies at Aunt Bee’s House, and just say that I am still just so thankful that you let me enjoy and share your LOVELY shop with my readers!!! I know that I will be back many, many times!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!

Happy Easter!

Good morning, and Happy Easter!!

I have finished my morning pages this morning, and my sweetie is taking an early morning nap! I just LOVE quiet Sundays!! We are fortunate that we are able to get those every once in a while!! Seeing that Jason and I do not have any children, Easter is usually a day that just comes and goes for us, but today we are going to try something different. We are going to have a special Easter, just the two of us!

For lunch, Jason made sure we had a nice spiral cut ham, so I am going to cook him his favorite for supper – ham with my mamma’s special glaze baked on it. I am also going to make a few deviled eggs, and a small potato salad, just like we had every Easter growing up with my family!! Add to that a lovely green salad and some fresh steamed broccoli, and I think that we will have a VERY special Easter supper, just the two of us!!! 😉

While I was out yesterday I picked up the two most recent copies of Artful Blogger! This publication, put out by Somerset Studios is quickly becoming my FAVORITE publication!! Every page is a feast for the eyes, and I can spend a BLISSFUL day pouring over it’s pages!! Each issue is an addition to my ever growing library of creative and inspirational resources!! What a FIND!! I can only DREAM of being featured in this publication someday, when I am a real-live professional blogger!!! That is ok, baby steps – baby steps!! I will get there someday!! I CAN’T WAIT!!! 😉

My sweetie just came down from his nap, and he was singing “Happy Easter” from the movie Easter Parade to me! He knows I just LOVE watching that movie EVERY Easter, and he always watches it with me!! Isn’t that just DIVINE??? So between Easter with my love, a home cooked meal that reminds me of home, and my new copies of Artful Blogging, it’s gonna be a good day, a very good day indeed!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS Easter day!!! 😉

A Day At Aunt Bee’s!

Good evening!

I had a change of plans this morning, and decided that I was going to practice my photography, as a continuation of this weeks’ The Artist’s Way program assignment. I had originally planned to go out and take pictures of all of the places that I had been to today and share those pics with you. Well, at about my third stop out today, I had decided to go to one of my FAVORITE places in town, and that is Aunt Bee’s House!

Aunt Bee’s House is the home decor, furnishings, gift, consignment shop that is located on 2679 Commercial St SE, here in my hometown of Salem, Oregon. There motto is “A place to shop, be inspired and get away from it all” and man, they ARE NOT KIDDING!!! I can while an entire day away in this FABULOUS store!! I walked in, and very hesitantly asked one of the ladies there if she minded if I were to take some pictures for my Artist’s Way assignment to post on my blog, and she very nicely said, yes! I was soooo JAZZED!! Anyway, I proceeded to go throughout the store and took almost 300 pictures, which is so easy to do because they have soooo many DECEDANTLY DELICIOUS displays, and all sorts of decor that I would totally LOVE in my home!! WHEW!! I really had fun!!

Before I get too far into my post for this evening, I wanted to say thank you to the Aunt Bee’s House staff! You ladies were VERY helpful, and VERY friendly!! You helped make today soooo much fun, and I was able to complete my Artist’s Way assignment this week!! I will be back many times in the future for sure, if not for taking more pictures, then for shopping my little heart out!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!! 😉

So, without further ado, here are some of the treasures that I found on my trip to Aunt Bee’s House today!!

This is what you are greeted with when you first walk in – it is just so cheery and Springtime!! You’ll know right off the bat that you are going find some LOVELY treasures to take home!!! Do you see all of these FABULOUS quilts!!! Because of my outing today, I am now dreaming of one for our bed! I think it will really lighten the mood in the room for the Spring and Summertime.

Apron? Check. Pearls? Check. FABULOUS Large floral broach? Check. Now I am OFFICIALLY ready to clean!! 😉

What an INGENIOUS way to display some TRULY BEAUTIFUL silver wear!!

OH, and Honey, you have to know that I am SUCH A SUCKER for embroidered handkerchiefs!!! Why that EVER fell out of fashion, I will just NEVER know!!! and displayed on this silver platter? That is PERFECTION!

This chic white vanity is SIMPLY DIVINE! and I just LOVE the idea of having a sooooo many lovely jeweled trinkets ready to accessorize your favorite outfit at your disposal!!!

Don’t you just LOVE these little hoot owls???? They SOOOO remind me of my grandmother (she loved owls)!! They were tucked away in various locations of the store, and I caught myself smiling EVERY TIME I SAW THEM!!! Too cute!! 😉

If I could have thought of a place to display this set in my little place, these would have gone home with me today!!! I LOVE this soft shade of green!!

I have always LOVED fancy soaps and these are such a perfect shade of soft pink, any lucky lady receiving these as a gift couldn’t help but feel LUXURIOUSLY FEMININE with these at a special bath time!!!!!

This little sign just says it all!!!

OH-EM-GEE!!! Can you imagine anything more SCRUM-DIDDLY-UMPTIOUS on your bed than this ruffled quilt???? HEAVEN!! I wonder what my hubby would think?? HEE! HEE! 😉

I have GOT to GET ME ONE OF THESE! I have always wanted one!!! and look at how the sunlight just SPARKLES through these crystals! SIGH!! 😉

Here are two more of our little friends again!! 😉

I just ADORE the simple details on these pillows. Details like this are what transforms your house into a home!! AND I am practically drooling over the lovely soft golden wainscoating behind these pillows!! Hmmm…I am sure I can find a place for both these pillows, and that wainscoating in my place!!! 😉

DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN???

Aunt Bee’s House is just an all around JOYFUL STORE!!! With something for everyone’s tastes and styles!!! I have taken sooo many pictures, and I know I have shared a lot now, but I am inspired to share more with you tomorrow too!! I hope you don’t mind!! I would highly  recommend this store to anyone looking for a little something to personalize their home, or for a gift for that special someone in your life!! Oh, and as always, I am in no way affiliated with Aunt Bee’s House, I just LOVE this store, and I JUST HAD TO SHARE with you!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

Groovin’ to the Music!

Good morning!!

I can’t help groovin’ to the music playing throughout the house this morning!! Belly dancing has infiltrated my soul!!! SO MUCH FUN!! and really any song that has a strong 4/4 beat can be belly danced too! I am sure my sweetie thinks I have lost my blessed mind!!! LOL!!

Tonight is date night in our household!! YEAH!!! I LOVE DATE NIGHTS!!! Tonight Jason is taking me to dinner and a movie – although I may talk him into doing dinner, and a walk around River Front Park, or bowling, or miniature golf, or just strolling around downtown – I haven’t decided yet! I just want to do something that would be fun for both of us, but keeps us off of our booties!!!

One thing I will need to make sure that happens, is that Jason gets some walking shoes! He doesn’t have any decent ones, so going anywhere or doing anything that requires a bunch of walking is really uncomfortable for him – so I will have to help him look into that!!! He is now wearing a size 18, so you can imagine how difficult it can be to find ANY shoes in his size!!! UGH! We usually go up to the Nike outlet store where they have the reject shoes from the Portland Blazers. Sometimes those really work out, but USUALLY we find all sorts of CRAZY colored shoes, and I don’t care how hot my hubby is – and he is pretty hot, but NO MAN LOOKS GOOD WALKING AROUND IN BRIGHT ORANGE HIGH TOPS!!! No thank you!!! 😉 HAHAHA!!!

It looks like it is going to be another nice sunny day here in good ol’ Oregon, so I am VERY excited about that! I have charged one of my camera batteries, so now I am ready to go out and take a bunch of pictures! I am working on getting my old “Style File” on my PC that is filled with other peoples’ artwork, and creating a new Style File with all of my OWN artwork!!! That way I will have a wealth of pictures to use for posting on my blog! Oh, the idea of that just gives me shivers of JOY!! YEAH!!!

Anyway, I have got to zip out the door to get to the office! I am planning on treating myself to only working a half day and then getting outside to go enjoy this BEAUTIFUL weather before my date this evening with my love!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS day!!

The End of My Creative Day!

Good evening!

Thursdays have become my FAVORITE day of the week!! I am SOOOO IN LOVE with belly dancing!!! Each week the moves I had learned the previous weeks get easier and easier and the new moves we learn each night are just challenging enough to make the class fun!!

I know I must sound like a broken record, but I am telling you there is something so AMAZINGLY EMPOWERING about teaching your body to do moves it had never known it could do before. Being in a 300 + pound body, you reach a certain level of acceptence that there are some physical things in life that are just not for you!

WHAT A CROCK OF CRAP!!!

WHO DOLES OUT THAT MISINFORMATION?!?!?!?


NO, I am not a slim chicky! No, getting my junk to jiggle isn’t as difficult as it is for the other girls in the class (Hah!!!), but am getting out there and getting my groove on, having a blast, and feeling FABULOUS for all of my efforts!! I will never need anti-depression medication if I just belly dance with friends! It is THE ULTIMATE mood lifter!!!

Tonight I was also very excited to go out and be a photographer for the evening. The first and most important rule of being a photographer, I have learned this evening is…

MAKE SURE YOUR BLINKIN’ BATTERY IS CHARGED!!!

UGH!!

:-

Not only was my battery dead, but so was my back up! How is that for well prepared??? LOL!! I did manage to get a few pics in, but I was heartsick, when at the end of our class this evening, the more advanced class did an impromptu dance for us! It was beautiful, and sensual, and awe-inspiring! and unfortunately, my camera was dead! DAMN!! One of the advanced dancers even had this UNBELIEVABLE henna tattoo up one side of her abdomen!! It was STUNNING!!! I will have to do that when I get brave enough to perform, which I will do, just for the record!!! LOL!!! 😉

All of the pics that are posted throughout this blog tonight, are pics of the dance studio’s bathroom! It was tres chic, and I didn’t feel like I had to chicken out to take pictures in there!! HAHAHA!! I know, I can be such a Dork with a capital D!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

Please note: To those of you whose pictures I have ever used on this blog without permission, or without giving credit where credit was due, I apologize! I have been naive, but am naive no longer. I am vowing to use my own photographs from now on, or to make sure that all pics that are not mine, will be credited to their rightful owners. It is what I would want from others, and it is the right thing to do.

A Creative Day!

A lovely pic taken & sent to me, by my sis, Alex!! 😉

Good morning!

I have just gotten into the office and am getting ready to start my working day! The sun is shining and my entire desk is just glowing in the sun – I LOVE IT!!! It is such a different feeling then being here when it is grey, rainy, and cloudy! However, I am not complaining! I am just soooooo thankful to have such a nice large window to be able to see out of!!! BLISS!!

Tonight is my belly dancing class, and I have decided to leave the office about 1/2 an hour early today so that I can go accomplish one of my weekly assignments for the book I am reading, ‘The Artist’s Way’. The assignment is, is that I am supposed to choose 5 creative careers other than the career I am doing, and then choose to act out one of those careers in your life sometime this week! Well, today is that day!!

My 5 Creative Careers for me are:

1.     Professional Blogger
2.     Photographer
3.     Writer/Author
4.     Home Boutique Owner
5.     Magazine Editor

Actually, that last one is brand new! Magazine editor just popped into my head, and had to bump off another career choice off of my list, which was Fashion Designer.

I have decided that if there is a way to do it, I would love to blog full time! One of the things I keep stumbling across is that your blog should have a niche, and I am not sure if up to now it has actually had one. So, if I had to choose a niche – it would still have to remain kind of general, because I have soooo many interests, but I would like to think that my blog would be about living – more specifically finding joy and satisfaction in living your life while honoring your authentic self. For me that would mean, sharing my life with you, my readers, and giving hints, tips, advice, and how-to’s for all sorts of things that I have and am learning along the way.

Is that a niche??

Hmmmm…I am not sure!

It doesn’t matter, I am becoming a fast and firm believer of start where you are, with what you’ve got, learn along the way, and before you know it you will be where you always knew you wanted to be!!! My belly dance instructor keeps saying, “Stop thinking so hard, get out of your own way, you are doing the actions, so just let them happen!”

This maybe should be my life’s motto!?!? 😉

So I am getting out of my own way, and I am blogging every day now, as most of you know, but today, I am going to get out into this sunshine and start playing photographer. I am not going to judge my work, I am just going to get the shots into the camera and share them with the universe!!! and I am just going to see what happens!!

Have a FABULOUS morning!!! 😉
~Christina

The Chunky Dunker’s Club, Week 8

Good evening!

Welcome to week 8, of the Chunky Dunker’s Club!! At some point I am going to just have to call these posts “Chunky Dunker’s Club” and take off the week number, but I am very excited, and proud of us to have made it to week number 8!!! Can you believe it???

Every week I post a new Chunky Dunker’s article ever Wednesday evening, and you have the opportunity to comment, and cheer each other as you each go through your journey to get fit and healthy!!! We will discuss hints, tips, and ideas on losing weight, staying motivated, and achieving your fitness goals, whether that is to lose 5 pounds, to do 10 sit-ups, or just incorporate some healthy habits into your daily life!!

Did you attempt your homework from last week?

LAST WEEK’S HOMEWORK: Write down 5 choices you make every day, and what pain you are trying to avoid, and what pleasure you are trying to gain from each choice. Look at your answers, if you were to change you pain/pleasure that you associate with these choices would your physical life improve. Underneath each choice, write what the reality of what you are doing here – this might be eye-opening for you.

How did that go? It wasn’t as easy as you thought it was going to be was it??

Well, I am excited to hear how everyone is doing with their own personal fitness goals this week, but before we jump to the comments section to chat, let’s discuss tonight’s topic!

Tonight’s topic: Visualizing Your Best YOU!!!

Myself, being a very visual person, this is one of my FAVORITE get fit exercises!! And there is ABSOLUTELY no sweating, pain, and you can do this dressed exactly as you are – or not, whatever the case may be, for my possible nudist readers!!! 😉

Visualization!!!

Try closing your eyes and see if you can envision yourself at your perfect fitness level. Don’t envision yourself from sometime in the past, but envision yourself fit, healthy, and vivaciously energetic right this minute.

What do you look like?
What are you doing?
What are you wearing?
Where are you?
Who are you with?
Are you doing something different then what you are doing now?
Hmmmmm…very curious, don’t you think???

In doing this type of exercise, you are tricking your brain into thinking that what you are seeing in your mind’s eye is actually your reality. Have you ever stopped to think that reality is all about perception anyways??? My reality is not the same as yours, and yours may not be the same as the next person – but YOU are still the one HAVING TO LIVE IN IT!!! Why not make your reality one filled with a YOU who is living fit and healthy???

TONIGHT’S HOMEWORK: Try visualizing your most fabulously fit and perfect self in your mind. Make your picture as clear, crisp, and as colorful as possible. For the rest of this week, bring this picture to the forefront of your mind when you have any moment of quiet. Work on fine-tuning your vision, tweak your hair, your smile, your boobs (come on ladies, I know you are thinking it!!) your posture, your speed, your stamina, your strength, your flexibility – ANYTHING YOU WANT!!! I think you get the picture THIS IS YOUR LIFE AND YOUR REALITY!!!

Life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself!

If you need help with this, find healthy, realistic from magazines, or news articles, or heck draw one yourself!! If your mind can see and believe, it can achieve.

I fully believe that!!!
Get out there and get visualizing!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!

A Quick Cheery Morning!

Good morning my lovelies!!

I am up and ready to head out to work just a little early today, so I thought I would stop and take a few moments to post this morning!!!

While doing my morning pages, this morning, it got me to reminiscing about one of my childhood friends. His name is Robbie! You see Robbie’s mom, and my mom were best friends growing up, so naturally, Robbie and I spent a lot of time together growing up too!!

I remember both of our families lived in a duplex for  a time, they on one side, and we on the other. Robbie and I were inseparable. We went to school together, played together, went to church together! He was my

😉 Robbie and I would sometimes play in the back yard, and we had this folding table back there that we would turn on it’s side and cover with a blanket. That would become whatever building our imaginations needed it to be for that particular game. Most of the time we would playArmy, and Robbie, every the epitome of a gentleman, would be the soldier, and I would always pretend to be the nurse. My job was to hang out in the table/fort and take care of any wounded soldiers that would come in, and generally remain safe from enemy fire!!! Isn’t that funny!! I think we were probably 8 or 9 when this was happening, and it just makes me smile.

Robbie was my hero; he was faster than any of the other kids – seriously, he could run like nobody’s business! He was smarter than any of the other kids, he was more polite than any of the other kids – not many other kids held the door open for ladies! 😉 He was cuter than most of the other kids!! Looking back, I am sure I had little crush on him!! 😉

Robbie and I would do all sorts of things together, climb trees, go to the penny candy store (yes, they still had one of those back then), catch bugs, play on the park playgrounds, run around making up games to play with our siblings, and one of my favorite activities at the time, screeching around on our big wheels going as fast as we possibly could!! Man, what fun we used to have!!

Well, we both eventually grew up, and we had kept in contact with each other until our early 20’s but, as people change and life moves on we have lost touch. I sometimes think about him and wonder what his life is like right now!? I sure know he really helped make my childhood fun!!

Wherever you are, Robbie!! I hope you are as happy and as blessed as humanly possible!! You TOTALLY deserve it!! 😉

Did any of you have childhood friends that made your childhood special, like Robbie did for me?? I would love to hear about them in the comments section above! 🙂

Have a FABULOUS morning!!! 😉