Category Archives: Self Improvement

A New Evening!!

Good evening!

For most of the day today, I have been frantic whirlwind of cleaning, organizing and purging!! My art studio/office is starting to look better, but it seems that as soon as I clean up one pile, two more show themselves!! Those sneaky little pests!!! 😉 I did not take any pictures this evening, however, I’m confident that I will be able to in a few days, and the room will be completely done!!! WHEW!!

In the process of cleaning, purging and organizing my office/art studio, I am learning to realize just how important a safe place to create is for me. This is ABSOLUTELY priceless!! I am excited to see where my imagination can take me, and I know that having a clean, organized, clutter free space that truly represents my personality is something that EVERY GIRL should have! Especially, if one is trying to tap into one’s inner artist! I can honestly tell you that I don’t know where I will end up in 1 year, 5 years, 10 or 20, but I CAN tell you, that it is GOING TO BE GOOD!!

I want to give a shout out to my husband, Jason!! There were many times today, and this whole weekend, where I have been completely overwhelmed and needed either some moral support, cheerleading, or just someone with a stronger will then I to physically remove some items from our place that just needed to get donated or recycled!! Jason has done that for me, as he has on many occasions!! I love you, Sweetie, and I could not have gotten nearly as far as I have without your help! YOU ARE MY ROCK! You make my life so much better, and I still thank God that you are in my life. I TRULY am one lucky girl, and I OWE YOU SOOOOO BIG TIME!!! Thank you, Jay!

As for this week! I am not sure exactly what to expect yet, but priority number one is to get this art studio/office finished!!! Mamma needs a place to create!!

Work will be busy, but really, when is it not?? I also need to make sure that I get a couple of weeks on the calendar for our vacation! We are planning on camping with my sister’s family at the end of the month, but even that time has not been approved just yet! So, I will have to do some negotiating with some of my co-workers on that!

I am wanting to take a Zumbe class! I was planning on starting that next week, but I was burning my candle at both ends, still am, and that is going to have to wait a little while longer!! 😉 That is part of the reason for uncluttering my home so that I have more time and energy for doing the things I want to do – like Zumba!!

Have I told you that I am still doing my Artist’s Way morning pages, and weekly artist’s date with myself. I am, and I am still loving it! I was surprised to see that I was on week 9 of that process!!  The old Christina really never did very well with following through on things like this. This new Christina can’t imagine never not doing it!! They have radically changed the way that I look at my life, which in turn has changed me!! For the better!! I am so much happier than I was in the past, and I have reconnected with my creator, and now have hope for a different future than the dismal one I was settling for!! now, if only this new Christina could just lose some weight, and figure out world peace, all would be DIVINE wouldn’t it??? LOL! 😉

Until I speak with all tomorrow…

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

 

Slowly But Surely!

Good evening!

I know that these pics may not look like I am making much headway in my art studio/office clean, up but I feel like I am doing A LOT!!!

My sweetie helped me locate, and assembled this perfect little bookshelf to put on top of my craft dresser, My new motto is storage, storage, storage!! I have spent a good portion of my day sorting supplies and putting all like items together. Tomorrow will be more about getting things out of there for donating to charity, recycling old magazines, and papers, putting everything into their new homes, and decorating like a banshee!! That is my FAVORITE part!!! 😉

I am loving the green on the walls, I had dabbled with the idea of changing it, but to be honest with you – it is just too much work!! So, I am sticking with my gut and just working with it! I am adding baby pink, silver, and baby blue into the mix!!  Also adding the cubicle bookcase on top of the dresser and some lovely white curtains, is making this place feel so much nicer – even though there is still sooooooo much left to do!!! I think the room is taking on a much softer  girlier-glam feel! I know that is hard to believe when looking at these pics, but it really took me 5 years to get it into the state that it was in, so it is going to take me a little while to get it back to ship-shape!! 😉

I must confess, that I was so overwhelmed when I went in there to start this morning, that I decided to go shopping instead! Nice, right??? I bought some replacement essentials like bed pillows, and towels, which we were in desperate need of new ones!! Then when I got home, Jason helped me first thing, and I was still sooooo overwhelmed!! WHERE THE HECK DO I START??? Well, when I had taken Linda and GG’s craft class, they started with a meditation, so I thought I would give that a try! It TOTALLY worked!! I realized I had to stop feeling guilty and forgive myself for letting the room get to be such a disaster. I then made the decision to open my eyes, find one thing to toss, and one thing to put away. That seemed easy enough to commit to, so I did it, and then did again, and before I knew it I was on a roll!!

Anyway, I have a lot of work ahead of me for tomorrow, but I am excited to see what I can get done!!

TO-WANDA!!!!
(a la Fired Green Tomatoes, for those who are not in the know!)

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

A Rather Productive Day!

Good evening!

I realize that I have been doing a lot of late night posts, but I am pushing the envelope to get AS MUCH done as possible!! 😉

Today, my goal was to start uncluttering my nightstand, bedroom, writing desk, walk-in closet and dresser drawers!! It took me most of the day, but I am very happy to report that I have gotten that done!! I was able to gather 3 bags and 2 boxes worth of clothing that will be either given away or donated to charity!! WHEW!! That was about 60 items of clothing that will no longer be cluttering up my closet!! I also have completely reorganized the sort order of everything, it used to be by color, but now it is by type of clothing. All dresses in one section, pants, in another, skirts in another, etc. etc. I have never organized my closet that way, but I am SERIOUSLY loving it!! The colors are all integrated together, and somehow it feels much cheerier the way it is organized now – more like me, if that makes any sense??

Tomorrow, my goal will be to unclutter the upstairs linen closet, bathroom, and craft room/office. THAT room is going to be the SCARIEST because there is just sooooo much stuff in there that really needs purging!! HOWEVER, the task seems to be much easier than I had orinally would be because I am able to look at each item and say, “Does this truly represent me and our new lifestyle?” No? then out it goes!! I know there will be someone else who will be able to use it, if not I!! 😉

I had planned on taking before and after pictures, but in all honesty I was so excited to get started this morning, that I didn’t do ANYTHING else when I got out of bed! I literally, sat up and started cleaning my nightstand off! Ok, that might be a little bizarre!!

Anyway, this evening my sweetie and I went to dinner and a movie with some friends of ours, Dawn and Erin. We had a nice dinner, and then zipped over to go see Pirates of the Carribean III, in 3D. It was a long movie, and it was alright. However, the scenery was FANTASTIC, the costumes were MESMERIZING, the soundtrack was HYPNOTIC, and the relationship between the Christian and the mermaid was HOT & STEAMY!!! YUM!! It made me want to spend tomorow reading a lust int he dust book, which is what we call romance novels in this house!! 😉 but, I will stay focused!! I have brought soooo much new stuff into this house, and I have to do all I can to make sure that EVERY SINGLE THING IN THIS HOUSE HAS A HOME WITHIN IT!! 😉 I will get there, it will just take me some time!! Ok, maybe a LOT of time, but it will happen slowly but surely!!

As for now, I will just be happy to be able to “shop” in my newly cleaned, purged, and organized closet!! It is SIMPLY DIVINE!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

Calling All Belly Dancers! Or Would Be Belly Dancers!

Good evening!!

I am sorry to be getting to my post so late this evening! In all honesty my sweetie and I have taken it upon ourselves to stay up extra late tonight because it is our FRIDAY night for a FOUR-DAY-WEEKEND!!! WHOO! HOO!!

Anyway, I have had a very FANTASTIC evening! I had my Artist date with myself!! I am a very lucky date, after some shopping at the art boutique, I took myself out to Venti’s for a healthy dinner – YUM! Then  I sat and read a magazine,while I enjoyed the cafe’s ambiance,  and patiently waited for belly dancing class to start!!

Now, you might be sick of hearing me talk about belly dancing, but I have to tell you!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!

Tonight, i even got brave enough to ask the instructor, Jody, if I could take pics of the advanced troop doing a dance for us!! and wouldn’t you know it???

SHE SAID YES!!!!!!

AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

OK, so I pulled my camera out, as if I were giddy kid getting a long awaited for present at Christmas and these are a few of the pics that I was able to capture!!

Even in still pictures, don’t they just look great!!! These ladies are the ladies that I want to emulate!! I hope that there will come a day that I will be in this group having a blast and dancing my little heart out!!!

I want to take a quick moment to invite anyone who might be reading this, if you have had any inclination, or any interest no matter how fleeting in giving belly dancing a try – I HIGHLY recommend this class. This class has completely changed my beliefs about what my body can and cannot do! I couldn’t not have had this new found confidence if it weren’t for this dance class!!

Jody is a fantastic instructor, she is extremely patient, and after one of my very first classes,  I reported to my husband, that I couldn’t believe I was actually able to do some of the moves because she kind of tricked us into them!!! She breaks them down, and then when you put all the pieces together – a MIRACLE happens – YOU ARE BELLY DANCING!! and the prince is PHENOMENAL, SERIOUSLY!! For 3 months of weekly classes, it cost me less than $10 per class!!! SO ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT!!! If anything, try it for just ONE class!! I am sure you won’t be disappointed!! 😉

Anyway, I am going to ske-daddle off to bed, because it is WAAAAY past my bedtime! but, if you live in the Salem area think about taking this class, maybe you will have the same kind of AMAZING experience that I am having!! Call RJ Dance Studio at (503)363-3341 or go to RJ Dance Studio’s website to get more details!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

We Love You, Oprah!

Good evening!!

I got home this evening, and was VERY excited to see that my sweetie had recorded Oprah’s last episode!! So, I have spent the last 45 minutes watching and crying, and watching some more!!

I just LOVE Oprah, as I am sure a lot of you have too!! Oprah has been a constant in my life since I was 10 years old! Always bringing words of wisdom, comfort, laughter, and inspiration! A friend when I needed a friend, a momma when I needed a momma, and an auntie when I needed an auntie!! I have dreamed about being a guest on her show, and have dreamed about being in the audience during one of her greatest things episodes!!

What I think I love the most about her final episode is that it is just her, all alone, speaking to us. Speaking to me. I love that she speaks about God, capital “G”, and how important he is in our lives! It is so GREAT to see someone of such high visibility talking about “God”, and not calling him something safe, or PC. Calling him by name is so powerful, and I am not sure why I needed to hear that, but I find that I really did! Thank you, Oprah!!

Also, her message about it being our responsibility to know what kind of energy we are bringing to any situation, really hit home for me!!! This made me question, “What kind of energy do I carry around with me every day?” I know that I am going to be thinking about that all day tomorrow, and for the rest of the week! I want it to keep me conscious of what energy I am bringing into the room at work, at home, at dance class, with friends, family, or complete strangers!!

Oprah has made me want to somehow change the world, even if that is only through helping my small circle of friends and family! I want to leave an indelible mark on this world. I am not sure what that is going to look like, but I know that it is greater than I that would be accomplishing this!

I know that this is not the last we will hear of Miss Oprah, rather this will be the beginning of a new adventure in her life. I can sit here with confidence and know that no matter where she is or what she is doing, I can know that she has made me a better me for having listened to her, and observing her actions! I thank her dearly, even though I have never even met her. I pray for her in all of her future endeavors, and I KNOW in my soul,  that someday the two of us will meet, and I will be able to express my gratitude to her in person!!

Until that day, Oprah, WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!!