this blog is on hiatus

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thanks everyone for being such fantastic readers and a truly beautiful community of people. 

i may be back someday, but i have no idea if that will be next week or in five years.  i'm really not a planner, so we'll see.  i hope everyone has a fantastic holiday and please take care to fill your wells each and every day.  

hey everyone...

happy thanksgiving!!

a holiday devoted to being grateful, eating really good food, and hanging out with loved ones?  god bless the u.s. for inventing this one.  i hope you are all having a delightful holiday, and if you're not from the u.s., well, i hope you too will be inspired to embrace a sense of gratitude today.  

ps - if you leave the house after midnight tonight, don't forget your helmet and elbow pads.  safety first, even when shopping.

holiday survival guide

let's be practical. as much as you may love your family and friends, the holidays are some stressful times.  it's hard to escape the craziness for self-care, but it's precisely these situations when you need to do self-care the most.  here are some tips for taking care of yourself during the holidays.


the best way to get some alone time during the holidays:
be honest - tell your friends and family you need alone time, ask them to respect your needs even if they don't understand it, and encourage them to do their own self-care during these stressful times.

but let's face it, there are people out there who won't respect your boundaries, so if being honest won't work with certain individuals in your life, feel free to set boundaries in more creative ways.

for immediate privacy:
 go to the bathroom - "i have to pee," or "i think i have something in my eye," or simply shout "bathroom!" and you can be sure no one will follow you.
fake a very important phone call - "this is my friend over seas! excuse me," or "uh-oh, i think this is my boss, better go see what she needs," or "my friend is having a really tough time right now,
i better give him a call to check in." then go practice some deep breathing.

for longer-term privacy:
get sick without really getting sick - "i'm starting to feel run down, i'd better lie down so it doesn't turn into a full-blown cold," or "my lady times is really bad today, better skip going to
the mall with you," or simply come down with a migraine which requires quiet solitude.
spend the rest of the day in your room with magazines, good food, and your laptop.

make up very important appointments - "i have this thing on my... you know what? it's not something i want to talk about, but i'll be back in an hour." then go to a favorite spot in your city.
run such a horrible errand that no one will want to join you - "sigh...i'm going to have to go to
wal-mart." but please, don't actually go to wal-mart. go somewhere wonderful and fun.

if you're traveling to a different city:
 make up a friend to visit - "i've got this friend two towns over i want to visit.  i'll be back later tonight." then look up all the fun things to do in that area and go nuts exploring for a day.
...unless of course you actually do have a friend two towns over, in which case you won't be lying.

for therapists, our busiest time of year is around the holidays.  while we like to describe the holidays as the most wonderful time of the year, the reality is that for most of us it's the most overwhelming.  people feel pressured to spend large amounts of money on gifts, make elaborate dinners, schmooze with acquaintances at various holiday parties, and spend large amounts of time with family.  now as much as you may love your friends and family, the truth is that spending time with them brings back a whole lot of complicated dynamics.  stress-ful!  so when you can be honest with family and friends about your needs, do so.  but if you can't, well, it's okay to lie.  it's good for you.

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psst!

i'm over on unstitched today sharing my philosophy on gift-giving.

head on over to check it out, and while you're there, 

have a look around lillian's fantastic design/travel blog {one of my favs!}.

gratitude

experimental baking

having a head full of new ideas

becoming a meat-eater again and feeling so much healthier

my education {dear U of San Francisco: you were wicked expensive, but you prepared me better than most other people i've met in my field. thanks for being more than worth it.}

working for a clinic that required us to dress up in costume for our meeting {fun!}

winning several prizes at said work meeting {double fun!}

taking one very giant huge step forward

watching my to-do list shrink to nothing
this video {for all the dog lovers}

my morning pages

quiet times

that's what i'm thankful for this week. how about you?

{you can buy this beautiful print from yelena bryksenkova}

sweet solitude

days are grey and short.

a cold chill brings raindrops and snowflakes.

the world turns inward toward fireplaces and piles of blankets.

cozy inside, pouring hot tea, 

pulling on warm woolies, 

and curling up with a furry loved one.

time has slowed now.

even as the world races on with shopping, parties, and family gatherings,

you have escaped, found solace.

this is the time to be alone, to feel, to sit quietly, to dance in bare feet.
all is allowed, and all is for you.

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holiday gifting ~ new uses for old sweaters

it's official - tis the season for holiday parties and gift-giving!  and wine is a great choice for bosses, hosts/hostesses, and your wine aficionado friends.  i spotted this DIY gift wrapping idea recently and thought it was such a brilliant way to spruce up those wine bottles.  for these warm, fuzzy bottle covers you can use the old sweaters in your closet or pick some up at the thrift store.  then after you remove the sleeves, you can use the vest part for ugly sweater parties!  i know, i'm full of great ideas.

DIY wine bottle gift wrap found on grey likes weddings.  

{you can find more elaborate instructions in the link above.}

turn that {monday} frown upside down

it's yet another monday! some people dread this day, but i like to give it the benefit of the doubt.  i mean honestly, sometimes saturday is a real asshole and monday is the super nice one, so 

i don't want to make any assumptions.  but just in case,... 

here are few suggestions to turn a bad/boring/stressful {mon}day around:

1. pick up a bouquet of pretty flowers from trader joe's {or steal some from your neighbor's yard}, 

fill your bathtub with hot water and smelling salts, then sprinkle in all the petals from the flowers. 

 enjoy with your favorite music.  ah, bliss!

2. dance with reckless abandon in your living room {elaine impressions encouraged}.  

3. color, play with clay, and/or finger paint.

4. take some dog/cat treats to your local spca and share some love with new furry friends.  

{you'll be making the animals' monday great too!}

5. turn off all your electronic devices {including cell phones} and go outside.  

once you're out there try taking a walk, climbing a tree, playing with dogs, or swinging on swings.

6. drink rum and sing sea chanteys {this is seriously fun, trust me}.

7. play dress up.  put on something silly or incredibly fancy and head out for ice cream 

{it should be noted, this works best when you're not alone, but you know, do what you gotta do}.

8. go to anthropologie and buy the boulangerie "sweet vanilla cinnamon" candle.  

oh heavens, it smells amazing!

9. build a fort out of pillows and blankets. once inside you can curl up with a good book or movie.

10. cook or bake something you've been wanting to try for a while.

11. [insert whatever fills YOUR well here]

{awesome print: inspired by kurt vonnegut, created by blanca gomez. buy it here.}

i hope your monday is a fantastic one, but if it's not, 

i hope you take the time to do something extra special for yourself.  

you deserve it!

gratitude

gingerbread lattes

husbands {especially mine}

grey days

an amazing work review

kissing and cuddling

cute new clothes

day dreams

music

realizing the holidays are here

reminders of how lucky i am

great friends

safety

inner strength

quiet time

dancing

sleep

these are just a few of the things for which i am thankful this week.

how about you?

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ps - merry 11.11.11!  

it's the perfect reason to dance and jump in leaves and celebrate, don't you think?

leap

holy mother, this is amazing!!

I Believe I can Fly ( flight of the frenchies). Trailer from sebastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.

those crazy frenchmen! 

as terrifying as this is, i am completely inspired.  of course it also gets me thinking about all the times i've avoided taking that leap.  but it looks so freeing doesn't it?  there's something inside me which greatly longs to catapult myself with all my might off the edge of a giant cliff.  imagine how amazing life would be if we did this, be it literally like these guys or figuratively with our choices. yup, scary stuff, but that fear is just an indicator of how badly we want something.  so why not go for it?

the full length documentary is about 40 minutes and will be streaming live {for free!} on
the blog sebmontaz this friday {11.11.11.} - i can't wait!

a homemade holiday

have you flipped through the adorable holiday magazine from ruche yet?

in addition to a few of their pretty dresses, this online magazine is full of beautiful decorating ideas, delicious recipes, and other cute DIY projects perfect for the upcoming holidays.  check it out:  

                             Open publication - Free publishing - More arts

dance, dance, dance

"there are short-cuts to happiness, 

and dancing is one of them."

- vicki baum

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dancing is so good for you, and all of us can do it.  no seriously! all you need is to move your body. that's it.  sure, it helps if you have music, but then again, the beating of your heart is music, isn't it?  so there you go. no excuses.  dance when you wake up, dance when you survive morning traffic, dance when you get your first cup of coffee, dance when the clock strikes 2:30, dance when you think of someone you love, dance, dance, dance!

happy monday.