Add some sparkle to your summer...

A smattering of ideas for cultivating more joie de vivre as the temperatures rise…

* Say yes to random invitations

* Try something new and be willing to make a fool of yourself 

* Dedicate your yoga practice (or spin class or soccer game) to someone you love or a cause you care about 

* Cook a delicious meal and share it with your roommates 

* Sleep naked 

* Visit a psychic 

* Make a new friend 

* Attend a rooftop pool party 

* Carry a miniature water gun in your purse 

* Read a genre of book that is outside your norm 

* Get a massage 

* Stay up all night looking at the stars 

* Put flowers in your hair 

* Take a road trip 

* Buy a fun plant and give it a name 

* Turn off your cell phone for a day 

* Go on a bike ride 

* Write a list of everything that is bothering you on a piece of paper and burn it 

* Create a weekly ritual with friends

* Eat a popsicle 

* Wear sundresses

* Go for a long walk by the water 

* Grab a stack of your favorite magazines and lay in the sun 

Feel free to leave your own ideas for generating a little summer sparkle in the comments below...

Photos: Pinterest 

Conscious of our treasures

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts our conscious of our treasures."

-Thorton Wilder

Love this quote and feel that it's so appropriate given the wonderful Thanksgiving I've just had.  I feel such a deep sense of gratitude for not only the many treasures in my life, but the awareness to truly bask in them.

Wishing you all a lovely rest of your holiday weekend :)

Feeling more blah than blissful?

Why don’t you…

Sign up for a belly dancing class * Volunteer for an intriguing project at work that falls slightly outside of your job description * Check out a new art museum exhibit * Attend a networking event geared toward an industry that interests you * Ask someone with your dream job if you can take them to coffee and pick their brain * Browse through a section of your local bookstore you normally wouldn’t * Sip tea at a café and people watch * Follow the people you admire on Twitter * Watch some Ted Talks * Go on a hike and soak in all the natural beauty surrounding you * Cook a new recipe * Get a massage * Paint one wall of your bedroom a crazy color * Plan a vacation * Take a short story writing class * Play with little kids * carry a small notepad with you everywhere you go to keep track of your ideas * Write down your dreams * By fresh flowers for your desk * Attend an open mic night * Bedazzle something

A peek inside my art journal

A smattering of my recent art journal collages...

Savoring the simple pleasure of fall

 Here are a few pics I've snapped lately of little things that make fall special for me...

Wearing my favorite riding boots, sparkly pumpkins, how pretty the morning sun looks streaming through the trees and the deliciousness that is candy corn...

What are your favorite fall delights?

Friday evening inspiration :)

"There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love.  When we are afraid, we pull back from life.  When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement and acceptance.  We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections.  If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create.  Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life"
-John Lennon

The Cure to Your Quarter-Life Kvetching

I feel like everyone I know is going through a quarter life crisis.  Whether sipping coffee with a coworker, downing omelets at Sunday brunch, unrolling my yoga mat before class, or sipping cocktails at a bar, I can't count the number of times lately that I've heard some variation of:

 "I don't know what I'm doing with my life and I'm freaking the F*** out about it".  

A little while back I told you to quit your quarter life kvetching and work on living in the present.  And while I do think that focusing on the "now" and cultivating gratitude is super important, I also think a little kvetching (*ahem* questioning) is essential.

So if you are seeking greater clarity about what really lights you up inside, what you want to do with your life, etc., I invite grab a pen and pen and paper and answer the following questions:

*NOTE this exercise works best when you write your answers quickly without thinking too much about them

1. How satisfied are you with where you are in your life?

2. What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

3. If money were no object, how would you spend your time (after raging on a private island for a few months, of course)?

4. What would you like your life to look like in 2 years? 5 years? 10 years?

5. Who inspires you and why?

6. What issues do you feel most passionate about?

7. Who are you jealous of and why?

8. What were your favorite past times as a little kid?

9. What skills/abilities do people always complement you on?

10. When have you been the happiest in your life and why?  What elements of that time could you incorporate into your current situation?

11. What are your three worst habits what is the payoff for continuing them?

12. What are five things that sound really fun but you would never do?

13.  What would your ideal life look like?  Where would you live?  What would you do for work?  What would your relationships look like?  What would you eat?  What would you do for fun?

I hope answering some of these questions helped spark a few ideas about what lights you up and what you want out of life!  I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments below!

Also, remember...

Yoga and Art Retreat Recap

 Don't I look zen? ;)

"There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that is your own self. So you have to begin there, not outside, not on other people."
-Aldous Huxley

Spent last weekend "improving my corner" if you will at a fabulous yoga retreat in West Virginia.  Led by the ever inspiring Kimberly Wilson, the retreat included oodles of yoga, hiking, art journaling, and vegetarian food in a cozy cabin in the woods. I even treated myself to a lovely massage and pumpkin facial at a nearby spa!  Feel so relaxed and rejuvenated and would highly recommend Kimberly's retreats to any gal in need of a little escape and R&R.

Happy Monday and wishing you all a lovely week!

xoxo

Dancer's Pose=My fav