Week Five Heart Revolution: Wear What you LOVE!

"...All you need is your own imagination..."

-"Vogue" by Madonna

Our song this week may come as a surprise...

There is nothing over the top inspiring about it and I don't know about you but even though I loved Madonna in the 80's...her over the top style doesn't suit me well anymore.

Still this song is one of my favorites and fits so well with our Theme this week.

It's Week Five of "Heart Revolution" and I am delighted to share my thoughts with you this week along with our exercises...I think you will find them a lot of FUN!!

I remember this photo!!

It was taken Christmas day...

  

But more than the day what I remember most is the outfit.

(because I wore it so much!)

This was right during our financial stress when NOTHING extra could be spent.

If I wanted to treat myself to a new outfit it had to be from a yard sale or the thrift shop.

This skirt I am wearing cost me a whopping 25 cents!!! And that black vest and turquoise top was my go-to...I could wear with jeans or a skirt. 

Oh I MISS this grey short sleeved sweater...I wore it often, too...but sadly it now has a big hole in it!

There's that black vest again...this time with a grey top and red scarf to change the look!

  Why am I showing you all these pics of myself and what I wear??

Our Lesson this week is ALL ABOUT what we WEAR!!

What does THAT have to do with a Heart Revolution you ask??

PLENTY!

During difficult times in my life the ONE thing I ALWAYS try to do is dress nice and do my hair. Those two things ALWAYS make me feel better.

And DO better!!

Last year I took a class from Kelly Rae Roberts called...

"Dressing your Joy".

It was AWESOME! I encourage you to take it! If you are already signed up for Brave Girl's University you can take it there. If not here is her website...

She sends out 60 daily emails on how to DRESS YOUR JOY!

Now sometimes MY Joy is wearing a t-shirt and hat...

I went through a phase where all I wore were American Eagle t-shirts!

 (what's so funny about that is now my son works there!)

A few years ago I decided my JOY was short hair!! 

I LOVED it but am so happy it's grown back!!

I LOVE wearing vests. My son makes fun of me!!

Dressing our JOY does not even mean CLOTHES....not really.

It can mean our hairstyle,

our jewelry,

our make-up

or lack of make-up.

It's ANYTHING that makes us feel AMAZING!

That brings out what is TRULY in our Hearts!!

When I look at each of these photos I realize that when I DO dress my JOY I am Truly being ME!!

American Eagle baby!

This week along with working on our Quote art journal pages from last week...

I encourage you to head to your closet and drawers and start going through your things.

This shirt is from Wal-Mart!!! I love it!

  

During our financial struggles when clothes just couldn't be bought

I would get SO TIRED of wearing the same things over and over...

to uplift my Spirits one day I spent an afternoon creating "NEW" outfits!!

I pulled out clothes I hadn't worn in awhile (we ALL have those clothes we just don't wear!)

and paired them with my favorites. I hung them on hangers....even adding jewelry and scarves then took a photo. 

Not only was this so much FUN it inspired me to wear my clothes in fresh and funky ways!!!

My Vera Wang tie dye shirt that cost a whopping a 5 bucks!!!

 So head to your closets for the next few days. Pull out clothes and be INVENTIVE!!

Me this morning...I haven't worn this polka dot sweater in SO LONG!! It makes me feel so Spunky. I LOVE it!! And my necklace....25 cents at a yard sale!

The second part of our FUN this week is to WEAR what makes your Heart SING!

If you feel like a t-shirt and jeans...wear that! 

If you feel like getting all spruced up...DO THAT!

Even if you are going to clean house like me today!!!

Let's LOVE ourselves this week!!

Let's look Magnificent!!

And better Yet...

FEEL Magnificent!!!

Join us on Facebook!

Heart Revolution Week Four: Let's FILL Up our Hearts!!!

"Set down your chains till only Faith remains."

Life Uncommon by Jewel

I have a LOT to learn.

Sunday night I was in the Phoenix airport going through TSA.

Girls...I DO NOT LIKE airports.

They make me VERY anxious!

I was less than loving to one of the TSA workers.

And I felt so AWFUL treating her the way I did.

And 

ashamed. 

I could tell she had had a long day...she was trying to be nice but she was worn out.

And then I came along and smarted off to her.

Sigh.

Haven't I learned a thing?

Well, yes.

Of course I have.

But I am only human.

Sunday night was a reminder to me that Heart Work is something we MUST do DAILY.

Every

Single 

Day 

we need to pause and reflect on what's in our Hearts.

We must FILL IT TO THE BRIM with good things!

Our song for the week is one I learned at Brave Girl's Camp.

It is WONDERFUL! And I listen to it often. Makes me think of my Brave Sisters.

Makes me want to "Lead a Life Uncommon".

Please listen to it before reading any further. I promise you will LOVE it!

And I shared the video with the words so you can learn it and sing it daily like me!

Wasn't that AMAZING?!!!

This morning I found this on my dresser....

I LOVE it when the Universe steps in and SHOWS me what I need to learn, don't you??

Girls, no matter where you are in your Hearts right now...

it's ok.

You NEED this time...

whether you are full of sorrow or joy or contentment.

YOU

NEED

THIS.

When I was in my Muck all those years...

that's when I was learning the most.

I NEEDED that time to TRULY appreciate THIS time.

It's a Beautiful thing!

This week we are working on filling our Hearts to the BRIM with GOOD things!!!

Every single day this week we are going to wake up and try our VERY BEST!

Let's FILL our lives with inspirational quotes, books, colors and ART this week!!

My favorite quote from this week's song by Jewel is this...

"...no longer lend your strength to that which you wish to be free from."

Isn't that POWERFUL??

This week I want you to SEE the Beauty in your day.

I want you to savor your morning cup of coffee...

listen to a favorite song...

treat yourself to an hour a day of quiet time...

create whatever your Heart desires...

Be

inspired 

by 

everything!

This week I will be sharing oodles of quotes!

I LOVE quotes

and find them to be a positive force in my life.

Our lesson this week is to create a Quote Journal.

You can use your notebooks for this...

This page is from a simple Composition notebook...I just gessoed over it then added paint, a quote and an image. I love it!

 This page is from that same notebook...just very simple...a handwritten quote, a word that jumped out at me and washi tape.

You can also use your Art Journals for your Quote book. 

No need to buy a special one...just use what you have!

This week I encourage you to use your selfies you printed off.

I find when I use them in my journals those pages REALLY speak to me!

You can handwrite your quotes,

print them out on your computer,

use alphabet stamps or stencils. 

It's time to overflow our Hearts with Good Things!!!

Be sure and check our Facebook group for LOTS and LOTS of quotes!! 

You can use mine or use YOUR favorites!

Please SHARE your favorite quotes with us, too!!!

You can join Heart Revolution here.

Mind.Body.Soul FB group here.

Inspirational Quotes here.

Heart Revolution Week Three:Changing our Hearts

"I then awoke desiring to step anew."

The Seven Paths by Good Buffalo Eagle

This is my friend

Good Buffalo Eagle

aka

Ezekial Sanchez.

This man and his teachings 

changed

my 

Heart

FOREVER.

When I think about where I was 5 years ago compared to where I am today...

the difference truly amazes me.

I believe that EVERYTHING in my life has happened for a PURPOSE...

to grow my Heart in ways I never could have imagined. 

It's been the hardest, most sorrowful time of my life...

yet here I am today 

with 

TRUE

JOY

in my Heart.

Most days 

my Heart is full of Peace and Gratitude...

most days.

I still struggle

and am so grateful I can start anew whenever I need to.

It wasn't that long ago I felt like this drawing...

...alone with no life around me.

I would sit on my couch feeling 

scared

alone

angry

sad

empty

jealous

envious

hate

bitter.

I felt like giving up.

My Heart was dry.

No love left.

At one of the lowest points of my life I found my Beautiful Girl in her room.

an empty bottle of sleeping pills on the floor.

I thought my life was over.

But then, right when life was heavy...

oh

so 

HEAVY...

that's when the miracle happened.

That's when we found Anasazi.

That's when the Healing Began.

Before reading any further PLEASE watch this video. It's the ENTIRE basis for Week Three of Heart Revolution. It's not long...just 5 minutes...but it's 5 minutes that will touch your Heart...I PROMISE!!

Over the course of a year my daughter spent 

14 weeks in the Wilderness (7 weeks two different times). 

While she was walking and working on her Heart 

 I was working on MY Heart.

And if there is ONE thing I can pass along to YOU to Heal YOUR Heart it's this...

"Life's walking depends

 on how we feel about others

in our Hearts."

Did you read that right?? 

Our journey, our happiness,

the way we feel about ourselves...

depends on how we feel about others.

It's a hard concept to grasp...

yet so simple.

This was incredibly hard for me to get. The first time my daughter went out on the Trail I thought I was working hard and trying to understand not only HER but ME. Sadly for both of us I just didn't get it that first time. It wasn't until 6 months later when Em went back on the trail that this idea of Walking Forward and Changing my Heart towards OTHERS fully took hold.

OH the FREEDOM this concept gives you!!

When you begin to realize that what other's actions are, what they say, do and even FEEL has NOHING to do with YOU...everything changes.

You begin to realize, as I did, you have been living YOUR life based on what OTHERS are doing.

I used to believe the reason I sat on the couch 15 hours a day was my daughter's fault. 

I would tell myself...

"Well if she wouldn't stay out all hours of the night I wouldn't stay up and worry!" or "I don't know who she is with and she has made bad choices in the past so I feel just helpless I think I will sit on the couch and eat!" 

I didn't know it then but this was me Walking Backwards.

This was me with a Heart full of fear and anger and sadness.

This was me without a Heart of Peace. I was constantly at War with her and myself.

It's an AWFUL way to live.

Today,

after weeks of writing exercises and therapy and practice...

I am Walking Forward.

I know longer look at my daughter (or anyone) as an object that needs to be dealt with.

I try my best to SEE others as what they are...

a living, breathing person with all kinds of ideas and emotions.

I see People with my Heart now.

And THAT has made all the difference.

This is the BIGGEST Heart Revolution my Heart has ever had. 

When we start seeing others with our Heart...

THEY start changing.

It's true! If you don't believe TRY IT!

The next time you see someone on the street, a little worn around the edges...

instead of seeing him as homeless, a drug addict, someone that's lazy and doesn't want to work...

try seeing them as a PERSON. 

Go up to them. Say Hi. Smile. Ask them their name.

See them with your Heart.

That, sweet girls is Having a Heart of Peace.

That is how our Hearts CHANGE.

It's how we BECOME  

joyful

courageous

true

loving

gentle

kind

beautiful

peaceful

happy

remarkable

amazing

people.

This week start writing down people and the feelings you attach to them. 

Use my example of how I felt about my daughter for so long...

Do this exercise for as many people you have negative feelings towards. Be honest. 

Whew!

I know this is a lot to think about.

And maybe not what you thought a true Heart Revolution would look like.

But believe me...

this ONE thing will make a huge impact  on your Heart and your Life!

Heart Revolution: Week Two...One Step at a Time

"...the deepest cuts are healed by faith."

-Pat Benatar

Last week was hard.

I know.

It's not easy confronting our Heartbreaks and all the things we think we Can't do.

But there is no way possible to Heal...

really Heal...

without meeting our sorrows face to face.

And now they are out of our way!

Let' move on to a BRAND NEW week of

Heart Revolution!!

This week's song has special meaning to me.

Back in 1999 I ran my very first marathon...

(for those of you that don't know...that's 26.2 miles!)

It was tough BUT it taught me soooo much!

When I was training I had a positive mindset and NOTHING could get me off my path.

This song became my Anthem

"All Fired Up" Pat Benatar

"Living with my eyes closed...living day to day..."

Does that sound like you? Are you living with your eyes closed?

I hope last week's questions helped you realize it's time to WAKE UP and start LIVING!

When I was in the middle of what I call my 5 years of pain and suffering this is what my world looked like...

 Here is more of my story...

Jackson was active in Cross Country and Debate and Em was a soccer player

I had two pretty awesome kids...

Holiday traditions that reminded me my life wasn't all bad.

Our annual Halloween Harvest Dinner

 I was making art as often as I could. 

It was one of the very best gifts I gave myself during those bleak days.

Looking back most of my art during this time was filled with HOPE for a better day.

 I tried my best to put a happy face on.

It wasn't long after this photo was taken that I began to gain weight from all the stress eating.

I was so grateful to be offered a job during two years of the pain and suffering stage

at our local Art Studio. This was like a vacation for me!!!

Still one of my favorite art pieces during very difficult days

 Even though we were constantly juggling money around, living day to day, not seeing a whole lot of happiness in our future...my husband and I stayed very close to one another.

He was and is my ROCK!

When I see these photos I realize that even though the pain was almost too much at times...there were HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of brights spots...

of moments I will cherish deep in my Heart forever.

And if I am being real (and I am)...

I am GRATEFUL now for those pain and suffering years.

Those were the years my Truthteller was teaching me.

Those were the years He was shaping me into who I am today.

This week we are talking about GROWTH.

About learning from our Heartbreaks and turning our I can'ts into

I CAN.

There are so many things I want to discuss this week...it's going to be jam-packed with lessons, quotes, questions and journal pages!! 

My journal page celebrating one of this week's quotes

Here is our first quote for the week...

"The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than growing with them." -Bernard M. Barugh

Feel free to write in your journals any thoughts and/or feelings this quote brings up. I know from hearing from a few of you last week's MLK quote was an emotional one.

I also want you to pick out your very OWN Anthem! 

Of course you can use our song for the week...or maybe you already have a song! 

I would LOVE for you to post YOUR song in our FB group!! 

One more thing before Tuesday's prompt (I plan on posting nearly daily this week!)...

I invite you to spend some time answering this question...

"What five goals have I accomplished in my life I am most proud of?"

I am so GRATEFUL you are here!! 

It's NEVER too late to start!! 

You can find last week's prompts here.

Our FB group is here.

See you there!!!!

Heart Revolution Week One....Let's GO!

"Broken-Hearted I started climbing..."

-Hilary Weeks

If there is one thing I know...It's Heartbreak. 

We all do, don't we?

Each one of us carries a burden of sorrow and pain

that sometimes, no matter how hard we try to forget about it, to make it all go away...

it doesn't.

It remains, it seems

to torture and tear us down.

And when we are in the middle of all the pain

it's hard to see the Light that's within us.

Not so long ago I was in the Battle of my life. 

I thought everything I had ever known was gone...

for good.

I invite you to read my story before going any further in our class.

You must know my story and where I come from to fully 

appreciate where "Heart Revolution" came from

and how it not only changed my life

but 

can 

Change

YOURS.

My Story

More of the Story

While I was smack dab in the middle of all this chaos I would 

listen to this song by Hilary Weeks

every.

single.

day.

I encourage you to listen to this song everyday this week.

Seriously...

it CHANGED my Heart.

It reminded me that I WOULD get through this time in my life.

It gave me HOPE.

Now let me say before I go any further...

My story you just read...

that wasn't the end of my pain...heavens no.

I couldn't even imagine it at the time but it actually got WORSE...

so much pain was yet to come into my families life and I had no idea.

But isn't that the way it works? 

Just when we think things are bad...

they get worse.

Sometimes they get so BAD we don't think we can go on.

We want so badly to 

stop climbing.

That's what our class is ALL about for the next 6 weeks...

Climbing up that mountain.

Opening our Hearts to ALL that's good.

Realizing that, just like Glenda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz says...

"You had the Power all along, my Dear."

Here's how "Heart Revolution" will work...

Each Monday I will share our Song for the week. I am a BIG believer 

in the power of music. There's few hours in my day when some kind of music isn't playing. 

Music is medicine for the Soul.

I will also share our first prompts of the week, photos, etc. each Monday. 

These will all be in one big blog post. 

Throughout the rest of the week you can expect more prompts,

journal page ideas, my thoughts on the subject, my pages 

AND

don't forget about our WEEKLY GIVE AWAYS!

These will mostly be in the form of posts in our FB group.

Each of you participating has a chance at winning an envelope of treasures to use in your journal pages!! There will be a specific FB post where you can add your name to the drawing each week.

You will want a notebook for sure to answer the prompts. 

You may also want an actual art journal.

I am using the YES YOU CAN composition book for most of my journaling along with the large blue art journal on the upper left. Both of these were found at Wal-Mart for under 10 bucks for both!

Here is what the inside of my notebook looks like using pens and a few pieces of ephemera.

You can also paint in these cheap notebooks and they turn out GREAT!

Using gesso to make the pages stronger is the best way to paint and add art journal type treasures in your notebooks. I will show you a step by step process later in the week!

This is the cover of my Faith journal...again just a 50 cent composition book!

Ok so it's time to get to work! 

Listen to our song of the week...and be sure and watch the video...it is sooo inspiring!! 

I have met Mariama Kolon...she is the african american lady in the video. Her story is INCREDIBLE!!!

And one that I will share later in the week.

Answer the following questions in your notebooks...

1. What Heartbreaks have you been through/are you going through? This can be as detailed as you want. I find when I just sit down with pen and paper and start making a list this is the best way. 

2. What comes to mind when you read this quote...

"If you can't fly then run, of you can't run, then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to KEEP MOVING FORWARD." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Write this quote in your journals and just start writing all your thoughts, ideas and emotions that come up. This would make an excellent journal page as well. 

Ok, that's it for today! I will be posting MANY more prompts and ideas throughout the week in our Facebook Group Mind.Body.Soul.

The weekly blog post will be PINNED to the top and the rest of our prompts, photos, etc will be posted as well as in this file...

Heart Revolution.

Be sure and stop by every day to see what's posted!!

Thank you all so much for being here!!!!1

Heart Revolution Begins Monday!

Join me Monday, October 17th for "Heart Revolution"!

It's about finding the Power and the Love that's already inside your Heart.

Join me here.

Be sure and let me know if you are playing along for your chance to win 

a weekly treasure-filled envelope of love from me!!

Heart Revolution is ALMOST here!

What is Heart Revolution?

It's a FREE

art journaling class 

for 

YOU.

It's all about turning Inward...

learning to 

RECEIVE

LOVE.

Listening

learning

loving

yourself.

Join 

me 

October 17th.

I LOVE My Planner!

“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” 
― Gloria Steinem

I have been a journal writer,

Dreamer

and 

planner

most of my life.

All those stickers

and papers

make me HAPPY!

I have used everything from simple notebooks

to Stephen Covey.

My Planner these days

is the 

Happy Planner from MAMBI.

I am on my SECOND one!!

I belong to several Facebook planner groups and I have noticed one thing....

I am NOT your traditional planner girl.

Nope.

I tend to treat my planner more like 

a diary/journal, adding little treasures

that make me SMILE!

One of my favorite things to use in my planners

are vintage images.

These girls just speak to me.

Along with the girls I use and LOVE the quote stickers from MAMBI.

I have every single one!!

Project Life cards work great in my planner, too

I started keeping my Happy Planner a year ago.

It's always SO FUN going back and seeing what we were doing a year ago.

Along with planning and journal taking

I use my planner for fitness, writing down my Dreams,

making lists and favorite quotes that inspire me.

Are you a planner? Be sure and let me know!!

The Power of Art Journaling

I have always been a writer.

Always.

It was my dream to write.

And still is.

But I am 

SO

grateful
Art Journaling

came into my life.

I think if you take the quote above and substitute art journaling for the word write...

it's the same thing.

Art Journaling does give me strength

to

see.

 Art Journaling does give me an outlet 

to

be

someone

else.

Art Journaling does allow me

to

face

my

fears.

I am so grateful for the POWER in Creating!

Art TRULY does Heal.