Seeking Beauty Is Vital

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I awoke to these words so generously shared from a friend from a far:

“When tragedy strikes afar or hits closer to home, we feel it. In harsh realities, we’re exposed, raw and uncertain.

It’s during these hard times that we really need the softness of craft. To be wrapped in the embrace of grandmother’s quilt, to feel protected from the elements in a hand knit sweater, to caress a mug thrown by someone else’s hand on a potter’s wheel. These simple things reconnect us to our humanity and remind us of the goodness and potential of people.

I don’t think it is naive to turn to crafting and making or seeking out beauty. It is vital.

Piecing a quilt isn’t just about sewing fabric, it’s time to process emotions and patch together our feelings. A knitted sweater is an entanglement of love that our child wears when we can’t always be by his side. These things matter deeply. One stitch at a time, we can shape our surroundings.

We can control what we make — and what we do with it.”

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This was so affirming, after reading the paper in tears this weekend, as I processed all the pain in this world.  I couldn’t help but feel helpless + like the world was doomed.

Taking time to make things, to create beauty is a necessary practice, and it can look like anything.

I have been inserting this slice of beauty in my days lately  : lavender oil behind my ears, listening to Essie Jain (such peaceful music!), holding onto my mala and repeating a mantra, while lying on the couch for 15 minutes. A divine indulgence of beauty and rest, of allowing instead of pushing.

Create moments of beauty. Finding moments to uplift your spirit.

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Start here :

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“I do wonder, how some people, who upon seeing gorgeous, billowing cumulus clouds floating effortlessly overhead, don’t just want to explode with joy.

Or who, upon seeing a mighty old oak tree, don’t run right up to it wildly screaming, “I love you!”

Or who, upon being caught in the rain, don’t blush as each drop gently kisses their skin.

Or who, upon gazing at a star-filled night, aren’t paralyzed with awe.

Or who, upon seeing their reflection in a pond, don’t cry the happiest of tears.

Do you know what I mean?”

– The Universe (Mike Dooley)

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Hot Pink Barrettes (DIY)

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Barrettes + nail polish + glitter = MAGIC

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You can simplify and just paint with glittery nail polish, but since I didn’t have that I improvised and used some embossing powder and my embossing gun, which I will definitely write more about at some point because embossing has kind of changed my life.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”  – Pablo Picasso

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Get Dressed With Ease

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“Style is a way to show who you are without having to speak.” -Rachel Zoe

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I recently came across personal stylist, Hilary Rushford, (on Instagram of course) who is transforming the way I get dressed.  Her month long style challenges include prompts that have turned getting dressed into a fun and creative process.

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I have come up with outfits I would have never thought of otherwise.  The other day I was doing the usual putting on and taking off shirts until I looked at the challenge for the day : ‘(owned for) the last 5 years’.  I ended up putting on a dress (usually reserved for weddings) over black pants and felt fabulous on a regular old Tuesday.

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(Luca liked my outfit too!)

So for any of you who are like me and want to : pull out your hair / go shopping / melt into a puddle when it is time to get dressed – here is more information about the challenge – and you don’t have to be on Instagram to play.  Hilary also has a series of lovely content rich videos that are slowly shifting the way I view my wardrobe and turning me into a mini fashionista!

Go ahead and express yourself beautifully every morning you get dressed!

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The Sacred Push

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I pushed two things into existence this January: a jewelry line and a baby (in chronological order), and it is with huge excitement I introduce you to both:

charm & magic: a collection of mini japa malas that serve as a visual & tactile reminder to seek out the charm & magic that exist in daily life.  A japa mala is a string of 108 beads often used in yogic and Buddhist traditions to offer a grounded focus while chanting a mantra or prayer.

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and then came…

Luca Jack Sherman, born January 15th at 5:23 pm, weighing 7lbs 4 ounces and measuring 18 inches long.

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Both births were supported by phenomenal women and my amazing husband.  Here is a little about both.

Part 1:  Creation of charm & magic

As I waited for Luca Jack to make his arrival, I started to craft necklaces.  Making jewelry has been a dream brewing in my mind and my heart for years.  As drawn as I was to this idea, I never quite knew where to start.  Not to mention the swirl of thoughts that played in my head over and over: I’m not talented enough, plenty of other people are making jewelry, I have no time, it would be too hard, what would people think? etc…  These negative thoughts always seemed to stop me before I began.

Then, thanks to my husband, I had the pleasure of meeting Rachelle Tratt, the creator of a company I love dearly, The Neshama Project.  Sitting and talking with her felt like a visit with an old friend.  I shared my dream of making mini malas with her, something I only sheepishly shared with a handful of trusted people.

She held the space as I shared my vision, and the negative thoughts living in my brain got quiet.  Suddenly, I had a brand name (charm & magic), a tagline (movement. color. love), and new mantra: Shut Up & Do It.  This blunt mantra is exactly what Rachelle said to herself to get her soulful business up and running.

Since then I have been churning out necklaces, getting completely lost in the color and design of these playful, delicate, and asymmetrical expressions of my heart and soul.  Then came January 15th.

Part 2:  Arrival and care of Luca Jack

I bow to all mothers that ever were, and will ever be – labor is hard!  I will spare you the details, except for this one moment.

I was halfway through labor, when I started crying, fully believing I couldn’t do it.  It was already so hard, and the end was nowhere in sight.  Totally unprompted, but just what I needed, my husband handed me my japa mala.

I held each bead and started digging into my inner reserves.  Mantras emerged that helped me believe I actually could do this.  Lying on the bed, I repeated “I am a powerful goddess,”  “I was created to deliver this baby,” and “I trust my body, she is infinitely wise,” until I started to believe it.  This gave me a much needed second wind.  Almost 12 hours later, with the help of three grounding midwives, many compassionate nurses, and one very strong doctor, we met our baby boy.  I have yet to experience anything so miraculous.

So now our little family is hibernating as we figure out this whole parenthood thing, with my collection of mini malas dangling in it’s storefront in the living room. 

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I have always been a person with many interests, and I’m excited to see A Well Fed Body live alongside charm & magic, and watch them both inform each other, with Luca Jack adding wonder when necessary.

So with that, I leave you to chew on this:

“Ideas in secret die.  They need light and air or they starve to death.”   – Seth Godin  

Is there something you are ready to bring into existence?  Are you waiting for the perfect time?  Are you waiting for someone to give you permission?

What if you just started, taking small steps and watching where it leads, playing along the way, knowing it is OK that you don’t know it all now, but reveling in the fact you are putting things in motion?

It’s amazing what happens when you trust and believe in yourself.

Love, mala beads, and baby hiccups,

Leah

 

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Letting A Number Determine My Self Worth

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I haven’t owned a scale until recently.  I loved having no idea what I weighed.   It was liberating.  But for whatever reason I decided to buy one.

All of a sudden I found myself stepping onto the scale every morning before I got into the shower. I didn’t realize how toxic this ritual was as I began to let the numbers on the scale dictate the way I felt about my body and ultimately my value.  If it was a low number I felt like a million bucks, but if it was higher than I wanted to be I felt awful about myself.

I took a break.  I was tired of letting a number hold so much weight in my heart.  Instead of tuning into a number I started to check in with how I was feeling in my body.  And lately I have been feeling fantastic.  I have been running more regularly, doing yoga, eating lots of fresh veggies, drinking green juice almost daily, and have found myself craving less chocolate.

changing my perspective So today as I got into the shower – the scale seduced me to step on it again.  I did.  And I did not like the number I saw.  I immediately began to listen to the mean self talk that started stirring in my mind – trying to figure out what I needed to cut out or deprive myself of.  What I was doing wrong.  Why I was failing.  That dialogue lasted for a few minutes.  Until I realized – I feel great, I am taking good care of my body.  Where did this obsession come from of having my beauty and worth be tied to a slender number.  Isn’t the most important thing to feel vibrant and alive?

photo-33So the scale didn’t win today.  I’m learning.

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