Joy Express

Today’s the day to give my birthday goodies to two lovely friends ~ thank goodness for UStamp because both ideas have come from this session and they are So Easy to recreate!   

The Scalloped Easel card is going to my lovely Personal Trainer, Sharon, from Jigsaw Fitness.  I think that Sharon has single-handedly kept me sane over the last 12 months.  Being an ex-nurse, and of similar age, she is very aware of my ‘complex nature’ and has been gently firm with me.  I actually enJOY coming home from personal training because I feel so much better after the workout.  [I do confess to not always being excited about going in the first place!]

And, yesterday, it was Lovely Jenny’s birthday.  We are meeting with the ‘craft girls’ to have brunch at our favourite local restaurant.  I made Jenny the gorgeous Double Pocket Purse which holds a coordinating card and a little gift book (all about JOY!) – it’s like Tracey Old designed the Purse to fit the little book!   

I think that Jenn Picard and Tracey Old are two of my favourite-ist UStamp with Dawn designers.  I find myself gravitating to their projects, each UStamp session (there’s a new one from Jenn, just this last couple of days, which I am hanging out to make) and the end result always brings such JOY.

Thanks, Girls!

Happy Birthday, Sharon & Jenny!

JOY is …

~  the Full Moon shining brightly into a darkened bedroom

~  the smell of Fresh Bread baking in the kitchen

~  appreciating the Full Blown Roses in a vase on the craft display shelf

~  knowing there is Home Made Pumpkin & Vege Soup for lunch

~  being able to support late risers who run out the door and leave lights on and jobs not done (still working to get in alignment with this JOY!)

~  being able to help out with dead car batteries while dealing with early morning car fumes rushing into the house and up my nose

~  indulging in a little “Birthday Magic” while organising gifts and cards

~  receiving fabulously supportive and inspiring emails from lovely friends

~  knowing I can spend the day working in Angel space …

Ahh, JOY.

So, Sunday started out crappy.  I had to grocery shop, alone.  David was sick.  Kels was sick.  I came home from shopping and cancelled Stampin’ Kids.  Then, I did chores.  I hid away in the bedroom.  Really, all round, Sunday started crappy.

Actually, Sunday started fine.  I got up and had a fabulous morning coffee and began my Swaps for Lovely Ozzimum’s Team Swap, due next week.  Although challenging, my design turned out ok, in the end.  It was freezing cold when I went outside to the car – oh, my goodness.  Thanks to whomever designed Fingerless Gloves ~ I LOVE them!  I wrapped up my hands in my favourite gloves, popped the heater on, turned on Doreen Virtue and drove off to the Supermarket.  The Deli girl was lovely.  The ideas for meals were being stimulated.  The Butcher created a fabulous Roast Pork meal with easy to follow instructions.  The Checkout Operator was Just Gorgeous! 

And, I realised that I was feeling crappy. 

So, I treated myself to coffee and a magazine, before going home (after all, the temperatures outside were about the equivalent of the inside of my fridge so I figured my frozen goods would be ok for half an hour).  It was wonderful.

And, as I walked out of the bakery, back towards the car, I passed a mother and her small child.  The child was intrigued and filled with wonder at the fountain … it was then that I realised that sometimes, when life is being crappy, you have just got to get off your backside and Notice the “Little” Things.

So I did.

I noticed the Raven as I walked to the coffee shop, chatting away to itself (or that’s what it looked like) then to me.  I noticed the fabulous ‘oldies’ music in the coffee shop, then realised I could sing ALL the words (what does that say about my age??! LOL).  My coffee was just delightful.  My magazine was stimulating.  And … there was what looks to be a fantastic recipe for Rhubarb Muffins!  What a bonus! 

If I hadn’t decided to take myself out for coffee, I wouldn’t have bought the magazine and found a recipe I am excited to try. (Translation: Crappy Energy becomes Happy Energy.)

If I hadn’t rung my nephew for his 3rd birthday, I wouldn’t have spoken to my brother and heard the Happiness in his voice about spending time with his grand-daughter.  (Translation: Feeling Crappy can be counteracted by Chatting with Happy People.)

If I hadn’t had to go grocery shopping alone, I wouldn’t have Noticed all the “Little” Things. (Translation: Be Proactive.  Get off your arse and Find the JOY.)

If I hadn’t decided to start writing the JOY EXPRESS newsletter, years ago, I wouldn’t have known about Noticing the “Little” Things. (Translation: JOY occurs Everywhere, All the Time.  You’ve just got to stop long enough to realise that it’s there and you CAN notice it.)

So, why was I/am I crappy?  I’m crappy because I have spent a whole week not talking to the people I normally talk to (largely because they were sick or their kids were sick or they were stressed with work or they were away) and I haven’t been able to share what’s on my mind.  I have had a sore neck, a sore shoulder, a headache on and off for the week;, life is busy, and full and I have to make all the decisions – usually without any interest from family members and no appreciation for the fact that I do make all the day to day decisions; the weather has been GREY and dull and damp and cold; and I am ready for a holiday/time out/sunshine/peace and harmony.

See?

Back to feeling crappy.

Where did I find that ‘Happy Energy’?

Oh, that’s right.

It started out with a phone call to my nephew for his 3rd birthday (he was having meatballs for breakfast ) …

Ahhhh.  Being proactive, again.  Happy Energy is filling my awareness.  Noticing the “Little” Things …

Today is the Stampin’ Kids Workshop and our theme is Decorated Containers.  The girls will be bringing jars or bottles or tins to decorate and no doubt we’ll have paper everywhere!  I’ve been collecting coffee jars and milo tins over the last couple of months, in preparation for today, but I confess to being a Bit Inspired and find myself using them for lots of storage items.

I found these little spice jars in our local $2 shop and they are just perfect for buttons, designer hardware and clips.  I added some ribbon and tags using the Cute & Curly Stamp Set with the Curly Label and Oval Punches.  I also used up some more ‘old’ product from my stash … making way for all the new goodies coming out in the new Catalog!  Actually, that’s good decluttering and it allows me to think outside the box, a bit.

A recent project on UStamp got me to thinking and, as is the way of the Universe, when I was out shopping I found this fabulous “Keepsake Pail” which was perfect for the UStamp project by Penny Hanuszak … then I realised that I could use it for the Stampin’ Kids Workshop and decorated it accordingly.  If not for Penny’s fabulous project I wouldn’t have known about these variations on Paint Tins!  Thanks, Penny!  I did buy a smaller one, too, which might end up as the ’spooky luminary’ Penny designed.   The larger one is now the home of all my die cut shapes.

Now, I seem to be in the mindset of seeing a bottle or a jar or a can as a potential “Decorated Wonder” and my stash is ever increasing. LOL.  I have an intimate relationship with the Eucalyptus Oil, too, which is my new best friend for cleaning off that sticky label glue.  I am sure that my day, last week, spent cleaning jars was also GREAT for my Health and Wellbeing!

As I wrote the title of this post, I was reminded of a dear friend, whose birthday it is today … and He IS Magnificent!  He knows he is talented and capable and such a showman.  He works his magnificence and weaves it into his performances as a skilled gymnast and circus performer. 

And, he is often tormented by that same magnificence.  It really is hard work living with such an extrovert personality and larger than life attitude to, well, life.

What I Love about him is his Passion.  He knows what he wants, and what he loves, and he goes out and gets it.  He knows he is Magnificent.

Today, I am off to “Angel World”, my Day of Indulgence at Essence of Isis.  I LOVE being in the shop ~ I love the energy, the space and freedom, hanging out with Suzie, and being given the opportunity and permission to share Angel Readings with clients.  Really, it is my Bliss.

I LOVE feeling that I am Being All That I Can Be … that always happens when I am doing Angel things.  This coming week has lots of Angel Energy with Angel Brunch on Monday ~ a variation on the regular ‘lunch’ session to change things up a bit ~ and workshop preparation for Saturday’s event, Let’s Talk Angels!  Whenever I am indulging in this energy I feel great!  Oh, and it’s the full moon, so I will be making up my next crystal essence.  Woo Hoo!

Often a client comes for a reading because he or she is at a loss and doesn’t know how to move forward from where they are at.  Many people come and have a reading because they want answers.  Answers to all the questions of the Universe but mostly about Love and The Future.  It’s almost the exact opposite of why I used to have readings ~ I only wanted to visit the past, my Past Lifetimes and any previous incarnations I may have shared with people around me.  I guess that was my way of understanding the future … I found out about the past, gained understanding about relationships/choices/decisions then used that knowledge to help make decisions/choices in the here and now.

I began to gather the Pieces of Me and weave them into a tapestry of Michelle.  Which is how I started the journey to Discovering My Magnificence.

Many clients are kind of ‘beaten down’ with life and living and find themselves challenged on the self worth front.  I am there to remind them that they are wonderful, and loved by the Angels, and to reignite their connections with their own magnificence.  When we share that feeling of ‘Champagne Bubbles’, we realise that we really are Magnificent, and the world seems much more manageable.

Life really is all about Remembering Who We Are ~ Magnificent Souls, Magnificent People.