who says?

Have you seen that commercial for the birth control pill called Seasonique, which "allows" you to only have four periods a year? Their ad campaign going a little something like this, "Who says you have to have 12 periods a year... who says?" Really?! Really?!! I am constantly amazed at how out of touch we are, as a society, with our bodies, but this is more than I can handle.

These days, women seem to be so removed from what it is that makes us women. I am all for breaking through the glass ceiling, but there are certain things that we need to embrace as women, including our menstrual cycles. And who says? Well, mother nature for one, or how about the innate intelligence of our bodies, developed over millions of years of evolution? Our bodies' intelligence truly goes beyond what we can comprehend... and yet we continue to suppress its actions on a daily basis. We have drugs to take away the pain, and much of the experience, of childbirth, formulas so we don't have to breast feed our children, and now pills so we don't have to menstruate? Something isn't right here.

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who had a baby a few months ago and while on vacation in San Francisco, of all places, was scalded for breastfeeding her child in public. She was completely covered, and knowing her, being very tasteful about the whole process, but a woman decided it was rude of my friend to do something like that in front of her boyfriend and clearly stated her opinion. Is our culture so preoccupied with the sexual nature of breasts that we've completely forgotten their purpose; to give sustenance to our children?

I realize as women, we have long been fighting for equality, and I certainly do not take that for granted. But why must this entail losing everything that makes us women? We have spent decades suppressing our femininity, which in my opinion holds a great deal of power and wisdom. We cycle in sync with the moon, we bring human life into this world, our bodies producing the milk that sustains and nurtures that life... I am woman, hear me roar :)

art by Leah Piken Kolidas

thinking ahead...

so, I know its early, but I've started thinking of ideas for christmas gifts this year. I have NO money this year due to cut backs on my student loans, so I'm thinking of making as many gifts as possible... here are a couple ideas that look like fun

wool wrapped bangles by mysticfibers

connect the dot pillows
needle felted goodies for my neices

gems

so I recently perused through the gorgeous jewelry at Twist and decided I'm going to attempt to make a few necklaces myself... I seem to be on a necklace kick these days. Anyways, I bought some single gemstone briolettes on etsy and am using these as inspiration...

margaret solow

fatima maria

I'll keep ya updated on how they turn out...

a little something I had fun with today

so I came home from a long day at school and felt the need to make something. I needed some right brain stimulation... and this is what I came up with; a crocheted necklace of sorts. It seriously took less than a half hour to make and it turned out pretty darn cute considering I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with it. I think I'll have to get some thinner yarn and make a few more...

tomorrow is the autumnal equinox...

hydraheart

almostsunday

waysideviolet

black bird fly

how awesome is this camera? and with a name like black bird fly?

image from Brian Hopkins

one more reason to go to france...

...the lorraine mondial air balloon festival

pictures from here

"the balloon seems to stand still in the air while the earth flies past underneath." -Alberto Santos Dumont

which brings me to a photographer on etsy: ravencolours

and lastly a video, which similar to hot air balloons, makes me smile. (music by jose gonzalez)

diamonds are a girl's best friend?

...hmm maybe. but, why not add a little color... or better yet raw diamonds? check out these stunning rings from one of my favorite stores twist. gorgeous.

the last two are from my favorite designer, todd reed, who works primarily with raw diamonds and recycled gold. ahhhh someday :)

welcoming the harvest moon

earrings by alibli

picture by gogokorogiannou

ring by littlellama

If you cry because you miss the sun, your tears will not let you see the moon.
-african proverb

awesome local artist

absolutely in love with this artist and photographer; Kelty

the little things

do you ever have those moments where someone is talking to you, and all of a sudden you feel like you're looking at them as if it were the first time you had met? Its as if the many little things you take for granted day in and day out just, all at once, take your breath away. Well, that happened to me last night while laying in bed talking with Mark. Maybe its because he's been working a lot and we haven't hung out as much or because his hair was down, which he rarely does (and I love). Either way, as he was telling a story, I couldn't help but smile to myself thinking, "wow, how lucky am I?" And at that moment I interrupted him and told him to wait right where he was... I ran to grab the camera and capture what I was seeing/feeling. He thought I was a total goof, but I absolutely love the pictures I got...

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this

Where “I” does not exist, nor “You”, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
-Pablo Neruda

date night

a checklist for this evening:

1) my new shirt and a little make up
2) an oversized purse filled with travel containers carrying a cheap bottle of wine and plenty of snacks
3) mark, of course
4) discount movie tickets to 500 days of summer at the Moreland theatre
5) an evening walk... while still a little tipsy... to our favorite frozen yogurt shop across the street, Tart

looking forward to it!

care of the soul

So my summer is quickly (and regretfully) coming to a close.... I woke up nice and early this morning and began my "To Do" list, hoping to get as much done as possible today. I did really well this morning, running errands, going to the bank etc, and so decided to reward myself with a reading break. I picked up our new book club book, Care of The Soul, which I have been wanting to read for months now. A few pages in, I glanced over at my list and decided to write in capital letters, "CARE OF MY SOUL" with a wonderful empty box next to it just waiting to be checked. So, needless to say I am spending this afternoon, hard at work doing just that. I may or may not get it checked off by today :)

caring for my soul thus far consists of:
1. making myself a pot of my favorite loose leaf tea
2. listening to my "Bon Iver radio" station on pandora.com
3. picking a few of my favorite reads from off the bookshelf and re-reading passages I marked. Some particular favorites; The Prophet, any and all of Annie Dillard's books, The Witch of Portobello, The Fourfold Path to Healing, The Dogs of Babel, Aesop's Fables, Chinese Philosophy.
4. browsing Etsy.com for fun finds
5. blogging

here's one of my absolute favorite artists on Etsy, Obsoleteworld:


Or how about these poetry dolls from The7thMagpie

Or these adorable tops from zelaya:


And this moonstone ring from Thepebblecollection:



And lastly, an excerpt I came across that I really like:

The Invitation by: Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.