3 Must Read Books

Hello there!!

How is everyone? I wanted to pop into today and let you know a couple of things! First off – Trina and I are so, so excited that we ONLY have ONE more spot left at ArtWorthy 2016!

We are over the moon happy and so grateful for the beautiful souls who have signed up to join us for this special long weekend! If you have been sitting on the fence, now is the time to snap up this spot! With a private gourmet chef, yoga, meditation, EFT sessions and loads of ART making you won’t want to miss out! Valentine’s just around the corner so treat yourself to some SELF LOVE!

 

Ok, so I also wanted to tell you about three FAB books that I want to recommend!

#1

This book literally changed me! Literally. If you haven’t read it yet. Do. It. Now.

#2

This fabulous book was gifted to me by the lovely Trina and I ate it up! Full of wit and several laugh out loud moments – you will love this quick read about empowering your life with that sweet little word YES!

#3

And last but not least, this book knocked my artsy little socks off! Building creative confidence is not only powerful, it may radically change your existence! My belief that we are all creative beings is the cornerstone of this book and unearthing that creativity is not only your RIGHT it is your DUTY! Hiding those gorgeous gifts from the world is a major bummer for everyone!

I adore the little trailer for this book too! Check it out…

Okay, those are fresh off my stack of books! Check them out and let me know how they affect you I would love to hear about it!

Much love and gratitude to you all!

xo,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dear Me…

Hi friends! Oooh baby it’s cold outside! At least for us Portlanders. I am actually loving the crystal clear sunshine and frost laden mornings. It’s like the very air shimmers with ice. So magical. I am praying for some snow!

Thank you all for your beautiful, kind and thought provoking comments you left on my last post. I deeply appreciate you sharing.

Yesterday and today, I have chosen to put my household chores aside and focus on my art. Every time I do this, I am amazed at the incredibly comforting and joyous feelings it brings. I light my favorite candle, put on Pandora and just let myself escape into my creativity.

Today, was very introspective. I am still completing my Brené Brown homework – one exercise was to find photos of ourselves at different times in our lives and then write a message to “that” girl with the knowledge you have now. I chose my wedding day.

What would you write to yourself now, looking back on those times when you were about to embark on a new journey? So young. So naive. Clueless. Unaware of all the challenges and joys that lay ahead. Blind to the outcomes.

I found this quite emotional and also very healing. It made my appreciate the trials I have been through. It made me glad for the hard days. The pain. The failures. The wrong thinking. It made me have gratitude for the wisdom I’ve gained and for the baggage that was sloughed off as I tumbled through my twenties, like a pebble in the tide. It was powerful to stand solidly on the shore and look back on those turbulent waters of my past.

Try this with a picture of yourself. It doesn’t have to be an art project – just go for it. See what comes up. Be gentle with yourself. This exercise is meant to promote self-compassion so don’t go yelling at yourself in a picture at some frat party, drunk or scold yourself for wearing that God awful outfit from the 80’s or for not losing the baby fat. :) Write to yourself with love, with empathy, with kindness. Give yourself a mental hug. “That” girl in your picture probably really needed it.

xo,

Ivy

P.S. For those of you who wanted to take the Brené Brown class but thought they had missed it – they are repeating the first part so you can still sign up! I just signed up for Part 2! ;)

Wandering…

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Hello there. I hope all is well in your world. Right now, mine is a little messy. Literally and figuratively. I just finished the Brené Brown course and absolutely loved it. It has truly been life changing and has been stirring up all sorts of emotions. Old energy is shedding but self-doubt has been trying to rain on my parade…as usual.

With all the flux, I’ve been cleaning out areas of my home that no longer serve me. One of those neglected areas was my laundry room cabinets. They were stocked with all my supplies for creating skin care products… (my obsession 3 years ago). As I gathered up the countless little vials of essential oils, dried herbs and tubs of concoctions, I found myself crying. I stopped for a minute to check in with my mind and see what all the fuss was about.

Ahh…I was berating myself. For failing. For being flaky. For investing all this money and time into something I gave up on. For being stupid. Unfocused. Confused. Wasteful. ugh. Brené referres to these moments as “shame storms”. This was a category 3.

Then I remembered the last week of the Brené lessons – letting go of certainty. I was reminded that it’s okay to wander, get lost and not know which way to turn. Even in those moments we are whole. I had not failed. I had just wandered. I had needed to do that, at that time and it has led me to where I am today. So what if Grace & Ivy began as a skin care hobby!? It ended up launching my blog, helping me rediscover my love of writing, leading me to a new passion for vintage and ultimately, reunited me with my first, true love – ART.

Was it a linear, logical journey? Nope…but that’s not really how I roll anyway. Is it over? Have I got it all figured out? Hell no! But that’s okay.

So, please, let me remind you dear friends, that if you are feeling a bit lost or are wandering. Fear not. Know that it is part of your own journey. We are not supposed to have all the answers. Life doesn’t come with a compass or a map. Use your heart as your guide and believe that even in your most vulnerable place – you are right where you need to be. Trust yourself and never compare your path to someone else’s. Like a snowflake, each one is unique.

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Sending you all love.

xo,

Ivy

Art Journaling : Brené Brown Class

Hi there! How’s life? Things have been going well here and I’ve been diligently working on my Brené Brown art journal homework from the Oprah life class. Following along with the book has been truly life changing. The messages within have been resonating deeply with me as I become aware of my own issues with perfection, shame and self-worth – pretty heavy, I know. BUT so inspiring and refreshing at the same time!

I’ve had several “ah-ha” moments that made me smile while other pages brought on the tears. One huge epiphany I experienced, was when I realized the cause of my recent creativity block. It wasn’t because my creative juices ran dry or I ran out of inspiration…it was because I was focusing on attaining approval rather than just being authentic. I wasn’t creating for me. I was creating for others and seeking praise. All of sudden, the likes on Facebook didn’t make me feel good anymore, the hearts on Instagram didn’t mean anything. I felt numb. So I stopped making art. Joy was replaced with doubt.  Understanding why this happened has brought me great clarity.

Working in my very first art journal has renewed my creativity and given me the chance to further digest the information in the book. I had promised to share some of the pages with you…so here they are…

I thought that the first assignment was very appropriate. That scary first white page was dedicated to giving yourself permission.

Next, we had to take pictures of ourselves with our “Pledge” written on our hand – “I’m imperfect and I’m ENOUGH!” Love that.

The class went on to explore the word – COURAGE and it’s original meaning: to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart. Then we listed the people in our lives that we trust and share our story with. We placed this list in the center of our heart. I wrote the word “Thank You” on my list to remind myself to be eternally grateful to these special people.

Then we were assigned to find a photo that captures our “true self” and write about who we see, what makes this person light up and how we need to treat her. Loved how this exercise made me feel.

This last collage kinda just happened…the inside of the journal cover needed some art! :)

As I mentioned, I’ve never art journaled before and I’m really loving it! I’m getting a little braver with my materials and exploring new ways to blend words and images.

Have you ever kept an art journal? If you do, I would love to hear how you like to use it.

Hope your week is full of inspiration.

xo,

Ivy

Pumpkin Patch Visit

Hi there my friends! How are you? I hope you are enjoying Fall. We have had a glorious, sun filled October, so of course, a visit to the local Pumpkin Patch was in order! I captured some shots of Claire among the piles of pumpkins. The autumn light has been so very pretty! Grace, thankfully, jumped into the last one too! (She was very busy visiting with all the animals on location so it was hard to pull her away!)

“I want this one!”

After a little hunting, we found four lovely pumpkins. One for each of us. Of course, we also managed to go home with fudge, fresh pumpkin donuts and homemade berry jam. Yum! I didn’t grow up going to a Pumpkin patch for Halloween but I’m happy this has become a sweet tradition for our family.

What traditions do you have in your family for this time of year?

Enjoy the rest of the week.

xo,

Ivy

P.S. I am still working on my Brené Brown homework. I will be sharing it with you soon, I promise. By the way, her book = TOTALLY life-changing!

Brene Brown E-Course : The Gifts of Imperfection

Hi there friends! How are you? I hope the week has been treating you well. I’m slowly coming out of my creativity slump by doing mundane things like gutting my closet. It was a spiritual experience. Seriously. I removed 9 bags of old clothes, shoes and miscellaneous junk! It’s embarrassing to admit but I had stuff in there from college…yeah…sad, I know. Now, when I walk into my closet I feel like I can breathe. So…in celebration of my closet cleanse, I signed up for this. Go check it out if you have no time for shopping/get overwhelmed or just want a lovely treat delivered to your door! I loved it!

Clearing old stuff brings in new energy and I’ve decided to help the process along by taking the new Brene Brown & Oprah E-course, which is accompanied by Brene’s best selling book. I have had her book on my bedside for over a year. Just laying there. Waiting for me to pick it up and grow. Plus, the fact that this course involves art journaling really sealed the deal for me! I’m excited and I encourage you to check it out if you are feeling stuck in your own journey. Class starts Oct. 20th! Come join me!

Hope you all have a beautiful rest of the week!

xo,

Ivy