What words to share? So much romance and poetry in words of the heart and I choose THESE. ❤️Remade into hearts and pinks for the occasion. 💕If we are going to celebrate love this week, let it begin with a heaping helping of love for ourselves. ❤️ If this one struck you as words that hit home, go to my stories and grab it as a wallpaper. You can also find it in the Freebie Highlights. ❤️ Take this one all in and pass it on to anyone who could use it, too.
Happy American Thanksgiving!! And apologies to my vegetarian/vegan/meatless friends who may find the picture below a little gross.
The turkey has been stuffed, roasted, basted, carved, gravy'd, and eaten. In fact we've gone all the way through the courses to both pies - pumpkin and pecan, and I am feeling overloaded. Overstuffed. Overeaten.
And a bit like my cup runneth over.
With gratitude.
Thanksgiving does that to me. It makes me gush a bit.
So bear with me. I started this wee blog nearly two years ago as a way to create and share and frankly force myself to get a lot of the projects that I've wanting to do ..done. And it has done that.
It has also brought into my life new connections and friends from across the globe and right in my own home town. People who somehow know me more or at least differently than some of my own family because they've taken the time to read my words, to look through my photographs, to follow my ideas. And that, my friends, is a pretty amazing gift.
And so this Thanksgiving toast (raise your wine glass or your milk glass with me) goes out to all of you good people who found Pars Caeli, found me, over these last two years and have supported me with your comments, your retweets, your likes, and even just your reads. You've encouraged me and pushed me in new directions just by the click of your mouse.
Time is our most precious gift, and I'm so grateful you've spent your time over on these pages. And even if you stop by just now and again and even if you've never let your presence be known, I'm grateful for you and your gift of attention.
You rock.
Happy Thanksgiving!
xoxo, MJ
PS. We're cutting down a tree in the freezing snow tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Hey there. Happy week to you! How's September rolling along? Fall is racing in fast and bringing her crisp air and snuggly wardrobes, and I am delighted.
I am also delighted to have a friend. A friend who will craft with me. This week, after much rescheduling and scheming, my friend, Renee and I will break open a bag of supplies and keep our hands busy crafting until we call it a day or a DIY done.
Our plan was to share some pins that have really piqued our interest as of late and decide together on which one was worthy of the craft date. Here are the three projects I suggested. Some of these have been around for a while, and I just haven't had the time to make my own versions.
Which one would you make? Or do you have another project on your mind?
Tune in next week to see what we crafted and just how we did. And if you're lucky enough to have a friend in your life who will craft with you, give them a hug for me. She/He is awesome!!
xoxo,
MJ
PS. If you want to make your home a warm, wonderful place to be every day of the year, follow Renee over on Pinterest.
Week 16 and now 310 pictures have been submitted in the Celebrate the Normal series. You all are unbelievable in your keen sense of capturing moments and emotions. I love that this continuum has allowed creators and artists the space to share what could be put in the box of the everyday but is instead elevated to the beautiful.
I'm going to hold you captive for just a moment before I show off this week's captures.
And it's been a recent (though not new) epidemic going around our house.
You may have heard of it; likely you've experienced in extensive ways in your years walking the earth.
It's fear. And it's a strange connection, that place where fear and celebration comingle.
Let me take you through two quick scenarios that happened in my house this week...
Scenario #1: My eldest is fearful of bike riding. The prospect of having to balance on her bicycle and not fall brings her quickly to tears and a whole bunch of anxiety. In fact she's been so terrified that she been talking and talking to her little sister about how dangerous riding a bike is, and she's mentioned and shown off all the bumps and scrapes she's received (and attaching the label - From biking - in her head).
The confidante, her younger sister who last summer was breezing by us all on her two-wheeler with training wheels has developed a new fear of falling from her bike. Her imagination from too-careful listening has made her unable to enjoy riding and now we have two fearful bike riders.
Scenario #2: When my younger daughter gets sick, she most likely suffers from a bad cough or sore throat. During a winter doctor's appointment for an acute case of symptoms, she got to experience the strep swab. The fear that this procedure may happen again has brought a new found concern into our house.
And so when her little brother was sick with a bad cough, and she warned him and warned him about how scary the doctor's office is, and how he'll have to get something down his throat, he began crying at the announcement that he was going to the doctor. He asked amidst his sobs if he'd have to get something in his throat. And a new fear is born.
Fear can be contagious.
When we generalize from our own helplessness and project that others will also develop the same fears we have, we make the transmittal route from one young mind to another a slick and easy pathway.
And yet what is more normal than fear? To think that we will never fear or inadvertently pass along our fear is naive at best.
As someone who has had fear sitting next to me for many years, I have 2 thoughts to share on using fear well.
1. Own it. Stop yourself before you make the blanket statement that snakes are absolutely terrifying, that needles produce the deepest pains, that giant hairy monsters live under your bed in the dark. And turn that fear into a personal story rather than a generalized truth.
I have no psychology in my background, so this is just speaking from my mom life - when fear becomes a personal story that you share and a vulnerability to open, it takes the sting and even the shock away from those around you. And the anxiety has a space to be released. Bonuses all around.
2. I recently heard a mentor talk about stumbling blocks in our lives: disappointment, rejection, fear, etc. Often these roadblocks keep us from becoming and being the people that we want to be. They can also intrude on our sense of the divine and our connection with God.
Plenty of times, I've been too distracted to pray. Sometimes I feel fearful or ashamed that God thinks less of/loves me less. Sometimes I'm angry and convinced that my way would have turned out better.
My mentor suggested, as his mentor had suggested to him... in these times of struggle with silence and with prayer... make it simple.
Are you angry today? Make that your first line of prayer (eg: "God, I am angry today, and I don't understand how to let it go)
Are you scared or ashamed? (eg; "God, I'm scared today. I'm afraid...")
And I have found that beginning with the placement of the fear right in the beginning of my prayer conversation takes away the power that fear sometimes possesses. I dare you to try it.
So let's celebrate fear this week. When we normalize it and celebrate it, the horror is released, and you and I can, in fact, relate on a deeper, more meaningful level.
It's a family affair! ~ Lidy
First cuddle with her granddaughter ~ erin_lily
July 27 ~ roglows
The sun was setting on my way home and lighting the sky on fire. ~ Mere
Farmer's market love ~ Paige
Big fragrance, saturated color ~ M.J.
Received all these wonderful cards within the past week or so. ~ Brittani
Enjoying fresh air ~ Julia
Love it when packages come with a Thank You ~ Eden
And via Twitter, Dani: Just had a delicious dinner by my favorite chef, @Aonezero. Now watching disney jr w/my smalls. #HomeSweetHome
Let's have week of bravery, friends!
xoxo, MJ
This Endless Summer Projects post is sponsored by OgoSport. Tell OgoSport your favorite playground, park or outdoor space to play and your favorite place to refuel with a bite to eat using hashtag #playrefuel or by visiting them on Facebook and you'll be entered to win a $250 OgoSport gift basket and other prizes. Contest ends August 31st. Unrelated to sponsorship (and uncompensated), we love our Ogo stuff. If you're looking for a fun summer birthday present, pick up some Ogodisks for the great kids in your life.
Here's a recap of all the fun of Endless Summer Projects:
If you suddenly started an expansive button collection, consisting of the most majestic, sparkling, and extraordinary buttons, ones that make you proud to collect buttons and including a handful of, you know, mediocre ones you started with... Would you tell your friends? Take pictures of them with fun hashtags?
What if you started a blog, including a year full of posts that include your ideas, ramblings, projects, and collaborations, ones that make you proud to be a writer/designer/photographer/artist as well as a handful of posts that make you say, "Meh." Would you share it with your family? Send them links to the posts that are your fave?
Do the real people in my life know I have a blog?
Do they read it?
Over the last year, I have thought about this first question - a lot. I began this blog to keep me actively creating, not necessarily to keep in touch with people I know or bring myself any level of attention (though I do love me a great big page view at the end of the day).
For the first few weeks of blogging I told only my husband about this new thing. Then I sent a Facebook message to a dozen girlfriends who I thought might be willing to read and follow along. Next I told my parents - admittedly a little heeby-jeeby'd that they'd be seeing all of this, in my very mature 30-something way.
It took me a bit to send the blog address along to my closest friends. Why? I'm not completely sure, but at first, this new adventure was easier to share with strangers than people who loved me. If a random person rejects me or, worse, is just disinterested by my blog, that won't hurt so much.
Well, over the year-and-some that I've opened Pars Caeli, it's become very much a part of my creative process, my inside jokes, my free time (what?), and my joy. And now it's kinda weird that everyone in my life doesn't know about it. But how do you casually bring up, "Oh, I have a blog. And, yes, I post something daily, sometimes a few times a week. Uh, yes, I've been doing this for an entire year. Did I not mention this?"
But honestly? The really brilliant part of this reveal experience is that I've been met with only support.
And that little boost or sometimes big bounce like the one that comes from your boss with jokes like, "you're going to be famous," or statements like "what can we do to help you grow?" ... well, those moments are the cups of crisp, cold water on my overheated, stewing mind. Never underestimate the power of support in the early buds of creativity.
So, friends, I've got a blog. It's not an easy conversation starter, but here it is.
And here are the whole spectrum of answers to this question from charming blogger pals of mine:
Do the real people in your life know about your blog? Do they read it?
xoxo, MJ
PS. Head on over to Twitter and follow all of these lovely tweeple because they are good and decent enough to respond thoughtfully to this request of their time. xo
After years of following along with the events, classes, and conferences put on by Alt Summit, I am taking a leap (in my yellow heels) and going to AltNYC. Needless to say, I am over-the-top excited about this gathering of fabulous bloggers, interesting sponsors, and experiencing Martha's HQ for the first time (I'm sure she'll invite me back).
I've been doing some behind-the-scenes research to get this party started, and I've started a fabulous list of blogs and authors who are headed to NYC on June 20.
Head over to my Pinterest page and follow the AltNYC board. I've opened it up so that you can pin your blog, and we can all get to know each other before we ever hit the big city. (And you won't be creaped out if I know your name before we meet.) Leave a comment with your email address or send me a direct message on Twitter (@parscaeli), and I'll invite you to pin. Please add the names of other bloggers you know who are attending!
I am delighted to feel all this talent in one spot! If you're not headed to AltNYC, follow along here to see what it's like to experience not only Alt, but NYC for the first time through Pars Caeli. Yikes!
xoxo, MJ
PS. Go grab the code for your badge over on the Alt love pages. I'll be looking for your yellow circles proclaiming I'm headed to AltNYC!
PPS. You can also send me an email at parscaeli@gmail.com to get access to the board!
The post, the mail, however you name it, this bundle of correspondence comes to our residences six times a week. Or it did. For those of us in the United States, we recently heard the announcement that, due to budget constraints, mail will only be distributed five days a week. That's right, no more Saturday service.
My initial reaction was one of disappointment. "Oh man, I won't be able to check the mail for friend's cards and letters, in a leisurely way on the weekends."
And then I realized... Wait. That doesn't happen now. The leisure or the letters. :)
I have fabulous friends from all over the planet, but how often do I receive a letter or a card? Even more of a stretch when was the last time I sent one? Like not for a birthday or Christmas?
My poor brain cells got quite the workout trying to remember when was the last time I wrote a letter (outside of a card). College! Before email, Facebook, or Twitter were mainstays of long distance correspondence.
So after my dip into melancholy, I pondered - do I really enjoy letters and cards as much as I once did? This query is coming from someone who has dreamed of working for Hallmark, the big time card mecca. I adore all sorts of stationery and cards, but perhaps as much for the art and poetry of them. On minor holidays like Halloween or St. Patrick's Day, I find myself wondering what to do with all the paper greetings left on the mantle once the celebration ends.
I've also discovered (or maybe re-discovered) the excitement and joy that simple texts can elicit. They are so real-time, and I feel more a part of faraway friend's life through the immediate messaging. A heartfelt email, you know the multiple-paragraph kind, gets saved in a significant folder on my laptop. Even silly Facebook messages get a few readings to remember the shared words and shared friendship.
And yet, the beauty of handwritten messages and the return of the craft of hand lettering has brought back an artform almost lost. The act of composing lines on a page for emphasis and clarity is an exercise of care so rarely taken.
Perhaps it depends on the message and the time available to communicate? Or is that just something we offer as a reason in all too busy lives?
Can't wait to hear your thoughts.
xoxo, MJ
