god woke up.

& he was groggy
so he got a nice cup of coffee
& went to site
under an apple tree.
he sat there
drinking his coffee,
listening to the birds,
when all of a sudden
it hit him.
he was happy.
god was happy!
& he wished there
was just someone to see it.
he'd gotten such a bad rap
all these years
for being pissed off
all the time.
& he really wasn't.
maybe a little cranky.
but here he was,
happy.
mellow yellow.
the birds were singing
& he was at peace.
buddha told him it
could be this way,
but he'd never really
believed it until now.
life really was easier,
sitting under a tree.

~ cynthia rylant ~

happy national poetry month, everyone!
here's hoping it's as happy as god with a cup of coffee under a tree.


image via desktop nexus.

i'm baack!!

wow.

it's been six months since my last post.
which i just noticed was about maternity leave.
which has nothing to do with my absence from bloglandia.

well, i did birth a baby of sorts at the beginning of september –
my at-long-last professional website, kristencard.com –
only almost-eleven years in the making.

& i'm mighty proud of it; it is a beautiful baby.

but, to tell the truth, i'm not sure why i took a break from the blog.
i guess i needed to. maybe i needed to see whether i missed it.
maybe i needed to see whether it missed me.

& you know what? it didn't.
i'm not sure whether anyone at all even noticed my six-month hiatus.
except me. i missed the blogosphere, even if the feeling wasn't mutual.

wed almost 19 years, & i'm still in an unrequited relationship.

oh, well. i'm happy to be back,
even if i'm the only one who knows it.

coming soon: more, more, more stories told for my own fun + fulfillment. :)


image source: sacred source nutrition.

for every monday ever.

this is a post-lift, plain & pure,
from one of my favorite blogs, simple mom.

blog-mistress & key voice tsh oxenreider
penned this one, & it's just such a
remarkable reminder, it's well worth repeating.

enjoy:

as you start this new week,
may you find a sliver of inspiration in an unexpected place —
your preschooler’s scribble on the back of your grocery list,
the first daffodil in your backyard,
a harebrained story retold by your child as you chop the onions,
a lovely shade of nail polish on sale.

may you remember to stop & really listen to
those little bits of inspiration gifted to you.
during the carpool line & the costco shopping,
may you tune in your ears & eyes just so,
so that you stop & remark on the loveliness of that yellow bell pepper.
may you find that song on the radio
that makes you want to crank up the volume,
sing along, & maybe roll down the windows.

& when things are hard this week —
& there will be hard times this week —
may you remember the good parts of your day, too,
so that you resist labeling the whole day “horrible.”
& if your day truly is a train wreck,
may you find solid sleep,
so that you can wake up again,
ready to roll up your sleeves
& start over.

every new day is a gift. remember that this week.


image source: iris @ the natural gardener, 4.13.13, by me.

hooray, renée!

my dear friend renée trudeau
— life coach, author & balance facilitator —
has done it again.

her newly released book, nurturing the soul of your family:
10 ways to reconnect & find peace in everyday life,
clearly lights ten paths to experiencing greater ease,
flow & harmony amidst the daily navigation of
stressful commutes, homework squabbles, hurried mealtimes &
other challenges so many of us face as modern parents.

tomorrow, in conjunction with & celebration of
the first day of spring, renée is hosting a
book-release party like none other, a
"rejuvenating, joyful & connective evening of self-renewal,
storytelling, exercises & creative play"
based upon the book's themes.

here are the deets:
wednesday, march 20th, 6-9p
mercury hall @ 615 cardinal lane
austin, texas
tix will be $45 at the door

for the price of admission, participants get:
:: a two-hour self-renewal retreat led by renée;
:: wine + bevs with culinary delights by spoon & co. catering;
:: a private house concert by austin singer-songwriter tricia mitchell; &
:: an autographed copy of renée's new book.

a portion of the event's profits will go to benefit
the children in nature collaborative of austin.

for more info about the event —
which is sure to be both amazing & inspirational,
just like my dear friend renée —
click here.


image source: belief network.

jump for love.

marilyn monroe.

as part of my three-word manifesto for 2013 –
dream. realize. shine! –
i'm reading three pieces of personal-growth inspiration each month:

you: staying young: the owner's manual for extending your warranty
by mehmet oz & michael roizen

happier at home: kiss more, jump more, abandon a project, read samuel johnson, & my other experiments in the practice of everyday life
by gretchen rubin

one bite at a time: 52 projects for making life simpler
by tsh oxenreider

host dick clark.

i read a piece of each at the beginning of the month,
write notes about it & ponder whether or how to
incorporate some of the concepts into my life.

one of the suggestions included in this month's chapter of
happiness guru gretchen rubin's book is simply to jump.
deciding she needs to literally put a spring in her step,
rubin resolves to jump every day:

actress janet leigh.

"i jumped in a silly way to make my daughters laugh,
i gave a secret skip on my way to the drugstore,
i hopped up & down in my office,
i did jumping jacks after i wok up in the morning,
i jumped down the last few stairs.

journalist mike wallace.

the sheer goofiness of it always made me feel cheerier,
& the energy of the gesture made me feel more energetic.
energy creates energy."

actress brigitte bardot.

rubin also refers to the work of
american portrait photographer philippe halsman,
who became known for his exhilarating snapshots of
famous people mid-air. quoth halsman:

host ed sullivan.

"when you ask a person to jump,
his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping
& the mask falls, so that the real person appears."

actress audrey hepburn.

philippe halsman's jump book, published in 1959,
contained 178 photos of celebrity jumpers, & a tongue-in-cheek discussion of
halsman's philosophy of jump photography, jumpology.

37th u.s. president richard nixon.

it's love month, y'all –
jump for it!!

the duchess & duke of windsor.

images source: philippehalsman.com.

i'm honoring christmas in my heart . . .

. . . & keeping it all the year.
or for a month, anyway.

three weeks later, i thought i'd try to brighten up your january midweek
with a couple of musical videos that brightened up my holiday.

video #1: a courageous [albeit rather crass] confession
from a jewish dude who calls himself happyjoel
& earns his living entering online video contests.



video #2: a kinder, gentler performance
from jimmy fallon, the roots, mariah carey & random kids,
featuring all toy instruments. just. so. charming. & happy. & fun.



"blessed is the season which engages
the whole world in a conspiracy of love"
quoth american writer hamilton wright mabie.

why not try to extend the blessing just a little longer?
share a smile — or two — today.


image source: zazzle.com.au.

daily happiest moments.

july 22nd, oprah posted a video up on her website
in which she challenged folks to join her in
tweeting their happiest moment of the day
every day for 30 days.

well, i didn't see the celebrate 30 days of happiness challenge video
until two weeks later, & i gave up on tweeting about nine months ago.

but, if you read my last post, then you know
how desperately i was seeking a little happiness around the beginning of august,
& if you read my blog [which, apparently, you do], then you know
how much i love my oprah.

so i decided to post my happiest moment of the day
on facebook every day from august 6th through labor day
[which is 29 days, but who's counting??].

& now, i'm deciding to repost them all here as a collection,
for posterity & for the reminder of what sort of moments make me happy.
enjoy!!

1. monday 8.6
working out & catching up with my gal-pal jb, who's been traveling
much of the summer. yay for reunions!! :)

2. tuesday 8.7
watching team usa gymnast aly raisman kill her
floor routine for event gold - gave me goosebumps!! :)

3. wednesday 8.8
completing a pair of overdue blog posts. :)

4. thursday 8.9
seeing my big sister, cindy, who has come for a quick visit. ♥

5. friday 8.10
catastrophe-free report from my new doc, whom i like. :)

6. saturday 8.11
delivering pizza to my dear neighbor & her helpers
following her huge estate-like sale of her worldly goods. ♥

7. sunday 8.12
going to a lizards gig with two dear friends - great fun!! :)

8. monday 8.13
giving myself a mini-mani with sparkly new nail polish
while watching bachelor pad [don't judge!!] with my hubs.

9. tuesday 8.14
seeing my holistic chiropractor, k. ude ... i left her office feeling
inches taller & so relaxed that i went home & napped. :)

10. wednesday 8.15
basking in a/c, sipping ice water & being served good food with the fam
following a few hours in the searing texas heat. :)

11. thursday 8.16
lunching with the lovely & talented k. barry, talking over our
respective, prospective websites ... thrilling!! :)

12. friday 8.17
wrapping up two sizable projects [at last!] by issuing invoices! :D

13. saturday 8.18
sharing supper at the trailer park eatery with my little fam. ♥ ♥ ♥

14. sunday 8.19
playing @ the pool with my hubs + son. water = happiness. :)

15. monday 8.20
taking a pretzel break @ the mall with my kids during back2school shopping. :)

16. tuesday 8.21
beginning to catch up on my blog with a couple of new olympic posts. :)

17. wednesday 8.22
riding home with my family, all exhausted &
a little sunburnt from tubing the guadalupe. :)

18. thursday 8.23
making some good progress on a new client project. :)

19. friday 8.24
watching "bernie" with my hubs - jack black is awesome!! :)

20. saturday 8.25
talking birds+bees with my 13yo daughter ... &
discovering how little she really knew!! ;D

21. monday 8.26
bahama freeze snowcones, post-pool with the fam. :)

22. monday 8.27
sharing supper with my fam, listening to everyone's
fairly positive reports of their day. :)

23. tuesday 8.28
getting a clean bill of health following my cardio stress test! yay, ♥!! :)

24. wednesday 8.29
spending a few quiet hours doing housework - baking,
cleaning, etc. oddly, kind of a luxury for me!! :)

25. thursday 8.30
getting rave reviews - & a second project! -
from a new client on a brochure i wrote! :)

26. friday 8.31
getting our downstairs air conditioning up &
working again [ignoring the precious pricetag, of course!]. :}

27. saturday 9.1
catching up with a dear friend over a long, luxurious lunch! love! :)

28. sunday 9.2
having the appetizers i brought to a pool party
be a big hit! [thanks again, jb!] :)

29. monday 9.3
completing the tour of austin snocones 2012 with my fam ...
reviews coming soon via my blog!! :)

themes mentioned:
:: family: 11 mentions
:: food: 10 mentions ;)
:: work: 4 mentions
:: health, hubs, friends & blog: 3 mentions each
:: self-care, household & olympics: 2 mentions each


image source: saul loeb/afp/getty images.

i'm not afraid.

louisa may alcott.
wise woman writer.

image source: going places 2 @ etsy.com.

hit&run hula.

my happy place is hawai’i.

not greatly original or unique, i realize,
but whoomp, there it is.

i love all the things people love about it –
the balmy breezes, the warm waters, the natural splendor,
the island-y rhythm, the comfortable clothing, the spam.

but above all, maybe, i love hawai’ian music.
nothing is better than sitting out on a lanai by the sea
with a chilly umbrella drink & a live hawai’ian band.

& a live hawai’ian band is incomplete without a hula dancer,
lovely & smiling as she interprets the music through her body,
moving with such hypnotizing fluidity, she’s like the ocean herself.

so i’ve been a student of hula for almost two years.
i’m still a beginner – more like a rain puddle than the ocean –
but i love it. love love love it.

huge shout-out to my beautiful-inside-&-out instructor,
vivian kaw of island rhythms –
an amazingly talented teacher, & extremely kind, patient & positive
with remedial cases like me.

it’s vivian who introduced me to hit-&-run hula –
it’s like a regular flash mob, only hipper. [hee.]

a little youtube trolling, & i discovered a series
of hit&run hula videos from patrick makuakane
& his halau [school] hula, na lei hulu i ka wekiu [hula that evolves].

they staged a hit&run hula event
in san francisco on august 15, 2009,
entertaining frisco folks throughout the day
with surprise performances throughout the city –
places like golden gate park, the apple store,
a bay area rapid transit station & a castro district intersection.

here’s my favorite – 10a @ union square:



i left my heart in hawai’i . . .
but until my next return to my happy place,
hula class is a super-fun substitute!!

in austin & interested in hula?
click here for workshop info!


image source: hula moon by nancy hoke.

jessica's daily affirmation.

her name is jessica.
& she is a great way to begin a week.
or a day, an hour, even a moment.

she was 4yo when it was recorded.
her dad uploaded the video to youtube in march 2009.
in march 2012, it reached ten-million hits.

today, jessica is 14yo, & ok with being an internet sensation.
good thing, because the hits just keep on coming
for jessica's daily affirmation:



you can do anything good!
yeah! yeah! yeah!

now get out there & be full. of. awesome.
just like jessica.


image source: grumpy girl clothing.

i moustache you . . .

. . . a question: can you feel it??

i do. i feel another etsy collection coming on.

for some reason, moustaches are very en vogue at the moment.
& for some reason, i find them tres amusant.

so, without further frenglish frasing,
i present a baker's dozen of fabu facial-hair fenoms:

mr. moustache baby mobile
100% recycled paper & premium nut veneer
by jaell & tofta [germany]
$28

mustard moustache fabric fat quarter
18 x 27", lightweight canvas 55% linen | 45%cotton
by new mom designs
$12

moustache wall wear
3" hoop
by nea jewelry & stitching [canada]
$38

eggmen series: mr. blooey eggenmeire
5x7" fine art photograph
by happee monkee [australia]
$13

a field guide to typestaches poster
18 x 24", frame not included
by old tom foolery
$24

banana with moustache tote
recycled cotton, 15.75 x 12"
by kikichoo [england]
$11

moustache vinyl decal
135mm x 40mm
by oh, dear molly [england]
$3

handcut felt moustaches on a stick
set of 15 party pack
by red bird makes [england]
$30

10 fantastico chocolate moustaches
also available in white chocolate
by swankk
$11

blond moustache stud earrings
100% renewable bamboo
by isette
$10

just under your nose moustache ring
sterling silver
by melanie favreau [canada]
$55

rango the cowboy of love sock monkey
18" top to toes
by tweeling [canada]
$35


top image source:
brown moustache nuk
bpa-free pacifier, 6 months & up
by creative cuteness
$9

god says yes.

i asked god if it was okay to be melodramatic
and she said yes
i asked her if it was okay to be short
and she said it sure is
i asked her if i could wear nail polish
or not wear nail polish
and she said honey
she calls me that sometimes
she said you can do just exactly
what you want to
thanks god i said
and is it even okay if i don't paragraph
my letters
sweetcakes god said
who knows where she picked that up
what i'm telling you is
yes yes yes

"god says yes to me" by kaylin haught.
from in the palm of your hand by steve kowit.

image source: lovely sparrow & co. @ etsy.com.

they do it. why can't we??

meet bff's kate & pippin.
kate, the great dane, & pippin, the young deer.
they're adoptive mother & daughter, & best friends.

pippin was just a newborn fawn in june 2008 when her birthmother abandoned her,
frightened by some neighbor dogs. pippin wandered around isobel springett's property
for three days until isobel finally rescued her.

isobel's dog kate adopted the tiny fawn almost immediately.
the two became inseparable as kate — who had never mothered & was spayed —
cleaned pippin, tried to nurse her and slept beside her.

eventually, pippin grew into an independent deer,
who lives out in the woods with her fellow deer, but
who comes for daily visits & playtime with her adoptive mother.

isobel, a photographer, documented their rare relationship,
& with her brother martin's words telling the amazing tale,
has just published kate & pippin: an unlikely love story.

they've also got their own youtube channel,
where you can enjoy moments like this:



there's something uniquely uplifting about animal odd couples like kate & pippin.
i think it's that they prove without doubt the power of love —
that love can override even something as ingrained as animal instinct.

happily, unusual animal friendships can be found all over the interwebs:

:: 9 unusual animal relationships, a huffington post.

:: dozens of photos of unusual animal friendships @ kikiriki pics.

:: a whole blog dedicated to photos of unusual animal friendships @ let's be friends.

:: unlikely friends: why we love odd animal pairs, an analysis.

:: unlikely friendships, a book by jennifer holland.

:: friends: true stories of extraordinary animal friendships, a book by catherine thimmesh.

:: & the classic animal pals story of tarra the elephant & bella the dog:
:::: there's the book, tarra & bella: the elephant & dog who became fast friends by carol buckley;
:::: & here's the cbs tv feature that i believe got the two on oprah:



ah, wise, wonderful animals — proving once again
the power to "reason" is highly overrated
& no match at all for the power of compassionate kindness & love.

riding in cars with dogs.

just a little reminder today
from photographer chris becker,
who developed his 2009-10 canine bliss series
in automobiles cruising along the coast of maine:

"much of the work i produce as a photographer
is complicated & can be interpreted
in any number of ways.

so i like that this series has a straightforward purpose:
to make the viewer smile, laugh &
remember to live in the moment."

smile. :)

laugh. :D

remember to live here now.

your best day.

the best day of your life is the one
on which you decide your life is your own.

no apologies or excuses.
no one to lean on, rely on or blame.

the gift of life is yours.

it is an amazing journey
& you alone are responsible
for the quality of it.


~ dan zadra ~


image source: david macdonald.

love over fear.

my dear friend & inspirator [i just made that up — & i like it!] renee trudeau
has just launched a challenge/movement/psa
that is so very appropos for what we all face, day in & day out . . .

natural disasters. manmade atrocities.
contempt in the name of politics. mockery in the name of religion.
economic uncertainties. everyday incivilities.

it's a lot to deal with.
so, how do you deal with it?

love? or fear?

quoth the wise & wonderful renee:

we always have a choice in how we interact with each other & how we see the world.

we can come from fear —
where we constrict, shut down & cut ourselves off from others,
or we can come from love —
where we expand, open up, connect with & trust others.

our daily interactions are a reflection
of where we choose to hang out & live in:
the house of fear or the house of love.

i choose love.

& that's what renee's challenge/movement/psa is all about.

encouraging us all to mindfully choose to come from
a place of love rather than a place of fear in our daily doings.

to choose love
in traffic
in line at the drive-through or grocery store
in high-pressure meetings
in temper tantrums at the mall
with our partners
with our parents
with our children
with ourselves.

that's right — choosing love isn't just about doing unto others.
it's about doing right by you, too.
because the more you show you some love,
the more you can show others the same love, kindness & compassion.

the more you can ease into the flow of life.
the more you can trust the universe is working for you.
the more you can feel there is more than enough for everyone.
the more you can have a soft & open heart. every day. all day long.

& who doesn't want some of that?
[i do! i do!]

so, how will you choose love today?

suggestions for starting:
:: read renee's challenge & faq's about it.
:: visit her live inside out community & share stories about it.
:: get an i choose love tee [at cost] & clearly wear your intention.


image source: reneetrudeau.com.

just be you. be just you.

dare to be what you are

& learn to resign with a good grace

all that you are not.

~ henri-frederic amiel ~

image source: daily mail.

c'mon. get happy.

so.

this summer, to date, has been less than stellar.

too much work. not enough playtime.
too much extreme heat + humidity. not enough rain.
too much eating. not enough exercising.
too much sibling refereeing. not enough family fun.

all shadowed by worry & stress concerning
some serious first-family health issues.

they even cancelled our fireworks [fire hazard].

to date, this has been a rather big-bummer summer.

so i was happy to see happiness guru gretchen rubin's
recent blog post, want to feel happier by the end of the day?
your menu of options. [well, i was en route to happy, anyway.]

now, ms. rubin has studied happiness
& the real reasons behind it comprehensively,
so when she offers a checklist of
31-derful research-proven ways to improve your mood,
then i'm printing it, sharing it & following it.

& as i head into what may well be the
most difficult week of my summer 2011,
i'm highlighting the ten simplest actions
i can do from the list,
& giving myself ultimate permission to do a couple
whenever the bum threatens to overwhelm:

1. call or email a close friend.

2. add a fun thing to my calendar.

3. spend 15 minutes on the internet reading
about a subject i want to learn more about.

4. give $25 to a worthy cause.

5. do ten jumping jacks/walk around the block/go for a run.

6. tidy up a computer folder.

7. schedule a doctor's appointment i've been postponing.

8. send replies to three e-messages i've been meaning to respond to.

9. toss someone else's litter.

10. blog about what i'm grateful for.

want to print, share or follow the whole list? here you go.
& if you're still not happy, then oprah's got another 25 ways to beat the blues.


image source: going places 2 @ etsy.com.

finding contentment in imperfection.

on friday, in petaluma, california,
at the 23rd annual sonoma-marin fair's
world's ugliest dog contest,
the $1,000 top prize went to
a 14yo female chinese-crested chihuahua mix
owned by terry schumacher of hanford, ca.

her name is yoda.
& ugly she is, yes.

but she reminded me of a phrase
i came across earlier this week
& just jotted down on a post-it:

finding contentment in imperfection.

yoda probably doesn't know she's ugly,
or if she does, then not how ugly,
& regardless, to her, it's just not important.

what matters to her is that
she has food,
she has a home,
she has a family,
& she has love.

& however flawed her body & face may be,
they have gotten her to the ripe old doggie age of
14 years = almost 100 in human years,

& have let her keep on
gobbling up bowlfuls of satisfying meatiness,
napping in her favorite sunshine-warmed spots,
snuffling in the aromas of life all around her,
& snuggling up cozily with her loved ones.

she is practically the picture of imperfection.
yet she is a dog, so contentment is hers.

go, yoda.
show the world how
contentment in imperfection is found,
yes.


image source: justin sullivan/getty images.

these small candles.

love this
inscription from a tombstone in britain.

what an epitaph.

"in moments of discouragement,

defeat or even despair,

there are always certain things to cling to.

little things usually:

remembered laughter,

the face of a sleeping child,

a tree in the wind . . .

in fact, any reminder of something

deeply felt or dearly loved.

no man is so poor as not to have

many of these small candles.

when they are lighted,

darkness goes away . . .

& a touch of wonder remains."

so, what were your small candles today?

mine: sewing creation. new work.
writing hero. love-day prep. good eats.

share yours, will you?


image source: cepolina photo.