TT5: Peace On Board

Very cool car window sign found! Peace on earth starts with PEACE ON BOARD :-)

I wonder if this will solve some of the complaints that come from the back seat during long car trips:

1. Are we there yet?
2. Are we there yet?
3. Are we there yet?
4. How many more towns?
5. He hit me!
6. He hit me first!
7. If I have to stop this car.... (from the driver's seat)
8. I spy with my... SHUT UP!
9. I'm hot.
10. I'm bored.
11. Poke.
12. I saw a punch buggy! (PUNCH)
13. ARE WE THERE YET?

Boy with the amount of fights I had with my brothers over the years you'd think I'd come up with 13 originals instead of repeating ARE WE THERE YET!



xx

Bad Santa

This is my little Princess Me Me and her first experience with Santa... what a glorious photo of her tonsils.

Is it just me or is Santa Claus the biggest ever perpetuated urban myth IN THE WORLD?

Re-thinking the "truths" that I'll be passing onto my daughter after this big-little panic attack, ha ha.

My intention for 2009

2009 is going to be an amazing year. It's a year of realising full potential, of unleashing all the wisdom and talents that have been accrued and nurtured until now. It's a year when we'll get to shine, and to share our gifts with everyone around us...

As such, last night I set my intention for 2009.

I open myself fully to trust so that Spirit may fan my divine spark to the point of overflowing -- this way I can share "light" with everyone I meet in 2009.

xx
Nita

Whan all else fails....

When life gets too busy to post, and all else fails to put a few sentences together, there's always the Lazy Bloggers Post Generator (thanks Aussie Bloggers Forum). Herewith is what I generated:

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Crikey! I just discovered I have not updated this since long before Shakespeare wast a boy... You would not believe how tidy my house now is. I prostrate myself in sorrow and beg thy forgiveness..

I am not going to post now with my brahs, spending my husband's money, just generally being asleep, dreaming and chancing to recognise my children again, my day is a magical flight from the moment my children manage to unlock my bedroom door and use me as a jumping castle to I am begging my kid to go to sleep or so help me God that kid will be decorating my wall, 'Duct tape still life'. I am not growing up. I wish you could be here to share it.

I make a solemn vow I will make more of an effort to blog more often until the nice men in the white coats come back. Until I need your shoulder to cry on. Assuming I don't get distracted by counting my chest hairs..

TT4: 13 Things Sending Me Crazy

I haven't been posting much in the last few weeks, so here are 13 reasons why:

1. I turned 40 and the celebrations are still continuing!
2. We moved house
3. Telstra took forever to connect new lines to the "new" (old) house
4. Reconnecting broadband took just as long and was just as tedious
5. We've been clearing out the old house ready for demolition, right down to the last camelia bush in the garden
6. Baby is on the verge of crawling so we've been baby-proofing the house
7. I sold one of my businesses (!!!!)
8. I travelled interstate for the handover and ended up staying a week
9. The minute I signed over the business, I came down with the flu (as always happens when one comes out of a stressful period)
10. Baby became clingy during the time-zone adjustment, baaaad conjunctivitis, teething and just generally out-of-sorts
11. Baby's out-of-sorts could have been this sore throat that I woke up with earlier this week
12. Publicity campaign for my latest book is in full swing and if I'm not on the phone I'm posing for photos
13. Have been travelling around the region doing book readings and signings

Despite the above tumultuous times, I wouldn't have it any other way... life is such an exiting ride right now! Weeeeeeeee!



Love!

Nita or Fajita?

In the last couple of weeks I've turned 40, moved house, changed my computer systems from PC to mac, sold one of my businesses, became a marriage celebrant, travelled interstate, recovered from the flu, and now finally, am enjoying having my broadband reconnected after 10 days of dial-up. I honestly don't know if I'm Nita or Fajita right now!

Nevertheless, today I am thankful that I have managed to maintain the "photo a day" project so pretty soon you will see the links to my online journal updated (above).

xx

Gotta love free books

Anyone wishing to begin their exploration of the chakras, and how they relate to the modern goddess gal, you'll love The Goddess Guide to Chakra Vitality. I particularly love the section where you select a symbol that you resonate with, then a number, and the combination leads you to unique message for the day. In the past year, I've only selected the same combination twice, meaning I have received 49 unique messages each morning to give me an excellent start to each day.

The author is offering free copies of the 1st edition of this book (ie, a "lite" version) at Outing the Goddess Within ... go get 'em tigress mother!

x

TT3: 13 Things to Name Your Pet Duck

13 Things to Name Your Pet Duck Spring is well and truly here, as evidenced by dozens of al fresco diners, hundreds of blossoming trees and 13 baby ducklings I saw on my daily walk. To celebrate Spring, here are 13 names I gave each of the ducklings: 1... Rubber 2... Plucka 3... Roast 4... a la Orange 5... Paddle 6... Lucky 7... Dackity 8... Leg 9... Out4a (this is a cricket terminology) 10... Golden (this is a cricket terminology) 11... Champagne (this is a cricket terminology) 12... Sbum 13... Bill

How to buy things, without buying into consumerism

I mentioned in an earlier post that shopping is a passion for me... Let me clarify, however, that I approach "shopping" in a holistic way in order to avoid "consumerism"... Before I go shopping, there are always three questions I ask myself in order to avoid contributing to rampant consumerism:

1. Do I really need this item?
2. If I didn't have a credit card, would I pay cash for this item?
3. How is buying this item going to help my fellow countryman?

Answering these questions honestly means I whittle away the "stuff" that ends up being clutter, and I save money by only buying that which enhances my life and my local economy. It also means I tend to make choices towards organic, home-made and locally produced products. A three-way-win for shoppers everywhere.

So in accordance with these rules, one safe destination for shopping is Femail Creations - handmade creations by women for women.

As I am supporting a friend through breast cancer at the moment, any company that offers $$ towards the breast cancer research is a winner in my book. Femail Creations was already one of my favourite online destinations for shopping for girly stuff, but now it has gone stellar in my eyes... 10% of sales go to the pink ribbon coffers, definitely meeting criteria #3 in my shopping rules.

Win a portrait ... of you!

I've been a fan of Kim's spectacular work ever since our "travelling bra" days. But I got especially excited today when I visited her laketrees blog and found an irresistible competition listed there...

Kim is offering one of her gorgeous portraits (of your choice) as a prize in her third annual competition... satisfy your inner Narcisist and have your own portrait done. Or surprise your partner for Xmas and get one of him or her done... perhaps you want a lifetime keepsake of your son or daughter... Kim is so talented she'll even paint your favourite pet if you so choose when you win.

Considering the value of this prize is $6,000 (+ postage!) I reckon this is the most valuable competition I've seen whilst blogging. Thanks Kim for the opportunity!

Wishcasting with the Wish Goddess

Played with this groovy little "wish card" maker at WishGoddess.com today. It's like making a vision board, only doing it online by dragging images onto your preferred background.

Came up with the vision of me "shopping with grace, like a princess, with a never-ending supply of dollars, and of course for the greatest good of all!"

This vision made me feel WONDERFUL... then the real world kicked back in and it was back to the grindstone in order to earn the dollars in order to achieve this wish, he he he ;-)))

Countdown to writing madness

Holy moly it's November in only 37 more sleeps. That means only one thing: it's NANOWRIMO time. Why do I do it???? The sleepless nights, the RSI, the crying, the stream-of-consciousness nonsensical writing, the crawling through the desert on sand made of broken glass... why? Because at the end of it I end up with a manuscript!

TT2: 13 Ways to Say "I Do"

13 Ways to Say "I Do" After three years of studying and the application process, I have just received news that I'm officially a marriage celebrant... In honour of this, I've found 13 ways to exchange vows. 1... "Woof" (actually, these are bow-vows, exchanged by dogs) 2.... I, (groom), call upon the persons here present to witness that I take you, (bride) to be my lawful wife. 3... Through all of the uncertainties and trials of the present and future, I promise to be faithful to you and love you. I promise to guide and protect you, as long as we both shall live. 4... You are my best friend for life. I pledge to honour, encourage, and support you through our walk together. When our way becomes difficult, I promise to stand by you and uplift you, so that through our union we can accomplish more than we could alone. I promise to work at our love and always make you a priority in my life. With every beat of my heart, I will love you. This is my solemn vow. 5... As freely, (name), as Spirit inspires my life, I join my life with yours. Wherever you go, I will go; whatever you face, I will face. For good or ill, in happiness or sadness, come riches or poverty, I take you as my (husband/wife), and will give myself to no other. 6... The Eskimo Love Song goes... You are my husband, My feet shall run because of you, My feet dance because of you, My heart shall beat because of you, My eyes see because of you, My mind thinks because of you, And I shall love because of you. 7... Julia Roberts promised Lyle Lovett "I, Julia, in the presence of God and these witnesses, take you, Lyle, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death parts us, and I pledge you my faithfulness." (Marion, Indiana; June 27, 1993) 8... Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's vows ended with the words EIA IHO NO, KA MALUHIA, O NA LANI, ME OUKOU A PAU (The peace and serenity of the heavens be with you all). And so it is ... Amen ... and ALOHA! (Waikiki, Hawaii; February 24, 1992) 9... I imagine this is what Chris Evert might say to Greg Norman: I Chris, take you, Sharky to be my lawfully wedded husband and chief tennis doubles partner, for when you win and when you miss that hole-in-one. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you, to return your serves and do my best not to foot fault. 10... Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston vowed to "...split the difference on the thermostat." 11... I'm busting for a couple to let me conduct the service using the Dr. Suess wedding vows. They start with me saying: "Will you answer me right now, These questions, as your wedding vow?" and the groom answering "Yes, I will answer right now, Your questions as my wedding vow." And so on..... for another 8 minutes! 12... Excerpt of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu's vows (Las Vegas, Nevada; May 1, 1967): I, Elvis, take thee, Priscilla, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish. 13... and finally, the vows that my husband and I exchanged in Las Vegas (yes, in front of Elvis): Him ~~~ It only took one night to get stuck on you, and now my wish came true, you big hunka hunka burnin' love! I thought you were nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time, but now I know you're my teddy bear 'cause tigers play too rough and lions ain't the kind you love enough. So kiss me quick and love me tender for I can't help falling in love with you. Me ~~~ It took a hard headed woman to make me king of the whole wide world. I thought you were the devil in disguise but you turned out to be my puppet on a string. I used to live in the hotel down the end of lonely street but now it's viva las vegas 'cause I need your love tonight. Post script: Yes, I do weddings!

Paydirt

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If you were to look up "paydirt" in the dictionary, I reckon you'd find a photo of this lady...

My goodness this photo had me cracking up today. I found it at Sexy Old Broad's blog, and of course I'm thankful for that!

13 Ways to Sparkle

13 Ways to Sparkle In honour of the birthday theme I've decided on ("sparkles"), here are 13 ideas for "how to sparkle" that I'm giving my invitees... 1.... Drink sparkles (aka bubbly) 2.... Wear sparkles (another excuse to give that sequin dress from the 80s another go) 3.... Don a tiara 4.... Speak sparkles (add glitter to your words) 5.... Eat sparkles (fairy bread?) 6.... Behave sparkly (make it your code of conduct) 7.... Make sparkles your middle name 8.... Infect others with your sparkly laugh 9.... Carry a magic wand 10... Sprinkle sparkles wherever you walk 11... Open your eyes (yes, let them sparkle) 12... Wear bling on your fingers 13... And bling on your toes (as for the rest, anything goes!)

Tickled Pink by Tink

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Just as I was getting into the old funk about turning 40 (I'm sure I'm not the first!), I landed in a magical journal by a Dutch witch called Tinkerbell. Her "Thursday Thirteen" list of quotes for her own 40th birthday had me giggling and returning to a space of joy.

In particular I enjoyed Audrey Hepburn's quote Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you're exactly the same. Too true.

As a result, I have perked up and decided on a theme for my 40th birthday in October that will send the message "I may be 40 but I'm still the same"... SPARKLES.

This is the only drink I'll have on the menu, the only behavior I'll expect, and the only dress-code I'll accept. As in,

* Signature drink: Sparkles
* Code of conduct: Sparkles
* Dress-code: Sparkles

Think of it as sparkle in, sparkle out, sparkle ON!

Thanks Tink for the pick-me-up :-)
xx
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Creation amongst the chaos

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Today I was thankful to read on Candace's CAW Creations blog, "I am awash in a sea of beads and wire and lost findings!! I have no method of organization for my supplies other than cardboard boxes and some plastic containers. And I hate it!!"

It's not that I'm into freudenschade behavior... it's just that I'm a little jealous. Candace admits to being totally disorganized but then comes up with stunning creations like this!

Thanks for the inspiration Candace :-) Now when I get to my desk each morning I won't procrastinate by tidying my desk -- I'll just jump in amongst the mess and see what beautiful things I can create amongst chaos also ;-)
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Birds of a feather?

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I spent last weekend at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. I was fortunate to get a seat in the stands for the bird show (which I reckon is of world-class standard). About half-way through, a squadron of jets flew overhead. The commentator didn't miss a beat and incorporated them into the show, making us all look up and notice their wing-span as compared to the wedge-tailed eagle that was entertaining us. Funny!

Personal Year of Astrology

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Today I'm blissing out that 2009 is the "International Year of Astronomy." The vision is to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night-time sky.

In the act of star-gazing, organisers hope that individuals will thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery.

Personally, I plan to also make it a Personal Year of Astrology! I look forward to delving further into the world of Goddess Birth Signs (aka Goddesstrology).

You're Easy to Love

*****

This morning my husband told me, "you're so easy to love."

It was unexpected -- I hadn't been doing anything out of the ordinary or saying anything super sweet. I guess we just entered one of the sublime moments when people surf in on the same wave-length of joy for a while, where they sit in the palm of God's hand and dwell in the goddess' heart.

I've been having Mona Lisa smiles all day about what he said to me. Such a simple thing to say, but a powerful thing to hear.

In turn, I said the same thing to my teenage son when he came from school. Wow.

I'm just lovin' my family!

xx
Anita

Animal Dreaming

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I have been invited to emcee Scott Alexander King's 3-day certified course in Animal Dreaming later this month, in Sydney. I am very blissfully wonderfully happy about that :-)

Blissed be,
Insphire

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Words that make me feel yum

How this got started...

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...excerpt from CountYourBlissings.com

About a year ago I started taking a photo of something I was grateful for, every day. The conscious act of taking a photo every day meant I had to be actively looking for and recognising blessings in my life — ergo, the attitude of gratitude became a conscious act.

Over the 366 days of my personal project (including a leap day), counting my blessings became an intentional state of mind as I searched for "daily blissings" throughout each day.

I estimate it took me three months before I stopped searching for my daily blissings, and instead they began throwing themselves into my path. This blog continues this journey of gratitude.