friday night we ventured up to seattle for this fun event featuring cupcakes, champagne, and tranquility. here are a few photos from the extravaganza hosted by ladies who launch seattle.
as i type this, i'm gearing up for my final event in vancouver and fly back to dc tomorrow. whew, this has been *such* a fun experience. yesterday's 8-hour train ride from portland to vancouver was an absolute treat. saturday i spent 6.5 hours (yes, you read that right) in powell's - my absolute favorite bookstore.
it's hard to belive this whole journey began almost 10 days ago. i'm remiss on blog posting as my online access has been limited due to the continual jaunting from one city to the next. beau is busily putting together a video that captures this adventure and we hope to have it up in a day or two - sorry for the delay. stories, quotes, and more photos to come.
There are plenty of quick fixes in life that can save you a penny or two. We hear them all the time from our grandmas and mothers and friends – it’s just a matter of remembering them with every thing else we have in our wonderful minds! Here are a few I've been using lately:
Clothing and Accessories
-Use a permanent marker to disguise scuffs on your shoes.
-Keep the zippers on your purses and clothes working well by occasionally running a pencil or beeswax over them.
-To avoid scratches, store handbags in old cotton pillowcases.
-Hang trousers and pencil skirts from the bottom hem – the weight of the garment will help pull out any wrinkles.
-Cashmere, lingerie, and other delicates can be hand-washed to help prolong their lives. You don’t even need a fancy hand-washing detergent – a very gentle shampoo or body wash (like those for babies) works wonders on delicate fabrics and wools.
(Spring) Cleaning
-Vinegar can clean and disinfect nearly everything. Check out this website for some vinegar tips.
-A good castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s can be used to clean everything from your body to your clothes.
-Baking soda can be used on a damp sponge or cloth as a gentle abrasive to cut through grease and grime.
-To clean a microwave, put some lemon slices or lemon juice in a bowl of water and microwave for a few minutes. The steam and the lemon will help loosen any grease or foodstains and the lemon helps neutralize odors. Just wipe the interior with a cloth (and beware of the hot bowl of water!).
-Buff windows and mirrors with newspaper to give a brilliant shine.
Feel free to share any tips you may have! I’m always on the lookout for more!
Also, happy Ides of March, everyone! Beware of soothsayers and backstabbers today. :) I will be watching the 1953 version of Julius Caesar tonight to unwind and commemorate the day.
Katharine Albritton is an art market specialist and writer. Procrastinate with her at The Fine Taste Emporium and follow her on twitter.
examiner musings on los angeles event vintage sparkles in san francisco my new fave daily treat: wheatgrass tea, cupcake, lipgloss, carousel ride date with heather pierce at samovar tea lounge message musings on yesterday's portland tv show book signing event at tea chai te in portland last night quality time with dc friends in portland youngest tranquilista at event so far cupcakes, cupcakes, and more cupcakes: theme of this journey
“Art communicates through the senses - a chef through taste and smell, a musician through sound, and a visual artist through sight. But they all have one thing in common - they all lead directly to the heart.” --Andrew Hamilton
Touch has such healing power. Just think about how you feel after a massage – like butter, right? And we all know what happens to babies who have been denied touch – they fail to thrive. These are basic examples of the power of touch. Can you think of some in your own life?
Build Your Sense Awareness
Take an awareness break right now and notice what sensations are present for you right now. Don't shift or move – just notice what you're sensing right now. Can you feel your clothes on your body (are they tight or loose?)? Is the seat you're sitting on hard or soft, or are you sticking to the seat? Here are some things to be aware of in terms of sensation: temperature, pressure, and texture.
Expand this awareness out throughout the day and notice the different sensations and how they feel. For example, what does the water feel like hitting your body in the shower? Which clothing material pleases you? How do your sheets feel against your skin? What does it feel like to cuddle with your pet? Notice how your towel yourself off each morning/evening and how varying the pressure feels. Can you feel the wind ruffling your hair when you go outside? How does the warmth of the sun feel on your face? What is the texture of the washcloth that you scrub your face/body with?
As you become more aware of sensation, you'll become more aware of what feels pleasurable to you. And don't forget to introduce new touch sensations into your world – whether it's buying flannel sheets or wearing a silk scarf or wrapping yourself in a soft blanket. Experiment and play – there are so many ways to luxuriate in and indulge your sense of touch.
Heightening Your Sense of Touch
Here are some fun resources to help you explore your sense of touch:
The Feather Place – if you're looking for an inexpensive way to add a new touch sensation to your life, try this Web site. Notice how it feels to gently drag a feather across your skin. Delicious!
Sheepskin Town – if you'd like to enhance your décor and your sense of touch, try a soft and cozy sheepskin rug.
Fleece Pajamas – if you want to stay warm and delight your body with the softness of fleece, try these Snuggle Fleece PJs from Pajamagram.
Stylish Eco-Friendly clothes – I know you're all familiar with the sassy, stylish, and earth-friendly clothes from TranquiliT, but I must include them here. They offer pleasure on two fronts – the bamboo and organic cotton feel delicious against your skin and you look stylish wearing these fabulous clothes. What can I say – it's a pleasurefest!
Sock Dreams – if you're looking for a pair of socks that will wrap your feet in glorious pleasure, check out my very favorite source for socks.
Life is Good Creamy Tees – why wear a plain ole T-shirt, when you can wear one that feels buttery soft to the touch (not to mention the fact that it carries a very cool message – life is good)? I own a few of these and they're the ones I always reach for when the urge to don a t-shirt comes over me.
Pleasure Butter – just the name of this delightful product gets me smiling. There's nothing more wonderful to wallow in your sense of touch than massage. These pleasure butters from Good Clean Love are perfect for massage. Not only do they feel amazing on your skin, but they smell wonderful too.
Again, experimentation is key here. Have fun with it and enjoy learning what touches delight you. Remember, it's all about expanding your pleasure. I'll see you next time!
Have a pleasure-filled day,
Diane
Diane Cesa is a yoga practitioner and teacher, lover of life, tea drinker, adventurer, eternal optimist, nature fan, blogger, and self-proclaimed pleasure maven.
---- three tv segments and one event done. two tv segments and three events to go! here are a few pics and today's fun on sacramento and company. the pics include:
2. reconnecting with former tranquil space teacher regina hughes who surprised me in the audience of view from the bay. yay!
3. beau + moi after sipping wheatgrass-infused concoctions and dining raw at cafe gratitude in berkeley.
4. the lovely jennifer lee and britt bravo after our laughter-filled dining experience at cafe gratitude.
this adventure has been full of lovely connections and reconnections, tv time, quality time with beau, and oodles of travel. we're back to san francisco shortly and fly to portland this evening for tomorrow's tv show on AM northwest and event at tea chai te. can't wait to see many of my fave portland peeps and indulge at powells. follow along at #tranquilistatour.
in honor of today's segment where we discussed eleanor roosevelt's famous quote "do one thing every day that scares you," i'd love to know what one thing *you* are going to do! think outside the box. color outside the lines. seek possibility. see with new eyes. invest in yourself. explore what lies within.
"Fall seven times; stand up eight" Japanese Proverb
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by the ineffable Miss Kimberly two Sunday's ago for a podcast that will be posted here in the near future. Kimberly asked me what I've been up to since our last podcast in December of 2008, and I said something along the lines of "I've been fielding failure." I don't feel I explained myself very well on the podcast, so I'll try again here.
I had hopes the size of mountains in 2009. There were books to write and fellowships to apply for. I was always working on something. I applied for two literary fellowships. I wrote two book proposals. I auditioned to be on the Bachelor, which is a bit of a stretch but a fun one. All year long there was project after project, attempt after attempt, and at the end of the year I had to face the reality that none of them had come to fruition. I was sure at least one of my endeavors would come through, but the Universe had other plans.
The year couldn't end quickly enough for me, and I welcomed 2010 like a friendly neighbor bringing baked goods. With the new year came a new book idea. I sighed and thought "Am I going to put myself through this again?" I answered almost immediately "Yes I am!" And that was the moment I knew I'd be fine. I realized that there's something in me that will always keep trying. As long as I know there's oil, I'll keep digging. I had figured out how to field failure, and having a plan for failure is as important as having a plan for success.
I call my new ideas boomerangs, and it's my job (your job) to keep throwing them out into the Universe. Every resume, essay, poem, book proposal, blog, small business plan etc. is a boomerang. Throw them out there again and again. Some will get lost and others will come back to you when you least expect it. In 2010, boomerangs that I threw out in 2007 have come flying back at me. 2010 wouldn't feel this good if it weren't for 2009—the year of nothing going my way. And I'm sure there are other set backs ahead, but I need those road blocks to fully appreciate when I do get what I worked for (and more).
With regards to the comic above, it's just a joke. It's never too late to throw boomerangs! Grandma Moses didn't begin painting until her seventies.
Samara O'Shea is an author and professional letter writer. Visit her at LetterLover.net and follow her on Twitter.
tranquility = swinging high on a beach, wheatgrass shots, yoga on-the-go (+ in your office chair), reconnecting with old + new friends, sipping pink bubbly, green juices (yesterdays = celery, spinach, apple, cucumber), celebrating international women's day, the princess project (they were on san diego living with me today).
Bonjour. Welcome to the 174th edition of Tranquility du Jour: A Guide to Bringing Tranquility to your Every Day. Today’s show features happenings and musings on yoga + wine.
Tranquilista Lifestyle: Joie de Vivre: Join me for a 6-week e-course focusing on the outlined in Tranquilista. Our six sessions will highlight ways to shape your world with spirituality, do-gooding, creativity, style, and entrepreneurship. Launches March 24.
Tranquilology Teleclass: Join moi for our next Tranquilology Teleclass "Bloom into Spring" on Monday, March 22 at 9pm ET. $10. View petals from winter's teleclass.
Featured Tranquilista: Angela Gargano has over 10 years experience in the wine industry, having worked as a wine buyer in San Francisco and as a sommelier and event planner. Angela has studied at the Culinary Institute in Napa's Professional Wine Studies Program, completed the introductory Certificate for the Court of Master Sommeliers and has participated in various tasting panels for Wine and Spirits Magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle. Yoga and Wine retreats and workshops have been featured in The New York Times, MSN.com, Girlfriend Getaways-Budget Travel, Fitness Rx, Gotham Magazine, Metro New York and other national and local publications.
"expect to have hope rekindled. expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. the dry seasons in life do not last. the spring rains will come again." - sarah ban breathnach
soon the daffodils will be peeking out of winter's barren earth and we, too, can begin to reemerge. how would *you* like to emerge this spring? hmmm, i have a few ideas and they definitely tie into my dreams below. february passed quickly: short month, blizzards, valentine's. somehow it didn't hit me until the 4th or 5th that i had missed evaluating and setting my monthly goals. uh oh!
this process is a treat because it ensures my daily/monthly goals stay aligned with my bigger picture goals. below are my march dreams coupled with my review of february's dreams. how did your dreams unfold in february? big plans for march? let's help keep each other accountable! my march dreams:
1. daily live videos via ustream during west coast tour. tune in here. 2. ongoing tweets during west coast tour. follow here (#tranquilistatour). 3. informative + inspirational tv interviews in san diego, san francisco, sacramento, portland, vancouver over next few days. 4. informative + inspirational events in LA, portland, seattle, vancouver. 5. fun, inspiring tranquilology teleclass: 8 new petals for spring. 6. ship out tranquility toolkits to oh-so-talented creativity circle graduates. 7. launch *new* tranquilista ecourse. 8. finalize placement for fall 2010/spring 2011 MSW internship. 9. successful shoulder surgery on thursday, march 25. boo. 10. bask in "realizing your true nature" all-day workshop with tara brach on march 20. 11. flair-filled booksigning at breathe books in baltimore. 12. start each day with 10-minutes of meditation. 13. launch ballet-inspired spring TranquiliT collection: special dc event on march 21. 14. share results + implement suggested changes in tranquil space survey (680 responses). 15. surround myself with fresh flowers. 16. daily yin yoga. 17. continue to phase out time-wasters: immediate response to emails, try (again) for email checking, facebook checking, twitter checking limited to a few times/day. 18. answer up to 3 questions each day on formspring to serve up inspiration + ideas. 19. don flower pins, pearls, feathers, and sparkles to accentuate favored noir look. 20. prep for tranquil space foundation's exciting luna fest event. 21. daily green smoothie sipping. for ideas on how to make yours, click here. my february dreams: 1. finalize west coast book tour (march 6-12 - deets to come) - DONE, DETAILS HERE 2. finalize and order spring TranquiliT collection (today) - DONE, LAUNCHES LATER THIS MONTH 3. finalize india retreat (coleading with darren main november 12-21 - deets to come) - DONE, DETAILS HERE 4. complete blogging your way e-course homework each week - READ IT EACH WEEK, DIDN'T DO IT. BOO. 5. do MSW readings - DONE PLUS 2 PAPERS + ONE EXAM. UGH. 6. chez moi organizing (feb. 13) - OVERALL RESCHEDULED DUE TO SNOW. 7. host two dinner dates (feb. 17 + 25) -DONE. 8. return to weekly ashtanga practice - DID ONCE, HAD TO MODIFY. SHOULDER SURGERY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 25. 9. bask in "mindfulness on the job" workshop (feb. 27) - DONE, LOVED IT. 10. productive, fun spring TranquiliT photo shoot (feb. 28) - DONE, WENT SWIMMINGLY. 11. play date evening with girlfriend (feb. 12) - DONE - YOGA, ARTIST DATE, DINING. 12. launch etsy store/design strategic plan/determine strategic use of time and energy (carryovers from january) - STILL IN PROGRESS. ETSY MAY BE PUT ON HOLD FOR A BIT. 13. more consistent scheduling/morning ritual/meditation- STILL IN PROGRESS.
Featured Tranquilista: Angela Gargano has over 10 years experience in the wine industry, having worked as a wine buyer in San Francisco and as a sommelier and event planner. Angela has studied at the Culinary Institute in Napa's Professional Wine Studies Program, completed the introductory Certificate for the Court of Master Sommeliers and has participated in various tasting panels for Wine and Spirits Magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle. Yoga and Wine retreats and workshops have been featured in The New York Times, MSN.com, Girlfriend Getaways-Budget Travel, Fitness Rx, Gotham Magazine, Metro New York and other national and local publications.
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