A Photo Love Letter To (and About) My Siblings.

I recently got to spend two wondrous weeks traipsing about Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania with some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. Also known as: my family. I could go on and on about how fantastic my entire family is, but I'm really feeling the sibling love tonight (and missing them like hell), so this photographic love letter is all for them...I chose photos that are indicative of both the laughter and the bond that we all share. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoy their company.












Wishing you and your own siblings the utmost peace, passion, and love.

Something Different This Thursday: A Call to Action

I have spent the past week with my amazing family, eating wonderful food, working on passion projects, playing with puppies, and answering calls, texts, and IM's from the truest of friends. I have a lot to be grateful for, more than I could ever put into a single post. So I'm not going to try.

The life I have, the things I love, I've cultivated myself. Including my little but lovely blog following. So this Thursday, I beg my readers to do me a favor: turn your life into one of gratitude.

How do you live graciously and joyously, and still get things done?

Easy.

Look at the people in your life. Look at your daily activities. Look at your to-do list, in your refrigerator, in your storage closet, in your living room.

Do the bulk of things/people/activities that you see challenge you? Do they inspire you? Do they make you feel good about yourself?

If you said no, you know what I'm going to say. PURGE, PURGE, PURGE. Once and for all. Do not half heartedly read this and think "Oh, gee, I should really follow her advice one day." That day is here. The time is now. Obviously, some things can not be avoided. It's a bad time to quit a dead end job, and yes, you probably really do need to scrub your toilets once a month. Still, I firmly believe that you control more of your life than you don't and there are tons of things you are doing, people you are hanging out with, and stuff you own that is just dead weight.

You should only be in a dead end job if you are actively looking for a better one, saving for a trip to Europe, or doing something else on the side. Scrubbing your toilets DOES come with a proud sense of "I just cleaned MY place. MINE.I'm a grown up!" But there's more, plenty more, and baby? Less is the new more. Get rid of the dead weight. Right. Now.

But that's not all. Purging doesn't automatically provide you a life of joy and gratitude or of peace, passion, and love. Now it's time to take stock. Regularly, and in depth. What's left? A closeknit posse who would come visit you in the hospital? Your complete works of your favorite writer (which can now be seen without digging through the piles of bad pop fiction)? Reduced time in bars that bore you which lead to more time to write/watch foreign film/just sit with your favorite person? Good. Realize how lucky you are to be left with so much that is worthwhile and fulfilling. Be grateful, and enjoy it...

And take it into the world. Inspire peace. Evoke passion. Just. Plain. Love.

Let Freedom Ring!

Hello All,

I am hoping you guys had a spectacular 4th of July! I had a splendid weekend in the woods in Pennsylvania, picnic-ing and setting off fireworks with family. It was very restful and peaceful, but still with lots of laughs. I may or may not have spent my actual fourth of July drinking wine and watching the neighbors on my Dad's cul-de-sac shooting off fireworks illegally (looks around guiltily). I've also been keeping up with my usual 5,000 blogs, and there was a lot floating around about what freedom means to you. I actually feel quite blessed, as I think my life affords me quite a bit of freedom. There's always room for improvement; financial freedom would afford me even more freedom of course...but compared to much of the world, and even a lot of people I know, I really can't complain. So what DOES freedom mean to me?

Freedom means the ability to set my own pace, speak my mind, and take time for myself when I need to. It means respecting the opinions of those who love me, but making my own decisions. It means pursuing only the paths I think are worth pursuing, creating my own vocation, and taking at least some time every day to live as if I'm on vacation. I feel so blessed to be living this vision every day and in closing want to encourage you to pinpoint what 'freedom' means to you, and to take concrete steps to obtain it.

Peace, passion, and love.

Things I Love Thursday: A Travel Edition

Dear Beautiful Blog Readers,

On this Thursday I feel even more gratitude than usual as I lounge in Columbus, OH visiting my family. So without further ado, here is my Things I'm Thankful for This Thursday:

Things That Inspired Peace
Straight Flights
Prowling around the suburbs in Ohio, finding great deals
Sweet TSA agents at the airport
Giving long overdue gifts to the family

Things That Evoked Passion
Being greeted at the Columbus airport by my dad and the cutest tween siblings this side of the Mississippi
My amazing cast for The Good Body! (Not travel related, but this show is going to be phenom).
Having three solid hours to read quality lesbian lit on the plane

Things I Just Plain Loved
Indulging in cable television. I don't keep it at my apartment for a variety of reasons, but indulging while on vacation is always a treat.
Learning to play Fluxx with the siblings.
Sam seeing me off by saying "Good luck flying...flap really hard"


So there you go! Short and sweet tonight. Love you all!

Thursday Thanks

I was a total slacker this week with the blog, and am quite sorry. I have been writing grants for Gadfly, putting together a fundraiser, applying for a second job, solidifying a season, and fulfilling some pretty awesome tarot gigs. I also had a really crazy busy but FUN week, which you'll see reflected in the Thursday Thanks! I have started some rough drafts of blogs, so here's what you have to look forward to in upcoming weeks:

*Going Into Business With Your Best Friend, and How to Keep the Personal and Business Separate (This will be a blog that also goes up on Jacks and Jills)
*Self-Evolution, or Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Change
*Missed Opportunity: What You're Costing Yourself by Holding Back

So, while I work on those, go ahead and peruse the rundown of everything I'm grateful for this week:

Things That Inspired Peace:
{Voting in new board members that I know are going to do a GREAT job!}
{Evenings of Manny doing my hair and make-up as we watch Will & Grace}
{Getting P-A-I-D for excellent tarot work}
{Spotting and purchasing early/late holiday gifts for loved ones at a bargain price}
{Music by The Pierces (seriously, look them up. Beautiful.) and Tom Petty's "Mojo" album}
{Rainfall and thunderstorms as I drift off to sleep}
{Using my Facebook status to ask "What's something that made you happy today?" and getting some amazing, touching, and often hilarious responses.}

Things That Evoked Passion:
{Quality flicks like Beginners and Burn After Reading (both viewed this week)}
{Spontaneous days in bookstores and at street festivals with amazing friends}
{Stocking up on plays and theatre related literature for cheap (although the reason it was so cheap is a little depressing)}
{Fundraisers for arts organizations that involve drag queens and liquor}
{Getting fees waived for the upcoming Gadfly season (HELLZ yeah)}
{Seeing my friends at the GonzoGroup Theatre's wonderful and experimental production of The Maids. Seriously, Twin Cities folks, GO SEE IT.}
{The UN FINALLY calling for a civil rights investigation on how GLBT persons are being treated in each country.}

Things I Just Plain Loved:
{Seeing the new Wilde Roast Cafe! It is...perfect}
{Finding a new bag, fully sustainable, for only 9 bucks}
{Spontaneous BFF shopping trips}
{Spotting some adorable mushroom patches while out on a walk}
{Open mic night at Acme Comedy Club}
{Getting hired on to direct a show (details coming)}
{Coupons; because parts of me are fifty years old}
{Discovering new cafes with amazing chai and cold press that comes complete with maple syrup!}


How about your own lists? Hmmm?

Peace, passion, and love.

Things I'm Thankful for Thursday!

Hello Blogfans! Once again I present you with "Things I Am Thankful for This Thursday", but first?! Some shameless self-promotion! In my never ending quest to inspire peace, passion, and love in myself and others, I ask that you please consider hiring me for all of your divinatory (IE: tarot card readings), photographic, or theatre/film/video/etc. needs this summer. My hours are very slim in the summer, and I could definitely use the work. Additionally, this is all work I genuinely adore doing and know brings peace, passion, and love to others. So help me keep the flame going; if you're not in need of a tarot card reader/photographer/theatre artist who dabbles in film, please pass the word along. Rates vary, and I am always willing to work with you. I'm also taking random odd jobs until the other things fill out a little more. Just ask if you're not sure I'll be into it.

NOW, on to the things already moving in my life to inspire peace, passion and love.

Peace:
My roommate's discount at work. Why yes, I WOULD like endless cold press with shots of almond flavor for four bucks, thanks for asking!

Evenings spent reading about Greek philosophy with the soundtrack of thunderstorms.

Clean laundry.

Movie theaters with balconies.

The sculpture garden at the Walker art center.

Evenings spent grilling and reminiscing with friends.

Passion
Disagreeing with friends about movies; the fiery conversations always bring out thoughts that go way deeper than film theory.

Hearing that I'm making a difference.

This quote from the film Before Sunset: "You can't replace people because everyone is made up of such beautiful, specific details"

Meeting other arts entrepreneurs.

Writing grants, which, if nothing else, gives me the opportunity to talk about why I do what I do and should get to continue doing it.

Love
Long talks

Brisk walks

Creating blackout poetry

Red curry

Scoring really flattering dresses for $3.00

The season premiere of Pretty Little Liars! (Don't judge. We all love what we love).

Talk to you soon lovelies. I adore you all. Peace, passion, and love.

Self-Love 101: Deciding Which Friends Are Worth It

If you're having trouble deciding if your friends are worth keeping or not, try writing a hypothetical, not-to-be-published classified ad as if you were seeking all new friends. What would you be looking for? What traits would you specify not wanting? Don't get ridiculously, no-one-would-fit-this-bill specific, the goal is to make sure you have quality, compatible people in your life...not isolate yourself completely. This exercise also helps you figure out what you bring to the table in terms of quality and compatibility; arguably this is even more important. SO mine would go something like this:

Vegan bibliophiliac lesbian with a passion for anything European or vintage seeks interesting, kind GLBT-loving friends for spontaneous adventures, long talks about nothing, and lots of laughter. I am loyal, intelligent, and incredibly loving; the kind of friend you can tell anything too, the kind of person who helps old ladies cross the road and brakes for animals. That being said, I am still full of laughter and adventure and am seeking friends of the same ilk; kind but kooky, smart but silly, compassionately passionate. I will bake you cookies if you front dinner, and I will always let you look through things I need rid of before I sell them. E-mail me back using your favorite band as the subject line; even if I hate them, I just make make you art/postcards/etc. with their lyrics embedded. Who knows?

The ad opens with what I put out into the atmosphere as being interested in. The second part states what is the most important to me to in other people and what I actually bring to the table. The final parts break the ice further and act as a blueprint for how the friendship would ideally play out. It leaves a lot open to interpretation, but the most important things would be there. Now...go back and look over it. This is the hard part. Are your friends accepting of the things you like (notice it's not mandatory that they like them, only that they partially make up who you are)? Are they the kind of friend and person you want to be around? Are you putting the things into the relationships that you claim? Are they reciprocating? If you answered no to very many of these questions...it may be time to shop for new friends.

Wishing you each people in your lives that bring you peace, passion, and love.

P.S. Feel free to leave your own ad in the comment section!
P.P.S. Special shout outs to my friends who I know for a fact read my blog and fit this bill You know who you are.