Success Is A State Of Mind

ohm sweet ohm, baby

The Fire Starters

I’ve been a follower of Danielle LaPorte for a few years now. She was recently in Toronto for her Fire Starter Sessions book launch and I was reignited by her self-ness. She’s one of those people that you know is consciously in constant life motion. Never settling in a sense of “I’ve figured it all out”. Her posts are always a fiery, soulful read with good solid information. She knows her stuff and she gives productive advice and clear direction on how to Start YOUR Fire, leaving no room for your inner wiener to poke through. 

In general, My ‘get stuck’ point is when I compare what I have achieved versus what I ‘should’ have achieved by now. This makes me lose focus and get shaky in the knees and feeling whack. This is the thought process of a wiener.

These past few years have been filled with some mega life changing moments. Most if not all were completely unplanned and to be honest, the only one thing I thought I would have been smooth sailing with by now (career in the fashion/design industry) is not even on my to-do list. This ‘surprise’ life that I’m living is true to my evolution of goals and interests. While looking back at it all, to do what Danielle calls “Glory Boarding” proves that I’ve checked some big-deal boxes by letting life happen and just making sure to be there when it does:

  •  Successfully managed a 24 hour business for 2 years with my boyfriend-then-fiancé-then-husband while living with my dad and brother, in a mobile home, in rural Ontario, one month after we lost my mom. ‘Intense’ doesn’t even begin to describe this chapter of life. There are so many great things that came of this experience… SO MANY.
  • Marriage – ups, downs and round-and-rounds
  • Home ownership – holy moly
  • Mama-hood – watch this. PERIOD.
  • Starting a small but flourishing business using my talent
  • Acknowledging that I have talent

Glory Boarding WORKS!!! I read this list and I think, DAMN guurrrllllll, why are you constantly stressing about what you’re NOT doing. It’s clearly all happening. You gotta rec-og-nize!

I’m blessed to have a solid circle of AMAZING friends and family that are in this general ‘life building’ stage. We all seem to have some boxes checked and some unchecked and there is a definite mix of feeling of contentment and anxiousness to check these empty boxes. I just want to do a quasi-public shout out to some of the ladies and gents that are moving and shaking and checking all kinds of boxes all of their own. I’m glory boarding for all of us! Here they are in no particular order:

  • Completing Big deal reports for big deal companies – silly people do big deal things too.
  • Finding good L-O-V-E
  • Fleeing to a foreign country to escape and reset your life – in a brave way
  • Nouvoux-ing yourself
  • Med-Schooling
  • Parenthooding
  • Chopping parts of your fingers off and faking inaptitude in the kitchen to make up for your amazingness in other parts of life
  • Keepin’ on Keepin’ on.
  • Loving Me

PS I was pretty excited to see that the back of my head made it onto Danielles blog in a photo at her Toronto book launch! Woooooop! The energy at this event was pretty spectacular but it made me miss being a city girl. The past few weeks have been fueled by her ‘Credo for making it happen’… newly available in mp3 format for a daily pep talk.

I took my inaugural trip to NYC this weekend and I’ve had a few days to decompress from the multitude of adventures it yielded.

After dropping the Babe off at daycare, we went home to switch cars because mine was low on gas, and for directions to the airport. We had a leisurely drive to the airport discussing my overly neurotic levels of worry and anxiousness when preparing for travel and how I worry about things that are 99.9% not going to happen. After agreeing that this is a trait I need to work on…. we arrived at the airport and realized that my purse didn’t make it on board during the car swap… cut to a minor breakdown, surprisingly calm and amicable sharing of guilt and 40 gut wrenching minutes of my man ninja-driving home and back. We pulled in to cheering traffic directors, we shared a victory high five and I was on my way!

I had two intentions on this trip: Meet NYC and Discover my destiny. I achieved 50% of this goal. ‘Discover my Destiny’ is my general intention at any given moment… from watching Oprah’s Life Class to watching a mother bird bring a worm home to her newly hatched babies. And so, I met NYC.

I felt lucky to have summer weather with what seemed like spring traffic. I expected it to be MUCH busier than it was. My overall feeling is that it is a significantly older brother of my beloved Toronto.

The standouts were more the impromptu moments shared with people rather than any particular landmark or restaurant. The ‘functionality’ of people’s day to day lives was an unexpected treat to witness as I spent a lot of time meandering solo.

Favorite moments are expressed in some of these photos:

  • Central Park - roller skating dance party with a jacked topless man and a basketball spinning guy with a special wink Juuuusssst for me.
  • Brooklyn Bridge - I walked it before, during and after sunset and participated in some kind of random scavenger challenge dance off and gave a lil wave to lady liberty out in the distance
  • I spent a bit of time in Matisse’s Red Studio, Got up close and personal with The Starry Night and stepped into (errr…out of) the shoes of Les Damoiselles d’Avignon.
  • I also appreciated this bicycle that in the moment represented ‘balance’ on so many levels. One day, I’ll be the kind of lady that rides that kind of bike.
  • Also, a small step in the Destiny discovery - this humble fridge magnet whispered at me with it’s tempting quote.

All in all, a big check mark and I will be heading back!

Valentine’s Day has always been a lovely time of year for me. This year I’m particularly thinking of comforting love. The kind that might be nostalgic or distant but still brings the reminder that there is something so great about a day dedicated to appreciating your relationships with people that you share your life with.

I’m a lover by nature which, I realize at times is nauseating and irrational but I think there is value and a definite need for it from time to time.

I have fond memories of my mom giving us valentines and a small but sweet token of love. My dad owned a card and gift shop for a number of years (which has played a huge role in my appreciation for paper goods, the hand written note, and the postage system). He had a way of picking the best of the best for us every year. My mom’s hand writing was light, quick and punctuated with x’s, o’s and nurturing reminders of all sorts. Her old notes are telling of her nursing career and motherly quickness. My dad’s hand writing was strong and concise, true to his background as an aeronautical engineer and the fact that he is and has always been a diligent worker.

This year, I couldn’t resist starting a little valentine factory with Miss Mia and her amazingly perfect crayon scribbles. She also has an extraordinary technique when applying stickers in just the right spot. We’ve mailed a few out to her international cousins and a bunch to distribute to her teachers and friends at school.

Anyways, I Hope you all have a chance to give and get a little love today! Take a moment to hand write a letter, a card or even just a post-it-note to make someone stop for a moment to see that you lourrvveee them!

I’m off to munch on some of my V-day gift from the Mister - chocolate covered strawberries and a heart shaped rice krispy treat! The camera didn’t make it out in time to capture the ‘before shot’. I’ve been chipping away at it since I got home from boot camp this morning ;)

Spread some love, my friends!

It’s time for a January Round Up! Being the first month of the year, January always serves as a blank slate to start ‘this’ year off right. It also happens to be my birth month making it one of my favorites.

As a kid/big kid I’ve always loved planning parties in celebration of pretty much any accomplishment, arrival, departure, birthday, union etc.

A couple of weeks ago I started off another birth year with a few friends. My original idea was to go roller skating as a group, which evolved into a “friendly biker gang goes roller skating” theme, simply because I chose to wear my leather leggings and a skull and crossbones studded shirt. Unfortunately, (fortunately) nobody else subscribed to the theme and we ended up getting cozy in our living room with sushi, beer and cupcakes. We caught up and snuggled in for some good times.

I received some Gin, a Lotto ticket and some beautiful accessories including this ‘by boe’ ring. I tend to be drawn towards simple yet unique pieces that can be worn comfortably and casually, and this ring hits the spot. As soon as I set my eyes on this beauty I was drawn to it’s clean lines and gold-leather combo. The site showcases more pieces that speak to the understated aesthetic and will likely be a go-to spot for gift giving (and requesting) in the future.

I’ve also posted pictures of last year’s birthday extravaganza which included me and some of my home girls (and pup) posing in what turned out to be a human heart-shaped snow angel, before heading out to dominate the local tobogganing hill. Admittedly, we initially approached the top of the hill intimidated and reluctant to pull through on the plan, but as we watched preschool aged children shooting past us head-first we rounded up our young-at-heart, carpe diem asses and proceeded to squeal and tumble in pleasure. For our final run we felt it was only appropriate to take on the often attempted, rarely executed 7 woman caterpillar formation…failed…. and then marched our sore butts back home for some burgs and frites. On my shopping adventures I came across an 8’ old school wooden toboggan for the next time my team hits the slopes. Ooooohhh-weeee.

Tabula Rasa was newly stocked last Friday with some F+G goods. The spring-like weather inspired some pretty greens and florals in the new delivery.
As we head into February, the month of L-O-V-E, we’ll have another TR drop off next week with some Valentine’s Day treats for your persons of interest. I’ll be posting pics of some of these soon!
Sooo. Happy Holidays to you and yours… Growing up together with siblings you know that one day your family will expand into a new generation. There is something so satisfying when you get to see it happen. Last week my one and only brother and sister-in-law welcomed their first baby girl to the world. My big bro is now a Daddy and I just loved that I was there to see the instantaneous change. Completely and utterly melted my heart. We are basking in the glory of fresh new baby love. I took the liberty of enlisting myself to design the nursery for my niece as a special gift from me to her. It’s a bit of an eclectic arabian theme injected with some really neat repurposed items that she’ll be able to grow with. The Field & Gather alphabet poster that I designed was a starting point for the room. It’s been a hit with visitors and so I’m adding it to the prints available from F&G in the new year. Stay Tuned!

Sooo. Happy Holidays to you and yours…

Growing up together with siblings you know that one day your family will expand into a new generation. There is something so satisfying when you get to see it happen. Last week my one and only brother and sister-in-law welcomed their first baby girl to the world. My big bro is now a Daddy and I just loved that I was there to see the instantaneous change. Completely and utterly melted my heart. We are basking in the glory of fresh new baby love.

I took the liberty of enlisting myself to design the nursery for my niece as a special gift from me to her. It’s a bit of an eclectic arabian theme injected with some really neat repurposed items that she’ll be able to grow with. The Field & Gather alphabet poster that I designed was a starting point for the room. It’s been a hit with visitors and so I’m adding it to the prints available from F&G in the new year. Stay Tuned!

I’ve been working on a few photo books through Blurb over the past few months since I have a deathly fear of my photos/memories being lost forever in a tragic digital malfunction.

Most recently I’ve been wrapping up a few loose ends on a book called ‘Baja Baby’. It’s my collection (injected with a few contributions from my travel companions) of photos from a trip I took in October of 2009 through ACE Camps with Sabrina Ward Harrison. Sabrina’s books had been a big influence in my life and I jumped on board the trip as soon as I heard it was a week in Baja, Mexico featuring workshops with Sabrina.

I’ll start my love rant by saying that I was SO ready for a trip like this. For me it was a mix of perfect timing/perfect people/perfect everything. It also happened to be the very first ‘camp’ that Angela, owner/operator had coordinated for ACE Camps and she’s been running camps all over the world ever since. She’s actually running a camp to Baja at the end of October so get a spot NOW. I’ll bullet point the standouts of the trip and accompany with some piccies to avoid a ridiculously long post:

  • The most beautiful path in the world
  • The dessert in Bloom
  • Private surfing lessons with Peter - even if it meant hours in the water for 2.3 glorious seconds of successful surfage (Thanks Peter)
  • The Ocean
  • Outdoor showers
  • Tent village with roommates that start as strangers and become dear friends. (with more than one blog worth sharing)
  • Walter the dog - the one in the pic with the manliest dog shadow ever known
  • Wilma the dog - Walter’s exotic Mexican lady friend and also my home girl and namesake of my future puppy
  • Wild Baja Gypsy Beach dogs… snuggling me on a beach at sunset
  • Brady bunch style transportation van that we packed into for fellow villager, Jorje’s 70th Birthday Bash featuring authentic mexican cuisine and dancing
  • 360 degree rooftop view of the mountains/desert/basil farms/ocean
  • Sleeping under the stars on the rooftop… waking up to that 360 degree view!
  • Angela in traditional Mexican attire serving up shots of tequila with her understated charming style.
  • do you really need me to go on?!

Anyway, I’ll try to post a link to the full Blurb book once it’s ready (I think there’s a share option) and in the meantime get yourself a spot on one of these trips. All the cool kids are doing it! Check out Angela’s blog… she recently did a post on India and posted some of our wedding pics.

When I started blogging, I knew consistency would be a bit of a challenge for me. I can’t pinpoint exactly why or whether it’s a conscious or subconscious thing, but anyway, I’m here now posting because I feel compelled to share something with you :) My daughter hit her milestone First birthday last month. There are so many facets to the experience of being a mama and the one year mark hit me in a big way. A general mix of excitement (I get to throw her  a birthday party), sadness (my baby is growing up), and a little bit of fear (Oh dear, it’s time to really think of the next step in MY life). I was going through some back logged bookmarks and came across an entry from A Cup of Jo. It covers women who work from home mostly in freelance/creative/blog type careers and offer an honest look into the (un)balance of work/life/motherhood. There are so many points that I can personally relate to but one in particular is the guilt. Overall it’s just such a waste of time but I’m constantly wrestling my brain about the guilt that comes with thinking/feeling/reality of not getting enough done. Whether it be for the babe, for my relationships, for work, for the house, staying in touch, staying relevant (to…everything), my fight for humanity and the planet etc. It has a bit of a crippling effect. (No Kidding). Anyway, the entry just kind of acts as a ‘we’re with you sister’ type read to anyone who is riding the mama/working lady train these days. I usually manage to talk my brain out of crazy town with a first class ticket on the rational thought express.  talk soon!

When I started blogging, I knew consistency would be a bit of a challenge for me. I can’t pinpoint exactly why or whether it’s a conscious or subconscious thing, but anyway, I’m here now posting because I feel compelled to share something with you :)

My daughter hit her milestone First birthday last month. There are so many facets to the experience of being a mama and the one year mark hit me in a big way. A general mix of excitement (I get to throw her  a birthday party), sadness (my baby is growing up), and a little bit of fear (Oh dear, it’s time to really think of the next step in MY life).

I was going through some back logged bookmarks and came across an entry from A Cup of Jo. It covers women who work from home mostly in freelance/creative/blog type careers and offer an honest look into the (un)balance of work/life/motherhood. There are so many points that I can personally relate to but one in particular is the guilt. Overall it’s just such a waste of time but I’m constantly wrestling my brain about the guilt that comes with thinking/feeling/reality of not getting enough done. Whether it be for the babe, for my relationships, for work, for the house, staying in touch, staying relevant (to…everything), my fight for humanity and the planet etc. It has a bit of a crippling effect. (No Kidding).

Anyway, the entry just kind of acts as a ‘we’re with you sister’ type read to anyone who is riding the mama/working lady train these days. I usually manage to talk my brain out of crazy town with a first class ticket on the rational thought express. 

talk soon!

I was a big fan of Pure Green Living Magazine when I first saw it’s revamped issue No.5 earlier this year. It is a Canadian lifestyle magazine that features eco-concious products, travel and food and my personal favorite, homes and businesses. I love seeing and reading about small businesses with some kind of handmade or really personal quality behind them. In our daily lives we are bombarded with all kinds of pressure to subscribe to oversized, in the box lifestyles and it is so refreshing and inspiring to see that there are people out there that are really making a stylish mark on their own versions of the ‘simple life’. I was delighted when I was asked to produce the DIY project for Issue No.6! The entire issue is filled with inspirational eye candy. You can check out my contribution on pages 46 & 47. Hope you enjoy my deliciously summery DIY!

I was a big fan of Pure Green Living Magazine when I first saw it’s revamped issue No.5 earlier this year. It is a Canadian lifestyle magazine that features eco-concious products, travel and food and my personal favorite, homes and businesses. I love seeing and reading about small businesses with some kind of handmade or really personal quality behind them. In our daily lives we are bombarded with all kinds of pressure to subscribe to oversized, in the box lifestyles and it is so refreshing and inspiring to see that there are people out there that are really making a stylish mark on their own versions of the ‘simple life’.

I was delighted when I was asked to produce the DIY project for Issue No.6! The entire issue is filled with inspirational eye candy. You can check out my contribution on pages 46 & 47. Hope you enjoy my deliciously summery DIY!

We got Sunshine on a Cloudy Day!

Here are a few pics from last weekend’s Flea at Tabula Rasa during the Taste of the Danforth. We had a great turn out despite the humidity and heat. I stayed hydrated and I especially loved chatting with a few of you about the roots of Field + Gather. We also started an official Mailing List! I’m excited that so many of you are interested in staying in the F+G loop.

A big Thank You to Jen and the girls at TR as well as the amazing gang of new friends that helped us pack it in ever so swiftly as soon as the rain hit. Overall it was a great success for F+G and a personal success as I delve into the world of my post-maternity leave action plan. The support of my family and friends makes me one happy, lucky and encouraged mama.

If you’d like to join the mailing list just shoot me an email at fieldandgather(at)gmail(dot)com or you can always check back here on the blog for updates on what’s on the horizon.

Keep your eyes and ears open for an end of summer sale at TR. I’ve got the fall lineup well on its way, but I’m holding out because I don’t want fall to feel too welcome.

F&G does Taste of the Danforth

This weekend is the increasingly popular Taste of the Danforth street festival in Toronto’s Greektown. I happen to be in a very Greek mood these days. We were so delighted to celebrate the Greek wedding of two very close friends last weekend and while they’ve been whisked away to real-deal Greece for a honeymoon, I am feeling pretty excited to experience the festival for the first time this year.

In celebration, Field & Gather has teamed up with Tabula Rasa for another Backyard Flea Market. We’ll be there on Saturday, August 6th from 10:30am until 5pm. We’ve got lots of new home and gift wares and some midsummer markdowns as well. I’ll be hauling in a few larger furniture pieces, but these go fast so be sure to stop in early! *CASH ONLY.

It’s going to be a busy weekend full of delicious food, soulful music and happy people celebrating. Come say hello!