i thought of a brilliant way to combine my love for ice cream, photos, and exploring portland.

it’s an ice cream photo walk!

if you live in portland, and also enjoy those things, mark your calendar for june 30th and join me.

::

my latest tv obsession is a show called the pretender. it aired in the mid 90’s, so possibly i am the last person in the world to hear about it. the show stars jarod, a genius with the ability to quickly master any topic and flawlessly impersonate anyone in any profession.

it’s fascinating to watch him go from a fireman to a navy commander to a forest ranger to an exterminator to an attorney, but the thing i find most enjoyable about the show is something entirely different.

jarod’s character is such a beautiful portrayal of childlike curiosity and openness.

whenever he doesn’t know something or understand something, he asks questions. “if the hole is here, why do they call this the donut hole?” “who is the man in the yellow hat?” “why is he called mr. potato head when his whole body is a potato?”

i want to be that open and curious.

i don’t want to stop myself from asking questions because i’m afraid of looking foolish.

::

atlas decided he wanted his very own facebook page. now he can express his opinions 24/7.

speaking of atlas, do go see my magazine feature parody. i giggle every time i think about it.

::

this week, i stumbled upon a beautiful post about prayer from jena strong.

::

if you ever spy creme fraiche from vermont creamery at the grocery store, you might want to try it, particularly the madagascar vanilla flavor. i discovered it last week and am on my fourth container. it is delicious with fresh strawberries.

::

what is delighting you lately?

did you know that atlas is my vice president and creative director?

well, he is, and he decided it was time he created his very own offering.

if you are a fan of his silliness and wisdom, you will want to read his letter to you.

please help me choose love, be love, feel love.

over and over and over.

p.s. i feel like we could all use a dose of loving kindness. so, i am offering a group reiki session this week, no charge, on thursday, may 16th, @ 6pm pst. if you’ve been wanting to try reiki, or could use some nourishment in your life, this might be for you. if you want in, let me know.

 
{i wrote this post for my friend relyn’s blog to celebrate her month of passions. i am sharing it here today because it seems fitting. if you are not as fond of lower-case letters as i am, do thank relyn for this brief respite from them.}

When I was younger, I wrote letters to a dear friend of mine. She lived less than fifteen miles away and I saw her most every weekend. I loved writing letters – it was fun to capture funny snippets from daily life in a story – and I didn’t have many far away friends. I didn’t expect her to write back; I just wanted to write letters. Plus, my dad intervened in my one attempt to find my own penpal. (I tried to write to an inmate. There must have been an ad in the classifieds? I quietly slipped the letter in the mailbox one morning – apparently I suspected my parents wouldn’t approve – but it was discovered. That was the end of that.)

I have a stack of postcards and cards on my desk right now. They are all addressed – so I remember who they are for – and I am slowly writing on each of them. Most of them are celebrating March birthdays. I am very fond of belated birthday cards; I like to think it’s even more surprising and delightful when a card shows up well after the birthday has passed. This month, I was inspired to recycle a couple of unused Christmas cards in the spirit of fun and whimsy. As far as I’m concerned, you can say “fa la la la la” all year round, and Santa making a snow angel on the beach is the perfect sight for a snow-covered midwestern friend. (I just realized that the latter says “Enjoy the holidays”. Your birthday is a holiday, right? Maybe it should be.)

It turns out that all these years later, I still love sending mail. With a few words and a stamp, I get to show someone that I care about them, even if I don’t say so directly. I get to show someone that someone out there in the big wide world is thinking about them. I get to imagine a little dose of happiness sitting in someone’s mailbox between bills and junk mail. I get to remember that – even in moments when I feel lonely – there are people in the world that I love and adore.

I must say that I loved mail even more once I discovered the magic of postcards. They really are the perfect size! Letters are great, but sometimes my hand just doesn’t flow across the page, and it’s so easy to jot something on a postcard and pop it into the mailbox. (Like: I’m thinking about you! I had a dream about you last night – we were spies and managed to save the world! Harold and Kumar – a pair of bluebirds – are eating bird seed on my patio and I wish you were here to watch them with me! You might like this quote!)

If I really stop and think about it, sending mail is a beautiful practice. I am doing it for other people, sure, but I am also doing it for myself. It feels like I am putting a little bit of myself out into the world. It feels like I am practicing vulnerability and trust and openness. It feels like I am helping to spread joy and surprise and wonder. It feels like a way to ground myself in the moment and to really appreciate it.

I want to help fill the world with beauty. Sending mail is one of my favorite practices.

want to join me? let’s celebrate our friends and fill the world with postcards!

in a fit of inspiration, i created a set of {let’s celebrate friendship} postcards. they were inspired by my love of mail and my love of postcards and my current obsession with friendship. and yes, i actually put “you rock” on a photo with rocks. i am indeed cheesy.

the set includes 5 postcards. the cost is $12.50.

if you’re interested, click yes, please!

i am delighted to inform you that the secret garden is now open for 2013!

the secret garden is my patron program. it’s my way of filling your year with surprise, delight, and anticipation.

i hope you like what’s in the circles this year!

i was writing out some postcards and it occurred to me that i would love to send out a bunch of postcards letting people know that they are loved. not as myself, in this particular case, but as the instigator, the go-between, the merry-maker.

i want to spread surprise and mystery and delight.

so, i am turning this image into a postcard. for $5, i’ll send one to the person of your choice, letting them know that there is someone out there who is thinking about them and who wants them to know that they are loved.

it’ll make them happy. it’ll make you happy. it’ll make me happy. win-win-win.

here’s how it’ll work:

1. you’ll click yes, please and complete your payment.
2. i’ll email you and ask for a name and address.
3. i’ll send your special someone a postcard.
4. we’ll all smile.

p.s. i did consider telling them who loves them, but there is something about the mystery that seems like a lovely reminder that we are all loved more than we will ever know. that being said, feel free to tell them yourself.

i felt inspired to offer another round of the world of story. it will start sometime in february.

this is your invitation to join me!

if you feel so inspired, i would love to have you.

i completely forgot to mention here that i am having a 12-12-12 special in my etsy shop. enter twelve as the coupon code at checkout for 24% off your purchase. it will run through the end of the year, since it is the month of twelves.

besides, i figured it’s possible that there are other people like me, who like to send mail post-holiday and need to re-stock their card collection.

just for fun, i made an atlas calendar. i liked it so much that i ordered eight of them. two calendars are already spoken for, so i have six available.

they’re desk calendars, 5×11 in size, with a built-in easel for display on your desk.

i’ll also request your birthday month and atlas will send you a birthday card next year. (if you don’t like birthdays, or like your birthday month to remain a secret, he’ll send you an un-birthday card sometime during the year.)

the cost is $27, which includes shipping.

want to spend 2013 with atlas?

this offering is no longer available. come back next year!

what is your mind inviting you to do today?
my mind is inviting me to let go.

what is your body inviting you to do today?
my body is inviting me to stand in the sunshine.

what is your spirit inviting you to do today?
my spirit is inviting me to read mary oliver.

i think i shall.

i don’t know what it is about this season, maybe the planets are involved, but i have been needing extra support lately. as a result, i thought i’d offer up a few half-price reiki sessions in case there is someone out there who is in need. if it speaks to you, just click yes, please and complete the payment and we’ll get your session scheduled. (half-price = $31.)

–>this offering is no longer available.