awakening

awaken

be open to the universe

listen to its thunder

listen to its rain

listen as it pitter-patters through the souls

of even those lost in vain 

clear your mind

free your thoughts

get lost in some

form of art

let go of judgement

let go of fear

let go of thoughts not serving you

even if you want them near

take a moment to breathe

and

with each breath you'll see

an awakening

inside of you 

the gift of love

a gift that is free

awaken

well, i'm switching things up over here. as my journey continues, all of life evolves. my blog is a reflection of my journey. change. growth. newness and unlearning. to be open to the world. i have realized that what we may need to do is unlearn (a word i ironically learned at a recent seminar i attended). unlearn our learned ways. unlearn some of what has been passed on to us, particularly if it is not serving us. unlearn those pieces of ourselves, that really are not us. unlearn the pieces we've heard and have learned to think are us or make us, us. 

let go. our story has been created by others and without others, none of us would be here. for that we may be thankful and at times, not as thankful, but we need to accept what is. recognize what is. when we begin to look inward at the self, we realize what our story truly is. while we may not know where our path is going, we begin to understand and trust in the universe. it has a plan. we may long to know what that plan is. but you see, that is not part of the plan.  (this is difficult to accept, at times....or a lot of times....acceptance).

we live in a world today where there are little surprises. things are so easy to access. clicks of buttons is all it takes (yes, lots of irony within this statement, as i send my thoughts to the world through technology and simple clicks of the button). the technology of our world in my mind has lessened the patience with which one may have. patience in the everyday. patience in the lineup at the grocery store. patience at the gas station. patience with others. many have lost this patience. myself, i know i am one of them. in the past few months, the universe has given me many lessons in patience. an essential quality for a prosperous, happy and healthy life. 

we need to recognize the lessons the universe has to offer us. if we're losing our patience over and over it's a sign. take a breathe. step back. reflect. what is it that is causing you the impatience? breathe again. everything will be okay. let go of trying to control. let go. let go. let go. not an easy task. it takes patience and..... trust.  

yoga has taught me to recognize many of these "teachings". some may think yoga is only for those who are flexible, or that you have to "fit" a certain sterotype. that's the essence of yoga. there is no mold. no category. yoga is like a place of worship. a place to let go. look inward. calm the mind. the mat, is like a place of refuge. of course, it may serve as something else to each individual. just knowing it has the potential for all this is a wonderful thought, isn't it?     

what's your intention for the today, the week? are you awake to the lessons of the universe? 

open your heart and you'll be amazed at what you see, hear, taste, smell & yes, feel....

blessings,
femmeclectique

whispers of the universe

as i was driving home the other night, i had this amazing blog post all "written" out in my head. now, as i sit and write, the words are not surfacing quite so easily. perhaps i wasn't meant to share all the wonderous thoughts i had in that moment. perhaps all of that was simply just for me, even though it played out like a beautifully orchestrated blog post. 

it seems, like many i suppose, i come up with my best thoughts, when doing seemingly mindless tasks, like driving, walking, running, and laying thy head to rest.  (i suppose driving isn't exactly mindless, as you do need to pay attention to the road, but it feels that way.) the mind drifts and heads to places it doesn't get a chance to visit in the go-go-go of our north american busy lives. we're always doing and going, going and doing. we need to live more in the present. in the moment. love the gift of life we've been provided. see the sun through the clouds. let go and not get so caught up in the expectations and worries and fears. we need to adopt a more "pole pole" lifestyle, like the african culture. pole pole, a word learned from my sister who is living a dream in africa right now (visit her blog here) translates into "slowly" in Kiswahili.  

it's easter weekend. a time to slow down. enjoy family, friends, pets, if you're lucky maybe a good book or have fun coloring eggs...you don't need to have children to do this. cultivate your inner child. do it alone. it's okay. go ahead! i did! 

old jars work just spledid for coloring!

burst some color into your life!

okay...I wasn't totally alone.

it's looking a bit more like christmas here. with the snow ever so gently failling on my spring tulips. i'm taking the weather as the universe's way to slow us down. now, like all messages sent from the universe, not everyone listens to them. (especially us north american folk so heavily influenced by capital gains) not everyone hears them. you have to hear something in order to listen to it. in order to hear it, you must practice being present with the world around you and within you. it's all connected. so often in life we have learned to "tune things out". it's a shame really. because when we are in tune with ourselves and the world around us, that's when we do the best thinking, learning and growing. 

since my return from my retreat in seattle, washington (check it out here) i've been longing to have another weekend like that. it was such an amazing experience. i continue to learn and grow from all that it offered and continues to offer in my day-to-day life. the lessons and love it offered didn't stop on the last day of the retreat, as my new friend jasmine (check this gal out-and thanks jasmine!) dropped me off at the airport. it was only just the beginning....all "this" happened because one day, i walked down to our locally owned and operated stationary store chisolms (thank you chisolms!). as i browsed through the magazines (i have a slight addiction...one of many healthy addictions), i stumbled upon a magazine called mingle.  i was attracted to it because of the fabulous photo on the front. then, when i found out that it was magazine all about "creative ideas for unique gatherings"....i knew that was it. another addiction. mingle. what a great name. 

this was my first big message from the universe. this magazine has changed my life. now, you might think that sounds ridiculous, a magazine changing a persons life. it's the truth.  i was meant to find this magazine. it all happened at the right time. what i didn't know, at the time, was the impact this simple finding would have on my life. i didn't know that inside that magazine there was a world waiting for me. a world of wonderful like-minded people. i read it thoroughly. i cried. i read. i connected so much. i could feel something shifting. i was present. in that moment. with that magazine. it was like a whack of synapses were connecting. i could almost hear them crackle, like the hot embers in a blazing fire. my mind was excited. 

i "met" some great people in that magazine. one in particular. liz lamoreux. as i read her article on the be present retreats i knew i had come to the right place. i thought to myself-this is just what i need. right now. what are the chances this retreat lands on my march break? well, as it turned out. the chances were pretty darn good. the stars aligned. i took some time to think about it all (such a thinker). talked it over with my husband. he thought it was a fabulous idea. i didn't jump on it right away (even though i wanted to). i left it sit in my mind. weeks passed and i was still thinking about it. so, i jumped on it. well, it was more like a leap! i was excited. nervous. would i be good enough? am i really an artist?  yes. yes, i am.

and i was. and now i am. slowing down. living with an open heart.

listening to the messages the universe is cascading upon me

even when i don'twant to listen

i'm still hearing the whispers 

and gently listening

as i blissfully let life guide me

listening to its precious lessons

healing.

transforming.

like the changing season & celebration of the weekend.

rebirth.

regrowth.

listen to your heart.

are you hearing the universe?

with dedication,

femmeclectique

reflections

well, it's been almost a week since i've returned from my, oh. so. beautiful. retreat in seattle, washington. where i spent four days with amazing women i had only met for the first time. by the end of the retreat something so special had been created both within myself and within the group of us. something no one else would understand, unless you experienced all that we did in those days together. 

while i'm still digesting all that i learned, remembered and relearned from those inward looking days, i do know one thing. i'm seeing the world through new lenses. having had time to reflect on oneself is not something we take enough time to do. sure, i do yoga and during that hour on the mat, this is my time. this retreat was so much more than that. it was like four days of yoga plus a little more spice and love. i was able to reconnect with myself and really take some time to breathe. i can feel my senses hightened. my balance is regaining itself. i'm just feeling more. that's all there is to it. it's a wonderful feeling and i'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to fly over the oceans and spend this much needed time with such wonderful women of this world. 

you might be wondering exactly what i was doing over there anyway.....

i rested
i thought
i created works of art with my hands 
with color
with love
with ambition

i wrote poetry
it poured out of me as if my heart were a volcano
juicy, molten poetry lava is what i released 

i ate 
deliciously, yummy food. 
got back to my roots. 

i met beautiful women
with open hearts
wanting what we all want in life
to love and be loved
like and be liked
be happy and bring forth happiness 

i explored the beautiful woods of frog creek lodge
i gazed at the mossy green trees
alive like fire
green fire

i captured moments with my camera
i relished in my time with nature

i listened to the rain
again and....
again

a beautiful place in a beautiful world

i let myself be me
without judgement
i worked hard to let go of the powerful critic within  

i accpeted the present 
i released the past 
i embraced the future

i looked inward
seeked the quiet inside my mind 
i was present
present with me



here are a few captured moments of my time at the Be Present Retreat.  

 i love green

  light through the branches

 love rock

 light up your life with a smash of

 my new mantra

 reflections surround us...waiting for us to pay attention

 let go. let loose. play.

 love is everywhere...just look for it!

(Thanks Kelly Barton for finding this gem!)

 flowers brighten my world

poets making music with words

If you have a chance to take the time to .be. .present. at a retreat. do. it. Liz Lamoreaux is a fabulous woman. a creator (in many, many ways). a nurturer. a gentle soul. check out her site, etsy shop and blog! 

time to create space
femme

south shore love...

because sometimes you just need to have family, friends and food indulgences. 

check out these great spots to indulge your senses, as well as your mind, body and spirit.....and your inner fashionista......

 

relax here

loosen up before heading for a massage!

 

Salt Shaker

try a chocolate mousse for desert....or two! 

 

a hidden gem in lunenburg! great for families with children too!

there's a play room....it was inticing! 

i bought a lovely sweater at Luvly in Lunenburg.....designed by  Paper People Clothing...a fabulous Canadian design company. check out both the store website and designers blog. 

where will i go next?

i love etsy. it's so inspiring and full of wonderfully handmade goodies.

check out these delicious slippers to warm your toes, while remaining zen-like. 

 

LaLa Shoes

also, for the yoga and meditative lovers out there. we all need something like this to help cultivate being present....

RagPetalBoutique 

sadly, this has sold before

 I had a chance to snatch it up! this just means something more beautiful from this lovely artiste awaits my discovery!

last but not least......

my soon-to-be purchase (not this particular one!)

 

RagPetalBoutique 

oh, last, last. just found this beauty of a hat! 

earthy green. gorgeous!

lucymir

hope you're inspired. more femmefashion inspirations to come!

love and dedication

for those of you who know me, you know that  to me, fashion is art. i truly believe that for some people, it is a way of expressing themselves. i am one of those people. i've always had a liking for all things fashionable. being the eclectique femme, i'd say my fashion sense is eclectique, as well. i'm not certain i "fit" into any one style. rather, i like bits and pieces of different style genres, we'll say. what comes from all of that is simply my own unique style. one that is forever evolving.

i've often wondered where my love of fashion comes from and i have a pretty good idea of exactly where it began-my grandmothers bedroom. i believe i spent numerous minutes, which turned into hours, over the course of my life sitting in front of her mirror, trying on her jewelry. beads, beads and more beads. she had oodles of earings. and of course, what woman who had an afinity for all that, doesn't have copious amounts of shoes and purses. my grandmother was by no means rich. she saved her pennies and worked hard. she had a flare for fashion and always looked good.

so, to her i am thankful. thankful for my flare for fashion. as i child, i may or may not have changed my clothes four to five times in one day. that may or may not happen time and again, as an adult. some things never change. except, i don't throw it all in the laundry each time anymore...since i'm the one now doing the laundry. instead, on those days. it just goes on the floor. it's like a clothing art party, all over the floor. it gets returned to it's proper place, when the timing is right. 

so this post is dedicated to my grandmother-nanny crouse. who nurtured my love of fashion. who gave me a voice...an outlet for expression....in more ways than one.......

more to come on that next time.  

check out my fashion page on the blog. what will you wear tomorrow?

be true to you.

femme x

poetry for the heart

spring has sprung it's in the air
the chill is fading 'way.
i smell the leaves
beneath the snow 
waiting for the day.
when flowers bloom,
the earth wakes up
from its winter sleep.
i'll wait for you,
to you i'm always true.
come spring  
we'll dance the days away.

cultivating my roots & feeling grounded

well, it's been a fabulous weekend. i spent my weekend in the city at a yoga workshop. we were learning the practice of anusara yoga. i'm feeling extremely grounded. it was a lovely experience. i challenged my body in many ways and know i will continue to feel shifts within myself, as my muscles, organs heart and mind continue to be nourished from this weekends practice. i enjoyed the anusara style of yoga. i feel like i am on a yoga taste test journey. trying out different flavors, to see what is the sweetest and most delicious practice for my mind, body and spirit, at this moment in life. each day is a new journey and i welcome it with open arms and an open heart. 

the teachings of the weekend continue to replay in my mind. and some of those poses my body just wasn't ready for continue to revisit my mind as well. being the stubborn one that i am, i get frustrated when i can't "master" a pose. letting go of this desire for perfection is something i'm working on. letting go. letting go. letting gooooo. patience. these are my intentions for my practice.
like all things in life. intentions change, sort of like the weather. and that's okay. 

letting life guide me, there's another!

bonsoir.

the no plan, plan.

since blogging is new to me, i hadn't really thought too much about the frequency with which i'll blog. however, sticking with my last blog post "let life guide you" i've decided to keep that as my mantra. i'll just let it happen. there won't be an "every second day" plan. my plan is not to plan....does that make it a plan? oh dear. it'll happen when it happens....i'll just stick with that!   


not much overly exciting going on here today, other than being extremely exhausted.....which isn't very exciting at all! i'm currently staring at a pile of clean towels that my husband so graciously washed. the cat is sitting near the pile....maybe she'll fold them, while i nap. 


namaste

let life guide you

blogs. a new world. a place to write and share. learn and grow. insprire and re-insprire.  

femme eclectique. one might wonder what that means. i still don't know. it came to me one day. it's the woman i am. eclectic. but i like the word better in french. and i also like the word woman in french too, so-that's where it all came from. i do speak french, so i feel warranted to have that choosing (not that i need warranting, but you know). my husband also speaks french- well, sort of. he speaks acadien. so it's a bit of a mix of french and english. i suppose i could have went that route, eclectique woman. but nope, femme eclectique is so much more me. and that's what i intend to be.

i've been reading lots of blogs lately. many different blogs and was reassured that like myself, some people start them without knowing exactly where it's all going. it's like life these days. starting things and letting life guide you, rather than always trying to guide life. if there's one thing i'm learning in life, it's that we have less and less control over things than we think we really do. as someone who likes control, it's a real learning curve for me. it's something i think i've always known, but have paid little attention to. instead i've just always planned, plannned, planned. however, throughout my indulgent practice of yoga i am learning to let go. this is not to say that planning is something one should not do. no, no. rather, it's all about balance. the balance of planning and learning to let go of that which we cannot plan or control. this planning and desire to plan with which i so inherently have been graced with is leading to positive changes in life.  i'm honing in on desires, needs to plan redirecting the energy to positive spaces.....i'll let you know where exactly that is....once i get there...i just know it's positive. i can feel it. i mean, i'm here and that's a start!

so this brings me to the main reason for this post:

planning our wedding-in three simple words: i loved it! absolutely LOVED it. every aspect, every detail. who knew a wedding brings forth so much growth-or at least it has the potential to, if you are willing to find it, listen to it, embrace it. that's what i did. i've always known that i love to plan things. planning our wedding taught me so much about myself and us as a couple. it's a day where you want to share your love with each other and your family and close friends. it's a reflection of who you are both individually and as a couple. that's exactly what our day was. since our wedding, we've both grown so much and of course will always continue to do so. for the course of our year engagement i checked several wedding websites, daily....okay...perhaps obsessively. but hey! that was all part of my journey to get me where i am today. it wasn't wasted time. it's was inspirational time. time spent rejuventaing my creative juices. which, i personally believe paid off pretty darn good in the end! our wedding was lovely. and i like to think it reflected us.  so, here's a taste of our wedding day.

i'm hoping this will be a space where i can share my love of all things vintage, wedding-ish, eco, musical, oceany, fashionable and the list goes on!

Here's a sneak peek  at a few of our wedding pics! All photos by http://www.laurenkayephotography.com/  check her out. she's fantabulous!

 my lovely ladies!
(their beautiful clutches with personalized inscription- made by http://www.oatmeallacedesign.com/)

 papa and i...i was nervous!

 love is happiness.

 yee-haw!

 grab a limb!

dancing. marvelous moment

stay tuned....

& remember...being eclectique, you never know what might blossom here.

sweet embrace

things are happening
life is turning
uncertain of where i'm going
feeling out the path
going somewhere good
i can feel its sweet embrace
oh precious life
bring me joy
to you i owe
love

something beautiful IS happening...

while I am not yet certain what exactly that something beautiful is
I do feel beautiful surrounding me
maybe it's in the light shining,
softly through my window curtain
or the birds cawing, welcoming the day
the delicious pancakes being created by my loving husband
life is shifting

energies are transforming

it's a beautiful day