Silver lining . . . .

I am loving these photographs in muted shades of silver and grey. It gives me a perfect soothing feeling for a rainy Monday morning. There are so many colors that compliment these tones.....her red lipstick, the baby blue eyes, the clear glass, and the stark black. This has me thinking about the approaching holidays, and gives me inspiration for what to wear, tablescapes, and decor ideas.

Photo via .la douleur exquise.

Photo by Brooke Fasani

Photo via Google Images

Photo via .la douleur exquise.

Photo via Polyvore

Necklace by Antica Murrina

Photo by Brooke Fasani

Affirmation . . . .

Photo by Alexa Singer

Every day I choose

to send loving, healing energy

to the planet.

What I do with my mind

does make a difference.

-Jason Mraz

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

It is possible . . . .

Photo by Becky Kiil via flickr

It is possible to be happy and joyful most of the time. You just have to look at little children and see their natural joy. You may say that little children are free and don't have anything to worry about, but you are free too! You are free to choose worry or to choose joy, and whatever you choose will attract exactly that. Worry attracts more worry. Joy attracts more joy.

- from Daily Teachings by Rhonda Byrne

Amazing GRACE . . . .

It feels good to just say the word. It is described as an "elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion or action; a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment." I think of someone who has grace as having integrity as their foundation. It is someone who commands respect in a way that no others do. You can count on them! They give you their word and you know they will follow through. They will never let you down. And they honor the people around them. Now that's grace!

They are people who are successful on their own terms and never compromise, use or abuse their femininity or masculinity. Grace is a state of being when you open up to all wonders of the world. It is when you feel at peace with yourself, so much so, that you don't need to react to what is going on around you. The band U2 says it's a thought that changed the world, and that it finds goodness in everything. Grace makes people thoughtful in every way. Who wouldn't want to be thought of in this manner? When you are not needy or pushy, you will notice that people respond to you differently. You become their calm reference point. It is an atmosphere in which people want to be in.....a much more relaxed atmosphere. And when you have grace, everything is possible.

If you want to see how much more is possible in your life when you are graceful, here are four areas of your life to start with.

1. Manners:
Don’t just be polite for the sake of it. Please, say it with a genuine smile. Listen with your full attention to what the other person is saying, without putting your own story into the picture. The benchmark is "did I just make today more wonderful for that person?"

2. Morals:
Adapt the codes of conduct which give a moral backdrop to our lives. It is not a question of can I do this and not get caught, or how far can I push the boundary. The moral code is within you. The benchmark is "can I sleep peacefully tonight?"

3. Standards:
What do you stand for? What do you represent to the outside world? Standards create the structure of your life and standards are built on what you are committed to. Integrity is the foundation. The benchmark is: "how much can I be trusted?"

4. Style:
We each have our own way to express our identity in this world. Our style is a discreet language which impacts our surroundings subliminally. The beauty of your own style reflects how comfortable you are within yourself. How do you describe your style? Is your style noisy, untidy, trashy or crude? Straighten this up and start being graceful. Do you dress to display your sexuality and sensuality, or to radiate your grace? A quick test is ask yourself "what do people remember about me: what I was wearing or who I am?" The benchmark is "how much does my life flow with ease?"

“Grace is to the body, what good manners are to the mind”

-Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Partial text by Guru Kaur

If Today Was Your Last Day . . . .

"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable."

-Sydney J. Harris

I have made it my mission to live a "no regret" life. That means I am willing to take more risks than I may have in the past. I don't want to be stifled by fear, wishing I had done something, or taken a chance. I don't want the fear of looking foolish to keep me from doing something that could bring me joy. What risks have you been unwilling to take? Have you thought about changing careers? Following a dream? Calling an old friend? Forgiving your enemies? Opening your heart to another person? Travel to an unfamiliar place? There are so many opportunities that we could seize if we stopped the "what ifs". I don't want to leave this life thinking more about what I didn't do than what I did. So do whatever it takes! Live each moment like your last!

I'm sharing this very inspirational video with you today called If Today Was Your Last Day  by Nickleback.

It just takes a second . . . .

We have 86,400 seconds in our day today.

Use one of them to say "thank you".

Sweet prints . . . .

Taking the positive approach will always be irresistible to me. These sweet prints from Studio Mela drew me in faster than I could say 'support a worthy cause'.

Dont' give up . . . .

Photo via One League Artists

Photo via Google Images

"The number one reason why people give up so fast is because they tend to look at how far they still have to go, instead of how far they've gotten."

- Vaibhav Shah

If you've started. . . . hang in there and keep going! You will be so glad you did!

If you haven't started. . . . now is a perfect time to hit the streets or treadmill. Take your favorite music with you and make it fun! I'm here to cheer you on! You'll have more energy, get sick less often, have a better attitude, more self-confidence, and have less stress. There are so many reasons to exercise, and you owe it to yourself to get, and stay healthy. You, after all, are the most important person in your life.

How much can the heart hold? . . . .

The love of partnerships

Photo via Google Images

The love of a child

Photo by Brooke Fasani

The love of friendships

Photo via Getty Images

The love of life

Photo via Google Images

The love of a pet

Photo by Antonio Cangiano via flickr

The love of God

Photo via Google Images

......and there's STILL room for more!

Read any good books lately? . . . .

“You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.”

-Paul Sweeney

Finding inspiration . . . .

I am so inspired by these beautiful photographs of the GAP Ad Campaign, even though a few of them are from seasons past. I love beautiful photography. I know I am inspired when I feel my emotions stir. I immediately feel drawn in. It can even begin to shape my thoughts. I find inspiration in so many different ways....books, blogs, music, photography, design, color, art, quotes, nature, friends, exercise & especially humanity. There is nothing like people watching to motivate and encourage you!

What inspires you?

Josh Duhamel

Anne Hathaway

Liv Tyler

Will Arnett & Amy Poehler

John Mayer

Angie Harmon & Jason Sehorn

Hugh Dancy

Quiet time . . . .

I love to be alone. It's so good for my well-being. Even though I'm a very social person, I crave alone time, and when I don't have enough of it, I begin to feel over stimulated. For me it's all about regaining clarity. It means it's time to decompress, to organize my thoughts, and to remove myself from the influences of others. There is no negotiating when you're alone.....you get to indulge yourself in your own thoughts without having to compromise. It literally fuels my life and nurtures my soul.

"We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly. Spending quiet time alone gives your mind an opportunity to renew itself and create order."

- Susan Taylor

Photo via Getty Images

For your viewing pleasure . . . .

Beauty comes from within,

but sometimes,

well, you just have to enjoy the view.

Happy Friday!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Photo by Cameron McDonald

It can turn a life around . . . .

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which has the potential to turn a life around."

- Leo Buscalgia

Photo by Guildford Grace

With love . . . .

There's a little bit of everyone inside of you, and there's a little bit of you inside of all others. Humanity's greatest and most vile potentials lie within each of us. By understanding what motivates us to act kindly or with malice, we can begin asking questions about the behavior of others. And with understanding, we can begin loving - not their behavior, but their potential; not their decisions, but their journey. And with love, we can begin healing by example, showing kindness, compassion, and another way.

-From the book Choose Them Wisely by Mike Dooley

-Photo via One League Artists

Pure pleasures . . . .

Hugging.

Fresh, clean clothes.

An evening in front of the fire.

Getting lost in the music.

Not needing an alarm clock.

Candles.

A cleansing laugh.

Photo credits:

Hugging - Photo by Jenywin via flickr

Fresh, clean clothes - Photo via One League Artists

An evening in front of the fire - Photo by europa70 via flickr

Getting lost in the music - Getty Images

Not needing an alarm clock - Photo by Mark Williams via One League Artists

Candles - Photo by moemoechi via flickr

A cleansing laugh - Google Images

No complaints . . . .

"You wanna know what living life to the fullest actually is? It's waking up on a Monday morning with no complaints. It's knowing you always deserve to laugh. It's doing what feels right no matter what. It's doing what you want to no matter how stupid you look. It's about being yourself, because no one can tell you you're doing it wrong."

-Unknown

You get to choose . . . .

What if we woke up in the morning and got to decide how we were going to feel for the day? Let's just say it's our decision. You get to pick ..... Excited? Happy? Sad? Motivated? Grumpy? Jealous? Angry? Ok, now let's just say that someone you knew had the power to rearrange all the people and circumstances of your life to make it happen. You'd like that, right? You'd choose happy, right?

Well, that someone who can make it happen for you, is YOU. You get to choose! I have found that what you give, is returned to you many times over. Make sure that what you are giving is good, if you want good back. If you emit anger, rage, jealousy and envy, you will receive suffering of some kind. If you emit gratitude, love, kind thoughts, words, and actions, you will bring joy into your life, and you'll begin to see the misery subside.

Three steps that will bring more to you

than you can ever imagine:

Think good thoughts.

Speak good words.

Take good actions.

Happy Friday!

Partial text content via Mike Dooley

Notes From The Universe

No expectations . . . .

"I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally. I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped. Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it."

-Audrey Hepburn

It comes from within . . . .

"A feeling that greater possessions will, of themselves, bring contentment or happiness, is a misunderstanding. No person, place, or thing can give you happiness. They may give you cause for happiness and a feeling of contentment, but the Joy of Living comes from within."

-Genevieve Behrend (1881-1960)

Your Invisible Power

Say I Am Wonderful! . . . .

Today, I am so inspired by this song by singer songwriter London-born Gary Go, and wanted to share it with you. It truly is a "Wonderful" (click to watch) song . . very inspirational.

The person that you were has died

You've lost the sparkle in your eyes

You fell for life - into it's traps

Now you wanna bridge the gaps

Now you wanna bridge the gaps

Now you want that person back

And all your ammunition's gone

Run out of fuel to carry on

You don't know what you wanna do

Cause what you want does not want you

If what you want does not want you

And you've got no pull to pull you through

Say "I am"

Say "I am"

Say "I am wonderful"

Oh you are

Say "I am"

Say "I am"

Say "I am wonderful"

If what you've lost cannot be found

And the weight of the world weighs you down

No longer with the will to fly

You stop to let it pass you by

Don't stop to let it pass you by

You've gotta look yourself in the eye

Say "I am"

Say "I am"

Say "I am wonderful"

Oh you are

Say "I am"

Say "I am"

Say "I am wonderful"

You're wonderful, oh

Cause we are all miracles

wrapped up in chemicals

We are incredible, oh we are

Don't take it for granted, no

We are all miracles

Oh we are

Say "I am"

Say "I am"

Say "I am wonderful"

Oh you are

Say "I am"

Say "I am"

Say "I am wonderful"

You're wonderful, oh

Cause we are all miracles

wrapped up in chemicals

We are incredible, oh we are

Don't take it for granted, no

We are all miracles wrapped up,

yeah we're wrapped up

Oh we are wonderful.

What are your habits? . . . .

I am using this space today to remind those of you who have been saying......."I'll start my exercise program on Monday."

Today is Monday!

"We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

-Aristotle

Who inspires you? . . . .

I could list so many people who inspire me for a number of reasons. There are the obvious ones who create music and art. The ones who take my breath away with design. The ones who speak so eloquently in front of a crowd. Writers who form words in such a compelling way that it causes me to close the book just so I can sit with the beauty of the words. I could go on and on. But today's post is on more of a personal level of appreciation in regards to those who inspire me.

I have made it a priority in my life to surround myself with people who have chosen to live their life with passion, lift others up. . . are encouraging, and who speak well of others. The people who truly inspire me have an inner beauty. They are people who motivate me. People who make me want to be a better person. People who make me laugh. People who are true to themselves. I love people who live their life with grace. Oh my goodness, I'm surrounded by these people, and I'm so grateful!

To those of you who live with passion...you inspire me. You make me want to listen.

To those of you who motivate me...I can't get enough of you!

To those of you who encourage...you will be rewarded many times over.

To those of you who have grace...I will always have room in my heart for you.

To those of you with inner beauty...never change.

To those of you who make me laugh...never leave!

To those of you who make a difference in the lives of others...you make me think about how I will be remembered, and what I can do to enhance that.

To those of you who have faced major obstacles...you have made a significant difference in my life as I watch you accomplish meaningful change.

Thank you.

I am so grateful for all the people in my life.

I love you!