Monday, June 29, 2009

nine {with jen goff}

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

Today's interview is with the beautiful spirit Jen Goff. I met Jen last fall and then was lucky enough to spend a week at the Oregon coast with her (and some other soulfull ladies) earlier this year. Jen teaches me about living my life with an open heart and to listen to the whispers of my intuition. And, I am so excited to be teaching an evening class, Recipes for Self Care, at Art and Soul with her in October.

Enjoy getting to know Jen through these glimpses into her world...

*****

Question 1: Who are you?



Question 2: What do you love about where you live?



Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?



Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?



Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?



Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?



Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?



Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?




Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?



Jen Goff is a jewelry designer and mixed media artist living in Portland, Oregon. She finds her inspiration in old worn fibers, dream-like photographs, and things collected on walks in the woods. Currently, she is working on a body of work that includes a lichen coat and a seed pod dress. Her hope is that this entire collection will be shown in an open field with live cello music and birds flying overhead. You can see more of what Jen is up to at her blog, Unravel, and view her jewelry at her website, Paper Wings.


(All photos + video copyright Jen Goff)

Sunday, June 28, 2009

notes...winners...a sale


.heart.

found heart, alki beach . june 25, 2009

the blue sky is smiling down on us here in the south part of puget sound. summer is in the air as we grilled burgers for lunch and wished for a picnic or an evening with twinkle lights and buckets of beer and laughter of friends far away.

today, i am probably going to head to a favorite cafe for a bit. i am working on a few inspiring projects lately and that is a really good thing. my brain seems to find a sort of flow when drinking a vanilla soy latte surrounded by other people lost in their books, laptops, conversation, one another. oh and i am falling in love with squarespace and creating my own little corner of the web (along with a new, improved corner for the be present retreats...both sites coming soon).

*****

as my path meanders here and there and takes me into new adventures, i have decided to do a few different things with my etsy shop. these changes will probably be implemented over the next few months...and are just a few new things rolling around in this brain of mine.

the first change is that starting next month, about four soul mantra necklaces will be available per month. this will include (about) two new designs and two "old favorites." those will probably be the only necklaces available at any given time. i want to see how this new idea works for a bit...i will still be adding "all dressed up" necklaces from time to time.

so, this means that all the current "old favorite" soul mantras (except a "to be determined" two) will not be available in the shop starting july 1...


soul mantras


so...
i have decided to have a SALE!
this means all soul mantra necklaces in the shop (like the four above and others) are $18!
so if you have your eye on one, get it now before it takes a break from the shop!



all dressed up necklaces


also, just for fun, all current "all dressed up" necklaces are 20% off.

(the prices do not reflect the savings. the easiest way i have found with etsy when having a sale is to refund the difference in the sale price after purchase. this will be done promptly after a purchase is made.)

oh and i did add a few summery bags to the shop (simple selma totes, a few library pocket totes, and two maude bags). i plan to take my yellow library tote literally to the library later this week...makes me smile.

*****

the winners of the CD giveaway from the bubbleville post are:

Vanessa (comment #15)
and
Anna-Marie Still (comment #4)

congratulations! please send me an email at waywardtulip(@)gmail(dot)com with your address and i will send them off to you!!

and thank you all for your kind comments about our video. jon and i plan to make a few more. we actually spent an afternoon at the mandolin cafe dreaming up new ideas. so. much. fun.

*****

tune in tomorrow afternoon for the next nine interview.

and i hope wherever you are in the world you are feeling the sun shine upon you...

Saturday, June 27, 2009

.in this moment.

mandolin coffee


photo by jon


in this moment
find your breath

find the rhythm
inhale
notice how your body moves
exhale
notice how your mind settles

inhale

exhale

seek the space around your heart

inhale

exhale

inhale

exhale

inhale
begin to allow peace to fill this space

exhale
let this peace settle over you

inhale

exhale

inhale
breathe in this peace

exhale
begin to send peace
to someone
who needs this peace
in this moment

inhale

exhale

inhale

exhale

inhale
breathe this peace in

exhale
let it settle over you

inhale
feel this space around your heart

exhale
rest inside this peace within you

namaste

Thursday, June 25, 2009

senses view: an afternoon pause (a new series)



Since very early on here at be present, be here, I have been inspired by the senses as a creative prompt for both writing and photography. Earlier this month, I invited Jon to join me on a senses photography artist date; we each then created a series of photos that represented the senses (including a sixth sense of "know" that I include in my own exercises). I have written about this experience over at the Wish Studio; you can check out the essay "Through Their Lens" here (I hope you will...Mindy's site is a wonderful source of inspiration and full of goodness from so many delightful contributors).

When Mindy asked me to be her guest, I decided to write about perspective. As I thought about this topic, I began to focus on the idea of bringing in another person's perspective into our creative world. I also thought about how we might be able to see a similar experience through the photos taken by someone else, which prompted me to invite Jon to join me.

Last week, I was telling Kristen about all this and in the way that so often happens when two friends get excited about something, a new creative idea was born. I mentioned something like, "I think I might like to do exercises like this, with someone else's perspective on the senses in photographs...maybe more with Jon...maybe my friends when I get together with them..." Then we started brainstorming and suddenly it became very clear that not only could I invite people along on senses artist dates in person, but I could, of course, invite someone along in a long-distance sort of way. Which is, for me, a very good thing as I have just a handful of folks near me who might want to join me on such an adventure.

Oh how thankful I am for brainstorming sessions like this one (thank you my dear friend).

Kristen agreed to take part in the first "senses view" diptych collaboration. With each long-distance collaboration, there will be a theme that will serve as a prompt for each of us. In-person collaborations (like the one Jon and I did, see those photos here), will more than likely simply have the surrounding environment as the prompt. Also, we chose our photos without discussing, so they are paired according to each sense the photographer assigned.

This series theme is "afternoon pause." We hope you enjoy...


*******

{hear}

afternoon pause {hear}


{see}

afternoon pause {see}


{smell}

afternoon pause {smell}


{touch}

afternoon pause {touch}


{taste}

afternoon pause {taste}


{and know}

afternoon pause {and know}

(Kristen on the left, Liz on the right)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

visit bubbleville (a moving pictures afternoon)


we are finding our way and leaning into moments of joy, play, silliness, and love.

come visit bubbleville...

PS a giveaway: the song in this video is "something to chase" by daytime volume, a band my brother* is in. i am giving away two CDs that include this song and some other great tunes. just leave a comment to be entered to win a CD. the giveaway will be open until friday evening. i will announce the winners this weekend.

*oh and my brother is on tour with martha davis (of the motels) this summer. check out their tour schedule here just in case you might be able to go. jon and i plan to be at the portland show next month!

Monday, June 22, 2009

. light & shadow: registration has begun .


Who gets up early to discover the moment the light begins?
Rumi

Registration for Light & Shadow, the February 2010 Be Present Retreat, has begun!

We will gather in the beautiful small beachside town of Manzanita, Oregon to explore the theme of light and shadow, experience community, dive into play with paint and words and cameras, and give ourselves permission to be present while in a nurturing, meditative environment.

Workshops include:

discover light (play in the shadows)

create light (honor the shadows)

breathe in light (dance in the shadows)
with Liz Lamoreux

Find out more about these workshops and the retreat details here.

(mosaic credits: journal by misty, photos on left by darlene, photo on lower right by me)

Friday, June 19, 2009

five (really) good things. on a friday evening.

layers


a soft place to land . olympic national forest (april 2009)


one :: creating my very first video+music+photographs+poetry {i}movie. i anticipate many more in my future. (though, i sure do hope i can figure out how to load them to youtube a bit faster...is this just how it works? takes hours?)

two :: week two of our new organic fruit+veggies local delivery. the strawberries look perfect and will be eaten in the morning. and it has been cool here, so imagine soup might be to come as well. oh and kale chips. yep. gonna try those.

three :: a little bookish necklace (link to come) that arrived today that had me smiling and dancing around the kitchen as i opened the package that contained this gift. (it is a sign of good things to come i think.)

four :: soul aperture . christina's blog is beautiful. loving the ways she looks at the world and reminds herself and her readers to pause for the little things. (start here, then here, and oh this one too)

five :: feeling very excited that registration for the february 2010 be present retreat begins monday (june 22). more information about the workshops will be up then too (though if you check sunday, you might get a sneak peek as i am loading it).

what are five really good things in your world?
please share.
dare you.

*****

five (really) good things is a series of posts that began on this day, and then continued on a day when i simply needed to find five good things in my world. now, i post them to remind myself that i can always find five things, no matter the day. read more posts from this series here.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

because this is what it is really all about.

flowers for sale


market flowers . april 2009



Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.

Mother Teresa

(i would add, in that second sentence, give love to yourself)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

this day.

in the light

oregon blue sky lightness . may 2009

i've been standing in the light today
soaking up the goodness
of love
friendship
truth
understanding
hope
dreams lived into reality
and some other really good things

pushing toward doing and pushing away procrastinating and self-loathing

i so often wanted to stop back here to this place in the last few days
but life
it just captured me
with a project taking longer than i planned
and long talks with jon about the stuff that is important to a partnership
and daydreaming
and major computer drama that turned out to be time consuming but then minor (in the sense that no files were lost)
and a wee bit of life drama
and some really good conversations with friends who listen and challenge and honor me and show me the way when i think i am in the dark (thank you)
and an artist date for two (more on that soon)
and a purchase that has me dancing a jig
and how the list goes on...

but today, after thinking a bit about that wee bit of life drama, i found myself coming back to how much i want to stand in the light. how i have a choice. how i choose to stand in the light.

and i remember. i am so blessed.
i am so very lucky to be living this life.
i am so lucky to understand that standing in the light is where i need to be.

OH!!!! and i want to let you know who won the giveaway! random.org choose the number 10. so stephanie (writer of the tenth comment), you are the winner of the custom apron! contact me (wayward tulip @ gmail dot com) for more info. thank you to all of you for your incredible list of blogs!!! i am having so much fun visiting them...

hope things are beautiful in your corner of the world...

Friday, June 12, 2009

it was...

almost

south carolina azalea . march 29, 2009



6/10

it was the hash browns. the chopped green pepper with onion and potatoes with a bit of ketchup. the sucker-punch in the form of a wave arrived. as i blinked back tears, i wondered where this came from as i suddenly imagined myself climbing into the passenger seat of a silver buick to ride along to the trash dump. (a word i so do not enjoy, but did we call it something else? i doubt it.) we would turn onto one of those named after a flowering southern tree streets and suddenly the air would be filled with, "you picked a fine time to leave me Lucille." and i would start to giggle, and then you would say, "i can sing better than that guy. what's his name again?" and i would laugh harder and playfully roll my eyes (well, depending on my age in this memory of this often-played game) and say, "Grandpa, you know it's Kenny Rogers." sometimes i would join in for a chorus of the next song "ohhhhh Ruuuuuuubbbbbyyyyyyyy...don't take your love to town," but mostly it was all about Lucille and i would listen to you and giggle.

in this moment of this memory, i wish i remembered more. trips to visit you were so often about her. well, you, you who would answer the tan rotary phone on the wall in the kitchen and upon hearing my voice say, "hold on, let me get your grandma," you know this. you understand perhaps more than anyone that she and i were friends. i guess i want to believe that i helped make things softer in your world by being her friend. i tried. in this moment, as i sit in this restaurant after hash browns and eggs, i wish i remembered every single moment of each moment spent in that house, with you, with both of you.

6/12

tonight, as i try to wrap my brain around confusion over something else entirely, i suddenly find myself coming back to tears while eating hash browns two days ago. the truth that bubbles up tonight that i tried to will aside while eating breakfast two days ago, the truth that bubbles up in this moment: because i didn't visit after visiting every year for my whole life, because i didn't visit you after she died and while i was not visiting, you were becoming a shadow of you, i just didn't wrap my brain or rather my brain refused to wrap around the truth that it was really, truly you i spent time with those days in april in south carolina a few weeks ago.

yet, i know, my brain knows that i actually spent quite a bit of time whispering to you and brushing your hair down in places and gently, barely touching the top of your hand. my brain knows it was you. so maybe it is my heart. yes, it must be my heart that refuses to wrap itself around the truth that i did not visit you one time after she died. except for after she died. but i am not counting that. because you know that i mean really visit. me, who had spent many most-loved memories that rest inside this heart of mine with you, i did not visit you when she was no longer there.

i did not drive up and see you standing in her spot at the kitchen window as the curtain fluttered just before you walked out to greet me and to say, "so you found it okay" and i will say "yes" while smiling to myself thinking but of course i did as i have been coming here every year at least once for my entire life and then you will ask if i am hungry because you made sloppy joes just like she used to do and it will be very easy to warm them right up in the saucepan and you have some cranberry juice because you know i like that just like she did and even though i will think about how odd that combination might be, i instead say, "that sounds perfect" but no i won't let you carry my suitcase up the steps and to my room that was her room and after i put the suitcase down i will stand in that room and breathe in the few remaining pieces of her and then smile as i hear you in the kitchen as you open the cupboard for the saucepan so you can heat up the sloppy joes and i will touch the blanket on her bed with my fingertips and say, "it's okay, we've got him now" and i will walk down the hall and through the family room to sit at the kitchen table and tell you all about the drive and the rain through the smokies and how i sang my way through the curves of the mountains and then listened to lewis grizzard after i hit the north carolina border.

tonight, this body that houses this heart full of those most-loved memories stands knee- no neck-deep in this truth. this truth that i did not visit you. and i cannot breathe. i wonder how it is that anyone expects me to be someone else, that i am expected to be my best self for someone else, when i stand neck deep in this truth. i am so sorry that i didn't get on a plane sooner than the saturday morning of the day you died. and i know that you know the love. yes, i do know this as i hear your voice saying one of the last sentences you ever said as you said i love you over the phone to me. my heart holds this truth, but i stand neck deep in another truth, the truth of knowing that i won't ever again start my day waking up to the sounds of you in the kitchen with leftover potatoes that will become our breakfast.

in this moment, as i hear the distant sound of a plane and millie settle onto the floor at my feet and my husband get ready for bed and the rhythm of the fan that turns the air around me, in this moment, i close my eyes and hear distant sounds of a cubs game and a rocking chair and pencil on a crossword puzzle and you look up at me and say "cubs win! cubs win! want to go for a ride?" and i say "yes !"and we turn the corner and your voice fills the air, "you picked a fine time to leave me lucille," i reach for your hand and say, "i love you too gramps" and you know and i know. and it is okay. i am okay and here breathing in and out and doing the best that i can. and i know that you know that too.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

nine {with Vivienne McMaster}

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the questions in photographs. You can scroll through all the interviews here.

Today's interview is with Vivienne McMaster. Her glorious photographs caught my eye this Spring. Her self-portraits are simply divine and a real source of inspiration for me right now.

Settle in and enjoy these pieces of Miss Vivienne's world...

*****

Question 1: Who are you?





Question 2: What do you love about where you live?




Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?






Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?




Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?






Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?




Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?




Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?




Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?




Vivienne McMaster is a Photographer and Postpartum Doula based in the beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. She has a great love for lensflare, golden light, striped socks, vintage cameras, belly laughs, and her feline sidekicks. She's been blogging for many years now at http://www.ladyvivienne.blogspot.com/ but now has a brand new website which houses both her photography portfolio, blog, and much more at http://www.viviennemcmaster.com/.

(All photos copyright Vivienne McMaster)

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

i'll tumble for ya...

patches

patchwork in progress . june 6 2009


been having some fun with patchwork lately...thinking this is going to be my first "quilt" in the form of a blanket to take on the picnics i have planned in my head for this summer. might even try my hand at seam binding for the first time. also thinking about making some patchwork aprons as i have been having fun with a custom apron (that the dear customer ordered so many months ago...thank goodness for the kind patience of others) that includes some happy patchwork.

this evening, i realized that i forgot to mention that i will keep the giveaway post comments open until friday morning. i am having so much fun exploring the blogs you all have been sharing in those comments. thanks for all the great links!

so the title of this post. yep. can't get that culture club song out of my head because i started a new tumblr blog and everytime i log into the site, that song (or should i say the chorus of that song as i know no other lines) just starts playing on repeat in my brain.

in the last couple of weeks, i noticed a couple of craft bloggers mentioning tumblr, so i went to check out the site. i suddenly found myself starting one as i have been wanting a spot to simply hold all the goodness i find as i travel here and there on the internet. i had been using notepad documents but then i would forget which one had which link i wanted. tumblr makes posting so very easy and fast (would be a perfect first blog for someone who is not so much web/computer savvy), so i found that i couldn't resist. it will be interesting to see how this works and if it is as easy as it seems. so far so good...

i have decided to call this new spot bring on the joy...it is a place for links to blogs, photographs, people inspiring me, fashiony things, quotes, and so on. might be some cross-posting over here as this will probably be a placeholder for some notes for the journey and a few (really) good things. i will also post photos of what i am up to in the studio and of other things inspiring me in my world that for whatever reason might not quite make their way over here.

okay, that's all for tonight...tune in tomorrow for another nine interview...

i have some singing and dancing to do now...

Sunday, June 07, 2009

thirty-three. freedom. fabric. (oh and a giveaway because why not)

this spot

pausing in kopachuck state park . june 7, 2009


the thirty-three candles have been blown out and i am happily wearing my wedding-day tiara this evening (because what other day can you wear it?) after have a really, really good day.

when the blue sky arrived in the early evening, i took jonny to my new favorite spot over in gig harbor where we walked through the woods and arrived at the water where we sat and watched the sun glisten off the sound. it was nice to just breathe and be for a few moments. we talked about the adventures we hope to take this summer. and i resisted the urge to just kick off my shoes and walk straight into the water and twirl. i knew that the dream of that moment was a bit more beautiful than the actual experience would be. still, it was fun to think about.


*****

i started off this morning enjoying a doughnut (or two) and watching "sunday morning." (oh how i love that show.) this morning, there was a segment about rosie*. one of the girls who participates in her broadway kids program said this, "performing just lets me express everything i've been shutting up all day. coming here. it's like freedom."

and as i nodded while listening, i suddenly had this thought: this is why i have a blog.

because coming here is like freedom.

and in this place and through the connections i have made, i have found my way back to myself.

this is a beautiful realization on this day.

and on this day, i want to say thank you to you reading these words. you have invited me, with your kindness and validation and nodding and extension of friendship, you have invited me to show up as me. you have enabled me to unearth this gift of freedom.


*****

yesterday, i spent the day in the little room. i haven't played with fabric in...sigh...months. and it was so much fun to begin to create a new group of natasha aprons. i sang and danced a bit as i cut fabric and chose pockets and pulled out some trims.


aprons in progress

natasha aprons in progress . june 2009


one thing i have learned in the last year is that creating custom orders stresses me out more than i wish i did. (i really do feel so bad about that.) i think it is the deadlines. i really just have a hard time with deadlines for fabric items as i fit in my full-time job and working on the be present retreats and other things and, you know, living.

having said that though, i had this idea last evening: what if i did a giveaway every now and then for a custom fabric creation? i could let go of the very specific timeline this way while still experiencing the fun of focusing on someone while creating something for that person.

which leads me to this: i would love to giveaway a custom natasha (reversible) apron!




past natasha aprons


to enter this giveaway, please leave a comment that shares a link to a blog that is currently inspiring you and briefly explain why you find inspiration there. i would love to visit some new blogs and think it would be fun for anyone who stops by here to invite a bit more inspiration in this way...

and thanks again for just being you out there living in your lives.

big smooches to you,
liz

{update: comments are now closed as the giveaway has ended. thanks for playing alone!!}


*watching the tap dancing (aka time steps) during the segment about rosie made me totally want to start tapping again. i think i am going to find myself some tap shoes and maybe take a class this year. yes, i think i am going to dare myself to do this.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

five (really) good things (in the last few hours)

layers

endless pacific . manzanita . may 2009


1. cooler air has moved in (to this land of no air conditioning) and there is a breeze coming in through the windows. still feels like summer...but summer with a breeze.

2. walking by my studio and peeking in at the fabric i am determined to play with this weekend.

3. leaning my head against jonny's shoulder as we sat in the cool movie theater together this afternoon (and smiling in this moment thinking about how we are heading back there to watch this on sunday as that is one of the things i want to do on the day i turn three-three).

4. freshly brewed strawberry osmanthus iced tea (oh so very good).

5. finally feeling better...like really better...not perfect...but more like me.

what five really good things are part of your world right now?
share them.
i dare you.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

one foot, then the other.

where you are 2


finding my way . olympic peninsula (april 2009)

To the questions of your life you are the answer, and to the problems of your life you are the solution.

Joe Cordare


(thank you for your kind words on my last post. thank you for getting it and listening and being out there. i am so blessed.)

Monday, June 01, 2009

a post that began one way...and turned into something else entirely.

place to land



saturday, jon got me out of the house for a bit. a short trip to point defiance park to get outside into the fresh air. even though we weren't there for very long, it was much needed. hopefully many a summer afternoon will be spent just like this...though maybe with a picnic and a stack of books and a journal or two and fresh markers and how the list goes on...


wispy



i am still sick. the weekend was filled with steam showers and lots of hot drinks and frequent use of the inhalers and making my way through season three of the west wing and reading my way through the harry potter series yet again...

and here is where is want to write something wise. i want to write about how i am finding answers in the all this quiet. about how my heart feels open as the sun shines in through the blinds and my mind is so full of ideas that i am dancing my favorite dance inside possibility. but, the truth is, my grandpa died two months ago and i am very sad about it. i am sad that i will never again visit the house where my grandparents lived. i am sad that they aren't going to show up and take me to the beach as the antidote to this illness as they did almost thirty years ago when i had a neverending bout of bronchitis. i am sad that i didn't get to my grandfather's side before he died. i am sad that there seems to be some kind of belief that a person shouldn't grieve deeply for grandparents...that a person should get "over" a death and "move on," especially when the person who died was "old." i would love to write something that might inspire but the truth is my head is throbbing as my brain seems to rattle each time i cough today and i just want to crawl back into bed. but i can't sleep because i keep coughing (not to mention i need to work).

i guess this is why i haven't been showing up here as much as i want to. i am trying so hard to push away the negative as i am on the cusp of a major pity party and i know it. even though there are also some really good things going on in my world that i look forward to sharing on another day, i am on the cusp of giving into the tears. but if i start crying, i won't be able to breathe. i know this is true. for a while now, when a thought comes up about my grandparents, i actually imagine pulling it out of my mind like dumbledore pulls out a memory in the world of harry potter...i imagine pulling it out and putting it into a box. i don't have the energy to grieve. does that make sense? i don't have the energy to give into the need for a good cry. i won't be able to breathe. and, these last two plus weeks have taught me that i really really need to be able to breathe.

(insert deep breath)

thanks for letting me ramble. it feels a bit like i just want someone to know where i am in this moment. so here i am, letting you know. and maybe i will come back tomorrow and let you know again. and the next day. because i think there is some comfort in knowing that someone knows a little piece of where i am.

i am okay. yes, i know this is true. i am okay. this is life. this is what it is. breathe in. breathe out. this is how we become.

here



(oh and i am behind on emails and returning phone calls and other good stuff. because of the coughing and asthma-like spells i am having, talking on the phone just isn't really possible right now. as much as i would so like to catch up with people on the phone, especially because i spend so much darn time alone, i am mostly trying to just be quiet. my etsy shop is open with a few happy summery necklaces, but i am not making any new soul mantra necklaces or any new fabric items at this time. hopefully soon i will be back in my studio sewing and hammering away. thanks for understanding.)