This morning I lit a bee’s wax candle and placed it on the kitchen table.

I then stood before the glowing light of the flame… closed my eyes… opened my heart and blessed everything and everyone that I had experienced in 2009.

Even the negative… like finding out my oldest daughter is moving to Michigan this Spring… being aware that my dad has been gone for a year now… and I will not see him again and my sweet dog passing away.

Although all these events were painful and always will touch on sad moments throughout my life… they have all taught me the valuable lesson on “letting go”.

Letting go opens the doorway to change and rebirth… and I want to trust and be in the flow of my own life cycles and all the ups and downs that life truly is all about.

So I bless my year of 2009… hold its memories in my heart… and trust that 2010 will be all that I hope for… and my wish for all of you is the same.

Happy New Year,
Victoria

This last Saturday my dear friend Susan G. and I went to a Lavender farm… about an hour ’s drive from where we live. We had been planning this adventure for awhile… as we both love Lavender… and I have been to several Lavender farms that were first rate… and had an awesome time. I wanted to share this with Susan.

We stopped and ate at a country cafe… ( we had heard they had the best pie in the world… and badly wanted some ) … strolled through shops and enjoyed the perfect Fall weather. I even suggested we leave the cafe and come back for pie later…  so we wouldn’t be late getting to the Lavender farm… to cut our own Lavender and browse the gift shop there… which I had anticipated would be stocked with the sweet and lovely smell of Lavender. And I could see in my mind the huge bundle of fresh picked Lavender that we both would come home with… after all… this is what I had experienced at the other Lavender farms I have been to… and I expected the same or at least similar experience at this farm. And frankly… I wanted to show Susan a great time that day. Susan works very long and intense hours at her job… and her time is valuable… and with my busy life also…  running my business, seeing clients and being a mom and wife…the time we both had created to take a day off and go play  was special and important to the both of us… and  I wanted our visit at the Lavender farm to be perfect.

Life being the way life is…this Lavender farm wasn’t perfect. You could only pick a small amount  of Lavender in the field and the products in the gift shop were old. I felt no energy there. I felt disappointed, to be honest. After that fleeting moment… I thought to myself…  what part of me feels like I had to make this outing perfect? And even deeper… what part of me still thinks and feels… I have to be perfect? In front of a good friend?

This morning… I understand clearly that going to the Lavender farm with Susan… wasn’t about having a perfect experience or picking Lavender, or me having to be perfect or her either… for that matter.

It is about friendship.

And what that truly means between women. At least between Susan and me.

When I am around Susan, we can we talk about everything and anything… as women often do when with their friends. I am able to share my concerns, my fears and my opinions openly. And I know Susan will always listen… no judgment on me for speaking my truth… or making me feel wrong.  In a world that now strives for being “politically correct” and “spiritually correct”… Susan is just wonderfully human. But with an angelic quality about her. She opens her heart, and is in the moment. She’s like that, so real, and honest and authentic. And out spoken. She has a way at looking at life and being in life… that feels well… downright feel good… and yet wise. I always feel like I have learned something about myself and life after being around her. Like I can take off a mask. And be human. And did I mention how funny she is and how much I laugh when I am around her?

She is special… and a blessing in my life.

Our outing wasn’t about it being perfect, or expectations… it was about two women 50 “something”… being free for the day… and laughing like young school girls again. It was about getting lost in back roads ( we really did ) and really not being concerned about where we would end up… or not… we were up for any adventure. It was about creating a memory… a wonderful time spent with my friend Susan… and really cherishing the friendship and bond I have with her.

It was and is about two women…. traveling the journey… with its ups and downs… tears and joy… getting to that place that is real…. authentic and true… a place where you can let the real you out… wrinkles and bad hair included…  and where venting, disagreeing and being a grump at times is welcomed. Because we are human… and also more than that… we are two women trying to live from their hearts… sharing their feelings,  speaking their own truth, valuing life, and appreciating the gifts that friendship brings.

Together we are Just being real friends.

And girls just wanting to have fun.

Thank you Susan…. I owe you a piece of pie!

Love… Victoria

When my oldest daughter Andrea, was a little girl… she loved mermaids… and still does for that matter!

Her favorite movie was “The little Mermaid” now a Walt Disney classic. She would watch this movie, over and over again… never tiring of its message, and singing the theme song constantly. There was something in this sweet movie that called to her heart and moved her young spirit.

She also spent hours upon hours in the bathtub… I suppose daydreaming that she was a mermaid herself. She would take her rock collection with her into the tub… washing and polishing each stone… as if they were priceless jewels.

It was only fitting that I started calling her my little mermaid… and I even wrote a poem about her… capturing in words the sweet and magical soul of my daughter.

Like everything in life… my little mermaid has changed… and she is now a wonderful and intelligent woman… getting ready to begin a new journey in her life… she is getting married next August 14th… in a simple ceremony… by the water… where else for her?

This joyous change for her, is of course… bittersweet times for me. I wish somehow that she was still that girl… eyes and heart glued to her video of  “The little Mermaid” and hearing her splash in the bathtub… one more time.

Where has all the time gone? So quickly? And without my permission?

It seems like.. when I wasn’t looking… or paying attention… my “little mermaid” grew up and found her prince… just like the story in her favorite movie. I guess… mermaid magic is real!

Victoria

Today is my wonderful husband’s birthday!!! Ya Hoo!

I want to thank him for being such a great guy… for always supporting me with my creative ideas… for understanding that I am not “normal”… and think and live outside the box… and loving me anyway !

You are the best… and a gift to me! Happy Birthday Todd…. I love you!

Victoria

I love glass bottles and jars… but especially love the bottles that olive oil comes in. Often tall and slender, with beautiful old world design labels… the glass bottles that holds this golden liquid comes in shades of greens, golden hues and earthy amber tones…. so beautiful are these olive oil bottles…. who would want to throw them away… I ask you?

I never do… because to me they are my future works of art… for my decoupage designs with recycled glass. After the olive oil is gone, I soak these wonderful bottles in the sink with hot sudsy water… to remove the paper labels and any oil residue. They are then lovingly placed in the dishwasher for a complete “washing” and set on the kitchen counter for a few days to dry.

Sometimes… these glass beauties sit on my art work table in my office for weeks… as I get the feel for what the bottle wants… as far as the images for the decoupage design. Many times…. I think of a person who might receive  this decoupage bottle as a gift… and the design unfolds in my heart… infusing my mind with creativity… setting in motion a work of art using paper, ribbons, charms… paintbrush… and the vintage feel and look that only  decoupage gives.

I know that this finished piece… that once was filled with olive oil… will someday soon… hold a single flower to sit prettily on a desk somewhere.. or be placed in a windowsill or bookshelf… adding beauty and grace to a person’s life…  and I feel I am doing a little something to add to recycling.

So… the next time you feel the urge to throw away a beautifully shaped or colored bottle or jar… ask your creative self what you could make this bottle or jar into… that could be useful, beautiful or collectable.

Seeing through the looking glass,

Victoria

As I was cleaning out my bookshelves in my office a few days ago… I stumbled upon a few very old books I had stashed away long ago. I love old books… the look and feel of yellowed worn pages and the frayed edges of leather… that was once soft and smelled new.

One little book I came across..it is very tiny… maybe pocket size and was dated 1877. Inside… written in pencil that is still very plain and visible are written ” a present to Claire Buchanan… from B.F. Buchanan”… with the date 1877 written on the bottom. It is a child’s book… and the title is The Two Fawns and Other Tales.

As I looked through this little treasure and read it’s pages… I felt transported back in time. Not just because writing and vocabulary were somewhat different then, but I felt connected to these two people… through these pages of this little pocket book… even for a few brief moments.

Somehow… this book, from ages past… found me… to give me pleasure in the here and now… and to connect to the past of by gone years. Something I have a deep passion for. History and tradition matters… it is who we are… who you are… and who I am.

My mind started  racing with so many questions, touching and reading this book.I wondered who they were, and how old the child was who had been gifted with this book? Where did they live and what kind of life did they have?

One thing I know for sure is that books and reading were important to these people and that this book was special… it was kept… and it is in good condition… and it was meant… many generations later to be found, read, and cherished by me.

A little bit of history for me to enjoy, ponder and keep alive forever.

I have decided that I am going to put this book under a glass dome… set it somewhere in my home… as a thing of beauty… interest and to capture what once was… and now is… a gift from the past… a gift in present time… and a gift for someone in the future.

Musings and old books,

Victoria

I love to “give” whether it is an encouraging word, a smile or a little unexpected present for someone… I am always seeking ways to give to others. Because it is the right thing to do and brings not only joy to me… but to others.

I have the attitude that I have “more than enough” and want to share what I do have with others. Lately I have been wrapping up money as a gift…. sometimes a dollar bill… sometimes coins… and then adding glitter… or little gem stones to the gift bag… tying it with a bow… and leaving this gift somewhere in public for that “special” someone to find!

I know in my heart that this little gift of money and the pretty doo dads inside… wrapped up with a bow will make whoever finds it joyful… and in doing so… make the world a better place! Maybe the person who finds this little bundle of money…  really  is in no need or want of money… but by finding it… perhaps will change a sullen mood … into a happy day after all… or give that person a nudge to start giving more… who knows?

It is after all the spirit of giving that each one of us should aspire to do each day… making giving a practice in all that we do.

It is the small things in life… that make life worth living!

Victoria

This Mother’s Day… I want to acknowledge my two intelligent, independent and beautiful daughters, Andrea and Aurora. You both have enriched my life and also enlightened me… on what the true meaning of devotion and love really is.

Motherhood and being blessed with the two of you has made me a wealthy and successful woman and human being… life could not get any better than this!!

I thank you both… in the deepest of gratitude…. your mom

I have long held the highest of respect for Susan  at NotQuiteJuneCleaver.com. This woman makes everything homemade and has owned her own catering company and a successful venture in soap making, written cookbooks… and has six children, home schooled them all and runs a home based on love and “doing it with pride”. I admire women like her… not caught up in fast food and fast living… but values based on home and homemade… and being real and authentic.

I found her website one day, while looking for homemade soap… which I love and use here in our home. Needless to say… I got “hooked” on Susan and her daily blogs and fell in love with her passion for life and her homemade way of living. I became a fan, and I have even written about her in my free newsletters I send out and put her link on my blog page.

I usually do not go this route with women I don’t know… but you see Susan has been a life saver for me many times. I have my own company that is based on celebrations and traditions for women, and I produce my own line of organic bath products and gift line. There have been times when I have had doubts about my creative comapny… and the path I was on… you know the ones all creative women have…. and when I felt this way… I would pop over to her blog and her words and daily living that she wrote about on her blog, gave me the COURAGE to stay on course and keep going!!!

I finally wrote to her one day via email and thanked her for being such a positive mentor to me and she took the time to write me back!  How great is this!!

And now I am proud and excited to say that I won one of her handmade APRONS!!!! I will wear this apron each time I cook dinner, or when I am feeling blue… cause I know that a great lady made this… and her inspiration and devotion to being a homemaker, wife and mother…. inspires us all to be Not Quite June Cleaver… but just to be who we are… exceptional women… doing exceptional things!

Thank you Susan,

Victoria

I have reached a certain age in my life…or space in wisdom… where “getting things” really doesn’t matter any more. Instead I find myself  as of late…”giving away” items and stuff I have craved and lusted after in earlier years. My values have changed… I feel for the better.

I don’t want my life to be about what I have or don’t have… I want my life to make a statement about the kind of woman I was while walking here on Earth. Quality of life… and caring and giving from the heart… these are important to me… not what kind of car I drive… or some overpriced purse. These are “things” that other people decided would make you or me  a success or happy or even powerful!

Don’t get me wrong here… my home is filled with beauty and quality items…. but that’s just the point… I have made a home filled with beauty and quality… not consumerism or status seeking. Or openly telling someone how much money something cost… as a way to brag. What point is there to that? Or what does it matter anyway? It is not what I value… nor should it be any value at all to anyone.

A persons value should be about how much they love… and are loved… not about things they collect or how much money they make… but about who they are inside.  And family and quality, caring friends and being mindful about taking care of the Earth. These are the “things” I crave and lust for these days…. realness, authenticity, and caring, loving people in my life.

So these days… you will find me picking out a purse or a “thing” I used to value so much… cause it cost me this amount of money, and “giving it away” to someone who can use it or wants it. And in its empty space… I focus on the gratitude I feel, the awareness I now see… of all the wealth I truly have in my life…. myself, my wonderful husband, my daughters, and the most awesome friends any person could hope for.

This to me is success… and being real… and coming of age!

Victoria

My birthday was February 1st… and I really thought about what I “wanted” to do, to mark this celebration in my life.

It didn’t take me long to acknowledge that the best and most loving way for me to celebrate my birth-day was to be out in nature, with my loving family.

We spent the day walking in a wildlife center in Austin… creating a relaxed day, soaking up the Sun and sitting under huge oak trees. We talked, laughed and connected with one another.

The day was priceless… and filled with the wealth of love and family… and Mother Earth.

It got me thinking how the ‘best’ things in life are FREE.

Hearing the sound of your child’s laughter… or hearing them say “mom, I love You”. Or capturing the sweet melody of a bird out your bedroom window, first thing in the morning.

Hanging out in your back yard… sipping a cold glass of water… and seeing those first blooming roses… that you, yourself planted… is sheer bliss and pride.

Holding hands with your beloved partner… because you can trust them when you are scared or feeling blue.

Receiving a homemade card from your child… that no store COULD ever produce… and then putting it away in your keepsake box… to hold the memory forever.

Seeing a beautiful sunset…. whose vivid splashes of color remind me that god must be sitting before a canvas… in this moment… paintbrush in hand… painting this masterpiece… just for me.

These are some of the things… that keep me aware… that some of the “best” things in life are FREE.

I wish you the “best”,

Victoria

I am aware that most folks are pretty much freaking out about the financial transition (some say a recession) that you are hearing and reading about each day…. and I have the utmost compassion for everyone.

I am also aware that life… including finances… goes through cycles of ups and downs…. and zig zag’s… and that given faith, resourcefulness and time… will turn around and go into a positive upswing.

I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason… and  I see such a wonderful opportunity for each one of us to return, and YES even enjoy…..  the simple life!

Living simply… means living a quality life. Quality is having the best… but not in EXCESS… something each one of us needs to come to terms with and heal within ourselves.

Here are some tips to help you save money, connect with your inner spirit and take some baby steps to live the SIMPLE life!

Relearn your own natural ability to be creative… by purchasing fresh, seasonal food… and then coming home and getting in the kitchen and making a wonderful and memorable meal either solo or with your family.

Get out your best china, light some candles and celebrate the pleasure of eating a wholesome and delicious meal… that was prepared with mindfulness and gratitude.

Teach your children to be resourceful by showing them how to make homemade cards and gifts, and stop allowing them to fill up the shopping cart with needless “things and stuff “. It is appalling how our children think happiness is “spending”…. and “getting”, because they have seen the adults in their lives value “spending and getting”.

Start a garden, growing simple herbs and veggies. This is great for the whole family to do together as an ongoing project… plus you will get physical exercise and feed your own “soul”. Another perk is that you will save money eating the food and herbs you have grown and you will be eating  quality food.

Whenever you can shop flea markets and local antique stores for furniture and pieces to decorate your homes. Some of the most beautiful homes and beautiful people buy “recycled”.

Learn how to make your own bath and body products (I teach these classes) that save you MONEY…. and are good for you and the Earth!

Most of all…. live charitably…. be mindful…. and be generous of heart… living simply is now “in”…. and my feminine heart is smiling big time!!!

To the simple life,

Victoria

My dad passed away on October 29th, a day I will always remember with sadness and happiness. Everyone in my family had similar feelings. We were saddened by the loss of such a dear, sweet man… but thankful and glad that he wasn’t suffering any more from the cancer that was eating up his body.

I am not a funeral going person,  because I believe a person never really dies… just the body… but the soul lives on… somewhere beautiful and eternal… and where like others… my dad is now healthy and having a grand time.

I wanted to give something to him, something real and living to honor his passing and his new experience… so I decided to plant him a garden. The garden seemed like the perfect gift to give him, because although he and my mom had retired to Arizona, he loved his native state of Texas with a passion. Planting him a garden was my way of him being back here in Texas,  in the state that he loved so much and that was his home. He would live on, with this small garden… forever.

I bought beautiful small trees and shrubs that will grow well here in the Texas climate and a small rose bush. I went out and planted these living gifts to him, one Sunday morning with mindfulness and love. I performed this planting act with a sacredness and deep sense of purpose, feeling all the while that he was smiling at me the whole time I was gardening.

The rose bush that I planted was bare of flowers the day I planted it for my dad, but two days later when I went out to tend to “his” garden, there were two small and perfect red roses that had bloomed. I was so delighted, yet somehow not surprised… because I believe in magic and miracles and all those things that can’t be explained, but happen anyway.

Bless you Pa Pa… where ever you are, and may you find peace and joy… here in your garden.

Love, Victoria

When I was a kid, people made time for each other. It was just the way it was… because it was the “right thing” to do. People understood then, that people needed each other and simple human contact to make life better, and more fun… and interesting.

Both of my parents worked, and there were four of us kids to look after, yet my parents always found time for us to bake cookies together quite often, and we always ate dinner together each night as a family. We played board games together on the weekends, and us kids rode our bikes all over town, spending hours exploring our small coastal city.

My favorite family outing was going to local orchards and picking apricots when they were in season. We borrowed buckets from the farmer whose orchard we were at, and ran around picking and plucking apricots till our buckets overflowed with these small round jewels. All of us kids would fall asleep in the back seat on the drive home, our hands still sticky from picking fruit. My mom would then come home and make apricot upside down cake. I can still smell the sweetness that filled up our home from those cakes, and that memory still makes me smile.

I worry sometimes how disconnected we all have become. I am not sure if it is technology or the obsession we all seem to have to succeed and chase the endless race to make money… but people just don’t seem to have the time or energy to connect with one another any more. People are too busy. Or is this an excuse?

All I know is that I don’t want to have this excuse for my life. Yes, I am busy… with Feminine Living, my family and doing the countless loads of laundry that never seem to stop. But I always want to meet people and get to know them. I want to  have meaningful conversations with them, and be able to laugh, and smile and hug them! I can’t imagine ever becoming a robot… too busy to care or give to another human being. Or to give the message to someone else that I was too busy to listen with my heart to a problem they had, or needed a shoulder to cry on.

I don’t ever want to be too busy…. to live! Do you?

Blessings,

Victoria