Spring Cleaning and Soul Cleansing

I must have caught the Spring Clean Bug! My house has gone through a major transformation this past week! It all started with moving one table.. And it was like the book "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie." In order to move the table, I had to move the shelf, in order to move that shelf I had to rearrange the closet, and before I knew it I was buying a new couch! 

All last week was spent rearranging my furniture or organizing my home! I had some projects I wanted to work on, but I just couldn't focus until I got it all done. Sterling and I have often joked about writing about book. "If You Give Rachael A Project." Because like the original book, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" one things eventually leads to another until something either genius or disastrous happens. 

I'm hoping this week's couch purchase ends up being a good one. 

I'll post photos on Instagram tonight! 

It was 1 in the morning when I rubbed my tired eyes and told Sterling he was totally right to tease me about that book. But I can't help it. My mind just works like that!

I've been living in this apartment for 6 months now! I can't believe it's been that long. Time has flown by. This apartment is small, so I didn't thing rearranging the furniture would even be possible, but it looks great. It's so open, fresh and beautiful. I've also been following some rules for Feng Shui lately and I'm already feeling so much better. The energy of the house feels lighter and fresher. 

Plus, I strongly believe that cleaning a home is a metaphor for cleansing the soul. As I donate and release old things from my home, I release old energetic cords, emotions and memories. It makes space in both the home and the soul for something new. Rearranging furniture, and organizing items in your home helps rearrange memories, thoughts and ideas that come up.. leaving you with a new perspective and outlook.  

I'll be sharing an entire blog post dedicated to those two elements very soon! I've had a lot of messages and comments about my process of keeping my house beautiful and clean.

I'm just waiting on that couch to be delivered! 

I'm hoping as soon as the couch is here I can be done with this spring cleaning process! As much as I love it, I'm ready to start painting again and getting those decks going! 

Plus, I need to get some better photos of my house! These instagram photos just aren't doing it for me anymore.

Taking A Snow Day

I know snow is all everyone is talking about lately... and I don't have a single thing to complain about! Our poor mountains and forests need the snow so badly! 

We've only had a few snow falls this entire winter. I remember the last time we had a winter this dry, we had forest fires and ash in the air for weeks! So, I'm very thankful for some much needed snow, especially in the mountains!

I woke up yesterday and was informed there was a blizzard outside. (If I don't have my contacts in, I can't see a thing!) Even though the snow didn't have any real effect on my work, I still took the day off.

I just couldn't seem to focus on my work. You know that feeling, when it feels like a Friday, but it's only a Tuesday? That's kind of how yesterday was. It just felt like a snow day.

So, I went with it. 

      Wicket wasn't too happy about the snow. He never is.

Yesterday we ran some much needed errands.. but in the midst of it all, 

we decided to stop at one of our favorite places in the city. 

I love having special places to visit. 

And the view from this one is pretty spectacular.

These are all straight from my phone. No filter. The sky was incredible.

Today I've noticed that the snow is melting, just a bit. 

And the grass underneath it is a brilliant green. Thankful for the snow day. 

The Thing With Emotions

Last week was a big week for me emotionally. I’ve been under quite a bit of stress; and fears were trying to overcome me all week. Last Monday I went to The Complex in SLC to see the venue of the RAW Art Show coming up in February.  Like I mentioned earlier here, I’ve never done a RAW show, and I’m pretty nervous about it! I came home from the venue shaken. There are so many other wonderful artists and designers.. the space was huge.. I realized, I have A LOT to be preparing for! 

Every time I thought about the show my heart was plagued with fear and worry. I would quickly push the fears away and continue moving forward. But fears and worries kept coming back up. Thoughts like: what if no one attends? What if I can’t sell all the tickets I need to? ..and my favorite.. “What if it’s stupid?!” what if.. what if.. what if.. The questions came up, and I quickly shoved them back under. 

It wasn’t until about 4 am one night when all that fear I had been pushing down came up to the surface to have a chat.

That’s when I remembered that emotions are there for a reason. They help us shape our reality.. they form our thoughts. Many actions are based off emotions. And emotions need to be faced. When emotions aren’t faced, and they are continually swept under the rug, they become a huge subconscious monster of filth. He will continue to rear his confusing head in every event and relationship until you pick him apart emotion by emotion and face him. This monster is also capable of taking your other emotions with him.. Even the positive emotions are stolen... Leaving you a numb emotionless mess.

Humans aren’t often taught emotional intelligence like they should be. Boys are taught not to be sensitive, emotional, or upset. Girls are taught to keep a smile, to always be happy, and that they need to be sorry their emotions. So, pushing emotions and fears aside is taught as natural behavior. 

The thing with emotions.. is that they need to be felt and faced. They teach us about ourselves. Emotional intelligence is understanding your emotions, facing them.. feeling them and then releasing them.

And that night at 4 am all that fear came up to be faced.. like a monster hiding under the bed.. he slithered up next to me, and whispered in my ear.. “you can’t hide from me forever..” So there I was lying in bed with the monster of fear. And I chose to feel and embrace the fear. I let it consume me. I noticed this fear rested in my lower belly. Like a lump in my lower stomach.. which came out as lower back pain during the day.  It made my heart ache, and my throat felt swollen.

I held the fear for a bit of time. I accepted the things that could go “wrong” and I looked at the good within all of the situations that came up.  I respected the feelings and worries that came with this fear..  and then I nodded my head and I released it. I visualized it dissipating right out the window.. I felt my body become lighter, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. And then I welcomed fear’s opposite into my heart. A allowed myself to feel at peace and calm.

Because when you release anything, it’s important to replace it with something new. I let love fill my body. I thought of all the good things that could possibly go right. I saw the good things that can come from this.. and  I fell asleep with love in my heart, and I woke with a clear mind.

The next morning, I began preparing to work in my studio, and my mind wandered to the RAW show.. the event that caused quite a bit of this fear.. Yet, I looked at it with a different perspective than I did the day before.. without even trying. That fear had been faced, and I no longer feel it. Instead I felt excited, and inspired.. sure there are still some nerves, I know things can go "wrong", but I’m okay with them. I faced them.. so now I can focus on brighter emotions.

My belief is that emotions are like a swinging pendulum. Always moving. (Even at 4am.) If the pendulum can swing one way, it will always swing the other. In order to experience extreme highs, we have to experience and face the extreme lows. But I think that's how a lot of aspects of life are. In order to feel a flow, you must feel an ebb. 

This post turned out a lot longer than I meant it to… and I wasn’t even planning on writing all of this! In fact, I started this blog mostly to announce that I’ve made a facebook event for the show! But the post transformed into something healing that I needed to read and write. (I love when that happens.)

Most of my local friends are invited to the event, but I would love to have more friends who aren’t local receive updates! So feel free to join! I still have a few more tickets to the show. I have a limited amount left… and all of my long distance friends can buy a ticket in exchange for a print! (Best of both worlds!) I will ship you which ever print you want, and the price is only 15$ that way. Purchase tickets here. 

Deciding To Look

Somewhere in the dusty archives of this blog, you can find posts, pictures and stories about the walks I took with Mowgli. For those of you who are new here, Mowgli was my pup.. He passed away nearly 4 years ago. My ex-husband, Mowgli and I used to travel around quite a bit. My ex worked a lot, and Mowgli and I had the entire days to ourselves. (Much like my current days with Meko and Wicket.) Home alone... all day to work, play, paint, blog, and write.

 Aside from the ex husband, that was my ideal life! 

Back then, Mowgli and I had daily walks. This is something I've taken for granted.. When I got divorced, and Mowgli passed away I no longer took the daily walks. When I got Wicket I had a large backyard, and every place I lived with Wicket and Meko have had large yards, so I kind of forgot the adventures of taking walks with the pups! At the last place I used to take them on daily evening walks around the block... but that's not exactly what I'm talking about.. 

When you live in an apartment, you have to take several walks. The walks are the potty breaks for the pups, and they need more than just an evening walk. The pups need to go out no matter what. I no longer have the option to let them go outside and play while I stay warm and cozy. 

Each morning, I have to wake up, get fully dressed and take them out on a little walk. Rain, snow, or sun.. We have to go outside on a little walk. Only recently has it reminded me of my days walking around strange new streets with Mowgli. I would bring my camera, he would bring his nose and we would explore our new area together. It was like a daily adventure for us. 

Several short walks and one long adventure, every day. No matter how cold, or hot. 

 After moving to Salt Lake City, I found that I have fallen into the same habit with Meko and Wicket, and we all love it. I am always snapping photos, either with my camera or my phone, and they are always exploring with their little noses. 

When I first thought to move into an apartment my biggest apprehension was the dogs... needing to take them out several times, but now it's one of my favorite parts of the day. 

Something about getting outside and stopping when a dog stops to sniff.. No distractions, but to look around and see the beauty. We never rush our walks. When one pup stops to sniff a pole or a rock, we all stop to take a look around. All of these photos were taken when one pup was conveniently stopping to smell something new. 

Oh the things we see when we decide to look.  

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My Happy Spot

I have a happy spot. It's nestled next to my easel, covered in pillows and overlooks the hill. I get a pretty good view of the city, and at night when it rains.. it's pure magic.

I knew it was my spot before I even signed the lease. I knew which pillows I would line the windowsill with. I knew I would have plants and crystals near it. I knew it would be somewhere I would go daily.

I have some vines growing from the ceiling that are one day going to engulf the area.

Everything about this spot is magic. I am even territorial about my spot. It's my space for healing, relaxing and sitting. Of course, it's also my home. So I get to be territorial.

This is where Merlin and I sit each morning and night. Sometimes I sip hot cocoa, sometimes coffee or tea.

My spot overlooks the city as well as part of our courtyard. The great thing about my complex, is everyone has a separate back door. The front doors are always locked and a bit hard to get to. I've used my front door a handful of times, it's just more practical to go through the back door where I have a private staircase. No one uses their front doors here at the complex, so there isn't much traffic in the courtyard. I've also noticed no one else sits in their windows like I do. Everyone keeps their blinds closed. I know each unit is different, and mine may be one of the only ones with low windows like this.. but it's nice that I can sit in my spot and not worry about anyone watching me, or noticing me as I watch them.

I love to watch the traffic on 1st avenue. It's mostly people walking by slowly. Going in and out of the little connivence store, waiting for the bus, or waiting for a taxi.

I've never been one to people watch unless I'm at a great distance. I have such a hard time with crowds and people watching in crowds makes me anxious and tired. I'm not sure how other empaths do it, but I tend to take on emotions and feelings of others when I'm near too many people. I haven't stepped foot in the mall or a movie theater in over 2 years.

But people watching from my window is nice. Because looking at the small individual walking with purpose, with the glittering city backdrop is beautiful.

This spot always gives me the greatest ideas of what to paint or draw.. and my next painting.... I'm hoping to paint my spot. Or at least something like it.

Having a happy place has become very important to me. This is where I go to get grounded, inspired, and centered.

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Home Tour Photos

There is nothing better than a clean house. Once the last box was unpacked, and the last load donated the house finally felt like mine. The dogs were able to unwind and find their places too and the home has finally felt like home!

I was able to get photos at last! Be warned... this is a very picture heavy post. I can't help it. I'm totally in love with this place!

First part of the tour... my kitchen! I'm so in love with this kitchen. The beautiful sink, the light above it.. the counters. The only problem was there was no storage or shelves! So I had to improvise. I also added some twinkle flower lights around the door. Guys... fake flowers, floral tape and christmas lights... it's magical!

The kitchen only came with the fridge, and the stove! I brought in the rest of the shelves and tables.. and it's been awesome. I also gave up using a microwave! It's been a week of using only a toaster oven, and so far so good!
 Next is the mud room. The mud room was intended to be my art studio, but it just didn't feel right. When the complex was originally built, the mudroom was where the milk was delivered, and the maids or butlers kept supplies. It's painted a beautiful grey and has lots and lots of storage. It also acts as an entry way. This is where most of the traffic comes from, so we set it up as a cute little entry way instead. I also plan on putting lots and lots of plants in there because of the beautiful lighting. 

It's a bit of a random room, but I'd like to put some books and chairs in there eventually.
Next is my bedroom.. Oh my goodness. My bedroom is marvelous. I have a huge window that overlooks a roof top and a boiler. The view is not beautiful, but that roof top is mine to sit on, and the privacy makes up for the lack of view.

And real quick I'll show you some glimpses of the bathroom. You guys don't really need to see the toilet or shower.. cause you know. Bathrooms are all basically the same.
My bathroom has this old old yellow tile with blue and teal details. Colors that are pretty hard to work with, but were very common when the place was built, so I kind of like the old charm it brings in.

I added more flower twinkle lights and a salt lamp because the over head light is so abrasive at night. The flower lights hang around the entire wall and reconnect over the door. It looks like a magical jungle and it's great for baths.

The bathtub is so deep with a perfect ledge for candles. I'm so in love. 

Last but not least is the living space. 

I chose to put my art studio in the living space and integrate it in with all the books. 

I'm seriously soo happy this move is over.  Turns out I have a lot of stuff. And moving sucks. 

And I never found out what happened to the missing box. It was full of my cooking pots and pans! I'm pretty sad because I had a magical pan that could cook anything. It magically appeared in my house at some point in my life... and now it's gone. I'm not longer upset.. but mourning. Hopefully I'll find a suitable replacement soon. 

I'm sure you will see more photos of the house in the coming months, but for now this is what my home looks like... and I couldn't be happier here. 

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