There were so many wonderful moments, like when we stepped into our exquisite Parisian apartment overlooking Notre Dame, finding myself crying as we stepped into the gardens at the Rodin Museum – it was the moment when I really knew we were there, in Paris – the scale of everything from the Louvre in Paris to the Pope’s Palace in Avignon to the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, eating fresh churros from the market in the Marais, the flower market in Nice and its flavoured sugars, café crème, the Salade Marcel at the Tartine place in Avignon, the look on Justin’s face when he first saw the waters of Nice, walking by myself along the Seine, the gardens of Versailles, breakfast in the private garden at our Nice Hotel, eating a picnic lunch overlooking the Rhone, dancing sur le pont d’Avignon. We did it. We made it happen and we will cherish the memories forever

And I’m so proud of us for getting there and for savouring the journey because we also faced a whole lot of challenges right from the beginning, right from our plane being delayed because it had been struck by lightning – yes, by lightning! I’m scared of flying anyway so wow, that was tough. And when we arrived in Paris, it was 8 degrees and pouring rain with a wind that devoured umbrellas. We had rain just about every day and it was so cold that the one sweater I brought was pretty much my Parisian uniform. It helped a little but not enough because on the second day I got very sick. We actually considered cutting our trip short and coming home after Paris but just couldn’t bring ourselves to do it. Instead, a trip to the pharmacy, lots of naps and keeping positive got us through. But when we arrived in Avignon, again in the pouring rain, and Justin broke into a fever, I felt pretty defeated. When the proprietor at the hotel gave us the keys to room 13, Justin had “Are you kidding me?” written all over his face.

But the next day was sunny and Avignon is beautiful and as we found ourselves meandering gently up the Rocher des Doms and having a picnic lunch underneath trees overlooking the Rhone, with the most idyllic view imaginable (pictures to come), I trusted that there would be healing. We slowed down a lot at this point. We had to. And we looked for and savoured every single moment of beauty, of pleasure, of delight, of wonder, of inspiration and deliciousness. And there were many.

I’m sharing this with you because it’s so important to know that dreams can ask a lot of us. This trip certainly asked a lot of me. I was aware of bumping up against my limitations for a lot of this journey. I was challenged by the traveling itself, arranging and then figuring out different modes of transportation, from connecting flights to the high-speed TGV to the metro in Paris. I was challenged by French, a language I adore and have a history with but am far from fluent in. I was out of my comfort zone every day as I asked for help at the pharmacy or tried to understand signage or negotiated ordering dinner.

And outside my comfort zone were also extraordinary experiences and moments of wonder. I could have gazed out over the Rhone for days. I could walk along the Seine or the pebbly beaches of Nice day after day after day. I could lose myself in the art and the beauty forever.

And though I can honestly say I would have loved it if we had gorgeous spring weather and if we had been healthy throughout, I loved this trip. I’m thankful for every precious moment and so proud of us too. Even with the rain and the cold and the illness, this was a dream come true.

Today I’m sharing with you the Paris part of our journey. I hope you enjoy coming along.

I first called this article, “Lessons Fools Have Taught Me” but that sounded like I was going to write about ex-boyfriends and bad teachers. What I really want to talk about is the wisdom of The Fool, the first card of the tarot.

1. Have beginner’s mind.

Over time we fill up with knowledge, habits and experience, and generally, that serves us well. But sometimes, being that full gets in the way of fresh thinking and creative possibilities. The gift of letting go of knowing is the opportunity to learn.

2. Leap.

Traditionally, The Fool is shown to be teetering on the edge, just about to go over a cliff. Whenever we step into a new adventure, it’s a risk. It’s natural to be nervous. But think how many things were once risky that are now second nature, like standing, for example! Courage and confidence are created one leap at a time.

3. Don’t pay too much attention to your fears.

The Fool is often depicted with a little dog nipping at his heels or biting the seat of his pants to stop him from going over. Our fears do this to us all the time: sometimes protecting us, but sometimes holding us back. Take the time to listen to your fears, do what you can to support your safety and then get on with the adventure!

4. Play.

Even on the cliff, the Fool takes time to enjoy the moment. The most precious gift you have is now. Make room for some lightness and joy, maybe even some silliness – you may just find it delicious!

5. Don’t worry about being a 0.

Our real human need to be respected and valued can sometimes transmute into a drive for and dependency on status. Keeping up with appearances and worrying what others think of us is exhausting! The Fool reminds us to drop out of that game and simply be. Wherever you are, it’s just the right place on your journey.

What foolishness will you get up to this month?

I’ve been doing a lot of yoga lately, which is pretty new to me. Despite my background in dance and Nia, or perhaps because of it, I have a pretty complicated relationship to stretching, especially all stretches designed to loosen up hips and hamstrings and give you the most glorious (and for me elusive) extension.

When I was a teenager, I was dedicated to improving my flexibility. I soaked for hours in a hot bath, reaching forward, hoping to deepen the stretch with the help of the heat of the enveloping water. I had an amazing black wool body warmer that I wore religiously to dance class, hoping that extra heat would ease me into that forward bend, aching to feel my chest lying flat along my thigh. Every stretch was a deep yearning. Every stretch was infused with a knowing that without that high kick, without that stretch-ability, no professional career was coming. What an extraordinary amount of pressure for my poor body.

Then one day, practicing in our living room, I stood tall, taking one foot in my hand and extending it up towards the sky. I heard a snap and fell to the floor. It took several doctors and various treatments before a hands-on physiotherapist discovered I had literally ripped tendons from the bone.

Even now, decades later, every stretch holds that memory along with the scar tissue. The tightness of my body awakens feelings of not-enough, of broken dreams, of lack. For the longest time stretching has meant striving to narrow the gap between where I am and where I want to be, all the while steeping in that awareness of the enormous chasm between the two.

But something’s changing. Something’s healing as I come to the yoga mat in my small living room. I’m developing a new relationship with stretching, with discovering and being on my growing edge. It started when Chaz Rough pointed out that wherever we physically are in a stretch, as long as we’re on our growing edge, we’re all in the same place. We’re all doing the same work. There is no division between those of us reaching towards the floor and those of us touching it. We come together on the edge.

This is true of so many areas in our life. Only we can be in our bodies, feeling that next point of growth and breathing into it. Only we can be in our hearts, knowing that next point of growth and the courage it takes to step into it. Whether we’re doing a forward fold or making a phone call or cliff diving, if we are on our growing edge, we’re in it together.

Find me on Pinterest here.

After putting up quite a fight, I finally caved and joined Pinterest – and I’m so glad I did! It’s been a delight to discover so much beauty and inspiration and also to learn the culture of a fresh social media platform. I’m still a beginner but so many people have asked me how I’m finding it that I thought I’d share what I’ve learned so far. If you do decide to join, you can find me here.

What is Pinterest?

It’s a social site where you can gather and share online images. Instead of reading someone’s Facebook updates or tweets, you see what they are “pinning.”  You also create your own collections of images called “Boards” where you can pull together everything from quotes to cute animal pics to home improvement inspirations to hairstyle ideas.

Why did I resist Pinterest?

It was clear to me it could be a total time suck. Perusing beautiful, inspiring, interesting, intriguing images could be a days-long pursuit as far as I’m concerned! And I wasn’t sure there was any value in it other than “Ooh, pretty!” (Though I do see lots of value in that!)

Why did I join Pinterest?

“Ooh, pretty”! Lol, that was a big part of it. There is so much gorgeous visual stimulation it’s hard to resist. Plus my sister Suzie was enjoying it so much it was hard not to join in! One afternoon I had a couple of hours so I thought I’d give it a try. Quickly, I was hooked.

What hooked me on Pinterest?

It was much more than just the beauty; it was all the possibilities. For example, at first I really struggled with creating categories for the pins I was choosing but that became a fascinating learning experience. What was I interested in? What threads tied together my pins? What did that reveal about me? It reminded me of how over the years assessing my to-dos has helped me get really clear on my priorities, each one becoming a part of my now regular cornerstones of home, work, self, relationships, creativity and spirit. I look forward to the same process of self-discovery as I look at what I pin.

I can also discover others in a brand new way. When you look at someone’s boards, you engage with them in an entirely different mode. Through their visuals you pick up on their taste, their colour story, their loves, their humour and most especially their dreams. It’s so beautiful and absolutely compelling.

As an artist, I’ve also found that Pinterest is expanding my visual imagination. It’s filling up my mind & soul with shapes and symbols and textures and paintings and ideas and photography and on and on and on. There is just so much inspiration in terms of subject matter, colour schemes and media!

Is Pinterest a Time Suck?

This was what I was most worried about, no doubt, but I’ve found it to be manageable. Falling in love with and repinning an image is a very quick process. Of course, you could be enjoying that all day but one thing that helps me be more moderate is knowing that people who are following me are seeing all of those pins. I don’t want to flood them with oodles of stuff so I choose a few things here and there throughout the day that delight me and hopefully everyone else who sees what I’ve pinned.

Five Ways to Use Pinterest

• Learn Your Style/Discover Your Aesthetic

What a simple and free way to experiment, to gather, to discover what your loves are. Create a board called “My Style” and fill it with images that strike your fancy. Then take a moment and notice – what are the colours? the shapes? the moods? What can you glean about your style from what you pin?

• For Dreamboards

Dreamboards are one of the ways I’ve come to know my own taste so well. Why not make them on Pinterest? Imagine creating a board for the Full Wolf Moon and the Full Pink Moon. One of the advantages of Pinterest too is that you can use images from anywhere online. Imagine how much you have to choose from! Imagine the range and diversity! Particularly if you have difficulty finding magazines that reflect your unique style, this can be a great option.

• Create Mood Boards or Inspiration Boards

Getting married? Buying a home? Designing a website? Doing a renovation? Create a board to gather inspirations. Imagine sending your florist one link to the bouquets you are in love with. Plus, if you’re working with others on as project, multiple people can pin to the same board. You could use Pinterest as a home base for sharing your take and making sure that you and other project contributors are on the same page.

• Visual Bookmarking

I was amazed to discover just how many people use Pinterest to collect recipes, crafts projects and DIY ideas. As far as I can tell, Pins maintain their original url so clicking on them takes you to the source. So instead of listing all of your links or references in words, you could just go to your board, have an immediate visual hit and click through. Sounds good to me!

• Using Pinterest for Business and/or Blog Traffic

There have been lots of recent success stories about bloggers whose traffic increased exponentially due to Pinterest. If you have the right kind of business, this is an absolute natural.  If you make gorgeous jewellery or magical paintings or sell deliciously textured knitwear on Etsy, pin your work! You just may find your beautiful creation finding a home on tons of boards and lots of people clicking through to discover who made that wonderful piece! But be aware that getting too promo-y can be a real turn-off here. Let the pictures speak for themselves. That’s the language that people on Pinterest understand.

Some things don’t make sense right away, like recurring dreams or calculus or advice from your parents or why your life took this turn and not that one. This time-meaning delay is particularly present with messages from spirit or intuition.

That happened to me with a moose.

During the holidays I walked through a big department store that had literally a dozen Christmas-themed areas full of decorations and delights, each section with its own colour story: winter whites, antique golds, traditional red and green, luxurious aquas, playful pinks, back-to-nature neutrals. One unexpected motif appeared in each theme and consistently caught my eye: the moose.  Moose sculptures were everywhere – some small, others as big as me. There were white moose, gold moose, green moose, pewter moose. I couldn’t take my eye off them. It was the weirdest thing. It’s not that I found them attractive, but somehow I found them compelling. I took a few pictures, hoping that would satisfy my yearning, but days later returned to buy one for myself. All gone. I’ve thought about it many times since. What was it about the moose?

Fast forward to mid-January when I get a loving Desire to Inspire package from Christine Mason Miller.  I wasn’t able to attend the book launch in Santa Monica, so she was kind enough to include the lovely collection of business cards and postscards she gave out at the event. And there’s one from Pixie Campbell that I notice right away. With a moose. Yes, a moose. And an explanation of moose medicine.

“Moose carries medicine for those seeking to go to the murky depths to return with intuitive wisdom. It symbolizes the primal feminine and contains the ability to open up unique and sacred energies, while teachung is to draw life and nourishment up from our deeper selves.” Pixie Campbell

Thank you, Pixie.

Thank you, Moose.

Thank you, Spirit.

It all makes utter, complete sense.

I made this page with a little pocket in my journal so I can carry Pixie’s wisdom with me. And the moose.
Who knew you could carry a moose in your journal?

PS. I’m currently taking Pixie’s SouLodge program. It’s seasonal, sacred and special. You might want to check it out.

Every season has its gifts and some we relate to more readily than others. I’ve always been a spring kinda girl. I love beginnings. I love the fresh start and the fresh air. I love the promise of tulips peeking through the earth and saying hi. I love open windows and singing birds. I love clearing away winter’s debris and feeling new again.

But winter? Winter I find harder to love. It’s cold. It’s dark. It lasts forever. And emotionally, it’s the down note, the dark side, the turning in and dialing down. Living in it right now highlights the time in my life too, a time when for the past long while it has felt like things were moving and shifting deep down in the earth, things I couldn’t do anything about, things I had to wait to see and to understand.

Waiting.

That’s a big part of winter.

I’m not a fan of waiting. I like to dive in. I like to plan the next adventure. I want to taste the next thing. I’m a doer, a driver. When there’s a lull, I look to see where I can pick up the pace. But sometimes, that’s not what’s needed. At all. There’s wisdom in winter.

Fighting the seasons – of the year and of your life – simply doesn’t work. When you resist the tide, all that happens is you get tired.

Winter arrives in her own time and she stays as long as she damn well pleases. In fact, when I think about her like that, I like her more. I love a strong woman who knows her own mind!

And when I stop for a moment, I remember that I like turning in. I love quiet time with a book or my journal and a nice cup of tea. I love having a lazy breakfast with my honey or curling up under a big comforter and sneaking in extra sleep. I love stopping by the pub on a cold, snowy day and sitting by the fire. I love chunky big scarves and rich, hearty soups. I love being gentle with myself and taking time to breathe.

Maybe wintering isn’t so bad after all.

I may not be a rock star but having lesson with makeup artist Anna Conte from Civello Rosedale made me feel like one. I fell in love with Anna a decade ago when she did my brows in preparation for my wedding. There is something about this lady.  She radiates this deep grounded confidence that just envelops you when you’re in her presence. And she knows her stuff. Wow, does she know her stuff.

Two things inspired me to work with a makeup artist. One is that I’ve been thinking a lot about how we stay connected to who we are in the now.  When was the last time you thought about how you wear your makeup? I’ve probably been wearing my eyeliner the same way for *cough* years! But is my face the same? My style? Secondly, I’m doing more and more video and I wanted some tips on how to really look fresh and polished as I film programming for Creative Living TV!

Anna was very clear; the first thing is to be really loving with your skin. I felt like I was having a mini spa treatment as she cleansed and moisturized the palette we’d be working on, hehe.

The one big tip that Anna asked me to pass along is that it is worthwhile to invest a little extra to have a skilled professional shape your brows.  I remember the first time she did mine; I couldn’t believe the difference! I felt so glamorous and so pulled together. This is something I’d love to do regularly!

Throughout the lesson, Anna explained the what, why and how of every step. She would apply the concealer, foundation, blush, eye shadow, etc. on one side, and then I’d make an attempt on the other side. It was fun and comfortable.

Anna highlighted things that were good particularly for me but also shared her thoughts on current trends. One thing I really appreciated was her philosphy of creating a classic, clean look and then inviting in a little taste of the season – like the lovely gloss she tried on me or the deep coral lipstick we played with. (It  looked great!)

It’s quite an incredible experience to have someone really look at you, noticing the shape of your face, the colouring of your skin, the curve of your brow. It can be a little unnerving but Anna’s way of being both knowledgeable and completely non-judgmental makes it feel really lovely and safe.

Style can be a powerful form of self-expression, but we can also get trapped in our habits, stuck in the way we were instead of rediscovering who we are. This lesson was an opportunity for me to take a fresh look and see this woman smiling back at me.

If you are in Toronto, you can find Anna at the Civello Rosedale. She also blogs at Cocamia and can be found on twitter @cocamia.

And a special shout-out to Monica Terralheiro who was so lovely and treated this lesson as a photo shoot so that I’d be able to share the experience with you all. Thank you, Monica!