HAPPINESS IS...

Life In Five: 13

1. Missing:  little Suzu, my niece cat.  She stayed with us while my brother and his family were away traveling.  It was so nice to have a kitty in the house again!  Every since sweet Bailey passed, there's been a void in our home.  One that can only be filled with purrs and fur.  I think I'm finally ready for another forever feline friend.

2. Reading:  American Pastoral by Philip Roth - our next book club selection.  Have you read it?  I'm only through the first chapter, but I can already foresee some late night page-turning in my immediate future.  Prior to this, we finished Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  Which I loved so much, it deserves it's own blog post... coming soon!

3. Munching:  on Nature Box's healthy snacks.  I finally jumped on board and took advantage of their free sample pack.  Pleased as punch!  This week, I nibbled on jalepeno cashews, a cranberry medley, strawberry greek yogurt pretzels, garden tomato crunchies, and my favorite: garlic parmesan pop pops - half-popped kernels like the ones you get at the bottom of the popcorn bowl.  I gobbled those up in 30 seconds flat.

4. Planning:  a mother-daughter trip to New Mexico!  We've been wanting to do this for years and finally got serious about a getaway in May.  We're hoping to squeeze in the Breaking Bad tour in Albuquerque, a few museums and restaurants in Santa Fe, and some natural mineral hot springs in Taos.  Anything else we should check out?  If you've been there before, I'd love your suggestions.

5. Keeping:  a secret.  I have big news to share with you all, but mum's the word for now.  More info soon, I promise!


What have you been up to lately? 
 

 

Life In Five: 12

1. Packing:  for a quickie trip to Park City, Utah.  Hal's buddy is an airline pilot and was kind enough to fly us out to stay with him and his family for a few days.  Can't wait to put my snow boots, warm hats and mittens to use.  We'll even catch the tail end of Sundance!  I've never been before - have you?  We didn't pre-purchase any tickets, but I'm still hoping to catch a last-minute film or two!

2. Smiling:  as I go through photos from our 3 Little Birds movie Sing-Along event this past Saturday.  We projected Frozen on our big white brick wall and invited local families to our music studio to sing along with Elsa and Anna.  We taught the kids how to warm up their voices and how to keep the blue balloon "snowballs" up in the air whenever it snowed on screen.  We were expecting maybe 5 people.  And ended up with 40!  It was such a proud moment for us as owners, seeing our space filled to the brim with happy, silly songbirds dressed up as princesses, dancing and belting out their favorite tunes.  We're planning to host a different musical sing-along each month!

3. Obsessing:  over Serial.  I'm a little late to the game, but my book club girls just told me about this spin-off of This American Life and warned me I'd be hooked after Episode 1.  They were right!  If you haven't listened to the podcast yet - it's a true story that investigates the death of a 17-year old girl and the ex-boyfriend who was convicted of her murder and who continues to protest his innocence.  My post-Serial withdrawals even led me to Google what has happened since the final episode aired.

4. Cooking:  Oh My Veggies meal plans.  This is my new favorite vegetarian food blog.  Kiersten and her team go above and beyond to create delicious and affordable dinner ideas for the week, complete with a printable shopping list.  It feels good to be organized.  I'm working on this particular meal plan right now - mmm, the posole soup is to die for.  Since Hal makes his own meaty meals, I'm cooking for one these days.  Which means lots of leftovers for lunches, quick re-heating options for when you're low on energy, and grocery shopping only 2x a month.

5. Listening:  to A Soft Murmur.  It's a web app that provides ambient sounds to wash away distraction while you work.  As I type, there's a fire crackling in the corner, a gentle thunderstorm rumbling in the distance, and quiet coffee shop clatter that makes me feel like I'm working in a room full of people.  It's so cool, guys.  Tomorrow, I may be at the ocean with crashing waves.  Or inside a yoga studio with Tibetan singing bowls.  You can play sounds with other sounds, adjusting the volume of each as if you're at mixing board.  Try it!

I guess this series should be called 'Life In Six' today, because I couldn't resist adding one more....

6. Prepping:  for the big game on Sunday.  So pumped!  I got my new Russell Wilson jersey tee.  Hal's got his new Seahawks cap.  Found some snack recipes to make.  We are set.  I'm not sure what the odds are of winning two Super Bowls in a row, but if anyone can do it, Seattle can with the help of the 12th man!  I love how football brings our city together.  GO HAWKS!

What have you been up to lately? 

Life In Five: 11

Practicing: Reiki, in a whole new way. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I just returned home from a 3-day mega-healing intensive class to get my certification as a Reiki Master-Teacher! I'm now able to instruct others and give attunements to this ancient yet evolving artform. We learned advanced techniques, two new symbols, and how to incorporate crystals into the practice. The more I discover about Reiki, the more it blows me away. This love-energy is so powerful - truly life-changing. I can't wait to share more of this gift with you - stay tuned, friends.

Reading: Art, Inc. by Lisa Congdon. If you remember from my last Life In Five post, I had just completed her Creative Live class. I was so impressed by her work, I had to check out her new book. It's about everything you'd want to know about the business of art and all the different revenue streams one can pursue, with insider tips and interviews from other artists. It's giving me the confidence I need to push forward in this field.

Relaxing: in a hammock for exercise! This is real, I promise. I've been doing Anti-gravity yoga through ClassPass - a form of aerial yoga where you're cocooned in a supportive silk hammock as the instructor guides you through a series of poses hanging 3 feet above the ground. The benefits are similar to the after-effects of sensory deprivation tanks - giving you a feeling of euphoria due to weightlessness. And it lasts all day!

Binge-watching: a ridiculous amount of television shows. Maybe it's the cold weather, but I love hunkering down underneath the covers at night with my iPad, getting lost in a show. I just finished this season's Walking Dead (sniff) and now I'm working on: Parenthood, How To Get Away With Murder, Nashville, American Horror Story, About A Boy - what else? Oh yeah, Scandal. A good mix of heartwarming, heartpounding, creepy, funny and guilty pleasure stories.

Anticipating: a Swiss Christmas. Every year, my family chooses a new worldly cuisine to cook and consume for Christmas dinner. This year, we decided on Switzerland, since my parents will be traveling there in 2015 to explore our roots. Do you have any fun Swiss recipe ideas? There's always fondue, but we do that often and we're looking to get creative, with dishes like Rösti or Älplermagronen or vegetarian Zurchergeschnetzeltes

What have you been up to lately?

Life In Five: 10

Working: on my art! I finally got over my creative slump and now our dining table looks like the aftermath of an art supply hurricane. It took me almost a year (wow) to really narrow down my focus and decide on a theme for my shop. Some things just take time I suppose. I'm aiming for an Etsy grand opening by the start of the new year. Yikes, did I just say that? Now that it's in writing means I actually have to do it!

Cooking: up the New Yoga Pot from one of my favorite veggie blogs, Green Kitchen Stories. It's a warm, healthy, comforting stew. Elsa's video recipe pulls you right into her kitchen, which I imagine smells like ginger and cinnamon. And it's a good dish to improvise. Throw in any veggies you have on hand.

Amassing: tons of great business advice through Creative Live. Have you taken any of their classes yet? Their platform is brilliant really. Experts teach 2 or 3-day intensive workshops online in the subjects of photo & video, art & design, music & audio, craft & maker or money & life. When you tune in live, it costs nothing. After it airs, they charge an affordable fee, usually under $100. So far, I've been able to catch Michelle Ward's Create Your Dream Career and Lisa Congdon's Become A Working Artist, both for free.

Loving: Postmodern Jukebox's videos. They're a group of musicians who collaborate with crazy talented vocalists to create jazzified pop covers. You'll have to watch to understand. Start with this one: Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass, featuring my new idol, Kate Davis. Amazing, right? Then I suggest The Neighbourhood's Sweater Weather, featuring Cristina Gatti. And Arianna Grande's Problem, featuring The Tee-Tones. So much fun. I'd love to sing for them one day.

Acquiring: all the necessary components of my Halloween costume! It's a goodie this year. A couple's costume with Hal. Top secret, but I'll give you a hint: NOV 05 1955. If you can guess from that clue, you're my hero.

What have you been up to lately?

Life In Five: 09

Resting: after the 3 Little BIrds Open House. It was a smashing success! We only planned to hold two sample music classes, but ended up holding an additional class to accommodate everyone who showed up. We got some great feedback, learned what NOT to do (give kids loud drums when you're trying to provide instruction) and met an editor from Red Tricycle who wrote a feature on us!

Watching: HBO's Enlightened. Have you seen this show? It's a drama-comedy about Amy, played by Laura Dern, a quirky, self-destructive do-gooder who has a mental breakdown at her soul-sucking corporate job and finds spiritual enlightenment after attending a wellness rehab retreat. The cast and writing is phenomenal and I found myself strangely identifying with Amy throughout the series. Sadly, they canceled the show after only two seasons, despite winning Golden Globe awards. If you have Amazon Instant Video (through Amazon Prime), you can watch the entire series for free!

Cooking: one-pot pastas. In particular, Joy The Baker's One-Pot French Onion Pasta. Sweet, savory, carby goodness. Why have I never tried this technique before? I even tested it out with veggie marinara and the results were just as delicious. Not only does cooking everything in one pot create a thicker, heartier sauce, but it dramatically cuts down on the number of dishes to wash!

Reading: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Finally! My book club will be reading it together and I just downloaded the Kindle version. I've heard so many wonderful things, on top of it winning a Pulitzer. But at the same time, there have been some not-so-good reviews about a depressing ending. I'm eager to form an opinion of my own. I'm sure I'll appreciate it either way, since the writing, as far as I can tell, is superb. Have you read it yet?

Practicing: (and perfecting) a song on the ukulele to be performed at another best friend's wedding at the end of September. For their first dance! Such an honor, right? I should keep it a surprise for now, but I promise to reveal the song and upload a recording or video of it after the wedding. It's a sweet one!

What have you been up to lately, my loves?


{Image by Christopher Bachmann}

Life In Five: 08

Eyeing: the Floral Arranging 101 e-course taught by Chelsea Fuss of Frolic! I've always been enamoured by floral design and I'd love to discover what really goes into making an effortless, just-picked-from-the-garden look. There are some technical tricks I'd love to learn. And I really wouldn't mind having fresh blooms hanging around the house for 4 weeks! Has anyone taken this class before?

Trying: to stay positive after a disheartening personal event left me feeling rather empty. I promise to tell you more when the time is right. You know me, I'm a fairly open book. But for now, I'd like to stay quiet and simply focus on all the amazing love and laughter in my life.

Adjusting: to my new self-employment schedule. Not exactly earning a living from home just yet. But I'm buckling down, trying to make it happen by fall. Waking up at the same time, 7am, working 40+ hours a week, just like my office job. And here's what I'm discovering. When you're working for yourself, doing what you love, time just flies out the door! It's crazy. Before I know it, it's 5pm and Hal's home ready to start dinner. But that's what work SHOULD feel like, right? In the flow. Guys, it feels really good.

Utilizing: my B-School knowledge to create a multi-purpose website combining all my passions. Art, music and healing under one creative roof. The new and improved Shannon Eileen / Happiness Is brand. One thing I'm really excited about is being able to offer distance Reiki treatments through this new space. And then a self-healing e-course after that. Get ready friends! Much to look forward to.

Anticipating: A couple's motorcycle ride with my folks tomorrow to celebrate Hal's birthday. They have a bike too. We've been meaning to double up for quite some time but have yet to make it happen. The plan is to take the Harley on the ferry and meet up for a summer picnic at Point No Point. Cool name for a lighthouse, right?

What have you been up to lately?

 

Life In Five: 07

1. Remembering: all the beautiful butterflies from Sunday's Father's Day excursion to the Tropical Butterfly House. A giant one landed on Hal's head and hung out there for awhile! It must have loved his sweet smelling pomade.

2. Working: out like crazy doing barre. People warned me it'd be hard. I didn't realize how hard until I attended my first Pure Barre class! I pretty much died and vowed to never go back. But since I still needed to get swimsuit ready for this weekend's bachelorette, I signed up for Barre3 online workouts to do in the privacy of my own home. Much better. No more embarrassing myself in public!

3. Watching: Season 2 of Orange Is The New Black, along with the rest of the world. I just finished the final episode and cried tears of joy. It was so so perfect. If you saw it, what did you think?

4. Securing: our first studio for ABC Do-Re-ME! We completely lucked out and found the perfect space with exposed brick walls, tall ceilings and huge windows overlooking downtown Tacoma. I'm envisioning bright white walls with colorful poufs and floor cushions.

5. Planning: a little getaway to Lake Chelan at the end of the month. It will be a much needed breather from our recent life changes. And quite possibly our last hurrah for awhile. There will be sandy beaches, electric tandem bicycles and boating adventures in our very immediate future!

How about you? What have you been up to lately?

Life In Five: 05

Celebrating: the day Hal and I met 12 years ago today. Yes, it was love at first sight, and I give you permission to gag. We're pampering ourselves with an overnight staycation here in town. Should be a jolly good time.

Designing: my friend Melanie's wedding invitations. A great honor and an even greater responsibility. I'm more paranoid about making hers perfect than I ever was with my own! We're doing watercolor and calligraphy, my current specialties :)

Learning: soooo much about online marketing that my brain hurts. I'm in home stretch of B-School and teetering on information overload. But it's the good kind of overwhelm. The exciting stuff. It will probably take the rest of the year to fully implement my new-found knowledge into the blog and budding art biz, but my goals are precision clear. Stay tuned for a post about the top things I've learned.

Detoxifying: my life, starting with the nasty chemicals I've been putting into my hair and skin. There are so many healthier options. Finding the best natural and organic personal care products will take some trial and error, but I've already found a few gems. I'll make sure to share my list once it's ready.

Researching: my next big adventure. This actually isn't anything new, as I plan fake vacations all the time. But I've got the travel itch, what can I say. We won't be able to go anywhere grand any time soon, since this is the year of weddings in LA. But I'll be saving my pennies for someplace exotic in 2015. Thinking about Iceland with my love. Or Istanbul with my girls. Or Bali with myself!?

What have you been up to lately?

Life In Five 04

Appreciating: the Northwest cherry blossoms. Just one of the many special perks to living here. There's a good amount of cherry trees in my neighborhood, but the best place to go is on the University of Washington Quad. According to the official UW cherry tree watch, they're now at full bloom. Hal and I went last year and all of Seattle seemed to have joined us. I'd like to visit again next time the sun comes out.

Listening: to the Classic Girls Groups channel on Songza. It takes me back to when I sang in a trio in middle school and quartet in high school. I miss harmonizing. My girl Kate and I are thinking about starting up a duo for fun! If you like girls groups too, you must watch the How Are You Doing video by The Living Sisters directed by the one and only Michel Gondry. If it sounds familiar, it was the song that aired at the end of the Beach House episode of Girls! So good.

Reading: Red Rising. This is my book club's latest selection.. for a funny reason. Without mentioning any names, one of us (not I) used to date the author, Pierce Brown! It's pretty crazy, but at 26, he's slated to be fiction's next big superstar. Critics are comparing the sci-fi trilogy to Ender's Game and The Hunger Games. Have you read it?

Marveling: over a turntable that plays slices of wood. Serious. Bartholomäus Traubeck converted tree rings into data that outputs piano music. You can find the digital album here. There's also a limited edition vinyl record with wood on one side so you can play it on your own record player at home. The coolest!

Loving: this inspiring video using an audio excerpt of Ira Glass on Storytelling about trusting in the creative process. First Marie Forleo linked to it in B-School. Then I saw it again on Linda's blog. The universe really wants to sink this message into my skull! And now I want to sink it into yours.

What have you been appreciating, listening to, reading, marveling over, and loving lately?

Life In Five: 03

Fancying: the view from underneath my umbrella. Pretty, no? For the longest time I carried around a boring black umbrella to blend in and be anonymous. But I've found it's much more exciting to carry a bright floral one that makes you forget it's still winter and look up instead of down.  

Working: on hand-lettering art for the Seattle Blogger's Unite Spring Social. It's been a challenge, being my first large-scale piece, but I'm happy with my progress so far. The event is being held at Aran Goyoaga's studio, where we had the winter dinner last month. Each attendee will be given a smaller-sized print of it in the gift bag. So if you're a local blogger, definitely sign up for the meet-up to get one. It should be a fun time!

Admiring: Olympian Yuna Kim. Her movements are like poetry on ice. I could watch this girl skate all day, couldn't you? It was this beautiful and effortless routine in particular moved me to tears. I'm tempted to sign the petition about the judges' decision. Do you think she deserved the Gold?

Thinking: about getting a digital or texture perm. Am I nuts? My straight fine hair is so lifeless and I've heard great things about these Japanese perms that give you soft gentle waves. Has anyone gotten one before? Do they work on non-Asian hair?

Adoring: my distance Reiki sessions. Many of you jumped on board when I asked if you wanted to be my practice pupils. I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the response and I'm booked solid for the next month! So far, our experiences have been nothing short of amazing. It's making me think I should provide this as a service on the blog. Thank you to those of you who were open to receive this gift.

What have you been fancying, working on, admiring, thinking about, and adoring as of late?

Life In Five: 02

Reading: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, our latest book club selection. Thank you for your fabulous suggestions last month! I devoured the book in 2 days, acquiring a significant lump in my throat in the process. I completely identify with this quote: "Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book." P.S. The movie is coming out soon!

Craving: A kitty. This guy in particular. His name Samson. He's on the Seattle Humane Society's mobile bus that goes around from neighborhood to neighborhood so that he and his animal friends can find their adoptive parents. I can't stop thinking about him, which means I must be ready for another cat. But sadly, Hal is not, and I need to respect his wishes. If anyone local is looking for the sweetest 2-year old soft black ball of love, come and adopt Samson! I pray he goes to a good home.

Learning: The Digitizing Calligraphy Skillshare class taught by Molly Suber Thorpe. I highly recommend, because it takes things one step further than Molly Jacques' intro class. She shows us, in great detail, how to take an original sketch, clean it up in Photoshop, and turn it into a vectorized image in Illustrator. Definitely take this course next if you're looking for something more intermediate. Are all Mollys in this world excellent calligraphers?

Drinking: Dry cucumber soda. I am not a soda drinker by any means. Carbonation gives me perpetual hiccups, and who needs all that artificial sugar? But they were giving out samples at the market and Dry Soda is much healthier and way less sweet. Only 4 ingredients total with just a pinch of pure cane sugar. They were developed by a Northwest gal who wanted an alternative to cocktails while she was pregnant. I'm partial to cucumber, but they also have blood orange, ginger, vanilla bean, rhubarb, lavender and juniper berry, to name a few.

Anticipating: The Seahawks winning the Super Bowl! I'm SO excited for tomorrow... as is the entire city of Seattle... no, the entire State of Washington! You can literally feel the energy in the air. The 12th man is ready and pumped. We're making artichoke sammies, black bean quinoa sliders, and homemade seitan buffalo wings. Will you be watching the big game?

What have you been reading, craving, learning, drinking and anticipating as of late?

Life In Five: 01

I love lists. So I've come up with a new column, Life In Five, where I give you a brief scoop of things I've been up to lately in five easily digestible bits...

1. READING: E-Squared by Pam Grout. It provides 9 DIY energy experiments that prove our thoughts create our reality. Her tone is slightly annoying, but the information is downright fascinating. I just finished the first experiment - ask the universe for a gift/blessing in 48 hours - and it worked! Granted, my birthday was this week, so is that cheating? I'll repeat the experiment tomorrow and see how it goes.

2. WATCHING: Girls. So happy the new season is here. I don't get HBO but I marathon it from illegal streaming sites (shhh) on my iPad. Some of my gal pals aren't fans of the show, but I think it's brilliant.

3. ADMIRING: this 13-year old boy who spoke at a TEDx event about hacking his education in order to be happy and healthy when he grows up. He makes me look at home-schooling in a whole new light. 

4. EATING: Starbucks hearty veggie & rice bowls. Have you tried them yet? Full of healthy goodness: kale, butternut squash, broccoli, peas, red beets, and roasted tomatoes over brown rice with lemon tahini dressing on the side. I'm hooked.

5. PRACTICING: with Bruynzeel Design Aquarel watercolor pencils, which I'm testing out in the floral piece above. My sweet husband gave me a set for my birthday. They're soft and creamy and blend nicely with water. I look forward to sharing more artwork with you in the future.

What have you been reading, watching, admiring, eating and practicing as of late?