create

Celebrate April & Ideas & Inspiration to help Pursue your Passion

April 1, 2013 By Debbie Leave a Comment

Happy April 1st

(click on the ecard to share with others!)

Happy April 1st! I can’t believe it is April already but so excited. I just love Spring! And we are about to get our April showers tonight, so I quickly did some planting. I planted arugula, spinach, watercress, carrots and 2 kinds of lettuce. Last night I looked at Pinterest to get some ideas, then got overwhelmed and just planted! Sometimes I want to do things perfectly and obsess instead of just doing it. Usually I just end up charging ahead. So I threw some seeds in some rows and hope they grow ok! I usually don’t plant from seed-I usually buy little plants at the herb festivals in April. So I am branching out (pun) a little and trying some new things. I do want to have a huge vegetable garden soon. We have enough room here out on our acreage, but it will take some planning-would like to do raised beds and then we will have to fence everything (we have deer, raccoons, possums, snakes, you name it) and then also figure out the irrigation. So maybe it will be in place by next spring. My sister in law is a Master Gardener, so I will enlist her help. Here’s what I threw out there today!

seeds

Oh my gosh, I am on an ADD rampage now, haven’t blogged in a while-hope you can follow this! I am always thinking of ideas to write about but have gotten really bogged down with life lately. I am truly smushed in the sandwich generation right now. Just call me peanut butter. I have one in college and one in high school-and even thought they are not little any more, you still have challenges, just different from when they were little. And then my mom is in Dallas (4 hours away) in very poor health and so I am hopping in the car once more in the morning to help my sister with her.

Luckily I have an online business so I will just take my ideas and technology with me. So excited about some new things coming up for Spring with Happy First. Can’t wait to tell ya’ll!

I just want to say, I truly don’t know how people get bored in life. There are not enough hours in the day for me. I think I got gypped on the hours somewhere! There is so much I want to learn and do. I know I sound like a PollyAnna but I just love life and I love learning. And I want to encourage others to find what makes them happy and just do it.

One of my latest fun things I am doing-I really want to get good at graphic design. Some of you know my story, I started out in fashion design in college then switched to accounting because I was good with numbers and thought I would find a job more easily in accounting. Well, I did it, got my CPA and a good job but I didn’t like accounting all that much! So finally I am pursuing my passion of design and fashion, making friends, spreading happiness. I want you to know that you are never too old to pursue something new! I have even thought about going back to college (while still running my business) and getting a graphic design degree. But I really don’t need all those unneccessary classes and taking all that time. So I decided to learn on my own. Last year I took some short classes at our local community college and that was great and all, but I wanted more. So I just signed up with Lynda.com – it is so great, they have videos on everything, from mircrosoft excel to photoshop to photography to how to learn instagram to time management! So I thought I would share. I am really enjoying it. I just want to encourage you all to pursue what you love and find different sources to do this.

Oh and this is so cool, I have been thinking about writing about this for days and then just ran across this story today from a great blog-YogaSpy– I follow- a man running his first marathon at 89 (he is now still running at 102!)-what an incredible story-just goes to show you are never too old!

So I know this isn’t perfectly written, but I have decided I just need to write from the heart. If I wait til all conditions are perfect, it won’t get done!

Happy April 1st!

What would you like to learn or do?

Celebrate January-International Creativity Month!

January 9, 2013 By Debbie Leave a Comment

cardinal in the tree

Happy Tuesday! I meant to write this yesterday but didn’t get to it and I think it was meant to be because I took this picture late yesterday afternoon. I was talking on the phone looking out the window and this bright happy cardinal was just sitting there wanting his picture taken! And it fits with what I want to talk about.

I love January-way more than December. December is somewhat stressful and busy for me-I need to enjoy it more. It is hard for me to slow down in December. I love January because it is fresh, all about reflection and then new beginnings-which is exactly what Happy First is about. I love setting goals for the year and thinking of new possibilities and planning it all out. I love the fresh start of a new year.

I’m really loving my new word FOCUS for 2013. And one thing I want to focus on is my creativity. I have gotten so busy running a business that I haven’t nurtured my creative side. Last year I read the book “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron . It is a 12 week workbook designed to help you find your creativity. It suggests taking “art dates” with yourself and doing something creative once a week. So I will keep you all posted and I would love to hear ways you all do creative things.

Anyway, I was reading the Sunday paper this past week and came across Harvey Mackay’s article in the business section. I love reading his articles. This week it was entitled “6 tips to help fuel creativity”. He talked about how creativity and imagination are vital for business and personal success. And he also said that January is International Creativity Month-didn’t know that! How fun is that? He talked about how being outside and spending time in nature spurs creativity. That is so true for me. I love to run and that is when I do some of my best brainstorming. I haven’t been outside so much because it has been so cold. But yesterday as I was on the phone I was gazing outside and saw that cute little bird and it made me think how good it is to slow down and enjoy nature. We live on some acreage so it is always so beautiful just to take the time to look away from the computer or some task inside and just to look outside!

Harvey Mackay’s 6 tips to help spur creativity-

1. Gather information – research-don’t think about the solution initially, just delve (love that word-was my word for 2012) into the subject.

2. Let it simmer-do something else and let your subconscious sort it. (that’s when I run!)

3. Brainstorm-take some time to create more ideas from the information you’ve processed. (I sleep on it! In fact, that is how I would prepare for a test in college. I would study and study then nap right before the test)
4. Share your idea-Run it by some friends for feedback. (I’m always asking my creative and stylish friends for input)
5. Accept Mistakes-try things even if you’re not sure they will succeed.
6. Copy other Ideas-Don’t steal other ideas, but look at what’s done and try to do it differently. (I am always looking at trends but want to put my original spin on it).

Then, I love this, he had what he calls “Mackey’s Moral”– and this one is “Creativity, not necessity, is the true mother of invention.”

Wow, I get so inspired just reading what he has to say! I have so many ideas for 2013. I just need to FOCUS and corral all my ideas and give myself time just to have fun and create.

What do you all want to create? What helps you get in the creative zone?

Celebrate July & our Freedom!

July 1, 2012 By Debbie Leave a Comment

Happy July 1st, my friends! Where is this summer going? We just got back from the beach at 1 am last night (or I guess that is morning!). Had a wonderful time, after Sunday it was bright and sunny after the tropical storm Debby came through.

I love vacations, gets me recharged, energized! I love to shop and check out the trends and see what is fun and new. I always get new ideas too. So last night we got home and I was so excited and started pulling out fabric out of my fabricaholic stash to get ready to create today. Went to bed around 3 am, those of you that know me know that I am NOT a night person! But I love new ideas and get so wired I cannot sleep. Can’t wait to show you what I come up with.

I am reflecting on July, how we are so blessed to live in a country where we have the freedom to do what we want to do. If we want to start a new business, we can! We can run with our ideas and share with others. I don’t take this for granted and am thankful to those who have fought for our country.

So, pursue and be happy and celebrate our country this week!

What are you thankful for and what are you pursuing?

ps-click on the ecard to share! 🙂

Live in Full Bloom

April 4, 2011 By Debbie Leave a Comment

It’s Motivational Monday again! Mondays come so quickly! I am trying to write this with a spoiled Jack Russell Terrier on my lap. We went for an hour run this morning so she is tired!
Today I want you to think about Living in Full Bloom-living out to your potential. Finding what makes you Happy! Doing what you are meant to do! Again I want to ask you, what is your passion? What do you like to do in your free time? I believe each and every one of us have special talents and creativity inside waiting to burst out! (That is one meaning of the Happy First egg) I think sometimes we repress it because we either don’t think we have time or are afraid to take the plunge! I think we are happiest when we are creating and doing something we love to do! Make yourself take the time to do something for you. It will make you happier in other areas of your life. Take some time by yourself to just be still and reflect on what you would love to do. Your passion might be something that you just do for fun or it may become a career for you.
I am now reading for the second time an awesome book; it is “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen spends a whole year researching happiness and does some new things each month to boost her happiness. She has a theme for each month. My favorite month is September which she titled “PURSUE A PASSION”. I love it-we think alike-my quote I put on my website in 2007 when Happy First launched is “Find your passion and pursue it”.I love this-in this chapter she says-“But whatever your passion might be, happiness research predicts that making time for a passion and treating it as a real priority instead of an “extra” to be fitted in at a free moment (which many people practically never have) will bring a tremendous happiness boost”In an earlier chapter (March) she said this about passion- “I’d become convinced that passion was a critical factor in professional success. People who love their work bring an intensity and enthusiasm that’s impossible to match through sheer diligence.”
I guess I relate so much to Gretchen because she was an accomplished lawyer but didn’t love it so she decided to pursue her love of writing. I was a CPA that didn’t love it so I dove into my love of fashion and encouraging others. The time just flies for me when I am working on Happy First. I get lost in it! I love it!
Pictured are two of my favorite tees- the “Live in Full Bloom” tees. They are perfect for this time of year- one is a chocolate cap sleeve tee. The other is a v-neck A-line organic tunic (great with jeans or leggings) in a red chili color.
I want each and every one of you to Live in Full Bloom! Be the wonderful You that You were created to be! You are unique and have talents no one else has!
What is YOUR passion, something that you would like to do or already do?

What’s your word for 2011?

February 1, 2011 By Debbie 15 Comments

inspiration word for 2011 is pursue Happy February 1st!

Where did January go? Did you set any goals, resolutions? It’s not too late! Every day is a new day! That is what the egg in Happy First represents-new beginnings, breaking out of your shell.

Every year I like to set goals. I have different areas I like to focus on-my family and home, my business goals, creative goals and fitness goals. I have more focus and purpose each day when I am working towards something. A fun way to get started with goal setting is to pick a word for the new year. Write it down, frame it, and put it in a place you will see often each day. I put mine on my bathroom counter. I got this idea from Mary NurrieStearns, an incredible teacher at Inner Peace Yoga in Tulsa. She is also a therapist and always gives us great ideas to reflect on while we are getting a super hard workout. (I think she is just trying to distract us from the pain!)

Last year I chose the word Create. I looked up the definition in the dictionary and it means “to bring something into existence, to cause something to happen as a result of one’s actions.” Part of what Happy First is all about is breaking out of your shell. I believe everyone has creativity inside and will be happiest when they burst out!

I am happiest when I am creating. I love to play in my craft room and draw and sew. I felt like I wasn’t making time anymore for fun things like that in my life so I decided to focus on it. My friend Amy and I ended up taking a knitting class last year. I still didn’t get to do as much as I wanted to do creatively last year so I am still working on it. For Christmas I got a Bamboo Fun Wacom tablet, which enables you to draw on your computer. I just need to block out time each week for me to be creative.

This year my new word is Pursue. The Webster’s definition is “to find or employ measures to obtain or accomplish.” My quote on www.happyfirst.com is “Find your passion and pursue it”. I have lots of new ideas for Happy First and my life in general so this is my year to get out and pursue! To quit thinking and do!

I talked about this idea last year and here are some of the words and phrases my friends came up with for themselves-faith, simple (and this led to my friend decluttering her home), husband (one friend wanted to focus on her marriage), kindness, patience, just do it, and healthy body (and this friend, Pam, went on to lose weight and run her first half marathon in 2010!). Here is an excerpt from what my friend Amy wrote in choosing the word “free”:

“Free! As we have discussed in person, free is my word. I am focusing on being free from all the things that hold me back from being my best every day. Since my kids were babies I have to them to wake up every day with the goal of being their best every day. Now it’s my turn to listen to my own words.”

Some other words people have come up with for this year (I posed this question on www.facebook/happyfirst ) are balance, lean into the fear, trust, love, overcome, inspire and believe.

So what is your word for 2011? I would love to see your ideas. It would be so much fun to share and inspire each other and maybe even be accountable to each other!

Happy 2011!