mantra for the new year ~ copper cuff giveaway!

~copper cuff mantra bracelet giveaway~

happy new year!!!

i just LOVE giveaways!!  this one is just in time for the new year!  YOU COULD WIN a hand stamped copper cuff bracelet with any mantra or word you choose to keep near and dear to your heart this year.  what would you have on your very own copper cuff bracelet that you could wear everyday as a reminder with your favorite mantra or word for the new year?  "breathe" …."to thine own self be true"….."stay in the moment"….

"my heart has wings"……the skies the limit :) you choose~ what best suits your needs at the moment.

i wear mine everyday of the year….and i love it. mine says, "wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving"……join in the fun ….YOU could be the winner!

HOW TO WIN!

all you have to do is link this blog post to your blog, instagram, twitter, or Facebook. oh, and pinterest!

give me a shout out for the giveaway and you're in!

leave a comment on my blog and let me know where you linked…..

for each spot that you link this blogpost you will be entered into the drawing!!

link it to all five and your name goes in five times.

that's it…..easy peasy :)

(*NOTE:  A FEW FOLKS HAVE EMAILED ME SAYING THEY CANT GET THEIR COMMENT TO POST.  IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE POSTING A COMMENT AND WANT TO PARTICIPATE, JUST EMAIL ME AND LET ME KNOW WHERE YOU HAVE LINKED THIS BLOG POST!)  kim@bigstronggirldesigns.com

once i draw the name of the winner, i will post on my blog and get the details from you, make your beautiful mantra cuff, then ship it to you .  this is my way of saying HAPPY NEW YEAR……make it a great one, do what your heart needs you to do to be happy. you deserve it~

drawing will be held on January 20, 2014.

this is the first day of MISTY MAWN'S online art class, so it will be a great day!! 

(i love her)…..

check out the new items in my etsy shop.

i have put together some great art journaling/ collage kits!  these are all hand picked by me, using some of my favorite pieces of vintage dictionary pages, sheet music, stamps , hand made books made by me, and much much more.  check it out HERE!! and here….and here…..

start your new year with ART~

everything in my shop is 15% off for the month of january for blog readers!!!
 (code is NEWYEARGIFT)  now's the time to buy something fun for yourself or for a friend~~~~~ HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~be true to yourself~ you are enough~ your are brave~ you are YOU~

photo by lacie beller

to thine own self be true…(and truthful)

~TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE~

"i learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

nelson mandela

july 18, 1918- december 5, 2013

morning sketch…remembering nelson mandela.

new jewels in my etsy shop

wind and sea….eclectic mix of all of my favorite stones and chain

for all of the many brave hearts out there in this world

"by the sea" rolled with found sea oat

"wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving"

kahlil gilbran

for all the lovely beekeepers out there :)

alis volat propriis

(she flies with her own wings)

sometimes i feel like not matter where i am in my journey, something can creep in or trigger a negative thought or emotion.  i can rant about the very thing that is bothering me about something or someone and do the exact thing that is bothering me!  i don't like to hear negative stuff….(who does??)

i choose to be a little dreamer and surround myself with people and things that make me happy, fill me up.  i work hard to do things that will bring joy to someone else and to myself, to share what i have…what i know.  the best gift we can give someone…stay positive even when they are negative…..don't start up the banter with a disgruntled friend.  seek truth and know truth. know your boundaries and know what to do to stay grounded.  recognize a trigger as soon as you can and move on. be true to yourself….for real. basically this quote says it all….

xo

my absolute new favorite quote and mantra by christian larson…..

“Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing

can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity

to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel

that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything

and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,

and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others

as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past

and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times

and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself

that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,

and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,

not in loud words but great deeds.

To live in faith that the whole world is on your side

so long as you are true to the best that is in you.”

hand painted cards made for swirlygirls dream foundation project….

wishing you a peaceful , merry and bright season filled with love, joy,

and all things beautiful. 

xo

this sky

this sky where we live
is no place to lose your wings
so love, love
love

hafiz

full circle with misty mawn

this amazing friend and artist is offering yet another online workshop. when?

it starts january 20th, 2014.  the absolutely perfect way to start your new year.  (work at your own pace, it's up until 2015!!!) i haven't missed one yet and am continuously inspired and in awe of her instruction, talent and art.  not only does she share her art with you, but she weaves music, recipes, photos and so much more into her online classes.  she is beautiful, she is shy, she is bold, she is talented, she is misty.

misty mawn.

sign up now!!

dreamer with wings

finding wings…..

dream….find love wherever you go….create your own joy….be yourself….

trust your intuition…..seek abundance…..be compassion….see the beauty in yourself

find your wings

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"wherever we are, it took some time getting here".

i was talking to a friend this morning about what "normal" is?!

in todays world, i'm not sure that there is a true definition of normal…nor am i quite 

sure that there ever was.  everyone i know, EVERYONE…..has had some sort of trouble, 

sadness, anger, hard times, resentments….the list goes on and on.

even the people i thought were "normal," i later learned were not.

(really, whatever normal means…) we all have our stuff….

what i love about my "normal" is that there's nothing normal about it.  i've learned that all  (I) can do is what feels good to me, is good for (MY) family, do what i believe is best for (MY) children and not worry so much about what anyone or everyone else is doing.  i choose to be a dreamer….to live in my little world of art and homeschooling and traveling to wherever we can and want to go…i watch my girls in their own uniqueness and i love it.  not always what (I) would do, or how (I) would dress, etc…blah blah blah, but they are exactly where I want them to be….(their own peeps)

what's my point here?  do what makes YOU happy~dont listen to negative people…turn it around when someone is talking crap.  say something positive instead of going along …...

YOU are who matters most.  if YOU are happy (or even just content) then everyone around you will probably be happy too. (except for people who no matter what just can't muster happiness)….and for them, we pray.  pray to whoever or whatever you pray to.  for peace, happiness and joy for all.  so when anyone you know is being a downer, or seemingly trying to pull you down….pick yourself up, put on your smiliest face and wish them well.  think good thoughts for them….it works, i swear :)

and when things or people get you down, move on back to a place of joy as quickly as you can.

here's a little video that makes me smile :)

and here is some new work.

inspired after nina left, i continued to make and create more jewels.

she left a mark and i am grateful to her for being here!

i'm always looking at quotes for jewelry and this one really resonated with me.

i love the bird, and i love the quote.  this is from a little book of love notes that i bought when we were in blowing rock.

inspired by this post  after reading suzanne's blog i jumped in

and made a few post cards for the dream foundation.

what a great thing to do this season (or anytime) :)

YOU ARE………

beautiful

kind

loving

amazing

joy

abundance

significant

sparkling

enough

………………………………………..

in memory of ellie

OH, the saddest thing last week…..

my sweet golden didn't come out one morning and later that day we

found that she had a large tumor that had ruptured and that was the end of her.

it was so sudden, so sad and we miss her terribly.

she was our sweetest…happiest….most awesome doggie.

she was best friends with rio (the cat)….and my girls just loved her up.

she was ellie belly smelly…..sweet ellie….ellie beller…

the best golden.

missing her terribly~

xxo

sea to the mountains and adventures with nina bagley

welcome nina!  

it was a great adventure with nina here in wilmington to teach the "wilmington wrap" workshop.

first on the agenda…..get to masonboro island to look for treasures.  it was a beautiful day.  crisp, cold and windy, but perfect on the island.  libby took us over and we had a few hours to enjoy the pristine, uninhabited island…all to ourselves.  nina's son, (roy) came over with us and it was sweet to see the mother and son bond between them.  we all left with bits and pieces from the sea and treasured memories.  

MASONBORO ISLAND

next on the agenda….north end of wrightsville beach for shelling and sunset.

yes, this is walter….nina's sweet "only child" dog.  he has a huge personality and entertained us all with his crazy running around and around in circles on the beach. (the rips as nina calls it)….  this was his first beach trip :) we met up with a few of the students and enjoyed the low tide treasures and the beautiful sunset.

color…...

always, always finding heart shaped treasures and thankful for that little bit of love.

nina teaching in my heART space studio.

she is a soulful, spirited teacher. we all learned a lot from her.  the stories that go along with her teaching are priceless.  the jewelry she designs is soulful and filled with words and memories.

this is a charm that she had made and gifted the students with.

"traveling is not for babies" ……her father's words to her as she traveled and taught around the country.  he was a proud dad and his words are treasured.

i embellished mine with a little stone and jump ring and have added to a chain to wear as is.

others incorporated it into their wrap bracelets….

"understand i am always trying to figure out what the soul is and where hidden

and what shape."  one of my favorite mary oliver quotes…hand stamped into metal and 

added to the wrap bracelet i made in the class. 

another favorite quote:

"wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another

day of loving"  kahlil gilbran  

i stayed up in the studio after nina and roy went to dinner .  hung out with walter and

finished my bracelet.  i love the moss aquamarine beads that nina gave me.  and the little birds nest she taught us how to make.  

the little orange dogwood is from one of my mom's necklaces…..and sewn on 

the vintage fabric by nina.  (special ;)

and the little cocoon, i love this and what it represents.  my 

obsession with wings is reflected in my jewelry and art.  now i have a little

something to add.

the little cocoon at the bottom of the bracelet was made and gifted to me by nina.

i love having her beautiful work incorporated into my wrap bracelet.

we had  a great time together, but it was too short and it was a whirlwind.  i thank everyone who came to wilmington to enjoy time with nina.  and i'm grateful for all adventures, memories and new friends made during our time together.

OFF TO THE MOUNTAINS!!!

next up, mountain trip with my girls.  nina and i both left monday morning and headed to the mountains.  me, with my girls to look at ASU, and her to home in collowhee, nc to her mountain

 cabin in the woods. 

we stayed in downtown boone just 2 blocks from the campus.  it was nice to trounce around boone, shopping at thrift stores and enjoying the yummy food at the local restaurants.  (our daily bread) was our favorite and we ended up eating there 3 times ;)

i worked on morning journal pages while the girls slept in…

it was nice to have my art with me.  i had lots of ideas swirling around in my head from the workshop, so i sketched a few out in my journal along with collage and painting.

sweet , sweet girl.  a new coat from "the lucky penny" in boone.

we all loved that shop….if you're ever in boone, be sure to check it out.

the owner is super nice and they have really cool clothes and jewelry.

this is a little souvenir from blowing rock.  (the bee charm)…..i took the girls into town to look around and have lunch, then we got on the blue ridge parkway for a little while to enjoy the absolute beauty of the nc mountains.  

on the blue ridge parkway.  lots of beauty and photo opportunities!! :)

i love that these girls love being sisters.

back to boone …..more sister fun.

we found lots of cool back drops around town….graffiti and painted walls ….

we all loved the tree skeletons.

we had such a good time…..found treasures at the thrift stores…enjoyed each other…the food was yummy,  the scenery beautiful beyond words…..blessings tremendous.

xxo

home sweet home.

no matter where we go, it's always good to get back home.

and honestly, traveling makes me appreciate "home" more.

TRUNK SHOW november 30th 2-4

at 

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH ROCKS

join us for festivities…holiday spirit….

……..check our my new jewelry and art….

and feel the healing energy from the rocks and stones 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

plastic free update-and getting ready for special fundraiser

a few months ago, i did a post about plastic free living after a presentation i attended with 

BETH TERRY.  she inspired and informed and definitely brought awareness so that i decided to make the difference i could make too.  as with most things, i jumped in full speed ahead to change my ways in regards to plastic.  i made some serious changes, tried new plastic free products, and really did reduce my plastic use by a lot.  BUT, there are some things i just haven't been able to give up just yet....and i've learned that it's more about awareness and commitment to make some changes than trying to be completely plastic free and crazy about it!  i have teenagers.  we are spontaneous.  i am not always prepared with my bags and my jars and my list of plastic free items.  some things we do on a whim, and that includes buying things with plastic.

UGGGHHHH.

i really have a passionate dislike for plastic.  and i don't love it when i end up with it in my house!

here are some things i do to cut down on my footprint and to do the best i can with using less plastic.

i LOVE sending packages and letters.  i ALWAYS re-use envelopes or boxes.

here is a re-purposed box that i have collaged and am sending to a friend.

i use what i already have (including plastic tape), but try not to buy things with plastic.

the lid on the paint is plastic.  (i have to have paint, i'm an artist!)

the pen is plastic....but again, i have my collection of what i use to make art and that's one of those things that i keep on using!)

re-purposed phone case....

upcycling plastic phone cases is one way i feel that i can make a difference.

phone cases get thrown out all the time.....i would love to start a recycle your phone case site...

where i take old phone cases and turn them in to new art phone cases!

this is where the guilt comes in.  

it is really hard to find paint in glass containers!!

i'm not there yet where i can make my own paints and dyes...

i keep the containers and add more paints and mediums from the tubes of paints, but it's so much more economical for me to get the larger plastic ones....

of course i will recycle them after many uses.

i buy old enamel wear to use as trays for art and jewelry.

(and lots of things in the kitchen too.)

there are so many plastic containers on the isles of michaels for your art supplies and 

collage etc....

try using something you already have or buy from thrift shops.

these trays are actually just as cost effective or more than buying new.

:)

my pantry....

it looks much better than before my plastic free ah ha moment.

i use glass jars for bulk items and try real hard to remember to take 

them when i go shopping!

sometimes i forget and i end up with a plastic jar of peanut butter....

but most of the time, i wait until next time and plan better.

this is my favorite lavender body lotion, made by natures way farm and seafood.

i take my re-usable container and drop it off at the farmers market for bill to 

fill up and bring to me the following week.  he also does this with goat cheese. (yum)!

(not as convenient as buying it on the spot, but worth it to me to keep from buying the plastic 

container)...it's just a week!

i NEVER put my fruits and veggies in plastic bags at the grocery store.

and i don't buy apples and other fruits in plastic bags.  i buy them loose and just toss them in

my re usable cloth bags.  when i forget my bags, i always ask for paper, then i re use the bags for art, packaging or storage.

i've tried shampoo bars and go back and forth between bottled and bars. 

i like baking soda for deodorant. 

i try really hard to always remember my glass water jar.

and i buy way less plastic wrapped items than i ever did before.

SO, the update in a nutshell:

i'm doing my best.

i'm much more aware.

i'm getting to the beach at least once a week to pick up trash.

and i'm trying to make a little difference and spread the word so you can too.

coming up in december is the annual HOPE FROM HELEN fundraiser at wrightsville beach.

to raise awareness AND raise money at the auction, i have asked different people to donate plastic free items.  so far, i have a basket coming together with donations from:

BETH TERRY

SUSAN FREINKEL

GLASS DHARMA

SURFRIDER 

GREEN BAG LADY

any ideas? 

leave a comment and i will pursue it!