Premiere of Ron Howard's final Project Imagin8tion film

only available until Monday, December 19, 2011

December 2011 Full Moon Dreamboard - the Full Cold Moon

December 2011 Full Moon Dreamboard - the Full Cold Moon by postthelove

I am going through a period of sorting, sifting, holding on to the most treasured items I own and letting go of many others that are currently just taking up more space and not really being used. I am also working a lot on my art journals and learning/developing new techniques ....I think the green represents growth and the rest is pretty self explanatory...at least to me. I think this is a magical time for me in my life as I truly and finally begin this process of transforming my life....my environment is the start...my living space and creative space..choosing what I wish to surround myself with...and removing things that stagnate me. This I feel will ultimately lead to personal growth and transformation in myself...(hence the magic and waving overhead). It has taken me such a long time to even take the first BITE in this long project but I have accomplished a lot so far which is providing fuel for me to continue! AND this is all very freeing...hence the butterflies at the top flying free.

For more full moon dreamboards check out the link to Jamie Ridler Studios on my sidebar!

November 2011 - Full Moon Dreamboard - The Full Frost Moon

November Full Moon Dreamboard - The Full Frost Moon by postthelove featuring sparkle jewelry


Jamie over at Jamie Ridler Studios prompted us this month on our moon dreamboards as follows:

"Under the Full Frost Moon it is time to deepen our dreams, to grow powerful roots of support as we move into the colder months. Allow that fresh chill in the air to wake you up to your dreams. Let’s choose to give our energy to the things that nourish our hearts and our lives, while releasing what no longer serves us. Let’s fill not only our dreamboards but also our calendars and lists with what we dream of.

This moon’s question: “What dreams would I like to grow roots for?”
What are you dreaming under this Full Frost Moon?"

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I am not so much dreaming this month...but actually watching things begin to unfold in front of me....I see changes up ahead...BIG CHANGES! I very much feel like this girl on the raft....going somewhere....not exactly sure where I will end up...feeling a little scared...but somehow knowing it will all turn out for the best in the end! My experience with these types of changes in my life in the past has proven that to be the case at least 99% of the time at least...but they are still scary to go through. I can feel it....sense it.....see snippets of it beginning to happen...and my stomach is filled with butterflies of anticipation.

I am talking about BIG CHANGES...SHAKE UP MY SNOWGLOBE type of changes...where my world will be filled with tornadic flying debris like this snow here in this snowglobe....all swirling around me until eventually it falls and settles all around me to soft, quietness once again....

To check out more moon dreamboards please click on the link to Jamie Ridler Studios on my sidebar!

How to Stop Obssessive Thoughts?

Written by: Sen - CalmDownMind.com

If you have reached a point in your life where you want to be rid of the continuous torture of the “thought generating” mind then it’s your good fortune. Obsessive or negative thoughts can make living miserable when you are plagued by them, but this very situation can become the invitation to transcend mind and be free of suffering forever.

Can you stop obsessive thoughts? – If you could it would be great, but the truth is that it’s slightly more complicated than just suppressing your thoughts which at-most you can do for a few seconds. Plus suppressing thoughts is even worse than enduring thoughts. It builds up a lot of negative energy inside.

So how to stop thinking horrible thoughts? The secret to stopping obsessive or negative thoughts is to detach from the mind. You cannot fight mind with the mind. That’s what this article is about. Let’s look at this in more detail.

What Causes Obsessive Thoughts?
If you generated thoughts, you could’ve controlled them too. The truth is that you don’t generate thoughts, the mind does. It’s on auto mode most of the time. You can see this for yourself, can you predict what you will think 30 seconds from now? If you can’t how can you assume that you are generating the thoughts?

If you believe that you are your mind, that’s a false notion again. If you are your mind then how can you observe the thoughts? So you must be separate from the mind to see what the mind is doing.

So the mind generates thoughts, which are mostly just energy forms. These thoughts pass through like clouds. We identify with some of these thoughts and obsess about them. So in truth all thoughts are just neutral energy forms, it’s “your” interest or association with the thoughts that makes them obsessive. If you can understand this truth, you have taken the first step towards getting rid of obsessive thoughts.

How to Stop Obsessive Negative Thoughts?
If you are asking this question, ask yourself another question – “is this question not another thought? It’s a thought about killing thoughts”. All your attempts at suppressing and stopping thoughts will fail because you will be using the mind to stop the mind. The police man and thief are both the mind, so how can the police man catch the thief?

So you cannot kill the mind by force. The mind dies its own death by the poison of disassociation.

What gives power to a thought? – Your interest. If you have no interest in a particular thought then it loses its hold over you. You can try this out now. Let the thoughts flow through your mind but don’t take interest in them. Just stay as a bystander or a watcher and let the thoughts float.

Initially you might have a hard time watching thoughts because of your inherent habit of associating with each thought that arises. It helps to know that you are not your thoughts, that thoughts are just energy forms created in the mind. Why does the mind create thoughts? No one knows – it’s just something it does, why bother. Do you ever ask why does the heart beat?

With a little practice you will get really good at watching thoughts and not involving yourself with them. You will stop giving power to thoughts by not giving them your interest. Thoughts die immediately when they are deprived of this fuel of interest. If you don’t associate with the thought or give power to the thought, it will wither away quickly.

What Are Thoughts?
Past events get stored as memories. Your mind conditioning and beliefs are also stored as memories. All this is unconscious storage; the mind does all this in auto mode. Perceptions and interpretations are created in the mind based on its past “external” conditioning and also its natural conditioning (genetics). These interpretations, perceptions and judgments come up as thoughts in the mind, and they can positive or negative depending on the mind’s conditioning. Thoughts are generated based on the past incidents/memories, future projections and interpretations on the present life situation. It’s like a computer trying to predict or conjure up projection based on the data it has collected so far.

When thoughts are negative in nature (thoughts of worry, anxiety, stress, lack, resentment, guilt etc) they produce resistance to the movement of your life, and this resistance is felt as suffering. Negative thoughts will always stand in resistance to the movement of your life, like blocks of stone in the midst of a swift current of water. Life is a stream of pure positive energy and hence any negative thought will stand in opposition to it, causing friction which is felt as suffering in the body.

The thoughts in your mind gain power from your attention and interest. Your attention is the fuel for your mind. So when you give attention to negative thoughts in the mind, you are unconsciously fueling it and thus attracting more momentum for these negative thoughts. The momentum of negative thoughts in your mind will slow down, and ebb away, automatically when you stop feeding your attention to it. Stay as an open space of awareness without contracting your attention on the negative thoughts of the mind, and soon they will lose their momentum.

You can focus on the positive thoughts generated in the mind, and thus develop a positive momentum in your mind. Every time your mind produces some positive thoughts, e.g thoughts of love, joy, excitement, abundance, beauty, appreciation, passion, peace etc, focus on it, milk it, and give attention to it. This will cause your mind to attract more positive thoughts and thus build a positive momentum. Whenever it thinks negatively, don’t give it attention or interest, this will cause the ebbing away of the momentum of negative thinking. It’s really that simple. Once you understand the mechanics of how thoughts gain momentum in the mind, you will be in total control of your state of being.

The Practice of Watching the Mind
All you need to do to get rid of obsessive thoughts is to watch the mind without getting involved. You will get really good at this with just a little practice. This practice, or “sadhana” as called in Hindu scriptures, is the root of awakening from the illusion of mind.

Without trying to understand this practice just implement it. The more you try to understand the more mind gets involved. Just watch the mind and you will soon see that you are not the mind at all. That the mind is like a machine in your head that generates thoughts based on your attention/interest. Be free of your mind by depriving it of your interest. This is the only direct path of becoming free of the mind.

Welcome to the Bewitched Moon Halloween party!

Today is the day for the Halloween parties to begin! Welcome to mine and I hope you enjoy yourself...please go to A Fanciful Twist to check out more parties and fun..just click on the link above on the title! Click on my party play button below to come in!

Customize a photo slideshow

Halloween blog party!

Want to come to an online Halloween Blog Party on October 22, 2011? A Fanciful Twist (link above when you click on the title)...is sponsoring online Halloween parties this year...please click on the link above and check it out. Meanwhile you are all invited to come attend my online Halloween blog party on October 22, 2011. I personally invite you to the Bewitched Moon party! Come back on the 22nd to check it out and have a good time!

October 2011- Full Moon Dreamboard - The Full Harvest Moon

Obviously I chose and was drawn to a lot of images of autumn... fall leaves, colors, and the abundance of brilliance we see this time of year.

I love trees...all trees....they are magical, majestic, living, feeling beings to me. They offer shelter, shade, sympathy, solitude, and strength.

All the fallen leaves here I think represent all the things I am trying to "shed" from my life to simplify it...to lighten my load in life....whether it be actual tangible things or excess weight or negative thought patterns, clutter, etc.

The tiny Beanie baby teddy bear just makes me smile...it reminds me of the polka dot elephant on the Island of Misfit Toys from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer which I adore. It reminds me to be as a child always.

The scene from the Great Pumpkin I chose because it reminds me to "keep the faith" no matter what...when all around me are doubtful and say negative things...to keep believing in myself.

The images of the 3 women within the circle of hearts represents all my selves...my past...present and future and reminds me I need to LOVE each of them. I am still trying to discover WHO I am NOW....and that actually means I have to delve into my past and present and even future a bit. I may not always like what I see...but I have to deal with it all with love to myself..always difficult for me to do.

The Neon sad smiley face I am not sure about. I think it represents a bit of melancholy...knowing I am leaving portions of my prior selves behind to move forward into a new chapter of my life. It is exciting yet a bit bittersweet and scary, especially as I face some unexpected health challenges...another reason I truly need to slim down and simplify all aspects of myself and life.

So as usual....this month's board has given me a lot to think about. I guess since I am basically IN the Autumn of my life...that is probably appropriate.

Dream Rangers...Awesome.....inspirational and a tear jerker....

a great way to store your glitter...use salt and pepper shakers!

isn't this a cool idea??

sums up how we should live our lives...with ZERO words...

A Whisk and A Prayer: Cranberry Fritters

A Whisk and A Prayer: Cranberry Fritters: Remember all those cranberries I bought? Well here comes recipe number two! And it's a good'un... You know apple fritters? You like apple ...

September 2011 Full Moon Dreamboard - the Full Corn Moon (or Harvest Moon)

LOTS to think about here....I love this time of year...entering into autumn and fall....earlier nights....seems I lite more candles during this time of year...everything seems to be LIT and GLOWING everywhere...even though outside it becomes more dark and perhaps dreary. I think the woman behind the mask represents ME waiting to be revealed...or revealing the REAL ME...discovering who that is again....don't we always seem to be searching for the real us?? I chose long hair because I have long hair. I have had long hair since I was 13 years old. I am MUCH older than that now...and have felt an urge to make a BIG CHANGE....my body is a lot different now...not that I cannot still improve it...but it is CRYING OUT with bone issues...aches and pains (hence the crying out back-breaking skeleton)....and I so often just wish I could wave a magic wand to make it all better...all the aches and pains go away...my body to become whole and new and like it should be...for the real me to stand up and present herself. I say I am the real me....but how often do we really, honestly let the REAL US out for anyone to see..sometimes even ourselves? I am drawn to SCARVES right now...not sure why....they are cozy...they do not really cover you up as I am sometimes drawn to things for....(or have kept the hair- - to more or less HIDE behind). The heart bracelet I think represents how I should embrace myself with my heart and love....and the umbrella of course is offering me protection from everything....but a lighter method of protection over my excess poundage I have been hauling around. So...I am still searching and growing and it continues to come out in my dreamboards. Long ago are the dreamboards that contained material things....my search seems to run a lot deeper than that right now. Maybe it's time I harvest myself....

Like a Star - Corinne Bailey Rae...another amazing song....

love this song...PUT YOUR RECORDS ON...Corinne Bailey Rae

Maddi Jane...such incredible talent....

Ryan Andreas...hope he gets picked up by someone soon....

would love to be listening to a ton of his music

Full Moon Dreamboard - August 2011 - The Full Sturgeon Moon

Well...I am in the process of sorting and organizing and trying to simplify my life and home. Part of this process is learning to let go....letting go of some things to make room for new....and letting go of some things to create a sense of peace and tranquility...and ability to move forward and no longer be stagnant. I feel a sense of rhythm and flow...much like the water and am looking forward to autumn and a time of coziness in my life and home. I want to attack it like a dragon and yet realize it is a process....like the ebb and flow of the tides...I can only do so much....and a little at a time adds up. Eventually it will all be complete....and a new season will begin.

When You're Alone....(from HOOK)

I LOVE this song and magical movie too...

Abraham Lim.....awesome voice....

my second rotisserie chicken...rosemary and thyme....wow!

it was delicious! I then decided to make homemade mashed potatoes and fresh green beans..I even made gravy from the juices from the rotisseried chicken! It was one of my best meals and the great thing was I had a lot of leftovers!

some recent zentangles and artwork I have doodled out...

This is a GIANT sized zentangle....it is like 3 feet by 3 feet.....takes up a lot of my kitchen table space....but I am branching out....would be amazing to do an entire wall! Here I have added some shading and details...trying to decide what all to add to the background and sides of the artwork...




see how large it is? This is on my kitchen table!



close up



Also made a GIANT SEA SERPENT....all with fine-tipped pen pretty much...this took a while and I have to admit my hand cramped up sometimes! lol


Was curious what my giant Japanese fish would look like colored so I made a SMALLER model in my small sketchpad and colored it in...I DO like the color too!


some of the "detail"
which led me to thinking about other fish...goldfish...and drawing more fish..










my little creature...


tried to make something from a kitchen magnet I have


not snakes on a plane...snakes on my brain! lol




another weird looking sea serpent/dragon...not a good one either

Full Moon Dreamboards - July 2011 - The Full Buck Moon

Full Moon Dreamboard - July 2011, Full Buck Moon by postthelove featuring a silver chain necklace

lots to think about here.....

a sketch I did tonight...of a cemetery sculpture on a grave

another angle....looking up at it...





it is a cherub/angel and the skull is under its right hand and the hour glass with sands of time that have run out under its other hand. I love going to cemeteries and seeing old sculptures there.....this was a pic of one I saw and liked it a lot...thought I would try sketching it out....

working on a gargoyle....

all using lines and the number 6

Zentangled/doodled iguana

I had the urge to do an iguana after I did that owl..so I did him today. I decided to try to use only circles, lines, and diamonds...and instead of zentangling the background to use my markers and blend to make clouds. I like how he turned out..but as usual...see some things I may still touch up.

some recent doodles...art journal doodles...and zentangles....

Some of these are still works in progress...I am going to fine tune the owl for example....bring some more dark black around the head to make it more symmetrical and add more contrast....and there are a few others I am not quite finished with yet. I want to add some stones and detail to that one where it shows several different layers of dirt and little creatures....these are just some things I have experimented with and worked on recently that I wanted to share and post now.

drive to grandma's house....

does this look spooky to you??

AWESOME SATURDAY!!

AWESOME day on Saturday...I only had to work half day...and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Only low 70s...lots of big fluffy clouds in the sky.....cool breeze blowing...my perfect kind of weather for summer! We decided to go to Idle Hour Ranch in Troy, Ohio for a visit. It is an awesome place....where you can get up close and personal with many animals.....even feed them. It was a wonderful outing...and I am sure we will go back again! Noah's favorite part was mining for gems....where he could play around in the water...in fact..he liked this so much...he wants me to build one just like it in our backyard!





We saw elephants, kangaroos, parrots, horses, giraffe, camels, a yak, goats, llamas, pigs, coyote, cougar (forgot to snap a pic of him), elk, ostrich, tortoise, fish, owl, prairie dog, fox, dogs, just a lot of wonderful animals! You could feed them too if you wanted. They were giving elephant rides this weekend...the elephants are actually there for 3 weekends only visiting in between other shows they do somewhere else for another touring group.....soon some tigers will be stopping by the ranch for a visit...











here is a link to the ranch...

IDLE HOUR RANCH

After we left the ranch we went to CiCi's Pizza....Noah loves it and had been wanting to go there for a long time and a new one had opened in Huber Heights...it was fantastic food and wonderful restaurant. The pizza was excellent and they had some new kinds of pizza to try! I like the thin crust authentic Italian and macaroni and cheese pizzas the best! Noah liked sausage and sausage and ham pizzas the best. He was in heaven!





Then we drove down to hit up the Covered Wagon Farmer's Market in Union, Ohio.....wow...they had some amazing things there....anything from soaps, candles, candies, fresh homemade Amish baked goods and canned goods.....fresh vegetables...dried goods....etc....and flowers and plants outside.



While looking inside we saw a beautiful buttefly or moth that had gotten trapped down in a bin between some packages of crackers. I thought it was fake at first....looked almost like wood lying there...but Noah said no and touched it and it began to move around. I told him if he wanted to live he better get on my finger so I could take him outside..and HE DID! I had Noah open a side door inside the store and the moth/butterfly turned around and looked at me..and I said to "GO....GO...you can go you are free!" and it turned around the other direction and flew away towards the flowers. He looked like this...sort of....



I bought some peanut butter fudge, banana bread and pumpkin bread among other things...and even though I do not need another candle..they had some clearance hot buttered popcorn candles on sale and that is a discontinued scent and smells so yummy...I got one!

link to Covered Wagon Farm Market

Covered Wagon Farm Market

We saw my cousin and husband in the store while there and they invited us over to see their house down the road when we were done shopping...so next up was a drive over there....then we drove to Arcanum to see grandma C....had a wonderful visit with her as well....



Noah went outside to catch lightning bugs before we left....



The weather was gorgeous.....the night was just beginning...so we rolled all the windows down in the car/truck and drove around..the lightning bugs sparkled in the fields...it was almost like being in a convertible and Noah and I loved it! We will be doing that again for sure!

We had an awesome day...and it was even better for me cause I got to share all that with Noah! I have decided no matter how I may look or feel...this is our life NOW...and we better live it now while we can and not wait around until everything is just right with this or that or our bodies just to do something.

This is it.....wait...wasn't that Michael Jackson's Famous last words?

JUST DO IT.....stop waiting around....do it already...yeah...that sounds pretty good right about now..