From NOW ON...

It's A Brand New Decade!!!

Isn't that something to consider??? 

Talk about a Fresh Start!!!  Did You desire "One"???  I DID!!!

I have decided that

"It's About From NOW ON..."

Not about the past, nor even today, not about childhood, nor first loves, nor this past year's loves, not about yesterday, nor an hour ago...I can do nothing about ANY of this.

It's about FROM NOW ON...

From right NOW ON I CAN follow my dreams, make new choices, set new goals, rest assured, be hopeful, step in faith, trust God, take a chance or several, get back up again, and AGAIN, smile brighter, love, adventure, write, read, pray...from RIGHT NOW...ON...

Now THIS excites me!!!  A lot!!!

Tonight I soaked in a tub of delightful scents, I created a lovely dinner, I poured a glass of wine, I opened my blank book of Possibility and I wrote My Dreams for the beginning of this Brand New Decade 2011:

1. To embrace commitment in ALL areas of My Life

2. To physically correspond

3. To be Graceful in ALL areas of My Life

4. To Embrace "WHERE" I AM in ALL areas of My Life

*** Joie De Vivre***

of course I then added to these:

. to be more accepting of myself, others, choices in general, taking chances

. to record the journey and past his/HERSTORY...My Story!

. to sow seeds - LOTS of seeds. 

. TO BE EXACTLY WHO I AM -
 ALWAYS!!!

and...

To   S  T  R  E  T  C  H    farther... and then some more!!! 

Oh I had more...physical places I will go, physical changes I will see in myself, business goals too (of course) but the listed above...THESE are what fills the first few pages of my blank book.

I am excited to BE the person who embraces commitment and can make a choice!  Who spends time writing and creating cards and letters to send to those I love.  To attempt "Gracefulness" in everything I do, to fully embrace where I am both location wise and just simply in my spirit. 

I look forward to taking more chances and making more choices because I accept that I am WILLING to try
NO MATTER WHAT!

I will SO enjoy the writing of my journey and hope it will inspire someone else to step out into a journey of their own!

I look forward to being able to sow seeds of encouragement, and hope, to stretch my faith, to be abundant while I give abundantly.

And being authentic all along the way...stretching a little farther...dreaming a little larger...embracing the whole beautiful book that is My Exceptional Life.

Well...that was an excellent use of an evening.  The best part is that I can and will possibly adjust these as I go along...but I must say...I love them JUST the way they are!!!

What are YOUR Hopes and Dreams for This New Year and Brand New Decade???

Happy Holidays Folks!!!!



M E L E   K A L I K I M A K A ! ! !


Dear Familia and Friends...

 I am SO SO SO Blessed to have EACH of You in My Life. I wish for You a wonderful Christmas season and a Very Blessed New Decade!!!

Yes!!! New Decade!!! Isn't that awesome!!! The beginning of this new century has had it's ups and deep downs at times BUT here we go with a Fresh New Start and I AM TAKING IT!!!


I have had a pretty amazing year. Definitely a growing season in My Life. But I am not growing alone...God is with me every step I take and I am most grateful for this.


Some of you know already that I have been desiring to step out in faith and follow my destiny.  I think that each of has this "Call"...but do we always pick up the phone???  Well I have and for the past year my desire was to reach the crossroads and take a new direction.


I stood at that crossroads for about 8 months (likely longer)...it was a scary step to take...the so called comfort zone (which frankly wasn't that comfortable) seemed to keep me glued in place.


But God HAS INDEED heard my cries and INDEED answered My Prayers.


I took the leap!!!

And as God would do it the process was blessed beyond my expectations. 


My job I held for the past 2 1/2 years came to an end.  The family country store I managed changed leases (after 90+ years) and I found myself with a golden ticket!!!  Better than resigning as I had wanted to (and for a long, long, LONG time)...I was gracefully let go with a bonus that blew my mind and heart, also receiving a letter of recommendation that will serve me for years.  I was eligible for unemployment, something I have never had, and find myself today...simply Blessed.


So what is next???  After all I have leapt and am on a New Path...where does it lead me???


Well....

Surprised???  Really???  Come now...even You must know that I am drawn here!!!  And I am indeed.


After all I am in the fashion business.  Being in New York is going to do wonders for my career....divine appointments with just the right people at just the right time...and the right time IS NOW!!!


Sure this is a huge HUGE change!!!  Sheesh, I am going to be packing and storing 7 years of My Life, giving up the best space I have lived in with THE BEST LANDLORD EVER!!! (But God has EVEN better in store for me!!!)  I will be selling my Daisy...My Beloved Daisy!!!

YET...I have always felt my Daisy was an Investment for My Exceptional Life so she is fulfilling her destiny too!!!


Oh I am excited with what God is doing daily in My Life.  I know He has a wonderful plan for me and I am SO excited to discover what "it" actually turns out to be!!!


SO for 2011 I plan to spend the winter season on gorgeous Maui, embracing every detail of this Paradise I call home, I will be packing up my world as I know it, storing it carefully for my return and preparing to launch forth by the Spring.


My first destination....

To spend QUALITY TIME with Mi Familia!!!!  SO looking forward!!!  Likely in March or April and God willing BOTH!!!


So looking forward to seeing you, and spending true quality time with each of you out there...that alone could take over a month!!!


And then come May...

Off to see what God has in store next!!!!


What are YOUR plans for this Brand New Decade???


Love to each and EVERY ONE of YOU!!!  God's Grace and Blessing in YOUR Live's!!!!


xoxoxoxoxo,

Katherine
Blessed, Blissed, Joyous!!!

Approaching Bliss

Though it was an up hill climb I did press on and then I got to a stopping point. What now?

I have literally been at the cliff's edge for well over a year. I have wanted to take that leap but I have steadlily waited for the sign it WAS/IS indeed Time.

SO I waited and watched...and most importantly ... listened.

God would tell me "when" and I fully believe that. I have had many influences give me their thoughts of when the time is...some say "now!" other's say "wait!". Truth is none of them are ME standing on that cliff...it is I that will be stepping off...it's My Cliff.

I do believe we all have our crossroad moments. I passed the crossroad a long time ago and it led me to Just This Place /Just This Time.

But stepping off means what?

Unknown for certain...a New Life for another.

By standing here as long as I have, I keep searching for My Purpose. It has much more to do than just the creating of art. It is deeper but what exactly is "It"?

So I wait...and I wait... and literally I test the waters...or air in this case...how does it smell? How does it feel? Is it gentle or strong? Does it tell a story or offer a clue?

Then one day, not long ago, I heard "It".

"Now."

The voice wasn't loud or overly excited...just calm and steady and made me glow a glow I seem to carry with me currently.

I stepped off.

And what happened then????

God showed up!

God was always there...it was God's voice I heard saying "Now." The beauty is that when one takes a real step of faith into the "unknown" God reaches up and gives you your next platform...and then you take another step and yet again God reaches out too.

So what is my platform???

My Platform is to Encourage YOU!!!
I feel deeply honored to have the opportunity to be a hopeful blessing in YOUR LIFE!!!

As I continue to take the next step and the next one after that, I trust God will continue to show up and gently carry me through. He said He would.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 1:11
And you know what else??? I fully believe that when we take those empty handed leaps of faith into the unknown God smiles...and I think that is exactly why I am glowing!!!

To definitely be continued....

The Emerging of A Freed Free Spirit

The time has come for me to shed the beautiful net that I have wrapped myself in, to discover what lies ahead, to trust God's Grand Plan.

Attempting to describe the feelings I am having I looked to The Butterfly...the amazingness of this creature that transforms from Beautiful to AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL!!!!

In the research I have been dazzled with the glory that is My Story told through these amazing beauties...

The Emerging of a Freed Free Spirit

Text by Katherine
Amazingness by God

While daydreaming with My Favorite Daisy one day, I realized I HAD POTENTIAL and in order to reach that POTENTIAL I knew what I had to do...

                        So I started The Climb...

    It had to be Just The Best Spot so I inspected carefully...

                 Got opinions from trusted sources...

  

Then found what I needed and settled in for what would be Quite A Transformation...

I chose Green with Spots of Gold!

While on the surface I looked stunning...on the inside I was melting down...I was incredibly unsure...what was happening??? I knew it didn't feel very good but I couldn't get out in this state so I had best....simply....Trust.

As my vision became more clear I saw I had indeed transformed into something Amazing but still I couldn't quite leave...for one thing I felt protected...on the other hand I felt dull...I now could see the Big Beautiful World outside my golden cocoon and I am pretty sure my colors are more amazing than this...this was simply a waiting game so again....Trust.

 Then One Day "It" happened...An Opening!!!!

Finally A Breath Of Fresh Air...

I found Myself sliding out mostly gracefully...

I still hung on. I realized I had wings but using them is a whole different thing...could I? I was told I could but really???

Leaving the comfort zone I have known for quite a while whether it was uncomfortable at times or not ...it is indeed A Great Big Huge Step!!! But here I GO...

Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!!! Look at Me!!!! Fully Free!!!! Amazingly Beautiful!!!! Doing things I had only heard of!!! Things I only imagined!!! I feel...Like Myself Again...only I am My Most Amazing Self EVER!!!

         And look at all the amazing things I can do!!!!

And look at My AMAZING FRIENDS!!!! xoxoxo
So Beautiful....not The End...THIS IS THE BEGINNING!!!!

from Dreamer to Planner

So...I AM a Planner.  It's what I do...some could say "how I roll". 

The reason I "plan" is that planning takes a day dream, a fleeting thought, a wild idea, a "wouldn't it be ______" and turns it into a fact.

For me planning is my first act of faith.  Planning is a belief that INDEED I am working towards this dream, so much so, that it is no longer a dream anymore...it is simply my life.

Everyone has different ways of expressing themselves, different processes...this simply is mine.

Oh! And I adore it!

In the process of planning my first and upcoming trip to Paris I discovered a friend was on route (this evening)...Would he? Could he?  Take these lovely ladies and plant these seeds for me while strolling the streets of Paris???  Yes he could...and so quickly these lovelies were delivered to him and will be on the plane tonight and you know what pleases me most of all???

I will be following....and soon.  My dream turned into a plan which turned into an opportunity which just may (and likely will) help me to reach this goal making this dream...reality!

What a fun and rewarding process.

INDEED!!!
 

One BIG Leap!!!

Contemplating as I do this Dream Warrior had A Brilliant Thought!



"It's TIME!!!"


It's TIME, now....NOW!!!! Why wait another minute. So I didn't. I immediately got out of bed (for that is one of my best thinking zones AND it was the middle of the night) ... I went outside under the blanket of the heavens, the universe, the milky way and the entire beauty of the eve...I chose a flat surface...I bent my knees and I jumped as far as I could...landed and stretched upwards...landed right into My Promised Land.


The leading up to this point has been SO VERY timely.


From last Monday I experienced what seemed low but what actually WAS the meeting point of this particular walk with God.


I was raw.

Raw is necessary.


I was literally the raw lump of clay. I had FINALLY broken off of the rock that I had chosen to cling to. I felt like I fell and crumbled. The only place I felt somewhat secure was in a warm tub of water and as I soaked and spoke to my closest friend over the phone I heard myself speaking from the depths of my heart. My true soul speaking, crying and weeping ... bleeding out my dream and how much I was ready to begin and when and when and WHEN??? Lord....when???


I found myself referring to the Israelites in the desert crossing over to their promised land...the land that was theirs to claim...God GAVE them this. And how when they actually were at the edge of it they frightened themselves and disbelieved it was possible and they NEVER GOT TO GO IN!!!! They wandered the desert until they just faded away.


I spoke of how I wanted to be like Caleb and Joshua and BELIEVE THAT I CAN INDEED GO IN, I CAN INDEED CLAIM THIS PROMISE...I simply believe that God has placed this dream in my heart AND IT IS TIME and I am simply waiting to hear His voice say... "Now."


(This is the story so on point with my journey. Numbers 13:26 - 33 and 14:24)


I knew that night I wasn't to make any decisions EXCEPT the decision to TRUST. Wearily and exhausted...I went to bed.

The next day I chose to give myself a break. I picked up a package a friend mailed, took myself out to breakfast and found I had received my absolute favorite treat...a bottle of bubbly Veuve Clicquot!!! (and a fabulous carrying case!)...oh and just ... "because"...Thanks Janet!

What a gift!


The next day was Wednesday and this IS my much needed studio day...a day free from job. I was ready! I had a coffee with a friend and spoke of all that had "been" in the past few days. We both agreed that this gift I had received from such a dear friend was also a gift from God to celebrate My Life RIGHT NOW.

And so I did.It was an acceptance that indeed I am doing fabulously, living a dream life, blessed beyond even my wildest imagination. I am surrounded by amazing people, true friends, loving family...I am living IN Paradise....I AM blessed....INDEED!!!

I no longer need to be a warrior for I have fulfilled the battle of my Self. I have fought hard and strong the battle of reaching and reaching and I HAVE WON!!!

The prize is with me and in me and is me!

I AM TRULY LIVING MY DREAM!!! It's not even a dream anymore...it just IS!!!

Each moment, each step, each interaction IS exactly on point...even the ones that may "seem" to be questionable are on point...just think of all I have learned!

My current job as a manager (hee hee I just had a typo and spelled that mamager which IS exactly what it is) well EVERYTHING I AM doing, learning, dealing with IS SO VALID FOR MY COMPANY...brilliant training, brilliant fine tuning and such a blessing.


It's not about "when" I leave this j.o.b. ...for that is inevitable...it's not even a question...but the value I am receiving in ALL aspects of my life IS SO VALUABLE!!!


Then last night, Saturday eve, while laying and thinking, and talking with God just grateful for the week and the closeness and blessings...I heard Him...

"Now."

SO I AM IN!!!

Dream realized!

 FULL-ON...and what a Wonderful World I have inherited.

 Thank You Lord!

Les Hap's

Hap's....things happening for a reason.


Seems every time "lately" that I have some thought of clarity a plane or helicopter immediately flies over my house/head. Interesting. (well at least the past two days of thoughts and clarity/the past two thoughts!)


I have just finished an amazing week of boundary crossing, creative processing, trust, and receiving, acceptance and believing, hands up in the air, knowing that ALL is abundantly on point.


I am walking my path.


My time lately has been spent fine tuning the dream that is my life. Preparing and planning with thoughtfulness, care and lots of prayer.


And what has come of all of this???


Well a Master Plan of strategy, very clear, very dear, very near.


I am learning to trust and to react from my heart and not my emotions (as much). For example,: though I have had some incredibly tough weeks (re: j.o.b) and have wanted to flee immediately I am now breathing into the idea of leaving still BUT on my own terms and not out of panic.


SO I have created and adjusted my "way" of living and my budget to meet the goals I have and set me free in a way that gives my business a running start and chance to soar and succeed. As I have done this I find myself twee-king my original plans...and what are original plans? Just like a canvas with paint I am adding layers and layers to the masterpiece that is My Life.


I have re kindled a love that is myself and my island...Maui is so incredibly beautiful and I have established a gorgeous life here and am now including this in the bigger picture. Rather than pack up and leave for a year "or so", I can see myself leaving for a 3 month journey. Perhaps I sublet or even house trade while I am off. Maui is a great poker chip to have, it is desirable as a location and mi casa is amazing SO rather than give it up I choose to use it to my heart's delight.


In Hat-land my creativity is pouring gracefully and abundantly. New designs, new fabrics, new clients, new website (almost complete).

the latest...Poppy!

I am a hat maker, born and bred.


SO I'd say that my latest hap's are happening and my focus is on continually clarifying, defining, removing obstacles, accepting what simply is, trusting myself, trusting God, watching for miracles, opening my heart, letting words that do not serve me go right through my ear and out the other WITHOUT stopping for contemplation (biggest challenge I am currently working on)...so unnecessary...letting words that are helpful, encouraging, or guiding go through one ear AND STOP to be used with in me, re adjusting my lifestyle to meet the lifestyle I desire and the enjoyment of the peaceful quiet moments...just like the one right now.


Much love fellow dream warriors!