Looking for the Carp

Seize the carp! Or the day! Or the moment! Anything that will help make this life of yours richer, filled with love, and acceptance of yourself. This is my little journey to always be on the look out for that carp, grabbing it, and never letting go. This is the only life we have and it's too short for what ifs and maybe laters!

Wednesday 28 January 2015

23rd Carp- LifeBook Month One

Hello Lovely Ladies and Gents,

Well this month is coming to a close. Lots of endings are happening right now. The end of my maternity leave and my return to work. The end of solo time with my little boy and the beginning of his journey learning about the world beyond 'ma ma'. Finally, the end of my very first month with Lifebook.

If you are new to the art world, artist Tamara Laporte has created a year long class called Life Book which brings you new challenges and inspiration every week from artists all over the world. Monday's are her post day and it makes the beginning of the week that much sweeter. I look forward to it with great anticipation as little parts of me are just waiting to be uncovered and displayed on a piece of ordinary 9x14 water colour paper.

In 4 short weeks I have learned so much in terms of technique, meditation, being guided through my own fears and accepting my accomplishments without my inner critic shouting that 'it's not good enough'. My art is good enough. The parts of me that I create for the world to see are beautiful. I am an artist because the need to create has tattooed itself onto my soul and is a part of my very being. Opening myself to the positive nature of creating, the positivity and support offered through the Life Book group on Facebook and carving time out of busy lives to cultivate this part of me has been incredible.

With that in mind, I want to share with you some of the finished lessons that I have made thus far on my Lifebook Journey.

Week 1- Beacon of Light. This whimsical lady is to light our path for the year and radiate positivity.


Week 1- Warm up and intentions for the year. 
Week 2- Jar of Awesome. A place to put wonderful things that I accomplish or that come my way throughout 2015. My blessings. 
Week 3- Letter Love. Creating our own font and loving our unique style of writing. 
Week 4- Courage Dear Heart - ballerina on a high wire 
Week 5- Dream Catcher with mantras/ affirmations on the feathers. 

Week 5- Feather with affirmations for the year. Added baubles/ symbols as guides for the year.

I hope that you are inspired to create yourself. If you need a little push, the Lifebook Class is under way but you can enrol at any time (up until September). All the class videos are downloadable and yours to keep forever. So if you miss a week, just download the class and do it whenever you want. Or just pick and choose the projects you want to do. I'm hoping to keep this momentum going as I start teaching again. Even if it means late nights painting in the dark. If it makes the soul happy, you just got to keep it up! 

What's your carp? 




Saturday 3 January 2015

Review- Subsidy Shades

Hi all !

It's my pleasure today to share with you a review for Subsidy Shades. These are not your ordinary sun glasses, they are sun glasses with a heart. 

Owner and operator, Melissa with her husband Robert, decided to adopt their lovely little daughter Jacqueline in 2013 from birth. Having such a huge impact on their life, they decided to add to their family by going through the adoption process again in 2014. Unfortunately, if you aren't aware of the process required to adopt, it can take thousands of dollars and countless months - even years - before you are able to welcome your adopted son or daughter into your family. With this prospect in mind, Melissa decided to try and sell sun glasses to help offset the cost of adoption. 

And this is when the company Subsidy Shades was born. You can find them at www.subshades.com

With cute frames and sparkly specs, Subsidy Shades uses their proceeds to help families reach their adoption goals. When they called for bloggers to help test their products for review, I jumped at the chance. People helping people and I get to look stylish in the process? It really was a no brainer. 

The price point of these glasses ranges from $12-$24 which makes them comparable to drug store frames. They have numerous styles which come in both Children and Adult, which makes it easy to match kids to their parents for extra cute photo ops. I decided to try the Crystal Audrey frames because they are a style that I have always loved, but felt nervous to buy in case they didn't work with my face shape. However, to buy these I think that the price point is such a bonus because it allows you to play with styles without paying out hundreds of dollars. 

                   
When they arrived, they also came with a cute protective pouch which I love. It helps protect the glasses when they are tossed around in my purse. They also came with an insert outlining their company and purpose which makes it great if you are giving them as a gift. Honestly, I teared up when I read the insert, it gave my heart all kinds of warm fuzzies. 

They are made of a lightweight plastic which is very comfortable to wear. They seem sturdy compared to other frames at the same price point. The edge between the dark black and white doesn't have any sort of bleeding which I find presents itself sometimes with inexpensive frames. They have a decent tint, which is great for sunrise and sunset - those pesky times of day when the sun is worst for driving. I find I use my sunglasses more in the winter than in the summer because the sun just seems so much harsher, especially while driving. These help soften the rays while on the road and aleviate eye strain. In short, I think the biggest thing to remember is that these glasses aren't going to feel like $400 glasses. They just aren't. But they are stylish, comfortable, and allow you to play with different looks.

Those are the details for the Subsidy Shades glasses, but the big question is how did they suit me? 
                  
I absolutely loved how they complimented my face shape. I have gotten many comments from friends and even strangers on how much they like them. Then of course it gives me the opportunity to share this awesome brand. 

I would completely recommend this company and their products for anyone looking to try some new sun glasses or buy something fun for a loved one. It's a win win purchase in my eyes. And I always love supporting good karma causes. The next pair I want to try is their Harlow frames. Intrigued ? Check them out here-------> www.subshades.com 

Happy shopping ! 

PS- Subsidy Shades profiles the families they are helping on their instagram account. Check them out @subsidyshades and follow them for more information.