Giving seeds.

Hello Wednesday. I can see now why the Universe did not choose me to be a tooth fairy or a fairy godmother or the person who decides who gets grant money. OH MY GOODNESS . Reading the wishes from yesterday was HURTING MY HEART. I wanted SO BADLY to find a way to make your wishes happen. I AGONIZED over lots and lots and lots of your beautiful thoughts and hopes. If you get a chance - read through the list - is there a wish you can help with? I'm going to see what I can do about a couple of those. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful intentions being sent out. Thank you for playing along with me. I had Dan randomly pick a few numbers again and there was definitely something bigger at work. The comment that came up first had the words "pilot" and "book" - THAT'S A PRETTY DIRECT HIT. I took that as a sign and decided to draw 3 winners instead of only 2. The winners are...
If you see your comment in that bunch - EMAIL ME with your preference of LoveLife book or blog banner design and I will get that in the works. MY wish was that I could make all of YOUR wishes come true. And the world peace racket. AND DEFINITELY that everyone finds love. And gets good cameras. And certainly, certainly, certainly that we eradicate this horrible thing called illness. Email me if you are a winner.

ONE QUICK STORY TO SHARE: The first comment also hit a chord with me because I have a very good friend (who is also our doula) whom I met in 2004 just after I published LoveLife. To make a long story short - months before we had met - she sent me a letter in the mail letting me know that she was pregnant with a baby she was carrying for a couple that couldn't carry their own and that she had felt something within my book that had been gifted to her. SO. She was letting me know that she took my book around to the people in her community - her friends and neighbhours and hearts who had been a part of the love that surrounded her during her surrogate pregnancy - those people were instructed to read through and find a page that resonated with them and then to write a message to accompany the baby on his journey 'home'. When baby Quinn was born - the LoveLife was with him. THAT was a humbling experience if ever there was one. My friend Dana has taught me so much... GIVEN me so much. (Thank you Dana!)
All the wish talk and good thoughts carried around inside me all day yesterday. On our quick-stop at Costco (of all places) my attention was caught by a slow-moving and dreamy little carousel tucked in neatly between coffe beans and men's socks. (?) I'm not really a carousel person AND I AM CERTAINLY NOT A TRINKET PERSON, but this tinkling ornament made me stop to think about magic. And wishes. And how they are hiding amongst all the regular stuff in our everyday lives - just like this pretty music box at Costco. Check the last picture and you will see someone else whose eye was caught by the display. She noticed, too. Very cool.

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This is not directly related to wishes - but, I get a LOT of questions about how I create the graphics for this blog - for the Bulletin Boards - for other things and I thought that I'd spin through a little Photoshop magic. Nope. This is not a tutorial at all. Sorry. But it IS the kind of thing that is VERY EXHILERATING TO ME and sometimes I forget that I'm a NERD and what is cool to me is not cool to others. TOO BAD FOR YOU, I GUESS because this is my blog. ;)

[SIDE NOTE: I also get a lot emails from people that asking what I do for a living and if I have considered taking courses in graphic design. That's when I have to take a few steps back and a few deep breaths and remind myself that this is the internet and WE HAVE NEVER MET and that I should be nice - that I shouldn't imagine punching people I have never met DIRECLTY IN THE FACE.] I AM A GRAPHIC DESIGNER and ARTIST by passion and profession. I'm a PAINTER. Currently, I'm sifting, sorting and reevaulating what I do and how I do it so that I can be happy, content and creatively fulfilled - and be a positive example for the small people that live in our house.

This is a special project that I was asked to design for BotanicalPaperWorks. They are called Yummy Cards. I HEART Botanical Paperworks. This is a set of 6 different greeting cards (blank on the inside). Each card has a different type of handmade herb seed PLANTABLE PAPER on it. Each card has a DELICIOUS recipe on the back that USES the herb from the paper it contains. GENIUS. You can send someone a message, a planting project, a recipe and a cool little illustration ALL AT ONCE. WHAT A GREAT GIFT. Personally, I think you should mail these out to invite 6 people to dinner and suggest they all come on the same day and MAKE THIS DISH and BRING THEIR OWN DISHES so that you can eat it. Yum.

I was asked how I created these images - because they look like they are hand painted. WHICH THEY ARE NOT. NOT REALLY. I painted a few different elements on regular computer paper, wrote things in black marker, scanned them, created layers and layers and layers and changed the colours and positions for each different card. JUST. LIKE. MAGIC. (click to enlarge)

TO BE BRIEF - this is the general process in which they are built - each step adding a different layer (most layers adjusted to MULTIPLY). AND I WILL STOP RIGHT THERE before killing each and every one of you with boring Photoshop details. DAN, I KNOW YOU ARE ROLLING YOUR EYES AT THIS MOMENT.
Ta DA! These are the different cards in the set. You can order them from Botanical PaperWork's website (and check out all of their other GREAT & PLANTABLE goods all handmade here in Winnipeg!). (Buy handmade for the holidays.)

Thank you for letting me talk DESIGN for a moment...
I loved how the Gifts & Wishes comments sort of bubbled up and made people want to give and want to grant wishes. Goodness works like that. Ideas work like that. Words work like that. LOVE works like that. All you need is a seed...

Today: Pilot is off to play. I am settling in with HOT COFFEE and a long TO-DO list. I'm caught up on laundry and groceries so I can't fart around with that to avoid getting to work. I have finally figured out what to craft up for Christmas and now I need to source out some materials. I have photo editing and design work to tackle ALONG WITH something hearty and delicious for dinner instead of my usual BLAH. I have a seriously sore sciatic nerve and that is FRUSTRATING THE HECK OUT OF ME - but, it must just be a sign that I should SIT MY ASS DOWN and start checking things off my list.

A-WEEK-OF-GIVING PRIZE TODAY: Heidi over at BotanicalPaperWorks has generously GIVEN (key word here is GIVEN) me three sets of Yummy Cards AND I WANT TO GIVE THEM TO YOU. Leave me a note with the tidbit of advice that has planted something good in YOU. And don't be shy - this is fun.

I'll start you off: a wise man once told me to hold everything - including your dreams - as tightly as water - life is meant to flow through your fingers.

(Longest post EVER. SORRY about that.) GO!

Comments

[Kim]

Those three wishes are perfect. Wouldn't it be nice for them to come true. I'm closing my eyes and wishing with all my might.

[elise]

Once upon a time when I was five(?), I was playing in the church bathroom with my little friends making a lot of noise and probably a lot of mess. My mom came in, got me out and asked why I was doing that. "Because the other girls were." I said.

"Elise," she said, "you are a leader, not a follower."

Good point. Thanks for the good and long post. Off to read wishes.

[Wolfe]

An old boyfriend once told me that "everything happens for a reason". You don't always know what that reason is right away and sometimes you don't find out for 20 years or so, but in general he was right. If you still your heart and give it time, you can usually figure what the universe was trying to tell you. Funny advice coming from someone as abusive as he ended up, but that relationship taught me a lot and made me a much stronger person.

Jennifer

[Melanie]

Don't sweat the small stuff!

[julie]

Before we got married, me and my husband were walking in the local mountains and met an old man who was happy to see us together but kindly called our attention to find our places in the world alone and not expect the fulfilment only from marriage. (he was so cute) I only understand it fully now, when we are together and I see the more is inside us the more we can give to each other and people around us.

[Katie]

My mom would say, "Don't do anything half assed."

I like it.

[Sarah Lambert]

My grandmother told me ...listen to your mom she knows best. It has taken me many years of going against this advice to realize usually what my mom says turns out to be exactly right....even if I don't like it!!

Sarah

[Anne Marie]

The best advice my Mom ever gave me was when I was about 12. I was sad and frustrated about friend issues and said I didn't feel like smiling anymore. She told me to just force the smile, even though I didn't feel like it, and pretty soon it would come naturally and I would be smiling all the time. It seems very simple on the surface, but I've applied this advice to so many areas of my life when I've felt unsure of myself, lost, and scared. "just fake it for a while and eventually it will come naturally". By putting on a temporary mask of confidence, direction, success, bravado, happiness, it helps me overcome/get passed whatever is challenging me at the moment.

[jodie]

"this too shall pass"

in the midst of chaos that thought (told to me by my grandma+mom) calms me every single time.

***and to the book wisher... is there somewhere i could mail you some books? email me if i can help...even in a small way...jodified(at)gmail(dot)com

[kim mailhot]

All those wonderful wishes yesterday...they show how much we all want our world to be better ! How very inspiring !

Best advice : "Love is the answer to every question." (Try using this when someone has piddled in your pool ! Not so easy ! But it always rings true in the end !)

[mandy]

Great Quote,Love it. Hmm, What about this, "Don't eat the Yellow Snow!"

[Kristin Insull]

When longing for time to pass, my mom would always say "don't wish your life away."

Having her pass away so young this holds a lot of meaning.

[Mitzi]

Okay, I heard this once and I totally live by it. It is now the piece of advice that I give evrey new bride I know. "Always be a perfect lady in public and a slut in the bedroom." Is that frickin' great, or what? I swear it works ;)

[Jordan]

A friend told me once, "It will all be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end." To me it means that there is always hope, but also that if you don't like something, change it. It's a nice double meaning that comes back to faith, whether that faith is in a higher power or in yourself.

[Trish]

After going through a gut-wrenching, wreck-my-entire-life-perspective, are-you-kidding-me-I-still-have-to-live divorce I thought I would never date again. But I did. And it was hard. And I met a man who was fairly wonderful who cared about me. But I was scared and the word l-o-v-e made me break out into ugly hives. My Mom (who had been watching intently and respectively from the sidelines) told me, "You can't make love happen, but sometimes you have to let it...." Even though I've moved on from that relationship, I still remember those words I so needed to here. Love makes the world a better place and sometimes you just need to step back and let it.

[Amanda Susan]

Right now I'm thinking about the glad game in Pollyanna. Being glad for everything in life, the good and bad, is pretty good advice.

[anya]

"You have to make your own happiness".

[Mandy]

I am such a planner. I have to know every detail of every event or special occasion. Well the best tidbit a friend ever gaves was "God Laughs When You Make Plans". And it's so true. Who am I do have to be 100% in control? That line helped me plan and get through my wedding! Although I was 90% in control ;-)

[erica]

Always answer the phone with a smile. I work in customer service and there are a lot of rude nasty people out there. It sometimes is too much to bear. I find that if I smile on the phone, it makes me feel stronger, lets the person on the other end know I'm not the bad person, and when we hang up I'm still feeling pretty good.

[erica]

Oh, and Kal, my wish for you is to get a massage. You are a seriously awesome woman and deserves a little pampering!

[Christine]

About 7 years ago when I was a young, single mother with very little money I saw a church sign that said "Do not worry about tomorrow, God is already there." The Christmas holiday was coming and it was very hard knowing that I couldn't afford much, but that church sign has been with me everyday letting me know I'm not alone, He is always there...

[Rachel]

Live justly, love mercy, walk humbly. Speak the truth in love. When your kids get home from school, clear your schedule and be there for them however they need you to be. Love, love LOVE!

[Stephanie]

Whenever I would get a new pair of shoes, a coat...and show my grandmother and asked her what she thought, even if I knew she didn't like them, she would always proudly say "if you like it, I like it" - don't judge, be happy for others!

[Jennifer Schultz]

There are some good ones here(and some that make me blush!)But here is mine...
"Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% the way I react to it. I am in charge of my attitude."
It gets me through those days when our 2 year old is tormenting his sisters or decides to get his own milk and dumps a half gallon on the old wood floors and drips down to the basement...like today:)

[Lianne]

I'm a nurse and about two months ago a senior nurse who i looked up to retired. When she left she stuck a note in my mail box at work that said "most of the things you do for people will not be noticed at all, but every once in a while you'll do something that may not seem like a big deal to you, but to the person you did it for, it will mean the world." I loved it and since then, i've tried my hardest to do at least one thing each day that might make a difference to somebody else's day ... a phone call, a hug, a smile. I leave notes for my husband now when i leave for work to tell him what he means to me.

P.S. Thor got his BOWSER DOG BED in the mail and he thinks it's the best thing since peanut butter!

[jaxcheryl]

"Do unto others . . .you never know what the other person is going through" "Treat people with respect, kindness and a smile." "Always wear clean underwear." "Always try to forgive in your heart or the bitterness will turn you into a miserable person." "If life throws you a curve ball, try to learn something positive from it." "Use your manners." "Be thankful for what you have." These have all shaped my attitude and helped me stop and think before I react. Thanks, Mom.

[Kirstin]

From the movie the Bucket List and also from the Remembrance Day speech I heard yesterday:

Two things that should be key goals in life:
To do things that bring joy to your life,
and to endeavour to bring joy to the lives of others.

It's worded much better originally...I think it's much easier to find joy yourself than it is to selflessly create it for others. But it's a good think to work towards!

[Angie]

My mother rarely offered parenting advice, even though she raised 8 pretty wonderful children ;. When asked, "what should I do with him?" - Him being one of my 4 boys - Mom's most likely response was, "just love him". However, on one particular occasion when I was trying to pacify my cranky toddler by letting him play with my husband's tool box, because it was easier than doing anything else...my wise mother said in only the most loving way, "doing what's easiest doesn't equate to doing what's best." My mom has been gone for almost 7 years and my boys are young men, but I still hear that piece of advice and use it when I'm about to take the easy approach vs. the best. Thanks Mom!

[Julie]

I had a friend in high school who used to tell anyone in a bad mood "Buck up, little camper" (accompanied with a crazy voice and funny little hand movement). No one could resist that. I try to recall it anytime a bad mood is setting in. He definitely planted a seed that continues to grow each day.

[jaxcheryl]

Also these new cards ROCK! You have been blessed with awesome talents - nurturer, artist, writer, designer & the ability to be one with Photoshop. How cool is that!!

[suzi]

"When would NOW be a good time to do that".....I enjoy your blog so much because this is how you live....and I find it inspiring!

[Wendy Huckins]

"What goes around, comes around"...reminds me to just focus on my actions and let karma take care of the rest!

[Leslie]

Kal, I love beginning my day with your posts. So much goodness!

Okay -- the seed recently planted was something a friend said to me. That a friend had told him. That was probably a quote from somewhere else. (LOL.) And that gem was "Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure." Hmmmm. Because I tend to easily slip into negative thought patterns, this one really startled me. I can do this!! Reframe, reframe, reframe!!!

[man]

my mom used to tell us, "have fun and be nice." i think that about covers it for me!

[PaisleysMom]

Good Morning to you! I have a couple bits of advice/quotes that ring true!
1. Life is what happens when we are busy making other plans.
2.If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much.
Happy Wednesday!!!!

[Kara]

Slow down and live in the moment. We all have busy lives - work, school, kids, chores, errands, and an assortment of other things that keep us busy but if we don't slow down and appreciate the little things, life will pass us by. One day we will wake up and realize just how much we missed along the way.

[Angela Harris]

Hey Kal,
Thanks for doing this ... its a great time of year to be grateful and to keep dreaming and wishing. My best advice came from a really cool girl I met a few times in Winnipeg and whose blog I read daily. I've got her bookmark on my bulletin board, from a book signing that she did back in 2005 at McNally Robinson. It says "Share what you love." Great quote and great advice don't you think? Its amazing what you can do for other people by simply being yourself and doing what you do best. Oh and her cool blog if anyone is wondering is www.lovelife.typepad.com! Ha, ha, ha! Have an amazing day!

[beth]

For me, it was that some things are worth waiting for.

[Kristina]

My word! every comment i read is so full of awesomeness.
My great-grandfather (who i was lucky enough to get to know even if only for a little while) always said two things (in italian ;) :
1. Father Eternity there is only one and i know that he loves me.
2. If they are roses, they will bloom.
I keep these thoughts very close to my heart...and miss/love him that much more every day.

[Mary Lib]

one of my favorite sayings is "If you speak kind words, you will hear kind echoes." I try to live this - not so easy sometimes - but just think if we all spoke kind words what kind of difference it would make in our world.