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Welcome on a new edition of my weekly ritual, Gratitude Friday (if you are not familiar with it, please go read how it came up and what it is about).

Oh my… where to begin ? In the midst of back to school, unexpected news, and ambiant fog outside, I take time to sit and write to you because I know life is still crazy in this beginning of a new year but you can decide to devote a few minutes for Gratitude. Yes, you can.

This week, I am thankful for:

• Unexpected acts of kindness
• Daily talks with my Kindreds
• Morning walks
• Studio time
• Creating custom paintings
• The come back of our previous schoolbus driver (even if we really enjoyed the woman who was at her place for the beginning of this school year)
• Fresh salads for lunch
• Taylor Swift (not ashamed)
• I received the film for my new camera (a Fujifilm Instax Neo 90)
• Cuddles
• Books
• Devotion (which is my Soul Whisper for 2015. More on that next Monday)
• Creativity in general
• Learning
• Cooking with my Lover

This is a lot and I could go on and on because despite having my head in cotton, having chocked twice in 24hours (and waking up not being able to breathe, caughing like hell, in the middle of the night, freaked me out…) and scary news from my birth country (France), I want to focus on the bright light. I do not play ostrich, with my head in the sand, ignoring the shit happening. My heart aches in ways you have no idea, but we choose, everyday, where we want our energy to go to.

What are you thankful for ?

The last two weeks of each year, and the couple weeks opening a new one, are always a mix of emotions for me. Please tell me I am not the only one ?

When I want to rejoice,
here comes the freaking out. 
When I want to rest,
Here comes the gift giving sprint. 
When I want to take a bath,
here comes the cooking/laundry/cleaning needed to be done first…

But then I force myself to pause and take a *very* deep belly breath. Exhaling as much air as possible while seeing the stress and worry go away with it. This is what works best for me when I feel lost, when I feel overwhelmed, when everything is swirling around me while I stand still.

I wonder: what does it take *really* to abandon myself into trust and surrender ?

I don’t have an answer to this yet but I have this feeling that it will come to me some time this year. What are your thoughts about it ?

Can’t wait to share more about my Soul Whisper for 2015 with you.

Hello hello beautiful Beans !

I have not been very present in the past week and I apologize for that. I kind of took a break from Inner Voices in general, enjoying being with my daughters and husband for the first half of this Winter break. It is good to slow down a bit.

Enjoy:

This episode of *Scraps of Life* was filmed live from under our Christmas tree mwahahah, it is good to change the scenery now and then.

This year really has been a turning point for me. Both personally and in my art career. Lots of ups and downs, ebbs and flow. But when I turn my head to reflect, I focus on the good because it is all that matters. The negative events were meant to allow me to grow.

What is, to you, your biggest achievement in 2014 ? What are you the most proud of ?

Some of the things I mentioned in this episode:

• Mindy Lacefield
• Micki Wilde
• My guiding word for the year

I forgot to tell you in the video but I currently have a 20% off everything in the shop, until the new year. Enter BEGONE at checkout. Yes, it is also working on my original paintings.

Welcome on a new edition of my weekly ritual, Gratitude Friday (if you are not familiar with it, please go read how it came up and what it is about).

Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.
— Joseph Campbell

Today will mark the first day of the first real school break of the year so people celebrate (and rest). Here in North America, we have way less school breaks than in France (in which they happen every 6-8 weeks if I remember well. Yes, LOTS of breaks in France. However, the amount of things learned is higher too, so I guess it is about balance somewhere).

I usually don’t look forward the breaks because I do not drive yet so I am at home 24/7 with two daughters and we all go crazy over each other, in a bad way… BUT the idea of staying in our pyjamas if we want to, go for walks when we want to, family lunches, no more haste in the morning to have the bags ready, the girls dressed, hair done, fed… this I won’t miss for two weeks 😉

This week, I am thankful for:

• Good news about health for me and closed ones
• Make up
• Self=portraits
• Seeing my paintings go into new homes
• Bedtime stories (right now, we began the first book of The Magisterium Serie, The Iron Trial, by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare)
• Warmth
• Breaking Bad (yes, we are finally getting into the madness and started watching)
• Youtube videos as a way to learn
• Sexy & Sanguine, the ladies showing up as they are… and we are…
• Blessings
• The Christmas Show at the girls’ school was really good this year
• Sacred Adornments
• Food, always on the table no matter what
• Hope
• Daily conversations with my Kindreds
• Creativity of all sorts

And I could go on. I am also grateful for the unknown, what is yet to come and out of my reach.

your turn <3

This is my special «Holidays edition» of my Sharing The Love series.

I know it is not always easy to find what to gift, and I kept it simple and easy.

1. Danielle Laporte’s Truth Bomb deck

   This is a beautiful deck of inspirational cards. Gold foil people (every is pretty when in gold, right ?). They can be used in so many different ways: daily Oracle, pinned to your wall or stuck to your mirror as a reminder, given away as RAOK…

2. Mindy Lacefield’s Primitive Portrait 3 online class

   It is absolutely no secret that I adore Mindy, that I consider as my creative mentor (weird to actually put it out there and not just in my head…). I have taken all her classes and I am really excited about this third part of her Primitive Portraits series. We learn to get looser, to work with limited color palettes and to use that to bring more emotion to our artwork. She is fantastic.

3. Leonie Dawson’s 2015 Amazing Biz + Life workbook

   I have been using Leonie’s workbook, both for my personal life and my business, for a few years now. I love that she now offers an already printed version of it. But I have done the ebook and it works perfectly. It allows you to see things differently, to put my dreams in motion and see how much I actually get done (because well… I am very good at procrastination).

4. Soul Whispers guiding word painting, by yours truly

   My little Soul Whispers paintings make perfect stocking stuffers or gifts. They can be your one guiding word for 2015 or simply something you want to be beautifully reminded. Of course, they are one of a kind paintings and even if someone else has the same word it will never be the same Soul Whisper (ever).

5. Micki Wilde’s Magical Things online class

   Micki is a fantastic artist and she had spread her wings wide and far this year. As Mindy, I have taken all of her classes and this one would be my favorite (but honestly… very hard thing to choose). And if you live in the EU, December is the time for you to purchase it before they retire because of the new laws. I promise, it will be an amazing experience. I adore her.

6. Aquarius Nation’s birthchart book

   I got mine a few months ago and come back to it quite often. KV explains in very understandable (for people who, like me, do not understand a thing when it comes to astrology…) your birthchart. It helps to understand who you are, the path you are on. And it makes a wonderful gift (can’t wait to get one for my Husband and our daughters !).