Tag Archives: Book Review

Thoughtful Thursday – Book Review

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While on vacation quite a few years ago, I came upon this delightful book by Cicely Mary Barker, “The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies.” I love rhyming poems and fell in love with her beautiful illustrations and magical words.

Cicely Mary Barker was born June 28, 1895 in West Croydon, Surrey England. Because she suffered from epilepsy Cicely was educated at home but she mostly taught herself to draw and paint. Her father was an accomplished artist and encouraged her artistic talent. He enrolled her at Croydon Art Society when she was only 13 years old.

At the age of 16, Cicely had her first work accepted for publication as a set of postcards. From there she devoted her time to painting. Pre-Raphaelites greatly influenced her and she believed in “truth in nature.” Cicely painted from life whenever possible and even enlisted the help of the staff at Kew Gardens to help identify plants. She carefully studied and painted their every detail with great accuracy. The fairies were also painted from life and modelled from the children at her sister’s nursery school. Once the paintings were complete, she then wrote a poem for the illustration.

“The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies,” was first published in 1923 and was well received by all, especially because of the fascination with fairies at the time and her vision of innocence.

Cicely passed away February 16, 1973 in a Worthing Hospital, England at the age of 77. One hundred years after the publication of her book, it continues to delight all.

I highly recommend you check out her site at FlowerFairies.com where you learn more about her and purchase giftware items showcasing her stunning paintings. Copies of this book are available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble, however the dust jacket may be different.

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for stopping by!!

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Here’s a sample of Cicely’s writing from her book:

Celebrate Everyday Mixed Media Canvas

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Many moons ago I came across a book written by Jenny Heid and Aaron Nieradka titled “Mixed Media Masterpieces.” I’m a huge fan of retro art and loved their book which is filled with inspiring ideas and tutorials.

I ended up making this mixed media canvas a while ago which was inspired by their book. I used a page from an old recipe book for the base of the cupcakes. If you look closely, the cut pieces of the book are actually part of a cupcake recipe and I thought that was a cool factor.

The letters for “Celebrate” were cut using a die cut machine. I stamped the word “Everyday” onto premade inchies I found in a stamp store and distressed them. Plus there’s lots of texture in this piece, especially the frosting which I love.

If interested, the book is available on Amazon and I included live links (including the book image) in this post. They also have a blog: “Everyday is a Holiday.”

Hope this inspires you to create this weekend, thanks for stopping by!!

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Thoughtful Thursday The Motivation Manifesto Book Review

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Have you ever been in a tough spot and found you didn’t react to the situation as your best self? You let your feelings and emotions get the better of you. I know it’s happened to me many times during my life and I’m sure you’ve had some moments too.

Learning about personal growth helps us to become a better person and teaches us not to react so harshly and negatively in certain situations. It helps us to better understand ourselves and those around us so that we may live happier and more meaningful lives.

Brendon Burchard is one of New York Times best selling authors and he’s also one of the leading Life Coach and High Performance Trainers in the industry. Brendon wrote “The Motivation Manifesto,” to help the reader with personal growth by reclaiming personal power and freedom.

This is a well written book and Brendon does an excellent job explaining the nine declarations of motivation and personal power so the reader is equipped with the knowledge needed to unleash their inner strength. In addition, he also includes strategies and exercises to help apply these principles to life. Plus Brendon gives insights from his own personal journey and from some of the greatest leaders in history.

I highly recommend Brendon Burchard’s book, “The Motivation Manifesto.” It’s a game changer!

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for stopping by!!

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Thoughtful Thursday Excuses be Gone Book Review

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I was working in an online class where I created a detailed sketch of a girl with flowing hair and butterflies (I’ll share that with you later this week). But it had taken quite a few tries and quite some time to get the sketch just right.

I needed to paint her so I could bring her to life, yet I found myself stuck. I really wanted to paint her but was afraid to ruin the sketch that had taken hours to complete. I came up with all sorts of excuses as to why I couldn’t or rather wouldn’t paint her. Finally I thought this is ridiculous because I’ve painted so many portraits before that turned out pretty good. Then I remembered Wayne Dyer’s book, “Excuses be Gone!” and silenced those negative nellies in my mind. I painted her and you know what, she turned out pretty awesome.

But I wasn’t paying attention to my thoughts and let them run wild. So this whole thing was a good reminder for me of what I need to be doing, minding my thoughts. I had read Wayne Dyer’s book a while ago and loved it. In his book he explains why all of us at one time or another become victims of our own self defeating thoughts that can immobilize our progress in life. Wayne also describes how to silence those negative thoughts so we can move forward.

It’s not always easy because sometimes we forget to keep up with the practice. But this book was well written and quite an eye opener and I’ll be putting it on list to read again😊 I highly recommend Wayne Dyers book “Excuses be Gone!” You won’t be disappointed!

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(Note: by clicking on the links or image above it will take to the corresponding product in your region’s Amazon store. This Affiliate link means that I’ll get a small commission when you buy through my website. Thanking you in advance!!)

“If you really want to do something you’ll find a way. If you don’t you’ll find an excuse.” ~Jim Rohn

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Thoughtful Thursday Book Review – Grace Notes by Alexandra Stoddard

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With this year coming to an end, faster than I’d like I thought I’d share this book review with you. It’s written by Alexandra Stoddard and is titled “Grace Notes.” In this book Alexandra offers 365 daily meditations of grace, one for each day of the year. So with January 1st fast approaching now is a good time to get the book so you can start the new year off on a positive note.

The book is beautifully written with inspiring words of encouragement, love and grace. She even gives you a few lines at the bottom of each day to write you own thoughts if you like. Alexandra also includes with each day famous inspirational quotes and her own personal insights. You can find Grace Notes on Amazon where you can also preview a few sample pages to get a better idea of what the book is really like.

With as crazy as things have become, this is simply a nice way to start each day. It’s a gentle reminder of how to live life with grace. I highly recommend this book!

I hope you enjoyed this book review, thanks for stopping by!!!

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Thoughtful Thursday Book Review

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I finished reading “Gracefully You” by Jenna Dewan. In her book she talks about her family life and her career in dancing and acting. Many think a celebrity lifestyle is easy and glamourous. But celebrities face challenges and obstacles just like everyone else. Some even worse because of their notoriety.

I enjoyed reading the book on how Jenna overcame the challenges she faced both in her personal life as well as her career. But she saved the best for last when she wrote about having grace in the worst of circumstances. Especially when it’s so much easier to just let loose and let it all out. But that’s something most would end up regretting the next day.

Life isn’t always easy but it’s up to you as to how you choose to deal with the circumstances at hand. Maintaining grace can be very challenging but it is doable. If you fail by losing grace and have regrets, do your best to make it right. Life has a funny way of giving us second chances to do better and learn from our mistakes. But most importantly, always have grace with yourself.

I highly recommend reading Jenna Dewan’s book “Gracefully You” which is available on Amazon. It was a great read with beautiful photographs and quite interesting seeing life from her point of view.

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Thoughtful Thursday Mission Organization

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Imagine going to the library and the books are randomly placed on the shelves. You’d get frustrated because you can’t find what you’re looking for. If you were the person in charge of getting new books for the library you wouldn’t know which books to add because you don’t know what’s already there.

We all have a tendency of acquiring “stuff” that seems to pile up and multiply all on it’s own if we don’t tend to it. Maybe we’re just not an organizer by nature or we’ll get to it later but then later never comes. All this “stuff” stops the flow of energy causing you to become unhappy, stressed and lose clarity to name a few.

I’m getting ready to do the floors in my studio. It’s something I’ve been putting off but needs to get done. I’m not looking forward to packing everything up because I have a lot of art supplies I use. On the other hand this is going to force me to really look at what I have and ask “do I really need this, does it bring me happiness.”

I wanted to get some new ideas and a fresh outlook to organizing my studio so I purchased a book by Desha Peacock, “Your Creative Work Space” which is available on Amazon.

I started reading the book and love it so far. Desha shares examples of creative work spaces from different people in different professions. She also shares her wisdom for organizing your sacred space and keeping that way. I’m already very excited to put some of her ideas to use and create better energy flow in my studio.

I’m not sure how this is going to work out but I’ll do my best to keep posting and sharing the happy with everyone. Wish me luck 😅

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Thoughtful Thursday Juicing

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Most of us abuse our bodies for years with bad eating habits before an illness shows up. Once it does we chalk it up to “it’s a part of aging.” But I highly disagree. I’ve seen friends and family make dietary changes and either improve their condition or cure the illness completely. I have also experienced these changes.

Juicing is an easy way to supplement your present diet with lots of vitamins and minerals that you normally wouldn’t eat especially if fruits and veggies aren’t your favorite. I can tell you that the juice recipes today are quite delicious and filling and have come a long way since yesteryear. I replaced 1 meal a day with 2 glasses of fresh juice. Depending on what’s in the recipe, I might use the blender or the juicer. The main difference is the blender uses everything you put in while the juicer extracts the juice and discards the pulp or fiber.

I feel my best when I include fresh juices in my diet. When I first started I noticed a lot of changes. I had lots of energy. The brain fog that I didn’t even know I had was gone. Plus all the aches and pains I felt had disappeared. I felt fantastic!

You don’t need to make radical changes to your diet, but at least modify it somewhat and add in fresh vitamins and minerals with juicing. Taking a vitamin may help improve things but it doesn’t come close to fresh nutrients. There are lots of books on juicing but one of my favorites is “The Healthy Green Drink Diet” by Jason Manheim which is available on amazon.

Hope this inspires you to great health!

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“Health is the greatest blessing of human beings.’ ~Hippocrates

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Thoughtful Thursday Book Review

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Discover Your Dharma: a Vedic Guide to Living Your Best ...

Sahara Rose is an author, inspirational speaker and host of “Highest Self Podcast” which I enjoy listening to. In her latest book, “Discover Your Dharma,” Sahara shares her ancient wisdom but with a modern day flair. I recently finished reading her book and loved it!

When I started reading, I didn’t have any expectations as to where it will go. But I have to say, that I was quite surprised in the accuracy of finding my Doshas and using them to fulfill my Dharma.

In Ayurveda, Doshas are the 3 energies that make up every human being, Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth). We have all three but in varying amounts. Your Dharma is to find your soul’s purpose.

The physical imbalances we experience in our minds and body are a reflection of what is going on at our soul’s level. So having a better understanding of your Doshas and Dharma will help you to heal your body and move forward which Sahara does an excellent job of explaining in her book. She gives you the tools and knowledge you need to better understand your soul’s purpose.

I also learned that your Dharma is not set it stone. You may end up taking a completely different path than when you started on your journey or you may just make minor changes to the path you’re on. But ultimately you need to live a life that makes you happy and share your special gifts and talents with the world in a positive and fulfilling way.

I highly recommend reading “Discover Your Dharma.” It’s a well written book that is easy to understand with tools to help you find your soul’s purpose. To find out more about Sahara Rose, visit her site at iamsahararose.com.

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“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give your gift away.” ~ Pablo Picasso

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