The Woven Life

Goddess of Earth by phungvulienphuong

It is with great enthusiasm that we are officially announcing the re-launch of The Woven Life!  Yes, it's been quite some time since you've heard from us. The important thing is that we are back and so much better than ever!

A couple of things to mention:

1. In case you're wondering, we have changed our name from A Woven Life to The Woven Life.  This is because A Woven Life was bought by a cyber bully who is holding it ransom for a ridiculous price.  So, we decided The Woven Life is an even more amazing name for our brand. Take that, you big bully!

2. We've gone through a lot of changes here to make The Woven Life an indispensable part of your day.  We have so much on the horizon, including killer tutorials, guest blog posts, inspiring interviews and giveaways you do not want to miss!

As always, we welcome submissions from artists, designers and inspirational folks.

If there is a particular subject you would love to see covered on The Woven Life; we're all ears.

Thank you for being with us through our various changes.  We are so fortunate to have such incredible support!

Creative Space

Hello everyone! I am writing to you from my ever shaky PC.  Let's hope she behaves long enough for me to post.  I am in the search for a new laptop, so that I may retire my current computer.  If anyone has any suggestions as far as the best models, I'm all ears!

In the meantime, I've been busy finally moving into my new home and preparing for my favorite part of this long process.....decorating!  I'm most excited about my new art room.  It's a small space with many possibilities.  I will post before and after pictures once it's all complete.

If you have an art studio or craft room you adore, send us pictures. We'd love to see them!  My inner voyeur loves to get a peek into others people's creative spaces.  It's where ideas and concepts are born.  Where you are free to dream and imagine whatever you desire and bring it to fruition. 

On that note, I've been pouring over magazines and blogs to get some inspiration for my space.  I stumbled upon The Selby and wanted to share it with you.  The Selby is a breath of fresh air for creatives.  The brainchild of photographer/illustrator, Todd Selby, the site gives us a firsthand look at artist and designer's personal spaces.  The site has been such a success that it now features notables such as Karl Lagerfeld, Cindy Greene (Designer of Libertine) and Michael Stipe to name a few.  Here are some of my favorite images.

 

Success!! We made it through this post.  Until next time weavers!

  

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

It's been sometime since I last posted. I am in the middle of a bitter break up with my computer. We will be up and running smoothly in two shakes of a lambs tail.  XoXo.

Where is our Winner?

As you all know, we recently had an amazing giveaway.  However, the winner has not yet contacted me. Please contact me within 48 hours so that we may send you your prize. I do not want you to miss out.  Otherwise, we will have to choose another winner.  As I stated earlier, we will be having giveaways more frequently. So, stay tuned to see the fabulous prizes.  Happy Tuesday everyone. Cheers!

And the Winner Is...

Crystal! Congratulations! Thank you to everyone who entered. Do not be discouraged, we will be having many more giveaways to come with more incredible prizes.

Thank you.

Hello friends.  Just wanted to thank you for your patience.  My computer has been acting very bratty as of lately and had to be put on time out.  Stay tuned tomorrow when I will announce the winner of our recent giveaway.  Hope you all have an amazing Labor Day!!

Manifesting your World

Pick yourself up and dust yourself off.  Don’t let the weight of the world suppress your dreams and desires. So, you didn’t get that job you were so sure you had in the bag. Things may not be going the way you had anticipated.  Let it go.  Let it be. There’s a bigger picture at play here and believe me it coincides with your dreams.  Only you have the vision of what you want to manifest in your world.


Life is not meant to be such a serious experience.  It is somewhat of a game and it’s up to you to make up the rules.  There will always be obstacles that blind you and come out of nowhere. It may seem as if the world is cunningly trying its hardest to prevent you from your goals. There may be people in your life who secretly relish when things go awry for you.  However, you are infinite and cannot be harmed.  Remember the universe always has a plan for you and it’s an amazing and adventurous one. The only things we must do is stay true to ourselves and follow our hearts.  Make an intention to be the best version of yourself. Focus on shedding habits that no longer contribute to your growth.  Nurture your soul with positive healing foods, music, words and thoughts.

Lighten your load by trusting that you are worthy of attaining anything you’d like.  Send light and love to those who may cause you frustrations. This life is yours to make of it what you wish.  Keep moving forward with the image of yourself being triumphant.  Be persistent with your aspirations and fine tune your talents so that when your opportunity comes you will shine brilliantly amongst the stars!

Friday Inspiration

They tell me of a place you can go where all are welcomed if they wish to enter.

Butterfly kisses placed upon your cheek
Welcome you back to your long forgotten home.

Do not be afraid of this wondrous world that exists in your heart.

For when you feel the colors and taste the sunlight
All that will matter will be.

Awake from your dreams
Let the journey of your reality begin.

Surrender.

Win a Sweet Tote Bag full of Beauty Products!

I want to thank all of my readers for supporting The Woven Life and playing an integral part in its growth.  You inspire me to continue on this amazing journey and I want to honor you by holding our 2nd giveaway! One lucky reader will win a sweet tote designed by yours truly full of delicious beauty treats you see pictured above. 

The tote is a one of a kind cotton canvas with leather handles and leather bottom gusset. Fully lined and complete with dual pockets.  Designed with a gorgeous chevron and appliquè detail and best of all made with lots of love! See entry details below.

One Entry:

Leave a comment letting me know you are a subscriber/follower of The Woven Life.

If you aren't already, please join before you post your comment. Just click the follow button on the left hand side.

Two Entries:

If you are already a follower, leave a second comment.

This will double your chances to win this sweet giveaway!

Three Entries:

To increase your chances even further, post about this giveaway on your blog, facebook, twitter etc.  Make sure you link your post back to me within another comment.

Four Entries:

Finally, to have an even greater chance to win, add my URL to your blog roll and post a fourth comment.

This giveaway is open to all domestic or international subscribers of A Woven Life and will close midnight August 31st, New York time.

The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced shortly after.  Good Luck!

Your Quest Begins Here.

Paying close attention to the things you gravitate towards is the most important step in realizing ones potential. Do you feel at home in natural surroundings or do you thrive in a fast pace environment? Do certain colors, cultures, or hobbies jump out at you? The things that resonate with you will always shine brighter. They look and feel more vivid because our true spirit attracts them like an invisible magnet. They  are effortless, and in turn, make us feel more alive and full of wonder. These clues are road signs that will lead you to discover your unique self and assist you in designing your unique life.

At times, it’s difficult to decipher those aspects because we’re surrounded by external influences. Such as friends and family who may not share the same interests. That’s okay. Honor their choices and fully support them but continue to notice all the clues that are meant for you and follow them. Continue to stay true to who you are, and you’ll live an authentic and full life. We all share a collective principle of wanting to live our best life but we must infuse that life with our own flavor. Then and only then, can we offer ourselves full-heartedly and live The Woven Life.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls”
-Joseph Campbell

Zen Monkey

Spirit Mama's Zen Monkey

There's a quote that says: One must first empty his cup in order to fill it. Well these days my cup has morphed into a 60 gallon drum on the brink of flooding. Between working a full-time job at Sephora as a Skin care consultant, daily to do lists, blogging, and getting ready to move to our new home; my cup is as full as it gets. Add to that, keeping up with Facebook, Twitter, Etsy and catching up on my TV consumption (guilty) and you’ve got a recipe for spontaneous combustion.


Deep breathe....Om.

In this day and age, when information comes at us from many different directions we are existing in world ridden with ADD. This makes it difficult to recognize whether our thoughts are our own or just regurgitated versions of sounds bites and reality TV. We are in a constant state of fragmented thoughts. Not very Zen of us.

Quieting the mind has become a survival tactic. It makes it possible for us to regroup and tackle our goals from a clear and objective point. A mental detox, if you will. So, how do we fit ourselves into our schedules?

Consciously, make it a goal to sit quietly for 10 minutes a day. Let all of your worries and obligations cease for just 10 minutes. Turn off your phone, computer, ipad, ipod and instead light a small candle. Relax and just breathe. As thoughts arise, and they will; notice them and let them go. Breathe. Just be. This is a great way to begin to develop meditation skills. Before you know it, you will have trained yourself to meditate for longer periods of time. You too can be a Zen monkey!

Now back to our regularly scheduled show......

Red White & Blue

Ah, finally a long holiday weekend!  A break that is long overdue for me.  However, in between packing, cleaning, purging and some more cleaning,  there is no rest for the weary.  I did have a few minutes to myself today and found some fabulous things on Etsy, perfect to help you get in the holiday spirit.  Thank you for all of those who support me in my crazy endeavors and The Woven Life blog.  We have so many exciting things on the forefront.  Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and incredibly silly Fourth of July weekend!

The Cupcake Wrapper Co.

Loris Place

Fabulous Mess

Strawberrie Rose

Vintage Japan

I'm on my way out to work.  Before I head out, I want to leave you with these incredible vintage Japanese images courtesy of Ookami Dou.  They are absolutely divine! Go ahead daydream., I dare you.

Courtesy of Ookami Dou

Anahata Katkin

I'm jumping up and down like a mad woman.  I just stopped over at Anahata Katkin's blog and was informed that she will be featured in Somerset Studio's July issue. 

 If you're not familiar with her, do yourself a favor and click on over to her blog as soon as you read this post.  Anahata is cofounder of PAPAYA! Inc.  She is such a special artist with a whimsical, edgy and ethereal style that will transport you to places bound with beauty and spirit.  Her art is not meant to be explained but to be experienced. 

This girl can teach us all a thing or two about how to weave and live A Woven Life.  As I sit here burning some sage I think to myself...."Perhaps, if the Gods are good to me, I can one day have the pleasure of interviewing her."  I just threw subtlety right out the window with that one!  I suppose I get so energized by her art and philosophy because she is a testament to my belief that we can "follow our bliss" and create authentic lives.  What are we waiting for? Shall we. 

Anahata Katkin (right)

 

Etsy Picks

My favorite color in the world!  Here are my Etsy picks for today. Enjoy!

Sidheshee's Boudoir

Aurum Jewelry

http://www.giardino.etsy.com/

Creative Thursday

Across the Universe We Go

For a sweet dose of inspiration, check out Across the Universe. It's one of my favorite blogs by artist, Shilo Shiv Suleman. Her illustrations, photography and poetic genius always make me smile. Can you believe we all have this creative thread running through our veins? We do.  Each of us has an instinctive desire to create.  It makes us feel alive! Closer to our truth.  I believe there is a proverbial source of creativity at our disposal.  A communal pot, which we can add to or collect from dreams beyond our imagination.  It is where we get our most animate thoughts and ideas from.  The more we add to it, the more we grow and get in return.  That's the beauty of it.  Nurture each others thoughts and endeavors.  Grab a nice cool glass of lemonade and watch them sprout forth incredible deeds before your eyes.


 

Frenchtown or Bust

Last week, my good friend and I decided to jump in the car and head to Frenchtown, NJ.

If you find yourself yearning to escape the stresses of everyday life, head to Frenchtown!  It's such a quaint town full of charm and artistic spirit.  Our first stop took us to Two Buttons, an incredible warehouse owned by Eat Pray Love, author, Elizabeth Gilbert and her husband. 

Two Buttons Imports

The warehouse has some of the most amazing  imports from India, Thailand and beyond.  From gorgeous pendant light fixtures to the most divine garden statues, one could easily lose track of time and get immersed in how special it is.  I was in heaven!  I picked up some of my favorite Nag Champa incense and some Tibetan prayer flags I will display in our new yard very soon!    We had the pleasure to meet Susan, who was such a warm and welcoming friend.  Susan has such an inspirational life story tailored to fit A Woven Life's philosophy.  Stay tuned for our upcoming post on Susan.  Afterwards, we dropped by the Lovin Oven next door at the suggestion of Susan and had a wickedly delicious warm strawberry rhubarb pie.  We walked around with no agenda, we laughed like school girls and sang Frank Sinatra songs off key all the way back home!  The perfect ending to our little adventure. 

We all work so tirelessly to attain the things we need in life.  Take time out for you to breathe.  Grab a friend, jump in the car and drive.  Indulge in the sweetness of life and rhubarb pie.  Let your mind wander, dream, envision and you are one step closer to creating A Woven Life.  You deserve it! 

Inspirational and Unconventional

At times ridiculed and thought to be crazy, these men marched to the beat of their own drum and emerged as innovators!  May we all find our inner creative genius! Happy weekend.  Keep on weaving!

John Lennon

Johnny Depp & Tim Burton

Albert Einstein

Live Your Life.

With life comes responsibility, right.  I'm sure that many of you can relate to having to hold down one, two, maybe even three jobs in order to keep up with your daily obligations.  We have bills to pay.  Student loans that seem will never be satisfied and so; we wake up everyday and make the most of what we've got.  What about our responsibility to ourselves and our dreams?  I've had many people tell me I'm just a dreamer.  That I have a fantastical idealistic view of what the world should be.  I stand before you guilty as charged.  Is there something wrong with believing, down to my core, that we have the right to live the life we desire?  Are you living that life?  Or was it neatly tucked away in the back of a closet in exchange for someone else's expectations.  Perhaps, I am the only one feeling this way, but something tells me I am not alone.  I have to admit there are days where the rebellious side of me wants to make erratic decisions in lieu of doing things responsibly.  In those moments, I can't help but feel I am a child trapped in an adult's body.  To those of you who may be thinking I need to suck it up and grow up, I'll leave you with these words of wisdom, by a man who knew these very struggles.  Henry David Thoreau.

"The mass of men, lead lives of quiet desperation.  But there is no need for them to, if they would only direct their own lives rather than doing what they thought others expect of them.  Live your own lives".

........Sticks out tongue and smiles.

The Ole' Stink Eye.

Having a meltdown at work is a sure sign that it is time for me to have another women's empowerment meeting.  It drives me crazy that I can effortlessly inspire others to reach for their goals but when it comes to me, I have a meltdown.  This is the ironic scenario that has been playing over and over, reminiscent of the movie Groundhog Day.  I mean, why is it that I can have the creativity to create mix media collages, a handbag, a woman's inspirational group or even a blog?  Yet, when it comes to creating a tangible version of my ideal life the task morphs into some obscure foreign language that I do not comprehend.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were born with a set of blueprints that detailed exactly what it is we are meant to do?  If one more person asks me "What is it you want to do with your life?" I may just break out into a comical song and dance that will land me a starring role in the looney bin.

Since, the age of 15,  I have worked every kind of job you can imagine from McDonald's drive thru, numerous administrative jobs, design assistant,  showroom assistant, to a Deli, just to name a few.   Now, at the tender age of 32, I work in a retail environment and if it weren't for some of my amazing co-workers, there may have been numerous times where I would have driven right past my job until I ran out of gas.  That's actually a timely metaphor.  Whoever, coined the term 30 is the new 20 just set me back ten years, considering I could not wait to get out of my 20's.  Thank you, whoever you are.  As, I was under the impression that once I entered my 30's I was sure I would know what it is I was meant to do with my life.  I know I'm not the only one going through this.  Although, I must admit, putting it all out there does feel good.  I know what some of you may be thinking: "With the current economic status I should be grateful to even have a job."  Please allow me to respond.  It's not that I am not grateful, I am.  However, I cannot ignore the fact that my spirit is stifled and all of my creative energies are being consumed by a huge corporate dragon, which I have aptly named StinkEye. 

                          "Oh, StinkEye why do you loathe me so?"