Holiday Gift Guide for the Woo Woo Woman

Personal and spiritual development has been an important part of my life this year.  Connecting in with my authentic self comes from a devotion to myself that I've found through various woo woo items & practices.  So today let's do an amazing little gift guide on the perfect gifts for the Woo Woo Woman in your life, shall we?

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

I can't wait to share this with you because I love the thought of women cheering on other women to be the best they can be.  Through sharing my personal development journey I have discovered so many awesome women and watched them grow!  Join all the fun over in the Live & Create Facebook group where we talk woo woo and work life creating a space for planner people, mindful makers, and lunar lovers to come together in support of each other. All I want in life is for others to realize they too can do it....whatever the it is!  Every accomplishment - big or small - that puts us on a path towards betterment is worth celebrating.  Ok... on to the guide

Tools for Introspection

One of the greatest ways to connect with yourself is through reflection.  Various tarot & oracle decks can help the querent with a little bit of self reflection.  I've got a whole guide to reading tarot here but you can also find some of my favorite tarot decks in this post.  I've also been loving the Journal Deck, featured above, as an added journal prompt for my self reflection.  There is even a new edition called the Goddess Deck that I want to get my hands on!

Starting Friday 11/23 until Monday 11/26  you can save 25% on the Journal Deck & site wide!  (no code needed!)

Woo Woo Storage

Every woo woo woman needs a place to keep her sacred instruments.  In this post on creating altars in shared spaces I talk a little bit about how creating a sacred space when you share a space with others can be difficult.  If your woo woo woman isn't able to go all out with her altar a little storage box may be just the answer.  I have one similar to this (pictured) but you may be able to find a box that more aligns with here beliefs or vibe better here.  These boxes can be great for keeping tarot or oracle cards as well.  Why not add in a few spell candles, essential oils, or the like so she can get the most out of it!

Quality Correspondences

In my personal spiritual path I use essential oils as a means of personal growth.  Different oils can have different correspondences - for example Lavender is the Oil of Communication & Calm, Rose is the Oil of Divine Love - and when working with these guys, quality is key.  Some of our woo woo sisters may use dried herbs in their practices while others may use incense.  Give the gift of quality essential oils with the Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils available from doTERRA.  Throw in some unscented incense sticks & a diffuser so that she can get all those positive intentions going for the new year!  Grab this book to so she can remember each emotional association.

A Place to Keep it All

An amazing way to organize all those woo woo thoughts is in a journal.  While I have a hard time keeping a consistent journal - I have commitment issues and I need a lot of structure! - I love the format of the traveler's notebook.  These guys feature small, bound inserts that make creating different sections in the journal super easy.  Plus there are ton of inserts available out there and you can even make your own easily!  Webster's Pages is my favorite brand because they are so affordable and because of the variety of colors.  This walnut one is gorgeous!

The journey towards self reflection is a great one where the only person you have to be better than is the person you were yesterday.  All of these tools can help you or the woo woo woman you love on her journey.  Feel free to grab the free Intro to the Tarot ebook below (it will be right in your inbox!) and print out a guide for you and your bestie.  Throw it in with your gift and she'll love it!

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Connecting with our intuition allows us to feel strength & confidence.  I can't wait to see what you give your friends this holiday season!

What woo woo gift would your recommend?  What gift would you like to receive?

xoxo, Moe

ps.  Don't forget to snatch up the Journal Deck here to fill up that traveler's notebook!

10 Ways to Begin your Personal Development Journey

Becoming a better person.  That's what we all want to do with our lives, right?  We want to be the best versions of ourselves.  We're now quite far into the year and may have found that our goals haven't shaped out the way we thought they would have.  This could be good or bad...but we don't have to wait until the new year to start bettering ourselves!  In fact I think there are 3 times in the year we can start ourselves anew - January at the new year, March/April at the Aries New Moon, and September when we're used to going back to school.

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

September has always had the air of a fresh new start - we've got fresh pencils, notebooks, and sneakers, the leaves are slowing turning and nature moves into a new phase.....its just a very magical time of freshness. Plus we'll have Samhain in October which is known as the Witches' New Year. So the Fall in general can be a time of change - to shed the old and prep for the new!

We don't have to upend our whole lives to work on personal development.  Nor do we have to feel pressured to change our entire beings to be these better, fantasy versions of ourselves.  Personal development is a journey where the only person you need to be better than is the person you were yesterday.  It's not a journey of comparison or defeat, its a journey of betterment.  So, here are 10 ways to begin your personal development journey:

1. Listen to Audio Books & Podcasts

Make time to listen to personal development books or podcasts.  This may take some trial and error in finding podcasts/books that inspire you but start off with a hobby or something you're interested in.  I wanted to learn to read tarot as a personal development tool so I thumbed through the tarot podcasts I found on iTunes and queued up a few to listen to.  The other part of this is prioritizing time to listen.  I used my 30 minute drive to work in the morning to squeeze in a podcast listen.  You can listen while cooking, cleaning, driving, running, etc.  Those times in between...those are good times to bust out your book or podcast.

2. Practice Mindfulness

This is another simple task that can be done in those times in between.  Mindfulness is just awareness.  Mindfulness is focusing on the moment and on the task at hand.  When making your coffee in the morning instead of going over your to do list and looking at the dishes in the sink take the 5 minutes you're prepping your coffee to just be aware: what does the world around you smell like?  What does the coffee maker sound like?  What does your mug feel like?  What does the sugar entering the mug sound like?  How do you feel in this moment?  You can incorporate even breathing, etc.  Just be aware of your surroundings.  A great place to start a mindfulness practice is in your skincare routine - you'll hopefully be alone in the bathroom for at least a minute and the act is very tactile.  So you can take a moment to just be.

Mindfulness can help fill your cup so that you can show up for yourself and for others more completely.

3. Meditation

Developing a mediation practice can be as simple as using the Breathe app on your Apple Watch (I do this so often!).  Just like mindfulness, you're taking a moment to be present.  You can have a more intentional mindfulness practice with meditation by creating a space for yourself to spend time with yourself.  This can be a room or space in your home or even one of those times in between - like waiting for a friend to meet you for coffee.  Take a moment while you're sitting in the parking lot at work to drift into a relaxed mindset.  You can use something like visualization or even an essential oil you're fond of to help get you into your meditative mindset.

4. Practice Self Reflection

Often this is outlined as journaling.  I'm not a great journaler - I'll blog somethings and maybe include short self reflective tidbits in my memory planner, but all in all I'm not a good journal keeper.  I think it is more important to be self reflective and to examine myself, my life, and my actions often to see where I'm at.  Creative ways to do this aren't limited to journaling but to creating and keeping vision boards so that you can see how far you've come, keeping planner & expressing your creativity, or even blogging!  Self reflection ensures that you're actually growing and developing.  Sometimes those little time hop things on Facebook are very helpful for seeing where we've been compared to where we are now.  And, if you're unhappy with where you are....then you are able to set an intention to change that!

5. Set Small Goals

Speaking of setting intentions to change, try setting small goals.  I used to set 4 simple goals a month because I realized I just wasn't really working towards anything.  I was kinda coasting through life just hanging out and I really wanted to be doing something (anything!).  Setting smaller goals - go to bed earlier, wake up earlier, clean the living room each week, put the dishes away, make sure you moisturize - can help you develop and over all bigger routine.  This routine can enhance your daily life be reducing the emotional burden you have by needing to make decisions that could be left to routine.  Achieving small goals can also build up your confidence & momentum when it comes to accomplishing bigger goals.

6. Try Something New

Break out of your comfort zone.  Trying something new means you're not keeping yourself in a box.  This box could feel restrictive or destructively habitual.  It is best to do something new as soon as you feel the urge.  I signed up for a watercolor class at my local Micheal's as soon as I found out it was happening because I new if I thought about it I'd chicken out!  If you get the urge, and it's feasible, try something new!

7. Invest in Yourself

Much like the one above, if you've been wanting to try something new make that a priority.  The more you invest in your desires the more you'll find personal success.  Want to start a new hobby? Prioritize that in your life.  Want to go back to school?  Prioritize that in your life.  Need a new set of interview clothes? Invest in that!  You are worthy of your desires and you should invest your time & available resources into the things that will create a better you and better your life.

8. Discover your Personal Mantra

Working daily with affirmations can help shift your mindset.  You may find yourself drawn to certain types of quotes, words, or mantras that help you feel inspired.  Take time to develop a personal mantra to live by and make sure it aligns fully with who you are as a person.  Create a Pinterest board or even a wall of sticky notes with words that speak to you.  Recite them daily until you feel their truth!  I highly suggest you reading my post on self-deprecating here. 

9. Make Small Changes

Small changes in your lifestyle allow you to live more authentically.  For me, I've been attempting to reduce my dependence on single use/disposable items.  Prioritizing using microfiber towels over paper towels, refusing plastic straws, and prioritizing reusable storage over plastic baggies have been small changes that have led to a bigger awareness in my life.  Take the time to make small changes that align with your personal mantra & you will begin to live more authentically.

10. Practice Gratitude

Being thankful for what we have can shift our mindset.  Not only should we be thankful in times of happiness but we should practice gratitude in our down times as well.  If you're frustrated with a situation finding gratitude around the problem can help shift your mindset into a solution.   Take a moment during each day - when you wake up, before bed, at your lunch break, on your drive home - and list three things you're grateful for.  Even the simplest things you can express gratitude for because it allows you to be mindful of what you really have in your life!

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Personal development also isn't extremely linear.  We can have up days and down days, we can have setbacks and comebacks...but overall we just want to be better than the people we were yesterday!  Be sure to sign up for the newsletter above to get creative inspiration for being your best self straight to you inbox.  You'll receive blog updates, essential oil information, creative freebies, and general chit chat.

If you're interested in working towards your personal development goals with a group of creative individuals like yourself, check out the Live & Create group on Facebook.  This group focuses on mindfulness & intentional living through productivity, creative planning, & personal growth.  Request to join here!  You can also join the Printable of the Month club over on Patreon for an exclusive planner printable every month.

What small goals do you set for yourself daily?

xoxo, Moe

How to Use the Moon Phases for Self Development

You may have been seeing a lot around right now about witchy & woo woo women setting intentions & goals with the lunar cycles.  This has become a really popular topic right now, I feel like, in a lot of circles.  I'm not as consistent with this practice as I used to be but I still think it is important to focus on especially when it comes to self development.

At the beginning of this year I asked the question 'what does my be self look like?'  We can't come to be our best selves unless we understand our best selves.  And there are a bunch of different layers that come into play here.  If you're not into woo woo stuff, then this may not be your cup of tea...but hey, it might just be a fun way to get to know yourself.  

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

First off I think it is important to know two things about ourselves to set these intentions: we need to know our sun, moon, & rising signs and we need to have our basic natal chart.  If you're not sure what these are and you'd like to learn more about your natal chart, I have a complete newbies guide to reading a natal chart right here.  There is even a free download to fill in your chart to use later in this post so be sure head over & sign up for the newsletter.

If you know you're sun, moon, & rising signs, you'll know some core things about yourself.  Your sun sign represents how you see yourself, your moon sign represents your passions & your emotional state, and your rising sign represents how the world sees you.  Once you have your natal chart done, you'll begin to see which signs you have in which houses.  These houses correspond to different aspects of your life - the first house is self, the fourth house is home, the seventh house is relationships, and so on.

Once you have these figured out (again, see this post) you can begin to set intentions with the moon cycles. 

Moon Phases

If you peruse pinterest & woo woo blogs long enough you'll find that there are two takes on the lunar phases - one says the new moon is great for manifesting while the other says the full moon is the energy you should use to manifest.  I subscribe to the following belief - as the moon grows, so too should our work on our goals.  So I don't think that on the new moon we should set our intentions...I think on the new moon we should start to set our intentions.  We're working with the growth of the moon.  So between the new moon and the waxing crescent we should focus our energy on what we'd like to manifest.  The moon is starting to grow, and thus the energy for manifesting is beginning to grow.  I focus my energy on the time between phases, if that makes sense.  The growing energy between the phases is where the manifesting power lies.

So, between the New Moon and the Waxing Crescent we are setting intentions.  We're holding our new moon rituals and focusing our energy on our intentions.  Between the Waxing Crescent and the First Quarter we're planning & outlining the action we're going to take.  We can do some journaling & some brainstorming on what routine we'll develop, etc.

Then, between the First Quarter and the Waxing Gibbous we'll start to take action.  We'll begin to implement the plan daily, sticking with the plan if it's working and even if it isn't working.  Then between the Waxing Gibbous and the Full Moon we'll refine and edit our actions.  What can we add that will better serve us?  What can we eliminate?  Where do we need to change?

Between the Full Moon & the Waning Gibbous we should be at our realization.  We'll do our full moon rituals, begin our gratitude, and celebrate what we've realized between the New Moon and now.  Now we move on to the waning phase where the energy is dissipating and we're moving more into reflection.  Between the Waning Gibbous and the Last Quarter we need to get devoted.  Keep up those actions & that routine through this time to cement in these beliefs we've realized.  Between the Last Quarter & the Waning Crescent we should release.  Get rid of anything that isn't serving you & continue the steps of gratitude.

Finally, between the Waning Crescent and the next New Moon we should be focusing on self care.  We did a lot of development so it is time to focus back on us, take care of ourselves, and work with what we've learned.  Then the cycle starts again.

You can see that I'm working with the spaces between phases rather than the actual phase itself....I hope that makes a little sense.  I like doing this because as the energy rises so too should our actions towards manifesting our intentions and as the energy wanes we should slow down and reflect to prepare for the next wave.  It's a lot to go through in a month!  But it is worth it.

New Moon - set intention

Waxing Crescent - plan & outline

First Quarter - take action

Waxing Gibbous - refine & edit

Full Moon - realization

Waning Gibbous - devotion

Last Quarter - release

Waning Crescent - self care

Astrological Signs in the Houses

Once you've done your natal chart you should see that there are certain signs assigned to each house.  Everyone, for the most part, will have different signs in different houses. The Wheel of houses in your birth chart is based on the earths rotation on it's axis in a 24 hour period. Your personal Wheel of Houses is determined by your birth time and location. It is a map of the sky at the time and area of your birth and the energies of these signs can play a roll in your relationship with the themes of each of these houses.  In the natal chart post I have a very broad list of the houses.  It is this list we are going to use to set our intentions.  

For example, Aquarius is in my Fifth House of Creativity.  So when the new moon rises in Aquarius I should use Aquarius energy to focus on that house.  Aquarius energy is innovative and community driven, philanthropic and imaginative.  Aquarius energy isn't limited to the conventional, it is objective & innovative.  So during the new moon in this sign I should focus on using my creativity for something greater than myself.  Creativity can be relative - maybe it is an actual, physical thing you make or maybe it is simply creative problem solving.  All of these intentions are going to be specific & personal.  Here's a breakdown of the energies of each sign:

Aries - The starter.  This energy helps us begin, pushes us into our own power, and helps us fiercely put ourselves out there.

Taurus - Persistent, secure, stable. Taurus energy is supportive & organized, it helps us to develop, to sit, and to grow.

Gemini - Open, talkative, vibrant.  Gemini energy is outgoing, adventurous, and unique.  It helps us to realize our uniqueness, to communicate, and to express ourselves authentically.

Cancer - The nurturer.  Cancer energy allows us to get in touch with our feelings, helps us identify our core desires, and is compassionate.  Cancer energy can romanticize situations and become nostalgic, seeking security & comfort from family and home.

Leo - Pride. Leo energy helps us express ourselves openly.  It is protective and prideful.  This energy can help boost our confidence and often will allow us to seek leadership.

Virgo - Helpful & dedicated.  Virgo energy is a nurturer, soft, resourceful, and serving.  This energy helps us to take a step back, focus on ourselves & loved ones, and remember efficiency in our actions.

Libra - Seeker of balance & harmony.  Libra energy is harmonizing, thoughtful, and organized.  This airy energy helps us to prioritize.

Scorpio - Focused & driven.  The intense energy of Scorpio inspires us to hunker down & get straight with our deep emotions, with complex situations, and to reinvent ourselves.  This energy asks us if we're really in alignment with who we think we are.  We dive deep inside with Scorpio energy.

Sagittarius - The adventurer.  Sagittarius energy is creative, exploratory, and optimistic.  This energy is encouraging & enthusiastic.  It asks us to push our boundaries and see just what happens if we move just a little bit farther.

Capricorn - The disciplinarian.  Capricorn energy asks us to get right & get structured, to incorporate discipline and to get rid of the rest.  The honest teacher of Capricorn asks us to be persistent, dedicated, and resilient.

Aquarius - The innovative humanitarian.  Literally the water bearer, Aquarius energy focuses on the collective and our place in it.  This energy is creative and philanthropic.  This sign rules groups and teams making collaboration an important part of this energy.

Pisces - The Dreamer.  Pisces energy is dreamy, flowy, emotional.  It can help us work through hidden emotions, explore compassion, and dive deep into our inner waters.

How to set intetions

After all of this info, we're going to pair the two subjects above - the moon phases + the signs in our houses - to create our intentions for the lunar cycle.

Firstly, determine what sign the next new moon will rise in.  For this you can use an app (there are a ton out there) or a planner/datebook that has the signs listed.  The Witches Datebook is a good resource for this.  Once you determine the sign the new moon will be in, cross this info with where that specific sign is in your chart.  

So if the next new moon is in Cancer and Cancer falls in your tenth house of Career then it is time to focus on your feelings and desires when it comes to your career.  How can you align your core desired feelings with your career?

At the New Moon start to think of an action, routine, or step you'd like to take in this direction.  Then begin to outline & plan what you'll do as we move from the Waxing Crescent to the First Quarter.  At the First Quarter, start to implement this plan.  As we move from the Waxing Gibbous to the Full Moon, start to refine the actions.  At the Full Moon celebrate what you've come to realize, then as the energy wanes begin to reflect.  Once you've completed the cycle, it is time to start again.

Your intention can be as simple as incorporating a certain thought or mantra into your life or implementing a new routine in your day.  Once you have that outlined, follow the phases of the moon and the actions associated with each phase.  You can journal about your experiences if you'd like but mainly just make the conscious effort & take note of how you're growing over the cycle.  At the end of the cycle you should find that you've improved & grown - even if you've learned that something doesn't really serve you!

Living by the moon and setting goals/intentions in this manner is a way to live more intuitively.  Becoming more mindful of nature & mother earth.  You don't necessarily have to assign any spiritual significance to this - it can just be a fun thing for personal development!  Isn't it always fun to try something new?

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I use the moon as a guide to align my personal development goals as often as I can.  Because life can often get in the way I'm a fan of incorporating things you find important to you any way that you can.  Sometimes it can be a simple minute to acknowledge a certain mantra each day or change something small in your life.  When we make these small changes a whole new world can open up to us!

If you want to keep up with the lunar cycles join the Five Sixteenths | Live Creative group on Facebook.  We talk about productivity, creative planning, and intuitive goal setting over there so I'd love to have you join!

Have you used the moon for your personal growth?

xoxo, Moe

Two Things I'll do for Myself This Year

It the time of year where all the blog post surface of 10 Things to Focus on This Year, 5 Ways to make 2016 the Best Year Yet, and the like.  This post may be one of those kinds of posts.  But this post is mostly for me, and only a little bit for you.

I have resolved to do two things this year.  These resolutions aren't things where there is a clear end result...and I think that's perfectly fine.  The thing that will be measurable though, is how I feel in the end.  

I've resolved to give more compliments and apologize for myself less.

Complement Others More

Compliments are great.  I like to give them and I like to receive them.  This year I want to change the way I give compliments and in turn give more of them.  I don't know about you, but usually a compliment I receive or give is something a long the lines of 'I like your sweatshirt'.  This year, I want to give more compliments that focus less on how I feel and focus more on building the other person up.  It shouldn't matter if I like the sweatshirt - what should matter is that the sweatshirt looks good on you.  I want to give more compliments that focus less on how I feel and more on how I see you feeling (does that make sense?).  I want to acknowledge that the other person should be the focus of the compliment and I should leave the word 'I' out of it.  

That shirt looks great on you.     Your hair color/style is beautiful.

That lip color is awesome on you.     Those shoes are really stylish.

Apologize Less

Apologizing for myself less goes hand in hand with this.  I will not downplay myself when I am given a compliment.  I also won't apologize for certain characteristics about me - I'm loud, I laugh a lot, I take things seriously, and I see the problem from many sides.  I'm often told to be quiet, that things aren't that funny, that I really should just chill out, and that I'm causing problems by bringing up various points.  (I really like to hash out things so that anything that can go wrong is already planned for...believe me, I'm pretty sure that is helpful.)  Zach has never told me I'm too loud.....and I love that. I've been told my whole life that I talk too loud.  That is one comment that bugs the heck out of me.  I will not apologize for the things about myself that have been that way for 28 years.  I will also stop belittling myself when something positive is said to me, about me.  I will not downplay the compliment by taking jabs at myself.  I will stop apologizing for being awesome and for having a few quirks!

These are just two of a few things I've resolved to do this year.  My word of the year is Forward and I just want to keep growing.  I still need to do a reflection post on my word of 2015 which was Explore and I still need to find a little quote to go with my current word.  Those posts are in the works but I just haven't formed words for them yet!

What are some small things you're doing for yourself this year?

xoxo, Moe

My Success Story (Well, Sort of)

If you're looking for some grand success story of how I turned my little part of the internet into a wonderful opportunity ....... this isn't the post for you.  However, if you're struggling to understand why you feel something pulling you in the direction of your dreams but you have yet had your big break ..... then this might the post for you.  This might be the post that puts your little accomplishments in a light that makes them huge successes.

This is a post about how I realized my dream helped my buy my car, and that is a pretty big success.

Let's start at the beginning:  If you're new, a few years ago a left my home town of Virginia to trek up north to be with the man I love.  I spent a few months struggling with self-employment/unemployment.  I loved, and hated, every minute of it.  It was great to explore what I could do - and I found I could do it, it was just too much work that I wasn't ready for.  I wasn't raking in the dough like a needed to - a girl has to eat and save and you know, be alive - and so I decided to find "real" full time work (emphasis on the "" because any work that pays is real work, but thats beside the point....).  And I did.  Because I felt like I'd given up on self-employment, I struggled with feeling like a failure.  However, I loved that I didn't have to worry about my finances anymore and I had a steady pay check.  The good of the company was in someone else's hands and I wasn't one person doing everything.  This post by Alycia also really got to me.

It took a while (a long, long, long while) but suddenly I started to feel like I was doing alright in my full time job, and even succeeding.  I also began to develop a routine again and was able to fall back into my blog.  Long story short., I found it in myself again to put the effort into my brand while still working a full time job.  I'm not sure if I'm cut out for blogging as a business or running anything full time....it is a fun hobby that I can make a little pocket cash from.  I like it that way for right now because I'm realizing it's keeping me honest.  Here's a post on my thoughts on employment

I'm more in tune with what is genuinely me and I don't feel the pressure to be on the brink of the next big thing, to stay ahead of the game, to turn my blog into a cash cow.  I can still blog for me and not for the $$$.  I didn't have a steady income from this blog or any of my shops, and I still don't......but I had earned and saved enough in my PayPal account to put $1000 towards the down payment on my car.

Now, that might not seem like a lot considering I've had an Etsy shop on and off since like 2007 but through my stunt of self-employment/unemployment I laid the ground work to continue to make something off of what I'd set up.  The majority of my earnings came through my Zazzle shop and some from my old blog design shop, it also came through the affiliate links on my blog (read my disclosure here).  Did you know that PicMonkey (affiliate link) is my leading revenue link?  I promote it because I love it......and thats what I love about my small blog.

So, what is the point of this story?  The point is that after feeling like a failure because I gave up on my dream I realized that all my hard work helped me out in a time I needed it the most.  Working towards my dream helped me buy a car!  It may seem small but when you're in need of an extra grand to really get your payments manageable it's nice to know that you did that one thing that you felt like a failure at.

I remember getting so upset thinking that I was failure because I wasn't making a living wage off of what I was doing.  I was making something but it wasn't enough.  Now I realize that what wasn't enough before was just enough when I needed it the most.

That is my success story.  Working towards my dream helped me make a huge purchase.  It seems unimportant but it really was a revelation to me - at one point I felt like I wasn't doing enough and then suddenly I thanked my old self for all her suffering.  Just thinking about it makes me want to continue working towards something I love.

What is a success story of yours?  Do you have anything small that made a meaningful impact on you?

xoxo, Moe

Things You Should Want to be When you Grow Up

Sometimes I like to think about where I am in life.  I like to think about where I am compared to where I was two, three, four years ago.  The great thing about having a blog is that you can totally go back and see exactly what was going on in your life at a specific time.  Sometimes I like to think about who I was when I was in college.  The biggest question that was asked from preschool to college graduation was what do you want to be when you grow up?  Well I finally have six answers to this question.  These are the six things you should be when you grow up:

Happy - becaue happiness is underrated when it comes to being an important part of life.  You could have anything you'd ever want but if you're not happy, you're not happy.  Happiness could mean working a job that gets you by so you can enjoy the things you love.  Happiness could me spending your afternoons walking with no worries.  Happiness could be in low paying job giving the most reward to your soul.  After all, you can't take it with you when you die & the best way to be remembered is to give to others.

Able to ask for help - You should be able to ask for help becuase it is a reflection of your understanding of yourself and your limits.  If you ask for help, you're showing others that you are humble.  If you ask for help you are showing others that you are vunerable.  If you ask for help you're showing others you are human.  You should also accept help when it is offered, accept it gracefully and humbly so that you may give help later.

Able to give help to others - You should be able to give help becuase this is a demonstration of how well you know your strenghts.  If you give help you're showing others your strength and compassion.  If you give help you're showing your willingness.  If you give help you're being thankful for the help you've recieved.

Willing to teach - You should be willing to teach because it shows what you have learned. Not only does it connect you with your student but it connects your student with your teacher.  You each are a part of a long line of others who share a love for a craft, for a skill, for changing a tire.  You are connect yourself to the line of humans you have come from and that is humbling.  A candle does not loose it's light by sharing it with another candle.

Willing to learn - You should be willing to learn because you are never too old to learn something new.  You should come at eveyday with an open mind and a willingness to accept.  Learning connects you to others.  You as a student are connected to the teacher who in turn is connected to his teacher.

Proud of yourself - You should be proud of yourself because you've been through hell, you've grown a lot, and you're standing today happy, willing to ask for help, willing to give help, willing to teach, and willing to learn.  You've lived a life that no one else has lived and you've reflected on your strengths.  You've figured out that you're good at parallel parking but not so great at cooking.  You're great at listening but not so great at thinking before you speak.  You've reflected on yourself, on your growth, and on your opportunities.  You haven't let life pass you by.

You don't have to know what you're going to do when you grow up but these six things are the six things you should want to be when you grow up.  Don't take life too seriously, you don't get out alive anyway.

xoxo, Moe

3 of the Scariest things I've Ever Done

I've been a bit preoccupied with memories lately.  I've just been having a lot flashback memories lately stimulated by everyday things.  Sometimes these memories are pretty everyday things - I remember sandals my grandparents bought me one time after our shoes shrunk in the dryer for example.  Just random things - the sand at the lake where we would vacation, the way the moon shone through the window in my childhood bedroom.  I could go on, but I'm not going to.  This post is about the scariest things I've ever done in my life.  Not really the most terrifying things that have happened to me but more like the scariest choices I've ever made.  I'm sort of doing them in order of events because, of course, that's how I remember them when I think back on the scariest things I've ever done.

The first time I repelled down the side of anything

When I was thinking about this blog post I wanted to do something a long the lines of 3 of the Scariest things I've done because the two I could think of really didn't make for a good read.  Two is a weird number to do a list post with - so I thought of this.  And the fact that it was the scariest thing I'd ever done prior to the last two really says something about my decision making skills.  Anyway, when I was in high school I had a friend who was in a coed division of the boy scouts.  I joined the group & it happened that one of the common things we did was go rock climbing & repelling.  I learned to belay before learning to climb or repel but I didn't really think about the interaction between everyone in this chain of people here.  So the scariest thing my high school self ever did was look into someones eyes & hang over a rock face.  It was pretty scary - but nothing compared to growing up & making these other decisions.  But if I'd never hung over the side of that rock I would never have reached the bottom.  When I did I promptly ran back up & did it again.  Success feels great.

Changing my Major 2 years into College,  Changing it to Art

This was terrifying not only because I knew there wasn't really a job waiting for me at graduation but also because I was so intimidated.  I did not want to show up to my first art class with the wrong sketchbook.  I had this idea that I was joining a group of people who already knew what they were doing - this feeling has actually held me back from a lot of things in my life, honestly.  Well, come to find out it's not the sketchbook that matters it's what you do with it.  I realized that the greatest artists were at once amateurs (someone said this once, I don't remember who!).  I also realized that I could spread my talent while also being at the top of my game. The hardest & some of the best 3 years of my life we're the last 3 years of my college experience.  If it weren't for my determination I don't think I would ever be where I am today.  I changed my major because I wanted to do something that I was good at, that I would succeed at.  I dedicated other parts of my life to gaining job experience like, well, getting jobs & gaining experience.  I realized that all a college degree shows is that you took the time to dedicate 4 years (or 5 in my case) to something.

Moving 800 Miles Away from Everything I Ever Knew

At the time my move up to Michigan, ending here in Indiana wasn't that scary.  I knew I was going to do it and I knew it was going to happen.  It was the looking back on it & realizing that Zach & I had only known each other about 8 or 9 months (period) before I decided to move from Virginia.  Even more surprising (read terrifying) is that we essentially bought a house together & closed on in 3 days before we'd been together for a year.  (I say essentially because I was mainly consulted on the deal, agreed, and made sure no papers got lost in the process.  Oh & I had a big hand in painting the down stairs..anyway.....)  Seriously, can you believe that?  I was so confident before, during, and after the move it was only about the Summer of 2013 that I was talking to my Dad & I realized 'what the actual hell did I do?!?!' Of course not in a bad way, but in a self reflective way.  In way where I'd realized how much I'd grown & finally realized how young I was a year ago.  I guess in this instance the memory was the scariest thing I'd ever remembered because when it was happening it was the best thing ever.  Confidence is the key.

These are the three scariest things I've ever done in my life.  I wanted to share these thing with you not only so you get to know me a little better but so I can document my journey which is what Five Sixteenths is about - living a creative (& sometimes self reflective) life.

What are they scariest things you've done in your life?  Have you ever made a decision & then looked back on it realizing how crazy you were?

xoxo, Moe

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Boost Your Blog // Be A Better Blogger - For You

I often forget why I started blogging in the first place.  Now that my life is a lot busier & I can't devote the time and energy that I did when I was unemployed putting my full efforts into blogging, I feel like I'm separated from my blog & what my blog could be.  There's something that I realized I'm forgetting about: time.  I spend 8+ hours of my day at a full time job, this leaves very little time to devote 8+  hours a day to a blog/shop/etc that I'd done before.  There are other things in my life happening right now & while I'd love to be able to do this full time like I was before, because of this limited time I can't be as focused on this blog as I was before.  Why am I sounding like I'm about to peace out from the blogging world all together?  Well, rest assured I'm not - but I am starting new.

I read this post on Campfire Chic about stepping back & starting new.  (Seriously, Campfire Chic is an awesome blog about life & about blogging.  Kam is a rad gal.  If you need a boost to your blogging mojo, go there.  I'll wait)  She asks the questions why start new, you've gotten this far and that really hit me.  I've gotten pretty far in my blog but I'm feeling separated from it.  Maybe it is time to start fresh.  I also went back through some posts to put together our two year aniversary post & the tone of my blog was really different when I was just writting to share my life & not writing for followers, for sponsors, for promotion.  When I was writing for the shear joy of sharing my life.

So today I want to be a better blogger for me, and I want to encourage you to be a better blogger for yourself as well.  I'm going back (way back) to the reasons I blog in the first place.  I mean the very first reasons, the very basic reasons I blog.

To create a visual diary for myself - I've been blogging for a long time.  I consider my myspace days to be part of my blogging days as well.  I've also kept a diary before but find that blogging really gives me a reason to keep a diary.  I love having a visual time line to look back on.  The biggest thing I've looked back on recently is mine & Zach's relationship.  Having a visual diary really showed me how much we've grown together after moving in (and across 800 miles) together when we'd only known each other for 10 months!  In living my life I often forget things, but with this sort of diary I am instantly taken back to my mind set a year ago.  It also shows me what I was into - what did I wear during the summer of 2011, the fall of 2012, etc.  I love the personal growth aspect of blogging even if your blog posts are too personal.  It also shows what was important to me at a certain time in my life.

To share my life with my family - Like I mentioned above, I moved 800 miles from my friends & family so blogging is a way to connect and share with my family.  I know that a lot of my family members read my blog so it's a way to share what I'm up to.  I've always been close with my family so I want them involved in my life!

To share with others that might be going through the same things that they aren't alone - I've always searched to identify with others & to meet others who are like me.  So I want to share any and all struggles, triumphs, decisions, etc on here because I want others to know that they aren't alone & if they are going through something, someone else has too.  This goes back to my artist statement - to discover how we are more alike than we are different.

To meet others who are like me - With the reason above, I want to meet people who are like me.  To meet people who have the same interests, are at the same sort of spot in their lives, who are just plain rad.  I've met a lot of cool people through blogging & hope to meet a few more in person soon.  It just makes me feel less alone knowing there are others out there with similar interests.

So these are reasons I'm keeping in mind as I move forward in blogging.  I'd love to have a zillion followers, be popular enough for awesome sponsors, be able to maintain all my shops - but the truth is that priorities have changed.  And it's ok.  It's ok to change, it's ok to start fresh, it's ok to be a better blogger for yourself & go back to basics.  It's ok to do this because it's your blog, it should reflect you.  I've often felt overwhelmed with the popularity of my blog/shops - even though there is such a small fan base - when I'm not able to devote all my time to it.  So when priorities change, other things change as well.

So if you're feeling overwhelmed or that your blog has turned into something you either can't control or can't relate with, maybe starting fresh is good for you.  Again, check out Campfire Chic's post on this topic.  It seriously sparked a change in me!

What are the basic reasons you blog?  Why did you start blogging in the first place?

xoxo, Moe

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10 Things I Never Thought I'd Be Doing

1. Pack up & move nearly 1000 miles away

2. Actually go to school for art & feel that I'm successful in life

3. Help renovate a house in my twenties

4. Be unemployed

5. Make things & sell them

6. Learn to code (& continue to learn) blogs & websites

7. Travel around the midwest

8. Have my own (real) studio

9. Live where it snows, a lot

10. Be as happy as I am

Most of these things happened in the last year or so.  This just goes to show how much I've grown, changed, & experienced this year.  It's been an amazing ride & seriously, 2013 is starting off awesome.  

This past year hasn't been with out its struggles but it's been full of things that I've been certain about. I've never felt more certain about the decisions I've made in my life.  Moving was hard & has resulted in an awful struggle with unemployment.  But I see it as an opportunity.

I'm pretty happy right now.

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Number One Reason Why I Love Travel Time

I've got the best view:

I have to say that the best part about traveling with Zach is that I get to see cool cities, beautiful country sides, & the leaves change all over the midwest.  Seeing the jagged city edges fade into the patchwork fields of the countryside is a unique experience.  My favorite trip so far was the 2 or 3 days we drove through 5 states: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, & Wisconsin.  Stopping a long the way in the cities for work & finding country road antique malls to pick up items for our various collections is the life man, I tell you.

Here are the other benefits, coming in a close second & third

 We get to know each other better  - It's true that as you progress in a relationship you talk more but communicate less.  We are constantly on our phones at diners or in bed in hotels but I've decided to start looking up conversation starters so we can learn more about each other.  This past week we talked about Art & about politics.  I'm liking this spending time together thing.

 I get to be inspired  - I guess this goes a long with the view thing, but we get to see loads & loads of beautiful architecture.  As we walk or drive through cities I'm capturing the mix of old & new architecture on my phone.  Seeing different textures, colors, styles, etc is great.  I think this is a great time in my life (our life) to see different cities.  From Milwaukee, to Madison, to Chicago, it's all been beautiful.

I feel like I am living a one of a kind life & it makes me so happy.  I am so grateful & thankful to be able to have this experience & to be able to share this life with someone pretty awesome.  I am not sure what I'd do with out him.

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Revisiting my Summer Bucket List

Well it is September here at Five Sixteenths (and in the rest of the world, why did I say that??) & it' time to review my Summer Bucket List.  I set a few personal summer goals back at the end of June & want to go back & see what I've done so far.

- Take loads on instax pictures & make another album
- Wreck a disposable camera & take pictures with it

Did it! Capture your Summer on Film

- Spend 4th of July with the family at the lake

4th of July Boat Parade!

- Use my amusement park pass at least 8 times - I think I did this!
- Have a picnic
- Have my dad do a photo shoot with my sister & I
- Spend time with my Grandma

A trip to the Botanical Gardens in my hometown with the family

- Visit my Grandaddy's grave more 

Sadly, I didn't pay enough attention & let time slip away from me.  I feel terrible for not saying good bye before I left on my trip.  I was spending time with my family who was all in for a bit before I left & let this slip my mine.  I can't wait to go back around Christmas time to dedicate time to reflecting back on my life with my granddad.  He was an amazing man. I am so sad he can't see me progress & grow and I am even more sad I let time with him (even at his grave) slip through my fingers.

- Make memories on Lake Michigan

Coast Guard Festival

- Go antiquing with Zach  - We ended up scoring a vintage hard case luggage set for free from an estate sale  when Zach offered to move a couch in exchange for the set.  Sweet huh? In fact,the shop launch is today! Go over to 516VINTAGE to check it out!
- Get off my phone more
- Have a BBQ before we move out of our town house - We didn't have a BBQ but there was good food & friends the weekend before I left!
- Go to the beach
- Soak up as much sun as possible while sitting on a float in the pool or off the dock.  - Spent 4th of July & a few weekends before I left hanging with the fam at the pool & the lake.  I love the water!

The parts of houses we forget about as we grow.  The concrete patio at my aunt's lake house

- Drink RC cola & sweet tea
- Lay in the grass
- Experience the summer & not just photograph it - I've actually had an opportunity to do this! First, I haven't been able to capture a lot of good pictures with my phone & I don't want to carry my DSLR out of laziness.  Then, the film in my instax camera was loaded incorrectly in the cartridge! What the heck???!!? So I've been soaking up Summer & not just taking pictures of it!
- Drive solo (maybe) up north to meet Zach - Zach & I drove up together.  

I also revisited my blog goals earlier in the month.  Goals are so important to me, even the ones that slip through my reach.  It's about growing & learning not marking things off your list, honestly.  Remember ages ago when I said I gave up on my 20 before 24 goals?  Well giving up on them allowed me more time to focus on things that suddenly became more important in my life.

These personal goals gave me an opportunity to focus on my life & relationships rather than jobs & business, etc.  It is important to set personal goals as well as other goals...that way you won't let things slip through your grasp.  Also, if you remember this post about feeling stressed and unable to say no? I am happy to say that setting some boundaries has really helped me manage my personal & business oriented life.  While they overlap sometimes, because I find it fun to work on my business, I've tried my best to keep them separate...because my personal relationships need love too!  On Thursday, I shared a bit about how self employment has helped me balance this more but how I feel unemployed at the same time.

What have you done this summer to enhance your quality of life?  Have you unplugged like Samantha encouraged you to at the beginning of August?  Did you set a Summer Bucket List?

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