Thursday, September 26, 2013

Thankful Thursday 9-26-13



- Getting my FIRST callback for an interview, and the position is at Trevor's work! I'm nervous as heck, but really, really excited.

- Beating insomnia, at least for one night, and getting a full night's sleep!

- Getting to enjoy the Thornhill Festival last weekend, despite the gloominess and rain, and putting on warm pjs and making chili when we got home.

- Beautiful fall colours gracing neighbourhood trees.

- Finding the first piece for my Hallowe'en outfit/FrostCon cosplay at Value Village. Wooohoo!

- Finding AWESOME tie-dye pants at Value Village! I'd been wanting these pants from Hip Mountain Mama, and the ones I found are similar in colour and are just so darn pretty! They're also the most comfortable things in the world.

- Hearing from my dear Alora yesterday and setting up yet another weekend of fun. Because I was busy last weekend, I didn't get to spend time with the girls, and I've sorely missed it. I'm so excited to see them again and get up to our usual shenanigans.

- Getting a commission from my dear friend Catherine, who is a writer. I get to draw one of her characters, which is something I love to do.

- Having dinner with Trevor and my MIL, Elisa, last night. We used to meet up at the mall every week to have dinner together, then we'd putter around the shops and walk home. I've really missed it, so this was wonderful. We had Thai, I got some autumn decorations for my altar, bought a pumpkin spice latte, and we walked home as the sun set and popped by the Italian bakery to buy a lovely apple cheese strudel. It was such a nice evening!


Love and light,
Mary

Monday, September 23, 2013

Lovely Things 9-23-13



Hello friends! It's time for another Lovely Things post to brighten your Monday. This past weekend was fab, full of rain and resting and making my first big pot of chili of the season. Saturday was the Thornhill Village Festival, something I greatly look forward to every year. Our cat rescue group, Urban Cat Relief, always has a booth there and we go help out before walking around the festival. There's always great food, live music, colonial battle re-enactments, a parade, awesome vendors and crafters, and yard sales in the beautiful historic village. Autumn colours are just starting to pop out, too, so it makes for a very pretty backdrop!

It was pouring rain all day though, so UCR ended up packing it in early and going home, mostly because our tent wasn't waterproof and everything (including us) got very wet. Trevor and I had a blast though, buying yummy food and finding some really great things.


The library always has a big book sale during the festival, but because of the rain I was worried they weren't going to have it. No worries though, they just held it indoors this time! They had a deal where you could fill a bag for $5, and that is exactly what I did. I don't even know where to put all these books, LOL!


I'd been wanting a cute patchwork purse for eons now, and these really neat vendors two booths down were selling them for a price I just couldn't pass up. And I'm glad I didn't! I love it so much!


I got these beautiful nesting dolls from a Belarus-based monastery that had been to the festival before and liked it so much that they just had to come back. I have a big soft spot for nesting dolls, which brings us to the subject of this week's Lovely Things!

Nesting dolls, or matryoshkas!

I'm not sure where my fascination with them began, but I'm such a sucker for anything themed with them.



Tea infusers on Amazon! Aren't they divine?



I think it's time for a pair of new earbuds...! These are on Amazon.


These key covers at Amazon are perfect for me, because I have two housekeys! :)


I found this lovely little pattern on My Sparkle's's blog. I want to make a bunch of pastel ones to go on my white Christmas tree!


This fabric from Trinketsintheattic on Etsy is just adorable, isn't it?


Le gasp! Two of my favourite things, combined! Kokeshi dolls and nesting dolls!! These are on sale right now at World Market and I think I have to get them ASAP.


And how about some cross-stitch patterns? This one is on French blog Chez Brodagum.




Love and light,
Mary

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Freebie Time - Mini Mantras





Hello, lovelies! Today I'm excited to share my first freebie with you since my digital scrapbooking kits. I have created twenty Mini Mantras for you, using my own photography, for you to print out and keep in your pocket, your purse, or anywhere where you can choose one to repeat to yourself throughout your day.

Here's what they look like! (Download files are below)


Print them out on cardstock (they will print out at 2x2 inches each) and enjoy! I hope that you will feel the love and goodness that this set radiates + that you're inspired by them. Print them and cut them out for yourself or as a gift for someone you love. Use them in swaps or on greeting cards!



Download:
Page 1 - PDF
Page 2 - PDF


Love and light,
Mary



Please remember that Goddess Within's freebies are for personal, non-commercial use only. Print them for yourself or as a gift, but please do not sell or redistribute them in any way! If you'd like to share any of my freebs on your blog, link directly to the post and not to the files themselves. Got it, goddesses? Thank you from the bottom of my glitter-filled heart!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Lovely Things 9-16-13



Happy Monday, everyone! It's time for lovely things again to brighten your (and my) evening. Sorry I'm so late in the day!

I had a very busy and wonderful weekend. On Saturday I spent time with my girls Liat and Alora again, fasting with them until we went to Liat's mom's place that evening to break for a fantabulous Yom Kippur dinner. We laughed so much, enjoyed the night breeze, and feasted on gefilte fish, challah, watermelon & feta, homemade chicken soup, salads, and more. I am so blessed to have been part of that dinner with my three lovely ladies. Alora, Liat and I went back to their place later and spent the night drawing. I'm so happy to say I've got lots of inspiration right now and can't wait to share it with you! On Sunday I went with a friend I hadn't seen in a while to see Fallout Boy at Echo Beach. Dancing + singing along in the rain and sand was so much fun, even if we did freeze our butts off!

This week I'm sharing some wrist warmers I've found on Etsy. I love wrist/hand warmers SO SO SO much!!! It's one of my favourite things about fall and winter. Once cool weather arrives, on they go, and I'm always looking for new ones. These are ones I've favourited this past week and dream of owning.


[ via TuppersPatch ]


[ via lostanfound ]


[ via mafiz ]


[ via knitvalley ]


[ via katinytis ]


Do you have a favourite pair of wrist/handwarmers? Show me below in the comments! :)

Love and light,
Mary

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Thankful Thursday 9-12-13






- Finding swim separates on clearance for $3 and $5!
- Finally... maybe... possibly... having learnt to actually swim. Or at least getting there more quickly.
- Trevor applying for assistant manager at his store and getting uber-appreciation from his uppers! :)
- Finishing projects that have been sitting in the dust for ages. Yep yep.
- Britcoms. Love them so much!
- Seeing my little savings jar for Anime North slowly filling up.
- 37 sleeps until my best friend arrives from the UK! I'm so bloody excited!!! Ahhhh!!!
- Feeling so, so much better since my med increase. I know that I can't rely on any medication 100%, but it is providing me with intense relief from the feelings I could no longer fight with CBT.
- With the help of a neighbour, we were able to capture two friendly kittens from outdoors and bring them in here. Thanks to our cat rescue, these two sweet boys will be getting neutered and having their first shots tomorrow, then they will soon be adopted.
- Getting my resume edited again and getting it out there to three more companies, including the one where Trevor works.



What has you grateful this week, lovelies?



Love and light,
Mary

Monday, September 9, 2013

Lovely Things 9-9-13


Hello goddesses! I hope you've all had a great weekend and are going to have a lovely start to the week. I spent my weekend at my new cleaning job and then with my girls Liat + Alora, enjoying sloppy joes, pumpkin spice lattes, hours in the pool, and an all-night drawing jam. Those girls, along with my other best friend Jonno, are the shining gold in my life.

Jonno is coming to visit us next month! He lives in England, near Leicester. We've known each other for twelve years (we met at Active Worlds, the same 3D chat program where I met Trevor the same year!) and he's been my best friend for the latter half of that time. He's staying with us for two weeks and I'm starting to get ridiculously excited!! YEEHAW!!!

So last week's Lovely Things post was about those beautiful little things of summertime. Now that autumn is approaching like a freight train, today's Lovely Things is all about the awesome little things of fall!


Wearing cozy leg warmers and pretty socks around the house and under tall boots. Yes!

[ via shelterness ]


Enjoying a pumpkin spice latte on a chilly day.



Crunching in and kicking a thick layer of leaves!



Walking or driving around to see the changing foliage, and smelling that wonderfully dry smell of fallen leaves.



Cozying up with hot tea and soft slippers on a rainy night.

[ via picmonkey ]


The smell of a good bonfire where fallen leaves are part of the kindling! That's a smell I dearly love.



County harvest festivals!



Thanksgiving...

[ via Pinterest ]

And Samhain, of course!

[ via Pinterest ]


It's sweater and scarf weather!

[ via Pinterest ]


Gorgeous decor using pumpkins, gourds, leaves, pinecones, acorns, and lots of vanilla and apple cinnamon candles!

[ via Pinterest ]

Cozy gloves, mittens, and handwarmers. I love wearing fingerless gloves and wrapping my hands around a warm cuppa.

[ via Etsy ]

Walking a little slower, taking more time, wending your way home while feeling reflective and warm inside.

[ via Pinterest ]


Apple cider with cinnamon sticks (especially enjoyed with some ginger snaps!)



Going to the pumpkin patch, whether or not you have kids!

[ via Pinterest ]


Cloudy days that emphasize the brightness of the foliage.


And those woolly clouds with purple-grey undersides that scurry across the sky.

[ via Pinterest ]


What's your favourite thing about autumn, lovelies?


Love and light,
Mary

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Thankful Thursday 9-5-13


Hello lovelies! Wow, I can't believe the 30 Day Blog Challenge is over now. I've given myself a pat on the back for completing it and learning the whole way through! :) How about you? Did you participate? Will you participate in October?

It's that time of week again, so here are my great gratitudes!


- The Pumpkin Spice Latte is back! HIP-HIP HOORAY!!

- We got OODLES of patterned fleece from my husband's uncle's fabric company. Some of it we'll use to make cat blankets and toys, and I'm going to make cozy pyjama pants and a throw blanket! I do love fleece!

- Healing sleep. Lots and lots of it.

- It's almost the weekend again; soon time to have more fun with my girlies!

- A chilly, inspiring night tonight.

- My best friend got his official holiday set up and will be staying with us from October 20th to November 1st. I'm so excited! SO grateful for this one, lovelies.

- Lots of snuggles with my kitties.

- The possibility of rain over the weekend. I love the rain!

- Belgian chocolate coffee creamer. Oohhhh yes.

- More money dropped into my Anime North 2014 savings jar! :)



Love and light,
Mary