MANTRA MONDAY - albeit a little late

we often carry the burdens of our past with us on a daily basis unaware that we have the power to simply let go and make a fresh, new start at any time. our burdens are not what identify us though we often use them for that purpose. all we ever really have is this present moment...right here, right now as our past exists only in our memories and our future is yet to happen. our thoughts and actions in each present moment are what define us.

acrylics on 5"x3½" on CANSON 300gsm acrylic paper
© serena lewis
click on image to enlarge

i chose to paint a phoenix for my mantra card this week as a reminder that, at any moment, i have the power to let go of any emotional baggage i'm carrying and make a fresh, new start. it truly is that easy. if you find it hard to do this then it usually means you are still holding onto something that you think defines who you are. let it go and practise focusing in each present moment and you will find that your life will become a more joyful and freeing experience.

love, light and peace

mantra monday and photo-a-week

MANTRA MONDAY

well, this is a first for a while.....i actually have my mantra card ready for the monday posting. YAY! the trip to the lake yesterday was just what i needed to ground and refresh my spirit. i love walking in nature or sitting by the beach just taking in nature's beauty....it's times like these where i feel totally connected....so this reflects in my mantra/affirmation card today -

i am in harmony with nature
acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper
© serena lewis
click on any image to enlarge


MONDAY'S PHOTO-A-WEEK

some more pics from our trip to forest lake yesterday



an aussie native commonly known as old man banksia

ducks

this jumping spider shared our picnic rug

and that's all for today, folks

i'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's monday photos

love, light and peace

full moon earth healing and mantra card

i have recently joined robyn's full moon earth healing circle with the collective aim to help heal the earth through our monthly rituals which are carried out on the night of a full moon. last night, there was a full moon in our night sky so i braved the cold and went outside to sit under the pergola. i lit the candle (pictured below) as the start to my ritual and then i stared up at the full moon and invoked its magic to help heal the earth.

i meditated on this for around ten minutes before the cold winter breezes got the better of me.
after saying a silent prayer of thanks, i headed back inside, feeling happy that i had contributed my energies to healing the earth.

the full moon earth healing ritual also inspired my mantra card for this week.
the full moon is believed to enhance psychic powers and abilities. it is helpful in all forms of magic and enhances power where it is needed most.

so my affirmation this week is -
i am confident in my abilities
may this encourage me to be an instrument in the earth's healing
acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper
© serena lewis
click on any image to enlarge


if you are interested in joining our full moon earth healing circle, click here to read more about it.

love, light and peace

weekly mantra card, michael and farrah

when i woke up this morning
i was shocked to hear that michael jackson had died and
i think i'm still trying to get my head around it. May You Rest in Peace, Michael

i grew up on michael jackson (and donny osmond) and i've always been in awe of his talent. my kids have grown up on him too. i know his life has been quite controversial but there is no denying that michael jackson was a legend in his own time. i choose to celebrate and remember the phenomenal entertainer that he was.....putting his heart and soul into every performance.
so many of his songs have touched a chord within
and i am deeply saddened by his sudden death.

i watched tribute shows for michael jackson, as well as for farrah fawcett, earlier today

the brady bunch, bewitched, six million dollar man, the bionic woman and, last but not least, charlie's angels, were some of my favourite TV shows in my younger years. i haven't seen the documentary where farrah had her battle with cancer documented on film but watching the tribute today was very emotional for me. farrah certainly fought a courageous battle against this monster of a disease which, sadly, seems to touch so many lives nowadays.

May You Rest in Peace, Farrah

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MANTRA MONDAY (but YIKES, it's Friday!)

it seems i'm having trouble getting my weekly affirmation cards ready for the monday posting but i do try
this week's mantra speaks for itself
i focus my thoughts and feelings on serenity and joy
acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper
© serena lewis
click on any image to enlarge

i'm sure this affirmation will help me to cope better with today's sad news

love, light and peace

mantra monday, photo-a-week & self portrait

MANTRA MONDAY

acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper
© serena lewis
click on any image to enlarge
i thought i'd use the mantra card this week to talk a little more on our emotional guidance system and how we can use it, at any given time, to indicate whether or not we are in alignment with our higher selves/spiritual source/the creator/god.

we all want to live a joyful, loving and peaceful life, right?

well, we can use our emotional guidance system to know if we are on track or not. it is important to understand that this is a mental process and not an action-based one.

e.g. - you've had a really bad day at work which has left you in the foulest of moods. you arrive home and your significant other greets you with a welcoming smile. now, you have the power to choose what the outcome of this scenario will be. their actions in that moment are not related to your feelings as they cannot know how you are feeling unless they are you. you can allow your foul mood to continue and ruin the evening OR you can reach for the better feeling thought, which in this case, would probably be appreciation and note what a difference it makes to how you feel. you begin to relax and go with the flow.

only we can know where we are on the emotional guidance scale because nobody else can 'feel' what we are feeling. what may feel good for one person may not necessarily feel good for another. if we're feeling depressed, we need to reach for a thought that will make us feel better....even if, for some, that may be anger because at least it will be an emotion we can relate to in that exact moment and anger is a better feeling emotion than depression. however, if we're angry about something and become depressed over it, that is a step backwards and you will only 'feel' worse therefore putting yourself further out of alignment. wherever you are at on the emotional guidance scale, just reach for a better feeling thought to improve your wellbeing and bring yourself into better alignment.

note that feeling/emotional thoughts are quite different to ego thoughts and this is where we can get confused. when we are in emotional alignment, things will flow to us easily and joyously and it will 'feel' right.....we will 'feel' good about it. When we are not in alignment, we will 'feel' on edge, even negative....like things aren't quite right. outcomes may be difficult, disappointing, and/or not be as we had hoped for.

practise knowing your feelings, use them as your guide, and you will soon recognise the difference between your ego mind, which is usually power-based, and your emotional guidance system.

EMOTIONAL GUIDANCE SYSTEM
(partial extract from ask and it is given by esther and jerry hicks)

joy/love/freedom/gratitude/empowerment
passion
happy/keen
positive
hopeful
content
bored
frustrated/impatient
overwhelmed
disappointed
doubt
worry
blame
anger
revenge
hatred
jealousy
insecure/guilt
fear/grief/depression/despair/powerless

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MONDAY'S PHOTO A WEEK

this was the pretty sunrise reece and i were greeted with this morning. i love the colours!


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52 WEEKS OF ME

i LOVE wearing long, flowing skirts, even in winter

which is probably just as well because since i went back to being pescetarian (vegetarian who eats seafood) in december, after being vegan for 11 months, i have gone up a whole dress size so my body isn't really liking my jeans right now anyways. i plan to rectify that.

LOVE, LIGHT AND PEACE

i am content and at peace with choices i make

winter is definitely here. i know this because it's getting harder and harder to get reece and aaron out of bed in the mornings. lol

i can't believe how fast this past week has flown by. it seems like every day there has been something else to distract me from my art. not that i mind as a break can be good at times. i taught class yesterday morning and then, brad and i did some shopping in the afternoon. today, we went to see the movie, angels and demons...i finished reading the book just over a week ago and i thoroughly enjoyed the movie despite the script swaying from the book in areas.

after a busy week, i finally managed to photograph one of the mantra cards i finished

acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper
© serena lewis
click on any image to enlarge

sometimes, choices i make require stating my opinion, moving on, and letting it go. all are a necessary process for my wellbeing. this past week, i was faced with a situation where i did just that, hence the affirmation for this card. i can't control inconsideration or negativity from other people but i can control what i subject myself to. i don't see the point in holding onto something negative in my life, out of habit or duty, when that same situation has the potential to just keep repeating itself.
i am content and at peace with choices i make.
that said, i also accept that negative contrasts do have their place as they help us to be aware of the things we don't want which then give us the foundation to focus on the things that we do want.

stay tuned for another mantra card soon as i attempt to catch up.

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have you all seen michelle's very first giveaway on her blog?! it's fantastic and i'm not just saying that because i'm her mum. :) click here for a chance to enter. michelle will draw four winners on june 30th.

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52 WEEKS OF ME

another self portrait to share.....meet my 'shadow' self ~ :)

LOVE, LIGHT AND PEACE

i shine my light brightly

i wasn't feeling too well yesterday hence my affirmation card and photo for the week being a day late this week. i woke up this morning with my throat on fire. it hurt to swallow and i also lost my voice....well, i could talk to some degree but listening to chalk screeching on a blackboard would have been more pleasing to the ears.


MANTRA MONDAY

i shine my light brightly and bask in its warmth and glow. even in dark times, i have the choice to focus on shining my light brightly from within because i know this will help the dark times to pass more quickly.
acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper
© serena lewis
click on any image to enlarge



PHOTO A WEEK MONDAY

due to being cooped up inside this past week because of all the rain and flooding in brisbane, i really don't have too much to show for my photo this week. i did feel in the mood to do some decorating in my room so i put this tarnished silver tray together with some coloured glass bottles and some shells.


NEWSFLASH - i've started KNITTING!!!
i felt inspired when i came across this post over on rhonda jean's blog. so i've started knitting squares which will eventually become a bed rug. of course, there is no way it will be finished for this winter considering our winter begins on june 1st but....just maybe....i will have it finished for next winter. i haven't knitted for something like ten years so it feels good to be back in the saddle again. maybe you would like to knit-along too?!


LOVE, LIGHT AND PEACE

emotional guidance

MANTRA MONDAY

our emotional guidance system can be a very useful tool if we choose to actually pay heed to it. you know what i'm talking about. for example - you make the choice to ignore your gut instinct and still go out with that certain guy only to regret it later because he ended up breaking your heart. you look back afterwards and realise that all the signs were there. you also realise that your emotional guidance system had been actively warning you about those signs right from the get-go......why didn't you listen?!

this same scenario can play over many different situations in our lives. the trick is to pay heed to what our gut instincts are telling us. trust that our emotional guidance system will lead the way. it is never wrong. when we are on the right path, we know and feel that inner sense of peace and joy within.

my affirmaton card for this week reflects this message. when faced with making decisions, your emotional guidance system can help....just calm your mind and reflect on the situation at hand...then note which choice feels right to you on an inner level. learn to follow your instincts.

acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper© serena lewisclick on any image to enlarge

MONDAY'S PHOTO OF THE WEEK

i snapped this photo after dropping aaron at school on friday. ibis make for quite a sight as they are large birds and group together in numbers. my point and shoot camera doesn't have a big zoom on it so this was the best i could do without scaring them away.

ibis near the local creek bed

i thought this pic was really cute so just had to post it too
sleepyheads

love, light and peace

finding stillness...mother's day...and centipedes!!!!

i hope you all had a fabulous and memorable mother's day!!!

MANTRA MONDAY

i must admit that since i was sick with the flu a week ago, i haven't felt like doing much of anything....not even my daily meditation. i'm still not 100% although i'm feeling much better now to what i was...so...i thought i would paint my card this week with an affirmation that will hopefully encourage me to get back into my daily meditation. i embrace the stillness within. when i meditate, i usually focus on the breath because, when focusing on the breath, there is no room for thoughts which are a distraction. i find this a great method and it helps me to find the stillness within.

acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper© serena lewisclick on any image to enlarge

those of you who have followed my blog for some time will know that i'm a devotee of eckhart tolle's philosophies which embrace the power of now.

an excerpt from his book, a new earth -
becoming conscious of stillness whenever we encounter it in our lives will connect us with the formless and timeless dimension within ourselves, that which is beyond thought, beyond ego. being aware of stillness means to be still. to be still is to be conscious without thought.

i really like the sound of that but know that you don't have to necessarily meditate to find stillness in your life. it's really all about awareness and acceptance of what is....being truly present, conscious and aware, in each moment.

MONDAY'S PHOTO A WEEK

i had a wonderful mother's day yesterday! the kids were all here, i had prepared a lovely buffet style lunch followed by cheesecake topped with freshly whipped cream and passionfruit for dessert. DELICIOUS!

the boys played on the playstation for a short time in the late afternoon while michelle and i chatted about creative stuff

i told the kids i didn't want any gifts but they ignored me
aaron made his cards for me and, of course, i will cherish them.don't ya just love his rendition of me??!!!

michelle graced me with one of her beautiful paintings which i'm absolutely thrilled about. i had been secretly hoping that i would, one day, own a piece of her artwork and now.....I DO!!! YAY!!!

i was also given the 'twilight' DVD from reece.

mum and dad were supposed to come for the afternoon but they ended up at the hospital instead. poor mum had some pretty severe pain in her right, upper rib area which the doctors were thinking may have been a blood clot...luckily, she was given the all clear on that score. after numerous tests, she was sent home but will need to go back for another check within the next three months. i did get to see mum for mother's day though as she and dad called in on the way home from the hospital .

OH, just one more thing.....out of interest, i was rudely awakened in the middle of the night by a CENTIPEDE crawling on my HAND!!!! SCREAM!!! no, i didn't get a pic because.....well, i became a stark, raving lunatic when i realised what it was....EWWWWWWWWW!!!!! it was disposed of rather quickly so i didn't even think of getting a pic....until after the fact.

well, that about wraps it up for today's post......
love, light and peace

better late than never, right?!

i apologise, in advance, for the long post

yesterday was one of those days where i relished the art of just kicking back and doing nothing. well, i did do some laundry in the morning and i did make two large pots of soup in the late afternoon...one was corned beef and vegetable, the other was cabbage and bacon. the corned beef and vegetable soup has been a family favourite for many years, however, i've been making mostly vegetable soups for myself since i stopped eating meat five years ago. yesterday, i thought i'd try this cabbage soup recipe that i found over on bumblevee's cooking blog and it was absolutely delicious!!! thanks, bumblevee!! i used vegetarian bacon, omitted the sausage altogether and used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. i also chose to add the optional choices of corn and milk. i'm having it again for dinner tonight with some fresh bread and i can hardly wait....YUMMY!!! soups are just perfect right now with our cooler weather making an entrance....winter is only weeks away.

today, i started teaching class again after a six month break. prior to that, i had been teaching for five years but, in the latter years, had reached a point where i did not look forward to the weekly art lessons at all. i'd had three students at different times who really made teaching difficult with their negative attitudes. they wanted instant results with no effort and made negative comments continuously when i tried to teach them even the simplest of techniques and skills. i truly wondered why on earth they would even be in an art class if they had no interest in actually learning anything. as time went on, instead of looking forward to teaching classes, i was stressing over them and dreading their arrival each week. i guess a stronger person would have coped better but i just don't deal well with negativity in my life and i found it suffocating. i finally made the decision to stop teaching altogether as i felt like i'd lost all confidence as a teacher.

that said, i must admit that i thoroughly enjoyed teaching barbara again today. the six month break must have been just what i needed to release all the emotional 'baggage' from dealing with those negative-minded students. barbara was thrilled to be back too even though it is a temporary arrangement. i will continue to teach until barb finishes her current project though i think she is secretly hoping i will just continue on teaching regardless......time will tell, i guess. barbara has been a loyal and eager student over the past five years and, today, it reminded me of old times. barbara was my first student for two years before i ventured into teaching other classes and workshops. she also witnessed a lot of the negativity i had to deal with in classes and i was very appreciative that she was there for me. i am already looking forward to next week's class.

MANTRA MONDAY

i was talking to michelle earlier this afternoon and, at that stage, I still had not done my mantra monday card. i was debating whether or not to just leave it for this week but a part of me didn't like that idea. i thought about how, lately, i've been feeling on a high despite battling flu and the usual daily dramas. i truly am enjoying just being. so i quickly painted this card up to reflect that feeling. my heart soars in the joy of being. i used one of my 'soul coaching' canvas pieces for inspiration which you can see in the right column of this blog.

acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper© serena lewisclick on any image to enlarge

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK
i found this little guy peeking out from inside a leaf which he appears to have made his home

worth clicking to enlarge this one as you will see the reflective light in his eyes

once a month, cody enjoys (yeah, right!) salon treatment in our laundry room. here are pics of him at various stages of his pampering...though he would probably prefer to call it torture. he truly hates his bath-time and, when he sees the preparations under way, he cowers down hoping he's invisible to us. bless his little heart.

after the shampoo and conditioning

hair-drying


PLEASE....tell me it's over!!!


the treat at the end makes it all worthwhile
cody is super fast when it comes to food.....hehehe

sharing his ordeal with the neighbour's dog


....and that about catches me up for this week

love, light and peace

mantra monday and photo-a-week

thank you all for your well wishes over the past few days. they must be working because i'm slowly improving and it no longer hurts to breathe which is a good sign. with being sick this past week, i didn't really do too much except to rest where i could and just go with the flow which happened to be the inspiration behind this week's affirmation card.

MANTRA MONDAY

it's often better for us to quit expending all our energy on fighting the current when we can just 'go with the flow'.

acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paper© Serena Lewisclick any image to enlarge

if you would like to join us in creating your own weekly mantra/affirmation card, please feel free to visit the mantra monday picture link under 2009 happenings in the sidebar.

PHOTO A WEEK MONDAY

a few days ago, we had a sun shower! it's always felt strange to me to have the sun shining brightly while the rain falls....somewhat surreal. this particular sun shower left a double rainbow in its wake.

when i let cody out to do his business the other morning, i noticed this huge spider web that was created overnight.

a closer view at the intricate workmanship

i tried to get a close up of the centre but there was a lot of glare with the morning sun being so bright and strong

if you would like to join our photo-a-week challenge, you will find the link in 2009 happenings on the sidebar.

i hope you all had a fantastic weekend and i can't wait to see everyone else's photos for this week.

love, light and peace

anyone for devonshire tea?

MONDAY PHOTO A WEEK

when we dropped aaron over to michelle's place on thursday, she had made us a lovely devonshire tea for morning tea.

today, i did the same for afternoon tea.

traditionally, devonshire tea (aka. cream tea) is made up of tea and scones (known as biscuits in the states) served with jam and cream.

it was DELICIOUS!!!
if you would like to join in on our photo-a-week challenge, check out the picture link under 2009 happenings in my sidebar.

MANTRA MONDAY

this past week, i have found myself in a joyful, happy mood for no particular reason and i have felt truly blessed. hence my affirmation for this week - I AM JOYFUL. a reminder to seek love and joy in each moment. some of you may be feeling a deja vu moment as you may remember this sun from when i participated in the soul coaching book club last november. i used that one as my inspiration for this card.

acrylics on 3½"x5" CANSON acrylic paper© serena lewisclick on any image to enlarge

if you would like to join our mantra monday challenge, please follow the picture link under the 2009 happening heading in my sidebar.

on another note, i would like to thank you all for the wonderful and welcoming support you showed michelle this past week. i'm sure your encouragement was just the thing she needed to boost her confidence. thanks so much ~

love, light and peace

mantra monday and photo-a-week

MANTRA MONDAY

i believe that, by living a loving, caring, compassionate and joyful life, we are automatically making a positive difference in this world. hence, my affirmation card for today which reminds me that even the simple things like a smile, a kind word, or a nod 'hello' can make the world of difference to someone's day. of course, doing more than that is even better but never underestimate the positive power that even the smallest gestures of kindness can have.

acrylics on 3½"x5" CANSON acrylic paper

PHOTO A WEEK MONDAY

a few days ago, i noticed this little critter on the potted fern under the pergola. i love how it followed my every move. this one is worth enlarging to see the detail of his body.

praying mantis

remember this unknown tree from a couple of weeks ago?

i still keep forgetting to ask my dad the name of the tree because i'm sure he would know being that he has been a keen gardener for the majority of his life. so, as the name remains unknown, i decided to get some close up photos of the flowers. if anyone reading this knows the name of the tree, i'd very much appreciate it if you leave a comment. crepe myrtle and coral tree were a couple of suggestions already made but, unfortunately, the flowers aren't a match so it's still a mystery.

all images - © Serena Lewisclick on any image to enlarge
love, light and peace

mantra monday and photo-a-week

MANTRA MONDAY

i was kinda stumped for a card this week but then, an image of daisies kept popping into my head. i realised how i often feel inspired after a simple walk in nature. i think john ruskin got it right when he said........

nature is painting for usday after daypictures of infinite beautyif only we have the eyes to see them--- John Ruskin

i am inspired by nature
acrylics on 5"x3½" CANSON acrylic paperclick on any image to enlarge

MONDAY PHOTO A WEEK

on sunday, we visited michelle and alex and had a lovely time as usual. they live in a third level apartment and they have some huge umbrella trees situated in front of their balcony. rainbow lorikeets are nectivores and native to australia. they happen to LOVE the nectar of umbrella tree flowers and can actually get quite 'drunk' on the stuff too. here these beautiful birds were, feasting away, while we sat directly across from them taking it all in. it was an overcast day but i managed to get some pics on my camera.

the honeyeaters were enjoying the feed of nectar also

i hope you all had a lovely weekend too

love, light and peace