www.OliveLeafStudios.com

So one of the things on my 101 Things in 1001 Days was to make a list of 10 charities that we support or would be supporting. Here is my list and I encourage everyone to do the same!

Colorado CASA

My Local CASA Program

Humane Society of the Boulder Valley

American Red Cross

Rocky Mountain Raptor Rescue

Colorado Reptile Human Society

The Center (GLBT services)

My Niece’s School

Girl Scouts (I can’t resist tiny girls with cookies!)

9 Cares Colorado Shares (annual food and clothing drives)

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 4: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

4. Bone Magic by Yasmine Galenorn

5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

6. The Heart of the Initiate by Victor & Cora Anderson

I have been thinking a lot about resolutions and intentions and goals this last week. Resolutions are something I am not fond of making because there is always such disappointment in not following through. But I started thinking about some big sort of life goals that I have and how to move towards them. I decided it is sort of like when an organization does multi year strategic planning. Make the plan but its not bound to the time frame of a year and you just try to work towards the goals as much as possible.

So that’s what I am doing. I am setting an overall theme and plan for my life and I am sort of going to work towards it with no hard time frame, just parts that I can work on a little at a time. I made a list of some general things I would like to do this year and have been trying to come up with a word or two that kind of unites them.

Initially I thought maybe they all had to do with being Connected, but that was a little bit of a stretch on a couple of them. More of an indirect link. Then this morning a friend posted that her intention is to Show Up, and that got me thinking. I don’t think connection is the right feel for what I want. I think it’s more about being present in my life. Showing up as she said but a little more than that too.

So I am changing my theme word for 2010 to Present. Being present in everything, and also the way I present myself externally – not just physically, though taking care of my appearance is part of it because that lends itself to other things,- but also how I present myself in my actions, being present, standing in my power, etc.

Some of the things on my 101 things list will lead up to bigger parts of the plan so I fully intend to continue to work on that. I am at 46 things completed and there are probably another 10 that I am sure I will complete. I think I have until September of this year. I feel really good about where I am at with that. I may not be able to check off all of the items on that list but over half will be a great achievement.

I am also going to be taking an online class this month on naming desire and setting intentions. I am really excited about that.

So here is to 2010, a year of having Presence and being Present!

So the website was down for a while due to some issues with our hosting, but that is all resolved so I am back up and running with a couple of changes. I love the new theme but some of the content was lost I think. Photos have disappeared and formating is wonky on a few things. It may take me a little time to get things back up to par.

So I have been hula hooping on Wii Fit and some other folks I know do it for exercise. So inspired by that (and episode #7 of Elemental Castings ). I decided that hula hooping would be an excellent way to rebuild my core muscles – being that they were ummm… damaged during surgery.

So tonight my hubby and I made these…

I read 50 books in 2008! But I still have another 50 to read before I complete my 1001 days so here is the list of books read for 2009:

1. Tithe by Holly Black

2. Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley

3. Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor (CD)

4. Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton

5. Ironside by Holly Black

6. Dancing Barefoot by Wil Wheaton

7. The Happiest Days of Our Lives by Wil Wheaton

8. Runemarks by Joanne Harris (CD)

9. Etheric Anatomy by Victor Anderson

10. Spiritual Cleansing by Draja Mikaharic

11. A Century of Spells by Draja Mikaharic

12. The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley

13. Palimpsest by Catherynne Valente

14. Septimus Heap Book 1: Magyk by Angie Sage (CD)

15. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

16. Storm Born by Richelle Mead

17. Septimus Heap Book 2: Flyte by Angie Sage (CD)

18.  Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

19. Flora Segunda byYsabeau Wilce

20. The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden by Catherynne Valente

21. Night Huntress by Yasmine Galenorn

22. Kahuna Magic by Brad Steiger

23. Huna: A beginner’s guide by Enid Hoffman

24. The Silver Crown by Robert C. O’Brien

25. The Universe is a Green Dragon by Brian Swimme

26. The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott (CD)

27. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (CD)

28. Septimus Heap Book 3: Physik by Angie Sage

29. White Fluffy Clouds by Brandon Boyd

30. From the Murks of the Sultry Abyss by Brandon Boyd

31. Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead

32. Jambalaya by Luisah Teish

33. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

34. Promethea: Book 1 by Alan Moore

35. Septimus Heap Book 4: Queste by Angie Sage

36. Something Wicked (working title) by KL Grady

37. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

38. Promethea: Book 2 by Alan Moore

39. Promethea: Book 3 by Alan Moore

40. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

41. Promethea: Book 4 by Alan Moore

42. Septimus Heap Book 5: Syren by Angie Sage

Here are a couple of tarot card s that I created using some collage, acrylics and fabric paints. (As always, the art on this site is copyrighted so please don’t take anything without permission.)

The Fool

The Magician

So I have a couple of art pictures that I would like to upload but I am having some trouble doing that.  So in the meantime I will just give a quick update on how my 101 things are going.

So far I have completed 30 things off of my list with one or two more slated to be completed soon.

This summer I visited two new states, including my trip to Feri camp. I read a bunch more books bringing my total to 39/100 so far. I have another trip and some surgery planned for this fall/winter so I should increase that number soon.  I went on a first friday artwalk with a fried which was a lot of fun, I am pretty good with the trying new foods too.

I have been to the Western Slope of Colorado where my friend and I did some Bouldering, and she and I found a few more letterboxes on the Lariat Loop.  With the weather changing and the upcoming surgery, the rest of the Loop may have to wait until spring.  J and I did, however, take my neice letterboxing on our trip to IL this summer and so I got a letterbox in another state also. While I was home visiting family I also got the christmas cut out cookies recipes from both of my aunts so I am looking forward to trying them out this holiday season.

The 14er has once again been postponed so it is a good thing that I still have some time to complete this list!

And finally, we have donated money to four organizations this year, Colorado CASA, Humane Society of the Boulder Valley, Rocky Mountain Raptor Rescue and my neices school in IL, so that’s four on the list and also goes towards sending our “found money” out into the world to do good.

While I have been posting we have discovered the secret to uploading photos, so while I go get the pictures off of my camera, here is a pic of the handmade ritual cup I received from a friend in Oklahoma!

Its been a little while since I posted so I thought I should post a little update on my progress. So far I think its going really well. I have 21 things crossed off of my list so far and I have several in the works.

#15 – I am up to 22 books read out of my 100 book goal. Some are audiobooks for my drive to work, some are rereads, and some are longer than others but regardless I am up to 22!

#17 – First Friday Artwalk is coming up. I am planning to go to the June one with a friend

#26 COMPLETE – i have now paid for two people at Starbucks, much to the delight of the Starbucks workers lol, and hopefully the people who got free coffee too.

# 37 – We have plans to hike our 14er in July when our friends are in town from Houston.

#40 – My recent trip to Texas was half of my goal of visiting 2 new states. Theother half will happen at the end of June when I complete #30 and Go to Feri Camp.

#52 – I have definitely been trying a new food every month. This month was an adventure at a Nigerian restaurant. It was easily the worst dining experience I have had in a very long time. lol my husband said it should count for June too.

#70 – My HooDoo correspondence course arrived last weekend! I am working through it with my covenmates so we will be getting started on it in June I think.

Lots more going on but I think those are the major highlights!

So I have crossed 18 things off of my 101 things list!

Today I received my swap package from #60 – a swap on gimmeyourstuff.com. My swap partner was Vickie from England. She sent me all sorts of fun goodies!

Candy, cute pink socks, a little notebook, a phone charm, funky tissues, a British fashion mag , and a tote bag that folds up tiny to fit in your purse!