Sunday, January 27, 2013

My New Baby

I have created a new blog!  Hop on over and check out Faire Cadeau!

Faire Cadeau is a gift guide, primarily for men, who want some gentle suggestions regarding what the ladies in their lives might like to receive!  

Please spread the word and share Faire Cadeau with your favorite guys!

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Monday, January 21, 2013

Up to the Mountain


Written in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.



After the last post....I have decided "to stick with love..." and get on with the business of living my life with love in my heart, for myself a transgressor, as well as those who trespass against me.

Feeling much more hopeful today!  Yay!



Saturday, January 19, 2013

She is Clothed in Strength and Dignity

This little light of me, you bet your asses I am going to let it shine.  This little light of mine was created by my benevolent Maker, my Father, Lord and Savior.  What an insult to Him if I hide it under a bushel.  No!  I am going to let it shine.

And if the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack.  Right now the devil who is infusing humans I come into contact with on a daily basis can sit and spin on that tack because this light will not be extinguished come hell or high water. 

Hear me now and hear me clearly....I know that I can be stripped of everything and I mean EVERYTHING, but my dignity is MINE.  And in the end when it is all said and done all I really need is faith the size of mustard seed and mountains can be moved.  

 Remember friends, as I said a few posts back, the devil is the hare and God is the tortoise.  Slow and steady wins the race.  

Evil...if you want a fight...come on at me.  I am armed with Christ whose rod and staff comforts me.  I KNOW I will not be abandoned, not so long as I believe.  And I do believe.  And henceforth, I fear no evil.  I have feared evil for 37 years of my life.  I have been paralyzed by fear and the long suffering desire to please every human being I come into contact with.  That ends today.  

Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me if I proceed with a smile and grace and open my heart with the love of Christ to everyone.  But while I am certain the love of Christ has no limits and suggests we often turn the other cheek...I do believe the love of Christ is a champion for what is good and just.  Let us remember the vengeance He unleashed upon the tax collectors in the courtyard of the temple.  

Make no mistake....goodness shall not be taken for a fool.  I am clothed in strength and dignity.  Those can not be taken away unless I ALLOW them to be removed from my character.  

God's loving plan is perfect, even through suffering.  I am in the midst of lessons hard learned but a long time in coming.  I open myself up to the universal lessons like a hungry student begging for lifes knowledge to add to my toolbox of strength.  It ain't pretty...but it's happening.  And as Glennon over at  Momastery said, "It is shit, what I am going through...but I am going to turn this shit holy."

It is only the golden rule if two people are in agreement to the terms.  I am....I'm all in.  But evil....I know this, you don't fight fair, do you?  Well, I do and YOU can not change that.
Today I will sit in the "okay-ness" of what is happening.  I will love who I am, I will celebrate my life.  I will value loved ones and pray for those are running out of air trying to extinguish me because they are children of my same maker, as well.  I will sit in silence and I will clothe myself in the purity of light.  I will ask for understanding, discernment, clarity and knowledge.  I will call upon those who have gone before....treated poorly because they refused the extinguish their light.  

Evil, when I am at my weakest, I am still better than you at your strongest, because I have Christ on my side.

And now...I am going to go dance around giving the glory of movement to God.


  



Saturday, January 12, 2013

When She Was Little She Thought She Was a Fairy

(Authors Note: The photo below is NOT the Pilates Method of Movement; rather Ariel Yoga)

For those of you who know me on a personal level...you know that my sleep is erratic, at best, and filled with horrific dreams of fear, anxiety, twisted landscapes and frightening scenarios which often awaken me with a gasp and a muted scream.  It is pretty much a nightly event I have come to anticipate, accept and (only recently) process and move through.  The first dream I can remember was when I was five years old.  My mother's advice...always talk them out with someone.  Unfortunately, outside of my therapist, not too many people think it is "cool" to share dreams.  (Especially when I lead with, "Hey...you were in my dream last night!)  

About a month ago I was granted reprieve.  Ahhhhhhhh!  I had a dream I could fly.  God, it was glorious.  The catch was, I could only fly with a special silk scarf held in my hands.  The scarf was vintage with a 1950's floral pattern.  It was worn and tattered at the ends and I remember thinking, "When this falls apart, how will I ever fly again?"

With the scarf I was capable of not just flight...but flight with movement.  Kind of like Cirque de Soleil but not being held by anything...just lifted by sheer will and the magic of my scarf.  

I woke up with a smile and a sense there was nothing I could not conquer.  That day was a good day.
Monday I had the privilege of attending an Ariel Yoga Class at Soft Sensuous Moves.  My pole instructor, Jennifer Huff, is completing her practical hours in order to receive her certification later this month; so she has graciously extended an invitation to other instructors as "guinea pigs"...if you will.  

I was looking forward to the experience all week in an attempt to (almost) recreate my "sweet dream."  In Ariel Yoga, you are literally lifted and suspended (at times) by fabric referred to as "silks."

I don't know exactly what this movement is called...but what I can tell you is that you MUST push your thighs in towards the silk in order to support yourself.  

This is something I have given a LOT of thought to for a LOT of years.  I believe I started my Pilates practice in 2002.  Wow!  10 years.  Wow!  (Yes...I JUST did the calculation in my head.)  And...for the record...I still feel like a "beginner."  

In Pilates, much like in this Ariel Yoga class, and even in my Pole Fitness class I am moving WITH THE ASSISTANCE of "something" else. (Pilates Mat class notwithstanding...but sometimes that isn't even the case.  Another blog for another time!)

I have always found this such an interesting metaphor for life.  I can not tell you the THOUSANDS of times I have been on a reformer or cadillac, chair, barrel, pole and now silk and crunched up into my own body out of absolute fear of the physical unknown.  This, of course, has made ANY movement IMPOSSIBLE.  Through trial and error, patience and practice, understanding and trust...I have learned to "lean into" or "give myself to" the springs, the ropes, the handles, the straps, the silks, the pole, the circles, and even the floor and wall for support.  And in that support I am able to create STABILITY to allow for MOBILITY and ultimately a successful physical experience connecting my mind to my body and vice versa.  

When life gets hard I tend to want to crunch up into myself in a literal and metaphorical fetal position.  But I have found that if I lengthen out from a rooted center and lean into my support system...I am going to fly!
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Friday, January 4, 2013

Yay Thirtysomethings

Today is lazy Friday.  It can be because I am still on Christmas vacation.  As such, I am laying in my bed, clad in flannel pajamas with a torn pocket (sexy, right?), hiding behind my computer, surrounded by my current book, Country Living Magazine, a spiral notebook and pencil (doing some research for my father), my dog and San Antonio Business Journal's 40 under 40 issue watching Joaquin Castro on CNN.  And I feel so underwhelmed with myself it is ridiculous!  (Yes...settle in, it is going to be one of THOSE types of blogs!)

You know what...I am not going to finish this post.  Or, at least I am not going to go in the original direction.  Yes, all these people in the SA Biz Journal are roughly my age.  Yes, I know a few of them, know "of" a lot of them. Yes, Joaquin is on CNN and yes, he and I are the same age, as well.  No, I am not in business (although I would like to be and have a katrillion ideas) and no, I am not in politics so I am likely not going to be invited to The Situation Room anytime soon.  And YES...I want to whine about why I have rested on my laurels for 37 years and I also want to tell you that I now know WHY I have rested...instead I am going to say, "Hell Yeah, 30 somethings!" 

And...I'm done.  I've got some more thinking to do.  A lot of thinking to do.  

What would I do if I weren't afraid to fail?

PS...Just read that my "idea" which needs funding is not eligible for Kickstarter.  Okay, regroup! 

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

Salted Caramel

I DESPERATELY want to call this my own.  I want to say I added a hint of this or a pinch of that and lay claim to this perfect confection.  But the hard truth is...I didn't.  This belongs to Kelsey Nixon of Kelsey's Essentials.  

Look how darling she is!

So y'all know I have a SLIGHT obsession with The Cooking Channel....especially on Saturday nights. Do not mock or judge.  I'm happy.  And you will be, as well, after I share with you what I learned a few weekends back.  
This is like crack.  Seriously.  Thick, luscious, caramel-y crack!  Interestingly this was a portion of a show about gifts you can give to your friends during the holiday season.  In my opinion, if you do NOT want to maintain certain friendships do NOT gift them this caramel.  They will never let you go once they have a taste-trust me!

Rather than regurgitate the recipe here I am just going to link you directly to the page where it can be located.  Click here.  

I will share a few pointers I learned from reviewers and a BIG one I learned first hand.  
1) Allow the cream and butter to be at room temperature.  This apparently facilitates a smoother texture.
2) When you being to whisk in the cream...WEAR YOUR OVEN MITTS!  It is H-O-T Hot!

After much deliberation I threw this over some brie and served with very bland crackers.  One of my foodie friends says he "wasn't feeling" the combination while another thought it was a "great idea."  It was "good."  But I really think this could be "great" over ice cream, in a sweet cookie type bar (which she also has a recipe for), served with apples, tossed in some coffee...or just with a plain ol' spoon!  It's the salt that sets is apart!  Oh...and by the way I used regular sea salt.  However other reviewers used a number of exotic salts and all raved.  

This is not a difficult recipe and is ready in minutes.  Remember...protect your hands, warm temperature  cream and butter and RESIST THE URGE TO STIR!  (So hard to do!)

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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

That Damn Stove Top

This post isn't riveting...but it is helpful.  

I, like many others, have this irritating glass stove top that makes me want to PULL MY HAIR OUT on a weekly basis.  They are impossible to keep clean and once spillage has occurred and burned to a crisp it takes a near miracle to get the burn stain off.

Last weekend, while visiting Ciara and Ryan, Ryan turns to us and says, "How the hell can we get this off?"  Ciara and I, in unison, looked straight into each others eyes-twin sister style-and had the very same thought.  Then we said, simultaneously, and in harmony, "Pinteressssssst!"

I pinned this from someone else and I want to give credit to her.  This comes from Jayna at Behind the Studio.

So...you will need to start with a glass stove top that has some pretty annoying burn stains on it!  
(That kind of goes without saying, right?)

Ingredients:
Large Bowl
Hot Water
Dish Soap
Baking Soda
Towels
Timer
Gloves
Soak towels in hot, soapy water.  While waiting for them to soak sprinkle stove top with baking soda.

Wring out water from the towels...not completely...just don't leave them sopping wet.

Place towel over baking soda and allow them to sit for 15 minutes.
Once 15 minutes have passed start scrubbing (what has now turned into) the paste and really dig into the spots with the deepest stains.  It takes some serious elbow grease...but it WILL come off.  The original directions called for gloves as the baking soda paste can be tough on your hands.  I used gloves, but as you can see...tough gal, Ciara did not...and her hands were no worse for the wear.

And VOILA!  Shiny cooktop!

And though our praise was limited....we know Ryan was pleased!  I believe his comment was something to the effect of, "All that time on Pinterest is starting to pay off around here."  Then he giggled to himself.


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