{Part Two}

~~Check out Guide Guide; Part One here~~

Celeste Johnston Fine Art: Art suffused with the essence of the feminine divine.

Celeste’s art is full of feminine wisdom and womanly essence.  When I gaze at her work I feel the strength at my center and the beauty of my soul reflected back at me.   From the vibrancy of color in her original paintings to the stark beauty of her drawings – every piece is infused with the sensuality and lushness of the feminine spirit and embodies a strength and fluidity that makes me stop and watch and wait for the painting to tell me more.  Use Coupon Code HOLIDAY20 for 20% discount on prints.

On My Wishlist: Chakras & Uninvited

Jena Strong: Don’t Miss This : an intimate poetic journey.

Shakespeare says ‘Though she be but little, she is fierce”.  That line always brings to mind the tiny force of nature that is one Miss Jena Strong.  I’ve read Jena’s blog for years, and rejoiced along with so many of her fans when she announced that she would be self-publishing her first book of poetry this year.   As I read Don’t Miss This I recognized many of the poems as familiar – some because I knew them from Jena’s online space, others because her journey echoed my own, still more simply because Jena has managed to capture the universal in a way that makes me feel as if she has written for me.   The title is more than appropriate.  Really, you don’t want to miss this.

On My Wishlist: a personal living room reading from the poet herself.

Aflame Creations: Unique cooper enamel jewelry that speaks to the heart and soul.

On my trip home last summer, I was wandering down Qunipool Road in Halifax and decided to pop into this little yoga boutique.  I immediately saw this incredibly beautiful copper necklace with turquoise enamel stamped with the word Nameste and knew it had to be mine. All of Megan’s pieces are hand enameled and infused with vibrancy and depth and a love of life and nature.  They feel so good to wear I can only guess that she bakes her beautiful energy right into the enamel in her 1500-degree kiln.

On My Wishlist: Blue Ocean Wave and Orange Tree on Burgandy

Osha Mae: Handmade artisan soap and aromatherapy products 

I found Osha Mae quite by accident at the Halifax Farmers Market.  Osha Mae products are earthed derived, consciously sourced with a focus on native Nova Scotia incredients.  We struck up a conversation as I smelled and touched and soaked in the goodness of her products.  I left with her Rose Oil Facial Serum and her Green Goddess Clay Mask, not knowing that my entire skin care regime was about to be revolutionized.  After a lifetime of acne, the idea of putting oil on my face seemed crazy, but I trusted Laura immediately, so I decided to do what she said.  Oh. My. Goodness. I haven’t used anything else since that day.

On My Wishlist: Miracle Exfoliant Grains and Patchouli Orange Soap

Soul Carrier Bags: Conscious Design for Fashionable Folks.

I met Jennifer Boonlorn, creator of Soul Carrier ,when she provided hair assessories for an epic Marie Antoinette inspired photo shoot a few years ago.  We immediately recognized a shared spark and the kind of creative synergy that lights us both on fire.  Jenn’s website says that she was created to create and I’m not sure I’ve known anyone for whom this is more true.   I’ve watched Jennifer bring this labor of love into an incredible reality with this line of unique bags created from recycled fabric scraps woven together into a line that marries fashion + function with fabulous results.   I don’t know what’s more exciting – the vision and determination it took to bring this to fruition, or the fact that the bags are really just as fabulous as she dreamed.

On My Wishlist: Urban Tote And Kelly Beth Yoga Bag

Lotus Wei: Flower Power, baby.

Lotus Wei entered my life years ago, at a local Farmers Market where I was drawn to a booth decorated with large photos of flowers. I was asked which image most spoke to me in that moment, and when I responded was sprayed with this heavenly flower essence mist – delightfully named Joy Juice.  The years since have given me the gift of photographic partnership with Katie Hess, the soul and heart behind Lotus Wei, and the opportunity to try all of her flower infused goodness .  My daughters run for her mists for homework focus or for winding down at bedtime.  Inspired Action is, to me, productivity crack.   I have them in my desk drawer, more bottles in my purse, a few in my nightstand.  In our house we are all true believers in the power of everything Katie creates.  And it’s not just us – word on the street is that Oprah considers Lotus Wei one of her very own favorite things.   Use Coupon Code JEANETTE for 20% off.

On My Wishlist: Mini-Serums and Inspired Action Perfume

Soul Mantra Jewelry by Liz Lamoreux: Open Up and Live.

One day, while in the midst of a tremendous life expansion and transition, I stumbled across Liz’s Shop and, as if by some sort of divine energy was guided to her ‘Open Up and Live’ locket.  Somehow, it was exactly what I needed right then.  The message, the vintage locket, the physical act of being able to open it to see the words – a simple yet profound reminder of the way we must continue to open our hearts.  There is a depth to the pieces in her shop that tells me she knows my journey, sees my truth, knows exactly which words I need to hold close to my heart.   Use Coupon Code DECEMBER12 for 15% off till the end of the month.

On My Wishlist:  She Calls To Me &  Kindred.

Soul Essential Living: Heart Centered Lifestyle Design by Maggie Ann Bishop

What could I possibly say about the brilliance that is Maggie Ann?  Everything she does bubbles over with light and life and truth and grace.  She is depth and wisdom and pure mamalove.  Her shop and site are brand new, but already filled with the goodness that she radiates in everything she does.  There are times in life where you wait on the edge of your seat, so certain you are that someone is on their way to creating something magical.  Watching Maggie right now, I know this is one of those times.

On My Wishlist: Revive Tea & Wild And Free

Wei Of Chocolate: Dark Chocolate + Flower Power = Too Good For Words

Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about chocolate (It’s the meaning of life.  The cure for all that ails.  More important than money….).  Wei of Chocolate is all of that and more.  Organic.  Fair Trade.  Vegan.  Gluten and Soy Free.  Infused with the goodness and power of  Lotus Wei Flower Essences.  Oh, and also:  utterly and completely heavenly delicious.   The Wei Gratitude is my absolute favorite, infused with chai spices that linger on my palate and make me feel good from the inside out, and the outside in.   Very good + very good for you = a perfect combination.  Use Coupon Code WeiPeace20 for 20% off chocolate.

On My Wishlist: 24 Piece Assortment & Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Lip Balm

Lacy Laura Gray Beach Jewelry: beautiful sea glass jewelry to bring the ocean home.

It’s taken me 13 years to make peace with the desert, to come to love her and respect her for all the ways she is different from the place my soul calls home.  But even as I settle in deeper the ocean always calls to me, reminding me where I belong.  I spend hours each summer walking the coast of Nova Scotia, head down, eyes scanning the beach for bits of sea glass.  It is magic to me, every last piece.  There is something about Laura’s sea glass jewelry that brings me home to the ocean during my landlocked months in Arizona.  She has a knack for finding the most beautiful pieces and her wire wrapping is unique and as beautiful as the weathered glass itself.
Use Coupon Code LLGTreatYourself for 15% off.

On My Wishlist: Bahama Blue Seaglass Earrings and Pendant

**If you know of any divinely inspired creatrix types creating beauty and magic, or if you are one yourself, PLEASE share with everyone in the comments.  I would love to discover and support as many magical artisans as possible!**

{You thought i was done, didn’t you?  turns out I remembered at the last minute that there are several local artisans I cannot possibly forget to share with you all.  So, there will quite possibly be an addendum in the near future.  Stay tuned.}

Tis the season, lovelies.  The gifty season.  And what could be better than wrapping up the handmade goodness of a brilliant creatrix, or a magical mama or an awe-inspiring artist.  Something made with hand and heart and soul.

Can’t you feel it?  Not a factory, no mass production.  No hard metal conveyor belt or soulless assembly line.  These were made at a kitchen table while sticky fingered littles play underfoot.  They were heart-crafted in a studio with streaming light and good music and the laughter of wild-women swirling through the air.   They’ve got spirit sewn right into the stitches.   These women see magic through the lens and paint heart directly onto canvas.

And in a few cases these magic makers have made their magic bigger than their kitchen table can hold.  But even so, their products retain the spirit and heart with which they began.  Small.  Real.  True.

It feels good to give.  Always.  But it feels especially good to give like this.

Desert Moon Herbal: Hand-crafted, organic herbal products for body + soul, from the bounty of the beautiful Sonoran desert.

My soul-sister Leigh has been blessing my family with her wonderful handmade herbal lusciousness for several years now.  Her creosote salve is legendary in my home.   Burns.  Cold Sores.  Eczema.  Chapped Lips.  Biopsy Scars.  There is seemingly nothing this magic potion won’t cure.  (Bonus:  It smells like the absolute miracle of the desert after a rainstorm).  Her newly launched Etsy shop is filled to the brim with the love that makes Leigh herself legendary.  You know you want some.

On my wish list:  Anointing Fragrance Gift Set

Gypsy Wings: Handmade jewelry created with love, a good dose of moxie and some seriously powerful butterfly magic.

Once upon a time I opened my mail to find a surprise package.  In this box of loveliness was  a wee necklace made with a butterfly wing, and my love affair with Gypsy Wings {and it’s incredibly fabulous owner} began.  Georgia handcrafts each piece with wings from butterfly farms, {collected only after the flutter-bys have reached their natural end}.   There is something magic about metamorphosis and re-creation in the process of becoming that is symbolized so deeply in this jewelry – a reminder of how many ways we can be reborn.

On My Wishlist: Love Deeply Necklace

Own The Edge by Marybeth Bonfiglio:  Thirty Days: Because the secret to writing is writing.

We all have stories to tell, even when we’ve never written a thing.  We’re all afraid of the space right outside our comfort zone, even when we know that it’s exactly where our magic lives.  Let Word Alchemist Marybeth Bonfiglio guide you on a thirty day journey to your own personal edge.  She’ll push you deep into the wisdom and truth that comes from telling your own stories, in your own words, on your own terms.    I can’t count the times Marybeth has ushered me out into my own edge, taking my words deeper, cutting through the bullshit and seducing my truth right into the light.  She’s magic.  She’s real.  Own The Edge has videos.  Ritual.  Rhythm.  Practice.  You.  All the pieces are here.

On My Wishlist: The Rite

Mighty Girl Art:  Wintery Workbook – 24 page pdf full of pure magic.

You know those people you meet who are so bursting with magic that they appear to be made out of fairy dust?  Those women who see everything through the veil of extraordinary?  Uh huh.   That’s Wendy Cook and that is the heart of Mighty Girl Art.  Wendy takes all of that fairy dust and ordinary-extraordinary magic and puts her heart and soul into teaching young girls how to trust in the gift of their own inner artists.   For the first time, all the rest of us not lucky enough to be a part of one of her enchanted gatherings of art + spirit can follow along with her instructions to create a little Mighty Girl Magic of our own.  For girls young and young at heart, this PDF is packed with everything you need to sprinkle your own life with a little wintery fairy dust.

On My Wishlist: a gathering of mighty girls + Wendy herself to lead the way.

Erin Darcy Design: Original Watercolor Art

I thought Erin Darcy was old at first.  Like way older than me.  So wise.  So talented.  So brave.  Such a rare soul.    Look her in the eyes and you’ll know you know you’ve been gifted by an uncommon kind of sight.  She paints like she’s been here for centuries.  This girl dances with the muse and with motherhood and with art in such a way to inspire me to my toes.  Her shop is full of whimsy and depth.  It’s soft and gentle but wholly substantial.  It’s heart and truth.   It’s motherhood and childhood and artistry and womanly and playful and sensual and it makes me feel good – right to the depths.  Right now her brush strokes are on sale {+ get an additional 10% off with the code STARVINGARTIST}

On My Wishlist: Muse

The Wild Unknown: Mystical Tarot Deck

Artist Kim Krans and Johnny Ollsin make all kinds of magic at The Wild Unknown. Music.  Art.  Travel. Life.  You feel it from the first moment and then just want to stick around to soak it in.   But it’s their incredible Tarot deck that has captured my eye and is the object of my desire.  I’ve been searching for a deck for quite some time but could never quite find one that felt like me.  Then one day last month two utterly magical beings mentioned The Wild Unknown Tarot within hours of one another.  I was immediately captivated and have been coveting the deck ever since.  Each of the 78 cards features the most magical and mystical imagery, drawn by Kim herself.  The shop also contains a guide, an incredible tarot poster and calendar.  Use code PEACELOVEFREE for 15% off until 12/14!

On My Wishlist: Tarot Trio Deal 

Gypsy Wraps: Stylish headwraps with love sewn in every seam.

Ever meet someone who feels exactly like an exhale feels after you’ve been holding your breath for far too long? That’s Julie Bartel, maker of these amazing headwraps.  Being around here is some kind of heaven, and I figure that some of that blissful magic is infused in everything she touches.  She’s got an eye for the most fabulous fabrics and puts her heart and soul into creating with an equal eye to love, design and quality.   I own approximately eight bizillion wraps (one to match every outfit, naturally. proof here).  Aside from the obvious fashion/color coordination possibilities – I can’t believe I ever exercised without these.  Yoga.  Running.  The Mountain.  If I sweat while doing it, I’m probably wearing a Gypsy Wrap.  Especially if you are like me and have embraced bangs – a head wrap is a must.  Right now she has tons of wraps in her bargain bin AND is offering a 15% discount with the code WRAPUP.
On My Wishlist;  Black Paisley  & Central Park

Leather Girl Kelley: Reclaimed Leather Creations + Soulful Jewelry 

What do I even say about Kayrene and the utter perfection of her designs? The girl is tough and sassy and original and crafts some ridiculous amazingness.  When she first started her journey into leather work she was disturbed by the waste involved and made the decision to work with all recycled/reclaimed leather.   I was gifted my first Kayrene cuff years ago by the divine Miss Brooke and have since added several pieces to my collection.  She also created some out of this world pieces for my most favoritest photo shoot of all time.   You have not lived until you’ve seen the belts she created from old cowboy boots.  Blew. My. Mind.  And now Kayrene has taken the dive into jewelry making – creating custom stamped jewelry from old silverwear.  I recently fell head over heels for a  ”Set Your Life On Fire” necklace when she posted it on facebook and ordered it within minutes because i knew it had to be mine.  And it was.  And I love it.

On My Wishlist: A Fancicuff in deep red AND a Smithy

Maya Stein: Ninja Poet, Writing Guide & All Around Badass. (I added that last bit)

I honestly feel a little emotional when I talk about Maya.  Her writing found me years ago, when I most needed it, and has stayed with me  since.   From the uncanny timing of her her 10-line Tuesdays,  to the intrepid adventurer spirit that leads her to  set off around the country by car or bike, to the grace with which she lives her life – she is an inspiration. This year I got to accompany Maya to New York and Milwaukee, chronicling the beginning and the end of her epic Type Rider Journey.  These trips were, quite simply, the stuff that straight up magic is made of.   If you have not discovered Maya’s poetry – purchase a book and prepare to be undone.  If you want to learn the skills of feral writing, taught by the wild-one herself, check out her course descriptions or plan to attend a retreat.  If you want to give someone in your life the gift of words that will move and inspire and help them sort out the seemingly unsortable – send them to Maya.  I promise, you won’t regret it.

On My Wishlist : Type Rider T-Shirt & How We Are Not Alone

Bellawish: Wear Your Mantra Close To Your Heart

When I think of Stacy De La Rosa I think of softness and light. From the airy images on her blog to the soulful words with which she brings her life to the world – it’s all clear and true and full of heart.  The same can be said of her jewelry designs, which are as simple and honest and true as the woman who makes them.  Choosing a word of the year is such a powerful exercise – and what better way to bring the intention to your body than to create a custom necklace etched with your chosen word to wear close to your heart as you begin the journey through the upcoming year.  Her Equality necklace is especially meaningful to me – a visible reminder of a deeply held belief that love is love is love.    Use the coupon PEACELOVEFREE for 10% off anything in the shop!

On My Wishlist : Equality  & Om Shanti

**If you know of any divinely inspired creatrix types creating beauty and magic, or if you are one yourself, PLEASE share with everyone in the comments.  I would love to discover and support as many magical artisans as possible!**

I talk too much and cry too little. It’s true.

I have no idea how to knit but I’m damn good at unraveling.

Every time I wake up I get a little closer to the woman who waits to be born and reborn. Each time I am her totally.  Each time I am not her at all.  This is all finally becoming cool with me.

Regardless of looming deadlines I consider a day with nothing but the lilting cadence of poetry kissing my ears a day well spent.

I recognize that searing pain serves an vital purpose; it reminds us we are desperately, thrillingly alive when we most need to cling fierce to living.

You want something easy?  I am not the girl for you.  If you want to go deep with me, dive in.  I’ll be waiting for you.

I am an open book. Still, I sometimes doubt you will ever really know me. I think this is true of every soul on earth.  We are all beautiful mysteries.

I believe in the beauty of run-on sentences.  Sometimes words need to flow without the limitations of grammar.  Actually, I think I believe in run-on lives.  Just go with it.

I have drowned in fire, drowned in poetry, drowned in blood – but still I know I am a very strong swimmer.  Sometimes making the choice to drown is what will keep you alive.

You can own me just by knowing how to use your words.  I’m easy like that.

I hide my hard under layers of sadness, and my sadness under layers of living – but still, I am mostly happy, and soft.

If you move just me just right I’ll show you my soul.   Show me your soul and you’ll move me just right.  It will be the birth of a divine sort of chemistry.  Trust me.

I have have memories of things we have never done, places I’ve never been and lives I’ve never lived.  They are deeply real to me.

I’ve broken lives in the name of wholeness and I’ve built things that are holy from the pieces of wreckage.  We all do. This is the way of things.

I live somewhere between delusional narcissism and debilitating levels of low self-esteem.  Some days I’m fairly sure those are the exact same thing.

Kindness matters more to me than just about anything, but I am sometimes so unkind that I break my own heart.

I think I feel more than most people, or maybe I feel exactly the same as everyone and thinking we are somehow different is the one thing keeps us alone.

I was made from the ocean, and willingly get myself knocked over by the waves with my mouth open so I can taste salt water again and remember my home.

I tiptoe into my children’s rooms at night and smell them – just to make sure they are really mine.  They grow and change but with eyes closed and nose pressed to temple I relive their first moments in my arms.

I want nothing more than to make art. And still, despite knowing what life I am meant for,  I struggle with the audacity of claiming the word artist as my own.

My religion: Humanity Before Dogma.  Always.

I give thanks for dark chocolate and melatonin and for women who know the power of words.  For my teachers.  For my circle.  For the beauty in the breakdown.  For fear.  For leaps of  faith.  For all the things that move me.  For lust and for trust and for the journey in between.  For multiple orgasms.  For high heel shoes. For my strong body.  For knowing I am my own guru.  For belly laughs.  For temper tantrums.  For the way life sparkles around the edges.  For the ability to give thanks.

I am a terrible flirt, or a really, really excellent flirt.  It all depends on your perspective.  The tilt of head, the fall of hair, the upturned eyes, the gentle touch…it is art and mystery and possibility to me.

I love first.  Trust immediately.  Learn my lessons later.  Sometimes this means I hurt but mostly it means I love. And love and love.

I am selfish as hell.  I hide the good chocolate from my children and I like things my way, always.  But I’ll give you my last dollar if it means my heart stays open. Living with an open heart is the only true thing I know.

I spend my life in a constant quest for balance, but I’ve never been especially skilled at tightrope walking.

I am an experience in contradictions.  If you can’t handle that, you probably won’t like me for long.

I choose capsizing over staying afloat.  The surface of the water holds limited interest for me.

I can live a lifetime inside of a string of words.  In fact, I do.  Every single day.

I hate passive aggressive assholes, but never more than when I allow myself to be a passive aggressive asshole.

Occasionally, I am a passive aggressive asshole.  If I have been so to you, I apologize.

I believe if we all apologized sincerely more often, it would go a long way toward healing the world.  I also believe that the words “I’m sorry” can be just as much about empathy and understanding as culpability.

The most profound question of my life: What are you knowing that you don’t want to know?  Questions this big often travel with a wrecking ball and demolition team.   I’d say you shouldn’t ask questions unless you’re ready to live with the consequences of the answers, but there are some answers for which we will never really be ready – and we need to live the questions anyway.

Every time I knock down a spider web I am reminded that I have it in me to be heartlessly caviler about the life work of another.  Every time I comfort my girls in the middle of the night I am reminded that I would easily give my life for theirs.  The truth of our hearts is often in the spaces between our extremes.

I have long traded wholeness for goodness.  It has taken 36 years to realize that wholeness IS goodness, and that we have to be willing to break to become.

Everything about me is original.  And nothing about me is any different from you.  Only by knowing ourselves can we know the world.  Only by knowing the world can we know love.  And only by knowing love can we live.

And so I live, just like you.  Broken.  Whole.  Full of Goodness.  Just me.

26.  I mostly write to myself.
27.  If I sound particularly authoritative in a blog post it actually means I’m giving myself a stern talking to.
28.  Sometimes I actually listen.  Often I do not.**
29.  If you are going to spout off statements like “I’m not a jealous, insecure person” it’s a good idea to test yourself by putting yourself in a jealousy/insecurity-inducing situation first.  Just sayin’.
30.  Lip service is easy.  Living up to those words is hard.
31. Right/Wrong.  Black/White.  Expand/Contract.  Life is rarely that simple.
32.  But sometimes it actually is.
33. Yes.  This is confusing.  Life is often confusing.  Get used to it. **
34.  If someone says you’re too much for them they are likely not near enough for you.
35.  Mamalove is the stuff magic is made out of.
36.  Sex is natural. Sex is good.  Not everybody does it.  But everybody should.
37.  And also; You’ve gotta have faith, faith, faith-uh.
38.  Word to George Michael.
39.  One way or another, we all grow toward the light.
40.  No can be a profoundly powerful, sexy, badass word.
41.  People are not always what they say they are.  It will always  hurt when you discover what lies below the façade.
42.  This makes it tempting to write off humanity.  Don’t.  Pollyanna was onto something.
43.  Be your own guru, find your own mountaintop – but don’t forget your stilettos.
44. You can do that thing that scares you.  Even if you tremble.  Even if your voice shakes.  Do it anyway.
45.  Fear likes a good lap dance every now and then.
46.  Actually, to hell with that; sometimes fear needs to lap dance for YOU (stuff a few bills in her G-string, then sit back and enjoy one hell of a ride).  A mechanical bull might also be useful.
47.  Comfort zones and creativity do not go hand and hand and the muse is one hell of a dominatrix.
48.  This means that it’s possible that the crazier your life gets, the more brilliant you will become.
49.  This is not an excuse to embrace the crazy.   Just a reminder to make friends with the edge.
50.  Doodles are magic.  Or they can be, if you let them.

Find Part One Here
Find Part Three Here
Find Part Four Here

**In certain instances further life learning will be necessary in 2012.