spring-y announcements

I hope your weekend was rejuvenating. Often times, I feel like I spend Saturday and Sunday catching up on laundry, cleaning, sleep and work. Somehow I managed all of that and still had time for a lot of play. And this morning I woke up to blue skies and a weather forecast that has me singing! Spring is definitely in the air...

Two related and lovely announcements for this new week:

1. Jennifer Ackerman of Craftsanity interviewed me for her podcast series a few weeks back and it's now live.  I shared about the process of creating my second book and revealed it's evolution. I hope it gives some insight into why and how I channeled a huge life challenge into something positive. So with a bit of a vulnerable "gulp"- I invite to grab a cuppa and give a listen.  Here's the podcast. Thanks Jennifer, for a lovely talk!

 2. There are now signed copies of Hope, Make, Heal in my Etsy shop! You can find them here.

And a local reminder that Ellen Abrams and I will be hosting an Equinox workshop on Sunday, March 20th.

All the details are right here.

March

The winds whipped up last night, shaking the windows and howling out as they circled around the house. At dawn, the world seemed to be swept clean as I headed off to yoga. My teacher spoke of the importance of having an anchor when a storm blows in. It's a message I know well, but I smiled sheepishly from my mat because I'm always grateful for a little kick in the pants reminder. You see, February is typically my challenging month.  It's been a little more than four years since my life turned upside down- I truly feel wonderful most days, but these deep wounds are always tender at anniversaries, don't you think?  I chose to slow down internet-wise for a little while to allow for some quiet. And some yoga. And breathing. And smoothies. And making stuff. All of my favorites.

I didn't even realize I was anchoring when the winds began to blow a few weeks ago...  I just do so naturally and automatically now. This is a direct result of having a tool kit for survival at the ready. 

I'm amazed that Hope, Make, Heal continues to be my very own guidebook, and I so hope it helps some of you. There are three crafts up on the Well and Good site directly from the pages that might just be the something you could use right now, including the instructions for making the Survival Satchel below that I love so much!

So happy to March forward with you... into the wind we go!

book reading and craft night

Just a quick local announcement! I'll be reading, crafting, selling and signing at the end of the month, and I'd love you to come if you're somewhere close by. Below are the details:

Join local author, Maya Pagán Donenfeld, for a book reading

and craft night! There will be opportunities to share and talk about meaningful making and coping with loss and then create items directly from or inspired by Hope, Make, Heal.

When: Thursday, February 25^th

Time: 6:30-8:30pm

Where: Dolce Delight

1080 Danby Road Ithaca

This event is free and open to the public. A small donation is suggested to cover costs of the materials provided.

Be strong- eat for power!

"The act of healing will look different for each of us. There is no need to rush—nor a clear timetable for traveling through the unique terrain of each loss. Death of a loved one, a traumatic life event, or deep heartbreak are all wounds that have the potential never to leave us. The scars remain to remind us of what we’ve felt, whom we’ve loved, and how we’ve grown. They become part of the fabric of our lives.

I sew. A lot. The metaphors that surround needle and thread seep into my thoughts often. The British proverb “A stitch in time saves nine” is a favorite. The meaning is simple: sew up a little hole with one stitch now so that it doesn’t expand and turn into something greater that may need nine or more stitches. It’s a saying that refers to doing things well the first time and not putting something off until later. Healing well from the start is an unhurried and deliberate mending. The frayed and broken fibers of our stories can almost always be woven back together, but how we choose to repair and patch ourselves up determines quite a bit. A quick fix is sure to leave you weak for unraveling. This is true in the literal sense, such as stitching up a hole in a seam. Why wouldn’t it also be true for our souls?

I believe that taking supremely good care of yourself will strengthen every muscle— including your heart. You’ll be ready for that moment..."

This is an excerpt from Hope, Make Heal currently featured in Spirituality & Health.  Click here to read the entire article and how green smoothies were a life-saver, plus get the recipe for this favorite of mine.

giveaway!

Hello lovely friends! I'm still here- just spending most of my time over at instagram these days. I do hope you'll join me there- it's quite cozy and I'd love to stay connected with you. In fact, I'm hosting my first instagram giveaway over there right now. I'm offering a signed copy of Hope, Make, Heal along with the original feathered banner from the last chapter. I will be tucking in a surprise or two, as well. Heading to my studio right now to work on a little something for the sweet winner.

If you'd like to enter, hop over!

xxx

Maya

launched

It's been said by many that the energy in the room was wonderful at the Hope Make Heal launch at Buffalo Street Books. It was a very receptive crowd, who not only were so supportive of me personally, but also were clearly happy to take a copy of the book home with them... either for their own use or for a friend. Here were my opening lines before I read excerpts from several of the chapters:

"Welcome and thank you for coming to celebrate with me today. My first book, Reinvention, was published at the beginning of 2012. It was not a time for celebrating. At the exact moment that it was coming off the press, I was reeling from the unexpected and very sudden loss of my 16 year marriage. The last four years have been a wild ride filled with hope that I would survive the pain, the making of a new life for my children and myself, and then the healing of the places that had been broken. That grieving and rebuilding process evolved along side this second book that I hold in my hands today. Hope, Make, Heal was published exactly 10 days ago and I couldn’t be happier and more ready to share it with all of you... to celebrate!"

I  introduced my dear friend Ellen Abrams (sadly not pictured here- send me pics if you have them friends), who contributed the meditations to each section. Ellen is a local therapist who also leads Mindfulness Meditation groups for people who have experienced trauma. I was attending it during the writing process of the book and knew it was an important component to include. She led a beautiful meditation and then there were paper feathers offered for writing intentions on. Templates for six of my feather prints are located in the back of the book for using in various projects!

Then it was on to signing... Buffalo sold out, but have let me know that more copies will be arriving this week.

book launch party!

Feathers played an integral part in my healing process- painting, carving and collecting them. I've included some of my favorite feather prints in the back of my book for using with several HMH projects or some of your own. 

I'm now stamping and cutting out bunches of them for this weekend's launch at Buffalo Street Books. If you are local, I'd be so happy to see you! Come by at 3pm this Saturday, 1/9/16 for a signed copy. I'll be doing a reading and sharing an activity around setting intentions for this year. There will be light snacks, sweet conversation and good folks- so do join us for the celebration if you can!

RELEASED!

This week, three years ago I had done everything within my power to give my children a beautiful Christmas and my daughter a happy birthday. Although almost a year had already passed since their father had moved out without warning,  it was our first december on our own. The winter holidays have the potential to be a time of magic, as well as the tendency to illuminate loss and magnify grief.  I remember making it to this last week of the year and thinking- I'm almost there. I will survive this hellish year after all. I chose my word for the upcoming year: HOPE. Here is that post, like a little time capsule.

Thank goodness for my kids. They were the reason I made myself get out of bed every morning and that I was doing more than just making it... I was determined to to heal for them.

To learn everything I could about how to face darkness and come out on top. 

To thrive and help them to do the same. 

It was the hardest challenge of my life. Desolation was always at my side in the beginning, but I acted brave for them... until one day it was true.

By that Christmas in 2012, some good days were sprinkled in with the constant rough ones. I started seeing glimpses of the light at the end of the tunnel. And I began writing down my process. As a writer and an artist, there was an overwhelming need to document my return towards wholeness. I blogged and journaled the tools I was discovering (and most often creating) to guide me forward.

 My second book was emerging long before I was ready to actually write it. But it was the book I was wishing someone could place in my hands at that very moment. So I began. I knew it was about hope and creating. I prayed it would bring my healing and maybe help others who were struggling through one of life's inevitable transitions. Several years in the living and making, and TODAY it goes out into the world!! TODAY!!

Hope, Make Heal is filled with the 20 projects, plus recipes and meditations, that brought me to this point today. I am a confident and proud single mother of two very healthy and amazing kids (one getting ready to head out into the world in a matter of months). There are fresh traditions and new people in our lives, as well as wonderful (bittersweet) memories of a different life long ago. I can now hold the story in my heart without feeling crippled by it. I laugh. A lot. And so do my children.

I am so happy to have arrived at this moment!

*all photos in this post our projects from Hope, Make, Heal- 20 Crafts to Mend the Heart.

light

Wishing you a cozy and peaceful Solstice. This shortest day of the year brings the annual hope of light returning us- the perfect metaphor for anyone traveling through a dark time. The holidays can be challenging for so many. Missing loved ones that can't be here, or the knowledge that life doesn't always match the parades of perfection flaunted by every ad campaign. Our lives are complex and often fragile.  Sending you all so much love and strength as we turn towards the sun.

This handmade message candle is one of the projects in my new book. I call them "Lights for the End of the Tunnel".

Hope, Make, Heal 20 crafts to Mend the Heart will officially hit bookshelves next week (yes-finally!!)... and freshly printed copies will find their way into all of the mailboxes of folks who pre-ordered it a few months back and even today. A brand new year is the perfect time to begin the process of using creativity for self-care and renewal... my wish is that this book finds its way into the hands of all that need it right now.