LotusHaus

Thought for Today

Ahh, it's sunny outside and I will take this advise from myserendipities & khawro.

Happy Mother's Day! Happy News... I'm a new Mother-to-Be!

If my posts have seemed a little light and infrequent it's because I have embarked on a new journey! After almost 6 years of marriage, I am finally pregnant and will be expecting our first child in November! So this Mother's Day has new meaning for me as I reflect on my childhood and what kind of mother I will be. I have started a new blog called LotusHaus Mama which will be a light documentation of my thoughts and finds related to my journey through pregnancy, natural childbirth and into motherhood! Check it out if you are interested. In the meantime, you can also check out some past baby related posts here at LotusHaus. Thanks so much for joining me in this journey!

Earth Teach Me to Remember } Earth Day 2009

Happy Earth Day! Our celebration of the Earth took place the first weekend of April when we visited with nature on the Oregon Coast at Westwind. Here is a photo of a lotus mandala sand drawing I did with my husband near the shore in the background. Not a soul in sight... just us and the beach, the sand, and the ocean...

Here are some treasures Mother Nature gave me with the wave of her shore... and here is my most treasured find... my soulmate!

Earth Teach Me to Remember
by John Yellow Lark

Earth teach me stillness
    as the grasses are stilled with light.
Earth teach me suffering
    as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility
    as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring
    as the mother who secures her young.
Earth teach me courage
    as the tree which stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation
    as the ant which crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom
    as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me resignation
    as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration
    as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself
    as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
    as dry fields weep in the rain.

Carribean Blue (Enya)

Thought for the Day } If you Feel it, It will Come...

Here's an excerpt from Danielle La Porte, co-founder of Style Statements:

Feelings are magnetic. Each feeling is a beacon that attracts a reality. Love attracts love. Gratitude attracts more reasons to be grateful. Generosity creates a generous response. What we focus on expands. So choosing to focus on feelings that, well, feel good, is a sure way to create the experience you want.

So let me ask you... How do you want to feel in the different areas of your life? (home, work, play, etc). What do you want to experience in life? Read more about manifesting through your feelings at this wonderful guest post by Danielle La Porte for the blog Zen Habits.

Here are my thoughts...

In my family life, I desire to experience womanhood through pregnancy and discover what kind of parent I will be...

In my personal life, I desire to feel even more connected and share more of my life with my loved ones and circle of friends...

In my body, mind and soul, I desire to feel healthy, beautiful and care free like a butterfly...inspired, fulfilled, creative, uplifted, sexy, self-aware, one with the universe, in awe of nature and in tune with my body...

In my bank account, I desire to feel wealthy, prosperous, abundant, charitable, giving and endless...

Photo Info: This is me and my dainty muse from the Tropical Butterfly House at the Pacific Science Center. I go there every few months to remind myself that, "Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance." - Anonymous

*P.S. My song for today is Closer by Goapele...

Inspiration for the Week...and all the days of your life

To all of you, my wonderful and gracious readers, I wish you all the peace in the world and...

May the sun
Bring you new energy by day,
May the moon
Softly restore you by night,
May the rain
Wash away your worries
May the breeze
Blow new strength into your being
May you walk
Gently through the world and know
Its beauty all the days of your life
-Apache Blessing

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope you all enjoy spending time with the women that have shaped your lives! Many peace and blessings to the women of the world. May you continue to shine your light and your love!

Kiss The Earth } Happy Earth Day!

Kiss The Earth poem adapted from Thich Nhat Hanh: Buddhism in Action, by Maura D. Shaw (Skylight Paths, 2004).  For some additional inspiration I highly recommend any book by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.  Peace is Every Step is one of my favorite reads.

Take a moment now to watch this earth inspiring clip from the Planet Earth Series by BBC via KarmaTube

Tenspace } Count to Ten and Say it with Flowers

Click here and count to ten by watching this lovely motion graphic inspired by nature and Ikebana!

Taking a Lil' Break

Greetings all! I am taking a break for a while to refocus my energies. My transition into the Fall season has been a bit rough and I am feeling unbalanced. I hope that we all will take the time to center ourselves as we get ready for the cold and heavy changes in the season. In the meantime try some of these Mudras, (gestures or yoga for your hands) for some simple mindfulness. You can also bring more health and peace into your life - and into the world - by reflecting on this mantra for loving kindness and listening to some peaceful music.

May I be free of fear and harm
May I be happy just the way I am
May I be at peace with whatever comes
And may I learn to live gently in the softness of my own heart.

May all my family be free of fear and harm
May they be happy just as they are
May they be at peace with whatever comes
And may they learn to live gently in the softness of their own hearts.

May all beings be free of fear and harm
May we all be happy just the way we are
May we all be at peace with whatever comes
And may we all live gently in the softness of our own hearts.

{From the Yin Yoga Kit:The Practice of Quite Power} 

Peaceful Singing Bowls

Lotus Lovelies } My Current Admirations

Greetings & Blessings! Here's a look into some lotus inspired treasures that I would be so blessed to acquire! From left: 1. Gold painted carved wood lotus flowers - reclaimed from a Buddhist Temple & mounted in a custom metal stand. $2500 Available at Souvenir. 2. Hollywood Regency style Brass Lotus Hanging Light. $495+ Available at Ebay. 3. 100% Silk Lotus Brocade pillow covers. $25 Available at Kush Tush.

Higashiya } The Art of Japanese Sweets

Aaah, now for some autumnal, sweet tasting, zen-like reflection that reminds us to enjoy the colors, scents and tastes of Fall's transition. Higashiya is a premier quality sweets shop in Japan with the most meticulous creations and the most serene packaging I've ever seen. It makes me calm just clicking through the beautiful photography. The introduction page also has the most wonderful words...

Enjoy by view
Listen carefully
Smell the delicate flavor
Touch with your hands, and feel with your tongue
Relish the taste

A tradition that will never ever change
Innovation creations never seen before
Affluent values that surpass the borders of convention
The new common practice from now on

Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter.
Daily sweets for each season.

You'll want to spend some time perusing the Higashiya and Higashiya-Shop sites...I guarantee that after you see the photos of their 3 shop locations you will be saving up for a ticket to Japan to experience it for yourself. Enjoy!

This photo is from Ping Mag. Check out this Ping Mag post for some more great photos of Japanese packaging and design.

Wedding Bliss } 4th Anniversary

I am so blessed to have a loving, fun, creative and sweet hubby named Isaac. On August 23rd we will celebrate our 4th year of marriage and it just keeps getting sweeter. There are so many wonderful posts about weddings, that I just had to share a few of my own memoirs. So here goes some juicy tidbits.

I made my own dress and the kaftan like dress of my maid of honor (on my right in the top right photo). My husband and groomsmen wore the traditional Filipino dress shirt called Barong Tagalog, which was made out of Jusi & Piña (banana fiber & pineapple fiber). My headress and hair comb were from the Philippines, and my inspiration came from the Filipino Muslim influenced Princess or Royal Fan folk dance called Singkil. Discover the story behind this incredible folk dance here or watch a video performance here.

Tagged Twice!

Wow, just a few months into this blog game and I've "met" so many lovely bloggers! Looks like I got tagged twice at the same time by fab bloggers housemartin and rang decor! So here goes 8 things about me that you may find intriguing:

1. When I was a young girl I would play restaurant and serve breakfast for my parents on random Saturdays. I was the hostess, the cook, the decorator and the waiter. I even made my own menus!

2. I took a lot of dance classes in my younger years and even entered contests and performed at city sponsored events. For one particular contest I did a hip hop style jazz number to Salt n' Pepa's, "Push it" - pretty risque for a 12 yr old! But what's really funny is that my performance aired on the Public Access channel with added special effects like a psychedelic background and random slow motion. My school friends saw it and I was so embarrassed!

3. In my mid-20s, I decided to retreat from Christmas madness and engaged myself in a 10-day course in Vipassana meditation. It was an experience of noble silence, humility and self-awareness that forever changed my life.

4. I have traveled to Hong Kong over seven times while working on the men's design team at the clothing company Mecca USA (warning, this site has music right away).

5. After 911, things hit the fan in the fashion industry and I ventured into other things like financial services with World Financial Group and then real estate with 360Modern.com. During these times, i was actually certifed to sell insurance, securities and real estate, (not all at the same time, though). I learned a tremendous amount in the business world but realized that my true passion was in the business of design and creativity.

6. I was big into the Seattle Hip Hop scene and was down with the infamous DVS crew. Check me out at myspace for some flicks of old school flyers and photos from back in the day.

7. My maiden name is Tabora and I'm a 31 year old Filipino Canadian (born in Vancouver, BC). I got married in 2003 to my loving husband who is of Irish, German and Wintu descent, and married into the Dyckhoff (pronounced "dai-koff") family. Apparently, I now have the same last name as a department store in Germany (Thanks TweetyTwix!).

8. We have a loving Siamese cat named Kita ("keeta"), that we rescued from a very unruly pet shop.

*The image above was originally a black & white photo taken by my dad at his company picnic (I colorized it myself). As you can see, I was having a lot of fun running in my little jumpsuit & sandals. Sadly, however, I believe one of the other happy campers made it to the finish line before me. But at least I have my photo! Hee, hee!

Now I'm tagging these lovely bloggerettes!

Mirage Paper Co

Jaden's Steamy Kitchen

Treehouse Jukebox

Wedlog

We Are Trendi

Nancy Comelab

Gimbo

Designer's Library

Freedom is a Joyful Heart

I hope that you all enjoy an inspiring and rejuvenating evening tonight with loved ones and friends! ~Joanna

Artwork from a vintage book of Filipino Children's Games.
 

Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice! The word "solstice" comes from the Latin "sol" meaning sun and "stice" to stand still. The summer solstice is the date with the longest day and hence with the shortest night. So I hope you all enjoy your long day today! I made this freestyle Ikebana arrangement in Ikebana class yesterday. I was so inspired by the upcoming solstice, the sun and the shape of the planets that orbit the sun. My teacher said it reminded him of something from Star Trek, lol! What do you think about my arrangement?

Here are some other things to think about, courtesy of FindBliss. Summer Solstice is a time of renewal and of new beginnings, and what better way to start your summer then with a ritual of your own, one that takes care of your mind, body, and soul? Instead of cleaning out your garage, clean out your life, discarding the emotional junk that no longer serves you. (And if you need to literally clean out your life, be sure to recycle or free-cycle whenever possible!)

Here are two tips to get started-mentally and emotionally:
Mentally: It's time to clean out the cobwebs in your mind, as well as any dust (or resentment) that has built up over the winter. Start by grabbing a journal and heading outside. Observe summer in action; notice the colors, the air, the life growing around you, and then jot down a few things that come to mind. Try not to organize your thoughts, just let them appear. Set aside your journal for a few days and return to it when your mind feels bogged down again and notice what comes up for you; what voice do you need to listen to?
Emotionally: Unfortunately, we frequently limit our description of our emotions to three options: happy, sad, or angry. But thankfully there are dozens of emotions to feel at any given time. When was the last time you felt wild? Supported? Relieved? Try to think of at least a dozen emotions you enjoy, and then think of the things that bring you those feelings. Try to incorporate at least a few into your week.

Peace and Blessings!

Inspiration from the Garden } The Path of Pink Peonies

Take a moment to think about your current path in life...

There are old, well-trodden paths and there are new, freshly made ones. You must not think that the only paths are the old, comfortable ones. Even though they might be difficult and unfamiliar to travel, the new paths must also be taken, and this requires courage and effort.

The old paths exist as are, but the fresh and those yet to be created are endless in their possibilities. It is well if you discover a new path or even make one for yourself. 

~ Teshigahara Sofu, The Book of Flowers

These beautiful pink peonies are from the garden that I inherited when we moved into our new house! So precious and so fragrant, these flowers were mindfully arranged by me in the Sogetsu Ikebana style. It's amazing that with Ikebana and the art of floral arranging, I'm able to calm myself and be more mindful. In my work with sustainable textiles like organic cotton and bamboo fiber, nothing will ever match the organic experience of working with the color & form of live plant materials. If you're interested in this experience there are many Ikebana teachers in Seattle and all over the world. I am blessed to be a student in my practice with Charles from Hana Design in Ballard.

Meditation } Floral Room

If you can't get outside or just don't have a serene garden space set up quite yet, open up a window and join me  in the floral room for two minutes of mindful beauty and sound with a meditation podcast by the lime network.

As you watch and listen, take a deep breath and slowly reflect on these words...

I am fully present in the moment.
I am relaxed. I have a deep sense of inner peace.
I surround myself with beautiful, uplifting music that lifts my spirit.
I sound a note of joy that rings throughout my day.
I deserve a positive, nurturing, and harmonious environment, and I now have it.
I trust that the universe is always working for me and with me.
I am doing what I love from moment to moment.
I am wise. I give myself good advice.
I easily sustain a positive lifestyle.
I listen to my body's rhythm. I honor and take care of my body.
I give thanks often. I appreciate all the beautiful things in my life.
I find time everyday to relax and just "be".
I believe in myself and my path.
I follow my inner guidance with action.
I am financially independent and free.
I can have what I want.
I expect only the best to happen and it does.
My value and worth are increased by everything I do.
My choices and possibilities are expanding every day.
My life is unfolding in perfect order.