Mindy Tsonas Choi

despite this blurry photo (the best i could seem to manage), i am proud to share with you my new color! as part of a  fundraiser  for national breast cancer awareness month this october, i am showing my support by wearing pink...hair that is. how could i resist? i just recently had my very first mamogram. it was routine care, a simple baseline, but my doctor surprisingly found a concerning lump. luckily it turned out to be nothing, but it really made me think about that daunting statistic: one in three women...in some way cancer will touch all of us. so, even if you're not ready to change your hair color you can still  wear pink , or find other ways to show your support. i believe as women we all need to do our part, for ourselves and for the ones we love. and never underestimate the power of  pink !

willow by george*50, flickr "be strong like a willow tree that bends in the wind...the more you fight what's in your way, the more strength you give it." these are words of wisdom that were sent to me this morning, and they really resonated with me. they reminded me that to be strong doesn't mean to be unyeilding; that inner strength is about staying grounded while still swaying and bending with the forces around me. i realize i have been very resistant over the past week. that somehow pushing back against certain things in my life will force change to happen or go the direction i want them to. this just made the opposing energy more challenging, more persistant, and more of a threat of uprooting me. all i really need to do is stand in the wind and feel it's direction to know what to do next. so i am throwing my arms out and letting go of the resistance, and i can already feel the heaviness falling away.

art tree collage ~ listen to the entire sex and the city movie soundtrack for free here with great singles from the weepies, jem, nina simone and more ~ join jamie's book blogging group starting this november as she explore's the book soul coaching ~ if you are local to boston, bring the family to somerville's "what the fluff?" festival this weekend celebrating that iconic sweet stuff of our childhood ~ yes, i've jumped on the bandwagon (have you heard the buzz?) and just got this book ...can't wait to dive into a great fall read ~ in anticipation of the upcoming movie this fall, i've been visiting this fun site more times than i care to admit ~ and while i am confessing, i really want to see this gooey movie too ~ try this fun and easy project to infuse your journal with your own personal style and flair ~ are you all geared up for the new fall t.v. shows? i'll be on the couch shamelessly checking up on mcdreamy and kirby and dell ~

over the weekend my family and i escaped north to the mountains for an impromptu mini vacation. maybe it's been all the yummy pictures and talk about the beauty and magic of squam , or simply the pull of the autumnal equinox , but i was aching for a little change of scenery, some wide open space and some quality time...something more. our time away was so short, but there were so many moments to Be in, some funny, some joyful, some disappointing, some beautiful yet all meaningful and part of the experience, each one becoming a part of the long strand that is my own unique life. this is what caught me by surprise (why i am not sure) ~ that it is all part of the same trajectory, no matter where you are, no matter what you do, every moment is simply an extention of who you are. i guess i expected to feel changed for a while, to feel a little different. i guess that is what i was trying to create. but the universe gave me a gentle nudge and reminded me that it all centers on what

i woke up this morning feeling unrested and subsequently very grouchy (grrr). with a little boy needing me all too early, i didn't have the selfless motivation to brightly rise and shine. not a great way to begin, and i lay in my bed a moment too long stubbornly cursing the persisting sunshine and the day ahead of me. but then finally i said to myself... "self, this doesn't have to mean that the day is completely doomed. you may feel like a rotten mother for feeling tired and frustrated, but it's really o.k...yeah, you probably could have handled the last ten minutes with a little more grace, but you are only human. stop wallowing. you need to forgive yourself and get on with the day. focus on the good stuff, starting right now." loads of coffee and wearing my favorite ribbony shoes absolutely helps.

between... being a mother, and being an individual * getting organized, and boxing myself in * fairytale romance, and everyday love * giving to others, and giving to myself * dreaming big, and real expectations * looking at the past, and moving towards the future * going with the flow, and trying too hard * having what i want, and wanting what i have * routine and rhythm, and making needed changes * working to live, and loving what you do * baby steps, and giant leaps * playing it safe, and being vulnerable * purging and releasing, and filling the well * the love of self, and loving others * playtime, and responsibility * my intentions, and following through * what i know, and what i feel * what i can control, what is out of my hands * forgiving, and forgetting * the whole self, and the sum of all my parts what are you thinking about?

over time i have collected a myriad of inspiring and delicious art and craft supplies. yet so many still sit on my shelves pristine and unopened in their original packaging. of course i buy them with the intention of using them, intoxicated by the endless possibilities of what they can become. often though this feels like a daunting and giant leap of faith, and i end up holding back waiting for the moment when i am sure of how to begin. how i envy the artist's studio that is brimming with living creativity, a whirwind of colors and textures and tools of the trade, the artful process alive and breathing. i would love my studio to be like this...a place of constant creation, messy with ideas and inspiration like an open extention of Me constantly flowing and moving fearlessly toward something beautiful. i seem to get lost in the headiness of it all, the thinking and critiquing, the planning instead of actually doing. i tend to be very measured in everything i do, very organized and p

while i've been gone, summer has been so full and has left me with too much to share, yet nothing really to say. there is a stillness to the overflow that has kept me in a quiet place. life continues to surprise me around every corner and i am holding steady waiting for the dizziness to pass. i am quietly gathering...my energy, my momentum, my intentions; my voice again. i wandered to this post today, and it really helped me put words to some of what i feel. i'll share with you the quote that speaks so clearly to me, as i am sure it will resonate with many of you... "i am one of the searchers. there are, i believe, millions of us. we are not unhappy, but neither are we really content. we continue to explore life, hoping to uncover its ultimate secret. we continue to explore ourselves, hoping to understand. we like to walk along the beach, we are drawn by the ocean, taken by its power, its unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty. we like forests and mountai