The 12 Days of Thanksgiving

We hear so much about 'the true meaning of Christmas', but what about the true meaning of Thanksgiving? Is there more to turkey day than turkey? Or football? I think so, however, it can get so easy to forget to simply be grateful, especially during this special holiday set aside for just that. So I'm proposing 12 days of Thanksgiving. Starting TODAY (or when you can), do one of these each day (or as many as you can) until Thanksgiving. I believe an attitude of gratitude can really change your life, and even the world. 

1) Write 3 "snail-mail" letters expressing gratitude for special people in your life.

2) Deliver goodies (secretly or in person) to someone just to thank them for who they are.

3) Write down 25 blessings you see in your life despite a current trial or hardship.

4) Call someone on the phone (not a text!) for the sole purpose of thanking them for being in your life.

5) Write a fire station, police force, your mail carrier, or someone else who gives public service, thanking them for their time and dedication.

6) Sincerely thank (with a smile and eye contact) someone you associate with regularly, but don't consider family or a friend (such as a co-worker, class-mate...etc).

7) Do a simple act of service for a family member.

8) Do a simple act of service to better your community (volunteer time, pick up litter, meet your neighbor, don't gossip...)

9) Meditate, or say a prayer, reflecting only on what you are most grateful for, rather than your what you need or where you fall short.

10) Give a hug.

11) Share what you are sincerely grateful for on a social media network.

12) Share with someone how being grateful has changed your life

Let's change the world, one bit of gratitude at a time :)

Cutting Your Own Pixie Cut!

Here are a series of demo videos of how I cut my own hair! Sorry for the badish video quality, and the annoying, unedited videos, but I hope you'll be brave and TRY IT!! Don't be a whimp, you know you want to! :)

INTRO

PHASE 1: THE HACK

PHASE 2: THE SHAPE

PHASE 3: THINNING

PHASE 4: STYLING

PROS AND CONS OF CUTTING YOUR OWN PIXIE

Want to CHANGE the World?

Today I've been thinking a lot about changing the world. I kinda want to do it.

Actually, I already am, in the most influential ways.

Before you hit me with the humble stick, let me explain:

This is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. People today seem to be on a quest to influence the world in some monumental way.

There are THOUSANDS, maybe MILLIONS of motivational speakers on the internet, or touring elementary, middle, or high schools, and sharing with the world what they are so passionate about. We've all seen these videos, and been inspired by them. There is a reason they are viral. 

Many have started foundations or organizations to help with a cause they feel strongly about. There are people who have lived incredible lives, overcome incredible odds, or done something extrememly momentous or difficult, being featured in TV interviews, having screen plays written about them, or songs being sung about them.

I think this really is an age of motivation, inspiration, and service.

So many people are finding themselves by doing something amazing for other people...and that is contagious.

I am someone who is SO inspired by these people. I yearn to one day volunteer at an orphanage in a far away country, or help a remote village in a crisis, or dig a well for a community who has been with out water for decades. I would love to help with the aftermath of a natural disaster, or be on-scene to give medical assistance to a child who otherwise had no hope. I would love to just hug and hold my sweet brothers and sisters around the world. Sometimes my heart aches for that.

But I know I have another mission, at least right now. Another mission that I feel is even more important.

I absolutely love these people and organizations that are doing so much. I love what they stand for, and I love how incredibly influential they are in helping and even saving people around the world. 

However, I believe if you truly want to change the world, the best thing you can do is to start at home.

One loving mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparent..etc, can change the life of a child. They can change the atmosphere of a home. They can make their home a haven, not only to their family, but to others. A good parent is changing the world. They influence not only the life of their children, but their children's children and their children. They influence all who know their posterity. You can, and you are, effecting so many for good or ill, by just the way you treat those closest to you.

The funny thing is that we often dream for something "bigger". We chase big dreams. We go on 'soul searching' journeys to distant countries. But sometimes the biggest thing we can do is to start small. To start with the smallest unit we are familiar with...our family.

After we focus on our family, I believe the next group we can have a great affect on is our community. Communities are a collection of various families. When these families become stronger, the entire community grows. You naturally want to be a better neighbor when you feel more love in your home. You look outside yourself. 

There are so many lives that need to be touched in far-off places---other cities, other states, other countries--but what about the lives we can touch right here, wherever you live? What about the neighbors we don't know yet? What about that homeless shelter we've never helped at, or that school that despritely needs volunteers. What about your workplace, school, or block? What can you do to bring people closer and help them feel loved and needed? 

The stronger our families are, the more empowered our communities are. The more we reach out to our community, the stronger are our cities, states, provinces and nations. I belive we can change the world by first changing and loving the lives closest to us. With that said, the problems we see in the world are really a reflection of the loss of core values in communities and families. 

The world needs us to be loving parents, brother, sisters, and grandparents. The future depends on kind neighbors, people who are aware of other's needs, and soft words rather than anger. 

Want to change the world? Me to! 

I challenge you to do two things. Just two.

1) Serve someone in your family everyday for 30 days.

(Make someone's bed, make a meal, clean something without being asked, end an argument, buy a gift, tell someone you love them, put the toothpast cap back on, do the shopping, ask someone what you can do for them, listen, give a head massage, do their favorite hobby with them...etc.)

2) Commit to do one thing to better your community this month.

(Volunteer at a school, homeless shelter, or animal shelter. Give gift cards or waterbottles to a beggar. Meet your neighbors, and invite them over. Pick up litter. Say hello. Donate to a community charity. Volunteer at a local event..etc)

I know you will be amazed at how you change, and how you can be empowered to change lives around you. 

DO IT!

I love my little family! There are never ending opportunities to love and serve them!

The Best Birthday Gift

I'm actually blogging! Whaaa?! 

Yes, it is true. I wanted to share something wonderful. 

Today is my birthday! WHOOOO!

 Getting older makes me a lot more contemplative about each August 29th. I mean, I'm not going to go to Chucky Cheeses, or have a Frozen themed party like I might have if I was turning 5. I have a family now, so I'm not going to go all crazy with the spending either, just because "it's my party, and I can do what I want to." I mean, lets face it, 30 is coming like an endorphin-spiked Kenyan runner zooming around the track. I'm not getting any younger--and that's why I want to make every moment count. 

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to make my birthday special...but not special in the "please spoil me, because I was born" kind of special...special in the life changing way. 

I decided to dedicate my day to serving others. Since I turned 27, I decided to do 27 random acts of kindness. 

It was so fun! First, it stopped me from thinking about myself. I'll be honest, I've had some real Pity Party/Whoa-is-me birthdays in the past, but this was the best antidote. 

It became like a quest: "I wonder who I can help here?"

"Can I do anything for that woman?"

It really has been one of my best birthdays yet! I am so grateful for this opportunity to excitedly look outside myself. Maybe I'll do this once every few weeks.

My 27 Random Acts of Kindness:

1) I woke up early (NOT easy for me! I was actually sleeping well!) and made my husband lunch before work.

2) I wrote a "Thanks for giving birth to me" card to my mom. (Mom, I hope you don't read this post until AFTER you get it :)  )

3) I gave my little guy A LOT of laundry basket rides. (Okay, let me explain. These are his fav. He sits in the basket, and I sprint, pushing him around the house. It is A WORKOUT, so I usually can't do it very long...but I did today!)

4) Picked up 57 pieces of litter while on my run. (Seriously. I actually counted that as three 'random acts.')

7) Picked up garbage that had fallen out of neighbor's car.

8) Wrote a thank you note to the mailman.

9) Had a great conversation with a lady at Ross. It was fun and genuine.

10) Complimented a random person's shirt.

11) Got Max all buckled in and ready to run to the store, when he fell asleep. Normally I would have gone anyway, waking him up, but I drove around the parking lot, parked back in my spot, and carried him up to bed.

12) Shared a scripture that I read this morning with a friend.

13) Gave a comforting text to a friend in need.

14) Wrote a comforting e-mail to a friend in need.

15) Contacted a friend I haven't talked to in over a decade.

16) Found an ancestor named Nancy Tate on Family Search who needed her temple work done (Follow links for more information about temples and temple work for the dead. In a nutshell, as  member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe that we are all able to make choices for ourselves, and that is a wonderful gift from God. We also believe the family is central to God's plan and that through covenants, or promises we make with God, we can live in God's presence with our families forever. For our ancestors who have passed away before they have had the opportunity to make these covenants, we do proxy work, such as baptism, in their behalf in our temples. They then can accept or reject what we have done).

17) Found another ancestor named Caroline Haas who also needs her temple work done.

18) Complimented Walgreen's employee's hair, and had a great conversation.

19) Filled the car up! (I usually forget...)

20) Gave a $5 Starbuck's card my husband got from a student to a homeless man.

21-27) Wrote handwritten letters to family and friends!

I am certainly not trying to boast about all the acts of kindness I did, I just want to share the committment I made that made my day so special! I challege everyone to do the same on their next birthday. Give a gift to everyone around you, and to yourself in return! 

DO IT! I triple-dog-dare you!

The More You GIVE, The More You HAVE

Consider this the sequel to my last post. 

Here comes the WHY.

Anne Frank once said, 

"No one has ever become poor by giving."

Amen Anne! 

I've never been good at math. In fact, I've always been pretty terrible at it. For example, in elementary school, I just wrote down completely random numbers when ever we did those timed math quizzes. Totally random. I think I got one point for my name, that that was it. I might be competitive, but math just isn't my thing, trust me.

So of course, it would seem like a complete "Ariel math-error" when I say the more I GIVE, the more I HAVE, right?

Wrong.

It doesn't always make sense on paper, but I know we have been blessed in powerful, because we were willing to give what we had away. 

Something sacred happens when you become a giver. Gratitude becomes more natural. You become aware of other's needs, and you are blessed to make more with what you have. 

Let me explain. 

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe in the law of tithing. This is a commandment that was practiced anciently (see Genesis 14:7-10), and that we happily continue today. Literally tithe means tenth. We view it as a sacred privilege to give 10% of our income to the Lord. 

This money is then used to build churches, print scriptures, and further the Lord's work in other ways. 

(We pay tithing by filing out a form, putting money in an envelope, and giving it to our bishop.)

In addition to paying tithing, we also give of our substance to help the needy. Once a month we fast, or go without food or drink, for two consecutive meals. We then give the money we would have spent on these meals to the church, or as generous of an amount we can, to care for those who are poor and in need. These are called fast offerings. 

Paying tithing and fast offerings has blessed my life in incredible ways. Literally, we have been blessed with more. It doesn't make sense on paper--and it's not just because of my bad math skills--but time and time again, we have more than enough money even after paying the Lord. We have also been blessed to do more with what we have left. And those are just the temporal blessings. The spiritual blessings are endless. In Malachi chapter 3, it says that the windows of heaven will be poured down as we pay out tithes and offerings. I feel like there has been a spiritual flood in the Cole household. 

I feel strongly that it isn't about the money, it's about faith. Faith that blessing come as you gratefully give of what you have. Faith that regardless of the size of your paycheck, you can help someone, and make the world a better place. 

(I absolutely love the story of the widow's mite. She gave all she had, the amount was of little value. It doesn't matter at all how much we make, or even how much we give in a monetary way.)

Giving is an attitude. In this age of entitlement, giving freely to others does something significant and miraculous to your heart. It changes you. 

If you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I'm not saying you have to start giving 10% and then some to a religious organization. Just give of yourself. Giving of your time, talents, energy and resources is just as important as giving money. When it's all said and done, the only real thing you can give is you.

The formula for money works the same way for other areas:

-Want more time, or want to feel more accomplished with the time you have? Give some time to help someone in need. Show sincere love to a family member. Help a neighbor. Don't walk past the elderly woman struggling with her groceries. You'll feel more productive and you'll be able to accomplish more! 

-Want to increase your talents? Share them! Teach someone a skill! Tutor! Volunteer! Help someone serve you by having them teach you something. 

-Want more energy? Look outside of yourself. Want to feel happier? Find someone to help. Want more friends? BE A FRIEND! I can guarantee there is always someone nearby wishing they had more close friends. 

The list could go on and on. I promise the more you serve, the more meaningful you'll life will be--financially, spiritually, emotionally, socially---lets just say every aspect of your life will be blessed as you sincerely give to others. 

How has giving blessed your life?

My Modern Miracles

I wasn't going to blog today. It's no secret that blogging isn't really a high priority in my life....especially lately. Today, however, I couldn't get blogging off my mind.

There is just something I need to write about.

I believe in God. 

If you follow my blog, or know me personally, that is not a surprise.

Not only do I believe in a higher power, a Heavenly Father, but I am a firm believer in miracles. As I went about my lovely Saturday, I couldn't help but count the miracles I've seen in the past few months, and I couldn't think of a better time to share them than Easter weekend, the time we celebrate the greatest of all miracles in the history of the world!

I believe each of these miracles is a tender mercy, or precious blessing, from my Savior Jesus Christ. His love for mankind enables us to do incredible things. It gives us power. I have seen, especially lately, that He can make so much more of our lives than we can. 

Let me explain.

For almost 8 months last year (and 1 month this year), we haven't had any income. My husband was finishing school, and although I illustrate as much as I can, we feel strongly that I need to be a stay at home mom. While this may seem like a dire situation to some, we have not only been generously blessed to have enough, but to make better use of what we have.

I can't really explain adequately how life changing these months were for us. I have felt my Heavenly Father's love stronger than I ever have, and I know more than I have in the past that He has a plan for me.

Here are a few of the specific miracles we've seen:

1) The most obvious is that we were blessed with enough financially, and still had a saving account when my husband got a job. We were (and are) nearly debt-free (our only debt--including car, medical..etc, is a small student load that will be payed off this year) This is a HUGE blessing!!

2) I was blessed with peace. This is not a small miracle, and I do not want to look over it's significance. In a time when it might be easy to loose hope, or feel abandoned, or to feel angry at my spouse, I felt great peace. I knew things would workout, and, in an incredibly powerful way, I knew God was watching over me.

3) I learned how to cut my own hair. This is totally a miracle! I decided our money would be better spent in other ways than by me getting haircuts every 6-8 weeks (in order to prevent the lovely mullet that loves to pop up when you have short hair), so after a quick Youtube tutorial, I began to snip, snip. The first few times I cut my knuckles, but after that I got much more coordinated, and it got easier. I learned to thin my hair with a shaving razor or scissors, and, I liked it just as well as when I got it done professionally. Do not be mistaken and think I am an expert self-haircutter...but my hair, and the style I cut, are really forgiving. (Let me add here that I am growing out my pixie cut, and due to an incredible awkward stage, plan on treating myself to a *real* haircut soon. So, I'm not saying this self-cut stage will last forever, but it was a wonderful blessing and penny saver when I figured it out.)

4) Learned to make many things from scratch. This has really been one of the largest blessings. I feel like the Lord was saying "Let me help you learn how to be more self-reliant so you can use your precious funds in other ways." Some of the things I learned to make are:

-Headbands from old t-shirts (I'll never buy them again! Look it up on Pinterest, but I just cut a strip off the t-shirt and loop it around my head twice. Works great, especially for awkward hair days or weeks. I also had some running compression shorts I cut a strip off near at the leg, and it made a perfect band for working out, that won't slip.)

(Max looks so happy to be a model:) )

-Yogurt (Seriously! It turned out perfectly the first time!)

-Hummus

-Granola (I don't buy cold cereal for myself anymore, and I make refined sugar-free granola with flax seed! Yum!)

-*Wonderful* cookies with few ingredients (based on the husband's, and the neighbor's cookie standards :) )

-Household cleaner (I just use vinegar for disinfectant and baking soda for a gritty cleanser! Another thing I will never buy)

-Facial cleanser (I have always had really oily skin that is prone to breakouts. Whoever said acne is just for teens is WRONG! Anyway, I have been washing my face with honey and using a gently baking soda paste exfoliator, and my skin is better than it has been in a long time!)

-Decor. This is partly because I am artistic, but I just have never been able to justify spending a lot of money (or any money) on interior decor. I am also really into the "country eclectic" look, which is really fun for me to experiment with. For example, I reuse glass jars and dry goods canisters, and made all my christmas decorations from paper and old cards.

(DIY table decor. Q actually made me the paper flowers when we were dating in college)

(Part of my kitchen counter)

(Behold, my lovely granola)

5) My cooking has improved, and I have developed a passion for cooking, baking and healthy eating. This may not seem like a big deal, but trying to be more frugal forced me to start making everything from scratch. I really made almost everything from scratch before, but in the past few months I got much better, and I was literally able to make more with less. Sometimes I would feel a specific inspiration to know what to make for dinner with very few ingredients, and it ended up being one of our new favorites. I got more efficient, and also learned to plan better. I plan all my meals for 2 weeks to a month, and then try to shop less often, buying more when I go. I buy a lot of what is on sale and freeze it (sounds simple, but it really never occurred to me before), and, as a result, I have really chiseled down our grocery bill.

(Max enjoying a 'green drink')

6) FITNESSBLENDER.COM! This might seem like a little unconventional miracle, but it is a very real act of divine intervention to me. I am an avid runner. I love running, like really love running. I've mentioned in past posts that since we moved to a more metropolitan area that isn't safe to run in (unless I drive somewhere first), it has been hard to run more than once a week. However, I discovered fitnessblender.com, which is an amazing exercise site/program founded by a husband and wife. The videos range from extreme "I want to cry", to light yoga-inspired stretching. This is such a blessing because I am able to get in an intense workout during Max's nap. I've also really improved! The workouts range from level 1-5, and at first, I would do mostly level 3, and some 4s. Now I pretty much exclusively do level 5, with an occasional 4. And the most amazing thing is that my running hasn't suffered! I am still able to run 6-8 miles on a Saturday with out a problem, and I've noticed my 'kick' and turnover have improved as well.

7) Wonderful friends and neighbors. We've been blessed to meet amazing people while we've been here, that have really blessed our lives. We feel like we needed to be here for specific people, both to touch their lives, and to be influenced and blessed by them!

8) I could write about miracles we've seen all day! Here are a few others:
-Before we moved we went to the dentist. My hub was told he had 7 (!) cavities, but we moved the next day and then didn't have insurance for 8 months, so he never made it back to the dentist until last week. He came home reporting that he has 2 cavities, not 7! Wow! That is a miracle!!

- We rented a modem for our internet before we moved, and they were supposed to send us a label to send it back. They never did, so 8 months later we got a rather large bill. Miraculously, after explaining everything they waived all charges and we didn't have to pay a cent!

-Our marriage has grown stronger than ever. I am so grateful for my sweet husband! It would be so easy to blame him, but we decided to be grateful, and I am so happy we made that decision. I don't know what trials lay in store for us in the future, but I am certain they will only weld us closer and closer as a couple.

(My incredible, hardworking husband, and adorable little boy!)

- I could really go on and on. Some are too personal to share, but they are all so real to me. This period of our lives has been such a blessing, I hope in some way, this has helped you in your life, whatever your personal situation.

I believe in miracles. I know that God is aware of us and our circumstances! He is anxious to help. I know that the more we look for miracles in our lives, the more we see. What miracles have you seen lately?

Don't Say "I Could Do That!"

I feel like venting for a second. 

..Or for a few paragraphs.

I have an artistic pet-peeve. 

People think 'simple' art is "easy" or "bad." For example, if I had a dollar for every time I heard "I could do that" or worse, "I could do better than that," in reference to a children's book illustration, a fine art piece, or really any kind of art, I would be a rich woman.
Now, I am going to make it clear right here that there are a lot of artists that get published that do not design well. But, for the most part, I think most are misunderstanding the beauty of simplicity, expression, and composition. Most artists compose everything. They design the character, the environment, the negative (or empty) space, the text...everything. If it looks simplified, it is because they meant to draw it in that style, not because that is the only way they know how to draw.

 I read in a book once that children typically draw really expressive and creative until they hit about 10-12. Then, they develop this fascination with realism. They want everything they draw to look like it does in their mind, or in real life. They get frustrated when doesn't, and they loose their passion for creating for the sake of creating. Who cares if a 4-year-old draws her mom with 10 fingers? I bet she had a blast making all those lines! (AND, sadly, many parents, siblings, and teachers also stifle children's creativity at this age by pushing realism. For example "the grass isn't purple," or "That doesn't look like Bobby!" But that is a vent for another day.) (AAAAAND, let me add that I loooove realism, and this is in no way a kabosh against representational art.)
So, according to the book I read, that is why most adults draw like a 10-12 year old. Because that is when they basically gave up. Tragic day.


Wow, that was a side track. I am talking about misunderstand art here.

Here are some examples:

                  A) One of my all-time favorite illustrators is Quentin Blake. He illustrated many of the Roald Dahl books. I am ashamed to admit it, but as a child I really disliked his artwork. I thought it was sloppy. But now, I love the way his marks are so expressive and loose, and they are all beautifully, and simply composed. You can tell he has fun with each illustration. I would really love to hang a print in my home.

                B) Picasso. I think he was artistic genius, but his work--especially his cubist pieces, are definitely over critiqued by the ignorant. 

Pablo Picasso was actually an incredibly skilled realist painter. You can see his progression in early paintings:

But he was passionate about discovering and pushing the envelope. Cubism was the result of finding geometric shapes in the human form, and depicting multiple planes at the same time. 

I love what Lori McNee says, "He learned the illusion of volume then he deliberately learned how to flatten it. It didn’t happen overnight. In fact, he spent his whole life trying to remember how to paint like a child! Despite his childlike painting, there was never a man who explored art more seriously."

Read more: http://www.finearttips.com/2009/03/breaking-the-rules-2/#ixzz2vcqyyBF5

I am a fan of Picasso. I love how he wasn't afraid to change his style as he learned and discovered. 

          C) The KING of the 'bad-art rap' is non-objective or abstract art. This is something I am really passionate about defending, because non-objective art is all about the design and composition, or it is about a specific statement. Of course I don't find all abstract art beautiful. But I'll defend them never the less....
I love making my own non-objective art. It is a stress-relief, especially when I am working on a big project with a lot of people that look like people and so forth. Sometimes it just feels so good to pull a "Jackson Polluck" and get crazy with the paint (or pixels in my case)...

(A painting by Jackson Polluck. He was known for putting a canvas on the floor and throwing paint at it. I don't know about you, but it sounds like a blast. I would love to get paid millions of dollars to do that.)

Here are some other examples of famous shape-oriented pieces that I find beautiful. 

This piece by Josef Albers called Homage to the Square: Confidant is a great example of the beauty of simple shape and careful composition. He demonstrates that colors have value (or a lightness and darkness), and that ordering the values helps emphasize a focal point. I love tidy, neat lines...probably because that isn't usually how I paint. But there is something profoundly beautiful to me about order, and clean, crisp lines. 

This piece by Mark Rothko, No. 13, I would love to hang in my home. I love anytime I see the artist's brushstrokes on their work, because it is like seeing their thought process. I guess it is a little like having a mathematician 'show their work' on paper. I also love the 'torn' paper look with the uneven edges. And, while they are rough and uneven, they still easily communicate 'rectangle.' I also easily find a symbolic meaning with this...the white rectangle seems to be transcending the others...like a spiritual or uplifting experience. 

Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow, Piet Mondrian. I guess I really do have a thing for squares and rectangles, because I just realized all the examples I chose are really geometric. I love the power of contrasts in this piece..the values are controlled well to bring your eye to the red square, then down to the yellow, then to the blue. I also love the variety of the lines..some are thicker and some are shorter. Definitely not a boring painting!

And just to mix it up, here is a more organic one:

This is by Theresa Paden. Check out more of her art at http://www.abstractartistgallery.org/theresa-paden/

The colors and values frame the composition well, and I really enjoy the juicy brushstrokes. Truly a beautiful painting. 

I'm not saying you have to find all art beautiful, just try to understand it. Beautiful compositions take a lot of trial, error, practice and patience to perfect.

And just for fun, here are a few that I did!