I express my gratitude......

The ones who know me for a longer time also know that in this day I always try to write something, no matter how I feel.

Because today is a very important day for me. It’s the anniversary of one of my turning points and for all the reasons I must be grateful.

Just knowing that Spirituality’s good can come from life's bad is one of the most liberating concepts in the entire Universe.

After that I learned that Spirituality didn't require me to strictly follow the rules of a particular "religion" acting out all sorts of rituals and traditional religious rites of passage... sure those things are wonderful, when they have meaning to the individual acting them out... but what Spirituality really wanted from me was a "Relationship"... wanted ME, what was in MY heart! Wanted to change me from the inside out, create within me the ability to grow into a better person…

“Do not worry about what the world wants of you. Worry about what makes you come alive because what the world needs is people who are more alive.”

~ Lawrence LeShan

Namasté!

feeling.....

typography......

I'm grateful..... I express my gratitude and rejoice....

The ones who know me for a longer time also know that every year on this day I make a post.

And why.... because today is a very important day for me.

It’s the anniversary of one of my turning points which I always celebrate.

For all the reasons I must be grateful. Sometimes life makes me forget that… but the Universe always brings me back to REJOICE. 

So from the heart, with feelings, I express my gratitude:

for my life...
for the present moment...
for the alters ever going forward...
for my thoughts that let me to produce…
for my inner discovering how to be alive...
for my career, and for the confidence I find in myself while working…
for sitting in meditation and paying attention to my breath...
for my prayers although my personal accepting...
for my time in quiet and in move all over space...
for the smell of incense burning...
for my current blessings…
for receiving many more…
for today...
for the sleep...
for the water...
for the air…
for the wind bursting through time...
for the colours...
for the flowers...
for the blue open sky...
for the beautiful, tall, green trees…
for the sound of rain...
for the clouds and how they are never similar...
for the oceans…
for the beautiful waves, and the sandy beaches…
for the sunshine…
for the star light and the moon light…
for my new life...
for my smile...
for keeping the ability to walk…
for keeping my hands...
for my friends...
for my blog, that has offered for me a way to make friends, make my self confidence, discover about myself and others…
for my family circle, always supporting and being behind me…
for my love, always besides me...

and of course, forever for the laugh.............

Namasté! 

I'm made of dreams and memories.......

participating in the Azorean Holy Spirit Cult…..

Due to some reasons, on the week of July 17th to July 24th I’ve participated as one of the main figures in the Azorean Holy Spirit Cult with my nephew W being the steward.

Being a brother of the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of Lameirinho, W had the honour of being chosen to hold the Crown for one year. That period of time would end with a Coronation and a “Função”, where all the family and friends would participate.
Being in Canada, so far away and having a new baby to take care of (my niece was born at that time), my sister and her husband decided that the Crown would stay at my home for the year and than returned to the Brotherhood.
W was 6 years old at the time and there wasn't much that he could do...

But this was an unfinished business… so we all decided that it was time to finish it.

I guess some of you might be curious about this Cult so despite the long post and taking the risk of some get bored, I will try to explain it and showing some pictures of what we’ve done.

We, the Azoreans, were brought up revering the cult of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit Cult.
It is a cult of the people, made by the people and for the people, a religious democracy.

Linked to Franciscan mysticism and the charitable spirit of Queen St. Elizabeth of Portugal (14th c.), the Festivals of the Holy Spirit came to the Azores with the first settlers.
The invocation of the Holy Spirit at the time of the natural catastrophes that struck the archipelago and the fame of the consequent miracles, together with the hard life and isolation of the islands, all contributed to making the devotion sink deep roots and persist in the Azores although it has disappeared in Portugal mainland with rare exceptions.

Moreover, Azorean emigrants carried the devotion to Brazil, America and Africa, where the old ceremonies are now repeated in all their traditional splendour. The Holy Spirit Festivals are also held in Hawaii, where there is a large Azorean community.

The organization of the cult, despite small variations between the islands and the emigrant communities, is based on the following structures:

Symbols

The Crown and Sceptre on a Plate, all silver made and also the Flag.

The Crown consists of three individual pieces. The Sceptre of the Crown is accented by a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Crown has a double significance: first, it represents the supreme dominion of the Holy Spirit and second, the Crown represents the royalty. The Plate, serving as a stand for the Crown and the Sceptre, represents the people. As a plate holds food which is given to the hungry, we are called to actively serve. Not only to be touched by God’s Holy Spirit, but to see that divine transformation into the visible reality of serving others in their spiritual, physical and emotional needs.




The Flag’s symbol is the white dove and the seven coloured ribbons, which are tied on the top of the flag, represent the seven divine gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Advise, Fortitude, Science, Piety and Fear of God.

The brotherhood

The brotherhood is the core organization of the cult. It is composed of brothers (men, women and children) who voluntarily enter and are equal in rights and duties. They have the task of organizing the festivities.

The Steward

It is one of the brothers who has been chosen to be responsible for the organization of the festivities. The choice is usually made by the withdrawal of paper tickets: a name is written, the paper wrapped and placed in a bag or hat from which the tickets are drawn by a child. Most sororities allow stewards to volunteer: they organize the festivity as a way of fulfilling their promise to receive a special grace of the Holy Spirit.

The Empire

Each fellowship is structured around an Empire of the Holy Spirit, usually a small building with distinctive architecture around which the activities of worship take place.

The architecture of Empires varies greatly from island to island.

The Coronation

The flag of the Holy Spirit and the Crown are taken to the house of the steward. Having arrived at the house of the steward, the crown is placed on a reinforced wooden throne covered with white paper and flowers that is on display all week. Before placing the crown on the throne, the sceptre is kissed, the sign of the cross is done and the forehead is touched with the sceptre. Every night, the neighbours and guests gather to recite the rosary and prayer in honour of the Divine Holy Spirit. On the following Sunday, the crown is taken again in procession to the church and are received by the parish priest at the door. The "coronation" ceremony is then held in the parish church, the crown is placed on the head of a child or adult - the "emperor" - who carries in procession the symbols of his dignity.

Our Throne

Waiting for the priest

After the Coronation

The “Função”

“Função” is a ritual meal served to a large group of guests by one of the brothers who was chosen to be steward or as a result of vote or promise. The meal consists of the Holy Spirit soup with the cooked meat, potatoes, vegetables and different pork sausages, “Alcatra” (a traditional meat dish), cornbread, bread made of water, sweet bread, wine and sometimes rice pudding. It is held on Sunday after the brother’s coronation.

At the place with the Symbols

The "Alcatra"

Rice Pudding decorated

Hubby and I

The Festivals of the Holy Spirit extend from Whit Sunday to the end of the Summer, spreading Joy all over the island.

I felt changed, it was a week full of wonderful experiences in a spiritual aura.

Namasté

searching fashion.....

source Photobucket

some of my thoughts about Forgiveness…..

I already told you that because of some sort of things that have been happening in my life I have been thinking much about Forgiveness. So I thought it was a good time to explore some thought.
(Sorry for the long post)

Every day I live and I learn from life, the more it reinforces me the understanding that forgiveness goes well beyond an attitude localized and isolated, it approaches an exercise. It is a set of attitudes that we take and re-evaluate, building new interpretations of life, discovering and choosing new angles. Forgiveness is part of a series of internal and external actions and needs time to settle.

Once I read a phrase that made me thinking about the deeper meaning of forgiveness: "True forgiveness is to give up hope that the past was different."
So it's not open the door of my house and my life for those who did me wrong? Not to forget the past? Well, the forgiveness that opens the heart is one that recognizes that the past is over and that nothing can change it. Only the well lived present can insert new tracks on this road. Forgiveness includes the need to recognize that we also did what could be done, we realized what to do, within the possibilities we glimpsed: self-forgiveness. Recognizing we are humans, susceptible to error and correct them in trying to learn.

The hurts of the past hold us and make us fear the future, removing the power of the present and the opening to live it. They take place in our closed hearts, making it difficult for other emotions, other stories, other life experiences can flourish. A heart so full like this is a heart that approaches reality only by half. Then we become bitter, not only by the experiences of grief, but also by the closure created that causes our emotional life wither, and together our joy, our willingness, our creative impulse.

This is not about sweeping the dust under the carpet. Forgive is not Forget. It is actually an exercise to see and feel this dust of the past, identify where it comes from and where it is. And then start to clean it if necessary to seek help for it to use all available resources to clean the house and open it to the fresh breeze of new times. A heart that opens to recognize and address their grievances is a free heart to beat again in the rhythm of the emotions that arise here and now.


I’ve said that we must acknowledge our scars as combat marks, but without heaviness and pain.
But why do I still feel that about some things I’m not yet ready to forgive????

Namasté!

have you ever had the feeling….

…that you have been used and then got dumped?

please help me….

I’m really confused and have been thinking about the issue that is the information that I, as a fashion blogger, usually publish about the clothes of an outfit, naming the brands and having no compensation for that.

Should I continue doing that because it might open some doors and it is information or should I stop doing it, since I’m not rewarded for that?????

I'm on the edge..... and this can be a turning on my blog....

I’ve made a pool on the Facebook page, so please go there to vote and leave your insight there or even here.

Thank you so much for your help!!!!!

project suggestions in Behavioral Science you may try...

As many of you know I've a university degree in Social Sciences, so I thought interesting to talk a bit about some science project centered on behavioral science.

Whenever you desire to develop a science project centered on behavioral science, you could very well try to experiment whether or not your feelings can change the feeling of other persons, review live and virtual knowledge, or test whether visual or audio media is easier to recall.

Unlike earth or physical science, behavioral science isn’t commonly taken up in secondary school. Even so, it’s a remarkable subject and several learners can simply consider it interesting. In case you’re thinking about dealing with this topic in one of your science fair projects, here are a few research project ideas.

Experiment if your temper is affected by the mood of other individuals

Have you ever usually thought about if your own emotional state has an effect on the mood of other people? One good test you can do to check this out would be to walk to a playground or any other public and very busy spot with a serious face. Observe how many people smile at you. Walk around the same destination once again however this time try to become cheerful at anyone you see. Document how many people smile back at you and also assess the end results. You must gather related records in a number of situations right before you could possibly obtain any specific results. For example, you could try gaining observations on different days.

Examine live and electronic learning

In these days, you might find great new methods of learning which go beyond the school room walls. One example is distance education options wherein university students enjoy recorded footage of lectures. Be sure to examine the results of this particular type of education and learning to the traditional, face-to-face method of teaching. To carry out a great test on this, make sure you ask a mentor to give a discussion with a large group of pupils. Secure a record of the professor’s discussion, then again you should never provide any queries or discussions in between the mentor and his / her learners. After the session, give a quick test about the subject matter to the students who were present at the live discussion. Do it again the same method with another number of pupils but, instead of getting them focus on a live session, make them watch the taped discussion. Make certain that the pupils you pick as participants are at the equal academic stage. Evaluate the results of the tests to clarify if there are certainly any substantial variances between the academic techniques.

Behavioral science is definitely a unique reference of subject matter which you can use for your own science project. Be sure to choose a topic area that you are personally focused on.

I have a Guest Post I did, published…..

I was kindly invited by Aris, the Personal Growth Guides site’s owner to write a Guest Article to be published on the site.

So under the title “The Meaning of Life is Living It”, I did it.

Thank you so much Aris for this opportunity and if you, my dear readers and blogging friends, are interested in reading it you can do it here.

another reading I brought from Toronto.....

The latest fashionista reading, Harper's Bazaar Fashion: Your Guide to Personal Style.

It includes fashionista's and fashionisto's input from DvF, John Galliano and more. Also there will be featured quotes and illustrations from Karl Lagerfeld, Vera Wang and Michael Kors to name a few.

Here are some personal quotes from Frida Giannini and Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana:

"Personal style is about taking classic pieces and reinterpreting them to make them your own. A special ocelot-print coat and chic minibag, for example, can transform a tailored pair of jeans into something uniquely personal."- Frida Giannini

"Style is personality. It's having the ability to look at things beyond fashion and the self-confidence to transform even the simplest thing into something special. It is a natural quality you cannot learn and there are no rules to follow."- Domenico Dolce

No, I haven't finished it yet.......

currently reading....

.... something that popped from my Christmas sock.

from FOF..... Young at heart (and mind)

Today on a round trough some blogs, I read this post that I felt so related that I couldn't let it pass without sharing with my dear readers and blogging friends.

It starts like this:

''I am getting sick and tired of hearing we are the generation that doesn’t want to get old. An article on the front page of The New York Times yesterday, notes: Though members of other generations may say that it’s time to get over yourself by the time you reach 65, Boomers have no “intention of ceding to others what they consider rightfully theirs: youth.”

And it continues:

Bull. What we have no intention of ceding is our energy, drive, passion, curiosity; in other words, everything that defines us and will define us until the last boomer lays his or head down to die.
Of course, we don’t want to get old, even if we know that’s where we’re headed. More importantly, we don’t want to act old and think old. If our grandmothers looked old at 50 and headed straight for the rocking chair, we’d prefer to look the best we can, with the same enthusiasm for living we’ve had all along.
We’re not trying to compete with the young or deny them a thing. The future is theirs and they have plenty of time to work their magic. But we still have a few tricks up our sleeves.''

I completely agree with what is said and what about you, any insights????

source: FOF

hide me......

what I'm needing now is.....

Inner Peace

when will it be good enough….

These last days I’ve been living in the corporate uniform, smart pants, a button down shirt and some heels. Boring…..

Actually I totally admit you aren't going to see any revolutionary outfits on here. It was never my goal such thing.
One I’m a working woman in an office, two I have no skills nor body for that, three I have my budget….

When I started this blog my goal was to learn… filled with thirst for information, I published all my outfits, everyday, to see my mistakes but also to see my good ideas.

As I was realizing some aspects and learning something the perfectionist in me started to appear.
And instead of feeling confident with what I knew now I find myself more and more insecure if a look is worth to publish.
Because I would very much like if I could inspire some readers to add a scarf, a fun pair of shoes or belted something, even just so they realize it is okay to have a basic pair of black pants to toss on from time-to-time.
But for that I must try to overlook that perfectionist in me that says “no, this is not good enough”…
But what is “good enough”?????? Who is the jury of that????
I see so much street style fashion with looks similar to mines but the perfectionist wants more.
So what the perfectionist takes is NOTHING!!!!

Maybe it’s because the leaves are falling, maybe it’s because the economy is bad, maybe it’s because our government measures include taking a percentage from my income…. But I’m feeling in a crisis…

Nevertheless maybe I’ll reach the day that I’ll tell to myself “I AM WORTH”!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today it’s a holiday, we are celebrating the Republic centenary, so I dressed more casual and the weather started to chill a bit, thus a jacket felt already comfy.

beige flats - Zara

kamel pants with boyfriend belt - Zara (on-line)

gray shirt - Zara

navy blue jacket - La Redoute

brown hat - mainland store

necklace - Parfois

brown bag - Stradivarius

establishing values is important...

Values are psychological and intangible in nature. Our value system may be taught to us by our parents or people who matter to us. Our values may be the results of past experiences, education and knowledge or conceived from a religious conviction. Although values are not physical objects that we can easily see or touch, they can be manifested in many other ways. Our personal values are reflected in the way we behave, in our priorities, in how we go about our activities in daily life, in the decisions we make and in how we respond to and solve issues that come our way.

Values can significantly affect the different aspects of your life. Your value system may influence how you make decisions from trivial choices to life-changing ones. When your decisions are consistent with your value system, you feel satisfied and content. On the other hand, when you do something that is contrary to what you believe in, you tend to become restless and uneasy.

A person’s values reveal what is important. They become an essential driving force in a person’s life and may serve as a guide for him as he goes through with his daily activities. For instance, a man who values his family and his responsibilities to his blood relations will make decisions that benefit the members of his household. His life’s direction and his goals will be in line with his concern for his family. It is also the same in the case of organizations. A company’s value system serves as a guide for management and for employees to base decisions they make and their approach to work.

Without values we will all function like robots, unfeeling and insensitive to other things beyond our own basic needs. We will not value truths or hold anything meaningful in life, nor will we strive to put purpose and meaning to our existence. Your values define you as a human being and give color and meaning to your life. They make you different from non-living things. Values also give you a sense of purpose and teach you to be responsible for your decisions and to effectively deal with other people.
Although values are intangible, they are actually a very important part of a person’s life. This is the reason why there are many people who are willing to sacrifice or devote their lives to the values that they hold dear.

fear...