yoga girl update.

almost there! in just two weeks i will be finished with my master's program, which means i'll be back here full-time blogging and sharing my thoughts and creations with you. i have to admit, i've missed this part of my life for the past two months. but something had to give in order to manage the other demands.

in the midst of all those demands, i was able to bust out another yoga girl design. check her out below and over at the store. she looks quite beautiful in her warrior II (virabhadrasana) pose. she would have been posted to the store sooner except that my artist boyfriend strongly recommended that i adjust the proportions of her head and body (thank you AJD!).

since i posted this new design, several of you out there are already wearing it! in fact, many of you from across the globe are sporting yoga girl apparel - from greece to spain to brazil and, of course, right here in the U.S. i'm tickled to know that so many of you are fond of the yoga girl designs.

and as you know, 100% of the proceeds of all yoga girl apparel is donated to an organization that i firmly believe in and support, off the mat into the world. i encourage you all to check out their website as well as make your own donation, if possible.

it's important to keep the idea of doing for others in mind as we go through life. giving back to your community or an organization in any way that you can, whether that be through donations of your time or your monies, is something everyone should incorporate into their lives.

i recently stumbled upon this quote by albert pike that speaks very much to this way of living:

"what we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."

peace my friends!

smitten.

i'm smitten over smitten kitchen—my new favorite food blog that a friend recommended to me. her recipes are so creative. and don't get me started on her photography. all of the pictures she takes and posts make me want to eat my computer screen!

this photo below is my attempt at her shaved asparagus pizza...

i don't have much time for cookin' these days since i'm focused on finishing grad school this summer. but this recipe was so tempting that one sunny sunday afternoon i made the pizza...and from scratch to boot! and boy oh boy was it was delicious! who would have thought to shave asparagus?

i ended up using a different recipe for the pizza crust then the one she suggests. i wanted a whole wheat dough. so i went with this one from eating well and added some fresh herbs from the garden. it made enough for a few more pizzas, so i froze the rest to use for a later date.

her blog is definitely worth checking out. right now i'm drooling over her chocolate doughnut holes...

a tale of 2 farm shares.

i'm so excited to share with you all a little project that i've been working on for a friend and her girlfriend. they asked me to help them design a template for their blog, a tale of 2 farm shares. you can view the design and their blog here: http://twofarmshares.blogspot.com

denise and ruth, the authors of a tale of 2 farm shares are two amazingly skilled women who are fabulous cooks! i encourage you all to follow them over the next 20 weeks to see how they figure out how to put to use the farm shares that they've purchased to feed their families.

i am certain that you will not only find some very delicious and very creative recipes on their blog, but you will also enjoy their commentary and humor as they figure out what to do with some of the wildest of vegetables!

saluting the sun.

:: ashley h., ryt at south end studio, vt ::

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with hands in prayer i face the sun, feeling love and joy in my heart.

i reach out and let the sun fill me with warmth.

i bow before the sun's radiance and place my face to the ground in humble respect.

i lift my face to the sun and then remember, to achieve such heights,
i must be as the dust of the earth.

i stretch up toward its light trying to reach the greatest heights, and again surrender.

i stand tall as i remember the true sun is within me.

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i see this poem hanging on the wall every day i walk into yogabody studio, where i practice yoga several times a week. most days i don't stop to read it line by line, but the other day i gave a copy of this poem to my sister, which is from the himalayan institute, for her to hang on her wall, and i found myself reading it, and appreciating it all over again.

the photo above is of my sister's good friend, ashley, who teaches ashtanga yoga up in vermont. when i came across this picture of her, it seemed so fitting to post along with the poem, and she so graciously accepted my request to post it here to share with you. enjoy and namaste my friends!

my purple shamrock.

i had only heard of green shamrocks until a recent road trip with a friend led me to this beauty in a greenhouse. she (yes, it's a she!) seems to be doing very well by the window in my kitchen.

i'm amazed that she's still alive and that my cat, izzy, hasn't chewed off any leaves yet. i don't think izzy is a fan of the shamrock as much as i am.

i'm hoping to have more of a green thumb this summer so i can plant some herbs, both inside and outside.  until then, i'm content on just admiring my purple shamrock... 

p.s. i would LOVE and appreciate any recommendations for websites and/or books about growing your own herbs. i'm currently reading, edible herbs, a book that i got with a friend. but i'm on the hunt for more resources. so send me your suggestions!

10 thoughts.

1 :: find a few minutes each day to completely unplug.

2 :: giving to others is the most powerful thing we can do for ourselves.

3 :: see physical fitness as a practice, not a goal.

4 :: make it a point to heed your need for solitude.

5 :: the secret to beautiful skin starts with what you put inside your body.

6 :: try doing even the menial tasks mindfully and with grace.

7 :: the quality of your connections with other people will carry you further than you think.

8 :: just because a no-frills home remedy is simple doesn't mean it won't work.

9 :: if you want to eat healthier, try giving yourself the benefit of better choices.

10 :: home isn't a place. it's a state of mind.


from the nov. 2009 issue of body + soul.