The Idea Fairy.

Richard Bach, author of the metaphysical classics, Jonathon Livingston Seagull and Bridge Across Forever, noticed that the Idea Fairy came to him when he was gardening, or flying in a plane. That’s when he’d get his storyline ideas and life solutions.

Call it what you want: the zone, the flow, the magical gap, the illuminating silence…there is a place in space and time where we tend to think and feel most clearly. And in that place, ahaa’s, creative genius, strategies, and revelations tend to flow our way.

THIS WEEK: Identify when and where the Idea Fairy likes to visit you. Notice how solutions enter your being. Maybe it’s when you’re talking to a particular friend or associate (interaction). For Carrie, it’s in her car or on a morning run (movement). For Danielle, it’s in the bathtub or washing the dishes (water). We’ve heard other people’s idea Fairies like to show up after a good meal or great sex, first thing in the morning, or just as they’re drifting off to sleep.

The Idea Fairy can be slightly unpredictable. She won’t always show up when you’re in the zone. But she really appreciates being invited. And when she does appear, you can count on getting some custom-made magic.
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
Carrie & Danielle will be speaking and conducting Style Statements in Dallas April 5 – 8! Check out the Discovering the True You event, sponsored and hosted by Renee Rouleau: http://www.reneerouleau.com/Events/Events.aspx

Mind the sale.

I was shopping once and watched a woman holding up a dress for her man to check out. “What do you think honey?” she asked. “It’s ugly, babe,” he answered. “Yeah, but it’s 50% off!” She defended. “Yeah,” he said patiently. “But it’s ugly.”

This, ladies and gentlemen, aptly illustrates the Curse of the Sale. Oh, the seduction. The deal, the dollars. Retail victory? Or retail folly?

Money is a form of energy and who wants to waste it? Frugality can be power, to be sure, but you only win when you get great value for your money, AND great value for your life. Buying something at full price that will always give you pleasure is a great return on your investment — as opposed to a dozen “what was I thinking?” discounts.

THIS WEEK or ANY WEEK:
Conduct a sensual and aesthetic experiment. {NOTE: This exercise should not cost you a dime.} Go clothes or jewellery shopping with your senses in the lead. Pick out what attracts you. Try a few things on. DO NOT LOOK AT THE PRICE TAGS.

When you’re clear on what you’d ideally like to have, then, and only then, look at the price. Walk away if you can’t afford it. Buy only what you absolutely love. We venture to guess that if you shopped this way all of the time, you’d not only save money in the long run, you’d have a plenty of good looks and feelings to show for it.

Dream Analysis

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams.
Who looks inside, awakens.”
– Carl Jung
Plenty of modern-day motivators instruct us to dream BIG. Bigger than life. (What is bigger than life anyway? LIFE is as big as it gets!) And then there are the old-fashioned pessimists who tell you to keep your head out of the clouds and your expectations low.

Super-sized or minimized, reaching for someone else’s dream is a sure way to keep bliss at bay.

THIS WEEK: do a little dream analysis. Create two columns on a page: “My Dreams” + “Because Why”. On one side, write down the dreams you have, or used to have. Go ahead and include the dreams you “think” you should have, or would be “cool” to have.

Then, for each dream, recall what inspired that dream (a movie, a tender inkling in your young psyche, the dying wish of your grandmother?) And ask yourself why you desire that dream to come true. What would that new reality feed in you? How would it make you feel, change your look, inspire you to act? What would it prove, and to whom? How would that dream-come-true affect others? And where might you go from your new reality?

Consider if some dream modification is in order. What needs to be colorized, amplified, re-fuelled, and sprinkled with extra-strength wishing dust? And what needs to be tossed, smashed, or burned in the sacred fires of your evolving self?
Dreams from the heart are always real.
Dream aloud via our blog: www.carrieanddanielle.wordpress.com

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
Carrie & Danielle will be speaking and conducting Style Statements in Dallas April 5 – 8! Check out the Discovering the True You event, sponsored and hosted by Renee Rouleau: http://www.reneerouleau.com/Events/Events.aspx

Black and beyond

Okay, let’s talk about black, baby.It’s classic, clean, and elegant. Absolutely chic.It’s practical. It’s readily available. And it can be remarkably flattering. 

And…wearing black is a social epidemic.We wear it when we’re too lazy to put effort into what to wear. We wear it to hide. We wear it without thinking about it. 

Hey, we appreciate black, like we appreciate good wine, trashy magazines, and blonde highlights. We’re not suggesting that you strike the color black from your life (tho’ that might be incredibly liberating and flattering for some), we’re proposing that you examine your relationship to it. (And FYI, scientifically speaking, black is actually the absence of color. White, on the other end of the spectrum, is all colors combined.)   

THIS WEEK: Step 1:   Ponder on black. Black has a range of cultural meanings…death, birth, sex appeal, purity, darkness, space. What does it mean to you, and why do you wear it, or not wear it?  

Step 2:   While you’re examining black in your life, you may as well tune into the palette of color in your life. Hook up with a color expert: a make up artist, a graphic designer, painter, interior designer, or image consultant. (Just because the fashion industry’s majority offering is black, does NOT mean that it works with the majority of skin tones and hair coloring. “Stylish” and “enhancing” can be mutually exclusive.) 

Head to any hardware or paint store and pick up some paint samples, or get some textile swatches from a fabric store. And here’s a simple color test that you can do on your own. How does a particular color actually make you feel? What does it make you think of? Color vibrates and your body sensations will signal you if a color is match for you. Color – from black to white and everything in between – should lift you up, not weigh you down.  

Step 3:   Open yourself to change…because color can change your life – it is that powerful. Perhaps you’ve already found the colors that add value to your life…your complexion, your space, your mood. Or perhaps you need to purge the hues that are actually weighing you down.  

Like taste, like words, like touch, color is a life-affirming substance. Choose your palette consciously. Feel good.

Picture Perfect

 

A picture says how you feel about yourself. Photos are a big deal. They are an incredibly important tool for connection, and if you’re promoting yourself in any way – from a blog, to a company brochure – the shot of the best you is an imperative. On a more personal note, there is precious value to keepsake photos — to honor life, to celebrate our beauty, to see ourselves in a new light — a picture stops time so we can treasure it more.

THIS WEEK: commit to make a date with a camera. Look for professionals whose work who you’re attracted to, or recruit a friend to play shutter bug. Even it takes a mini-self improvement program, ready yourself to shine. Try out those teeth whitening strips, buy or borrow an outfit that makes you feel amazing — consider every detail that makes you feel crazy-sexy-cool. This is a great exercise in creating an outer package that supports the true you. Smile wide or give your penetrating gaze. Genuine moments speak volumes.

Speaking of love, our wise and witty friend, Dr. Cheryl Fraser is bringing her Become Passion seminar to Vancouver this February 21st. Take one step closer your inner sizzle, and register at www.becomepassion.com <http://carriedanielle.createsend.com/t/1/l/qhru/ojlldh/www.becomepassion.com >  

{If you’d like to share your thoughts, we’d love to hear them. You can do so on our blog: www.carrieanddanielle.wordpress.com <http://carriedanielle.createsend.com/t/1/l/qhru/ojlldh/www.carrieanddanielle.wordpress.com> }  

Your treat.

  

Love is in the details. And who doesn’t love a little lovin’ detail now and then? 

THIS WEEK: Give a treat to two people. Don’t spend more than $20 bucks, ten would be ideal. Ideally, you’ve been paying attention to what gives them comfort and thrills. Just in case… 

10 Treats to delight:

 

1.  A magazine…fashion, trashy, or specialized – all good. (Roll up and tie with a string.)
2.  A box of tea or bag of coffee beans (ground if they don’t have a grinder.)
3.  Mangoes, strawberries or a chocolate bar.
4.  A few flowers wrapped in craft paper.
5.  A gratitude rock. Find a pebble, imbue it with love. Tell the recipient to carry it in their pocket or purse to remind them to think of something they’re grateful for when they touch it.
6.  A CD – a new release or home-burned.
7.  Extra special sparkly water.
8.  A mechanical pencil, with some extra leads.
9.  Gourmet pretzels.
10.  And the can’t-go-wrong treat: bubble bath or shower gel.

 

Now, here’s the trick – pump up the presentation. Tiny treats accompanied with gushy notes have major impact. Strategically placed surprise treats (on the pillow, inside the desk drawer, in a lunch bag) have extra zing zing.  

A little love, well presented, says a lot. 

 

 

Speaking of love…our wise and witty friend, Dr. Cheryl Fraser is bringing her Become Passion seminar to
Vancouver this February 21^st. Take one step closer your inner sizzle, and register at www.becomepassion.com 

 

{What are your favorite treats to give and receive? If you’d like to share your thoughts, we’d love to hear them. You can do so on our blog: www.carrieanddanielle.wordpress.com}

Special delivery.

Criticism is a killer. It can crush good intentions and depress spirits. Some relationship experts say it’s one of the root causes of divorce. As for complaining and judgmentalness…also total downers.

But some feedback and requests must be delivered. And when it comes to communicating subjects that are sensitive to either you or the recipient – how you say it can be just as important as what you say. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking to someone who adores you, or someone who is paid to do what you tell them, the tone of your voice and the shape of your words is what will linger in their minds.

THIS WEEK: Choose one or two people in your life whom you want to communicate with more effectively. When you connect with them this week, imagine that you’re what Love is The Killer App author, Tim Sanders calls, a Love Cat. Love Cats purr, they don’t hiss. You can be filing a grievance, opposing an opinion, or laying out an ultimatum, and if you do it as if you were speaking directly into the other’s person’s heart, you may actually be felt and heard.

Love Cats ask nicely. Why claw when you can simply meow?

What’s your currency?

We all have something to give. Time. Money. Information. Wisdom. The more we give of our natural gifts, the more we get in return.

THIS WEEK: think about what you’re great at. Make a list and make it long. Nothing is too trivial, grand or abstract…home renos, buying art, collecting recipes, non-judgmental listening, finding romance, raising loving kids, negotiating big purchases; baking, making money, knowing lot’s of people, reading amazing books; copy editing or closet organizing; giving terrific parties, neck rubs, or spiritual perspective.

Consider two or three things on your list that give you the most fun and fulfillment, and put them into a form to give away…via a donation, a conversation, a thoughtful email, or an offer to help out for an afternoon.

Feel the rewards of doing what comes so naturally to you. Notice how immensely constructive ease can be.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: STYLE STATEMENT GOES TO HOLLYWOOD!
Style Statement Gift Certificates will be included in the Celebrity Gift collections at
The Critics’ Choice Awards, the Access Hollywood Lounge for the Golden Globes®
and the Independent Spirit Awards!
{If you’d like to share your thoughts, we’d love to hear them. You can do so on our blog: www.carrieanddanielle.wordpress.com}

Word up.

Pick a word, but not just any word…
CLARITY. HARVEST. COURAGE. GENIUS. PASSION. BALANCE. JACKPOT.  We adore words. We love the layers, the history, the power of them. In the right combination, with certain intent, words are a magic formula. (like say, a Style Statement…)

Every New Year we choose words as the theme or experience we want for that year. Last year, Danielle’s word was Communion. Carrie’s was Consistency. We threw in some extra words like, Ease and Simplicity just to juice up the potential.

THIS NEW WEEK: choose your words for the year – one or two audio gems to plug into your heart as an added bass beat. Take your time. Meditate or doodle. Sometimes you need to claim your word like a brass ring of promise, other times it will float into your mind and feel just right when it gets there.

Every word is a song unto itself. Let it move your groove forward.

Sincere Sparkle

By now you’ve probably geared up for the holidays with sense of sweet anticipation… or angst.  Work parties, dinner with strangers we’re related to, and “what were you thinking?!” presents — it can be tricky to be sincere when you’re out of your comfort zone.  But the holidays are, after all, an opportunity to give and to shine. And sincerity is a gift that positively glows. 

THIS HOLIDAY: Intend to give some sincere sparkle. When you arrive for a get together, before you’re swept away in the chaos, hug the host, look them in the eye, and say something like, “we’re excited for the day.” When you mean it, it goes straight to the heart. If you get another lame present from Aunt Clara, find a way to adore her later in the day. While you’re clearing the dinner table, ask her what her favorite holiday memory is – she’ll be radiant in the telling of it. And when the guests are leaving, a simple, “we really love spending time with you,” will warm them all the way home.  Long after the gift certificates are spent, it’s the genuine, sparkle-in-the-eye moments that become more luminous over time. Shine.