The Blackberry Briar

Re-Emerging Slowly

A new Journey with Beachbody!

Wow!!!  It has been 3 months since my last post here.   Where has all the time gone?   I have been busy in these past months living life as a Mom.   The kids both played Softball/Baseball which was so much fun this year!  It is always wonderful to see them progress and the major changes that happen these young ages from year to year! 

We went out our Cape Cod Vacation and had an awesome time in paradise!!!  I was even lucky enough to meet Kaf from Grimitives!

This was a long time dream come true!!   I have been a huge fan of her art dolls for years and she is just one of the most amazing people, true to heart that I have met!!!   I feel so blessed to have been able to stand amongst her studio and have a tour of her home and piece of property.   Her piece of Heaven on Cape Cod!!  It was amazing!   The only regret is that I didn't take any pics!  Next year though!

On another note, I have been on a new journey to health.  I started working out and eating healthy at the beginning of this year!  It has been an amazing journey and has set me on a whole new outlook for life!!  I no longer am stressed about what to wear, or about getting into a bathing suit at the beach.   I look and feel amazing and I owe my transformation first to God for answering my prayers!  Without him I am nothing.   Second, I feel a deep gratitude to Beachbody, a company that has allowed me to transform my body, mind and spirit.   Since transforming myself, I have been blessed with the wonderful opportunity, through Beachbody to help others transition as well.  I have taken on the challenge of being a fitness coach with Beachbody and building a team of others that want to change the lives of others as well!!!   I want to share with you the transition pics that I have so far.   I need to update my latest picture because I have improved even more since, but I want to offer anyone out there that has tried EVERYTHING and feels like they can't make a change that it IS POSSIBLE!!!  I would love to help you get started and coach you along the way!

 

I have done so well with my transition that my success photos were used on the main advertising page for Turbo Fire (the workout that has changed my life).   Here is a screen shot snapshot.

 

I was lucky enough to take a trip to LA and go to the Beachbody Summit where I met and workout out with the the Amazing Tony Horton from P90x!

I also my my personal Hero Ms. Chalene Johnson!!  The most amazing woman ever.  Creator of Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, Chalean Extreme and so much more!

I thanked her for changing my life and giving me the tools I needed to be a better person!  She is so tiny in person and so adorable!  She is the real deal!!

Because of all this I have started an inspirational Fit Group on Facebook for Women only.   My goal is to help others who felt the same way I did back in December of last year.  Lost, Desperate and very unhappy with myself.  I have over 50 members and all that I treasure and Love dearly!   One of my other Hero's Jen O'Connor of Earth Angels Toys is a member and she did THIS LOVELY WRITE UP about me on her blog!  Love You girl!  Thank You so much for supporting me in more ways than one!!  xoxoxoxo

You can find more information about my transformation and how to purchase the tools that I used to transform your life at my Beachbody Website

I am a P90x Grad, a Turbo Jam and Turbo Fire Grad and I am starting the Chalean Extreme program shortly to get familiar with that.   I also have experience and have worked out using, Body Gospel, Slim in 6, Brazilian Buttlift, Insanity with Shawn T and more.  

Please do not hesitate to email me at theblackberrybriar@gmail.com to ask any questions you might have or ask me how to do this for yourself!

I want to help teach others, especially women and Moms that they don't have to live in a deep dark hole of unhappiness and constant worry about how they look each and every day. Dreading days at the pool or company parties with their spouses....They can be FREE of all that with making a couple adjustments to their daily routine which are well WORTH the time investment! I am living proof!!! I am looking forward to building my own team with Beach Body and reaching for the stars to help as many people as I can while achieving my dreams.

Don't wait or make excuses any longer!   You can be on your way to healthier happier life in no time!  Let me help teach you how!

On the art front....well that has been a sore subject.  I have lost my muse someplace in the midst of all this, but I truly feel so much more confident and better on a daily basis that I am trying to sort out if art is going to be a part of my routine.   I have had my hands in clay the past couple of days which is always relaxing for me, but the painting routine didn't work out as I had hoped and turned into a mess instead of a masterpiece leaving me frustrated and closing the lights in my studio.   I will keep you posted if anything new emerges.  

Candles are being poured at a fast rate.   Fall orders are rolling in.  I have some new fragrances with more on the table being tested.   Citrus Grove, Pipe Dream and Maui Sunrise and new and I am testing a Chocolate Truffle scent along with a new Dreamy Caramel and soon will have a Blueberry Buckle type scent! 

I would love to hear from you and hear how your summer is going and what you have been up to!

 

 

Busy BEING a Mom

Happy Mother's Day to all my sweet blog friends.  I am sorry this is a day late.   I have been very busy, just being....being the best I can be.   

I am happy to share a beautfiul video that Kelly Rae shared on her blog.  It reminded me to sit tight and be o.k. with not having time to update my blog.   I am doing something far greater right now....Touching the lives of my sweet children.  I hope you enjoy this video made by her friend Katherine.

 

 

Wishing You a Blessed Easter!

He is RISEN!!!

Living Life

This past couple of weeks has flown by about as fast as the wind here has been whipping our lawn furniture around the yard.   I have been having the time of my life to say the least!

 

My sweet husband and I were able to escape on a mini vacation down to Myrtle Beach, SC.  We had so much fun participating in the Monday After the Masters Golf Tournament sponsered by Hootie and The Blowfish!   To say we had fun is a complete UNDERSTATEMENT!  This is one of those trips that has left us with Memories that will last a lifetime!!  A special thanks to my parents and my sister for tending to our children while we were away! 

I got to meet Michael Waltrip the Nascar Drive and David Mobley the Pro Golfer who holds the record for the Longest Drive and his beautiful wife!!  My husband golfed in their group and I got to tag along in the ropes.  It was SO MUCH FUN!

Reality was a doozy after an amazing trip like that.  It took me at least 2 days to get back into the swing here at home.   

My little baby turned 7 that week we got home to!  Where has the time gone?  I simply cannot believe he is 7 already!!  We had an amazing birthday party at our local gym where the kids ran their little hearts out and even I was spunky enough to participate.    I should say in Shape enough...which is something I will share in my next post.

 

My beautiful Birthday Boy!!  

A little glimpse at me being really silly and feeling young at heart again! 

Hope you all are having some spring like weather!   Have a wonderful Easter!

Another Video Blog! Rosary's and Works in Progress

 

Hi everyone!!  Hope you enjoyed another video!! Please leave me a comment and let me know.  

Click HERE to go to Faith Beads on Etsy.

Thanks so much for watching!

A new thing I am trying

Eeeeekkkk!!!     Let me tell you....This is SCARY for me everyone...but I am practicing Courage.  I have been wanting to Video Blog for a long time now and here is one that I did today. 

Please be gentle, but let me know what you think....What can I do better? Do you like this idea or should I stick to words???

 

Happy Birthday to my Husband

( A painting I just finished as a gift to my Husband for his Birthday)

Today we celebrated my wonderful husband's 39th birthday!  I made his favorite dinner, Lasagna.  We enjoyed it with a side of salad.   After that we got the cake out with candles.  It was decorated so pretty.  The kids decorated it and had so much fun!   Candles were lit and we even Sang!   So very different of a celebration at 39 than it was at 21 that is for sure!

As the years go by, birthday's are a reminder that older age is approaching.  Some people dread birthdays and some people choose to celebrate despite their age.   As the years continue passing by quicker and quicker each year, I am learning that it is so important to really embrace being grateful for all the wonderful things that life has to offer and the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us.   In an instant life can change.   So many of the most important things are simply not things.

My friend Mystele said something in one of her videos recently.   She said that she simply enjoys the creative process of being an artist and that she planned on being an artist forever, BUT she said you never know what could happen that could change that.  So she was going to enjoy and appreciate the blessing each and everyday that God blessed her with it.  (please note these were not her exact words, but my interpretation).   When I heard her say this I had and AHA moment!    For sometime I have felt a struggle with creating and receiving satisfaction through the "sales" of my art.   This is where I was missing the point.   God blessed me with a gift.  The gift to create.   This wasn't always a gift that I posessed.  So many of you know that my creative soul was born at the time my daughter was a short 9 years ago. 

The AHA moment is that I need to be grateful for the ability and the true joy is in the creating....NOT the selling.  Sure, it is nice to sell my work, it warms my heart to know that others appreciate the gift that I have been blessed with, but the true joy is in the mess of creation.  The new technique I am trying, the new paint color, the wonder of the brush stroke.   The joy is in the beautiful variety of fabrics and papers and canvases and clay.   It is all magical.  Seeing a lump of clay and a scrap of fabric turn into a doll with personality is magical to me.   I feel so connected to something so much bigger than me.   I know that it is truly a gift that is flowing through me.  The joy is indescribable and raw and beautiful.   This is the true beauty of the gift.

I plan on exercising my creative gift daily.  It is a way of feeding my soul.  I look forward to learning more each day from some of the gifted giving souls that are willing to share through Video Tutorials and Classes.   I will never stop being a student.  Learning is Inspriration to me.    I have even been toying around with trying a few video tutorials myself.   I want to feel like I am giving back in some sort of way.   Sharing my creative process might inspire or teach someone else something that will carry them on with their creative journey.     Stay tuned for more on this.

Thanks so much for visiting.  Have a beautiful week.

 

Happy March!

I am so hoping that spring is on it's way now that March is here.

 

I managed to finish up 2 more dollies.   As you already know Alice is for sale on Doll Town.

Ruby the French Bulldog and Borboleta the spring Butterfly Spirit are both for sale on

TDIPT Mercantile this month.

 

Here is an update puppy pic....Fenway is getting bigger by the day. 

A New Doll

It has been a LONG time....I haven't felt so excited about releasing a new doll in a

very long time.  It feels really great to have found the time to create. 

I have to admit in the daily hustle and bustle that is hard to carve out the time to

sit in my studio. 

Most of you who have been reading my blog, know that this year I have been

committed to a work out program.  I have felt a strong need to have physical exercise in my life

for a variety of reasons.

To fulfill my need, I have been consistent with my routine each and every day. 

As a result, I have achieved success.   A total loss now of 12 pounds and 14+ inches.

This success may be small to some, but to me it is proof

that I can do anything I put my mind to.

Has it been easy?  Well, nothing really is.  I have just committed and made it

part of my day.  It was hard to get into the routine, but I am determined, not to mention hard headed and stubborn, but that is a whole different subject.  :0)

I have also learned so much about myself these past few months of 2011 through my

Soul Restoration online class that I took.  I highly recommend this class to

everyone!  It is eye opening and soul touching.

Anyhow, I have learned that along with the physical exercise, I need Creative

Exercise each and everyday. 

When I create, I am able to retreat to magical place.  It is where

my soul sings.  My heart comes alive. 

When I don't create, often times I become frustrated.

So, as I have committed to the physcial I will be committing

to the Creative Process in my life.

I have gone off subject a bit so thanks for sticking with me.

Back to the New Doll.   She is named Alice and she has a Bunny Friend.

Alice is Available at the Brand New Website devoted to just DOLLs!!!  It is heavenly.

Please stop by Doll Town when you get a chance.  You won't be disappointed.

Alice is available for Sale HERE.   

 

I will also have a couple more dolls for sale on the TDIPT Website March 1st.   Please join us in celebrating TDIPT's 4th Birthday!