Tuesday, December 31, 2013

may this dress bring you a thoroughly outrageous and amazing new year ~


“I hope you will have 
a wonderful year, 
that you'll dream 
dangerously and outrageously, 
that you'll make something 
that didn't exist before 
you made it, 
that you will be loved 
and that you will be liked, 
and that you will have people 
to love and to like in return.
 
And, most importantly 
(because I think there should be 
more kindness 
and more wisdom 
in the world right now), 
that you will, 
when you need to be, 
be wise, 
and that you will always be kind.”


Thank you Neil, I could NOT have said it better myself!!! 
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Monday, December 30, 2013

May this dress remind you to embrace your cracks . . . .

 the 8 ft tall dress of eggshells from 'this comes from within' 
“There is a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in.”* 

Leonard Cohen, Selected Poems, 1956-1968

Today's dress was the centerpiece of an installation, 'this comes from within', 
 that I created in 2009 at Michael Dowling's Medicine Wheel in South Boston.  
I converted the entire gallery into this dark environment 
basically lit only from the light within the dress. 
(click here to read more about this amazing experience).

Last week I attended a very inspiring service at 
the UUAC of Sherborn, where the topic was 
'how the light gets in'.

It was a moving service about the darkness of this season,
both literal and metaphorical,  I am very familiar with both. 
There were beautiful words and  music, 
especially an amazing rendition of Leonard Cohen's Anthem.

So today, and in the new year,
 I am going embrace my cracks and let in the light.
peace
*Anthem ~ Leonard Cohen
The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don't dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.

Ah the wars they will
be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

We asked for signs
the signs were sent:
the birth betrayed
the marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood
of every government --
signs for all to see.

I can't run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
But they've summoned, they've summoned up
a thundercloud
and they're going to hear from me.

Ring the bells that still can ring ...

You can add up the parts
but you won't have the sum
You can strike up the march,
there is no drum
Every heart, every heart
to love will come
but like a refugee.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.
That's how the light gets in.
That's how the light gets in.

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Sunday, December 29, 2013

Saturday, December 28, 2013

May this dress give you love and refuge!! xxx

“The need to be loved and protected 
is at a peak when we feel 
abandoned and are 
particularly vulnerable 
to difficult circumstances.”
Uta Hagen 
This is another dresstag from Clara Bohrer in China! 
Such a gift!!! xxxxxx

"This dresstag was left at the Guangdong Museum's small shop in Guangzhou. Alittle later I could not resist, went back there and saw the moment the young woman picked up the dress and looked very intrigued by it. She looked around and saw me, I guess she connected... and then she smiled. I smiled back and left."

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Thursday, December 26, 2013

may this dress bring you radical acceptance!!!!


“Radical Acceptance 
is the willingness 
to experience ourselves 
and our lives 
as it is.”~

more from Tara Brach

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

may this dress help you to believe . . .

Believe in magic, wonder, song, Christmas, joy, love, PEACE.  
Believe in what your heart needs.


Nobody can conceive 
or imagine all the wonders 
there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
Francis P. Church


Below is the beloved editorial printed in 1897, addressed to an 8 year old girl named Virginia answering her question, "Is there a Santa Claus?" 
For as long as I can remember, around this time of year, I was told many times,
"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."
When I was younger it made me feel extra special! 
and I believed it with all my heart!!
And now when someone says this to me,
"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."
 I respond without missing a beat ~ 
"Yes, I know!!"

Because I DO believe in Santa Claus, elves and fairies, 
wishes and dreams, beauty and love!
I believe that we are surrounded with many wonders, 
some more obvious than others.
So today I wish for you a day full of wonders, love, joy & peace, and
a very Magic Christmas!!! 


On Sept. 21, 1897, The New York Sun published what was to become the most widely read letter to a newspaper. It was sent by 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, who lived with her parents in Manhattan. Below is the full text of that letter and the reply by Sun editorial writer Francis Pharcellus Church.




Dear Editor, 
I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.”
Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon
115 W. 95th St.




Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10 thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.


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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

may this dress bring you LOVE!!!


“It's not how much we give 
but how much love 
we put into giving.” 
~ Mother Teresa




And today I am sharing this video,
as it is a wonderful holiday version 
of this beautifully haunting song. 
Also, I have been listening to all morning!! 

And I give to you, with much love, 
 heartfelt wishes for 
 peace, light, joy, song, magic and LOVE
during these next few days!! 
xxx

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Monday, December 23, 2013

may this dress remind you to be amazed and astonished with living!!! xx

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention. 
Be astonished. 
Tell about it.” 

Today's dresstag photo comes from  Guangzhou, China!!!!
thanks to the wonderful and so talented Clara Bohrer.  
She offered to take a few dresstags with her to China 
and last night I got this photo!! 
As I read her email 
I was bathed in a sense of amazement and wonder!! 
Besides the thought of my dresstags on foreign shores, 
I was bathed by the wonders of life!! 

"The dress on the photo was left at a market in GZ, with the delicious dragon fruits. I left there and some 10 minutes later, when we walked back to that area, the dress was already gone and a young woman, that I think works there, was looking at us with a very big and friendly smile!!!!"

These past days I have been struck by
how the universe provides,
sometimes you are aware and
sometimes it takes awhile for awareness to sink in.
I am amazed on how much I struggle with this idea
but time after time it is proven to me -
a text when I am feeling lost,
a substitute job offer after paying bills,
the help of a neighbor with a snowblower after the very heavy snow,
the list can go on and on.
but you do need to pay attention, be open & trust!!

So as the hustle and bustle of Christmas swings into high gear,
remember to pay attention and live your life to the fullest and
be astonished and amazed!! xxx
peace 

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Sunday, December 22, 2013

"May this dress give you permission to experience everything!!!


Carpe Diem baby!!!

“Live life fully while you're here. 
Experience everything. 
Take care of yourself and your friends. 
Have fun, be crazy, be weird. 
Go out and screw up! 
You're going to anyway, 
so you might as well enjoy the process. 
Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: 
find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. 
Don't try to be perfect; 
just be an excellent example of being human.” 

Saturday, December 21, 2013

May this dress show you the light within YOU!!



“When you possess light within, 
you see it externally.”
 – Anaïs Nin

Today is the Winter Solstice, the December holiday that I can really get my head around!! Based on the cycle of the Sun and the natural world, this is a time to celebrate the return of light, the love of friends and family and the peace and calm found in nature. What's not to like?!?!? 

So today, as the craziness of the holidays accelerates and the muscles in your neck tighten as you peruse the calendar, pack suitcases and wrap gifts, take a moment to exhale.  Gather family and watch the waning cold moon, light a candle and get lost in the flicker of the flame, take the time to get in touch with the light within!! 

peace to you!! xxx

Winter Solstice is an Astronomical phenomenon occurring in December every year when Sun's elevation with respect to Earth reaches its lowest value (-25.5 degrees). It is accompanied by the longest day on South Pole and the longest night on North Pole of Earth. In 2013, it occurs at 17:11 UTC on December 21


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Friday, December 20, 2013

may this dress bring you joyful wellness!!!


“My own prescription for health is less paperwork 
and more running barefoot through the grass.” – 
Terri Guillemets

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Thursday, December 19, 2013

may this dress bring you a playful, joyous energy . . .


“On a deeper level
you are already complete. 
When you realize that, 
there is a playful, joyous energy 
behind what you do”
~ Eckhart Tolle



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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

May this dress help you to embrace change so that you may blossom . . .

“How strange that the nature of life is change,
yet the nature of human beings is to resist change. 
And how ironic that the difficult times 
we fear might ruin us are the very ones 
that can break us open and 
help us blossom into who we were meant to be.” 


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Monday, December 16, 2013

may this dress bring you delight, an eternal delight . . .


Energy is 
an eternal delight. 
William Blake

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Sunday, December 15, 2013

may this dress you the glory of the day . . . .


happy snow day sun day!!
#decemberdress 15dec
“I love snow for the same reason I love Christmas: 
It brings people together while time stands still. 
Cozy couples lazily meandered the streets and 
children trudged sleds and chased snowballs. 
No one seemed to be in a rush to experience 
anything other than the glory of the day, 
with each other, whenever and however it happened.” 

Saturday, December 14, 2013

may these dresses bring you safe travels in all your journeys!!!

this collection of dresstags are heading to the far east
to be placed by a fellow artist~
photos to come (can't wait!!!) xxx
“All journeys have secret destinations 
of which the traveler is unaware.” 
~ Martin Buber

During this time of year, many of us are traveling. 
 Some trips are with planes and trains and some more personal, via hearts and souls.  The holidays bring with them many emotions, and the new year is a time that many reexamine their current 'journey'.  And here in the Boston area, many people are needing to travel in a pending snowstorm. 

So for all of us on our journeys - safe travels!!! & peace

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Friday, December 13, 2013

may this dress bring you trust in yourself and your personal journey!!!


“May today there be peace within. 
May you trust that you are exactly 
where you are meant to be. 
May you not forget 
the infinite possibilities 
that are born of faith 
in yourself and others. 
May you use the gifts 
that you have received, 
and pass on the love 
that has been given to you. 
May you be content with yourself 
just the way you are. 
Let this knowledge 
settle into your bones, 
and allow your soul 
the freedom to sing, 
dance, praise and love
It is there for each and every one of us.”


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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Happy Happy Birthday to my DAD!!


 A most wonderful father, grandfather, photographer, 
supporter, provider, friend and, I hear from mom, husband :).  
Happy Birthday Pops!!! Love you TONS!!! VeeVee 



"Dads are most 
ordinary men turned 
by love into heroes, 
adventurers, story-tellers, 
singers of songs."
- Pam Brown

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

may this dress celebrate seeing things differently ~

the ones who see dresses in sunflowers

"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
. . .
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." 

- Think Different, Steve Jobs, Apple Computers 


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

may this dress give you the courage to DARE . . . .

today's inspiration, or challenge, comes from a woman 
who has inspired me to live passionately and authentically ~ 


“It doesn't interest me what 
you do for a living. 
I want to know what you ache for 
and if you dare to dream of 
meeting your heart's longing.” 


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Monday, December 9, 2013

may this dress help you be kinder to yourself . . . .

an affirmation for those of us who criticize ourselves
“You've been criticizing yourself for years 
and it hasn't worked. 

Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” 


PEACE
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Sunday, December 8, 2013

may this dress show you the heaven in your everyday . . .



“Heaven is under our feet 
as well as over our heads.” 
Henry David ThoreauWalden



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Saturday, December 7, 2013

may this dress bring you everything you can imagine!!! Happy Birthday Harriet!!! xxx




on this day I was blessed with yet another amazing angel!!!
Thank you Harriet for sharing your spirit with me!! xxxx




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Friday, December 6, 2013

May this dress help us find our own freedoms . . .

This dresstag was left in the Alps, by my dear friend and author,
Martha Calderaro and her family.
 I choose this picture today for two reasons;
it is an international dresstag which felt appropiate for this man
who championed world peace.  Also looking at this image
I can feel the cool, rushing mountain air,  breezing through the fresh hung laundry
and lifting up this little dresstag, conveying to me the true sensations of freedom.
“As I walked out the door
toward the gate that would 
lead to my freedom, 
I knew if 
I didn't leave 
my bitterness and hatred behind, 
I'd still be in prison.” 

I came across these words while reading some Nelson Mandela's amazing quotes last night.  
He left us with a profusion of profound and inspiring words, making it was difficult to choose which quotes to use for yesterday's post.  

I didn't choose this quote, yet since reading it, the words have been burrowing into my heart and soul.  

I realize that we all have our prisons; physical, emotional, literal or metaphoric,
 and in many ways we hold the key to our own freedom.  

But for whatever reason, we hold onto the bitterness and resentment, 
 retelling ourselves the stories of the injustices that we have suffered. 

Since I began this daily dress practice I have become an inspiring quote junkie, scouring book, blogs and websites.  Many of these quotes speak to the idea that we have the key to our happiness, to our sense of peace and to own our well-being.  

So as the late night hours turned to dawn and sleep eluded me, 
I realized that I am holding myself in my own prison.  
And as the gray clouds lighten as the sun rose behind them,
I heard Mandela's words in my heart and 
made an intention to let my bitterness go, 
release the stories of wrongdoings 
and to be free!!