"Thankful"ness

Hi!

Are you getting some sunshine today? We are!

It's a welcome sight after a week of falling snow and grayness. I never thought we'd venture out to ski in the woods in November, but we did! What a treat!

I guess I can tell you Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you have some loved ones to share it with. If you don't, I hope you give thanks for all you are given then eat gluttonously without guilt. If you don't, I hope you are at least grateful.

That you can do.

No matter what.

You can be grateful.

That's why I'm still here! Gratitude, my friend!

Feel it! Breathe it! Be it!

EVERYDAY! Not just when the holiday tells you to.

It's an everyday thing for better living.

I'm serious.

If you know, you know. And congratulations to you and all those who get to be around you!

If you think I'm preaching from a soapbox and you can't relate, well, that is out of my control. But the universe knows!

Gratitude makes a poor man rich. Thankfulness promotes kindness, and kindness will help save the world.

Okay, okay.

I'll get down.

But thanks for reading this far!

Can I let you in on something I'm super grateful for? I finally got my art studio set up. Here's a glimpse of my magical, inspirational world.

The new Copper Harbor Vitality Studio!

I work best while surrounded by a giant rainbow. Ha! I've been busy!

As a treat for being one of my punctual readers and reading this in the first place, I want to give you an early bird special to my Small Business Saturday sale.

The sale officially starts Saturday, but you can save now and get first peeks at the new art I've created in the past few weeks because you are so loyal.

Just go to Copper Harbor Vitality and shop around. Fill your cart and enter the code "Thankful" at checkout to receive 20% of all your new goodies! Orders over $25 ship for free.

If you want anything done custom, please let me know!

As always, thanks for reading. And thanks for being a good person. If you eat too much tomorrow, just be grateful that you can. Muah!

This Smile

I need to show you this smile.

This infectious smile, that I am so fortunate to relish in a few dozen times each day.

What if you got to see this smile that often?

This fully-in-the-moment smile erupting from pure, unfiltered joy.

If you don't already get to see a smile like this thirty times a day, then let me advise that it changes you.

It shifts your priorities. It quells your fears. It forces you to be in the moment. It quickens gratitude. It makes you believe in the seemingly impossible. It strengthens your spirit. It softens your heart.

And, most of all, it makes you smile too.

If it doesn't make you smile, you just might have a few things to learn still. I understand. I used to be that way.

But now I am melted and strengthened at the same time by this smile.

Brady P is here to help change the world for the better.

He is already changing mine. My hope is that we can infiltrate yours just enough to make your smile contagious too.

Dancing King

Hey!

I'm sorry, but our Saturday did not go as planned, so I don't have any pictures of the scene.

I'll tell you about it instead!

Brady P loves to dance.  He also loves to watch live music.  He is so curious about instruments, musicians, sound boards, speakers, etc.

So when Zik's has live music each Saturday night in the snowy months, I have to take him!

We'll walk over, all bundled up, and once he gets inside, he'll run to the end of the room where the musicians are set up.  If they are already playing, he'll start to dance, coat, mittens, hat and all!

If they're still setting up, he will carefully examine every foot pedal on the board -- even if there is only one.  He will push the buttons and turn the knobs, if the musicians let him.

I always make sure that the musicians know who he is, and we feel out their temperament toward letting a 5-year-old fiddle with their buttons and knobs -- totally affecting their sound.  Ha!

The bartender will come over and say hello because she loves him too.  One night she said, "I hope the musicians know that Braeden is in charge of the music here!"

It's true.

He gets people dancing.  He charms people's hearts with his dance moves and curiosity.  He brings in more tips for the musicians.  He learns all the instruments' and musicians' names.

And then, before nine o'clock, he has to go home for bed.  Mom says!

An artsy shot of B lounging in the lounge one day

I have had random visitors, locals and musicians tell me that my son made their night because he is so precious.  I mean, how can I do all these people a disfavor by keeping him home???

As long as we are both feeling good, we can go.  So we go.  To feed his curiosity and show off his moves.

One night, he busted out this sweet backspin move followed by an on-the-back full body wiggle.  The crowd went wild!

And on many nights, I have watched the musicians stare straight at him while they sang or played their guitar or drums.  I swear, they are either inspired by him or playing for him. 

That means a lot to me.  He inspires me every day!