It is important from time to time to slow down,
to go away by yourself, and simply be.
(Eileen Caddy)

Well hello there my lovely friends! I have missed you dearly. On Friday my mister and I scooted out of town without saying a proper goodbye to the interwebs.

My plan was to sneak away to a beach weekend and focus on blogging. Return to my creative passion. Journal a bit. Hide in the quiet peace of vacation and create some killer content. Discover new Twitter friends. Unearth connections and rekindle web-friendships that have wilted away.

Instead, we arrived on the doorstep of a spacious summer house with no internet and limited cell reception. I let my iPhone’s battery die and kept my laptop stashed in my bag. We played cards, drank plenty of wine and swam in the ocean.

Last night we came home with sunburns and bug bites—gentle reminders of our extended weekend away. The comfort and joy of time with family has settled deep into my heart. I’m grateful for my unintentional digital sabbatical, but I am also looking forward to catching up on my favorite blogs, podcats and tweets.

image credit: Thomas Hawk

Sometimes you have to let go, to stake your claim.
Be still, to move forward. Give, to receive.
Cry, to feel the joy. Pretend, to make it real.
Fake it, before you make it.
And sometimes, oddly enough, you must first decide
to feel their love, to find it was there all along.
(Notes from the Universe)

Hello gorgeous souls. A reminder to those of you who are participating in my Good Karma Gift Swap, today is mail day! Please do your best to send all packages before the post office closes today.

Remember that your package should include 4 gifts—a treat that calms, something that comforts, a bit of celebration and a piece the promotes creativity. If you have any questions, send me an email or message on twitter.

I’ll be connecting with each of you this week via email to make sure everything goes smoothly. I’m so excited to see everyone’s blog posts about the good karma (and gifts) they receive. Thanks again for your participation. Happy swapping!

photo credit: moi – package from stephanie @ heart piercing life

The greatest gift you will ever learn
is just to love, and be loved in return.
(Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge)

Hello sweet souls. I hope you’re having a fantastic start to February! I simply adore this month. It’s full of chocolate, sparkles, hearts and joy—what’s not to like?

In an act of celebration, I am inviting you to join me in my first Good Karma Gift Swap.

If you heart snail mail and want to participate, please leave a comment below with a favorite way to pamper yourself.

This experience is all about sending love and getting love in return. It’s a chance to make a fellow blogger’s day. All you have to do is gather 4 unique gifts that will delight your swap buddy (nothing expensive, just pour your heart into it).

A few juicy details:

Be sure to include 4 gifts—a treat that calms, something that comforts, a bit of celebration and a piece the promotes creativity.

To participate, you must have a blog + need to be willing to ship internationally.

Registration ends Friday at midnight. Leave a comment below to join in on the fun.

Surveys will go out Saturday—please take a moment to respond over the weekend.

Swap buddy details will be emailed early next week.

With the help of your swap buddy’s survey answers, you will be able to send a completely custom and totally thoughtful Good Karma Gift Swap package.

Please mail parcels by Wednesday, February 17.

Open, enjoy and blog about your package when you receive it!

By leaving a comment below, you are agreeing to the details outlined above. If you have any questions or special requests, please send an email to hello AT kaileenelise DOT com.

Are you lovelies ready to start swapping? Let the good karma and snail mail love begin…

photo credit: williams-sonoma

You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—
just good food from fresh ingredients.
(Julia Child)

I was delighted when I read about this gogonzola-pear pizza over at Lovely Little Things.

During my next trip to the grocery store, I eagerly gathered the ingredients to make my very own blog-inspired dinner. As I excitedly unloaded my groceries and prepared to assemble my pizza, I realized I was missing a very important component—the dough!

Like many things, a great discovery came from my mistake.

After altering the recipe slightly, I created a sweet and savory pizza for one. I’m sure the original is a treat, but it’s always nice to have options for solo-night dinners (that don’t involve frozen cardboard and a microwave).

sandwich thins, Bosc pear, walnuts, provolone cheese, Gorgonzola
crumbles, lettuce, dried cranberries, light salad dressing

provolone on sandwich thin

thinly-sliced pear on provolone

chopped walnuts & Gorgonzola crumbles on pear

toss lettuce with walnuts, pear, crumbles & cranberries
drizzle with salad dressing

enjoy dinner with a glass of sparking water!

photo credit: anthropologie via the art of making do

Delicious autumn!
My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns.
(George Eliot)

Happy November! I can’t believe how quickly this fall season is passing by. The days are shorter and the weather is cooler. It is time to find comfort in hot tea and warm blankets. I decided last month to participate in a festive Autumn Swap with a group of other bloggers, and am so I glad I did.

Today I was excited to open my package that traveled to Raleigh from Australia…

The talented Kate over at Love You Big blog sent me a collection of goodies that I can’t wait to indulge in. I am looking forward to treating myself to a DIY spa date complete with a pumpkin face masque and yummy tea.

Here is a little preview of the package I sent along to my swap mate…

It was so much fun gathering treats to delight the senses—comfort drink, comfort food, comfort for the soul & a comfort surprise. I enjoyed baking cookies with love, putting together an autumn playlist and finding a new book to send.

Even if you did not join in the Autumn Swap festivities this year, you can still put together a thoughtful package for a friend—or treat yourself to some comforting goodies like warm socks, hot cocoa or a new journal.

photo credit: pjan vandaele on flikr

To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere
without moving anything but your heart.
(Phyllis Theroux)

Can you feel it? The holiday season is quickly approaching and the time for thoughtful homemade presents is here. With the current economy, many people are looking to save a few pennies with gifts from the heart.

A friendship journal is great for anyone who lives far away. It’s a heartfelt gesture that keeps giving throughout the year. The idea is to add a few pages at a time before mailing it back to your journal buddy. As time goes by and pages are filled, you and your friend/sister/cousin/niece/etc will have a book full of inspirational images, thoughtful musings and lovely journal entries.

Follow my easy directions below to make your own, or check out this pretty and fabulous store-bought version if you prefer.

Ingredients:

• Journal—the dollar store kind is perfect!
• Magazine cut outs, favorite quotes and any other decorative accents
• Crafting basics—scissors, markers, stickers, tape glitter and glue

Step One: Decorate

Pretty up that plain-jane journal with stickers, sparkle and glitter. I like to make the cover simple at first so my journal buddy and I can add to it as time goes by. Make it custom by infusing your style with creative touches.

Step Two: Journal

Use the first page of the journal to explain the idea behind your thoughtful gift. You may want to include a favorite quote or inspirational photo. This is a great place to tell your journal buddy how much you miss them and how excited you are to keep in touch with them in this creative way.

This is really where the fun starts. Allow yourself to be silly and playful when creating your journal pages. Each one can follow the same theme or be totally different. Personalize it. Love it. This is your friendship journal.

Step Three: Send!

Once you have completed a few pages, wrap it in pretty packaging and send it off into the universe with love. Before you know it, the journal will be making its way back in your direction with newly completed pages, ready for you to dive in and play some more!

photo credit: me

It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.
(Paulo Coelho)

When the middle of the week hits, I sometimes find it hard to break through the grind. Two things that really help me are enjoying small treats and having creative projects to work on. There are a number of things that make me smile even on my cloudiest days—here are a few.

Delectable Treats

• Rachel’s Lowfat Yogurt—I adore eating this yogurt. Each bite is a tiny gift. If you have a dairy-friendly tummy, you should keep an eye out for these at your local grocery store. Also, check out their website for valuable nutrition information as well as recipes for each delicious flavor.
• Peach Oo-La-Long Tea—Ever since I discovered the quotes printed on the caps of their bottles, I have been a fan of Honest Tea. My love for their tea has reached a new height now that they offer convenient and eco-friendly 64oz bottles!
• LaCroix Sparking Water—The completely stylish Chelsea Bea from Pencil Skirts & Pearls recommended I give these flavored sparkling waters a try when she heard I gave up coffee. They are a delicious diversion from the pangs of my mocha addiction.

Creative Projects

• Autumn Swap—The lovely Sofia from Etre Soi is facilitating a festive treat swap between bloggers. We received our swap partner’s information and have until the end of the month to send our packages. Let the creative gifting begin!
• Papaya’s Creative Challenge—Speaking of creative gifting, have you made it to Papaya’s blog lately? I am participating in their first ever creative challenge. The idea is to use their gift wrapping products to wrap a treat for a friend and document the process. The winner wins a Papaya Luxe Tote bag!
• Kimberly Wilson’s guest blogger request—I cannot wait to submit my “application” for this wonderful opportunity.

I plan on sharing a few more of my small delights over the next few weeks, so please tell me—are there parts of your day that could use a bit more sunshine?

photo credit: Vince Alongi on Flickr