After a month of seeking subtlety, I've opened my arms and embraced October with a warm welcome! Fall has arrived, the final quarter of 2010 is here, and I feel ready. My intentions for September included speaking mindfully, drinking tea, practicing yoga and reading a few good books...

Yesterday's prompt on The Mindfulist got me thinking about ways I can simplify my life. Are there things, feelings, habits or to-do's that I could wash away with no (or very little) impact? Am I using words, snacks, email and reality TV to fill in gaps that would otherwise be inhabited by empty space and silence? Of course, one hundred times YES to all these questions...

Sunday Overwhelm usually strikes in the mid-afternoon—right around the time when I realize that my alarm is set at 6:00 am the next day, and the hustle and bustle of another week is just around the corner. The magic of creative weekends is replaced with stress. I worry about to-do's usually ignored and left to the last hour—laundry, grocery shopping and paying bills...

Do you ever have those days when the sun is shining, the grass is green and the birds are singing—but for some reason, you're grumpy, frumpy and in a bad mood? When I'm feeling down, I try to stop and listen to the to the story playing in my head. Is it uplifting and positive, or does it cut me down...

I recently stumbled upon Elsie Flannigan's creatively delicious blog, A Beautiful Mess and her 4 Simple Goals project. The premise is simple, inspiring and collaborative—just the kind of thing that I adore! My 4 Simple Goals focus on ways to make each day an extraordinary adventure...

I lost my calm this weekend. Along with it, my Coach wristlet, license, credit card, camera and favorite lip gloss vanished into thin air. In a time when identity theft and other unsavory crimes are abundant, there's a nakedness in losing important bits of plastic. I'm heading to the DMV today...