Do you manifest?

Tons of people must have read "the Secret". Maybe you, my reader, have read a book or books about manifesting. Aren't we all eager to actualize our dreams? But how many people actually do manifest? I read the secret, I read Abraham Hicks, Feel free to prosper, tried EFT alas to no avail.


About 6 months ago, somebody posted an article on FB about manifesting. I commented that I didn't believe in manifesting any more. She advised me to read: Manifesting Made Easy by Jen Mazer and that this book would really help.


I got the book, started reading, made (almost all) the exercises, found my limiting beliefs, watched my language, choose a date when my dream should come true and wrote that date into my calendar. 19th of January came and went: nothing happened. What was I thinking?? that really out of the blue a shop owner would contact me and say: hey, I like your leather jewelry, I super mostly want sell your jewelry! I did the planting and the nurturing and waited. Don't they say that you don't have to worry about the how.

While waiting, I also bought an e-book about marketing handmade products, did all the work so my business would be ready, would look professional: I know all about sales channels and funnels, ideal customer, branding, unique selling points but nada, rien du tout.

You know I design and create leather jewelry! That's the fun and easy part. Selling, marketing, seo  is the hard part; it takes up so much time that you hurt your relationships. So I had a dream that a shop, a real shop, not a virtual, online shop would be interested in my jewelry.

I did manifest! 

Actually I have manifested, but that was ages ago, when nobody talked about manifesting, when people didn't believe in manifesting, you underwent your life, no control possible, only coincidence existed. I married in my second year of college; we were very poor and lived from a scholarship, just enough for very basic stuff; no money for clothes for our second baby. I remember this as yesterday: as a matter of fact, no drama, I simply remarked to myself that my baby girl needed clothes and 2 days later an aunt mailed me some clothes! Several of this cases happened. I didn't do anything special; the only had to think: I need this and a couple days later it manifested.

When I was still a teacher, one morning I went to work and it started pouring; I was soaked to my bones. That was the last time it happened because since then, every time the weather looked bad, I asked the universe for dry weather. I asked if the weather could be dry between, let's say, 8 and 8.30 am and the weather would be dry. I never take an umbrella any more and I always am lucky with the weather, with the help if the Universe! Thank you Universe, Funny, it didn't work on my way back home.  You see: I can manifest good weather, most of the time or a parking space.

Could it be that I know too much now. Sometimes not knowing is better than knowing. Maybe I try to hard and I should let go, try to find the state of mind I was in when young and had no clue? Little things I have manifested, at least what seems small to me though the Universe knows no big or small. Writing this out was beneficial, I feel reinvigorated. Thanks for listening!

If anybody can give me some practical advise, you're welcome, I'll be glad to read it.


This post is kind of short. My husband and me have both been ill, we got stomach flu, thankfully a light version but we both feel weak, no energy left. I'am using my energy sparingly and keep it for the  Family Weekend starting tomorrow Friday. One more good night rest and I 'll be born new.

Butter for the birds. What does snow smell like to you? Preparations for the family gathering.

Butter for the birds.

I like a bit of butter with my bread for breakfast.  I also like spiced olive oil to dip my bread into at breakfast, but now we are diverging: it is about butter. For 2 years we've been buying buttermilk-butter: it has a lot of taste and is slightly acid. About a week ago, I took out a bar of butter out of the fridge, cut it in half and deposited one half in it's special tray. It kind of smelled different, maybe looked slightly more yellow than usual and I thought: the cows must have been fed a different kind of food. My husband also had questions about the butter and we put the tray aside.

About an hour later, my son called and said: I am in the neighborhood, could I grab a bite to eat. Mothers are always glad to feed someone and if it's your child, it even feels better. So I prepared him a nice lunch and put the butter tray on the table. When he sat down, he said: what's this smell. Then I thought about the butter and said: maybe it is the butter. He smelled the butter and said: yes, this sour smell comes from the butter. Now we were sure that something was wrong with this butter.

I had no desire to keep the butter in the fridge till we were going back to the super market. Besides this, a week before my butter "problem" I had had a problem with cheese that I reported by email and I got an email back: we didn't made this product, you should report it to the producer!!  You understand I had no incentive to email them again.

I hate to throw away something; my daughters always says: it is obvious that you are a post-war child. I toyed with the idea to give the bar to the neighbors; what could I say: we didn't like the smell of this butter, do you want it? No, that would be very rude even insulting. I felt a resistance to throw the butter in the trashcan. Then my mind went to the birds: it is cold outside, birds like some fat, need fat. This is THE moment to find out if birds like butter! I cut a small piece of butter and left it outside together with some cheese rinds. The next day, the butter was gone. Conclusion: birds like butter even if it is somewhat rancid.

I am more than halfway through my 250 gr of butter as I get an email in my box: "after many complaints from customers about funny smell and taste of the buttermilk butter, we have decided to take this butter out of the racks. You can return butter with 09/02/2019 expiration date to the shop!" This was our very butter. Finally the shop takes it's responsibility seriously.


I am happy I could be of service to the birds. The weather has been particular bad in the last month: persistent rain since a month, now 3 days of sun but temperatures beneath zero. Maybe my butter saved lives! Today, the day of my publishing, they will be fed the last part of the butter.

Finally snow!

It is almost February and only 3 days ago we had the first snow! I like a real winter with cold, sunny and dry days;weather that you have to wear 2 pair of woolen socks to keep your feet warm. I like to wear wool. I can finally wear my nice winter clothing before it is eaten by moths. That's me in the picture below.

your author in the snow.

The city is blissfully silent, few people are walking in the streets, almost no cars on the road. Your feet make the lovely crunchy sound that is specific for snow suitable for a good snowball fight.  We walk carefully where the sidewalk is sloping; slipping and being smacked to paving stones hurts your butt.

What I did miss is the smell. Snow announces itself with this particular fresh, cold smell, I can't find words to describe! A couple hours, sometimes days before, when the snow is still in the sky, you can smell snow. Maybe it is a tiny bit like laundry washed and boiled with real, old fashioned, artisanal, hand-made soap. I miss both smells.

Preparations.

Next weekend we will be heading south for our bi-annual family gathering. I have one week left to make more pouches. I have made 8 of them so far but I am running out of slouchy leather; this quality of leather makes the nicest pouches. Luckily there are a lot of bikers in the family and I will gift them a memento mori with the advice to have a small ritual before hitting the road. I can't wait to see all of them back and hold the smallest member and latest asset in my arms.

8 pouches ready as gift.

I'll tell you all about the weekend later; that is in 2 weeks. For now that's it. If you have snow, enjoy the whiteness, the crispness of your world, the new silence, the joy of your children or grand children,  making a snowman, having a snow ball fight, gliding on a home made ice rink !

Use the coming Valentine's day to make up the balance of your relationships.

The world needs a Valentine Day

Some time ago my husband and I went to a restaurant; we were making conversation when a couple arrived and was shown to their table. Barely seated the girl started texting and this went on till their food arrived, then some conversation was started!  Her plate finished, she returned to her cell phone and her companion/friend/husband was left to himself.

Luckily there is Saint Valentine to remind us, human beings, that we live a life in community, are part of a entity. Valentine's Day gives us a chance to celebrate the special and wonderful relationship you HAVE with another person or you get a chance to SHOW that you want a special relationship with someone.

Lovelea's Valentine Jewelry

My Valentine jewelry is here to help you express your feelings when you can't find the words, if words don't come easy to you. More: Valentine jewelry is a permanent declaration of your love.  If you do find words, your gift will fortify them. A gift shows that you took the time, the effort to choose and spent money on a present for your beloved.

This year I only created bracelets so you get to choose between different kinds of bracelets: in a color you associate with your beloved; pink or pale blue leather will look nice on a delicate girl.  The word "LOVE" plain in sight will do wonders, your message will come over, no dubiety;

Lovelea's pink and pale blue leather
 Love bracelets

or your message can be passed on a lot more subtle with one of this leather bracelets:

Lovelea's black or red leather bracelets
 with intermediate heart.

If your boyfriend likes leather bracelets, I have 2 very sturdy and cool bracelets: cowhide and hand-cut leather hearts! He will love it and be proud to were your gift.

LoveLea's brown or white cowhide
boyfriend bracelet with black leather hearts

Below is a close-up of the hand cut leather hearts:

Maybe you are more tender-hearted and prefer soft, pliable, supple leather hearts, 5 for an exuberant girlfriend or 3 for a boyfriend?

LoveLea's red leather bracelet with 5 red
 leather hearts and white cowhide bracelet
 with 3 black hearts

have a closer look at the 5 leather hearts from the red leather bracelet.

Detail of the 5 leather hearts.

If your boyfriend is a bit boho, ethnic than he will like this bracelet in cognac colored leather with a LOVE sign, a vintage evil eye bead and a distressed coin.

Lovelea's boho/ethnic men's  Love
bracelet in cognac leather

For punk girls I have this bracelet in black leather, a red metal plaque with a silver heart and 3 leather hearts, hand-cut, stacked on top of each other.

LoveLea's black leather bracelet
 with heart plaque and leather hearts

and here a close-up of the stacked hearts:

Detail of stacked leather hearts

This choice of 8 different bracelets is available at my FB shop: look out for my "Valentine 2019" collection.

LoveLea's leather Valentine bracelets

or email me for more info.

Check your relationships

A little more than 4 weeks is left for Valentine's day: gives you plenty of time to give your relationship a good thought. Is the quality of your relationship with your beloved alright or could you do better? What is good and where could you do better?

Personally I made the resolution to invest more time in my relationships and less on my blog and Pinterest account. Finding were you can do better and making a resolution to DO better is an easy step; sticking to it and applying to your life is the hard part! Maybe I should add this item to my "Every Day To-do List".

Never thought I would glamorize Saint Valentine's Day! As always, it depends on how you look at life!

Quotes are not read-only, yet apply-only!

Says the Dalai Lama: Love is the Absence of Judgement! 

This week, my quote is ready. I've found time to turn my insight into a nice quote. The rainbow adds an extra dimension to the quote as the rainbow is a sign from above that someone is caring, loving us, watching over us. The rainbow reminds us in time of sorrow that we are not alone.

My quote about love and self-love.

A good quote should stir something inside you; it should speak to your heart, create an emotion, a thrill. Then you say: so very true, nice, lovely! and there it stops! Only your intellect was touched and your brain tells you: this is nice. We get a glimpse, a flash of a truth and that 's it. 

The goal and the intention of the author of the quote is to pass his/her insight to you, the reader, and to inspire and  push you to apply the message to your life. You can read hundreds, thousands of quotes, books and even if you understand all of them, without applying, you might as well not have read them, it was a waste of your time.

Authors of quotes and self-help books have worked on their subject for years, maybe decades and they feel ready to write their book. And that's the problem: the poor reader, the novice in need of help and advice does not have the luggage, insight and experience of the author and the message is merely words, nice sophisticated ideas. The message hasn't been passed on; they tell you the what, where, why, when, but nothing about how.

The whole cue is about judgement! The Dalay Lama says: Love is having no judgement. If we don't have a judgement, if we don't judge, we have love, we feel love, we can practice love, we are love. What does judgment mean, what is its profound significance? The oxford dictionary says:"The ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions" and a second meaning: An opinion or conclusion." 

I have 3 grand children and I love all 3 dearly; one of them is difficult to love, the child was noisy, boisterous, with a huge ego! You see: all judgments. The moment I told myself: this is your grand child, you should see through his performance, don't have opinions, I could love this child easily and I could see his big heart, his facetiousness, kindness.

We have all sorts of opinions about other people. We see a person in a flash and we have made an opinion on this person: he/she is


If we turn back to what the Dalai Lama says: Love is the absence of judgment or Love is not having an opinion! And if you don't have an opinion about a person, then you can love the person, in other words: see the person as he/she is in his/her wholeness, without your life experiences coloring this person. The secret is to accept another person as he/she is. If you do this, than you are able to love a person.


Let's apply what has been said above to ourselves!

Says hilde denys: Self-love is the absence of Self-judgement

I have, you have, we have problems loving ourselves because we know all our flaws and faults, our imperfections our weak sides; you know what really is going on in your head, the bad, negative, harmful thoughts you have, the nasty grim words you don't say... All judgments about yourself. Your are not alone in this, we are all in the same position, we all judge ourselves. If all we have said above is true, then the path to self-love goes over not to judging yourself but accepting yourself the way you are.

Now you won't miraculously become flawless, faultless or perfect. In a way, you are perfect, as perfect as you can be in THIS moment. Being perfect in this moment is not a permission to narcissistic behavior, does not mean that you have to be pleased with yourself and that you can't do better! 

The point is to accept yourself how you are without having an opinion about yourself. You simply observe: I failed in this! and recognize your failing. Don't beat yourself up for it. Don't say: how could I be so stupid, how could I do this, how silly of me; this is judging yourself. In all honesty and sincerity find where and why you made the mistake and plan a way to do differently. Don't accept excuses; this is shoving all responsibility on someone else or on circumstances; we are responsible for our acts and words. In all situations, we have a choice: to do or not to do.

If we give love, we get love back! If we give love to ourselves, we will be able to love ourselves more and if we have more love, we have more love to give hence we'll be able to love others more easily.

Wow, 804 words! all about 1 quote. The publishing of my quote and the new year are good timing! This year I am choosing "balance" again as theme. I can do better. And I intend on incorporating more love into my life; in other words: abandoning all kinds of opinions and ideas about the persons in my life and accepting everybody as they are, myself included!

Admire my vibe board pictures! Synchronicity to spare: dark rooms, fish skins and a quote,

Vibe board pictures.

Two weeks ago, I posted about the photoshoot, using my daughters hands; she has nice groomed hands that  show off the leather jewels I make beautifully. More mood pictures here. Putting everything together resulted in the mood boards below! Well, maybe "vibe" board would be more appropriate.

Choosing which pictures to use and trying out different ways and arrangements was tough. My vibe board should entice females to wear my jewels and either feel like a classic beauty, elegant and chic with my chunky chain/leather jewels (left side of the picture) or daring, provocative and fearless with the slim chain&leather combination (right side of the picture). The middle section contains my logo, the different materials I use and a scenery picture to add a touch of green.

LoveLea's vibe board 1 

LoveLea's vibe board 2

Vibe board 2 above is circa the same but has as background a color similar to my logo's color.

LoveLea's mood board 3

And vibe board 3 has the classy style and punk style pell-mell.

Synchronicity abundance

In the past week lots of synchronicities has happened. Could be induced by my higher spiritual involvement in this time of the year; who isn't making 2018's balance and deciding  on what to do and how to be in 2019?

Dark colored rooms

I love Pinterest and I use it daily. Home decor is a favorite subject but lately this topic didn't give me the satisfaction it used to do. You know why? because all the interiors Pinterest showed me were white; I saw one dull, bland page with scattered a bit of beige, soft pink, pale blue or pine wood accents. How boring, tedious, how flat!


Till I discovered by chance pages and pages of strong colored, dark colored rooms! How exciting, how energizing, how adventurous, lively, stimulating!

Last Saturday we celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary in a newly opened restaurant in town and guess what: the old stately home had the most beautiful dark, black, inspiring walls!  A painting exhibition added color to the whole. This was a nice surprise, a bonus, an extra dimension added to our celebration; at least to me! My husband is more matter-of-fact on interiors of restaurants.

The Lounge at Tienen, Belgium

Fish skins

The Sunday before Xmas, my daughter and family came over. At one moment, out of the blue, to us anyhow, my grand daughter asked: "Does Oma make the leather herself?". We explained that this was a whole process and that I bought scraps of leather. And the next day, idem on Pinterest, I accidentally arrived on a page where a pin catched my eye: This woman is turning fish into shoe leather! How interesting! I found her business on the internet and I might order 1 hide to find out about the texture, the strength, the look, the vibe, in short: can fish leather be turned into jewels.

Quote

A couple days ago, it occurred to me that I hadn't been inspired to make a quote in a long time. The next day, I visited my daughters FB-page where and saw her Dalai Lama quote: Love is the absence of judgement! in a flash this came into my mind: if this is true than "self-love is the absence of self-judgement"! Wow, nice find! isn't it and true! by next week I shall find a nice picture and make a helpful quote.



Lots of nice little things happened this past week, 2 events involving my daughter, I observed! In the coming week I want to finish my looking back at 2018 and distill my path for 2019.
 
I hope you have a nice start to 2019! and have decided where you want to be at the end of this year. Write it down on a slip of paper or make it a little work of art and put it any place where you can be reminded of the path you decide to follow.

See you next week!

XMas mood pictures and more texture pictures for my mood board. Pro or contra winter time?

Isn't Xmas the most wonderful and suitable and convenient time for mood pictures? or happy family pictures? I am not being ironic, I am merely making observations.

I have some mood pictures for you: my grand children with the dog, my daughter and her family, me with the grand children and my husband with the grand children; we took the pictures during their pre-Xmas visit last Sunday.

The grand children with the dog.

It seems to me that pets are getting more and more human traits with time: the dog Filou is posing! Read more about Filou here. At the summer house, we cared for a stray dog and she was afraid when I pointed my camera, left us tail between legs!

My daughter with her family.

My husband with the grand children,
 XMas 2018

Me with the grand children.

Off this 2 pictures you could deduce that my grand daughter is not happy sitting on my lap. It is not the case, we get along grand! She was low spirited that day because of a brooding ear infection. She is much better now.

Texture pictures for my mood board

And here is the second part of pictures for my mood board. The photo below features the materials I use concisely: 2 types of chain and leather and an organza bag for storing your necklace.

LoveLea's mood board & texture picture.
 

And here a close up of my bigger leather scraps.

My leather scraps
 

and some more textures: the coldness of the metal balanced with the wool of the sheepskin and the soft feeling of the leather.

Another texture picture

all pictures about textures!

Winter hours

I don't know about you, but I wish they never introduced summer and winter hours. The theory about saving energy doesn't make sense and it is bad for health. When my children ware small, they started this nonsense; the children needed at least a month to get used to  the new summer or winter hours; their whole biological clock was mixed up.

I used to wake up at 8. am sharp but since the last time-change  I am waking up either late, around 9. am or too early, 6.30.  Anyway, getting up as early as 6.30 has it advantages; it gives you a chance to see the sun rise and take nice pictures. Does the transit from summer to winter time upset you? Tell us about it.

Sunrise seen from my work shop window.

What a joy to see the sky in all its morning glory. My day can't go wrong!

I might have my mood board finished by next week; it will be a tight race since we are having visitors this Friday, 3 children and 5 adults who will stay the night and New Year's eve is almost there.....

I hope you all had a lovely and happy Christmas and I wish you a splendid New Year's eve celebration. May all your dreams come through in 2019.

See you next year!

Photo shoot with my daughter for my mood board!

Last weekend I visited my daughter and her family. They like a cool house, between 16 en 18°, my husband loves a hothouse, 22 à 24° and stayed at home. I had everybody for myself and all attention on me. Sometimes it is o.k. to leave your spouse behind.

How good it feels to hug my grand children, to feel their tiny bodies in my arms, play games with them, feel that you count in their life. And babbling with my daughter while doing the dishes or hanging up the laundry together and close the day, watching a movie with my daughter and son-in-law.

On Friday we walked the dog while picking up my grand daughter from school, on Saturday we celebrated my son-in-law's birthday with their friends and on Sunday we took pictures.

I announced in my last post that I am working full speed on manifesting a shop that will sell my jewelry by 19 January 2019. By that time I want a collage ready that shows off my products in a favorable way. Jewels look best on a model. I had asked my daughter before if I could use her lovely and groomed hands but she didn't feel like it. In a last attempt, I told my daughter that I had some jewels with me if she felt like modelling.

On Saturday night lying in bed and going over the day, I had given up all hope of having a photo shoot. But! on Sunday at the breakfast table, my daughter said: did you read my mail? I hadn't so she said: well, I decided to do help you with the photo shoot!

Self-help books always say that you shouldn't try too much; if you did everything you can possibly do, then let go. And the books are right, here was the proof: I had given up all idea of having a photo shoot, saying: I have to do it by myself and now: here it is.

Breakfast over, my daughter renewed her mail polish, rubbed lotion on her hands; it is incredible how each tiny unwanted detail shows up in an image. We choose some outfits, tried out different poses and light positions, decided which outfit would go with what bracelet or necklace and started shooting, my son-in-law and I. Wow, this shooting is no small stuff, it was exhausting and for the model and for the shooters; we didn't last more than 1 hour.

Have a preview of the mood pictures I have in mind for my mood board; I want to suggest 2 vibes: chic elegance and badass punk.

LoveLea's glam bracelet and punk bracelet
 in red leather&metal;
 courtesy of F Vaessen

Here I have the two styles in 1 picture. I like the image but maybe it is a bit too nice.

Punk style jewels

The three following pictures are of my punk line:

LoveLea's punk style black  choker

LoveLea's punk style black choker and bracelet

The bracelet and the choker are not a set, but can be worn together. And below is a cow hide bracelet in punk style.

LoveLea's punk style cow hide bracelet;
courtesy of F Vaessen

or I might choose a picture in B/W:

LoveLea's punk style cow hide bracelet
 in black/white

Chic, glam and elegant jewels

This glamorous, elegant and chic line is a favorite of me; the chunky chain and the more sensual leather are a good team. Have a look at a bracelet with tassels and a necklace in the same version.

LoveLea's glam dark brown leather&metal bracelet, 
courtesy of F Vaessen

LoveLea's glam white leather&metal necklace,
 courtesy of F Vaessen

Another glam leather&metal necklace in a different version. This image has a chic and elegant feel:

LoveLea's glam navy  leather&metal necklace.

Well, this is it for this week. I still have to take pictures of my workplace; or I might show some  impressive tools on my mood board and/or a picture of my (mini) leather stock.

What do YOU think of my pictures? Do they show the vibe I have in mind: chic elegance and punk? Tell me about it, please.

Next week, I'll show you some pictures of my work shop, tools and my stack of leather. See you.