Woodstock 42nd Anniversary!

Hey there!

Guess what this week is?? The 42nd anniversary of Woodstock! Yep its been 42 years since those three days of love, peace and music that turned out to be a whole lot more than just love, peace and music! Haha... Over 500,000 people flooded Bethel, New York in 1969 to attend the Woodstock Music and Art Fair to see many artists perform such as Janis Joplin (love her!), The Who (whoooo are you, who who!?), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Creedence Clearwater Revival (run through the jungle! they're amazing), Joan Baez, Santana, Grateful Dead, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Jefferson Airplane and of course Jimi Hendrix, my all time favorite artist next to the Beatles. I love that man, his music rocks my world just like the first time - every time!

I am one of those old souls who loves classic rock and is quite bothered that I was not alive to attend Woodstock! Hehehehehe... I know, I know, it was days of ill-planned, grungy hippy madness but hey, I'm a hippy and although I'm anything but grungy, I would have gladly put up with all the chaos to hear Janis Joplin, Creedence and especially Jimi's spectacular performance at dawn on August 18, 1969, the last day of the festival. It would have been the sweetest music to my groggy ears - you know, whilst waking up all sticky and unbathed on a damp/grassy/muddy field. Haha, it would have been worth it, I know it.  *Sigh* If only I had a time machine! But since that's not the case I settled for buying his live performance on DVD, you can see it below in the special Woodstock Amazon product widget I created at the end of this post in case you're interested in getting your own.  It's a real shame that by the time Jimi Hendrix went on stage (which was supposed to be the previous night) many of the people at Woodstock had already left. Their loss huh? 

Anyway, in honor of Woodstock I'm going to be doing a lot of hippie and music themed posts this week, so get ready! In the meantime enjoy these images and a video of Jimi Hendrix's live performance of Voodoo Child at Woodstock. Genius of a man! ;)

Janis Joplin


John Fogerty - lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival

The Who

Jefferson Airplane


Do I even need to label this musical god?  Jimi Hendrix :)

Check out these Woodstock videos, music and products....

(All images sourced via Google images, video sourced from YouTube.)

A New Year!

Hello everyone!  Happy New Year!  

Peace, Love and Happiness to you and your loved ones!

Please please forgive me for my long unannounced blogging hiatus!  My end of year move was hectic and riddled with struggles and problems.  But guess what?  It's finally over!  I feel free as a bird and ready to do great things this year.  By the way, that reminds me of a funny little quote I saw floating around on Facebook yesterday....

"Dear God, my prayer for 2011 is for a fat bank account & a thin body. Please don't mix these up like you did last year. AMEN!!"

To be honest, it's hilarious and cute but I know better than to pray to a higher being for such things.  I need to make them happen myself!  I don't care too much for money ("....money can't buy me love!") but a little to spare would certainly be a relief this year.  As for the thin body, I've gotta hit the gym and tone up, as they say, no more beating around the bush!  I know these aren't exactly original New Year's resolutions, in fact I'm fairly sure they are two of the most common!  However, this year won't just be about saving money and losing weight, it'll be about getting the so-called ducks in a row and fully accepting that at 26 I'm a full-blown adult and there's no turning back.  I've got to start moving forward consistently instead of taking two steps forward and three steps back (it feels like that is what I've been doing for the past few years).  

Except, of course, for Inspire Bohemia, which has been a great leap forward with regard to acting on my passions.  I have my boyfriend to thank for inspiring me to start this blog, and especially for encouraging me to press on when it seemed like I had no audience.  Now, almost a year and a half after I first started Inspire Bohemia I have over two hundred followers and have received a lot of compliments, attention and exposure from all different directions.  For that I am very thankful, it encourages me to charge on and most importantly, it serves as a small personal affirmation that I am headed in the right direction, towards fulfilling my passions and developing the things that I'm good at.

With that said, I know I will always be a work in progress.  I need to gain some peace of mind and do some major self-reflection.  I want to find ways to be happier and improve my life and the lives of those around me that I care about and I want to eliminate as much of the negative from my life and my thoughts as possible.  I need to understand myself better and learn how to control my anger and my snap judgments, my insecurities and jealousies, and my own harsh judgment of myself.  I need to stop overwhelming my mind with the frustrations of how to get where I'm going, how to be all that I can be and all that I'm meant to be  in this life, and how to bring my passions to fruition.  In the words of Paul McCartney/The Beatles, I just need to let it be!  I need to trust my instincts, trust the power of my convictions and trust that continuing to follow my passions, all of them (however scattered they may or may not be) will get me where I want to be and where I should be.  I need to trust that at the end of my life I will be happy with how I've lived it.  Why?  Because at this moment I know that I have not betrayed who I truly am so far in life.  I have not lived a lie or denied myself the things I love to do and the things that I'm good at.  That is why I trust.  Be true to yourself and you will find happiness, even when things are bad and seem insurmountable, they inevitably lead to better things.

Wow, I better be careful or I'll turn this blog into a spiritual and theoretical think tank on life overnight!  And believe me, I can.  I've written a plethora of college papers on everything from Philosophy and The Gordon Rule, ghosts and spirits, Buddhism and other religions, sociological issues, anthropological issues, gender issues, men and women, sexuality, women and sexuality in the media and the list goes on and on!  I have been meaning to start another blog that focuses on those other major interests that are part of who I am on an everyday basis; however, I don't want to mix it in here so as not to drive away those with conflicting views who just want to stop by for some design, decor or gardening inspiration.  In fact, my boyfriend and I are going to start that blog tonight and collaborate on it together.  We are both great thinkers and, in our own way, philosophers... we are both great writers too, so it should be a fun endeavor.  I will keep you posted on the status of that new blog.

In the meantime, I invite you to check out a very interesting site that I stumbled upon yesterday called Thought Munchies.  Thought Munchies is written by an anonymous person and consists of exactly what it is titled - thought munchies, a.k.a food for thought, a.k.a. very interesting ideas, thoughts, observations, perceptions and analysis of various topics relating to humanity and the struggles of life.  It really impressed me.  I find a lot of this person's ideas and thoughts to be profound, insightful and incredibly identical to many of my own thoughts and beliefs.  If anything, it will really get you thinking, hence the name of the site, hehe.  

Oh, and guess what?  It's Friday!  Waaaahooooo!  I hope you've all had wonderful holidays and I wish you nothing but the best for 2011 and beyond!  I'll be back soon with some great posts to kick off the new year.

:)

xoxo

Z Gallerie Holiday Gifts and Giveaway!

Hey there!  I saw this advertised via Facebook today, it's a Keep Calm and Carry On framed poster giveaway from Z Gallerie!  I thought I'd share it with you all, especially since doing this related post the other day and this post a while back on the history of the Keep Calm and Carry On poster!  

Three winners will receive a framed “Keep Calm & Carry On” poster, in their choice of one of three colors.  To enter this giveaway, go to Z Gallerie on Facebook by 12/14/10 and hit "Like” and then comment on their giveaway post with what keeps you calm during the holidays.  Winners will be picked on Wednesday 12/15/10.  (RULES: US Residents only, Z Gallerie employees excluded, no purchase necessary to win.)

To learn more about the history of the Keep Calm and Carry On poster and its meaning, please see this post.  I've already entered this giveaway, my fingers are crossed... good luck to you!  In the meantime, check out these items from Z Gallerie that I spotted while browsing their site, me like!  Right now they are offering 20% off all gifts with the code GIFTS20 at checkout!

...white ceramic animals!!...

... white ceramic owl vase....

...white ceramic Polar Bears and Penguins....

...peace out bottle stoppers!...

... funky hourglasses, Penguin bar mixer set, nightstand all-in-one pitcher and drinking glass and chrome tree branch candlestick holders!...

....angels wings mobile phone stand...

...Keep Calm and Carry On notebooks...

...an eclectic geometric vase...

... and of course, how about some Jimi Hendrix playing cards or a Beatles Abbey Road puzzle!?  YES PLEASE!  :)

(All images via the Z Gallerie website and Z Gallerie Facebook page)

Happy Diwali!

Good morning world!   

Happy Diwali!

 

Popularly known as the Festival of Lights or "the awareness of the inner light" (read more about that below), Diwali (also: Divali and Deepavali) is a very meaningful five day festival of Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism.  An official holiday in many countries, Diwali marks and celebrates the triumph of good over evil, the word Diwali derives from the word Deepavali which translates into "row of lamps," which is why Hindus, Jains and Sikhs light clay oil filled lamps throughout the five day festival to celebrate this triumph. 

I really love the significance of this holiday, in fact there was so much stuff I wanted to paraphrase from Wikipedia that I just gave up, I want to post it all, so here goes...

This explains the specific significance of the holiday in each religion that celebrates it:

"Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.^[4] In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC.^[5][6] In Sikhism, Deepavali commemorates the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji to Amritsar after freeing 52 Hindu kings imprisoned in Fort Gwalior by defeating Emperor Jahangir; the people lit candles and diyas to celebrate his return."  (via Wikipedia)

This explains the spiritual significance of the holiday, which I really love [read: bold text]:

"In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities.^[4]

While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Deepavali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

While the story behind Deepavali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman)." (via Wikipedia)

 

Ommmmmm..... :)

I really think every person in the world should celebrate the message of Diwali, regardless of their religion.  Why?  Because it's a very good message and something we must always remember within ourselves.  Besides, the world could use more joy and peace. especially these days!  The world needs more people to self reflect, to overcome ignorance and issues of race and religion in order to come together and attain true love, peace and happiness.

(All information about DIwali is from Wikipedia.org and images are via a Google image search)

Peace, Love and FRIDAY!

It's Friday and I'm ready for a little PEACE, LOVE and HAPPINESS this weekend! Hehehe... Tomorrow I will be attending a fashion show that my sister Danielle and her camp will be participating in... she'll be dressed in Hawaiian theme! Growing up, my father nick-named her Greta Garbo because of the way she would dramatize at moments... Needless to say whenever my sister is given an opportunity in the spotlight, she's a riot! So we'll see, should be fun!

Other than that I plan to start [seriously] packing all the junk sitting in my art room into my car for an upcoming slew of garage sales that my mother and I hope to orchestrate once the weather here in Miami cools down. Lately I've been struggling with the issue of too much stuff, I realize that I've accumulated too many things I don't need. In the past few years I've come to cherish certain things and not others, I've started to see possessions in a new light. I prefer Goodwill treasures to decor found in Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Ross, I prefer the trinkets from my travels, my art and things that belonged to my father more than most things I see in stores these days. I hope this is a turning point for me and my life, from now on I want my life to be less cluttered and more open and light. Something about making way for new opportunities to come into my life that is motivating me more than ever.

Anyhow, I'm not going to get into a long ramble, but I'm just in a great mood today. I'm excited for the weekend, I'm excited to go home today after work and have that relieved it's-Friday-night feeling and just relax with my love. Note to self: AND, concentrate on finishing some artwork - a post on that later today! :)

What about you all, what are your plans for the weekend? Any projects, excursions or travels planned? Let's hear'em! Whatever it may be I hope you enjoy it to the fullest!

Stay tuned for some sweet inspiring posts before the end of the day! ;)

xoxo

Hippies, Bohemians, Gypsies.... and Fashion

Okay, so by now I'm sure it's glaringly obvious that I'm a modern day hippie/bohemian... Yes, it's true, I was definitely born in the wrong era... Though, I'm beginning to think maybe I do belong in this one for some special reason, perhaps to touch a small part of the world with my idealistic free thinking, creative ambitions and eye for design, who knows? :)

Either way, there's something in me that can't resist hippie/bohemian/gypsy inspired fashion! Styles that mostly originated back in the 60's and 70's seem to be making a comeback into the hearts of the fashion world under the term "Boho-chic," but there are those of us who don't need the fashion world to dictate the orchestration of our style... For me, fashion is ruled by the same laws as interior design and decorating: personal taste and the expression of my personality, NOT trends. Anyway, here are some recent AND not so recent images of celebrities and common folk [and little extras] that portray the essence of bohemian style.

Don't forget, like in design, ones fashion style should be a diverse mix of patterns, colors, materials and layers that come together in such a way that tell a story about YOU (not VOGUE magazine)! ;)

A Bohemian Ensemble
A Bohemian Ensemble Part II

A Bohemian Ensemble Part III

Bohemian Rhapsody

(Images via various sources, I do not claim ownership of these photos. Sources include: Flickr, Visualize.US, Bohemian Vintage, La Vie Boston, various other blogs and Google Images.)