tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44967872423763816412024-03-05T21:01:25.027-05:00The Fragrant MuseLiz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-62049364087869841262012-04-25T19:53:00.002-04:002012-04-25T19:54:27.637-04:00It's Been Nearly One YearIt has been nearly one year since my last post here at The Fragrant Muse. My energy and creativity has been spent creating and building my school, and subsequent website and blog, Aromatic Wisdom Institute, School of Creative Aromatherapy.<br />
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So now the question is, do I continue to blog here? I miss my non-business ramblings, my friends, sharing about fairies, journals and other creative expressions. I wouldn't necessary put those things in my school blog,<br />
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If anyone actually SEES this post, can you just drop a line if you think I should continue here? <br />
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If so, what would you like to see?<br />
<br />Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-29063756485449885202011-04-24T10:06:00.001-04:002011-04-24T10:06:45.122-04:00Happy Easter from.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7hALIWbPiI/TbQuHjrOOkI/AAAAAAAACXA/zOhQb6scklc/s1600/DSC_0380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7hALIWbPiI/TbQuHjrOOkI/AAAAAAAACXA/zOhQb6scklc/s400/DSC_0380.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-71474526948068697862011-03-08T11:19:00.009-05:002012-09-06T07:29:58.225-04:00International Woman's Day Fragrant Affirmation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>These beautiful women of <a href="http://www.aromahead.com/">Aromahead</a> <br />
are stepping out in the world</i></div>
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<i>and embracing their purpose as rockin' Aromatherapists!</i></div>
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<u>Fragrant Affirmation for Tuesday, March 8th:</u><br />
INTERNATIONAL WOMAN'S DAY!</div>
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"I was born naturally creative and resourceful with my own special gifts.<br />
It is safe to let go of what I don't need and<br />
step out into the world and embrace my purpose!" </div>
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Supporting Essential Oils: Rose and <a href="http://thefragrantmuse.blogspot.com/2009/05/fragrant-friday-bergamot.html">Bergamot</a> for love, <a href="http://thefragrantmuse.blogspot.com/2010/08/fragrant-friday-25-vetiver.html">Vetiver</a> for trust, <a href="http://thefragrantmuse.blogspot.com/2010/03/fragrant-friday-23-black-pepper.html">Black Pepper</a> for courage. Now go make yourself a beautiful blend, step out into the world...and embrace your purpose!</div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3YmZ9zkgUSk/TXY2EaXxzsI/AAAAAAAACWE/BiW-XmREBuE/s1600/DSC_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3YmZ9zkgUSk/TXY2EaXxzsI/AAAAAAAACWE/BiW-XmREBuE/s400/DSC_0216.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i>That's me stepping out into the world as Nana<br />
so that I may share my gifts with The Bean.</i></div>
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Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-30903090509073543722011-02-23T11:04:00.022-05:002011-02-23T15:03:32.287-05:00Wishcasting My Perfect Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzvrx1G2rDE/TWUuiLxBh_I/AAAAAAAACVc/TSUt-hCxvsg/s1600/decorate-great-room-800X800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>It's been ages since I've played at <a href="http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/">Jamie Ridler Studios</a> but I couldn't resist today's Wishcasting Wednesday prompt: <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What do you wish for your home?</i></span></b></div><br />
Years ago I learned that writing out desires helps clarify exactly what you want and assists the subconscious mind in manifesting it. So today, I'm sending out my order to the Cosmic Kitchen and letting the Universe begin to create the perfect home for me and my family!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>Here are some components of my perfect home:</b></u><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">A wood or long home with one floor living (no more upstairs/downstairs)<br />
My home has an attached teaching space OR....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KoT2lRAFmG8/TWU23hbZ6HI/AAAAAAAACVk/N-kfS8S6wpI/s1600/100_8544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KoT2lRAFmG8/TWU23hbZ6HI/AAAAAAAACVk/N-kfS8S6wpI/s400/100_8544.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b> </b>...the teaching space is in a charming cottage behind the house.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mW58IBQ9img/TWT-z4eMvFI/AAAAAAAACU8/RrhT6eg6M7s/s1600/cottage+classroom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mW58IBQ9img/TWT-z4eMvFI/AAAAAAAACU8/RrhT6eg6M7s/s400/cottage+classroom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mW58IBQ9img/TWT-z4eMvFI/AAAAAAAACU8/RrhT6eg6M7s/s1600/cottage+classroom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e_qeycMZ-so/TWUJguKonkI/AAAAAAAACVM/oiACvHmnEGo/s1600/classroom+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DJdFYmp95yA/TWUKFx4JOsI/AAAAAAAACVQ/zrLegfSF-Bo/s1600/classroom+kitchen+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The school has a large island in the kitchen where students create<br />
aromatic body butters, lip balms, candles etc.<br />
The space includes a "cold room" for essential oil storage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DJdFYmp95yA/TWUKFx4JOsI/AAAAAAAACVQ/zrLegfSF-Bo/s1600/classroom+kitchen+final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DJdFYmp95yA/TWUKFx4JOsI/AAAAAAAACVQ/zrLegfSF-Bo/s320/classroom+kitchen+final.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b>My home has a large kitchen/family room<br />
for fun gatherings of friends and family.<br />
I must include a fireplace for cozy winter naps on the couch!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzvrx1G2rDE/TWUuiLxBh_I/AAAAAAAACVc/TSUt-hCxvsg/s1600/decorate-great-room-800X800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzvrx1G2rDE/TWUuiLxBh_I/AAAAAAAACVc/TSUt-hCxvsg/s320/decorate-great-room-800X800.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzvrx1G2rDE/TWUuiLxBh_I/AAAAAAAACVc/TSUt-hCxvsg/s1600/decorate-great-room-800X800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzvrx1G2rDE/TWUuiLxBh_I/AAAAAAAACVc/TSUt-hCxvsg/s1600/decorate-great-room-800X800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My dream home has a creative space full of natural light<br />
where Musie and The Bean can be creative.<br />
Here we write, paint, soulcollage and make joyful messes!</div><b></b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b>There is certainly a babbling stream or brook.<br />
I love the sound of moving water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KEFwGjT80Rw/TWT98AXHaqI/AAAAAAAACU4/YCdCoUu1N5g/s1600/DSC_1105.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KEFwGjT80Rw/TWT98AXHaqI/AAAAAAAACU4/YCdCoUu1N5g/s400/DSC_1105.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RzsNo-gYlNU/TWUzi9McBLI/AAAAAAAACVg/qBw0yWQ0WWo/s1600/garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RzsNo-gYlNU/TWUzi9McBLI/AAAAAAAACVg/qBw0yWQ0WWo/s320/garden.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><b><br />
</b>And I have a colorful garden where I grow aromatic herbs and flowers and sometimes hide and have quiet time with my books.<b><br />
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.</b>..and so it is.<b><br />
</b>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-54294274875749534862011-02-22T16:32:00.011-05:002011-02-24T23:08:10.623-05:00Kaleidosoul Tele-Class Tonight!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JllN2s1mgVE/TWQqsfzllHI/AAAAAAAACU0/6KP6cvsqn3A/s1600/Clary+Sage+SoulCollage+Card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JllN2s1mgVE/TWQqsfzllHI/AAAAAAAACU0/6KP6cvsqn3A/s320/Clary+Sage+SoulCollage+Card.JPG" width="214" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S-TE0C3zZvg/TWQqb1rFGEI/AAAAAAAACUw/PWxpHLkwKeQ/s1600/Carrot+Seed+SoulCollage+Card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>I am SO excited! I've been invited by Anne Marie Bennett of <a href="http://www.kaleidosoul.com/">Kaleidosoul</a> to present a one hour teleclass tonight on Aromatherapy and SoulCollage®. The call will be at 7:00 p.m. EST and it's called: <i>Discover your Fragrant Muse™: Celebrating Aromatherapy and SoulCollage®</i> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I will be sharing simple techniques for connecting with plant energies and ideas for creating and using aromatically-inspired SoulCollage® cards. <br />
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The call is free for Kaleidosoul Kindred Spirit Members, but only $10 for non-members. If you miss the call, don't worry, Anne Marie records all her tele-classes!</div><div style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>HELPFUL LINKS FOR THE TELECLASS</b></u><br />
<span style="color: black;">1. To <a href="http://www.kaleidosoul.com/teleclasses.html">sign up for tonight's tele-class</a><br />
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2. To <a href="http://www.kaleidosoul.com/aromatherapy-cards.html">see the Fragrant Muse SoulCollage</a></span><a href="http://www.kaleidosoul.com/aromatherapy-cards.html"><i>®</i></a><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.kaleidosoul.com/aromatherapy-cards.html"> cards I'll be discussing</a><br />
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3. To s<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/sets/72157622906180070/">ee all my Fragrant Muse SoulCollage</a></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/sets/72157622906180070/"><i>®</i></a><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/sets/72157622906180070/"> cards on Flickr</a><br />
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4. To <a href="http://www.lizsgarden.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=60&vmcchk=1&Itemid=60">see photos of aromatic plants and descriptions of essential oils on my website.</a><br />
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5. To <a href="http://www.lizsgarden.com/">order organic, pesticide-free essential oils www.lizsgarden.com</a><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">6. To <a href="http://thefragrantmuse.blogspot.com/2010/12/interview-with-seena-frost-founder-of.html">read my December 2010 blog interview with Seena Frost</a><br />
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7. To <a href="http://thefragrantmuse.blogspot.com/2010/05/aromatic-soulcollage.html">read the May 2010 Neter Letter article about my cards</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">8. To <a href="http://www.lizsgarden.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=15&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=60">sign up for aromatherapy classes www.aromaticwisdom.com</a> </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFragrantMuse?feature=mhum"><br />
</a></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-55166032379880781102011-01-03T09:54:00.000-05:002011-01-03T09:54:55.831-05:00Starting 2011: My Ten Core Values. Repost with Yours!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/5319725887/" title="DSC_0075 by The Fragrant Muse, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0075" height="334" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5289/5319725887_fc08a18247.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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After reading <a href="http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/starting-2011-my-core-values/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+indiebusinessblog%2FewyL+%28Indie+Business+Blog%29">this post</a> from Donna Maria's <a href="http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/">Indie Business Blog</a>, I felt inspired to write my own list of personal core values. Identifying your deepest values can give you a "life-direction compass"and help you determine if you're on the right path or way off. If you're spending time and energy on activities that are not in alignment with your list of core values, you'll end up feeling burned out, resentful and exhausted. <br />
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What are personal core values? A value is a <b><i>principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable</i></b>. In a nutshell, what you hold important in your life. <br />
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How about doing a repost with your list of personal values? Declaring them a good way to get clear about what you hold important - especially if you're setting goals for the New Year. <br />
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<a href="http://myvisionportal.com/">MyVisionPortal.com</a> gives a good <a href="http://www.myvisionportal.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=10">Personal Core Value List</a> which you may find helpful if you need some guidance in finding out what your personal values are. Many people don't know because they've never thought about it. That's okay. It's never to late to learn.<br />
<ol><li style="margin-top: 10px;"> <b>Gratitude to my Higher Power. </b>Without gratitude to my Higher Power (Spirit, God, Goddess, Grandfather) nothing has meaning and the door to abundance and good would slam in my face. How can you have more when you don't appreciate what you already have? Stop right now, look around the room and quickly list 10 things you're grateful for that you've been taking for granted like electricity, your vision, your spine, your computer, light from the sun, etc. </li>
<li style="margin-top: 10px;"> <b>Family. </b>I need to belong to a tribe. It doesn't have to be huge like my Italian friends have with their 30-something cousins and aunts and uncles, but without my husband, my sons, my grandson, my mother, even my pets, my life would have an unbearable void at the center. My family is my sun around which everything in my life revolves.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 10px;"> <b>Creativity. </b>I can't <i>not</i> be creative. I have to inject creativity into everything I do. If I were trapped in a cave (*shudder*) and waiting for release, no doubt I'd pass the time building dirt snowmen, stacking rocks in patterns or painting on the walls with bat guano. Creativity is my breath and without it, life would be dull dull dull.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 10px;"> <b>Independence. </b>I spent the first half of my adult life working for "the man" and the other half working for myself. There is no comparison to the freedom I feel working at what I love on my own terms. I don't have to wait for a vacation day or settle for the income they decide my work is worth. Being self-employed is hard work to be sure, but so very rewarding.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 10px;"> <b>Humor and Playfulness. </b>This heading could also have been "Honoring My Inner Child" Most people I meet take themselves and life waaaay too seriously. I find humor in my classroom helps learning and makes the day fun no matter what we're studying. When was the last time you did something playful, spontaneous and utterly ridiculous? Go on, dance in your front yard today in celebration of the New Year. Who cares what the neighbors say. They'll be peering from behind the curtains wishing they had the courage to be so free.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 10px;"><b>Achievement</b>. I have to agree with Donna Maria on this one. Setting goals and achieving them are addicting. I love the validation of kudos from colleagues and family and I love the feeling of obtaining something I set my sights on. Even if I miss my mark, I usually get something else equally cool or better!</li>
<li style="margin-top: 10px;"><b>Passion. </b> Yet another that Donna Maria and I have in common. If you are living a life without passion for what you are doing - work, education, service - you must stop and begin to do the thing that makes you jump out of bed in the morning with excitement and sets you on fire!</li>
<li style="margin-top: 10px;"><b>Learning.</b> Education and learning can come in many forms, from formal schooling to taking online classes to simply keeping a journal to increase awareness of yourself. When we stop learning, we stop growing.<br />
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There are others, but these were the main ones I wanted to share with you today.<br />
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Now, I'd love to read YOUR list of Core Values!</li>
</ol>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-25125294884933095962010-12-15T10:23:00.003-05:002010-12-15T10:29:14.978-05:00Interview with Seena Frost, Founder of SoulCollage®<m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TQdsnne_gsI/AAAAAAAACTg/2Dh6ILaX3DE/s1600/seena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TQdsnne_gsI/AAAAAAAACTg/2Dh6ILaX3DE/s400/seena.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Seena Frost, Beloved Mentor and Creator of SoulCollage®</b></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Readers of this blog may remember a post I wrote earlier this year entitled </span><a href="http://thefragrantmuse.blogspot.com/2010/05/aromatic-soulcollage.html" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Aromatic SoulCollage®</a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> in which I shared my great love for this amazing creative process.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Seena Frost has just completed her second book on SoulCollage®, entitled "SoulCollage® Evolving". You can read more about her book <a href="http://www.soulcollage.com/about-soulcollage/soulcollage-evolving">here</a> and <a href="http://www.hanfordmead.com/store/soulcollage%C3%82%C2%AE-evolving-p-42.html">order it here</a>.<br />
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Yay Seena! Those of us who are in love with this work have been hungry for another book. </span></div><b></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TQjSshGcevI/AAAAAAAACTk/uzmss7XnROM/s1600/SC-Evolve_FrntCover_5_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TQjSshGcevI/AAAAAAAACTk/uzmss7XnROM/s320/SC-Evolve_FrntCover_5_LR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
When I learned that Seena would be doing a blog tour, I jumped at the chance to interview her and ask some specific questions that had been rattling around in my head. Her answers were, as was expected, very insightful and soulful.</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Liz:</b> Thank you for joining me today Seena! It's an honor to have you as my guest here at The Fragrant Muse and a delight for me to pick your wonderful brain! How about we start with the basics: What is SoulCollage</span><sup style="color: #351c75;">®?</sup><b><sup><br />
</sup> </b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b>Seena:</b> SoulCollage® is both a creative celebration of the complexities of Soul and, at the same time underneath this complexity, is the honoring of our Spirit’s unity with Source. It’s a process emphasizing </span><i style="color: #134f5c;">Both/And</i><span style="color: #134f5c;">; Spirit</span><i style="color: #134f5c;"> and </i><span style="color: #134f5c;">Soul; One </span><i style="color: #134f5c;">and</i><span style="color: #134f5c;"> the Many. To honor the forever-evolving, amazing dance of our Souls, we create many collaged cards using found images to depict our unique parts. We give names to these parts, dialogue with them, and embrace them, even the ones that are shadowed and acting out. Giving a card its own name and allowing it time to say what’s wrong and what is needed often helps these inner parts heal. The inner part is able to find new ways to express its special energy so it has a positive place.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><div style="color: #351c75;"><b>Liz:</b> Tell us the story of the origin of SoulCollage®.</div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><b>Seena:</b> Many roots in my past eventually joined and grew into the blossoming and above-ground “plant” we now call SoulCollage<sup>®</sup>. These are too numerous to identify here, but in 1989, there came a moment at the end of a three year program with Jean Houston, when an integration occurred, and I made my very first cards. I called them Neter cards and these were all cards that now would be in the Community Suit of my deck because they were all for people. Over the years, and with input from others, this first project eventually evolved into people creating cards in the four suits, symbolizing the Manyness of our Souls, and one card, the Source card, as a symbol for the Oneness of all created forms. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;">At first I used these cards as a therapeutic tool in clinical support groups; then, because everyone loved creating them and found much inner wisdom through them, I introduced the process into other kinds of community groups. It can still be used as a therapeutic tool by licensed therapists, but it also can be used individually as a spiritual practice and in groups as a transformational ritual.</div><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;">Liz: Do you see a specific personality type in the people drawn to SoulCollage</span><span style="color: #351c75;">®?</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b>Seena:</b> This is an interesting question, and I’ve given it some thought. Actually, if there is a SoulCollage<sup>®</sup> type, it’s a person who is <i>visual </i>and who is <i>interested in looking inwards </i>at their own Soul. As to the Jungian personality types, there are parts of the process that appeal to <i>introverts</i>, especially the silent and intuitive choosing of images. And there are parts that appeal to <i>extroverts—</i>the speaking aloud from the images. In readings I’ve found that extroverts find it hard to be silent witnesses while introverts find that easy; but then extroverts can go on reading from an image forever. <i>Sensates </i>like sitting and doing the collaging part. <i>Thinkers</i> have to be patient and wait their turn, but it does come after the <i>Feelers</i> have had their time to feel out the energy of an image. <i>Intuitives</i> obviously love most all of it. So, I would say there is some activity in the process to please all the types, but, at the same time, there is a stretch for what Jung calls our <i>inferior</i> parts that need exercise to grow stronger.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Liz:</b> Though SoulCollage® has a wide audience, it seems to have a strong appeal to women over 40. Why is this?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;">Seen: You’re right about that, thus far in our history. Let me talk about the gender issue first and the age issue second. There is no doubt that women are more naturally drawn to collaging images, and to diving into their inner life to examine and work with it. And women are drawn also to share this inner exploration with others. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;">Men are usually more externally active, preferring to participate in action sports or watch them. Men like to work with solutions and goals and products that have overt value or significance in their world. Generally they do not want to dive into their inner life issues unless there is a huge reason like a mental or marital problem. Thus, the idea of sitting and collaging images, and then pretending to be the image may seem silly to men. And gatherings to do this in groups might seem a waste of time. Not for all men of course, and men, when they experience SoulCollage<sup>®</sup>, often are intrigued. It can be as if they just entered an interesting, foreign land.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c; margin-left: 1in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;">Part of the reason for the age difference is that the process began with older women (like me!) and so spread most quickly among us. Probably another factor is that women over 40 are no longer chasing little children all over the block, or just trying to break into careers where their masculine aspects must be emphasized and their feminine aspects minimized. At mid-life, there comes a yearning for more time, and a new freedom to be more feminine (not like the ads tell us to be), which is to be creative, intuitive, empathic, collaborative, supportive, noncompetitive, and loving. And also there often is a yearning to explore the inner life so as to find more balance and purpose and happiness. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;">I truly believe that we who are doing the process now will reach out to younger women, and also to men as time goes on. SoulCollage<sup>®</sup> is a practice that can produce changes in the Souls of all people, changes that our world needs right now. In fact, without change towards more heart language, more collaboration and more learning to listen and empathize and imagine, we won’t make it. Young women, especially those who are stepping into leadership positions all over the world, could use this practice. It does not need to be very time-consuming, to honor (alongside their masculine ‘find the solution and act’ aspects), those feminine aspects of their psyches that are so needed to change how we deal with each other and the natural world. And men who come into our community may find help in discovering the value of their own feminine aspects and vital ways to integrate them with their masculine aspects. Let’s see if we who are women over 40 can be inclusive enough to make this happen.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Liz:</b> As you know, in my own personal SoulCollage® deck, I've added a unique suit to honor one of my life's passions, essential oils. I call this my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/sets/72157622906180070/">Aromatic Suit</a>. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/4146735637/" title="Neroli SoulCollage® Card by The Fragrant Muse, on Flickr"><img alt="Neroli SoulCollage® Card" height="161" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2650/4146735637_a56c44d898_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/4146735637/in/set-72157622906180070/"><b>Liz's Neroli SoulCollage® Card</b></a><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Each card honors a specific aromatic, the significance it has for me and my personal story with that essential oil as well as it's energetic or therapeutic value. I use these cards frequently in my work as an Aromatherapist. What are your thoughts on expanding one's personal deck beyond the standard 4 suits to honor a unique passion?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;"><b>Seena:</b> I think this is a fine thing to do as long as each of the oils has a personal significance for you, is a Neter of yours and can speak to you from its special energy. If there were just a couple of oils that were important in your psyche, I would suggest having them in one of the four suits, perhaps as Council archetypes. However, since you are an Aromatherapist and every oil is unique and important in <i>your</i> life story, then a new suit is appropriate. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;">My problem with adding extra suits to the four basic ones is that it may complicate your deck beyond what is helpful. Sometimes people decide to make a new suit and put in it all the Neters that are traditionally listed in some category, such as the archetypes of the Major Arcana or all the Nine Muses. Doing this gives one’s mind the job of choosing who to include in the deck, and does not leave the choice to the Neters themselves. Each of us is unique as to the collection of Neters that are in our decks, and no external list should dictate our choices. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;">Sometimes we will recognize the activity of a Neter in our lives… <i>“Aha… that voice was my Advising Self, or that action was from my Warrior archetype, etc</i>” …. and so we set out <i>intentionally</i> to find images and make a card for this Neter. This is perfectly fine too, but the Neter is the one whose energy has alerted us to its presence within our Soul.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Liz: </b> What advice would you give a SoulCollage® Facilitator who has an individual that regularly meets with a card-making group, enjoys creating the cards but doesn't want to participate in the "inner work" of interpreting the cards, journaling or doing readings? Is the person still receiving value from the SoulCollage experience?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #134f5c;"><b>Seena:</b> If the person comes regularly, collages cards, listens to others doing their processing, then certainly some inner work is already happening. Resistance to going further with the process is the Neter in charge just now and is to be respected. Encourage her or him to make cards for all their inner voices that are instructing about when and how to participate. Certainly encourage her to continue. Let him know how valuable to everyone a good listener is.<br />
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</div><span style="color: #351c75;">Thank you so much Seena for taking the time to answer my questions. Your new book is fabulous and I can't wait for others to discover the life-changing adventure known as SoulCollage®!</span></div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-67231983903057920602010-12-08T08:53:00.000-05:002010-12-08T08:53:36.201-05:00A Little-Known Fact about SantaWe began setting up our holiday village last weekend. Bean "helped" of course. In fact, he helped so much that Santa lost his right hand. <br />
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I disappeared to fetch glue and when I returned hubby was wearing a suspicion grin. "What?" I asked. <br />
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He glanced at the lake and said "Apparently, Santa can't swim".<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TP-LtIzJjkI/AAAAAAAACTc/TPLD4PWD2o0/s1600/DSC_1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TP-LtIzJjkI/AAAAAAAACTc/TPLD4PWD2o0/s640/DSC_1001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-36995030697907432162010-11-30T08:49:00.010-05:002010-11-30T09:20:43.626-05:00What Inspires You to Write?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TPT9c4Vp7GI/AAAAAAAACSM/3nggLyJDUhg/s1600/Shakespere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TPT9c4Vp7GI/AAAAAAAACSM/3nggLyJDUhg/s320/Shakespere.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><pre id="embed"></pre>The Fragrant Muse blog was born in April of 2009 with no particular purpose other than to put my many thoughts and interests into writing.<br />
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Initially, blogging was like falling in love. I jumped out of bed in the morning anxious to create and share stories of the world around me. My writing came easily, was spontaneous and fluid. My mind was full of post ideas. I began making friends, following blogs, having followers and a new creative community began to form around me. I was enamoured with the whole blogging experience.<br />
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In the past few months, this glow has faded a bit. Recently, when a friend remarked, "Your blog is getting boring", I was taken aback, but also felt the truth in her words. I haven't felt <i>inspired</i> to write.<br />
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Upon reflection, the shift occurred when I began putting restrictions on my posts and blog content after reading gobs of material on "how to build a better blog." I bought books, magazines and read loads of web material on how to be a better blogger. I subscribed to <a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/">CopyBlogger</a> and <a href="http://www.problogger.net/">ProBlogger</a> to learn what makes a blog readable and interesting.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TPT9mx8nTbI/AAAAAAAACSQ/Wmr_ArWkFRs/s1600/compelling-blog-content.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TPT9mx8nTbI/AAAAAAAACSQ/Wmr_ArWkFRs/s320/compelling-blog-content.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>One message I found over and over was "<i>keep your blog uncluttered and tightly focused on one subject</i>." Since my primary personal and professional passion is essential oils, I decided to keep my blog limited to aromatherapy-related posts. <br />
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I began to de-clutter my blog by eliminating such topics as The Bean (my grandson), art journaling, massage, Sassy the pug, my fairy garden, miniatures, my family and random day-in-the-life-of-Liz stuff. And you know what? I miss writing about these things that color my world so vibrantly! I've considered a second blog for all my non-aromatherapy interests - and I may someday - but for now, the idea of maintaining two blogs feels daunting.<br />
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So I'm going to go back to writing about all my interests and pull from my creative right brain. I'm going to post on everything that interests me and inspires me; everything that makes The Fragrant Muse who she is. Certainly, essential oils will still be my main focus, because that is also the case in my life; however, I'll also include a generous sprinkling of other shiny bits of my life.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">I'll save my rational left brain for paying the bills and doing my taxes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TPT-4ZZTVdI/AAAAAAAACSU/MOZsr8gVdCg/s1600/creativity.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TPT-4ZZTVdI/AAAAAAAACSU/MOZsr8gVdCg/s400/creativity.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.jimkukral.com/creativity-ideas-come-best-when-you-shut-down-your-brain/">Photo</a> </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>Because the truth of the matter is this: My world and all that fills it is multi-faceted with <i>many</i> interests and I love sharing my life and all that colors it. If I lose followers or folks find The Fragrant Muse too random then this is what I have to say:<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nl4SRVXgGiI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nl4SRVXgGiI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-52231034876078744002010-11-01T06:50:00.003-04:002010-11-01T06:55:29.849-04:00Climbing the Emma Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TM6LIv6ufcI/AAAAAAAACRE/yLpqvR78pZI/s1600/congratsdebi3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TM6S8c-iOVI/AAAAAAAACRI/yCjV2GyX7Rs/s1600/Emma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TM6S8c-iOVI/AAAAAAAACRI/yCjV2GyX7Rs/s400/Emma.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b><a href="http://www.emmatree.blogspot.com/">Emma Tree Blog</a></b><br />
In the 18 months I've been traversing the blogging world, one unexpected delight has been meeting and making friends with talented writers, artists and the most fascinating creative people. D. Smith Kaich Jones of <a href="http://emmatree.blogspot.com/">Emma Tree: Tales of Art and Anxiety</a> is one of those folks. Debi writes of experiences of daily life and describes them in such a rich and exquisite way that you can't help but connect and <i>get</i> what she says as well as feel understood, yourself. I stop there for a visit when I need to refill my inspirational cup. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>This is her poetic description of living in East Texas</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"It is not Paris. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It is not Morocco. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It is not even Oregon or New Mexico. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It is here, it is Texas, and even then, it is not West Texas, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>it is Northeast Texas, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>a church on every corner and a taqueria on every block, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>feeding your soul and feeding your belly."</i></div><br />
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Debi's writing talents have earned her three articles in an Authentic Living series for <a href="http://www.stampington.com/html/somerset_life_autumn10.html">Somerset Magazine</a> and a place in the the Autumn issue of <a href="http://www.stampington.com/html/artful_blogging_autumn10.html">Artful Blogging: Visually Inspiring Online Journals</a>. Both magazines are published by <a href="http://www.stampington.com/index.html">Stampington & Co: Arts and Co,</a> your one stop shop for creativity. <br />
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<b>I have many favorite posts by Debi, but below are three I wanted to share:</b><br />
<a href="http://emmatree.blogspot.com/2010/03/night-spring.html">Night Spring</a> where she writes about her beloved cat Maggie, that we all fell in love with<br />
<a href="http://emmatree.blogspot.com/2010/04/empty-house-full-heart.html">Empty House, Full Heart</a> After Maggie's passing (still makes me cry)<br />
<a href="http://emmatree.blogspot.com/2010/10/sign-day-birthday-cake-would-be-nice.html">Sign Day </a> All women should read this one!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TM6LIv6ufcI/AAAAAAAACRE/yLpqvR78pZI/s1600/congratsdebi3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TM6LIv6ufcI/AAAAAAAACRE/yLpqvR78pZI/s320/congratsdebi3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-67646131239543753872010-10-08T11:08:00.000-04:002010-10-08T11:08:12.688-04:00Make your own Search Story!<object style="background-image: url("http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/hccptbDwo0Y/hqdefault.jpg");" height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hccptbDwo0Y?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hccptbDwo0Y?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-4662336422480737692010-10-05T07:49:00.016-04:002010-10-05T08:05:59.459-04:00Pulling the Plug<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TKsFZFhoOII/AAAAAAAACQk/0sR_uNZBdJg/s1600/No+More+TV.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TKsFZFhoOII/AAAAAAAACQk/0sR_uNZBdJg/s1600/No+More+TV.gif" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>"American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV."</i> -- The Kaiser Family Foundation</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br />
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<i>"You watch television to turn your brain off and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on." </i></span><span style="color: #cc0000;">-- Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></b></span><b>Pulling the Plug</b><br />
On September 2nd we cancelled our cable service and are now a no-television household. The set is still there if we want to watch a DVD or video, but the actual connection to the outside world via TV is gone. <br />
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I'll admit, the first couple of days were weird and we did miss it. Although my husband and I aren't compulsive tv watchers, we've had a long-standing ritual of sitting down around 7 p.m. and letting the busy day melt away by watching a show or two...or three or four depending on our level of fatigue. Ever notice how it sucks you in when you're especially tired (read: vulnerable)? James and I began to observe how we were numbing ourselves with tv and the ease with which we slipped into mindlessly watching one show after another, even when we weren't particularly interested. <br />
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<b>What about "good" TV like the Discovery Channel or PBS?</b><br />
<a href="http://turnoffyourtv.com/">TurnOffYourTV.com</a> has this to say: <br />
<i>"All TV is passive, sedentary and non-experiential. Most viewers tend to watch show after show--not individual programs. Instead of watching a documentary about birds, go out (with binoculars if you have them) and see how many real birds you can identify in your neighborhood." The purpose of National TV-Turnoff Week is to leave behind judgments about the quality of television and focus instead on creating, discovering, building, participating and doing."</i><br />
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<b>So, what is different for us now?</b><br />
Well, the immediate difference is that we read more. A <i>lot</i> more. We have more conversations in the evening, go to bed earlier and rest better. My husband would frequently fall asleep in front of the tv after a long day. Now he goes to bed, which is where one should be when they're worn out, isn't it? We are beginning to work on creative projects. I spent one evening just sorting my jewelry then made an earring holder out of an old frame with a window screen glued to the back and hung my earrings on the screen. This might sound deadly boring, but was so satisfying and I can now locate earrings easily. If I'd watched another re-run of Bones or CSI, my earrings would still be all over the place. After years of wanting to try <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map">mindmapping</a>, I got on <a href="http://mindmeister.com/">mindmeister.com</a> one evening and created five different mindmaps: my website, my youtube channel, my finances, my weightloss goals and personal life goals. <br />
<br />
Oh, and one very unexpected benefit. I eat less!</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<b>Computer TV</b><br />
In the interest of full disclosure, I have watched the current episodes of Modern Family and The Office on <a href="http://hulu.com/">hulu.com</a>. And you know what? It wasn't nearly as satisfying as I thought it would be. I imagine even that, too, will end eventually.<br />
<br />
What we've lost in mind-numbing "entertainment", we've gained in freedom over our brains and our time plus a whole lot more <i>quiet</i>.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span><span style="color: #cc0000;">What about you?<br />
Could you live without <i>your</i> connection to the television? </span></b><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<center> <b>SOME SCARY FACTS ABOUT TV</b></center><br />
<ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li>Number of 30-second commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000 </li>
<li>Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 38.5</li>
<li>Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680</li>
<li>Percentage of children ages 6-17 who have TV's in their bedrooms: 50</li>
<li>Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70</li>
<li>Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours</li>
<li>Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500</li>
<li>Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-51436175989558185872010-09-23T07:45:00.012-04:002010-09-23T09:50:01.787-04:00Connecting with Mother Moon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TJtDVRxsLRI/AAAAAAAACQU/qBwCNC0aTac/s1600/full_moon_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TJtDVRxsLRI/AAAAAAAACQU/qBwCNC0aTac/s320/full_moon_small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Tonight is a Full Moon. Just how in-tune with the energy of the Moon are <i>you?</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">In the video below, Flora Peterson challenges us to </span></span><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">go outside and connect with the Moon for 29 consecutive days. </span></span><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Although her video was posted in 2009, this powerful exercise can be done anytime. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Flora, aka CharmingPixieFlora, is a tiny powerhouse bursting with positive energy. Her <a href="http://www.florasage.com/">website</a> bio lists her as a </span></span><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Teacher, Intuitive Consultant, Certified Life Coach and New Age Practitioner and she has an information-packed </span></span><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">YouTube Channel called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/CharmingPixieFlora">Flora's Family Footsteps</a>. Today also happens to be her birthday!</span></span><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So tonight </span></span></span><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I'll anoint myself with the oils of Mabon (the Autumn Equinox) which are Benzoin, Myrrh and Sage, and </span></span><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">for the next month I'll step outside to face Mother Moon and focus on embracing her energies.</span><br />
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Who knows, I may even howl.<br />
<br />
Happy Birthday Flora!<br />
</span></span><br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/isLUgap-rZE?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/isLUgap-rZE?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-33801932497419070002010-09-12T19:51:00.014-04:002010-09-14T08:22:03.247-04:00How to Create Your Own Video Channel on YouTube<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TI1lej_bZvI/AAAAAAAACQI/4CxSsNQzWTo/s1600/youtube_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TI1lej_bZvI/AAAAAAAACQI/4CxSsNQzWTo/s200/youtube_logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">If you haven't created your own video channel on YouTube, what are you waiting for? It's free, easy and a great way to showcase your products, services and bring attention to your business. You could even create a channel just for family and friends to watch if you want nothing more than to show the folks back home your new baby.</span></span><br />
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<u><b>My Channel</b></u><br />
I created a channel for The Fragrant Muse last week with the goal of offering video tutorials, commentaries, product reviews and whatever else Musie and I dream up to boost your relationship with essential oils and encourage personal creativity. The name of my channel is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFragrantMuse?feature=mhum">"Discover Your Fragrant Muse"</a>. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
As will happen when people get their hands on a video camera, you'll find no shortage of ridiculousness, obnoxiousness, amateur attempts at fame and just plain crap on YouTube, but there are also a good many videos that are educational and entertaining. Why shouldn't <i>yours</i> be included?<br />
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<b><u>What Video Camera to Use?</u></b> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TI32oKAj2lI/AAAAAAAACQQ/G60cJgPSoNc/s1600/flip_minohd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TI32oKAj2lI/AAAAAAAACQQ/G60cJgPSoNc/s200/flip_minohd2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>My challenge has been choosing a camera that gives good quality images, good audio, and still allows me to pay my son's college tuition. I did find some good advice <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-a-Digital-Video-Camera">here</a>. Because I'm excited to begin and somewhat overwhelmed with all the choices and options, I bought a Flip Mino HD (2nd generation). Although the Flip wasn't my first choice after watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfYNyiBSbRk">this</a> review by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfYNyiBSbRk">Jon Paula,</a> I bought one anyway because it felt safe. Jon named better starting video cameras in his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYvbu2mu8LA">Camera Buying Guide</a> video. I know that as my understanding of<span id="id_4c8d5b0c823b4079eb19e"> video technology matures, so will my equipment. Or not. Who knows, maybe I'll end up liking the Flip.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<b><u>Signing Up</u></b><br />
You can find very good step-by-step instructions for signing up for your channel on <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4493894_create-youtube-channel.html">this EHow page</a>. If you look on the right sidebar of this page, you'll see other helpful ehow posts on being a Channel owner.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b><u>Note!</u></b></span><br />
When you create your account, <i>that</i> will be the name of your channel. If I had opened my account under Liz Fulcher I would now have "Liz Fulcher's Channel". Instead, my account is under The Fragrant Muse so my channel is "The Fragrant Muse's Channel". You might not want "PrettyBoy123" as your channel name.</div><br />
<div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Getting a Banner</b></u><br />
To get your own header, you must first be a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/t/partnerships_faq">YouTube Partner</a>. This happens after you've produced a certain number of videos and have many subscribers. It's a goal to work toward.<br />
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For now, just get your face out there...and let me know when that happens so I can stop by and subscribe. And don't forget to subscribe to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFragrantMuse">my channel!</a></div></div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-26383068034825909792010-09-03T09:05:00.002-04:002010-09-03T09:10:44.220-04:00The Fragrant Muse Gets a New Look. Finally!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My naked blog has finally gotten dressed. Indeed, embellished with a beautiful party dress fit for all manner of fragrant musings and creative mutterings. I love it!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The new banner was created by the very talented Stacy of the blog <a href="http://pandorascompass.blogspot.com/">Pandora's Compass: Living Life with the Lid Off</a> with <i>minimal</i> instruction from me. <br />
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Stacy chose my <a href="http://thefragrantmuse.blogspot.com/2009/11/fragrant-friday-18-jasmine-absolute.html">Jasmine </a>Muse SoulCollage© Card from my collection on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/sets/72157622906180070/">Flickr</a> then allowed her own creative instincts to flow and designed a header that she felt matched my energy and my blog message: <i>inspire your imagination</i> (creativity) <i>and enchant your senses</i> (essential oils).</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is perfect. Thank you Stacy!</div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-60143532200006901022010-08-23T23:40:00.007-04:002010-08-24T22:51:23.101-04:00The Chesterfield Ad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/SpbPZldz_FI/AAAAAAAABJY/goN5xu5735s/s1600-h/Dad+Chesterfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/SpbPZldz_FI/AAAAAAAABJY/goN5xu5735s/s400/Dad+Chesterfield.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This Chesterfield advertisement has hung on the wall of every home I've lived in. It's been woven into the fabric of my domestic life like a favorite cushion or set of dishes that's always been there. <br />
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The poster is more than just a cool vintage collectible and has a unique significance for me. The handsome model is my father. This particular ad appeared on page 66 of <i>Life</i> <i>Magazine</i> on June 29, 1942 when he was just 25. He posed for other Chesterfield ads that year which appeared in Popular Mechanics, Colliers and Good Housekeeping as well as billboards alongside the road. <br />
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Today is my father's birthday and he would have been 93. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-73761496728583172822010-08-20T11:34:00.003-04:002010-08-21T11:35:10.408-04:00Interviews by Julochka of Moments of Perfect Clarity<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TG6c1qoIHlI/AAAAAAAACOM/GuivVuXBDbg/s1600/MPC+banner+-+aug+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TG6c1qoIHlI/AAAAAAAACOM/GuivVuXBDbg/s400/MPC+banner+-+aug+2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Julochka of the magnificent blog <a href="http://julochka.blogspot.com/">Moments of Perfect Clarity</a> has been interviewing other bloggers - specifically her readers - for the past month. She sent her interviewees a list of questions then posted their responses on her blog. Today's interview is with <a href="http://julochka.blogspot.com/2010/08/interview-with-liz-of-fragrant-muse.html">yours truly.</a><br />
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In looking over her collection of interviews, I see a beautiful blogging patchwork, and I can't help but marvel how the blogosphere affords us the opportunity to know amazing and fascinating people that would otherwise be lost to us. <br />
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What I found surprisingly (and utterly delightful) was the unexpected nature of her questions. Instead of covering topics on my fragrant life, she asked things like "<i>where do you go to unwind?</i>" and "<i>what do you miss about Italy?</i>".<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you want to read more, go <a href="http://julochka.blogspot.com/2010/08/interview-with-liz-of-fragrant-muse.html">here</a>.</div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-77796950329556731192010-08-17T05:04:00.002-04:002010-08-17T05:20:04.959-04:00Falling into Place<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A deceivingly simple, yet profound message. You'll want sound for this. <br />
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</b></div><object height="295" style="background-image: url("http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/ZMzeAj6E6BE/hqdefault.jpg");" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZMzeAj6E6BE?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZMzeAj6E6BE?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-88146092867030708342010-08-04T07:20:00.020-04:002010-08-04T16:14:01.251-04:00What do I wish for my Creativity?<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/4859245031/" title="Liz creates by The Fragrant Muse, on Flickr"><img alt="Liz creates" height="352" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4859245031_f719aed140.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TFlPRHfddEI/AAAAAAAACNE/1f9PJ7uobpw/s1600/Bergamot+SoulCollage+Card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span id="goog_214517031"></span><span id="goog_214517032"></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today at </span><a href="http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/wishcasting-wednesday-what-do-you-wish-for-your-creativity" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jamie Ridler Studios</a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">, the topic is creativity.</span><br />
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In the past year I've ruminated on the concept of essential oils being a catalyst for personal creativity. That they support physical, emotional and mental health, is well-known and scientifically documented. But what about supporting <i>spiritual </i>health? Specifically, personal creativity. <br />
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Can essential oils be a catalyst for creative expression? I say an emphatic YES! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I firmly believe that <i>essential oils can </i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>influence and support not only creativity, but also intuition, motivation and the occasional flashes of genius!</i> <br />
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In my </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: normal;">own life, essential oils have inspired me to design healing blends, create an essential oil <a href="http://www.lizsgarden.com/">company</a> and manifest educational <a href="http://www.lizsgarden.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=65">programs</a> on their unlimited uses. Aromatics were the spark that ignited my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/sets/72157622906180070/">Aromatic SoulCollage</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: normal;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/sets/72157622906180070/"><sup>®</sup></a></span><span normal;"> series and the same energetic force that that propelled me into the blogosphere, giving life to The Fragrant Muse. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: normal;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TFlPRHfddEI/AAAAAAAACNE/1f9PJ7uobpw/s1600/Bergamot+SoulCollage+Card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TFlPRHfddEI/AAAAAAAACNE/1f9PJ7uobpw/s400/Bergamot+SoulCollage+Card.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefragrantmuse/3599581244/in/set-72157622906180070/">Bergamot Muse SoulCollage Card</a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <br />
To answer Jamie's question "what do you wish for your creativity"...<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: black;">I wish to continue expanding this concept of aromatics bolstering the creative mind. I have an idea for an educational program specifically on how to use essential oils to stimulate personal creativity. And here we go again...my creative juices are flowing!<br />
</span></span></span>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-27617910335171316542010-07-29T06:14:00.006-04:002010-07-29T06:27:33.407-04:00Meet my Psychiatrist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TFFIVPnL1II/AAAAAAAACMY/JMopQnacTCk/s1600/DSC_0527_8265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TFFIVPnL1II/AAAAAAAACMY/JMopQnacTCk/s640/DSC_0527_8265.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last week James, Bean and I escaped for a spontaneous camping trip. Four days in the woods and I'm a new person. Okay, not completely <i>new</i> but certainly refreshed. It seems that surrounding oneself with trees and sleeping next to a burbling stream is good medicine for an overworked mind. More to the point, the elixir was <i>no electronics</i>. No WiFi. No cell phone. No TV. No radio. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For the first time in months, and I do mean <i>months</i>, I worked in my <a href="http://thefragrantmuse.blogspot.com/2010/04/art-journaling-workshop-success-day-of.html">art journal</a>. I painted, wrote, mused and dreamed. I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Book-Years-Inspiration-Guidance/dp/1585420298/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280396076&sr=1-5">The Creativity Book: A Year's Worth of Inspiration and Guidance</a> and found myself enormously inspired, which led to more journaling, musing and dreaming. <br />
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We watched in silent awe as a mother black bear with three cubs passed through our campsite at 5 a.m. one morning. We adopted "Chuck" a precious little chipmunk who ate from James' hand. We swam in the chilly mountain lake, took long walks in the cool woods and talked about everything under the sun. <br />
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It was good. Very good.<br />
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I foresee another therapy session before summer's end.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TFFSFxmtvUI/AAAAAAAACMc/U9pqA2vBgoM/s1600/Liz+rests.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TFFSFxmtvUI/AAAAAAAACMc/U9pqA2vBgoM/s400/Liz+rests.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-65632092230265006202010-07-20T07:15:00.004-04:002010-07-20T07:17:53.249-04:00And Now for Something Completely Different<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TEWEQrXi_8I/AAAAAAAACMA/aod4oUVRFAs/s1600/DSC_0483_1959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TEWEQrXi_8I/AAAAAAAACMA/aod4oUVRFAs/s400/DSC_0483_1959.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">1961<br />
Rosemary aged 15<br />
Elizabeth aged 4 <br />
<span style="font-size: small;">(I didn't become Liz until later)</span><br />
Paul aged 12</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-43552098553261663892010-07-09T18:31:00.013-04:002010-07-09T21:01:17.284-04:00This one, I let her win.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I spent several hours last night working on photographs of my oil bottles for the website. I carried the bottles into the kitchen where the light was best, set them on a beige square tile, added a white background and snapped away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TDeeh7lBx3I/AAAAAAAACL0/Fq4Q5V-IweA/s1600/DSC_0156_7925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TDeeh7lBx3I/AAAAAAAACL0/Fq4Q5V-IweA/s400/DSC_0156_7925.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
For the rest of the night, Musie wouldn't leave me alone. She kept poking me in the brain, insisting that the pictures weren't right - that they were flat, boring and, above all, they weren't <i>me</i>.<br />
<br />
When I got up this morning, <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I rummaged around my dresser drawers and found an old cotton quilt with pretty appliqued flowers. I set the quilt on a table in front of a bright window, smushed it around then rested the bottles on the soft fabric and took a picture.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TDegzlodLXI/AAAAAAAACL4/qKQvfJ2_0Xk/s1600/DSC_0208_7958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TDegzlodLXI/AAAAAAAACL4/qKQvfJ2_0Xk/s400/DSC_0208_7958.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <br />
Musie approved.</span>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-68975025354248648482010-06-09T08:48:00.004-04:002010-06-09T08:55:11.267-04:00Leaping into Less<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4674926536_b57ea096cd_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4674926536_b57ea096cd_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's been ages since I've played at <a href="http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/wishcasting-wednesday-what-leap-do-you-wish-take">Jamie Ridler's studio</a>, so I popped over this morning and her question <i>What Leap Do you Wish to Take?</i> gave me pause.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What <i>LEAP</i> do I wish to take? Jamie, I'm already leaping tall buildings in a single bound and stopping the occasion speeding bullet in order to accomplish my goals. In fact if I keep leaping at this pace, I'm likely to spring myself right into burnout. I've done it before.<br />
<br />
Leaping it kinda my thang. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/3599579584_86a1fd2907_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/3599579584_86a1fd2907_b.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My<i> Meltdown</i> SoulCollage Card</span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The question begs to be asked: What constitutes a "leap" anyway? Isn't a leap an action performed without knowledge of the consequences? An act of faith? In that case, I'm not leaping at all because I know my hard work and actions will result in success. The leap for me then is slowing down. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Woah...my palms just got sweaty. I must have hit a nerve. </div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So the leap I wish to take now is <i>letting go, </i>slowing down and doing less...while keeping the faith that it will all work out.</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now <i>that's</i> a leap worth taking.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-46276001286428311792010-06-08T06:35:00.003-04:002010-06-08T08:44:23.187-04:00"Mud" by The Bean<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Nana and Pap like to take me for walks on Sunday afternoon. <br />
Nana thinks its funny when I'm on Pap's shoulders,<br />
'cause it looks like I have a tail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4633251214_885cfc89d5_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4633251214_885cfc89d5_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My Pap knows <i>a lot</i> about plants and teaches me 'bout ones I can eat<br />
and ones I shouldn't touch. <br />
Here he's teachin' me 'bout pois'nivy. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"<i>Leaves of three, let them be</i>" he says.</span><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4633257328_621b3af917_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4633257328_621b3af917_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We like to go down to the river and walk on this one tree that goes<br />
waaaaay out over the water. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's a little scary but I like it.<br />
Pap almost fell out of the tree once and Nana laughed real hard.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4632676655_93cb2e598a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4632676655_93cb2e598a_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
Sassy our Pug always comes with us on walks.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Nana says she's a "<i>cream puff</i>" but she's part of the family, too.<br />
I never saw a dog climb a tree before.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3335/4632702321_a98ea471e4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3335/4632702321_a98ea471e4_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pap likes to hold me and talk about what we see like<br />
clouds and water and birds and stuff.<br />
Nana calls him "<i>flosofer</i>". </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4633315120_2a0a4d986a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4633315120_2a0a4d986a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I love my Pap.</span> Nana says he's "<i>earfy</i>" and "<i>grounding</i>".<br />
I don't know what that means but I feel safe when he holds me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4633353292_9ae321b4c2_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4633353292_9ae321b4c2_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
Nana wanted to get closer to the water for pitchers (she's always takin' pitchers!)<br />
She took off her shoes and walked in the mud.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4633432918_9c07927264_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4633432918_9c07927264_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
This made Pap and me laugh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4632796905_85cd6f6bcd_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4632796905_85cd6f6bcd_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I wanted to get in the mud too.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4633484470_3a6bd130bf_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4633484470_3a6bd130bf_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And the water.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3361/4633529678_0da32129f3_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3361/4633529678_0da32129f3_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3380/4632942423_4ed9fa0891_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3380/4632942423_4ed9fa0891_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4633022757_5c823bb0f7_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It feels funny when it squishes 'tween my toes.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4633625800_3ebf165111_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4633625800_3ebf165111_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4632695261_098f9bcf2c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Sassy went kinda nuts in the water and Nana kept calling her "<i>mudball</i>"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4632695261_098f9bcf2c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4632695261_098f9bcf2c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I fell down. Then I fell down again. <br />
Falling down was fun! I was swimmin' in the river!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4633632338_21343ffd40_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4633632338_21343ffd40_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
Nana told Pap "<i>that's enough he'll get 'monia</i>".<br />
She made me get out of my wet clothes and told Pap to take off his shirt and wrap me up.<br />
It was warm and smelled good, like Pap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/4633094511_cc05b4ff9f_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/4633094511_cc05b4ff9f_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I like having adventures with Nana and Pap. <br />
You never know what's gonna happen.<br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4633709512_da71031ec4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4633709512_da71031ec4_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4496787242376381641.post-37181072372415406712010-06-06T12:57:00.024-04:002010-06-07T08:21:18.510-04:00There's No Place Like Home<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In January of this year I began what was initially an exciting three months of stimulating new experiences. I signed up for a <a href="http://thefragrantmuse.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html">series of aromatherapy classes</a> in new and distant cities.<br />
<br />
This fresh slice of life thrilled me to bits because my adventures included everything I adore: working with essential oils, meeting new people, flying and driving to unknown cities, leasing cars with state-of-the-art gadgets, renting adorable cottages and - most importantly - flooding my thirsty brain with new knowledge. At one point I added even more classes which meant increased travel, increased expenses and increased time away from home. <br />
<br />
And it's taken its toll on my well-being.<br />
<br />
Somewhere in the thrill of new experience and seeking higher knowledge, I began to lose myself and my balance. I have a lot of increased wisdom to be sure, but the most valuable lesson has been that <i>it's possible to have too much of a good thing</i>.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
I've been away one week every month since January. For some that might not seem like much, but for me that's a lot of time away. This has translated into less focus on my loved ones, overloading my massage schedule when I <i>am</i> home and packing more into each hour of each day. Worse, my creative soul-nourishing activities have been neglected: writing, blogging (only 40 posts since January!), Fragrant Fridays, art journaling, soulcollage and time spent just dreaming. <i>Never</i> underestimate the value of "goofing off" "puttering" and "doing nothing in particular".<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Yep. When staying in a gorgeous lake cottage like <i>this</i> isn't nearly as interesting as <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TAfR1yrUfEI/AAAAAAAACLg/tgKPubRvXzg/s1600/DSC_0703_7075.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bdv_8NOJdLM/TAfR1yrUfEI/AAAAAAAACLg/tgKPubRvXzg/s400/DSC_0703_7075.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>moments like <i>this,</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4674946488_0e8308670a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4674946488_0e8308670a_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
then it's time to be home.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So today, I'm putting an end to busy. I've invited my inner child for a visit and we're doing nothing in particular. At home. <br />
<br />
Where, it turns out, we like it best.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div>Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Musehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15745246662315569161noreply@blogger.com4