Beauty Briefs

Hello, Beautiful People!! Just wanted to update you on a few pieces of news.

• I've just launched my new e-newsletter, The Beauty Boost!! Sign up today to get occasional uplifting updates, special offers and inspiring news about all things beautiful.
• One of my favorite sites, Pecannoot, is featuring OYOB this week. Welcome to all of you who are first-time visitors!
• The Choosing Beauty web site has a few new features, including a Reading Room and a Good To Know section with news briefs about good stuff happening in the world. Enjoy!
• Show Me the Money! Check out our July Beauty Buy of the Month - just click on the money --------------------->>>

Beauty & Blessings,

Liv

July 7, 2009

Two years ago today,

on 7.7.07,

I hosted an "independence day" party

to celebrate spreading my wings

and leaving corporate life behind.

I planned to further focus my energies

on finding and celebrating everyday beauty.

I had already started this blog

nearly a year prior

and felt empowered by all the support

I'd received in those early months

from friends and strangers alike.

You gave me the confidence

to set out on my own

and I've never looked back.

I love this work

(if you can call it that!),

finding the beauty in my midst

and helping others find theirs.

So, thank you for continuing

to support this blog

and the Choosing Beauty site

from all corners of the world.

How sweet it is

to be loved by you!

July 6, 2009

This white picket fence

and the gorgeous garden it protects

create the picture-perfect stereotype

of what it means to live the American dream:

a life of abundance, success and contentment.

What you can't see in this picture

is that the house beyond this garden

doesn't quite match the dream.

It's a run-down victim of neglect

with peeling paint and broken windows,

missing shutters and a tattered roof.

The people who live here

may not have the means or time

to keep their house in good condition,

but someone is certainly tending

to that garden,

ensuring that no matter what happens

at home,

there is always an oasis of calm

where flowers and dreams still bloom.

July 5, 2009

We live in a really wonderful neighborhood.

We moved to the suburbs four years ago,

eager for more breathing room

but worried we'd miss being so close

to so much activity.

And, honestly, we sometimes do.

But we also realize there's so much

to be thankful for

in the area where we now live.

On a family walk today,

my hubby voiced gratitude

for living where the power lines

are underground instead of above.

It's a little thing, we know,

but it's really lovely to look up

and not have wires crossing every which way

or huge poles every few feet.

On the same walk,

we spotted a deer snacking on greens

on the opposite side of a pond

we were passing by.

Definitely not a sight

we ever saw living in the city!

And then there are the neighbors,

who are so friendly and family-oriented.

On July 3rd, we all sat on lawn chairs

in one family's back yard

to ooh and aaah at small firecrackers

being launched by several neighborhood dads.

How cool is that!?

I think, most of all,

I'm grateful that my kids

are growing up in a neighborhood

where they feel comfortable and safe,

where adults affirm them

and care about their well-being,

where this little cul de sac

feels like the center

of a very kind universe.

July 4, 2009

Do you remember the first time

you saw fireworks light up the sky?

I don't.

But I got to experience it vicariously

through the eyes of my one year old.

He is already fascinated

with every light he sees,

pointing with glee,

bending over backwards

to look up at the lights.

Tonight,

as the 4th of July fireworks

exploded in the night sky,

his emotions reflected the dynamic display.

He laughed, then cried,

then clung to me and stared at the sky,

barely blinking during the 20 minute show,

and probably wondering how

he'd lived a whole year

without knowing something so fantastic

exists in the world.

July 3, 2009

My grandma turned 95 today

surrounded by family from near and far,

great-grandchildren buzzing about at her feet,

and a great big chocolate cake

(oh, how she loves chocolate!).

I asked her to tell me

the greatest part of turning 95.

"People don't expect anything from you,"

she replied.

:)

July 2, 2009

They're an unlikely couple,

this butterfly and spider;

Beauty and the Beast

of the insect world.

But they seemed to co-exist just fine,

sitting like that for a good long time.

Maybe chatting about the day's events,

swapping stories on mutual friends,

or just enjoying the lovely weather.

They're the cutest couple

I've seen in a long time.

July 1, 2009

I have unknowingly trained myself

to look at the price of unleaded gas

at every station I pass.

Even if I have a full tank,

I automatically glance at the sign

to see the price of the moment.

Is it more than I most recently paid?

Is it less here than it is there?

Is it skyrocketing up

or spiraling down?

If there's a gas station nearby,

my eyes are on it.

Except for this evening.

We were leaving a store

when a stunning sunset appeared

on the horizon.

Brilliant peaches and oranges

painted the sky,

mixing with heavy gray storm clouds

that were slowly rolling in.

I grabbed my camera,

started shooting

and suddenly noticed the $2.49

at the bottom of my viewfinder.

In a battle for my attention,

the glowing sky

won hands-down

over the glowing gas price.

Thank goodness!

The cost of anything

should never overshadow

priceless, natural beauty.

June 30, 2009

This perfectly shaped heart

serves as a soft landing place

for raindrops

and a sweet reminder that

love is everywhere.

June 29, 2009

No matter which direction you're heading

or how long it takes to get there,

remember that the challenges

you face along the way

may resemble roadblocks now

but will eventually look like gifts

in your rear view mirror.