Well, now that I've got your attention I want to explore the issue of sucking at things which result in our having to make extreme resolutions year after year. I am going to make an attempt to write this post in first person so that I can take full responsibility for my own sucking. However, even if this post sounds personal I would love you to join me on my mission for a suck free 2014.
First, lets think about my New Years Resolutions for 2013. I started my blog this time last year with a post entitled "Flowing into the New Year" where I wrote about my resolutions and how I was going to accomplish them. My resolutions for last year were shared with millions: to lose weight, get healthy and tone up which would all bring happiness making me a better person. How did I do? I kept up with my gym routine and watched what I ate, but didn't deny myself completely and lost 10 pounds. I'm happy with that especially since I don't seem to remember 2013 being a year of deprivation and actually quite enjoyed it. I guess I'm not so sucky afterall. So here are my resolutions for 2014 and how I intend to keep them:
1. Suck It In Less: As in, lose more weight and get more toned so I won't have to suck it in to feel comfortable. Another ten pounds this year would bring me within 5 pounds of my ultimate weight loss goal so this is important. I need to eat less and move more. It's ok to not eat chips when everyone else is, that's why God made baked kale. There really aren't any great excuses to skip the gym for days at a time, especially when it's cold out. Now let's talk about sucking it in less in relation to our environment. I'm the type of person that is heavily influenced by my environment, taking in energies from all directions and have actually been compared to a crystal in regards to that sense. If someone around me is acting negatively I tend to suck that in and it affects my own behavior as well.
This year I intend to change the subject whenever someone starts speaking negatively and remember to smile when I do so. I also intend to stop sucking in negative energies associated with bad choices whether of my own or choices of others. This is something I can say I do not completely suck at. I am a totally different person today than I was ten years ago.
2. Suck It Up Less: Crappy things happen to good people all the time and I'm no different. In fact, when you look at the big picture, nothing really sucky has ever happened to me, ever. I am grateful for everything life is offering me and has given me in the past. I am happy to have had bad experiences because without them I wouldn't have the understanding I do today.
3. Stop Sucking My Finances: Stop allowing foolish purchases to suck my bank account dry. Let's talk about the money I've spent on clothes that don't even fit right. Those jeans in my drawer were $15 cheaper than a pair that fit me better so I bought them instead. Now I have a pair of jeans that are too big around the waist and can also be considered bell bottom style that I will never wear. That $15 I saved caused me to have to go and buy another pair of jeans I will wear that do fit and not to mention they are taking up space in my overflowing garment collection. That one pair of jeans isn't the real problem, it's when I relate that pair of jeans to other expenditures in my life that I realize I need to work on that. I'm not going to stop buying jeans but I might spend a little more for fewer pairs of jeans. Another way to stop sucking my finances is through beauty products, creams, cleansers and home spritzers. I have a plan for that too and have already been experimenting with essential oils, extracts and rose water and do not even feel guilty one bit.
4. Stop Allowing Others To Suck The Life Out Of Me: You've read my resolutions and you are either cheering me on or not. Some of you might doubt that I will stick to any of these goals. I don't believe that at all. My biggest motto in life is what my Mother always says, " You can do anything if you set your mind to it." If you are with me, namaste, and I wish you the best that 2014 has to offer. If you aren't with me on this then you can just go suck it! Life's too short to worry about pleasing everyone.
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Accessories for the highly fashionable eccentric, gypsies and dancers
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Infinity Bracelet Give-Away!
It's time for a Fine Feathered Freebie! To win this top-selling Infinity Bracelet I need your help.
Help me get more Facebook fans. Starting today:
1. Become a fan of In Fine Feathers on Facebook, if you're not already here's a link:
2. Share the Page, not the post on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and any other networking sites you use.
3. Tell your friends to comment on this picture telling me you sent them.
4. They can now enter the contest too!
5. Whoever gets the most new fans wins this top selling bracelet shipped free!
6. Contest ends Sunday 12/15!
Good Luck and Thank You!
Monday, December 2, 2013
Read this review on In Fine Feathers' Infinity Bracelet, a perfect inexpensive gift for just about anyone on your list!
Today's Cyber Monday Sale Get this bracelet for just 9.99!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Black Friday Extended Weekend Sale for In Fine Feathers!
I'm not going to lie, I really do love this time of year!
Don't be just another shopper in their line this year, make a difference, shop handmade and support local small business and get something truly unique that was made with love and not made in a sweatshop!
Monday, July 15, 2013
Dance Hoop Contest at the Lioness of Central Square Apple Festival
In Fine Feathers is back again this year to vend at the Lioness of Central Square Apple Festival!
We are hosting a Dance Hoop Contest with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place!
Date: Sunday Sept. 29th
Time: 1:00pm
Location: Brewerton Speedway at the Lioness of Central Square Apple Festival
www.facebook.com/centralsquareapplefestival
1st Place: Wins a Large Henna Tattoo with glitter and jewels, Apple Pie, Apple Fritters and Machine Embroidered 1st Place Iron-On Patch
2nd Place: Wins Apple Pie, Apple Fritters and Machine Embroidered 2nd Place Iron-On Patch
3rd Place: Wins Apple Pie, Apple Fritters and Machine Embroidered 3rd Place Iron-On Patch
Dance Hoops will be sold on-site at In Fine Feathers' booth for $15!
Live music by Isreal Hagan and the Stroke during the contest!
Judging based on Creativity and ability to flow with the music!
Extra points for fun costumes!
For more information contact Anita at finefeatheredfinds@gmail.com
Become a fan of In Fine Feathers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/infinefeathers
For Online Dance Hoop purchases check out my Hoop Shop Section at www.infinefeathers.etsy.com
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
CNY Etsy Team: Interview with In Fine Feathers
CNY Etsy Team: Interview with In Fine Feathers: Our next Interview with In Fine Feathers ... 1) How did you come up with the name to your shop? I began my business under the name &...
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Who Would Actually Wear A Headdress?
The headdress known for it's roots in Native American culture has gained a lot of attention in mainstream as well as counterculture. We can thank Victoria's Secret for the fashion show that angered our natives to the extent they spoke against the women wearing headdresses.
The belief that is upheld by Native Americans about headdresses is that they are only to be worn by Native American men that have earned the headdress through an act of courage or valor. This is troubling for non-natives that are inspired by the beauty of the headdress as well as a symbolism that the headdress means to them, personally.
Americans have been trying to find their own culture since our ancestors arrived here, by whatever means. My family has been here for just three generations with my Grandfather arriving here in 1904. While my family has done well to preserve our authentic Italian traditions, we still are influenced by the culture we live in now, American culture. Culture is determined by the people we are surrounded by, the towns and cities we live in as well as the technology we have access to. Americans, dwellers of the great melting pot, have learned through the years the values of respecting eachother's differences to accepting them and eventually adopting them as values of their own. This is essential for peace in a society with so many differences. In a way, we are all striving to see a little of ourselves in eachother.
Let's ask ourselves a couple of questions. Is it possible for the love of headdresses to exist among the American culture as well as the Native American culture? The answer is of course, we love beautiful things, especially handmade. Why put out that fire?
Do warriors still exist in American culture? A warrior is someone that has succeeded in a battle and has attributes of bravery and strength.
If you believe a warrior can be someone that has had to summon inner-strength to overcome health issues, family or personal struggles, spirituality, status or economic difficulties and fully utilized it as empowerment to defeat the odds, then warriors exist in all cultures.
What is is about a headdress that means so much? This can be broken down into the contents. The feathers, that once belonged to the ever symbolic bird. The feathered creature, Phoenix arises out of the depths and continues with new life. The bird that flies above, from tree top to tree top, has complete control of it's placement in life. We have always been infatuated by the bird's abilities. It could be argued that the roots of wearing feathers could be an act of our trying to adopt another culture, possibly of our aviary friends? Also, how did the person making the headdress gain access to the feathers?
The method for obtaining the feathers should absolutely have meaning with respect to the headdress. It is possible that the warrior killed the bird for food, for family and then used the remains of feathers to create a headdress to be worn out of respect for the bird that gave the ultimate gift, this should be reflected in the headdress. It is also possible that instead of survival, the headdress was made out of the pure respect for beauty, using naturally molted feathers. There are some that collect the feathers off the ground, that have fallen from the bird that no longer requires them. Collecting these feathers for use in a headdress is simply to say that we admire the beauty of the feathers and the birds that they came from. There are also headdresses that have been made as a mockery to Native American culture, mass produced, with roots in slaughter houses, assembled in factories and popping up on mart shelves and craft supply stores. As a side note, I would say that it is as important to know where your supplies come from as it is to know where your food comes from.
A headdress is a fashion statement that is associated with power, status and respect. These are all areas in our lives that we seek to dwell in, even for a few hours. It is in our desire to explore our own connection with divinity. It is in our respective physical space. One simply cannot enter into buildings with short ceilings while wearing a headdress. We need room to grow, room to contain our ever expanding consciousness.
To see headdresses I have created through naturally molted feather, head over to In Fine Feathers' Headdress Collection
The belief that is upheld by Native Americans about headdresses is that they are only to be worn by Native American men that have earned the headdress through an act of courage or valor. This is troubling for non-natives that are inspired by the beauty of the headdress as well as a symbolism that the headdress means to them, personally.
Americans have been trying to find their own culture since our ancestors arrived here, by whatever means. My family has been here for just three generations with my Grandfather arriving here in 1904. While my family has done well to preserve our authentic Italian traditions, we still are influenced by the culture we live in now, American culture. Culture is determined by the people we are surrounded by, the towns and cities we live in as well as the technology we have access to. Americans, dwellers of the great melting pot, have learned through the years the values of respecting eachother's differences to accepting them and eventually adopting them as values of their own. This is essential for peace in a society with so many differences. In a way, we are all striving to see a little of ourselves in eachother.
Let's ask ourselves a couple of questions. Is it possible for the love of headdresses to exist among the American culture as well as the Native American culture? The answer is of course, we love beautiful things, especially handmade. Why put out that fire?
Do warriors still exist in American culture? A warrior is someone that has succeeded in a battle and has attributes of bravery and strength.
If you believe a warrior can be someone that has had to summon inner-strength to overcome health issues, family or personal struggles, spirituality, status or economic difficulties and fully utilized it as empowerment to defeat the odds, then warriors exist in all cultures.
What is is about a headdress that means so much? This can be broken down into the contents. The feathers, that once belonged to the ever symbolic bird. The feathered creature, Phoenix arises out of the depths and continues with new life. The bird that flies above, from tree top to tree top, has complete control of it's placement in life. We have always been infatuated by the bird's abilities. It could be argued that the roots of wearing feathers could be an act of our trying to adopt another culture, possibly of our aviary friends? Also, how did the person making the headdress gain access to the feathers?
The method for obtaining the feathers should absolutely have meaning with respect to the headdress. It is possible that the warrior killed the bird for food, for family and then used the remains of feathers to create a headdress to be worn out of respect for the bird that gave the ultimate gift, this should be reflected in the headdress. It is also possible that instead of survival, the headdress was made out of the pure respect for beauty, using naturally molted feathers. There are some that collect the feathers off the ground, that have fallen from the bird that no longer requires them. Collecting these feathers for use in a headdress is simply to say that we admire the beauty of the feathers and the birds that they came from. There are also headdresses that have been made as a mockery to Native American culture, mass produced, with roots in slaughter houses, assembled in factories and popping up on mart shelves and craft supply stores. As a side note, I would say that it is as important to know where your supplies come from as it is to know where your food comes from.
A headdress is a fashion statement that is associated with power, status and respect. These are all areas in our lives that we seek to dwell in, even for a few hours. It is in our desire to explore our own connection with divinity. It is in our respective physical space. One simply cannot enter into buildings with short ceilings while wearing a headdress. We need room to grow, room to contain our ever expanding consciousness.
To see headdresses I have created through naturally molted feather, head over to In Fine Feathers' Headdress Collection
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Resolutions? It's 2013 Get In The Hoop
Some of you may already know this about me but I'm sure most of you do not. I've lost 60 pounds and quit smoking since I gave birth to my son five years ago. Now, five years sounds like a ridiculously long time to be dieting, it is. The truth is, I have not spent the past five years on a diet. Only recently I have begun counting calories which at this time I am on a 1200 calorie a day "diet". So, how did I casually drop 60 pounds? As with most people that have a lot of weight to lose, the first 20 pounds went without much effort at all. After the initial shock your body will start to lose the weight slower. I am still 20 pounds away from my goal weight and I presume these 20 pounds are going to be the most challenging of all. I am not one for crash dieting as I know if you lose weight too fast it's just not healthy and you aren't training your body how to live right. You have to realize that your body is a temple and truly have love for yourself to make these changes last. I've met a lot of people that are afraid to quit smoking because they are afraid to gain weight. This has obviously not been my experience at all. Once you make one positive change in your routine, you will see how easy it is to make more positive changes. For me, quitting smoking and losing weight went hand in hand. If I got stressed out and wanted to smoke I'de pop in a dance fitness or bootcamp fitness dvd and work it out. The more uplifting the workout, the happier I felt, the more difficult and strenuous the workout, the stronger I felt when completed. What cigarrette and no I think I'll pass on the cookies for tonight, just need some water and rest. I owe a lot of my motivation to keep going to a fantastic company called Acacia. Acacia's fitness dvds have been so unbelieveably valuable on my path to being healthy. Through these dvds I've been introduced to some of my favorite instructors and Yogis like Hemalayaa Behl from whom I have learned dozens of new ways and techniques to cope with stress and create positive energy flow as well as shape up Bollywood style. Kimberly Miguel Mullen who's upbeat style of Brazilian Dance that leaves you drenched in sweat but feeling like you are ready to party! Then, I came across Hoopnotica Hoopdance Instructional series. So, if you're anything like me, you need to be having fun in order to look foreward to your workout. It was nearly impossible for me to get bored with my extensive collection of fitness dvds. It is true, you can get in shape without a gym, as long as you aren't afraid of looking ridiculous if and when company shows up. That was my routine for a long time but eventually I needed to add more to it so I joined a gym. Now I go to the gym five days a week, sometimes go swimming there and take Zumba classes. While I go to the gym for my regular workout I still love to do something fun that keeps me smiling the whole time! It's even better when it is something that can be done without having to be in my livingroom. I get my hoop on. I'm not saying I hoop every day, but if I did, that would be awesome. Did you realize that you can burn up to 600 calories an hour, hooping? Yes, this is true, but for most of us I would say the average hooper burns about 350 to 400 calories an hour as to work at a 600 calories per hour would be a pace extremely difficult for most of us to achieve. Possibly one of the best things about it is that it is actually fun! There's so much to learn so your mind has no time to get bored. Your whole body is engaged tightening your core and keeping your balance. I still have much to learn, and that's what makes it interesting. I also have positional vertigo which makes it even more interesting, lol. Actually, I'm pretty sure that the spinning around while hooping has helped me strengthen my balance in the long run. I don't suffer from severe episodes of positional vertigo anymore. Sometimes I do try too hard to get one move right repeatedly and feel the vertigo coming on and it may last a couple days and I'll have to take a break from it but that's it. I am happy to say that I've taught a handful of beginners how to get started, many actually laughed at me saying there was absolutely no way they would ever be able to keep a hoop spinning. Who's laughing now? I think the most fun I had was teaching some ladies at a local fitness club. They rocked and they told me how it made them feel like they brought out their inner child. How rewarding it is to hear that!
Maybe you've been struggling on the same boring fitness plateau and need to change it up. If you've never tried to hoop, you really should give it a try. I am not kidding when I say that anyone, any age, any size can hoop with the right hoop. It's all about the size of the hoop you use and a simple instruction and you may well be on your way to a new love for fitness. I make hoops that are durable, collapseable to fit in the trunk of your car and as large as you need. If you aren't sure what size would be best, just message me I am more than happy to help. Even if you can hoop 10 minutes a day, maybe a few minutes after dinner to burn some extra calories that can make a difference with helping you achieve your goals as well as elevate your mood!
Check out my hoop shop section of my Etsy shop to place your order today. I ship hoops anywhere in the U.S. The price is $25 which includes shipping and my sincere offer to help answer your questions and give you helpful hints to get started. It's time you get in the hoop!
Check out these girls having a blast
spinning In Fine Feather Dance Hoops at the local Apple Festival!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Fine Feathered Friends Freebie Contest!!!
Let's work together to spread the word about In Fine Feathers. All you need to do is get at least one person to purchase anything from In Fine Feathers Etsy shop www.infinefeathers.etsy.com . You do not have to buy anything yourself and there is no minimum purchase required. When you get someone else to buy something tell them to add your name to the "note to shop" section of their invoice or they can simply contact me through email or message. You and your friend will each receive a FREE gift courtesy of In Fine Feathers! You do not have to pay shipping and I will be contacting you for your shipping address if I do not already have it. Each gift is a surprise based on what I think your preferances would be. Who doesn't like surprises?
So how do we get them to purchase something? Here's what you do. Share this blog on Facebook to all your friends telling them there is a contest where you both can win a surprise gift. Tell them to click on the blog for details. Also, make sure you include a link to my shop in your post. Also, you do have the chance to win multiple prizes, just get multiple friends to shop at In Fine Feathers! Good Luck and I can't wait to create something just for you!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Flowing Into 2013
Living in the snowbelt of the Northeast, it can be hard to uncover that creative force that is buried somewhere beneath two feet of snow, at the moment. Though this is not much compared to what we normally experience in this part of the country, I would say we have more than enough. Looking outside at the very still grey and white scene you have no choice but to be grateful to be indoors with the comforts of heat, lights and plenty of time to cook up a good meal. I am the first to admit I truly miss the fresh produce at the farmer's market held only during the Summer-Fall Season and only wish I would have taken some of that time last Fall to can and blanch and freeze all that wonderful produce. Well today seems like a day I could really go for a nice big plate full of fresh greens. Fresh produce filled with life fueling our own lives is a great way to get the creative juices flowing again! Don't get me wrong, we eat healthy here. Our refridgerator is filled with overpriced, imported vegetables from the local supermarket. Wouldn't it be fun to have your own greenhouse where you have a constant supply of fresh produce all year? Ahh, so nice to dream. So for today I will nourish my imagination. I will close my eyes and envision orange and yellow and lime green and the smell of coconut and pineapples. I will wear lemongrass essential oil. I will water my houseplants and be grateful for their green lives and how they clean and refresh the air in my home. I will cook a nice meal for my family with plenty of vegetables and snack on grapes and carrots. I will bring my son outside to refill the bird feeders so when we look outside our window it is not so still and grey with all the little birdies fluttering about. At least the birds aren't complaining, I always say. I'm sure by the time I go to the gym for my a.m. workout tomorrow I will be feeling refreshed. If you need some inspiration for your mind the best way to do it is nourish your body well and others around you, too. Now where is that shovel? I wish you all the comforts of your home this Winter as well as a means to uncover your Spring.
To view my Etsy shop go to www.infinefeathers.etsy.com and enjoy a special 10% discount using coupon code finefeatherednewyear at the checkout. Paypal and all major credit cards accepted.
Become a fan of In Fine Feathers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/infinefeathers
Read my tweets at www.twitter.com/fine_feathered_
To view my Etsy shop go to www.infinefeathers.etsy.com and enjoy a special 10% discount using coupon code finefeatherednewyear at the checkout. Paypal and all major credit cards accepted.
Become a fan of In Fine Feathers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/infinefeathers
Read my tweets at www.twitter.com/fine_feathered_
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