Call for Artists: Art is Life Recipe Book ~ Cauliflower Crack

We typically see artist studios, their paint palettes, I want to know what artist love to eat and create
New project.

I will ask Artists to submit their favorite recipes, why they love this food, and do they feel it is an art form? All Artist, who submit their work must agree to having it be published.

Cauliflower crack, red onion, tomato with cabbage wrapped white fish.

Here is the process:
Artists will

• submit their loved recipe 
•  a quote on why they love this food and why they feel it is a form of art
• a picture of food they created,
• an image of their core art form
• their bio with website etc... 
• Submit work to lisarasmussen08@gmail.com

Life fills me with wonder and light

All the way to day
27/90

I have lost a solid 6 pounds during the first month of Weight Watchers. Onward to month two.

My meals have been really artzy, fun, and tasty. Lots of veggies from our local Santa Monica Farmers Markets.

Yummastic Breakfast (Flatbread, cheddar cheese, asparagus, soft boiled egg, sweet potatoes, and kale. 

 

Day 12/90 ~ This game is challenging

Only lost 3 pounds for my initial weigh in. This is a hard task. 
I awoke this morning thinking I lost at least 7 pounds. The night before we went for a fast walk. I thought that is the ticket to have at least 10,000 steps in per day.

I need to do some research to make this happen. I am following the point plan on Weight Watchers to the T??

Insights from the cards I pulled today

The Knight of Wands

This is a dynamic and active card, with a great deal of warm enthusiasm and gaiety flowing from its energy. Often insight and perception increase when it is influential. There are often sudden and unexpected shifts of energy, so that blockages are swept firmly out of your path, leaving you free to move forward in your chosen direction.

On a day ruled by this card, expect to be directed to take action to remove difficulties and resolve problems, and be open to guidance from wherever it happens to come. This card is sometimes known by the title "Lord of Lightning" and he will use life's everyday tools to nudge you in the right direction. Don't be surprised to receive guidance from odd sources, and pay close attention to what happens around you. Allow yourself to be alert to apparently random input which will give you clues and ideas that had not occurred to you before.

And then once you have picked up these signs, follow them diligently and determinedly - you'll find they really pay off. Don't put things on one side for further reference - as soon as you know what action to take, take it. Then sit back and wait for the next 'nudge'!



Affirmation: I open myself to my own success.

Strength Card
This card is primarily about having a fascination and enthusiasm with the whole life process - delighting in the moment, observing both your surroundings and yourself on a minute by minute basis, engaging with life to the best of your abilities.
We can often get distracted from taking proper notice of life....if we are worried, busy, stressed, rushed...it becomes all too easy to forget that our very existence is a miracle. We stop noticing beauty or joy...... we lose our ability to be both delighted and surprised at life.
And this is a desperate shame, for life can become a constant and ever-changing flow of miracles, excitement and exhilaration. All that is required here is that we agree to allow it...and then pay right attention.
Right attention is a challenging skill to develop, but the effort invested pays enormous dividends once you have practised enough for this to become a habit. It means placing your attention in the moment, and then holding it there. By doing this you become infinitely aware, seeing, hearing and feeling things that would have otherwise slipped by unnoticed.
So...on a day ruled by Lust, we must learn to work at our ability to pay attention to and enjoy life. Try this exercise - it will take about ten minutes (or more if you want it to):
Sit down somewhere comfortably. Smooth and calm your breathing. Now first pay attention to your body...what does it tell you? Once you have attended to its needs, spread your attention out further..... deliberately engage one sense at a time. What do you see? Look in minute detail - you know you've got it right when you notice things you didn't know were there before. Now add hearing. What do you hear? Really listen hard......again when you hear things you would not normally register, you're doing well. What do you feel? See this as both a physical 'feel' and an emotional 'feel', then separate the two. What can you taste? How does your mouth feel? What do you smell? Can you unwind the different scents in the air?
Now put all of that together and trying doing all five things at once! When you've mastered that one, you can always throw in the final sense.....what are you hearing at the psychic level? What do you feel of the unseen dimension beyond the one in which you now sit.
I expect I'll be needing to draw this card very often to give you chance to get to grips with Right attention...but you have to admit - it's amazing how much information your brain processes that you never even notice, isn't it? And this is happening in your every living moment!!
Affirmation: I live in and value the moment.

My life is filled with abundance and joyful happenstance

Day 11/90

Wahoo, I lost three pounds. Last night Don and I took an evening walk on the Santa Monica Bluffs. I think that really helped. Although, I was 2000 steps short of my 10,000 step goal. I have to figure out a more intensive workout routine.

Cards pulled

Aeon ~ Nuit
The Aeon is another of those cards which indicate that we have reached a turning point - from this moment forward everything changes. There will often be big decisions to be made (which will later be executed with the Universe, the Arcanum which naturally follows this one). Sometimes we'll find ourselves weary after struggling through a tough patch, but at the same time, now we see light at the end of the tunnel.
When we make life-changing decisions, we will often spend quite a long time thinking before we make up our minds. And during that period, we often berate ourselves for our indecisiveness and uncertainty.
When we do that, we are missing something so simple, and yet vitally important - that every decision we take has its moment. And if we are not sure now, perhaps that's because we have not yet reached this particular decision's moment in time. There will come a moment, if we are true to ourselves, when we know exactly what we need to do. And when that moment comes there will be no further prevarication, no doubt, no fear.
This is because time itself has enormous power. To find the right time for anything is a really useful life skill. When a choice comes to its own moment, it becomes empowered by its own momentum, and at that moment we can move forward with confidence. Sometimes, then, just of itself, this card will bring about changes on the day that it rules.
The Aeon is also about directing our lives in accordance with what we have already learned. So when this card rules the day, try examining your wealth of experience - in any area you choose to. Look at what you know, what you understand, what you need and how far you've already come. And give yourself a great big pat on the back! You already have a treasure house!
 Affirmation: I trust myself in this moment

The Ace of Wands
This is a wonderful high-energy card, promising big breakthroughs and real progress. Expect a day ruled by this card to be full of pleasant and unexpected surprises, nice twists of fates, and quirky happenings.
This is a day to be filled up with the wonder and energy of life, a time when you'll find it easy to sail through your work, clear your commitments and really get on top of things.
For a special few of us, there will be major steps forward into new areas of life - big changes which lead us toward our heartfelt hopes and dreams. There will be bounty and fortune for some of us.
For others, healing will be the most important matter at hand. Intractable and troublesome illness will fall away, or we will locate new ways of dealing with health matters.
This will be a bright fresh happy day. Make sure you enjoy every minute of it!!
Affirmation: My life is filled with abundance and joyful happenstance.
 

Pull Self Up and Beginning Again

Day 10/90 
First weigh in for the plan and I lost nothing. It is a bummer. The week was a bit of rollar coaster, I had lost four pounds, than I gained it back. I did follow thae point structure. Typically not hungry and fulfilled. Maybe week one was an assessment. I need to exercise more and cut out late night points via eating and drinking. Also, Don took a photo of me over the weekend that is a total wake up call. I see it know, that is my obese ~ ness. Must begin again. Get really motivated to make this weigh loss happen. Only 80 days to lose 30 pounds. 

 

Cards I pulled today....
2 of Cups Love: A little support and self love is needed. As I am not making progress on this weight loss plan. 

Here is what Angel Paths states about the 2 of Cups
As I said when defining this card, the most important aspect of the Lord of Love is that we learn to develop self-love, self-trust and self- reliance. Hopefully there are many of you who can think, with confidence, I've done this.
And for those of you who can, a day ruled by the 2 of Cups is a day to count those you love, and those who love you. It is a day to be deeply grateful that you have such abundance and bounty in your life. There is no greater wealth we can aspire to than a wealth of love.
For those people who have not yet managed to achieve real self-love, this is a day to work on it. Throughout a day ruled by the Lord of Love, try to be conscious of your feelings toward yourself. Look carefully at the ways you choose to describe yourself. Examine how you feel when dealing with other people.
Try to see yourself and your actions without standing in judgement on them. Often it is the obsession with judging ourselves (often through our interpretation of how others see us) that stops us from seeing ourselves as loving and loveable. So put a hold on your judgement on this day.
Simply observe what you do, what you think, how you feel. If you discover that you are putting yourself down, then decide that, at least for today, you will stop. After all, if you get so much out of doing this, you can always start again tomorrow ;-)
Instead, say your affirmation, tell that judgmental little gremlin that it can have the day off, and allow the world to reflect you back to yourself. You might just get a big surprise! 

Affirmation: Love flows into my life in an endless stream.

Queen of Swords: Challenge self perception. Watch mind chatter.

Affirmation: My life is a constant and glorious exploration. 

Natural Cycles

Day #7/90

Awake feeling pretty good. OK lost two pounds from first day. Glad that is my goal two pounds a week. Today we are going camping in Yosemite, I will plan out how to stick to my plan.

I got a Fitbit and the one thing I noticed is I really not that active during my day. Must increase activity. Yesterday we played tennis,energy was good but my day only ended at 7200 steps.

Here is the card I pulled today ...
The Priestess (or High Priestess, Papess, Pope Joan, Isis) is numbered two. This is the representation of the Goddess. She is the complementary partner of the Magician, possessing all his skill and ability, but with far more insight and psychism. She is more subtle yet somehow far more noticeable.

She is almost always shown with the Lunar Crescent, conveying her natural affinity with the forces of Nature and natural cycles. The Magician generates his own power, whereas the Priestess draws upon the forces of life itself.

She sits between two pillars with veils suspended between them - it is the Priestess who allows us to penetrate the innermost secrets of life. She is also the bridge between our conscious and Higher selves, by teaching us through our dreams and our subconscious. It is in our subconscious that we hold the keys to the Universe.
So on her day, the best thing that we can do is practise entering into the silence in order that we can 'hear' our intuition. Spend a little time in quiet contemplation, still the incessant chatter that is part of everyday life, and just let your mind release the things it knows about that you haven't had the opportunity to catch up with recently.

This is something that so many of us don't make time to do often enough. As a result, we miss an enormous amount of information that we pick up through every waking hour, and store automatically. Our ancient ability to read the signs of life still remains, whether we use it or not. But often we can be taken unawares by material that has slipped directly from our intuition directly into the subconscious because we don't spend long enough relating to subliminal messaging.

So, on the Priestess's day, try to remember to be open to the hidden type of message that she is so adept at assessing. Give yourself time to meditate and to listen to yourself. You'll be surprised at what you learn!

Affirmation: My intuition works like a trustworthy friend.

Today I will begin my day with an oat, berry, and honey breakfast.

6th Day ~ Disappointing

I awoke today  looked in the mirror and thought to myself I lost more weight. I look thinner, right? I said to myself. Bummer not the case. I stepped on the scale and I gained another pound. So the four pounds I lost at the beginning of my Weight Watchers program has all come back. What is going on, I am exercising and sticking to the point system. Eating really healthy!!

How do I keep my chin up?  Must make my goal of losing 2 pounds by Sunday. It is going to be  a challenge. It is Don's birthday and we are going camping to Yosemite. How to stick to my food and exercise plan while camping. Usually camping is a decadent feast. Challenges abound.

I will have to map out our food intake! Lets see what that will look like.

Card pulled today....Hierophant

In the highest spiritual context, the Hierophant represents a human being who has united all aspects of duality within themselves, coming to a point of high level development and growth. More often than not, such people turn up in teaching roles, in the spiritual and occult fields. The student of the Mysteries who is lucky enough to be adopted by a true Hierophant is blessed indeed.

Perhaps I might be allowed to digress briefly to talk about spiritual teachers. Eventually most students come to a point where they have learned as much as they possibly can under their own steam. If they want to progress into the deeper realms of the Mysteries, they must find themselves a teacher. This is not as easy as it might seem. Many people profess to have sufficient knowledge to lead newcomers through the sometimes stormy waters of spiritual growth. However, it is important to ensure that the person to whom you trust your future development is exactly what they claim to be. If you are currently seeking a teacher, bear these three things in mind:

1) True Hierophants never tout for business. They trust the Universe to draw to them the students they are charged to teach.
2) True Hierophants assume Karmic responsibility for the student they accept. And they tell you so.
3) By the time you reach the point where you deeply yearn for a teacher, you will already have developed your skills somewhat. Therefore, you can trust your own feeling about a possible teacher. Never, ever, under any circumstances, commit to somebody about whom you have the slightest unease.

I'll get back to the subject now!!!!

A day ruled by the Hierophant will be one filled with the opportunity to learn. It will be revelational, inspiring and interesting. If you allow yourself to be open to the forces that surround you, you WILL learn something important! So - pay attention!!!!

Affirmation: I open myself to the wisdom of the Universe

Ha, maybe I need to find a teacher. A weight loss teacher. 
Yesterday, I played tennis. That was good and fun. Just ate oats and berries in the morning, lunch I had chicken/brocolli soup, and for dinner spinach with a bite of salmon, and sake.

For my Art is Life breakfast, I will make spinach and an avocado egg.  7 points.
I also got a fitbit to count my activity, it is not easy. I have to spend sometime to figure it out.

5th Day ~ Help

Day #5/90

Today I awoke early at 5:00am with hope, that I felt like I lost another three pounds. To my dismay I gained 1 1/2 pounds. I thought this was going to be easier than it is.  Need to re access my eating and exercise plan.

Today's card pull
The heavy Death Card: I welcome change into my life, embracing it fearlessly and hopefully
Virtue card: I live out my beliefs in all my acts
Dominion card: My Will flows effortlessly in perfect acts of creation.

Time to re focus and make some Art. Looking for inspiration.

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

Francis of Assisi

I now locate my goals and work towards them with great energy. Gentle Reminder

Day #4 of 90
Feeling a bit fatigued today. Last night was our monthly full moon dinner at Art 4 All People. Drank a wee to much sake. It was so fun, we went moon running in the waves. Mama Ocean was very strong and La Luna was transcendent. Honoring a time of manifestation and saying Yes to it all!

The good news is I plateau at my four pound weight loss. No gain! Today's pulled card reminds me to stay focused on my goal of healthy habits and losing my excess 56/60 pounds. Stay focused. 

About today's card.....
The Prince of Disks

The Prince of Disks has an unfailing determination to reach his goals, achieve his ambitions and create a world he is comfortable to live in. He has an interesting way of doing this - he takes every task a stage at a time. Whilst keeping the end aim in mind, he diligently attends to the task in hand, completing it satisfactorily and then moving on smoothly to the next logical stage.
This method of working has numerous advantages - there's the satisfaction of completing something - even though you might still be aware that this particular piece of work is just one step in the journey.
Another plus is that work unfolds in a productive stream - each process deriving from the last. This often allows you to pick up on any detail you may have overlooked or missed.
Also there is a consistent sense of progress - a feeling that you are drawing closer to your goals. Every single achievement is composed of many small acts which add together to create the whole.
The Prince of Disks is a fertile and abundant card - it signifies the planting of seeds which will grow into great big trees. The tree would not exist without the seed which was planted in the very first place.
So...on a day ruled by the Prince of Disks, you need to take everything a stage at a time. Decide early on what you're actually hoping to achieve during the day - and make this a reachable goal. Then plot your method of working toward it. Now...off you go!!!

Affirmation: I now locate my goals and work towards them with great energy.

I think I will make a my Yummastic breakfast, portobello mushrooms, with greens, tomatoes, and soft boiled eggs. Only eight points! Today is our Yoga day! Yesterday we had an incredible hour an half walk on the beach. 

ONWARD! 

A Day of Success

 June 3rd, 2015
#3 Day of 90

Today I awoke from a stress dream. In my dream I was on a expansive journey and I was missing my plane. Lost tickets, met different people and animals, lots of layers.  Lucidly I told myself I need to get on that plane.
Here is the good news, after a bit of a hump yesterday, I am elated to say I lost four pounds to begin my day three.  Wahoo, I thought to myself that is a success!!!  Have 26 more pounds to go in this short term 90 day cycle.

Overview of yesterday, I used up my 34 points plus and additional 5 from my bonus points for the week. Physically I am not hungry, but I did feel a little spacey. Don and I did our Yoga class. Today for my activity I will walk to Mama Ocean, begin that ritual again.

As I was doing my morning ritual guess which card I randomly pulled?

Synchronicity or what?

The Six of Disks
The Lord of Success is a delicious card, indicating that we have achieved a natural state of inner balance and harmony which allows us to use our energies without diversion nor interference. More often than not, these energies are directed into practical channels - in the workplace, dealing with things in the home environment.
This is because Disks are about the more mundane aspects of everyday life, and about home and family - some people see Disks as purely money-related, but this is a misunderstanding of their deep function. Rather than interpreting Disks purely in a financial context, we are better served by seeing them as relating to the basic nuts and bolts of security. This includes money and finances, of course, but also covers all sorts of other areas too - the basic trust and reliability of our friends and family, the nature of our home, the set of tasks which form our job. However.I digress ;-)
On a day ruled by the 6 of Disks, we need to be taking stock of our overall position in a practical sense. This is a day to sort out your bank accounts, check your credit card balance, look in your birthday book for upcoming important dates, check what food you have in the freezer, about those people closest to you and consider how they've been doing recently.
It's a practical, down-to-earth day where you look around and feel grateful for the things, creatures and people you have in your life. Everybody has something to be grateful for...and most of us have a lot to be grateful for. And on a day ruled by the Lord of Success it's time to say thank you!
Affirmation: I am blessed with the bounty of life.

Food planning
Don really like the oatmeal, berries, and banana's. It is low in points and high in nutrition.
So we will begin the day with that.
Tonight we have our Full Moon dinner, so I will have to account for that.  I do think it is effective have the most points for lunch.

Today I incorporated beginning my day with a tablespoon of Bragg's apple cider vinegar (The Mother) and water. This concoction has amazing health benefits.
Check out the article below:

12 health benefits of apple cider vinegar

From soothing sore throats and upset stomachs to fighting hiccups and diabetes, behold the benefits of apple cider vinegar.

By: Melissa Breyer

Photo: accesslab/Shutterstock

Legend has is that Cleopatra once dissolved a pearl in a measure of vinegar before drinking the concoction, thus winning a wager against Mark Antony that she could spend a fortune on a single meal.

Truth or apocrypha, we may never know, but the Queen of the Nile most likely knew the special qualities of vinegar. Since 5,000 BC, the Babylonians had been using it as a preservative and condiment; and long before Cleopatra’s costly cocktail, Hippocrates had extolled vinegar’s medicinal qualities. In fact, the Vinegar Institute touts the tart liquid as one of our earliest remedies.

Throughout the ages, vinegar has been made through the fermentation of a long list of materials, including molasses, dates, sorghum, fruits, berries, melons, coconut, honey, beer, maple syrup, potatoes, beets, malt, grains and whey. But of all the vinegars on the block, the vinegar made from apple cider is the darling of contemporary remedies.

Apple cider vinegar has long been used as a folk remedy, but it came to superstar prominence in the 1950s when D.C. Jarvis sang its praises in the best-selling book, "Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor's Guide to Good Health." Now it is revered as a health tonic with seemingly magical powers, rumored to have the properties needed to cure everything from warts to diabetes.

While science has yet to prove many of the claims made about apple cider vinegar, it remains a wildly popular product, serving duty in a variety of roles, from beauty and homemaking to heath. The following uses include some supported by science and some backed by folk wisdom.

1. Freshen your mouth

Some swear by using a rinse of apple cider vinegar mixed with water and swished about the mouth to reduce bad breath.

2. Treat acid reflux

In 13 surprising home remedies for acid reflux, the treatments include taking one to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar daily. As it’s explained, most people mistakenly believe that acid reflux is caused by an overproduction of acid, but it’s actually the opposite for many people — not enough acid.

3. Alleviate GI distress

Those who prescribe to folk remedies tell us that if one suffers from diarrhea caused by a bacterial infection, apple cider vinegar may help due to its antibiotic properties. As well, some experts suggest that pectin in apple cider vinegar can help calm intestinal spasms. If you're suffering: Mix one or two tablespoons into water or apple juice and drink.

4. Prevent indigestion

If you’re planning on indulging in a meal that you expect might not get along very well with your stomach, try drinking one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with one teaspoon of honey mixed in a small glass of warm water 30 minutes before you dine.

5. Halt hiccups

If there was a clear-cut cure for the hiccups, we would all know about it and never suffer the spazzy things again. Alas, it’s eat peanut butter, hold your breath, drink water upside-down, be scared, and any number of other folksy remedies. But eventually, it seems like one of these sticks and does indeed seem to stop them in their tracks. So next time you have a round of uncontrollable hics, you might want to try the apple cider vinegar remedy (if you dare): A teaspoon straight down the hatch.

6. Spoil your hair

It seems that whatever hair camp you fall into, vinegar can help. Consider the following:

• Home remedies for oily hair
• Home remedies for dry hair
• How to fix lackluster hair
• Give up shampoo completely (see comments here).

7. Soothe a sore throat

There are a host of great natural remedies for sore throats out there, and employing apple cider vinegar is one of them. As soon as you feel the first signs of a sore throat, try one of two methods. Mix 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with warm water and gargle every hour; or mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with hot water and a shot of honey and sip.

8. Fight the itch

A dab of apple cider vinegar applied with a cotton ball is commonly recommended to make a pesky mosquito bite stop itching. It will sting a bit, but it will help quell the prickly tickle.

9. Brighten skin

Many who suffer the angst caused by skin problems — from psoriasis and eczema to dry skin and blemishes — praise apple cider vinegar for reducing inflammation and generally minimizing problems. Try dabbing it on affected areas with a cotton ball.

10. Decrease glucose levels

Of all the ways in which people use apple cider vinegar, that which perhaps has the most potential is in helping with diabetes. Several studies have shown its positive effect on blood glucose levels; a 2007 study of participants with type-2 diabetes found that two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose in the morning by 4 to 6 percent.

11. Lower cholesterol and high blood pressure

If you’re a rat, that is. Several studies with rats have shown vinegar’s beneficial contribution to lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure. There’s no evidence that it can work on people, but research in these areas continues.

12. Lose weight

If there’s one promise that most supplements and superfoods love to claim, it’s their ability to aid in weight loss. For millennia vinegar has been used to help lose weight; whether to factual effect or not has yet to be proven by science, but many people cling to the practice with devotion. One small study in 2005 did find that people who ate a piece of bread with small amounts of vinegar felt fuller than those who didn’t have the vinegar. Yet when it comes to vinegar and weight loss, the Mayo Clinic reminds us that there is no magic bullet … aside from eating fewer calories and exercising more.

Another thing the Mayo Clinic thinks we should know is the following: Taking small amounts of apple cider vinegar should not offer many risks, but taking in larger amounts on a regular basis could prove problematic. It is highly acidic and may cause problems ranging from harm to the teeth to lower potassium levels, lower bone density, and interaction with some medications. As with all supplements, talk to your health care provider before starting a new regimen.

Read more: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/12-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar#ixzz3buz2RYH9

Be Motivated

Day #2/90

I awoke early at 6:00am. Feeling groggy. My night of sleep was restless. I was tossing and turning as both my hips hurt and my cat Griffen kept yelping into the night. Then he proceeded to sleep on my head. I love that quirky cat.

When a rose I looked in the mirror, I looked a little thinner then yesterday. Then I weighed myself, I was little depressed because I only lost 1/2 pound. Then when I moved the scale to another location it showed that I lost nothing.Yesterday, from my focused attention on the program and my low count/amazing meals, I idealized that I would lose 5 pounds that first day. Nada.

Take it in stride. If I lose nothing in the first week I will reevaluate what the heck I am doing.

Day # 2 The tarot card I pulled today was The Prince of Swords. Below is Angel Paths interpretation.  Maybe this card is sign I must master and befriend my inner critic? As he will be on fire if I do not lose weight and obtain m goals. I can lose 55 pounds in an integrative artzy way.

On a day ruled by the Prince of Swords it will be our inner world we need to direct our attention towards. We need to study our thoughts, and allow them the time to extend. Too often a thought crosses our mind and we are unable to give that thought the room to grow and develop until it achieves its maximum potential - and because this happens very often we fail to live up to ourselves too.
So try to set time aside for quiet inner contemplation when the Prince of Swords is having an influence. Think about your own opinions on given topics, not necessarily personal ones..but more general issues as well. You know, often we fail to converse with ourselves even to the extent that we converse with our acquaintances. We take for granted what we think and what we know, even though our opinions may not have been revised in years.
As constantly growing individuals, our opinions certainly will change on some subjects..and if we don't give ourselves the time to check them out every now and again, we can become alienated from our own development. This can lead to all kinds of problems - see the 8,9 and 10 of Swords for examples of this.
Ask yourself questions like..what's your favourite food? When did you last eat it? Which was your happiest holiday so far? Why? What's your current favourite garment in your wardrobe? Why? What happy memories do you have of the last week? What's the best thing that happened this year so far?
In having this conversation with yourself, you will almost certainly come across things that you had not placed much importance on before..and these things will have slid into your subconscious mind...from where they could later surface unexpectedly.
Get to know yourself.and then stay in close contact..you're the very best friend you could ever have.make friends with yourself!!

Affirmation: I look within, and grow to understand myself. 

Onward to plan my food for the day. Eggs for breakfast or oatmeal? Today I will have the bulk of my points for lunch.  
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's are my Yoga days. 

 
Tasty breakfast for day two and only four points. 1 cup of oatmeal, blackberries, 1/2 banana, cinnamon, and two teaspoons of honey. 

Roasting Vegetables is the Bomb With Salmon

Ar is Life Meal #2 for day one
Lunch and Dinner Combined.
Only 10 points on the Weight Watchers Scale.
16 points left something sweet and some Sake.

Roast Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Onions, and Pepper
Wild Salmon Boiled in Mustard Sauce ( Horseradish mustard, onions, and garlic blending a food processor)


Cut veggies, marinate in balsamic vinegary, olive oil, smoked salt, and spice for 15 minutes or more. Bake in oven for 40 minutes.


Salmon Boiled in Mustard Sauce ( Horseradish mustard, onions, and garlic blending a food processor) Boil for 7 minutes. This time my salmon was little over done, but still delicious.

After dinner I took a nice walk around the Santa Monica Bluffs with Don around three miles. Came home and relaxed with some Sake.

 

To finish my day, I had some Maya Spice Tea and square of yummy dark chocolate. On my first day I used 31/34 points and 6 points for activity.

Rising: Daily Ritual, Coffee, and Breakfast

Day #1 Sunday, May 31st, 2015

Upon rising everyday I will pull a Tarot Card from Thoth deck to create a affirmation for the day.
This morning I pulled the 3 of Cups, Abundance. What a beautiful way to begin.

The amazing site Angel Paths, says that
The Lord of Abundance is a warm and joyous card, which indicates a rare and precious type of love - a love which, once experienced, reminds us of the richness of shared emotion and commitment.
It is also a card which refers to the wellspring of fertility, whether spiritual or material. Here we see the first seeds sown of a bright and bountiful harvest. Accordingly, the card will sometimes come up to indicate high days of celebration - like weddings or other intimate celebrations of love. 

So here's a little exercise to open yourself out and let the love flow in. This works at any time at all...whenever you try it. And remember this always....the most important time to try this exercise is when you feel lost, wounded, sad and alone.Sit down and make yourself comfortable. Give your shoulders a roll around to rid them of tension and open out your chest area. Now steady your breathing....make it easy and calm. This will encourage you to relax just a little more.
When your body feels as comfortable as you can get it to, concentrate your attention on the area right in the middle of your chest. Breathe in, keeping your attention on that centre spot. Then as you breathe out, imagine that you see a flower opening its petals, right there, in that spot. Draw in breath again, and allow it to flow into the unfurling flower. If you want to, as you breathe in you can repeat the affirmation.... 

Please try this little exercise...even if you are sceptical! I can guarantee you the results will startle you!!! 

Affirmation: The Universe welcomes and embraces me.

This is a wonderful daily ritual and really starts ones day out right.  The synchronise thing is that yesterday we had a power Creation box workshop for abundance at the Art 4 All People studios. How cool is that.

Creation Box all the intentions are sealed in the box and will manifest.

Onward with abundance to breakfast. 

Part of the process of working with the Weight Watchers plan you get a value of 34 points of food to have for your days meals. The cool thing is most veggies and fruits have a zero value. So you can eat an abundance of those.

Here is my first art is life meal. Arugula, tomatoes, roasted portobello mushrooms, and two soft boiled eggs. The total value of this meal is 8 points.

The eggs are four points and the mushroom is four points as I added a bit of oil olive and balsamic vinegar.

Yummastic Breakfast

 

Recipe 

One giant handful of Arugula

One plum tomato 

Two eggs soft boiled 

• Place eggs in pan covered with  water 
• When the water starts boiling, let eggs boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Take out of water and lets sit for a couple minutes. These ones were a little over done. Need to work on that.

Roasted Portobello mushroom . 

• Slice mushroom marinate in sauce of with smoked paprika, salt, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar
• Broil in oven for 5 -7 minutes 

Place with love on your plate and Bon Appetit!
I would rate this breakfast a five out five.  Totally low on points and totally high on flavor and nutrition. Also, for my morning ritual I will take the supplements Turmeric, Milk Thistle, and Glucosamine to heal my knees.

Onward to Target to get pedometer. So I can track my physical exercise and activity.

So the Journey Begins

  It is amazing how weight sneaks up on you. Over the past tens years or so I have gained around 55 pounds. It was kind of easy to ignore. Although, most of my clothes stopped fitting and I began to hate shopping for clothes.  And I refused to step on a scale, because it would bring me so down. Denial is an easy state to be in. Do you not agree?

I am a really healthy eater. Mostly, vegetarian. I eat tons of vegetables, eggs, and lean meats. My only downfall is I like to relax and drink sake nightly. Honestly, I am not sure were the weight came from but it is here.  I guess my metabolism has really slowed down over the years. Currently, I am 60 pounds over my ideal weight.

Day #!

In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.

Nikos Kazantzakis

Anyways, it is time to take action. Today I did something with my sister, Tara that I never thought I would I signed up for Weight Watchers. I thought to make it more interesting for me, I would create a blog to document it all, because I am all about Art. I am professional artist, transformative art teacher, and I co-founded to amazing Art organizations (Art 4 All People LLC and Art is Moving 501c3) both whose mission is to make Art part of every one's life.

So this blog will be my 90 day Art project. I will document the integration of Art into my life. Through making amazing arty and healthy food, making art, yoga, my weight loss, walking to Mama Ocean,and much more.

Basically I will document the integration of Art into all aspects of my life. Intending by the end of the 90 days, I will be at least 30 pounds lighter and looking radiant. As well I have developed some amazing Art and publish my first Kitty Bliss book.

Lets see what transpires and let the Art of Life journey begin.