Note From Tonya Having so much damn fun! News Gift Ideas and New Creative Tools Feature Article 5 Ways to Make Gratitude a Part of Your Everyday Life

November 24, 2010 You are receiving this ezine because you are one of our wonderful customers or you subscribed to our ezine/newsletter. If you do not wish to receive this, please go to the bottom of the ezine and unsubscribe. We'd love for you to tell your friends about this ezine if you found it to be helpful or insightful!

Happy Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

I hope that this holiday finds you calm, joyful and exuding happiness. So, I'm curious, what is your mood? Are you able to savor all the moments of the day?

Hopefully you are not overwhelmed because you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, planning all your shopping destinations for Friday, or just wondering how you are going to get it all done in the coming month? Family time is so short; wouldn't it be nice to really enjoy it instead of dreading it.

It's okay if you are feeling a little slammed by life's must-do's in addition to the must-do's of the holidays. These irrational feelings often climb to the surface when we say yes to too much, we are too tired, or we just aren't taking care of ourselves.

Take some deep breaths and say to yourself, with conviction and a great big smile, "I'm having so much damn fun!" Really, please try it. Say it loudly if you can!

I was at a master's class at Revere Academy several years ago taking a class from Harold O'Conner. In the adjacent room Cynthia Eid was teaching hydraulic press techniques. Every couple hours, she would have her class stop and shout loudly, "I'm having so much damn fun!" Of course we were taken aback with our delicate granulating and gold applications. What in the world were they doing in there?!

It all clicked for me several weeks ago. I was taking a class with Pauline Warg . Many fellow students, including myself, found that at times we were frustrated with the filing and soldering. In that moment, I realized how fortunate and blessed I was to be taking this class and that meant I was having fun! For gosh sakes I was surrounded by friends and had an amazing artist share with me her life's work. What could be better!

It snapped me right back and I realized that I chose to be here. I am blessed! Now the frustration seemed unreasonable and I said out loud "I'm having so much damn fun!" Guess what? The filing improved and so did my spirits. Happy spirits are infectious and other students then realized, this is fun too!

I now choose what I "have" to do. I don't have to host dinner, go shopping or say yes to one more thing. I've given myself power to let go of the things that aren't going to make me happy or give me the biggest ROI in life. It also makes me realize that if I did choose to do this thing that is overwhelming me, that I am blessed to be able to do it. Having lost my mother recently, I realize it's a gift to be able to do anything, and yes, if you change your mindset anything can be fun!

So here's to having lots of damn fun this weekend and throughout the holidays!

Creative Blessings,

Gift Ideas

We carry gift certificates in any denomination! It makes the perfect gift if your spouse or significant other isn't sure what to purchase for you! Our tools, books, and supplies, make great little stocking stuffers. Don't forget the person that helped you out at a show, your favorite teacher that went the extra mile, or a fantastic student!

PROclay arrived in November and we've had many people try it out. A great thing to put on your holiday wish list so you too can try it.

Lark just came out with these great little gift books that are miniature gallery books. This one has 200 pages of eye-candy pendants!

How about a fantastic metal clay calendar to keep you organized and on top of the deadlines for contests and shows!

New Creative Tools Arrive at Whole Lotta Whimsy

Master Muse

Check out Donna Penoyer's Repurposed Object with Dry Media Silver Metal Clay Pendant this week!

We've just added and will continue to add tons of books to our clearance and sale section of WLW. Check out the new lower prices too. This is the time to pick up some great books, tools and art supplies at a bargain!

I just love Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday. I love thinking about all the things I am blessed to have in my life. I find myself pinching myself. How could I be this blessed! However, I must admit that I am filled with more joy when I participate in a weekly thanksgiving. So I'd like to share my tips.

1) A Gratitude Bowl

Pick a beautiful bowl in a central part of your home that can be used as a receptacle. Cut up small pieces of paper and place near the bowl with a pen. Every time you walk by it, write down something you are grateful for.

It's a snowball effect. The more gratitude you express the more aware of other blessings you will become. Then more blessings will come as you are attracting them with your gratitude vibrations.

When the bowl is full, make an offering if you'd like, by burning them in the fireplace. This way you make room for more blessings.

2) Carry a Tiny Notebook

Jot down any idea, thought, quote or creative spark that comes your way throughout the day. As you open yourself and become receptive to blessings, more and more will come. Give thanks as you write these ideas and thoughts down and acknowledge their presence in your life.

3) Exercise your Creativity

By performing an act of creativity you are expressing gratitude for your gifts and talents. You are welcoming a habit of being creative and giving attention to your genius. Energy flows where attention goes.

4) Weekly Summit (Sunday Summit)

Once a week write down 30 things you are grateful for. They can be tiny or substantial. No matter the week you've had or your doubt, you'll be blown away by how blessed you are after recounting them. This exercise gets easier and easier every week with practice. Plus it gives you 5 or 10 minutes to sit quickly, reflect and meditate on your week.

5) Express your Gratitude Verbally

Every chance you get, tell someone or something (dogs, trees, flowers, etc) how much you are grateful and blessed for them. I stop those in military uniform, I write notes to wait staff, I waive and mouth thanks to the person that lets me into traffic in my car, the person that holds open the door for me, the lady at the post office, etc. It makes it real when you verbalize it. It rubs off on others. My 15 year old is possibly the most polite person I know. Parents and coaches tell me this all the time. We didn't instruct him to say thank you to everyone, he just does it, because we do it. It's infectious.

Join me on Facebook and take the 7-Day Gratitude Challenge. Go to my home page, copy and paste the challenge into your home page and post your gratitude!

I love these facts about Thanksgiving:

• 102 brave people set out in 1620 to cross treacherous seas for 66 days in search of freedom. (Thank you for being so brave to seek religious freedom)
• The pilgrims were befriended, when they needed it most, by Squanto, a Pawtuxet indian, how to cultivate corn, extract sap, catch fish and avoid poisonous plants. (Thank you for reaching out and helping the settlers).
• Govenor Bradford wanted to celebrate the pilgrims first corn harvest and invited the Native American allies to join them in a food fest for 3 days
• George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation which was repeated on one or more occasions by other presidents
• Sarah Josepha Hale campaigned for a national holiday for 36 years by publishing numerous editorials and letters to govenors, senators, presidents and other politicians (Thank you for your efforts over 36 years and not giving up on this national holiday)
• Abraham Lincoln heeded her request and in 1863 made it a national holiday

I realize that there is controversy with every historical accounting. As a native american myself, I understand that this wasn't a rosy picture of pure love and joy between the settlers and natives. However, if it makes us stop and reflect on the things we are grateful for, I'm all for it!

Please do! Just be sure to include this complete blurb with it:

Tonya Davidson is an artist, entrepreneur, coach and mentor. She helps other artists better their techniques and business skills by empowering them to live creatively from the inside out. Her ezine goes out to over 11,000 subscribers. If you want to learn to create a life you love, sign up for a FREE subscription at http://wholelottawhimsy.com. Be sure to check out her blog at www.tonyadavidson.com for more articles like this one.

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