ditto.

Dedicated to my friend Matt today.

Source: google.com via Bridget on Pinterest

Micromovements, grabbing ahold.

To be successful, you have to have successes. 

To have successes you have to set a goal, take a risk, and commit to making micromovements.

The key to having successes is taking one small step at a time. 

Micromovements — as {one of my all time favorite authors} SARK would say — are commitments to small tasks that lead to little successes that ultimately lead to larger successes. Each micromovement contributes to the larger whole and the overall goal. 

These steps then lead to larger successes, and ultimately, empowerment, self-pride and happiness. 

The longer I am successful, the better and better I feel. 

I love my job. 

I love my passions. 

I love being a mom. 

I love the people around me.

I am excited about being healthy again.

I feel inspired to live within and outside of my comfort zone. 

I'm willing to take risks.  

The key to success with my micromovements, and thus, success with my overall goals, has been... FOCUSING ON WHAT I CAN DO. 

{I always think… I can do anything for XX amount of time.}

When I quit smoking, I told myself, I could go 15 minutes without one, then another 15+ (thanks, Don Suskind). Sometimes I could go a day, so I’d push it another day. 

Then, one day, I just committed. I committed to wanting to be a non-smoker for the rest of my life. I committed to setting a good example for my son. And I committed to being healthier, hiking until I die, and living better.  

I have really been enjoying hiking with my family and friends.  

So really, that’s it. 

Setting goals. Little & big. 

Micromovements. 

Vibrations. 

Empowerment. 

Commitment. 

Trying over. 

Trying over & over again. 

Building strength. 

Building good karma. 

Building good relationships. 

Building something new.

Little successes that lead into bigger successes. 

The best part has been the way the universe has unfolded in front of me as a result of living a better life. 

I am loving and connecting with good people along the way. Expressing creativity. Writing. Doing art. Listening to music. Spending time with my son. Dancing. Laughing. Enjoying life. Helping people out. Using my talents and experience to help people out. 

I have my bad days. Sometimes, I have a lot of them. I’m way too heady sometimes. And stressed. I will always be a work in progress. That is for sure. We all are. But overall, I am improving. 

I want my son to have the best possible opportunity to become a full-fledged him. 

And, I want to be a better mom. So I’m learning. 

I want to lose weight for an upcoming trip to Hawaii. So I’m learning & doing. Cooking better. Eating better. Drinking less. Gaining control. Hiking. Kenpo. P90X tapes {barely, but I tried!}. Lifting weights more.

Life really is good. 

Moving in a positive direction.
I wish the same for you.

The Tree Ring

A bit of nostalgia—because I know these here mountains, quite well, and have many fond memories. But, it probably has a lot to do with the production of the video—the feel, the nostalgia, the elated people so excited to join the unexpected experience. I just really love it and felt it needed to be "immortalized" here. I'm a dreamer, what can I say?

THE TREE RING: HIKE-IN SHOW from Destin Daniel Cretton on Vimeo.

KONY 2012. ALL IN.

Do you know who Joseph Kony is? You should. This movement is going to go down in history books. I'M ALL IN. Will you be? All is one. Let's do this.

Breaking Away from Comfortable

I think the universe is trying to tell me something today.

Source: aaanything.net via Bridget on Pinterest

Source: aaanything.net via Bridget on Pinterest

Source: withlovefromkat.com via Bridget on Pinterest

Message received LOUD & CLEAR. Now, to figure out next steps... hmmmm. 

An Attitude of Gratitude

Remember always... 

Source: pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com via David on Pinterest

Announcing the Humility Collection

Oh so super stoked {!} to announce the release of the Humility Collection from Gaia Greetings on Spoonflower. Fabric with a story and purpose.

Thanks to every single one of you, for supporting and believing and inspiring.

OK, so without further adieu... {right?}

I present Blueberry, Caramel, Chocolate, Olive, and Teal Swirl from the Humility Collection.


http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/gaiagroove

Source: spoonflower.com via Bridget on Pinterest

No critique rejected ~;~). 

Bridget

Passion. Find It.

Illustration courtesy of Lindsay Whitehead from Unraveled Design. Check out the rest of her stuff on her flickr page.

Source: flickr.com via Bridget on Pinterest

Success...

Ode to the Handwritten Letter

Wow, couldn't have said it better myself. 

Source: feltandwire.com via Bridget on Pinterest

Compliments of Felt & Wire, letter by Bryn from Paperfinger

Keep it real yo!

Source: etsy.com via Bridget on Pinterest

Compliments of Lucius Art on Etsy

A Ripple for Our Little Bird

I spent some time recently {OK, all of last weekend} responding to a request from my son's school director, who was looking for help (!) creating some marketing materials to promote the school at a public event. She threw out some initial ideas and I, being enmeshed in branding and marketing land 40-ish hours a week at my 9-5 (as a Manager, not Creative), not being able to resist offering suggestions, and having gained some confidence donning my coordination and design hats during the school's Harvest the Music event, decided to offer that help. 

While I learned that I'm a serious perfectionist {must let go!}, my efficiency is not the best, and it's probably a good idea for me to learn a few keyboard commands, ultimately, I am very proud of the work I did, and I'm pretty sure, it is going to catch the attention of some prospective parents, or others, who, upon approaching the booth, are going to be greeted by one of the most passionate educators I have met in a long time.

To make a long story short, my son's Charter School struggled the first two years. Somehow, by the grace of chance, Alexis landed there, and ultimately, set the wheels in motion to save our alternative option by renewing the lost charter under a new, more supportive wing, enrolling enough children to get things off the ground, and finding, signing, painting, cleaning, and moving into a new location, all within the span of 7 weeks.

I believe, it is because of her dedication, that each and every one of the parents, guardians and extended family members in this community, yes COMMUNITY, are willing to go to bat for this school.

To aid me in my efforts, I solicited the help of the teachers to gather materials, and parent photographers to help me with my mission. 6 people stepped up to the plate immediately, 5 of whom were able to go by the school, THAT WEEK, and photograph the kids, classrooms, materials, premises, etc. You name it, they shot it. And they delivered beautiful, amazing shots.

Everything was done, produced, and delivered by yesterday evening, in time for the event tonight.

This morning, Alexis greeted me with a lovely {actually quite rockin'} new amber colored hair-do, and a card with a handwritten note.

It reminded me, like a little voice from the universe, how important it is to listen to my intuition, always move forward with action, and do what I love to help others. The whole process grounded me again. Yay! I'm a ripple! 

Are you doing what you love to help others? Share your stories on our Facebook page, comment below or drop me a line at gaiagreetings@gmail.com 

In the meantime, check out the story of Rescued Cards, founded by Monica Hoover—doing what she loves to promote the ones who save the ones she loves. ;~)

It's crazy, when you see and love a piece of art and you don't know the story behind it. Today... I discovered the story about the Burmese monk in South Park, painted by Shepard Fairey.

Art as a weapon teaser // 3 mins from BREADTRUCK TV on Vimeo.

Why my spirituality lies in nature...

I get the chills every time I see this. 


Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Aha!'s and Serendipity—A Ripple in Action

Recently, my neighbor Nancy and I decided it was time to exchange phone numbers. As usual, we got to talking. I invited her into the condo and shared the designs I was working on.

A few days later, I arrived home to find this striking book, with a gorgeous red and white flower pattern screen printed on the textile cover. It had an embossed/UV coated belly band in lipstick-red copy titled, "Florence Broadhurst, Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives." 



Besides the book being incredibly aesthetically appealing, the title had me hooked. I opened it immediately. As I was perusing the pages of insane wallpaper patterns on my front balcony, Nancy walked by. "Hope you like it," she said. I thanked her and snuck in to my condo for a closer look. 
 
LIKE IT would be an understatement.

When I refer to the ripple—that each one of us can be—Nancy's thoughtfulness was a testament to it. Beyond my gratitude for her generosity, the content of this book was SO inspiring, that it led to a serious "Aha!" moment.

I thought back to a conversation I had with my friend Jennifer Jackman, who, along with her husband, Terry Ribera, started Tigerama Publishing and Terry Ribera's Remington Tattoo Parlor. We've been encouraging one another and sharing resources and inspiration as we've ventured into the social media and blogospheres to promote our businesses. One day, I was struggling with clearly defining my focus. She asked me, "What's your thing?"

After reading the story of this incredibly interesting woman, Florence Broadhurst, and seeing the intricacies of the wallpaper patterns she created, it was apparent—I am completely and utterly drawn to patterns. 
 


From there, I started experiencing serendipitous connections.
I learned, shortly thereafter, that the fantastic "bat" wallpaper, Elysium Fields (that Jen shared with me previously), was created by Flavor Paper, which just so happens to be owned by a friend-of-a-good-friend. Then, days later, they were featured on fab.com, which I had recently signed up for.

Ironic?

I think not. ;~)

So, get used to the patterns people! It's my thing and you'll be seeing it in everything we do. And if you know another patternaholic like myself, send them our way for a follow and to share the inspiration.

And... don't forget to BE A RIPPLE.

Terry Ribera's Remington Tattoo Parlor in North Park! Now OPEN for Business!

OK, so I know that I have not previously mentioned anything about tattoos but, it probably goes without saying that ANYTHING art related—especially those things that have passion and a history behind them—and especially those people who tirelessly promote the things they love, are going to be high on my list of I-want-to-promote-you activities. So, it is, with absolute fabulousness, that I introduce you to Terry Ribera's Remington Tattoo Parlor in North Park, recently open for business in San Diego. If you're a tattoo lover, and want amazement, call to schedule now, he's already booked solid. And bookmark his link for future reference, just in case you get a wild hair up your ass, you'll have plenty of time to reconsider ;~).

The Remedy is the Experience

This is me... IN SPIRIT ;~)p.

Looking SO forward to my trip back to Humboldt with my son!

The redwood trees.

Good friends.

Kids.

Families.

Fun.

It's been 20 years since I graduated from HSU. That place holds so many amazing memories for me.

Friends, families, fun, forests and Facebook. Five F-words I'll happily shout from the rooftops. Add food and well, you've pretty much made my day. Thanks to Facebook for reconnecting us again.

It's been about the same length of time since I've seen most of my friends. I have no doubt we'll fall back into place in our friendships, and our kids will have a blast regardless.

Hoping for a nice beach day in there somewhere... and DEFINITELY a hike (daily? we'll be so close!) in the forest!

I've been googling pics of the redwoods so I could show my son how AWESOME they are. I was really trying to convey their grandeur. I'm so looking forward to seeing them! I think I'll be blown away all over again and I hope, at some point, I can capture their magnificence and bring back a good photo or two for the walls of the condo.

As I was surfing the web, I randomly stumbled across a website: Cathedral Grove, where I found all of the pictures featured in this post. These people are the PASSIONATE protectors of our beautiful redwoods.

While browsing the site, I came across this pretty amazing live art demonstration for the cause. It's beautiful and eerie and creates an impact.

I'm seriously looking forward to reconnecting with the redwoods and their power.

I've been feeling power-full lately.

Feeling good. In control, strong—creatively, mentally, spiritually—physically active, more healthy, engaged, giving my best, in the moment, filling time with quality experiences ... that's how I'm defining it these days.

I'm going to try to do something that feels good every day. I hope you'll do the same. We all deserve to feel good!

Blender Issues...

It was a great weekend of accomplishment —

• PHYSICALLY (two great walks + a kick ass swim session with my son — makes a mama proud!)
• MENTALLY (transitioning into my independence since buying a condo, cleaning/decorating my space and focusing on my son)
• INNOVATIVELY (if you consider cooking and decorating innovative!)

I've been craving soup and mojitos lately.

In both instances, it was experimental... and in both instances, it felt necessary to bring out a device with blades. So, I guess you could say, this weekend was also blendistastrous and blenderrific.

The first instance of unexpected results happened while trying to process an incredible mexican soup — cilantro, potato, carrots, fire-roasted tomatoes, pollo asado and pasillo peppers, with sauteed garlic and onion.

It sounds delightful doesn't it? Can you imagine a creamy soup with those flavors?

Well, the veggies were not quite yet cooked, so the blended version was definitely short of the creamy concoction I anticipated.

Let's just say... crunchy potatoes... not so good.

Then today, while making those anticipated mojitos... well, I kinda forgot to mash the mint with the sugar, and then, ran short on lime juice, so... I blended the first half of the first drink with a variety of new ingredients in the blender.

When I blended it, it didn't turn into the drink I anticipated, rather, the mint and froth all rose to the top. Blech. Let's just say, tidbits of mint in the teeth... not so good.

I had to strain the mint in order to get a good drink out of it but ultimately, such yumminess!

Lesson: When you blend mint in the blender, strain before drinking AND don't blend veggies before they're cooked.

Random. I know.

My life, nonetheless.

It's a great mojito recipe though!

How Gaia Greetings Came to Be—My Story. Revised.

Gaia Greetings is the combination of a childhood passion, the "Humboldt influence (not THAT influence),” and the ever so perfect unfolding of my life since I became a single mom.

Flash back circa late 70’s when drawing was my thing. My best friend and I colored "gorgeous" greeting cards. We went door-to-door in our neighborhood, selling our precious original works of art at bargain prices. We worked on those cards for hours. And I remember, loving every minute of it.

When I first considered the idea of having my own business—in 2000—the idea was quite simple. I wanted to start an environmentally friendly (THAT Humboldt influence) company selling recycled paper greeting cards.

I enrolled in San Diego City College—where they had a stellar graphic design program—just for the sake of learning. That path ultimately led me to my current 9-5—as the (Print) Production Manager for a cross-media branding agency—where I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience—not to mention some amazing relationships with some amazing folks—in the printing industry.

I have always prescribed to the philosophy that what's meant to be will, and though I may not have always understood why I was faced with certain challenges, I believed they were happening for a reason. My goal was always to learn from them, whether the meaning of the experience was clear to me at the time or not.

It wasn't until recently that I could view my life from a big picture perspective. These days, I understand how the evolution of my life has laid the groundwork for my future and led me to this point. Today, I can confidently assert that I am exactly where I'm meant to be at this moment in time. And—even more amazing—the more I commit to my purpose and passion, the more support, love and encouragement I receive—exactly the things I need to keep me going.

Flash back circa 2004. Enter beautiful baby boy, single motherhood, a HUGE responsibility and a burning desire to lead by example. Yep. I had my "aha" moment.

In the past seven years my life has evolved from a life characterized by trepidation and lack of direction to a focused, driven life. I know now that action and calculated risks (take baby steps!), belief in myself, connection with others and working towards the greater good are the keys to conquering my fears and living my dream—a dream that has evolved into an awakening!

And while I still plan on selling recycled greeting cards, the concept for this company has morphed into such fabulousness, I'm giddy thinking about the possibilities. I’m thankful that the ideas for this company have unfolded slowly over time. Now that I’m ready, Gaia Greetings will realize it’s full potential. And I hope you’ll be as thrilled as I am. I am excited to share it with you.

With love and gratitude.

Bridget Gast

Today's a New Day

Gasp. Swoon. Admiring and melting into utter amazement.
From Kim Tackett's collection. A picture a day for 365 days. See the full set here.