Tuesday, November 30, 2010

...day 30 gratitude image

Grateful EVERY day for these faces.

ox 
kolleen

Monday, November 29, 2010

...day 29 gratitude image

(go here and visit Maria's shop to find
sweet little treasures like this!)

if you are looking for something really 
A-MAAAAAAA-ZING
 to do this holiday season with your 
family or a group of friends....

THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO!!!!
NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!!



I am so grateful to be a "BRAVE GIRL"
and to be a part of this strong
community of women!!
(you can read about it here)

and last but not least...here is some 
GREAT 
Monday Music!!


hope you all had a wonderful 
Thanksgiving Weekend.  i am so
grateful for each and every one of you
who take time out of your days to visit me!

ox
kolleen

Sunday, November 28, 2010

...DAY 27 AND DAY 28 GRATITUDE IMAGES

 A DAY LATE....BUT STILL EVER SO GRATEFUL!!!
spending time with an 
amazingly wise, stunning, beautiful soul.
i am ever so grateful for 
my dear friend Patrice!!!
i am so grateful she took the time to 
drive down to see me and spend time with me and
my hubby and 4 crazy kiddlies!!
we have had amazing conversation and laughter!!!
she is a treasure.

ENJOYING THE SUNSET....
GRATEFUL.

Wishing bountiful blessings of gratitude.

ox
kolleen

Friday, November 26, 2010

DAY 26 GRATITUDE IMAGE AND AN "IBFI" REMINDER!!

(photo taken july 2010 at my parents)
Next Friday I will be beginning
the 6 week series of
"IM BETTER FOR IT" stories...
told by YOU!

Please read HERE where
it all began!

if you are interested in sharing your story
please email me at: kolleenharrison@mail.com
i strongly feel there is so much power
in the sharing of our stories.

it can be SO healing for the
writer and for the reader.
i feel if your story can
help ONE person...it is worth telling!!

today i am grateful for an afternoon
of walking, talking and coffee fun
with my sweet Sophia.

and then home to play in our shadows!!

PEACE and LOVE!!!
ox
kolleen

Thursday, November 25, 2010

....DAY 25 GRATITUDE IMAGE

I am so grateful for the 
unconditional love my husband 
shows me day in and day out.
(bless his heart for putting up
with me and my sassiness!!)

and
so grateful for EACH AND EVERY one of
you that take your time to stop by my little ol
spot to say hi and visit me.

i truly appreciate it!!
and i love you!
ox
kolleen

"let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners
who make our souls blossom."
          - Marcel Proust

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

...day 24 with a little say whaaaaaaaaaaat wednesday??

today...i am grateful to be standing here.
(yep...that's me peakin out in the photo!)

so...answer this for me

WHAT ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL
FOR THIS THANKSGIVING SEASON?

wishing you all a blessed,
happy, safe and magical
thanksgiving day!

with love
ox
kolleen

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

...days 22 & 23

grateful for some time to begin a new painting

and grateful to have my tree up!!
this is a partial view from 
my little studio room
(it is the earliest i have ever put it up...
just wanted to enjoy it a little bit longer!)

look to your right....what do you see 
that you are grateful for??

ox
kolleen

Sunday, November 21, 2010

....gratitude images (days 20 and 21)

i missed a day of images so am making up for lost time!!!

yesterday i was grateful for silly 
picture taking with my oldest mackenzie

and today for great conversations with my Chandler.
i learn from him every single day how
to be more patient and how all of us are
different...and how he tells me "our brains
are different mom."

if you have time...please check out my
i strongly feel there is SO MUCH POWER
in the sharing of our stories.
i feel it can be so healing for the writer 
and for the reader.

if you feel moved to share your story,
please email me at: kolleenharrison@mail.com
i will be starting a 6 week "im better for it" series 
beginning friday, nov. 26.
i am hopeful it will give courage
to many to deal in order to heal!
 and remember...
if your story can help one person,
it will be worth telling!!

ox
kolleen

Friday, November 19, 2010

"IM BETTER FOR IT"





i have been going back and forth 
with this idea and how to present it....
and how to get others to join in and share their stories....
and potentially how it may really help others....
and then possibly even help heal others.
a few months back i did a post here and posed 
this question to my friends who come visit me...

i asked them to share with me 
"what they are better for?"  
i loved reading the responses and how 
open and honest everyone was in sharing.

so today, i want to go first.  
i want to share my first experience 
of really acknowledging 
some yucky things that happened to me and 
how years and years later i can finally say 
"I'M BETTER FOR IT".
(please bear with me as this is one of my stories and it is me getting pretty personal.)



when i was a young girl growing up 
i always wished for and envisioned 
myself having this wonderful marriage, 
being a mom, living a fun and simple life...
full of laughter and love and 
many, many, many years of marital bliss. 
  

i imagined all the good yummy stuff.  
but isn't that what we do as children??  
plan our fairy tale lives?!? 


not once did i ever imagine i would face divorce, 
be in a very difficult marriage for many years to an addict, 
and have to raise two little girls as a single, working mother.  
never once did i imagine going it alone 
at 30 years old with a 3 year old and 9 month old 
without any family nearby and 
an extremely tiny support system (i can count two people).  
never once did i envision this storm that lasted
many years.
it wasn't in MY plans...


STOP!!!

i didn't sign up for this!!!  

but that is exactly what did happen in my life.  
i did face divorce.  
i was in a difficult marriage to an addict.  
i was working full time trying to raise two little girls alone.  
and i was angry.  
i was SO angry.  
how dare someone else make choices that 
forced me to make choices i never would have 
wanted to make in my life.  

how dare someone do that to me.  
how dare someone shatter my dreams 
into a million tiny pieces.  
see...i WAS ANGRY!
it took me many, many years and 
lots and lots of tears to truly want to face the things 
that happened in my life.  
the role i played in all of it...
i felt like a failure.  
i felt unworthy of love.  

i felt LOST.
SO lost.  
i felt like i lost me.

so after many years of diverting and distracting myself, 
i realized it was time.  
it was time to get the help i needed 
in order to move forward in my life.  
it was time to face some of my demons 
so i could be a better mom to my girls.  
it was time to start to pick those pieces up 
one by one and start to put 
my life and myself back together.  
it was time for me to deal, in order to heal.  


it was time for me to get brave
and now, after working through LOTS of "stuff",  
(and it is an ongoing process)...
i am at a place of gratitude for those tough times.  
i am at a place where i can 
look back on that marriage, 
look back on the years of being a single mom, 
look back and know...
really know... 
that today, 
where i sit right now, 

I'M BETTER FOR IT.
I'M BETTER FOR ALL OF IT.

i realized that 
WE HAVE TO DEAL...IN ORDER TO HEAL.
in order to be free...
in order to help others...
in order to 
REALLY.  BE.
BETTER FOR IT!!!

so i am very hopeful that i will find others 
who want to be featured here on fridays 
and share their stories about 
how they have gone 
through struggles 
and trials 
and obstacles 
but know that they can say 

"I'M BETTER FOR IT."  
because...after all, 
we all are, 
aren't we??!!
please email me:  kolleenharrison@mail.com 
if you are interested in sharing your story.
i am hoping to run this every friday 
for 6 weeks and then see where 
it may go from there.
i truly believe there is 
SO MUCH POWER 
in the sharing of our stories.
in the opening up of ourselves.
thank you for listening.
all my love
ox
k















Thursday, November 18, 2010

...gratitude image day 18



It's that time of year!!!
these little guys made me smile today!!

PLEASE come visit me tomorrow as 
i am introducing something new to 
my blog for Fridays.  
it is something that i am hopeful
will not only help many 
but also heal many too.

as always...thank YOU for visiting!!

ox
kolleen

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

...gratitude image day 17 & say whaaaaaaaaaat wednesdsay?

i am always grateful for my Wednesday
nights and the laughter this show brings me!
it is a great escape in the middle of the week.
it is a time my hubby and i relax on the 
couch and just veg out!

so...tell me

what tv show brings you some
escape from your "reality"??

ox
kolleen

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

...gratitude image day 16


i am grateful for these boots...
they have taken me down many a path!

they took me on many walks with beautiful
(where boots were a staple part of
many of our wardrobes...my goodness....so many great pairs!)

they ran me through an airport
to ensure i didn't miss
where i became utterly love drunk!

they've braved shopping with me,
walks with my little ones,
quiet strolls where i needed quiet and calm,
adventures into the unknown.

i look forward to going on many more dates
with these bad boys and cannot wait
to see what other paths we travel
down together.

how bout you...
do you have a fav pair of shoes you need
to show some gratitude too??

ox
kolleen

Monday, November 15, 2010

....gratitude image day 15 and monday music

grateful for this store....
one of my FAVS...
even though i can only afford to browse!!
it always inspires me and i was very happy
to browse around in there today!!

here's my choice for today's music...i love the lyric
"you're beautiful just the way you are".

and we are, you know?!?!
EMBRACE YOUR BEAUTY...
EMBRACE YOU...JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!!

ox
kolleen



Sunday, November 14, 2010

...gratitude image day 14

it's all in a kiss!!!

i am crazy grateful for smooches!!!

hoping you all had a wonderfully
magical, inspiring weekend.

i was surrounded by friendship
and love and the beauty of nature....
many, many
things to be grateful for.

now...
go smooch on someone you love...
i dare ya!!!

ox
kolleen

Saturday, November 13, 2010

...day 13 gratitude image

love intertwined...(by feet!!)

Friday, November 12, 2010

...day 12 gratitude image

i am very grateful for a comfy, cozy bed
to crawl into each night.
it certainly isn't something to take for granted.

what are you grateful for today???

ox
kolleen

Thursday, November 11, 2010

...day 11 gratitude image

a love note from my youngest
waiting for me on my dresser...it's the little
things that can make the greatest impact!!!

don't ya think?!?!

ox
kolleen

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

...day 10 gratitude image and say whaaaaaat wednesday question



today i am grateful for the two beauties
that inspired this painting.
i have been so blessed in the last year and half
to connect with some of the most
amazing creatives, some of the most
amazing souls, some of the most
amazing women.

i feel so unworthy at times to
have all of these sacred connections in my life.
all of these HEART CONNECTIONS.
but i realize as i get older....just how important
it is to me to truly connect with others...
to connect with their stories,
their truths,
their hearts.

so please answer this...

what connects your heart to others??


i share a heart connection with
these two gor-juss souls who
are standing next to me in my painting.

i love you Lori
i love you Rachel

today i am especially
grateful for the two of you...
for our heart connection.
thank you for connecting to mine!

ox
kolleen

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

...day 9 gratitude image

i try to count my blessings every
single day....
and my amazing mom in law is amongst
those blessings.

she is a woman that i strive to be more like.
she is strong and smart and funny and creative
and kind and loving and generous and beautiful...
i could go on and on.

she is Italian through and through and can
cook and bake like nobody's business!!!
tonight she had my dad in law drop
off this DEEEE-LICIOUS lasagna to
us for dinner.
(she could put many restaurants
to shame....SOOOO good!!)

i am so grateful today for my italian mama in law
and her fabulous cooking!!!!

ox
kolleen

Monday, November 8, 2010

...day 8 gratitude image and some monday music

i had the best surprise show up for me in
my mailbox saturday.
see those beautiful, fun, gorjuss green arm warmers
i am wearing??
yep...those came in the mail for me from
my dear sweet amazingly talented
sister friend Patrice.
She is such a special soul who i feel blessed
beyond measure to have in my life.
you can go visit her right here.
i loved getting to wear them this morning
on my walk!!
thank you Patrice...I am ever so grateful for YOU!!!

happy monday my friends.
i hope you are showing your gratitude
and like my choice for today's music!!
ox
kolleen

Sunday, November 7, 2010

...day 7 gratitude image

today i am grateful for my first niece
Taylor
who turned 18 today!!!
she is a beautiful, smart, outgoing, talented,
fun loving young woman!
i am so blessed to be her aunt
and i love her very much!

she is an amazing singer....you can
check out her youtube page here.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

...day 6 gratitude image

(picture from my phone...thus the crazy golden eyes!!)

i am so grateful for my girlfriends.
such a beautiful bouquet of women
that i was fortunate
enough to spend my time with tonight!!

we all need our "girl time"...
and i was
especially grateful for it after a week of tending to
my littlest rockstar who is thankfully
on the mend!

happy weekend my friends.

ox
kolleen