Word of the Year

I've been reading lots of other crafty blogs lately. I was excited to stumble on the concept of choosing a word for the year to live by, rather than trying to commit to a multitude of overwhelming New Year's resolutions. I am aware that it is already the end of March and I'm a little late in getting started - but better late than never. So, I decided to pick a word. Once I started thinking about what it is I'm trying to tackle this year, I saw a common thread throughout various aspects of my life and my word became very obvious:

DARE

I am always making excuses for why I can't do something, but if I don't face my fears and move out of my comfort zone more often, I will never grow and make the changes I hope to see in my life. Sometimes I feel like I conceal my true self because I'm afraid of what other people will think, but that gets exhausting and soul-crushing after a while! So, I am going to keep this word at the forefront of my mind for the rest of this year and see where it leads me. Below is a quote that I found and wrote on on post-it note a couple of years ago. It seems to keep following me and it helps me feel more daring every time I read it: 

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." -Anais Nin

Nearly every person I know that has abandoned their 9-5 to do something they truly love said it was scary at first but they soon found great happiness and success in following their passion. Taking risks and putting yourself out there is always scary, but I'm realizing I would regret it so much more if I never even tried in the first place. One more quote I like by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Do the thing and you will have the power." I like it because I'm sure it's true, but mostly I like it because it reminds me of He-Man saying, "I have the power!" after he's been transformed to his more powerful, magical self. I don't want to become He-Man, but if I could harness the super girl power of She-Ra, I would be pysched. She was confident, badass, and she rode a unicorn.

Enter to Win a $25 Gift Certificate to Bowerbird!

Here's the deal: if you do any of the following between now and April 1st, your name will be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to my shop---this can be something you see on Etsy, my Nature's Palette card website, or you can stop by my studio and pick something out!

You can become eligible for the drawing by doing any one of these things:

• Become a fan on Facebook
• Favorite my shop on Etsy
• Become a follower of my blog
• Join Bowerbird's mailing list: this means you would receive a quarterly newsletter updating with updates on my newest creations, upcoming shows, events and promotions--(just email me at bowerbirdemail@gmail.com or send me a private message on Facebook if you're interested)
• Purchase an item

If you do all 5 of these things, your name will be entered 5 times. It's simple, and everyone loves free stuff! I will draw a name on April 1st and announce the winner on Facebook and my blog. I'm not fooling, promise!