guess what??!!!! i'm BAAAAAAACK!!!!!! sorry i haven't posted in forever. you better sit down and relax because this is going to be a LONG, HAPPY POST. (by the way, i hope you'll keep reading even though i'm not using proper punctuation and capitalization today.) :)
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| the only punctuation i'll be using has been provided by my lovely friend, Maria!!!! |
why haven't i been blogging? what have i been doing lately?! i can't even answer that question b/c i don't have a good answer. i guess i've just been busy with the day to day fun that life seems to bring. BUT, the MOST exciting thing i want to talk about is my trip to the ever-so-in-demand, SOLD OUT (waiting list only), and magical
Brave Girl Camp that was started by sisters melody ross and kathy wilkins!!!!!
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| melody and kathy at "practice camp" in 2009. |
this whole trip was a dream. really. strange as it may seem (or not so strange these days....), i became friends with melody online. i began reading
her blog a few years ago. i remember thinking about how much alike we were in our way of thinking. i ALWAYS enjoy someone who can see the blessings and miracles in tough times, and use those stories to help others. everytime i read a blog post, my heart was overwhelmed. i would just cry. well, okay, i'd sob and sob and sob and sob and sob. she writes with such wisdom, conviction, and openness, and that just spoke to my heart. i haven't been through all of the trials that she has been through, but i understood what she was saying. i got it. i felt like she was a long lost sister. 2009 was the first time we met in person and it was such a wonderful time....a time i will never forget. months before my trip she had been telling me about a dream that was in her heart. a dream to start
brave girls club and brave girl camp. while i was visiting, we had the official "practice brave girl camp" to test things out.
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| this was our art room at practice BGC.....cozy and fun....kathy, camielle, alison, and melody. |
October 2010 (one year and a couple of months later), i was attending the one year anniversary of brave girl camp in mccall, idaho. like i said earlier,
brave girls club started with a humongous dream from my beautiful, dear, precious, sweet, soul sister, Melody Ross and her equally as gorgeous, talented, kind, and genuine sister, Kathy Wilkins. their goal was to start a community for women who want to do BIG things with their lives, who need to overcome difficult obstacles that have been thrown at them, who NEED a safe, kind, loving, environment....no walls, no shame, no egos, no backstabbing, no attitudes, and no "mean girls" allowed. just a place for you to be YOU. to find encouragement. to cultivate dreams. to give love. to learn. to find yourself again. to receive love. to conquer fears. to be pampered. to form new lifelong friendships. to be lovingly accepted. to be brave. to get back on that path of finding beauty in yourself again.
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| this photo reminds me of that bright pathway..... |
the one year anniversary of
brave girl camp! woooohoooooo. i was invited to attend as a staff member. this was a complete honor. as part of the staff, i knew i was going to be working hard, serving, and happily catering to anyone and everyone's needs. that meant one thing....i wouldn't have time for art projects, or so i was thinking. that made me happy because i'll be the first to admit that i have to WORK at being artsy. it doesn't come naturally for me all of the time. i have to be in a certain frame of mind. my workspace has to be organized precisely. the "stars" have to be aligned perfectly for me to create. i'm laughing as i write this, but it's actually THE truth.
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| a sneak peek into the art room before our special guests arrived. |
as part of the staff, we had work time and free time. my "free time" allowed me to participate in the first project/lesson for the week. that had me all freaked out. i came to terms with it....realizing i couldn't run from it. after sitting in my cozy spot for a while and staring at my BLANK project and EVERY art supply imaginable, it was too overwhelming. i escaped away to a quiet place and just wrote in my journal. THAT was perfect for me....it's what i needed....it was relaxing.....and comforting....and allowed me to gather my thoughts and to embrace the moment. while i didn't finish the first project, i understood it, and it was so freeing and so enlightening. {and, i'm not telling what it was because i don't want to ruin it for any future friends that will attend.....if that lesson and project is used again} believe it or not, that first project opened up ALL of our hearts for the remaining projects for the week........
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| ....and, that first project ALSO helped us open up our wings..... | | | |
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i'm figuring out right now that
Brave Girl Camp cannot be crammed into one post....i'll have to post more about it this week.....i don't want to leave out any important details....i want you to understand the beauty of this wonderful
community of women!!!!!!
HUMONGOUS LOVE to you ALL!!!!!!
EXPECT miracles this week!!!
xoxoxooooo
JANET! :)
