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Halloween and Day of the Dead Handmade Jewelry - Three for Thursday

Halloween and Day of the Dead will be here very soon.  Halloween is the last day of this month, October 31, when ghouls and goblins and vampires and princesses and more show up at your door for tricks or (preferably) treats.  Day of the Dead is actually celebrated on two days: November 1 for Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels - for deceased children) and November 2 is Dia de los Muertos (for spirits of all the dead).  Women who celebrate these holidays definitely need unique handmade jewelry! To help with this, three jewelry items from three handmade artists are featured in this Halloween and Day of the Dead Jewelry blog post. The artists are: Mary of PrettyGonzo; Linda of VictorianStyleTreasures and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy the earrings, bracelet and necklace that are showcased. Please visit the artists’ shops for more wonderful handmade jewelry, many one of a kind designs.

Affirmation and Inspiration - Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday

“More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.” 

― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

In these days which seem filled with words of hate and division, it’s sometimes hard to remember that there is MUCH more good in this world than there is bad.  We just have to be aware of it. The smile of a friend or stranger. An unexpected helping hand. A kind word. Being strong in the face of adversity. That’s why I love the quote above . . . and sometimes use it as my mantra while doing some deep breathing to slow down my sometimes very active monkey mind.

Red, White and Blue Artisan Handmade Jewelry - Three for Thursday

The 4th of July is here!  Cookouts, picnics, swimming, parades and fireworks are all memories of Independence Day festivities in the past.  Plus wearing the patriotic red, white and blue! For this Three for Thursday, I decided to go with unique jewelry and share three pieces from three handmade artists.  Each piece had to feature a majority of red, white or blue. The three artists are: Mary of PrettyGonzo; Sharon of BlondePeachJewelry; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  The GREAT thing about each piece of jewelry shared here today is that they can be worn at any time of the year, not just for the 4th of July!  I hope you enjoy this edition of Red, White and Blue Artisan Handmade Jewelry - Three for Thursday.

A Moment of Zen - Three for Thursday

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love to garden, mainly growing flowers.  There is something so gloriously fundamental about putting my hands in the living soil and planting something that will benefit bees, butterflies and/or hummingbirds (my way to decide what to plant - plus drought tolerance once established is a must since we live in the Chihuahuan Desert).  Planting and tending to the plants is my meditation and I experience many moments of Zen when I feel deeply connected to myself, to others and to Mother Earth.

Just what is “Zen?”  It’s to explain, especially when it is often tossed around so carelessly in popular culture (maybe like I just did above).  Zen is an authentic spiritual tradition, a path to an awakening: awakening to / realizing who we really are, and awakening the aspiration to serve others and take responsibility for all of life.  Zen is believed to be our true nature expressing itself moment by moment.