IF: Star gazing

Detail:

I don't think I can finish this piece in time for IF, so pardon me to upload it just as it is. It was done with watercolor, but because I could not be neat, I kept on having a hard time with the stars and the dark background. So I re-painted the components in different papers and scanned them and stitched them together in photoshop. Kind of cheating, uh?

While doing the piece and struggled with mothering activities and house chores, I had some thought about being a star. 

The Sun is just one star among the billions other stars in the Universe [according to Wikipedia, our galaxy, the Milky Way,  is estimated to contain at least 200 billion stars and possibly up to 400 billion stars. And our galaxy is one of billions galaxies in the observable universe.] He is not the biggest, nor the brightest, not even the most beautiful star. He is not the tiniest, not the palest, he is kind of mediocre (compared to other stars). But of course we won't say that our Sun is mediocre! The Sun is the most important star for us. All living beings on Earth depend on the Sun to live. We don't care about his rank in the stars ranking system, the Sun means everything for us.

Being a wannabe artist, I often browsed through many many many wonderful blogs by talented artist (crafters, illustrators, knitters, etc.) and wished that I could be more like them. I want to shine brighter and be a prettier star in the universe.

But then I realized that if the Sun shines brighter, the Earth could get hotter. Likewise, if the Sun shines slightly less, the Earth could get colder. Earthlings would suffer if the Sun changes his brightness.

I am the Sun and I have my own solar system. I might be only one small star out of hundred billions other stars in the galaxies. But I am an important Sun for my family. I need to know my solar system and shine accordingly. I don't have to be the brightest, or the prettiest star out there. I just need to be the best star for my own solar system.

What do you think?

IF: Caged

I've been wanting to participate on IF since forever, but used to feel not having enough time/courage to do it. I pushed myself to do it now. :) I hope I am not late yet.

So, here's my take for Caged.

I have been listening to people saying that I could not do a lot of things to make a living, that I should follow the paths that have been prepared or the paths that have been opened by opportunities. I ended up not knowing what I wanted to study after high school and eagerly took the chance to study Engineering abroad. Well, it turned out that even though Engineering brought me good money, it was not something that I loved to do daily. I felt caged.

Then I found out that the cage actually lies inside my head. I was seeing the world through my 'caged' glasses. I only need to remove that glasses, there was nothing that caged me in reality.

The first time I flew off the cage, it felt scary. Can I find food for tomorrow? Will I live? Am I safe? All those questions filled up my mind and my heart trembled with fear and excitement of freedom. I am still in my journey of finding my true self now, exploring of what I really love to do daily. Wish me luck! :)

beautiful ritual

I always love reading the inspiring soulemama blog. Then yesterday, her writing tugged my heart's string once more in this post.

follow your bliss

i found chookoolonks by the talented Karen Warlond a few days ago and i am hooked. one of my favorite post is this: how i found what i love, where she elaborated her process of finding out what she love and her initial journey.

the shop has been put on halt for a few months. first, my iMac crashed (bringing down with it all my stupidly-not-backed-up files and photos). then while waiting for it to get repaired, i had some sort of crisis over many aspects of my life. now everything has settled down and i think i am ready for another start.

share your passion

i just found this. the writing moved me in many ways. go there and read it yourself. :)

thank you for the food we eat

thank you for the sun whose rays grow all of our food. thank you for the clouds and the raindrops. thank you for the wind who spreads the seeds and caresses the leaves. thank you for the rich soil and its worms. thank you for the water. thank you for the farmers. thank you for the peaceful time when our food grow all over the world. thank you for the cows that give us milk and beef. thank you for the chickens and the swines. thank you for the people who tend and harvest our food. thank you for the chain of people who transport our food from everywhere. thank you for the bustling market place. thank you for the hands that have touched and prepared the food in so many ways. thank you for the stove. thank you for the broccoli, the garlic, and the onions. thank you for the pots and pans. thank you for the joy that comes from chopping the ingredients, and cooking the meal. thank you for the salt from the sea. thank you for the heat of the fire that cook the food. thank you for our tongues and the magic of taste-buds. thank you for our wonderful digestive system. thank you for the joy of eating. thank you for the energy that all those food give for my two little children.

thank you for the beautiful chain of energy and love that we receive several times daily through our meals.

thank you.

being a mom

being a mother is a life-changing thing, don't you think?

i have two kids, an almost four year old boy and a one year four month old girl. both are in their physically active stage right now. it's a constant challenge for me to organize my activities during the day. in the beginning, i used to complain to my husband for not having enough time to do the fun stuff for my shop... then he reminded me that i chose to be a stay-at-home mom precisely for the kids. there will come a time when they are old enough to be quiet doing their own activities. or old enough for my husband to bring them somewhere for a few hours. but for now, i need to savor this busyness. enjoy their chubby butts and slobbery kisses. as my best friend said: the shop can wait, but my children will not wait. they will just grow.

so for now, this blog and the shop might seemed to grow in a snail-pace. there's a time for everything under the sun. every season brings its own beauty and it's our job to savor the wonderfulness of each season that comes our way.

p.s. mother's day is around the corner. if you're into scrapbooking or card-making, you can head over to my shop to get some mother's day related art. i hope to bring more into the shop within this week.

hello

hello there.

in italian, vivere means 'to live'.

well, i could not speak italian, but my name is vera and i love the meaning. so that's vivera.

this blog is born to accompany my shop, and to share little bits and pieces of precious lessons about living life that i have gathered so far.

i am a mother of two super-active kids. i'm constantly learning to balance everything nicely. it's not easy at times, but i have a wonderful support from my understanding husband. i am grateful each and everyday for everything. :)

so, welcome to my blog. i hope you enjoy your visit.