I can’t believe it is actually January. You may have noticed I redid the header of my site. I am hoping for a clearer visual experience for you that is easier to navigate, instead of having so much come at you all at once.

So…announcey announcey!

Announcing new certification programs to check out, including one for kids. Now is the time to treat yourself and start the year with new study and what you always want to learn.

That link is here.

There’s the usual core classes, including the famous, fabulous EMPATH SKILLS class to help direct your sensitivity, and not have it overload you.

There’s the new class, Wild Worlds Within, that allows you to sketch, play, and write to get in touch with your feelings and life but in a fun way. No more serious big lesson healing for us! That link is here.

So head on over to the CATALOG and sign up. January classes start on the 23rd.

If you are a newsletter subscriber and a past student you will be receiving a FREQUENT FLYER STUDENT WING REWARDS card with deep discounts/rewards on classes for every five classes you take. That’s cool, huh? They go out this week so check your email box. Make sure you are signed up over here.

Hope I see you in class, in the meantime, make sure you are learning with fun!

Fairy blessings,

Design some magical trees.

FUN ASSIGNMENT: 4 Trees. Let’s play. What kind of trees are these? What kind of seeds does each one make? What kind of magical powers does each tree have? Does each tree have a story? 

Are you signed up?

Because it’s fun.

And this newsletter I talk BOUNDARIES on CRAZY when you are a sensitive.

And we talk about happiness, having fun, and drawing away the nasties.

Sign up over here.

Each year on my blog I try to write my year-end “what I learned list.” It’s a creative wrap-up, I guess, since I see birthdays as the beginning of a new year. 2014 was the year of breaking out of my tightly-knit cocoon and joining the world again. There were many losses–a nod to Bun-Bun and Speedy–and loss of some friends and connections, so there was sadness, but there was also many joys.

Here’s my list of what I learned in 2014:

1. It’s okay to trust and reveal your heart, but be mindful who you share it with. Not everyone is up for that precious responsibility. Flattery and lovely words mean nothing, if you aren’t willing to be there when it really matters.

2. True friends will remind you who you are when you forget. ;)

3. Sometimes it really isn’t about you. In fact, most the time it’s other people’s stuff. We see each other through our own lenses and wounds.

4. Stay open. The world may be harsh nowadays, but it needs feeling people with open hearts.

5. Don’t stay in situations where you have to keep trying to be seen. Giving more doesn’t solve the problem. Giving where it is unappreciated really sucks and you will question the worth of what you are giving.

6. Good boundaries. 2014 was all about creating better, stronger boundaries.

7. If you eat too many Rice Thins, you will get wired.

8. If life gets too hard, there is always the Forest to run to.

9. You can’t walk in another’s path. It won’t work. You will be pleasing another, but you will be miserable.

10. You don’t have to do it all alone. Ask for help. And if you ask for help and you are shamed for asking, slowly walk away from that source.

11. Some very lucid dreams are real. Yup, we can connect to some in dreams. Even wilder when you are both aware of this, on some level, and the dreams are pretty exciting.

12. Alone time is crucial. Sensitive folks need time to process our experiences.

13. Sharing on Instagram is quite fun; a little like artist’s crack.

14. Dogs rock. Seriously. They are so cool on so many levels.

15. Always pursue your dreams. They are planted there for a reason.

16. Even though you know souls live on and you feel them, you still miss them like crazy and it hurts.

17. I am over-responsible and over-cautious because I am not always sure God has my back, and when Speedy crossed over, it brought that up.

18. Telepathy with each other is increasing…greatly.

19. The most sensual place in the world is the Forest. It is filled with sounds, feelings, and sights that feed you. If you are a sensual person, you will really benefit going there.

20. I can finally get rid of the “not enoughs.” It’s total bull shit. :)

What’s on your list? Did you learn a lot? Relate to any of these? Hopefully, the big one, #20.

Fairy Blessings,

This week is Holiday Break for Fairy and Empath Online School. Enjoy, students! And, Happy Holidays!

A humorous look at the Holidays.

1. Think how silly fruitcake is. Think of times when you received fruitcake as a gift. Draw fruitcakes. Contemplate why there are hard things in a cake. Who designed fruitcakes? A dentist?

2. Be grateful for all you have. There are so many who are less fortunate. Oh no. You are empathic so now you are thinking of those who are unfortunate. You can FEEL their pain. Now you feel deep guilt. Maybe you shouldn’t have so much. Maybe you feel guilty for not having more and WANTING more. And those poor people. No, don’t think about the whole gratefulness thing. Just go to the next one.

3. Avoid holiday music unless it is by Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole. Those dudes could really kick it. Dreamy, right?

4. Count the amount of people on Facebook that go on and on about the real meaning of Christmas and how you are so materialistic because you like gifts and cookies. Now laugh at them as you eat your sprinkled-laden gingerbread while playing with your new computer.

5. Drive around and watch blinking lights in the neighborhood houses and have mini seizures like the kids in Japan who watched crazy animation.

6. See how many people you can knock down in the sale aisles. Like bowling. Better yet, head to Walmart and see how many people and carts can fit into one teeny tiny narrow aisle.  One? Two? Three? Four?!

7. Don’t listen to I’ll Be Home for the Holidays. I warned you on this one. Just don’t. Whoever wrote that song is a sadist.

8. Treat yourself to a fairy alphabet deck. (Oh c’mon, I had to throw in one of my products, right? And sign up for a class at an early bird rate. Oh now, I am really pushing it, eh?)

9. Watch Rudolph and laugh and repeat “I want to be a dentist,” about a million times. I just love that line! You can hang out with the Misfit Toys and not feel different. Dang it, I want to find that island! Road Trip!

10. Have a happy holiday, how ever happy looks to you, even if it is sitting under a tree in the middle of the forest with a color pencil set.

Happy Holidays from,

I didn’t want to join the Spammy crowd of emails we get this time of year of prolonged Cyber Sales, but I did want to cut a break for my readers and students. So, I give you the

Last Sale of the Year

Sale on my Healing Fairy Alphabet Deck, which is receiving rave reviews. Get your deck for yourself or a fab-u-lous gift for a friend HERE, who will totally dig it. Thank you for those rave reviews, by the way. (I’ve also been developing curriculum to go with the deck for Nature Education purposes.) If you have a deck, consider signing up for the Healing Fairy Alphabet Deck course over here to learn tips and the dress cards’ secrets.

Early Bird Rates especially for new class, Wild Worlds Within, that start in January. Reserve your space now with cool lower rates. Head over to the catalog to peruse. Sale is only until end of Thursday, the 17th!

Thank you to my Aunt Ellen, who gifted me with an early birthday present, a gnome house. The gnomes that live in my kitchen will love it. Perhaps, they will do the dishes for me now.

Uh oh, the Dental Twins, Frank and Justine are eyeing the home. They aren’t too keen living on the cold windowsill.

Frank investigates.

Could be a war between the Dental Twins and the Kitchen Gnomes. Stay tuned…

Ebook support when you need it. BUY HERE.

I learned an important lesson this week on feeling valued.

Usually while you are in the midst of living, you curse, complain and suffer through when bad things happen or you are uncomfortable. You don’t see the message or what you are learning until AFTER the fact.

I am teaching kids design and storytelling. My design class is eager and they carry their sketchbooks around to every class designing pants outfits and dresses during break times. They burst through the doors with enthusiasm ready to sketch. Teaching this group is invigorating and fun. I want to come up with a ton of ideas to inspire them and nurture their budding talents. They value the class and the subject.

My story class has been…a challenge. Part of the issue is we aren’t set up with the computer programs or cameras yet and so there is a lag on what I can cover vs. what I want to cover. The group of kids are all over the place in attention. They are rude, talk over me when I am trying to teach, and have little enthusiasm for the projects. I have one child that tends to finish all assignments in two minutes, handing over her notebook crying out “Done!” as if it is a race. I plan my curriculum the day before with such love, and spice it up with inspiration and fun, hoping it will catch on with this group of students. After the second try with this group, I took one look at them and set it straight. I told them we were thinking of canceling the course because this was not rewarding for anyone. I wasn’t going to be a babysitter, or jump up and down and entertain. I was physically and emotionally drained and defeated when I left that class and I never want to feel that way teaching. After my big speech the kids focused on the exercise before them, but I had already made my decision.

This was a turning point for me and I am surprised there wasn’t a big lightbulb that burst over my head in the middle of the speech. I don’t usually just give up. I have a long-standing habit of giving so much where it isn’t valued. I just keep giving and giving, and if that doesn’t work, I try harder. I was able to FEEL the devaluing while teaching in that classroom. Perhaps the feeling was shame and insecurity first because I internalized their devaluing as rejection. Then I just felt hopeless and depressed and later, the drain.

If they don’t see the value of what you are giving, you are going to feel a huge energy loss.

It’s time to look back over everything I give and decide, where is it valued? Keep those. And instead of keep trying and trying and putting it out there (in all aspects of life) only offer where its worth is reflected back.

Only $25.00. Sign up here.

December classes for information, tools and fun. Check out:

Have a deck? Want to learn how to use it? Fun videos and info. Starts Friday. Sign up here for Healing Fairy Alphabet deck course. 

Need support for your sensitive self this month? Sign up for the CS102 workshop classes here. Lots of Nature tools in this class.

LOTS OF EARLY BIRD SPECIALS for January Classes. Take advantage in December. Sign up HERE by going to the catalog.

Christmas Cards.

Christmas Shopping.

Crazy Cooking.

Visits. Errands. Parties. Parades.

Work-related duties. Home-related duties.

Christmas music blaring.

This is the time of year of OVERLOAD of activity and information. The N is for Nest in High Places card can represent limitations and recognizing your limits, which is the word of the week.

It’s okay to have limits. Being a Capricorn and a bit of a workaholic, I have never been good at recognizing limits. I found this out the other day when I was very irritable and weepy, and headachy. It didn’t even occur to me that I was just plain tired and needed to rest. How awful to not even recognize what being tired felt like.

Being sensitive I need to be able to recognize my limits. You can push and push me, but the only result will be meltdown or overload and then I will freeze up and get nothing done.

I read a great article years ago, I think in Oprah magazine, about a woman dealing with overload asking for help from the resident coach. She was definitely wired sensitive and she came from a very successful, extroverted family. The coach suggested she choose three things that day to focus and accomplish. That’s it. Doable. The woman tried it and actually felt a sense of achievement and flow. She felt competent rather then always falling behind. How cool is that?

How can you this week focus on a few things a day to accomplish and recognize and honor your limits. For goodness sake, you aren’t Superman or Woman! (Unless there is a cape somewhere stashed away.)

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Grab your deck before they sell out over here. Deck class starts Friday.

I don’t like chaos. I used to think it was wanting control but I am realizing it’s my sensitive brain needing order. It all makes sense. As a highly sensitive person, I have a ton of information coming in at once. I notice the big things, the tiny things, and the things on an intuitive level also. That’s a ton of neurons firing and sorting at once. So it makes sense if I walked into a room that was, for example, a crazy party, my brain would take in the flashing lights, the music, the people, the people and their thoughts and feelings, ALL AT ONCE and I could easily overheat my main drive.

Walking into a crazy classroom, I feel like a border collie wanting to get some order with these disorganized sheep that are wandering here and there. I look to create immediate order, and the best way to do that is create some kind of focus in the messiness in front of me. Being sensitive is all about the path of self-acceptance. If I had physical limitations, like one leg, or couldn’t see, I would have to adapt and create a way of being. And I don’t think being sensitive is a limitation, but being not the norm in society, we sure are treated as such. We need to know ourselves and know what we need. (And the positive flip side of this is I am great at editing, pulling together a product or project, and can pull out intuitive information that isn’t available to everyone, and a host of other gifts.)

I like the gas in the car analogy. If I know my car needs special gas to function well, I don’t shame and frown at the car. If I know my body can’t do milk, I don’t shame my body (although I do get frustrated when pizza is around), I listen to my body. This is what this body needs or doesn’t need. Pushing my system to just “adapt” to wild chaos and the party in front of me, is just funny. It’s ignoring how you are wired. With the party situation, I know that I need to create some focus. I can focus on my friends, or the dessert table :), or dance and just go into my own little world. Focusing can help block out the extra noise so I create order in my brain. I accept I have a border collie in me that is protecting my sensitive system. And when the little guy can’t round up the sheep, I know I will have some difficulties and will need to work through it and with it, not ignore this fact. Otherwise, I know the consequence, and it looks the same as if I had eaten that slice of pizza.

Lots of Goodies to Choose TODAY ONLY:

Healing Fairy Alphabet Deck $28.00 SALE TODAY ONLY BUY HERE

Help! I’m Sensitive paperback straight from the author $8.00 Today BUY HERE

How to Survive the Holidays, If You Are Sensitive eBook $3.00 Today BUY HERE

Fairy Beginner Healing class January class Only $69.00 Today Only BUY HERE.

For The Love of Dog book Only $5.00 Today BUY HERE

Empath Skills class in January $69.00 Buy Here

15% Off Everything in my Etsy Shop Today GO HERE.

And November Classes Start this Weekend! Catalog is HERE to reserve your seats!

Belonging to yourself…

I used to have a post that was Sketchbook Saturday, because I draw like crazy on Saturdays. That’s probably why I love Saturdays so much. I’ve been feeling lately like my blog has lost its way a bit and has had less of me in it. And it dawned on my when I woke up this morning, “Hello! It’s YOUR blog!” So I am reclaiming it. And I want to play. And share. And invite you into my giant sandbox. Most of my stuff in my sketchbook has a purpose because I collect little pieces here and there for fun ways to teach. They make their way into books or classes, most the time. And hopefully, I will inspire you to make your own drawings.

the plight of the sensitive tummy

magical forest: what kind of seeds would each tree make?

fairy cupcakes made from magic

A good reminder still on the theme of belonging…

This week’s theme is BELONGING.

Holidays can be tough.

We aren’t with loved ones who are far away, and we are with loved ones that may be emotionally far away or don’t understand us. I picked the I is for Indian Gardens card, which is all about belonging for this week.

How do we know where we are supposed to be? Here’s a fun exercise to do. Here’s two lists. One, is the feelings you have when you are where you belong, and the other where you probably don’t fit. Recall a time when you felt a great sense of belonging. I always think back to Drama Club in high school. Those were a fun bunch of kids. Then think of situations or scenarios which felt the opposite. This is your “template” you can go to when you are feeling out of sorts or rejected, and don’t know why.

Here’s my lists.

Bliss and Belonging List

They just see you and think you are kinda cool.

You are in flow.

You feel creative.

You feel expansive and hopeful.

You feel supported.

You feel like you can just be you and it’s enough. You can let go and relax.

All that you offer is more than enough.

They compliment you and you compliment them.

Where You Might Not Belong List

You feel like you need to jump up and down to be seen.*

You keep trying.

You feel like you have to give to get what you need.

You want to change yourself to belong.

You might feel shame.

You contract and feel less hopeful.

You don’t feel understood. You have to explain yourself.

This applies to your social circle, your work, your job and even using social media. If you are feeling you are invisible in certain social media, go where you are seen! It’s an awful, awful feeling when you hear the crickets sounding and nothing else in the room when you are offering a lot. That’s a sure sign you aren’t supposed to be there; that isn’t your audience. But you might find that certain things match one medium better than another. For instance, my posts for classes works great on my blog, but not always on Facebook, but I found a welcome home on Pinterest for them. My art digs being on Instagram and there’s lots of love there, but when I post on Facebook sometimes I feel ignored and then I slowly experience the second list.

Have fun making your lists today. This is a great tool to get you out of funk and back to where you belong.

*BIG indicator

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Healing Fairy Alphabet Deck available here, by the way

It’s the Last Day for Early Bird Discount on The Help! I’m Sensitive Support Course. Have you reserved your space? It starts next Friday. Here’s a freebie from the Class! For sensitive folks, we can often become very drained and empty from living at a high intensity, because we process everything at once and at a deep level. It’s important to take time out and fill back up with nurturance, especially making sure you have space to breathe all around you. Here’s a writing prompt to get you started:

Subscribers, take advantage of the Early Bird Rate HERE.