Kimberly Wilson's Blog, page 136

fall's online book club pick

 image courtesy of grace and ivy
I hope you enjoyed summer's pick, 10% Happier, and gained valuable insights along with a few belly laughs.
I'm excited to share fall's online book club pick, Paris Letters: One Woman's Journey from the Fast Lane to the Slow Stroll in Paris by Janice MacLeod. Here's the gist per her website:

How Janice MacLeod found love and freedom in a pen, a paintbrush…and Paris
What do you do when your great life-plan works out, and you’re still unhappy? Successful, but on the verge of burnout, Janice MacLeod saved enough money to buy herself two years of freedom in Europe. Days into her stop in Paris, she met Christophe, and her fate was sealed. Forced to find a way to fund her expat future, Janice created a painted letter subscription service, sending out thousands of letters to people who are hungry to receive something beautiful. Paris Letters is the inspiring story of a woman who dared to discover a life she could love.

This book beckoned me one afternoon while browsing my favorite Right Bank bookstore, WHSmith. The section below is my go-to in the City of Light. It's chock-full of Paris memoirs and like-minded reads.
However, my practical you-already-have-too-many-books side won out and I left empty handed, but couldn't stop thinking about the book.

On my last Friday night in Paris, I decided to cease my day of writing to cross the bridge covered in locks left by lovers, through the Tuileries, to Rue de Rivoli with the mission of acquiring this book.

Upon acquisition, I headed back to the Tuileries, pulled a white metal chair to the edge of a large fountain, and began devouring it like a tasty macaron. We were joined at the hips for days and reading it left a smile on my face.

I hope you, too, will find inspiration among the pages.

Savvy Sources:
Review by Paris Breakfasts
Interview by Samantha Verant
Interview on Etsy
Insider's Guide to Paris by Janice

Reminder: to participate in our online book club, simply share your thoughts, challenges, and insights regarding our chosen read in the comments section below.  

Merci for reading along. Find moi reading with you on Goodreads, too. Bisous. x

 image courtesy of etsy

week{s} in review

 received heaps of furry cuddles
saw dirty dancing musical with heather
delighted in post-musical gelato
 penned september dreams
 basked in birthday date night with le beau
 embroidered baby onesies
 savored four days at squam lake
  set up TranquiliT table at squam art fair
 saw the degas cassatt exhibit and snapped this pic of cassatt's pastel boxes
  gifted longtime tranquil space darling, linda, a handmade treat
week{s} in review {9/6 - 9/19}
brunch + musical with girlfriend
started 8-week MBSR course
dinner with girlfriend
saw clients at the women's center
taught 9 classes
national gallery of art lunch date with girlfriend
saw degas cassatt exhibit
meetings with social work supervisor
handled heaps social work paperwork
treated le beau to birthday dinner at tabard inn
flew to and from boston
shuttle to and from squam lake
made a dream catcher
mind mapped book project
attended writing group
attended mindful relationships class
worked on daybook and anthology
gym jaunts and yoga classes
attended baby shower
gifted handmade onesies
sold final hardcover tranquility du jour daybook
announced update on next version of daybook
shared things i love: squam reflection
shared things i love: squam bound
released podcast #322 on feminine spirituality

weekend wish list
productive, fun tranquil space director meeting
shoot trailer for anthology
edits to designer
veg fest date with girlfriend
yoga
send love note
announce fall book club pick
meditation

et toi? what's on your weekend wish list?
bisous. x

tranquility du jour daybook 3.0

It's that time of the year. You know, the time to start putting random "save the dates" into your 2015 planner.

Thus I'm delighted to share that the new Tranquility du Jour Daybook will be available for pre-sale in October and altered based on feedback you shared via the blog and our Tranquility du Jour Daybook Facebook group. Thanks for your input and support of its evolution from 1.0 {12 left} to 2.0 {1 left} and now 3.0.

The 3.0 version will be 8.5"x 8.5", soft-cover, spiral bound, filled with photography of Paris and simple pleasures, and stuffed with tranquility tips. And it will complement the soon-to-be-released Anthology .

And, oui, I'll be sure to offer a bundle option of both items topped with a few special tranquility-infused treats.

These two offerings feel like a meaningful way to honor this first decade of Tranquility du Jour together. My hope is that they help inspire tranquility in every day and in the many facets of our lives.

Merci beaucoup for your support and fellow seeking of tranquility. I'm truly blessed to travel this path with you. Bisous. x

things i love: squam reflection

1. making art  2. mind mapping
 3. making a dreamcatcher
 4. musing on the dock overlooking squam lake
 5. nesting in my tiny cabin

things i love: squam bound

image courtesy of one percent1. bunting image courtesy of meredith winn
2. fall foliage
image courtesy of susa tatlan
3. mixed media class

image courtesy of squam

4. squam art fair {showing TranquiliT}


image courtesy of meghan davidson
 5. musing on the dock


Tomorrow morning I'm off to Squam Art Workshops to bask in being, creating, and musing. My last jaunt to this sacred setting was September 2011 and I have vivid memories of lying on the dock to call Gramma and wish her a happy 99th birthday. 
Here are a few posts from my time there: Heading Out, Sharing View, Creating, Saying Goodbye, and interviewing the Creator of it all, Elizabeth. I'll be snapping pics during my 4-day jaunt and sharing them on Instagram. 
Depending on WIFI, I may be absent for a few days, but will return rejuvenated on Sunday with pictures, stories, and love. Bisous. x

tranquility du jour #322: feminine spirituality

Welcome to the 322nd edition of Tranquility du Jour. Today's show features Ashley Goff on Feminine Spirituality. You'll get an inside peek into the life of an urban farming, yoga-loving, passion-filled minister. 

Direct download: Tranquility du Jour #322: Feminine Spirituality (mp3)


Featured Guest: Ashley Goff is Minister for Spiritual Formation at Church of the Pilgrims (PCUSA) and ordained in the United Church of Christ. Ashley graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in NYC where she fell in love with the art of liturgy. 

She lives with deep gratitude for several communities which have formed her along the way: Denison University, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the Open Door Community, and Rikers Island NYC Jail.  Ashley has completed training in community organizing with the Industrial Areas Foundation and couples counseling with Imago Relationship Therapy.  

Ashley also finds life in Springsteen music, beekeeping, urban farming, vinyasa yoga, valuable friends, her three kids and loveable spouse. "Om-ing" at Tranquil Space since 2005, Ashley completed TS's level 1 teacher training in January 2014. Ashley blogs about yoga, urban farming, and liturgy at godofthesparrow.com.

Savvy Sources:
Website: God of the SparrowFacebook: facebook.com/ashleykgoffTwitter: twitter.com/goffashley
Seasonal online book club pick: 10% Happier
Penning in Paris {1 spot left}
Tranquility du Jour iPhone and Android app

Stay Au Courant:
New? Peruse my FAQs.
Join moi for a retreat, workshop, e-course, or seasonal podcast.
Find moi on Goodreads.
Connect on Facebook.
Follow on Twitter. 
View pics on Instagram @tranquilitydujour.
Browse my books.
Join the Tranquility du Jour weekly museletter.
Read about my passion for pigs.
Write a review on iTunes.

Techy:
To listen, click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes.
New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast 411.
Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast to get the latest episode as released.
Get the Tranquility du Jour apps to get the podcast automagically on iOS or Android.

week in review

 comfort food {yes, i ate the whole thing}  sweet tea + cookies nook at tranquil space arlington  created september's love note  received white roses + hydrangeas from le beau  reviewed august dreams le pug savored {+ kept keen watch over} his bone
week in reviewtook 2 yoga classes2 gym jauntstaught 3 classessent bonjour september love notesaw boyhood2-hour meditation classartist date + penned tranquilosophy piece about itaccounting saw clients at the women's centermani/pedishared things i love savored a banana split + reflexologypenned mindful monday tea date with girlfriendcall check-in with girlfrienddate night with le beau new website feedback anthology design feedback signed up for a 4-day author's retreat in octoberlots of sleeping + hot bathshours of processingfinished a year by the sea

weekend wish listhair cut/colorcraft september dreams + post online dirty dancing musical + brunch with girlfriendstart 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction coursetea with girlfrienddinner with girlfriendprep for squamcatch up on online writing e-coursestranquil space foundation program reviewtranquility du jour daybook 3.0 efforts embroider baby onesiesyoga

et toi? what's on your weekend wish list?bisous. x

tranquilosophy: artist dates

the moment I met Bella Grace
After an early Saturday morning matinee of Boyhood, I headed to Le Pain Quotidien for my staple quinoa scone and iced green tea.

Sipping the mint sprig-topped libation, I savored each bite of the jam-smothered scone. This process took over an hour. Knowing the long weekend offered decadent spaciousness, time was a precious gift.

Next I was off to Barnes and Noble for a few hours of getting lost within books--a favorite pastime.

First I hit the magazine section to see if a new issue of Flow had hit the shelves. Not yet. But my eyes spotted Bella Grace and I leapt toward it, clutched it to my chest, and headed upstairs to my go-to sections--self-help, business, writing.

Spontaneous Artist Dates are a true delight. Sure, I'd planned to go to the movie, but the rest unfolded with the collaboration of time, space, and desire. And it was just what the doctor ordered.

I added a few books to my magazine treasure and settled into the cafe for three hours. Taking notes, sipping more tea, and devouring word after word in various texts. Time stood still and my soul softened.

Artist Dates, the brainchild of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, are one of the weekly Tranquility Tools and a critical component of soul survival. As we traverse into this new month, new season, new day, may we find moments for spontaneity.

Frolic in fall leaves. Pack a picnic. Browse a bookstore for hours. Tote your journal to capture moments of inspiration. Tune into Monday, September 22's 3pm ET complimentary Tranquilosophy Seasonal Podcast.  

Make space for an Artist Date. Your inner artist deserves it. Bisous. x

things i love

image + how-to courtesy of the joy of plants1. plant-filled table

image courtesy of anna with love2. colorful work space

image + how-to courtesy of the kitchn3. tasty chilled black bean, feta + cucumber salad

image courtesy of style-files
4. comfy, cozy, white linens

mindful monday: raw

Sunday morning I curled up in bed with Le Pug, his beloved and well-worn Teddy, and the latest issue of Mindful Magazine {pic above}. It was a tranquil start to a weekend that has stripped me bare emotionally. Leaving exhaustion, tears, and a soft, raw underbelly exposed.
 
Afterwards I savored a 2-hour meditation with Hugh Byrne and jotted down this reflection, "How do I bring wisdom, equanimity, and compassion into the world to alleviate suffering? That is the hope of these practices."

Ah, isn't that the million dollar question that we explore with yoga, too? Are these practices, Tranquility Tools, and green juices helping me live life authentically and intentionally with integrity? Can I be fully with what is happening with a sense of wisdom, equanimity, and compassion? This brings me to a mantra.

Nothing else is supposed to be happening right now. These are the words of my favorite mindfulness teacher, Gina Sager, who I get to study with the next few months at Tranquil Space. Next Sunday starts my second jaunt into the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course and it couldn't be coming at a better time. This work of Jon Kabat-Zinn is life-altering. No big deal.

May our lives be filled with ongoing moments of recognizing that nothing else is supposed to be happening right now. This moment is the most important moment of our lives. Feel into it. Deeply. Even if it isn't always pretty. Bisous. x

{To explore mindfulness further, join the "Mindfulness: Tranquility Within" e-course at anytime}