Acorn Tales Photography: Blog

365 Hearts of 2020 Challenge!

2019-12-29T01:55:15Z

As we enter into a new year and new decade, why not shift our focus to something we could all use a little more of.

LOVE!

Who wants to join me?

I invite you to the 365 hearts challenge. Each day, spend a moment to focus on your heart and your own self-love. Start by asking yourself the question of how do you show yourself self-love? Practice whatever the answer to that question is, more and more. Then, see if you can spot a heart that appears within your awareness throughout your day. Snap a picture, hop on social media, post your experience or private message it to me and hashtag #365heartsin2020. I would love to hear the stories that often come with the appearance of these magical shapes. Completely natural hearts such as those found in nature are extremely profound. However, any heart that appears in your awareness is meant for you to receive the love.

I will reshare your posts in my stories and may even feature your experiences in future posts or blogs. If you would like your experience to remain anonymous just let me know in your message!

Most of you know that I see hearts just about everywhere. I absolutely LOVE when people send me hearts of their own that they find and it makes them think of me. I welcome this anytime! Here are a few of my examples:

Just 3 participants for 365 days would equal 1,095 hearts spread across the world via social media!

Let's create a heart centered movement and spread the magic!

#365heartsin2020

Upleveling...

2019-07-26T01:17:09Z

Have you ever been really excited about doing or pursuing something and out of nowhere something pops up to get in your way? This could be anything… a red flag saying no, don’t do it!, a health condition, a partner discouraging you, a family emergency, or a distraction of any kind. That thing you were so determined to do or experience all of a sudden is now up on the table to potentially be put on the back burner.

This past weekend, I escaped to one of my most soul nourishing places on the planet which is the White Mountains of New Hampshire. On my last day there, I had planned the hikes I wanted to get in before I began my 4+hr trek home.

I set out to begin the first hike which promised a steep incline, but magnificent views if you stuck it out. The first distraction was that even with my gps on and alerting me of where to go, I still managed to drive right by the road in front of me. Due to the traffic, I had to loop back around through town to try again. Approximately 10 minutes later, I finally get back to where I needed to be to start my journey.

Once on the road itself, it is residential for approximately the first mile and then you turn off onto a dirt “Class 6” road which is not maintained and had a nice sign saying pass at your own risk. I had read that 2WD cars may find difficulty with it. I had quite a day the day before where I tested my 2WD car’s off roading abilities so I wasn’t concerned.

This road was very steep in spots and very rocky and filled with lots of dirt potholes. My car bounced all the way up. I wasn’t entirely sure where the trailhead was going to be since I had no cell service in this area. I felt a little uneasy about continuing higher and higher due to the state of the road and I debated turning around a few times. However, the road was so narrow there was no turning around unless I found a driveway.

At the very end of the inclined stretch, my tire sensors started beeping and I immediately got that pit in the stomach feeling of “Oh crap. I am going to be stuck on this mountain bc I shouldn’t have driven this car up here”. My mind instantly went to “I should turn around...I need to turn around….” But there was nowhere to turn around! I figured I would drive a little more until I had the space to do so or a driveway. Sure enough, my drive a little more brought me to the top of the hill and the parking for the trailhead.

I still felt uneasy about the situation and how I would get down or if I could get home that night. My first thought was “Maybe I should just go back down right now.” I checked my tire pressures with a gauge I carry and they all seemed fine. I hoped it was a faulty reading that just went off because of the rough terrain I had been on. I reset the sensor and said “I came all this way, I am going to do the dang hike!”

As soon as I started walking on to the trail and saw the first view from there, I knew I had made the right choice. My intuition led me to this hike for a reason. My fear, wanted me to run from doing it as if was a “bad trail” that I shouldn’t be on. And my sensors beeping were my warning to turn around. I did still need to drive a LONG way home and I needed a car and tires to do so!

But, how much would I have missed if I had let my fear drive me back down the road and not done any hiking that day?

Turns out, my tires were perfectly fine. Pressure never changed and the sensor never came back on. I made it down the road and home as if nothing ever happened.

And what did I get from sticking it out and pushing past my fear?

A fantastic hike on a trail that isn’t frequented by the masses. A personal physical, mental and emotional challenge as I pushed my own barriers in the wilderness by myself. A great workout, stunning views of most of the area that literally could not have been better and fresh blueberries! Right before I was about to head down, I found a huge mass of bear scat which led me to look around a little more. (If you don’t know me, I LOVE wildlife and tracking them via their droppings and/or footprints) Sure enough, I found about 12+ piles of moose scat!!! Some of which were fresh! I was chilling with the moose and I didn’t even know it! Meanwhile the night before I drove 3 hours to Moose Alley in northern New Hampshire to find moose and instead only found turkeys and a porcupine!

Over the past few years, I have learned that as you are on your own personal journey of growth and self-discovery you will come across things that attempt to stop you in your tracks. At every one of these moments or junctions you are given a choice. To keep going, push through and grow or to stay in that same space you have always been. Maru Iabichela, a friend, coach and teacher of mine calls this Upleveling.

Have you ever had an experience of upleveling where fear tried to get in the way? Were you able to overcome it? What did you get to grow into because of your own ability to be courageous?

I am so proud of myself for getting to the summit no matter what! It was SO worth it!

Embodying Your Essence

2019-06-03T19:44:27Z

Like the waves of the ocean or a body of water. It moves with the wind. Shifts things within it, surrounding it, and containing it. When calm, it creates an absolutely beautiful vision. When enraged, it can be catastrophic and terrifying.

The sun flickers off the top reflection like the sparks in a fire trailing to the sky. It leaves an illuminated path across the surface as if to say "follow me... I will guide you"...

We are made up of so many amazing pieces. Pieces that don't always fit together nicely within us or with others. Pieces that may need to be shifted slightly to create more ease.

Life is an evolution, a process of which you learn to allow the wind and the waves to take you and shape you as you need to be. When you resist, you create a storm and a rough surface to which the sun cannot reflect it's most beautiful displays. The birds cannot gracefully land to float upon your surface. The people cannot swim within your waters because it is too dangerous. The trees surrounding you cannot stay standing because your vicious strength removes all their soil and nutrients from beneath them.

Resistance and limitations keep you from embodying your essence. It keeps you in the storm instead of flowing with ease and giving the magic a place to naturally appear without any work. Allowing all of the amazing beauties to come into your presence and awareness. Life's most precious gifts. Animals, people, money, love, new jobs, creative ventures, gifts. It is all right at your fingertips.

Allow it in beneath your surface so you can radiate back to the world the most beautiful parts of you.

Tune into the messages and guidance meant for you and you will surely begin to see it everywhere. :) <3

What Shoulds Are On Your Shoulders?

2018-07-12T03:10:25Z

This past weekend, I traveled to the white mountains of New Hampshire. A place that is stunning but also near and dear to my heart. I lived there for two summers back in 2009 and 2010. Since then, I have returned a number of times and experienced many adventures, developed relationships, had many laughs and tears, all around I hold a lot of memories in this area.

This trip came at the last minute and I debated with myself whether I should go because I would be on my own. The potential for mishaps or off the grid injury or wildlife encounters are high and I told myself that I had "a lot going on right now". I then recognized this fear was myself trying to limit my own potential....so I booked the trip. As soon as I realized that fear was attempting to hold me back, this possibility began to excite me.

This awareness also made me more attuned to the outer persuasion that was occurring around me. How many people told me I shouldn't go... that I needed to be careful..all were said out of care and concern for my well-being but it still felt like pressure and that I had to appease someone other than myself. This does not fly with me anymore. Should's are like boulders placed upon someone's shoulders (including our own). When you live an empowered lifestyle we are meant to do what we want to do and when we want to do it if it aligns with our intuition. It is always your choice of when and how you use your time and your responsibility to hold your own boundaries. You have every right to say no... and also more than every right to say yes. If you want to.

I knew I was making the right move when the night before I left, Cupcake, my favorite photogenic bear stopped by my house to say hello and send me off on my way! She greeted me with the most magnificent smiles as if to say hey there long lost friend! (I had not had an interaction with her since March) Bears are a symbol of strength and confidence which was my reinforcement that I had everything I needed to face the unknown.

Already, this trip was different. No one to plan with, no one to talk to, just me and my weirdly awesome self doing EXACTLY what I want to do at all times. And all the signs on the planet saying yes please, go ahead with out caution. When I am alone, I have an uncanny ability to connect with something bigger than myself and at the same time I am led to magical places and things to then take magical photos. In a nutshell, I listen to my intuition. I started off the trip by making a quick stop at Lost River Gorge. An attraction I have never visited and figured I should finally check it out. This place is filled with decorative bears! That was my favorite part :)

My next stop was a trail I had previously hiked but had not gone all the way to the top. I had no intention of completing the trail this time either. I simply wanted to go and sit near some waterfalls to relax. Once I got there and realized how much I had missed the first time I hiked the trail, I couldn't stop myself from continuing on. The falls were stunning. The trail was not terribly long, but definitely steep with tricky footing in places. Each time I thought I had reached the "best view" I kept seeing those in front of me continuing higher. Now I was more intrigued to see where they were going. I continued on until I reached the top, completely impressed with my view and my own ability to keep on when I thought it couldn't get better.

My final hike for that day was the Mt. Pemigewassett trail also known as "Indian Head trail". This is a 3.5 mile out and back trail that I would classify as a moderate hike. For the Whites, it is easy. I powered through this because it appeared a storm was potentially brewing close by and I was losing daylight! The entire trail is an incline, rocky and a very solid lower body workout. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and the view at the top was magnificent. Due to it being later in the day, the trail was empty until I reached the top. The few folks that were there were beginning to make their way down as it had gotten so windy. It took me approximately 45 minutes to reach the summit . I gave myself about ten minutes to enjoy the view, but between the wind and the incoming storm, I was ready to head back down to make sure I made it down safely. I ran most of the way down and with the obstacles it was quite exhilarating. This would be a great trail for a sunrise, but you would have to give yourself ample time to do it and definitely bring flashlights!

Once I reached the bottom, I made my way into the Franconia Notch to view the sunset. I had seen those storm clouds brewing and knew it would be the prime opportunity for an incredible sky if the sun hit them just right. The first spot I stopped in gave me an okay view and I thought the sunset was just going to fizzle. I took some pictures then hopped in my car to keep moving so I could search for the moving dusk wildlife aka deer, moose, bears and anything else that wanted to show themselves! As soon as I drove up the road, I said WOAHHH and pulled right over to continue my photo shoot. I didn't have the best view from this location so I continued on to the Cannon mountain parking lot. It was INCREDIBLE. We were probably 15 minutes past sunset time and that show was just starting! Who needs fireworks!! :)

The next morning, I continued my tradition of rising early every time I travel to find a sunrise. I hit the trail and did a quick hike for a decent view. Unfortunately, the sky this morning had absolutely no clouds in it unlike the night before. If you don't know, clouds are what make spectacular sunrises and sunsets. It gives character, depth, adds interesting lighting and colors. When you don't have clouds and just a crystal clear sky, the scene is just a typical sunrise. Still beautiful, but I felt no need to stick around to watch it transform into something bigger. I headed down the trail and hit the road! On the morning drive around the notch and surrounding areas I spotted a white-tail deer and 2 turkey parents with multiple babies. Everyday began with multiple turkeys along the roadways escorting their babies. Turkeys are a symbol of abundance especially when you see them with their many babies. Abundance is everywhere if and when you are open to receiving it. They are an interesting animal to me that I typically only see when interacting with certain people.

One of my best pieces of advice for anyone would be that if you drive past something and say "what was that" or "oh that looks cool" you should stop, get out and check it out. Don't wait until your next trip. There is a reason it caught your attention.

I soon stopped driving around when I wanted to stop and explore. One of my first stops was to my favorite waterfalls, Sabbaday Falls, which is a popular family place on the Kancamagus highway. The last time I rolled through Lincoln about a month ago, I was disappointed to see Sabbaday had been closed and there was no indication of when it may reopen. I happened to see a social media post claiming the spot was reopened within the past week or two so I made sure to check it out! When I arrived, NOT A SOUL was there! I had the entire attraction and waterfalls to myself. This is a photographers dream as well as for someone who gets extremely drained around crowds of people.

At the base of Sabbaday falls laid a beautiful heart shaped rock positioned perfectly next to cairns. Cairns on most hiking trails are hand made piles of stone that are typically trail markers. As if to say, you are on the right path or "right this way". The message I received here with the position of the heart shaped rock right next to the cairns was "Following your heart IS the right direction." It actually is the ONLY direction.

When I finished at Sabbaday, I debated about where to go next. There were a number of trails in that area that I found interesting and the landscape is PERFECT for a moose habitat. I ended up pulling in to the Sawyer Pond Trail parking lot on a whim. I had looked into this trail a while ago, but I had no intention of doing it so I couldn't remember the details. The sign and map told me it was 4.5miles to Sawyer Pond and the area looked relatively flat. No big deal! I'll do one long trail to get my exercise in today instead of exploring multiple trails. Perfect. I started off. I walked for about 30 seconds and ran into a body of water. I thought hmmm......now what? Where's the trail? I followed a small trail along the river that looked like it hadn't been frequented much this past year. I went through a lot of tall grasses and weeds that dumped me out onto a small beach next to the river. I looked down to see prints and said okay someone was just here the trail must be close! And then I looked closer.....those are NOT human feet. I had been trailing a moose! It was so exciting. Sure, moose are huge and could kill me with one kick easily. But, they are rare to see (I've now seen 3 in my whole life) and they are incredible animals. It would have been an honor to see one up close and personal and outside of the comfort of my car. But for now, I settled for some fresh awesome footprints of what looked like mama moose and her baby and later fresh moose poop (on a different trail)! I finally realized that in order to actually be on the Sawyer Pond Trail you have to forge the river. Alrighty then! Totally not what I expected to be doing at 8:00am but why not, right? I really enjoyed this hike. It was flat for the first 2 miles approximately then it gradually went uphill the remainder of the way. Arriving at Sawyer Pond was beautiful and I would love to go back to spend more time there. The trail itself was not spectacular with a lot of things to see. But I did find many frogs, changing vegetation, and even a rowdy squirrel that I swear was having a full blown conversation with me...I think every animal does this actually!

On my last day, my legs were quite sore. I had hiked a lot and I hiked hard. I did some shorter and steep trails over the weekend, but I had run up and back down them. My body can handle it, but I don't do it all the time so when I do...I feel it. I knew I had to sit in the car for a while on my drive home so the best remedy was a trip to the river. The temperatures had dropped into the 40's overnight and that water was frigid! But an ice bath has always been the perfect trick to sore muscles. And peaceful rivers clear all negativity in your spirit instantly.

After my ice bath in the river, I was led to travel back to Lincoln, NH via the Kancamagus highway. I passed by a pond that I had never seen before on my many trips over this highway. I quickly turned around and went back to check it out. I love ponds! They attract all sorts of wildlife and for photography they offer great reflections and typically beautiful landscapes around them. This stop is called Lily Pond. Right next door was the entrance to a trail that would lead you to Sawyer Pond! Go figure! I needed to move a little bit and I didn't want to waste much more time so I decided I would head down this trail for 30 minutes or so and then head back to my car. I will DEFINITELY be going back to do this whole trail! I found so many exciting things here within the first 5 minutes. The area is filled with Metallic green damselflys also known as ebony jewelwings that I swear are fairies on earth! The path itself was lined with Lady Slipper plants that were just past their blooming time. I have never seen so many in one area! I then stumbled upon fresh moose poop and anticipated I might see some sort of wildlife in this spot.

The White Mountains are an incredible place and a gorgeous area to explore. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I can't wait to go back and cover some more land! Don't let anyone or anything hold you back from what it is you want to do with your life.

~AcornTales

New England Treasures

2018-05-21T03:09:14Z

When you travel, what does it look like? Neat, organized, everything set and ready weeks or months in advance?

I have learned that I do best without planning every detail and allowing life's natural ebbs and flows to guide me to where I need to go. For this trip, I had "planned" a week long adventure visiting many spots that would be new to me. My plans were quickly shifted when I learned my kitty needed to have a large surgery and it was going to happen just before I was scheduled to leave. On top of the surgery, he was later diagnosed with salivary gland cancer. Which is a very aggressive form of cancer in cats and has a very poor prognosis. After receiving the diagnosis and weighing my options, I decided the best thing is to keep Melvin as calm, comfortable and happy as I possibly can in his later stage of life. No matter how long this stage may be. He currently is healing well from surgery and running around like a fire-ball kitten as if nothing ever happened. :)

Melvin

Now on to the travel . . .

Even though my plans had changed, I still continued on with the two nights I had booked previously on the coast of Maine. I spent one day traveling through my favorite state, New Hampshire, and ending up in "vacationland", Maine. I decided to drive the "long" way up through the scenic roads of New Hampshire rather than sitting on the highway and traffic through Boston.

My first quick stop was at the Old Stone Arch Bridge a piece of history . . .

I then went around the corner to the Greater Goose Pond Forest located in Keene, NH.

What a beautiful place! This is obviously a local attraction for many activities. I passed someone running, biking, kayaking and fishing. I did the full loop surrounding the pond which took me a little over an hour to complete with many photo and video stops. Shortly after starting the trek around the pond, I found a stick with a lichen like growth on it in the shape of a heart. Do you see it?! The most interesting wildlife discovery here was what I believe to be a peregrine falcon. I would say this is a stop that is worthwhile especially if you are driving through and simply need to quickly connect to nature.

Heart Stick Heart Stick Heart Stick

After a nice session of stretching the legs, I made my way up to Lincoln, New Hampshire. Lincoln is one place I have spent a lot of time in previously and hold many memories there. This trip was simply to pass through, but I made sure to stop at as many pull-offs as I could on the Kancamagus Highway. It was pre-tourist season and still COLD as I climbed higher and higher into the mountains.

Here are some of the views and treasures that I found at the Kancamagus highway pull-offs.

The Rocky Gorge

Swift River and Lower Falls

There were signs of doubles everywhere I went...

Do you see the exploding hearts?!?

As I left New Hampshire and made my way into Maine . . . I ended up a little off course. I attempted to make a stop at a place I had found via Google but it led me to a slightly random location. I decided to skip this and went on my way. However, as I was leaving the area, I found ACORN LANE!

Cosmic redirection :)

Eventually arriving in Scarborough, Maine . . .

I was greeted with a beautiful sunset to be followed by an incredible sunrise and then topped by a spectacular sunset the next night!

Sunrise . . .

Sunset . . .

There were many memories in between. So much packed in to one short weekend.

The moral of the story is: Life doesn't have to be packaged neatly and tied in that perfect little bow. In fact, it rarely ever is!

There is beauty everywhere, if you simply allow yourself to see it.

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of what New England has to offer.

Thank you for joining me on yet another Acorn Tales journey!

To order prints or products: Please contact me at [email protected]

You Are Never Alone

2018-01-14T20:48:38Z

Recently I took a cross country trip, to the middle of the desert for New Years. The destination: Sedona, Arizona, which is well known for being one of the most spiritual and transformational places on earth. This was a solo quest and an effort to own my gifts and talents as well as opening myself up to identifying as a photographer.

I have to send a huge shout out to a few fellow Infinite Receiving sisters. Back in October, I sat next to Lisbeth Overton and Gabriela Brunner at lunch one day during our Live conference. We ended up talking about Instagram and Lisbeth quickly asked me if I was a photographer. I said, no, not really. I just take pictures for fun and things show up for me to photograph while in my element such as hearts and whatever else in that moment. Lisbeth and Gabi both held me accountable and said, “the next time you are asked that question, your answer is going to be a yes, I am a photographer.” Thank you ladies for your support, you were right! I am getting there. And of course a huge thank you to the Infinite Receiving Queen Maru Iabichela for being a mama bear and keeping me focused while bringing me into a huge network of amazing people.

Back to the desert….

At almost every moment on this trip, I was able to follow my intuition to listen to what my heart wanted to experience. What did I need? What did I want to see and experience and most importantly, what did I want to feel? One of the very first things I found? You guessed it...a heart!

A friend of mine recently reminded me that our hips are guided by our intuition. (Thank you Yogi!) If you let them, they will go where we need to go. I listened. When I don't listen....my hips begin to hurt and ache urging me to do something, anything to make a change. My intuition is most active and clear in a natural setting. I see and hear things that others do not. I never stage a photo or wait to see something that is not right in front of me. If it's not there and not flowing to me or out of me, it is not meant for me. I am always guided along a certain path that leads me to where I need to be. I have learned that I take the best photos when there is absolutely no plan and when there is no resistance towards what I SHOULD see.

I wanted to experience as much as I could in the few days I had to spend there. I spent hours in the desert botanical gardens connecting to their plants and the local environment. I learned so much through their exhibits that I never would have been able to identify while simply being out in the wild.

I had a slight plan before arriving of where I would go on which days and how it would work out with the amount of time I had. Naturally, as things always do, my plan was challenged. Even though it was a loose plan, I still found myself getting frustrated by not being able to achieve what I had thought I could in a designated amount of time. It was a holiday with more visitors than a typical day so I had to work around a lot of people in the natural environment.

My lesson here was in SURRENDER and to trust that I was NEVER alone...even in the middle of the desert. Trust and Surrender, I did.

What happened after I surrendered? You guessed it again...I found TONS of hearts...and found many unexpected visitors accompanying me in my experience. Two of the most captivating were the bobcats. I have proclaimed 2018 to be my year of the bobcat. I have never seen bobcats in person and certainly not up close. It was no coincidence to be strolling along a small trail one morning to notice an odd pattern of vines that caught my attention enough for a picture. And then I focused my eyes….on someone else’s eyes and a face staring back at me. I am sure I could have been in some sort of danger by being so close, but we held a comfortable and respectful exchange until this bobcat was ready to turn in for its daily nap. As he went into his den, I saw the second beautiful bobcat. Standing by with dignity and beauty while keeping a close eye on what I was doing. What a way to start a new year!

To sum up my Sedona experience...

I chased sunrises even though I had no warm clothing for the very chilly starts to their days…. (because why would I need that in the desert!) I found javelinas, bobcats, many exotic birds, a ground harris antelope squirrel, things most would never even notice. I sat on the top of the rental car for the best views of the sunsets without people or cars getting in the shots. (Feels like freedom) I climbed rocks, I slid down the rocks, I sat on the rocks, I hiked for hours, everything quickly turned red including my rear-end. I found a whole collection of heart rocks. I took an adventure tour, met an Indiana Jones impersonator, had my very first off-roading experience (threw my back out, but it was worth it), ended up at a bar for New Years Eve covered in red dirt and was only drinking water. I had the most fabulous lunch experience at the Secret Garden Cafe that #ofcourse had a heart logo on their menu (shout out to Shannon!), I played with horses, met new friends, experienced AirBnB for the first time (and LOVED it). And to cross one more thing off my list of things to do while 30 list, I had my very first hot stone massage. By Wednesday, the day I was departing, I had absolutely no clean clothes left besides what was on my body. I had to continue to surrender to the experience as my connecting flight home was canceled due to the incoming blizzard.

It all worked out beautifully in the end as I drove 7 hours home, but later received a refund for the full amount of my whole round trip ticket. #ofcourse Infinite Receiving at it’s finest. #moreplease #Thankyou

I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Can't wait to see what else is in store for the year of the bobcat! :)

“Surrender to what is.

Let go of what was.

Have faith in what will be.”

Sonia Ricotti

"You can wear Spanx on your hips, but not on your heart!"

Agapi Stassinopoulos

"Never Stop Exploring Your Edges"

Maru Iabichela

Maru Iabichela Founder of Infinite Receiving:

www.infinitereceiving.com

Lisbeth Overton Founder of Healthy Nurse By Design:

https://www.facebook.com/lisbeth.overton

Gabriela Brunner Founder of The New Firm:

https://www.facebook.com/thenewfirm.co/?pnref=lhc

Letting Go.

2017-09-29T18:53:19Z

Welcome to fall!

Fall is the season to literally let go, clean things up and get ready to hunker down for winter. At least that's how it goes here in New England. I know my Cali friends don't really know the difference in seasons and are maybe just wishing for a little cooler weather right now.

New England has the privilege to watch a beautiful display of color changing on all of the trees. Some years are better than others...I've heard predictions for this fall to be quite good. Our temperatures keep fluctuating from the cool brisk nights to super hot and steamy 90 degree days. The leaves on the trees and those already on the ground have dried out to a full potato chip crisp status. There is no way you can be stealthy in the woods right now while trying to sneak around and find wildlife! That might explain why I have seen very little!

What brings me here today is the final day of September that comes to us tomorrow. This year has been one focused on reflection, lots of alone time, clarity, hibernation, facing fears, and most of all removing dead weight in my life. Little by little I have eliminated physical items, emotional weight, thoughts, people, old beliefs, and even patterns I noticed myself repeating that I simply didn't want to be a part of anymore. This month, September, is the transitional time between summer and fall. It is the ending of a lot of things. It also is/was the perfect time for me to prove to myself that I was ready to not only "let go" but to prepare to transition into a new beginning. My very own metamorphosis. The reassurance in hearts on my path and other happy symbols have been showing up beyond belief and letting me know that everything is going to work out just fine.

Over the past two weeks I have seen a number of symbols of transformation and physical metamorphosis. I had the privilege of watching not just one but three Monarch caterpillars form a chrysalis and then transition into the miraculous winged beauties. I also have had a number of snakes showing up during my nature walk adventures. I rarely see snakes. They are known for transformation due to the shedding of their skin. We can use their wisdom in our own lives right now by shedding our old dead "skin" as we move into greener pastures. Both the process of shedding snake skin as well as the butterfly coming out of the chrysalis are also a symbol of rebirth. As you "shed your skin" try your best to not focus on what you are losing or leaving behind. Instead, believe that you are creating a whole new life for yourself and be curious about what it will look like! It's exciting! You no longer have to be who or what you were in the past. Your future is completely up to you to decide. Most importantly, open your arms to the new possibilities and allow that energy to surprise you. Maybe you'll find a unicorn...or at the very least a rainbow or pictures in your eggs. :)

It is so liberating to clean up your life as the seasons change. Here, after we watch the trees change colors they drop all of their leaves to cover the front and backyards to homeowners delight. We as silly humans go out and clean up the "unsightly" dead weight that has been removed from the trees as their preparation tactic for regeneration. As a side observation, I am wondering if we take the same amount of time and effort to remove the dead weight from our lives and prepare for our own individual regeneration? I think the general answer is no. We are so busy as a society. Always rushing, working, working too much, running to the next event, doing everything for everyone that keeps our own pruning and maintenance as the last thing on our minds. We will gladly clean up our yards so as not to disturb the neighbors or wonder what they'll think if we don't.

If you take the time to clean up different aspects of your world while the leaves turn and fall I can guarantee you will feel an upkick in energy! Start small with something like your car. Clean it. Inside and out. If you keep a lot of items in it most of the time, go through them and remove what you won't need through the winter. Then head inside. Start with your bathroom. Get rid of old products that you no longer use or are expired. Clean it. Top to bottom. Make it sparkle and feel good about it! While you're at it, brush your teeth! AND floss. Then head into your bedroom. Eliminate things you no longer want or need. Stop putting it off. This is your time to spoil yourself. Go through your clothes before packing summer things away for winter. Donate anything that doesn't fit or that you have not touched in over a year. If you see clutter anywhere, sort it, eliminate what you no longer need and organize the rest.

When you create space in your lifestyle and living area you are signaling that you are ready and willing for new energy to come and shower you with newness in ways you won't even expect. This includes happiness.

Once you have finished cleansing each day, be sure to take a walk outside or even better go for a run. We hold a massive energetic tie to our items. Many of you may even feel that pull as you are trying to discard things but are on the fence or "just can't do it yet." It is important to continue taking care of your body and mind even after the cleansing to help release all of those emotions or holding patterns you have watched resurface in this process. Taking a walk out in nature or a short simple jog can help ground you and stabilize your emotions to allow you to move forward without a negative hit.

Finally, after you have finished your seasonal cleaning and tooth brushing, I encourage all of you to take a little more time for yourself. Spend a few moments evaluating where you are in comparison to January 2017. Think about what's new, different, exciting, boring, the good, and the bad. Once you have gotten that far, think about where you would like to be and what you want to feel as you end 2017 in just over 3 months. You have plenty of time to make big and little changes to get you where you want to be.

(As a side note, I truly hope every single one of you brush your teeth WAY more frequently than on a seasonal basis!!!)

Keep on Wigglin'

~AcornTales

Recharge.

2017-09-17T18:41:00Z

Sometimes we learn the hard lesson that we need to slow down when we fall flat on our faces. Or, in my case, drained of all my energy and simply unable to continue pushing in any capacity.

The past few weeks I have been pushing myself physically, mentally and even quite a bit emotionally. Most of the time I feel as if I can continue to do more like the energizer bunny. I am one of the lucky people that has a fairly sensitive body that lets me know when I’ve had enough or need to take a time out. I woke up today knowing that this was my intentional checkout day.

Arriving in perfect style, this next week is one of the biggest, busiest, craziest weeks out of the entire year for our company. I need to be in tip top shape to give my best effort and to come out on the other side still standing. I had plenty of plans on my to do list for today but I had to practice loving kindness and being gentle with myself. I did as much as I could and I will save the rest for another day. No guilt needed just pure rest and up leveling.

Today, I took another stroll to the trails. Again in perfect style, per usual, the lovely hearts show up right away.

My main subject throughout my time in the woods in this session were chipmunks and squirrels. These little critters used to annoy me to my wits end when they ate every single strawberry off my strawberry plant. But when I see them out in their territory, they are fascinating little creatures. Chipmunks are swift movers that duck, jump, squeal, and then disappear in the hidden holes all over the place! When you stop and watch for just a few moments you see a great movie filled with secret passageways, hidden doors and so many routes they could potentially take. Seeing their getaway paths makes me think of an enchanted forest where lots of magic is happening in those dark areas.

Chipmunks remind me a lot of myself. They love to explore, paying attention to everything in the world around them, they have a sense of adventure that you can easily see as they take off skipping through the woods like little kids, and they chirp and squeal wanting to tell all their friends when they find something interesting. Finally, they are also really small, cute and love acorns. :)

It was so nice to watch them scamper around and then disappear when they felt something threatening was getting to close. They retreat to their safe zones until they feel ready and secure to show themselves back to the world again. I also learned that they make a very distinct clucking sound when an owl or possibly a hawk is nearby. As I walked home completely zapped of energy it sounded as if they were giving me a rhythmic chant to keep me going.

My hike took a really long time due to my feeling of pure exhaustion and focusing a little more on details in photography. I finally made it to the pond and I discovered the beaver had done a great number on another tree that created the perfect chill out spot just for me. I say just for me because it was off the trail and I noticed it just in time when I needed to absolutely slow down. I wasn’t entirely sure I would be able to walk all the way home and was considering who I might need to call.

What a beautiful way to spend an afternoon. The dragonflies flew around me landing on the tall grass coming out of the pond. Every few minutes I’d hear the ducks swimming in excitement as they were looking for their dinner and washing up. Sometimes you find the best treasures by covering less distance simply sitting still and observing.

My question to you today is how do you disconnect from the day to day and recharge your own personal batteries? What is your secret getaway where you can be creative, imaginative, magical and dream up anything you’ve ever wanted?

You are worth the effort to take the time to bring your best self to the table each and everyday.

~AcornTales

Opportunity Knocks...Patience.

2017-09-16T20:57:24Z

I have committed myself to writing more and more of my stories down. Little by little I hope this project will get easier and faster as I tune in more to what I want to say.

Today, Saturday, I started my weekend like I have done most others by venturing out into the woods. Every time, I hope to see one of the neighborhood bears, the family of deer, or something I've never seen before. Today, I went with an open mind ready to see, hear and feel anything I needed to. The journey began by immediately finding a heart shaped leaf just before venturing on the trail. I did a little off-roading on the trails to see if I could observe any creatures in their own happy habitat. As I wandered, I realized that many people do not understand why I live my life the way that I do. They are bound to ridicule me for not sticking to the straight and narrow path that has already been carved out. I brushed that off as I twirled the stem of the leaf with my fingers while I walked. The significance of these leaves and the heart shape has been showing up for me in great amounts over the past few weeks. Today, I noticed the edges of these particular leaves are like a crinkle cut pair of scissors. Immediately what came to my mind was "create your life with the shape of your own crinkle cutter."

To me, this means that each individual person is meant to be just that, unique. We come in all shapes and sizes with different interests and some may look slightly similar except cut with a crinkle cut pair of scissors. We are meant to show up to the world as our own truly authentic selves. Offering our best and sometimes even weirdest qualities to our communities and the world in general. The best gift you can give this earth, your family, and your partner is to be you.

I found this heart in the base of a tree root as I continued along. The message I got here, was only one word. "Disconnected." When you disconnect from your heart and personal desires to become like others or to do as they say you are actually doing a disservice to yourself. The ends just don't meet and your energy drains to things outside of what is important to you. A piece is missing. If you find you are in a place of feeling disconnected start by asking yourself a few questions. What is it that you love? What makes you happy? How can you add a piece of that into your life each and every day? And once you've answered the questions, start working to DO those things.

Your heart is full, plump, and shiny at your roots. When you come across tough times, go back to the basics and find your roots.

It took me a little while in this journey to see some creatures. But right in front of me the most beautiful Pileated woodpecker appeared with a massive red mohawk. They must be one of the fiestiest birds I've ever seen. Like the Harley Davidson crew of the woods!

Woodpeckers spend their lives banging their heads against trees. When you really stop and think about what they are doing it might give you a headache...but! It is really interesting! I ended up sitting nearby and observing this bird peck away on multiple trees. Sometimes small chunks would fly out other times huge pieces of bark came down. As I observed, I heard... "Opportunity Knocks." Woodpeckers do not just bang their head against a wall for no reason. Each tree is a new possibility. A new door they are determined to open. They are searching for food for themselves in some trees. Other trees provide the opportunity to build a beautiful new home for their current or future families. But they never really know what they will find behind the door...

Shortly after my extended time with the woodpecker, I came out of the woods and back to the main path. All of a sudden a strange thing flew in front of me and landed on the wildflowers to my left. It bounced around a little to the tall grass. At first, I couldn't figure out what it was. But it stayed still long enough for me to see a praying mantis! (At least I think! Please correct me if I'm wrong) The first thing I noticed was its eyes. HUGE. Typical bug eyes. He was observing everything around him, including me. He sat in stillness, practicing patience while also camoflaging himself to the grass he was hanging on to. He swayed in the wind, but his grip was so stable, calm, secure as he waited for the prime opportunity to take flight again.

"When opportunity knocks...be patient, stay balanced and open the door when it is in front of you."

As the seasons begin to change, I hope to send you all many nuggets and hearts as they continue to show up for me. Embrace the winds of change and allow the leaves to fall where they may. Just remember to open the door.

~AcornTales

What do you see?

2017-08-26T19:47:10Z

When I started taking more and more pictures while out in nature, I discovered that I was finding heart shaped items everywhere I went.

My closest friends now know my famous question that typically comes as the caption to many of my photos. "Do you see it?" They laugh at me and some may think I am just plain crazy and create the hearts somehow.

Everything is up to our own interpretation and perception, but I choose to see and believe that what I need to see, hear, or feel will show up for me in that moment. I am constantly reminded to practice self love.

Throughout 2017, it has been my challenge and focus to put myself first. This was not just an occasional thing I needed to implement such as a once a week treat for myself. No, that wasn't enough. It was time for me to put myself first all day and everyday.

In this process, I started to spend more and more time outside. Pursuing my hobbies of exercise (walking), photography and exploring nature. I tend to explore alone and always bring my camera. My eyes are open to much more when I am in solitude and I pick up on minor details that are always what is most noticeable in my photography. I never know who or what is going to show up for me that day or even where I will end up. Sometimes I head out with a game plan, but most of the time, I simply go to wander and follow wherever the path and my heart may lead. This tends to be quite easy for me as hearts literally pop up into my path as well as wildlife and other things I find really interesting.

I should have been updating and documenting this process much more as I went along. However, I have only just recently felt that I have made it to a point where I could share some of what I have learned along this journey. Many of you have said how much you love my photography and that I have a great skill. I thank you for your kind words and appreciation of my form of art that has been a therapeutic hobby. I believe that the most influential and important part of my photos are the stories and the meaning that comes with them. I am working on sharing those stories on a regular basis...I take so many that may be a daunting task!

Next time you are out in nature, I challenge you to stop and look around and ask yourself, "What do you see?". See what shows up :) When you begin to allow yourself to see more than what society and our surroundings show, you open yourself up to infinite possibilities.

Sometimes there are hidden treasures right in front of you...camouflaging their way through their day so not to cause any trouble.

Today, I went on my regular explorations but took a slightly different path than I ever have before. As soon as I turned off from the regular route, I noticed something. A large feather that looked quite interesting. I am not very familiar with birds so I couldn't identify it and simply picked it up. Thinking cool, I'll look into this later and went on my way. I took only another two steps to find another feather! I found 8 feathers total... One looking slightly different than the others. I looked around above me assuming there must be a nest of something nearby...why would so many feathers be all over the ground in this area? Or....did I find what was left from a predator's dinner? I took my question to Instagram where I knew the fellow photographers, nature lovers, and bird enthusiasts would soon fill me in! It only took a few moments before I received a response of Turkey! Oh my goodness...OF COURSE it's a turkey!

Two years ago, I took a road trip with my best friend. During the drive, I called him a turkey in the car and he whipped his head around so fast believing there were turkeys on the side of the highway and SO disappointed when he "missed" it... I actually was sarcastically referring to him, there were no turkeys! This became the biggest joke and a huge laugh for us for quite some time. Ever since, turkeys have always reminded me of him. Over this past year, a lot of transformation has happened in my life and his and I have received many visits and chuckles from these turkeys as they surprise me when I least expect it. And even when I expect it, they never cease to surprise me in ways I didn't expect, such as these beautiful feathers. It's like a sweet reminder to slow down, smile, think of your abundance and laugh.

This feather in particular has me quite impressed. It looked dirty and drab at first and I almost left it where it was. But then I noticed it's sparkle. It has a golden sheen to it. Especially around the tips. It looks as though it has been through a lot. A war almost with how rattled the rest of it is. But it still isn't afraid to show off it's most beautiful attributes.

A strong lesson we could all learn every once in a while. Show up for yourself, with your golden feathers, no matter what you have been through or may be enduring at the moment. Let your sparkle shine through the mess.

Who and What will you find when you open yourself up?

Shine On, Feathers.

~AcornTales

How It All Began . . .

2017-03-06T12:49:55Z

I began pursuing my AcornTales journey as I traveled along a beautiful, winding trail of love, life, and adventure. My journey is filled with twists and turns and everyday I discover something new about myself in this process of growth and transformation. My symbol for growth is an acorn. A young seed on a journey of rebirth with the possibility of becoming a whole forest.

I found my inspiration through being outside in the beautiful natural surroundings. I found plants, animals, trees, bodies of water and mountains sending me deep and messages aiding in my transformation. After spending some time in an herbal course in 2016, I was drawn to spending as much time outside as possible. I found that plants, animals, and anything that shows itself in our presence has a message for us in that moment. IF, we are open to receiving it. I found peace, love and guidance from my surroundings when life's unfolding ways didn't seem to make any sense.

I was pushed to pursue my creative talents in a way to capture what I was seeing and feeling and to share that message with others. I tend to do this in photographs. I enjoy photography, but I enjoy it in a way that tells a story. I capture moments that have some sort of meaning or message behind them.

I seem to end up on interesting and sometimes off the beaten path adventures. My journeys are always different, but I always find my way back to love and what is best for my heart.