Heavens Eye » Passion is the catalyst towards creativity

OF COURSE…

Tuesday, June 7, 2011 Posted in Inspire, My Thoughts

Synchronicity…The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.
I have been living A LOT of life lately. Most days are pretty hard to describe without talking a million miles a minute and totally spazzing out! I was able to capture one of my days a few weeks ago because on a last minute whim, I decided to drag my camera out with me, just cause. Of course I did. I’m pretty sure that this post is going to be annoying or unbelievable for some of you…but for the rest of you that actually get to hear about these days, you might be saying…”Of Course“;) Mind you…this is just ONE of my wonderful days that fill up this wonderful life of mine. I know that I am blessed and believe me…I am GRATEFUL!
The day started out to be a normal day for me…a day full of tea appointments to fill up my soulfood tank. First up…Melinda Nickels. She is such a beautiful soul and I know that she is going to be an incredible addition to the Live Everything Mindful community! We had an enlightening conversation at one of my fav tea shops (because it reminds me of my soul sister, Amy Seeley After what felt like 10 mins, an hour or two floated on by and we had to get going. I had another tea back to back so we jaunted together over to another favorite place of mine in the Pearl..

Prasad in Yoga in the Pearl:) I can’t get enough of the amazing food options and I ALWAYS meet the most amazing people there. Raw, vegan, organic, local…all the words that make my heart and stomach swoon! Now stay with me…this is where all the synchronicities get cra..cy (pronounce just like it’s spelled, with slight accent of your choice;)!

Cue my next tea date…the beautiful Katie Todd! I met Katie at a I AM WOMAN workshop (another post in itself). She does some incredible energy work and she’s an incredible artist. Melinda was able to visit for a bit and I couldn’t have been more delighted to sit back and watch the sparks fly. They started exchanging cards, talking to each other about their passions and dreams and I’m pretty sure the rest will make history;) Our conversation alone was enough to send me over the edge of love for the day, but it was still just the beginning of a magical day.

Inside Katie is telling me about this Naturopath friend of hers that works in the building and that she hadn’t seen her in a long time…Guess who comes walking out and into our bubble of synched energy….of course! I guess this one could be mistaken as less than amazing, because she actually worked in the building and it was more likely to see her. But really, what are the odds that Katie would start talking about her unless she just met my friend Melinda? Of course..

Not enough for ya to go, WOW….then try this one on for size…
I start having a conversation (surface) with the man next to me because we were sharing a # for our food and you practically sit on each others laps in this restaurant. It might have seemed like an insignificant conversation, but it was just cracking the door for him to jump into mine and Katie’s convo;) Katie starts having a conversation with me about some amazing work that she did in Japan years ago in a VERY small town. Well, wouldn’t you know it…my new friend to the right had been to the same small town in Japan, continents away. OF COURSE!! As they engaged in a conversation about the tsunami among other things, a wave of synchronicies began to crash down upon us all. She says she’s an artist and that she has a studio in the area.

He says, I’m a photographer…OF COURSE he is! Where is your studio? She tells him and he says…”that’s where my photos are displayed”. She says, “holy shit, I always wondered who the heck was taking up the wall space for this long”. She was recently wondering if she needed to contact the artist that has had his work in her office building forever to ask about space. Of course…

Once we recovered from this one…Katie and I said our goodbyes to our new photographer friend and engaged in an passionate conversation about our lives, our life’s purpose and Lord knows what else. As soon as we started talking health and wellness, I started to feel a pull (or “sandpaper”) to my left. Of course, the lovely lady is studying medical jargon! I leave it alone for a bit, because I don’t want to be too ridiculous;) But it wasn’t long before I engaged with her because i knew how hard hse was having to work to not engage with our awesomeness:) lol! Cue Alie…the spectacular nursing student that is passionate about all things organic, preventative, energy, and everything else we all started spewing! Of course!

Wait a second…how the heck did Tiana get into the mix?
Oh, that’s right…I was suppose to call her after my teas to try to catch up with her for lunch. Seeing how my teas were running WAY over and I had temporarily lost consciousness in the real world, I forgot to call her. As I was talking to Katie about her (Tiana), I glance out the window and notice a beautiful woman walking by. You can imagine how loud I screamed, F COURSE” when I realized that it was HER!!! She was tired of waiting for me to call and picked a “random” joint to catch a bite and she was craving Prasad. Of course:) Are you tired of the amazingness yet…well there is more!

When I was telling Tiana about all the craziness that was going on, I just happened to catch two more serendipitous signs. One of the phrases that started the curiosity of my whole ‘life changing’ journey is ‘I Am’. My beloved friend Jesh first planted the seed in my head years ago, only to see it would grow into one of the biggest, juiciest pieces of goodness in my soul! OF COURSE Katie’s water bottle has her logo that says this! Then my wondering eyes lazer beamed in on a Wanderlust flyer. The same wanderlust festival that my friend Dana asked me to consider roadtripping with her this summer. So OF COURSE I took this as a sign that was suppose to do just that and I signed up that night:) I can’t take anymore of this and I am the one writing it! There were so many more amazing details about this day that I can’t manage to put into silly words. Tiana and I did end up going to check out a gluten free bakery she has been eyeballing and it couldn’t have been a better ending to a blessed day. OF COURSE…this is my life and I LOVE it!

by kathycarlisle

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June 8, 2011 - 3:03 pm Katie Todd - Great Post! find me at www.KatieToddEnergy.com. Domain Name transfer in process, so above links to ImRenewed.com won't be available for a few more days. OF COURSE that URL doesn't function on the same day this post flys:)

June 8, 2011 - 4:20 pm Amy Hall - nice.....what a fun day! Feels like that feeling you get as a kid when something super exciting happens (for me it was pizza night!) Miss you lover see you soon hopefully!

June 8, 2011 - 9:15 pm Karilyn - Yummmmm! I gotta say that's one of the things I miss most about Portland; the great food!

June 9, 2011 - 4:29 pm Marjolaine - I Kathy.. soddenly out of the bleu.. it took me just like that..I MISS YOU, just now. at this minute.. i wish i could take my car drive to your house, give you a hugh and leave. So that is it ! I just did it..great feelings, great visions in my hade;)

Listen up Athletes

Sunday, March 20, 2011 Posted in Living Beyond

I had the opportunity recently to capture some images for a couple different companies. I started to panic a bit when I found out that it was 4 companies in ONE packed into 3 hours…not to mention I was the main photographer that was expected to capture a million different ideas. Once I got a hold of my emotions and jitters after not shooting for clients for so long…I just started clicking away and doing what I do. Oh and it helped to remember that I was doing this for free, which should equate to NO pressure;) If only it was natural for me to be gentle on myself! Seeing these athletes, their intensity, their work ethic, their strength and don’t forget…their injuries…it brought me right back to my college days. The days when I was living life for everyone but myself. I was on a constant stage performing for the world in hopes of approval. I was an elite athlete with expectations that I would be nothing less than perfect, from performance to physical appearance. Something that I didn’t learn in my 1,000’s of hours of training was how to be gentle on myself! I was using words that would eventually tear me down. If only I had simple words like…
I am perfect just the way I am.
I am whole.
I love and accept myself.
My best is good enough.
I keep getting stronger everyday.
My body can heal itself.
Now I am in hard core training to stay on my own path without comparing. To love myself fully. To accept that I am an example of vibrant health. To love my body just the way it is for what feels like the first time in my life. And to know that I have all the tools to be nothing short of amazing! I am a winner right now and I am the best that I can be:)
With that being said:) It was an absolute joy to capture these athletes in all their strength and beauty. Try to remember to celebrate your body for all that it does for you in a day…down to your eyelashes, elbows, and the billions of cells that are replenishing everyday!You are amazing just the way you are!
If you want to see the story of the day from workout to these final images, check out the video:) Thank you to all you awesome people involved in the day!

by kathycarlisle

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March 20, 2011 - 2:30 pm Karilyn - Wow, that girl is gorgeous! Love the portraits at the end of the video. Great job, Kathy! Now I wanna go workout, haha.

March 20, 2011 - 7:14 pm Amy Hall - Dude these are sick!! Amazing work as usual! Please tell me you did this in the garage?? Perfect exposure, light, subjects and photog! LOve ya dude!

March 20, 2011 - 9:32 pm shannon sewell - beautiful. strong. amazing shots. phenomenal... :) ~S

March 20, 2011 - 10:09 pm Camille Hollingsworth - Beautifully Poetic! Super Thankful <3

March 22, 2011 - 8:03 pm amysurface7@comcast.net - gorgeous pics! this must be what took the place of one of our playdates? awesome! what a great opportunity. you are so incredibly talented...body, mind, soul, photography... ;)

March 30, 2011 - 3:54 pm Miranda - WOW! These make me want to get out on the court! Amazing, great job K.

Bloom

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 Posted in Beneath the Surface, Inspire, Living Beyond, My Thoughts, The Carlisle's

I don’t know that another quote has hit me with such an impact as this one…

“And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom.”

I was coasting.
Life was living me.
I didn’t feel like I had much control.
I was fearful most of my day and didn’t even know it.
I was getting so comfortable in my labels that everytime someone or something would challenge them, my ego would go into assault mode;)
I was happy more than sad, but some days it was hard to tell why it was the opposite.
I had grown comfortable saying that I wasn’t dreamer and had no imagination.
When you would ask me about faith, I would say that I grew with 12 years of Catholic education.
When asked, “How are you doing, or How’s your day”, I would answer with a ‘GOOD’ or maybe even a ‘GREAT’.
I received a diagnosis that was riddled with fear and sucked the hope right out of my sails…I had never know a greater fear.

I guess what I am saying here is that my life has always been good (blessed) and there has never been anything to really complain about. I have always felt lucky. I didn’t notice that there was a choice being posed to me each day that was asking, “are you ok with this day being good, or did you want to try to make it amazing?” In the last year I don’t think there has been a day that has passed that I didn’t answer the question “how are you” with either a ‘great, spectacular, fantastic, awesome, delightful’, and any other word that I grasp for to depict all the joy I have in my days. And believe me when I say that IT IS a choice. We have the choice everyday to make the day awesome. I know that the greatest tool that I have used to change my life from good to awesome has been GRATITUDE! I am so grateful for my ability and courage to open up and learn. I have had many tools come into my life to help me:)

I am no longer coasting….I am going full force and leaving a wake behind me!
I am living life like I never knew was possible.
I have never felt more in control of anything in my life. I am finally learning what it means to go with the flow of life, not against.
I shake off labels daily in order to stay open to growth. I will always be in ‘process’ and I am always practicing the shedding labels to get to “I AM”
I can’t remember the last sad day that I had…and when the sadness is there, I am fully equipped to handle it and grow from it. It’s just an emotion….with NO story;)
I am a HUGE dreamer with a fully intact imagination…for the first time in my life, my dreams are FAR outweighing my fears!
Faith…well, it comes down to my ONE TRUTH. Thank you God for creating me in all my spectacularness and for showing me how to believe in ME!
As for the diagnosis….what a silly little thing that I laugh about with sheer joy NOW. I am so thankful for the dis ease in my body and that I was strong enough to desire the change! I AM HEALED. And I am definitely an example of vibrant health. I just never knew that I could ever physically feel this good (not even in my 20’s did I feel like this!) I am blessed to have met MS. Carlisle and learn from her. I was just a bud waiting to open up, but like most of us, I was stubborn and it took something big to crack me open:)

If things are just good, or even great…I ask you…could it get better? What would it take to make your life Amazing, Spectacular, or Fantastic? I am pretty sure that a great place to start is to bring some of the amazing people that are going to be at mine and Tiana’s event will be a great start:) To be in a room full of passion, encouragement and energy that will make you want to bloom to your fullest potential will rock your soul. Let’s stop letting life live us with all the excuses in the world as to why we aren’t making the changes that are on our lists:) Let’s find the bravery in a community to be who we want to be and learn to love ALL of who we are now! If you are reading this and you are in my life…YOU ARE AWESOME! I love you just the way you are…you inspire me…and thank you for loving the old me, the new me, and the me I will be tomorrow:) Tomorrow’s a new day, I am a new me!

by kathycarlisle

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March 16, 2011 - 8:03 pm Karilyn - Oh how I wish I could come to these events! Love you and love reading about your blooming life:-)

March 16, 2011 - 9:23 pm Andi - I am so looking forward to finally being able to attend one of your events!! I feel like every time I try, something pops up...usually due to an illness (cold/flu season BE GONE!!!). Here's to accepting and relishing the challenge of coming to full bloom!!

March 29, 2011 - 11:22 pm Willow - kathy, i just love you...and your words...:)

Souls are on fire today!

Monday, February 14, 2011 Posted in Family, The Carlisle's

“Love really is the answer. We’re here only to teach love. When we’re doing that, our souls are singing and dancing.” Gerald Jampolsky, M.D. These 3 have been the shining example for me to follow when it comes to souls singing and dancing. They have so much love pouring out of them, it’s hard to contain sometimes:)

I have to give credit where credit is due here….I didn’t really have an organized idea of what we were going to do for the kid’s Valentine’s this year. I just gathered some fun accessories from American Apparel and assumed the rest would fall into place. Well, the shoot did because I let the kids just be themselves. Then it came to the design and I came down with a bad case of artist’s block!! Thanks to the love of my life, who inspires my creative heart to beat, he made the rest of the card come together beautifully. So once again, there is a whole lot of Carlisle love put into these adorable bookmarks, that are going to make a lot of kids swoon and smile! The kid’s get so dang excited to hand out the cards….it brings me back to my school days with this holiday. I’ll bet most of us can remember the nervousness, excitement and “I think I feel like puking” feeling that we used to get in grade school surrounding Love Day:) I know that at least for Tré, middle school is coming and it is likely that the day is going to lose it’s magic luster:( Because then the day becomes more about who really likes whom, and feelings of being excluded…rather than everyone sharing and loving as a whole. Maybe Tré can be the one that breaks that trend and hand out cards to everyone still….or he will be the only dork that is handing out handmade cards:) lol! Here are some outtakes that didn’t make the cut by the kids. Maybe we will use the one of Tré farting on his card next year and say something like, “this year love is starting to stink”;)

Not only does it start to stink for some, for others, it starts to hurt as well…as depicted by Jame Jam!

To my Loveys….

I love that you hug me and still kiss me on the lips.
I love the way you love each other!
I love the reflection of myself in your amazing eyes.
I love the snuggles and physical touch that seems to light my soul on fire.
I love that you picked your Dad and I to be the ones that you would bless for a lifetime!

As you grow into older siblings…please remember the love that you have created for each other.
Remember…
you are always in awe of each other and make each other laugh everyday…
you openly tell each other that you love each other…
you are always thinking of your siblings when it comes to giving…
you are so proud of each other and are always bragging to others!
Remember that loves takes work when you are older and it should never be assumed that you love each other. There are many ways to tell each other that you are special in your life…remember to learn their love languages, and know that they might change.
Be curious about each other and all the phases and labels that you might try on. Tell each other how proud you are of the other and that you are lucky to have them in your life. Many times this is all assumed in sibling relationships, but I know that you guys will be conscious and curious about the amazing love that you had as youngsters and continue to feed off of it throughout your lives:)

Your Dad and I happen to be in love with every part of you. We vow to always be curious about the individual that you become, and love you unconditionally! We will always laugh and cry with you (even your Dad, after we get his tear ducts checked:). Just remember to love yourself fully…never know yourself fully…and then you will have plenty of love to give the world and all those around you. You are extraordinary kids and you make our hearts go beep, beep:) Happy Valentine’s Day, Lovey’s!!!

by kathycarlisle

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February 14, 2011 - 10:49 am lindsay - hey kathy - love the pics and cards. could your family be any cuter!! love the mushy stuff you wrote about your kids... they are so blessed to have you as parents!!! don't you just love....love!! :-) lindsay

February 14, 2011 - 10:57 am Tracie Wilhelm - Love the cards! And the love thoughts too! Miss you guys!

February 14, 2011 - 12:11 pm Regina Reed - I can't believe how big the kids are getting! You are all so beautiful inside and out, thanks for sharing this. XOXO

February 14, 2011 - 1:14 pm Scarlette - I love your cards. Love your love. You are so FULL of it... and I mean that in a good way!!!! You rock. Happy Heart Day to one of the BIGGEST ones I know. ;) -Loves.

February 14, 2011 - 7:09 pm shannon sewell - what can i say but yes. yes. & YES. don't tell anyone else but your kids have always been one of my favorite sets ;) beautiful, loving, amazing kiddos & i have no doubt that every bit of advice you gave here willl be used by them to the fullest! happy valentine's day to the carlisle clan ;) ~S

February 14, 2011 - 9:02 pm Lindsey Viersen - I could go on and on and point out my favorite things, but the Pig Face by Tre takes the cake!!!

February 15, 2011 - 10:13 am amysurface7@comcast.net - i love it. what a beautiful family and you say "love" all over your faces...keep being extrordinary!

February 16, 2011 - 12:19 am cindy - I TOLD YOU JAMIE WAS PART ASIAN! He loves karate and can do the splits!!!!! Everything about this post is what LOVE and Valentine's Day...and well...EVERY day is ALL about. I love you, Carlisle Family!

February 17, 2011 - 2:27 pm Thann Boyce - Precious...this is a gift that will continue to give throughout the lives of your children and loved ones...thank you for contributing something beautiful and refreshing to enjoy...you continue to imprint your "remarkable" self on the hearts of all who have the pleasure of knowing you, Kathy...enjoy the blessings of your day (I know you will!)~ ~Thann :)

February 20, 2011 - 3:42 am Suzanne - Valentines Day...dot dot dot My daughter Mia says to me....I need money to buy Valentine Grams, and I need "this much",,,I ask her who they for? Which does not matter... And my girl is not only buying for her friends, but a new student from Africa that has no friends yet... Her heart makes me cry.

Say ‘YES’

Wednesday, February 9, 2011 Posted in Inspire, Living Beyond

‘Firework’

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on show ‘em what you’re worth
Make ‘em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

There is something catchy about this song. I have been drawn to the lyrics and I thought it was blog-worthy (not so much the song, as much as the message;) I recently took a little quiz in a book that my beautiful friend gifted me with…’Reinventing The Body, Resurrecting The Soul’ by Deepak Chopra. The quiz was titled, “Are you ready for change?” Out of 25 questions, I’ll give you 2 guesses as to how many yes’s I got:) You guessed-er Chester…25!!!! And this is what it says about getting this many yes’s….You have made a conscious effort to shift away from the old paradigm. You firmly accept alternative therapies. You seek conventional treatment only after you’ve tried holistic medicine, and even then you are wary of drugs and surgery. Your view of the body is likely to be ties to a spiritual journey that you take quite seriously. You identify with other seekers of higher consciousness. You believe firmly in hands-on healing. You question whether any form of materialism can really plumb the deeper mysteries of life (still going to have to explore this one with my desire to shop;). You have embraced personal transformation as a major goal in your life and want to change as rapidly as possible.”
How’s that for putting me in a nutshell. Isn’t that like the best fortune cookie on the planet:) I don’t think I have ever read something so profound that has resonated with me so much! Look at my word for the year…YES…already presenting itself to me in so many ways…it’s amazing !
I say YES to healing.
I say YES to an abundance of love…an abundance of money…and an abundance of inspiration!
I say YES to success.
I say YES to empowering myself. I know…I need to go rent YES Man, everyone keeps telling me;)
How many times in the day is God (Universe) presenting things to us (ie a happy couple, a gorgeous family, a beautiful friendship, health, money, happiness) and when we see these things, are we saying YES to them. Just try saying YES for the day, and see what transpires. Say YES to all that awesomeness that is surrounding you and know that you deserve it all! When you are shopping and you see something you love, but within an instant you label as something you can’t afford, or worst, don’t deserve:( Maybe it would be easier to pa attention to all those things that we are saying ‘no’ too in order to see where we should be saying ‘yes’.
I like to say to myself daily…”I am open, accepting and receptive to change”. Then I fill the rest of the day with supportive and loving talk to myself, with sprinkles of gratitude every chance I can get. This consciousness has changed my life…I am the change that I wished to see in myself.

Maybe you’re the reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road…go open one of those doors that gives you the most resistance, the person that ‘rubs you the wrong way, say YES:)

by kathycarlisle

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February 9, 2011 - 7:34 pm Karilyn - Haha, that song was on Glee tonight! I have found time and time again, that just being open to the possibilities that arise in my life always lead me to good things. Learning, growing, and experiencing new things are always empowering. Since you're in a YES mood, why don't you take a family trip down to Kansas? ;-)

February 9, 2011 - 8:13 pm britt. - !!!!! YES yes yes yes yes yes YES !!!!!!

February 9, 2011 - 8:49 pm Lindsey Viersen - And if you say YES -- we will introduce you to Hoot and show you our Cali Love! :) Beautiful Post

February 10, 2011 - 11:24 pm cindy cieluch - YES!!! Love this post. And YES - you NEED to watch 'Yes Man.' You could start a "running photography club." :) Yes to fireworks, yes to health, yes to saying yes. When you say the word YES over and over, it's got a really nice ring to it...

Phoenix

Tuesday, January 18, 2011 Posted in Inspire, My Thoughts, The Carlisle's

Work? Vacation? No it’s work..or was it vacation? When you are doing something that you are passionate about and there is so much growth behind it, how can it be called work? With Photography, I was passionate believe me…but when things didn’t go right or things got stressful, I was THE wizard behind the curtain and there was no one else to help me (or blame:). As you all know, I have learned (and continue to master) to go towards things that “rub me the wrong way” or rather, situations (& people) that were put into my life to teach me the most about myself. Well, Networking Marketing might have been at the top of that list;) Go figure it is the light of my life right now:) I haven’t spend much time on here sharing the details, but I can’t contain my excitement any longer, so open your mind and try to imagine that this is just like me talking about parenting or photography (without judging with your own hangups on MLM’s;…you can’t fool me, I was there;) lol

Imagine this as a day in the life of my new job if you will…
Jake and I hop on a plane together for 4 days to Phoenix while his amazing mom comes to watch the crew. From there, we wake up to this each morning…

We go for walks under these (Jake’s favorite trees ever…I just learned this)

We do a little of this…

A little of that…

Then we start to meet our team from all over the US and Canada that absolutely blew our lids! I can’t even begin to tell you all about the incredible conversations that fed my soul the whole time I was there!

Then it is time to go to work…where we listened to Mr. Bill Lee (the owner of Econet and Univera). We listened to his mission, his purpose, and his passion…all of which just makes us feel like the luckiest people in the world that get to help him! Then we learned from all the who’s who’s and top earners in the company. There wasn’t a title that was too big for us to have complete access too. Whether it was our CEO, Stuart Ochiltree, or Bill (as I like to call him now that we are on a first name basis;), or our chief officer Stephen Cherniske! We were made to feel like we are a vital part of the whole company just by being there and being passionate about the products and how they have changed our lives!

What other company has a billionaire owner that has put 120% dedication into his father’s mission (now his company) of “bringing the best of nature to ALL humankind” and actually sits through EVERY bit of training that all of his associates go through, and actually enjoys every bit of it! WOW!

So as you have seen…we fed our souls with each other, and conversation with incredible peeps. Then we fed our minds and expanded our dreams with training that plays into every aspect of our lives. Then it was time to feed our bellies….Jake found the most amazing cafe that took the whole trip on up to Cloud 20 for me! Pomegranate Café. I think I might dream about this experience until we finally make a special trip over there to relive all the goodness. It is all organic, fresh, gluten free, vegan, what every you want!

Our next MUST HAVE tools in our kitchen!

Can you even stand it…it was an awesome bean and quinoa bowl!

To top it off, we shared a table with a woman that was sent straight from God to me! Her name is Carolyn and the synchronicities and awesomeness that our conversation entailed could never be described, but let’s just say that I love her and I don’t even ‘know’ her! I’m sure at some point you will hear how she came into my life again:)

Speaking of LOVE…This is Susan and I love her as well! This is the amazing woman that came into my life about 6 months ago and brought one of the most inspiring gifts into our family’s life ever. Thank you Susan for helping me to open my mind and heart to an opportunity that has helped up to get the balance right in our life of our dreams finally outweighing our fears! Plus, you’re a really great roommate and leader. Jake and I will forever be grateful for your kindness and guidance!

Thank you to Univera for rocking our souls and presenting so many answers for the many things that we were asking for in life. I could not be happier to have my hubby by my side finding our power and purpose in life together. We have never felt this healthy in our life and for this I have an immense amount of gratitude in my heart for this man!

So was it work? Or was this vacation? I am grateful that it was BOTH! I know the next pic doesn’t make much sense to anyone that’s not in the business, but here is a little glimpse of our intentions for our financial dreams coming true and blessing our life. Here’s to meeting goals together that feed our family’s total wellness. Here’s to us having health, wealth and purpose and being able to share it with the world. Thanks for letting me share my passion as always on here!

Oh and incase you didn’t get to see the family “ring in the new year with some Carlisle love” card this year…here it is! Caution…it will make your heart laugh harder than it has all month;) Don’t forget to pick your word for the year!

Inside spread

Back…my word is YES…and I can’t believe how much it has already graced my life…can’t wait to write about it:)

by kathycarlisle

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January 19, 2011 - 9:13 am Lindsey Viersen - So beautiful! I am so proud of you KC! I was frustrated that we werent able to have a complete conversation yesterday becasue lil miss sunshine "Jersey" needed her nipple warmed up. ha! Thanks for sharing the details about your "Dream Camp" weekend.

January 19, 2011 - 10:29 am Shannon - As always, I love feeling the joy that is exuded THROUGH the computer screen! I love your card, it is the BEST! I am so excited for you and Jake and that your business is your passion. My word for the year was going to be completion, but nothing is every really finished is it? Life is an ongoing journey, so I'm picking Mastery instead!! Last year, I found my wings and this year I will work on mastering how to fly!

January 19, 2011 - 3:53 pm Aaron - Awesome! Awesome! AWESOME!! I want that cafe! and I love everything about this post! I can hear your heart singing through it! :D

January 19, 2011 - 6:13 pm Karilyn - So exciting! Yay for trips, and yay for new ventures:-)

January 20, 2011 - 10:12 am Jake - We had such an amazing time together. Everything from sitting on the plane shoulder to shoulder to having great conversations with "strangers". This is a viable business, a viable tool for our marriage and a vital tool for our health! I love you Kathy Carlisle for being the nucleus of this venture. I can't wait for the next Convention-cation!!!!

January 21, 2011 - 9:37 am Amy Hall - Looks like an amazing time! Very happy you are happy dude!! That's all that matters! Get the BlendTec juicer..it will change your life...we use ours on a daily basis and make "Man hulk" smoothies for the twins..and soup, and batters and sauces and margaritas....the list goes on!! They have em at Costco! Love ya!

January 21, 2011 - 11:56 am Susan Landa - Love it! Thanks for being so awesome and being a part of my team! We're going to help(and are helping)so many people together. We are majorly blessed!

Handmade Happiness!

Saturday, January 1, 2011 Posted in Uncategorized

Happy New year!!! Speaking of what makes me happy… cards!!! Thank you’s, Christmas, or just because! I have saved every meaningful card that I have ever received whether it be handmade or not, it just has to have words from the heart spilling out of it. The holiday season makes me giddy to get so many cards in one month….it’s enough to send a girl over the edge:) I especially love that 80% of the cards I receive are photo cards…ahh…heaven! To show you the HUGE talent of a treasured friend in my life…I got together the whole collection of amazingness that she had blessed me with over the years. I met this wonderful woman in San Antonio and we have always been in touch over the holidays. Because of my branching out with connecting through Univera, we are in touch all the time now and I couldn’t love my soulfeeding conversations with her more. Can you even stand her talent? These are completely handmade and original! You can’t see the layers in this shot, but they have multiple layers, multiple mediums, and each one SCREAMS perfection! If I have a pile of 10 cards and hers…I put all the others down and go sit down to take hers completely in. It’s like opening a Christmas present in itself. There is always a handwritten letter in them as well, just for me:) I love you Ada and I am so thankful that we came into each other’s lives:)

Then there are all my other talented friends that take the time to share their talent and love, especially for me…These cards stand out amoung the rest as ones that sent my heart into a tizzy! My friend Janna said it all in her freehanded piece of art with the snail! I felt so much love when I got it after that silly diagnosis years ago;) Then my friend Karilyn whom always rocks my soul gave me the beautiful handmade thank you!! And Amy put a HUGE smile on my face when I received her adorable owl Christmas card this year. A couple more awards I would like to give out when it comes to setting my heart on fire with cards go to Jake (most meaningful words on the planet that speaks directly to my soul. Amy Seeley….best card giver in my life hands down…She could be telling me that I smell like poop in them, and I wouldn’t care because her handwriting is so beautiful that Photoshop should be paying her to make it a font. She always knows how to pick me up and say jus the right words to make me feel like I am her most treasured friend on the planet! Any letter or card from family is like gold. Siblings showing me that they are thinking of me makes me want to shed happiness tears everytime! And I don’t think I have ever thrown out a card that my Mom has given to me;) Thank you all for thinking of me and making me feel so special. I am grateful for your time and love you have always shown me! So…all of you out there, think about writing thank you’s for all those incredible Christmas gifts you got this year…and if you want to set them over the edge with feeling special, go ahead and give your handmade skills a try! Speaking of cards…mine are all about the New Year this year, so they will be out in the next week or so:) I can’t wait to share my love with all of you. We have had a blast this year brainstorming the message we want to share as a fam:) Love you all!

by kathycarlisle

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January 1, 2011 - 7:42 pm removeyourlenscap - wow. what a talent. btw, san antonio is an amazing town. we lived there for 4 years and i miss it dearly!

January 3, 2011 - 5:33 am Lindsey Viersen - Homemade goodness yippeeeeeeeeeee! You know I have a huge appreciation for this. Holy talent! Ive got to up my talent to play in this league...haha!

January 3, 2011 - 3:30 pm Ada Blacey - Mucho grazias Doctor "Carl-Isle" for the prescription refill of life joy.You really surprised me this morning, when I saw your post on FB. You are such a clever devil :-)Thank you Kathy...big hug that squeezes the crap outa you. Love ya! :-)

January 6, 2011 - 12:11 am cindy - GORGEOUS cards and a reminder that snail mail is the best!!!!!! I will be rushing to the mailbox every day until yours arrives. Every holiday, your card gives me enough happiness and inspiration to last the entire year...

January 6, 2011 - 12:15 am cindy - P.S. I might change my word of 2011 to FART. I mean, farts ARE like friends...

Gift Giving/Getting

Wednesday, December 15, 2010 Posted in The Carlisle's

After reading The Five Love Languages it is impossible to not think in terms of people’s love languages of yourself and others. I am pretty sure that one of my strongest love languages as I have mentioned before, is ‘words of affirmation’, with ‘gift getting/giving’ running a close second. Recently, for my birthday I got some of the most awesome gifts that I just had to share. They are the perfect combination of my two love languages wrapped into one:) Jake and I are designing and decorating our guest room right now and it is astounding that these gifts came into our life (thank you for showing us synchronicities always God:) Can you even stand it, how it’s all coming together. I can’t wait to put the finishing touches into it.

We decided to paint the room grey with the majority of the accents, black, white and yellow (with a couple splashes of other colors). I am working on a project to go above the bed and it involves newpapers…so it is going to tie all this awesomeness together just perfectly! It is sparkign a creative outlet in me that is feeding my soul! I am incorporating all my other passions as well, so that this room will fill our guests with more love then they can handle. I want staying with our family to be a soul feeding experience. Where they come to grow and connect with a desire to be a do better in their life. A place where we can inspire each other’s lives and fill each other up with ao much love they will feel like exploding! Hotel Carlisle will be about wellness. love, mindfulness, and gratitude! Who’s in:)

I got these incredible pillows from Lindsey and Mark…just because they love me:) I was elated when I got them in the mail and cried when I felt all the love rush out of them into me!

Then I got this perfect little frame for my birthday from them a couple weeks later!I know, they are that amazing!!! Is is not the coolest, EVER! I love you guys!

Then these two gifts came into my life and set me over the edge….The word frame is from my beloved Jacque (aka JawJaw Binks:) I am pretty sure that it made my heart flutter as much as when I opened my “Up” painting from Jake last Christmas. Then my Bestie….Tiana, pulled out a combination of gifts, including this journal that had me feel all week like I was the most special girl in the world. She also included a cute magnet and a healing bracelet as well that I see and feel everyday! Are you just dying? I am so damn thankful for all the amazing people in my life and my heart oozes gratitude from moments of being on the receiving end of this love language!

When it comes to gift giving…I LOVE to give as well! It takes everything to the next level of specialness when I get my friend Karilyn involved though:) I know you remember her…she is the mastermind behind Onesie Wonderland and she has a HUGE talent;) Currently she is rocking the worlds of many with her new-found photography talent in Kansas:) I miss her, but we get to talk often. I am so proud of her! She is really starting to know just how amazing she is and her shine is getting brighter and brighter everyday! Here is what she made for little Jersey Lou:) (sorry if I spoiled the surprise Linds…they’re in the mail). Don’t they just make you want to cry, they are so cute?

So in the spirit of the holidays…put some thought into those gifts…it doesn’t have to be expensive…it’s all about the thought and love that goes into them! Jake and I aren’t buying gifts for each other this year because we are giving the gift of health to each other and our loved ones….so now I am going to have to put some real thought into making a gift that showers him with love and makes him feel like he is the luckiest guy in the world….hmmm…what to do, make or sing:)

by kathycarlisle

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December 15, 2010 - 5:58 pm Lindsey Viersen - Wouldnt you know that on a day that I am emotionally struggling a little bit--I sit and pout for a few minutes and then decide to go open my email and see if I can stumble across some greatness. Yep, you guessed it...I got to see your blog post. This in itself is a gift. And you KC are a gift that keeps on gifting. P.S. Don't think Im not going to rewrap those onsies and put them under the Christmas tree--I want to receive the awesome gifts all over again!!!! Love them.

December 15, 2010 - 9:46 pm Tiana Meckel - I LOVE you too!!! Your room is adorable, and so much thought has gone into it. Your guest are going to have the sweetest dreams ;-) xoxo

December 17, 2010 - 6:38 am Elle J - Thumbs up on the finds for your guest room - maybe being an owner of a Bed and Breakfast will be in your future? Hotel Carlisle sounds amazing - I would want to stay there!! =)

December 25, 2010 - 8:07 pm cindy cieluch - Cannot wait to check into Hotel Carlisle!!! What thoughtful + inspiring gifts for a thoughtful + inspiring woman. :) I NEED to get my hands on the VIKINGS onesies for the babies in my Minnesota family! Merry Christmas to you, Kathy + the other members of Hotel Carlisle!!!

Miracle

Thursday, December 9, 2010 Posted in Living Beyond, Love Stories

Sit back and let me tell you a little story that happens to be about hope, inspiration, blessings, strength, courage, bliss and love, just to name a few:) I have tapped into many forms of photography as I have put myself through school these last 8 years (my own college without grades;). I have loved every part of the journey and am so grateful for every photo that I have physically been capable of taking. Since my life shifted 2 years ago, I felt myself floundering a bit with my photography. All of the sudden the perfect outfits no longer mattered. I found myself wanting to lurk in the outskirts and be the observer, not the orchestrator of every shot. I know what feeds my soul now. I know what pictures make the parents laugh, cry and FEEL…and they are never the ones where we head swapped to have everyone looking the right way;) For this reason, I found myself saying “in the next year (mind you, that was 2 years ago) I am going to go into homes for 1-2 days at a time and get the real moments. I want everything…the fits, the snuggles, the naked booty dance to the nose pick and wiping it on the wall moments. I want my clients to forget that I even have a camera in my hands. I want to celebrate their life exactly how it is and celebrate the very uniqueness that separates them from every other family for that matter. Not only families…what if you could see a series of pics of “a day in the life of Mom” before she met Dad. What did she like to do, where were her favorite places to hang, who were her friends? I want to follow the young musician, the incredible dancer…whoever you are, I want to know you and to know you means that I would like to photograph you!

Which leads me to one of my proudest stories I have told lately. These are my friends Mark and Lindsey and you may remember them from here I was blessed enough to tell their love story before it expanded. They were one of the first “Day in the life” shoots that I did. Mark called me about a month before Lindsey was to give birth. She and I had dreamed about me being able to be there to capture the birth but they live in Cali. These two are so into surprises and Mark takes the cake on this one. He planned and willed this beautifully, perfect moment to take place. It really couldn’t have worked out more amazing. I talked to Lindsey around 2:00 in the afternoon with beginning signs of labor and by the time I got there on the next flight, it was 9:00 and it was go time! I was there for the whole Shabang!

Mark’s mom was patiently knitting the whole time. I love this picture, not just because of the moment, but because of the awesome pictures behind them;)

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We stayed at the house until midnight and then it was off to the real show…

These moments with Mark are incredible for me. There was nothing more beautiful than watching his emotions go from admiration, confusion, helplessness, nervousness with everything inbetween, and ending is sheer joy:) The ultimate dance of support in their marriage that they have never experienced to this degree. The ultimate gift from a wife to her family. The insane gift from God that none of us will be able to fully wrap our minds around.

From the time of being admitted to the birth it was less than 5 hours and she barely made a peep. Did I mention this was her first:)

Is there anything more intense than going from the moment above to this amazingness!!!!!

I mean how lucky am I? I got to be there for the WHOLE story…down to the moment when we all discovered for the fist time that she had this adorable dimple:)

The difference from being on drugs or a c-section…if you see his watch it’s 5:30 something and she was born at 5:19am and Lindsey is already on the phone with her mom and sister sharing her epic story!

SHEER BLISS!!!! This one is making me cry all over again…PS I was hysterical at this point trying to take pictures, not wanting to miss a moment.

ELATION!!! There isn’t anything else that mattered in this moment for these 3. This is the glue that will bind their love forever. This is the moment that no woman will ever forget if she was one of the lucky ones to feel the ultimate love and approval (from within and from her spouse).

Welcome Jersey Lou…the little heifer that she was coming out of her momma well done;) lol

I had the important roll of using the sucker on her for the first time! I don’t know if there enough words to describe how proud I was of my friend on that October day. I was honored to be a part of something so intimate and filled with greatness exploding in our hearts for years to come. How do you thank friends enough for gifting me with this story. I have never felt such gratitude or felt more special outside of my own birthing stories. I feel like I am the luckiest girl that they would share this moment with me…which is in turn was going to be shared with my whole blogging world;)

To Jersey Lou….I hope that these pictures and this amazing video help you to get a glimpse at how amazing your parents are and how much love you were surrounded with as you came into this world! Your Mom is going to be modest when she tells you about the story…but I will tell you that she is nothing short of a ROCKSTAR the way she brought you into this world.

I couldn’t help but feel stronger than ever that this is the ultimate gift that God puts on this Earth to show us that anything is possible. If we can make a HUMAN BEING…then what is stopping us from knowing without a doubt, that our bodies are capable of healing ANYTHING. Our bodies already know what to do whether it is getting rid of cancer, healing damage from MS or making and birthing a baby…it’s our habits, lifestyles and minds that get in the way. Thank you Lindsey and Mark for loving me. For sharing so many reminders and tools that I needed to witness again to carry on my journey of healing. And for gifting me with one of the most special moments in my life. I was able to witness a birth closer to my own then I could have dreamed up…so that I could take a moment to proud of myself all over again and to see the magic that God gave us 3 times! Today my heart is full of gratitude and I am thankful you are all in my life!

by kathycarlisle

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December 10, 2010 - 10:47 am Ada Blacey - How unique, brave and gutsy you are, Missis Carlisle:-) Thank you for that beautiful story <3 U

December 10, 2010 - 11:03 am Karilyn - Haha, when I first looked through these I was so weirded out because I was thinking, WHY do they look so familiar??? Then I read the part about where you took pictures of them before, and it all made sense:-) What an awesome experience!! Life is beautiful, especially through Heaven's Eye;-) hehe

December 10, 2010 - 12:24 pm Cassy - Being fresh off the birthing circuit myself I can tell you they will cherish these images for as long as their hearts are beating. I am so very grateful for the images my momma captured for me through my incredible labor and delivery. What a beautiful story of life and love. Well done!

December 10, 2010 - 1:01 pm Aaron :) - Love this so much! What a beautiful moment to be part of :) And you captured it brilliantly! Makes me want to make a baby. Haha! ;)

December 10, 2010 - 5:03 pm Lindsey Viersen - WOW! Absolutely ridiciously AMAZING! I write this through teary eyes...I feel completely honored to share this with the world. Not only has this experience made a lastful impact on me, I feel truly honored to have had you with me during one of my most intimate and private moments. You mean the world to me KC. Thank you for this beautiful gift!

December 10, 2010 - 7:12 pm Britt - i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.e....... ....... .... .

December 11, 2010 - 2:38 am Nikki Viersen - Always makes my eyes welt and my heart warm...they are amazing and you have truely put emotions out there through your photography, there is not one person who can't "feel" every photo. So happy you were able to photograph, support and love through this whole process...amazing, purely amazing!

December 14, 2010 - 6:35 am Janelle Achenbach - Being Mark's one and only sister, I cannot explain in words how incredible this video is. Remembering the day that Mark was born and to now see him with his own little one is just totally awesome. The family always gave Mark a bad time because he just could not find that "right" woman. I must say that Lindsey is beyond that right woman---the coolest and kindest person ever! They will be awesome parents. Kathy, I heard much about you from my mom Marge--you left a lasting impact on her by just being in her life for only a short time. The family here in MN is so grateful to you for being there to document Jersey's entry into this Earth---we could not be there, but your video was as good as being there in person. Thank you again, your work is amazing!

December 16, 2010 - 7:25 am Mackenzie Richardson - Nothing like a good morning cry w/ my coffee while reading your blog! Love that story how amazing for them to have those images! Wow

Communtiy

Sunday, December 5, 2010 Posted in Family, Inspire, My Thoughts

Hello my loved ones!!! It has been many months since I have posted and after reflecting on why I haven’t…it comes down to living and doing. Let’s see if I can get these thoughts out into a cohesive blog entry:) The way I see it is that I was getting a lot of my community fix over the years on the internet. Yes, I was getting out and participating in a social life as well, but I was getting a lot of my emotional feedback from talking ‘about’ life instead of mindfully living it. I have been doing so much lately in life that I am so excited to share, but my mind got out of the mode of thinking about how every situation would turn into a post. A lot of what I have been pondering lately has to do with the healing powers of community. Although one could argue that a cyber community could be healing, what I have found is there is the no replacement for real face to face (in the flesh:) community. Now the tricky part for most people comes down to a couple factors….”Do I even crave communtiy? Where would I find community if I wanted one? To find the answers to these questions we go to churches, book clubs, ladies nights, and every other social event that crosses our evite list;) The kinds of community that feed the soul are ones that we build on our own. We are in the right communtiy when we are gently asked to grow. We all need more retreats and tools to bring into our adult life to help us grow to our potential instead of getting comfy with the potential that we have reached. I talk to so many people that haven’t done a thing lately to stretch their limits, challenge their thoughts by trying something new. We think that because we are all grown up that we shouldn’t have to go get more tools that will help us in turn with our friendships, marriages, parenting, and all the things that are challenging us everyday to grow.
We are always putting out an energy that is attracting people into our lives at all time. Take this quote from the current book that I am reading…(The Power)
“If you are feeling enthusiastic, your frequency of enthusiasm will attract enthusiastic people, situations, and events. If you are feeling fearful, your frequency of fear will attract fearful people, situations, and events to you. You are never left in any doubt about the frequency you’re on because your frequency is always exactly whatever you’re feeling! You can change your frequency at any time by changing how you feel, and everything around you will change because you’re on a new frequency.” What have you been feeling lately? Are you in survival mode, or are you living? What is your community reflecting to you?

Isn’t that something to think about:) I have made the mistake of going into groups thinking that that was my new community. I went into Univera feeling at home and then once I got deep into it I couldn’t hush the burning desire for a deeper sense of community. My mistake was thinking that I had to fit into it, instead of using the amazing network to attract my own community (within a community). So I found out that the work isn’t done when you find a great community…you have to consciously connect within that community and make it your own, based on your energy of course. I come from an incredibly strong community and never really was conscious about creating my own. Community happened to me. I was born into this amazing family that continues to be my most loving and healing community (btw…drink every time I say the word community in this post;). But when I moved away from my family I was on the eternal search for groups to cling too. How healing were all those groups…well, most of the time I wasn’t looking for healing, I was looking to have fun. Now that I am on a more mindful path in my life, it is amazing to see what I am attracting. I have always had incredible people in my life and I am so thankful for that!
Here is a pic of the most beautiful community that I was born into. Thank you to every one of you for being in my organic garden and for loving me. “Everything you want to be, do, or have comes from love.” I know that everything that I have, am and do comes from the love that my family has planted in my heart. Gratitude is rushing out of me like the river of Capistrano:) So I would ask all of you…who is it that is in your community? What kind of energy are you putting out there? What are you asking for in life? Is it being delivered but you are missing the blessing because it’s not how you expected to come to you? Go out with a new enthusiasm today and see who you will attract into your beautiful life!
The other night Tiana and I got out there and had an incredible night together where we got to experience first hand the exact level of enthusiasm that we are putting out there! We attracted some of the most enthusiastic people that are wanting to wake up and live life to the fullest. We had a wellness/networking event that we put on together and the process of putting it together was one of the most empowering experiences that I have had in my life. The turn out was amazing and the seed that is planted is growing like it is on steroids. I am so excited for what the future holds and all the people that we will be able to help in creating their own healthy community!

by kathycarlisle

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December 5, 2010 - 11:08 am Karilyn - Yay for blogging again, and yay for building your own community! I can see that I'm beginning to so that here, and it's awesome. I always thought you had to find a great community, but more and more I've been learning that through my frequency, they find me! Thanks for the soul food:-)

December 5, 2010 - 9:57 pm Jake - I want to thank you for being my strong community leader. So awesome to see your inspiring words again. Here's to finding the right people around us to force us to grow. Much Love - Your Hubby.

December 7, 2010 - 3:36 pm Chelsey - Such a beauty-FULL family & community - we are SO lucky aren't we! When you grow up in such a strong family, surrounded by other strong families & a strong community - you just automatically think it's like this everywhere! I love that you are seeking out & finding new strength among you ... and I love hubbies that blog stalk *cough, cough* er-uh comment ;) always a good sign! Happy Holidays!

December 7, 2010 - 9:14 pm Willow - hey lady!! i am sooooooooooo thankful for you being a part of my dear friend/photographer community!! your words are inspiring as usual and so in line with the things i've been thinking about lately! if you arent a part of something, who is going to support you? encourage you? inspire you? community is so important. its such a huge part of why i am the person i am today and it started with my family "community"!! woo hoo family!!!

December 9, 2010 - 8:25 pm cindy - So...here I was thinking tonight about how every day flies by without calling my incredible friend Kathy. I thought...maybe she's updated her blog? Then here it was...this beautiful blog entry about LIVING life like people are meant to. Not with just Facebook, texting, Twitter, and blogging. But LIVING and surrounding yourself with your community and drinking it up. :) I'm taking a half-day tomorrow, so I can start my weekend early with my husband and 2 dogs...my Montana family community. Love you K! Thank you for always pouring your heart out in each blog posting!!! P.S. When I saw Johnna in the middle of the photo, I had to do a double take. She's grown up so much.....just gorgeous. Your family is BEAUTIFUL!

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