#skaBunnyMakes

[skabunny]

2019 - A Beginning - Redux

If you saw my message this afternoon that a new blog is posted, technical difficulties happened and basically that piece evaporated into thin air. Here is a hastily written replacement that basically says the same thing. If you didn’t know that the piece evaporated, please continue as usual.

Greetings 2019 -

Humans make a big deal about all kinds of silly things related to the passing of time. As a new calendar year approaches we get reflective and decide to start our lives over. On Sunday we talked about my 2018. It was full of adventure, both happy and sad, and as the world turned another year older and that number changed I found it was time to reflect and really check in with myself on what I wanted to focus on for 2019.

Now I’ve said before that I don’t believe in affirmations and that extends to new years resolutions. We can’t change ourselves if we believe we have to change to love who we are. It’s a cycle that is inherently toxic. When I decided I wanted to work on myself for real I started looking at ways to reflect and engage instead of just criticize and I learned that I’m pretty epic. There are a lot of things I really and truly love about myself and some things that I really and truly need to work on. To that end I start in January with the Mike Dooley program for Loving Your Life in 30 Days. I’ve found it helps me reflect and work on my goals appropriately and with love. That doesn’t mean I go in wholesale for everything he teaches, but I value the 30 days of reflection, meditation, and the opportunity to really sink my teeth into what I want to work on and what I really love about who I am.

Before I get into the 12 goals I’m going to start my year off with a couple things you should know. I believe my goals are flexible. They will continue to grow and adjust as I do. I may not find that I’m phsyically able to do all the things I want to or I may find that I exceed my own expectations and blow a goal out of the water. So we’ll check in on these goals throughout the year to see how I’m doing and to see what changes/ needs to change. Below are 12 of my goals for 2019.

Read more - This year I’d really like to read 27 books. I haven’t been reading as much over the last few years as I’d like and I really feel like it’s time to tackle that and make it a real part of my life. I love stories and I miss having the world at my finger tips. More than anything though I’d really like to learn about the world that I’m not a part of. I have a lot of ideas about what that looks like, but I’m not going to keep guessing. It’s time to learn instead of wonder.

Watch more movies - I love storytelling. I love the different mediums that can take and I really love movies. Lately I watch more shows than movies so my goal for the year is 162 Movies. It’s not totally unreasonable and I think I watched 200 last year, but I think it’s worth a shot.

Slow down - I really need to take more time for myself, a chance to meditate, recharge, journal, just reflect or learn new things. I don’t do this enough and I think it’s really time to tackle some of those emotional things that come with being 34 and getting ready to make another time based shift in life.

Journal - I really got into this in 2018. I tried bullet journaling and really liked it. I think it’s a great opportunity to grow and reflect and while sure I’ll have those for the rest of forever it’s also a chance to really work things out and I need to do more of that.

Find a new job - This one is hard. I had the opportunity to start something new and I really like it. It’s science in the most fun ways, but I really need to grow up and start working on building an income that will let me get out of debt, support myself, travel, write, those kinds of things. It’s hard to sit here and say I want to leave where I am cause I don’t, but I think it’s important to grow and I should take those risks and grow. It’s time.

Say no and thank you - This one is on my list every year and it really is something that I take for granted when I feel totally capable of doing it. Saying no is important for more than just the peace of mind. Healthy boundaries are a necessity for sanity and I can’t always do everything, I really need to say no or I can’t or I need help, would you be able to do that please and then hold true to whatever it was that I said. On the flip side I need to make sure I’m saying thank you when I’m grateful and sometimes when I’m not. There are a lot of people who really genuinely make my life incredible and without them I’d always be a puddle of depression and sadness and would forget that there is good in the world. And while it’s not their job to make me feel great I’m so very pleased every day that they’re apart of my life and should celebrate that.

Work out - This is a hard one to put on the list, but please notice it doesn’t say lose weight. I’d really like to get my body strong, the weight would just be a bonus. As you’ve read, I have FAI. It makes things very complicated and I’m facing a very real possibility of a hip replacement before I’m 40. I’d like to work out and get strong arms and a strong core to help keep me up and if I happen to lose weight awesome, but really I’d like my body to be strong and able to do things in case my hips don’t support me. I’ll be really reasonable about this, but it’s something that I really do need to work on.

Cooking - The other part to this whole WTF body issue is the food that I eat and that means cooking my own food as much as I can. I need to learn what my body can eat, what makes me feel good and what I should be cutting completely - like tomatoes. I also just super love it and would really love to do more of it. It’s awesome to see what food can become once you stop looking at the rules and start thinking with your stomach.

WRITE! - This should be such a simple thing to do, but it’s so simple sometimes I forget to do it. Included here in writing would be things like journaling, writing my lists down, blogging, working on the short stories I have outlined, and editing. I’d love to get the opportunity to make other peoples stories better.

Meet new people - For a long time my depression and anxiety have gotten in the way of meeting new people and really getting to know the world around me. I keep getting sucked into a narrative that is more or less my brain lying to me about the impact I have on the world and the opportunity that could be provided by meeting people. I’ve assumed as I’ve become sucked into more groups on Facebook, or I interact more with the same 10 people, that I’m doing the best things for myself, but really it’s time to meet new people and have new conversations, but also to take the time to listen instead of speak. There are a lot of perspectives in the world and I need to listen to more than my own.

Clean up/ Clean out - I’ve been living in between places for a long time and now that I have a home base in my bedroom it’s time I clean out all the other stuff and really cut down to the things that are going to make me happy and give me the best start for the future. This isn’t limited to things, which will be a long and exhausting process even though it’s all gotta go, but also my digital footprint and all the junk that comes with having a digital world. It’s time to go through all the paper, all the digital files, all of the stuff I have and get down to the things that make my world the best place for me.

Be Present - I use my phone a security blanket. It’s the thing I feel safest with in the whole world. It has pictures of people I love, access to the internet, and a helpful assortment of weirdos that I love and can reach out to at any time. But really my phone is too close to me and I’m too attached. It is time to find new ways to help ease my anxiety so I can be present and start doing all kinds of new and different things, that don’t include picking up my phone every 4 minutes.

There’s a lot going on in those 12 goals. Not only is it a lot to work on, but it’s a lot of work to do. I’ll check in from time to time to let you know how it’s going and what I’ve learned.

And I’d love to hear about your goals and what you’d like to accomplish this year. Leave me a note in the comments.

Happy new calendar year Adventurers!

HhG

Thank you for coming to visit and for continuing to support skaBunny Makes. This is a project I work on because I love it. If you love it and want to support, please contact me at skabunny.creative@gmail.com. You should also reach out if you have a guest post you’d like me to publish or if there are topics you would like me to cover. You can find a list of projects I’m working on in the Other Projects folder and you can listen to me chatter, mostly at myself 3 days a week on Twitch - Mondays, Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:30 pm and Saturdays from 7 pm to 11:30 pm.

New blog posts will be posted on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Some of it will be new content, new series, new images, but we’re still gonna talk about real life here. That’s not going to change. We will still cover loads of things that aren’t easy, mental health, life choices, living with your body, new families, life, changes in the world and all kinds of other things. Life is an adventure, this one is mine.

[skabunny]

Since I've Been Gone

Greetings Adventurer!!!

It’s been a long time since we’ve talked. If you follow me on Instagram you probably know about my new puppy and my depression. You probably know that I recently read DC Titans : Raven, that I cleaned out ALL of my clothes, I started playing magic, and that tiny waffles are adorable. That’s actually a pretty good summary of what I’ve been doing since January 1 of this year. But like always I want to talk about more than the pictures and maybe get a little detailed into some of the writing I’ve been doing and let you know around when you’ll see some of it.

Just as a heads up, I embedded Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve Been Gone below for you. It’s been stuck in my head since I started writing, so I figured this would give everyone a chance to have a little girl power in their day.

I have a lot of things I could talk about, like the bomb cyclone and how my car was so covered in ice that I thought I’d be stranded because of how insane the storm was, or how this was the first time I’ve been entrusted with an audit of any nature. There was completing the downloadable content from Horizon Zero Dawn, the first time I was bullied for streaming on Twitch, making new friends, earning a certificate in a software development process I’ll probably never get to use. And turning 35. That little highlight reel lead to new ideas (like learning 36 things before I turn 36) and new goals. It also brought me to the place of a new job.

I’m still testing software, but I’m going to be doing this for a new company. I’m stepping up into a real grown up job, one that pays real grown up money. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was nervous. The last time I did anything that could remotely be considered adult, I was fired for being too childish. I wasn’t ready then and I don’t know if I’m ready now, but I start on August 25th, so we’ll see how this goes.

My transition here is gonna be choppy, but I need to talk about the movie Booksmart. The quick and dirty is this, Booksmart is the story of two girls who didn’t have any fun in high school on the eve of their graduation realizing they wanted to step up and have the real high school experience. I watched this movie with my dear friend and movie buddy Marika and I’m not gonna lie it was probably one of my favorite movies of all time. The experience was relatable, it had some of my favorite people in it and to top it off I left the movie feeling like I had just watched a masterpiece in story telling.

Olivia Wilde made something that I can’t wait to show my kids. and I don’t say that often. I can think of a dozen movies maybe that I want to share with the my future children, the rest of my favorite movies they can discover on their own when they’re ready. Booksmart though was a seriously amazing.

Where this takes us though is the current state of my life. It’s not pretty right now. I mean sure there are cool parts, I get to do things like write and start a grown up tech job, but there are parts and things that are not much better than when I started, in fact some are downright worse.

So, my depression is downright terrible. I’ve been exhaustively depressed all summer. It’s the kind of depression that makes me feel like if my brain exploded I’d be winning. It’s hard to tell truth from fiction most days and because of that my anxiety is through the roof. It’s made everything from my daily relationships to work and planning my future, even writing, harder. Let’s be real, when the only thing you want to do is sleep, going to work and meeting up with friends occasionally become huge wins. Top that off with mystery illness and I’m feeling like the little wins are medals to be won.

I finally found a doctor and a therapist that I like. I’m getting on track with getting myself back together and I’m starting to feel more like a person most days. I can’t say that I’m doing perfect, but I am doing better than I was. And that’s a start.

So, what does this mean for the future of skaBunny Makes? What am I gonna do now?

I’m not going to Disney World, but I am taking a week vacation in October to hangout with a friend and, fingers crossed, do some writing. I’m also working on a novella that I’m hoping to have done sometime around the end of the year. I’ll give you more information on that when I know more.

I’ve started a couple blog posts that I’m hoping to have up soon and I’d like to think that I’ll be back up and regularly posting here soon, but I’m gonna be ok if I can’t manage that.

Keep and eye on Instagram for more information, or you can follow me on Facebook.

Till Later Adventurers! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for hanging out and checking back. That means the world to me.

xoxo

HhG

Thank you for being amazing! Please know my door is always open for anyone who needs to get stuff off their chest, to talk things out, or to just shoot the shit. You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Tumbr; as well as support me through Patreon. Want to get in touch the fastest and easiest way is to email me, skabunny.creative@gmail.com.

I’m hoping to get new blogs posted Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. Need inspiration? Check out Inspired.Tuesday on Instagram.

Till Next Time Adventurers!

[skabunny]

The Benefits of Hindsight

Greetings Adventurers!

It’s been a while. Almost a year of adventures, new friends, new heartbreaks, and so many new memories. I said a teary goodbye as one of my favorite people went off on their next big adventure. I’ve celebrated big changes for some friends and introduced others to new experiences. It took a lot of time to really decide what I wanted to do with skaBunny Makes.

I had huge goals when I started, but I forgot that I needed to give myself space to grow and that big plans don’t always make for something that makes me happy. I really needed this year off to tackle what made sense to me and get my heart back into documenting this whole grand adventure. So here are some things that happened this year.

Started the year with 30 days of reflection

Learned to bake dozens off cookies in no time

Spent a lot of time in waiting rooms

Watched DC’s Titans

Put up a holiday tree

Took kids on adventures

Worked on saying no more

Ate AIP (which was weird)

Started making some really great food - so far I have 9 solid recipes

Completed Horizon Zero Dawn main story (fingers crossed the DLC before the new year)

Started streaming my computer game playing on Twitch

Restarted my writing adventure and edited a book of poetry

As always, you can follow my adventures on Facebook and Instagram, but that’s not really the point. The thing that I kept thinking about all year was telling my truth. I was such a huge advocate this year for other people exploring their truth and doing what is right for them, that I forgot that it was important to stand up and tell mine. So before the year is out I’m starting for real, I’m back to telling my truth, stepping up and practicing what I preach.

Fear is the tool of the oppressor. Too many voices that tell you you don’t matter and you start to believe them. That’s not my jam. My stories are mine and it’s time I tell them, loudly. I leave you here adventurers with the words of Lily Tomlin, who reminded me, “I said somebody should do something about that. Then I realized I am somebody.“

Thank you for coming to visit and for continuing to support skaBunny Makes. This is a project I work on because I love it. If you love it and want to support, please contact me at skabunny.creative@gmail.com. You should also reach out if you have a guest post you’d like me to publish or if there are topics you would like me to cover. You can find a list of projects I’m working on in the Other Projects folder and you can listen to me chatter, mostly at myself 3 days a week on Twitch - Mondays, Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:30 pm and Saturdays from 7 pm to 11:30 pm.

New blog posts will be posted on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Some of it will be new content, new series, new images, but we’re still gonna talk about real life here. That’s not going to change. We will still cover loads of things that aren’t easy, mental health, life choices, living with your body, new families, life, changes in the world and all kinds of other things. Life is an adventure, this one is mine.

[skabunny]

Finishing Up: Gratitude Project

Finishing up is a several part series where I'm tying up the lose ends on all the social experiments and random writing projects I've been working on for any number of years. I don't know just how long this project will go, there are a lot of unfinished projects, but I am optimistic about getting these all out of the woodwork and completed. 

We've all seen those 30 days of gratitude posts float around Facebook. You get tagged and then for the next 30 days you'll tag other people and let your friends know what you're grateful for. This happens a lot around the holidays, but every once in a great while someone will enter the challenge and start talking about friends and family and freedom, along with all the other things they are thankful for. 

I've never been tagged in one of these, I'm guessing here. I could have been challenged in one and have forgotten over time. The thing that I challenged myself to do wasn't much different. I challenged myself to take on gratitude as a philosophy. I wanted to be grateful with the people I interacted with on a regular basis. 

Unlike with the fem project I didn't have a lot of rules. My goals here were more simple. I wanted to know if I was grateful if I could pass that positive, genuine, hopeful feeling on. I wanted to know if that would make other people more grateful. Mostly I wanted to know just how much I could effect the world around me. 

I'm sure I started this online in some kind of capacity. I didn't see much change in the world, but also it was hard to stay really dedicated to. Sure I'm grateful for my family, but I don't need to say that a million times for it to be true or to share it. Instead of sticking with the internet, a forum I'm fond of for other reasons, I took this project to work. 

At work, I started saying hello and thank you to everyone that works or lives in this building. The goal was to smile as much as I could and to be grateful. I started small, just hellos, smiles and asking questions. While I didn't get involved in anything specific I endeavored to make people feel like they were involved and cared about. Slowly I noticed small changes. 

People would stop me in the halls to say hello or they would wave in the lunchroom. I found that there were occasions where conflicts were eased by the gratitude previously expressed. In seeing my clients smiling faces I decided to take it a step further and started hand writing cards to each of my co-workers. Little words of gratitude for something specific they do.

Thank you for treating your clients like family. 

Thank you for cleaning everything everyday. 

Thank you for taking your time to talk to me about that problem. 

It wasn't like I was offering them raises or gifts, but a small handwritten note could make someones day. It was something to see that act. The light switch turning on and someone realizing that they were seen and appreciated. It made me genuinely evaluate how I do business. 

Gratitude for so long was something hidden, brought out and touted as an accomplishment, something to be bragged about for a day, a week, an hour. My gratitude isn't just about me, it's about the people and things I'm grateful for. And since I've challenged myself to be grateful, I'm also challenging myself to express that gratitude. 

Thank you for your time, your love and your support. Thank you for giving me the time to work through the things that stress me out and the things I'm not ready to deal with. Thank you for being you. 

What are you grateful for adventurers? Let me know in the comments below. 

XoxO - HhG

You are important, valuable, wonderful and I am so grateful you're in my life. If you or someone you know needs a minute, a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen I'm here. Don't hesitate to get in touch and get help. Your struggles are part of what make you, well you. Find me on social media or email me at skabunny.creative@gmail.com. My door is always open. 

Thank you for your patronage. If you'd like to be a part of the book I'm currently working on, please contact me via skabunny.creative@gmail.com. You'll be given a short questionnaire and then we'll set up a time to interview. 

You're constant love and support is one of the many reasons skaBunnyMakes continues. You are valued not only as readers, but as generous friends and family who make my world a little brighter and truly help to strengthen my resolve and my writing. Regardless of what comes next I am grateful for all of you. 

Thank you for everything you do everyday. XoxO - HhG

[skabunny]

Memorial Day holds a special place in my heart. 3 years ago this weekend my Grandfather passed away. He love the Air Force. He was a proud veteran, strong and wise, he never had to say much to make an impact. The day he died I remember thinking that there wasn't a more fitting weekend for him to pass on. 

Growing up I didn't know what Memorial Day was beyond the unofficial start of summer. I would see a few extra flags in the stores or more patriotism than a normal day, but I often felt that there was no real difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, besides the time of year. Today I spent a portion of my morning learning a bit more about Memorial Day. 

While there are treasure troves of information What I learned was this. Memorial Day is the day we use to celebrate the members of our active duty military force that lost their lives. We recognize them with poppies after Moina Michael responded to the poem "In Flanders Fields." She then advicated for the wearing of poppies on Memorial Day. 

"We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies."  -- Moina Michael

Regardless of the history the fact remains that we are surrounded and supported by strong incredible people who are willing to lay down their lives for our. The sacrifices they make for us should not be overlooked, belittled, or forgotten. I'll be stopping by to say hello to my Grandfather later. I'll tell him about what I learned and the people that I've run into today. I'll talk to him about whatever I think is important for him to hear and I'll listen for a response I know likely wont come. 

How are you celebrating Memorial Day? What did you learn? Who did you celebrate? Let me know in the comments below. 

Have fun celebrating today Adventurers! I'll see you later this week as I keep finishing up projects of the long past. 

XoxO - HhG

 P.S. Struggle, especially struggles you can't see, are all around us. My door is always open. The picture below is one of many things you can take from this blog and share on social media. If you are a safe place for someone to come and share their struggles, please share the image and let people know. Our service people come back everyday with things we never understood and struggles we have never had. I'm a safe place to discuss those struggles and someone to help you find support and services. My door is always open.

Thank you for your patronage. If you'd like to be a part of the book I'm currently working on, please contact me via skabunny.creative@gmail.com. You'll be given a short questionnaire and then we'll set up a time to interview. 

You're constant love and support is one of the many reasons skaBunnyMakes continues. You are valued not only as readers, but as generous friends and family who make my world a little brighter and truly help to strengthen my resolve and my writing. Regardless of what comes next I am grateful for all of you. 

Thank you for everything you do everyday. XoxO - HhG

[skabunny]

3 Things : Spring is Coming Edition

There are ups and downs in every moment of everyday and perspective changes how each moment looks over the long term. Over the last few weeks I've started working with a life coach. When I started really debating the decision to become a life coach I started looking at options and talking to people. In the process I met Steve and he challenged me to think about happy things for 5 minutes, all together, each day. He suggested that I do this in the mornings, not realizing that I'm not a morning person, and after a few days I adjusted it. For 5 minutes right before bed I think happy thoughts and when I wake up in the morning I say something I'm grateful for. Below are three things that have repeatedly made me happy for the last couple of weeks.

 1. Elsa and Anna - After this long Frozen should be a thing of the past and in many ways it is for me. Over the weekend a good friend and I went to Build a Bear and celebrated our friendship with 2 bears. I have Elsa and she now has Anna. Now I love my stuffed animals they provide comfort and support and each tells a story. I don't know what the future holds, everyday presents a new set of challenges and ideas, but I do know that in 20 years I'll be able to look back and know that on February 18th, we went to build a bear and had the best time watching people and entertaining each other while we celebrated something great, and that definitely makes me happy.

2. Ted Talks - I've talked about this before and I'm pretty fond of speaking about my love of stories and learning. Over the last few weeks I've spent a great deal of time watching discussions that challenge and inspire. I'm getting ready to speak in front of an audience myself and I'm nervous. Watching what others have had to say and by looking at my own design for my future has been challenging me and I have very much needed that challenge. Challenge makes me happy. P.S. Totally discovered I'm a scanner and I love that.

3. My Bullet Journal - A bullet journal for those who don't know is a journal that is both creative and analytical. It allows for data entry for long term study and then it has space where you can tackle everything else. It all depends how you are and what you want to know at the time you made the journal. I haven't finished setting mine up, but I have found that it is great fun to figure out what I'm trying to learn and where I'm trying to go next. Self discovery is cool.

Adventures, I'm off for now. I have things to do, people to see and a life to explore. Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook what are some of the things that are making you happy.

XoxO - HhG

[skabunny]

Quotable Monday : Let Them Speak Edition

I've been looking for a quote to end Black History Month with. I wanted something that told a story and that spoke from the heart. In looking for something that met the challenge I started watching episodes of the "What's Underneath Project" from Style Like U. Instead of telling the stories of other people or just taking one moment from their lives I thought it would be a good time to let them tell you about who they are and what they've been through. Below are a sampling of some of my favorites, but I highly recommend checking out the entire series. It is incredible and powerful and inspiring.

6 incredible and powerful stories told from the people who experienced it. They are only 6 stories and there are so many more. They are in the history of our world, they are in our neighborhoods, communities. They come from the people we love and the world we share. Stories and conversations help you develop a more open and realistic worldview, especially when you speak with people that don't agree with you. They don't have to change your opinion, but they can give you new perspective and guidance that you may not have known you needed. Challenging yourself is always a good place to be.

 Adventures I'd love to hear your stories. Submit them at skabunny.creative@gmail.com for a chance to have your stories published here. Your story is yours and it is yours to share and to celebrate.

XoxO - HhG

For another incredible story, here is Tarriana Ball with her poem. Seriously check out Style Like U and the What's Underneath Project. It is truly incredible.

[skabunny]

It's not Always Easy : the Self Care Edition

     As I've talked about many times before, my brain isn't always my best friend. In fact, most days I'm pretty sure it down right hates me. Between the anxiety, depression and the massive lingering self-doubt, I'm occasionally pretty impressed by my ability to get out of bed on a daily basis. There are so many people that have it worse than I do and I can’t even begin to tell you how much respect I have for people with severe mental illness. It’s with that in mind that I want to talk about something that I think everyone fails at more often than not, Self-Care.

The principle of self-care is pretty simple, take care of you before things get overwhelming, in the way or just plain hard and everyone has an opinion on how to perfectly handle you. From Pinterest to BuzzFeed the lists of self-care ideas are endless. Those lists are not the worst things. I have found lots of ideas that I never considered.

Self-care is a complicated issue, but you need you time. You need self-care because you are important. Studies have shown that people who take time to spend on themselves are happier and more productive. If you are comfortable with you, you’ll be more comfortable in any situation and more willing to take on the hard topics. As I mentioned earlier this week, I’m terrible at self-care.

I know it is important, but I often forget to handle myself with the love and respect that I treat others with. I spend so much time caring for others that I have to remind myself that I need to take a few minutes every day to love me. In addition, I have to remind myself that the decision to take some me time is not selfish, but needed so I can continue to do all the things. Below are 9 things I have added into my routine to help me take better care of myself.

1.       Journaling – I write, not for a living mind you, and I love it. By taking time to reflect on my day, experiences, books I’ve read, whatever is on my mind I’m affirming that my actions are for me and that my experiences are valuable. I’m also giving myself proper time to reflect on an issue and to really tackle the things I may not want to talk about. Plus, they’re fun to read when you feel nostalgic.

2.       45 Minutes of uninterrupted reading time – This is done with a real book, my bed, some blankets and my cell phone on silent. It is a wonderful time to turn my brain off and to really charge my batteries. I have loved to read my whole life and by setting aside time to do that I can really relax and unplug before I fall asleep and have weird dreams.

3.       5 minutes of reflection and a moment of gratitude – This came from my life coach. I found the guy on Craigslist and he’s pretty fantastic. He suggested that I take 5 minutes when I wake up to think happy thoughts. I’ve moved this from morning to bedtime. Once I’ve read my book and am ready to sleep, I turn off my light and think about all the things that make me happy. This can range from flowers, a specific song or sound, an event, people, whatever. Then when I wake up in the morning, I thank the universe for something. An example of this was a few days ago I said thank you for a pleasant exchange between myself and a client. It was making me happy and I was grateful for the thought and the experience.

4.        Coloring – I love color. I love pictures. I love coloring. This is a fun activity that can be done at any time for any length of time. I try to do this once a week, sometimes for an hour, sometimes all night. I find the practice calming and it lets me settle into something until it’s complete and then I can move on.

5.       Cinnamon Rolls at Johnson’s Corner – It’s been a while since I’ve taken a drive and just run out of town, but one of my favorite things to do is put on music and just drive to Johnson’s Corner. It’s a truck stop about 2 hours (I think) outside of Denver. It’s huge, sitting on the side of the road for the last I don’t know how many years. The coffee is ok, the food is tolerable, but the thing that sets this trip apart is the giant cinnamon rolls. I don’t typically think of food for self-care, but these rolls are worth the trip. Huge, gooey, and delicious these are a once in a while treat that just make you feel warm and taken care of. I’ve been craving one for weeks now. I think it’s time to get out of town for the day.

6.       Snuggling with a loved one – This is a good one for lots of reasons. Mostly though it’s important to spend time with people you love, or your animals. For me it’s my electric blanket. I cuddle up with a book, some tea, a window and I just relax and enjoy the warm bubble of space. It’s more fun though when it’s a dog or a person. Just remember to ask for consent. Share the self-love and just relax with the important person/people/pets.

There are no wrong answers for self-care. As long as you are taking the time you need, you will feel better. Even just adding 5 minutes of music to your day can drastically improve your mood.

 Adventures, what do you do for self-care? How do you handle the stress? What do you wish you could learn to do to help you tackle self-love? What do you think you need?

 XoxO - Till next time Adventures, Take Care - HhG

[skabunny]

Quotable Monday: Dr. King Speaks Again Edition

Oh goodness, the last few weeks have been terrible. There isn't anything to say really, but there is a lot that can be done. Between Trump, who is scary, and people I know being scary, I needed a touch of sanity for my Monday.

Martin Luther King Jr stepped up in a world that wasn't ready for him and fought him at every turn. While some may not like him much, it cannot be denied that he had an impact. Personally, professionally, culturally, these are troubling times. It is important to tackle them with grace and love. Hate begets hate and we don't need more of that. This week instead of a question I am challenging you to step up, stand up and do the right thing. Do one random act of kindness for someone. It can be anonymous, it can be anything, there is only one rule: be kind.

So my dearest adventurers, let me know in the comments below how you would be kind to the world you’re living in and how you will be kind to yourself.

With Love, HhG

[skabunny]

It's not Always Easy : Communication Edition

So with the decision to take one of my passions, communication, and turn it into a business you'd think that communication would be an easy and natural part of my everyday life. But that isn't always the case. The problem with communication isn't always what needs to be communicated, that's usually pretty easy to figure out, but the problem is often figuring out how and what to say. Below are a few of the steps I use to determine if I need to say something and then how and what to say. 

Chances are pretty good if you've reached the stage where you can ask the question, you will want to talk about it. However this is the criteria that I use to determine if this is something I should discuss or if it's something that I should drop. 

Has this been bugging me for more than an hour or is this something that has bugged me previously and I've dropped? Discussing something is a timely and efficient manner can allow for positive change, but if it's not on your mind after an hour or so, it may not be important. 

Am I emotionally prepared for the discussion? A conversation is between two or more people and not everyone is going to say things we'll like. Can you handle having that conversation or do you need to take a day?

How likely am I to focus on the issue and not on my phone, work or other item? The more you can concentrate on the issue at hand, the less you have to review later. 

What will this discussion achieve? Having good clear goals will help you know if you have set out to discuss and correct the behaviors. If you don't have goals, you may not be ready for the conversation. 

Do you have a clear plan of action for the other person? They will need to know what would work for you in a given situation. These will be clear and concise plans of action that involve you and them. 

Do you feel that this is a conversation that you can grow on? Having space to improve is important, but not essential. Sometimes you just need to keep it simple, but sometimes one conversation will build on the next. Is this one of those? 

Once you've taken the time to prepare and calm down you're ready to move on and have the conversation. 

Are you ready to have this discussion? Here we go. 

1. Ask the person if they are available to speak. Emphasize that this is important to you and give a distinct time frame. For example, "Do you have 5 minutes to discuss what you said earlier. I'd like to talk about why I'm upset and how we can work together to keep this from happening again."

2. Be clear without placing blame or excuses. Use the goals you created earlier to tell the person what you are feeling and what you're hoping to accomplish in the conversation. Gratitude goes a long way to making the transition from opening to issue less stressful. This can be hard, but often provides the most benefit. An example of this may be, "I appreciate you taking the time to discuss this with me. When you said that I didn't do the work correctly I felt that you did not value the time and effort that I put into the work. While I understand this may not have been the intended effect, I would like to discuss why the work was not to your standard and what we can do to better address the situation beforehand.."

3. Once you have stated your concerns and goals listen to their response. In this example they may say something like, "I understand that you have been working on this report for several weeks. We had requested a report on Hippos and their environment, but received one about how Hippos and Pandas are similar." 

4. Keep from getting defensive. This one is one of the hardest for me because I want to prove that I'm right, regardless of if I am in fact right. Slow down and access your materials. Here I would respond like this, "According to my notes, we discussed a report on Hippos and a report on Pandas. I was under the impression that this could be tied together into one big report."

5. Address your solution to the problem and ask them for input. Again, don't be defensive or angry. If you go in calm and collected your conversation partner will follow your lead. In this example you could say, "For the next report would it be possible to get the request emailed to me with the deadline and requirements so that we can discuss any issues before the report is due? Would it also be possible for you to give your input to me prior to the presentation? I feel this would give me a better opportunity to showcase the work we are doing and to address problems before they start. Would that work for you?" By giving your solution as well as the reason why you feel your solution will work you have informed the other person that you have considered what your needs are and by asking for their input you are allowing that they are also important in the situation. 

7. Reiterate the decision and move on. In this example it would be, "So for the next project we will confirm the needs of the report via email and we will have two status meetings prior to the final presentation." That's it. Keep this part short and to the point. It's easy to remember and it let's everyone know the standards for the next similar situation. 

6. Be grateful and flexible and follow up. Once you and your conversation partner have completed the discussion, thank them again for their time and willingness to address the situation. If they have asked you to come back in a few days or weeks to discuss the progress or look at other options be willing and set aside the time to complete the action. Because you have identified the goals and what success will look like you can address the situation if it gets better by saying, "Thank you for working with me to correct the reporting error." Or if it gets worse by saying, "I would like to discuss the reporting error with you to see if we can continue to work on improving this situation." 

It's the circle of... oh wait wrong story. 

Conflict resolution can be hard and not everyone will play by the same rules. By keeping a clear mind and having a defined direction for success it will be easier to go back to the problem later and continue to grow. I recently got into a 'fight' with one of my closest friends after they said something I felt was rather negative and hurtful. Instead of letting it fester or attacking him, I just said that I wanted to talk about how that made me feel and what we could do to keep this from happening again. I was a bundle of nerves through the whole thing, but by the time we reached the end I felt that he could understand my perspective a little better and we could both work on correcting the behaviors that keep us in that pattern. It was great to feel like I'd succeeded and that there was a real solution. 

Well Adventures, this isn't easy, but it can be incredibly helpful in the long run. And if this isn't the method that works for you, I hope you'll tell me about it in the comments below. What are your success stories? What do you wish you knew how to do? Let me know about those as well. 

Till next time adventures - XoxO - HhG

This is part of the new project Hello Coaching. Check back for more information. Or you can find us on Facebook or Instagram.

Did you know that you can get your first 5 sessions free of charge.

[skabunny]

Happy New Year : Quotable Monday : Carrie Fisher Edition

Carrie Fisher, was, is my hero. From the time that I was around 5 or 6 and I saw her as Princess Leia in The Return of the Jedi. My little heart was won and I forever asked myself what Princess Leia would do. In the wake of her shocking death I found this quote. 

I have long strived to make art a part of my life, not only in creation, but in all aspects of my everyday life. So here are my questions to you, How do you make your life art? What do you do everyday to bring joy, creation and art into your life? What do you strive for? 

Till later Adventurers. 

XoxO - HhG

[skabunny]

Quotable Monday : Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was my birthday. It followed a week that was basically a version of hell that I hadn't expected. By the time Sunday arrived I was not only exhausted and desperate for the weekend, but also excited to see ALL HAIL, the Welcome to Night Vale live show. I'd been planning to see it since like March/ April... Whenever it was announced they would be coming to Denver. I'm going to skip the introduction to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast and the general review of the event as I'm writing this out on Saturday night and would rather talk about the topic of the week.

People are pretty incredible. I mean there is a fair portion that isn't good. And most of the worlds problems would be better if people were not people. But there are some incredible people, Lists of incredible people are available upon request. One of the wonderful things about people would be finding people that resonate with you in the right way. We call these people "friends", also sometimes "family". We have the honor sometimes to join paths with people we respect or sometimes cross paths with people who wow us. We find all kinds of people who teach us or help us grow.

Today I want to say thank you. Not just to the incredible friends and the family that I'm close to, but also to you my incredible readers. To those who will find me later and to those who adventure near me. I may not see you, but I see the impact you have in the world. I'm grateful to those who continue to make a positive impact in their world.

Well adventurers I'm off for now. More soon. XoxO - Hannah

Thank you for your patronage. If you'd like to be a part of the book I'm currently working on, please contact me via skabunny.creative@gmail.com. You'll be given a short questionnaire and then we'll set up a time to interview. 

You're constant love and support is one of the many reasons skaBunnyMakes continues. You are valued not only as readers, but as generous friends and family who make my world a little brighter and truly help to strengthen my resolve and my writing. Regardless of what comes next I am grateful for all of you. 

Thank you for everything you do everyday. XoxO - HhG

[skabunny]

3 things: Starting a New Year Edition

Welcome to 2018 and the whole new world that is developing moment by moment. With so much going on and with the intention of starting back into the world of writing and creating, I wanted to talk about what's making me happy, because lately that hasn't been so easy.

1. Lately, I've been spending a lot of time bored at work. Between the blogs that haven't updated in forever and the lack of projects, there hasn't been much to smile about. But every morning three of my friends turn my phone into an all-day smile fest. I had news and gossip from all over the country to keep me company. They haven't balked at my nosey questions or failed to reply when they get long and complicated.

B. My happy place. As I spend the winter bouncing around with strep, allergies and more colds than I'd like to think about, my bed has become my happy place. All soft and warm, comfortable in a way that reminds me that I'm safe and will be healthy. A comfortable nest to daydream in and when things get messy a peaceful retreat covered in the things that I enjoy.

3. The color black is the last thing that is making me happy. You see Sunday the ladies at the Golden Globes wore black in solidarity for women everywhere. As they demonstrated that times up and that women are not going to stay quiet about the inequalities, the sexual assault, the bullshit anymore. And I for one am excited to see what we do next. 

I didn't realize it was going to be so hard to find 3 things that make me happy at the moment. I've been sick, I've been tired. Really over the holiday season and all of everything that's been going on, like everyone else I'm exhausted. It was a whirlwind of excitement and parts of it were pure joy. But the holidays bring out the worst in people too and I was reminded of a lot of things that I prefer to ignore most of the time.

The things that make us happy are more than just little things that keep us going. They are the moments and seconds that continue to imprint on us. They remind us of what is good and inspire us to keep moving forward. My happiness doesn't depend on things. It's not about always being happy or always being perfect. And the more I look at the everyday life the more inspiration I find to continue to grow. I'll be really stoked however to grow right out of this cold and into a more human representation of myself. 

Adventurers, what's making you happy today? What inspires you?

Until next time!

XoxO - HhG

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or just some stress, my door is open to you. But if you're ready to talk to a professional, 1-800-273-8255.

You can find me at skabunny.creative@gmail.com

Thank you for your patronage. If you'd like to be a part of the book I'm currently working on, please contact me via skabunny.creative@gmail.com. You'll be given a short questionnaire and then we'll set up a time to interview. 

You're constant love and support is one of the many reasons skaBunnyMakes continues. You are valued not only as readers but as generous friends and family who make my world a little brighter and truly help to strengthen my resolve and my writing. Regardless of what comes next I am grateful for all of you. 

Thank you for everything you do every day. XoxO - HhG

[skabunny]

Quotable Monday : Dreaming Edition

I'm trying to lose weight. I've been trying most of my life in the same manor that I do everything. I'm a little bit of an expert mixed with a lot of lazy. Weight loss is hard and I hate trying with no results. After I finished the last round of house sitting and really started to look at my finances, I was behind. I eat out too much, I spend to much on useless junk. My finances are a mess. I don't make enough money to be as careless as I am. So I needed to find a place to buckle down and do the right thing. That became my meals. 

It's easy to plan something basic, in my limited and growing skill set, that I could eat and would be healthy. I mean how hard is it to bake chicken. This time instead of thinking of it as weight loss... well it's not. This is really all about the dollar bills. If I want to go on vacation, see my sister, or pay off my car I really have to stop seeing food as a whatever I'm gonna eat it anyway kind of thing. 

The thing I really started to think about as last week ended was that my weight loss could be my pocket book's gain. By having a few things that I can do that are inexpensive, by always making sure that I'm eating healthy, I'm not going to splurge on snacks or lunch as often. It's not that I wont want to, but even now I'm noticing that I don't think to go out. The food is cooked, all I have to do is eat it. 

I am working on keeping healthy habits because Golda is right. My dreams aren't closed and locked. I can walk through those doors as soon as I want. I just need to do it. And if I happen to lose weight as I get better control over my money, I'm doing the right thing. 

Hope you have a good week. - XoxO - HhG

Tomorrow is my buddy Mark's birthday. He was born on June 6th and always felt that the numbers 420 and 666 were with him. He was so dedicated to the theme that he had 666 tattooed on his head. Almost 9 years Mark ended his life and I miss him a lot. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, anxiety, suicide thoughts please get help. I am an open door. Feel free to contact me at anytime to just talk. If you are an open door or a safe place, please share. I'm here for you.  

Thank you for your patronage. If you'd like to be a part of the book I'm currently working on, please contact me via skabunny.creative@gmail.com. You'll be given a short questionnaire and then we'll set up a time to interview. 

You're constant love and support is one of the many reasons skaBunnyMakes continues. You are valued not only as readers, but as generous friends and family who make my world a little brighter and truly help to strengthen my resolve and my writing. Regardless of what comes next I am grateful for all of you. 

Thank you for everything you do everyday. XoxO - HhG

[skabunny]

3 Things : In September Edition

With the last few weeks as crazy as they have been I wanted to take the time to find a few more things that are making me happy this week. I'll keep this short because it's Saturday and you and I have things to do.

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. I love her, I do. I have since I saw her tell Han Solo to take a hike in Star Wars. She is one of the greatest women that I've had the privilege of watching on screen. A talented actress and wise and when the book came out I wanted to read it quite desperately. Here is a woman who struggled with addiction and Bi-Polar and still managed to come back into the world stronger and more herself than ever. I found the book in a nook at my local used bookstore and didn't even think before I purchased it. I can't wait to read it. 

My Planner. It's silly how much better I feel having this book in my life. I use it for everything and as it was described to me last night, it's more of a journal than just a planner. And the more that I think about it the more I agree. In it's short existence it has become an even bigger part of my day. I love it.

A client told me this week that she loves my style and that I'm always so cute. I don't usually care about comments about my clothes, but it was super sweet to hear after this crazy week.

Happy Weekend Adventurers!

XoxO - HhG

Adventurers, Did You Know that you can support skaBunny Makes by shopping our Etsy store. Is there something you would like to read about? Do you have a post you would like to submit, email me through the contact page or by clicking the email button above.

[skabunny]

It's not Always Easy : Artist Must Be Warrior

I've talked a bit about this webseries, the What's Underneath Project, on the youtube channel StyleLikeU several times, I think even a few times on here. The idea is about being body and people positive and empowering. The mother daughter duo that run the interviews approach each person as a person. They talk about everything from politics, religion, mental health, growing older, being overweight, and really anything that relates to being a person in life. I love this project for so many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons for me is that I love clothes and style and why those are important to each person.

Style is important to me because it helps me show the world who I am, before I even open my mouth. As a bigger girl I spent a lot of time in baggy clothes for most of my teenage years. Around 15/16 Torrid opened up in my area and I learned that there were amazing clothes that fit me. As I started working in retail I took on roles in a Plus Size clothing store. It was the women that I worked with that showed me just how powerful style could be and just what that style could demonstrate to the rest of the world.

As the years have ticked on and I have moved from one center of gravity - discovery, to another - progress, it has been an interesting few years. I have always loved clothes, but after I decided to basically only wear skirts I really found that I view clothes as art.

I'm currently listening to Amanda Palmer, whom I love with a huge part of my heart, talk about who she is and who she is now, while I talk about something she's made me understand. I find that very real and interesting.

My decision to wear skirts was a very personal and very spur of the moment. I was in the Old Navy dressing room trying on pants and I hated, hated, hated every pair of pants I put on. It was fall, and I found myself longing for the skirts of summer and I wanted to feel as good in my clothes through fall and winter as I had in the last few months. I wanted to be the person outside, like I was on the inside. I bought a dark red skirt went home and started to chart my new course.

It was about mental health, as much as it was style, but I'm jumping ahead of myself. There are so many parts of style and so many parts of clothes. For me there is something incredible about a graphic, bold color or print. Something that stands out. There is a beauty to a well cut white t-shirt and a simplicity to a giant blue Cinderella dress. I can't live without a fairy crown. I don't thing the world should exist without a well fitting bra or robot necklaces. I love my blue hair, I'm in love with the silver. I can't wait to go gray, but at the same time I wish for just a few minutes that I could be pretty as a blonde. When it comes to style and art, I am the canvas and the clothes are my medium.

When you walk out the door in the morning it's not about being dressed, it's about telling a story. On my first day of programming class this semester I wore a black/white/green skirt with pockets, and a white t-shirt. I felt like a million dollars. I don't think I put on make-up and I didn't have my hair like the girls in the hall, but I felt perfect. I told the story of a woman who could tackle any challenge and would basically call you on your issues because it needed to get done. I told the story of a woman about to do work. And when we had to stand up and talk to people in our class I found that I felt confident and strong and capable. It didn't matter that there are only 3 other girls in this class and so my group was all male, I was a warrior and I hadn't said anything.

I wont go into the sexism that I experienced in that group, because that's a whole other blog and a whole other feeling that I could talk about. The thing that I realized about my clothes, my style, my canvas is that it still doesn't fit in a box. I spend a lot of time now pretending I don't see the looks that I get from walking around in skirts and dresses and feeling good. I try really hard not to tell people that it's totally cool that my skirt is that short. Or that I really am a person and that means that I can do whatever I want, just like they can. I get a lot of compliments on my hair, but I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to pretend that I'm only my hair. And my hair is only one small part of who I am. 

I'm a warrior. I battle against my brain, my body, my fears, and some days my life. I fight for understanding in relationships, I fight to teach people new ideas. I challenge everything I can as often as I can. I like being a warrior. I like being Batgirl and Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel. I like fighting for the right thing. When I let myself be free, wear what I want, do what I want. I found that it became easier to show the world who I am and to stand up for myself when I need to, be it against the boys in my class or my own mind. I may fall 7 and stand 8, but I'm gonna look damn good doing it.

Maria Ambramovic is a warrior, just as you or I are anyone else is. We all tell a story, fight our battles and work to develop our own being. But the beauty of being a warrior is that you always know you are capable of more.

I'm ending here, it's late and I want to know what you see as your canvas. What do you fight for? What do you use as your weapon? Who or what are you fighting against?

XoxO Adventurers - HhG

Adventurers, Did You Know that you can support skaBunny Makes by shopping our Etsy store. Is there something you would like to read about? Do you have a post you would like to submit, email me through the contact page or by clicking the email button above.