Cloverdew Creative

You may not be a Picasso or Mozart but you don’t have to be. Just create to create. Create to remind yourself you’re still alive. Make stuff to inspire others to make something too. Create to learn a bit more about yourself. - Frederick Terral, Right Brain Terrain

Twig, the Fairy

 Love A La Carte features all the little things that make my life just a little more delicious.

A Lesson in Creativity from Hitchcock ♥ What I Know About Beauty Now That I’m in My 30′s  (I’m actually looking forward to my 30′s…) ♥ dreaming about travel every night ♥ co-independence, a blog post about relationships and knowing and loving yourself first ♥ sharing a blogging passion with my mom, who also chronicled our adventures in Singapore ♥ lynda.com ♥ Another great post from Eat the Damn Cake (this one’s about the power of positive thinking!) ♥ an exhibition of Leonardo DaVinci’s anatomical work reveals a genius centuries ahead of his rivals ♥ Gala Darling’s “Style Tips”, which include bathtub mimosas, talking on the phone, alternative flower vases, sparkly eye-wear, and the celebration of Beltane! ♥ going to the Spoutwood Fairie Festival to celebrate Beltane with some of the best people I know! ♥ this quote: “Don’t fight what excites you and what lights you up inside.” – Matt Cheuvront ♥

We set for Indonesia and met up with my brother in Jogjakarta (Jogja) for lunch at Ayam Goreng Suharti, one of the best fried chicken places in Jogja. Indonesians love fried food, especially chicken and this place is pretty famous for it. We ended up waiting at the restaurant for a while since Mike’s plane was delayed. While we were there, my brother gave each of us a gift of a book that had something to do with Indonesia – mine was Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Once we picked up Mike, who is a very old friend of my brother’s, we set off for Kebumen, Yulia’s hometown, in a very nice air-conditioned bus. By the time we were on the road, it was dark and most of us just spent the drive quietly looking out the window. There were even a few snores from the back of the bus. Later into the evening, we stopped at a buffet for our first real taste of Indonesian food, which is often spicy and includes small chilies. There were lots of options with egg, tofu, and tempe, and, of course, tons of rice. Indonesians, we learned, love sweet things and put sugar in almost everything including fruit juice and soy sauce. We were able to experience this first-hand at dinner and throughout our stay in Java. When we arrived late in the evening at our hotel, we were all relieved to find that it included air conditioning. Indonesia is hot and humid (but being near the equator has lots of lush flora to be relished – pictures to come in the next installment).

After a good night’s sleep, we all were excited to finally meet Yulia in person. She was a doll! Sweet, funny, and a perfect complement to my brother. After the ladies got fitted for the kebaya, we all got ready to head over to Yulia’s parents’ house to meet her family and take part in a couple of Javanese wedding rituals.

Introductions (Left to right: Pat, me, Ann, Jamie, Yulia)

The first ritual is that of the Sungkeman, where the couple asks permission each from their own parents by kneeling in front of them. The parents give their blessing to their children for marriage.

Sungkeman: Jamie with father, Ray, and mother, Ann.

After this ritual, Yulia and Jamie each took their turn for Siraman, the bathing ceremony, where the family members of each poured a rose-petal bath over their heads to purify and ready the couple for marriage.

Siraman: Yulia and her mother, Retno.

Siraman: Jamie and his father, Ray.

After the Sungkeman and Siraman, there was the ritual of gift-giving. Seserahan is when the bride and groom give each other gifts. There are certain expectations of the groom for the bride, mostly. He is to give the bride clothing, shoes, cosmetics, food and other things that show he can provide for her. My brother gave Yuli a lovely dress as her first gift and she thought it was very beautiful. Once she held it up for everyone to see, he pointed into the basket again. Yuli grinned and put on a pair of Groucho Marx glasses. “I’ve never been more beautiful!” she exclaimed. Everyone laughed. Then, Jamie pulled out another pair of glasses, with springy eyes, and put them on. The goofy pair of them made all her relatives laugh. And afterwards many of her relatives took turns trying on the glasses and taking pictures.

The happy couple: Jamie and Yulia.

On the day of the wedding, we all dressed in traditional Javanese clothing and made our way to the ceremony. In addition to traditional legal and Muslim pieces of the ceremony itself, there were also more Javanese traditions, including the Upacara Balangan Gantal, or throwing of betel leaves. At a distance of about 10 feet, the bride and groom stand in the middle of their parents and throw betel leaves to each other. The philosophy of the ritual tells that this is a special moment that will never happen again. The betel leaves are rolled tightly and this shows that the bride and groom are bounded and will face happiness and bitterness together. In Javanese culture, betel leaves are believed to have power to cast out bad spirits.

Then there was the Sindur Binayang ceremony. The mother of the bride covered the bride and groom with fabric. Then, the bride’s father led them to the bride and groom’s chairs. The bride’s mother walked behind the bride and groom. This ritual shows that the parents of the bride give their blessing to the bride and groom. In Javanese culture, a husband is expected to be a role model for his wife. This ceremony demonstrates how the father of the bride is a role model and how the groom should also be a role model. And the bride’s mother walks the bride and groom showing that she gives support to both the bride and groom.

Sindur Binayang

One of my favorite rituals was the Bobot timbang/Pangkon, or sitting on the bride’s father’s lap. The bride and groom sit on the lap of the father of the bride. The bride’s mother will ask to the bride’s father “who is heavier?” Then the father will say “they are just the same weight”. This ceremony shows that both of the daughter and son in law are equally accepted in the family. Then, the father will lead the bride and groom to sit in their arranged chairs.

Both are the same weight.

Before the reception line of about 300 people, there was also a repetition of the Sungkeman. There were many photos taken and a lot of music played. There were smiles on everyone’s faces. It was a beautiful and awe-inspiring day. And that was just the beginning…

Our truly international family: Mike, Anti (Yuli's sister), Hadi (Yuli's father), Retno (Yuli's mother), Ann (Jamie's mother), Jamie, Daffa (Yuli's nephew, Dewi's son), Yuli, Pat (Jamie's step-mother), Ray (Jamie's father), Joe (Jamie's step-father), Me. Dewi (Yuli's sister), Jason (Jamie's brother). Not pictured: Fais, otherwise known as Erman, Yuli's brother (he joined us for the wedding in Bali).

I just got back from the most amazing trip of my life – two weeks in Southeast Asia celebrating my brother Jamie’s wedding to a wonderful, amazing Javanese woman named Yulia. I set off on the first of April from Washington Dulles airport. I spent the next six hours mostly trying to avoid getting jabbed in the ribs by my neighbor’s elbow and thinking about how soon I would get to see my long-lost brother. When I got to San Francisco, I joined up with my parents (my brother’s father Ray and step-mother Pat) and we got our boarding passes for Singapore Airlines. Our flight wasn’t until after midnight, so we spent some time in the airport catching up.

On the plane, we were impressed with everything about Singapore Airlines – the seats, which are roomier than we’re used to on domestic flights in the US; the flight attendants uniforms and demeanor; the hot towels; the ridiculously good food; the in-flight entertainment. I highly recommend using Singapore Air if you get the chance. Although I wasn’t really able to sleep, I was at least somewhat comfortable and enjoyed watching Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows in my sleep-deprived state.

Singapore Skyline

Once in Singapore, we joined up with my brother’s mother Ann, step-father Joe, and brother Jason. The six of us spent a day and a half enjoying great food, drinks, modern architecture, Buddhist temples, Little India, Chinatown, many and varied species of orchids at the botanical gardens, and a sunset harbor cruise which gave us a great view of the Singapore skyline. (For more on our adventures in – and more pictures of – Singapore, be sure to read my parents’ blog entry here.)

Orchids in the Botanical Garden.

My mom (Pat), Ann, and I even had time to go to the spa and have a fish spa treatment and pedicures! The little fish felt like tiny little bubbles all over my feet. The larger ones tickled so much, we actually laughed out loud!

At the fish spa: Pat, me, Ann.

To be continued…

For me, last year was all about gratitude. Without choosing the word specifically, I had a connection with it from the beginning of the year. I started each day with a morning ritual and took on a “less is more” attitude about social media and life in general. I wrote myself a love letter, reminding myself to be grateful for everything around me. I wrote often about things I love and that make me happy. I cleaned up and out and was more grateful for the fewer things I had. I worked at it and eventually, it became habit. Gratitude was abundant.

In 2010, I chose three words as themes for the year: Learn, Create, Invest. This year, I am revisiting the idea of putting all my energy into three aspects of my life. This year, my three words are: Create, Celebrate, Simplify.

Create

• Goal word: CREATE
• Path 1 to the goal: write and continue personal blog
• Path 2 to the goal: scrapbook
• Path 3 to the goal: finish family cookbook and continue cooking blog
• Distractions: time management, lack of patience
• Steps to the path: blog at least once a week, finish a novel; build a scrapbook from scratch; collect and organize recipes for cookbook
• The finish line: write “The End.”, have sections of the cookbook mapped out
• What’s next: edit the novel, put together and edit cookbook in InDesign, continue blogging with new features and fresh ideas, move on to photography and other media

Celebrate

• Goal word: CELEBRATE
• Path 1 to the goal: celebrate with friends
• Path 2 to the goal: celebrate with family
• Path 3 to the goal: celebrate myself
• Distractions: money, time management, other priorities
• Steps to the path: remind myself that each day there is something to celebrate; rejoice in small victories; take every opportunity to socialize, treat myself, and appreciate others; in short, Celebrate Everything!
• The finish line: feeling great about myself and the world around me
• What’s next: Celebrate more!

Simplify

• Goal word: SIMPLIFY
• Path 1 to the goal: simplify self-care
• Path 2 to the goal: simplify my space at home and at work
• Path 3 to the goal: simplify online presence
• Distractions: work and home responsibilities, time restraints, lack of motivation
• Steps to the path: eat well (no nitrates, chemicals, preservatives, or hormones, eating a balanced diet, eating often but not lots at once); exercise (walking, biking, and getting out more); clean and organize often; get rid of clutter and unnecessary items; donate to charity; cut down on the number of social networks I’m involved in; step away from technology more often; take great care of myself, including a nightly and weekly beauty routine
• The finish line: feeling mentally and physically healthy, a clean and organized living space and working space
• What’s next: Keep it up!

Image credits: create – IHeart Organizing; celebrate – That Kind of Woman; simplify – The Container Store

Love A La Carte features all the little things that make my life just a little more delicious.

the smell of LUSH stores, particularly of their bath bombs – ahhhhh ♥ free cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes (follow their Twitter feed for the secret word of the day) ♥ ♥ crumpets ♥ PsychologyToday asks and answers: Who Is Creative? ♥ Dana Tanamachi’s stunning chalk doodle cover of Oprah’s O magazine ♥ my friend Karen’s blog - she writes about life, love, friendship, and navigating today’s world with such eloquence ♥ Emergency Puppy! ♥ No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom – after 17 years, it’s still one of my favorite albums ♥ the image above from purple buddha project ♥ Bonobo ♥ hanging out in Barnes & Noble and finding all kinds of books for my to-read list ♥ terrible diner food and great company ♥ being asked to help out a friend from Germany who is writing a dissertation in English (about the assessment of aesthetic appreciation for different types of visual art) ♥ e-mails from my mom “just because” ♥

design by Fifi du Vie

Eat Like an Artist in 2012 ♥ my new Wonderland playlist on Spotify ♥ iCal ♥ the above image from Fifi du Vie ♥ Being Erica ♥ Jay Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne ♥ Move and the world will get the fuck out of your way. – <3 Hey Amber Rae ♥ Pinterest ♥ This post about a true adventurer and his 365 photography project (make sure to watch the fascinating and moving video). ♥ the complete works of Shakespeare free for iOS ♥ Shit DC Says ♥ letterpress business cards ♥ John Legend’s cover of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep (can you imagine if they collaborated? OMG.) ♥ Adobe Bridge ♥ mimosas ♥ President Obama singing Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together ♥

What adventures are you up to? I’m brainstorming my own for 2012…

Shiny New Year love list:

origin: unknown (Is this yours? Let me know so I can credit you.)

Pantone and Sephora teaming up for a new beauty line!  ♥ SARK at TEDxFiDiWomen ”Succulence is Powerful” (YouTube video) ♥ friends who are always there no matter how many miles or days come between you ♥ Inbox: 1 (as close to zero as I can get realistically) ♥ teaching my mom how to use Flipboard and getting links from her as a result ♥ Janelle Monae ♥ handmade quilts ♥ warm and fuzzy sweaters ♥ The Definitive Color Wheel ♥ these 30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself ♥ light and fluffy snow falling ♥ laughing with my coworkers ♥ my brand new Nook (thanks, bro!) ♥ my new nightstand and lamp from IKEA ♥ starting the New Year off with a fantastic brunch shared with good friends in my new home ♥ having less than an hour commute ♥ using traveling as an excuse to buy my favorite magazines ♥ Rihanna’s You Da One ♥ reading through my old blog entries ♥ President Barack Obama sings Lady Gaga’s Born This Way (YouTube video) ♥ LUSH’s Stimulating Spice Shampoo ♥ Twelve Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creative Thinking (great article on creative thought processes) ♥ some wonderful inspiration from Louise Hay on how to love yourself and why you should start NOW! ♥ research and creative projects ♥ Hyperbole and a Half’s alot (must read: hilarious, especially for grammar nerds like me!) ♥ the fact that it’s Friday ♥ a Lord of the Rings (extended editions, of course) movie marathon with good friends ♥ my new Tumblr theme ♥

The Alot is Better Than You at Everything (image source: Hyperbole and a Half)

What are you loving right now?

This morning, my mom sent me a link to a post about Berlin-based land artist Walter Mason. His work utilizes the beauty of nature and expands upon it. I just had to share the loveliness.

landart | elmleafmeander by Walter Mason

If you’re taken with this image, please check out more of  Walter Mason’s work at his Flickr photostream.

This post is part of a weekly feature on this blog called a Simple Image, which is just an image with links to the photographer’s or artist’s own website or blog.  If you would like to have your artwork or photography featured, or if you have suggestions on who should be featured, please contact me via email.

A canary’s song, the bright sun on a cold winter’s day, a warm glow from a lamp to read by. What comfort and joy yellow brings to our lives!

1. ” Yellow Peppers “, 2. Yellow Leaves, 3. Yellow Rose, 4. Yellow Pom Poms again, 5. Yellow, 6. yellow pencils, 7. Yellow Hydrant, 8. yellow river, 9. Yellow balloons

For years, women used yellow ribbons to welcome home their men from war. Even today, they are used to embrace loved ones returning. Yellow is the color of creative and intellectual energy. Yellow symbolizes wisdom, joy and happiness. Yellow is representative of optimism and enlightenment. The color stimulates the long and medium wavelength cone cells in the retina. It stimulates the brain and nervous system, activates memory, and encourages communication. Yellow is often associated with food (see: McDonald’s Golden Arches).  Yellow is the color of the third chakra and is often associated with the South cardinal direction.

In design, yellow is used to add brightness, to evoke pleasant and cheerful feelings, and to generate muscle energy. Bright yellow is an attention-getter because it is the easiest color to see (even most colorblind people can see yellow). When used with black, yellow creates a warning sign.

As with red and orange, yellow is often used to emphasize elements of design that are most important. Yellow is best used sparingly, since it can easily overwhelm.

• For more about the benefits and effects of yellow in web design, read about the Anatomy of Colors in Web Design: Yellow and the Sunshine Feel.
• Look to pops of yellow to invigorate your interior design.
• Activate your Manipūra (मणिपूर) or yellow chakra to aid with dynamism, energy, willpower and achievement.
• About.com reveals How to Use Yellow in Feng Shui.

What emotions do you associate with yellow? Does it make you hungry? Angry? Mellow? Will you add it to presentations to emphasize import or will you use it to brighten a room? I’m looking forward to brightening up my room with daffodils this spring. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the sight of the sun on clear, cold winter days. 

If you’re wondering how to have more energy and how to get creative, I can tell you that I have more energy now than I have in a long time. You want to know my secret? I haven’t been sleeping more or drinking more coffee (in fact, I’ve been sleeping less and drinking less coffee). I have brought more energy into my life by clearing away the things in my life. This week, I have cleaned out my spice rack, pantry, refrigerator, medicine cabinets, freezer, RSS reader, and both of my email inboxes. I have also packed away about 15 boxes of things to be moved and thrown out 5 trash bags worth of things. I have put together a couple of bags of clothing for donations and thrown out old make-up. This spring cleaning has made me feel so full of energy that I don’t know what to do with myself except keep going, cleaning out unnecessary things in my life and inviting in only those which bring me joy, motivation, and happiness.

There are a few keys to doing this:

1. Don’t Delay: Do it right now. If you have an hour or only five minutes, take some time to tackle one thing and just do it. Something you’ve been putting off forever because it seems too daunting or undesirable or something you just don’t want to deal with – like the basket by the front door or the coat closet. You’ll be surprised how great you feel after just five minutes of straightening things up.
2. Tackle Something You Loathe: I HATE doing dishes. It’s probably my least favorite chore, even though it doesn’t take very long to do. But, if I get in the habit of doing it after each meal instead of just once each day, they don’t pile up, it takes less time and I feel great when the dishes are all clean in the rack or put away in the cupboards where they’re supposed to be.
3. A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place: There’s a reason this is an adage. It’s because it works. If you don’t have a place for something or don’t know where to put it, let it go. Either find a place to put it and make room for it in your life, or don’t. It’s that simple. (And make sure that it goes back to this place when you’re done using it, of course.)
4. If It Doesn’t Serve a Purpose, Lose It: If it doesn’t serve an immediate purpose, why hang on to it? Clothes that don’t fit? Worn out shoes? CD jewel cases? I got rid of them all and I feel great, like a giant weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.
5. If It Doesn’t Have Good Energy, Why Hang On? If you got the object from an old boyfriend or girlfriend or you’re hanging onto it just because you think your mom or grandmother or grandfather would want you to have it, give it to someone else who will love it and use it. That piece of heirloom jewelry in the back of your box isn’t going to wear itself, so unless you’re going to put it on sometime soon, why not give it away? If you’ve got art supplies from an art class you never finished, donate them to a charity or a classroom that needs supplies.
6. Inbox Zero! Do you know how awesome it feels to have ZERO unread emails? When was the last time you went through and cleaned up your entire inbox? Go through and delete anything that’s not important (important = essential to your life, livelihood, relationships or finances). Don’t bother to read unimportant emails, just delete. Once you’ve done this, look at the important emails and decide what is urgent – answer those right away. Yes, right now, even if it’s just to say “I will get you that project as soon as I’ve finished.” Now, the important, but not urgent emails, answer those. Everything that needs archiving should go into folders and anything else should be deleted.

Follow these few simple steps and you will feel the energy around you and within you start to build. It’s a great way to get rid of anything negative and invite positive change into your life. Make sure to declutter and cleanse your life often. It’s not a one-time thing, but a project that you must continue again and again. Each time you do, you’ll feel better, so do it as often as possible.

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The following links are meant to be inspiration for the creative mind. If you find any particularly useful or have others to share, please comment below!

• Why Passion Beats Perfection – If you’re a recovering perfectionist like myself, this is particularly useful.
• 5 Key Steps That Will Improve Your Decision Making – Dumb Little Man explains how best to make a decision.
• You Cannot Sing If You Cannot Cook – Insights into the creative mind via an Italian maestro-chef.
• Passion as the “Ultimate Productivity Tool” – Why the most important aspect of any project or business is not a plan, but passion.
• Passion with a Dose of Realism – The flip side: temper your passion with a plan.
• The Painter and His Window – What is the benefit of social interaction? What about focus? How do both of these play into your work?
• 5 Reasons Why the Most Important Thing You Can Create is Not the Art Itself – How to foster creative flow.
• 6 Tips to Generate Outstanding Ideas – This post outlines great ways to invite new ideas into your life and workflow.
• 6 Ways to Get Yourself Some “Me” Time to Boost Your Creativity – Just a few ideas on getting that creative mojo going.
• Conditions for Creativity – Challenging the norm and working towards creative solutions.