SolarSoda

"The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn't behave that way you would never do anything." - John Irving

[alixandpasha]

Happy National Duran Duran Appreciation Day 2018!! This band is and always will be one of my favorite music artists. This song and video is not only one of my favorite Duran Duran songs/videos, it is one of my *all time* favorites!!! Simon le Bon's lyrics are deep and poetic, and Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor, John Taylor, and Andy Taylor are inspirational and inspired artists. I ❤️ #DuranDuran !! . . . . #duranduranforever #duranduranfan #duranduranappreciationday #music #simonlebon #nickrhodes #JohnTaylor #rogertaylor #duranduranrules

[alixandpasha]

For all my friends up north who are SO DONE with the winter weather ... just imagine you are the one in this picture! . . . #donthatemebecauseimwarm #springwillgettherebepatient #florida #springtime #warmweather #thinkwarmthoughts #spring #weatherisbeautifulwishyouwerehere #shortsleevesandflipflops #bejealousofme #palmtrees🌴 #palmtreeseverywhere #palmtreesofinstagram #instagood #palmtrees #palmtreesfordays #sunshine #sunshinefordays #thinksun #sunshinestate #sunshineselfie #instasunshine (at North Fort Myers, Florida)

[alixandpasha]

This is just to satisfy people's curiosity, lol! 😉 The change was deliberately undramatic. This is my natural hair, no styling whatsoever. Very atypical of whenever I've visited salons in the past; I always got my hair styled with the cut, but not this time. 🌺 Rachelle took around 5" off the length; and at first she only took off a couple inches, then let me look at it and asked how I felt about it. So I said, take another couple inches off. She let my comfort level dictate the pace. And I LOVE my hair again!! Rachelle was great, I can't say enough good things about her and the salon. My hair looks healthy again and it still looks long. But I intend to go shorter ... eventually, lol. @darleneshairhut 🌺 One thing I will say about the success of this cut: for the first time in my life I finally accepted and embraced the fact that I'm a wash n' wear gal, and my hair type is what it is, lol. And that's what I told Rachelle, that I needed a cut that works like that, and also works with my hair type. I also said no razors or texturizing shears because it just makes my naturally wavy hair frizzy (one major problem with the last cut). 🌺 It's SO NICE to be able to run a brush through my hair again!! I just love, love, love the way my hair looks!! Thank you @darleneshairhut !!! ❤️❤️❤️👍👍And thank you Rachelle !!! 😁👍👍👍 🌺 . 🌺 #haircut #hair #hairstylist #hairsalon #lovemyhairagain #lovemyhair #supportlocal #localbusiness #northfortmyers #florida (at North Fort Myers, Florida)

[alixandpasha]

I rest my case! Unicorns everywhere!! (at Walmart North Fort Myers)

[alixandpasha]

I'm seeing unicorns like, a lot. I'm totally ok with this!! * (at Walmart North Fort Myers)

[alixandpasha]

This is officially a series - #Perspectives. I call this Perspectives - Value I. . . #photography #perspective #filter #rainyday #trash #tiltshift #value #valuemeal #photo #instagram #florida #urbanliving #whatdoyouvalue (at North Fort Myers, Florida)

[alixandpasha]

Experimenting with filters and tilt shift. And posting to IG. And #hashtags ! . . I call this "Perspective" . #photography #perspective #photo #instauniversity #instastudent #pov #pointofview #galaxys6camera #camera #viewpoint #throughthelens #urbanphoto #reflectiongram #inthemoment (at Fort Myers, Florida)

[dougbeyermtg]

Gremlins of the Realm

I was involved with a project team that was recognized by the execs at Wizards of the Coast last year, and this customized Chandra card was created as our reward! There are very few of these in existence (I think, like, 5). THE (GREMLIN-COUNTING) POWER OF TEAMWORK.

This goes right into my Nalaar family Commander deck! …Which in turn goes right into a security vault, probably. Thank you, Wizards!

[alixandpasha]

That is very cool!!

[alixandpasha]

It is that time - time to make laundry soap!

[alixandpasha]

There are few sounds in this world better than the sound of rain hitting the roof.

[alixandpasha]

6 Fresh Ways to Find Your Passion: Feeling stuck? We've got answers.

I don’t know about you but I’ve never really had a 5-year plan. Much less a 10-year plan. People who can think that far ahead command the highest respect from me. But I’m always so bewildered: how do they do that??? 

I sure would like to be that passionate about something! 

Now I’ve read articles and books before about how to find your passion. Maybe it’s my inability to focus but I came out of those just as perplexed as before. 

Until I read this article! 

Seriously, this article had the most useful information in it as I’ve ever read. I actually felt a real breakthrough coming on; I started to get excited!

But I wanted more. This article laid the groundwork; but I wanted to go more in-depth. At the end of the article was a blurb about the author with a link to her website. I clicked on it and was totally disappointed to find that she no longer maintains it! (I just posted about this. See the previous two posts right before this one.) 

I believe all the stuff on her website that isn’t courses and the email list are still relevant, and maybe I’ll take a closer look one of these days. Right now though, I need to take the action steps in the article and find my passion ... 

[alixandpasha]

Do you choose clarity, or do you choose trust?

(I’m not actually sure who said this, but see the previous post for the blog post I got this from. I just wanted to isolate the quote because it’s so powerful.)

[alixandpasha]

Why I'm Not Here Any More | Corrina Gordon-Barnes

I’m taking a sabbatical. Here's how I trust that it’s okay that I have no clear plan of what's next for me in business.

So here’s how I wound up on this website: I followed a link from another inspirational article I was reading, and at the end of the article was a blurb about the author, and within that blurb there was a link to her website. But there at the top of her website was this lonely-sounding post about how she was putting the period on her business, lol. I thought, oh great. It’s not often you go looking for more inspiration only to be stopped dead in your tracks, especially not in this digital age of lucrative blogging. 

I decided to start with that article, and inside I found an unexpected nugget of truth. So that’s why I’m posting this. This is my new form of bookmarking: whenever I come across a nugget I want to keep and reference, I’m going to blog about it. I used to love bookmarking websites on del.icio.us.com but lately it seems like whenever I try to log on to their website they’re having problems. I truly hope they get them figured out because not only do I have a lot of bookmarks on there, but I imagine they’d rather be functional than not. 

So what’s the nugget? 

The author said, “I heard a speaker recently who asked the question: Do you choose clarity, or do you choose trust?” 

She said that was a lightbulb moment for her. She goes on to say, “Before we’re clear, we have to trust.”

I just thought it was all very profound that here I am at the genesis of my budding business, and when I go searching for more help I’m brought to where a business is closing, lol. Or in this case, had already closed. 

Click on the link to read more of what she had to say. It’s a good read. 

[alixandpasha]

Life coach Nancy Frede guides teens on how to get ready for life beyond school. Open to middle and high school-aged students.

I love the name! Where was this when I was a teen??? Oh wait, that’s right, I grew up in the 80s where stuff like this was assumed you automatically knew the moment you turned 18. 

[alixandpasha]

[minusmanhattan]

Umbrella Sky in Águeda, Portugual.

Photos by Diana Tavares.

[mikeyshane-blog]

In my own view, the important achievement of Apollo was a demonstration that humanity is not forever chained to this planet, and our visions go rather further than that, and our opportunities are unlimited.

Neil Armstrong (1930 – 2012)