As we approach the end of 2009, I tend to reflect back on the year gone by and contemplate around this time and ask myself what I would like to change in 2010. There is something satisfying about one year coming to a close as a new one begins. It gives me the opportunity to look back on everything I have learned and experienced in the midst of challenging times.
As many of you may have, I underwent extremely difficult times in 2009 but managed to come out somewhat unscathed. I have bittersweet memories having experienced the “Great Recession” but I am hopeful about the second chance the New Year will bring with it. It is essential to embrace change and new ideas and make revised plans for 2010
On the other hand, professionally, it was a great and busy year!
March 09: Fábula was voted in New York Magazine’s “Best of NY ” issue, creating a buzz which helped introduce a new audience to our holistic approach to skincare and wellness.
July 09- Beauty Beyond Skin Deep: The Fábula Skincare & Wellness Lifestyle Blog was launched.
Aug-Sept 09: I moved the business to a new and beautiful studio space, and slowly but surely am making it feel like home.
For me, I look toward this New Year to promise great professional partnerships, continued advancement in skincare – which always delivers, and of course results-oriented treatments and products. As always I will keep you up to speed on the latest news in beauty, health and wellness. I’m very excited to be attending the Integrative Healthcare Symposium NYC in February, the Esthetique Spa International Conference Las Vegas in June and hopefully will make it to my favorite destination spa-Miraval Life in Balance, Tucson Arizona after the conference.
As a side note, I was reading a trade magazine recently that asked the question, “Are the keys of change and success really dependent on a miracle, person or plan?” I believe the answer lies in what we do every minute of every day to execute the plan. Being consistent and persistent! Keeping integrity in the choices we make to realize our own personal truths. The future is in our hands and we have to establish a new road to create a new beginning!
Until next time ……….I leave you to be inspired and Read more >
I made this dessert for Thanksgiving and will definitely be adding to the Christmas dessert table today and every year! Yummy and a breeze to make. Every ingredient used was organic and readily available in my pantry!
Recipe found in this month’s House Beautiful and you can view here @ NPR:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Granny Smith apples
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1 large egg
1 1/4cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and coat with the bread crumbs.
2. Toss together the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Set aside.
3.Peel and core the apples, then slice one apple into 16 wedges. Combine the cinnamon and
1/3 cup of the sugar mixture in a medium bowl. Add the apple wedges and toss to coat. Roughly dice the remaining apple.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and the remaining sugar mixture on medium speed until light, fluffy, and lemon colored, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour and baking powder. Slowly add the half-and-half, and mix until combined. Fold the diced apple into the batter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Arrange 14 of the apple wedges fanned along the outer edge of the pan and place the 2 remaining wedges in the center. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a small offset spatula around the edges to release the cake from the pan and remove the spring form. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, then cut into 12 wedges.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Christmas like most holidays can come with a lot of drama. Expectations run high, but the holidays often deliver little of what we expect. It’s only natural that holidays will focus our attention on what life lacks- a peaceful family, a thriving career, a happy home, or maybe you are still searching for the perfect partner? What if, instead of focusing on what isn’t perfect in our life, we focus on the simple things that bring us joy- the dream you’re nurturing that’s on its way to being fulfilled, the creative spark within you that longs to be expressed.There is always something to be grateful for. I know it’s challenging to feel this way in difficult times and when life gets hard. Yet, that is when gratitude can be so important and helps me work through what may feel like and endless rut.
I leave you with some of my simple pleasures and reasons to be thankful this Christmas Day……..
- Laughing so hard my face and stomach hurt
- Listening to my favorite songs
- Clean sheet day
- Bubble baths & hot long showers
- Laughing at an inside joke
- Making new friends and spending time with old ones
- Playing with my cats and puppy
- Overhearing someone say something nice about me
- Listening to my nieces and nephews laugh
- My husband unexpectedly hugging me
- Dancing ( the best medicine)
- Cup of tea, a good book and a lazy day
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate this holy day and may the energy of the season guide you to joy and peace!
Love & Light
Claudia~
“Today marks the winter solstice, shortest day and the longest night of the year. There’s an aura of stillness that envelops the day. It’s not as if things won’t happen or progress, but just that we may be more readily able to connect to a deep sense of peaceful quietude. Today the Sun moves into the sign of slow-but-steady Capricorn.
This is the third of the three cosmological meetings this year of the planets Jupiter and Neptune (the first occurred on May 27, the second on July 10). It’s a day that may feel dreamy but one that will remind you that your dreams can become reality. There’s a profound sense of connecting to a deep power within us, from which our creativity can flow forth. Read more >
‘New Moons signal beginnings. Given that this one is in Scorpio—and yesterday we experienced the first of the exact squares of Pluto and Saturn—what is being planted for growth is likely an outcome of having let go of something else. Reflect upon what it is in your life that you have found to have become outworn, something that you have released or are considering releasing. Envision what it is that you would like to create in its place, something that can transform your life so that you can experience a greater depth of joy.
Scorpio represents that which is hidden, the unseen. It’s not that these things necessarily have to be kept in the dark, it’s just that we usually “don’t want to go there.” During a Scorpio New Moon, subjects considered to be taboo may rise to the surface. If your natural reflex is to turn a blind eye to these, allow yourself to just contemplate them for a moment, even if at a distance. You may end up finding them a great source of learning, even if it’s more clearly understanding what it is that causes your aversion.
As this New Moon squares Neptune, we’re likely to be swimming in tidal pools of compassion. This may open us up to feeling even more deeply than we already do, whether to our own or others’ joys or sorrows. With this planetary combination, we may also find ourselves either extremely enchanted or disenchanted with someone or something; keeping both your heart and eyes open to see things as clearly as possible is very helpful to so as to avoid floating away with either of these feelings.
This month’s New Moon falls at 25 degrees of Scorpio (Sun and Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a New Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Scorpio or the other fixed signs—Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius—it may impact you more intensely.”
Written by Stephanie Gailing
Source: Planetary Apothecary
Inspired by my friend Joe Monkman, spiritual teacher, shaman and life coach. I share with you his weekly inspirational quotes taken from personal meditation journals to call us into action and celebrate positive change now.
- Who will inspire you to think and act ‘out of the box’, enjoy a smile, and reflect on all of the positive abundance that Life offers every moment of every day? Be Open.
- Moving forward requires your attention, your focus, your commitment, your love, your desire, your joy, your ACTION. Move into action. Be that.
- Life is a wonderful journey. Go first class.
- There is nothing to ‘do’ even as you take action. Is that a contradiction?
- There is no ‘doing’, only ‘being’. Being in action. Being in love. being open to receive. Being available. Being joyful. Being prosperous. Being present.
- Look now at the path you are clearing. There is room to grow. There is room for more to enter. There is an abundance of space. Now is the time to broaden your view. Go beyond your walls – the walls of your home, your city, your country, this Earth. You are Universal Energy. Tap into that source. Act like you know it. Believe. Achieve. Receive.
- There is brilliance acting on your behalf.
- ACT on your subtle impulses. Say YES. Be OPEN to new ideas. Let LIFE move you. REWARD yourself with LOVE.
Joe Monkman
Earth Spirit Works
‘Enhancing the Prosperity of People and the Planet’
Love & Light
Claudia
Some of you may notice that the fall season brings on a transition for the skin. As the temperature begins to drop there is less moisture in the air which usually hydrates skin and keeps it looking supple. Therefore, the complexion can be left dull and lifeless – each brought on by over-exposure to sun, heat, humidity and pollution. Additionally, as any summer tan fades, hyper pigmentation stubbornly takes its place.
One of the most effective methods of skin rejuvenation is exfoliation. I recommend ingredients like L-Lactic Acid and L-Retinol A, both of which stimulate keratolytic activity in the epidermis and turnover the dry depleted surface skin cells. As soon as the more receptive cells are exposed to these ingredients there will be better absorption of topical antioxidants and humectants which in turn will plump the skin’s liquid reserve to prevent future dehydration and ensure healthy hydration all winter long. Read more >
Fall has arrived! As we enjoy this transition from summer into winter we need to embrace the inevitable internal changes. Fall season, in itself promises a rich palette of colored foliage and a changing climate, both which are enough to ignite the power of our senses.
Most of us are accustomed to and want some level of consistency in our daily lives and rituals. However, I keep asking myself about change, new beginnings and stepping outside the comfort zone. In part to autumn and while recently watching a friend’s skydiving video, I said to myself, “I could never do that”. Does this sound familiar? Personally I truly dislike saying or thinking I can’t do something. For example, I am extremely afraid of heights but have faced this fear head on by skiing and riding some pretty amazing steep mountains across the country. I also faced my fear by rock wall climbing at Miraval in Tucson, Arizona (where I had a panic attack!) but I got through it and made it all the way to the top! What a great feeling it was getting to the TOP – not to mention the beautiful view of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
You may not be ready anytime soon to jump out of an airplane and free fall to the ground. However, you may be ready to jump in and pursue some of your own interests that you’ve put on the back burner. Some of those so called guilty pleasures, personal desires and indulgences which allow you to escape from the stress of daily life.
We all tend to make excuses for why we don’t do things but you can start by changing your thought process. This change will open up doors and opportunities you never even knew existed.
The beauty of being alive is that the rules are always changing. Discover yourself, embrace whatever slight discomfort, and venture into those places of delightful daring. Remember both you and your life are beautiful works in progress!
Love & Light
Claudia~
Astrologer and writer Judi Vitale has had her eye on the sky for most of her life. Partnering with Fábula she brings you Astrological insights into wellness.
Hello, Everyone! We’ve made it through September and all the ups, downs pushes and pulls of Saturn and Uranus, now we can look forward to more positive energies during the month of harvest celebrations, chillier weather and, of course, Halloween! People become cheerful during October, maybe because it seems so wonderful to dig out the jackets and other warmer clothing that make us feel cuddly-cozy. Now that Mercury Retrograde over, it’s going to be easy to push through those projects and ideas you had so much trouble getting off the ground before. By the way, do you have a funny or amusing Mercury Retrograde story? How did this little-but-mighty planet affect your ability to communicate? From broken-down disk drives to cars that just wouldn’t start – I’ve heard more than a few. I think the funniest one I heard came from a friend who, while suffering from food poisoning, tried to take a quick cab ride home. In an attempt to avoid soiling the cab with the obvious results of her ailment, her BlackBerry got caught in the “line of fire” and… with soaked circuits, it became impossible for it to function any further. With the help of a handy insurance policy, all was well within a few days, including her tummy. Even when it comes to this bothering condition we know as Mercury retrograde, all’s well that ends well! Read more >
Éminence Organic Skin Care Yam and Pumpkin Enzyme Peel accelerates the exfoliation process to reduce pigmentation, fine lines and sun damage. This is a great treatment to rid the skin of flaky dead cell build-up. Leaves the skin refreshed,renewed and hydrated. 
