Raige Creations

Lavender, one of my favorite scents and it's color one of my favorites too. I tried the lavender diffuser for relaxation, the lavender soap before bed to sleep more soundly. It obviously didn't work on me, as I had to (finally) see my doc about my new and exciting anxiety and loss of the ability to sleep soundly. Nights had been keeping me up. Still, all that lavender and his suggested medication was not quite enough. However, the past couple weeks I have finally let myself relax. Turns out removing yourself from a toxic environment and exploring another path that seems so much better for me is the trick. It has been challenging, yes. But challenging in an exciting and positive way. And in the evenings I have been relaxing, finally. One evening, sitting just listening to music, I was in such a relaxed state. I was in that in-between state of awake and sleep. It had been a long time since I just relaxed, enjoyed chilling to music. So relaxed, dozing off. Then I heard this song. ...

Just a few reminders we all need to hear every now and again.  Nothing changes if nothing changes.  from  laurengleisberg.com   What you allow is what will continue. from lifehack.org Never accept anything less than you deserve. Remember you teach people how to treat you. from Dr. Anne Brown on Twitter I happened to need to hear these now, as I am having to teach people some things.  It can be difficult, because if allowed, people will take advantage of you and when you say - ' hey, no more ' - they don't like to hear that. This is part of the ugly path I was forced in to at the beginning of the week, and alluded to yesterday. But it is time. It is time to remind people to respect me, to treat me like I deserve to be treated.  Period. 

Source - English Literature via Facebook   Source - Pinterest Source -  The Kindness Rocks Project It honestly costs nothing to be kind. Be cool, be kind. Source - No Sidebar

It is so hard to know how to feel during all this. This Pandemic . COVID-19. The novel coronavirus , or 'rona as I saw in one funny meme on the internet. What a strange time. But that really doesn't describe it with any justice. It is so hard to put in to words. And by the time I try to get something down to describe it, the mood swings swiftly in the opposite direction. I have really been struggling with such swinging emotions, feelings that change from perfectly calm and settled to extreme panic, fear. Then being okay, then worrying. Then active and feeling healthy to lazy and feeling like doing nothing, while having a Kit Kat, then so happy to be in a safe place to going stir crazy. From wanting to laugh to wanting to scream. So in today's Thursday Thought of the Day, there is no one thought. It is all thoughts, ever changing. I mean, how do you process going to the bank these days? Last week, the last time I went in to a bank, there was maybe a new hand sani...

Source - Pinterest Go, ask, step. Sometimes we need a reminder, if we are feeling stuck or stagnant, to just do it. Sometimes it is that simple, even if it does take a great effort. It will get you results. I needed this reminder, as I have stopped working out, been really lazy, and now feel stagnant. I will be starting a new job Monday, which I am actually very excited about, even if a bit worried about the huge job description and big responsibility.  I worked my whole life really, for just this type of position (GO), I applied (ASK), and I was offered the job (STEP). Now, after weeks of waiting and being most definitely lazy, back to work I go. For me, I have decided this also means back to working out, back to blogging, back to not being lazy. A good reminder, just to GO, ASK, STEP.

This is a song that has been playing in the background of my mind ever since hubby got me on this Collective Soul kick. A beautifully written song, musically and lyrically. The meaning, the general consensus writes, is about the shallowness of life. After doing everything, buying everything, life has no meaning. Do I have a long way to run - to find the meaning of life. Read more interpretations here. I guess we are continually searching for meaning, for satisfaction, for happiness. Society would like us to be continually consuming to find these things. However, is that where we will find it? I think not. Admittedly it has taken a long time to come to this conclusion. I guess I have been running' for years. I am not saying I have solved this by any means, but certainly I am not 'running' like I used to. I am more content nowadays with what I have, and try to enjoy each moment and the little things. I am now sauntering along quite happy. Maybe too heavy for a ...

I can be friendly and outgoing. I sometimes thoroughly enjoy conversations with strangers. Sometimes I keep my head down and try to avoid any conversations with strangers at all. I have even been known to be frowning in the grocery store to avoid someone saying something to me. Other women seem to regularly strike up conversations with me in the grocery store...I think the place I live is just filled with friendly people, or do other people regularly strike up conversations with strangers about what is on the shelves in the grocery store? Or it could be that they are interpreting me talking to myself as me trying to strike up conversation with them. That could be it. But many a conversation has happened, about beans, ground lamb, chips, produce the most. from brooklybackroom.com buy here Another time, we actually had someone ask my hubby if he was Mormon in a home improvment store. We were chatting about gardening and garden lights, and she was very nice, but you could t...

It can be a tough decision.  We can so easily be pulled out of a good mood, right? But decide, and stick with it. Decide to be in a good mood. I believe you find it is worth it.

No, not the new Adele song , I have yet to hear that believe it or not. But at least I am not out of the loop enough to know there is a new Hello song that isn't Lionel Ritchie.... Yes, it would appear I have been MIA for quite a while. And in some ways I have been. It has been almost an entire year since I have posted a blog. I have some drafts, but also almost an entire year ago. But I have been around. Just distracted by real life (which honestly has been wonderful). I gave up my smart phone, and do scroll around Facebook and Pinterest, but writing has taken a back seat to actual life and work. So, now I wonder if there is anyone out there that still would like Raige's thoughts of life, motivation, and creation? Yes, the Floyd song does fit here. Is there anybody in there?  Just nod if you can hear me. (But since it is not Monday, no music today.) I will still try to write, because as I realized something: I often wrote thinking I was helping others, but as I ...

The perfect way to start a new year!   I heard this song on the radio yesterday, as we were moving things into our new booth at the Antique Tobacco Barn here in Asheville. It was a long road there, one we worked hard for and waited for, and it finally came.   It is an awesome place to wander (77,000 sq.ft.), there are lots of vendors there, and loads of really cool stuff.    And now we, Blue Rage of Asheville , are a part of it.  Awesome.  Lots of work, yes, but it has already paid off!  I couldn't be happier, things are finally falling into place. So, the best day of my life?  Maybe not the best of my entire life, but certainly the best lately.  It was around this time too that I made a commitment to myself. I vowed to remove everything that brings negativity to my life, and concentrate on only the positive and things that make me happy and feel good. My one and only resolution, but one that I think will make a h...

Yesterday, This is how my day went. Started with this. source: iMapMyRun Wearing this. source: Raige Creations It was awesome! Then I managed to finally do some of this. source And I felt like this. source Then this happened. source: Pinterest I wanted to say this. source: Sawdust City I was a little like this. source: Bforbel.com And started getting like this. source: Etsy Then I was like this. source: Pinterest I didn't even answer the phone anymore. source: Pinterest I just ended the day like this. source: Skreened Have you ever had a day like that?

It was time.  I was ready.  Time for change, time for a more focused direction, and I am ready to introduce... Not a different direction really. It is one I have been going for a while now.  As I was growing my other businesses, I was wishing more and more that I could write, share my motivations and insights that I have learned along the way.  Well, the time has come, and my opportunities are changing to allow me to give a more serious effort to writing, blogging, and creating in many different ways.  So I have focused this blog, and my facebook and google pages, to be the Thoughts of Raige; views of life, motivation, and creation. Basically what I have been doing all along, I just didn't realize that the look of my blog had been outdated for quite some time. I will still be selling my creations, as Raige Creations (on Artfire and Zibbet , plus Vintage Rage on Zibbet ), sharing my motivations, getting through life's highs and lows...

Many a night, I sit on the couch relaxing when everyone else in my family is bored with my TV shows, and finally I give in and say 'Go ahead and play your video games'. I sit and watch usually, sometimes I just go on the computer, or go to bed. But last night, I decided that I wanted to play!!! (probably being off work for 3 days in a row helped me relax enough to do this....) Thus, I learned how to play Black Ops 2 last night. I have tried before, taken the controller when someone had to get up briefly for some reason, bathroom, to get a drink, etc. I failed miserably most of the time. I would wander around, looking at the sky or ground most of the time, walk into walls, get stuck in a bush, etc. And shoot somebody at the same time? Ha, forget it! I shot the wall, bush, or sky. Last night I decided I was going to play with them, and learn dammit! They were so patient, walking me through each step, teaching me how to do it. I would follow my hubby around, practicing...

Some days, it really does feel like we go after our inspiration with a club, bat at it until it falls into our minds, and take it for our own.  Some days our clubs are smaller, and our inspirations fall delicately into our laps, and we welcome them in.  Either way, we seek, we find, and we are inspired.  Happy Clubbing.