VernetteOutLoud

Finding My ‘C’ Spot

As life gets more hectic, getting four friends together for an evening of wine and some painting took some coordinating and the patience of our awesome facilitator Simone.

Last Saturday after many stops and starts, we finally made it to CSpot Studio for some painting and sips.

Click here for more info on CSpot.

Click here for more info on CSpot.

The target!

The target!

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My thoughts at the start: There is no way my painting is going to look like the original.

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Aaalll the burshes!

So many choices.

So many choices.

Photo credit: Ruhi F.

Photo credit: Ruhi F.

At this point, as the painting is shaping up...I'm amazed. Photo credit: Ruhi F.

At this point, as the painting started shaping up…I was amazed.

My Masterpiece!

My Masterpiece! Never mind the wonky bird.

Our facilitator Simone, kept things lively. A genius idea, this “finding your C-Spot”. She had everyone chuckling with many veiled references to techniques on finding your creative soul. The laughter certainly helped ease the anxiety about perfection or questions about skill.

She has only been running the sessions since July of 2015 but already the idea is catching on here in Trinidad. Sessions run for two and half hours and can be tailored to your needs – private sessions, birthday celebrations etc. She also runs creative sessions for kids – of course tastefully tailored for the audience, which I think is a great idea for family fun and if you’re already thinking about things to do during the August Break.

An artist herself, Simone said that she wants to enjoy what she does as much as the creatives who come to the sessions. Thus, she would not paint the same thing two days in a row and there was evidence of quite a few options in rotation. Here are some other options available for creatives:
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An evening well spent discovering our creative spots, definitely next level girls night out ish! I certainly recommend this session and will be back, as soon as I can synchronize watches with my friends once again.

Cheers! Girls Night Out was a resounding success!

Cheers! Girls Night Out was a resounding success!

#WeekendCoffeeShare 04/23/16

#WeekendCoffeeShare
If we were having coffee, it would be over lunch, at a new spot mutual friends having been regaling us about for the last couple weeks. We would agree to meet after we got the day’s to-do list almost squared away. One of us *coughmecough* will probably get lost and have to call for directions…but such is often the case with new spots located in parts of the island yet to be explored.

If we were having coffee today, I would be bursting to tell you that my business plan is almost complete and my still hush hush venture is taking shape quite nicely. We would talk about self-care and what it means for the both of us. Because, Saturdays are usually all about self-care routines.

Unfortunately, as the coffee arrives and we take that first sip…it’s not very good. Trying not to be coffee snobs might prove to be tricky, but there is no way we are going to continue drinking that cup of sadness.

If we were having coffee…we would politely ask for another cup….perhaps a stronger brew this time and hold the milk and sugar. Lunch ordered, conversation would shift to long-term blogging plans and the benefits of attending blogging conferences.

Amidst the easy and at times animated banter about our plans, blogs and the value of our posts when we do hit ‘publish’ our food and second cup of coffee arrives. The food is okay…but we were right the first time around. The coffee isn’t good at all.

Coffee forgotten and growing cold, food slowly disappearing, our conversation will move to what I like to call my ‘nesting phase’ and funny enough…your favourite word for it turns out to be ‘home-making’. This is my pet topic of late…all the fun little projects I’m doing around my apartment, making it more of a home. We swap ideas and make plans to visit a ‘home’ store in the area as soon as lunch is over.

Today, if we were having coffee, note to self: Sometimes, it’s not about the coffee.

p.s. and FYI the coffee was not included on our bill.

*****#WeekendCoffeeShare is an awesome link-up where coffee (or some other awesome beverage) is being shared over some great conversations.

#WeekendCoffeeShare originated at Part Time Monster:

I started the Weekend Coffee Share last year after lots of feedback and several months of writing posts that imagined a conversation with my blog readers that started with the “if we were having coffee” line. The coffee share runs on the weekends, and there aren’t a lot of rules—-posts just need to be formatted like a conversation over beverages (we’ve had tea-drinkers and cocktail-hours as well as coffee) AND be written within the past week (so you don’t need to publish on the weekend to join the link-up). The hashtag #weekendcoffeeshare is in use all weekend on Twitter and Facebook, and it is sometimes used a bit during the week as well. .~Part Time Monster

#WeekendCoffeeShare 4/16/16

#WeekendCoffeeShare
If we were having coffee, it would be on the go as we both ran errands. This is a practice I started last year with two other girlfriends. We found that it was easy to get caught up in our mundane, Saturday morning ‘to do lists…and weeks would go by and we hadn’t seen each other. The solution? Combine our to do lists and get the chores done together while we sip our respective brews.

Not only was it a great way to catch up, but it was fun sharing what would have been an otherwise mundane day with people I love spending time with. Not to mention the satisfying rush of knocking things off the to-do list aaaand cultivating friendships as well. Because as some of you know…when you get to a certain age, life, work, families and just plain old tiredness can get in the way of maintaining friendships.

So if we were having coffee today, I would have a mochaccino grande with the whipped cream – because it was a hard week and whipped cream makes it all better. We would probably synchronize watches to meet around 9 a.m. I would drive this time. When I pick you up…get ready for visiting three hardware stores and the market. We’re looking for tools and paint for me. Since I’m thinking about making some changes to the apartment.

The first thing I would tell you is that talk about work is off the table. I’m not getting the whipped cream just because I like fat thighs and a sugar rush. It really was a hard week. We would talk instead about your errands and what the best route would be so that all our stuff can get done in time for lunch.

I would tell you about my current obsession with Pinterest boards featuring tropical outdoor spaces and how to avoid falling down the Pinterest rabbit hole. I would also tell you that I am on a strict budget and if you see me getting sidetracked from my list, feel free to reign me in.

By now we would be looking for parking at the nearest coffee shop and I would probably be thinking about getting a doughnut to go with my coffee. Sugar gods help me!

If we were having coffee while we did errands today, what would we be knocking off your Saturday morning to-do list? Feel free to share below.

*****#WeekendCoffeeShare is an awesome link-up where coffee (or some other awesome beverage) is being shared over some great conversations.

#WeekendCoffeeShare originated at Part Time Monster:

I started the Weekend Coffee Share last year after lots of feedback and several months of writing posts that imagined a conversation with my blog readers that started with the “if we were having coffee” line. The coffee share runs on the weekends, and there aren’t a lot of rules—-posts just need to be formatted like a conversation over beverages (we’ve had tea-drinkers and cocktail-hours as well as coffee) AND be written within the past week (so you don’t need to publish on the weekend to join the link-up). The hashtag #weekendcoffeeshare is in use all weekend on Twitter and Facebook, and it is sometimes used a bit during the week as well. .~Part Time Monster

#WeekendCoffeeShare 4/3/16

If we were having coffee…at this hour it would be an after dinner treat probably with a piece of chocolate or over ice cream…affogato style. I would be regaling you with the highlights of my recent trip to Portland. And you would probably be leaning in to get a closer look at my phone as I scroll through all the photos I took.

I would also have to apologize for the photos of my nephew getting his first bath (which his grandmother enthusiastically albeit questionably shared in our family group…which I haven’t had a chance to move off my phone yet). He’s cute and his expression is priceless but it’s waaay too much of him for you (or anyone other than his parents and immediate family) to see so soon in his very young life.

I would tell you about my impressions of Portland – big city features but really a small town at heart. Imagine, I was there on Easter Sunday and the city pretty much shut down. The mall was closed *gasp* except for H&M and Forever21!

The food scene is amazing and I had the absolute fortune to be visiting during their Dining Month. Think three-course meals for only $29. Brunch was also a favourite of mine. I would also tell you…that for a coffee lover like me it is paradise. Portland is the most coffee-centric city in US…and yes, that includes NYC, LA and Seattle. I tried quite a few coffee shops during my visit and they all embraced their own identity. It made for a very happy time discovering and exploring  each one.

I would tell you that my absolute favourite coffee shop…was not a coffee shop at all. It was a coffee truck! It was called Ole Latte Coffee and I made sure to stop by every day that I was in the city. When you ask me what was it that I loved about the coffee truck…I would grab my phone again and go to my photos of my favourite thing about them.

Ole Latte had what they call a “Suspension Board”. It’s where you can pay it forward by purchasing a coffee for someone who cannot afford to buy a coffee. The baristas at Ole Latte don’t touch the board. You put the mark on the board next to the coffee you bought and the recipient takes the mark off. You don’t need a resume to get the coffee…only that you need it. I LOVED THE IDEA. And I wish more business owners would think about such practical ways to put good karma into the world.

By now we would probably be finished with our coffee treat. I would ask if you would perhaps like another…but you most probably want to see more photos of my trip since I didn’t share that many on Facebook or Instagram and I just spent all the time over dinner and dessert talking my ass off. So of course I would hand you my phone, so you could see the best ones yourself. So here you go:

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*****If we were having coffee, you’d also want to know more about this awesome link-up where coffee (or some other awesome beverage) is being shared over some great conversations.

#WeekendCoffeeShare originated at Part Time Monster:

I started the Weekend Coffee Share last year after lots of feedback and several months of writing posts that imagined a conversation with my blog readers that started with the “if we were having coffee” line. The coffee share runs on the weekends, and there aren’t a lot of rules—-posts just need to be formatted like a conversation over beverages (we’ve had tea-drinkers and cocktail-hours as well as coffee) AND be written within the past week (so you don’t need to publish on the weekend to join the link-up). The hashtag #weekendcoffeeshare is in use all weekend on Twitter and Facebook, and it is sometimes used a bit during the week as well. .~Part Time Monster

Feel free to join in this weekend’s coffee share here.

7 for SEVEN

Hellooo from Portland! What an incredible journey March has been thus far. From seeing my nephew to taking a leap of faith, I have been growing and loving and moving forward.

…every Monday, we post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what we have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.~Key + Arrow

7 for Seven originated at Key + Arrow and now let’s get into my 7 for this week:

Selfie Saturday. I have been prioritizing self care and while I try to do something positive for myself every day of the week…my weekends are for doing something extra. I’m grateful that I am learning to put on my oxygen mask first.  And there is nothing selfish about that.

Baby S is getting stronger every day. I cannot wait to hold him. So thankful that I can say those words…because this journey has not been easy.

Investing In Myself. I have taken a leap of faith. Made a decision to lose sight of the shore and row my boat in the direction that has been drawing me for some time now. I kid you not…I am scared shitless. But I am doing it anyway…big girl Jedi panties and all.

Whipped cream on top. Because life is short. Sometimes you just gotta go ahead and put that whipped cream on top. It makes everything a just little bit sweeter.

My fitbit. Thanks for keeping me on my toes…literally for months now. And because, I need to walk off all those “whipped cream on top” moments.

Quotes that make me laugh out loud.   “Life is too short for bad coffee, cheap wine and flat beer.” Get the good coffee.

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Dirty Charlie made with love from Cup & Bar, Portland

And finally, I am grateful for signs from the universe. 

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I hope that by continuing to pay attention to the little things, the mundane details that make up all the blessings in my life and by sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire.

Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? Feel free to share below!