Little House on the Block!

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Hippie done Right

As a child of true blue hippies-who rode around the world on a BMW roadster for almost twenty years I can tell you that 1. they didn't call themselves hippies and 2. they snicker at all things labeled "hippie" past and present. Some consider the word to be a term of endearment others consider it to be a fashion sense and frame of mind. Either way I feel like the word has gotten a bit out of hand. There are several publications and designers doing hippie right. Let's give um' a holla.

Feast for your eyes. Modern Hippie Magazine.  Doing some lovely things for moms, women, men and all the alike. With colorful articles ranging from fashion to insanely amazing recipes from Raw Food Goddess and author, Natalia KW!

                                                                       Hippie done right.

Now let's talk little ones. Green, non-toxic toys. Gone are the days of twigs and branches (although they make equally rad imagination inspiring toys.) as 'low impact' green play options. Thanks skilled craftsmen and women and dreaming big amazing and safe options are now available to you and your mini greenies.

Made by hand in Colorado with sustainable cherry wood this teether set by ROCK LOVE PEACE baby   is oh so chic. Baby chic. Finished with organic beeswax these toys will last a lifetime.

Imaginative Play meets upcycled oxford shirts and handmade love and whimsy. All of Hazel Village's forest friends are slow sewn,by hand and with an enormous amount of amore'. Each forrest friend has a story. Mortimer Mouse made of organic cotton jersey and oxford will without a doubt last a lifetime and add a little something to anywhere he resides.

 
Shirt off your back-well, not really....Fashion with a passion is what I'd use to describe the girls over at ecovogue365.com from bangin' tees to a master mommy genius article of sustainable yumminess called The Butterfli that can be worn 20 different ways and beyond-it's also SO breastfeeding friendly-BONUS!

Last but not least, your bangin' mommy bod.... With all the choices in organic bath goodness these days what to pick? Where to go? It took me years, no joke, to find twig & leaf botnaicals. Now, now bare with me.... dramatic, I know. The gorgeous thing about twig & leaf first and foremost is their passion for what they do. Secondly the brilliant recycled glass packaging. NO more PLASTIC. Lastly, handmade allows you to not only customize your goods but have a one on one ability to get to know your creatour.

I remember photographing all of these botanical beauties a few months back. The last photos I had to take for The Magic Cocoon's shop and the funnest yet. These bottles are so gorgeous they're on display at all times.

Because after a long day-our feet hurt, or after a long run-they're thirsty! Smells oh so lovely this this magical little bottle is a must have for your hippie feet!

Lovely Lavender Soak. Need I say more? In the bath or a basin for, again your toes. (I seem to have a foot obsession of some sorts.) Visit twig & leaf to discover your inner botanical goddess. Magical Earth Style.

More to come....be well!
A

IF She Walks Like A Mommy-Talks Like A Mommy...

How easy is it to find your Mommy-haven? A place where you feel that you can show up; hair undone, teeth semi brushed and a few screws missing from the last week without sleep.*Without feeling like a microscope is on top of you burning your untweezed eyebrow hairs in speculation or judgement*?

OooOOoOo- you're thinking, "OHhhhh nooooo" she di-dn't. I did. A huge huge motivator for starting The Magic Cocoon was that I wanted to spin a place in love. A place that Moms of all ages, creeds, and parental decision making could come and just be lovely. In my heart of hearts I truly believe that such a place isn't just conceptual-it's possible.

Recently in my own personal life I was made aware that even if a possibility, it may be harder to merge in the likes of just pure mommy togetherness. Because I truly-truly believe in the ability to make the choices people make when parenting, hardly any of my business I had forgotten how different we can all be in our choices.

We visited a friend a few months ago*apparently the length since we've seen them was not just mere passing of time*, we had just moved to a new city and were surrounded by new faces. My daughters both 2 and then 11 months just let their little emotional flood gates open and let me know-(and the surrounding neighborhood) that they were afraid, that they needed me by them and I probably wasn't going to move an inch for a few hours. So I sat with them, legs alseep hair pulled an in their mouths instead of joining the other adults. This instance was brought to my attention in a way that would have never entered my mind had it not been directed.

"You hid upstairs because you didn't want to leave the girls...." To me, this made little to no sense. However to the person who addressed this an issue, my behavior was rude and unwanted. It reminded me about the first year of my daughter's life...then when I was trudging through the comments..and the misunderstandings-and at times offensive gestures.

An uphill battle it seemed-as if I were fighting the good fight-MAN! After the first year people around me finally "got it"-and just let me be.(for the most part or until I slapped them on the proverbial "it's not going to kill them to let them..."wrist)  Within her second year I had found a group of women who's parenting ideals were very much like my own and I felt I had finally found a place to "be" as a mother.

Somewhere in there began this evolution-realizing that there had to be a way for a: attachment, breastfeeding,co-sleeping, homebirthing, FASHION HUNGRY, BEAUTY PRODUCT LOVING,night out on the town needing mother to exist even if only for her children; in all worlds, cultures and groups. *All without offending-anyone* Not only had I realized that I had offended a vast majority of my friends and family by being to overly impressive of our radical green lifestyle choices but I had gone way overboard on the purity train. Frizzy hair and hemp soled shoes...I began to catch glimpses of myself before this life path.

Well, you ask, "how's it going?". Well-I tell ya....I'm not sure. I quickly realized that even as evolved as I believed I was beginning to be, I still had a long way to go. In my letting go and allowing my daughter to eat an occasional slice of whole foods pizza, or a whole grain cupcake (with no icing) I honestly couldn't help but having an internal panic attack. When co-mingling with more conventional folks and my daughter diving in hands first to the M&M filled snack bowl and me dashing across the room in slow-mo screaming (in my head)....*i think...* "NooooOooooooooOoooo"....probably-not the cool cucumber I had envisioned myself to be.

So what then? The Cocoon hangs in some sort of mommy limbo, doesn't it? Can you feel it? I joke sometimes that The Magic Cocoon is the synthesis of my Mommy-Identity Crisis. Me thirsting for a "return to self" all while integrating these gorgeous, marvelous little creatures. Me believing that it can be done seamlessly and stylishly and not even a bump or hiccup along the way.

Wrong. I can't sell you a lie. I won't. I wouldn't dare. I would love for you to know that I am figuring it all out-conversation after conversation with close friends and my darling husband, in meditation and prayer...and good ol' fashioned parenting. I may take photos of my home or my spaces looking dashingly cheeky but then-I would be inclined to tell you that the day before there were smeared raisins and land mines of laundry sprawled all over the place. I want you to know that I am a human being just as you are and that I each day wonder where I am to "fit in" in this Mommy world.... wanting to surround all women and mothers  with love, inspiration and judgement-less support.

So that's-that's what the Cocoon is for now....a place where I spin trying to find out how not to alienate myself or my children by being a bit different, and different only because it is our chosen path. Wanting to encourage women to live in their homes as they choose and feel in their hearts to be their path.  Relaying that we do not wish to judge you for who you are or what you do-we just want to play :).

Our children are innocent in all of this politics and they all deserve to know one another and play without separation. Truly the only reason I exist is to make the lives of these girls everything they deserve and to share the world with them for ALL that is, and who are in it. *No matter of race, religion or lack there of. Breast or bottle, or both. Hospital or home, cheetos or carob bites.*

So I hope you all continue in this journey with me and share whatever you want to share and be whomever you NEED to be-Magically.

Spun in Love,
A


                                                      

IF She Walks Like A Mommy-Talks Like A Mommy...

How easy is it to find your Mommy-haven? A place where you feel that you can show up; hair undone teeth semi brushed and a few screws missing from the last week without sleep-without feeling like a microscope is on top of you burning your untweezed eyebrow hairs in speculation or judgement?

OooOOoOo- you're thinking "OHhhhh nooooo" she di-dn't. I did. A huge huge motivator for starting The Magic Cocoon was that I wanted to spin a place in love. A place that Moms of all ages, creeds, and parental decision making could come and just be lovely. In my heart of hearts I truly believe that such a place isn't just conceptual-it's possible.

Recently in my own personal life I was made aware that even if a possibility, it may be harder to merge in the likes of just pure mommy togetherness. Because I truly-truly believe in the ability to make the choices people make when parenting, hardly any of my business I had forgotten how different we can all be in our choices.

We visited a friend a few months ago*apparently the length since we've seen them was not just mere passing of time*, we had just moved to a new city and were surrounded by new faces. My daughters both 2 and then 11 months just let their little emotional flood gates open and let me know-(and the surrounding neighborhood) that they were afraid, that they needed me by them and I probably wasn't going to move an inch for a few hours. So I sat with them, legs alseep hair pulled an in their mouths instead of joining the other adults. This instance was brought to my attention in a way that would have never entered my mind had it not been directed.

"You hid upstairs because you didn't want to leave the girls...." To me, this made little to no sense. However to the person who addressed this an issue, my behavior was rude and unwanted. It reminded me about the first year of my daughter's life...then when I was trudging through the comments..and the misunderstandings-and at times offensive gestures.

An uphill battle it seemed-as if I were fighting the good fight-MAN! After the first year people around me finally "got it"-and just let me be.(for the most part or until I slapped them on the proverbial "it's not going to kill them to let them...wrist)  Within her second I had found a group of women who's parenting ideals were very much like my own and I felt I had finally found a place to "be" as a mother.

Somewhere in there began this evolution-realizing that there had to be a way for a: attachment, breastfeeding,co-sleeping, homebirthing, FASHION HUNGRY, BEAUTY PRODUCT LOVING,night out on the town needing mother to exist even if only for her children; in all worlds, cultures and groups. *All without offending-anyone* Not only had I realized that I had offended a vast majority of my friends and family by being to overly impressive of our radical green lifestyle choices but I had gone way overboard on the purity train. Frizzy hair and hemp soled shoes...I began to catch glimpses of myself before this life path.

Well, you ask, "how's it going?". Well-I tell ya....I'm not sure. I quickly realized that even as evolved as I believed I was beginning to be, I still had a long way to go. In my letting go and allowing my daughter to eat an occasional slice of whole foods pizza, or a whole grain cupcake (with no icing) I honestly couldn't help but having an internal panic attack. When co-mingling with more conventional folks and my daughter diving in hands first to the M&M filled snack bowl and me dashing across the room in slow-mo screaming (in my head)....*i think...* "NooooOooooooooOoooo"....probably-not the cool cucumber I had envisioned myself to be.

So what then? The Cocoon hangs in some sort of mommy limbo, doesn't it? Can you feel it? I joke sometimes that The Magic Cocoon is the synthesis of my Mommy-Identity Crisis. Me thirsting for a "return to self" all while integrating these gorgeous, marvelous little creatures. Me believing that it can be done seamlessly and stylishly and not even a bump or hiccup along the way.

Wrong. I can't sell you a lie. I won't. I wouldn't dare. I would love for you to know that I am figuring it all out-conversation after conversation with close friends and my darling husband, in meditation and prayer...and good ol' fashioned parenting. I may take photos of my home or my spaces looking dashingly cheeky but then-I would be inclined to tell you that the day before there were smeared raisins and land mines of laundry sprawled all over the place. I want you to know that I am a human being just as you are and that I each day wonder where I am to "fit in" in this Mommy world....all while trying not to offend anyone and surrounding women, my friends with love and judgement-less support.

So that's-that's what the Cocoon is for now....a place where I spin trying to find out how not to alienate myself or my children by being a bit different, and different only because it is our chosen path. Wanting to encourage women to live in their homes as they choose and feel in their hearts to be their path.  Relaying that we do not wish to judge you for who you are or what you do-we just want to play :). Because truly the only reason I exist is to make the lives of these girls everything they deserve and to share the world with them for ALL that is, and who are in it. *No matter of race, religion, lack there of, breast or bottle, or both-hospital, home, cheetos or carob bites.*

So I hope you all continue in this journey with me and share whatever you want to share and be whomever you NEED to be-Magically.

Spun in Love,
A


                                                            

...Just What I've Always Wanted...

Little gifts, ribbons and lace packaged up nicely on tables so fancy. They say, they say, congratulations and I smile so brightly never ever have I felt a feeling so delighting. A baby, A baby we're having a baby due, due now any day.

The gifts are outrageous the shower us so, they all make comments and touch where you grow. They leave and I sit surrounded by gifts and all I can think is, "my life has come to this..." Never ever have I wanted anything more than this.

Maternity Blouse and pants that stretch I never thought this would be the best outfit I'd wear, but here I am bursting at the seams and falling out hair. I arrange our space where we will sit you and me baby-this is it. I hope you like it, a little place of speacial... A glider that rocks-it doesn't really glide, I guess this is the first mommy conundrum of my journey in life. Our room is full of them really, things that suck spit and snot, a swaddling blanket, and organic cotton cot....

Your daddy thinks it's cute when I waddle down the hall, I bet he never thought he'd get turned on by that, not in a million years- not at all. He loves you he sings to you but knows quite heavy that he'll never ever know the feeling of you in my belly. Bittersweet I think, I'd like to think that daddies are a bit jealous about missing that sync. The sync of you and I baby bound together in life forever and ever that's right....

Here you come! I wake up (as I have a million times before- thinking, "This is it") but this time I'm for sure..."Longer,stronger and closer together" this is it!, this is it-it's true you DO KNOW better. Between the real and the that ol' hick braxton-what a tease he was at 35 weeks and counting.

What happens next is magic you and I together....working in true poetry strongly 'never felt anything better. You work your way with my body you cue and suddenly-suddenly my darling-it's you. The you I've always known in my soul and in my being, the you your daddy and I created in loving euphoria, the you we're now seeing.

Your fingers look like mine and your eyes look like his but what I consider the most pressing to tell you my reason for being is this:

You're just what I've always wanted
You're my heart and soul in purity.
There may be times when it gets rough
I say you don't listen and you think I don't hold you enough...
Days will come that I can't understand you
Weeks may pass that we can't agree-
But know my life-that you're the only one for me.
There may be days that I stay in nothing but pajamas
That I serve brown rice for breakfast and dinner with bananas.
There may be years I don't cut my hair and chipped toe nail polish
I hope my appearance doesn't embarrass you much-I will get on it-honest...
You are a miracle, a work of art beyond anything I am deserving
You are creative and lively and often inspiring-
Each day goes by and praise the God I am serving.
You light up my life and you say one little word..
That melts me oh it melts me....and defines me worth..
"Momma".

To: Our Magical April Afternoon....

My sweet Bria, Bria-means 'shine' in spanish-did you know that? Before Bria, you were "Whimsy" totally don't hold that against me. You would have been Whimsy Dae Bleu-and I was completely drug free through your pregnancy and years prior. You my lovely nugget are indeed a shiny whimsical being and before I continue I want to thank you-I want to thank you for being you and choosing me. I want to thank our loving God who gave us the opportunity to know you and be eternally changed and grateful for your existence.

You and I were nearing our 42nd week together.  In big people terms this meant we were going to have to peek into your little palace to make sure you had enough of everything you needed. To put it simply-you and I knew you were brilliantly fine so I began to worry about disturbing your peaceful home without reason. You see, I believe that you are a magical little creature. I believe that you knew the day and time you were meant to meet our lips and arms. I believe that you spoke to me and I spoke for you.

On April 26th we met our midwife. I left devastated. No signs of you making your entrance soon. I had tried everything to get you OUT. I circled the cultures of the world; Chinese Medicine, Spicy Indian,Basil'd Italian, Lively Latin, Tribal Drums, Unicorn Root to Eye of Newt. Nothing.

That night I sank into what had become our preparation ritual. I picked up my birthing ball-set it IN the shower, turned down the lights and diffused sage and lavender. I sat down and let the water beat on my belly. I knew you came to look forward to this at the end of our day. The soothing beating, different pitched sounds of the drops running and splashing down. You'd dance and then settle into sleep. I'd sing and rub your rump. This night was different. You and I-we went to a different place as we spoke.

In that instant it hit me. You my darling baby were special. You had this all under control. I told you quietly that I was ready-that I loved you,and I would wait for you no matter the circumstance.

3am. I woke up. I had to pee (big surprise) but couldn't. Too tired to care I went back to sleep. 6am I woke your daddy up. (As I had almost nightly for four weeks.) Well, if this was it I was going to walk it out. So early that foggy April morning I drug your pop's outta bed for a brisk walk to the bay. We made it to the water and here it came again. Different. Deeper. Stronger. We walked back home. In our yard I stopped-another one-I placed my arms around our gorgeous strong palm tree and rocked with you.

8am. I labored with you quietly in our special place-the shower. There I would stay for hours quietly as your sister slept in the next room. She came to visit us in and out and knew you were coming. She was strong and reverend a true big sister. For ten more hours we swayed, and danced in and out of the shower. I believe that in the midst of active labor you enter this world of optimal reality. You experience life in it's truest form. Your magical machine working fluidly-mind, body and soul.

Around 1:30pm things were getting a bit nuts. Our midwife came. I quoted ver-batum: "I was doing fine and now I can't handle my life...." she quietly whispered, "it's alright" and suddenly I grabbed the edge of the bed, clenched my jaw and groaned. One right after the other-I tried to catch a breath but another-and another. Your papa was in the living room-apparently it was pool time.

The water soothed my soul.... Contractions began to slow...My body began bare down...

Your daddy is the essence of a man. I wore red coral during labor, a dear friend gave it to us-it was for focus and centering our heart chakras.

                 He couldn't just stand by. He got in the pool and held us......I chose to birth you sitting in daddy's lap. You had told me months before your cord was snuggly wrapped around your neck. We both knew this was the way-the best way.

                               He never let go of my hand.....no matter how hard I squeezed.

                                       And then my darling girl, and then-There was you.....

In a year your face has changed little...you now walk , sing and dance. You light up or lives. I want to thank you for one of the most magical and empowering experiences of my life. I want to thank you for making me fall in love with your daddy-all over again. Our Brilliant little Bria-Happy Birthday.

The Cocoon. The Beginning.

    The Cocoon The Beginning…..

 This creation has been many months in the spinning and it's truly an honor to have you and share this inspiring journey with you. 

When our first little lovely was born about three years ago I remember entering this new world of mommy-dom. During my pregnancy I took to the books, web, and catalogs obsessed with finding the best most pure items for our gorgeous little creation. One might say I took…it too far. Oh! But I loved every second of it. I loved reading about this car seat and that type of organic fiber for this type of use. All for one little moment one June afternoon.

Suddenly, somehow I got lost in it all. I will share a bit of recent in my cocoon history by telling you that we just made a HUGE move into a new city. I was faced with having to pack it all up and I mean ALL. I began sorting through all of those items I had meticulously chosen for our girl and found myself sitting in the middle of the room surrounded by things(some with price tags still attached) and just fell short for words and a bit sick to my stomach. Only but a handful of these things had true purpose and only a selected few of those items had meaning.

During this transition into mommy I seemed to have lost a bit of who I was before cheecky little gorgeousness. To say that it happens to all of us may be a bit of a stretch but I have to believe that it happens to a lot of us. We forget ourselves and all for the right reason. Our baby. Our life. Our purpose. 

In between the diaper changes something changed in me. I remember looking down at my chipped hadn't been painted in over a year toenails one day and completely not even recognizing my feet.(I wouldn't even use the three free good stuff I was that puritanical.) I had become so obsessed with living a natural life, chemical free that I kind of just lost touch with my reality. My reality being that I am a girl that needs a tad bit of somethin' somethin' in her hair to keep it tame. I am a girl that needs a pretty color on her nails to kinda talk her off a ledge when the going gets tough.


 I am a girl!  A girl that loves her some pretty.

I still am very much in love with natural living. I love surrounding myself with things that are made of the earth and that do not harm it. I love spreading the table with organic goodness. I love that my girls smell of organic flower essence and lavender and that I can truly feel at peace in knowing that their bodies are tiny little well kept temples. I am finding that natural living is beautiful living and that should be celebrated and CAN be celebrated with style.

When I began to realize that I did not have to sacrifice style for passion in living clean and naturally I really took my realization to a new level. 

The concept for the Cocoon started in December. I was on the brink of launching what else; but a green baby business. I felt so compelled to start something ethically based. Indie baby meets American Revolution. I was so thrilled I shared my ideas with everyone and worked hard to bring it to fruition. I then began to feel something strange. Something was telling me I needed to do more, go further and start completely over.

Just having entered the new phase of life with babies (We had a second one two April's after the lovely June afternoon.)  I began feeling compelled to share my journey with other women. Women who may be feeling what I was feeling. Thirsting for what I was thirsting. Beauty, Art, Lively living WITH babies WITHOUT sacrifice. (Of course we sacrifice ourselves, our bodies, our everything for our children it's what makes this job so incredibly rewarding and unlike anything we have or will ever do. )

The energy in our home began to move, to shift.  Soon "The Magic Cocoon" emerged from my mind's eye. Early in January I began to realize that this was to be far greater than cloth diapers and baby things. It would be a concept to inspire life with babies for babies and mothers all the same. Things they could share and gain from equally.

As this concept,  this cocoon begins and continues to be spun the things inside of it will evolve. Products will change with seasons, they will honor the hands of those who created them, they will be chosen in hope to inspire a home and spaces filled with intention and awareness. At times there will be minimal items and others there will be an abundance just as the cycles of our beloved earth produce and hold back. 

I hope, truly hope that we can all grow together through this journey spinning, growing, nourishing wombs, homes and little walking or crawling temples of magic.

Thank You and Welcome......
~A

*stay tuned for The Magic Cocoon-Blog!*