{a book about me} mama e-lab

For several months now, I have been feeling overwhelmed, slightly lost.  As a Mama totally absorbed and immersed by mama-ness, nursing, schooling, babes, home, very little I feel is left for me to be introspective.  Nurturing my soul and mind has gone to the back burner.  And for a woman who prides herself on self-discovery and lifelong learning and connectedness, it sucks!

Hence, MAMA SCOUT!!  I discovered this amazingness of Mamaness through my Apothecary Circle (what can I say, great mamas think alike!).  She introduced me to her blog and I am amazed.  Her ideals and living seem to be inline with mine:  raising her 3 babes through open-ended, passionate play guided by her love and presence.  I should also mention that she has designed a line of Mama Scout badges to honour that which the Mama more often than not is never acknowledged for:  pregnancy, breastfeeding, surviving a tantrum, grocery trips with kids, sleeping, reading, diapering.

Starting April 1st, she will be starting a 30 day {a book about me} mama e-lab with daily e-mails, journal prompts, creative projects and unbridled support to help you tell your story.  I suggest it for any mama, searching for that which has been lost, guided by a mama who strongly supports the Mamaness of us all.

Go here to register your seat in the e-lab today!

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{a book about me} mama e-lab

Through list making, memory mining, visual map making and attentive looking, we will clear the path back to who we are, noticing how we have changed and plotting who we want to be. 

Who is this is for?

This lab is primarily for mamas who have given so much to their children and families that they have lost a bit of themselves along the way. A virtual room of your own, but in the form of a self-ethnographic book/journal.

I was inspired to do this project when I did something similar with my children this fall. Over the weeks that I helped them compile books all about themselves (with lists of favorites, recording of life stories, timelines, maps and charts and more), I kept thinking of how the format could be an amazing space for self growth and exploration for women. So, I took notes, adapted and added adult themes to the project and this lab was born.

By recording the details of our lives, both big and small, through word and image, we recover our lost selves and reconstruct stronger versions of the women we want to be. 

You might be looking for the forgotten you, the submerged self, a younger or different you than who you confront in the mirror each morning. This course is to help you uncover her, find her and also redefine her. Because chances are, she has been deep in the muck so long, she might have evolved into something a little different. 

How does this work? 

Each day, for 30 days you will receive an email lab from me. Each lab contains a short essay, a meaty journal prompt, a creative invitation and additional resources to 
help you on your journey.

I will not lie, it is a lot. So much, that you would be hard pressed to complete every aspect of the lab each day. You should be able to read the lab, do the writing and plan a day (soon) when you can do the creative project (they are not terribly difficult or time consuming, but can become absorbing). We will also have a secret Facebook group where I will be at daily and you are invited to participate in. The creative projects are for the most part simple and inexpensive, yet novel and meant to disrupt your (and my) default thinking. I hope they will inspire you to look deeper, think weirder, and explore your life in a creative way. If you took the family e-lab, the format is similar but the topics and projects are completely new and geared towards you. Of course, I am sure they will have a positive impact on your family but they are meant solely for you.As a full time, homeschooling mom, I have found online courses to be of great benefit to me. As a lifelong student, I am personally enriched and a much better parent when I am engaging my mind and creative spirit. My e-labs are the type of courses I had been searching for and could not find. So, I created them and learn next to the participants in each lab.

What supplies might I need? 

When the course is closer, you will recieve a welcome letter and a more detailed list of supply ideas. Basically, you will need a journal or notebook with paper, pencil or pen, camera and printing capabilities, an internet connection and generic art supplies. You should not really need to buy anything specific for this course.


AND at the end of the course - you will receive in the mail a merit badge! The merit badge is designed just for this course (it is different than the merit badge that the Family Lab participants receive) and is exactly like a scout merit badge but much cooler because it was made for YOU!

CONTEST & SPONSOR LOVE: HUNT GATHER FASHION

To Enter simply:

1. Like the Mess in Messenger on Facebook

2. Like Hunt. Gather. Fashion. on Facebook.

3. Visit HGF on Etsy and tell us which item is your fave (i am soooo loving the cobalt dress) and comment ON THIS POST.

Almost 4 years ago, I went to work for a boutique in Ottawa's trendy Glebe called PomPom. I was coming in to work with a great group of women and sell amazing wears. It was great. While there, I had the pleasure of meeting the amazing Sarah May. Her style was so forward. You knew she was destine for great things. And now she is making her mark in the world of fashion blogging with her blog Hunt. Gather. Fashion. and a vintage clothing line, HGF Vintage, on etsy, on Market Publique and at Coal Miner's Daughter in Toronto. Below is a little profile of the wonderful Sarah. But for all the lucky followers out there, Sarah is offering a vintage jewellery costume piece.

Follow the instructions above to enter the contest. Open to all.

closes Midnight December 24th, 2011.

GOOD LUCK!!

SPONSOR LOVE & Q/A with Hunt.Gather.Fashion

name: sarah may

blog: hunt. gather. fashion.

blog description: it’s like a infinite online mood board; a place to share all that inspires me.

online store: in May of this year I launched Hunt Gather Fashion (HGF) vintage online, available at Market Publique, and Etsy. i focus on carrying authentic items, each special in their own way. Construction and material are extremely important to me, so you will often find garments made of silk, wool, leather and suede.

length of blog: i put up my first post in December 2010, but didn’t start blogging consistently until the beginning of February 2011. I started because I wanted to join the fun, but also because my desktop was getting too damn cluttered and I wanted to connect with people who loved fashion the way that I do.

educational background: my post secondary career has taken me down multiple paths over 8 years. I studied science in University and then much to my parents chagrin, I left before finishing my undergrad to pursue a professional dance education in Contemporary dance. After free-lancing as a dance artist for a few years, I decided to head back to school once again and study fashion business.

what i wanted to be when i grew up: when I was a child I always wanted to be an oceanographer and had this image in my head that it meant I would get to swim with dolphins. I changed my mind on that one around the same time I realized I would need to get a job to pay for the purple jeans my mum wouldn’t buy me. Teenage priorities eh?

inspiration: i could never pinpoint one person, object or creation as my inspiration. It is something that changes on a daily basis for me. I am consistently inspired by great craftsmanship, the art of creating with our hands. I also find inspiration in the moments between doing things - meaning it is neither the beginning or end (result) of an action/creation that are the most interesting to me, but the times in between that capture my attention.

love for fashion started when: i could never pinpoint a moment. It’s just part of who I am.

earliest memory of fashion: I have no idea how old I was, maybe about 5 or so…but I clearly remember having this one dress I was obsessed with. It was black velvet with a white lace collar and it had a ribbon around the waist that tied in a bow at the back. I think my mum still has it.

if you had only one outfit, what would it be: being Canadian, I think that there should be room allowed for 2 outfits – one for each season…sooo….1. (fall/winter) Comfy Straight leg Dark denim, my fave black leather booties, a drapey T and fabulous tailored vintage blazer, a long necklace, Top with my black leather moto jacket and vintage Stetson hat.

2. (spring/summer) Floral Sundress, tortoise shell sunnies, lots of bangles, shrunken denim jacket & brown leather flip flops.

fave experience as a blogger: i would have to say it’s connecting other bloggers through the blog, twitter and instagram. Blogging really allows you to be part of a whole different community and meet some really great people! Attending the IFB conference in New York this year was also one of my fave blogger moments.

hobbies and other loves: i design jewelry and love to host DIY nights with my girlfriends. I took up gardening for the first time this year and am now planning for the spring growing season already. There is something so satisfying about cooking with the veggies you planted and cared for.

where you see the blog going: i really don’t know. As of now, I’m very busy, so even blogging 3 times a week can be challenging, but I really would like to be doing 4 or 5 posts a week. I have no plans to monetize HGF, but you never know what the future holds?!