Flooded with Blessings

Posted by admin on Aug 4, 2010 in happiness | 1 comment

Last Friday night we were hit with a big storm that dumped over six inches of rain in a couple hours. Our basement never floods, so it didn’t even cross out minds to check it out. Shortly after lunch we noticed most of our neighbors had half their house contents sitting in their driveways. So we rushed down to find our own little swamp.

It wasn’t long before most of my family was here to help us move all the furniture, rip out the padding, prop up the carpet and locate dozens of fans to blow it all dry. It was Friday night and they all put their weekend plans on hold to help out. The cold beer afterwards didn’t seem like a big enough thank you.

Almost everyone pitches in to help.

The next day we hauled the padding to the dump in my brother’s truck that he so graciously gave us. On the way there, stopped at a light the man next to us yells over saying we can save some money if we put a tarp over our haul. So we pull into the next hardware store to buy a $5 tarp and spend $250. But we also discovered a well prized dehumidifier. A rare commodity in town.

Returning from the dump, we decided to get rid of the carpet. So we set out to cut it in strips to make it easier to carry out. And just then, our friends came by to help. It took us less than an hour. Another cold beer thank you.

The biggest blessing is that we have insurance and they were wonderful about providing the full amount of our coverage. There’s a lot of stories brewing about some companies with crazy clauses that make it next to impossible to get a check.

Putting it back together again means moving some built in cupboards so we can install new carpet, changing out all the doors, trims, and while we’re at it, let’s put on a new color of paint.

This little disruption reminded me just how lucky we are in so many ways. Our family and friends are amazing. As well as living in such a friendly town.

Yes, he has that look all the time.

On another note, I’d like to introduce you to my main man, Castro. He’s a real charmer. Be careful, hang out with him too much and he’ll have you wrapped around his little paw!

Wishcast Wednesday: What do you wish to envision?

Posted by admin on Jul 21, 2010 in happiness | 11 comments

The talented Jamie Ridler asks, “What do you wish to envision?” This week I decided to participate in her weekly wishcast by sharing my secret wish with you.

I wish to envision a world where adults are kids again. At work we get a recess breaks three times a day. Everyone stops what they’re doing and gets together for a game of kickball or skipping rope. At 3pm we’re done for the day and it’s tim to play on our sports team, practice an instrument, or scribble on the sidewalk with chalk. We are encouraged to get messy, experiment with paints, and wander through forests like great explorers.

Adults wake up happy and curious and sing for no reason. We are oblivious to race and gender and everyone is equal. We share their toys nicely and make up the rules as we go. Our creativity is bursting and there are no limits to what we believe we can do.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso

Praying in your own Fashion

Posted by admin on Jul 19, 2010 in health | 4 comments

Every Sunday morning I go for a run and pray. As I’m in the middle of Mother Nature, witnessing her spectacular beauty, I say thanks for being strong and healthy enough to run the six or seven miles. For all the amazing opportunities that came into my life that week. For my home, food, and ability to give back.

I visualize how I want certain events in my life to unfold. I say a blessing for my family and friends. And I think of the ways life has challenged me and wonder what I learned from it. This is how I pray. This is my church.

Every now and again, a cyclist will come by shouting “On your left!” It usually startles me so much, I instantly want to jump in their way, completely defeating the purpose of the interruption to my prayer. I scowl and wonder if that person would do the same thing as they enter a pew in a church. “On your left! Don’t move Grandma!” I doubt it. But I’m pretty sure they don’t realize I’m praying so I forget it and whisper a big “thank you” to the cyclists who don’t shout at me.

On my run yesterday I was startled like never before. I got back into my picturesque suburban neighborhood with golf courses and sprinklers foutaining over big lawns. A man was walking his dog unleashed. It was a giant lab that dashed over to me and jumped on me. I shook my finger at it and shouted “Down!” To which the owner said, “He’s ok. You don’t have to act crazy!”

I replied gently saying that I’ve had dogs bite me before, so I don’t like to take the chance. And he replied “Just keep running you crazy woman!”

I was completely taken back. I said he should have his dog on a leash if it jumps on people. He said “Go away and God Bless!”

“So you want to bring God into this? Why?” I asked.

“I went to church today,” he said. “You should try it.”

This hit me like a bricks. I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to reply “Not if it teaches me to behave like you!” Part of me wanted to explain that I was in church. Instead I said some stupid thing like “Yah, well, you should go back!”

By now his dog was in the middle of someone’s golf game and he had to run after it. And I went home, for the first time ever, fearful of my neighbors.

I have lived in some very rough neighborhoods in Washington DC and in London and not once did I have a person on the street harass me. I saw a lot of things on those streets, but never a stranger calling me names or casting judgement. I was suddenly glancing out my windows, locking down everything, keeping the phone close.

My views on religion and spirituality are topics I avoid on my blog. They are a personal choice and a privilege. My ancestors sacrificed and had to live underground to celebrate their religion how they see fit. Because of them and so many others, we get the sweet freedom of choice.

However you pray, be proud of it. Please don’t judge others if they found a different path. As long as we’re all heading in the same direction, does it matter? At the end of the day, it’s what is inside of us that counts. Not who sees us in church.

My Daily Manifestation Experiment

Posted by admin on Jul 9, 2010 in wealth | 3 comments

A couple months ago I started this little experiment. Each morning I wrote down exactly how I wanted my day to unfold. What I wanted to manifest that day.

It wasn’t a “to do” list. But rather a story about how it played out. I began with giving thanks for certain things — a good night’s sleep, my warm home, good health. Then I described my day in a story, writing about going for a run with my body strong, limber and gliding along. All the things I would create, the people who would come into my life, and how my day would end with a incredible night’s sleep.

Then I burned or shredded it. I did this because I believed everything I wrote about would manifest itself just as it was meant to be. I didn’t need to hold on to the idea of it. Rather, I let it go allowing the universe to take care of the rest.

About 80% of what I wrote would happen. I would get the phone call I was hoping for. Or a new opportunity came to my inbox. I was sleeping like a dream, feeling great, and my days were productive and full.

Then I stopped my daily manifestations. And slowly things started to change. My life was all over the place, with my attention pulled in 10 different directions. I didn’t feel grounded and my sleep suffered. Overall I was still rocking and rolling, but not with the song and dance I had before.

So just this week I picked up the pen and paper again and wrote a letter of manifestation. I’ll admit, it feels a bit odd writing these. But when the things I write come to fruition, I know this how I have to tell the universe what I want. Thinking it in my head isn’t enough. I have to spell it out in full detail on paper. Perhaps this helps me visualize it happening. I’m not sure. But it works. And that’s a good feeling well worth five minutes in the morning.

“Well you know my name is Simon,
And the things I draw come true.
Oh, pictures, take me, take me over,
Climb the ladder with you.”

(anyone remember that? maybe this will help…)

My name is Simon

Introducing Little Buddha iPhone App!

Posted by admin on May 5, 2010 in wealth | 1 comment

I’m so excited to tell you that we went live with my latest app, Little Buddha 39,000 Quotes (iTunes link). If you follow my other blog, you probably already heard all about the launch. Just in case some of you missed it, I wanted to share the news here as well.

We’re celebrating with a cool TweetBlast and a chance to win a new iPad. We’re also giving away some dandy shirts from Storenvy as well as promo codes for a free copy of the app. Be sure to tweet because I would love for you to win!

Oddly enough, Little Buddha first came into my life exactly one year ago. My favorite artist, Scotty, passed him along saying it was an abandoned iPhone project. The guy who requested the design had disappeared.

I fell in love with our abandoned Buddha straight away. His warm smile and glowing colors made me smile and tickled my heart. A quotes app was the perfect next app. I love quotes. I’m a quotes junkie. So I bugged Scotty about it for months until eventually he agreed to let me create the app.

I spent this year rising at 5am, tweaking the designs and layout pixel by pixel. My super hero developer, David, helped me pull it all together using his special powers to make it just right. Now that he’s finally out in the world, it’s scary but exhilarating. Little Buddha says it best:

The launch was a huge success. With the help of Ryan from Brandle Design I created this amazing email blast. And now I’m just in the beginnings of our TweetBlast, already giving away some great prizes. What an amazing couple of days it’s been!

If you by chance get the app, please take a moment and leave some positive feedback on iTunes. I can’t begin to tell you how golden that is.

As always, I want to thank you for your encouragement and kind words over these past couple of years. It’s been quite a journey going from uncertainty to finding purpose, and now running a successful and growing business. Do what you love to help others and you will love what you do. (you can quote that!)

My Bare Minerals Discovery!

Posted by admin on May 3, 2010 in health | 1 comment

A while back I popped into this a little boutique where everyone was gobbling up this make-up called Bare Minerals. It was a revolving door of women lapping it up. I witnessed one customer transform from drab to glowing with a few quick swirls of a brush in magic powder and was determined to try it myself.

So I trucked down there on Saturday completely make-up free, looking a bedraggled from my long weeks of designing and developing. I plunked down in the chair telling the shop owner she has her work cut out for her (it was another 4:30am morning and it showed).

She carefully selected some colors, cleaned her brushes and went to work. I dearly wish I snapped before and after pictures. Well, I probably wouldn’t dare show the “before”, but the “after” looked HAWT. Natural, radiant and warm. And it barely felt as if I had any make-up on at all. An absolute miracle.

Of course, I purchased the lot. But they make it real simple to do with their Getting Started Kits that include everything you need including brushes and a DVD. The key are the brushes – which I never realized were such magical wands (the one feeble brush in my make-up bag is proof of that). And don’t be fooled by the powder. Yes, it’s powder but it goes on so smooth and creamy and light. It’s amazing that so little does such great coverage.

Ok, now I’m starting to sound like their infomercial. Yes, I’m hooked on the stuff. It’s part of my annual goal of looking younger than the year before. And with my new app launching this week, I’ll get to say goodbye to the 5am mornings for awhile too!

Meet me at happytapper.com

Posted by admin on May 1, 2010 in wealth | 2 comments

Say hello to the new happytapper.com site, just launched yesterday after months of hard work. As much as I loved my old one, it simply didn’t cut it when it came to growing my business. So I decided to revamp my lovely one page site into multiple pages with a blog.

Like going away to a summer home, I plan to be spending the next months writing more on my happytapper blog. So please take a minute and check it out. Some of my posts will be about the app business, but also about my favorite topics of health, wealth, and happiness.

I’m also planning to launch my third app this week. This one has been a labor of love which I’m excited to tell you all about as as soon as we go live. If you want to be the first to hear about it, be sure to sign up for my newsletter.

Before I get ahead of myself, there’s a couple people I dearly want to thank for all their hard work helping me launch my new site. First and foremost, I want to shout out a massive THANK YOU to Chris at TriMutiny. Not only is he great fun to work with, the guy is absolutely brilliant when it comes to both coding and design. He has a wonderful mix of talent and I look forward to working together some more.

I also want to thank Todd and his team at WPfromPSD.com. They helped develop the HappyTapper blog and did an outstanding job. If you ever need a WordPress blog developed, I highly recommend hiring these guys. They’re professional and do great work.

Lastly, I want to thank all of you for all your unending support. It’s been a long winter of early mornings designing and coding to pull this all off. Your encouragement hasn’t fallen on deaf ears. It’s the exact thing I needed to keep me going each day. So thank you, all of your, from the bottom of my heart.