Awakening The Essential Feminine Virtual Book Tour For Maureen Simon Day 3

Today I have the great pleasure of kicking off Day 3 of the Virtual Book Tour for Awakening The Essential Feminine Claiming Your Influential Power by Maureen Simon.

Do you remember what I once told you in a previous post about this beautiful redhead and her awesome book? Do you also remember how I felt about the book and what it did for me? If not, I highly suggest you read that post tonight.

Maureen Simon is the author of Awakening The Essential Feminine Claiming Your Influential Power ~ For women who know that their feminine gifts are needed now and for women who want to know more! Maureen's book holds a missing piece for women's empowerment as it identifies 9 areas of life and 26 attributes that women are predisposed too based on our brain biology and socialization.

Maureen Simon is the founder of The Essential Feminine Company™ (TEF). A lifestyle and business design company that supports women through the process of creating successful powerful lives that incorporates their uniquely feminine attributes and gifts. Her company provides learning environments and products that assist women in claiming, living and leading with their natural strengths and talents.

The Interview

I recently had the opportunity to ask Maureen three very special questions.

Me: What is the easiest way to start changing our attitude?

Maureen: Attitudes are changed when we have a strong sense of understanding of who we truly are. Attitudes are based on behaviors. If we understand what’s behind the behavior the attitudes change. Know thyself first; make a commitment to what is most important to you next; and then decide specific commitments and supports that you need in order to hold to your desired change. It works best when we are fully bought in and motivated. We are motivated when the pain of staying a certain way is worse than the change we need to make. So, pick an area of your life where you would like to make change. Create a commitment based on your beliefs and desire to change and stay with it day-by-day, If you fall off the horse one day get back on the next. Happy travels!

Me: What is the best way to spread the message of how to awaken feminine essence?

Maureen: We first need to learn our feminine attributes. My book “Awakening The Essential Feminine: Claiming Your Influential Power” identifies 26 attributes to help you get started. Before we can spread any message we must first have integrated the essence of the message within ourselves. Our essential feminine essence is needed in the world now more than ever before. First identify attributes that you are strong and familiar with like, you have built powerful relationships, the way that you see the whole, the way that you naturally collaborate or your mental flexibility. Once you have picked a strength, then decide where in the world this gift is needed most and begin to teach and share.

Me: How do we teach others or our daughters to trust and use their intuition?

Maureen: Intuition for many is a distant, lost friend. Our world has socialized us to listen from the outside – externally. This approach has made us doubt our own true nature and inner voice. Women have always had a clear strong connection with intuition. It is only when we listen from the outside world in that we feel insecure. To learn how to trust your intuition you must first make friends with it. You must find the quiet still voice within and nurture her. Test her. Be open to the knowledge that she has to share. This knowledge may come through as a sign in your day that repeats often, it may be a strong feeling that you cannot shake, or may be a strong sense of knowing that you yourself cannot doubt. Begin to make friends with your intuition.

Enjoy this deeply written excerpt from Maureen's book about "Intuition."

Spiritual intuition is a holistic perception of reality. In the spiritual sphere of intuition, we come to realize a great oneness-a sense of the interconnectedness of all. It is possible that we can become increasingly open and aware of mystical experiences, experiences that bring us out of our bodies into other realms, and in the end, provide us with insight and wisdom that we begin to trust.

Of the four types of intuition, only the spiritual does not depend on sensory feedback, for it stands alone, informed by an inner sense of knowing. It transcends the usual, rational, dualistic way of knowing. Spiritual intuition provides us with a direct, transpersonal experience, which leads us to a deeper understanding of the source of our lives and our connection and awareness to all.


I hope you enjoyed Maureen Simon's inspirational heartfelt answers to my interview questions, the excerpt on intuition and that you will check out Maureen's brand new book, "Awakening The Essential Feminine Claiming Your Influential Power", now available on Amazon

Win The Book Awakening The Essential Feminine Claiming Your Influential Power

One of my lucky readers will receive the book Awakening The Essential Feminine Claiming Your Influential Power. All you have to do is leave a comment on my blog telling me why you want to read this book and/or Tweet the giveaway or post it on your Facebook. Please leave a link to your posting in the comment section of this post.

Easy?

Yep!

Giveaway ends at midnight on December 14, 2011.

There's Even More

As a gift to you Maureen would like to personally invite you to join in her complimentary monthly living room holiday teleseminar, Wednesday December 21st – Maureen's monthly live living room events are for women who want to look more closely at key issues that affect their day-to-day success, happiness and overall well-being in a highly supportive environment…The Essential Feminine Living Room is a global networking community that meets virtually on the 4th Wednesday of each month.

Maureen's special guest in December is Alyssa Aubrey the Founder and Program Director of Medicine Horse Ranch, an experiential learning center incorporating horses in human self-development. Her entrepreneurial spirit invites others to engage life ‘on purpose’ and inspires a deeply connected reach towards authentic expression and contribution. Alyssa considers her EGL program horses to be partners, healers, teachers and guides in this powerful, cutting edge process leading people to greater self-awareness and personal growth.

Sign up for Maureen's free gift here.

Be sure to follow Maureen Simon tomorrow when the next stop on her virtual book tour visits "A Leigh Edwards~Where Prosperity Meets Spirit" hosted by Leigh Edwards. Enjoy a delightful excerpt from Maureen's book about relationships and inter-connectedness. As a Law of Attraction Practitioner, Leigh helps conscious, heart-centered women build and strengthen their relationship with themselves as a foundation to uncover their “blocks” and LEAP fearlessly into living the life of their dreams…Body/Mind/Spirit.

Follow along tomorrow and visit Leigh's blog for another chance to win your very own copy of "Awakening The Essential Feminine Claiming Your Influencial Power."

Visit Maureen's blog "Women Influencing Now" for full virtual book tour details and a list of all the wonderful virtual book tour hosts. Each host has something special to share with you. It may be an interview, podcast, video or excerpt from Maureen's book. Enjoy the juicy surprises.

http://womeninfluencingnow.wordpress.com/


Follow Maureen on Facebook www.facebook.com/TheEssentialFeminineCompany and on Twitter http://twitter.com/essenfeminine

Tweet

Monet - 43 Interesting Facts About Claude Monet

Monet.



One word is all I need to say and immediately an image appears in your brain. Well, at least that is what happens to me.

I've loved the paintings of Monet even before I knew they were created by a man named Monet. So in case you don't know anything or even not much about Monet, hopefully by the time you finish reading this delightful post, you will be enlightened.

And for the record, yes, I called my own post delightful. I couldn't help myself. Sometimes the feelings just burst through and take control of my fingers as I type. Let the words and images feed your mind and soul as you enjoy this post and if you don't enjoy it, read it until you do. That's called brainwashing. (smile) In this case, it will be good for you!

Monet - 43 Interesting and Fun Facts About Claude Monet

Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 and died December 5, 1926.

Claude Monet was born on the 5th floor of 45 Rue Laffitte (the name of the street) in Paris.

This wonderful artist was baptized in Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, the local parish church.

Monet was baptized as Oscar-Claude, but his parents called him simply Oscar. Strange that we all call him Claude.

Claude Monet was the second son of Claude Adolphe Monet and Louise Justine Aubrée Monet. His parents were second-generation Parisians.

Monet wanted to become an artist, but his father wanted him to go into the family grocery business.

On April 1, 1851, Monet entered Le Havre secondary school of the arts.

While attending Le Havre secondary school of the arts, the locals knew Monet well for his charcoal caricatures.

On January 28, 1857, when Monet was only sixteen, his mother died.

After his mother died, Monet left school and went to live with Marie-Jeanne Lecadre, his widowed childless aunt.

Monet painted Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant) in 1872. It depicted a Le Havre port landscape. In 1874 it hung in the first Impressionist exhibition. When art critic Louis Leroy read the painting's titled, he coined the term "Impressionism". Leroy meant his assessment to be negative, but the Impressionists at the time approved of description and it stuck.

Impression, Sunrise


View At Rouelles, Le Havre 1858, Private collection


In June 1861, Monet joined the First Regiment of African Light Cavalry in Algeria for a seven-year commitment. However, after two years later, he had contracted typhoid fever. The army agreed to release him from his service commitment at the pleas from his aunt, but only if he agreed to complete an art course at an art school.

In 1862, Monet met Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Frédéric Bazille and Alfred Sisley while he was a student of Charles Gleyre in Paris. They discussed the effects of light with broken color and rapid brushstrokes which is the mark of Impressionism.

Jacques-François Ochard gave Claude Monet his first drawing lessons.

Eugène Boudin, an artist and Monet's mentor, taught him to use oil paints and techniques.

The Woman in the Green Dress (La femme à la robe verte) was painted in 1866. This painting brought him recognition and was one of many works featuring his first wife, Camille Doncieux.

Jardin à Sainte-Adresse, 1867, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City


Camille Doncieux was the model for the figures in Women in the Garden and On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt which were painted in 1868.

Women in a Garden, 1866–1867, Musée d'Orsay, Paris



The Magpie, 1868–1869. Musée d'Orsay, Paris.


At the young age of thirty-two, Monet's wife, Camille Monet, died of tuberculosis. Even while on her deathbed, Monet took the opportunity to paint his wife.

The Artist's house at Argenteuil, 1873, The Art Institute of Chicago


Woman with a Parasol, (Camille and Jean Monet), 1875, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.


Argenteuil, 1875, Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris.


In 1878, Claude Monet's second child, Michel Monet, was born.

In May 1883, Monet rented a farm house located between Vernon and Gasny at Giverny. He used the barn as a painting studio. The property also had orchards and a small garden.



In 1890, Monet purchased the house and land outright. After becoming the owner, he created the gardens which he would spend the rest of his life painting.

Monet also created several series of paintings which included: Rouen Cathedral, Poplars, the Parliament, Mornings on the Seine, and the Water Lilies.

Houses of Parliament


Houses of Parliament, London, 1900-1901, The Art Institute of Chicago



Trouée de soleil dans le brouillard, Houses of Parliament, London, Sun Breaking Through the Fog, 1904, Musée d'Orsay, Paris


Houses of Parliament, London, Musée Marmottan Monet c.1904


Houses of Parliament, stormy sky, 1904, Palace of Fine-Arts, Lille, France


Monet wrote designs and layouts for plantings for his gardener. Even though Monet eventually hired seven gardeners, he still remained the architect.

In 1892, Claude Monet married Alice Hoschedé.

After Camille Monet's bout with tuberculosis in 1876, she became pregnant with her second child, Michel Monet who was born in March 1878.

Alice Hoschedé helped Monet to raise his two sons, Jean and Michel, by taking them to Paris to live alongside her own six children.

Water lilies, 1897-1899, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna


Water Lilies, 1907, Bridgestone Museum of Art, Tokyo


In 1911, Monet's second wife, Alice, died.

In 1914, Monet's oldest son Jean, died in 1914.

After his wife died, Alice's daughter, Blanche, cared for Monet even as he developed the first signs of cataracts

On December 5, 1926, Monet died at the age of 86 and is buried in the Giverny church cemetery.

Monet had insisted that the occasion be simple; thus only about fifty people attended the ceremony

His home, garden and waterlily pond were bequeathed by his son Michel, his only heir, to the French Academy of Fine Arts (part of the Institut de France) in 1966.

Monet, right, in his garden at Giverny, 1922.


Through the funding of the foundation of Claude Monet, the house and gardens were opened for visitors in 1980.

Monet's "series" paintings depicted the subject in varying light and weather conditions.

Haystacks was Monet's first series exhibited. The haystacks were painted from different points of view and at different times of the day.



People from all over the world visit the in Givery and is one of the main attractions.

In 2004, London, the Parliament, Effects of Sun in the Fog (1904), sold for $20.1 million USD.



Falaises près de Dieppe (Cliffs near Dieppe) has been stolon twice. Once in 1998 by the museum's curator and most in August 2007. Monet's painting was recovered in June 2008.

Monet's 1873 painting, Le Pont du chemin de fer à Argenteuil, a railway bridge spanning the Seine near Paris, was purchased by an anonymous telephone bidder. This painting sold for $41.4 million dollars at Christie's auction in New York on May 6, 2008.

On June 24, 2008, Le bassin aux nymphéas sold at Christie's for $71,892,376.34. With Fees it ending up being auctioned for $80,451,178 .



Monet was seen as a rebel at school. He would draw caricatures of his teachers and friends instead of doing his work.

Monet painted until his death and would sometimes repaint some of his canvasses.

Monet tried to kill himself by drowning in the Seine because his financial burdens were upsetting him so badly.

Obviously, Claude Monet had extraordinary talent, but he was also a regular guy who wanted to live a happy life. The one thing that made him a success is that Monet persevered and never gave up. I think we all can take that lesson away with us. Monet is a wonderful example of having a passion for his own talent and believing in himself.

"Continuous effort -
not strength or intelligence -
is the key to unlocking our potential."
~ Winston S. Churchill ~

Tweet

51 Reasons To Be Thankful Every Day

Being "thankful" is never out of style, however, sometimes we need a jolt by an electric cattle prod to help us remember that we should notice all the things that make our life full and happy.


Being ungrateful isn't one of my vices and I think it is not only because of the teachings of my mother, but also from the experiences in my life.

Do you need a cattle prod in order to feel gratitude?

Let me help you. Here is a list of 51 Reasons I'm Thankful Every Day, so maybe your are thankful for some of the same things:

1. God, even though he doesn't say, "Yes" to all my prayers.
   
2. Parents who love me
   
3. Beautiful Daughter
   
4. Loving Family
   
5. Faithful Friends
6. Loyal Pets that greet me with so much excitement each day.
   
7. Employment
   
8. Knowledgeable Doctors
   
9. Comfortable home
10. Transportation
11. Education
12. Delicious food
13. Clothes
14. Snuggly blankets
    
15. Nature
16. The Internet which has broadened my knowledge and friendships.
17. Flannel...shirts, sheets, pajamas and anything else that can be flannel!
    
18. The hot water that doesn't run out before I'm finished with my shower.
19. A clean home and that my mother made the effort so many years ago to teach me how to make a house a home.
20. Peace and quiet in the dark of night.
21. Mountains that reach high into the sky.
22. Running rivers and crashing waves on the beach.
23. My blog
24. A tender heart because it helps me to feel compassion.
25. The moon and all beautiful memories it holds for me.
26. Music that inspires my soul.
27. Great books
28. Exciting movies
29. Rain
30. Snow
31. Sunshine
32. Sense of sight
    
33. Sense of hearing
    
34. Sense of taste
35. Sense of smell
36. Sense of touch
37. Lungs that breathe all day and all night.
38. Heart that pumps blood throughout my entire body.
39. Brain that thinks...most of the time.
40. Krispy Kreme doughnuts
41. A computer
42. A refrigerator. I would be lost without it.
43. Running water
44. My cell phone that allows me and Alyssa to text each other all the time.
45. Hope
46. Ability to forgive
47. Talents such as sewing, crocheting, knitting, etc.
48. Freedom
49. Love
50. Laughter
    
51. Life
    

What's on your list?




Now, the time we have all been waiting for...(drum roll) This is the weekly post where I spotlight my Rockin' Friends who are the Top Nine active participants and loyal followers in my community which has THE BEST people in the world! If you want to be mentioned here next week, then all it takes is to come in and start chatting with everyone in my community.



With a big, heartfelt thank you for their participation and friendship, here are the Rockin' Friends this week in order of most participation.

• Joan at A Bad Marriage Is Fattening


• Bev at eBlebco


• Katlupe at Homesteading On The Internet


• Pam (no blog)


• Aleta at Aleta's Arty Facts


• Meg at Mergie


• Marlene at Marlene's Many Hats


• Kristi at Child Sensitive Communication Grid


• Annie at Country Living In Cariboo Valley

I'm so glad that I've been able to become friends with these wonderful people who are so active in my community. I encourage you to add their blogs to your blogroll, but also come over and chat with us in my community.

For everyone mentioned in the top nine this week, feel free to grab the Rockin' Friend badge below and thank you for your participation!!



<a href="http://www.theredheadriter.com" target="_blank"><img style="width: 150px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="Rockin' Friends" title="Rockin' Friends" src="http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/TheRedHeadRiter/2009%20TEMPLATE/69015f9c.jpg"/></a>
Until next week...Kiss your family, hug your friends and don't forget to be the friend you would like to have around.

Woo Us To Your Blog

As always, attached is the weekly Linky to enter either the main URL to your site or add each post you publish throughout the week. You don't have to do anything special, just drop your link in and get a little extra exposure to your site.

Tweet

Calvin Nicholls, Canadian Paper Sculpture Artist Is A Master Of Paper Art

I'm pretty sure that coloring in my Pink Panther or Tom & Jerry coloring books can even compare to the beautiful paper sculptures designed and created by Canadian artist, Calvin Nicholls.

Since 1986, Calvin has created his works of art from his studio with a pencil, sheets of paper, a very sharp scalpel and a little glue. When he has finished a piece, it will be about 1 1/2 feet wide by 2 feet long in size and take anywhere between four weeks to two years to complete.

In the Follett Library near Chicago, Illinois, a collection of over seventy-five art sculptures by Calvin Nicholls are displayed. However, since he started the paper art sculptures, he has produced over five hundred pieces.

After thirty years of honing his art form, Calvin has mastered the paper techniques used to create amazingly realistic pieces that bring such creatures as frogs, hummingbirds, zebras, squirrels, ferrets and lions to life.

Besides enjoying the art, I want you to remember something that Calvin Nicholls said...

"I developed my art to the point where I blended many of my passions - wildlife, the natural world, photography, design, model making, sculpture, light and shadow and have managed to indulge all of them...When I started out in the early 1980's I didn't see this being my job nearly thirty years later."

The future is always open to possibilities beyond our wildest imaginations.









































Of course, I'm sure you remember why the last picture is the moose.

Tweet