Smashed to pieces

“There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic.”
- Anais Nin

How very interesting . . .  I have had that quote on my website for years now... ever since it's beginning, the words of Anais Nin resonated within me so well.  So... it is with some perplexity and a certain amount of acceptance I faced a small creative dilemma . . . probably over a year ago now I went to some mosaic classes, this art form has always fascinated me and I was busting to break stuff and turn it into something gorgeous for my garden... but interestingly.. I did the project to about 90% completion... I made a beautiful bird bath... but had not permanently fixed the platter to the top, and I had NOT GROUTED the finished base.  

So... earlier this year when we had builders doing our home renovation my 'almost complete' bird bath got knocked.. and the platter on the top fell and lost some of it's tiles.. this was ok I thought... no harm was done to the base... I'll get to it one of these days... "Nooo, don't worry about it" I said.  "It doesn't matter"

Okay... so now just a couple of weeks ago my husband dragged the hose across the path of my  'ac' bird bath.. and this was the result : 

it's quite "shattering" really... I have learned I need to follow through and complete a job... 

I abandoned this project before it reached it's full potential and beauty.... and I am learning through the Feminine Power course that I am taking... I have actually been abandoning the girl inside me all of my life.. and now I am the woman she needs me to be to take proper care of her.  This is a huge realisation, and only came to me today thanks to the amazing facilitation of the course . .  

Deep emotional wounding is apparent in us all . . . it's how we come to terms with loving ourselves out of it, and being true to our wonderful selves that is one of life's mysteries and blessings all at the same time.

I'm putting myself back together again... 

with love

Denise x

Feminine Power week one...

I have begun a very interesting journey along with over 800 women from 24 Countries around the world!  I think that in itself is remarkable!!!


Here are some figures, for those of you who like numbers ...  Australia 49, Canada 85,  Chile 2 China 1, Denmark 4, Finland 2, France 4, Germany 5, Guam 1, Hong Kong 2, Ireland 3, Italy 1, Netherlands 7, New Zealand 3, Norway 2, Kataar 1, South Africa 3, Spain 3, Sweden 2, Switzerland 1 United Arab Emirates 1, United Kingdom 34 and USA 572!!!  


So.... to begin with we set our personal intentions for the course.. I'm not sure about sharing it here just yet... I may prefer to just talk about the course, and leave the contents safely in their cocoon of the group.... I'm finding that these online courses (this being my third) really can become a magical nurturing and inspiring little place of safety.  When you listen to an inspiring speaker, and are invited to join a group of women... a little door of your heart can experience a little knocking... sometimes a still small voice can be heard whispering to you to ... trust... let go... leap... 


this is an example of something that can happen... when you listen to that little calling... and take that leap...

An  Amazing Synchronistic Magical little Story... 

Just since our call at the beginning of this journey (Thurs 12th August)... I heard the voice of a lovely who said she lived on the Sunshine Coast... she actually lives in the next suburb to me.. minutes away!  we had never met... and during that call when we were asked to say hello from anywhere around the world, I thought.... ok... this course is about stepping into my power... so I quickly pressed ‘1’ before I changed my mind... so I too got to say hello to all who were on the call from all over the world.. and I felt so privilaged and happy.

...so.. this Lady on the phone and I saw eachothers faces on the forum, and connected very briefly in writing, saying we would soon be able to have a little local group.. and another lady has popped up just 20 mins away in Noosa...!

ok... so here’s the magical moment...

 my husband and I were walking along through the cafes at a little place called Cotton Tree on Saturday... I was feeling particularly good this day, and I was thinking about the course I had just begun, the sun was shining it was a brilliantly gorgeous day .... and at that moment I looked across to my right... and a lady was sitting at a cafe table smiling straight at me, I instantly recognised her as the woman I had heard introduce herself on the phone, and who's picture I had seen on the forum... we embraced like old very special friends immediately and introduced our bewildered husbands... and then my new friend wisely said “To Be Continued” ... it was one of the most enlivening, beautiful and lovely things I’ve had happen in a while.  

and that’s only two days after the course started!!!  What will these next six weeks hold I wonder?  xoxo

the view from a little seat in a rock wall at Alexandra Headland,

from the same seat.. looking across to Point Cartwright. 

I am deeply grateful for the place I live.

and for the potential for miracles in the every day.

love Denise xo

goodness me...

Good evening ...


it's a New Moon in Leo today/tonight, it's an important time for setting intentions, wishes, dreams and plans for the coming days/weeks.  I had a full day, highlighted by meeting with a like-minded dynamic woman who I am so happy to have met.  Another intuitive friend pointed out... the first two weeks of the New Moon time are for setting intentions, and taking ACTION, and then the second two weeks you get to sit back a bit and see the fruit of your actions playing out.  Something about that made me feel the urgency to quit mucking around and get a bit more serious about doing something!  I must admit, I sometimes get a bit flakey on it and hope/wish/day dream it's all going to work out... well... I have come to realise that I owe myself a bit more of a commitment than that.


I begin the 7 week tele-course this week with Feminine Power (facebook page fyi) and I'm feeling the rumblings of something being stirred up.  


here's another interesting post I happened upon... as I went googling for a 'New Moon in Leo' pic to share : planetaryapothecary.com ... unfortunately, I haven't quite figured out a super fast way of finding an image, getting it onto here and including where I got it from.. mm, yeah, need a bit more practice on that.. and now is not the time for such things!!


ok... so I'm off to set some intentions.... oh... and it looks like I've made the new banner WAY TOOOOO   W I D E !!!!!  mmmmmm, I'll fix that as soon as I have the inclination! 


Denise xo

Dream Boogie with SARK new session starting Sept 22

I am absolutely thrilled to be an affiliate of SARK's products and courses... I love her work so much, and can relate to her realness and effervescence and magical sparkly spirit.
if you need a little boogie boost... check this out.


Denise x  


SARK is very colourful xo

Big news!  Best-selling author and artist SARK (aka Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) has just announced a new session of Dream Boogie with SARK, starting Wednesday September 22.  If you sign up by August 15, you save $20 with the "Early Dreamer Discount", and you also get a bonus jump-start workbook called "SARK's Purple Dream Crayon: A Playbook for Naming Your Dream"

SARK has been teaching workshops all around the world for over 25 years, and now you can work with her directly in this a dream productivity program that is packed with inspiration and innovation to help you move from dreaming to DOing.

You can enjoy some fun, free "Dream Boogie" samples, including interview audio snippets, plus colorful SARK videos, workbook downloads, and other funky little goodies for your dream.

Red, red, rEd, rED, ReD

RED is my favourite colour, this is a mixture of paint in a tray I used yesterday... I wished I could have created that very same pattern to keep for ever... I guess that's where photo's come in a little bit handy.  

I visted the amazing website of Tori Hartman today and when I did the "free colour wisdom card reading" I got "Rose - Red" ... and yesterday I tried it and got "Cherry Red" haha, there must be something in it!!  I have decided I'd love to own the deck... maybe it could be fun to give readings to people and have them create a painting also relating to their card and hearts desires.

It's shifting and changing times around here... the energy lifts and then falls... some days it all feels like its running along perfectly.. then crash... something out of the blue seems to floor me.  I would like to embrace the shift, release the fear of change and  go with this flow that seems to be taking me whether I like it or not.   It's not a devastating blow.. I've had a couple of those in my life so I know how that feels.. this is different... it's growth, but unseen possibilities glisten in the distance.. I have snippets of sparkles showing themselves daily, 

amongst the mundane and the usual... I often receive much needed peace from just watching birds, especially my chickens.. one of the red ones flys up onto the gate to be the 'first to glimpse the scrap pot offerings', but I take the opportunity to place one hand under her little round chest and the other to give her a head to tail pat... she endures the outrageous misunderstanding and then flutters back into her territory as soon as she possibly can!  

I've never seen a Robin red breast in person, but I do love them so, hence I popped one in to a painting recently... see in previous post here

'A Night To Remember'

(c) Denise Daffara

Well dear ones, I'll sign off for now... 

Denise xo

Quiet Times, Winter, Going Within, and Cakes!

Seriously... this winter has been all about cakes and tea and self nurturing and going within... it can be so disappointing and disquieting to have such few painting sales, it's a 'sign of the times' but still I feel I want to paint.  So I'm working on a series of yoga/meditative poses, with a strong vibrant tree in the background, these paintings are feeding my soul which is far more important than the bank balance.  I realise I live an extremely fortunate life, I cannot complain of lack, and besides I prefer to remain optimistic and know 'this too will pass'.

petite lime meringue tart at Montville patisserie

Moroccan tea at 'Moroccan restaurant near the Emporium  in Brisbane,  when I went to collect some unsold paintings from a show...  rather than spending the time alone and disappointed I arranged to meet a friend and we spent several hours chatting, laughing and had cake & tea... and a divine havarti & pumpkin pizza.. alongside this roaring gas heater with a flame higher than I've ever noticed before on a gas heater, it made us feel so cozy and nurtured, the staff at the restaurant were so attentive and fabulous.

Cranberry tea & lemon tart, yet another 'treat' on a friends deck overlooking the ocean... just because.

"Peace for Me" (c) Denise Daffara

And here is my latest .. the beginning of a series I mentioned above... yoga/meditation type poses that feed my soul and nurture the chakra's their colours relate to.  This is one that is aimed at the heart chakra, 

I used this passage from a helpful website about the Chakra's

what-are-the-7-chakras

"HEART CHAKRA" 

"located in the centre of the chest. It's function is: love, its inner state is compassion, love.  its colour is green and its planet is Venus.  Its stones are Green/Pink stones - Peridot, Rose Quartz, Malachite.  Meditation on: I Love.  Balancing this chakra is important for the circulatory system, heart and thymus.  It also affects spiritual love, compassion and universal oneness.  Energies: Water, Calming Soothes, Relaxes."

So... today as I woke with a headache for the third day... and realised I'd made a big mistake with our internet provider and therefore had caused us to have no connection for a few hours, which was not appreciated by those in the house who need it for their work... and then received a call 'had I forgotten an osteopath appointment for 5 minutes ago?'... heck... I was so pleased to hear the word 'osteopath' I said, "see you in 2 minutes" and dived into the car with no shoes on and went and had my neck fixed... 2nd vertebrae twisted makes for very uncomfortable headaches, it's so strange that my love of painting creates such bad posture habits that brings me sore neck and headaches???  maybe its too much time at the computer as well... hence my gaps in blog posts...

So.... it's been a somewhat challenging time this winter for me... I'm so grateful I have great friends around me to bounce things off now and then and to laugh with and walk with and drink tea with ... simple things like this help so very much.

take care,

Denise xo