The Super Power we ALL have: Positive Affirmations

 More than just this too shall pass.

As I was preparing for this blog post I clicked on a site entitled 7 Behaviors That Reveal You are a Free thinker. https://www.powerofpositivity.com/behaviors-reveal-you-are-free-thinker/

I thought it was funny that as I quickly scanned the article my next move was to check out the source, before I actually began to read it.  Then it occurred to me this is my habit. I always check out the source because there's just so much BS out there right? It's easy to agree with authors who say what you already believe in, but it doesn't mean that those who speak their truths with which you may not agree, are wrong or those with whom you agree are right. And sometimes we just have to suspend our disbelief long enough to try something new to see what happens.

That's the kind of story I'm about to tell you. This is the true story of what happened to me in my moment of despair. If you know me and you're reading this, then you know it's all true. If you don't know me, you will have to suspend your disbelief and get ready to hear my story. Stay with me on this ok, it's worth it. If I am asked to share my best piece of life advice with someone, this will be it.

THE BACKGROUND INFO

In the fall of  2008, a man I really trusted said three words to me that would change my life forever. Oh if only they had been the sweet three words you're probably thinking of. These words were absolutely the last thing I wanted to hear at this point in my life or ever. The words were: you have cancer.

I was a 46 year old, struggling single mom of a teenager whom I adored and who was also struggling with their own life and identity. Needless to say I was devastated, absolutely devastated. My child was still so depressed about losing their best friend to suicide about a month earlier that I was afraid they would follow with suicide as well. The stress of that alone was overwhelming. I would later learn that my child's father, my ex had passed away just 10 days before this news. We were the same age. It felt like my small family was meant to die out right then and there, we had  been selected for extinction, I remember thinking.

At the time I had been dating a guy for a couple of months and I really liked him, but with this news I didn't feel it was fair to burden him with my 'new' situation. He was younger than me so I set him free. And he left. Not long after, my daughter left too to find herself with friends and a new street family to give her the support she felt she needed and she really did need that support. It had always been just the two of us since my divorce 15 years prior. The rest of my family was on the other side of the country. Deciding to leave home would become a decision my daughter would later regret, but a decision that kept her from suicide because she said she couldn't stay and watch me die. But this was more than devastating, everyone leaving me right then especially those I loved, was pain that cut to my very soul and scarred me emotionally for what I thought would be forever even though I completely understood.

So I had my operation, during which time a third of my right breast was removed along with 12 lymph nodes. I felt mutilated, as though I was 'damaged goods' and so I cried my tears, which seemed infinite for a while. 

The next year would be filled with chemo and radiation treatments. Professional support for my child was minimal at best. I remember once after a chemo treatment, waking up to a cop standing at the foot of my bed (my bedroom was upstairs) saying they were looking for someone at this address who had called the suicide hotline and said they were bleeding. They were there to take my child to the hospital. My child had to ride with the police to the hospital to be checked out because they were underage and a report would have to be filed at the hospital. I would have to follow in my own vehicle. Just so you know, every time I would get a treatment it felt like I had the flu. I was in no condition to follow them but we'll do anything for our kids right? And I really didn't have much choice. You would have thought that the hospital, a children's hospital would have followed up with a social worker or something after seeing our condition in the hospital that night right? It never happened and I was too weak to chase after her a little while later when she decided to leave home for good, and so I lost my child to the streets. 

This is not sounding very positive is it. It ends even better than you can imagine, stay with me.

THE RECKONING

As time went on, things started to look up a little. My daughter who was male at the time, still stayed with friends most of the time, or on the streets of Seattle but we were in touch. My parents who were elderly would come to stay with me when I would have a treatment which always involved a long trip for them. I returned to work with my arm in a sling and only missed the time it took to recover from surgery. So I started to feel a little bit better and decided it was time to take charge of the situation. The movie The Bucket List had just recently been released and I thought, I'm going to do that, and you know what else I'm going to do!, I thought to myself, I'm going to laugh throughout the rest of this ordeal, and I'm going to survive this shit!!!! I am NOT my breasts and I WILL survive this!!!!

So I made a bucket list. I thought to myself, let's see if this positive thinking really works. Because I had always heard the phrase visualize and realize, and I really did believe it. I always had great luck manifesting what I needed. If I needed cash, somehow it would be there. If I wanted something in particular an article of clothing, a special meal, a piece of furniture, a phone call from a friend, whatever it was, I would visualize it and it would happen. It was kind of unbelievable. So I decided that in this bucket list I would list things that I thought would NEVER happen. My number one bucket list item was to get remarried. Ok that was probably number 2 because I wanted to live first, but  being alone and learning that I had a potentially fatal disease made me realize that I really didn't want to be alone anymore, so getting married again was at the top of the list, right after surviving. I wasn't dating anyone at the time, I was damaged goods as far as I was concerned so it just seemed impossible. The impossible list developed from there. I wanted to drive my dream car, a Mercedes Benz, so that went on the list. Why not? I had never been to Europe so that went on the list. I wanted to learn a foreign language. I wanted to learn to paint and become an artist, and so on. I got about 8 things written down on that list which I have since lost, but I will tell you straight away that each and every one of those things on my list came to pass. I even got the Mercedes Benz afterwards literally by accident!!!More on that in a future post

Even before I was finished with my treatments I met a man who was born in Bohemia (wow right? He was born in the Czech Republic during it's Russian occupation to Austian/Hungarian and Czech/German parents). He was a German immigrant, still a citizen of Germany and he had the most adorable accent and demeanor. The first thing he said to me was that he was an artist and he spoke 4 languages. He also lived in my area. My jaw dropped on the floor. 

 At the time, he had a German deli, which is where I met him(in person, we actually met online, another incredible story) and we started dating. He made me laugh after all that grief. Before the end of that first year he took me to meet his family at Christmas time. They were all still living in Germany, so I was in Europe for the first time in my life and fully immersed in the German language and culture, something I never dreamed would happen to me especially within the first year following my diagnosis. I was so motivated to learn the German language it was amazing!! 

 On New Year's Eve, on the balcony of his brothers house, with all of the bells tolling in the churches of the village where they lived and the smoke filled air from all of  the fireworks, he proposed to me in front of the whole family. In a thick accent he says, 'I like to marry you'. He sounded just exactly like Arnold Schwarzenegger, rolling those rrrrrrrrrrrrr's! All I could do was throw my head back and laugh maniacally and  then I said, say it again! After which I said yes, yes, yes!!!!!! Of course.

Since then, I've learned to speak German (a little, more than some) cook German, keep house like a German. He taught me to paint among other artistic pursuits. AND I got the Mercedes. Wow.

Now days, guess what, I'm retired and I have explored so many art mediums that I can now make a living as an artist. I can do things that I never knew I could do, because I believed that I could and so I can. I really believe that there was something about putting those things down on paper, no matter how improbable they were, that gave those positive affirmations the energy to materialize. I have heard many stories like this, so I'm not the only one who can do it. This concept is not exactly outside the realm of science. You know E=mc^2, which explains the relationship between energy and matter.  In my studies, I have learned that thoughts can  manifest into reality too. It has to do with quantum physics a science that no one understands but only bits and pieces, and it is bizarre! It all sounds very heavy and maybe even a little too new age for some, but until you try it, you don't really know. But I know because in my moment of despair, I could have laid down and died or I could dream my loftiest dreams and turn them into reality. 

You can do it too. Find a time, I usually do mine when I'm brushing my teeth or something and I just say my positive affirmations right to myself in the mirror. NOW my positive affirmations go like this: My body is getting stronger and heathier every day, and I am looking younger, and younger every day (right? why not?) and then I check myself out to see if it's working, lol. Yup, clothes fit better, I get lots of looks from younger guys, no really. It has worked!!!!!! Not to mention that here it is fifteen years later and  I am cancer free and living my best life. Here's a case in point. We had to call our electrician the other day, a handsome, young Latino. He's always very friendly and spends some time catching us up on the latest with his very large family. He spontaneously and specifically said to me "you look young". He could've said anything else but he actually said  'you look young'. Not the usual complement. There's so much satisfaction in knowing that I'm in control of what happens to me. You have to try it. You got this. Positive affirmations changed my life for the better in ways I had to imagine. I had to name it and claim it! You can too, you don't have to think "oh I'm dying" to make a bucket list. It's very much like goal setting, you just have to know what you want.

Try something new you beautiful, boho soul. If it's not new for you, maybe lets agree to manifest world peace and the end of hunger and to have the purest and truest love for each other, so that we can make the next evolutionary jump and become universal citizens. How exciting to know that this too is within the realm of possibility we just have to make it so.

Peace and love to you, Jorisoboho

Sneak Peak of Spring23 fashion through the BOHO Lens

Here it is January of 23 and it's dreary outside, so I personally am spending a lot of time indoors. It's great here in Arizona in the winter, most of the time, but it's been a particularly wet winter so far but we are only a couple weeks in (maybe we'll give it a little more time). It definitely seems different from other years though. Global warming? Yeah, probably. 

So I thought, what better way to waste my time than watching fashion shows on youtube right??? Does anyone else do this? Well if not, let me tell you how this boho soul will use this information to save the world from ourselves and save some money so I can still afford to eat during 2023.

These fashion shows for the Spring/Summer 2023 season were really pretty fun to watch. Not all of them but most. I started watching fashion shows about 3 years ago with my friend who was studying fashion design, but I have always loved fashion. I remember my mom subscribed to SEVENTEEN for me when I was maybe 13 and I had the best dressed Barbies on the block. Yes, young tweens and early teens still played with Barbies when I was that age. Ok well, I did anyway. So, I took one rainy afternoon this week to see these Spring sneak peak  shows:Versace, Chanel, Dolce&Gambino, St.Laurent, Prada, Givenchy, Valentino, Ferigamo, Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Hermes, Gucci, Herrera, and that's all I could remember when I decided to write them all down so I could share this with you. 

There were lots of trends and similarities. It makes you wonder, did they all go to the same cocktail party during the holidays and talk about it? Or maybe are these trends just a sign of the times. You decide.

HERE'S WHAT THE BOHO IN ME SAW

There were a couple of trends that stood out across all of the shows for me. There were collections that had a 'post apocolypto' vibe in which the designer was either positive about the outcome with lots of metallics and space age looking stuff which I thought was cool. It inspired me to pull out my silver puffer to finish out the winter for sure. Some were not as hopeful as the rest of us with tons of black and tattered and depraved looking stuff, as if we were going to have to live with zombies this spring. Those were not my favorite, except Versace's black. It was kind of goth with the giant chunky black heels and flowy black layers topped with leather jackets of all kinds, so I will be pulling out my black leather jackets and black fav pieces that are already in my closet to finish the winter and start the spring to get the look. 

Then there were collections that were just full on glamorous, reminiscent of the roaring 20's of 100 years ago. There was A LOT of black here too but lots and lots of sparkle as well. Sparkles were on accessories, jewelry and fabrics. So I personally will be pulling out my sequin tops to wear with sleek leather pants or flowy black pants, as well as some of my more glittery accessories. There was a lot of white and neutral (a boho staple) in almost every collection, and  some black and white together as well. Neons are back this season in pretty chiffons. Lots of sparkling red outfits and dresses too, feeling like a nod to Dorothy's ruby red slippers. Not surprising considering that most of us really wish we could just click our heels out of our current reality and just go home so that things can get back to 'normal'. 

A pretty much favorite color of mine was everywhere too. TEAL was presented from most designers in their favorite shades but all shades of teal were represented in the various shows I watched.

The F's were flying at most of the shows too, fringe, fur, feathers, and flowing fabrics were everywhere, so we are set there, my boho babes. There were hombre colors and even tie-dye fabrics (we have those), and tons of hats ( I have far too many). Denim is king this season, no problem for boho queens or princesses. Sheer fabrics. HMM, what to say, well they were everywhere in Europe. I have sheer things but I usually wear a cute bra or tank underneath (or panties), they didn't do that in Europe, those Europeans are like red, red, roses and they are a little (t)horny, I think. Ok, sheer is nice, but I think keep it for the bedroom, that's just me. I wear my sheers the way I said. There were lots and lots of belly buttons too so that's really sexy too and I'm sure we all have a closet full of mid- drift tops and low rise shorts and jeans and pants and skirts to show off those belly buttons and six packs. Slip dresses are also way in (did they ever leave for us?) and oh so sexy.

BOHO ACCESSORIES RULED

Black fringy bags, with platform sandals were all over, so were strappy high heeled sandals in all colors, sandals in general were everywhere and flats (thank you. rounded toes mostly for this season). This is great for me because I live in Arizona and I wear sandals year around. Don't worry though because boots of all kinds are still in too. So I will keep my boots, booties, shoe-ties and platforms AND flats at the ready and make sure I have all the right colors for my platforms. Yep I have 2 black pair, 1 beige pair, 1 grey pair and a silver pair, I bet you do too. I also pulled out all of my black bags and white bags of all sizes so I can pick one color or the other to go with everything,  (the black clutch or handled bags seemed to be most  prevalent in the shows). My black studded backpack is also going to get lots of use this season. There were lots and lots of  cool multi-strand necklaces, which us boho girls and guys (and theys, is this proper usage of this pronoun?) love to wear and I love to design and create them. So, chunky boho jewelry was there. AND flower embellishments were seen a lot too so pull out all of your flowers babe and go with it.

SO HOW ARE WE SAVING THE WORLD WITH THIS?

So, looks like I'm set for spring and I don't need to buy anything. But IF I DID, don't think for one second I will be spending $1000.00 for a skirt, oh wait, make that $3000 for this season. I like to know what the fashion experts  have to say so that I can go to my favorite second hand shops to see what I can find that reminds me of the fashion shows I just watched. Oh yes, I am a huge fan of recycled clothes, I can actually find these brands sometimes too at second hand shops. If I can't find what I need I buy the garments that are made of fabrics I like and modify them to make what I want. Sewing is a boho skill that really pays off after the initial investment of buying a sewing machine,  I actually bought a used sewing machine for my first machine. Shopping the thrift stores is a great way to save energy and it creates less waste. Not to mention that you are supporting local merchants if you buy from local owners and you're supporting very worthwhile charities if you are shopping from organizations that support their causes with the funds raised from their shops. It's the boho way. Plus I have to say honestly, I have ALWAYS found exactly what I was looking for at thrift stores and I have always gotten compliments on my outfits. You can try out your superpowers of manifestation and positive affirmation too when you go to these shops as mentioned in my blog: The super power we all have.  Just visualize and realize.

The were 3 shows that made me go 'oh I love that' with almost every piece and they were Viceta Wang,  Gorgio Armani. and Emporio Armani.

 Linked here are my 3 fav shows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drNDr3tldM0&t=17s  Viceta Wang- great boho fashions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFfCfF8D6Xs  Emporio Armani- beautiful show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StDB46SHsX4    Gorgio Armani- otherworldly beautiful designs and show

I would have to say that Versace and Dolce&Gambino were my next favs.

So there it is, the Jorisoboho spring 2023 sneak peak fashion show review. Now you know what to look for in your boho closet (ideas for the design of which will be discussed in a future post) or in your favorite thrift shops, because as you know, that is just so boho.

Peace and love to you beautiful soul, 

Jorisoboho

Please leave your kind comments and helpful critiques below. 

Jori Konrad Jorisoboho is a private individual and is not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned in this blog.

Homemade bath and body oils

 

As a cancer survivor it became clear to me that I had to make some lifestyle changes, so I started making my own products, with my personal boho spin on them, of course.

                  

Oh yes, it is time for moisturizing when it's cold and windy outside and the heat is cranked up inside. There's no doubt about it, a warm, smooth soak in the tub filled with aromatic oils or a moisturizing spritz to the face is very relaxing, luxuriously moisturizing, nourishing to the skin, good for you, need I go on?

I find myself getting really bombarded with ads about essential oils these days, and honestly there are many other options. It becomes a bit confusing and a little bit annoying when people ask 'is it made with essential oils?', if the answer is no, many will turn up their nose and claim that your products 'aren't clean'. Actually there are options other than essential oils and fragrance oils. Carrier oils are becoming my favorite kind of oil to make my products with and some products can't be made without them, an example would be body butter, which is also a luscious option for winter moisturizing (definitely a topic for another post). I think ultimately it just comes down to educating yourself and deciding what you like best.

I personally use fragrance oils in my products as well as carrier oils because I'm into the aromatherapy experience as well as the experience of taking care of my skin with my own products. I also use fragrance oils for other projects like household cleaners, candles, wax melts, soaps, lotions,  and car freshies, so for me there's also the economical aspect to consider when purchasing materials for my products.

Linked here is an article from Brambleberry.com about the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils.

https://www.brambleberry.com/ingredient-information/fragrance-and-essential-oils/art0017-essential-oils-vs-fragrance-oils.html 

Like I said, it comes down to personal choice and since I find lavender and peppermint (just to name the two biggest offenders to my nose)to have scents that (how do I say this nicely?) I just don't care for, I'm very thankful for other options. What is noteworthy in this article for me is that not everything can produce essential oil, the examples given are strawberry and vanilla.  Who doesn't love the scent of strawberry and vanilla? Although it is true that these scents have to be achieved synthetically, most store bought items that are fragranced, ARE fragranced with synthetic fragrances and with many more chemicals than fragrance oils from soap and candle supply vendors. In some cases, what makes fragrance oils from these suppliers even better than essential oils is that the synthetic fragrance is mixed with a carrier oil, all of which provide their own benefits.  AND did you know that some essential oils cannot even be used in leave on products?

Castor oil from whole foods market. This is the one I use.

My favorite carrier oil right now is castor oil. I know what you're thinking, if you're my age you're thinking 'oh my gosh, that stuff is awful, we had to drink it as kids!' The good news is, you don't have to drink castor oil to get the skin and hair loving benefits that today's modern castor oil offers. If you're still repulsed by the thought of castor oil, you have a ton of other options. Linked here is an article about the benefits of castor oil but there are many other carrier oils and their benefits referenced here so that you can make the choice of which one(s) will be best for you.  

https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/all-about-castor-carrier-oil.html

There are many places where you can buy  fragrance oils and carrier oils, in addition to essential oils, online and locally. I have tried several wholesale sites to supply me with products for my business and I have found that some are better than others when it comes to fragrance oils. I find that brambleberry.com and Wholesale Supplies + have a great selection of fragrances and both offer products in a range of sizes. The quality is superior too compared to other companies I've tried. 

Recipe:

I use a 2 to 1 ratio of castor oil(2) and other oils(1) (argon, hemp, coconut, whatever I have), and fragrance oil (whatever percentage by volume is recommended by the vendor for that particular fragrance oil.)

Different fragrances have different percentages for use in products, so you will want to check out the vendor recommendations to make sure your products are safely proportioned.

If you really love experimenting with fragrances you can use either essential oils or fragrance oil. However, with fragrance oils there is chemistry involved and you may not get what you expect. So there's a perk for using essential oils. If you want to make a larger quantity of fragranced oil you will want to use a carrier oil too. I also enjoy infusing my oils with botanicals and crystals as well, for those added benefits. That's what makes making your own products so much fun! You can customize  your products the way you want to and you can relax even more knowing that you are using products that you created with clean(er) ingredients. Not to mention that making your  own products cuts down on so much energy consumption and waste, which we all know is so boho. 💞 

        Peace and love to you beautiful soul, Jorisoboho

Please leave your kind comments and helpful critiques below. 

Jori Konrad, Jorisoboho, is a private individual and is not sponsored by any of the companies referenced in this blog post.

Learn more about Jorisoboho: 

https://jorisoboho.blogspot.com/2023/01/welcome-to-new-jorisoboho-blog.html

 

What is boho?

 

Hi. MY NAME IS JORI KONRAD

I love all things boho and I always have. A dear friend once told me, you were boho before there was a name for it. There WAS a name for it back then, it was HIPPIE. Boho is the updated name for the "it" that I apparently possess. Let's see if you agree. You may be thinking, how can you be boho! You're too old!!! Well now, you are correct that I am not 18 years old, a size 2 and sporting a bikini to show off my fabulous tan and tattoos, but then that is probably why I feel compelled to write this blog to somewhat define what boho is to me. But before you close, I do have something to offer to all the beautiful, boho young (and old) people out there who inspire me everyday (because we are kindred spirits), so come along with me for a while and let me tell you my story.

Little did I know back then, when my friend pronounced me to be so boho, that this boho lifestyle and attitude that I had apparently identified with, would help me navigate through so many difficulties in my life like school, college, marriage, divorce, single parenthood and loneliness, cancer, dating after 40, re-marrying etc, etc. Luckily, it would also help me to realize my most lofty dreams too. An exciting story for a future post

In this blog I will share with you some of the day to day happenings in the life of this boho blogger (a new thing), cancer survivor, artist and positive thinker. It is my intention to uplift you, inspire you, reflect with you and to share with you my stories about my experiences, my art and other creations so that we can laugh together sometimes and sometimes I will look for your support and encouragement.

I will reflect upon and share a collection of my favorite things: fashion, jewelry, entertaining, food, artworks, and bath & beauty items through the lens of the boho lifestyle. I will share craft tutorials and how to's for some of my projects that you will see posted on Pinterest (also a relatively new thing). https://www.pinterest.com/jorikonrad/_saved/

Hopefully, my reflections in this blog will inspire you to embrace the happiness, and peace that is and has always been yours to enjoy, and to share a few laughs together.

And last before my first reflection, I was an educator for 30+ years (now retired) so I will teach now and then and I am most definitely a lifelong learner. Please share your kind comments and helpful criticisms with me as I learn how to do this and share my thoughts. I will save my goals regarding this effort for a future post.

First Reflections:

What is BOHO?

As I've grown older I have come to realize that the word boho really refers much more to a lifestyle than just a fashion style. It's about caring and  lovingly co-existing with our planet and all living things by making responsible consumer decisions that will benefit everyone. From this attitude is born a type of spiritualism that can also be found in the boho soul. When I finally gave in to fully living my true life and dedicated my efforts to becoming the person I really am, I began to bloom. So for me, the boho lifestyle has helped me find true self LOVE (and love in general) because that’s where it all has to begin.

                                                      One of my early collages, on canvas

BOHO VS. HIPPIE

Just as 'boho' has come to be synonymous with a specific style, 'back then' the hippies had their own style too but they also had a common mindset. The flower children were about love and peace, and their agenda was to protest the Viet Nam war and war in general. The love for nature and the desire to find balance within it was widely embraced and everything was beautiful and sweet. So their hearts were in the right place and they were truly trying to set an example of how to live together harmoniously, they really hoped this example would demonstrate how to make the evolutionary jump to leave our warring ways, a very honorable intention. They believed this could be accomplished by creating their own societal rules around this philosophy while rejecting 'the existing conventions and hierarchies' of society at the time, which then led to the very nasty reaction of the powers that be and later on by society in general. Sound familiar?

It is true that some of that balance was synthetic due to the drug culture that became a part of the movement. Turn on, tune in, drop out, by Timothy Leary back in 1966 encouraged the use of LSD as a way to help one become enlightened, unfortunately with some not so great results. But rest assured, it was not the intention of the hippie community to become drug addicts. If there was a modern day stimulus of some kind to help us raise our vibrations to give us the capacity to become interdimensional beings would you experiment with it? Especially if it was being, for lack of a better term 'pushed' by someone who was an academic, someone who was supposed to know about these things? Think of the possibilities for the evolution of the species. I think this is where the hippies were coming from back in the 60s when so many willingly experimented with LSD. We are not so naive today, but the young people who were watching their friends and people their own age getting blown away on TV while fighting the Viet Nam war back then, were desperate for peace (this was the first time ever that a war was actually televised on the nightly news because the media was instructed to make it look like we were winning the war. In the end, there was no clear winner of the Viet Nam war, and there was a generation of young men and women who were lost).

                                             Timothy Leary, 1989

By the time 1969 rolled around everyone was either watching the moon landing or trying to get to Woodstock. I was 7 years old watching Neil Armstrong, which also had a profound effect on me.

Woodstock 1969

                                              Mission Control during first landing on the moon

But the original sentiment of the hippies; peace, love, and harmony has remained and has gone through many modern iterations demonstrating that those ideals still resonate with gentle souls today. So when I hear the term boho, for me, it goes back to those who seek that harmony and the love that is required to accomplish it, which was beautiful back then just like it is now.

So love and peace to you, and blog #1 is now complete.