Hola possums!

Holy fuckaduck, it’s been a really big month/few weeks.

Grantacular + his wifey Jenneroo have been here working/holidaying. You can read Part 1 of the scrapbook of their holiday/work retreat here.

They just landed back in the US so I thought I’d bring ya’ll up to date with what we got up to after the Shining Academy retreat ended!

That’s where we ended last time in the scrapbook… the conference wrapping up with me and Granto doing Awkward Prom Photos triad style.

After the conference ended, Granto and JenJenJenno headed off for a week’s holiday so I could recover in bed from so much people-ing.

I love people-ing, and as an introvert, I defo need a lot of downtime afterwards to centre myself and build my energy up again.

I was expecting I’d have a week lolling about in bed, getting massages, filling my creative well…

Instead…

Poor lil Beff got a vomming bug, and spent a day throwing up all over me.

It was a ruff, ruff day.

And then Charlie‘s ashes were delivered.

And we all cried.

And then Beff vomited again.

Sweet Beffy finally stopped vomming and went back to her wild elfin self. Thank goodness! Was starting to worry about my lil fluffy haired peach!

Oh cooooool then me and Mr D had Mermaid Daughter #2’s gastro. Magical. Just magical. “Having restorative holidays” while “being a parent” is an oxymoron.

It was one of those Crap Parenting days where me & Mr D had both succumbed to Mermaid Daughter #2’s gastro and we were in quarantine so we didn’t pass it on to anyone else and our kids had to be babysat by the television. Ooooof. What a shitter (literally and metaphorically) of a day. Here a photo of Mermaid Daughter #2 wearing a gift from Luna Bird to cheer us all up. Also, I’m handing out (weak, shaky handed) vag slaps for anyone who says “enjoy every minute!” I’m declaring a moratorium on it.

“Gastro makes me feel like a real goddess”, says no person, everrrrrrrr.

Mr D starts work on video and audio engineering of the Shining Biz conference. We will be releasing the complete two day conference recordings to all our Academy members free of charge. We know many teachers would charge $1-$2k for conference recordings like this. That’s not our model.

We much prefer to just keep making the Shining Biz & Life Academy the most insanely affordable, generous program out there. Can’t wait to share the conference with you!!!!! It’s equal parts funny, ridiculous, wise, deep inner work & big business mojo… Lots of tears were shed… Connections made. Holy and sacred. So grateful for it all!!!!

My BFF (and Ops Manager) Sonya went to see Brené Brown speak live the other night in Sydney. She sent me this photo of her journal. I don’t have FOMO ATTTTTTT ALLLLLLLLLLL. #massivebreneboner #fuckkkkkkwanttomermaiddaughter#2heresooooobad

I then proceeded to live stream our text messaging as she kept me updated with everything Brené was saying.

Seriously… I have my BFFs trained super well. Haaaaaaaa!!!!

Surprise delivery of books from my darling mentor Hiro Boga cheered me immensely!

Woah. This one. Janis Joplin (one of my favourites) talking about the possible origins of ambition. This touched me.

Bonza new show we are watching. British, of course. Travel Man. #leoniewatches

One of my favourite business books – Kelly Cutrone’s “If you have to cry, go outside”! I read it on Kindle a few years ago and was enamoured by its utterly Scorpionic sharings of business, life, spirituality and sex interwoven. I found a paperback copy in a local bookstore and leapt at it. It feels so good to have a physical copy in my hands.

Cold grapes in the hot backyard before a storm comes our way.

I was on a Book Finishing Binge … Have been feeling overwhelmed with the number of partly read books scattered around the house. Just finished this one – Lisa Messenger’s Money & Mindfulness. That woman is a force of nature & I’m grateful for her honest sharings. Definitely on my list for #leoniestopbooks2016

A lot of time has been spent revolving around this table. Tea and newspapers, books and art and journaling.

Two years ago, at this very moment, I was laying in bed as the first waves of labour rolled through me. Soon, my nine month personal hell of hyperemesis gravidarum would be over. Soon, our darling Mermaid Daughter #2, elfin queen, would enter the world. The world tilted the moment I first dreamed of her and the conceived her. She is sage and wild and hard and easy and whirlwind and grace all at once. Exactly what we needed for all of us.

“What is love, Starry?” “Love is like the moon that makes the flowers in my heart grow.” “Who do you feel love for?” “I love my friends, I really love my mummy and daddy but very most of all I love love LOOOOOOVE Beffy. She is the one I love the mostest of all.”

Two years ago I gave Starry the gift of a little sister, her most favourite thing in the world.

Happy 2nd birthday Mermaid Daughter #2, our elfin princess.

You are so very loved and adored. Getting through nine months of hyperemesis gravidarum was the biggest sacrifice for love I’ve ever made. Your Papa Bear got me through it… I truly couldn’t have held on to you and to me without him. We were surrounded by angels that whole time… Doctors and nurses and midwives and acupuncturists and therapists and healers and supportive friends and a whole lot of medication to keep us alive. You were a tribal baby from the very beginning… We needed a whole community to bring you into the world. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through, but you are a miracle and I can’t imagine who we would be without you. You were the sweetest newborn and easiest baby on the planet. You healed so much for me and made me want to adopt so I could have more sweet babytime. You are a gift and a joy and a wild one. Thank you. Thank you for choosing us and marking us as your own.

Happy birthing day my love.
Love,
Your Mama
Who wrote this on the toilet
Where you found me
And now you are tearing vast quantities of toilet paper up
To make snow.

We spent the morning – just me and her and her papa – wandering down alleyways and eating until we were in a food coma and reminding each other of tender memories from her pregnancy and birth.

And then the fourth corner of our family was home and so we ate ridiculously good cake (from Patissez the inventors of the FreakShake.) HAPPY BIRFDAYYYY BEFFFFFYYYYYYYYY

Granto Grantacular came baaaaaaack!

We were in content creation lockdown for a week…

Hired a quaint b&b just for writing & filming in. Best idea ever!

Brilliant, beautiful, slow, gentle, intriguing. British TV really is the best.

I bought Starry some gorgeous handmade patchwork dresses from Etsy… She’s a tall almost-6 year old and fits into size 9 clothes which is out of the kids range and heading into tween territory. I’ve had such a hard time finding lovely, innocent, age-appropriate dresses for her (her favourite thing to wear.) After my failed efforts at sewing some myself I turned to Etsy and got these beauties.

They just arrived so I’ve laid them out on her bed for her as a surprise for when she got home from school. The only issue is… They camouflage in with her quilt that Twisty Rob Designs made her when she was a baby. Can you spot the two dresses??? Hahahahahaaaaa!!!!

Our Creative Cave/Writer’s Room/Course Recording Den/B&B had a beautiful pond filled with goldfish. We liked to visit them after we were all sweaty from exerting ourselves with words and ideas. #hardwork #needbeer

Don’t worry guys, me and our LDI Operations Manager are suuuuuuper profeshunal. Us 10 years ago at a Wild Women Gathering. No, we weren’t drinking. Yes, we are wearing large underpants over our jeans. Doesn’t everyone?

My beyoooootiful friend Sandy Forster sent my girls the most amazing book… I am in magical enchanted love… Uni the Unicorn!!! Highly recommend!!!

The biggest live event I’ve ever created happened two weeks ago. I feel utterly amazed at what we were able to create. It was a magical, teary, loving weekend filled with the most precious souls from all around Australia & the world. I love that we got to spend such intensive time connecting & learning about what it really takes to grow an amazing business.

Thank you to all the beautiful, wise souls who I got to meet and hug and hear the stories of. Thank you to my co-teacher Grant for making it a joy and an ease to be on stage teaching for two days. Thank you to Sonya for being the greatest event manager to walk the planet. Big thanks to Denise Duffield-Thomas, Kerry Rowett, Melissa Prince and Gini Eagle for flying in from all over the country to be the most incredible guest speakers and serving our people so beautifully.

Thank you to our wonderful helpers – Tam, Jen and Jenny. And huge thanks to The Abbey for being such a wonderful event space. Tracy Lee Photography was our incredible photographer. And Blue Clay professionally video recorded the whole event so we can give it all to our Academy members. This was definitely a communal event… It ran so beautifully because of so many supportive hearts and hands. My heart is so full. I am so grateful to be doing this work. And I deeply love every person in this photo and their dreams and hearts.

Had a huge morning doing Full Tourist. Woke up at 5:30am, bundled everyone in the car (husbo, kids, Grant and wifey), and headed into city to watch the Hot Air Balloon Spectacular. Watched the sunrise, ate Dutch pancakes on a dew-soaked table, danced to live music that included a French horn, watched the kids chase bubbles with the usual perfect melting pot of Canberra families from all over the world, walked along the lake, had a ridiculously scrumptious breakfast #2 at National Library, then headed to Parliament House to gawk around. I needed a nap after all that, so we all just had a mammoth one. I’m reading another Bill Bryson book and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be on my list of #leoniestopbooks2016. So… That’s me. On a day when I am ridiculously happy to be living in my beloved Canberra once more.

I just bought Nayyirah Waheed’s poetry books and they are so scrumptious I’m lettering them out in my journal. Yes to this. So much yes. Let’s share our wars and our stories and our pain and our whole hearts.

Me & my blue eyed girls at the hot air balloon festival. We got to watch the sun rise & it was precious & perfect. We went off on more adventures with our American tourists… Helping them live up their last couple of days in Australia. Canberra in Autumn is a dreamboat… Glorious weather and festivals aplenty. But it’s basically perfection the rest of the year too. #Canberra, you’re my bae.

I went hunting for Cheralyn Darcy’s colouring books after meeting her at our Shining Academy conference. She is a publishing sensation and the most angelic fae soul. Have you heard of her amazing work yet???

SO cool… A serendipitous moment happened for me… We were wandering around Old Bus Depot Markets and I was looking over at these scrumptious soy candles… And the store owner recognised me & she showed me her 2016 Shining Year workbooks hidden behind her table to work on!!! We got to talking and hugging and laughing and discovered that not only do our kids go to the same school, we are also neighbours that live just down the street from each other!!! I reckon I’ve made a new friend… One that smells pretty good HAHAHAHA!!! I love you already Carrie!!! Serendipity and magic all around!!!

Portrait Artist of the Year is one of my very favourite shows… Reality TV for creatives!!! Just discovered it’s sister show Landscape Artist of the Year!!!! Orgasmic eye bliss and inspiration!!!! #leoniewatches

Canberra Balloon Festival = the best reason to wake up before dawn. Grant and Jen left the next day but we showed them a ridiculously good weekend!!!

FARMER WANTS A WIFE FINALE FUCK YEAHHHHHHH

Just said goodbye to Grant after a month of making him do this IRL instead of over Skype. This was taken at our Shining Academy conference. Sometimes when we make stuff together there’s this magic and awakening and ideas fling themselves between us. I’m glad we got the chance to do it face to face for a wee while. See you on Skype, Grant!

Today’s medicine: moonstone on my heart finger. A return to feminine wisdom, strength, intuition, the gloating of spirit. Moonstone is a dear friend. She is grandmother and full moon and mystic and wonder. She holds rainbows in her womb. If you look deep enough, if you are still enough, if you listen enough, you will hear them. A stone of magic and mystery in the very best of ways. A woman’s best friend. :::: that’s how I feel about moonstone…

Went to take a serious selfie, Mr Dawson cracked a joke. That man is the funniest person I know, hiding behind the mirage of a serious, quiet man. Also: hot. Don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned that before. I just thought you should know. #importantinformationsharing

Opened the mail… And there was my Charlie boy… I ordered a custom doc portrait from Basova Art on Etsy… She has so captured his spirit and it makes my heart sing and feel so sad all at once. Now to find a frame and hang this in our family portrait hallway. The boy that made us a family. He was (and still is) the sweetest, funniest, most ridiculous, healing soul wrapped in a dog’s fluffy body. We miss him. We were so lucky to be loved by him and to adore him so much.

Got to hang with the incredible Peace from Ausmumpreneur between her meetings with Federal Ministers. She is an incredible advocate for Australian businesswomen and I am so proud to know her and be her friend. We got to talk all things business & books, motherhood & mayhem. I’m in awe of everything she has created & am so excited for what’s next for her & her sister Katy. We met last year after I was shortlisted as a finalist for Ausmumpreneur of the Year Award. It’s knowing women like this that inspire you to dream bigger. It creates a new kind of normal being in company like this.

What’s coming up for me…

It’s a big, beautiful week ahead!

My darling Mermaid Daughter #1 girl turns 6 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) years (!!!!!!!!!!!) old (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

My Dad & his girlfriend are flying in for the Easter long weekend. Hilllllarimo story – I set them up on a blind date over a year ago. I’d been friends with her for a decade already, and she is the loveliest soul, and thought it would be SUPER FUNNY to set them up on a blind date because they each have five kids. You know… SO MUCH IN COMMON!

Anywaysies… that blind date has been lasting an awfully long time now. I think I’m surprised that:

1. My matchmaking skills have actually WORKED FOR ONCE! I always have the best intentions that die up the ass within a nanosecond.

2. They’ve worked… on… my… Wild Bushman Dad. I’m legit my dad’s wingman now. #awkward

Annnnnnd we’re having an Easter/Mermaid Daughter #1 party with some sweet friends.

(And yes, Mermaid Daughter #1 DOES sound like Easter! She is the Celtic Goddess that Easter was named after. She was an Easter baby and told me very firmly when she was in my belly that it was her name, and that she was a “child of the stars.”)

This is a special time of year for us… the turn of the seasons into Autumn… reminding us of the miracle days of bringing first Mermaid Daughter #1 into the world and then Mermaid Daughter #2 (both March babies)… it’s rabbits and miracles and so much wonder. Here’s our very own Easter miracle story.

I’m grateful, when I’m not sleep deprived, or when the kids aren’t breaking all my shit, or destroying my art journals, or Mermaid Daughter #2 is losing her fucking shit in public places.

Apart from those times (which is often), I’m happy as a pig in mud! Ha!

Big love,

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