Coffee, Red Velvet Cupcake and Another Special Treat

If we're going to be spending quite some time with each other here, you might as well know about my love for coffee.

No, I didn't start drinking it at a very young age, nor did my elders encourage me to foster the habit growing up. (In fact, my parents told me repeatedly that coffee isn't for kids and that drinking it can be quite unhealthy.)

However, with the advent of Starbucks shops, I inevitably tried gourmet coffee on an afternoon out with one of my closest girlfriends sometime immediately after my college years. Not being a big fan of mood-altering substances, all throughout my life I'd steered clear of even the most basic over-the-counter cough, cold and flu medications as much as I possibly could. You can only imagine then how that sugar-filled blast of coffee hit me.

All was right with the world in my eyes at that moment in time, and I did not hesitate to tell my friend so. I was so thrilled to be living the first day of the rest of my life, standing on the edge of a new beginning and all that jazz... My heart, jumping with the caffeine racing through my veins, felt to me to be jumping for joy.

A coffee aficionado was born that day.

It remains the only "drug" that I regularly ingest, as I never built up a personal fondness for alcohol, tobacco, and friends.

...unless you count salt, which I crave from time to time.

But shucks, enough with this chatter I'm using as an excuse to keep from cleaning up before a special surprise shows up at my doorstep about an hour or less from now.

Once I post a vlog and/or blog after this wonderful new love that's coming into my life, you'll know why picking my makeup, books, and most everything else off of the floor is going to be essential from this moment on.

I'll be back with word on the surprise as soon as I can.

For now, I'll put my half-eaten red velvet cupcake back in its box and begin tidying up (and I really should hop to it if I want to have any makeup left to do YouTube tutorials with, as this "surprise" might not be so aware that lipstick is made to be applied instead of nibbled on).

I'll see you later!

~Lea

P.S.: In case you were curious, that coffee in the photo above is a Vanilla Biscotti/French Vanilla blend.

Would you come join me in L.A. for a fun day of beauty?

If I set up an inner and outer beauty workshop and informed you about it way ahead of time, would you be interested in attending?

While I have yet to finalize the agenda for just such an event, I plan on it being very informative and entertaining.

Also, what I mean by "inner and outer beauty" in case you wanted some clarification, is that the workshop won't focus solely on makeup application tips and the like. Metaphysical and spiritual (these are non-denominational, if you're coming across my work for the first time through this blog entry) activities to help you get in touch with yourself will also be included.

Depending on how things unfold from here on out, I very well could simply divide the workshop into two sections--one for Inner Beauty, the other for Outer Beauty. Thus attendees can conveniently decide if they want to participate in both or just one of the two.

After all, very soon now my sweetheart and I will be taking hypnotherapy training, the results of which we would like to share with those of you who are interested in a deeper exploration of your psyche. I also have a very dear life coach friend I'll be working in conjunction with to bring you a richer and more textured "Your Most Beautiful Life" experience.

See how there's a lot of ground to cover or possibly break down here for a workshop or a couple different ones even?

I know that eventually there will have to be a variety of workshops to accommodate all these offerings, but for starters, I'm really excited to bring you an event that introduces the gist of what I, my sweetheart, and my soul sister-friend are passionate about and would love to share with YOU!

I'll get back to you with specifics when I can, but you most certainly can let me know starting now if there's a chance you'll be at one of my upcoming events in 2010.

Looking forward to spending a fun day with you,

~Lea

Me and the attendees of a workshop I facilitated in the Philippines in 2005

Transition

Before you read any further, let me warn you that this entry may seem rather cryptic. If you look back in time to it from the future however, you will understand fully what I am talking about here.

That said...

As I write this, I am nowhere near famous, not even as an "internet celebrity." Probably the only people who read my blog entries--aside from my two friends who signed up to follow it--are other friends and people I already know.

...Which makes this an ideal time to post this particular entry, as you will find me at a more vulnerable place than usual. I am also an intensely private person, regardless of all appearances to the contrary.

Currently, I am on the edge of a life so familiar that I have journeyed to the furthest point I can possibly go without falling off of it into an entirely different world. You can bet your bottom dollar I am making the leap, but I just want to breathe in and center myself prior to what is coming.

The next chapter of my life is like a double-edged sword: It will serve me in some ways, but may wound me in others, which is the reason I am taking my time before I dive off of the edge. Life in that next world will be rewarding in terms of reaching more people and making a difference in many more lives, but it won't be without its challenges.

I have waited my whole life to get to this point, but now that I am finally here, I am bracing myself for the impact of what is to come.

After all, where I am going, everybody who is in the know will be familiar with me and my work. There's no such thing as invisibility in this other world. You may wonder--especially if you're a "Leo" type who loves putting on a show and being showered with attention--what could possibly be so wrong with such a scenario.

See, I enjoy it too, but since I am an empath and can be rather sensitive (though my sensitivity is nowhere near what it was when I was younger, thank goodness), I have to make a conscious effort to remain down to earth and surround myself with positive energy; this way, I remain grounded and clear-headed, especially in a reality so far removed from that of most others that it's practically a fantasy.

Basically, I don't ever want to be swayed from the purity of my intentions, despite the hurdles and temptations that wait for me along the way. Instead, I want always to stay in touch with who I am deep down inside... who I am on a soul level.

...And so I hold that intention.

Thank you for joining me at this moment in time.

For now, I will be sitting here between these two worlds a little while longer before finally plunging headlong into the inevitable.