ampersand-media - Tumblr blog

[ampersand-media]

| U N E V E N | . . . . “We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.” ~Anais Nin . . . . . Uneven growth. Surging ahead in one area of life where things just seem to unfold with ease and then looking back and realizing there are things left in the dust. . . . . That’s okay though, right? The requirement to be slaying it in every arena? Un-freakin-realistic. Being laser focused gets results, knowing you have a goal with an end date can give great rewards as long as you (and I ) remember our humanity. And that the other stuff deserves its own time and energy...someday. . . . . Wisdom and whimsy are both required! The wisdom to know what the focus should be and the whimsy to release the rest! . . . . . Right now? We are all searching for a focal point. Your social media should be a solid touch point for your customers and friends- but that isn’t easy! If you are looking for a plan - an architecture to guide you through- Ampersand has your back! I’m working one on one with small businesses to hone in on what you need to do - right now- to use your social effectively and not add extra stress to this already crazy time! Send me a message if you’d like to chat and see if this would be a fit for you. (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAibBr9DaTM/?igshid=ppcfnz8s2l4g

[ampersand-media]

| S E E N & H E A R D | . . . . I SHOULD be posting more. Be doing more Facebook lives Using the ‘extra’ time to build my business and prepare for this new market. I SHOULD... . . . But I am not. I spend most of my day on all forms of social media. Social listening and gathering opinions, moods, feelings, hurts, joys and dreams. They stick to me as the salt does when leaving the ocean. I don’t notice the residue until later. And a hot shower doesn’t rinse it away. . . . . I see you, I hear you and I am constantly processing all the ins and outs. No wonder I find solace in walks by the ocean, weeding the garden, playing with the dogs or walking through the forest. The emotional noise is minimal...my brain can rest. . . . . We are all looking for ways to be social without being ‘social’ -take it from an advocate of ‘social media for good’ now is a really good time to make sure you are getting AWAY from it. Take that healthy pause, schedule breaks without any digital stimuli, be entirely immersed in an action with zero alerts, beeps or alarms. Do something and don’t take a picture of it...😮. . . . Yeah, I’m horrible at taking my own advice, but I feel so much better when I do. . . . . Wash the residue off, you’ll love how soft you feel again. 🤍 (at Ampersand Social Media) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAIb3gvjlFz/?igshid=1kn21t4r221in

[ampersand-media]

| N U R T U R E | . . . . Anyone else have houseplants that are feeling the LOVE like never before? Yeah. I’m doing self isolation a week on - week off with my kids. So my animals and my plants are getting so much love. . . . . Hands up if you are a hard-core nurturer. 🤦🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ ‘Tis rather obvious in my case. If the six kids, four pets, thirty plus house plants didn’t give it away...my need to ‘mom’ everything might. So this whole Covid thing has created a weird effect in me. For the first time- in a long ...maybe forever I am nurturing me. And I don’t know if I feel good about it. . . . . . I’m not talking self-care and self love and all that stuff. I mean I’m really tuned into what I want to do right now. Not what I have to do or what is expected but what I want to. Like - toddler want. Is anyone else feeling this regression. Ohhh I think you might be. . . . . So, I know it’s good to not stress about it because we are going through a collective grieving but I don’t like the way it feels. It’s like a shirt that doesn’t fit properly, constantly pulling at my underarms so no one else knows I’m uncomfortable but all I can think about is taking this effing shirt off!!! . . . . So all the experts say I gotta be ok with not being ok. Fine. I’ll have another bath and make another list of stuff I probably won’t do and I’ll talk to my beautiful plants. . . . . Maybe next week I’ll create a fabulous sourdough starter, write another blog post, do laundry or finish the macrame piece hanging in my dining room window. Maybe. Or maybe not. . . . . I’m super busy nurturing me right now- so if you don’t hear from me. That’s why. I’m a lot to handle 😉 So the work is an exhausting undertaking. . . . . Don’t think I’m not thinking of you though. Because I am. 🤍 And I miss you. (at Nanaimo, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Q2OJoDVZA/?igshid=pi5uw0t74rvw

[ampersand-media]

| S O A K | . . . . . Soak it all in, soak it up, soak for hours. Sometimes when you use a word over and over doesn’t it start look and feel weird? It changes in your mind...alters how it feels on your tongue. Like staying home. . . . . Used to be my greatest pleasure- hours uninterrupted at home to do with what I pleased. Now that the ‘Stay Home’ song has been on repeat for a month, the sweet melody has twisted into some kind of a creepy chant. . . . . . This is not a complaint- my gratitude for my life flows deep and wide. I am working. We are healthy. I love where I live. My pets keep me grounded and this bathtub. I LIVE IN THIS BATHTUB! Something about warm water, Epsom salts, bubbles and a book. Sometimes it’s in the middle of the day with sun streaming in, trees creating a dance on the glass. Or by candlelight in the dark with the addition of a glass of wine or maybe a spot of rum. . . . . While the world feels uncertain and unstable - I soak and breath and let the warm water hug away the wonderings of tomorrow. . . . . ‘Anyone who thinks heaven is not hot water behind a locked door has forgotten what it means to live.’-L.Frank (at Nanaimo, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_AZXNfDEZV/?igshid=81thossv2u6p

[ampersand-media]

C O P I N G . . . Don’t mistake our silly smiles for a lack of concern. We like many others are just making the best of our new normal. If I have to be quarantined to my home for two weeks - there is no one I’d rather be with. Yep- it’s crazy & loud but we are family & we are making lemonade out of the 🍋. Actually ...shit...we’re out of lemons. Can someone make a run to the store for us? 🤪 Love to all of you humans making it through these crazy days in whatever way you can. #staythefuckhome (at Ampersand Social Media) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-M1jGCjeK5/?igshid=mhoeeob36251

[ampersand-media]

| U N W R I T T E N | . Do you stare at your captions wondering - now what? What could I possibly say that hasn’t been said before? . Me too. Every time. Then I remember that there are apparently only 50 truly original ideas in the world and the rest ... just covers of an old song. . And you know what? I live for good covers. So-say your piece, in your way to your people. Who cares if it has been said before, maybe the person who sees it today hasn’t seen it before! Maybe the way you share something will resonate with someone in such a way - that it rocks their world! . Share where you started. Why you LOVE what you do. What you wish you could change about your work. What your favourite client said to you yesterday. What hurt you once so you changed how you did things. Who inspires the f*ck out of you. Where you would be if you could fly away today. . Share it all, revel in your muchness. Don’t apologize for all that you bring to the table. Just bring it & dish it out. . Happy Sunday & thank you @savannah_landscapes for this beautiful typewriter that speaks to my soul, impractical though it may be - I LOVE it! 🤍 (at Ampersand Social Media) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8XI3RFFYB0/?igshid=29qs49prrzer

[ampersand-media]

‘We are only just a heartbeat away’ 🤍 Tag someone who needs to know you that they are an inspiration to you. 🤍 (at Ampersand Social Media) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8UOtrZl6pT/?igshid=5om0esnt0vlp

[ampersand-media]

| H E A R T B E A T | . . . A friend of mine just passed away. I’ve known her since we were 16, as contestants at a somewhat ridiculous yet fabulous Teen Pageant. . . . Our last conversation was on messenger, she wasn’t feeling up to a visit so we’d chat online when she had a bit of energy. Always positive and full of vibrancy she shared a quote “The best day of your life may still lie ahead of you.” When she was facing the last days of her life on this planet, her intention was still to live with gratitude & grace. She was and always will be an inspiration to me. . . . We didn’t get to spend a lot of time together - businesses, family...life. But when we touched base it was always around shared photos on social. A moment captured, a celebration shared. It takes courage to show up as yourself. To share when it feels raw and vulnerable. Even sometimes to share the good stuff, you know what I mean - that guilt for being happy? Ugh. . . . I’m not afraid to say how much I love connecting with friends, family and strangers. I’m not afraid to share my stories, even though it means sometimes I’m judged. Not afraid to wear my heart on my sleeve or to make mistakes. The only thing I’m afraid of these days is NOT living my life to the fullest, juiciest capacity! . . . She told me last week that I was an inspiration to HER, that ‘no moss ever would grow on me’ ☺️ It humbled me that someone with such deep soul-filled generosity could be inspired by me. Floored me. . . . . Don’t let the negativity win my friends. Social media in itself isn’t evil. Yep, there’s some horrid stuff out there, but we can overpower it with the good. With the kind & wonderful. With then opportunity to meet just the right person when you need to. With a simple reaching out. -YOU are inspiring someone right now, just by being you. I’m going to miss my chats with Dom terribly,for now I’m treasuring her last message to me... “I love you my friend. It will be great to see each other one day sooner than later...I’ll plan on being much healthier, stronger and having more chutzpah. Until then we’re just a heartbeat away.” . . . We are all just a heartbeat away. Rest In Peace Dom 🕊 (at Ampersand Social Media) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8T2b_GlfeV/?igshid=1tbhdv1v2a1ew

[ampersand-media]

| B R E A T H | . . . . As in...when can I slow down and catch my .... . . . Ok wait- I’m getting ahead of myself. Breathe Deidre breathe. So I mentioned I had some serious mind-blasting epiphany moments these past few months. Many were on my solo-journey to Europe. Plenty have been in my exploration of online dating and I was in a state of raw bliss while in Ucluelet with my kids after Christmas...ahhh all those crunchy, delicious self-awareness moments! . . . . The place where I needed to be to actually PROCESS all that D-data? A retreat- with my sisters of magic- sounds more pagan than it was. We weren’t cooking roots and berries into a tincture - the menu was more like gourmet quinoa salads and Belgian waffles- oh and Prosecco...couldn’t forget the Prosecco. . . . . We each shared our particular flavour of magic with each other and spent hours in quiet meditation, creative work and healing prayer. We gave each other space to breathe, to share, to cry and to laugh. Holy shit did we laugh. . . . . . There was safety & love. A kind of grace we don’t get to experience in our everyday. A magical, powerful, feminine, suspended - GRACE. I just exhaled deeply as I wrote this. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... . . . . . And we spoke of our businesses and how we wanted to move forward and take our place in the world. In our society of pressure and deadlines it can feel overwhelming to honour your empathic side, I get it. I deal with overwhelm often. That’s who I love to work with. The people who want to honour their customers, who have a deep passion for what they do, are excited to share & grow. When I have a chance to teach entrepreneurs who have their heart-centered business ready to blossom- I literally get goosebumps. This year will be all about honouring the space between & Ampersand Social Media will be heading in a slightly different direction. I’m so excited to let you in... . . . It’s #NationalHugDay by the way...don’t forget to give lots of good ones- don’t be cheap! Lean in, wrap them up tightly and count to at least five 🤗 sending you one now. Ciao! D. (at Bowen Island, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7lZVHqlTRf/?igshid=1i0p25z263z52

[ampersand-media]

| f i k a | ~ a moment to slow down and appreciate the good things in life. 🌿You know in movies where the music suddenly changes, softens and the camera angle zooms in close and the speed of the film slows to a lazy visual drawl? Pay attention to this - the director is saying- notice it - savour it! 🌿I’m the director of my own movie and although I’ve yet to discover how to attach a soundtrack to my day to day - Gah! Wouldn’t it be awesome???- I am using my glorious senses to celebrate the magic of the everyday. More about the BIG moments soon-right now I want to zoom in. 🌿A deep, intentional breath that honours the in-between, your peripheral vision that captures a glimpse of the divine, or a feather light embrace that suspends time in a caress. 🌿It all sounds woo-woo & weird. Yes! I’m embracing my woo-woo & weird because it’s where I sink into the juiciest bits of life. Sharing my musings knowing some will roll their eyes and slowly back towards the door reaching for the exit knob. Mmkay byeee! 🌿Remember friends, in social media a good-bye is just as powerful as a hello. Don’t worry about being all for all. Revel in being you for yours. 🌿 Vulnerability is your super power, it’s the conduit straight to the people who need your kind of spicy or sweet. So ground yourself in whatever makes you feel...feel real...feeeeeeel at all! Then share that noise! Without apology or exception. 🌿May your Saturday be ripe with moments worth slowing down for. My children laughed at me when I screeched delight about the electric lime colour of this plant in an otherwise dismal chariscurro palette of a rainy Tofino afternoon. I will always celebrate colour 🎨! DO Share- tell me what was one moment this weekend that allowed you to be gloriously and unabashedly you? 👇🏼 (at Tofino, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7dsa2rFyyj/?igshid=9lqqf4skzphk

[ampersand-media]

| C O U R A G E | . . . Although longer than usual for me to see it ... when it came into focus, everything tumbled into place. 2020 is the year of facing fears around independence, integrity & closure for me. What do I need to bring for this journey? This morning I pulled on a shirt and it was staring back at me in the mirror. 〰️c o u r a g e 〰️ -the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger and pain without fear. (at Nanaimo, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B66MNGgFsHf/?igshid=37fic9mbo6dt

[ampersand-media]

- T R I B E - . . . This imperfect photo captures a perfect memory, right after the last time all of my half- dozen agreed to a Santa photo...I asked them to cram into a photo booth together. . . . . . This Christmas Eve, stop worrying about making it all perfect & finding the perfect ‘thing’ to express your love. It’s already there...in your hug, in your eyes in those moments spent together. . . . Presence over presents. 🥰 Hope all of you feel the magic tonight xo D. (at Woodgrove Centre) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6deT9jFYCd/?igshid=v62mzrzlm5gg

[ampersand-media]

‘I so tired momma’...Finny couldn’t wait for me to make the bed, he crashed on the pile of clean bedding. 🥱 . . . . . #creativeentrepeneur #whereiwork #creativelifehappylife #handsandhustle #puplife #chilove #smallbusinessowner #smallbusinesssupport #mastermind #makersgonnamake #entrepreneurship#digitalmarketing #creativepreneur #tech #marketingtips #femaleentrepreneur #marketing #supportsmallbusiness (at Nanaimo, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6br9CtlZ6T/?igshid=3w5azop83y74

[ampersand-media]

🌿Overwhelmed with gratitude on the shortest day of the year! Everything feels in balance when I spend a few hours exploring ‘Fern Gulley’ with my appreciative pups. Perfect day to wander silently through the trees out to the Salish Sea, counting all my blessings & recharging my soul. ☀️The sun even came out to say hello briefly...a teaser of more to come! I’m soon heading into my yearly social media cleanse. My family & I will be retreating to a little cabin on the West Coast from the 26-30th, my gift to them in lieu of presents- more presence! I look forward to seeing all of your adventures & celebrations when I return in the New Year! 🌿 ✨🌟I am sending each of you light, love & peace this Solstice & much joy through your holiday celebrations. For those of you struggling with loss & sadness - I do see you, I feel it & I am holding space for you. The sun will return. xoxo D. ✨🌟 (at Cable Bay Trail) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Whh3Ol0ml/?igshid=rzhyov2yyjqb

[ampersand-media]

Viva la Cuban Sandwich! 🇨🇺 We’ve made this popular southern sandwich into our own delicious version. Piles of pulled pork, house smoked ham, Swiss cheese, our house-made pickles & Carolina Gold BBQ sauce. All the flavours create a ‘Cha cha cha 💃🏽’ in your mouth! 👋🏻Open 11-7 today! #TheCuban #NanaimoRestaurants (at Smokin' George's BBQ) https://www.instagram.com/p/B55y4lRlylz/?igshid=1d938pa21griy

[ampersand-media]

Like our customer @bananaleana says...’take the potato power opportunity’! We are resting today BBQ fans- but we WILL be back tomorrow & we have some sweeeet specials lined up for ya! (at Nanaimo, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B53SQ9RFhms/?igshid=1cdsz0uzeobbc

[ampersand-media]

Happy Sunday BBQ fans! How was your week?? We just wanted to let you know- we’re here for ya! Lots of comfort food, sweet treats & gifts for that hard to buy guy too! Our pulled pork, bacon & Egger is on today! Hmmm...perfect after a late Saturday night Christmas Party! (at Nanaimo, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B50gVMBlffs/?igshid=jqzca9l1tg02