FJ Inspirational Quote of the Day...

Perspective : "Isn't it rather mind-numbing, that for everyone, always and forever, they have 10,000 more things to be thrilled about, than not? U R blessed." - The Universe

via Notes From the Universe by Mike Dooley.

Our Patience...

good-byes are never easy.

this morning i found out that one of my managers at The Cheesecake Factory passed away at a painfully young age. her name was Patience and she was just as special as her name. Patience was known for pulling the best pranks of all time on the staff of The Chz and she will be missed beyond words. although i no longer work there, Patience has been apart of The Chz for a long time and was much more than a manager to most of us . . . she was a friend, confidant, big sister, and just one of the guys . . .

i send love, comfort and strength to her family and dedicate this song to her. you will be sorely missed Patience.

Out of town!

enjoying summer.

fussyjussy will be out of town until august 16th vacationing with the fam. check back for new blog posts then! hope you all are able to kick back and relax before this summer slips away.

until then . . . have fun :)

Tattoo your living space!

ed hardy, it's time for you to leave.

i'm pretty in love with tattoos. if it weren't for our bodies becoming old, soft, saggy and wrinkly, i would have tons of tattoos by this point. but, i only have 3 small ones. so instead of drawing pictures all over my body with ink and a needle i discovered this fantastically talented Dutch tattoo artist by the name of Angelique Houtkamp. the story of how i discovered her is fun - i was working at The Cheesecake Factory one day when i walked by this very voluptuous woman who had a rock-a-billy thing to her and some very fresh ink. the fresh ink on her arm happened to be one of the most unique tattoo's i've ever seen and stopped to take a closer look. she told me it was a replica of the art work created by Angelique. i have been in love ever since. this was the image she had so marvelously tattooed in gorgeous, bright colour just below her shoulder. 

( ^ my absolute fave ^ )

she has complete coffee table books ready for your viewing pleasure and her prints run from $50 to $165(US). perhaps on the pricier end for an art print but i think they are exquisite and would no doubt attract "ooo's" and "ahhh's" from anyone that saw it dangling from your wall. take a look at some of my faves. . . (a very hard task picking just a few!)

( miss Angelique herself )

images via Angelique Houtkamp

FJ Inspirational Quote of the Day...

Happiness : "Young souls learn to accept responsibility for their actions. Mature souls learn to accept responsibility for their thoughts. And old souls, learn to accept responsibility for their happiness." - The Universe

via Notes from the Universe by Mike Dooley.

Eat, Pray, Love

figuring it out.

i find it fascinating how our minds work. it seems as if we can switch from one opposing thought to another leaving us often times baffled and just as lost as we ever were. i've just started reading what's sure to be one of my favourite books of all time. lent to me by a dear friend, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert has captured my heart and attention within the first few pages. i'm not going to sit here and review the book (that would be silly, I've only started reading it) but i will tell you that she puts into words so wonderfully the full extent of what I'm looking for. some people do not look. something I've realized just recently. we are not taught from a young age that happiness is our personal responsibility. as children, happiness comes from getting the toy you wanted for Christmas or stuffing your face with jujubes and twinkies and sometimes getting to stay up past your bedtime to watch that movie you shouldn't be watching. if only this is what real happiness was about! inspired by a recent note from The Universe, getting to the point in your life where you fully accept responsibility for your own happiness may be one of the most crucial and life changing moments in your entire life.

we can all agree that it is much easier blaming our inadequacies, failures, mistakes and disappointments on anyone but ourselves . . . sometimes we even blame God for the place we find ourselves in at this very moment. but because i personally don't believe God has a predetermined plan for each of us (if He did, then wouldn't we merely be puppets in a puppet show?) and because of the element of free will, this leaves the responsibility of our lives up to us. and our responsibility to ask God for help is ours to bare indeed. God is there to aid, obey and guide us . . . i believe He wants us to find the Godlikeness in ourselves and to be comforted in knowing that at the core of that Godlikeness in us, is unconditional and abundant love that we can call upon whenever we need to. understanding that our happiness is completely in our own hands can seem daunting to some but in essence, i don't think God would have it any other way. i think it's completely necessary for our evolution as a species and finding the perfect balance between (as Gilbert puts it) "worldly pleasures and the devotion to God" or the balance between average and extraordinary. 

i guess what i'm trying to say is . . .  you gotta read this book! and keep searching and searching until you find your perfect balance. don't succumb to just the "worldly pleasures" in this life - you'd be missing out on the most magnificent part. and always know, you're never alone.

FJ Inspirational Quote of the Day...

Mindfulness : "Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." - Chinese Proverb

via TinyBuddha