Tools & Talismans #98 Alyson Stanfield
My mother gave me both the magic wand and the glass heart separately. I must have been in my 30s when I received them, and I do, when necessary, wave the magic wand and recite a wish. The first time I did this was to ask that Mom’s breast cancer disappear. It worked!
I have all kinds of fit-in-your-palm talismans, but this one is so smooth and inviting. And it’s a heart! I invoke all the love I have — for Mom, my husband, family, friends, and clients — when I caress it in my hands.
The teacup was my grandmother’s. I have her whole set of china — English Crown Ducal. Not that I needed it because she gave me my own set — piece by piece — as I was growing up. That’s another story, but her cups fit perfectly underneath the espresso machine’s spouts. I drink from one of these cups every morning - confident that my cup of coffee is probably much tastier than what she drank. Even tastier because I’m drinking from a beautiful heirloom teacup.
The shoe insoles for the bottom of my feet are because I teach. I’m on my feet for long periods of time and these are good on my toes.
I always have a pen and small notebook in my purse. The truth is there’s usually either 3 or 4 pens or no pens. It stinks to have a great idea or want to remember something and have nothing to write it on. While I love my digital tools, there’s nothing like pen and paper. Sharpie pens are my latest favorite brand. Moleskine for paper.
The tube is smelly stuff. This one happens to be Zen Blend by Earth Sweet Essential Oils in Boulder, Colorado. I don’t necessarily have a favorite, but I am energized by the right scents. I confess to being a hound for diffusers, smelly candles, and room sprays. Couldn’t fit them all in the photo.
I saved the best for last: chocolate chips. Ghirardelli Bittersweet to be exact. I have a stash at home and at the office. They are my go-to after-meal treat. Yes, I can eat just one and be satisfied, but 4 (shown here) is more like it.
— Alyson Stanfield • ArtBiz Coach.
Tools & Talismans is a personal painting project where I document {in watercolor} the tools and talismans of 100 different women — creators and healers, thinkers and makers, wordsmiths and visionaries. Join me — I'll be sharing a new painting with you every Wednesday.
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