Maria 's love.

So nothing stands between blue-yellow-fish and I, no matter what people say, OK?!

... cause blue-yellow-fish and I... it's just love, baby.

You have rights.

Bully n., def. a person who hurts, frightens, or tyrannizes over those who are smaller or weaker. Willful, conscious desire to hurt another and put him/her under stress; anybody who wants to hurt somebody - and knows it - is then, by definition, a bully. Bullying is a form of abuse. (Tattum & Tattum, 1992)

I guess we are all bullied or being a bully at least once in a lifetime. We've all felt the abusive behavior of a colleague when we were kids, we've all seen our notebooks being thrown away or even got punched or kicked. It may have been a neighbor, brothers or sisters or the bullies may have been even our parents. The thing is we used to hurt others who were less strong than us, turning the frustration into aggression.
So bullying is a vicious circle. One gets bullied and then harasses another, so far so human.
We grow up, become adults and we realize we are still bullied at work (about our ethnicity, for example), people in the public services are treating us unjust or doctors talk down to us; then we tend to take it out on somebody else.

But it's just as human to defend ourselves. We can react and stop our discomforts that we then bring onto others. We can speak aloud anytime, we can set boundaries in relationships, we can say no and we can always choose a way out of the circle. I assure you that you can substitute the feeling of weakness and frustration with autonomy, little by little.
So the giraffes here are reminding us once more that it's OK to react, it's OK to say no, it's OK to stand out and up for our natural and legal rights.

You can change.

We've all been in relationships that made us hurt. Everything started out well but at some point we stopped seeing and being true to ourselves and we began to hide all that was unpleasant, painted it in illusion colors, refused to see what was actually real and eventually fell into a pattern that we knew. A pattern that led to suffering each time.

I know it's not easy to change and break the pattern, believe me I know. But I also know it all starts with yourself, you are the only one to choose and be responsible for your decisions. Take a moment and ask yourself what about what I want? and what about how I feel? and try to follow the answers.

You might need all the courage and strength you can get but you would be able to put a stop to all the hurt in the end. You can change, you can discover new ways of relating - there are always new beginnings, there are always resources to move on. Keep in mind that you are never alone and on the path that you take you have friends and people who care. You can ask for help when you need it, but the truth is you are the only one who can take the first step to your happiness.
Oh, and it's never too late.

Shine.

My eyes and my smile shine when I see wondergirls wearing what I've created. I was so happy to see that at our meeting on Friday, the sight of it felt like replacing all the possible words in the world. Here is Oana with the No Regrets bag: I am so amazed and thankful for the shine I was talking about is also a reflection on her!

Camino.

Dana wants to travel 800 kilometers next year, walking the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage. She wanted a customized version of the Love City t-shirt which would be called Love Mountains. She told me a few of her wishes and likes, as for the rest I started to paint intuitively. One of the requests was the design would somehow include Rammstein, I immediately thought of the song named Ich Will, but more than that my message to her is: you can!

By your side.

I dreamed I was boarding a plane and in my dream I felt anxious getting ready to make the journey at huge speed. I took a seat while some of the other passengers were smiling, some were looking concerned and some were bored or sad. The flight started and it wasn't continuous, but made up of several landings and takeoffs. With each landing I realized the destination was not there and I had to fly further.
Then, I suddenly knew the flight was over when beyond all the people, behind all walls I felt you.
When we'll sleep at night
I will hold you.
I will kiss you from time to time
Just to know you are real.

Walking on sunshine, woooah

Since three days are not actually enough to visit every touristic sight of a glamorous city as Barcelona, I woke up today, drank my coffee on the terrace and decided to go walking wherever the road leads.
It rained yesterday and it was pretty cold, the forecast provided bad weather until next Monday but guess what, the heavy clouds sneaked out by noon today and the sun showed up revealing a velvety blue sky!
Ina, her cool roommates and their good vibe (plus lasagna and cream strawberries) made me feel very welcome here
(they are rainbows, too).
I am just feeling my heart with each step, walking its rhythm.

Yes!

Could we change falling in love to flying in love?