Have you ever been so busy living LIFE that you forgot to get online?
That's how my life has been lately, or rather, how I wish it to be!
True Friendships + Community, Summer Nights, Ocean Swimming, Potlucks, Yoga, etc...
A couple weeks ago, I catered a Shiva Rea Retreat at Wishtoyo Village in Malibu (a Chumash/ Native American learning center). We were completely unplugged (from devices), slept in tents, + swam in the ocean. Afterwards, I did not want to get back online!
(It was a huge opportunity, + I am so Amazed by the whole experience! ;))
My first catering job ever was at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri, about 15 years ago! ;) I had been living there as an Intern, learning to build strawbale + cob houses, getting my intro to Organic Gardening, + having my mind blown open about alternative fuels, eating Local, + so much more (including how to get along with 25 people when you live with them every day! ;))
Playing With Strangers...
{First, for those of you local to Long Beach, CA, I am hosting a Raw Recipe Class, Tuesday, July 28th. + There are 4 Spaces Left! Raw Vegan Spaghetti + "Meatballs" + German Chocolate Cake! Check it out here ... }
And now onto the topic of today! ....
Would you welcome someone you didn't know, into your home? A friend of a friend? Or someone you met online?
About 7 months ago, I started hosting guests through Airbnb.
Have you heard of it? Or traveled using Airbnb?
A Year to Live...
I often ask myself, "What really matters in my life?"
Here's a story for you...
When I was in college at Brandeis University, getting my Bachelor's in Sociology, I took a class called Sociology of Birth + Death.
We meditated in class, in a round room, practiced eye-gazing, + by the second semester of my sophomore year, I was asked to TA the class! ;)
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Astrology + the Muppets:: A Side Note
What is it I love about Astrology + the Muppets?
How are Astrology + the Muppets similar, yet different?
Compare + contrast.
When I am singing with the Agape Choir sometimes, I feel like I am in a living episode of the Muppet Show. I don't know if that would make Rickie Byars Beckwith, Kermit the Frog (Rickie, you are much more beautiful + talented, though equally loveable ;)) but what I love is that every Muppet is so different + unique, yet each has a special place in the band.
I'm coming to Atlanta!
We are in Gemini + Mercury Retrograde. My birthday is coming up + I'm coming to Atlanta!!! That's right, all you Atlanta folks can sit down, you heard that right.
It was my dream to spend this year's birthday in the ATL + I'm using the invitation to vend at the 3rd Annual Wonderful Wizards of Raw Festival in Atlanta's West End, as the perfect excuse for a luxurious visit + foray into the luscious sweet community I love so dearly (+ miss!). Can you say Mercury Retrograde anybody? The perfect time to reconnect with old friends + go back to places, spaces, + times we love. Great time to tie up loose ends, complete projects, + slow it down.
How A Pod of Dolphins Led Me to David Wolfe...
One of the most magical memories I have of living on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2008-9, was swimming with the dolphins!
While working at a Bed + Breakfast, on Christmas Eve Day, I decided to go out for a swim. When I arrived at the water, the spinner dolphins were jumping up + diving back into the ocean. I put my snorkel gear + fins on + climbed in!
Words cannot describe the experience of being enveloped in a dolphin pod, swimming along, twisting + turning + flipping my "tail" aka. snorkeling fins! It felt like being carried along in a magical world.
Passover for Peace @ Star Tribes + Meeting Alicia Silverstone + Erykah Badu
Happy Friday + Spring Equinox!
Have you been spending too much time on social media, + craving connections with people you can hug, smile at, + talk to face-to-face?
Lately this has been coming up for me, + I'd like to share a lil' story....
During my 20's I traveled cross country a few times in a biodiesel VW camper van, visiting + staying in intentional communities along the way. I took a lot of pictures, + many of them appear in a book I wrote, Open-Eyed Heart-Wide Haggadah.
Writing + creating this book was my way of reclaiming my heritage after many years of spiritual seeking (+ finding!).
(It's an unconventional ritual guide for the Jewish holiday of Passover. ;))
And now, people from all over the country + globe are buying it on Etsy + Amazon! (Let your friends know, if you like! ;))
It's also available in several independent bookstores in California, Arizona, Georgia, + Hawaii! + was recently featured on HuffPost! ;)
All this to say, I have an upcoming event/ dinner party with my book, + you're invited! ;)
Imagine yourself lounging on a Persian rug, seated on pillows, or handcrafted wooden chairs... surrounded by art, sculptures, clothing + jewelry from all around the world. Succulent plant arrangements everywhere.
I'm so honored to be doing an event at a magical place called Star Tribes, which I discovered on an Artist's Date recently.
And dining on olives, oranges, handmade "matzah," apples + walnuts, homemade soup, + drinking grape juice + wine, each item blessed + honored for its ritual purpose.
The event is called 4/4 Passover for Peace, + it's a catered (Debra-style) Ritual Dinner + Celebration of Spring, Liberation, + Peace on the Planet.
In the background is some live music, guitar, + everyone breaks out singing + laughing. You come alone, but leave with 15 new friends.
It's Saturday, April 4th, from 5 - 8 pm, in my neighborhood!
I hope you can come! ;)
For more information + to reserve your space, go to: DebraMazer.com/events/StarTribesPassover2015
Only 15 Spaces Available.
Guaranteed I will hug you there. I heard we need 11 hugs per day. ;)
Love + Raw Vegan Gluten-Free Matzah Balls,
x
Debra.
I've been doing this every morning....
Hey Beautiful! Can you believe it's March already?
I've been busy leading The Artist's Way for a group of Goddesses, + going on Artist's Date Adventures myself! ;)
I'm headed to Natural Products Expo West this weekend + super excited about it. (It's like Disneyland for Health Food Retailers ;)).
Life can get full + overwhelming, especially when you have big dreams + visions.
So I wanted to share a new Morning Ritual I've been doing, as an Entrepreneur + Business Owner (+ Person!) that's totally been helping me.
(The idea comes from Nisha Moodley.)
Each morning (after Meditating + doing my Morning Pages) I get out a small scrap piece of paper + write 3 Categories on it:
1) Vision
2) Have To
3) Proud Of
MY 4 Favorite Valentine's Day Chocolates
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Even though I make my own raw chocolate, it is my joy to order chocolate off the internet, + buy fancy raw chocolates around town.
I thought it would be fun to share with you, my personal favorite brands of Chocolate for Valentine's Day:
1) Lagusta's Luscious: This is a gourmet/ artisan vegan chocolate company out of upstate New York, New Paltz to be exact.
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My Top 5 Secrets to Beautiful + Glowing Skin
As January has been unfolding, it's easy to get caught up in goals, intentions, resolutions, + plans, + forget about the simple art of Self-Care.
So, I present to you, My Top 5 Secrets to Beautiful + Glowing Skin: (you needed a break from your planner anyway, right? ;))
1) Drink Water: Water is Life. I like to start my day by drinking up to 64 oz of water, if possible, before eating or drinking anything else. Water creates flow, hydration, suppleness, + flushes out toxins + disease. Get fresh spring water, filtered water, reverse osmosis water. Love up your water. We are 70% water!
2) Avocado: Avocado has Vitamins A, D, + E, iron, minerals, helps calm skin irritations. Avocado is a skin soother + moisturizer. I'm giving you all these facts b/c I just looked them up. But intuitively, I just *know* that avocado is good for my skin. I eat avocado (especially now living in California) almost everyday. I put it in my Green Smoothies. These healthy fats will *not* make you gain weight.
3) Salt Scrub: Lavender Salt Scrub is the *one* bath + body product I buy from Trader Joe's. Why? Because the ingredients are 100% natural + pronounceable, + because it is such a great deal compared to other health food stores. My first interaction with Salt Scrub was at an women's camping retreat in Michigan. They put salt scrub in all the outdoor showers, + it got a little dangerous, with women hitting on other women, let's just say... You feel so Amazing afterwards! All doused up with essential oils, yet exfoliated at the same time. It is quite a wonderful way to start the day. If you bathe (as opposed to shower) with Salt Scrub, make sure you scrub the tub afterwards so it doesn't get too slippery.
4) Shea Butter: We all have different moisturizers we like best; I just recommend ones with ingredients you can pronounce, or better yet, very few ingredients at all. When I lived in Atlanta, I was introduced to Shea Butter. Shea Butter blends, with carrier oils, essential oils. Shea butter, Shea butter, Shea butter. GREAT for dry skin. Coconut oil + Olive oil (yes, that you would find in the kitchen) can also be great moisturizers. Since I don't have the array of Shea Butter choices in SoCal that I had in the South, I've been making my own blends: usually shea butter, cold-pressed olive oil, and a few drops of ylang ylang essential oil. Ahh, Heavenly. ;)
5) Pumice Stone: Good ol' pumice stone. I don't use it *all* the time, but when I get to taking a bath, I do the ol' foot scrub. This is really good, because as the decades go on, we can find that the bottoms of our feet get dried out, hard, or scratchy. The pumice stone will keep them smooth as a baby's bottom. ;)
If you want more where this came from, sign up below to receive a FREE e-copy of Morning Rituals Playbook.
Because beating yourself up over New Year's Resolutions helps no one.
When we set goals, we have to come from a place of LOVE + Detachment. Yes, that's right, Detachment. Different from not following through (following through is very Good!), detachment keeps us from beating ourselves over the head when things don't turn out the *exact* *detailed* way we demanded, I mean hoped, they did. ;)
So take a quick break from your ”To-Do" + set up a nice Morning Rituals Practice. It'll actually help you be more effective in your doing, AND help you manifest more of what you desire.
Love + Bonbons,
x
Debra.
The Artist's Way + Agape Raw Food Recipe Class w/ Yours Truly
I'm totally not an "online" person. I like potlucks, hugs, cuddles, events, festivals, workshops, parties, + sleepovers. I like hot springs, the ocean, + foraging outside for dandelions.
However, I'm trying it out! ;) If we weren't online, you wouldn't be reading this Love + Inspiration Notes right now.... I've been learning a lot + excited to offer The Artist's Way as a Virtual Course beginning this Monday, February 9th!
I'm excited for everyone who has already signed up + am holding each of you in a special place in my heart, lighting a candle/ giant star within for your growth + transformation, + so excited to already visualize your success.
For those of you who are still on the fence, I've decided to do a second call tonite! (8pm Eastern/ 5pm Pacific... details below!)
I believe if we could all be who we are, authentically, + live our dreams in life, this world would be a much happier + more peaceful place.
I believe The Artist's Way helps people become more authentic + live their dreams. (At least, it did for me!)
I've always been creative, but I've also been stuck. Stuck in a relationship I didn't really want to be in, stuck in a job, stuck in a cycle of endless mind chatter, + thinking the same negative thoughts over + over.
The Artist's Way helped me to find my inner voice + stand in my inner truth. It helped me channel my creativity into specific projects + endeavors. + It also helped me to branch out of my comfort zone + try something new.
Yes, I do believe you were Born to Shine.
I think we all were. I believe each of us, Shining, is the full puzzle piece, that together, creates the giant cosmic puzzle of the Universe, in Harmony, bringing forth the New Era we all deserve.
So will you call in tonite?
Will you join The Artist's Way?
Thanks for reading, + as the Course starts this Monday, February 9th, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled Love + Inspiration Notes.
Hugs, Cuddles, + Potlucks,
x
Debra.
If you've been dreaming in The Artist's Way for 2015, or it's been sitting on your shelf for years, this is a great chance to get support + go all the way through with the book. Plus you'll get Life Coaching by yours truly, + even a few spaces are available for Private Life Coaching too. ;)
P.S. I'm the Guest Chef at Agape (Michael Beckwith's Spiritual Center, from The Secret) in LA this Sunday, February 8th!
Raw Recipe Class w/ Debra Mazer
(that would be me ;))
Sunday, February 8th:: 2:30 - 5 pm
We'll be learning to make (+ decadently enjoy) Raw Chocolate Pudding Parfait Cups with Strawberries + Vanilla Creme, along with my recipe for Raw Vegan Basil-Mozzarella Foccaccia, that is soon to be in a German Raw Recipe Book! ;)
Plus we'll be having a Hot Love Chocolate Truffles Party on the spot. And it's all by donation.... I really hope you can come! ;)
My 5 Favorite (FUN!) Calendars + Planners for 2015
Happy New Year! (+ Hope you had a wonderful Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, + Kwanzaa!)
I started this note in Maui, where I vacationed for the week right before Christmas! Wow, what an adventure. More + more I'm weaving "work" time + "vacation" time so that each day can have a lil' vacation in it, + while traveling, I love to receive inspirations for work, + even plug in, between banana eating + beach swimming. ;) So fun!
Like me, some of you are still calendar-shopping for the New Year, so:
Here are my Top 5 Picks for Fun + Creative Calendars/ Planners for 2015:
1) Life Is Beautiful... And So Are You 2015 Calendar by Sarah Love
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My Magic Surrounding Stevie Wonder...
I am one of those people who grew up on Easy Listening + 80's Rock. (I know all the words to every song... ;)) My Dad had records in his collection from before the 80's, like: Earth, Wind + Fire, Peter, Paul + Mary, + of course, Stevie Wonder.
When I was in high school, I couldn't believe my friend Sibel knew all the words to all the Stevie Wonder songs too... and so, my closeted love for Stevie Wonder came out of the closet, + became "cool." (I thought it was some kind of oldies only my parents listened to ;)).
Then, with my first boyfriend in high school, Stevie's songs became the music we fell "in love" to.... I started my album collection, 90's CD-style.
And then I moved to Atlanta, immersed in the holistic African-American community, + feeling the Stevie influence strong. In fact, working at Lov'n It Live, Stevie's music sometimes played ALL DAY. And I LOVED it.
The time I fed SARK...
So... one of my absolute favorite self-growth authors (+ inspirations, handwriting + otherwise ;)) is SARK. She wrote Inspiration Sandwich, Eat Mangoes Naked, Succulent Wild Woman, Glad No Matter What, Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper, + so much more. I love her style: handwritten/ colorful/ real/ always uplifting + inspirational.
Long, long ago I got to meet her at a booksigning in Atlanta. At the time, I was working at a lil' Raw Food Cafe in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta, called Everlasting Life. And my big hit was raw, double-layer Carrot Cake (with cashew creme frosting).
You Can't Just Do Something Scary Once...
I'm writing this as much for me as for you....
What is your relationship to fear?
For so long, I let fear stop me.
Fear was what I like to call a "red light."
When I went through Life Coaching School, I changed my relationship to fear: it became a "green light."
Hot Love Chocolate Truffles for Halloween!
This one is short + sweet.
If you'd rather read more about living your waking dream + less about chocolate (though for me, chocolate is definitely part of the waking dream ;)), feel free to archive this Love + Inspiration Notes + hold tight for a beautiful life lesson coming in the next email....
For all you chocolate-lovers, read on!
Whatever Happened to Community? (Outside of Facebook...)
How are you doing in terms of community in your life?
For me, living in LA has been so stimulating + expansive: activities, events, speakers, festivals, conferences, restaurants, music + always things to do.
It has also been the most intense experience of lack of emphasis on close community, in the way that I have always known + loved it, in other cities + places around the world.
Stop by my house anytime... Come over + chill... Let's have a potluck... + just generally showing up for one another.
Love Me or Hate Me... I'm Choosing to Be Me.
My life (or at least since age 17) has been a series of "Coming Out's."
First, I became Vegetarian in high school, then Vegan in college, + then in my early 20's, "Raw."
I have dated all kinds of different people.
I think the craziest/ hardest one for me was graduating Brandeis University magna cum laude, + then announcing that I would be living on a commune. ;)
How to Eat Your Backyard (+ Stay Positive in Crazy Times) aka. Are the Real Superfoods In Your Own Backyard?
Wow. These are some crazy times. If you've been paying attention to global events + national news (regardless of where you stand) + feeling the Full Moon energy, you may be asking, as I have,
How do I stay sane + positive in these transitional times?
I learned quickly that engaging in political conversations on social media was not working for me. ;) Though I wanted to be in conversation + connect with others, it caused me + others more suffering than good. (Almost like a war of the opinions on facebook... ;))
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What's Your Personal "Mecca?"
We all have them: Places We LOVE to go.
When I was a kid, it was Disney World/ or Disneyland. And also, Gymnastics Studios (I LOVED the trampoline!!).
Recently I've been having these dreams about hot tubs. It's a beautiful, exciting, wonderful dream. Basically, there's always some kind of "trap" door that leads to 5 big, beautiful hot tubs. And then I know, I am HOME.
One of my Personal "Meccas" is Harbin Hot Springs in Northern California. I also LOVE The Kiva (another spa) in Santa Cruz.