Hola Sober Sunday

Motivation, Inspiration + Much More

For the adventurous sober soul hola sober NOVEMBER 2022 | ISSUE NO. 160 SUNDAY EDITION

sunday

DAILY EMAIL

FASHION & BEAUTY

Hola Sober Picks for the week ahead.

Ann Dowsett Johnston on snowdrops Jennifer Bridgman with a daily reflection

Shoe Boots + Ruffle Dress Orange three ways

HAPPY Thanks GIVING

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TO OUR READERS Stateside CELEBRATING

NOT TODAY LADY NOT TODAY

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Editor's note Welcome to our Sunday morning at Hola Sober where we enjoy a little motivation, inspiration, colour, joy, beauty, and fashion over morning coffee. Hola Sober November came out this week, and there has been a wonderful reaction to the new look cover and design for which I am very grateful! Thank you dearest reader you make all of it, of which there is much, very worth it! I have company this weekend with the lovely Linda ( Hola Sober Host + Columnist ) on a weekend visit to Madrid. It's hard to imagine my world without the lovely Linda center stage in it and the reality is that sobriety gifted me in ways that continue to confound me and inspire me and Linda is part of the constancy of wonder that is now part of my day. Very early on in Hola Sober, I asked her to be a host knowing she had that beautiful touch that women in early sobriety needed. The lovely Linda McGrath-Redmond is a wonderful meeting leader and trojan support to me in my mission to create positive sobriety offering empowerment for women in a space that does not charge women for the key to the golden ticket that is sobriety. Hola Sober is not just a magazine, it is the sum of many parts including the Pledge 100 Sober Empowerment Program and Meetings for Women Only and our Sunday and Monthly magazines. This morning, pour some coffee and enjoy a easy Sunday read in the presence of some lovely women with some beauty and fashion and Hola Sober kitchen thrown in for some good measure. Please join me as I look skyward and say not today lady, not today.

Lots of love,

Susan Christina Creamer

Susan Christina Creamer EDITOR + PUBLISHER

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HAVE YOU READ HOLA SOBER NOVEMBER?

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For the adventurous sober soul hola sober NOVEMBER 2022 | ISSUE NO. 20

Our exciting new AF drinks collaboration THE VIRGIN MARY

Ann Dowsett Johnston Janey Lee Grace Peggi Cooney Beth MT COLUMNISTS

ANNIE GRACE The Naked Mind author takes our Q & A By Peggi Cooney with Riley GREEN, GIRAFFES & CHICKEN WINGS

ONLY IN HOLA SOBER GRACE, THE PRIESTHOOD & THE PRESIDENT It started with finding Grace in the Little Brown Church.

before you

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HOLA SOBER PLEDGE

Today we dare not forget that we are the heirs of that first revolution; let the word go forth that the torch has been passed to a new generation of women. Let all who hear us speak know we will bear any burden to support our Hola Sober sisters on this journey. To all sisters on high, know we are here fighting a new fight as a new set of revolutionaries who will oppose all who stand in our path, to assure the survival and the success of our sobriety, at our very core this much we pledge.

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SOBER and beautiful

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MARIAN

One of our favourite Irish writers is the wonderful Marian Keyes who said in a radio interview this summer "Addiction is not a moral failing or a weakness or self-indulgence or greed. I knew that it was an illness, in the way that, like diabetes. Nobody chooses it. And I was so proud of myself for getting well and I was also very proud of the fact that I was a young woman and that I was owning it." -Marian Keyes-

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

LEGEND

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I WANTED ONE VERSION OF ME INSTEAD OF THE DOZENS,

THERE WERE. Laura McKowen

Janey Lee Grace + Susan have another lovely chat about prepping for the holiday season. Click the arrow to listen ❤️

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DAILY EMAIL SENT IN DECEMBER 2021

"Each woman reading this IS an existing CEO of her own life, irrespective of what you do for a living be that stay-at-home-Mom or lead on some multi-billion dollar business, YOU are the CEO of this life you own." Susan C.

Each woman reading this IS an existing CEO of her own life. I rrespective of what you do for a living be that stay-at-home-Mom or lead on some multi-billion-dollar business, YOU are the CEO of this life you own, of which there is only one. YOU are a brand and yes, a brand with a unique look + feel, how you dress, how you walk and talk, how you interact with other humans is TOTALLY within your remit. YOUR brand, your company - it's called YOUR life. It's YOU who makes the big decisions, the small decisions, ALL decisions . Whom you love, whom you don't love, what you commit to or not commit to, or worse, half commit to. If we could ask ourselves the simplest yet most profound of questions “How does it serve my interests?” It will bring PAUSE to all decisions and allow us to ask the core critical question when faced with life, or curveballs be that a scarcity of turkeys this season or a relative visiting, we ultimately get to decide. Drinking? How does it serve my interests? It didn't, it damn near killed me. Not drinking? How does it serve my interests? In every way. It has damn well saved my life. “The world's favourite drug is a drink.” Claire Pooley How does it serve my interests? It didn't, it damn near killed me. As you head into Friday with a glorious hangover-free morning unfolding, no matter what comes your way today, know you are the CEO of your life and take a leaf out of Gerri Kellman's book asking yourself honestly and truthfully how does it serve my interests. Clearly, our interests lie in being alcohol-free powerful women and so, all answers to questions posed must fit the criteria of staying grounded, true to our sober pledge, and empowered as we say not today lady, not today. Keep asking… How does it serve my interests? Lots of love, Susan Christina xxx

Dear Sober Queens, This week we watched the

'My mother is such a trigger for me and she is spending Christmas with us, I feel triggered already and have an overwhelming desire to drink," one lady said by email. Another said “I am so stressed by Christmas that although I say, I am happy to create new traditions, I am not, I hate not How does it serve my interests? It didn't, it damn near killed me. Women tell me …. I need to drink to socialise as I feel awkward and shy, I need to drink to connect with my husband as wine-drinking is our thing of an evening, I need to drink to survive family events as my mother is a narcissist, my Dad is emotionally unavailable, my sister is competitive, my brother doesn't understand me, my boss is a jerk, I need it to unwind after a 12-Hour-Day on shift as a nurse, as a doctor, as a therapist, as a Director, as a woman who stands on her feet 12-hours a day in a drinking." Drinking? store, as a mother of three children, as the mother of teenagers, as the wife of a philandering assh*le, as the wife of a man who doesn't see me, to stop the white noise, to switch off, to end the flashback to trauma in my head, to mend my broken heart……And the list goes as woman after woman explains to me IN DETAIL why they NEED alcohol in her life.. “Some people can hold their breath underwater for over three minutes. Some people can go out for one drink and be satisfied, I can do neither.” Alicia Gilbert Drinking? How does it serve my interests? It didn't, it damn near killed me.

Season 3 Finale of Succession (no spoilers) Gerri Kellman, the acting CEO of the family business was asked by Roman for her voting support in a family dispute and, she very astutely said, “But it doesn't serve my interests. How does it serve my interests?” I sat on the sofa thinking, that is why she is the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar hypothetical company, ruthlessly clear with no emotional history in her answer, how does it serve my interests? Imagine a life of asking ourselves ruthlessly, how does it serve my interests? Drinking? How does it serve my interests? It didn't, it damn near killed me . For a decade I took my wine drinking all the way to the cliff edge knowing deep down there was nothing normal about sitting in a kitchen at night drinking wine, knowing that my intake daily smashed all national guidelines, knowing one bottle a night was reckless and dangerous. I did what I do, I took dependence, stopping short of fractured relationships, stopping short of irreparable damage, stopping short of complete self- loathing, stopping short of it all the way to the wire, stopping short of wine wounds that would run so deep that they would bleed forever and a day. I cliff walked one bottle at a time until I could walk no more, swaying across a bedroom floor in the dark believing I was fooling the people in my world. Drinking? How does it serve my interests? It didn't, it damn near killed me. “

snowdrops by Ann Dowsett Johnston

Ann Dowsett Johnston is the Toronto-based author of the bestselling Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol. She is a psychotherapist and leader of the Writing Your Recovery memoir-writing course. Click HERE

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

To live in this world

I got sober in early November, 14 years ago, and those first few weeks were dark, literally and figuratively. I had given up Plan A—nightly drinking—and was exploring Plan B, namely recovery. On my first sober weekend, I took my university roommate and her two grown daughters up north, where they chose not to drink—in solidarity. At cocktail hour, I felt like a monkey trying to tie her shoelaces: all was awkward and uncomfortable. But they set me up well. We walked among the radiant fall leaves, laughed the knowing laughter of old friends, inhaled the fragrance of wood smoke, spending hours by the fire. We ate well, slept even better and bear- hugged hugged goodbye. After they left, one day at a time, I protected my sobriety. I went to meetings, under the tutelage of my wise sober friend. At her suggestion, I would go to bed early to outfox the end-of-day cravings; I would turn to my journal on waking, to metabolize all I was feeling. I sent her a daily gratitude list. My breakup with alcohol was so new, and my nerve endings were raw. There were days when I felt so many feelings that I wished my life were over. I didn’t yet trust the process, as they say. But my life wasn’t over. Far from it. In fact, it was just beginning. Come that first spring, six months sober, I found myself with renewed friendships, a re-invigorated relationship with my son—and a rekindled writing career. My sister and I were close once more, I had new sober friends, life was good. Fourteen years later, life is richer than I could have imagined. The lesson? Never mistake the quiet season for the end, the messy middle for an unhappy outcome. We are all in transition. Day by day, we shed old habits and evolve new ones. When we protect our sobriety, when we say no to numbing and yes to the adventure known as living, the outcome is assured: eventually, spring will come. And when it does, all things are possible.

you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it

against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.

--Mary Oliver

I am putting away my garden for winter, raking the radiant yellow leaves into the ravine, tidying up the hydrangeas and the hostas, bidding farewell to my magical patch of green. Soon will come the darkening of the November light, and the first fluffy snow, heralding the beginning of a long Canadian winter. I love living in a country with seasons, and I savor the mystery of what lies below. Buried under the mounds of white will be the tulip bulbs and the bleeding heart and the snowdrops—first harbingers of spring: invisible beneath the surface, actors preparing their parts for another season. Never mistake their silence for inactivity. The same holds true for us. As we bid farewell to old habits, and create the new ones of health and connection, there is no telling what is taking root below the surface, flourishing in the quiet. Years ago, in new sobriety, I remember lamenting: all is lost, there is nothing new. How wrong I was: what a lie I had absorbed. For me, alcohol was glamorous, and then an exit—a way to numb. When I gave it up, I was sure that my life was where fun had gone to die. That was not true. In the liminal space between quitting and sure-footed sober living, many new gifts were appearing in my life. New friendships, new creativity, new zest. A new love of quiet, a return to reading and writing. Above all, new self-respect.

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

beauty + fashion

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S U N D A Y

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

A pinstripe waistcoat (vest) is all the rage this winter worn over jeans or trousers. At Zara this is described as a cropped vest with V-neckline. Front false welt pockets. Front button closure.

CLICK HERE

(Image taken from website)

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

SUSTAINABLE

CORDO TUMBLED CORDO TUMBLED - Women's Tread Sole Lace-Up Loafer Boot Tread sole lace-up loafer boot crafted in Italian tumbled calf leather. The upper has been hand sewn using the traditional moccasin construction. I adore this boot which is somewhere between cool and EPIC this morning! Made in Spain by local artisans, celebrating excellence in craftsmanship.

SHOP

Orange is everywhere in Europe this season, here is a fab way to wear one of the hot colours this season. A beautiful oversize orange satin shirt from Top Shop Premium.

CLICK HERE

(Image taken from website)

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ORANGE THREE WAYS

COS ORANGE

I love to be warm when out walking in the winter fresher mornings of late. With orange being everywhere this season, what better way to wear it than to warm up with this fab selection from COS

RIBBED WOOL-CASHMERE BALACLAVA CASHMERE BLEND SCARF PADDED GLOVES.

SHOP

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HUMM SHOES

GLOVELETTES

Cashmere Silk Bliss Glovelettes from Eileen Fisher made me smile this week. Bright, colourful, and functional what is not to like?

SHOP NOW ➤

Another gem from Eileen Fisher Sleek and practical. A slim crossbody bag perfect for holding your phone. In our subtly textured Italian leather. Our buttery-soft Italian leather with a subtly textured surface.

A sporty pull-on sneaker with sleek styling and a low wedge heel. In a sustainable stretch knit made from recycled plastic bottles. LOVE these!! Recycled mesh lining made from 50% post-consumer plastic bottles.

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MARIAN EARRINGS

RUFFLE DRESS

from Niamh O Neill, the Irish designer. The Ruffle Shirt Dress is made from Italian wool and features a ruffle collar and shirt-style front with covered buttons. It has a gathered skirt, pockets, and gathered sleeves. Wear it with boots for the day, or with strapped heels and a clutch for an effortless evening look.

This fab chandelier earring from Sezane, Gold plated brass earrings with a slight patina for a vintage look giving that old- fashioned but edgy feel to your day into an evening look.

Made in Philippines

SHOP NOW ➤

SHOP HERE ➤

MAX FACTOR MASCARA Who doesn't love a decent mascara and we don't have to spend a fortune to have a super effect. Max Factor’s new False Lash Effect XXL Mascara is flying off the shelves across Europe and the USA as word gets out that this keenly priced mascara does the trick of those three times the price. This smudge-proof and clump-free mascara let us lengthen our lashes by up to 70% *and* add mega fullness .

SHOP HERE ➤

The French beauty brand, La Bouche Rouge, with its ingredients and its eco-conscious mission to make the world a more beautiful place always get my attention. Our brows have never looked better thanks to their Eyebrow Serum gel. Not only is it formulated with pistachio oil to simulate eyebrow hair growth and anti-aging green caviar extract, but it also expertly tames and sets our brows. It is a recycable glass bottle and the applicator wand is free of microplastic. What’s better than that? LA BOUCHE ROUGE EYEBROW SERUM GEL

SHOP HERE ➤

PACIFICA REUSABLE MASKS UNDEREYE (2 PACK)

Proudly 100% vegan and cruelty-free, Pacifica continues to innovate with the Reusable Masks Undereye. Coming in a cute tin that is quintessentially Pacifica, these reusable eye masks work with your current serum lineup and on their own. Easy to apply (and wash afterward), these cloud-covered masks boost hydration and stay tight to the skin so you can stick ‘em on and carry on.

SHOP HERE ➤

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

LIQUID BLUSH Selena Gomez really snapped when she created Rare Beauty, especially the liquid blushes. A little goes a long way with this product and it will blend seamlessly into your skin. It also comes in two beautiful finishes, radiant and matte. We stan! SHOP HERE ➤

SKIN BARRIER

You can't be on SkinTok without hearing how to keep your skin barrier happy. The one product that always pops up is SoonJung's 2x Barrier Intensive Cream. With its hypoallergenic and fragrance-free formula, it's the ideal moisturizer to hydrate sensitive skin.

SHOP HERE ➤

CONCEALER

FACE MASK

This $11 concealer serum from NYX is one of the latest beauty products to go viral on TikTok. The product is described as a “medium coverage concealer in a skin-care serum” with “easy, mess-free application.”

From what TikTok shows, it seems the oils and gunk that live in your pores are no match for this Caudalie Detox Clay mask. Made from clean ingredients, you can count on this mask to remove impurities from your skin without irritating it. If you don't believe the TikTok hype though, it also has great reviews on Amazon and Sephora.

SHOP HERE ➤

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

Hola Sober

NOVEMBER 2022 VILLAGE VOICES

PERHAPS.. Perhaps our dreams are there to be broken, and our plans are there to crumble, and our tomorrows are there to dissolve into todays... and perhaps all of this is all a giant invitation to wake up from the dream of separation, to awaken from the mirage of control and individuality, and embrace whole-heartedly what is present. Perhaps it is all a call to compassion, to a deep embrace of this universe in all its bliss and pain and bitter-sweet glory. Perhaps we were never really in control of our lives, and perhaps we are constantly invited to remember this, since we constantly forget. -Jeff Foster-

"Move forward. Good things are up ahead."

I am A Woman A Daughter A Sister A Friend A Colleague A Wife A Mother A Godmother

An Aunty A Cousin

A Neighbour A Volunteer

A shoulder to cry on............The list is endless..... I was LOST Yes LOST down the neck and at the bottom of another bottle too many. Yes, I was slowly losing my identity and allowing the dark thoughts of "What was my purpose any more in life?" to enter and take over my headspace. I am now an Hola Sober Warrior and with a whole heart, mind and body in RECOVERY and on this path to re invent myself to the person I want to be. I am here now for the rest of my wonderful life. This is truly my chance to a better life, and to the remainder of my life. "FALL IN LOVE WITH THE HABIT AND NOT THE RESULT" James Clear

The habits build up to the results. -Mac- (Hola Sober Village Voice)

The sun is streaming through my kitchen window as I look out at the new fallen snow, winter has come early. I am sitting at the stool at the kitchen island. The aroma of simmering soup fills the room with the goodness of roots, greens, and savory broth. Sinful white chocolate and espresso brownies are cooling. I still look around with wonder at this beautiful space we have called home for the last nine months. The light, the spaciousness, the tranquillity of the forest behind are the result of 4 years of planning, designing, redesigning, before finally building this house, our new nest. This house was one of my WHY’s to put down the glass for good. I knew it would be stressful, and I wanted to handle the many decisions, delays, highs and lows. It was a challenging but wonderfully creative project while embarking on my sober journey and during a pandemic. I wanted to enjoy the process and can say I was surprisingly Zen throughout. Had I been drinking, I know it would have been a different story. We bucked the downsizing trend, empty nesters and nearly retired folk like us typically follow. Our friends were surprised that we went from condo living back to living in a house. “What about the maintenance and all the extra responsibilities?” we were asked. And incredulously “Is it all one level? (just stopping short of asking if we had grab bars and if it was handicap friendly?) No, I smiled back, “would you like to see the view from the terrace upstairs?” We love to stay home more, my working husband with his own office /mancave and me in my kitchen with its large island and a small nook with a desk. I love the skylight window above the desk, that frames the trees which now stand bare, reveals the lake beyond, and where geese flock by on their training runs. The best part is how good it is for our relationship. We have space for us to be apart and space to be together. We entertain again, host dinner parties, have room for guests. We can step outside and breathe fresh air, soothing our nervous systems and energizing our spirits. I’ve never had a drink in this kitchen and I feel fabulous. S.M.D. (Pledge 100 TARA)

Online Class Wisdom

I have acknowledged the traumatic events I experienced in my childhood and young adulthood and have moved on to healing. I also blamed myself for everything, big M on my back too. Once I put the drink down, and laser- focused on the hard events in my life that truly caused me emotional pain, I was able to see how alcohol helped me ‘cope’, or so I thought, as I did not know of ‘tools’ or ‘emotional sobriety’ at the time. I have yet to meet a woman that has not experienced some kind of trauma in her life, whether in childhood or adulthood, or both. Knowing I wasn’t alone in experiencing trauma, after connecting with other women who spoke openly about this, made me feel strong enough to examine, forgive (myself for my coping mechanisms) and move on. It has taken me a year and a half to actually get to this point but I can honestly say I’m ready to move on. It doesn’t mean the pain has completely left but I can see it as something in my past and not allow it to control my future.

”We own our emotions, they don't own us. When we internalize the difference between how I feel in all my wisdom and what I do in a values-aligned action, we generate the pathway to our best selves via our emotions.” My Auntie recently told me to think with my heart, and I think this is what she meant. I see this as a way to both move forward into my present and future, but also as a way to hug the little version of me, acknowledge the feelings that I couldn’t articulate, and begin to heal those past hurts.

H.M.

Yes, I do think I have to acknowledge things in order to heal. I think of them as two types of life events to acknowledge. What leads me to want to numb and all the consequences of numbing. I have been thinking and journaling about the first type of events.. I think I had a huge amount of pain and anxiety from a very young age. My parents sent me to a child psychologist when I was 9 years old. I know this feeling of being uneasy, sad, anxious, awkward, insecure, and not fitting in, started way back then. I was numbed with food. Then with alcohol. I have numbed with overworking, getting into obsessive relationships with men, shopping, traveling, and dieting. Everything or anything that would hide the pain. The contortions we go through just to forget about ourselves for a few hours..this is a quote from Keith Richards although I know it is not exactly right but it is along those lines. So yes, I am in the process of acknowledging all the pain I have so desperately tried to escape from in order to heal it and move on.

-Shana E.-

-A.C.-

"Move forward. Good things are up ahead."

It’s Okay to Be Both

“It’s Okay To Be Both” by Cristen Rodgers is one of those poems I return to often, each time discovering a new favorite line. Words are an integral part of my daily life, as a writer, a reader, and a woman in recovery who has reconnected with her truth and reclaimed the power of her voice. The words in this poem expand my mind and soften my heart. They straighten my spine and curve my lips. They remind me to be compassionate with myself and others as we embark on this beautiful, unpredictable and often-messy adventure called life.

IT'S OKAY TO BE BOTH

So often in recovery, we fall into the trap of comparing our journey to someone else’s.

We think we should be further along in some way than we are.

We are surprised when a bad day knocks us off-kilter, or we are disappointed to find ourselves reverting back to old, familiar unhealthy patterns. But the truth is that nothing good comes from comparison, judgment or negative self-talk. No one has ever berated themselves into a better version of themselves. On the contrary, these were the very things that kept in me trapped in the cycle of addiction. Each day, as a sober warrior, I make a pledge to not drink. And from that steady stance, all else in my life becomes possible. I find connection and compassion, perspective and grace. NOMADIC | 24

JENNIFER BRIDGMAN

And I remember again that it really is okay.

“It’s Okay To Be Both” (Cristen Rodgers)

It’s okay if one day you step out the door like a lioness and the next day you feel like you’re still just a cub.

At times you’ll be all dreams and daring, magic, manifesting, and miracles; but there may also be others when you’re weary, wary, conflicted, constricted, or confused. And that’s okay. It’s okay if one day you feel the pulse of the universe flowing through your veins, and the next you reach out to find that your humanity is the only thing you know for sure. Sometimes you might see your own heart in upturned fronds shimmering in the moonlight, and see the heart of the world reflected in the stars, but there may be other times when the only reflection you see is in the mirror and made of simple and faded flesh.

It’s okay.

It’s okay to faulter. And it’s okay to be strong. You are learning what it means to be both. Both soft and strong. Both confident and humble. Both spirit and flesh. We aren’t here to overcome our humanity but to embrace it, to love it, to make the very most of it. It’s okay if one day you reach for the stars and then the very next you reach only for a familiar hand. It’s okay to know both light and dark. It’s okay to see your extremes and still hold your middle ground. What matters is that you remember. What matters is that you remember the heavens when you feel weighted to the ground, and you remember your humility when you reach the stars. That you remember your wholeness when you feel torn apart, and you remember your own glow when trying to see through the dark. It’s okay to be both woman and girl, both sun and moon, both wise and wonder-filled. There is a universe inside of you, with infinite modes of being; and even if you’re surfing galaxies worlds apart every day, it really is okay.

Please click here to read

live each

day with purpose.

or else, what the feck is it all about?

Color:

METALS IN OUR HOME

Metals in Our Home This Summer

Does gold ever really go out of style? Sometimes we overindulge in it, and at other times, a little gold goes a long way. It just so happens to be back in style now! Not only are precious metals like gold trending, but bronze is also making a comeback. The current trend is subtle hints of these metals in classic accent form. Mirrors, lighting fixtures, handle, knobs, and even decorative pieces in gold and bronze are the perfect accessories to any room this season and beyond. These gold decorating tips and ideas and other summer trends are sure to spark some creativity for you! Your choices are so varied when it comes to being on-trend this year. Whether you want a dash of extreme color to reflect the usual tones of summer or softer colors that will last throughout the seasons, you are safe with these options. Full article from Decorilla here

MIXED METALS IN OUR HOMES

DAILY Motivation "YOU are entitled to your opinion, but you're not entitled to tell me

what mine should be. No one has that right. "

- Every Woman -

DAILY Motivation "In her heart and soul, she set fire to all things that held her back and from the ashes, she stepped into who she was always meant to be."

- Every Woman -

LOVE yourself

keep it simple

Keep it simple your life you can only do so much and the simple things are there to fuel your heart

when the waves of overwhelm start to crash against your wall keep it simple you can only do so much. It’s the simple, everyday that will help you on your way look around take in the moment be at ease when the winds of worry roar against the castle you have built take a rest feel your heartbeat be at peace.

Keep it simple your life you can only do so much and the little things are there to bring you joy when the hounds of dark and dread begin to howl inside your mind keep it simple you can only do so much.

-Donna Ashworth-

Color:

WINDOW PORN

Class is more than a window to the world of our homes, it is often so much more in terms of design and aesthetic. For more interior ideas you can follow interior hub here Chandeliers never go in or out of fashion

THROW SOME LIGHT ON IN YOUR LIFE

SUNDAY KITCHEN HOLA SOBER

ingredients

1 tbsp butter or olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 5 soft sundried or SunBlush tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped 3 x 400g cans plum tomatoes 500ml turkey or vegetable stock 1 tsp sugar, any type, or more to taste

142ml pot soured cream 125g pot fresh basil pesto basil leaves, to serve

instructions

Heat the butter or oil in a large pan, then add the garlic and soften for a few minutes over low heat. Add the sundried or SunBlush tomatoes, canned tomatoes, stock, sugar, and seasoning, then bring to a simmer. Let the soup bubble for 10 mins until the tomatoes have broken down a little. Whizz with a stick blender, adding half the pot of soured cream as you go. Taste and adjust the seasoning – add more sugar if you need to. Serve in bowls with 1 tbsp or so of the pesto swirled on top, a little more soured cream and scatter with basil leaves.

Tomato +Basil Soup

4 servings

45 minutes

This is a firm family favourite and works a treat as the seasons change and we head back to school and to family routines after a busy summer.

This recipe never fails and it is easy and soothingly divine as the Autumn evenings begin to roll in. Thiis is a BBC Food Recipe Notes

ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil, plus an extra drizzle (optional)

8 large pork sausages 1 onion, finely sliced sprinkle of golden caster sugar 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp tomato purée ½ tsp smoked paprika 400g can chopped tomatoes 100ml red wine 2 bay leaves 400g can butter beans, drained but not rinsed

For the crumb topping (optional)

50g fresh breadcrumbs 2 garlic cloves, finely grated handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped

instructions

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a shallow ovenproof casserole over a medium heat and gently fry the sausages for 5-8 mins, or until brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate using tongs. Tip the onions into the pan and fry for 5-8 mins until beginning to turn golden. Drizzle in a little more oil if the onions start to stick. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for a minute before stirring in the vinegar, tomato purée and paprika to form a paste. Tip in the tomatoes, then pour the wine into the tomato can, swish it round, and add to the pan. Stir in the bay leaves and beans, then arrange the sausages on top so they’re half-submerged in the sauce but still a little exposed. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then bake in the oven for 20 mins. Meanwhile, make the topping. Mix the breadcrumbs with the garlic and parsley, then season and stir in 1 tbsp oil. Scatter the topping over the casserole, then drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and bake for 10 mins more until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp. Leave to stand for a few minutes, then take to the table and serve from the dish.

One-pot sausage casserole with garlic breadcrumbs 6 servings One Hour As every in this house goes back to class and on campus, there is a need for comfort foods of an evening and this fits the bill. It's easy to make as it's one pot cooking which makes life easy in the kitchen. Notes This recipe never fails and it is easy and soothingly divine as the Autumn evenings begin to roll in. Thiis is a BBC Food Recipe

ingredients

Cooking spray 1 box brownie mix, plus ingredients called for on box 1/3 c. maple syrup 3/4 c. packed brown sugar 2 Large eggs 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 4 tbsp. melted butter 3 1/2 c. whole or chopped pecans

instructions

Preheat oven to 350° and line a 9"-x- 13" baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Prepare brownies according to box instructions. Pour into prepared pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until brownies are set and no wet batter is visible. Meanwhile, make pecan filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter, and salt until smooth. Add eggs and stir until combined, then add pecans, stirring until fully coated. Top baked brownies with pecan topping, spreading evenly. Return to oven and bake until pecan mixture is set, 20 minutes more. Let brownies cool completely before slicing and serving.

Pecan Pie Brownies

4 servings

45 minutes

This is a firm family favourite and works a treat as the seasons change and we head back to school and to family routines after a busy summer.

This recipe never fails and it is easy and soothingly divine as the Autumn evenings begin to roll in. Thiis is a Delish Receipe Notes

THE HOLA SOBER If you are searching for the perfect guilt free pre-dinner cocktail than look no further. Created in honour of our friends at Hola Sober, this drink is elegant and crisp with aromatic notes of clove, cinnamon and cardamom which are complemented by the sweetness of raspberry and the bitterness of citrus. I ngredients: · 40ml Stillers Silk Roots · 40ml Torres Natureo Muscat 0.0% · 40ml Jasmine White Tea · Handful frozen raspberries (about 5) · ½ tsp of caster sugar or sweetener · Edible flower to garnish · Ice Fill a coup glass with ice to chill. Take a cocktail shaker or a jar of any kind an add the 40ml Stillers Silk Roots, 40ml Muscat, 40ml cooled jasmine white tea, and your pre-made raspberry syrup.* Stir with ice and strain into your coup glass. Garnish with edible flowers of your choice. *Raspberry Syrup – put ½ tsp of caster sugar or sweetener of your choice in a bowl. Strain your raspberries through a sieve to get the juice and mix. Glass: coup Method:

TVM, named after the world’s most famous alcohol-free cocktail – The Virgin Mary, is at the forefront of a socialising revolution. We’re the world’s first luxury wellbeing bar group dedicated to inspiring people to ‘drink different’, creating a host of mindful drinks to restore, revive, excite and surprise.

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

The Virgin Mary Bar, 54 Capel Street, Dublin 1

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

SUNDAY a r t

“Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it. ” – Andy Warhol

This painting is by Bruce Cohen READ more about artist here

This painting is by Betty Acquah, READ more about artist here

Colette Louise

card of the week

The seven of swords is our card of the week. The figure in this card seems to be sneaking out of camp after stealing as many swords as he can carry. Looking over his shoulder making sure he is not seen. He doesn’t look particularly dignified, but then he doesn’t think anyone can seen him. Oh what tangled webs we weave and all that! We may have gotten away with something and others are none the wiser, or are planning to pull the wool over someone’s eyes but that does not make us the winner here. Think of the great lengths we will have to go to in order to keep our story straight and the truth from coming out? And don’t forget to hide the evidence. This card reminds me of hiding wine bottles in the cupboard under the sink or throwing them in the neighbours recycle bin so that the complete stranger who collected the recycling wouldn’t know how many bottles of wine I went through in a week, Honestly, who was I kidding? I’m fairly certain that I was fooling no one, least of all myself! Don’t let deceit and avoidance trip you up this week. There is a much simpler way forward.

Book an appointment with Colette HERE

Check out from your world at 4.00 p.m. every day wherever you are in the world, to check in with yourself. Make a tea or a coffee and have a moment of gratitude for the gift of sobriety knowing your Hola Sober Sisters are doing it with you. We hold our own gift of sobriety and all women on this journey, in our hearts daily at 4.00 p.m. Join us in this simple ritual and take a brief pause in your day.

Team Sunday Pick

My friends Seamus and Ed are behind this non-profit DANIELS BRIDGE raising funds for education for Daniel who lost his brother to addiction. ln December of his senior year in high school in Burbank, CA, Daniel lost his older brother and only sibling, Frank, to a drug overdose. It was a world shattering event for him and his mom, Jennifer who is a single parent (and for Daniel’s father, who is still in his life). After Frank’s death a small group of us who are clean & sober were looking for a way to help and be of service. Every penny of these funds goes directly to Daniel’s tuition and college expenses…books, food while on campus, etc. Those of us raising the funds hold the account and write the checks from it as needed. We feel honored, humbled and profoundly grateful to those who contribute. We know these are extremely difficult times.

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ONLINE LEARNING FOR FREE Pledge 100 is the new Hola Sober HOLA SOBER SOBER EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM

Empowerment Program within a closed group with online kick-ass learning. Modules include science, myths, time management, and personal development. This program is designed to create sustained sobriety and a permanent upgrade to your life. It is suitable as a refresher for those in sobriety or a kick-start for those beginning their adventure. Don't bother signing up unless you are going to show up for yourself as we don't hustle at Hola Sober, we share our knowledge and support systems freely and it's up to YOU to commit and do the work. Our program includes a morning video from Susan our Founder, daily lessons, weekly closed support meetings, a chat group, and our new Tribe Online Community Platform.

Our next Pledge 100 Sober Empowerment Program will kick off on February 2023

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO SIGN UP FOR PLEDGE 100

JOIN NOW

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THIS IS A FULLY FUNDED PLATFORM. WE DON'T WANT YOUR MONEY; WE WANT YOU SOBER AND EMPOWERED.. EVERYTHING HERE IS FREE FOR THE TAKING. IT'S UP TO YOU. HOLA SOBER RESOURCES

THE POWER OF FIVE

The Daily Digest (Daily Email ) Sign up for your daily email inspiring or kicking your ass it is as changeable as Irish weather and includes Hola Sober Sunday sign up here

Hola Sober Magazine

Sign up for Hola Sober the #1 Magazine for women in sobriety in the world filled with motivation, inspiration, fashion, beauty, and much more for your sober journey. A must real for all discerning women in the sober space!

Sober Support Meetings Hola Sober offer THIRTEEN CLOSED sober support meetings a week for small groups ensuring there is a safe and sacred space for women to share the hard things or indeed the joyful moments on their journey.

Pledge 100 Sober Empowerment Program designed for sustained sobriety within a vibrant community of women.

Hola Sober Meditations Enjoy the HUSH series in the Hola Sober Meditation library created by the talented and fabulous Alexandra Hartley-leonard.

LORIOH DESIGN

Unexpected treasures for your Bohemian heart.

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GLOBAL SHIPPING

SHOP + VISIT THE STORE WEBSITE

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HANDMADE SILVER JEWELLERY

I make handcrafted, unique, silver and gemstone jewellery designed for each individual customer in my small bespoke silver studio based in South East England. I want you to love wearing your finished jewellery as much as I love making it. Talk to me about how I can help you create jewellery that is perfect for you. Please visit my website and reach out so we can work on your next self-care silver treat together!

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

06:00 Sunday, 20 November

Reminder

Not today lady not today. Not any f*cking day.

Okay!

STAND WITH UKRAINE

D O N A

T E

HOLA SOBER | MADRID

PLEASE READ

If you wish to submit for our HOLA SOBER MONTHLY MAGAZINE; please email: submissions@holasober.com

To all ladies who give permission to publish your words. Thank you, Lisa Wilde for all your support, words, and help - thank you.

Note: I am not a professional designer, writer, or creator; I am a woman who drank wine and now talks about not drinking creating this platform and magazine in a moment of pure madness offering EVERYTHING for FREE.

If there are spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, cut me some slack as this is a FREE MAGAZINE made with love.

The HOLA SOBER PLATFORM (Magazine, Meetings, Emails) would not be possible without the financial and loving support of my husband, and three sons who support this project 100% . Shout out, as always, to Deb + Judith, Gee + Colette ❤️

www.holasober.com

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