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Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/31/14)

Posted in Art and Crafts, Creativity, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Joy: Book Letters Everyday, moments of joy exist in your life. How many of them do you recognize and acknowledge? Joy doesn’t always hit you over the head and scream, “Hey you! This is what joy feels like!” A joyful moment does not have to be a profound moment. It can be as basic as sitting at the kitchen table with your family, as delightful as listening to a baby coo, or as serene as watching a bird soar overhead. As you go through each day, stop and identify things and moments that bring you joy, and be grateful for each and every one of them.

#1 – Kick-start Happiness
Don't Wait for Happiness Don’t wait for happiness to come to you. You must instigate your own happiness. There is no better way to start your week or everyday, for that matter, than being happy to be alive. In Kick-start Your Week With a Happiness Regimen, author Beth Kuhel suggests “easy ways to increase your happiness that don’t require anyone else’s input.”

#2 – Choose Wisely, Read Labels
If you are like me, after you read this infograph on fruit stickers, you’ll go into your kitchen and read as many fruit stickers as you can.
Information You Can Get From a Fruit Sticker

#3 – Cityscapes
McNabb Wood Cityscapes Sculptor James McNabb is familiar with wood-working. He used to make furniture. Now he’s into “sketching with a bandsaw.” He collects leftover scraps of wood from other artists, pieces them together, and saws them into intricate shapes to create fascinating wood cityscapes.

#4 – Sugar and Cookies and Bars, Oh My!
Can a delicious cookie bring you joy? Depends on just how delicious that cookie is, right? Maybe you’ll find a recipe for one on Tidy Mom’s post 10 Favorite Cookie and Bar Recipes. 10 Favorite Cookie and Bars Recipes

#5 – Choose Joy
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/24/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Environment and Ecology, Helping Others, inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 24, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Early Morning Calm Like angels ascending to heaven, the morning mist lifts ethereally from the lake. A lone skiff floats through the mist and breaks the stillness of the glass-like water. The world is quiet and I am lost in my reverie. Fishermen arrive and set up their gear, but they do not disturb the peace I feel. The lake soon hums with activity, but the calm I felt during those precious early morning moments still flows through my blood and into my heart, setting the cadence of my heartbeat for the rest of the day.

#1 – A Small Portrait
Miniature Paintings by Lorraine Loots It takes calm nerves and a steady hand to paint paintings that are no larger than a small coin and are painted in a photo-realistic style. For each day of the year 2013, Cape Town-based artist Lorraine Loots painted a miniature painting. The paintings were for her project 365 Paintings for Ants and she is now working on a project called 365 Postcards for Ants. Watch the video to learn more about Lorraine and her work.

#2 – Making Clouds
Decorating With Clouds The introduction for this project from Oh! Crafts states, “Let your children fly their imagination in their own room with these great clouds hanging on the ceiling.” Forget about the kids! Adults need all the help they can get to fuel their imaginations, so go ahead and put up soft, billowy clouds in your home and make no excuses for them. And remember that clouds don’t always bring rain.

#3 – Your Green House
7 Easy DIY Green Home Solutions Get your head out of the clouds and start living a greener life. Follow these 7 Ways To Make Your Home a Greener Place and live with a “clean” conscience.

#4 – Answer These Questions
25 Questions To Ask People (And Yourself) “What does a perfect day look like to you?” I could easily answer question #24 of 25 Questions to Ask People, but I would have to stop and ponder my answers to some of the other questions. Whether you ask others or yourself these questions, the important takeaway from this article is not so much about asking the questions, but it’s more about learning to be a mindful listener. Listen to yourself, too.

#5 – Morning Thoughts
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
Marcus Aurelius

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/17/14)

Posted in About me, Aging, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Helping Others, Holidays, inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 17, 2014| 2 Comments »

Friday's Fresh Five! (10/17/14) “I know I can do this,” I say to myself as I try to swaddle my newborn granddaughter. Remembering what my son told me, I carefully lift one corner of the swaddling cloth and bring it over Charlotte and tuck it under her body. Then I secure her other arm by bringing the other corner up and wrapping it around her like I am making a burrito. While doing this, I think to myself, “Seriously, it’s not like I didn’t swaddle my own three children!” I finish tying up the loose ends and shout “Success!” Then, while watching Charlotte sleep, I see a slight movement under the cloth. Slowly, one tiny arm creeps up and before I know it my little Houdini-like granddaughter has escaped her swaddling confines. I’m afraid this grandmother’s swaddling skills are a little rusty!

#1 – Halloween Party Ideas
31 Halloween Party Ideas From Tip Junkie comes this frightfully fun collection of 31 Boo-worth Halloween Party Ideas and it’s just in time to help you plan a “spook-tacular” school party or a “spirited” evening with your favorite ghosts.

#2 – Interesting Person, Boring Life
Interesting Person, Boring Life Does fear control the choices you make in life? If you feel you are being held back from being the person you want to be or living the life you want to live, you might want to read Dr. Linda Sapadin’s article Interesting Person, Boring Life. Aristotle once said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

#3 – Playing With Clouds
Fun Cloud Photography Be what you want to be; see what you want to see. Have you ever looked at cloud formations and seen familiar shapes? In 18 Superbly Playful Photos of Clouds, imaginative photographers captured images of clouds in the most unique compositions.

#4 – Mariam Paré, Mouth-Painter
Mariam Pare, Mouth-Painter Fear turned to gratitude and joy, when artist Mariam Paré relearned how to paint. A victim of a random shooting, Ms. Paré became a quadriplegic at the age of twenty. Read her inspirational story of how she learned to paint with her mouth and see some of her works of art on her website.

#5 – A Chink In Your Armour, A Crack In Your Soul?
“There is a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.”
― Leonard Cohen

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/10/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Helping Others, Holidays, inspiration, Kids, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 10, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Clouds and Wires What foolery is this? Wires strung above clouds? Reality? Trickery? Did I lay on my back while taking this photo or did I rotate the photo on my computer? Just a point in case on how perspective can slant your outlook on life. What is your perspective on life and do you ever question your viewpoint?

#1 – Five Questions
When my children were growing up, I insisted that we eat dinner together as a family, no matter the hour or the activities missed. It was the one time of the day we could all be together. These 5 questions from Anil Gupta of Mind Valley Academy would have provided food for thought for my kids. But, it is not too late. Regularly answering these types of questions can alter one’s perspective on life no matter your age. 5 questions to ask at the dinner table

#2 – Pumpkin Fun
Cute Pumpkin Decorating Ideas When does a pumpkin look like a caterpillar or Harry Potter? When you get your creative juices going and think outside the box! Here are some Unique Halloween Pumpkin Ideas to jump start your creativity.

#3 – Popular Countries
Take a guess as to which countries travelers frequent the most and then check out the chart below to see if you guessed correctly. You can see the top 50 on Movehub’s  Map of The Most Popular Countries In The World.

Map of Most Popular Countries

#4 – Body Art
Incredible Examples of Body Painting Art Artists sometimes play tricks with our minds. Not everything we see can be believed. These 30 Incredible Examples of Body Painting Art prove that point.

#5 – Perspective
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
Marcus Aurelius

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/3/14)

Posted in About me, Aging, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Environment and Ecology, Pets, Photography, Recycling, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »

October 3, 2014 Edition Drunk on milk, Charlotte sleeps contentedly in my mother’s arms. My dad looks on and says to me, “Right now, under this roof, there are four generations.” Remarkable indeed. Charlotte is blessed with four great-grandparents who love her and who will share their infinite wisdom with her. And because life is a two-way street, these great-grandparents receive blessings in return. A new baby in the family invigorates spirits, brings new meaning to life, and expands the capacity to love.

#1 – For Children’s Sake
16 Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste A recurring discussion in my household pops up every time my husband tosses out something that can be recycled, upcycled, re-purposed, or re-used. I used to say to him, “Imagine what the world is going to be like for your grandchildren, if the majority of the people in this world are not more conscientious.” Now that we have a granddaughter, I say to him, “Think about the world you want Charlotte to live in.” Start today. Do your share. The children are counting on us. To that point, here are 16 Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste.

#2 – Iris’s World
Iris Grace: 5 Year-Old Autistic Girl With a Gift Iris Grace is not your average 5-year-old. With an eye for color and movement, Iris paints “masterpieces” that are sold around the world. She is also autistic. Despite the fact that she barely speaks, she expresses herself beautifully through her artwork.

#3 – It’s Autumn
12 Before-And-After Photos of Autumn's Beautiful Transformations In the northern hemisphere, the autumnal equinox or the first day of autumn occurred last week. With 90-degree temperatures predicted for this weekend, it’s hard to make the transition from summer to autumn here. To help ease the transition, here are 12 Before-And-After Photos of Autumn’s Beautiful Transformations.

#4 – Best Friends
With the help of his cat-friend Pudditat, an old, blind and partially deaf dog named Tervel, can get around and enjoy the rest of his life.

#5 – Your World
“Children reinvent your world for you.”
Susan Sarandon

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (9/19/14)

Posted in About me, Creativity, Entertainment, inspiration, Organization, Pets, Photography, Recycling, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Dog Dreams Sleeping next to her leash, my son’s dog Ruca dreams of going for a walk. There is much we can learn from dogs. One thing my dog taught me about life is that if you set your mind on something and work relentlessly at it, you might just achieve your goal. For my dog Romeo, it was chewing through metal containers of Altoids to get to the mints inside or deftly pulling all the files out of my husband’s briefcase, without messing up a single paper, to get to one pack of gum. Granted, dogs have very basic wants and needs. Humans have loftier and more complicated goals. We need to be like dogs and persevere at whatever dream we dream or goal we set for ourselves: finishing school, finding a job, kicking a habit, losing weight, etc. These all take dogged determination, but if dogs can make their dreams come true, why can’t we?

#1 – Never Give Up Charlie Brown
Charles Schulz and Perseverance No one knew more about persevering in life than the Peanuts cartoon character Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown reflected the thoughts and life of cartoonist Charles Schulz. He said of Peanuts, “If you read the strip, you would know me. Everything I am goes into the strip—all of my fears, my anxieties and my joys.” Despite all of the failures and rejections in his life, Charles Schulz never gave up. Read Charles Schulz and Perseverance for an insight into his life and where he got his inspiration from.

#2 – Life Hacks
41 Creative DIY Hacks to Improve Your Home I dream of simplifying my life, so whenever I see clever life hacks, I make note of them. 41 Creative DIY Hacks to Improve Your Home offers many ideas that I’ve not seen before. Having just inherited half a dozen magazine holders from my son, I will be transforming them into sandal and flip flop holders this weekend. Check out the ideas and see which ones will make your life better.

#3 – Aerial Photography and Designer Clothing
Aerial Photography and Designer Clothing In a series of photos, photographer Joseph Ford juxtaposes his aerial landscapes with designer clothing for interesting effect. Appreciate his use of the artistic elements of line, shape, form, space, color, texture and value in his work.

#4 – Head Up, Heart Strong
Cancer does not discriminate. We all know that. I sew blankets for an organization that supports children with cancer. Yet, when I learned several months ago that my cousin’s 17-year-old daughter had cancer, I was filled with disbelief. As Katherine or “Moi,” as most family and friends call her, began her senior year in high school this month, she reflected back on her recent battle with cancer. Declaring her mantra while going through treatment as “Head Up, Heart Strong,” she shared her thoughts in a touching and inspirational speech to her high school classmates. We can learn so much from her experience.

#5 – Lesson From Defeat
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
Maya Angelou

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (9/12/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Helping Others, inspiration, Recipes, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Sewing Projects That Help Others Making dresses for Dress A Girl Around the World, fleece blankets for Keaton Raphael Memorial (supporting children with cancer), and wheelchair/walker bags for residents living in senior care facilities, leaves me feeling “sew” good. These sewing projects bring me joy and relieve my stress. Even though I was a so-so student in my junior high school home economics class, I think my teacher Miss Kister would be proud of my work now. My only regret is I wish I had paid more attention in class.

#1 – Sewing for Charities
Sewing for Charities If you currently enjoy sewing or want to dust off your sewing skills and sew for charities, do a Google search for projects or check out this Sewing Charity List from Cyberseams. Whether it’s making receiving blankets for babies, chemotherapy turbans for cancer patients, or toiletry kits for shelters, there’s bound to be a project that tugs at your heartstrings. And if you don’t know how to sew, don’t let that limit your ability to help.

#2- Happiness
Happiness: 10 Fascinating New Psychology Studies I often write about joy and happiness, because I think in our busy lives we undervalue those states of being. PsyBlog shares highlights from recent psychology studies on happiness in Happiness:10 Fascinating New Psychology Studies Everyone Should Know. An easy read with interesting information – now that makes me happy.

#3 – Nifty Fifty
50 Milkshake Recipes Seeing Food Network’s recipes for 50 Milkshakes reminded me of a tiny burger place in a nearby town. This little place has a milkshake menu almost as large as the restaurant itself. If a Lemon Meringue or a Toasted Marshmallow milkshake sound tempting to you, check out the recipes.

#4 – Scotland
15 Reasons Why Scotland Must Be On Your Bucket List Although the descriptions are persuasive, the photos in 15 Reasons Why Scotland Must Be On Your Bucket List will get you packing your bags. Need someone to carry your bags? I might be available!

#5 – The Consequences of Your Actions
“It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there will be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (9/5/14)

Posted in About me, Creativity, Gardening, Health, Helping Others, inspiration, Organization, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 5, 2014| 2 Comments »

September 5, 2014 Edition Stealthily, I tiptoe outside with a weapon in my hand. I spot my unsuspecting nemesis, take aim, and rush towards him. I’m armed with a fully loaded Super Soaker that my husband purchased on clearance. My target is a squirrel, one of many who are breaking the branches off of my delicate Japanese maple tree. Once back inside, I think to myself, “Really? It’s come to this, has it? I’m a grandmother shooting squirrels with a water gun.” Am I crazy?

#1 – Get Some Sleep!
12 Simple Ways to Improve Your Sleep Maybe if I got more sleep, I wouldn’t be so crazy. And it’s not just me, several of my female friends also have sleeping issues. Of course, I’m not saying they’re crazy, too. If you have issues falling asleep and staying asleep you might want to read 12 Simple Ways to Improve Your Sleep from Pick the Brain. It’s a good reminder on how to develop better sleeping practices.

#2 – Saving Space
17 Space-Saving Designs Storing two apartments’ worth of stuff in my home for my adult kids is driving me crazy. Stuff is everywhere. Knowing that my space situation is temporary, I still appreciate the clever designs in 17 Ingeniously Designed Products That Will Solve Your Space Problem.

#3 – What Matters?
Knowing what Matters the Most to You Life is crazy, but do you let the business of life dominate the meaning of life? It’s easy to get caught up in the details of the day and lose sight of the big picture, your life. The four tips from the article Knowing What Matters to You Instead of Living by Default will help you focus on what matters to you the most.

#4 – Generated Paper
Generate Your Own Specialized Papers When you need a specialty type of paper, like graph paper, children’s writing paper, or music paper, don’t go out to the store to buy them. Just print them up on your home computer. That’s the concept behind the website generatedpaper.com, where you can download templates for free. I haven’t tried to print any paper yet, so let me know what you think of this site.

#5 – Be Crazy
“Sometimes, the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy.”
Matt Nguyen

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/22/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Gift Ideas, inspiration, Kids, Parenting, Photography, Recycling, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 22, 2014| 2 Comments »

Reflections on Then and Now Then and now. One moment a baby and now soon to be a father. Where do the days go? Have you noticed how precious moments string together to create days that bundle into months that lump into years that stretch into decades. That’s where the days go. They grow and they flow and they circle ’round and ’round. Quick! Grab this moment and hang onto it for as long as you can. It will be gone soon. Sure, there are more moments headed your way, but how many of these will you appreciate and cherish? All of them, I hope.

#1 – Baby Clothes
Mementos From Baby Clothes Because I’m the sentimental type, I saved some of my children’s baby clothes. Not all of them, only the special pieces that were either made or embellished for them or that bring back special memories. I gave my son some of his baby clothes as a gift at a baby shower and it will be fun to see his children wearing them. If you have baby clothes that are sentimental to you, but not in good enough condition to be passed down, you may want to read 10 Ways To Make a Memento Out of Old Baby Clothing.

#2 – A Moment to Remember
Watching 15-month-old Kayden experience the feel of rain and listening to her say “Wow!” is a cute reminder of how there can be joy in simple things and how to truly savor a moment.

#3 – 100 Happy Days
!00 Happy Days The 100 Happy Days Foundation challenges you to identify, photograph, and share something that makes you happy each day for 100 days in a row. Whether you choose to participate in the program or do it on your own, it is a great way to train yourself to look for happiness.

#4 – Catching the Wave
PWave Photography by Clark Little Surfer and photographer Clark Little photographs waves, shorebreaks, and backwashes. His work is spectacular and his philosophy, “I just went out and did what I did; did what I loved and it just kind of happened,” is what more of us should strive to do. Watch how he got started in this creative endeavour:

#5 – Moments
“The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.”
Ashley Montagu

“The way a book smells when you thumb through it. The way quiet winter air makes you feel like no one else exists. The smell of the woods after a thunderstorm. That split second before your chair tips back. The feeling right before you cry. The euphoria before the heartbreak. That moment when you wonder if they think of you the way you think of them. These things, I live for.”
— Katie Humphreys

“Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.”
William Feather

Go now and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/15/14)

Posted in About me, Creativity, inspiration, Photography, Recipes, Recycling, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Flower with Bee During the time it took my camera lens to focus on a vermilion-colored blossom, a bee landed on it, dove into the center headfirst, and then flew off. Hurriedly, I pressed the shutter button. “Did I get the shot or not,” I wondered. On playback, I was pretty happy about getting a decent photo of the flower, but capturing the image of the bee made me even happier. Happiness comes into our lives in different degrees. Grab and appreciate every bit you can get.

#1 – The Science of Happiness
Called “An Experiment in Gratitude,” this video of a project from SoulPancake depicts the relationship between expressing gratitude and feeling happy.

#2 – Genius Ideas
Genius Decorating Ideas Discovering clever new ideas, especially those that involve upcycling, makes me happy. Check out these “31 Genius Ideas For Reimagining Home Decor.” It may be too late for me to build a Lego wall for my kids, but there’s still time to do so for my grandkids!

#3 – Just Peachy
Crab Salad With Peaches and AvocadosMaking homemade peach ice cream is a fun summertime tradition for my family. But after drooling over 62 Fresh Summer Peach Recipes, I’m going to make my family even happier. I’m shaking up my peach recipe repertoire. How does a Crab Salad with Peaches and Avocados sound to you?

#4 – Quiet, Please!
10 Most Beautiful Places to Read Books If you love to find quiet places to read, you’ll appreciate the Top 10 Most Beautiful Places to Read Books. They include both quaint and impressive libraries from around the world.

#5 – Your Choice
“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Go now and spread joy!

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