Guinea

I found the feather that's in my hair a couple of weeks ago when visiting my Dad. Just a single feather lying on the ground. I think that it is from a French Guinea Hen. (I grew up calling them Guinea's)

Interesting and beautiful find.

Gratitude Sunday

Today I'm joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday.

This week I'm grateful for:

- Getting back into the swing of classes. Even if it can be overwhelming I'm grateful for the chance to be able to go back to school.

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- Being able to make a difference and save a life. (poor pup that was being severely neglected was rescued! I was in tears. I'm so happy!!)

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- Going out to The Riff Raff to hear great music! 

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- Extra layers, coats, and scarves. The temperature had been extremely cold (wind chill of -8).
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- Making it home safely in the snow and ice, which I really hate driving in.

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- Spending some much needed time relaxing with a hot cup of tea and a  book. 

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- Getting a nice surprise through the mail from my Dad.

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- Being able to take it easy for the last two days since I've had a tendinitis flare-up. 

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-  Organizing and boxing up a ton of things that I plan on selling at the flea market.

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- Working on new art.

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- Find new helpful ways to balance my life and to exude even more positivity.

There's so much to be grateful for!

Finding Balance

I wanted to write my Thursday post "What I'm Reading" (I'm an obsessively consistent gal), but unfortunately I've been swamped. Completely swamped.
I managed to not even get to do {this moment} today (from Amanda at Soulemama), because I hadn't taken a single photo this week.
It's been that busy.

My classes started on Tuesday.
I have five. 15 credit hours. Monday - Friday.
A bit overwhelming to be honest.

Balancing everything in my life hasn't been going very smoothly lately. I haven't gotten to the point where I can juggle everything and breathe.

I need balance. 


Without balance we tend to feel like we're drowning in a sea of stressors.

Obviously at the rate I'm going I'm going to be burnt out very quickly with the things that need my complete attention.

So I've devised a plan...

Each day I'm going to devote 30 minutes of my day to meditation, reflection, or personal journaling.
I will be able to take a moment to calm and look at everything logically with a relaxed mind.
I'll make a list of 5 things that I'm grateful for each day.
Remind myself to call loved ones, plan dates for lunch or shopping, and set aside time for crafting and art.

I'd rather spend time with people I love who make me laugh and feel happy, or creating something beautiful. Taking some time out of my day to remind myself "hey, it's going to be alright...just take a moment" is of absolute importance.


Balance, Breathe

Manic Monday

Wow, today was productive!

Walked at the lake with Aiden and Moya (it was so cold!). Didn't stay very long because the wind was very strong, and it made it seem so much colder.

Cleaned the carpeting in the living room and dining room. It's back breaking because the carpet cleaner that my Mom let me borrow is so heavy.  Moya had 'accidents', which had stained in a couple of places. Thankfully I was able to get them out.

Decided to start Insanity this evening. To say that it's basically a workout program really doesn't sum it up. It definitely lives up to its name! I've never experienced a workout that really kicked my butt like this one. My legs feel like jello.  Afterwards I just lay on the floor for about 10 minutes. It's that intense.

Tomorrow classes start again. Before class I have to go to the Administration building to clear up a few things. (here's to hoping they get cleared up!).

Time for reading and relaxing!

(enjoy the nostalgia!)

Gratitude Sunday

Today I'm joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday.

This week I'm grateful for:

- The amazingly beautiful snowstorm that we saw on Thursday. 

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- Super glad that the power didn't go out (even though the lights were all flickering). It's nice to have a warm, cozy house when the snow is piling up.

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- Reading some really interesting new books. I got a couple at the library, and also a few for my Kindle.

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- Working out (yoga, sit-ups). I wasn't able to get out and walk at the park with Moya or Aiden due to the weather, so it was nice to still be able to feel good and healthy.
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- Getting new yarn. It's bulky and gorgeous. I can't wait to start working with it!
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- Signing up for my new classes. I have five. I think that they're going to be interesting.
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- Painting again. I love acrylics and watercolours.
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- Eating with my mom during first hour of the snowstorm. We had a lot of laughs.
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- Being surrounded by love.

There's so much to be grateful for!

casual dress-up

{this moment}

Today I'm joining Amanda at Soulemama for {this moment}

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember.

.........

snow storm

The snow started only a couple of hours ago.

The roads are terrible.

Staying warm inside!

little bird

I hadn't painted in a while. 

I used some acrylics earlier today, and just played around with it a bit.

I definitely want to start painting more often again. I love using acrylics and watercolors. It's something that I really enjoy doing.

Gratitude Sunday

Today I'm joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday.

This week I'm grateful for: 

- Walking 1.1 miles at the park yesterday. 

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- Taking photos at the park and having a great time in the sunshine. It was 70 degrees here.

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- Starting out my day today with walking 1.5 miles mostly up hill. (I admit my thighs hurt, but I feel great).

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- Being healthier - mind, body, and spirit.

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- Making wonderful progress on my scarves.
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- Visiting my Dad.  I surprised him! We had a wonderful time together.
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- Watching a movie at home, with the windows open and a cool breeze floating in.
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- Challenging myself to read 50 books in 2013 via Goodreads.
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- Going to Starbucks to relax with a coffee and a book.
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- Yummy pineapple yogurt.
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- The wonderful weather that we've had this week. It's been sunny, warm, beautiful.

There's so much to be grateful for!

A Day at the Park

{This Moment}

Today I'm joining Amanda at Soulemama for {this moment}

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

.........

What I'm Reading

 

 (ah! so tired. very little sleep last night and 4 hrs. of driving today. forgive me if this is a bit jumbled or hurried)

Iyanla Vanzant caught my interest when I saw her new show on OWN. It's called "Iyanla Fix My Life". When I found "One Day My Soul Just Opened Up" while browsing at the library, I knew that I had to read it. Iyanla is a spiritual teacher, inspirational speaker, and author. She is a powerful woman. (If you haven't heard of her - you must!)
I'm not very far into the book. I only started it a few days ago, but I already like it quite a lot!

The other book that I picked up is "The Home Guide to Craft" by Katherine Sorrell. There are so many craft ideas in this book! I imagine that it could be quite overwhelming for a beginner (it was a bit overwhelming for me). However, I have gotten a handful of great ideas for crafts. 

My Day

Rainy day.
I ran a few errands, found time to organize some things, worked on customizing the cards (to hold individual pairs of earrings) and tags for items that I'm selling online and at flea markets, wrote a few notes with my new stationary, and read for a while.

(new stationary from Hallmark that was gifted to me at Christmas)

 

 Pretty much a lazy day indoors.

Happy Tuesday!

 

My mother came for a visit this afternoon. We had lunch together. She helped me clean the carpeting in the house. Took for Moya for a walk together. The weather has been lovely.

I've been working on my scarves quite a bit. Alternating between scarves & reading when I have free time. 

 

Made a trip earlier to Starbucks to have a nice white chocolate mocha and relax. We don't do Starbucks a lot, but it's definitely one of my favorite places to go out to.

(kind of a poor quality photo since it was taken with my ipad and not my camera)

 

 

I hope that you all are having a great Tuesday!

Jewelry and Sunshine

I've been spending some time making jewelry recently.

It's a lot of fun, especially when the results are lovely. I like making things work together. I had collected quite a lot of beautiful rocks and seashells at Topsail Island, so I'm hoping to incorporate them into my work as well.

Today was very sunny and not too cold. It almost felt like Spring and I took advantage of it to the fullest. Took a nice walk in the sunshine with Moya, ran a few errands, and found time to go to the library.

(view from the backyard)

 Definitely the kind of day that lifts your spirits!

Gratitude Sunday

Today I'm joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday.

This week I'm grateful for:  

- A new year! I really need a fresh start!
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- Making healthier lifestyle choices.

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- Lovely dinner of  mexican food (vegetarian for me) with my Mom and Aiden. There were lots of laughs!

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- Making it home safely after driving home through the ice and snow.
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- Hand-written notes. They're much more personal, and fun to write.
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- Doing what's best for me, and making myself more of a priority.
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- Yummy dinners that I've made at home for us.
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- Relaxing with 'The Sweet Far Thing', the last of the Gemma Doyle trilogy. (so sad this is the last book, but they've been such great reads!)
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- Amazing Zhena's Gypsy Tea. It's by far my favorite brand.

There's so much to be grateful for!

Staying Warm & Sane

The weather is pretty darned cold here. 

(juniper shrub)

These were taken yesterday (Friday). It hadn't snowed since Tuesday night, Wednesday morning but it was super cold, so it didn't melt much. 

Is it so very bad to wish that it were Spring already? I don't like wishing time away, but the cold is starting to weigh on me. 

I'm trying to stay busy with crafting, reading, organizing, and what-not. I'm currently on break from my college classes, so my time hasn't been as restricted as it usually is.

I found a cute tutorial on Youtube for envelope making. Pretty simple.

(paper for envelopes are taken from magazines, it's a great way to recycle them)

I've also been playing around with the camera. I'm not very experienced, but it's fun. I took this shot of an ornament. 

So yeah, I'm trying to stay busy despite the cold (checked the weather and it's going to warm up quite a bit next week!!!)

How do you stay busy during the frigid winter months?

{This Moment}

Today I'm joining Amanda at Soulemama for {this moment}

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember.

........

What I'm Reading

To some of you this may seem crazy because it has been such a popular book for decades now, but I had never read "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl". Never. Isn't this required reading in public schools?

Anyway, I found a battered, old copy at the library and had the above mentioned epiphany. How could I have never read this?

Most of you know the story of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl who goes into hiding during the war with her parents, sister, another family, and a dentist.
The diary is full of Anne's thoughts about life, her youth, war, boys, her parents, her sister, etc. It reads like most any diary with the exception of the destruction around them in the form of a raging war and the possibility of being found and carted off with other Jewish members of her community.

Reading her girlish thoughts and chuckling to myself, I realized how sad it really is. She wrote these things, she felt these things. She didn't have a chance to become a woman, to grow and prosper, and find happiness in the world. She represents so many poor souls who were tormented and killed.

I'm enjoying the book because it lets me glimpse into her world, but it's also difficult to read because it's constantly in the back of my mind that I know what happened to Anne after it ends.

Yarn/Crocheting

I'm in the process of crocheting two scarves.

For the first I'm using a bulky yarn that I've grown really fond of. It's probably my most favorite to use. This particular kind has been dyed in muted earth-tones. Really loving it. Of course, this scarf is going to be for me. I can't wait until it's done so that I can wear it, and know that it's something that I made with my own hands.
Using a medium yarn for the second, which is a gift for someone. At first the medium yarn just didn't seem to hold my attention for very long. I scrapped the first attempt (which went haywire), and started up again later. I'm glad that I did because I'm also in love with it. It's dyed in dark browns, black, and a very light creamy tan.
(A post with photos of the finished scarves to come)
I'm dying to order yarn from Brambleberry Yarns, that a fellow blogger mentioned in her Yarn Along post today. The yarn is dyed using only natural dyes. It looks amazing!
The fact is, I'm not an expert by any means, but I enjoy learning about different yarns, new tricks and ideas, and patterns. It's a craft that I had never delved into really until recently, but I find that it's calming and occupies my time in a productive, positive way. And yes, I am a bit obsessed now.

Cheers to yarn!

2013

Goals