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Have a fabulous weekend.
Trying New Things
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Link It Up Thursday #26
Another busy week here with the Wheel of Life wrapping up this week. Monday was a discussion about spirituality and what that means to different people. Tuesday was a nice surprise about meditation and Wednesday was a grande finale good-bye printable. Sounds like it's time to party.
First, let's see what caught my eye from last week.
Doesn't this look like a photo from a magazine? Uh-huh! Ann has such a flare that I am asking her to come and decorate my homes when I win the lottery. Check out the rest of her photos.
I can hardly wait to see what Alyssa's been cooking each week. Here she has an elegant chicken bundle recipe.
I love this bead board flag that Rachel made. Just in time for the 4th!!
Heather has done it again. These cupcakes look amazing!! Such an awesome presentation and then get chocolate and peanut butter. Woohoo.
Clearly, Rose was in a very patriotic mood when she created this awesome wreath and now she is ready for July 4th as well.
Nice work ladies. Please grab a featured button for your awesome projects. If you weren't featured here, pop on over to Kadie's blog, Seven Alive, and see if she featured you over there.
This is a shared link party, so if you link it up here, it will show up on the fabulous Kadie's blog, Seven Alive. We want to see everything you have to link up! Old projects, new posts, giveaways, etsy shops, recipes, crocheting, any and everything. If you have more than one thing to link up, even better.
Here are our very simple rules.
1. Please keep it family-friendly. 2. Link back to our site or grab a button so others can share in the fun. 3. Following us would be nice (but don't feel you have to).
4. Have fun, be inspired.
If you would like an e-mail reminder about the party, let us know in the comments (please include your e-mail address), and we will happily add you to the list.
First, let's see what caught my eye from last week.
Doesn't this look like a photo from a magazine? Uh-huh! Ann has such a flare that I am asking her to come and decorate my homes when I win the lottery. Check out the rest of her photos.
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| On Sutton Place |
I can hardly wait to see what Alyssa's been cooking each week. Here she has an elegant chicken bundle recipe.
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| What's Cooking Love? |
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| Adventures of a DIY Mom |
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| Cupcake Love Affair |
Clearly, Rose was in a very patriotic mood when she created this awesome wreath and now she is ready for July 4th as well.
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| A Rosie Sweet Home |
Nice work ladies. Please grab a featured button for your awesome projects. If you weren't featured here, pop on over to Kadie's blog, Seven Alive, and see if she featured you over there.
1. Please keep it family-friendly.
4. Have fun, be inspired.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Wheel of Life - Spiritual Art and Book Review
First, Kadie at Seven Alive and Jenny at Jessie Street Designs are hosting a monthly reading link party. I love an excuse to talk about books.
For this first month, I read the same book as Kadie and loved it. It is called Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. This is a fabulous suspense/mystery book set in merry old England under King Henry II's rule. The immersion in this period is entertaining, but it is the amazing story of Adelia (our mistress) as she struggles to solve the murders of 4 children that is so compelling. Her character is powerful and vulnerable, intelligent and insecure. Very believable. No spoilers, but a heartfelt recommendation.
Second, this is the very last post in the Wheel of Life Series. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. It was so much fun to watch everyone participating, and your comments really made it worthwhile and interesting. The pieces below are spiritual paintings and art that spoke to me.
Which one is your favourite?
For this first month, I read the same book as Kadie and loved it. It is called Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. This is a fabulous suspense/mystery book set in merry old England under King Henry II's rule. The immersion in this period is entertaining, but it is the amazing story of Adelia (our mistress) as she struggles to solve the murders of 4 children that is so compelling. Her character is powerful and vulnerable, intelligent and insecure. Very believable. No spoilers, but a heartfelt recommendation.
Second, this is the very last post in the Wheel of Life Series. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. It was so much fun to watch everyone participating, and your comments really made it worthwhile and interesting. The pieces below are spiritual paintings and art that spoke to me.
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Wheel of Life - Meditation
You might remember that one of my goals under the spirituality heading was to do a daily meditation. I have a busy mind (as most of us do I think) and I have real difficulty just stopping and not doing anything.
I have some success if I meditate after doing a half-hour of yoga, but otherwise, ugh. I just find it really difficult to calm my monkey mind. I decided to browse the net for some tips, only to discover that some people say I already meditate.
What?
This is called activity-oriented meditation and is as simple as practicing a repetitive activity (like yoga, knitting, walking, tai chi), or one where you can get 'in the zone' and experience 'flow'. This apparently quiets the mind and allows your brain to shift, giving you all the same benefits as traditional meditation.
Do you know what that sounds like to me?
It sounds like when you get caught up in crocheting a project and stop hearing everything else around you until you pause to notice you have a completed project on your lap. Surprise.
It sounds like when you're running (and struggling if you're me, lol) and focusing on nothing more than your breath going in and out, in and out.
It sounds like when you stop to pull a weed or two in the garden, and then look up 2 hours later, feeling completely content and like you've been at it for only a few minutes (until you try to stand up, of course).
I guess everybody who had meditation as a goal is much more likely to achieve it now. And for those of you who love to get your knit on but didn't have meditation written down as a target? Why don't you just write that down and then cross it off, feeling all good about yourself (you do that too, right?).
What is your favourite activity-oriented form of meditation?
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I have some success if I meditate after doing a half-hour of yoga, but otherwise, ugh. I just find it really difficult to calm my monkey mind. I decided to browse the net for some tips, only to discover that some people say I already meditate.
What?
This is called activity-oriented meditation and is as simple as practicing a repetitive activity (like yoga, knitting, walking, tai chi), or one where you can get 'in the zone' and experience 'flow'. This apparently quiets the mind and allows your brain to shift, giving you all the same benefits as traditional meditation.
Do you know what that sounds like to me?
It sounds like when you get caught up in crocheting a project and stop hearing everything else around you until you pause to notice you have a completed project on your lap. Surprise.
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It sounds like when you stop to pull a weed or two in the garden, and then look up 2 hours later, feeling completely content and like you've been at it for only a few minutes (until you try to stand up, of course).
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I guess everybody who had meditation as a goal is much more likely to achieve it now. And for those of you who love to get your knit on but didn't have meditation written down as a target? Why don't you just write that down and then cross it off, feeling all good about yourself (you do that too, right?).
What is your favourite activity-oriented form of meditation?
Monday, June 25, 2012
Wheel of Life - Spirituality
Can I admit to you guys that I haven't been looking forward to this week's Wheel of Life? I mean Spirituality? How daunting!!
All I could think was that I really wasn't qualified to talk about spirituality. I believe myself to be a spiritual person, in fact I rated my satisfaction in this area quite high. However, when it came down to it, I didn't really have a working definition of my spiritual path. Uh-oh.
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So I did some research. And by research, I mean I chatted with some close friends to see what their take on it was. Here are some of the comments that I heard:
Regarding the definition of spirituality: "It would depend on where you are in your life/journey. If you already have a church you would want to further that knowledge and deepen the relationship you have with your Heavenly Father and Jesus. If you haven't found a religion that you are a part of or a way to fulfill that part of your life than it would be to work toward finding what rings true to your soul."
(What rings true to your soul -- doesn't that sound like a perfect spiritual consideration?!)
(What rings true to your soul -- doesn't that sound like a perfect spiritual consideration?!)
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I love how inclusive this particular mission statement is.
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Yet another described her journey this way: "I'm a Christian so, for me, it's about a personal relationship with my Savior, Jesus. I talk to Him daily and follow His leading in my life."
I am humbled by the strength of this woman's beliefs.
And then, one my oldest and dearest friends (she's not old, the friendship is old) shares her views: "I suspect that all spirituality originated in nature, since before we had a command of technology we were dependent upon nature and it was a largely mysterious force, and one that could offer us redemption or death. My own spirituality very much takes into account nature, and the reliable cycles of it. I see birth, death, and rebirth in nature everywhere - all the cycles and seasons, all the promise of new life, are all reflected in nature. It's such a grounding reality. It's hard not to be humbled by the awareness of some force at work that is greater than I am when I'm surrounded like that."
Um,...yeah!
In the end, I think we all agreed that spirituality was different for every individual, and that it was a passage and not a destination.
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I spent some real time and consideration trying to create a definition for my own spirituality. Here's what I came up with: "My spiritual path is mainly about connections, recognizing that I am but a small slice of an immense pie (yes, even in spirituality I am thinking about food), and that my purpose and value is born of my relationships with others. These connections are founded on love, honesty, and gratitude, and focus on my bonds with myself, with other living beings, with our natural world, and with the universe."
If you want to hear the extra long version, where love manifests in compassion and consideration, and honesty bears integrity and ethics,....yadda yadda,....let me know and I'll post my spirituality manifesto. :)
I would love to hear what your spiritual path entails. Please feel free to share in the comments.
Here are a couple of quiz sites that may help you hone your understanding of your own spirituality.
If you want to hear the extra long version, where love manifests in compassion and consideration, and honesty bears integrity and ethics,....yadda yadda,....let me know and I'll post my spirituality manifesto. :)
I would love to hear what your spiritual path entails. Please feel free to share in the comments.
Here are a couple of quiz sites that may help you hone your understanding of your own spirituality.
Spirituality Quizzes:
Spiritual Gifts Quiz (this is a long one)
Saturday, June 23, 2012
SUMMER SCHEDULE
I hope you're having a fabulous weekend. The weather here is glorious and we're spending the day doing the lawn, weeding, and trimming. Mmmmm,...sounds like summertime.
And speaking of summer, I just wanted to mention a bit of a posting schedule change for July and August. Instead of five posts a week, you are going to see three posts each week. Here's the plan:
Tuesday - Grillin' Series. This will be a super easy recipe for the grill so you don't have to heat up the whole house to get supper on the table.
Thursday - Link It Up Thursday Party. Of course we will still be partying. How else will I be able to keep tabs on what you're up to each week?!
Friday - The Quotes. Just because they're fun.
And speaking of summer, I just wanted to mention a bit of a posting schedule change for July and August. Instead of five posts a week, you are going to see three posts each week. Here's the plan:
Tuesday - Grillin' Series. This will be a super easy recipe for the grill so you don't have to heat up the whole house to get supper on the table.
Thursday - Link It Up Thursday Party. Of course we will still be partying. How else will I be able to keep tabs on what you're up to each week?!
Friday - The Quotes. Just because they're fun.
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I'll post a little reminder each day so you will know when to check back in.
Happy Summer!!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Link It Up Thursday #25
I guess summer is officially here now that school is out (or almost finished). We greeted summer at our house with an air conditioning malfunction. Ugh. Now I'm that lady with short-shorts and a cami, sweating all over everybody. Please don't come to visit, your nightmares might never go away.
On a cheerier note, it was another busy week with the Wheel of Life. Monday was a book review, guaranteed to make all of our marriages fabulous. Tuesday featured some date night ideas (frugal ones of course), and Wednesday was a peek at handmade thank-you/thinking of you cards to be sent out to dear friends. Now, it certainly feels like it's time to party.
I love this tote tutorial that Shatzi made and perfect timing with summer swimming lessons or beach days in our near future.
Carlee has made the most amazing weight-loss/get-healthy transformation. Here, she shares some of her heathy eating tips.
I think Lyuba should move into my house and cook for me. Or in the case of these awesome Cherry Limeade Pops, not cook for me. Either way. Mmmmm.
I didn't even know you could do this. Check out Katie's brilliant solution to rev up a tired old umbrella.
I think Emilee had a little help with this awesome Father's Day gift idea. Find out how they made it.
Nice work ladies. Please grab a featured button for your awesome projects. If you weren't featured here, pop on over to Kadie's blog, Seven Alive, and see if she featured you over there.
This is a shared link party, so if you link it up here, it will show up on the fabulous Kadie's blog, Seven Alive. We want to see everything you have to link up! Old projects, new posts, giveaways, etsy shops, recipes, crocheting, any and everything. If you have more than one thing to link up, even better.
Here are our very simple rules.
1. Please keep it family-friendly. 2. Link back to our site or grab a button so others can share in the fun. 3. Following us would be nice (but don't feel you have to).
4. Have fun, be inspired.
If you would like an e-mail reminder about the party, let us know in the comments (please include your e-mail address), and we will happily add you to the list.
On a cheerier note, it was another busy week with the Wheel of Life. Monday was a book review, guaranteed to make all of our marriages fabulous. Tuesday featured some date night ideas (frugal ones of course), and Wednesday was a peek at handmade thank-you/thinking of you cards to be sent out to dear friends. Now, it certainly feels like it's time to party.
First, here is a look at what caught my eye from last week's party:
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| Love and Laundry |
Carlee has made the most amazing weight-loss/get-healthy transformation. Here, she shares some of her heathy eating tips.
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| Ladybird Ln |
I think Lyuba should move into my house and cook for me. Or in the case of these awesome Cherry Limeade Pops, not cook for me. Either way. Mmmmm.
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| Will Cook for Smiles |
I didn't even know you could do this. Check out Katie's brilliant solution to rev up a tired old umbrella.
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| Creatively Living |
I think Emilee had a little help with this awesome Father's Day gift idea. Find out how they made it.
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| Momma Made It |
Nice work ladies. Please grab a featured button for your awesome projects. If you weren't featured here, pop on over to Kadie's blog, Seven Alive, and see if she featured you over there.
1. Please keep it family-friendly.
4. Have fun, be inspired.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wheel of Life - Handmade Cards
Overall, I feel pretty satisfied with the relationships in my life that are important to me, but I can't help feeling that if I don't put a conscious effort into maintaining them, they might wither.
Because of that, I decided that I would send out a weekly 'thank you' or 'thinking of you' card to someone who is special to me, to let them know they are in my thoughts.
Here are some of the cards that I made this week, to be mailed out this month.
As an aside, this is the first project that I had to do wearing cheaters (those dollar store glasses for things up close). How depressing, lol. The good news, is that I made a couple of glasses leashes so I'll be sharing those in the next couple of weeks.
What little thing do you think you could do to improve your already fabulous relationships?
This is where I'm partying:
Happy Hour Fridays
Shine on Fridays
I Heart Fridays
Because of that, I decided that I would send out a weekly 'thank you' or 'thinking of you' card to someone who is special to me, to let them know they are in my thoughts.
Here are some of the cards that I made this week, to be mailed out this month.
As an aside, this is the first project that I had to do wearing cheaters (those dollar store glasses for things up close). How depressing, lol. The good news, is that I made a couple of glasses leashes so I'll be sharing those in the next couple of weeks.
What little thing do you think you could do to improve your already fabulous relationships?
This is where I'm partying:
Happy Hour Fridays
Shine on Fridays
I Heart Fridays
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Wheel of Life - Date Night Tips
Whether you have kids or not, a date night is a great way to bolster your relationship with your spouse. If you are able to somehow find the time to go out, the dreaded budget can often put a damper on the fun. Here are a handful of frugal date night ideas to get you started:
Music in the park. Many cities have free evening concerts (check your town's website) where you can bring a picnic basket full of goodies, stretch out on the lawn, and pretend you're the only two people in the place. (well, don't get too carried away, k?)
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Botanical Gardens. Walking hand in hand through the flowers of your city's gardens or the picturesque grounds of a nearby college/university can be so beautiful. Bring your camera and take turns snapping fun shots of each other (then you can blog about it later - bonus).
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Dessert. Enjoy your favourite restaurant for a fraction of the cost while savouring the creme brûlée and coffee.
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Wine tasting. Or beer if you prefer. Share a tour of your favourite winery and finish it up with a few samples, usually on the house. Maybe splurge for a bottle to bring home as a souvenir (a tasty souvenir).
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Bicycle. Bicycle. I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my bike (anybody else now singing the song by Queen?). Take a tour of your town on two wheels or head out into the country to enjoy the scenery and each other's company. The exercise is just a bonus.
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What are you favourite frugal date night ideas?
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