Tag: Creativity

May

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I have had on my daily agenda for days running: publish blog post. That directive presupposes that one has, first of all, written a draft —- or at least made a list of topics I want to share… where are my notes? Can’t say I know! Probably because I’ve not written any…

Last week, in one of my daily de-stashing purges, I ran across the image of the little girl and her shadow in a Charles Schwab advertisement. She’s wearing yellow – my fave color; I was immediately, smitten. I found the background paper among my scrapbooking supplies and added the sticker words. I cut the butterfly from a table paper napkin; I attached it to the paper using a pop dot. And it sits on top my printer, in my direct view as I sit at my computer. And that just makes me happy!

Over the past week and days plus, I’ve spent hours going through my quilting stash and supplies – years accumulation of “someday maybe” projects that are never going to see the “finish line.” Sadly. Best laid plans…

But all is not lost. As I’ve reviewed and touched fabrics and leafed through books and patterns, I feel the stirrings of the desire to spend more time in my quilting space, with my quilting resources: fabrics; books; patterns; my imagination and creativity. And that, well that makes me just plain happier.

What’s making you happier these Spring days?

Cheers~

one little word | 3.28.23 …

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3.26, was Friendstitch Sunday … the six of us always, always look forward to these monthly gatherings, now in the 9th year. This past Sunday, we met at Michelle’s and were greeted with gorgeous spring flowers: daffodils and amaryllis. For Christmas 2019, I gave Michelle (and the others, each) a bulb… Michelle has the magic green thumb. We were delighted to see the amaryllis in full bloom. In addition to being treated to a spectacularly colorful array of flowers, we had an absolutely delicious meal. Yum! The memory of Sunday makes me happier…

My walks, most days, weather permitting, I am greeted by the constant display of signs of Spring: magnolia and cherry blossoms, daffodils, maple trees and forsythia bushes. Delightful.

For the past year, I’ve focused on s-l-o-w-l-y retelling my AmaZe – about me, A-Z – life story that I hope to publish as a memoir style photo album/book. My goal is to have completed this project close to June 1, 2023…If I meet this self imposed deadline, I’m confident I’ll be happier!

The star is a needlepoint I found as I’ve been weeding my stash of projects – a project long overdue but also one that has very tangible results. And this too, makes me happier.

You know, happier is a good place to be! What’s making you happier these days?

Cheers~

Attention!

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… Catching my own is more than a notion. A lot vies for mine, as evidenced by the “plethora” – a favorite Norman word – of notes, both sticky and un – that I write, on whatever’s available, usually with a pen. And, as I am prone to handwrite, know that I avail myself liberally. Quite.

I believe Habit was my word for 2019. A chosen word for any given year – and I’ve been choosing one since 2009, easily – doesn’t just disappear when the clock strikes 12:00 AM of the new year. The words become and stay a part of one, forming a “dictionary,” so to speak.

I began writing this post during Writers’ Hour last week – I had only typed 92+ words. Note to Self: remember I have Apple Notes on all my devices and can not only type but also write with the Apple pen and my voice, i.e., the microphone, which comes in handy when walking, too!

I think I want to embrace the “technology” just so I will a) break the habit of writing on assorted pieces of paper and b) have more time to spend exercising my creativity vs shuffling through random notes and thoughts and ideas and, and, and…

Doing so will, I am 100% certain, result in my being:

… less, disorganized, frazzled, overwhelmed, scatterbrained;

…more creative, experimental, fulfilled!

… Happier!

What’s one small thing you might do to make your life happier?

Cheers~

*Dostadning: https://www.dostadning.com/home

PS.
Photo taken on a walk earlier in the month of a left-over Holiday yard display.

Zibaldone|28 November 2022

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November brought 1- Congressional elections; 2 – spectacular color courtesy Mother Nature; 3 – old, new and many-paged books in my reading stack; 4- delightful morning walks, although for about ten days, the temps hovered in the low to mid 30s. 5- birthday celebration: floral bouquet for my 80th birthday trip around the sun and 6 – my great grand nephew, Elias’ 5th. AmaZing! 7 – The photo that shows a doll on my path caused me to think how sad it got lost. 8 – I was intrigued by the painter capturing the autumn scene in watercolors… 9 – I walked to the Franciscan Monastery Saturday and was delighted to see the Koi pond filled with fish.

I am also delighted with this quilt-let, approx 12” x 12.” I made it after my trip to Sisters OR in July. I call it “I Left My Heart in Sisters…” and am embarking on a new and exciting “slow stitching” program.

Stay tuned for December’s magic. And thanks for joining me on my journey.

Cheers~

Loof Lirpa

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IMG_1683   Norman introduced me to Loof Lirpa – April Fool spelled backwards. Rather clever,  I thought. Decades ago, one April First, he called an emergency staff meeting, sharing that due to increased competition from rivals, sales were dipping – the office/warehouse (he was in the beer business) might need to close and staff, furloughed. Understandably, staff were flabbergasted: What would they do? How would they meet their financial obligations? Questions came fast and furious… Norman had posted an agenda; the heading: LOOF LIRPA. He suggested that staff look at the agenda and see what they might learn from a careful analysis. After a few quiet minutes, someone shouted : APRIL FOOL! Ah yes! The secret was out…and staff, could and did breathe a gigantic sigh of relief. Years later, every April Fool’s Day, they remembered and ribbed him – even after he’d retired – about Loof Lirpa. I remember in elementary school how much we reveled in playing a joke on classmates …and then we’d convulse in laughter, feeling quite smug that we’d succeeded in besting each other. Our jokes, crazy questions, pranks were never created out of meanness – at least I don’t recall.  Just plain old fashioned fun. I looked up the origin of April Fool’s Day and found an article on History.com: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day. And this: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g38986579/april-fools-quotes/ It seems that the news industry, including social media, takes April Fool’s Day quite seriously. There are all sorts of Loof Lirpa cartoons, coupons for fast food, gifs, poems, quotes, recipes, stories, tweets, videos, etc… Gretchen Rubin, prolific author of books on happiness and the very popular podcast: Happier with Gretchen Rubin, shares a story of introducing her older daughter, who was then about 7, to April Fool’s Day…you can read about it here. It’s a delightful story.  I imagine a 7-years’-old-soon-to-be-8 young guy I know might enjoy learning more about Loof Lirpa, this way, too. For me, I don’t have any Loof Lirpa tricks up my sleeve -but Chris, my 7 nearly 8 years old great grand nephew did: He made a bandaid out of toilet paper and pretended that he’d been hurt. Fooled his mother and grandmother and me and aunts, etc… I’ve enjoyed this trip down memory lane and learning more about this fun day, especially on a Friday that began with cloudy skies, now blue; the sun’s out; clouds are for the most part puffy, white- tinged with grey and the temp’s on it’s way to a high of 65 degrees. What Loof Lirpa stories come to your mind? Whatever and whenever, do enjoy! Cheers~

simply a moment | 1.15.22 …

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IMG_4553

~watching Ali Edwards Story Begin presentation~

Saturday. 1:15 pm – well, 1:18 pm.  Just as I started to “pen this post,” my sister called to see if I’d be home this afternoon – Yep!  We caught up a bit, said “goodbye; see you later.” I sat down to write, capture the moment.  The morning has been quiet – just what I needed and “scheduled” via default, i.e., I planned to not do much of anything, texting to a friend : “Just enjoying a slow morning/day. Nothing pressing or urgent or exciting on the docket – and that’s A OK with me. To be continued…”

A while back, I saw an Instagram planner entry dubbed “Self-care Saturday.”  The idea has intrigued me and I’ve toyed with it ever since.  What are the things I do or could do that could/would be check marks in the self-care column, hmmm?

1. Enjoy a leisurely morning, journaling, watching the weather evolve, birds and squirrels forage, study the sky as the weather changes. Things I do pretty much everyday…

2. Read.  My morning reads are mostly non-fiction … On Saturdays, maybe switch to fiction?

3. Plan and Journal the day’s agenda/itinerary – if there is one …

4. FaceTime and /or Text with family and friends …

5. Drink tea. Prepare/eat breakfast or brunch …

I don’t sleep in – I’m generally up at the same time everyday and I deliberately don’t look at news or email. I definitely don’t plan, if at all avoidable, to run errands, grocery shop, do household chores unless an event/task, such as going to the city’s “transfer station,” a fancy title for dump, falls on Saturday. Later today, I have a 3 PM Zoom session on a craft technique: stamping…a skill that comes with practice, patience and persistence.

Coming with the 15th of each month is also Ali Edwards’ Story Kits, Stamps, Prompts. This month’s theme: Begin. Perfect. It’s January, the beginning of a new year, accompanied by “resolve” to refrain from exercising old habits, ways, etc that did not contribute towards fulfillment. Certainly that holds true for me in many ways.  Recent life changes have forever impacted me, requiring that I begin an entirely new daily rhythm and approach each moment with courage and self compassion…that I take care of me. That I begin …

What new beginnings have you made for 2022? I invite you to join me on the 15th of each month – or whichever date you choose – to document a moment in time in your life. Such a chronicle makes for interesting reading.

Cheers~

 

 

 

olw| colors of august …

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..already, signs of meteorological autumn/fall are beginning to display in the trees and of course the flowers in my and neighbors’ yards – my crazy azalea is blooming yet again.  Black-eyed Susans, mums, add their  pop of color to the landscape.  This morning I saw a yellow school bus making its way to or from a school – yes! Kids in DC started school yesterday.  (Chris, my 7 years’ old great grand nephew, starts Tuesday – he lives in MD- and will also be going to school, virtually, yet again. I noticed Sunday – on a Target  run – all the children were  wearing colorful masks.) 

Yesterday’s mail brought a colorful collection of scrapbook papers, an order from The Paper Curator (how could I resist?) and an acrylic stamp set, depicted by the colorful geometric shapes on the left side of the picture. (The stamps are made by Ali Edwards and Laura Wonsik; more info here ). The colorful pencils I picked up from Barnes and Noble and the mini composition books from Walgreens – I couldn’t resist. Occasionally I use a composition book for a specific project’s notes. I am still making colorful Confetti Quilt blocks…and tho’ I’ve yet to master the  process of foundation paper piecing, I do like the final result. I’ve decided to make my final quilt a wall hanging – approx 24” x 36 .“ Which means perhaps  I’m half-way there? I plan to share a progress photo before the week’s end.

We’re slated for fallout from Hurricane Ida; slowly yet surely the sky is turning from blue to grey as the rain clouds start to move in.  At least it will be cooler and that’s always welcomed! 

Joining Carolyn and others for another look at our 2021 One Little Words. 

See you in September!

Cheers~

make life simple | 8.4.21 …

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Sitting on my computer shelf is a quote from Buddha: each morning we are born again; what we do today is what matters most. I’m astonished – too strong a word? – well, maybe amazed – that it is already 4 August. Where does the time go -when you’re having fun … or not? Each day I plan to publish a post and then the next thing I realize, the day is over. So, I tell myself: tomorrow. And here t’is… tomorrow! The question: How did that happen… 24 hours every day, the sun rises/sets … seasons come and go … For sure there is a lovely rhythm to the days of our lives, tho’ sometimes, the days seem to be just one long endless continuum…

Drafting this post has taken me all afternoon – with a few long breaks interspersed: Zoom sessions with storytelling scrapbooking friends and another with a quilting friend – then a walk on a most pleasant afternoon, the last of ? until? The weather forecast for the next nine days and counting: H-O-T! Besides that side activity, I had to connect with Word Press for assistance with the new block editor.  I do not like. Currently I’m reading a few assorted other titles, old and I started Anne Lamott’s newest:  Dusk, Night, Dawn.

So far, I’m enjoying the change of pace. Deep sigh: I’m still aiming to conquer making Confetti Quilt blocks. Daily, I tell myself: “this is the day” and then, “well, there’s tomorrow … fingers crossed, I hope.” Today I found this fabric remnant from a quilt I made for niece Chris when she left for Rutgers in 2010.  I can’t believe it’s been 6 years since she graduated! I think the fabric is a perfect bit of advice for an Unraveled Wednesday. Hope your day’s been less frustrating!

Cheers~

welcome summer 6.21.21 …

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Summer arrived with a vengeance ! Temps are in the 90s – even in Washington state! Yesterday, Norman’s son was visiting and as they are wont to do: solved all the world’s problems – I wish – in between watching baseball games and other TV events.

I took my sister to Laurel and decided, since I was near, to make a quick run to Savage Mill. I needed help with a couple fountain pens that were not writing ( probably becuz the ink had dried, duh!). It was very quiet, i.e, I didn’t hear any cicadas; perhaps their time is over – or at least winding down. I was delighted to see my friend Patti, owner of The Queen’s Ink; I’ve know her easily 10 years and last saw her Dec, 2019. She looked great; her hair was especially delightful – you know color – my 2021 word. And the t-shirt she was wearing was stamped with outlines of cicadas – her cicada had a crown! If you look closely, you can see the tips of the crown on her shirt …

In addition to ink, I bought a couple 3.75 x 5.25 sketch book journals – the paper is ideal for drawing, sketching & journaling with pencil, ink, crayon, markers, pastels, etc – and the eight signatures are sewn! I also bought a 3″ x 5″ GELLI printing plate. Playing with it, the sketch journals and my fountain pens is going to be sooo much fun!

I am eager to resume my WANDER journaling/sketching dates to the National Museum of Art’s Sculpture Gardens. When I do, guess what’s coming along with me?

Trust it’s cooler in your part of the country .

Cheers~