Last week, someone gave me a couple pages with a 'celtic' design on each one and another page with a stained-glass type design. They can be used for adults [as well as children, I suppose] to get back to the basics of creativity. I was told to color each one, that I'd find it to be relaxing and theraputic [sp?]. So last evening, I dug out my big box of crayolas and picked out a few colors and colored away. I got one done and it really WAS fun and relaxing [oh, to be a kid again!]. I wondered why I had put it off all week--but I still have two more to work on. Part of me really wanted to do another one last night since I was so pleased with my efforts. But alas, I decided to do the other ones when I'm not getting so sleepy. I want to be fully awake and alert to get the full benefits.
Who says coloring is only for kids? It's for those of us that never grow up, too. Now I need to find resources for more stuff to color; does anyone know of anyplace to find coloring books for those of us kids that are getting up there in years? I don't think I'd get quite as much enjoyment out of the ones meant for the really young crowds... Guess I can do a google search!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Why I haven't written in awhile
I came back to my site a little while ago to see if I could get inspired to write something fun or whitty. It's been awhile since I've posted; I do WANT to keep writing regularly, it keeps me thinking and being more aware of stuff. And as Martha would say, "that's a good thing". But I've had a creative block, staring at the screen and not coming up with anything remotely interesting to say.
Perhaps the block is partly due to the artsy stuff that I had been working on through the weekend and into early this week. After not having signed up for any ATC swaps in awhile other than the individual holiday swaps I did last month, I signed up for several. And they all needed to be in the mail early in the week. The themes included:
"Under the Tuscan Sun"--a 9/9 swap [send in 9, get 9 different ones in return] having to do with anything Italian,
"A Raisin in the Sun", a 6/6 swap with anything grape or raisin related,
"Recycled Christmas Cards", a 6/5 swap--using up cards from the holidays
RAKs--Random Acts of Kindess--something we can do whenever we have extra cards we want to give away. We choose
people from the database [randomly or otherwise] and send the card[s] to that/those person/people. I sent out
12 or so in mid-December, in pairs of 2; they went to a few different countries and some stayed here in the states.
With the 3 sets that were sent out this week, 2 were going to Italy and one here [out west].
And a new group just started. It's a small group, purposely set up that way to get more sharing, learning, as well as being able to trade with each person every time. It's set up so that we have a different 'challenge' or theme each month; we create 8 cards and send them in by the due date [the same every month] and the hostess swaps them out and we get one from everyone in return. This month's theme [due this weekend] is in honor of Valentine's Day. The particulars: make a card that has something to do with our first love, true love, last love, whatever and we need to SWAK it [sealed with a kiss]. If anyone's interested in knowing what I did, let me know and I'll tell ya about it after we get the trades back. I don't want to spoil the surprise if anyone from that group is reading. :-) Or, if you're a local [you know who you are!] and would like to see my bookful of cards--ones that I've made as well as the ones I've received, again, let me know. We can meet up somewhere and I'll bring my binder along [maybe to a HH or something].
So have I bored the heck out of you yet, if you've read this far? I apologize if I have; I can really get going with stuff like this that I enjoy doing [the cards, scrapbooking, etc are usually fun and it's something that can easily be looked at over and over]].
How does this relate to posting something here? Well, there's only so much thinking and creativity that I can do at any one period of time; after reaching the saturation point, I'm done. It's over [worthwhile stuff]; my brain can only take so much thinking in a day/week/month. After a point, my brain starts to hurt and then it just shuts down and turns itself off. Though making the ATCs are [usually] an enjoyable and rewarding pursuit, after being motivated and focused with making about 30 of them over a short time, I'm in an escape and recovery mode. And that can be a good thing.
Hence, not having major words of wisdom. I can go for long stretches of time without talking at all, just being in sleep or observation mode OR I can go on and on about stuff and still not saying much. Like I am this evening. NOT always a good thing.
Can I go to sleep now?
Perhaps the block is partly due to the artsy stuff that I had been working on through the weekend and into early this week. After not having signed up for any ATC swaps in awhile other than the individual holiday swaps I did last month, I signed up for several. And they all needed to be in the mail early in the week. The themes included:
"Under the Tuscan Sun"--a 9/9 swap [send in 9, get 9 different ones in return] having to do with anything Italian,
"A Raisin in the Sun", a 6/6 swap with anything grape or raisin related,
"Recycled Christmas Cards", a 6/5 swap--using up cards from the holidays
RAKs--Random Acts of Kindess--something we can do whenever we have extra cards we want to give away. We choose
people from the database [randomly or otherwise] and send the card[s] to that/those person/people. I sent out
12 or so in mid-December, in pairs of 2; they went to a few different countries and some stayed here in the states.
With the 3 sets that were sent out this week, 2 were going to Italy and one here [out west].
And a new group just started. It's a small group, purposely set up that way to get more sharing, learning, as well as being able to trade with each person every time. It's set up so that we have a different 'challenge' or theme each month; we create 8 cards and send them in by the due date [the same every month] and the hostess swaps them out and we get one from everyone in return. This month's theme [due this weekend] is in honor of Valentine's Day. The particulars: make a card that has something to do with our first love, true love, last love, whatever and we need to SWAK it [sealed with a kiss]. If anyone's interested in knowing what I did, let me know and I'll tell ya about it after we get the trades back. I don't want to spoil the surprise if anyone from that group is reading. :-) Or, if you're a local [you know who you are!] and would like to see my bookful of cards--ones that I've made as well as the ones I've received, again, let me know. We can meet up somewhere and I'll bring my binder along [maybe to a HH or something].
So have I bored the heck out of you yet, if you've read this far? I apologize if I have; I can really get going with stuff like this that I enjoy doing [the cards, scrapbooking, etc are usually fun and it's something that can easily be looked at over and over]].
How does this relate to posting something here? Well, there's only so much thinking and creativity that I can do at any one period of time; after reaching the saturation point, I'm done. It's over [worthwhile stuff]; my brain can only take so much thinking in a day/week/month. After a point, my brain starts to hurt and then it just shuts down and turns itself off. Though making the ATCs are [usually] an enjoyable and rewarding pursuit, after being motivated and focused with making about 30 of them over a short time, I'm in an escape and recovery mode. And that can be a good thing.
Hence, not having major words of wisdom. I can go for long stretches of time without talking at all, just being in sleep or observation mode OR I can go on and on about stuff and still not saying much. Like I am this evening. NOT always a good thing.
Can I go to sleep now?
Saturday, January 5, 2008
A Much Needed Few Days Off
Whew, what a hectic few weeks it's been; I'm glad it's about over--I'm ready for a much needed break. With the craziness of the holidays, all the snow, a friend being in the hospital, seeing someone else before she goes out of town for a few months, and the usual routines [helping with my mom, laundry, grocery shopping, yadda yadda yadda], I'm ready for a few days to/for myself.
I don't have any commitments whatsoever between this evening and Wednesday evening [with the exception of a couple much needed errands either tomorrow or Monday]. I'm hoping to: sleep, get in some fun reading, catch up on some online stuff, work on some of my art projects, and maybe, just maybe, work on some chores! Or, I might end up doing nothing at all; and I'd be fine with that, too.
Oh, and I read in the paper that it's actually going to warm up a bit over the next couple days--perhaps even into the [balmy] 50s by Monday! So I should try and get out for some much needed fresh air and exercise before we get more of the arctic temperatures again later in the week. But still, this little breath of fresh air will be a much needed lift for my physical as well as my mental health. [Sometimes it doesn't take much but it is so much needed right now!!] :-)
I don't have any commitments whatsoever between this evening and Wednesday evening [with the exception of a couple much needed errands either tomorrow or Monday]. I'm hoping to: sleep, get in some fun reading, catch up on some online stuff, work on some of my art projects, and maybe, just maybe, work on some chores! Or, I might end up doing nothing at all; and I'd be fine with that, too.
Oh, and I read in the paper that it's actually going to warm up a bit over the next couple days--perhaps even into the [balmy] 50s by Monday! So I should try and get out for some much needed fresh air and exercise before we get more of the arctic temperatures again later in the week. But still, this little breath of fresh air will be a much needed lift for my physical as well as my mental health. [Sometimes it doesn't take much but it is so much needed right now!!] :-)
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