Creativity, Crafts, Books, Movies, Greyhounds & Favorite Things

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My polling place

I’m thankful and humbled every time I get to vote.

Art Every Day Month – Day 6

I’m participating in Art Every Day Month.  Every day during the month of November I’m going to start a painting. Most won’t be finished, but I’ll get something started…a lot or a little.

Daily Inspiration

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt

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Here’s what’s been happening in my studio this past week…

My focus the entire month of November is the Art Every Day Month challenge.

I’ve committed to starting a “girl” painting every day of the month.

Most (probably all) won’t be finished, but I want to take this opportunity to start painting again.

My goal is to paint without much thought.  Just get the creative juices flowing.

Art Every Day Month – Day 5

Here is today’s girl…

Daily Inspiration

The way to succeed is to double your error rate.

Thomas J. Watson

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Two weeks ago, I posted a “Before” photo of under my kitchen sink.  Today, I’m posting the “After” photos.  I don’t do these posts because I think anyone is interested in seeing what it looks like under my kitchen sink, but rather because posting on my blog motivates me.  It’s gotten so bad that whenever my husband sees me doing a “house” project he says, “You’re doing a blog post, right?”  My response is generally the same, “If it helps me get it done, who cares what’s motivating me.”  So without further ado…

I went from a lot of bottles…

…to not so many bottles.

I bought this great red basket at Target.  One thing I’ve learned about myself over the years is that I fill up whatever space I’m given.  If my space is “under the kitchen sink,” I fill it up.  If it’s “a red basket under the kitchen sink,” I’ll tend to stay inside the basket.

Before

After (without the trash can)

After (with the trash can)

Art Every Day Month – Day 4

I’m participating in Art Every Day Month.  Every day during the month of November I’m going to start a painting. Most won’t be finished, but I’ll get something started…a lot or a little.

Daily Inspiration

I like the word “indolence.” It makes my laziness seem classy.

Bern Williams

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In 1726, at the age of 20, Benjamin Franklin devised a personal plan of conduct which consisted of 13 virtues.

TEMPERANCE – Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

SILENCE – Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

ORDER – Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

RESOLUTION – Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

FRUGALITY – Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

INDUSTRY – Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

SINCERITY – Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

JUSTICE – Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

MODERATION – Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

CLEANLINESS – Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

TRANQUILLITY – Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

CHASTITY – Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

HUMILITY – Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Franklin committed to focusing on one virtue per week.   At the end of the 13th week, he would start the process over again.  He even created a chart to track his progress and carried it with him as a reminder of his plan of conduct.  The first letter of each day was listed on the top and the first letter of each virtue was listed down the left side.  He would add a dot if he felt he fell short of meeting that virtue on a given day.

I’m pretty sure you figured it out, but “venery” is sexual indulgence.  I’ll let you all know how many “spam” comments I get because I used the words “sexual indulgence” in a blog post.

Art Every Day Month – Day 3

I’m participating in Art Every Day Month.  Every day during the month of November I’m going to start a painting. They will vary in their completeness…from “just started” to done.”

Daily Inspiration

Do not fear mistakes.  You will know failure.  Continue to reach out.

Benjamin Franklin

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Yesterday was the start of Art Every Day Month (AEDM).  AEDM is the brainchild of Leah Piken Kolidas, the author of the blog Creative Every Day.  It started 10 years ago when she wanted to challenge herself to create some art every day for one month and post it on her blog.  I participated last year and really enjoyed it.

This year, I committed to start a “girl” painting every day and post a picture.  It sounded like a great idea and then, as November 1st neared, I thought, “That’s crazy!  Why did I say I’d do that?”   Crazy or not, I’m going ahead with my commitment because I know:

1.  I don’t create because I feel “inspired.”  I create because I just get to work.

2.  It’s important to play around and try things.

3.  To make paintings I like, I have to create paintings I don’t like.

Even though it feels overwhelming and ridiculous, I’m going to forge ahead.  You won’t see many finished “results” this month, but you’ll see a lot of “process.”

Art Every Day Month – Day 2

Daily Inspiration

Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.

Peter Marshall

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I’ve never put together a photo album.  For years, my photos have sat in box.  Every Thursday this year, I’ve done a post about things I wish I’d done “if I died today.”  One of the things on my list is to organize my photos in such a way that I can enjoy them and share them with friends and family.  I decided to start with a small “School Memories” album.

I sorted my photos and memorabilia, bought an album and coordinating papers and started to play around with how I want the album to “look,” but I don’t want to forget the most important thing…the stories behind the photos.  So this month, I’m going to work on writing my stories.

Now to decide what stories and information to include.  This week, I wrote down some journaling prompts to get me started.

What schools did I attend and what were they like?

School bus memories.

What was I good at in school?

What activities did I participate in?

What did I want to be when I grew up?

Who were my favorite and least favorite classmates?

What are my memories of my teachers?

What did I do during recess?

What did I wear (school fashion)?

Any interesting school field trips?

What were my favorite/least favorite school projects?

What are some interesting school stories I would like to remember?

How did school shape me into the person I am today?

I would LOVE to hear your ideas about journaling prompts.  What else would be interesting?

Art Every Day Month – Day 1

I’m participating in Art Every Day Month.  Every day during the month of November I’m going to start a painting. They will vary in their completeness…from “just started” to done.”

Daily Inspiration

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.

Anne Lamott

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Tomorrow is the start of Art Every Day Month.  I plan to paint one girl a day, so I’ve been preparing my background canvases these last two months.

This week, I prepared three background canvases using the same stencil.

I started with three pink canvases…a light, medium and dark.

On the lightest canvas, I used a variety of colors.

On the medium canvas, I used a lime green.

On the dark pink canvas, I used red.

Super easy, but interesting.

Daily Inspiration

Swearing was invented as a compromise between running away and fighting.

Peter Finley Dunne

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I don’t usually get excited about laundry, but I love these Tide Pods.  We purchased a bag when we went on our vacation to Dewey Beach, and I was hooked.  I’ve always liked Tide laundry detergent, but the real appeal of these for me is the design…they’re easy to use, neat & tidy and smell good.  I also love the super cool container.  Laundry just got a little bit better.

Daily Inspiration

 

What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.

Yiddish Proverb

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Here’s what’s been going on in my studio this past week:

I prepared five canvases using a the same five colors on each canvas.  I’m focusing on canvases again in October because I’m preparing for the Art Every Day Month challenge in November.  I plan to paint a “girl” everyday in November, and I want to have the background canvases pre-prepared.

The September/October project for the Blogsville Ladies Crochet Society was a Granny Squares Pillow.  These two squares are my best effort.  I struggled with the granny squares.  Lynne, the organizer of the Blogville Ladies Crochet Society suggested I checkout some YouTube video.  I think that’s a great suggestion because I’ll be able to see the crochet stitching in motion and figure out what I’m doing wrong.  You can check out the Society’s creations here.  November’s project is “you pick.”  We can make anything we want.

Each month, I’m making a yarn vase for the 2012 Creative Color Challenge.  The color palette for October was Woodgrain.

Daily Inspiration

 

It is not revolutions and upheavals that clear the road to better days, but revelations, and lavishness of someone’s soul inspired, and ablaze.

Boris Pasternak

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This was supposed to be a post with the “after” photo of my current organizing project…cleaning out under my kitchen sink, but I didn’t get it finished, so I’m going to postpone for a week.  In the meantime, let me tell you about two nice things.