My Mask

I just shared this on my Family Blog but I wanted to share it will all of you. I love my pock-a-dot mask. It has served me well here in China. I will cherish it (but not wear it) always!

Deck of You - Week 2!

This week my emotions have been on high: I've been crying more, laughing more, loving more. Every part of my emotions have been making themselves known.

This weeks prompt is : somthing powerful to you

There was only one thing I could think of (this week) that was very powerful to me:

There you have it! I cant wait to see yours! Post your comments and leave a link to your picture! You can join in at any time!

Twilight and a Latte

So one of my friends/co-teacher here in China returned from her winter break back in America. This Christmas she introduced me to the book series called Twilight. I think I read it in like four days while we traveled to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an. Every free minute I had I wanted to return to this other life I felt like I had with my good friends Bella and Edward. When Rena returned from America, she brought me the other three books in the series. I am SOO excited - I started to read the first one already and can feel the desire of simply ditching this world for the next two weeks and spending it with them. It's a very possible scenario but probably not too healthy. I do have some work I need to get done. Plus what would you do without me for two weeks - ha.

This morning I woke up feeling EXTREMELY tired, more than normal, it was very difficult to keep my eyes open- but I managed to make myself a latte. I thought it would cure the lack of energy my body was sending to my eyelids but nope. However, I did fix my espresso machine. For the past month or two the frother has been frothing very very very slowly. Despite my incredibly drowsy state my mind managed to problem solve - this happens at random times. I guess I was able to think of a solution because I could only focus on one thing at a time due to my tiredness. Usually I am multitasking physically as well as mentally. This morning I could only think about my espresso machine - one step at a time - putting espresso in it, filing it with cold water, adding white mocha to the milk and Irish cream to the mug and then dwelling over the fact I would have to stand there holding my milk under the frother for 10 minutes due to the amazingly tiny amount of steam that was casually spraying out. So, by random impulse I stuck a tooth pick up the frother and sure enough more steam than I had seen in 4 months came shooting out! I am so happy my lattes wont take 10 minutes to make anymore. I wonder if I hadn't been so sleepy if my mind would have figured this solution out or not. Its the little things in life that can bring the most joy. I must go enter another world now!

Candles

I absloutely LOVE candles- especially pillar candles. I have noticed that sometimes the candles start to grow crooked or uneven and look horrible. Here are some tips on how to burn candles properly. Incase you wanted to know like I did!

I can't wait any longer!

Well the time has come. Since there is high anticipation mounting among the participants of the Deck of You project we are going to go ahead and start!!

The prompt for this week (1): something you are proud of.

Tonight Curtis and I did ours. Yes, Curtis is doing too! And I didn't make him. I simply asked him if he wanted to and he was all for it! So you will get he lovely, I mean totally awesome cards up here too. I'm sure he'll comment on his own and tell you how he made them....

Here is mine.

The Meaning: I know, this may sound a little conceited but its not. While I was pondering the thing I am most proud of its my life. Me. What I've been through, what I have overcome. The strength that has come to me only from Him. My passions and where I have been. I know I wouldn't be where I am without my experiences and the people in my life. But I am proud of who I have grown into and can't wait to see how I continue to grow.

The Process: Painted the background red, splattered white paint. Cut out a black square from reg. paper. Sewed on a button and a few other lines. Painted "Me." and found words in magazines- used Matte Medium (My FAVORITE STUFF) to put on the paper and words. WA-la!

I hope you will leave comments and post pictures of your cards when you are finished! Tell us how you did it or whatever!

4 a.m.

Somehow I missed the memo that staying up till 4 in the morning is a new thing - at least my body thinks so. The first night it happened I had a coke at 4p.m. so I thought the caffine (since I hadn't had any in a while) was the reason. But yesterday I didn't have any caffine. I did however have some anxiety. Once I get excited about something - forget about sleeping. I am wired - awake - engergized. Whatever could possibly done to further the thing I am excited about I want to, scratch that - NEED to do at that very moment. IF I had an idea at 1 or 2 in the morning I would understand why I would still be awake at 4. But last night I had the idea at 11pm. Came down from my mountain high anxiety attack around 1 or 2 then proceed to lay in bed awake while I wondered why my eyes were still wide open without the slightest bit of heaviness. Does anyone else expereince anxiety like this or missing memo's from your body that staying up till 4 is going to be the new thing? Have any stories to share?

Here is some inspiration for you today -

Keeping it simple.

So I decided that I am just going to keep the "Deck of You" project here. I will post the new prompt/idea on Friday/Saturday. So come back here and check it out!

Remember this week to keep decorating your backgrounds and gather supplies! Remember you can do whatever you want. Some are decorating the front with the prompt/idea and then journaling on the back or whatever. I am not painting the backs of mine and plan on decorating the front plus journaling on it. Its really just up to you!

If you have any questions or comments please leave a comment - even if you don't have a blogger account you can still comment!

Info on the "Deck of You" project

I decided to add a link to where the "Deck of You" Art Journal Project will take place so I can continue to post my regular randomness and you don't have to sort through it all to find each weeks prompts and pictures. So if you are participating or following along please locate the link on the right hand side of this page under "My Projects" labeled "Deck of You" Art Journal. Hope to see you there soon! Keep working on your backgrounds!

A Deck of You!

First of all I would like to say Happy Valentines Day!

For those of you who really know me you know that I love to create and craft stuff. Lately I have been really out of sync with myself and have been struggling to find that niche again. But through a process of random events I stumbled across a super cool idea and I wanted to share it with you guys. I am going to do it and think it would be fun for anyone else to participate and we can encourage and watch each other as we go. Please feel free to encourage anyone else to join the journey. I will not take credit for any of this idea. I read about it on someone elses blog. Maybe you have heard of it before in fact. But here is the main jest. We will create 'a deck of you'; an art journal on a deck of cards - one card to be used for every week of the year. all you need is a deck of cards (i am going to use funky pink and purple ones in target for around $4), and a desire to give yourself this gift - you can join in anytime. Whether you have done an art journal before or not I highly recommend doing this with me. I promise it will be worth it!

This woman taught a class on it and she said : in my class we spent most of the time creating bases or backgrounds to then add journalling and other fun things to each week. if you have time and energy one day - bust out the paint or patterned paper and start layering some fun stuff onto the blank cards. you don't need to do them all at once, but maybe have a few 'ready' for when you want to create on top.

here is my little stash of cards waiting for the fun stuff to be added each week!we also made little pouches from felt and fabric to hold the art journal cards in, carry it around in your bag and pull it out when inspiration strikes or is needed!

so each week i will post a prompt for you to use if you need it. but anything goes! won't it be fun in a year to have this fat wad of color and personality, this little snapshot of you right now? please post if you have any questions, and if you feel comfortable link to an image of your card that week, so we can all get inspired and enjoy from one another! art journal journeys are the best when taken together :)

I will post pictures of my cards as we go along. I hope you will too!

So this week we will work on finding the deck of cards and getting the base and backgrounds painted for a majority of them so they will be dry and handy each week. Here are some pictures of the women's who's idea I am borrowing. Feel free to check out the site. I hope it provides some inspiration!

Here are pictures of the "deck of you" done by the super talented lady I am borrowing these images and ideas from.

Sleep

I hate the smell of sleep but boy do I like to do it. Ever since my Sophomore/Junior year in College I have had a very difficult time waking up in the morning. Before my sophomore year I had a difficult time waking up early but now I am talking about a VERY difficult time waking up. For awhile I thought something was wrong with me. Maybe I was depressed, stressed.....who knows. But I don't think there is anything wrong with me. I think I like to stay up late at night and sleep late in the morning. If I can get a good 9-11 hours of sleep each night I feel refreshed and energized for the day. Wow! That's a lot! Some of you maybe be thinking. But let me help you along with this process. I have accepted it, that's just who I am and how I function. You should accept it too. Because I am not stressed, I'm not depressed and I'm not sick. I just really really enjoy my bed, pillow, blankets and dreams. Plus, there will come a day when I wont be able to get as much sleep so maybe I am just making up for that time now, or I guess for the past 5 years.

Whatever. I have learned and will continue to learn who I am of the rest of my life. And things go a lot better if I accept it instead of try to super analyse why I do everything that I do.

Today

The last two winter breaks we have had we have spent them traveling, as I'm sure you know. While doing this we get addicted to Coke and Chocolate. I also get addicted to oreos. So now that we are back home we are trying to get back into shape and away from the sweets. So here are my goals. Maybe if I post them on here I will be more accountable....

1. Go on at least a 15 min. walk every day
2. Run/walk 2 miles 2 times a week
3. Do 3 hour long yoga sessions per week
4. One day a week I can enjoy sweets and junk food
5. Do at least 15 mins. of any activity on the non-run/walk days

I don't think these will be that hard for me. But it will get me refocused and that's what I need. I love love love yoga. Its something I can do by myself that relaxes me and makes me feel better about myself. I have found out the love of yoga has planted itself in some of my other friends so I love talking to them about it. Hopefully, as I stay consistent on my goals, we can trade ideas and experiences. I really enjoy sharing ideas with others.

Peace, Happiness and Joy

Everyone longs for that feeling of peace, happiness and joy. But its seems so few find it on a daily basis. I try to seek it each day but its so hard. There are so many obstacles in the way. I think about people who are happy all the time, or seem joyous every time I hear from them or talk to them, and I wonder how they do that. I know all the spiritual rules and recommendations. I have heard it and tried it many times, but I seem to fall short a lot, the majority of the time. I hate getting out of bed in the morning, I have moments where I worry enough for 10 people. This isn't a pity party. I'm not trying to make people feel sorry for me. Just expressing my feelings most days.

But I am happy. I look at my life, what I've done and what I have and know that I am blessed more than I deserve. My husband, family, friends- they are all wonderful and bring happiness to my life. However, all these blessing and joys cant be enjoyed to the fullest. Why is it so difficult to find joy in every circumstance, in every minute. Why do I do what I don't want to do, why do I say things and look back with such regret in my heart for the words that ended up hurting people.

My heart has been in a 6 year drought. I have felt so empty and alone despite all the joys in my life. I finally figured it out. Bitterness. Bitterness has robbed me of the joy I should be experiencing each day. Bitterness has taken the kindness I desire to show and replaced it with hurtful actions and words towards those I love. Worst yet, its uncontrollable. Things happen to fast and then I experience remorse the rest of the day for what I've done. This bitterness started after a couple people I was very close to wronged me. Instead of forgiving them and moving on the situation consumed my heart and my soul. I held on to the hurt and pain. Slowly for the past six or seven years I have let the bitterness creep in. Letting a little in has allowed more bitterness from more recent events envelop my heart even more.

So now I need to fix this, I need to de-bitter my heart and soul. Because I know that when I do, peace, happiness and joy will flood my life again. And if I don't, well, I will be come someone I never want to be.