My Week in Doodles: #1

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How have you been? I have been MIA a bit around here. I had my hibernation week and then I was just feeling very tired so I rested, made art, watched some art classes and just tried to take care of myself. How about you? How have you been feeling? Are you making time for art? Please do comment and let me know I would love to hear.

I had an idea that woke me up this morning and I couldn’t wait to have a play with it. I thought it would be fun to make a sheet of little doodles, little memories of what I did the previous week and share them in a blog post for you. I also thought I could make my little doodle sheet available for download so if you wanted to use them in your personal collage or mixed media projects you could! All you need to do is to right click and safe the image to your computer-that’s it! The full sheet is at the bottom of this post. If you do use it please share with me I would love to see how you use them!

 

So this week was a bit of a roller coaster for us. The weather hadn’t been the gorgeous spring weather we were teased with in March but my youngest loves being outside so we bundled up a bit and went outside to gather up some sunshine. My son joined us one day and he cleared out his vegetable garden getting it ready for planting. He managed to harvest about 4 tiny and one large carrot from his garden. When I told him we could use the large one for dinner he was just so proud! He has his garden plan all made up and set up his support poles and planted his first round of snap peas (his favorite!).

I also managed to get in some gardening this week. I cleared a few more beds, put some cardboard down to suppress the weeds and added fresh topsoil and compost to 2 of my beds. I was able to mulch my herb garden and plant out my poppies, lettuce, snap peas, radish and parsnips. I’m in Zone 6 so we are pretty limited in what can go out in the ground but everything I planted should do just fine. I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

 

I finished 2 books this week. I’ll share it with you in my next Book Club update but in addition to finishing 2 I added 4 to my list after some library requests. I laugh at how man new ones I am adding and reading in addition to what was already on my shelf but I think that’s the best part isn’t it? To know you’ll never run out of books to read?

My husband had a work function to go to one night so I took the kids out for a little adventure. We went for a drive then stopped at a fast food restaurant and went inside to eat which they loved. After dinner we stopped at Starbucks for cookies and a cake pop (popcorn for my girls) and Decaf Caramel Macchiato for me. It was a nice time just the 4 of us.

On Friday my husband called us all out to see a full rainbow that he had seen in the sky on his way home. Unfortunately we couldn’t see it from out house but he was so happy to see it and it added a simple joy to the day.

On Saturday my husband took the kids to the park (where my 3 year-old made a friend and had the best time!) and I had the house to myself. The sun was shining and I lounged in my hammock with my dogs at my feet. The neighborhood was silent except for the chorus of birds and I could feel myself recharging and healing.

 

We also gave our guinea pig Trixie a little pedicure-her nails needed a clean so we had her in just a little bit of water to soften and give her feet a gentle clean. She was quite content with all the attention and enjoyed the special treat after even more.

 

Sadly our week had started off with the loss of our cat Piper. She was almost 14 years old and was a very special friend to me and my oldest daughter. She is the one I credit with showing me how to be a Momma long before I was one and she has guarded my oldest all of her 11 years. My daughter had asked the we cremate her so we brought her to a really fabulous place not too far from us and it made me feel grateful for people who extend compassion to others. We are all managing well though and are so grateful that she went so peacefully here at home with us. I hesitated to include this as I want to keep my site positive but I drew a little picture of her in the download and it felt only right to share her with you.

Here is this week’s doodle sheet:

I hope you like my little experiment. I had so much fun doing it and would love to make it a regular part of my blog. I would love your thoughts so please share them below and if you would like to make your own doodles to share on your blog then be sure to link it up below using my link party. Just link directly to your blog post with your own doodles so we can stop by and say “hello!”

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Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

March Book Club: What I’m Reading

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The snow that fell so beautifully yesterday is already melting. Typical March snow here in Northern NJ.

I spent the past week working on my iPad as my laptop suffered a flooding. Yes, my 3 year-old leaped into my lap, arms waving as I sat at the table having my morning coffee. The coffee cup was bumped and the liquid inside did the most beautiful jeté out of the cup landing right on the laptop pouring through the speakers. I heard the sizzling.

Thankfully I have always found that paying for the “you break it and we’ll fix” insurance to be most beneficial in my life. Still it was extremely frustrating to be without the laptop this week. Or at least I thought it would be. The laptop returned today and I admit to having mixed feelings about its return. I realized that even when I try to be mindful of the time I spend online not having the laptop made me realize just how much time I still spend online. Time that I could spend on my creativity, reading or with the family. I’ll try and write a bit more about that for next week.

This week I thought it would be fun to share with you my current reading list. It looks large but I am basically including all the books I am actively reading. What do I define as actively reading? In most cases I have started all of them-with the exception of the most recent additions. I also consider them active if I am enjoying reading them and want to read them regularly throughout the week. If I don’t enjoy a book I just let it go, I used to always try and finish them but when I realized how many books I want to read it seemed silly to spend time on a book that wasn’t for me.

I am sharing the books in categories. As you can imagine, in true dilettante style my taste in books is eclectic. I am sharing these titles in categories so hopefully you can find something you might be interested in.

The following books are ones I purchased with my own money or borrowed from the library. The links provided are affiliate links for Bookshop.org a site that supports local bookstores. If you use the links provided it does not cost you any more money but I earn a small commission.

Spirituality

The Bhagavad Gita: (I wasn’t able to find a copy for the exact set I purchased so I didn’t provide a link)

I found this set when I was having a day out last weekend. I finally made it up to a used book store that I had never been to and during my browsing I found this collection. In the course of my spiritual studies I have heard of this religious text as it is quoted by many but I have not read it for myself so I decided to pick it up. I don’t see this is one of the books you read to finish but rather you read and let it soak it, read a little more and that soak in. I imagine you have to grow into the person who can understand this work. Much like my second book I am reading…

A Course in Miracles:

I have been reading this for about 2 years. It was another thrift store find and I loved that inside was the receipt from when it had been purchased new in the 1980’s and even the original owners name was written inside. I have been reading and highlighting and noting from this book and find whenever I am feeling low or need a spiritual reminder this is one of the 2 go-to books I pick up. In my humble opinion I feel this should be the most read book in the world for those on their own unique spiritual path.

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist:

I am not sure how this book came to me but I requested it from the local library and it just came in last week. I haven’t started it yet and to be honest I didn’t remember much about it but mindfulness is really at the focus of my personal journey right now and I am excited for what this book has to share.

Buddhism for Mothers by Sarah Napthali:

I found this book at the same bookstore that had The Bhagavad Gita. The synopsis on the back was all I needed to pick it up. Only a few pages in and I feel as if the author is talking directly to me and understands me. I am really looking forward to finishing this book.

The Dance by Oriaha Mountain Dreamer: (I couldn’t find a copy of this at Bookshop.org either)

I have been reading this book off and on all year. I enjoy it and usually find that I read a few pages before bed. It’s based on the poem written by the author and she weaves her personal stories into the meaning in a really beautiful way.

Lessons in Truth by Emilie Cady:

I believe this book is one of the foundational books of Unity Church. While I am non-dogmatic in my own spiritual practice-so is Unity so it’s a wonderful fit. I find this book to be grounding and inspirational at the same time. When I am struggling reading it feels like I have a strong maternal figure there guiding me along the way and offering comfort.

Hiring the Heavens by Jean Slatter:

This book is wonderful if you feel called to the angelic realm. Since a child I had a strong connection with angels and as an adult I have studied a great deal about them. I love the approach of this book as it is about having an easy relationship with helpers who are eager to offer their assistance.

Writing

Little Stories of Your Life by Laura Pashby

This book came to my attention from a blog post I read by Laura Bray. As primarily a fiction writer I find that I am still working on my blogging voice. Finding a way to share in a way that is authentic to me but also engaging and real. I haven’t read much yet but the book is full of gorgeous photos which I think will be very helpful in a new project I have planned so be sure to stay tuned!

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

I heard about this book when I saw a review for another book and decided to give it a try. I bought a second-hand copy and to be honest I had trouble connecting with the book initially but as I went on a bit it seemed to be a better fit. I’ll keep you posted as to how it goes from here.

Gardening

Cool Flowers by Lisa Mason Ziegler

This book was recommended on lots of the gardening videos I have been watching. I am enjoying it but I won’t be able to enact most of the practices until this fall which is fine. I am focusing on my cut flower garden this year and will be on the search for books related to bouquets and arranging and cutting flowers. I’ll be sure to share what I find but if you have any recommendations please let me know!

Fiction

The Darling Dahlias & The Silver Money Bush by Susan Wittig Albert

I really enjoy this series of historical fiction. I had started this book a few years ago-borrowing it from the library and then I went into one of those seasons where I wasn’t reading much and had to return it. So I found a used copy and since I don’t remember where I left off I decided to just start again from the beginning and I’m enjoying it all over again.

So that is what I am currently reading. I will be sure to come back with an update on these books on my next Book Club post. Please comment below if you have or are reading any of the books on my list or feel free to share what you are working on. I also have a link party below if you would like to join in the fun and share a blog post about what you are reading.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

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Video: Rainbow Collage Glue Book-My New Journal Play #1

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I love collage, have I mentioned that before?


Collage heals me like nothing else. The act of cutting paper, gluing it down with either a glue stick or my collage paste is just so much fun.

I was reading a blog post by iHanna where she was sharing her plays in her rainbow glue book and I decided to give it a shot. It seemed like a fun way to utilize junk mail or catalogs as well as miscellaneous ephemera I have.

I am using a standard composition notebook that I picked up from The Dollar Tree and I am setting it up with the following sections: pink, white/cream, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, teal, purple and rainbow. The notebook has 100 pages so I am doing 10 pages for each color/section although rainbow seemed to work out to be 9 pages so I am guessing I miscounted somewhere along the line which is fine with me.

I decided that I wasn’t going to be too critical of my photo choices. If something felt pink I used it on my pink page even if it had some other colors too. I want this to be fun so I am not going to be fussy about my choices.

I also thought it would be fun to record my play session and share it with you. So if you would like a little creative time why not join me? You can get out your own supplies or maybe just pour a cup of your favorite beverage and have a little relax time watching me cut and glue? Either way I would love to hear your thoughts. Do you like to make glue books? If so please share what kinds you make.

Music by Joystock – https://www.joystock.org

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Sharing in:

Little and Often: Sharing My Creative Week

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I am sitting with a cup of coffee as the snow and ice fall outside. My oldest two are enjoying their video games and my youngest is happily pushing her dolls around in her Hello Kitty carriage while simultaneously sneaking candy.

I was able to enjoy a decent amount of creative time this week and to spend it in my favorite way-little bits of time through out the day. Embracing my natural self, the person I truly am seems to be a longer process than I had thought it would be. Realizing all of the ways I have limited, trimmed, scolded or adopted things that really have nothing to do with me seems to be a process I don’t imagine I will ever be done with. Even as I write this I hear voices whispering their beliefs and criticisms of what I am saying. Recognizing what’s truth and what’s not is a practice I am learning to be gentle with so I can see it and then just let it go.

I have been reclaiming my creative time too.  Letting it be time spent being creative without expecting anything other than time enjoyed being creative. It’s a subtle switch but one that releases me into my creativity and allows me to play and enjoy my time in my little creative world.

Little and often is my favorite way to be in the world. I am not a project person-someone who likes to clear a day to dig in, upset and resettle something. I like to pick, doing a bit here and a bit there as I move through out a day consisting of little or no plans other than to eat and sleep at some point.

It’s a different way to exist in a world that has times for everything. A time we should be in bed and a time we should wake up. A time we should accomplish certain things and a time when those things should come to an end. I releasing myself from the burden of “shoulds” and of time as much as I can manage. I have long thought about letting go of clocks all together, perhaps even dates and days of the week all together. To focus more on just being and experiencing life rather than rushing towards a destination.

As with anything it starts small. It starts with releasing expectations around the easier places, the safe places like my creative corner. To allow myself and my creativity to be with one another without the expectation of more or tainting the experience by a judgment for what it should look like or result in the end.

I hope you are able to find some gentle time with your creativity. To meet it happily and with no other goal than to enjoy each other’s company. I hope as you move into the weekend you are able to do so with a gentle disregard for time and to focus rather on the being in the now.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Little Books of Words Part 1

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This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is love-story-g080aef9a6_1920-1024x768.jpg I am in love with poetry.

I have always loved poetry. I began writing poetry at the age of 8. My first poem was about my Cabbage Patch Kids and was co-written with a loving family friend. The same woman who first introduced me to poetry. I have piles and piles of poems and find that my writing tends to come and go through out my life.

I rekindled my love of poetry watching the TV Show “Dickinson” on Apple TV and I found it really inspiring. It has reconnected me not only to my love of writing and reading poetry but my love for Emily Dickinson‘s poetry. I was introduced to her poetry at a young age when I purchased a small collection that was called “love poems.” She moves me like no other.

All of this has brought me to my latest project. Emily Dickinson collected some of her poems in hand bound books she made herself. She wrote on recycled envelopes and I just love the idea of making some miniature books of my own.

So I decided to create a little project making similar books of poetry. I don’t plan to stop with poetry either. I am planning on making lots of little books. Some with little pieces of art-think ATC cards in book form. A collection of quotes or song lyrics. Random images from magazines-the possibilities are endless! The past week I have been having lots of fun dying copy paper fun colors. I did a batch with Rit Dye and they came out beautiful. I was interested in finding a way that didn’t use dye so I tried Kool-aid mix which came out just as great! I love the crinkly texture of dyed paper but I am less interested in the vintage look you get from coffee or tea dying so this a great alternative! I have made pink so far (it’s my favorite color) and I have some orange mixed up for my son since orange is his favorite color and a pack of purple to try out later. I think this paper would be wonderful for my first little book of poetry.

I hope you are having a wonderful start to your week. We had plumbing issues at the start of the week which landed us in a hotel room for the night. It was a fun little adventure for the kids and I and actually rekindled my spark for some solo adventuring that I hope to be sharing with you soon. So that is all I have for today. Please comment below if you plan to make some of your own little books or if you have ideas for little book themes-I would love to hear them! I also would like to leave you with a few lines from Ms. Emily Dickinson:

“Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all”

-Emily Dickinson

 

Until next time,

-Michele

Video: Simple Heart Collage Canvas

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Happy Valentine’s Day! I know there are mixed feelings about the holiday but for me personally I love pinks and reds and hearts-definitely hearts. I love flowers and chocolate and any excuse to be reminded that love should be the focus of our days I am up for celebrating.

Today I was treated to a lovely handmade gift from my 7 year-old son. He made me a paper frame of our most recent family photo and added colored cotton balls around the perimeter. It was beautiful! It meant so much to me that he took it upon himself to make a gift for me.

Tonight we will give the kids little goodies-nothing extravagant but I did want to make them something and this weekend I realized I was running out of time. So I decided to make little canvas paintings for them. I wanted to keep them simple and something that was unique to each of them.

I made the hearts using collage and painted the backgrounds with their favorite colors and added some glitter glue. I added their names as well but to be honest they didn’t come out that great. Some of the letters blurred a bit but I am pretty sure they will still love them.

I made a video showing you how I made them. It’s really easy and you could do so many variations and you don’t really need any special materials. You don’t need the mini canvases you could just as easily use cardboard from packaging and collage right over it. Instead of glitter glue you could outline the heart in more acrylic paint or even string that you glue down. The possibilities are really endless.

I hope you like this little craft. If you make one please comment below I would love to see it!

Music by Joystock – https://www.joystock.org

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante