Birthday

It was my birthday last week! I had great plans on my birthday eve to cleanse and tidy my desk, sort out various piles of stuff on our coffee table, reflect on the past year, list my achievements and take an oracle cards for the year ahead. That evening I came home from work did a bit of housework and got a head ache and felt completely exhausted...So as yet I have not done any of those things. Sometimes it can be frustrating/annoying how life snowballs around you and you still have the same important task to do that you started with at the beginning of the year/month/week. I have been on holiday for a week having a staycation I thought I would be able to cross these things off my list but other things have come along and jumped them down the list. My list always gets longer rather than shorter... However for my birthday we did cross one thing off my list and that was to go up the Shard, if you even get the chance to go, do it it is well worth it.

We went to the top!

    

Sacred Space (part 1)

Opps I found this in my notebook and realised that I had not posted it! In the AC there are three sacred space projects, the first part was to clear out any unwanted stuff. I find this hard to do as I always think “that will come in handy one day”. I also buy art equipment whenever I get the chance! It wouldn't matter so much if I was prolific at creating artworks but I'm not. I have loads of paint and now I have finally found my favourite brand the others don’t get a look in and don’t ever get used.  I have a box of paper that never gets used because it is too nice...although after realising that was why I never use it, it is now going to get used. I have a box of bits and pieces that looks as if the bin has been emptied into it but this is all my textures that I use for monoprinting. These scraps get used all the time and my all time favourite piece is the cardboard sheaf that is used to protect your hand when carrying a cup of tea, it is from ‘Prêt Mange’. I also love fruit nets!

Books are another problem...I have some that I haven’t looked at since we moved back to London (3.5 years ago) but when I pick them up to give away I can’t. I did manage to get rid of some that I had never used or not looked at in ten years. These went off to the charity shop. I never keep any novels as I know I will never read the same one twice and the ones I normally buy were purchased from a charity shop anyway! 

All in all I found this quite difficult, it was suggested that we did a foot a day. I did sort though my stuff and ended up with more than a box full to give to charity. I also think this is going to be an ongoing thing because some days it is easier than others. I also need to be mindful of what I bring into our flat, as we don’t have much room.

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E-courses....!

I have signed up for another e-course, The Sea Change Program, with Leo Babauta from Zen Habits! This course is for helping you make new habits and in May the new habit is forming a daily writing habit. This is something that I really want to starting doing and I have been on the lookout for something like this. I don't really like writing because I don't feel as if I am any good, my inner critics need to be sent away and given something to do keep them busy. I don't write much, therefore I never improve. So it is all about to change. My creative hour in the morning before work has been going well and I have even started to wake up before my alarm clock! I am now going to write in this hour and do some art! So busy busy!

Only the other day I was thinking that I have signed up for too many on-line commitments! Oh well I am sure another one won't hurt. These are the courses I am doing; the Apothecary Circle, Leonie Dawson's - Creative Goddess, loving the results of her course and from the 1st of May I start the Manafesting Abundance, spirit led financial planning with Laura Emily from the AC! I have also signed up for another on-line free herbal course at the Herbal Academy of New England. I think that is all of them...

Creative goddess online course

I am taking part in the Leonie Dawson Creative Goddess online course. It started at the beginning of April. I was attracted to it as the description sounded just perfect; to get me motivated and inspire me into action and I really want to change how I act and feel about creating art. I am very happy and excited to be taking part in the Creative Goddess Course. It is a six weeks course and typical me I am running behind schedule... I have yet to finish week one and we are already at the end of week three! The course involves meditations, creation and reflection. The first weeks task was to go on a walk and collect things that you are guided to. Then create a painting with your findings incorporated into the piece. I have to confess I didn't like the idea of sticking things on to my canvas! I found seven feathers on my walk; I didn't stick them onto my canvas straight away I used my Gelli plate to take monoprints of the feathers that I had found. Here are the prints that I made, I love how much detail is picked up.

I am going to cut these prints up at some stage and use it on the canvas. While I had my Gelli plate out I used it directly onto the canvas. The Gelli plate is so responsive that it picked up the textures from the painting and the canvas itself. 

It was such a beautiful morning while on the walk I also took photos of things that captured my eye, from these photos I developed a series of patterns. 

The photo below is of a wooden fence, I loved how the light giving it contrast.

These are the patterns that I developed from the photograph above, I really like the colours and the various patterns that I have made. I am going to print out my favourites and include them in my painting.I have been meaning to print off some of my patterns for a while now so I am glad that I have finally be given a reason to print them.

I will post more patterns and some photos of my canvas soon.

Life

Buttons

A while back I added social media buttons to my blog. I know every blog has them but mine didn't and I wanted them. So I made my own. I followed these instruction from Projects Around the House and I downloaded the social media icons from Pixeden. I made the buttons in Picmonkey a photo editing application. It is free but you can upgrade to a package that has more filters, boarders and other cool stuff. I was really proud of myself that I made these buttons and I think they turned out rather well. I did learn that it is a good idea to make all the buttons that you need at the same time as it can be difficult to find the same colours, I learnt the hard way and made one of my buttons at a later date and it was a bit tricky to match the colour. I was really impressed with the Picmoney  application that I used to make the buttons, it is free but you can upgrade. While I was taking the time making the buttons I thought I would also follow these seven useful tips from Momcomm.

1. Overall Design Too Wide - I adjusted mine accordingly and now my banner fits just right.
2. Light-colored Links - I have tried to adjust the colours of the links but I just can't seem to change it.
4. Sharing Buttons - Oh dear I did try and add sharing buttons but it didn't work either, so just using the standard Blogger ones.
5. Graphic Elements that Look Clickable (but Aren’t)- I am working on this and if I use images I do try and remember to use links.
6. Hard to Find Contact Info - I now have an email button, click it and it automatically opens an email to me.
7. Cluttered Sidebar - I only now have a sidebar on the right rather than the left and right.

From this  to this 

  

Photo a Day

The photo a day challenge that I have been taking part of over on FatMumSlim has totally fallen by the wayside these last few months. I have found myself catching up with the days prompts on mass and doing about seven on one day, not really the point of something called ‘photo a day’. So I have decided to do my own spin on ‘photo a day’. I will still be posting my photos on Streamzoo and doing a round up every month, but I won’t be using a prompt or a list. The photos will be of whatever I feel like or what sum up my day. Sometimes I felt as if the prompts were restrictive. I may go back to them but for now it feels right just to snap away and post my favourites. I have enjoyed taking part in FMS ‘photo a day’ and I would like to thank Chantelle for hosting such a great challenge. Here is the round up from March.

  

Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox

Ten Day Fast - Reflections

The Apothecary Circle ten day fast finished on the 14th Feb. I managed to last without some things and not others. The night before the beginning of the fast I had a dream about eating a bacon sandwich, I don't normally remember my dreams so it made me chuckle that even before I started the fast I was already dreaming about eating meat. I think deep down I knew that I would not be able to not eat meat while visiting my family the following weekend. I didn't want to cause them any trouble and I know my Dad always likes to send me on my way with a fry-up for breakfast the day I leave, it has become a little ritual for us and I didn't want us to miss out by not spending this time together. 

I didn't eat any biscuits, drink any caffeine or use social media on my phone. I am going to continue not to use Facebook on my phone as it gave me more time to do other things, such as not being late for work! I am also going to continue to eat less biscuits, I didn't really miss them and I don't think I need them as part as my regular diet. Biscuit will now be eaten on special occasions only! Dark chocolate however will be eaten when necessary. I think I owe Greenpeace in the region of £20, doing the swearing fast has made me more concious of my swearing and I think I have almost stopped, which I am glad of.

My moon time grumpyness didn't really appear this month, not sure if that was down to not drinking caffeine and eating less sugar but I will be experimenting with both of these next month by cutting these out a week before and seeing if it makes a difference, will be interesting to see.

So I am back drinking my one cup of regular builders tea, not eating as many biscuits, eating meat (not everyday and I have realised that I need a vegetarian cook book), eating dark chocolate when I need it, no more Facebook on my phone or reading blogs before bed. Who knows what the next fast will entail.....

Ten day fast

Apothecary Circle - Ten day fast

February seems to be the month of firsts; so far I have eaten Sauerkraut, oil pulled,smudged and used oracle cards, lit a candle for Candlemas, made tinctures and started a fast. It was a busy weekend! 

I have now started a ten day fast. This is linked to the Apothecary Circle. I didn't want to fast from food/solids as I don't think my body would react well and I don't feel comfortable doing it while having to go to work. I think maybe this will be something for the future, possibly the summer.

I have never fasted before. I found it quite a challenge to think of something to give up. (I don't drink or smoke). Once I really thought about it, I came up with these - 

• Caffeine - not much of a challenge as I only drink one cup of tea a day.
• Chocolate - this will be be difficult, I eat it about 2-3 times a week. I like to sit and relax with a detox tea and a few squares of dark chocolate.
• Meat - this will be a challenge as I will have to make yummy meals (must remember to marinate the tofu) so my hubby forgets he is not eating meat. (failed this one meals are not yummy, need for follow recipes). I have offered to cook meat a couple of times, fairs fair.
• Biscuits - I am giving these up because they are over processed and full of sugar, I eat about 10 a week.
• Swearing - I do this too much and I am very blasé about it. f**k being my favorite. For this one I have decided to have a swear jar, every time I swear Green Peace gets 50 pence.
• Social media - I use social media on my phone way too much. I wake in the morning and check Facebook and I read blogs before sleeping both of these habits I would like to stop. So this is a good time to start stopping.    

I am getting the urge for all of these things. Why is it when you say 'no' something in you says 'yes'.

Wow, that is a lot to remember! Wish me luck I may need it...

Mid Week Gratitude

Thanks to technology I am wrote some of this weeks gratitude post from a car-park while I was waiting for hubby to pick me up. So I guess my first thing I am grateful for is technology. I love being able to share photos here and write notes to myself using this app ColorNote Notepad Notes To Do


Here is my gratitude list for this week - 

• Technology, especially my phone. Never wanted a smart phone, now I could not live without it.
• FatMumSlim for sharing next months Photo-a-day list, (February already)!!! 
• My walk to work, being able to gaze at the sky; cloud watch and find rainbows.
• Dark chocolate and detox tea, what a great combination.
• My new favourite thing - Coconut Oil. (Hair is looking less frizzy).

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - Epictetus

New beginnings

Mid Week Gratitude

I think it is good for us to appreciate and be grateful for things in life however big or small. It is easy to take things for granted and not really notice how much joy they can bring, how often do you stop and watching the birds in the trees or how a leaf falls from the tree. These are some of the things I am grateful for. 

This link on Tiny Buddha is a good starting point. I am going to sharing with you all what I am grateful for. 

'Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are' - Marianne Williamson

Here is my gratitude list for this week -

• Going home for Christmas, being able to spend time with my family, always means so much to me.
• Honey, lemon and ginger, soothing my throat and helping me recover.
• The Apothecary Circle, so much knowledge, support and love. 
• New notebooks from Paperchase, I am going to be organised this year. I even have a notebook for my blog!
• My husband for looking after me while I was ill, I am the worse patient there is!