.30 day journal challenge - almost done! (a little late, i know).

.

i know the 30 day challenge has been over for a while . . . and i DID all my pages (except the last 3 . . i think i am just avoiding ending the thing cause i liked it so much)...

so here they are - a little late (and you can see the pencil on some of them because i can't find my gummy eraser- that's how much of a hot mess i am right now).

Journal Prompt 18: Music is one of my most favorite things ever!! It translates emotions that I can't even imagine putting into words. I love it. Today I want you to create a playlist of some kind. It can be your summer playlist, your July playlist, songs from your wedding day, or favorite songs of all time :) This one will be another fun one to look at down the road :)
i picked our wedding soundtrack . . .
1) candle lighting song "the three of us" by ben harper (instrumental)
2) seating of grandmothers, mothers and entrance of groom: "bridge over troubled waters" by simon and garfunkle (i KNOW! big hippie!)
3) entrance of wedding party: "forever" by ben harper
4) entrance of BRIDE (and flowergirls) "songbird" original by fleetwood mac, covered by denison witmer
5) unity candle ceremony: a song written and played for us by our good friend jacob white.
6) recessional: "tonight, tonight" by the smashing pumpkins (we were children of the 90s, i guess)

Journal Prompt 19: Today I want you to create a "guide to your city." What are the must-see things that you would want a visitor to experience in your city. This can guide can be for your city, town, or state. I am really excited to see these and to maybe even use them in my future when traveling!! Have fun with this!!!

i picked my favorite things about providence, RI where i currently live . . . come and visit and we'll do all these things!!

Journal Prompt 20: Here is the age old question, what is in your bag?? This has always been a great photo prompt that i have seen all over the blog world. Today, you are going to write about the contents of YOUR bag, or illustrate it, or take a picture of it, whatever :D
things in my purse: cds (the new she & him and the new jakob dylan), my ipod, pens, lots and lots of change, free drink ticket from a roller derby party, my passport, car charger for my phone, chapstick made by the wonderful neo hippie mama, cortizone cream for my bug bites, natural hand santitizer from whole foods, cell phone, keys, my wallet with the owl on it . . . sunglases . . . more . . .

Journal Prompt 21: What is your most favorite quote? A quote that inspires you, or your mantra. I literally have 4 journals from college filled with quotes that inspire me and make me smile. Today is the day to share your inspiring words with your friends :)
i have a magnet with this quote on it up in my massage studio. i constantly need it to remind me to calm down, breathe and give myself a little grace.


Journal Prompt 22: Today I want to know what your favorite holiday is!! There are soooo many holidays out there and the cool thing is that they differ depending on where you live, your family, and your religion. Teach me all about your favorite holiday and why it's your favorite :)
i never really got to celebrate many holidays growing up . . . just birthdays and christmas and thanksgiving and easter (but with no easter bunny and no baskets! and def NO halloween!) . . . it has a lot to do with my parents and their religious beliefs. but NOW i get to choose for myself and my family what holidays are important to observe, and while the man-friend and i aren't terribly religious at the time being, we do like to follow the marking of the seasons with different celebrations. the man-friend observed lent this year. and i. really. love. advent. i had never even heard of it while growing up. it wasn't something i knew about until maybe the last 4 years or so - but i LOVE birthdays and christmas and the idea of spending an entire MONTH anticipating the arrival of a holiday? fantastic! i love the symbolism behind each candle and the idea of coming together and talking about them as a family. it's sort of like a version of chanukah or something. i really like it. i mean c'mon, i celebrate my birthday for a week if i can get away with it! why not celebrate christmas for a month?


Journal Prompt 23: Today I want you to fill an entire page in your journal with one of the elements of art. As an art teacher, I have to talk about all of the elements of art...daily.
Here they are:
1. Line
2. Color
3. Shape
4. Space
5. Texture
6. Form
i chose space (negative space drawing of the sunglasses) and line to create the space and textures. i like it.

Journal Prompt 24: What is your most favorite place in the world? Is it a country, a town, a room, a secret place that no one else knows about? I know you have one, I want to see it!!
my favorite place . . . i have really been homesick a lot lately. i think it's summer and springtime that are the worst. who am i kidding? i ALWAYS miss home.

Journal Prompt 25: I want you to think about your day today. If you had to describe to me in one word, or one short phrase what would it be?? Us this phrase or word repeatedly on your page, trying out new fonts :)
well it was.

Journal Prompt 26: Today you are going to write out your favorite recipe!! This can be written, illustrated, cut and pasted, something. It is always really good to document these small little pieces of your life. Don't you think?
BEER BREAD!!! try it! so easy and SO GOOD! it really impresses the men for some reason. let me know what you think.


i have 4 more prompts to post and i'll be honest, i haven't done them yet. but i will!!!!


----------

yep, been homesick, been hot, got the WORST sunburn at beach day #4 yesterday, working a lot, looking forward to a few camping trips, my birthday and a special wedding anniversary next month and then . . . school starts again for the man-friend. how is summer almost over?

got an AWESOME post card from some very special friends today! they wrote a lovely note and picked an AWESOME card - you can't see it, but the rest of the postcard says "stumptown coffee roasters." the most delicious coffee that could ever be roasted comes from these fine people.
it's good to have love in your life, isn't it?

.30 day journal challenge day 13 through 17.

Journal Prompt 13: Silly insecurities....we all have them unfortunately. If you don't, you are my hero :) Today I want you to document your insecurities, face them, write them down, reflect on them, and get them out of your system. Somewhere on your page I want you to write "BUT..." This will lead in to tomorrow's prompt :) This is definitely not a fun prompt but it's kind of necessary in order to move past them.

Journal Prompt 14: Ok, now that we have all of the yucky insecurities out of our system, I want us to completely focus ONLY on the things that make you the amazing person that you are. What are the qualities that you possess that make you so wonderful? Don't be shy and don't be modest either on this one :)

Journal Prompt 15: Today I would like you to brainstorm some goals for the upcoming month. A short list of goals that will be attainable to accomplish in one month.

i think i need to add being braver and practicing jamming while at derby practice to my list. i've already gone to yoga and spent a lot of time in the garden though so i feel like i am succeeding!!


Journal Prompt 16: Short, sweet, and straight to the point :) What are you wearing today? Write it, doodle it, cut it out of a magazine, whatever!


Journal Prompt 17: Today you are going to illustrate a day. It can be today, it can be yesterday, it can be a significant event that you have had in your life :) Use pictures, labels, words, doodle, sketches, anything you want, to describe your day! This is a cute one. Enjoy!


sorry so short and sweet - i am slammed this week! i've got to go - i promise i'll do my giveaway soon!!! it's so cool to see that i have 18 followers now! welcome to bird on a wire!

.30 day journal challenge day 9, 10, 11, and 12.

sorry i don't post these every day . . . some days are just too busy for me to get around to posting them! but don't worry! i am doing them.

i am also spending time with my new roommates, rollerskating, working in my garden, playing with my dog, and loving the summer weather (even though it' SO HOT, i can't complain cause it's usually FREEZING cold here . . . like 9 months a year . . . i'm cold).

so, here's the latest pages and their prompts:

Journal Prompt 9: Choose another person who is vert significant in your life right now. It can definitely be the same person that we wrote about on day 3, but I chose to do someone different. Anyway, this prompt is going to be all about those wonderful adjectives, and typography. Describe your special person with as many words as you can fit. For each word, try to use a different font or writing style. This is a great way to practice fun typography!

I created a picture of my man-friend based on a photo i took of him a few weeks ago. i used different fonts to create the different textures in the image (the beard, the plaid in the shirt, over the pocket and in the quote) . . . i really like how it turned out!

Journal Prompt 10: This prompt is all about collections. I am such a collector. I have too many collections but I love them all. I am definitely the type who moves on though to new collection depending on my mood and the seasons in my life. What do you collect? If anything. Do you collect buttons, clothes, shoes, friends, parking tickets, whatever!! Illustrate your collections. This will be fun to look back on someday and see how your collections have grown or have moved on :)

I didn't really have anything i collected in earnest, so i just walked around my house looking for themes in my life . . . so, i have a lot of: buttons (From various bands, events, etc), vinyl (obvi), feathers (mostly for crafting), sunglasses (can't say no to the perfect pair!), books (tons and tons!), coffee mugs (when i travel, i usually get one in the city that i go to), things with owls on them, vintage bathing suits (love those pointy cone bras in them! ha ha!), and vintage boots.

Journal Prompt 11: Hello friends. Today is another one of my favorite pages. And speaking of favorites, this is a page all about your faves!!

We are going to list your favorites in each of these four categories:

* TV shows: Glee, LOST, arrested development, the office and SNL (though i don't have TV so i have to watch reruns online or at a friend's house)

* Music david bazan (from pedro the lion), jenny lewis (and rilo kiley), great lake swimmers, over the rhine, red house painters (aka sun kill moon)

* Food local food, strawberries, curry, ice cream, lemonade

* Splurges vinyle, vintage, craft supplies, books at garage sales . . .

Journal Prompt 12: Journal 12 is all about trends. Whether you consider yourself "trendy" or not, I bet there are a few trends that you find yourself gravitating to. If not, you can create a page of trends that you think are lame too, it's up to you :)

for this one, i picked out all the ironic "hipster" trends that i follow . . . weather or not they are "good" (like my fabric grocery bags) or just plain silly (like leggings!) . . . i've made them painfully obvious. let's celebrate the ways that we are just like everyone else!!!

----------

in other news:
been eating well even though summer usually means less of an income for the man-friend and i . . . we've gotten our first two weeks of our CSA shares and that, plus great weather making our garden produce like crazy!, has kept our tummies full.

been taking some lovely summertime photos - like the construction on the interstate they've been doing . . . here's a mural that was on the overpass for I-95 . . . and the construction vehicles that are about to tear it down! ch-ch-ch-changes . . . it's sad to see a piece of art go . . . i wish they'd just let them stay and be free-standing walls . . . or incorporate them into the new architecture that goes up in the area . . .

.30 day journal challenge day 6, 7, and 8.

Journal Prompt Number 6:
It's time...
It's definitely time to do something. It may be a new season for you in your life, or a time to make some goals, or it may just be time to relax (because it's Saturday right?).
Draw something that represents the word time and then make a list of things that you need to do at this time in your life, or day, or week :)
it is time for:
eating ice cream, catching up with old friends, going to the beach, dying my hair, sending letters, laundry, eating cookie dough, laughing way too loudly, new work clothes, calling home, snuggling, reading books, developing film, weeding the garden, making granola, eating popcorn, dinnerparties!, celebrating the solstice, walking the dog, thrift store shopping, recycling, planting a tree, smiling, giving HUGS!

some of these things i have already checked off of my list!

Journal Prompt 7: Today is an easy one... How are you feeling today? Sometimes it's really good to reflect on your feelings and try to figure out why you are feeling a certain way.

i had just finished watching "some like it hot" starting marilyn monroe . . . this got me started thinking about ms monroe and her fabulousness and vulnerability and how this old world simply gobbles people up. more than once i feel like i've been eaten alive . . . there is no place for the good and honest people, really. honestly. that's how i was feeling.


Prompt 8:
Today, I want you to illustrate an "inside joke." I want this to be a page that only you and a few other people would get. Inside jokes are always fun (well, when you are apart of them I guess).

this one's for you ace!!! ha ha ha ha!!!!


---------

today was another hot day . . . worked hard, sweat a lot, took a nap, walked the dog, weeded the garden, got bit by a million misquitos!, ate yummy pizza made by the man-friend, picked up our second round of the CSA and made the most beautiful bright green pesto you've ever seen! off to bed to try to sleep in this sticky heat.

here's a photo of the city that i took while we were heading back home with our CSA goodies:

.30 day journal challenge day 5.

Journal Prompt Number 5:
We are all obviously bloggers right, or else you wouldn't be here :) Even if you don't have a blog, I know that you read them.
This page is dedicated to your favorite blogs!! What are they? Are there any blogs that you can't go a day without checking?

i sort of felt strange making a list of blogs that i read . . . esp since i am very very sporadic about reading them, and will definitely go forever between posting blogs of my own. it sort of felt like some sort of popularity contest . . . (don't take this the wrong way janel! i am sure the exercise was GREAT for other people! but for me, i needed to change it a bit for how i was feeling today and i think that's ok . . . i think that fits with the spirit of this whole journal exercise, right?).

so . . . instead of blogs (if you want to know what blogs i read from time to time, scroll down and look at the sidebar to the left . . . they are all listed there under "these friends of mine" - if you don't see yours and you'd like me to add it, let me know!) . . . i listed "worthwhile websites"!!!

these are all websites that i think are worth visiting, that are making a difference in someone's life, etc. i followed up the list with "now go play outside!" because seriously? it's summertime! get off your computer and LIVE YOUR LIFE! (this is mostly a message that I needed to hear right now . . . if you need to hear it, go a head and get outside . . . if not, i applaud you! it's so easy to get sucked in to this screen, these pixels, this crazy online world - so get off! get out! live in the real world!) . . . again, this is a message mostly for me. to remember the good that the internet can do, to celebrate it and then to get out and do some good of my own.


thanks for listening to my rant. :)

here's the links to the websites that i listed on my page (some of them are linked in the sidebar to the left too):
wwoof
providence roller derby
buy handmade
learning to love you more
tweak today
the daily green
depave
earth dinner
heifer intl
eat well guide
animal vegetable miracle
book mooch
foxpoint community garden
one bag
cover lay down
empowerment4women
daytrotter
food not lawns
the green guide
objectify this
this is not ikea
couchsurfing
powells books


what are some websites that you visit that you think make the world a better place?

---------

today, my friend miss C and i played hookey and went to the beach! we burnt just a little, got sand between our toes, picked up a few rocks and shells, ate some strawberries that may have been covered in sand and then went to crazy burger for some vegencheladas and a vegan cookie with rice dream and bananas and strawberry sauce . . . mmmmmm . . . i am still so full!



this weekend is going to be nuts . . . work, a bridal shower, providence pride (the roller derby is in the parade tomorrow night and are doing a fun exhibition bout sunday [fake teams! unicorns vs rainbows!!!] etc) so i might not have time to post my journal pages until monday!

see you then!

.30 day journal challenge day 4.

Journal Prompt Number 4: What does your heart look like? It can be literal, it can be symbolic, it can be broken and need fixing...anything!




i'm really happy with the way this one turned out. the process i've been using for this challenge is to read the prompt in the morning, think about it all day and once an answer comes to me i'll sit down with the pen and paper and work it out.

for this one, the idea came while shopping for vinyl records with my roommate, miss A, i was sorting through some emmylou harris albums when i had the vision of a heart shaped record. this isn't what i ended up with, but it's what got the ball rolling. i thought of all the allusions that could be made from the fact that my heart was a record or a phonograph or a record player . . . scratches, skipping, needing to be heard, needing to be dusted and cared for, having a message to relay, a sad song, a happy song, spinning round and round, feeling outdated, feeling pre-loved and thrown away, feeling rehabilitated and renewed, crackling with life, oozing romance and kitsch at the same time. i added the lyrics to an over the rhine song called "born." it is a beautiful picture of a heart growing and learning and loving and being willing to try again. the story for this song came from the couple that fronts Over the Rhine (Karin and Linford) and their relationship when it hit a rocky spot. allegedly, they bought a case of wine and drank a bottle every night until the case was gone - not that alcohol is a way to solve your problems - but this helped them to open up, to laugh, to remember their love . . . and there you have it . . . the urban legend behind this lovely song, this amazing band and part of the inspiration for my journal page.



---------

now it's off to bed . . . just finished a late night of watching the celtics lose to the lakers. whoops.

.30 day journal challenge day 3 and cover.

so i finally made the cover of my journal for the 30 day journal challenge. i created the drawing and cut it out and used mod podge to glue it on top of images i cut out of an (gulp) anthropologie catalog . . . i really like how it turned out (except for the wrinkles from me being too hasty with the mod podge.

i also completed prompt #3 -
Journal Prompt Number Three: It's always nice to share with someone why you love them. Today, I want you to draw a picture, doodle, sketch, of a person who you love, or admire. Then, write that person a letter telling them why they mean so much to you!
i chose my sister, miss D. she really is a fantastic person! the more i get to know her, the more i really admire her and respect her. she is about 6 years younger than me, but we get mistaken for twins sometimes :) i take that as a compliment. we really weren't close as children, growing up in a house so full of people and having such a big age difference . . . but after i finished college and she started coming up to visit me from time to time, we started being friends (rather than just big sister and little sister) and it's a totally new and lovely dynamic.

she is currently living in juneau, alaska and have the adventure of a lifetime (as is usual for her). this fall, she and a few friends are traveling to Ireland to participate in wwoof and i hope to be able to join her!

you can read more about her adventures at her blogs here and here. she's the bees knees.

----------

right now i am listening to a johnny cash vinyl and getting ready to work on my journal prompt for today. then we'll be heading off to watch the final game! are you a fan of the celtics or the lakers? me? i am in it for the pizza, the beer and the company!

.30 day journal challenge: day 1 and 2.

so, today i did day 1 and 2 of run with scissors' 30 day journal challenge. i haven't decorated the cover of my journal yet, since i just bought it today. i did buy some really nice pens though and i am really excited to use them and get all creative-like.

day one - Journal Prompt Number 1: Create a full page design introducing yourself
Highlight your name many times in the midst of your design.

i guess i missed the part where i had to use my name over and over . . . maybe i'll go back and add to it. instead i put my name in the middle and surrounded it by images of things that are a part of who i am.

journal prompt #2 - What is the BEST part of your day?

it was really hard for me to pick just one thing . . . some days it's coffee, some days it's going out to breakfast with the man-friend, some days it's snuggling with the pup, or gardening, or being with friends, or dancing until my feet hurt, or going on a hike . . . so i tried to think of one thing i LOOOOOVE every. single. day. and that is hitting the snooze button and snuggling back down for "just 5 more minutes" surrounded and safe with my little family. that's the best.

i think i will go back through and add color to these pages, as well as spend some time decorating the cover of my journal.

for now? i will be hitting the shower, eating the LAST PIECE of strawberry rhubarb pie and going to bed. i am pretty tired tonight after my first derby practice in a while (i hurt my back, bummed out, and couldn't skate for a bit). hopefully i feel awesome tomorrow and can hit the track again tomorrow night (after spending some time in my garden in the morning of course) . . .

good night, loves!

.30 day journal challenge: day 1.

today is day one of run with scissors' 30 day journal challenge . . . and i was going to use this pretty journal that i already have, but after looking at everyone's personalized journal's . . . i sort of want to buy a new journal and decorate the cover myself. so i might not start the challenge until tomorrow when i can get to the craft store.

not a very good start to a 30 day challenge, huh? whoops :)


in other news, i've been a vinyl fiend lately. i've had a few awesome vintage and thrift finds (esp in the vinyl dept) that i'd love to blog about. BUUUUUT right now the man-friend and i are off to pick up our first ever FARM SHARE!!!! whooo-hooo!!!!

{photo credit: chris cappy}

i'll be back with a real post and lots of photos soon! have a lovely day.

.30 day journal challenge.

so, i think i am going to embarke on run with scissors' 30 day journal challenge.

what a great way to get the creative juices flowing! to start documenting in a pretty way and to organize my thoughts.

and to start putting my semi-newly-semi-organized craft space to work.


woot!