30-Day Coloring Challenge Part 2: Day 1

June 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment

challenge_graphic-June-650Do you remember the coloring challenge I participated in back in March?  Well if you do, it’s back!! Kathy at The Daily Marker is at it again. She hosted the challenge in March and now she’s at it again for June.  As you all know, my life is very crazy right now so I am trying to dial it back so I can get back to what I enjoy doing – my crafts.

The Challenge begins today and ends on June 30th.  All I have to do is spend a minimum of 5 minutes and color each day then share what I am creating. They don’t have to be finished cards or projects, just coloring. I like this because for me it takes the pressure off and let’s me play. So on some days I might have something complete and on others you will just see what I’m playing with. I will mostly be using my Copics, but I will also use my watercolor paint, watercolor pencils and distress markers from time to time. I hope by blogging and putting my stuff on Instagram, I will stay honest to the task.

To find out more if you would like to participate you should click here.

Having said all that, the last challenge I went strong for 11 days straight then things got wonky and then I picked up day 16-22 and then I fell off. So I aim to do better and that might not be all the way to 30 days or it might be. Let’s just see what happens. I have jury duty this month, I wonder if I could bring my markers on that day? hee hee.

So today I managed to squeeze a little time in to color up an image for a magnetic bookmark I wanted to make.

day1aI used an image from an old Flourishes stamp I have. I really miss that company. They had amazing stamps. They are so pretty you don’t even have to color them. I saw instructions for using dies to make a magnetic bookmark and took out some of my dies to find the right size.

day1bThis is the second time I am using my new Hex Chart from Sandy Allnock. It really is a great way to find the colors for my projects. It shows you how different colors relate very different from the Copic color chart. I like having both but am definitely seeing the benefit of having this one. I will write more about it as I use it for more projects. I can also easily see what I really need and what can wait when I look at the chart. Since we all know, Copics are an investment (nice way of saying expensive!!).

day1cI followed the instructions and adhered the magnets before attaching the patterned paper. I love Zinnias so this stamp makes me happy. Now I can see it every time I open my book.

day1dI think I will use a stronger magnet next time. This one isn’t as strong as I would like.

Well day one is complete. I won’t always be able to complete a project but I will try to stick to coloring a minimum of 10 minutes and try to keep up with posting it this time around. I post on Instagram too so I need to figure out an efficient process so not as to make this work instead of play.

I hope you find 10 minutes today to color. It’s not just for kids!!

Have a blessed night and I will be back tomorrow with day 2.

Belinda

Filed Under: Projects Tagged With: , , ,

Project Life Week 14 – A Week of Family Happenings

June 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment

projectlifelogo1

I’m back!! I have been swallowed up by life and many projects got put on the back burner, project life being one of them. So I’m climbing my way back out of the whole and I am now able to bring you week 14 of my Project Life which was a busy but fun week.  week14aI of course ended up cutting a page protector to make an insert to accommodate my problem of wanting to include way too many photos.

I included my current book club read at the time which was The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. That was the first book by that author that I read but I thoroughly enjoyed it and even recommended to a friend who also read and enjoyed it. You can read my review here.

I took a few candid photos of Apollo and I included my March design for my ATC swap.

week14fI love the photo I included of Apollo waiting at the window for Leao to return via taxi from a business trip. It is one of those moments that made my heart so happy. I think I realize how much they love their dad because I witness these type of moments. I actually sent the photo to Leao while he was riding home in the taxi to show him how much he was missed.  Just precious.

week14c

For the insert I cut a 12 x 12 page protector down to include more photos. I do this because I want my inserts to be smaller than the regular 12 x 12 page protector.

It included a candid of Apollo in Barnes and Noble. They still love this place and so we go quite regularly. I also included and journaled about Apollo and how much joy he has for being a part of my monthly ATC swap. I took a picture of him sorting the cards in preparation for mailings. I also included bookmarks I made for Nicholas’ class since they read, “Wonder”, I made custom “Wonder” bookmarks.

week14d

This is the back side of the insert. I included the photo of the day I received my jury duty notice. I mean come on, why me? I have been called to jury duty since I was in college (which is a while back now) and I still meet people that have never been called. What? Not fair!! I also included Apollo on Easter morning getting his basket and a picture of the yummy spread my mother-in-law made for Easter Dinner.

week14eI just included photos on the second page from Easter with family. I didn’t put any embellishments on this page because my goal was to get it documented and complete.

So I hope to keep climbing out of this whole so that I can return next week with week 15.

Happy memory keeping my friends!

Belinda

Filed Under: Project Life, Projects

Belinda’s Book Nook Review: Every Gift Matters: How Your Passion Can Change the World by Carrie Morgridge

May 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment

everygiftmatters

 

Title: Every Gift Matters: How Your Passion Can Change the World
Author: Carrie Morgridge with John Perry
Copyright: May 5, 2015
Genre: non-fiction, reference
Format: e-book for review Pages: 184

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Charitable giving is on the rise in America. Despite the lingering effects of the economic downturn, Americans continue to give generously of their time, talent, and money – more than $335 billion in 2013, a 4.4% increase from 2011. What’s more, the bulk of that charitable giving – 72% – came not from large foundations or corporations, but from individuals making small gifts. For those with passion for a cause and a generous spirit, it’s vitally important that they leverage their gift in the right way in order to have the greatest impact possible.

In her first book EVERY GIFT MATTERS (Greenleaf; May 2015), Carrie Morgridge shares inspiring stories of powerful gifts in action showing readers how to turn the act of giving into a vehicle for positive change. Drawing on 15 years of experience supporting causes that align with her passions through gifts, Morgridge demonstrates how a smart strategy, high expectations, a deep network, and hands-on personal involvement will ensure that one’s gift is compounded over time to have the biggest impact possible.

My Thoughts:

In addition to my regular reading I now have begun to review books for publishing companies.  Most of the books I receive have not been released for the general public.  You can rest assured, I will in no way alter my reviews with this privilege of receiving ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies). I will always give my honest review good or bad.

As you all may know, this year I have been educating myself on more effective ways of charitable giving.  I have given to charities in the past but not really felt the connection nor did I know if my money made a difference.  So when I saw this book, I knew I had to review it. I recently had a conversation with a family member and when I talked about some of the charities I am passionate about and expressed my plans to donate, I received the same skepticism I hear over and over.  That much of the money doesn’t even go to the recipients/cause it goes to the administration.  I proceeded to tell them that with anything else, it is important to do your research to ensure that doesn’t happen.  I now wonder if this is the reason so many don’t donate or is it a convenient excuse to forget about others in need. Maybe a little of both sometimes.  I know I am cautious but refrain from being cynical about charitable giving.

Every Gift Matters, is a great book to read if you are planning on charitable giving whether through time or money. I enjoyed it because it had a good bit of instruction on how to approach giving which I feel is important. I think it can help provide readers with a structure to create their own charitable giving. I like stuff like that. It makes it a good reference book with lists of questions to think about to help formulate your giving plan. So if you are like me and like to have pre-defined lists to help you get started this book does share some of that. I found myself highlighting to put in my own plan.

One very important thing that the author tries to convey throughout the book is that you should align your charitable giving with your passions.  Her passion is with education particularly with disadvantaged children. She provides a look at her journey to charity and then through a large list of opportunities that she has invested in with her foundation. A large portion of the book focuses on examples of her giving and the results from them. Towards the end, I did think that for some that don’t share the her passion for educational charitable giving and say for example maybe they have a passion for the environment, might wish they could see more variety. But the author is sharing her experience which can be applied to others’ passions (environment, animal right, etc.).

What I loved is the many programs and resources that she has included in her examples. I found myself keeping a list of all these organizations to look into after I completed the book.

I really enjoyed hearing her stories and the connections she has had with all the people rather than just giving and walking away, she has connected with so many people in so many special ways that it is refreshing.  It’s a good counter to all the cynicism surrounding giving.

An important point that she makes and reiterates is that you don’t have to have a foundation and donate large sums of money. Every gift matters. That it’s all the small gifts that make the difference. As long as you find your passion, make the connection to charities that share your values, do the research, talk with the people who work there then you will make profound differences in the world.

I would recommend this book which is now available and will definitely be using her advice in my endeavors. I  give it four butterflies.

Happy Reading!

Belinda

4rating

Filed Under: Belinda's Book Nook Tagged With: , , , , ,

Hello Everyone!!

May 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment

No, I haven’t fallen off the edge of the earth. I can’t believe how long it has been since I have written a post.  This time of year is usually a bit crazy but this year even more so with my oldest getting ready to graduate from elementary school. I feel like I am inside a tornado and occasionally I get peeks out to see the possibilities and then I am swept back inside.

I had every intention of posting regularly even if I had to cut back on a few posts but boom… time was not on my side.

So let’s catch-up!  The last time we were together, I was sharing the beginning of my 21-day cleanse.  I am proud to say I am down to the last few days (4 to be exact) and I did not cheat and stuck to my exercise routine and sleep routine throughout. I’ve learned a lot about myself in the process. I feel great and I have re-united with my love for cooking with real food.  I love that I have only fed myself whole organic foods throughout this process. That is no easy feat particularly financially. I have been shopping Trader Joes more frequently and I am pretty sure they know me now at Whole Foods. But cooking with fresh vegetables,eating paster-raised organic eggs, and humanly treated meats has really been eye-opening. I enjoyed all the meals I had except for 3 and that’s pretty good in my eyes. I definitely intend on keeping many of the recipes moving forward. I am also going to stick to clean eating in general and limit my processed foods. Here are some pictures of some of my meals over the past few weeks:

Overview1

This cleanse by no means was a deprivation diet where I ate crackers and yucky stuff. I had hearty delicious meals that included fish and meat.  So I don’t feel like I am missing out on much.

Overview2One of my favorite meals was the zucchini noodles with a homemade beef bolognese sauce. I could have eaten this every day. And Apollo loves using my spiralizer to make the noodles for me!

Overview3One of my favorite snacks was slices of cumber with avocado spread on top with a dash of salt.  Pure yummy. After I complete this cleanse, I will slowly reintroduce the trigger foods to help to determine any problems.  What a facinating journey that I found daunting as I approached the start date but now reflect and know that this was right for me and will help me to continue on my goal of great health.

I will probably resume my normal posting schedule next week, as I try desperately to grab the reins to this extremely active time. I hope that you all are well and hope you have been crafting, reading and finding time with nature now that the weather has warmed.

Have a blessed day!

Belinda

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