Category Archives: Fun

Thoughtful Thursday

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The Benefits of Exercise

I wake up groggy like most and go through my morning routine, sometimes half asleep. But before I do any work of any kind, I work my body. I do 30 minute weight training and 30 minute cardio either on the elliptical or outside for a walk, weather permitting. On the days I don’t do my workout, it takes me longer to get going.

My morning workout literally crank starts my engine. It gets my blood flowing and my mind starts to click along. Exercising increases your energy levels too. It also helps you feel better and puts you in a better mood to start your day. Working out tones your muscles and helps build bone density and helps you avoid injuries by maintaining your strength. Plus it helps with weight loss and to get a better night of sleep.

Now I’m not saying you have to workout for an hour a day. For some that’s too much and for others, it’s not enough. You need to create a workout routine that works for you. It doesn’t need to be complicated with lots of equipment. You can do yoga, sit ups, push ups or walk in place to name a few. Make it easy so you’ll do it and stick with it. If you have limitations, there is a lot of information available online for doing modified exercises. Before starting any new exercise routine you should consult with your doctor or health practitioner. Just moving your body for 5 minutes a day will benefit you greatly and make you feel good!

Thanks for stopping by, Share the Happy!

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Angel Journal Page

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I saw a painting online which inspired me to create this beautiful bright angel in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8″ watercolor journal. I started by lightly sketching her in the journal. Once I was happy with the sketch, I wet the paper a little and added my bright watercolor paints.

What I really loved about creating her was letting the watercolors mix and mingle on the wet paper. You never know what the paints will do and that’s the fun part. There’s a certain sense of freedom with that. No instructions, no rules to follow. Just have fun and let the process unfold in front of your eyes. It’s simply magical.

While the paint was still wet, I added a little sea salt. Then I waited patiently for it to dry. Next I brushed off the sea salt and using a white Posca pen, I added lines and doodles. I wasn’t happy with her face so I added more detailing and shading with watercolor paints and colored pencils. I finished her off with a little bling and added Stickles.

Hope she inspires you to create your own magic in your journal and in your life! Thanks for stopping by!

Share the Happy!

Dream Girl Journal Page

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I created this fun whimsical girl in my Strathmore 6″ x 12″ watercolor journal. It’s an odd size journal which makes it quite a challenge to create in. I started by doing a light sketch and then I painted her with watercolor paints.

After the paint had dried, I outlined the sketch with Sakura Micron 005 Pen. Next I added a few highlights to her hair with a white Posca Pen and shading with a gray Stabilo Pencil. I also added a little bling to her hair with pink Stickles. Last I filled in the word Dream with Inkssentials Glossy Accents to give it a little texture.

I really love her wild pink hair. Thought it was perfect for the season Lol!

Hope she inspires you to create your own whimsical girl. Thanks for stopping by!

Share the Happy!

Thoughtful Thursday

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10 Ways to Share the Happy

Everyone can use a little cheering up, especially these days. So I’m sharing with you a few thoughtful ways to brighten someone’s day. Again, these are just ideas to help get your creative minds going:

  1. Help a neighbor in need by bringing them a meal.
  2. Call a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while and chat for a while.
  3. Create a bookmark with inspiring words and leave it in a library book for someone to find.
  4. Buy the person behind you in the coffee line, a cup of coffee or a cookie or both!
  5. Create a small piece of happy art and leave it in the park or by a tree for someone to enjoy.
  6. Let someone having a tough day go in front of you at the check out.
  7. Buy a small bouquet of flowers and give them out to those who need a little happy in their day.
  8. Hold the door open for someone who needs a helping hand.
  9. Leave a note with kind uplifting words in a friend or family member’s bag to brighten their day when they least expect it.
  10. Smile at the beautiful souls you pass by throughout your day!

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” LaoTzu

How are can you brighten someone’s day?

Thanks for stopping by, Share the Happy!

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Here’s another idea, give your loved one a morning greeting with their coffee!

Witch’s Brew Art Journal

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I created this witch with colored pencil on a 4″ square piece of mixed media paper last year for an art challenge. Sadly, she didn’t win but she sure was a lot of fun to make so I had to find a way to use her. In my stash I found these fun Halloween cut outs from K & Company and thought they went well together. I really loved that some were accented with sparkly glitter so I didn’t have to add Stickles this time, lol.

I used my 5.5″ x 8″ Strathmore Mixed Media Journal for this layout. I started by coating the pages with white gesso. Once that was dry, I painted the background purple. The darker bottom layer was made using the same purple paint but mixed with black paint. While it was drying I cut a 4.25″ square from black cardstock and mounted the witch drawing. You can draw anything you want on the 4″ square with colored pencils, markers, crayons or whatever strikes your fancy. Just use your imagination and think spooky!

Next I used Ranger Black Soot to distress the edges. I picked the Halloween cut outs I wanted to use and glued them along with the witch to the pages. Next I used a little silver paint for shimmering shadows. Last I added more shading with a dark gray Stabilo pencil and that was it!

Hope you enjoy making your spooky layout. Thanks for stopping by!

Share the Happy!!!

Supplies Used:

  • Strathmore Mixed Media Journal – 5.5″ x 8″
  • Gesso
  • Spooky Halloween Drawing on a 4″ Square piece of Mixed Media Paper
  • K & Company Die-Cut Cardstock (TC Halloween Pumpkin and Friends)
  • Acrylic Paint: Purple, Black, Silver
  • Ranger Distress Ink – Black Soot
  • Dark Gray Stabilo Pencil
  • Paint Brush
  • Paper Towels
  • Aleene’s Tacky Glue
  • Water

Thoughtful Thursday

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THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY

Power of a Smile

Researchers have found that smiling, evokes a feeling of happiness and has many positive effects on our overall wellbeing. On my morning walks I’ve encountered many people on the road especially these days. But to my surprise, a lot of them were, well, grump misers. I would smile and give them a nice “Good Morning” a few would respond but a lot would just grunt and keep going.

My parents always told me stories of how I was the happiest baby, always laughing and smiling and I still am. Truth be told, it just makes you feel good. Sure, life isn’t perfect and things go wrong for all of us, but it comes down to what are you going to do with that curve ball life just threw your way. Are you going to be miserable or are you going to make the best of it and find something to smile about. Personally I prefer to find that silver lining in the cloud.

With all these morning grump misers, I thought I can’t let them be this unhappy, because happiness and positive energy is contagious. So I upped my game. I started giving everyone a big smile with a resounding “Good Morning!” And if that didn’t work, the next time I’d add in a twinkling little wave along with my big smile and greeting. I was determined to share the happy!

Funny thing started to happen, even the grumpiest people would get happy when they saw me coming their way. The happiness and positive energy has been so contagious, that they are now, seeking me out for that “Good Morning” smile and it’s just really nice to know that your smile and positive energy has the power to brighten someone else’s day.

We have unusual circumstances these days where many of us are in environments where we have to wear masks a lot but you can still see a smile in a person’s eyes and you feel the positive energy radiating from them. So don’t use that as an excuse not to smile and share the happy. Imagine how different the world could be if more people would share a smile and positive energy.

Who did you share your smile with today?

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Thanks for stopping by, Share the Happy!

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Autumn Solstice Mandala

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This is another mandala I created. It represents the beginning of autumn, when there’s still a lot of green but just starting to change color. I created this on 8″ x 8″ 140 lb, Cold Press water color paper. I used watercolor paints, colored pencils, pen and acrylic paint pen for highlights.

I really enjoy creating these mandalas and hope you enjoy it too. It’s available for purchase in my etsy shop: FlowingWatersArtShop

Thanks for stopping by!

Share the Happy!!!

Thoughtful Thursday

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THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY

Fear

I read an interesting article written by Chip Gaines in the Summer 2020 issue of Magnolia Journal. In the article he posed a good question: “If fear wasn’t a part of the equation, how would your life look different?”

It really got me thinking. Fear always plays a pretty big role in all of our lives everyday. We don’t move forward with projects out of fear of failure. We hold back on meeting new people because we’re afraid of being rejected. We don’t sing, create art or dance to our hearts content because we’re afraid of being ridiculed or laughed at.

But ultimately, we end up hurting ourselves. We lose out on life, by sitting on the sidelines allowing fear to grip us tight and hold us back. I’m not saying that fear is bad, it’s also a good thing because fear keeps us safe. But often times we let it get out of control when it isn’t necessarily needed. We need fear but we also need to keep it in check. We need to be sensible but when it comes to living our lives and being in the present moment or sitting it out on the bench, please choose to enjoy life! It is so much more fulfilling and it’s one of the reasons we’re here. So live your life to the fullest everyday!

“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” ~ Lewis Carroll

Thanks for stopping by, Share the Happy!

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Spooky Halloween Decoration

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I found this wooden cut out in the Art and Craft store and thought it would be fun to make it into a Halloween Decoration. It’s fairly easy to make with minimal supplies and would be a great project to make with kids, supervised of course 😉

Supplies:

  • Wooden “Spooky” cut out with hanging wire
  • Gesso
  • Folkart Crackle Medium
  • Acrylic Paint: Red, Black
  • Acrylic Paint Pens: Red, White
  • Stickles: Xmas Red
  • Inkssentials Glossy Accents
  • 2 Black glitter pumpkin bell ornaments

Instructions:

  1. Paint the wooden cut out with gesso. Let dry.
  2. Paint cut out with red acrylic paint. Let dry.
  3. Paint cut out with Folkart Crackle Medium. Let dry.
  4. Paint cut out with black acrylic paint. Note: While this layer dries, the paint will start to crack and you’ll see the red paint underneath show through. Make sure to let this completely dry before moving on.
  5. Using the white and red acrylic paint pens, outline the letters a little to make them stand out more. Note: If you don’t have the pens, you can also use a liner brush dipped in white and red acrylic paint to make the thin lines.
  6. Add drops of blood to the letters with the red Stickles. Let dry.
  7. Using the Glossy Accents, go over the Stickles blood drops. Once dry, this will give the droplets a 3D effect.
  8. Last, tie on your pumpkin ornaments to the ends where the wires are and that’s it!

Thoughtful Thursday

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THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY

Words of Wisdom

I am a collector of quotes. They inspire and motivate you and touch your heart and soul. These are a few of my favorites from “Inspirational Quotes illustrated” by Lesley Riley.

This book quickly became one of my favorites. Lesley did a magnificent job collecting 130 quotes and paired them with beautiful illustrations by various artists. The pages in the book are perforated so you can easily tear them out and frame them if you like.

Click on the above image to go directly to Amazon

“We are not human beings have a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” ~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” ~Helen Keller

“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as the attitude you bring to life.” ~Khalil Gibrain

“Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.” ~Emory Austin

“We have a tendency to obscure the forest of simple joys with the trees of problems.” ~Christiane Collange

What is your favorite quote?

Thanks for stopping by, Share the Happy!

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