I was going through some of my old sketch books and came upon this cute little guy. I created him in my 9″ x 12″ Strathmore Sketchbook quite a few years ago. He was made with Prismacolor Pencils and nothing else. I remember making him and thinking it would be so hard to draw fluffy down feathers. But I think I pulled it off, somewhat at least. Considering it was spring I figured it was the perfect time to share him with you.
Hope he brightens your day!
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Easter Family Traditions
Growing up, Easter was a fairly big day of celebration. I remember how excited I was to color Easter eggs with mom the night before. Easter morning we started our day with breakfast and then off to church we went. For us kids, the highlight was getting back home to the Easter baskets filled with all kinds of goodies.
Mom would always get us something new to wear. Whether it was a new shirt or swimsuit, it was always exciting. Then it was time for the infamous Easter Egg Hunt in the garden which was a thrilling event! I held on to these wonderful family traditions with my kids and we all have a lot of fond memories and more in the making!
My kids are grown now but I still make them some type of basket. I’ve switched it up and gotten pretty creative over the years. This year I was going to try making these cute wafer decorations which can be found at SmartSchoolHouse.com. My Pinterest Easter Board is full of inspiring ideas on celebrating this Easter holiday.
What are your Easter Traditions?
I wish you and your family a Joyous Easter!
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“Easter is the only time of the year when it’s safe to put all your eggs in one basket..” ~Unknown
Welcome Little Ones
Last week I wrote about the coming of Spring and the Mockingbirds that made a nest in our topiary just outside of our front door. I still find it odd that they did this with all of the foot traffic in and out of our home, but I guess they felt safe enough.
We’ve been watching Momma coming in and out from the nest a lot from our window. One time we saw her come back with a worm so we investigated once we knew she left. When we walked outside you could hear tiny little peeps. Lo and behold, we had 3 new babies in the nest and I was able to get a quick photo before Momma came back.
Life is beautiful, precious and just amazes me at times. We were blessed to see the birds build the nest, lay their eggs and now welcome the new babies. I’m still in awe with these precious little ones.
Mockingbirds are the Florida State Bird and are here all year round. They are about ten inches in length, sing beautiful songs and are excellent mimics. We’re keeping everyone away from the nest area so the babies and parents don’t stress. We can see that Momma keeps an ever watchful eye over her babies as Mockingbirds are known for fiercely defending their nests.
Take the time to slow down and breathe in the beauty and new life all around you during this very special season.
Have a lovely weekend!
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“Those who find beauty in all of nature will find themselves at one with life itself.” ~L.W. Gilbert
Since I painted an angel with a little puppy, I only thought it was fair to also paint a cute kitty. This is my latest creation in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8.5″ Watercolor Journal. Cats have the coolest personalities. My sister once had a cat that was raised by her dogs and he thought and acted more like a dog than a cat, lol. He was an awesome cat to say the least!
Hope you’re starting your week off grand! 😊
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Spring Solstice
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the Spring Equinox is on Saturday, 3/20/2021. This marks the first official day of spring in the Northern hemisphere. On this day, the length of the day and night are almost equal.
The flowers are beginning to bloom and the birds are nesting. We have a pair of what I believe are Mockingbirds that have made their nest just outside our front door in the topiary tree. We’ve been careful to keep the noise down, lights low and the gardeners away from that tree so that we do not disturb them. But it can be a little challenging since they are right at our front door. You can see the momma bird on her eggs keeping them nice and warm. I can’t wait for them to hatch! Very exciting!!
Have you checked your yard for any exciting new babies that may be coming soon? Would love to hear from you.
Hope you have a great weekend!
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“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.” ~Charles Dickens
Hope this post finds you doing well. Wanted to share my latest angel with you that I created in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8.5″ Watercolor Journal. My colors are getting a bit brighter as spring officially begins this weekend! I love seeing all the beautiful new blooms!
Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!
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Keto Day 15 – Progress Report
Okay, today is my last Keto Diet progress report. I promised to report the good, the bad and and ugly. Well, I started out good, losing weight and inches and that has now slowed down to a crawl unfortunately. I’ve lost a total of 7 pounds but my body fat and muscle mass is the same. I’ve hit a plateau and it’s a little frustrating.
Going back to my history, my body doesn’t normally respond well to eating more fat. However, one thing I did start adding to my morning shakes was Coconut MCT Oil which is a long-chain triglyceride that is easier to digest and is a good source of energy. It’s also good for brain health. You can have it everyday, but I only add it to my diet 3 times a week. I will say I’ve noticed that my mind is definitely sharper. So that’s a plus! Some of my other issues related to inflammation have also lessened, another plus!
Many people lose a lot of weight on Keto, but it just doesn’t seem to totally agree with me so I have to tweak my diet a little more. I think if I go back to cooking oil free but keep the avocados, nuts, coconuts and olives in my diet a few times a week I’m hoping I can find a good balance.
The Keto recipes were delicious and I now have a few new favorites. I’m still a believer in the Keto Lifestyle and recommend giving it a try. But eat a clean Keto Diet, not the ones that convince you a slab of bacon is healthy. Before making any changes to your diet, always check with your healthcare practitioner.
Thanks for your support on this adventure!
Recommend books for Keto Diet:
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“If your body’s not right the rest of your day will go wrong. Take care of yourself!” ~V. L. Allineare
Daylight Savings Time
This Sunday marks Daylight Savings Time. We go to bed on Saturday night and at 12 am we are supposed to set our clocks forward 1 hour. An easy way to remember which way to set your clock is think “Spring forward, Fall back.”
But who started this and why? During World War I, President Roosevelt had the idea to follow the European model and suggested to Congress to start one standard time throughout our country. This was supposed to help us utilize our resources better. Thus they enacted the 1918 Standard Time Act which was meant to only be in effect for 7 months out of the year. After the war, the Standard Time Act was discontinued. However, some states still continued to follow it.
When World War II started, Congress imposed new legislation that was basically same as the 1918 Time Act but would be in effect for the entire year instead of only 7 months. This was repealed in 1945, and again some states kept following the Time Act.
In 1966 Congress passed new legislation that would permanently set a standard time for the entire nation. There are a few exceptions to the rule. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not follow this legislation, as well as overseas US Territories.
So don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour Saturday night before going to bed. Hope you have a great weekend!
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Sources:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/daylight-saving-time-instituted
https://time.com/5005600/states-without-daylight-savings-time
Keto Day 10 – Progress Report
If you’ve been following my blog, you know I started the Keto Diet March 1st, Vegan style. So far I’ve lost a total of 6.4 pounds. My body fat dropped another .2% for a total of 1.2% while my muscle mass stayed the same for a total gain .5%.
I’m still happy with my progress. I thought I would have seen more of a change from fat to muscle by now, but it really didn’t fluctuate the last 5 days. I’m hoping to see more of a shift soon.
When I drank only smoothies made with raw fruits and veggies for a period of about 2 months, I lost anywhere from .3 – .5 lbs a day which totaled 10 – 15 lbs in a month. So considering I’m eating more fats than I have ever done in my life from avocado, nuts, olives and coconut I’m pretty surprised that the results so far are about the same.
The recipes thus far have been tasty, so no complaints there. However, I just can’t bring myself to cook with lots of oil. I still go light in that department and that’s worked out okay for me.
My energy levels are good and overall I feel great! So I’m sticking with it for another 5 days and will let you know how it goes.
Stay tuned because I will see you again on Day 15.
Thanks for your support!
Recommend books for Keto Diet:
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“A healthy outside starts from the inside.” ~Robert Urich
Keto Day 5 – Progress Report
March 1st, I started on the Keto Diet, Vegan style. I’ve been doing good sticking to it for my first 5 days. It hasn’t been easy at times but I’ve managed. I’m still not in Ketosis (burning fat) but I have lost a total of 5.2 pounds.
I use the Eat Smart Digital scale to weigh myself and it also measures your body fat and muscle mass. I’m happy to report that my body fat dropped 1.0% and my muscle mass increased .5%. Although these aren’t big changes, it’s still progress, however small.
The recipes for the meals in Dr. Cabeca’s book, “Keto-Green 16,” have been surprisingly delicious! I thought with limiting my foods on keto and then limiting them even more because I’m vegan would be problem with flavor. But luckily this is not the case which makes it so much easier to continue.
I’m still doing my 30 minute weight and 30 minute cardio workouts everyday except Sunday, my day of rest. My energy for the first 3 days was a little low but on days 4 and 5 my energy increased and I feel like I have more energy than before which is another plus.
Stay tuned because I will see you again on Day 10. Wish me luck!
Thanks for your support!
Recommend books for Keto Diet:
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“The best six doctors anywhere, and no one can deny it are sunshine, water, rest, air, exercise and diet.” ~Wayne Fields
Flowing Waters Art 