When I was a kid and the teacher would bring out the scissors, paper and glue I knew it was going to be an awesome day because we would create some type of art. Sometimes it’s fun to go back to the basics and cut out pictures and simply glue them in a journal.
I’m not a textile artist but I look in awe at the quilts others make. I came across these photos in Quilting Arts magazine and decided to make journal pages from them. These were images of quilts created and designed by Jean Impey. They were simply stunning!
I onced used a hand wipe to clean inks from my studio table and it looked pretty cool at the time so I kept the wipe and let dry so I could use it for my art. It ended up finding a home in my journal 😊 The leaves and the heart were made using the recycled wipe. I thought they went well with the images and background color.
Hope this quote and happy journal layout inspire you in way today.
I just finished reading “The High 5 Habit” by Mel Robbins and really loved it. In her book, Mel explains the importance of supporting and cheering on your family and friends throughout life. It’s something we all do without giving it much thought. Yet when it comes to ourselves, we’re overly critical and rarely if ever do we give ourselves credit for how far we’ve come on this incredible journey called life.
This simple concept of high fiving yourself everyday may seem silly at first but I can tell you it’s absolutely mind altering and in a very good way. Mel doesn’t just talk about starting this habit with easy to follow steps. She goes further by explaining how this affected her own life and then gives you the science behind why we do what we do and what we need to do to change.
I highly recommend reading this book which is available on Mel Robbins website or on Amazon. “The High 5 Habit” is a well written book that will help you understand yourself better and learn how to make positive changes in your life.
Hope you enjoyed this book review. Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
“Good habits are as addictive as bad habits, and a lot more rewarding.” ~ Harvey MacKay
I finished this portrait last night and named her “Change.” Just as caterpillars change to stunning butterflies, sometimes we also have to change to stay on our life’s path. Change isn’t always fun but can lead us to great things.
Have a fabulous day!
Share the Happy 💖
“Change is the law of life, and those who only look to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” ~John F Kennedy
It’s hard to believe that there are only 23 days until the New Year and then we’ll be in 2022. With the holidays in full swing many of us have busier than usual schedules. But this is the perfect time to start thinking about the New Year and what you want to accomplish.
A good place to start is to see where you are on your resolutions from this year. Did you get to where you wanted to be? If you did that’s awesome! If you didn’t, then take a look at what may have thrown you off course. Think about how you can improve on that for the next year.
When deciding on New Year’s resolutions, choose ones that resonate with you. And I mean something that you “really” want to attain. Don’t make resolutions for things that you feel would be nice to do or have some day. Those half hearted resolutions will never get off the ground because you’ll never fully commit to them. And by not reaching them, it’ll have a negative impact in your mind.
So stick with fewer resolutions that you’re passionate about. Put all of your heart into reaching your goal and you will. Stay focused and remind yourself everyday of what you’re aiming for. Check in weekly to make sure you’re staying on course and if you need to adjust your resolutions a bit, that’s ok they’re not set in stone.
Quick Summary:
Set New Year resolutions that are attainable and that you’re passionate about.
Decide on 3 resolutions at the most. Too many are overwhelming.
Give yourself deadlines to make your resolutions a reality.
Look at your resolutions everyday to keep you on track.
If life throws you a curve ball, adjust your resolution a bit.
Most important, be kind to yourself and celebrate the journey!
I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
“What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what YOU bring to the New Year.” ~Vern McLellan
What are mirror neurons? Mirror neurons are the part of the brain that cause us to mimic or reflect back what we are seeing in another person. For example when you see some one hurt themselves, you may winch and feel their pain. Or when some one yawns, you’ll have to yawn yourself even though you’re not tired. The same also holds true for when some one is in a bad or good mood. Their mood may rub off on us. This is because of the mirror neurons in our brains.
When I first started my morning walks I’d smile at strangers and most often I didn’t get much of a response, much less a positive one. But I didn’t let this stop me because I was determined to share my happiness.
As I continued my walks day after day, I’d smile bigger and longer. If that didn’t work I’d follow that with a twinkling wave and a cheerful “Good Morning!” I completely understand that not everyone wants to be happy and that’s ok.
But smiles are contagious and are universally understood. If you smile at some one long enough, you’ll most likely get a smile back due to the mirror neurons. Whether you’re in a good mood or not, the fact that you’re smiling instantly raises your energy and you can’t help but feel uplifted.
After a couple of weeks something magical started happening. These strangers who were not the happiest little campers suddenly became friendlier. I began to get big smiles, twinkling waves and morning shout outs of “Good Morning!” So much so that some would go out of their way to greet me. It made me feel even happier that I was able to share my positive energy with others. I may not have changed the world, but I changed my corner of it, just a bit.
Imagine if everyone tried to “Share the Happy” with those around them. Life isn’t always perfectly happy but when we put more of that positive energy out there, it will surely come back to us ten fold. So what are you waiting for, get out and share a great big smile with some one today 😊
Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha
My newest Star Angel painted on 8″ x 10″ 140lb Watercolor Paper. She’s painted with beautiful hues of blue, pink, purple and yellow. She emits visions of peace and tranquility and is made with lots of love!
Jodi Ohl recently hosted a Color Lovers Challenge that I participated in. I loved every moment, especially the challenging ones. But for Day 12 which was Vibrant, I used a canvas I was working on for the challenge and saved a place in my journal to come back to and finish at another time.
So this was the vibrant watercolor abstract painting I made in my journal. I added a quote by Zig Ziglar which pretty much summed up the challenge: “If it doesn’t CHALLENGE you, it won’t CHANGE you.”
I’m really loving abstract art more and more. This is my newest piece. It’s similar to my other one but painted with brighter and very happy colors. This piece is simply titled “Happy.” Would love to hear your thoughts.
The mind is very powerful. It can create a happy life for us or an unhappy one. But it all comes down to what thoughts are you planting in your mind.
Mindfulness was and still is a big movement. But how often do you mind your thoughts? There is a constant chatter going on in your mind every minute of every day. Experts guesstimate that the brain has an average of 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts per day, which translates to 2,500 – 3,300 thoughts per hour. This in itself is mind boggling, so how can you be mindful with so many thoughts all the time?
Sadly, the majority of our thoughts are negative. It’s how we’re programmed as human beings. So how do you keep your thoughts in check? Because it’s very easy to have your negative thoughts take control of your daily life, which if left unattended day after day, will create an unhappy life.
Here are a few ideas ideas to help you plant seeds of happiness:
Before getting out of bed, visualize what a great day you will have.
Get up 30 minutes earlier and have some quiet time to relax your body and mind.
Everyday write down at least 3 things you’re grateful for.
Write down positive affirmations and repeat them to yourself throughout the day.
While exercising repeat positive mantras in your mind.
Read inspiring quotes and start a collection of them to have on hand.
Take time off from social media.
Take a break from your phone and set times to check in.
Go for a walk or hike outside, enjoy the sunshine and reconnect with nature.
Listen to a good Life Coach or Motivational Speaker.
Spend a few minutes every morning visualizing where you want to go in life and the person you want to be.
Meditate daily. If you’re not sure what to do, then start with a guided meditation.
Create art like painting, sculpting or drawing Zentangles.
It’s normal to try something new and go right back to your old habits. But pay attention when this happens and make the decision to get back on track. The choice is yours, sow some positivity.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
“Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.” ~Earl Nightingale
I joined Jodi Ohl’s Color Lovers Challenge which runs 30 days so I’m posting several days at a time. If you missed my earlier creations, I’ll have links at the bottom of this post. These are my latest creations:
Day 18 – Energy and Movement
I painted a little ballerina in watercolor and added the quote “Dance is an art, paint your dream and follow it!”
Day 19 – Ice Cream
When I was a kid I used to love the fun ice cream flavors like cotton candy, blue raspberry and mint chocolate chip which is still my favorite. So I decided to create an abstract in colors representing all the fun flavors from way back when. I added a fun quote: “You can’t buy happiness but you can buy ice cream. And that’s kind of the same thing.”
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Day 20 – Water/Ocean
I painted the ocean with watercolors and then made a sail boat out of paper I previously made. I added a quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.”
Day 21 – Earth
It was only a matter of time before an angel popped up in my challenge. But I like to think we have a greater power watching over us, so for this prompt I painted an angel holding the earth. I added a quote by the Dalai Lama: “It is our collective and individual responsibility… To preserve and tend to the word in which we all live.”
In case you missed my previous pages, just click the links:
Flowing Waters Art 