Category Archives: Relaxation

Thoughtful Thursday Sound

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Your body is made up of 70% water making it a great conductor for sound. Different sounds can affect the body in a positive or negative way. It can affect our moods and emotions. It can even transport us to another time and place if we let it.

Some people need a good glass of wine at the end of the day to release the stress from their bodies. I like to listen to calming music while keeping my eyes closed and focusing on each sound as I drift to an inner peaceful place.

Even everyday sounds can have a calming effect on us. Like hearing small children laugh and play, birds singing, breezes rustling leaves in trees, waves rolling in on the seashore or rain drops hitting the roof. Whatever sound calms you, try listening to it more especially at the end of the day when you need to unwind.

I love to fall asleep to nature CD’s by Dan Gibson’s Solitudes which are available on Amazon. The Solitudes CD’s offer a variety of nature sounds beautifully mixed with instruments creating a calming and serene atmosphere. There are a lot of different nature CD’s on the market but Solitudes has always been a favorite of mine.

I highly recommend listening to some type of calming nature music when you need to unwind and destress or as you fall to sleep. It does wonders for the mind, body and soul. Hope this helps you to relax and unwind.

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“Listen to the sound of the waves within you.” ~Rumi

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Press play to listen to the ocean 🌊

Watercolor Journal Angel Cynthia

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My creative muse is finally showing herself once again. This is my latest angel in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8.5″ watercolor journal. Her name is Cynthia.

Hope you’re having a super weekend!

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Watercolor Journal Golden Hair Angel

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When I finished painting this angel the first thing that came to my mind was the song by America, Sister Golden Hair. With that being said, I named her Golden Hair Angel. It seemed to be a fitting name, lol. She is my latest angel in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8.5″ watercolor journal. I didn’t think I would like her yellow hair that much, but it grew on me. What do you think?

Have a great week!

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Watercolor Journal Angel Ariana

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While I loved doing the Color Lovers Challenge, I really missed painting my angels. Before we get too far away from summer and hues of blue, I thought I would post Ariana which I made in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8.5″ watercolor journal. I love all the blues and violets in this one. What do you think?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Have a wonderful week!

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Watercolor Journal Angel Ana

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Having lots of fun painting angels in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8.5″ watercolor journal. I named her Ana and thought I’d try keeping her more simple. Love how the colors blended on her wings.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Have a wonderful week!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Thoughtful Thursday – Vegan Chocolate Smoothie

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Ok, I confess I’m a chocoholic. But who doesn’t like chocolate? I mean it’s just awesome! There are so many varieties of chocolate out there like white, milk, dark and all flavors in between.

Besides tasting so delicious, studies have shown that dark chocolate, at least 75% or more has some pretty good health benefits too like reducing stress and food cravings, fighting fatigue, improving blood circulation and so much more. It’s even considered nutritious and contains nearly the full RDA of copper and manganese, plus it contains descent amounts of magnesium, iron, fiber, zinc, selenium and potassium.

The 75% dark chocolate has the least amount of sugar as compared to white or milk chocolate. So it won’t contribute to weight gain as long as you don’t over do it. What I have noticed personally is that the more sugar that’s in the chocolate, the more I’ll want to eat it. I find that with the darker chocolate I only need 1 square to satisfy chocolate craving and I’m good to go.

As most of you know, I’m vegan so I’m always looking for vegan chocolates. They do make more of them now and they’re very tasty but a little more pricey than regular chocolate. With that being said I’m always on the hunt for new ways to satisfy my chocolate cravings.

I found a great smoothie recipe online that I tried. It was good but just wasn’t satisfying that rich chocolatey flavor I was looking for so I made changes and came up with this delicious Vegan Chocolate Smoothie that has a rich chocolate flavor and contains about 16 grams of protein:

  • 1 C Unsweetened Almond Milk (or any unsweet non-dairy milk of your choice)
  • 3 Tbsp Organic Gluten Free Oats
  • 2 Tbsp Organic Cacao Nibs or 1.5 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (see note below*)
  • 2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
  • 1 Tbsp No Salt or Sugar Added Almond Butter
  • 2 Tsp Organic Chia Seeds
  • 1 Banana
  • 1 Organic Date (pitt removed)
  • 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 Tsp Instant Espresso Coffee
  • 1/2 C Water
  • 1 C Ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

(*) Although I love cacao nibs and all the antioxidants they provide, I found that using Cocoa Powder gives the smoothie a richer and creamier flavor.

I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

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“I’d give up chocolate, but I’m not a quitter.” ~Unknown

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Spirograph Watercolor Journal Page 2

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Last week I shared my first journal page using Spirograph. This is my second journal page. I had so much fun creating these two pages. I love how they turned out and hope you do too!

I made this page the same as the last. I created the background with a watercolor wash and while that was drying I made my Spirograph designs on coordinating cardstock, cut them out and glued them into the journal. Next I drew a few doodles and inspiring words. I topped it off with a shading, highlights and stickles for a little bling.

You can have some serious fun with a Spirograph set. Just use your imagination!

Hope you’re having a fabulous week!

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Spirograph Watercolor Journal Page

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I wanted to try something different in my journal so I looked around my studio and found the Spirograph set. I hadn’t used it in years. I bought this for my kids when they were little and luckily it was passed back to me when they grew up.

I started this page with a watercolor wash for the background and set it aside. While that was drying, I searched my paper stash and found coordinating sheets to create a couple of Spirograph designs. I cut them out and glued them onto the page. Next I drew in doodles, wrote a few inspiring words and of course added stickles for a little bling. Last I added a little detailing with shading and highlights and that was it.

You can make some really interesting art and cards using a simple Spirograph set. Just let your imagination run wild and have fun!

Have a fantastic week!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Live Life in Full Bloom Watercolor Journal Page

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I love roses and thought I’d make one in my 5.5″ x 8″ Strathmore Mixed Media Journal. I started with a light pencil sketch, then painted it with watercolors. Once that was dry, I used colored pencils for shading and detailing and topped it off with Stickles for a little bling. Last I added my quote using a Sakura Micron Pen #03.

I’m not sure who said the quote “Live Life in Full Bloom” but I thought it was fitting for this page. It was a good warm up for beginning my day in the studio.

Have an awesome week!

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Thoughtful Thursday – Keeping a Positive Attitude

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How do you stay on the path of positivity when there is so much negativity around you? How do you find that ray of hope each and every day? It’s hard, no doubt. Not something to be taken lightly either.

I’d like to think everyone starts their day on a positive note but depending on what your day was like the day before, that may be a tough thing to do. You may still be carrying all of that luggage. But I look at each day as a clean slate, a chance for a new beginning and a chance to make a positive change. Leave yesterday’s problem in the past and focus on a better today.

A few years ago I started listening to podcasts and grew to really love them. I go for the ones that grow my mind and spirit and a few business ones. Brendon Burchard is a life coach and is one of my favorite podcasts. He came up with a mantra that he uses first thing in the morning. I slightly changed it to fit my needs but here it is:

“Thank you God for this opportunity to serve today. Grant me the strength to focus. To be mindful and present. To serve with excellence. To be a force of light and love.” ~ Brendon Burchard

These words when spoken from the heart most definitely have a positive affect on your day. They don’t guarantee nothing will go wrong, but if it does, you can get back on track easier.

The podcasts are free and are a great resource for inspiration and spreading the happy! If you don’t have access to the podcasts on your phone, check YouTube.com, you can find a lot there. I highly recommend trying them out if you haven’t done so already. You may be pleasantly surprised!

A few of my favorites:

  • The Brendon Show
  • On Purpose with Jay Shetty
  • The Highest Self Podcast with Sahara Rose
  • The Marie Forleo Podcast
  • The Design You Podcast with Tobi Fairley

Thanks for stopping by!

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“Your life is simply a collection of all your thoughts and actions. Which direction to steer it in, is a choice you make every day and every moment. Be positive, live happy.” ~Unknown

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