homemade holly daze

So in order to make this upcoming month more meaningful and fabulous for myself, I decided to invest in a couple of classes in December. Sometimes, when my schedule is erratic and I don't have a good routine, the holidays can make me a bit sad. Plus, the craziness with dealing with stores, too many parties, and ridiculous antics, can also put me in a mood. For the holly daze, I'm going homemade just because I love to be crafty.

The first class I signed up for is the Truffles, Truffles, Truffles Class at Central Market. I've been going through a big cooking phase since the summer. I've gotten hooked on those cooking shows, and I've really enjoyed experimenting with new recipes. Reading Julia Child's book,"My Life in France," has also got me very inspired. So, I'll be taking a class on how to make truffles which I'm really excited about (especially since I heard making chocolate can be challenging). Plus, I'll be able to hopefully learn how to do them well enough to give them as gifts for the holidays.

The other class I have signed up for is the Quick Gifts Workshop at Sew Crafty. I haven't taken a sewing class in years, and I'm excited to get over to the studio and give it a whirl. I am hoping that I get inspired with some ideas for holiday gifts for family and friends.

Plus I think the classes will help me stay a little motivated to keep up with my creativity throughout the holidays, and it will also be a way for me to provide more homemade and meaningful gifts in the coming weeks.

vision: change-dream-journaling-rest-travel

What is it about vision boards that I love so much? I think it's the time that we take to let our minds wander, to be playful, and to dream. A couple weekends ago I was able to check out a vision board workshop at Yoga Ananda, and it was so fun. It was a great way to get together with a few like-minded women, talk, dig through magazines, cool paper, and just be arty. Plus, there was some awesome hot tea to sip on while we were creating. The leader of the group says that a girlfriend of hers hosts a party similar to this towards the end of the year. So, people can start looking forward to their goals and dreams and get re-focused.

I would like to host a similar thing sometime in the coming weeks. It just sounds a lot more meaningful than the typical holiday gatherings. I need to display my vision board somewhere that I can see it more often to help me be surrounded with more encouragement and wishes.

The biggest themes I noticed in this most recent one were:

"Change" - I am so ready for a change, and I often struggle with what that honestly means in my life. I need to start with little dips in the pond so I can eventually just take a big plunge!

"Dream" - I also need to continue working towards my dreams: my art, my continued search for culinary adventure, my passion for health and exercise, and a peaceful/happy life.

"Journaling" - I honestly feel that journaling is essential to my sanity and balance. There are always these fleeting thoughts that collect and if I don't do my morning pages things seem to float up when I'm supposed to be present in my daily activities.

"Rest" - In order to be in tune with what we dream about, we have to always carve out that space. Thanks to my candlelit sessions in a bubble bath, a walk with a good friend, or even sipping a cup of hot tea can be considered rest. I woke up with a very, very sore neck this week, and I had to give my body the rest and care it craved. I also thought that if I had just scheduled in the monthly massage or more rest, I wouldn't have put myself in such a situation.

"Travel" - I am getting that travel bug again. It's been too long since my summer trip, and I really want to go to Paris, France. I have a map of Paris on my bulletin board and reading Julia Child's autobiography is very enticing and inspiring. Oh la la!

November Dreams

November Dreams
I love the cooler weather. I think it always inspires a new change in me: cute socks, fun boots, and sassy cold weather clothes. Running outside is much more bearable. And, there is a certain coziness that you look forward to when you come home on a cold day.

So, here are my November Dreams!

1. More art studio/creativity time- Just like last month, I'd like to continue doing more art work. This month is Art is Everyday month. I want to visit Texas Art Supply. Go to the art studio once a week. And, perhaps, I'll host a girls' afternoon in the studio.

2. Finish Crucial Conversations training - We are more than halfway through with the training. I think it will be nice to have a new toolkit of options when I communicate with others!

3. Continue my workouts with a side of spirituality- We finished boot camp and Melissa and I earned our BON Running Club shirts. I'd like to do cardio 3x times a week, yoga 2x a week, and athletic conditioning 2x a week.

4. Try out Yoga Ananda studio- I bought a first timer's drop in pass, and I would like to try out their unlimited studio pass this month. I visited the studio the other day, and I love the cozy and refreshing vibe.

5. Plan and go on some Artist Dates- I snagged some $2 Mr. Bubble. So, I will plan on getting at least one hot bath a week. I still haven't been to a movie yet! I'd also like to hang out in a cafe and read, do some journaling, and bookstore browsing. This Saturday, I plan to go to a Vision Board class at the yoga studio. Hooray!

5. More blogging and reflecting- I am definitely in need of some morning pages this month. And, I have three blogs now. This one, one on food (http://tastelivecreate.blogspot.com), and a brand new one on arts (http://artfullyluxe.blogspot.com/). Whew! I know a little insane, but I just have so many fun projects and it's nice to finally be able to pin my ideas and thoughts down.

6. Spiritual/ Alone Time- I have been really wanting to get some alone time and read James. I think some time at a cafe is keeps coming up in my future. We are also coming up towards the holidays and craziness. So, it is good to have some time on my own. Meditate and read scripture x1 a week.

7. Plan and do some meaningful and fun events at my job- I have a handful of events this month, and I would like to keep the momentum going from October. Hopefully, they will all go well.

8. Work on skill development and my career- I really want to make more headway in yoga training, SEED, and Sacred Commerce. I have also made a commitment to continue looking towards my next step in my career.

Treating Myself

So, in Artist's Way, my first assignment in this week's chapter was to create a sign which stated, "Treating myself like a precious object with make me stronger." I think this is an interesting statement because I think many people are eager to treat others nicely and often neglect to nurture themselves. Another assignment was to buy something nice for yourself. I believe the theory behind treating yourself nicely is that it will create an attractive force for others to treat you nice as well.

What are the things that you do to treat yourself well?

1. After making our 10 run goal at BON, I purchased a new sports bra and a pair of Lululemon shorts. The purchase didn't come cheap, but it was nice to delay my gratification and work towards a personal goal.

2. My $2 bottle of Mr. Bubble is a luxury. It is so nice to sit in a warm bath, and it doesn't even take much to be content in this activity. Play your iPhone, burn a candle, and bring in a nice cold beverage. Ahhh!

3. Go for a walk. Sometimes we get worked up about sitting at a desk all day. It's just nice to meander around campus and people watch for a bit.

4. Bookstore browsing - Lately, I've been reading magazines at the bookstore. I love flipping through artsy projects and reading up on fitness ideas. So fun!

5. Get a massage! Especially if you've been running and spinning or you've been stressed out on the job, this is a great luxury to have. Having a professional work out the kinks in your body is a great way to relax.

6. Buy some fresh flowers. I just love the way a vase of flowers can make a room fun, colorful, and bright.

7. Get dressed up and see a show. Invite some friends and buy some tickets to the symphony. It is so nice to get in a cocktail dress, have some wine, and then watch a show.

8. Find something nice to relax in. Sometimes just a pair of comfy pajama pants or a new pair of bed sheets is all you really need. With stores like Ross and TJ Maxx, it's not even that expensive to indulge in this luxury.

9. Cute boots and tights! With the fall weather here, it is nice to dress up in new things and try out cute winter clothes.

10. Read a book! It is nice to curl up in bed and just stay in and read. This is a great way to treat yourself- just stay in bed, have some tea nearby, and read in bed for a couple of hours!

Pleasure in Planning

There is something special about opening up a blank page in my planner pad. After browsing through a craft magazine, I was inspired to follow suit and recycle some old paper and cardstock. For the month of October, I had cut out some fun paper: some from an upcoming wedding invitation, old stationary, and fancy paper that my friend Esther Seo gave me from her old graphic design job. Instead of looking at your life as a bunch of to-dos, I was able to lay out some colored paper on days that I was looking forward to. It's an inspirational way to take into account your plans for the upcoming month.

October Highlights

So, I never did pen down my october goals until a few days ago. heheheh

My monthly goals with comments as follows:

1. More art studio time- As you may have read in a previous post, I made a couple of pieces of art for two friends. One watercolor painting went towards Rica's fundraising for Team in Training and another mixed media painting for my roommate and good friend Jennifer. What was remarkable about it was I had a pretty work schedule, but I found the value in taking time for my art and knowing how much it re-energizes me.

2. Read Seed/ Sacred Commerce/ Crucial Conversations- I've done a couple of sessions of Crucial Conversations training through work. Unfortunately, I have read just a few pages of Sacred Commerce and no pages on Seed.

3. Run Monster Mash, go to Total Athletic Conditioning Classes and Brian O'Neills Running Club- I have been doing well on the fitness side of things this month. Thus far, I have tried out Lululemon's boot camp, have achieved 8 runs towards my goal of 10 runs at the BON running club, and I have made some positive improvements at the Athletic Conditioning Class at the Rice Rec Center. I plan on running the Halloween running hosted by Lululemon on Wednesday. I plan on dressing up as Minnie Mouse if I can find my tail and ears. ;)

4. Plan and go on some Artist Dates- Now that I have some epsom salts and a cassia candle, I plan on getting in more hot baths. Most of my artist dates have been bookstore browsing and taking some time to create in the studio. Since it's a Monday and I'm off, I think a $4 matinee is in my very near future. There is something luxurious about going to movie by yourself.

5. More blogging and reflecting- I've done four blog entries on this blog and my other blog at http://tastelivecreate.blogspot.com/. I want to say I've done a few morning pages, but this could definitely be an area for more growth.

6. Spiritual/ Alone Time- Being cranky and anxious are definite indicators that I need some alone time just to clear my head and rediscover what I want out of life. Thus the much needed four day weekend that I am enjoying right now.

7. Plan and do some meaningful and fun events at my job- Success! I had a great homecoming weekend of events. We did a great beer tasting with the founder of St. Arnold's Brewery. I launched a frequent flyer card program for attendees which earned them a Young Alumni Beer Mug if they attended three events. I also had a great caterer who did a couple of my events. Thanks Frankie Mandola! I heard a lot of positive feedback from the crazy six events in three days. I am so proud of my volunteers and colleagues for pitching in and making it a great success.

8. Work on skill development and my career- I am working on Crucial Conversations training and I have signed up for a Student/Young Alumni Programs training in Austin for December. I really want to make more headway in yoga training, SEED, and Sacred Commerce. I have also made a commitment to continue looking towards my next step in my career.

How do you continue to manage your time? Are you familiar with Laura Vanderkam's 168 Hours concept? For a couple of weeks, I tracked my time. It will be interesting to take into account how I spent my time. The key things that inspired me were that we all have the same amount of time, what do we find as our priorities, and does our time reflect on those values. I will create a future blog posting on this in the coming weeks.

Weekend in the Country

Jacob and I joined our friends for a much needed long weekend. Both of us have been pretty busy with work, and we were able to get some rest from the craziness of the city. After packing up our bags and snacks (banh mi sandwiches and coconut water), we headed out for Flatonia, Shiner and Moulton. We were in town for Flatonia's annual Czhilispiel Festival which is when the town gets together for live music, carnival rides, games, fried foods, and a chili and bbq cook-off.

Our first stop on our adventure was Shiner, Texas. We stopped at the Spoetzel Brewery where they make Shiner Bock. I likened the experience to the time I was riding on a tour bus in the Tuscan countryside where we found the quaint little city that made Monelpuciano d'Abruzzo. We unfortunately missed the tour of the facilities, but we were given four tokens so we could sample various brews: Black, 101, Bock, Cheer, and Blonde. Mmmm! It was a nice reward for our 2 hour drive to the country. It was nice catching up with our friends under a large oak tree while we felt the nice breeze and sipped on our brews. Ahhh!

Afterwards, we explored downtown Shiner. We checked out Antiques, Art, and Beer which had an interesting melange of "country" items like koozies in sequins or camo, wind chimes, and jewelry made out of bottle caps. We all imbibed in another drink at their bar which had a very extensive collection of beer. I decided to try out the Shiner Oktoberfest.

Since our bellies were full of beer, we decided to get an early dinner at the Shiner Restaurant and Bar. Jacob filled the jukebox up with some good tunes ranging from Willy Nelson, ZZ Top, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Stevie Wonder, and Journey. We tasted some refreshingly sweet sangria, and enjoyed our gastropub fare. We really enjoyed trying Alex's sandwich which is titled The Best Sandwich in the World on the menu. It is a blt with a chicken fried steak place in between three pieces of bread with white gravy. Jacob and I shared the bacon and cheese stuffed avocados and had the shrimp penno with pecan pesto. We were impressed by the adventurous menu.

Afterwards, we drove into Moulton to check into our accomodations at The Rehmet Bed and Breakfast owned by Cindy McIntosh, the Mayor of Moulton! We stayed in the Century Oaks Suite, and the best thing about this room was the bathtub. The bathroom was bigger than my kitchen back home. As you may already know, I am a big fan of baths. So, Jacob and I came prepared. We brought a cassia candle, epsom salts, bath fizzy, mint mask, and exfoliating cream. I think I ended up taking FOUR baths this past weekend. It was so refreshing and relaxing.

The next morning we decided to do a little workout to help balance out our countryside drinking/eating fest from the day before. We decided to go for a run and explore the neighborhood- we ran up a very long gravel driveway taking in some beautiful wildflowers, cactus, cows and a rising sun. Then we ran up and down some various streets. The houses reminded me of the old cottage homes that still exist in the Old Sixth Ward of Houston. We ended our workout with sit-ups, push-ups and planks. Yeah, we're hard core.

Cindy and Mac served us breakfast in their dining room. It was probably one of the nicest breakfasts I've had in a long time. Time for breakfast is such a luxury, and Cindy does a great job. And, I loved all the details she put into our meal: beautiful place settings with gold-colored chargers, dainty clear and green napkin rings, green glasses with coordinating glass coasters, and classical music playing in the background. We ate fruit, egg and sausage casserole, apple dessert, and toast. It was a good start to our day.

While Jacob did some work (the work of a teacher is endless) on the porch, I played some chess, read, and enjoyed a bath. I sat on the porch working on a drawing of the Pearl Beer sign. The warehouse across the street from the B&B used to serve as a storage unit for the Pearl Brewery. We spend a little bit of time catching the end of the UT/Iowa State game. (boo!) Then headed to the festival in Flatonia.

We took a walk around to check things out, and traded in our currency for beer and food tokens. We were fascinated by the egg toss. Just a contest where two people toss a raw egg between each other as they further their distance after each try. Yeah, this is the country. I loved it. We caught up with our friend Yushan who was sampling one of the fair's shrimp poboys. We decided to take some silly pictures on top of a giant chili pepper and watched Jacob win a stuffed monkey at the balloon pop booth. We enjoyed live polk music and some cheap beers with funnel cake under the beer tent.

I volunteered to be a chili judge which was an interesting experience. They take judging very seriously! No making faces, no commenting about the chilis, and no sunglasses are allowed. We were asked to judge from a scale of 1-10 on five criteria: red color, aroma, taste, after taste and consistency. Unfortunately, I didn't give any of the 11 samples a 10, but I did get pretty full on some free chili. They even had beer, crackers and cheese, and encouraged us to clear our palettes with the brew. LOL.

After chili judging, Jacob and I nerded out and played chess then went for a walk. Alas, we were full of beer and food again. We took some more silly pictures with our friends. Afterwards, we decided to hang out at the Hackeberry House for a while. We watched the ending of the OU/Mizzou game. Hooray for the Mizzou wine! While the rest of the crew went back to Flatonia, we turned in early. If you had an awesome bathtub in your room, you wouldn't want to stay out late either. heheheh

The next morning, we had breakfast again with Cindy and Mac and we checked out. We caught up with our friends for a bit, and headed back on the I-10. It was a super weekend! And, it was nice to slow down the pace a bit and just enjoy some time with friends. If you have the chance, you should plan a road trip some time and get in some much needed downtime, too.

Celebrate::Love

Above is my latest creation from the art studio. Today is my roommate Jennifer's birthday. And, I wanted to make her a piece of art for her birthday which was inspiring, beautiful, and fun. Hopefully, the artwork will add a little happiness to her day. Even though I had a really busy week (I had two meetings and managed 6 special events), I managed to squeeze out a few creative sessions in my art studio and do a bit of creative browsing at the bookstore. I don't consider time in the studio as hard work. I look at it as "me time." Time where I look for creative ideas from other artists, revisit old pieces of art work or images I have collected, and pull together something new and beautiful. It is also a time for me to feel re-energized, rested, and renewed. I get to put aside my work grind and just be present in something fun.

I found the above picture during my bookstore browsing last week! The magazine Somerset Workshop Magazine has some really great ideas, and they even have step-by-step explanations for how to do their projects. The magazine issue focused on creative lettering, fabric art, old paper and brushes. The above photo used old sheet music as the background for the artwork and used antique paper for the dress. It got my mind jogging, and it reminded me of a project I did last fall for my 2D class at the Glassell.

I had an old class assignment where my teacher told us to take some rubbings of various textures and layer them to recreate a photo from a magazine. I decided to use my textured rubbings to create a woman's dress. My classmate and instructor liked the idea I used. I decided to combine the ideas from the magazine and my class to create Jennifer's artwork.

Lately, I love using words in my artwork and the words "celebrate" and "love" came to mind. In Ecclesia, we have been going through James in the Bible. James is a very humbling chapter because it talks about how we are to live in relationship and community. And so even though being in the studio is my "me time," I was inspired to use my artwork as a way to connect and share with others. I think ultimately that's why God creates in us gifts. Yeah, it's great to see what you are able to do with God's help, but ultimately, how will you share and seek others out?

I think it gives more intention to my artwork when I think about giving it to others. Perhaps I wouldn't be inspired to do a good job or have the motivation to create if it was all about myself. Are there talents and gifts that you are hiding? Do you ever think how your gifts could really affect others? It's an interesting thing to think about and I hope this post helps you celebrate love and seek out others more bringing the gifts that are already present in your life.