Black and White

My daughter last night was craving for some time together and she knew I was tired, so she came up with the idea of "sitting down and making art" so cute! so we did :)

I took advantage of it and did some drawings with charcoal pencil for the DLP challenge this week which is Black and White:

As you can see I am not an expert but I relax and had fun.

That's what is all about right?

My Passion...

I really don't know how to start this post... but one thing I have in my mind is... passion...

Some time ago I started looking into how to better my blog and one advice that kept on coming up was to blog about what I am passionate about. 

Then I started asking myself...

What is my passion?

How do I know that when I like a little bit of everything.

I like crochet, knitting, art journaling, scrapbooking, embroidery, and everything else that I can put my hands on and make something new out of. 

Then, I started reading books about how to find my passion.  Listening and watching to tons of youtube videos about finding your passion. But the one thing that came to me always is that I love to read.

For a while there I started using my relaxing time sitting by my computer just to read about things I like. No specific theme at all, just whatever drives me that day, and read about it.

Another advice I read about was to be yourself.  And that's what I am doing here, right now.

I am being myself, writing about what I like, writing about what I read and transfer it to people out there hoping it will help somebody one way or another.

That has been one of my dreams for quite some time now. TO HELP PEOPLE.

How? I really don't know. 

I started my first blog Storytime and More when my daughter was very little. With the idea of helping moms out there connect with their child, the same way I was connecting with my daughters. Teaching their own kids and having fun at the same time. I had a passion for it, no doubt.  But things changed over time, my kids have grown somewhat, one is 9 and the other one is 19 :) so things are a little different, as they become more independent.

Then... I open this blog simply because that's what I like to do. I like to write (not talk, I am quite shy) lol and I like to help people out there. Becase believe it or not, I don't have friends. Only family and coworkers and those who I have met through my blogs and other forums. But even like that I feel that I can still help :)

So there you have it. That's ME. And the answer to my question. My passion? To read, to educate myself and others, and help people as much as I can. I hope this blog will help me do just that. Time will tell me how, I'll just go with the flow for now :)

Thanks for your patients reading this post :)

Clemencia

Move Before You Meditate

I just heard this video and really never thought about it... to move and let all your wiggles out, move all your negative energy out of your body before meditating, as well as all your negative thoughts.

For the Love of Art

I decided to start working on some challenges, just jumping around the internet looking for what gets my attention.  It can be crochet, knitting, sewing, art journaling, whatever tickles my fancy, like some people say.  I just want to do something I like, something I can do with any materials I have here at home, that will give me some "Me" time that helps me relax and learn how to enjoy myself.

Anyways, this time I chose to do DLP Week 35 Challenge:  Draw, sketch, paint, doodle a face or cut and alter one from a book or magazine.  

I drew a face following this tutorial  I found on Pinterest.  And for the Love of Art I have gone to my HOT garage (I live in Florida) where I have all my art journaling materials and finish the page by painting some things around it. I started with the flower by pencil first then finger painted, then decided to do the brush with acrylic paints, then the vine came next just to fill the blank space and here you have my finish work :)

The picture is not that great, my garage is a little dark, so it doesn't help.
I hope this inspires someone out there :)

Thanks for taking a look :)

How To Be Happy: The #1 Tool

"I choose to see peace instead of this"

Coffee... My Favorite (Hot) Drink

I am starting to do what I like little by little, I am trying to make time for what I like here and there, in between work and home, in between cooking and cleaning, or anytime I feel like I need a break.

That said... I found a challenge that caught me attention at The Sketchbook Challenge, the August theme is Coffee and Tea. Hmmm... my favorite (hot) drink, the one I go to when I need a break, for some reason it relaxes me while I drink it slowly and take deep breaths in between, and after I am done with it, I am all energized. You have to LOVE it!

Anyways here is the Coffee and Tea art I made this week,

Not too complicated, just had some fun with a little bit of paint here and there. Then drew my actual cup of coffee and also decided to put café in Spanish since that's what I drink, which is somewhat stronger than regular coffee.  And the Tea bag that I drew, is a regular size one.  I try to stain the paper with a real tea bag but is not too noticeable.

I hope this inspires somebody out there...

Bottom line... it felt REALLY GOOD to play again with my art supplies :)

Thanks for taking a look :)

 

Update from last post needing help

Has been a month an a half since my last post and boy!!! lots and lots had happened in my life.

I really appreciate the responses and moral support I got from all of you. I am writing this update from my last post needing help with the intention to continue posting about things that help me relax and be happy. And what I do in my little bit of "me" time :).

Last time I wrote here in my blog I was overwhelmed because of so many things going on in my life that I don't have time for my hobbies and my blog, but I guess that wasn't enough to make me realize that I need it to take it easy. At the beginning of July I started feeling a lot of pain on my mid back, then a week later my fingers on my left hand started tingling and feeling numb, then two days later the same with my toes, the next day was my arm but meanwhile my back was killing me all the time. Then two days later my face started going numb. Now that scared me!!! went to the doctor and to make a long story short, I went for lots of testing from a full blood test to MRI's, CT scans and other tests that I never heard of before, all within a month!

The results... all testing were normal. Nothing structural that was causing the symptoms. Nothing but STRESS causing me to have muscle spasms putting pressure on my never ending causing my left side to have numbness all over.

INCREDIBLE!!! I knew that stress can do weird things, but I never expected that to happen to me. But I am so strong, mentally, I thought to myself... NOPE, stress doesn't discriminate either.

So what did I learn from this scary month... That WE ALL NEED TIME FOR OURSELVES.

Yes, as simple as stupid as that sounds.

Ask yourself:

What do you do for fun?

What makes you happy?

How do you spend your "me" time?

I felt like I was dying quickly "physically" from all the symptoms I had, all because I didn't take care of myself "mentally"

I do feel somewhat better now, my body is not tingling or going numb anymore, even though my back still tingles and hurts half of what it was before.

So what did I do to HELP MYSELF? Because if you are going to something similar, let me tell you: NOBODY but YOU can do something about your STRESS.

Start doing what I like. I still have the same amount of things to do daily, like working, cooking, taking care of my family, etc.  But I take a little time here and there to do what relaxes me, to pick up my crochet even if is for 5 min. or embroider, or paint, etc. You wouldn't believe the relieve you feel to do what you love even if is for a short time.

And what I have noticed is that at the beginning you do it just for a few minutes but the feeling you get doing what you love is so amazing that you want to do it more and more.

I finally started working on my hobbies, soon I'll be posting about them.

Thank you so much for all the support and awesome advise I got from all of you :)

I hope this helps somebody out there :)