Create28 Week 3
"christy," "Create 28," "Deena," "joy," "Katie," "Leslie," "Shaunacey," "style," "style challenge," "summer"
- June 21, 2016
- 0 Comments
We are still sharing our Spring Fever post series and this week, and Mother's Day is sneaking up pretty fast.
It might sound awful, but I'm not a super huge fan of Mother's Day. I'm thinking that might be not the best disclosure in a Mother's Day post. I'm not inclined to let my kids haul me out to wait in line for a table at a restaurant, and other than a surprise bouquet of mums found on a walk home from school, it really hasn't ever been a gift-giving occasion in our home. However, my kids love to give me silly little cards to celebrate Mother's Day.
Oh the promise of Mother's Day Cards! I always hope it will be filled with coupons pledging loads of laundry washed, dried, folded, and put away. Or even something seemingly simple, such as, "I'll put washing soap in the dishwasher and press the button to start it." No such luck in all these years. Now that one child is already out of the house, the odds of getting one of those invaluable chore coupon-filled cards are diminishing rapidly.
Now I'd be scared to see what my children would fill in for the next one, but I thought this is pretty nifty:
And we can't forget how great it is to have a fun card for grandmothers, too!
My son has promised me a Mother's Day printable that has a medley of my favorite movies and said that it'll definitely have John Wayne somewhere on it hanging out with an astronaut squirrel. When I question the source of these weird squirrel cards, I'm met with the tune of "well look who raised me!"
My kids love to play around on Photoshop and make me (often strange) cards for Mother's Day. One year I received a card featuring an astronaut squirrel floating in outer space. This work of art, that only a mama could love, and I've lost it for the moment. But another squirrel-headed unidentifiable creature card still graces the front of our refrigerator. Perhaps I'm the only one who has received a Mother's Day card with a squirrel-headed owl It might be there because I'm still trying to figure it out, years later.
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| Really? I'm the only one who gets cards like these?? |
Another favorite card that I received was given to me by my daughter a few years ago.
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| My daughter says it means she loves me. I'll have to take her word for it. |
Now if you're not a fan of making astronaut squirrels in Photoshop and you don't have a Japanese writing system memorized, Etsy is a fun place to find instant downloads you can print from a wide variety of graphic designers. I just hopped on over there and used the search term "Mother's Day printables" and found plenty of fun instant downloads for printable cards or prints for framing.
Side note: I also found a few really weird instant downloadable cards. They might have been designed by adults who started out as children who could envision space suit-wearing small mammals.
Here are a few of my favorite Mother's Day printables to get you started:
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Now I'd be scared to see what my children would fill in for the next one, but I thought this is pretty nifty:
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Happy Mother's Day (a few days early)!
Joy is from Tacoma, Washington and blogs at quilty joyjoy and shares quilting tips, tricks, and tidbits at Wild Prairie Design Studio. Joy is a regular contributor for The Blended Blog. She dreams in fabric scraps, is fueled by too much coffee, and has a propensity for buying more books than she can possibly read in a lifetime. She patiently awaits the day when her children will possibly just buy her a normal Mother's Day card, but notes that wouldn't be much fun at all.
Hi! It’s Joy here. I wanted to introduce you to a wonderful woman, Claire!
I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Claire when we were both part of the 2016 V-WISE Charlotte class earlier this year. I thought she would be the perfect woman to introduce to you today because she has such an amazing outlook on living well.
Claire was kind enough to answer lots of my questions, and she shared a couple of her favorite posts so you can get an idea of the information you can find stopping by her site.
Both of these posts grabbed my attention, so I was glad she chose them to share here!
Other than blogging, what do you do for a living (profession)?
I am the Founder + Trainer of Fleur de Lis Fitness, which offers personal training, small group training, and healthy lifestyle nutrition coaching to clients both in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area (my husband is active Marine Corps and we’re stationed here) and across the globe using Skype, FaceTime, and YouTube. So I’m a virtual trainer that can connect no matter where you live in addition to one that you would visit live, in person!
I love working with clients and helping them lead a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. When they tell me that they haven’t felt ever felt this good and healthy, it brings me ultimate joy since that means I accomplished what I set out to do!
What would you consider your greatest accomplishment and why?
I’m going to go with two since it’s hard to choose between! Starting my business and earning my masters of science in developmental psychology are my greatest accomplishments. There was so much to learn when it came to starting Fleur de Lis Fitness and it was challenging because I had never done anything like it before. Since I don’t have a formal business background, there was a lot of research that needed to be done in addition to living and learning, but I’d say it all paid off!
Earning my master’s degree was also a laborious yet very fulfilling experience. Graduate school is a whole different ballgame than undergrad because the bar is set much higher and there are greater expectations from you. I chose to undergo the master’s thesis research program, which entailed establishing a hypothesis, crafting an experiment, gathering subjects, analyzing all the research, and writing up the results. It took endless hours but at the end of it, I was so proud that I cried tears of joy.
Throughout both experiences, I am endlessly grateful for the support of my loved ones who always stood by me. We learn a lot about ourselves when we leave our comfort zones, push ourselves, and strive for greater things.
What is your greatest unfulfilled ambition?
Someday I’d love to parasail (I’ve been skydiving and it was SO cool….but I had only about 45 minutes to mentally prepare because my husband drove me to the facility and it was a complete surprise!) and then eventually fly a plane! I can’t get enough of seeing the world from above and want to be able to maneuver myself through the sky. Being above the world is my favorite perspective. I would definitely be a bird if I had to be an animal!
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Genuine, caring, silly
If I’m not working, you’ll find me working out, traveling, cooking, hanging with my husband and loved ones, reading, or being outside in some capacity. I try to do this (aside from the traveling) most days!
What inspired you to start blogging/your website?
I wanted to have a voice and a way to communicate with my followers on a weekly basis. I think my disciplined yet balanced approach to a healthy lifestyle works for many people and it was important to me to share my knowledge, thoughts, tips, and what works. Basically I love to communicate and connect with people and this is another avenue for me to do so. My Fleur de Lis Fitness Friday blog posts cover all topics health, fitness, and lifestyle related!
Which fashion trend do you currently love?
Leggings!!! I hope they never go out of style but even if they do, I’ll just keep wearing them because they are the best. I love how they’re insanely comfortable, show off my hard earned legs, can double as workout or more dressy in nature, but are still conservative. They work for all shapes and sizes!
What is the last book you read and would you recommend it?
This is not the last book I read (currently reading All the Knives by Olen Steinheuser) but I did read it in the past year – The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. It follows a South African boy during Apartheid and made me laugh, tear up, question the world, question myself, and overall left my heart so full.
My husband got me this book after our very belated honeymoon to South Africa and it’s incredibly dear to me. I recommend it to children and adults of all ages…in fact, many students read it in school but for some reason I just never had to! It’s a must-read in my opinion.
Thank you so much to Claire for taking the time to be our guest on The Blended Blog. Don't forget to head over to Claire's website and say hello. You won't be disappointed. You can also check out her Instagram feed to jump start your inspiration!
Today I'm taking over The Blended Blog for the day, and since the holidays are upon us, I thought I'd share some thoughts on generosity.
During the fall and winter I find myself focused on a few things that seem to occur like clockwork:
- I spend time with family and friends over meals, whether simple comfort food while watching football or with an elaborate holiday dinner.
- I try to remember which unmarked box contains the Christmas lights.
- I go hunting for stray gloves to pair up so I can always be ready to shove a pair at my son as he heads out the door.
- I spend a lot of time thinking about what I can give to others and search high and low for the perfect gifts to give my loved ones.
- I emphatically state "I'm staying in a budget this holiday season" only to find myself wondering where my paycheck went and just how many separate boxes will end up being delivered.
- I spend a lot of time thinking about generosity and gratitude.
Throughout my life I've met plenty of miserly folks, and I've also met others who seem angelic in their desire to be selfless and generous.
Me? I'm not a miser and I'm far from angelic. However, I highly value a spirit of generosity and I work hard to instill that in my children.
Personally, I love giving gifts to others. I enjoy the moment that I am able to share something special with someone I cherish. I will spend hours trying to find something that will be as perfect as possible.
I find it easiest to show generosity through giving to others. Although, just spending money on gifts, large or small, doesn't reveal a generous spirit.
So other than giving gifts, how do we show generosity to others?
We can cultivate a spirit of generosity when we are dedicated to spending time with the people we love, making them a priority. At my house, this might be my son and I both sitting, headphones on, and reading books quietly, but we are doing this separately-together, which I think is a pretty rare feat with a teenager.
We can foster generosity through service, by helping others whenever we have the opportunity. When I might not feel like I have a lot to give, I usually find I have enough to make soup and rolls or bake some cookies. I have more opportunities to serve others in my own home, but looking outward to the community broadens the possibilities even further.
As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow declared, "Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think." Sometimes an item gathering dust on a shelf, or squirreled away in a box, is better appreciated when we let go.
Generosity is a way of life and when you cultivate a spirit of generosity, you foster love and relationship. Maybe the misers in the world aren't actively looking for more love or connection, but my little corner of the world always has room for a little more generosity, gratitude, connection and love.
I'd love to hear about your favorite ways to foster gratitude and generosity in your home (and maybe any ideas how to stop a teenage boy from losing gloves)!
Today, we are featuring Joy from Quilty JoyJoy
You can take a peak into her world on Instagram
1. What would you consider your greatest accomplishment and why?
I had trouble with this question, so I asked my son what my greatest accomplishment was. He said that my greatest accomplishment is my military service. I definitely am glad that I had the opportunity to serve my country and very proud to be a Veteran, but all in all, my greatest accomplishment is raising two wonderful children as a single mother living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
2. What is your greatest unfulfilled ambition?
My greatest unfulfilled ambition is to find a quiet piece of land with a water view, throw a rocking chair or two on my porch, plant a garden, and build a quilting studio. It would be a little piece of heaven on earth and my refuge from the stressful world.
3. How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
determined, loving, generous
4. What is something that people might be surprised to know about you?
People might be surprised that I drive a vehicle modified with hand controls because of bilateral foot drop, a symptom of MS. I sometimes try to use the foot control pedal on my sewing machine, and I am instantly reminded of why I don't operate a motor vehicle with my feet!
5. What hobbies do you have other than blogging?
I love quilting, reading, front porch sitting, and cooking for my family and friends. I enjoy watching football and tailgating.
6. What inspired you to start blogging?
I had just finished graduate school and I was at a loss for what to do in all the free time I suddenly had. I wanted to work on designing quilt patterns, so I started trying to learn about blogging. I mistakenly thought I was signing up for a monthly plan for BlueHost, but ended up paying one or two years in advance, so I decided I was all in.
7. What has been the biggest challenge with blogging? What has been the most rewarding outcome of blogging?
My biggest challenge with blogging is having consistency with posting. I tend to go periods of time where I don't feel like I have anything to say, or I'd just rather be working on a quilting project.
The most rewarding outcome of blogging has been the opportunity to meet and link up with others and I've had the opportunity to design a quilt for a blog hop. I've stepped out of my comfort zone and allowed myself to try new things.
8. What is your style “uniform”?
My style "uniform" would have to be jeans, a tank top or long-sleeved tee, a plaid button-down shirt, and cowboy boots. I rarely deviate from this!
9. What is your favorite style season (fall, spring, summer, winter) and why?
I love the fall because I like layering my clothing and I love sitting outside in the cool, crisp autumn air.
10. Which fashion trend do you currently love?
I am really bad at following trends. I tend to stick with items I know and love. I've learned that when I try to follow trends, the items I purchase don't get used and find their way to a second-hand store.
11. What is your best beauty trick?
I'd have to say my best beauty trick is just to smile because it exudes confidence and joy.
12. Do you like to dine-out or stay-in and cook dinner? And, what is your favorite meal or restaurant?
I like to dine-out at times, but most of the time, I'd prefer to stay in and cook dinner. My favorite meals are comfort foods like soups and stews and warm crusty bread (with lots of butter) served with red wine, and a pie at the ready for dessert.
13. What is your favorite (or dream) vacation destination?
My favorite vacation destination is Lake Tahoe. Anywhere I can sit and view water and the majesty of God's creation, I find rest and recharge my soul.
14. Do you enjoy gardening, sewing, decorating, painting or photography? What is your latest project?
I am a quilter, so I always have dozens of projects going at one time. Most of my latest projects have been mini art quilts.
15. What is your ideal date night?
My ideal date night is curling up on the couch with a quilt in front of the fireplace, opening a fantastic bottle of red wine, having dinner ready and waiting in a slow cooker, and watching football.
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