Last year was all about connections, and this year it was about making time for the things that nourish me and bring joy into my life.
I’ve always loved this quote:
It is one of the reasons I love crafting and working on art projects. It adds beauty to my world. It also fills up my soul with happiness. My theme this year of craft projects for my home accomplished both for me. Continue reading
I didn’t have an idea in my head. I just knew the word I wanted to evoke. It’s my all time favorite word.
I drive my girls crazy because I talk about it all the time. I text them images when I come across the word in a book. I mention it to them during casual conversation although it never comes off as casual as I would like. I point it out when it comes up in a movie or television show. I feel it is the most critical personality trait a person can have in life. It sustains you and helps you move forward whatever the world throws at you. I believe you can develop it but whether a gift from birth or learned you must have it.
That word is GRIT! Resiliency, Bootstraps, Tenacity, Perseverance. There are many words. Grit is my favorite.
I wanted to create an art piece that would remind me of this word at a glance. I’m sure on my deathbed my girls will be throwing it in the donation bin but hopefully I’ll get to enjoy it for many years before that time comes.
When we renovated our house, our architect asked us to pull together pictures from magazines and books that would provide him with ideas for what we wanted from our new house. It was unnecessary advice. I already had an extensive stash of clippings that I had been saving since before I was even a homeowner. I was always planning and dreaming for what my home would be someday. I already knew what I wanted although the reality of building on a budget meant many of those perfectly preserved images never made it out of their page protectors.
But, there were a few ideas that did make it into the blueprints. One was simple but has had a great impact. We added a built in bookcase to the landing where our u-shaped staircase turns. We painted it colonial blue and it adds a fun pop of color against the knotty pine that spans the length of the wall behind it. The pine panels were salvaged from our original cottage. They’re a nice nod to the house that came before. I’m a memory keeper at heart.
During my first year of blogging, I created an infographic that highlighted how to spend a perfect weekend in Portland, Maine. Now that we’re all staying home and access to public spaces is more limited due to the pandemic, I thought it would be fun to create a new infographic focused on how to spend a perfect socially distanced weekend in Maine.
Even if we can’t currently visit our local restaurants, breweries, museums, shops and all the other amazing places that Maine has to offer there are still many ways to support our local businesses while practicing social distancing and having a great time.
The links to all of the sites mentioned in the infographic are listed at the bottom of the blog post. Wishing everyone a fun filled virtual weekend!
These are challenging political times. This post is not aimed at spending time in that space. As I wrote about earlier during this challenge, I think podcasts and other formats are a better place to discuss complex topics especially when there are strong opinions on both sides.
What will the final verdict be on the current political zeitgeist? I don’t know, but creativity will definitely be a component, as it has been through many of the social and political upheavals our country has faced in the past.
In my research, I came across the word Craftivism which is a combination of craft and activism coined by Betsy Greer. What a perfect description!
There is also a manifesto which is shown below and was previously available on her site which is no longer active.
Weekends in Maine 