Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover

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2019 Word of the Year: Treasure (The New Journal Look)

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2019 is looking different than 2018!

Well, February has been looking the same-all WHITE. It has felt like the longest month on record. Which is funny, since it’s the shortest. All of this snow has my brain frozen on repeat, like Groundhog Day (the movie).

I have yet to begin my Word of the Year art project (look here to see last year’s page), but I am adding to my Blessings & Thankfulness Journal. The daily blessings and thankfulness items I add are about my days, but some of the verses and journal decor are about treasure. I think I will add more treasure-themed gleanings and thoughts as I go along.

On the front sides of the pages I’ve been listing the days of the month and then adding things for each day that I feel are blessings or things for which I am thankful.

On the back sides of the pages, I’ve added washi tape and Bible verses. I like the idea of working out my word of the year on the back pages of my blessings and thankful lists. I still want to work on a Word of the Year (Treasure) creative art project, but it is simmering on a back burner, waiting for more time and inspiration.

In the meantime, this is what I’ve done to the cover of my journal. I love the colors! I need to do the back.

Do you have a word of the year? Do you journal? I’d love to see your projects.

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The inside cover 


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Happy Hump Day Haiku Challenge: bridge

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Let’s take a little vacation to visit summer and Monet’s Giverny. (I think we can all use some sunshine and green.) Here’s #ThrowbackThursday meets Hump Day Haiku.

 

in white winter mope,

memories feed sanity

bridge to restful green

 

bridge by Angie Quantrell

 

Welcome to Hump Day Haiku Challenge. Join the fun and share a Haiku about bridges or winter despair. We’ll make it to spring!

 

 


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2018 Word of the Year: Roots

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My 2018 word of the year was ROOTS.

It sounds odd now, when I say roots, but by choosing it, I claimed the focus of concentrating on my roots.

Not only my spiritual roots, but the roots of who I am as a woman, mother, daughter, sister, wife, Nana. The importance of roots in the natural world, my love of nature and gardening, hiking, photography-all played a part in my word choice. My roots anchor me to who I was, am, and will be. With my roots firmly attached to Jesus, I know I am secure and safe from the storms of life, ponderous and damaging though they be.

My art project incorporating the word ROOTS didn’t pop into my head until well after the year got underway. Using watercolor paints, permanent markers, glitter glue (after all, life can always use more sparkle), ink, and rubber stamps, I created a piece to remind me of my word of the year.

My art was not stagnant the entire year. As I found more Bible verses or sayings, had thoughts about the word, or saw something missing and filled it in, I added to my project. I really like the finished look. It occupied a space on my work bulletin board where it was easy to see.

Tomorrow I will share my new 2019 word of the year. I’ve had some thoughts about it, some unique applications already in place. Just recently, the image for my art project popped into my mind, but it is not yet on paper.

Read about The Year of Peace here.

Do you choose a word for the year? Maybe you choose a phrase, sentiment, or goal. I’d love to hear!

 

 


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Clay Tiles + Wood Benches = Fun for Kids

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Did you know that:

  • Dried-up markers make excellent painting tools when dipped in clay saucers of water?
  • Water color makers make pretty cool paintings on the clay tiles of a patio.
  • Chalk is another fun tool. Water, chalk, clay tiles. That’s it.
  • Dirt. Always fun. Anyplace. Dig out the gardening tools and construction toys.
  • Wood benches also make the perfect canvas for dried-up markers and water and chalk and water.
  • River rocks, those flat, smooth sorts that are so awesome to hold and touch, make wonderful stacking blocks. Add them to clay saucers to experiment with how they change colors. And paint them with chalk and markers.
  • Add some off-roading or construction vehicles for a different type of exploration.
  • Turn the tiles over. Bumpy road! (My tiles have ridges on the back.)
  • Cut fallen branches into logs for building. Birch trees are a personal favorite. My kiddos love peeling the paper off (extra fine motor practice) and I can use it for crafts. Or they can.
  • All of the above? Leave as is and let the rain or sprinkler wash away the traces. Or spritz the clay tiles and benches with water and TA-DA, clean, fresh canvases for more fun!

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So go ahead, enjoy those dried-up markers, clay tiles, rocks, branches, and benches. I love watching my grands explore, create, make a mess, and explore. Me? Not a care in the world since it all washes off.

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STORYSTORM 2018 Day 3: Let’s Get Visual with Mike Ciccotello

What do sketches, photos, magazine images, newspaper pictures, and art supplies have in common? ALL of them can be used to create story ideas!

This is a great idea for dreaming up picture book characters, settings, props, and storylines. Way to go, Mike! Thank you!

Grabbing my scissors, pencils, and paper to get my imagination pumped up…

via STORYSTORM 2018 Day 3: Let’s Get Visual with Mike Ciccotello

Thanks, Tara! Storystorm is going great!


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Hobbies? Rubber Stamping Cards is One of My Top Favorites

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My stamping buddy (aka college roommate and friend of many many years) and I were recently trying to figure out how long we’ve been stamping. We sort of came down to the correct decade and several-year span, but we couldn’t quite pin it down. Suffice to say stamping has been a part of my life for most of my life.

This hobby has become a habit. A tradition. A much anticipated gathering.

Actually, another college roommate joins us or we join her to feed our habit. Maybe being a college roommate is a prerequisite? LOL. No. We have other college buddies and friends that join crafting days or at least tolerate our obsession by bringing their own crafts or visiting with us while we crazily create.

I think it’s the creation part that is addicting. Playing with stamps, papers, inks, glitter (always glitter!), and stuff is exhilarating!

And just look! The benefits involve large stashes of beautiful cards, fit for any occasion.

Let’s hear it for the college buddies, friends, stampers, and crafters!

P.S. A recent stamping trip netted an addition of 45 lovely cards. Coming your way . . .


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Winter Lace – a Haiku

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Photo by Angie Quantrell

winter lace

 

lacy swirls of cold

spires stretch long, fingers point

frozen work of art

 

by Angie Quantrell

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Photo by Angie Quantrell


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A Photo Becomes A Painting

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A photo tells a story.

At the end of a recent vacation, I shot a selfie of the two of us, relaxed and replete after several days of downtime and fun. This picture is one of my favorites.

Factor in one of Kevin’s co-workers, Kathy Bensch. She wanted to do a painting of us for Kevin’s office. Just because. We gave her a copy of our favorite photo.

Et voila! There we are, in living water color. Thank you, Kathy! Perfect!

Not that the painting will ever make it to Kevin’s office…I do have some ideas on how to share.

But I think this painting looks great in the RV.

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Storystorm Day 22: “The Best Ideas Pop Up” by Keith Allen

by Keith Allen As a kid, I loved building things out of cardboard, whether it was a spaceship for the very first mission to Saturn or a fortified castle to keep out the fire-breathing dragons. That…

Source: Storystorm Day 22: “The Best Ideas Pop Up” by Keith Allen

This is much more sophisticated than the pop-up books I used to make for my son out of lawn mower catalogs and construction paper. Way to go!


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Storystorm Day 12: “Dances with Ketchup” by Julie McGann

by Julie McGann My name is Julie McGann and I am a wish-granting digital artist who captures the imagination of little dreamers worldwide by giving them the dream pet they have always wanted. Child…

Source: Storystorm Day 12: “Dances with Ketchup” by Julie McGann

I love the way Julie creates her imaginative art! Perfect for kids of all ages.