A Kinder Way to Begin the New Year

I am not {yes, not!} making a list of New Year’s resolutions for 2014.

Each year I would draft a list of New Year’s resolutions – to be thinner, to work harder, to be less introverted - changes that I wanted for myself in the coming New Year.  Sadly my list would be neglected and forgotten by March.  As the next year rolled around, my new list was disappointingly similar to the previous year’s list.

A few years ago I read about the One-Little-Word {movement} in this blog post, and recently in this post, and I believe the idea originated here.  Choosing for yourself a single word to help guide you through the new year is a more optimistic, positive, and doable alternative to the typical list of New Year’s resolutions.  One-little-word can be magical and powerful. 

Last year my word was “trust” – to trust that everything will be okay if I let go, to believe in myself, and to have faith in the future.  “Trust” helped me to walk away from a terrible and cruel professional situation, “trust” allowed me to lean on my family and friends in ways that I’ve never allowed for myself, and “trust” showed me grace in difficult times, gratitude in lean times, and love in times of despair.  My one little word changed me in ways that I could never have imagined.

2014 is nearly here, and I’ve finally found my word. When I read the word “release” I felt an energy – a knowing – that this is the word that I need now.  The last few years have been difficult, and along the way I lost the real me.  In an attempt to be accepted and to shelter myself from maliciousness I tried to become hidden – and to be as quiet as possible.  I curled up tightly and I covered myself in layers of self-protection.  I thought that all of this would protect me from the unkindness that had been in my life.

I now feel a deep longing to uncurl and to stretch, to reach out to others, and to let go of all of those useless layers. 

Hello “Release”, I think that this is going to be a beautiful year. 

Do you have a "word" for 2014? 

I'm ending 2013 with a photo of two sweet little birds on a snowy Minnesota morning. 

I've added two layers of Kim Klassen's Storm texture on top of this image. 


Have a wonderful New Year's!  

Be wonderfully odd!

Snowy Morning

I love the peaceful quiet of an early morning snowfall.

I'm joining Texture Tuesday with a photo of a bright red cardinal.  I used one layer each of Kim's Steelish and SeriousMagic textures.

I hope that you have a bright and beautiful day!

Be wonderfully odd!

'Tis the Season

Is it 'Tis or T'is?  I didn't know, but, I did find this nifty little Christmas grammar quiz - here (interesting stuff - if you like that kind of thing!) 

I hope that you are finding joy in this holiday season.

I'm joining Texture Tuesday today - this photo is textured with one layer each of Kim Klassen's Manuscript and Magicscripted textures.

  

I hope that you are having a joy-filled week!

Be wonderfully odd!

First Snow

The first snow fall is so pretty.  I love how the first snow blankets everything in a clean, white layer of sparkle.

I'm joining Texture Tuesday today with another bird photo.  I used two layers of Kim's "0212" texture - I love the edges of this texture.

I hope that you are having a fabulous day!

Be wonderfully odd!

Friday Hawk

This morning I was surprised to see this large bird sitting in a tree near our bird feeders.  I think that it is a hawk - but I'm not sure.  Do you know?

He (or she) didn't mind my presence or that I walked around the tree snapping photos of him.  I was hoping to catch him spreading his wings and then fly away - but he was contented to sit in our tree.

I love the orangey red color on the neck and breast, and also the black and white strips in his tail.  And look at that powerful beak and size of the claws!

Just so beautiful.

Have a great Friday!

Be wonderfully odd!

Winter Squirrel

My sister tells me that the squirrels that visit my yard are chubby - I think that it is just fluffy winter fur (or big bones, ha!).

I'm joining Texture Tuesday with a photo of one of those "chubby" squirrels.  I layered this image with one layer of Kim Klassen's BB2 texture.  (There is also one layer of a texture called wordless.)

I hope that you are having a great day!

Be wonderfully odd!

Beyond Beyond - Days 33 & 34

I'm playing catch-up with my class assignments for Kim Klassen's Beyond Beyond class.
One image is light and airy, while the other is dark and moody.

Day 34 - making a magic texture.  In Kim's Art of Texture class I made a coffee stain texture that I pressed paper towel into, the (unexpected) result was something that looked like snakeskin.  In Kim's Beyond Beyond class day 34 I turned this texture into a magic texture and layered it on top of her tea and macaroon image below.

The texture is only around the edges and I like how it softens the edges but keeps the image crisp.

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Dark and moody

Day 33 - Earthy Processing.  I used Kim's Lighroom Darkday preset and her Waterfront21 texture on this image.

Have a great day!

Sweet Birds

I am forever fascinated with the birds that visit our feeders - I love watching their graceful flight from branch to feeder to birdbath and back again.  They seem so contented in their little dance.  Their visits are short, but frequent.  Maybe it's a odd sound, or a knowing that they've been here too long - somehow the entire flock knows to stop what they are doing to fly away together.  But soon, I know, that they will return.

I'm a day late with my Texture Tuesday post!

I used one layer of Kim Klassen's canvas magic and two layers of Kim's Lola texture on this photo.
I love to use Kim's Lola texture on bird photos because of the little musical notes in the corners - it seems so fitting!

 
I hope that you have an awesome day!

Be wonderfully odd!

Birdbath

I'm just dropping in with a photo of a sweet little bird that stopped for a quick drink at our birdbath.

The photo is textured with Kim Klassen's beautiful 1111 and 1011 textures.

I hope that you are having a great day!

 Be wonderfully odd!

Friday Finds

I'm joining Kim Klassen's Friday FInds today!

I've just discovered this wonderful cookbook - Small Plates & Sweet Treats by Aran Goyoaga.  I'm not the only one to have discovered this book because it is sold out in every book store in my area!

This cookbook is beautifully written with amazing photography.  Even if you are not gluten-free you will be delighted by her collection of amazing recipes - Roasted Parsnip & Apple Soup, Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding, and Roasted Pumpkin Ice Cream . . . yum, yum, yum . . .

I hope that you are having a great day!

Bead Love

Hello!

I'm joining Texture Tuesday with some bead love <3

These little birdhouse beads are so sweet.  I love the roughed up and aged look of these beads.  I plan to add them to some beaded pendants that I am currently working on.

I used two layers of Kim Klassen's PaperStained texture to this image.  And I added a favorite quote!

Have a great day!

Be wonderfully Odd!

Birds and Fall Colors

I'm just posting a few new photos featuring birds and beautiful fall colors.

I hope that you are enjoying your weekend!

Be wonderfully odd!

The Watchers

I'm joining Texture Tuesday with a photo of this cute little squirrel.

He sat quietly, watching me, as I snapped his photo. He didn't run away - he just sat there posing for me until I was done, and then he slowing went back to work.

Then I turned around and spotted this mourning dove - high in the tree - watching the entire squirrel photo-shoot!   

The squirrel photo is textured with two layers of Kim's UncleClarence texture.

Have a great day!

Be wonderfully Odd!

Ahhh, autumn

The birds around here were very busy yesterday.  They ate nearly all of the seed from two full bird feeders.

The birds would swoop in and out of the trees, noisily take their turn at the feeder, and share the edge of the bird bath with one other.

Such activity, it was mesmerizing watching their play.

I captured this mourning dove perched on the edge of the bird bath.  I textured the photo with Kim Klassen’s Lola and SpilledInk textures.

Hope that you are having an awesome day!

Be wonderfully odd!

Apples and Pumpkins

Around this time of year we visit one of the many apple orchards in our area.  The local farms make it such a fun family event with hay rides, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes.
 
The orchard that we stopped at had a corn maze with a troop of girl scouts collecting the entrance fee and explaining the "word" challenge.  They explained that throughout the maze there are seven wooden stands, each with a single letter.  We were to write down the letters and if we unscrambled the letters into a word we could win an apple.  At the end of the maze we had our "word".  We walked up to the table and asked if we'd gotten the right answer and one of the young (and adorable) girls yelled "YES, yes, you got it right! Good for you!" - she was so happy for us - it was so cute!

We strolled through the quiet and peaceful orchard snapping photos, wandered through the pumpkin patches looking for the best pumpkin, ate apple pie and apple donuts while listening to a choir sing.
We left with a bag of apples, a jug of cider, and (after trudging through three patches) we had the perfect pumpkin.

Pumpkin Patch

This photo was textured with Kim Klassen's Dreamit and Goldenhour textures.

 

Pumpkin

 

Apple Orchard

Have a great day,

Be wonderfully odd!

A walk through the woods

Last weekend I grabbed my camera and  snapped a bunch of photos while we hiked through the woods.

I love the changes that fall brings - cool crisp air, the beauty in fading flowers, and the emerging red, orange, and gold colors of autumn.

I'm joining Texture Tuesday with this photo textured with two layers of Kim's Traverse texture.

Have a great day!

Be wonderfully odd!