Adventures in Life and Thought

  Stitch until your heart is content What is Slow Stitching? Slow stitching is a form of hand embroidery or needlework that emphasizes the process of creating rather than completing the finished product. It is characterized by a slower, more contemplative approach, and often involves using simple, natural materials such as linen, cotton, and wool. Slow stitching can include techniques such as hand quilting, sashiko, and kantha, and can incorporate elements of mindfulness and meditation. Some people find it to be a form of stress-relief and self-care, and a way to be present in the moment. How does that happen? 10 Ways Slow Stitching May Improve Mental Health... Read the full article on my Medium Blog here 

To be honest, older people are more concerned about this problem than younger people, mainly because the negative attitudes that the younger generation display toward them have adverse consequences for the older generation. Let’s look at this topic in a little more detail. Faulty Assumptions Younger People Have About Older People Older people are out of touch with current technology and trends. This can lead to younger people treating older people with condescension or not valuing their input or ideas. Possible Remedy:  Older people can try to stay up to date with technology and current events to combat this assumption. Older people are not physically or mentally capable. This can lead to younger people not considering older people for activities or tasks that require physical or mental effort. Possible Remedy:  Older people can try to stay active and continue learning new things to challenge this assumption. Older people are grumpy or negative. This can lead to younger people...

Step one is to sketch a rough draft of the design you want to create for slow stitching.  Step two is to cut and place fabric and fibers where you want them in your design.  Step 3 is to start layering up individual areas of the design until you achieve the look you want. The next step is to remove each piece as you want to sew it onto your background fabric, leaving the designed piece intact until you're ready to sew them.  If the piece is very intricate, take a photo before starting to sew just in case you need to refer to it later. This is the method I use when designing my slow-stitch pieces. It's easy and works beautifully. This method leaves plenty of room for adding or modifying the design as you go along. Consider it a draft that you can embellish or improve as you work.   

  Grab a needle and have some fun slow stitching. A great way to de-stress and create something whimsical at the same time. Available at Icky Chic Designs.  Video walkthrough ink is available in the product description.

  Grab a needle and have some fun slow stitching. A great way to de-stress and create something whimsical at the same time. Available at Icky Chic Designs.  

  Keeping it simple Keeping it elegant Keeping it trendy Creatively upcycling for sustainability Icky Chic Designs on Etsy

  Keeping it simple Keeping it elegant Keeping it trendy Creatively upcycling for sustainability Wear it beautifully Wear it proudly Wear it Boho Can be purchased HERE

  Sigh Anew Sigh anew Love for two Could have been Should have been Touched by wind Gone again

  Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. ~Anne Lamott Finding, maintaining, and keeping our physical, mental, and emotional balance during times of stress and anxiety is as tricky as finding a perfectly secluded beach on which we can relax and recharge our frayed minds and hearts. But before we get to the part about managing our stress, let’s first identify the likely sources of our stress. Origins of Stress Life, at the best of times, has its own set of stresses. However, when those stresses are compounded by situations beyond our ability to foresee or control, the pressure rises in our lives. Are you affected by any of these? Financial crisis Death of a loved one School pressures Caregiving responsibilities Strained relationships Moving Loss of job Pandemic Natural disasters or severe weather Political upheaval Social unrest Mental health Health crisis and healthcare Buying or selling a home Family concerns Marriage Divorce Toxic rela...

  You Never Thought Writing Fiction Could Do This For You Once your excuses are gone, you will simply have to settle for being awesome! ~ Lorii Myers Are you ready to be awesome? Well then, you’ll have to get rid of these excuses: I don’t want to write I can’t write I don’t have time to write I hate reading why would I want to write I’ve never read fiction so how can I write it I can’t find a pencil or paper I can’t spell worth a flip I can barely speak much less write Everyone will think I’m crazy I have no imagination And the list goes on and on… Okay, at this point, you’re a little interested but more curious as to how this will benefit you, right? Let’s get one thing out of the way before we begin. All first-time fiction writers are one peg below dummies. Until you’ve actually written a work of fiction, expect to be clueless. But in this case clueless is priceless because you don’t have any expectations or deadlines to meet. And there is no editor in the wings wearing a literar...

Book Review: Two Meals a Day Cookbook My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍 What a wonderful book! Mark Sisson’s story of how he changed his understanding of food, health, and diet to make a life-altering move in a new dietary direction drew me to this cookbook. The health and diet information is priceless, easy to assimilate, and also easy to put into everyday action. The recipes are scrumptious. I’ve tried several and nothing yet has disappointed me. I can see how these simple yet tasty meals can change the way I purchase food and prepare meals for my family. The ingredients are mostly things I already had in my pantry and not items I had to purchase at a great cost that I would use once and then sit on my shelf. This cookbook is one that I will use weekly, as I intend to try every recipe over time. I’m hoping that I will not only benefit from great meals but also from the health benefits that come from these recipes. I thank the author/publisher for gifting me a copy of this wonderful book. My opin...

  I enjoy creating these page flip overs for several reasons. The first is that they allow me to use up lots of my scrap pieces of paper, fabrics, and trims. The second reason is that they are fun to make because anything can happen. Just tear, cut, and glue and see what you come up with.  What do you think? Versatile, pretty, and so easy to create!  Share this scrap-busting project with your junk journaling friends. Swap scraps and have a crafting session together. Wish I could be there also. Have fun!

Developing an Artistic Eye — Seeing is Both Visual and Perceptual “If the artist has outer and inner eyes for nature, nature rewards him by giving him inspiration.” — Wassily Kandinsky I was inspired to create the fiber art shown above from noticing the tiny weed-like flowers that grew between the cracks of my sidewalk’s paver stones. The very delicate plant contrasted deeply with the hard surface that doubled as a complementary background. As a fiber artist, over the years I’ve had to learn how to develop my ability to see ordinary things through an artistic eye. It’s been an ongoing process and one I enjoy immersing myself in often. I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned with you. The Artist’s Eye Most of us have this to some extent. We use a facet of this ability when we arrange our home decor or mix and match our clothing choices. We use our sense of position, balance, color, shape, and compatibility. My long relationship with fabric has given me an arena to expanded on ...

  Imagine you're a writer and you've just pushed the publish button on your latest story. What would you do then? Do you break out in a sweat, wring your hands, circle your chair, pace the floor, drop to your knees, or just sit calmly and wait for the inevitable? I usually jump up and bake cookies, do some laundry, or rearrange some dust — anything to take my mind off the fact I’ve just dropped my precious baby down that crazy rabbit hole — again. Writers deal with word-induced fear every day. Let’s examine a few of the reasons why.  Lack of confidence — No matter how much we write, how often we publish, or how well each story does, we sweat with renewed anxiety each time we send another story out into the world for others to read? Comments and feedback — Writers have fragile egos. It’s part of our creative genetics. The world we live in is not known for tactfulness, kindness, or acceptance of strangers. And what can be stranger than a writer who’s just published a new story? ...

Let me begin by saying that I’m so ordinary that you’d never notice me even if I were the only one perched on a shelf. And what I’ve learned about maintaining a contented and happy life may only apply to me. But I’m hoping that you might find something that levels up your ability to find the same thing. What Happens When We Constantly Keep Our Heads Down When we look down, we can only see the step we just took and one yet to be taken. That’s an extremely limited view of our life’s potential and one that could never achieve the excitement and joy that we all want to experience. So, metaphorically, we can all lift our heads and let life surprise us by the results we achieve. An Example Of The Cause And Effect Of This Principle In My Life. Sometimes we tend to attribute most of the troublesome aspects of life to circumstances. But lifting our heads and taking a broader view might convince us otherwise. I’m not saying that circumstance doesn’t play its part — it does. But if circumstances ...

  This has got to be one of the easiest meal-planning solutions ever! So how does a Texas Lady put these crepes to good use in her kitchen? Well, take a seat because I'm about to tell you. Basic Crepe Recipe Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs ½ cup milk ½ cup water ¼ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter, melted Directions In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side.  Lynda's Kitchen: When I strap on my apron and get serious about making crepes, I make a ton of them at one time. That way I have plenty to...

  Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍 + Amazon Buy Link CODING HOUR by Cliff Robison is one of the best mystery/suspense novels I've read in several years.  I'm not going to disclose the plot but I will tell you that it's addicting. The author had me hooked on the first three pages, and that's hard to do. I had so many questions swirling in my head that screamed for answers, and wouldn't you know it, a family crisis came up and I had to quit reading. It was several days before I got back to the story, but curiosity about the story gave me no rest during that interval.  I can't praise Cliff Robison enough for fashioning a story that is thrilling, tense, and totally satisfying without the counterfeit writing maneuvers of excessive sex, gore, and filthy words. Now that takes some writing skills! I loved the intellectual level he sustained throughout, the use of technology, secret society codes, and many other super interesting plot elements. This author makes you think as you read....

  Children love games like  Hide and Seek , and  I Spy , and they'll love this special I FOUND IT game made especially for them. I created this one for my granddaughter from fabric but paper crafters can do the same. Here's how I did mine using fabric. Find two each of multiple designs and cut them out.  I backed one of each of them with a fusible web product - I used Wonder Under Heat fuse them to a background fabric leaving a border on all sides.  I suggest framing the piece behind glass. This will allow it to stay in good shape for many years. As the child outgrows the game, the framed piece will become simply wall art that they will cherish in later years. The second matching piece I sewed to card stock, creating durable cards the child could use when trying to find the matching element in the completed design. The more elements included the more challenging and fun the game will be.  Have some fun with this project and create a one-of-a-kind gift....

  Rating: 💛 💛 💛 💛 💛 Noodles have never been so adventurous or fun! I’ve always enjoyed dishes that incorporated noodles of all kinds. But now, for sure, I’m in love with ‘Noods’. I was thrilled to receive this complimentary copy of Send Noods by Chloe Godot from Amelia Beckerman, Associate Marketing Manager at St Martin’s Press. And it’s given me several hours of enjoyable reading, chuckling, and tasty recipes to try. The simple broth and sauce recipes were a bonus. Exploring the different recipe sections gave me great inspiration for dinners to come, especially the Heart Warmers section. I highly recommend the Nice Guy Shrimp Pad Thai and Won’t Clam Up Spaghetti and Clams recipes. Family pleasers for sure! I’m gifting my copy of this book to my 13-year-old granddaughter who loves cooking and cookbooks. Maybe she’ll let me be her official taster. @stmartins.com

  A thoughtless girl pushes the limit of belief too far... He crossed the last two moss-covered stones at the edge of the wide creek and planted his feet on the solid earthen bank. Shivering from the effects of his clumsiness and subsequent dunking, he did what he could to shake the water from his clothes. The dawn’s amber light slashed through the forest’s canopy and pooled around him, exposing him to further humiliation as he swiped at the frigid water dripping from his hair. “Trayjan, you are the most inept boy of my acquaintance. Why did I choose to share my adventures with one of so few skills…Oh well, it can’t be helped. Please try to keep your footing. If you fall into the water again you’ll surely freeze before we reach the cave and I’ll have to waste my afternoon burying you.” Her laughter, as she extolled his incompetence to every woodland creature, filled his soul with a deeper chill, one that penetrated his heart. Princess Veela, the youngest daughter of King Ryman of C...