5/52

"A portrait of my girls, once a week, every week, in 2016."

Claire: you are the master of silly faces...

Bridget: lost in a book. If I talk to you while you are reading you don't hear a thing, the story has your complete attention.

Joining in with Jodi for the 52 Week Project. 

Project Life: Eastern Canada

I realize that there have not been any scrapbooking posts here in quite some time, but for good reason: I have been busy working on my scrapbook for our trip to Eastern Canada (I shared about our trip here and here).

We took thousands of pictures on this trip and in order to include as many pictures as possible in my scrapbook I decided to make a Project Life Album.

To begin, I organized my photos by place and/or event. I am now working through selecting the pocket pages and photos for each layout. It is a very slow process since, like I said, there are a lot of pictures to look through.

I ran into a small hiccup when I discovered that the place where I normally print my pictures has lowered their quality considerably, but after Steve did some investigating, we found another photo studio that prints better quality photos; I will be going there from now on.

I bought a few themed cards (Road Trip and Travel) to write titles and journaling on, but I am going to wait until all the pictures are in the album before I start adding words. I am so glad that I kept a journal when we were on our trip otherwise I may have forgotten all of the small details, the silly comments, the music, the thoughts.....everything that made this trip special.

These tall envelopes are perfect for storing postcards, booklets, brochures and other memorabilia.

I am really happy with how everything is coming together. Looking at these pictures makes all the memories of our trip come rushing back; I can smell the ocean, feel the sand beneath my toes, feel the wind on my face, taste the fish and chips....I remember the days like they were yesterday....

Now is Now

A simple list of the moments that I enjoyed and cherished this week:

• Noticing that the days are getting just a little bit longer
• The sun streaming through the window at work
• Drinking green tea
• Working on my scrapbook
• Looking at sewing patterns with Bridget
• Cooking healthy meals for my family and trying some new recipes
• Cuddles with Claire-Bear
• A much needed and long awaited date night 
• Crocheting
• Wearing a dress
• Restocking the pantry 
• Listening to a podcast

There is nothing earth shattering here, but feeling less hurried has allowed me to be more present, to be in the Now, to see what is happening right in front of me and enjoy it that much more. Thanks to a shorter daily 'to-do' list I feel less frantic and more present; who would have thought that such a small change would make such a huge impact.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy all the little moments happening right in front of you.

(Read more about Now is Now here)

4/52

 "A portrait of my girls, once a week, every week, in 2016."

I am so glad that you have each other; the friendship and love that I see between the two of you is such a beautiful thing.

Joining in with Jodi for the 52 Week Project

Now is Now

I mentioned last week that perhaps a shorter, less ambitious daily 'to-do' list might help me stay more present. Well, this week I gave that a try. I only put two or three things on my daily 'to-do' list (rather than five or six) and it turns out that in fact it is true: a shorter to-do list allows me more time and energy to focus on Now. With fewer things on the list clamoring for my attention, I felt less hurried, less frantic, and more able to take in the present moment.

After I finished the few tasks on my list I had the time, space, and energy to look out the window and notice the winter landscape in my backyard, to work on my vacation scrapbook, to read my book, to cuddle with my girls, to have a much needed conversation with Steve. I was able to focus on Now and on what was right in front of me, what recharges me, what brings me joy, what strengthens my relationships....

And you know what, everything that needed to get done still got done. I know that my desire to live a more present life can not come at the expense of my responsibilities, that there will always be things that need to be done (in my case this is always a load of laundry or cooking), but with fewer things on my daily list I have more room to breath. I am doing what needs to be done but leaving space to enjoy the present.

This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Gretchen Rubin: "By doing a little bit each day you can get a lot accomplished." So true, my friends, so true. So long as I remember to focus on "doing a little every day" I can get done what needs doing, and still have the time, space and energy to enjoy the day that I am living Now.

(Read more about Now is Now here)

A Chunky Granny Scarf

One cold afternoon last October I visited a fiber festival with my friend Jill. We spent some time perusing the booths, which were set up in an old barn, and that is where, beside a stall of alpacas, I found this beautiful yarn.

I was immediately drawn to the unique color combination and the chunkiness of the yarn, plus compared to all the expensive hand spun and hand dyed yarns, it was an absolute bargain. Even though I had declared that I was only going to the festival for inspiration and was not going to buy anything, six balls of this scrumptious yarn came home with me. I could not help myself.

I knew right from the get-go that this yarn was destined to become a scarf or a cowl and by chance I stumbled upon this absolute perfect pattern for a chunky granny scarf.

It was an absolute breeze to make; I started and finished it in a weekend, fitting in a few rows/stitches when I could. In fact it was quite an addictive little project, the chunky yarn worked up very quickly and seeing such immediate results is rather inspiring, wouldn't you agree?

Winter has arrived with a vengeance so I could not have made a scarf at a better time. It is warm and cozy, very pretty, and it makes me very happy to be walking around town wearing something that I made.

3/52

"A portrait of my girls, once a week, every week, in 2016."

My happy girls playing in the snow.

Joining in with Jodi for the 52 Week Project.