Crafter's Devotional: First Hop (Re-Do)

Today's the day for the first Crafter's Devotional Blog Hop. I actually wrote my post a few weeks back on the original date for the hop. However, the summer months were a bit unforgiving to most of the other blog participants as they were unable to blog about their experiences with the book. As such, the blog hop was postponed to today. I've chosen to direct you back to my original post since I have nothing new to contribute about the book at this time. I apologize and encourage you to read my original Crafter's Devotional First Hop post answering the questions "What activity has inspired you the most?  Or if the book hasn’t grabbed you, why?" if you haven't done so already.

As well, here's the list of participants if you'd rather just keep on hopping.

Beth 

Elisabeth 

Holly 

 Hope 

Jeannie 

Jen 

Kristin

Patty 

Sally 

Sandi 

Vonna 

Thanks so much for coming by! :)

Monday Morning Meanderings

I've got several topics I want to touch on this morning. As such, I have headers for each of them.

JUICE FAST

This is the green goddess, it's MUCH more tasty than it looks!

Let me start this post by admitting our juice-fast fail. Pat and I jumped into the fast without any preparation. By the end of the day yesterday, I was fantasizing about food. So, we broke down and had a small meal. We're back on the juice this morning and plan to juice for lunch, but then we'll eat some dinner this evening. I think it's less of a shock to our systems while still getting all those fabulous nutrients from the fruits and vegetables.

CRAFTER'S DEVOTIONAL
I did post my Crafter's Devotional post on Saturday, but because of a misunderstanding I took it down. I think everything is sorted out now so I have it back up in case you missed it. There were only three of us from the group that ended up posting on Saturday. I've got the whole list on the post, but you can see the actual list of the three of us on Elisabeth's blog if you are interested.

MENU
Since we're going to attempt to juice today and tomorrow, it was difficult to think about food and make the menu. However, I did make it through the planning and will wait to grocery shop later in the week. Here's the meal plan as it stands now.

Breakfasts: Juice; peanut butter toast w/fruit; cereal/oatmeal w/fruit; yogurt w/granola & fruit; eggs w/bacon, toast, & fruit; freezer breakfast (waffles, pancakes, and/or smoothies)

Lunches: Juice, pita pizzas w/salad, tuna noodles w/fruit, chicken salad and veggie wrap, turkey sandwiches w/fruit, chicken Caesar salad w/sun-dried tomatoes

Dinners:

Pork loin (from freezer) w/mashed potatoes (from freezer) & green beans

Spicy chicken tortillas soup (from freezer)

Short ribs with wine and cream w/cauliflower

Easy marinated chicken skewers w/stir fry veggies & brown rice

Crispy panko crusted fish w/sweet potato & broccoli

There's more Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

SHOP NEWS
I put several items on sell in the shop this morning then put the first ever ring in the shop.

Brass Dots Button Ring

That's probably enough meandering for one day. I've really got to finish and photograph my Bead Soup pieces today for the reveal on Saturday. I'm so excited! Of course, I could just be juiced up. . .hahahahaha! I'm a dork, sorry!

Crafter's Devotional: First Hop

You may recall me mentioning last month that I was joining up with some other artists for a Crafter's Devotional group based on the book by Barbara R. Call by the same name.

The purpose of the book is to help unlock your creative spirit and the purpose of the group is a sort of support group for all of us trying get out of our creative funks.

Today is our first. . .blog hop/check-in/thing on our progress with the book. The book has daily inspirations, activities, tips, tricks, etc. to get your creative juices flowing. While you don't have to work through the book in order, I've decided that was the best way for me to keep track. Let me admit that with our vacation and other busy activities, it's been hard for me to keep up DAILY. However, I have attempted to catch up when I've fallen behind on the days.

The book has definitely gotten my wheels turning about a variety of topics and has helped me explore some of the inner workings of my mind. And, I kinda like that. It's also pushing me to write in the suggested journal and I realize how much I miss putting pen to paper in that manner. (I used to be a devout diary/journal-writer.)

ANYWAY. . . onto the questions for the hop
**Questions for the blog hop:  What activity has inspired you the most?  Or if the book hasn’t grabbed you, why?

The book HAS grabbed me, so I'm going with the first question. Yet, I had to go back through my journaling to answer it. I think the activity that really inspired me the most was altering the front of my journal. There was a lot of introspection on this one for me. I know it's weird  that something so simple as decorating the cover really had my wheels turning. However, it wasn't about how I would decorate it. Instead my thoughts were tuned toward the actual act of altering something from it's original state.

My journal in its original state (actually this is the back, but the front looked the same before I altered it)

While I'm a self professed 'Mixed Media Artist' and make altered jewelry, I realize that my first thought isn't always how to personalize or change up something. Instead, it's often a forced process. As long as I can remember, I've admired people who weren't hesitant about painting a piece of furniture or slapping stickers on their laptops or performing other acts of altering something from its original state. I think I know where this stems from as well. Growing up on the lower side of middle class, we were encouraged to respect and care for our belongings as they needed to last as long as possible. In addition, there was a lot of renting of homes so all decorations had to be removable. Through all of this, I never really learned to throw caution to the wind and permanently change anything for fear of RUINING it.

The act of personalizing the front of that journal (even though it was just with some scrapbook paper and glue) really helped free me from that mindset. Well, let's not say I'm completely 'free' from it, but I don't feel as caged in by it.

Oh. . .and here's my journal cover. I want to change it up yet some more, but this was a liberating start for me.

My altered journal

A big thanks to Elisabeth at Beads for Busy Gals and Patty at My Life Under the Bus for starting up this little group to kick-start us out of our creative funks. I definitely think the Crafter's Devotional is exactly what I need right now and I don't think I would have discovered it without them. As well, without the group and this upcoming blog hop, the activities might have fallen by the wayside. Having a deadline like a blog post has definitely pushed me forward in getting through the book. So THANK YOU!! I'm definitely looking forward to next month.

Here's the list of the Crafter's Devotional group so you can hop and see how they're doing with the book.

Beth - Stories By Indigo Heart

Elisabeth -  Beads for Busy Gals 

Holly -  Silver Rose Designs
YOU ARE HERE --->  Hope - Crafty Hope 

Jeannie - Jewelry by Jeannie 

Jen -  Jen Judd Rocks

Kristin -  My Bead Journey

Patty -  My Life Under the Bus 

Sally - The Studio Sublime

Sandi -  Sandi Volpe 

Vonna -  Just Vonna

 
Finally, if you are interested in joining the group or getting any other information, Elisabeth has a Crafter's Devotional link at the top of her blog.  Happy Hopping!

Crafter's Devotional and a Menu

Today I begin another item on my To Do List.
Ack! What am I thinking?

Well, I'm thinking I need a spark. You see, while I was catching up on all the blog reading I missed while I was out-of-town, I stumbled on posts by my friend, Patty at My Life Under the Bus, and by Elisabeth at Beads for Busy Gals. Apparently, their muse has been off her game lately too and Elisabeth had recently found The Crafter's Devotional by Barbara R. Call.

They decided to use this book as a rallying point for a group of "like minded (semi-lost) souls, and host blog hops occasionally to see how everyone is doing." As soon as I saw their posts, I ran out of the house and to the bookstore to grab the book. As well, I've asked to be added to their list of semi-lost souls as I intend to play along. Elisabeth has a link at the top of her blog that will take you to the list of participants and some other information.

One of the first things you notice and learn about the book is that it advocates journaling. (I don't think I'm spoiling anything here. . .it says this on the back cover plain as day.) So I've made sure to gather some supplies to have with me for this part. I actually had a mostly empty journal/sketchbook already, and I took a quick trip up to the store for some colorful pens (SCHOOL SUPPLIES!! They're on sale right now. I have a problem.) and a stick of glue for any collaging desires that possess me.

In addition, I grabbed a cheap pencil case. With a book ring I already had, I've attached my supplies to my journal for easy travel.

I'm all ready to go. . .now to actually DO the prompts and whatnot in the book!!


Beyond that, it's Monday and I'm all ready with a meal plan for my week.

Breakfasts: Breakfast banana split, cereal/oatmeal, raspberry parfaits, muffin cup egg casseroles, muffins, omelets

Lunches: Turkey (leftover) on salad, ham sandwiches, bean burritos, pita pizzas, soup w/grilled cheese, tuna noodles, chicken salad pitas

Dinners: 

Chipotle lime shrimp soft tacos with corn and black bean salsa

Chicken with mustard cream sauce w/cauliflower & salad

Easy vegetable beef soup (sub ground turkey)

Crockpot chicken w/ sweet potatoes & baked zucchini fritters

Chipotle rubbed flank steak w/green beans & potato salad

There's more Menu Plan Monday is at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

These Black Satin Earrings are new in the shop

I've got plenty to hop on today as you can imagine. How's your week looking?