New Year 2024

 

A Journey To A New Year

First day of the New Year.
It’s time to shine for a new day.
Forget your past,
Your sorrow, your pain.
New ideas are waiting ahead.
It’s time to recall all your memories,
Beautiful dreams that remain uncovered,
Painful parts of life when your heart gets crushed.
But don’t be afraid.
The future is in your hand.
Hold it in your hand.
Start your race,
A new journey,
That leads you to success.
You will rise again
You will shine again.
Happy New Year!

Sumira R. Arain

Posted in Inspiration | 1 Comment

Willow Arts

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Willowing Arts – Art Classes by Tam

Learning to Create at these Free Online Art Classes:

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Willowing Arts – Free Art Classes

Life Book 2014

 

Posted in Art, Creativity | 1 Comment

NanoWriMo 2023 Complete

NaNoWriMo 2023

I completed the NaNoWriMo 2023 Challenge of 50,000 Words in the Month of November

Posted in NaNoWriMo, Writing | Comments Off on NanoWriMo 2023 Complete

NaNoWriMo 2023

I am participation in the NaNoWrimo Challenge that starts today. NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge that happens every November. The challenge is to writing a draft of a book that consists of 50,000 words in the month of November. There are writers all over the world that are participating in this event. I am writing a Memoir for my challenge, My Restless Heart. I have plans to post my progress of my word count everyday withing this post.

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Writing and Journaling Line Up

Writing and Journaling Line Up: Personal Journaling, Common Place Journal, Writers Notebook, Morning Pages, and Evening Pages. I will post each one separate with details. Journals and notebooks were purchased at Amazon and Walmart.

     

Morning and Evening Pages:

Morning Pages:

The bedrock tool of a creative recovery is a daily practice called Morning Pages. Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*– they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page…and then do three more pages tomorrow. (Description from https://juliacameronlive.com)

Evening Pages:

Doing pages in the evening is journaling, allows us to reflect on our day. (This is not a recommendation as a replacement of Morning Pages. This is for your personal journaling and reflection. I just want to make it a practice to do both. Julia Cameron recommends morning pages. I’ve read in other sources that there is benefits from journaling and reflection, it is beneficial for personal growth too.)

Notebooks were purchases at Walmart for the pages are the right size to write 3 pages a day for me.

https://juliacameronlive.com/

Amazon Links two book choices for The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron:

https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-Spiritual-Higher-Creativity/dp/1585421472/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Artists-Way-Creativity-Spiritual/dp/158542630X?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jN56wAB8zmTfGf45eptdlbUiesDfjhFWaU4P2ABJ-e3W7k6_J5794SaHLy7AKZIwTq8XMGf5-DDgqCKg8aG_eK2fQwXcjjIYNnl9Tj2GN0UZE12ZbrvPUIgiWn-6p9RMbzsVZmXmgPp2hreuQ6pDSfozdgY7yVE91CWFljEAUodtV2TZEDG75sEcdlPsfrUkDq4ItUgJ9FvetmH-2t9tfdgtsQaFYNI8clkU_HQt6bQ.oqnj3W8N4MEH6RpgGqkvTBj-1y2kCnumlOeBU6DEHfo&dib_tag=AUTHOR

Commonplace Book (Commonplace Notebook, Commonplace Journal)

Historically a commonplace book would be a collection of thoughts/ideas/excerpts collected by somebody for their use later. It could include journaling as well. Essentially hand-written scrapbooks, they could be filled with items of every kind: quotations, poetry, letters, summaries of sermons heard or books read, prayers and proverbs, tables of weights and measures, legal formulas, mathematical calculations, anything, in fact, that the writer wished to have recorded for future reference. (Description from Google)

You Tube has a variety of videos about the uses of a commonplace book. I love saving quotes, positive statements and content that promote change and growth. Anything that inspires me or moves is worth wring down.

I’m going to call mine a Commonplace Journal. This notebook is a B5, purchased at Amazon.

 

Writer’s Notebook

Keeping a writer’s notebook is a great way to stay organized and make sure you never lose a drop of inspiration again. Your Writer’s Notebook is about writing and working on your writing ideas.

It’s a place to mind dump for all the things that make you a writer – character biographies, settings notes, sketches, doodles, snippets of dialogue and narration, poems, thoughts and feelings about your story, and so on.

Ask yourself questions about the story you are trying to create and write all your ideas.

The size will be a personal preference depending on portability.

My notebooks is A4 or letter size, purchased at Walmart. I will most likely carry mine in a tote bag with all my journals and planners.

 

Personal Journal 📖 🖊️

I will be journaling for personal growth which means I will be journaling in a way that both helps me reflect on my past thoughts and actions with an eye toward the future. I will do this through free-writing and/or with prompts in my journal.

My journal that I am using is a B5 that I purchased from Amazon.

If your new to journaling, here are some tips to get started and to make journaling into a manageable habit:

📖 Select any journal or notebook that is comfortable and affordable to you and use your favorite pens.

📖 Commit to 5-10 minutes of journaling a day

📖 Journal at the same time every day, and at a time you know you’ll actually do it.

📖 Don’t put pressure on yourself to write about anything specific. If you don’t have a specific topic you want to address, try free-writing for five or ten minutes, or journal on a specific prompt.

📖 If you can’t journal every day, be realistic about that, and commit to three days a week

I like to collect prompts on a variety of topics that I hope to share over time. Use these 10 journaling prompts to help you get started:

🖊️ What’s something that pushes you outside your comfort zone?

🖊️ What does your perfect day look like? Write it down from start to finish.

🖊️ What three words describe your dream life?

🖊️ Name five things you’re looking forward to this week or this month.

🖊️ At what point during the day are you at your most productive or energetic? How can you make better use of that time?

🖊️ What apps do you use most often on your phone? Are they adding or taking value from your life?

🖊️ Write a letter to someone you love letting you know how much you appreciate them.

🖊️ Think back to a difficult period in your life. What advice would you give to your younger self?

🖊️ What self-care activities bring you the most joy or sense of calm? How can you incorporate them into your life this week?

🖊️ Write down a joyful memory from the past week.

 

Posted in Journal, Writing | Comments Off on Writing and Journaling Line Up

Erin Condren Planners

 

2023 -2024 Lifeplanner Collection

LifePlanner™ Collection

Quality MaterialsProven LayoutsHighly CustomizableDesigned in the USA

Plan a more joyful, fulfilling life for just 17¢ a day with the LifePlanner – best EVERYTHING planner (over 3 million sold). Designed with 15+ years of product expertise and customer research, our planners help you get organized and make time for what matters most. 

  •  NEW 2024 Softbound Planners, Coiled Planners & Ring Agenda Inserts
  •  Durable, Personalizable Covers & Sturdy Metallic Hardware
  •  Choose Your Planner Layout, Size & Design to Fit Your Needs & Style

The Erin Condren Planners are available in 12 month or 18 month monthly and weekly planner pages.  The coil 7” X 9” weekly planners come in 3 formats to choose from vertical, horizonal and hourly. The inserts of most of the planners come in 3 interior designs.

Every year the external cover and interior color design change. 

Coil Planner include:

• 7″ x 9″
• 12-month calendar
• Sturdy laminate cover
• Interior pages Mohawk 80# text weight
• Plated aluminum coil
• Made in USALayout Features:
• Mini months
• Monthly quotes
• Monthly notes and productivity pages
• Dated monthly, weekly spreads
• Additional notes in the back
• Contacts pageIncludes:
• 4 planning sticker sheets
• 1 double-sided pocket folder
• 1 perpetual calendar
• Snap-in ruler
 
Customize:
 
coil color
cover designs
Personalize name or words on cover

Vertical:

Inspire:

Wildflowers:

Canvas:

Horizontal:

Inspire:

Wildflowers:

Canvas:

Hourly:

Inspire:

Wildflowers:

Canvas:

Daily:

The daily planners are in 6 month coil, sold as a duo to make up 1 year or A5 ring size inserts. Coil daily comes in 7” X 9” and A5. A5 ring inserts are also sold in horizontal or compact vertical weeks in 3 color designs. A5 comes in two interior color design: Inspire and Wildflowers.

Inspire:

Wildflowers:

Canvas:

Daily A5 Rings:

Inspire:

Wildflower:

 

Canvas:

Weekly A5 Rings:

Compact Vertical:

Inspire:

Wildflowers:

Canvas:

Horizontal:

Inspire:

Wildflowers:

Canvas:

 

Hi Friend! Get $10 Erin Condren store credit when you purchase!

Check out Erin Condren, Sign Up and Get $10 off your first order.

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Erin Condren Social Media Links

Screen Shot 2015-05-23 at 1.33.41 PM     Erin Condren Design You Tube Channel

Screen Shot 2015-05-23 at 1.34.11 PM      Erin Condren Instagram

Screen Shot 2015-05-23 at 1.34.42 PM      Erin Condren pinterest

Screen Shot 2015-05-23 at 1.34.33 PM     Erin Condren Facebook

Screen Shot 2015-05-23 at 1.48.15 PM     Erin Condren Twitter

Belinda Selene You Tube Video is one of my favorite bloggers who teaches you how to make cute accesssories for your planner.  She uses a personal planner and the Erin Condren Planner.  The following video is a real cute step by step on how to decorate the weekly planner with a Kate Spade Layout:

Plan With Me: Kate Spade Inspired Erin Condren Weekly Layout

by Belinda Selene

 

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Pen to Paper

Pen to Paper:

What were you thinking when the news of Covid 19 became real to you?

There’s no doubt that this has been a hard time for many. It’s been 5 months for me and I have to say, I didn’t believe it at the beginning. I didn’t believe that it would change so much in a short amount of time. It felt like the world and time just stopped. Biggest change at the beginning for me is when my dance studio closed for classes and socials on March 13, 2020. I went from dancing everyday to not.

It was about the same time schools were having spring break. Most schools had extended spring breaks and the extended spring breaks resulted to teachers and students not returning to campus and doing all education online. Many non-essential businesses and bars were closed down. Restaurants were either drive thru or delivery. No dine in. Businesses reopening was projected for April 15, then extended to April 30, then extended again. The reopening of business were slow and was based according to necessity and were 25% or 50% capacity. Bars in Texas were able to open near the end of May to be closed again a month later. Now mask are required in all businesses. Along the way we have experience one or all of the following (feel free to share others things I didn’t list):

– Shelter in Place
– Quarintine
– Schools Closed
– Social Distancing
– Wear mask/gloves
– People working from home
– Only essential businesses were open
– Empty shelves: No Toilet paper, paper towels & cleaning supplies
– Take out only
– Tempature taken at medical facilities and businesses
– and much more.

All these changes have been an adjustment. Many have experience emotional and physical stress. Everywhere I turned the words that comes to mine that was used a lot was “this is the new norm.” I feel nothing feels normal.

I posted a thought of mine on my facebook page that I truly feel: “I will never take for granted the freedom I had to go where I pleased, hug or see who I wanted, and dancing everyday where and with who that would join me. I am truly grateful that I got to share these things with others so far!”

The changes have been difficult for me. I’ve been taking it one day at a time. I’ve been spending my time training my foal, reading many books to help me be a better person, exercising, memory keeping and journaling. I can’t seem to exercise as much as I was dancing and somedays it’s hard to write.

If you are feeling uneasy about what is going on or if you just want to remember the events, I encourage you to take pen to paper and write down how you feel about all of this and what you have experienced. If you don’t prefer pen to paper, type it out on you computer. I feel writing will help you to solve any problems you may have regarding all that has happened. It helps reduces stress and provides relief, if there are problems it can clarify the problems in your own mind and allows you to concentrate on finding a solution.

My personal opinion: “I have been very fortunate to not of been sick but I can’t stop living life. I believe that life should go on, family should reunite, people should go back to work, business should reopen and we should deal with the outfall because most of this isn’t working and it’s the worst!”

Posted in Journal, Writing | Comments Off on Pen to Paper

What’s Up – September 2019

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September 2019

What’s Up in September:

Cocoa Daisy

Cocoa Daisy’s September Planner Kits:

Cocoa Daisy Home Page

September A5 Planner Kit 

September Personal Planner Kit

September Planner Add-On

September Dash Boards

Septembers Sticker Kit

Planners Anonymous: Instagram: plannersanon

 

Subscribe to Planners Anonymous

 

What’s Up – 2018

What’s Up – 2017

What’s Up – 2016

What’s Up 2015

What’s Up 2014

What’s Up 2013  

Contact Information:

    Your Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Subject

    Your Message

    Subscribe to my newsletter

    Instagram

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    Posted in What's Up, What's Up 2019 | Comments Off on What’s Up – September 2019

    Planning, Memory Keeping and Journaling in My Hobonicki

    Hobonichi Cousin

    Memory Keeping In my Hobonicki Cousin

    Memory Keeping In my Hobonicki Weekly Mega and A6

    Pre-planning in my hobonichi: A5, A6 and Weekly Mega

     

    Posted in Hobonichi, Planners, Planning | Comments Off on Planning, Memory Keeping and Journaling in My Hobonicki

    What’s Up – August 2019

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    August 2019

    What’s Up in August:

    Ipsy

    Check out ipsy

    August Ipsy Glam Bag Plus:

    August Ipsy Glam Bag:

    The Bag

    The Products

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    Planner Society Kit Sign Up Debut

    Planner Society Kits are Bi-Monthly: January, March, May, July, September, November 2019.  No Kit in August. To Look at Blog Post in May to see July Kit:

    https://www.donnadavenportblog.com/2019/07/01/whats-up-july-2019/

    Cocoa Daisy

    Cocoa Daisy Home Page

    Cocoa Daisy’s August Planner Kits:

    August A5 Planner Kit

     

    August Personal Planner Kit

    August Planner Add-On

    August Dash Boards

    August Sticker Kit

    Planners Anonymous: Instagram: plannersanon

    Subscribe to Planners Anonymous

    Other Planner Subscriptions:

    Happie Scrappie:  

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happiescrappie/

    Shop:  https://happiescrappie.myshopify.com/

    What’s Up – 2018

    What’s Up – 2017

    What’s Up – 2016

    What’s Up 2015

    What’s Up 2014

    What’s Up 2013  

    Contact Information:

      Your Name (required)

      Your Email (required)

      Subject

      Your Message

      Subscribe to my newsletter

      Instagram

            f49383abc22so4  

      Posted in What's Up, What's Up 2019 | Comments Off on What’s Up – August 2019