karenika

A Book a Week – the testing series

I read The Testing Series just for fun when I was on vacation. I read all of them in a row and was interested the whole time. It was, of course, similar to other novels I read but I still found it interesting and fun. I can’t remember much of it now, which speaks to how durable the story is but I didn’t feel like it was a waste of time, at the time.

It’s sort of sad when that’s the best I can say about a book. But don’t let me deter you if this is your type of book. Clearly I liked it well enough to read all three.

Fifty-Two Stamps – Week 16

This week’s stamp is another cute little one without much purpose. Just makes me happy. I am hoping that’s a good enough reason…

Fifty-two stamps is a project for 2015. You can read more about it here.

Note to Self – Week 21

This week’s page was another Life Book lesson. One by Tam and her class was a bit different but I did my own version with my own happy colors. Each of the hearts holds something that feels good to me.

Note to self: life is full of magic moments and opportunities. there are a lot of things i love to do. when the tougher times come, it’s good for me to remember those things. they are what make me happy. and they are always here, no matter what.

Note to Self is a project for 2015. You can read more about it here.

Everyday Brave – Week 18

Here’s this week’s layout, I did this when we were planning to go skiing.

The left side here is goggles and skis

And the right side is a tram but then Nathaniel got sick and we couldn’t go so I drew his medicine and fever.

And there we are. Here’s another week of practicing courage.

Fifty-two stamps is a project for 2015. You can read more about it here.

David and Nathaniel’s Books of Happy Memories – Week 19

Here’s this week’s offering from David:

This is David’s superbowl tracker. He really loved doing this with his dad.

And one from Nathaniel:

A lovely watercolor page from Nathaniel.

David and Nathaniel’s Books of Happy Memories is a two projects I’m doing with my kids for 2015. You can read more about it here.

Stories of Twenty-Fifteen – Week 19

Here’s this week’s story :

Title: Just the Two of us at Cayucos
Story:
One of my goals this year was to take more adventures. Be bolder. Take more chances. One of the items on my list was to take a trip with Jake without the kids. This is something we talked about several times but never did and I had decided 2015 would be the year we’d change that.

I emailed my mother-in-law and tried to see if they’d be willing to fly over here for a weekend so Jake and I could go away. She graciously said yes right away. And this was the weekend. They came on Thursday night and spent Friday and Saturday in our house so we could go away.

We had a lot of of conversations about where to go. We started with exciting locations like Paris and South America and then moved to more adventurous places like Alaska to see the Northern Lights. And then we scaled down to Phoenix but finally landed on Central Coast. It might sound lame to start with Paris and end with Cayucos, but it actually gave me so much relief to know we were going to be only a few hours away without a plane flight, somewhere sweet and calming and right by the water.

And it was the perfect place to go.

Our little hotel was literally on top of the beach. We didn’t even have to walk two steps to have our feet in the sand. We slept and woke up to the sounds of the crashing waves and saw a magnificent sunset while hanging out with the birds on the beach.

It really was perfect.

We walked around town, we drove to San Luis Obispo, we went to the Montana de Oro park. We relaxed. We talked. We drove up PCH all the way home and stopped in San Simeon to see the seals and in Big Sur to eat a bite at the lovely Nepenthe. It was all breathtakingly beautiful.

And the kids? They had a blast with their grandparents and didn’t miss us much at all. Here’s to the beginning of many more adventures!

Stories of Twenty Fifteen is a project for 2015. You can read more about it here.

You Choose – Week 18

This week’s pick is about being serene. Journaling always centers me. It helps me clear my thinking. Gives me perspective. Helps me remember what I love most and what matters most. It’s the way the wiser version of me comes out.

little shimmers on this one:

You Choose is a project for 2015. You can read more about it here.

Fifty-Two Stamps – Week 15

I know I haven’t posted a stamp in weeks but I’ve actually been carving them, just not posting them. I’ve finally gotten around to taking photos of them. I like this little envelope. It’s small and can be used and reused.

These stamps still bring me lots of joy 🙂

Fifty-two stamps is a project for 2015. You can read more about it here.

A Book a Week – crazy rich asians

I read Crazy Rich Asians for book club. I didn’t like it. Way way way too soap opera-ish. Over the top. To the point that you just can’t keep reading it without rolling your eyes.

I am sure some of it is true and reality is often more ridiculous than fiction but this particular story was just never interesting to me.

Note to Self – Week 20

This week’s page was another Life Book lesson. One by Jane Davenport whom I love.

The message on this one says: I wish to live a life that causes my soul to dance inside my body.

Note to self: do things that make you come alive. hold on to the joy. Embrace it and don’t let it go. It doesn’t matter what others like or don’t like. what matters is that you honor what makes your soul dance.

Note to Self is a project for 2015. You can read more about it here.

Choosing Well

While I’ve still been posting a lot of art projects, I know it’s been a long time since I’ve done a personal post on the blog. It’s been a whirlwind of a year, so far. In a matter of weeks, both the boys will be out of school and the summer days will be here. Summer is usually when I find myself going into my relaxing space where I don’t tend to follow my strict schedule as often. But this year has been such a mess that I have no idea what the summer will bring.

I am more than six months into my new job and I still don’t have my new rhythm down at all. I am not eating well and I am not moving at all. I am often tired and my days are very disjointed.

But.

But I love my job. And I’ve been so much more involved with the kids’ school this year and directly involved in their lives that it’s wonderful. I’ve made a lot of new friends at the school. I’ve made huge strides in some of the areas of my life where there has been no change in years. Things that had been on my wish-i-could-do-this list year after year, like driving on the freeway. Like having a community. These items were on my list and didn’t move for many, many years. And then, this year, they exploded. All at once, with no warning. Which also meant that a lot of other things fell off the list, to make rooms for these big changes.

That’s how life works. You do one thing which means you don’t do another thing.

So a bunch of things fell off my list for months. But each time I thought of them, I reminded myself that I was focusing on these other things instead and that it was ok to do that for a while. And so here we are. It’s been an unusual year. I’m not complaining; just trying to find my bearing and see if I can develop some kind of structure within my new life. I am also trying to be patient and kind with myself. And give myself grace for the things that are falling on the floor. Not everything can bloom at once.

So here we are. I have so many things I want to write about. So much on my mind. So much in my life. So many things I want to share, but most evenings I find myself too tired and choose to go to bed instead. Life is an ebb and flow and I know this, too, will change at some point.

In the meantime, I thought maybe it could be time for a quickie status update again: I’d love for you to join me in the comments 🙂
Making : Fun little pages in my planner (which is on my list of things to share)
Cooking : Nothing. Still not cooking.
Drinking : More diet coke than i’d like to admit. ready to quit it again.
Reading: Several books at once as I haven’t found one i am in love with at the moment.
Wanting: A lot of downtime. Sleep. A Routine.
Looking: Forward to mid-June when I get to go see my family.
Playing: Way too much Candy Crush when I am tired and don’t want to do anything.
Deciding: How to support David through his middle school applications this Fall.
Wishing: Some parts of my life could be easier.
Enjoying: My kids and husband so much. I am so grateful for them.
Waiting: For summer.
Liking: my new job.
Wondering: when, if ever, i will have a routine again.
Loving: spending time with the boys and jake.
Pondering: What our life will be like after next year when David will be in a different school.
Considering: all of our options.
Watching: A bunch of Netflix and Life Book videos.
Hoping: the summer goes smoothly and the rest of this year is a joy.
Marvelling: at how much my kids have grown. how quickly time passes.
Needing: sleep. to take care of my health again. to figure things out.
Smelling: the vanilla candle burning beside me.
Wearing: a comfy jacket i got from work. love it.
Following: my gut a lot more this year. the whispers, too.
Noticing: how much can change in a year.
Knowing: that everything will be okay in the end. it always is.
Thinking: that i am lucky to have my family. and in so many other ways.
Feeling: tired. grateful. worn out. content. worried. all at once.
Admiring: my son’s ability to play an instrument. his courage.
Sorting: through lots of scrappy supplies. and other drawers.
Buying: things to bring home.
Getting: clearer on what matters.
Bookmarking: middle schools. parent association work. things to remember.
Disliking: when i feel less than. when i feel scarcity. when i try to measure up.
Opening: in ways i haven’t before.
Giggling: with nathaniel.
Feeling: grateful. always grateful. so deeply grateful.

Life is always full of something and lacking something else. I am learning and trying to remember that my choices matter a lot and I have to be wiser with how I use them.

Here’s to choosing well.