karenika

Stories of Twenty-Fifteen – Week 15

Here’s this week’s story:

Title: A Day in Santa Cruz
Story:
During the ski week that the kids get off, we were supposed to go to Los Angeles. Before I decided to book David’s surprise trip, this was planned to be how we celebrated his birthday. We hadn’t booked a hotel or made any specific plans but it was our intention to spend the early part of the week in LA.

After we got back from the Orlando trip, I was very tired and overwhelmed and wasn’t sure if I really could deal with going away again in less than a week. I though about it some and stressed about it some and then finally had a talk with Jake. I asked him if we could do something a lot more low key. I really didn’t want to sit in the car for six hours. I really didn’t want to do anything taxing at all. I asked if we could do day trips instead. Maybe a day in Santa Cruz, a day in the city, and another day filled with something local but fun. He said okay.

So Monday morning, we woke up and got on our way to Santa Cruz. It was early enough that the boardwalk wasn’t open yet so we went bowling instead. I did abysmally bad but the boys did well. Then we went to the arcade and played games for a while. I walked around with Nathaniel and Jake spent time with David so they could play the more mature games.

After a while, we took a break and walked on the boardwalk, got some food and ice cream and decided it would be fun to play mini golf. The place in the boardwalk is really nice and even had a section that has a lot of fluorescent paint and some black light. We didn’t keep score but I am pretty sure Daddy would have won.

We then went back to video games and played a whole bunch more. The kids were watching this couple play for a while and on their way out, they gave us all their tickets, which was awesome!! By the end of our time, we had enough points to buy two light sabers, a huge pen, a few stickers, and a little ring. Pretty great.

We walked the pier to see the seals and then got a slice of pizza before heading home. It was a really lovely day full of much joy, adventure, and family time. We all decided that we need to go to Santa Cruz a lot more often.

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

You Choose – Week 13

This week’s pick is another serenity pick. I used to absolutely adore taking baths. I remember, as a kid, I’d draw myself a bath, full of bubbles, put some fruit in a bowl and dive in with a wonderful book. I’d spend hours in the bath. Until the water got so chilly that I had to get out. I used to love the bubbles. I used to love the calm that spread over my skin, my body in that water. I could use more of that any time.

here is a side look for the shimmer; not too much shimmer on this one:

here’s to embracing serenity.

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

A Book a Week – we were liars

I read We Were Liars because amazon recommended it and praised it so much. And you know what?

You ready for it?

I HATED IT!

I might be the only one. I know everyone else loved it. But I hated it.

Up until the end, I was loving it. But then, there was a huge twist at the end that completely ruined the book for me. I was like WHAT!!!?! and just never got over it. I didn’t like the twist. It felt gimmicky and just wrong.

So there you are.

Note to Self – Week 15

This week’s page takes its inspiration from Rachael Rice’s lesson from Life Book 2015. She had us make a dreamcatcher and I decided, once again, to honor my core desired feelings so I wrote each of them on the feathers of my dream catcher.

I feel like I want to remind myself again and again that I get to choose how i feel. These are my choices. These are the words, the feelings I want to surround myself with these feelings. I cannot remind myself enough.

here’s a front view it’s not as shiny:

i love the shine:

Note to self: choose to feel these feelings. you do get to choose.

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

David and Nathaniel’s Books of Happy Memories – Week 13

Here’s this week’s offering from David:

David’s got a card from his parental grandmother and a gold doubloon from the pirate store in 826 Valencia.

And one from Nathaniel:

Left side is shinky dinks we’ve done. And right side is stickers from doctor’s office and a yogurtland card he loves.

the shink a dinks that are in the little containers we made.

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 14

Here’s this week’s story:

Title: Valentine’s Day Cards
Story:
One would think that, as someone who is into crafting, I would like making Valentines for the kids’ schools. But it’s never been one of my favorite things to do. Though I also refuse to buy them when they are so easy to make. As the day approached this year, I was dreading coming up with a plan.

About a week before, we got an email from David’s teacher explaining that they were planning to do something different this year. Each kid would only make a Valentine for one other kid. It would be more personal and it would be hand made and it had to have three things specific to that kid. I loved this idea! I wish all the grades did exactly that.

Alas, not Nathaniel’s class.

So as we scoured the internet for ideas three days before his party, I kept thinking we were going to have to go back to our idea from a few years ago when we made little paper airplanes. I wasn’t looking forward to hand folding forty airplanes again.

Then we found these cute printables that used googley eyes. I remembered that I had bought googley eyes for David almost five years ago when he and I were doing our year-long crafting project. I dug in the closet to see if I could find them and was overjoyed to find that not only did I still have them but that they would be perfectly sized for these Valentines.

Nathaniel picked the printables he liked the most, we printed and cut them and then glued the little eyeballs on each of them one by one (so thankful for glue dots!) And then he stamped his very long name on each of the cards and we were done!

All in all, the project took us maybe twenty minutes. And I think they turned out very cute. He said that everyone in his class enjoyed them.

I feel like this year might go down in history as one of the most painless Valentine prep years ever. Three cheers for fun, easy, and cute!

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

You Choose – Week 12

This week’s pick painting. I love paint. I love the feel of it on my fingers. I love how alive it makes me feel. I love color. I love learning. I love its texture. I love how it makes me feel. I am so grateful that I discovered mixed media and never looked back. Here’s to painting for the rest of my life!

here is a side look for the shimmer; a subtle one:

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

A Book a Week – Astonish Me

I read Astonish Me for book club, too. And here’s what I thought of it: Meh.

Meh.

The other Maggie Shipstead book I read was also Meh. I am apparently not a huge fan of hers. I like her books okay but they don’t impress me all that much. I’ve read so many better authors and books. In my opinion, of course. My friend Lauren loves her.

So your mileage might vary. And if you’re into ballet, this is one for you.

Fifty-Two Stamps – Week 14

This week I wanted to make some wings. For me, wings are hard and time consuming and i’m generally bored by the time I am done with the first one and dread having to make the second one. So I picked this simple design I saw and was thrilled to have fun with both sides of it. Though they still aren’t exact duplicates. Eh, what can you do?

Here’s what the stamp looks like:

I can’t help myself, I love wings.

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

Note to Self – Week 14

This week’s page is my version of the wonderful Joanne Sharpe’s Life Book lesson. I love Joanne Sharpe and she never disappoints. Nor did she this time.

The text for this week says: feel the fear and do it anyway.

This quote is what my word of the year is all about. Not “not being afraid” but just doing it anyway. Taking chances. Trying things. Going forward anyway. Not being too shy to try. Listening to those tiny inklings in my soul. Leaping. Celebrating the journey.

Note to self: do it anyway, baby. do it!

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

Everyday Brave – Week 13

This week’s page is one I did during the holidays, months ago. I wanted to draw some Christmas stuff and then I decorated it with stickles which are my happy place. I love the shimmer they add.

it’s really shiny in person: