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2016 Word: Enjoy

2016 word enjoy | Halle's Hobbies

After reflection on last year and thinking of what is to come…I decided that enjoy would be my best choice of words.

Enjoy the process of creating and blogging. Enjoy and embrace the fact that I am a stay-at-home mom of teenagers and enjoy the time I have left with them. Enjoy more time with Mr. G since the kids aren’t needing or wanting our undivided attention. Enjoy being driven around by my son. Find a healthy lifestyle we can enjoy. Dig in the dirt for enjoyment of gardening and the nourishment it provides our family. Enjoy friends, good books, wine and walks. Enjoy the little things in life.

I think this should be a pretty easy word to keep in mind this year.

You could do it too… ENJOY

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Looking back at 2015

As I started thinking ahead towards the new year and all it has yet to bring,  I decided it was time for a bit of reflection before letting go of 2015. Briefly my thought was, “Not much happened this year” and then the memories started to filter through.

This year, collectively, our family has had the following…in no particular order:

knee surgery

small kitchen fire

resort vacation

night classes

new driver

honor choir audition

wacky injuries including a 911 call

volleyball camp

computer programing

pneumonia

new (to us) vehicles

job interviews

neighborhood campfires

published article

mother/daughter retreat

choir concerts

deans list

student council

phase 2 braces

and a new teenager(just yesterday)

Whew! That’s quite a list even without the minutia of everyday life and events I’ve likely forgotten or perhaps blocked out. :)

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So how did I do with my word of the year?

FOCUS | Halle's Hobbies

Not so great, honestly.  I can’t say I entirely failed on my word. I did focus on my family when issues arose throughout the year. I had the intention of focus on myself and what I needed and wanted out of life with this word. But really when I think about it, focus on my family is the reason I am still a stay-at-home mom the majority of the time. I was gifted with a wonderful life and family. One that appreciates the gift it is that I am home most days to take care of the little things. Perhaps my thoughts on my success with focus were a little flawed, My focus was just where it was meant to be last year.

Happy New Year! Be safe.

 

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T Tuesday: Christmas wrap(up) edition

Welcome to the very last T stands for Tuesday of 2015.

T Tuesday : Christmas wrap(up) edition | Halle's Hobbies

We had a lovely Christmas with family. We had my mom over for a big meal at noon. Then I started cooking again for brunch the next day. Getting everything prepped so I’d have an easy morning. We played a board game then watched Home Alone. By that time, I was so exhausted that I told everyone that they had to go to bed otherwise Santa was skipping our house.  ;)

Christmas morning brunch with Mr. G’s side of the family was great…all the hard work the previous day payed off.

I have to show you the gift Mini-me put together for her brother…

T Tuesday : Christmas wrap(up) edition | Halle's Hobbies

She bought him a gift card but wanted a clever way to give it. She used a photo from Pinterest as inspiration. She thought a Mountain Dew reindeer was needed as well.

T Tuesday : Christmas wrap(up) edition | Halle's Hobbies

So darn cute. There is a kit-kat bar under the gift card. Good thing Santa put new toothbrushes in their stockings!!

T Tuesday : Christmas wrap(up) edition | Halle's Hobbies

Big J bought his sister this cute mug and a Minnesota Vikings T shirt. Skol Vikings!

I did make one additional Christmas card this past week.

Christmas card | Halle's Hobbies

I tried out my new water color brush marker to give some dimension.

Today we’ll be shoveling snow and baking a cake for Mini-me’s birthday tomorrow. 13…I can hardly believe it! Now I’ll have two teenagers in the house.

I am also giving some thought to my 2016 word of the year as well as reflecting on 2015.

What are you doing today?

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Time warp journal

After a little post-Christmas cleanup, I rediscovered my worktable. Sad but true…it had been buried under things I was setting there “just for the moment”. I should know that means weeks around the holidays.

Never being one to leave an open space open for along…I grabbed my Gypsy journal and began this new journal page.

time warp journal | Halle's Hobbies

I used some of my favorite techniques. They are my go-to whenever I’m feeling the creative bent but not knowing the direction I’d like to go.

My go-to formula is drywall tape for the background, a focal image of a person and found text to end it off.

time warp journal | Halle's Hobbies

I really enjoy creating little tales such as this one. Even though it may not make any sense to others…it makes me smile none the less.

Do you have go-to techniques that are seen in your work over and over? I used to think this was a bad thing as I wasn’t growing artistically. I now see that that for me, using similar techniques over and over actually help me grow creatively.

What is your favorite technique?

***I’m linking up with Art Journal Journey today with my time warp journal collage. ***

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T Tuesday: Christmas rhyme edition

T Tuesday: Christmas rhyme edition | Halle's Hobbies

T’was the Tuesday before Christmas and the day before break,

my mind was a whirl with all I’ve yet to make.

 

The presents are wrapped, all tied up in bows,

 the cookies are baked, but calories? Who knows

 

The tree lights are twinkling and sweet treats abound,

it really makes more sense when there’s snow on the ground.

 

So I looked out the window, and what did I see?

A dusting of snow! I squealed with glee.

 

So funny how quickly my mood turned bright,

and all it took was a light coat of white.

 

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends,

I bid you adieu as my rhyme has reached it’s end.

Merry Christmas from Halle's Hobbies

 

 

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Bah Humbug

I’m not exactly sure why but I’m having a really hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. It could be that our Minnesota winter has yet to arrive. We’ve had temps well above freezing and even a thunder storm on Monday. Super strange.

Bah Humbug | Halle's Hobbies

Last night and this morning we finally had a little bit of snow…very little. When I stepped outside this morning my first thought was “great…now it’s too cold to snow.”  If your not from around this neck of the woods that last statement doesn’t make a bit of sense. Too cold to snow!! Why yes, yes that is a thing that happens. I was right…the flurries didn’t start until it actually warmed up a little bit and didn’t last anytime at all. I’m pretty sure we will not be having a white Christmas.

Since I’m feeling all Bah Humbug I thought it was a good time to share some postcards I made ages ago for a swap. I wish I had taken better or more high quality scans of these so long ago before passing them along.

Bah Humbug | Halle's Hobbies

Bah Humbug | Halle's Hobbies

Bah Humbug | Halle's Hobbies

Bah Humbug | Halle's Hobbies

These were really fun. Perhaps this will get my snarky muse into gear as long as my regular one is either pouting under the Christmas tree or hibernating.

**** Merry Christmas ****

in case I don’t get another post up before then!!

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T Tuesday: gift edition

Last Friday I received a nice surprise in my mailbox! A birthday gift from our lovely hostess for T stands for Tuesday.

gift edition

Her post office never postmarks the postage…so weird.

T Tuesday: gift edition

Elizabeth sent me some collage fodder and a stack of her wonderful handmade paper!! Love this stuff!!! I use it in cards, mixed media, altered books/journals..pretty much everything! I haven’t tried running it through my Cuttlebug or Silhouette yet. I haven’t wanted to waste it in case it is a major failure.

In addition hidden among the sheets of handmade paper was Elizabeth’s annual Christmas tip-in.

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You rock! I am not a pre-planner and hold those who do in awe.

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Thirteen years!! Wowsers! I have Christmas tip-ins dating back to 2006 from Elizabeth.

I have to say that I so value the longevity and depth of friendship between the two of us. We have shared so very much over the years even though we’ve never met face to face…darn it anyway. A tumble on the stairs kept me from seeing Dr. E at the airport several years ago during a layover.

Happy T day!

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