Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. I've been keeping a gratitude list this month. I posted week 1 a while ago, and today seems like a good day to post the rest!
The first few come from when I took a trip to Eugene at the beginning of the month to visit my son Henry in Eugene, Oregon.

6-grateful for an on time flight and a movie theater that serves beer

7 - grateful for a quiet room and comfy bed; grateful for my son's help

8- grateful for a dry place to sit while watching soccer; a hot shower; and a much needed nap

9 - grateful for plans coming together

10 - grateful for a new beginning 

11 - grateful for family

12 - grateful for a walk on the bluffs with Paul and the dogs - sunshine, cool air, beautiful views and exercise 

13 - grateful for upbeat music on the radio and my students 

14 - grateful for signs of progress and a good friend who listens  

15 - grateful for Shanghai soup dumplings and date night with Paul

16 - grateful for a crisp, sunny day; good health; and help from the high school

17- grateful for a full tuition grant and a smile from my daughter

18 - grateful for a friendly stranger with directions and a well-placed in and out burger.

19 - grateful for soccer victories and dinner with an old friend 

20 - grateful to be a soccer mom and the connection it gives me to my boy

21 - grateful for the boys winning the national championship in club soccer, Henry being named to the all tournament team and (most of all) being able to share it all with him.

22 - grateful for a safe trip home and a relaxing afternoon 

23 - grateful to hear Henry's coming home for thanksgiving and that Clara found a school.

24 - grateful for my comfy home and loving husband at the end of a long day.

25 - grateful for my children 

26 - grateful for my brothers and sisters, my parents in heaven and best friends who have become family 

Gratitude: Week 1

Thank you to all who sent hugs and left caring messages on my Monday post. We are continuing to work through some issues here at home. But in the meantime, I have been keeping a gratitude list.

Here's a list of the things I have noted this week:
1. Grateful for a day of peace, a good workout, finishing my casebook chapters and rain.
2. Grateful for the time change, being able to fit into my clothes, escaping to work, and cooler temperatures and so I can bundle up.
3. Grateful for good counsel and a college acceptance letter.

4. Grateful for a well-taught class and a good stretch.
5. Grateful for the feel of sunshine on my skin and to be living by the sea.
What are you grateful for this week?

Seasonal Creative Projects Part 4: Gratitude

Bernice of Newly Creative hosts many different art journaling classes throughout the year. I especially enjoy participating in the gratitude one she hosts in November.  In fact, I noticed many gratitude creativity projects sprouting up last November.  In 2012, I participated in her Attitude of Gratitude class and created an art journal which you can see by clicking on this link and scrolling down a bit.  The last few days I've been sharing some of the art work I've been working on which relate to different seasonal creative projects, and I'm ending up with the tag book I'm doing this spring in conjunction with Bernice's current class called "The Art of Practising Gratitude." Each day has a theme, a technique suggestion, a scripture and a quotation, as well as some other links. Here are a few of my recent tags:

The one on the left featured dry embossing and the theme "smile." The one on the right is about compliments and used a technique for coloring stencil images using inktense water colors. 

The top tag is on the subject of celebrations. My journaling reads "after surviving so much, around here, we celebrate each and every good day." I used a combination of stamps and stencils. The bottom tag features a marbled background technique and a message about why I don't need to try to acquire more things to keep up with anyone else. I can be filled with gratitude because "I have enough." I have a few more tags to share later this week, but before then, stop by for a cup of tea tomorrow and to check out my zoom in < zoom out pair on Wednesday. And, of course, the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt will go live on Sunday!

More Gratitude tags

I'm really enjoying "The Art of Practising Gratitude" class hosted by Bernice.  For the prompt on inspiration, I used the suggested bubble wrap printing technique and journaled that "I have been inspired by brave artists, bold colleagues and fierce mothers." For the prompt on "Be Positive," I followed the painting with stencils technique and used the quote "Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things truly are."

I made this very simple tag because I wanted to highlight this quote. They key to happiness is being grateful for what you have.

I broke out my distress inks and journaled about the importance of making time to do the things you love. And here's what my tag book looks like now:

I'm off for the weekend to visit Henry in Oregon for Mother's Day. I hope your weekend is filled with inspiration, joy and gratitude.

#21 Days in May: Practising Gratitude

Bernice, of Newly Creative, has hosted some wonderful, FREE art journaling classes, including An Attitude of Gratitude (see my journal here). and Passport to Art (see many of the pages in my altered book here) which I took and loved. This May, she is hosting a new class titled "#21 Days in May: The Art of Practising Gratitude." I was on the fence about participating, but I decided to take the plunge. For my journal, I decided to create a series of tags and put them on a ring. This will make it easy to create without worry about keeping things in a certain order. Bernice will be posting prompts each weekday in May, which include a theme, a quote, a bible verse, some video inspiration, a link, journaling prompts, a technique suggestion and an action. Bernice encourages you to use any or all (or none) of each day's suggestion.
For day #1, the theme was "create." The quote from Matt Groenig read in part "Living creatively doesn't mean only artistic creativity, although that's part of it. It means being yourself, not just complying with the wishes of other people." One of the featured techniques was water color salt background, and the journaling prompt asked about what impediments keep you from being creative. The action item was to start a gratitude list.  I used these prompts to create the following tag:

I used a variety of stamps that represent the various aspects of my creativity and added the clock because finding time to create is my biggest impediment to creating.  On the back, I put the Groenig quote and add the following journaling: "My creativity starts with my camera, my paint brush, my words but hopefully continues into who I am and how I affect the world around me." I started a gratitude list (visible in the top photo) and wrote "I am grateful for my art studio space." This is what the project looks like so far.

I really like how it looks, and I'm looking forward to practising gratitude and carving out some art time this month. The class has just started. There's plenty of time to join in. The Practising Gratitude blog, with all the instructions, and the first prompt is at this link. 
Anyone else planning to play along?

Giving Thanks and Being Grateful

During November, many bloggers have been offering daily posts of gratitude. I didn't do that this year, but I did create a gratitude journal last year.  Today, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm posting a few of my favorite pages from the journal.

Gratitude is the music of the heart,when its chords are swept by the breeze of kindness.

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

 Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.

You can click on this link to see all the pages from last year's Gratitude Journal.
Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Reflecting on a Month of Gratitude

This is the last page in my Gratitude Journal that I worked in all November.  The page features a Psalm ("I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.") and notes three things for which I am most grateful this month.  To see the other pages in my journal and to read about its overall structure, click on the "gratitude" label at the end of this post.
This is the first time I have done a gratitude journal, and I have a few random thoughts.
I used Bernice's Attitude of Gratitude challenge blog as my inspiration, and it was wonderful! As someone who hosts one major blog event a year (The Summertime Photo Scavenger Hunt), I know that it is a lot of work. So, kudos and huge thanks to Bernice for presenting so much inspiration and keeping up the blog.
Bernice featured a wonderful quote on the last day of November: "You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life.  And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given to you." Sarah Ban Breathnach 
I do think that the gratitude journal has made a very tough month more bearable, and I do feel like things are turning around for us. It is interesting to think the two are connected.
Finally, I really liked using up things from my stash. It felt great to use things I have and turn them into something I love.
Did you do a gratitude project in November? Do you have any reflections from your experience to share?

Attitude of Gratitude {6}

Time for my penultimate posting of pages from my November Attitude of Gratitude journal. To see my earlier pages and to learn more about my journal, click on the "gratitude" label at the bottom of this post. These first two pages, up top, offer very general statements of gratitude - I am grateful for those I love, those who love me, and those people who make me happy.  The quote on the left hand side of the page comes from Bernice's Attitude of Gratitude challenge blog, Day 25. The page on the right hand side was inspired by my friend Deb's blog post from last Friday.  You can see her version here. I fell in love with her quote from Marcel Proust ("Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.") and knew I wanted to use it in my journal. 
The second set of pages for today discuss very specific things for which I am grateful:

The page on the left is from Day 24 of Bernice's Challenge Blog - Photography. I used her quote "When people look at my pictures, I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice." - Robert Frank. The page features two photographs I took, one in Venice and one in Budapest. As my journaling says, photography has brought me so many blessings, and I am grateful for all of them.  The page on the right is a variation of her Day 28 prompt - Seasons. I wrote about how grateful I am for the various sports seasons which my family enjoys! Washi tape and faux stitching were two techniques she featured on her blog this month, and I used them on these two pages.
I've only got one page left in my journal! I know I'll find an inspiring prompt in the next few days to finish it up. Did you do a gratitude project this month? If so, are you almost done?  And for everyone, let me know if anything here catches your eye.  I love comments!

Attitude of Gratitude {5}

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend - here in the United States it is a four day weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving. In keeping with the spirit of the season, I have been working in a gratitude journal, playing along with Bernice's Attitude of Gratitude Challenge Blog. To see more of my journal pages, simply click on the "gratitude" tag at the bottom of this post.  I have five more pages to complete in my journal and about eight more days left of November, so I think I will complete it by the month's end.
For the page on the left, I used part of Bernice's quote prompt from Day 22 Thanksgiving.  I chose the last sentence, "Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie. I also used her technique prompt, to stamp with gesso (which I then painted with Byzantine metallic green paint). I decided to record a few random things for which I am grateful and mounted the journaling on shrine-shaped pieces of text (edged with brown paint). I thought this worked well with the two small pieces of artwork on my background page.  I am grateful for my students who say such nice things to me, caring doctors and therapists and the dogs who make me go outside and walk in nature.
The page on the right draws on the Day 21 Celebration prompt.  I used the quote from Oprah Winfrey, "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."  I added "I am grateful for good times spent with family and friends." I adapted the technique prompt ("use wrapping paper") to use a piece of handmade paper I had on my desk. More brown paint for edging and stamping, along with Adirondacks acrylics cranberry.
Have you entered my Thanksgiving weekend give-away yet? The deadline to enter is Sunday night (California time). To enter, go to this post and leave the type of comment requested. 

Attitude of Gratitude {4} and Thanksgiving Give-Away

Like many other bloggers, I am making a gratitude journal this November. I am following along with and being inspired by Bernice's Attitude of Gratitude Challenge blog.  To read more about my journal and to see previously posted pages, click on the "gratitude" label at the bottom of this post. Today's page is based on Bernice's Day 15 prompt about music. I used her quote, "Gratitude is the music of the heart, when its chords are swept by the breeze of kindness," which I adore! I also used her technique challenge (use music paper). My added journaling reads "I am grateful for the home-cooked meals provided by friends - which always seem to arrive at the perfect time." 
Today is Thanksgiving the in United States - a time when friends and family gather around food.  In recognition of the holiday and the good friends who are supporting us this fall, I am giving away a wonderful cook book, written by the sister of one of my good friends. It's called "The Good Neighbor Cook Book," and I have eaten many wonderful dishes from it already:

If you would like to win this book, simply leave a comment mentioning a friend or neighbor who has helped you out when you needed it. On Sunday night, I will choose a name at random and have Amazon.com send them a copy of the book. If you don't win the book, but want to learn more about it and see some sample recipes, check out this blog.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Attitude of Gratitude {3}

This month, I'm working on a Gratitude Journal, in conjunction with Bernice's Attitude of Gratitude challenge blog. To read about how I set up my journal and to see previous pages, click on the "gratitude" link at the bottom of this post. I've got three pages to share today and one more to share tomorrow (with a Thanksgiving give-away!)
For this first page, I used a quote from Marilyn Monroe, "What the conscious mind can't recognize, the heart might know." I added, "I am grateful for the secrets of the heart revealed through a practice of mindfulness." The inspiration for this page came from all the way back in Day 2, which was about focusing on today, which made me think about mindfulness or being present in the moment. The technique challenge was to use circles; I adapted the shape from circles to something else. Just followed my muse on these; not sure what they are, but I like them. I'm curious what they suggest to you?

The journaling on this page reads "All the kids' challenges make me grateful for their triumphs." It was inspired by Bernice's Day 13 Prompt on childhood, with the technique challenge to find a creative way to use a tag on your page. I've used this technique before to make ornaments on Christmas pages.

My final page for today uses the scripture prompt from Day 19 on Books.  I like how it suggests being thankful for the small things in life. My journaling reads "I am grateful for those rare mornings when everything goes as planned."
I'm really enjoying working in this journal. I'm not sure I'll finish it before the end of the month (I still have seven pages to do), but, as someone else said recently, it's okay to be grateful in December, too!
Come back tomorrow for one more completed page and a Thanksgiving give-away!  Comments on these pages gratefully welcomes!

Attitude of Gratitude {2}

This month, I'm working on a Gratitude Journal, in conjunction with Bernice's Attitude of Gratitude challenge blog. To read about how I set up my journal and to see previous pages, click on the "gratitude" link at the bottom of this post.  This page was inspired by Bernice's Day 3 prompt and quote on creativity. I really love the scripture: "He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers - all of them skilled workers and designers." I journaled around the angel with my thoughts on how art and creativity are gifts from a higher power that tend to be unleashed when I open my heart. For the embellishment, I drew on her idea from Day 9 to use fabric on a page.  Instead of fabric, I layered lace on top of ribbon to create a brocade effect and stay within my color palette.

The page on the left draws from several different posts.  The quote "I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw." goes with the Day 11 prompt about learning. But, to me, it resonated with the work that I do as a teacher and an activist. This page was also influenced by the Day 6 prompt on technology, which included a scripture about work/labor, and the Day 7 prompt which suggested using a stencil. My journaling along the branches reads "I am grateful to have a job in which I can pursue justice, for I have seen injustice and it has touched my heart." I used the Byzantine green metallic paint again.
The page on the right draws mainly from the Day 10 prompt on emotions, although for me, the page is really about trust. I used the creative prompt (use stars or hearts) and the scripture "Bring joy to your servants, Lord, for I put my trust in you." My journaling reads "I am grateful for the moments of peace that come from trusting in God's plan." I stamped the starts in antique white acrylic paint.
Hope you found some inspiration today, and a huge thanks to Bernice for providing such a wonderful challenge for November.

Attitude of Gratitude {1}

I am working on a Gratitude Journal in November. You can see my plan for it by clicking at this link. The genesis for this project is Bernice's Attitude of Gratitude challenge blog.  Because I started late, I'm not following her posts exactly - I'm mixing and matching her prompts and really enjoying the process.
The page on the left features her Day 7 quote ("At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person." Albert Schweitzer). I added journaling "I am grateful for Paul, and for my friends who pick me up and rekindle my light. I used Byzantine metallic green paint for the letters and my scarlet lime journaling pen.
The page on the right combines her Day 8 prompt on "Self" and Day 9 prompt on strengths. The journaling reads "I am grateful for my inner strength and recognize its roots in my family tree." The prompt suggested using a picture of yourself. I chose these two heritage pictures instead (one is my cousin; the other is my mom) because I think of them as my artistic alter egos. I use them a lot in my art journaling to represent me. I drew the frame with Adirondack acrylics in cranberry, and I stamped a little heart in antique white paint. When stamping with paint, I brush the paint onto the rubber to get a thin (but thorough) coat. Also, always remember to wash the acrylic paint off your rubber stamps right away to keep them from getting ruined.
Hope you like today's pages. If you do, I encourage you to check out Bernice's blog. It is really packed full of all kinds of inspiration!

Gratitude Journal (Monthly Make)

When Bernice of Newly Creative announced her November challenge blog, "An Attitude of Gratitude," I knew right away that I wanted to join in.  It took me forever to figure out what type of journal I wanted to use. I almost made a stitch-bound journal with drawing paper or an old journal I had laying around.  Eventually, I decided I wanted to use water-color paper and simply hold the sheets together with a brass ring. Because Bernice is posting a series of prompts that includes scriptures (as well as general quotes, an art technique and an inspirational idea), I decided to use religious/angel images from my stash.  While diving through my stash, I also decided to pick a color palette of paint from my miscellaneous paint bin (as opposed to the Golden brand acrylic paints which I tend to use).  The colors include metallic copper, metallic green, dark brown, antique white, cranberry and eggplant. Here's what I ended up with as my supplies for the project:

I painted all the pages with a background of byzantine copper paint and then used gel medium to adhere the images. I decided early on that I didn't want to try to make a page each day. I ended up with 16 pages, which feels just right. 

Every day, Bernice offers a prompt filled with so many ideas! Rather than try to reread them each day that I find time to work in my journal, I decided to use an idea that Shimelle featured in the latest version of her class, Learn Something New Everyday. I took a small notebook from my stash (thanks Deb!) and jotted down the quotes, artistic suggestions and scriptures which spoke to me.  That way, when I find time to create, I simply grab my little note book and go. I'm hoping to do a few pages today and start posting this week.  I'm also calling this my "Monthly Make" for November.
Are you doing a gratitude project this month? Did this give you any new ideas?