Since it’s already February, I’ll skip the Happy New Year talk. But I will say, I am excited to be back at it in 2020 and have something fun to share with you: one of my favorite Saturday outings in Mexico City.
New Things
Along with most people, fall reminds me of the start of school — opportunities for new beginnings, a chance to start using my planner again before the year ends, and knowledge that the next year will soon be upon us.
In that spirit, I wanted to share with you some of the new things I’ve been enjoying. That have been brining me joy and helping settle the anxiety about another year ending and whether I accomplished the goals I set for myself this year.
On Trying
It’s been a while since I’ve written and this post will give you a hint as to why. Continue reading “On Trying”
DIY Art for your Home
When you move frequently or just want to customize your space, the easiest — and cheapest — thing you can do is make your own art. It doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate and the components can come from the nearest craft shop or online.
I’m no DIY guru and like many people, I have plenty of unfinished projects. I have found, however, that some of my favorite decorations are things I’ve made myself. Buying quality or unique pieces can often be expensive or just plain tedious and I find it much easier to be OK with switching things up if I know I didn’t pay a lot for each item.
Therefore, as I strive to refresh my house this spring, I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite sites for creating DIY home art. These specific projects I’ve either already completed or I’m in the process of completing so I can vouch for their ease and accessibility. So, while we all spring clean, maybe we can also brighten our spaces with a few new pieces of handmade art that make us feel more welcome in our own homes.
- Learning to weave by A Pair and a Spare – One of my favorite new hobbies and Geneva, author of A Pair and a Spare, makes it easy to follow along in her short video. I watched it a few times to get the technique right.
- Make your own mobile by Observant Nomad – I really enjoyed this project and it turned out really great. Unfortunately, I knocked it down when I was moving furniture a few weeks ago so I have to repair this week.
- DIY ring dish by A Beautiful Mess – Confession on this one, I used the design as inspiration to paint little ceramic bowl I already have with nail polish to make it marbled, but I do plan to make the full project for gifts in the near future.
- Watercolor hand-lettering by Design*Sponge – this blog is one of my favorite places to find inspiration and this hand-lettering tutorial inspired a small poster I made as a birthday gift for a friend a while back. Don’t fret if your handwriting is messy like mine, it just makes it feel more personalized.
- Pom Pom wreath by Simply Taralynn – This DIY is on my list for spring because the colors are perfect and while the project requires some time, it’s budget-friendly. Also, you don’t need the pom pom makers and can easily substitute cardboard donuts to make it work.
Go forth and make art!
Telling Your Story
These past few weeks, I’ve wondered a lot about what my hope is for this blog. What I want you, dear reader, and me to take away from it. The blog space has grown astronomically over the past decade and as an avid reader, I’m overjoyed, but also overwhelmed. Therefore, as a contributor to this vast space, I want to make sure I’m not just replicating what already exists, but also being honest and choosing to write about the things that inspire me.
What inspires me most is the opportunity to tell a story, to write and express ideas that connect me with readers and other writers.
Update on Meditation at Work
I wanted to give you an honest update on my progress toward creating a meditation group at work. While I have been thinking about this goal almost every day, I just haven’t quite gotten around to it. So, I’m here to tell you that that is going to change!
Making Space for Creativity
One of my favorite mentors once told me about the importance of making space in your calendar for thought and creative thinking. He was talking about the need to make time for whatever might come, to resist the urge to fill your to to do list to the brim just for the sake of keeping yourself busy. His thinking was — and I agree — that we need unplanned space in order to think clearly and creatively. That’s not to say that you should just loaf around expecting brilliance to strike. Instead, think of it as creating opportunities to delve deeper into thought processes and back-burner projects that spark new ideas.
New Year, Continued Intentions
To be honest, I did not plan to write about New Year’s resolutions or New Year’s intentions as some people are calling them, yet somehow, here we are. It’s not that I have a staunch opinion either way, it’s more just that I find the start of a new year exciting but kind of irrelevant to goal-setting.
On Reclaiming Your Hobbies
Have you ever been forced to do one of those terrible icebreaker activities or been at a party when someone asked you “What are your hobbies?”
And you thought long and hard, but all that came to mind were the hours of Netflix after work? Or maybe all the time you spend cleaning the house or taking care of your family?
Meditation at Work — More than Just Woo-Woo
Today’s post is pretty short, but I wanted to share with you something I’ll be working on over holidays. This is just a brief introduction, but I’m excited to keep you updated over the coming months as it develops.
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed by work is the norm for many of us, but I find it can be even harder to get away from those feelings when you’re somewhere new. Whether it’s starting a new job or position, or moving to a new city, finding outlets to relieve stress is particularly challenging. Your senses tend to be overloaded by new people, places, and responsibilities. While I normally turn to exercise, yoga, and spending time with friends — or texting them if they’re far away — sometimes that just doesn’t cut it.
Continue reading “Meditation at Work — More than Just Woo-Woo”
Tara Near & Far 