30 Days of Thanksgiving 2015 - Day 4

{{ For the month of November, I will be sharing my blessings.  I want to express my gratitude, and I plan to post one thing per day that I am grateful for.  What better time to make each day a day of thanksgiving?! }}

Day 4/30 - I am thankful for opportunity, especially opportunities that are presented to my girls.  I feel like they are always getting to do some cool thing, and I love it.  

...helping out at a friend's barn, dancing at pro sporting events, geocaching, traveling to California, volunteering at a dog rescue, workshopping with world-renowned choreographers...

I feel like my girls have experienced more life in their nine and ten years than I have in all of my thirty-five, and for that I am grateful! 

30 Days of Thanksgiving 2015 - Day 3

 {{ For the month of November, I will be sharing my blessings.  I want to express my gratitude, and I plan to post one thing per day that I am grateful for.  What better time to make each day a day of thanksgiving?! }}

Day 3/30 - I am thankful for coffee.  Yes, I chose to express my gratitude for coffee before any of my family members.  Don't worry.  It's okay for a couple of reasons.  One, because this list is in no kind of order of importance.  And two, they totally get it.  

I love coffee.  I love coffee in all its hot, creamy deliciousness.  I am that girl who totally looks forward to going to bed at night in anticipation of that perfect first sip the next morning.  Coffee, to me, is a ritual, my morning meditation and for that I am grateful.   

30 Days of Thanksgiving 2015 - Day 2

 

{{ For the month of November, I will be sharing my blessings.  I want to express my gratitude, and I plan to post one thing per day that I am grateful for.  What better time to make each day a day of thanksgiving?! }}  

2/30 - I am thankful for mobility.  The ability to move my body is not something that I take for granted.  When I was 18, I was diagnosed with Palindromic Rheumatism (PR).  PR is a rare type of arthritis (very similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis) that causes sudden bouts of extreme joint pain and swelling.  Most days, I am totally fine, but when my flare-ups do occur, my daily life comes to a screeching halt.  Within a day, sometimes hours, my affected joint becomes swollen, discolored, painful beyond description, and completely immobile.  My flare-ups usually last about three days at a time.  During a good period, I may only have a few episodes per year.  In a bad period, however, episodes can occur weekly.  I never can tell. 

I spent this past weekend in bed, struggling for comfort and bearing the pain of a hip that just had enough.  I missed a lot because of it - Trick or Treat, a trip to Gettysburg, a hike with my family.  BUT, it's days like today, after the swelling is down and the pain is gone, that I remember how lucky I am just to be able to move at all, and for that I am grateful.   

30 Days of Thanksgiving 2015 - Day 1

I'm a day late in getting started but, oh well...  

{{ For the month of November, I will be sharing my blessings.  I want to express my gratitude, and I plan to post one thing per day that I am grateful for.  What better time to make each day a day of thanksgiving?! }} 

1/30 - I am thankful for October.  Fall is my favorite time of year, and I feel like this month, I truly got to experience the best of the season.  This October had a cozy feeling to it that I haven't felt in quite some time.  Changing leaves, hearty meals, pumpkin picking, golden hues, blustery winds, hot tea, family activities.  October was a delight, and for that I am grateful. 

Weekending in October

 

cool morning air.  blustery winds.  flannel and fleece. a fall fair.  shopping for impending cold weather necessities.  takeout lunch from a favorite spot.  hearty chili and warm cornbread with melted butter.  a relaxing evening all together.  

another cool morning.  a sundate adventure.  bright skies. baked good and cold brew.  a bike ride and sickie snuggles.  breakfast for dinner.  all wrapped up with marshmallows and s'mores by the fire. 

it's a rare happening, but this fall weekend was just as splendid as the words above make it out to be.  grateful. 

Introducing, The Creative Misfit Series

creative misfit  / kre.a.tiv_mis.fit / noun - an artist without a niche.
one who has not yet "found her thing."
an unclassified creative often accompanied by a feeling of flailing (see, throwing spaghetti against a wall and waiting for one of the noodles to stick).
someone who is experimenting with all things creative.

I can't take credit for coining the phrase "creative misfit."  That honor goes to Ms. Amanda Sandlin, an artist and entrepreneur living in Wellington, New Zealand.  I'm girl crushing on her big time because she says (and lives) things like "See the world.  Create endlessly. Stay wild."  and "Follow all curiosities."  Watch this video to be totally inspired.

As I watched Amanda's video, I could feel my smile growing and my excitement rising.  This is me!  THIS is SO. Totally. ME!  I am a creative misfit.  I love experimenting with art (and I hesitate to use the word art to describe what I do but will continue to use it, simply because I don't know a better word to use).  My art is elementary at best and varies from hand lettering to coloring in books to writing to collaging magazine clippings on inspiration pages.  I'm all over the place, and that has always bothered me before.  But not anymore.  Thank you Amanda.   

I am a creative misfit, and I am 100% okay with that.  I will continue living a creative life and persuing my art 1.) because I want to 2.) because I think it's good for my girls (and everyone else) to see me flail and carry-on with something I'm not necessarily good at and 3.) because it brings me joy.

With that, The Creative Misfit Series is born.  Every week, I will share a piece of my art.  Not because I think I'm some fabulous artist but because of the three reasons listed above.  My hope is that by sharing my work, you will be inspired to follow your own creative path.

With love, 

Shelly

The Creative Misfit, Volume 1

{{ Every week, I share a piece of my own creativity.  Not because I think I'm some fabulous artist, but because experimenting with all things creative brings me joy.  My hope is that by sharing my work, you will be inspired to follow your own creative path. }}

This week I discovered hand lettering.  I think I'm in love!  This is my first (non-practice) attempt.