Peek at My Week (Sep. 2-8) and September Art Challenges and Inspirations

I feel a little ashamed that my last post was a Peek at my Week post, and here I am with yet another. Sorry for the lack of variety right now. However, at the end of this one, I've included the art challenges and inspirations for the month as an added bonus. I guess I shouldn't feel too bad since we've been on vacation. But, I'm hoping to have a little more for you before the end of this week. Yet, we'll see how this second week of vacation goes before I make any grand promises.

The week was a bit of a roller coaster as it began with this warning. 

I was in the process of cleaning the camper when this alert popped up on my phone. I had heard vague rumblings that there was a storm in the Gulf, but nothing solid. And, then there was THAT! And, that was Monday.

We did a few storm-prep tasks around the house, but generally just kept packing for the trip. I don't think Gordon ever hit hurricane status as they had predicted, thank goodness. As the storm began to really hit Tuesday evening, we chowed down on this comfort food dinner of slow cooker chicken and mushroom pot pie. It absolutely hit the spot.

There were buckets and buckets of rain for a couple of days. Being inside gave me the opportunity to work on the blog some. If you haven't noticed, I did a whole huge blog re-vamp. I'd love to know what you think of the new look.

Wednesday morning, we surveyed the damage from Tropical Storm Gordon.

Patches of our elephant ears were a little worse for the wear.

And, the pool was overfull (Pat actually drained some of the water once). There was a TON of rain!

When we headed out to pick up a few camping supplies, we saw that a riverside park near our house was underwater as Fish River flooded its banks.

That drive is the entrance to the park. Where you see water is usually the parking lot!

This is when we really became worried about our camping trip. We were headed to Blackwater River State Park, just over an hour from home. And, we weren't sure what the river would look like there. Reports from the rangers said that the campsite was fine, but the trails were under water and the river was engorged. It made us seriously question the whole trip. But, we'd been prepping for WEEKS and decided to just go ahead and go for it. We're so glad we did!

The campsite was indeed in great condition. Though, we did find some of the trails under water. 

We had planned to tube float on the Blackwater, but because of the flooding, a smaller tributary - Juniper - was all that was open and only for canoes and kayaks.

It was still a magical time! I adore being on the water and the peace of a river float. 

On Saturday, we found that the Blackwater River had receded more at the park so we were able to wade in it.

That sandbar had not been visible the day before! And, the water's current was less swift. 

Of course, since it was a Saturday in the "Fall", there was football to be watched.

We created a man-cave of sorts under our friends' camper awning using tarps. With a hotspot and an iPad, we streamed ESPN and watched Bama win their game. 

All in all, we're so glad that we didn't let Tropical Storm Gordon dampen our plans. Now, we just pray that those in the path of Florence are safe!

As for other inspirations, the camp and storm preparations kept me pretty busy, but here are a few.

• Sadie Seasongoods shared how to upcycled thrift store vases into DIY Japanese Fishing Floats. I think the results are pretty awesome. 
• I've got another Index Card a Day video up on YouTube. You can watch ICAD 39 being created. 

Now for a healthy list of Inspiration and Challenges for the month.

• Paper Artsy has a challenge in progress to create Artist Trading Coins. This is a newish form and the post has loads of information and examples. But, you'll need to hurry to get your contribution in as the challenge ends September 16th. 
• The We're All Ears monthly inspiration from Earrings Everday is an Ode to Autumn.  Erin sure does a great job making you feel the inspiration. The reveal date is September 21st.
• Sarajo is back with her Honey-Do List inspiration from her husband, Eric. This month, he's selected a photo from their recent trip. September 24th is the reveal. 
• Facet Jewelry has a Septemeber challenge too. The theme is Circle Takes the Square. You have until Septemeber 26th to add your piece. But, voting on the contributions starts on the 14th. 
• Art Bead Scene hasn't put up the post explaining this month's inspiration. However, here's the ABS list of Monthly Challenges where you can see the amazing art selected for this month and the rest of the year. 
• I'm smitten with Art Elements' Septemeber theme: Faerie. I've always had a thing for fairies, so this speaks to me. I like that Art Elements opens the challenge to any medium. Make sure you leave a comment on the post with your blog address and e-mail that you want to participate. And, the reveal is the 30th. 
• If you're a member of the Artisans Create Together Facebook Page, you can enter their Leaves and Pods challenge for the month. You have until the end of the month to add your piece. 

As always, if you know of any challenge or inspirations that I may have missed, please don't hesitate to let me know!

And, I hope you have a fantastic week!