Peek at My Week (March 8-14)

Wow...what a week it's been! I'm talking about the news and panic and confusion. As if general politics didn't cause enough of that, now we have a pandemic that's resulted in shut schools and canceled events. But, here in my bubble, things have been less chaotic. 

Let me share with you some of the joy and beauty and fun I found in my week in the hopes that it will inspire you to find those moments in yours. To begin, I'm following up on something I mentioned last week - the glow of pink in the house from the azaleas blooming out in the yard. 

Yes, those were just from the azaleas! Look at the amount of pink on Pat's office door. 

CA-RAY-ZEEEE!

After breakfast out, Pat and I worked in the yard. It was a beautiful day, and that extra hour of sunshine in the afternoons means so very much to us.

These are the same azaleas but on the pool-side instead of the house-side. They were my view as I raked around the pool. 

Since it's been warmer, it's been easier for me to get outside in the mornings to doodle and meditate. I found that these seed pods I had collected were covered in dewdrops. There was something magical about them.

That was a lovely start to my Monday before I focused on grocery shopping and other errands. 

Tuesday's chores and tasks kept me at home most of the day. I was able to create for a while in the craft room and even worked in one of my art journals. 

This was partway through one of my most favorite ever art journal pages!

As usual, I went to Mobile on Wednesday. I ran errands with my mom but cut my day with her a little short to head out with Pat and some friends to try something new.

We went to a new bar to try out ax-throwing. Despite the bullseye I did make (as pictured), I had a hard time sinking the blade into the wood and became frustrated after many, many attempts. I may try again another time now that some friends have offered other tips.

I then played around on the dartboard and was surprised that I did relatively well too, until...

All of my darts hit the board except the one above that somehow hit a tiny crack on the concrete floor and stuck there, straight up and down. It was weird and awesome. 

I don't often plan many chores for myself on Thursdays, but that meant that I had time to finally begin to tackle the dreaded paperwork sorting for taxes. 

I made a pretty rainbow-shape in my process of stacking receipts by month. I actually didn't even notice it until I got up to grab something. HA!!

Once I had most of the CraftyHope side of things taken care of, I decided it was time for a break. So I headed outside with Zoe, a book, and a hammock for half an hour.

Just as I was finishing up the much-needed break, I realized I had a visitor in my hammock. He's cute, but I'm pretty sure he's one of those caterpillars that sting. So, I knew it was time to get out of the hammock and head back inside. 

I was excited about that night's dinner plan as it was something I knew we'd all enjoy!

Those dumplings are easy to make but just take a while to fold. However, it was absolutely worth it as we loved them and there were NO LEFTOVERS to clean up. I'm not sure those dumplings would have re-heated well anyway. 

Friday began as quite a foggy day. I'm no fan of spiders, but I was fascinated by the condensation that coated the webs on the property. 

It was my big-clean day for the house (Fridays always are.) Once the inside was spiffy, it was nice to head outside and take in more of the beauty out there. 

These daffodils are always a happy surprise when they bloom. 

I filled Saturday to the brim - beginning the day with a batch of waffles before Pat had to head out for a gig. While he was gone, I worked in the yard for a little while. Once I had tackled the tasks that were on my mind, I enjoyed the glorious weather in my own way.

The pool still needs a bit of work, but we've got a little time before the water warms up enough to get in it. 

Part of my yard work was picking all the lemons from the lemon trees since I didn't get to it earlier in the year. I realized that some of the lemons were still in pretty good shape so I brought them inside to juice for lemonade.

Since I've still got another cup of juice, I'm thinking about using it to bake something today. Mmmm!

Once Pat was home from his gig, we needed to run to the store real quick. Since it was Pi Day, I convinced him that we needed a pie. 

We do not regret that decision. 

See, I said it was all about finding the good stuff in your week! Let me you help by adding some inspiration to your week with the following links:

• Check out this roundup from The Crafty Blog Stalker of 20 Unique Handmade Necklace Tutorials. 
• My husband's recording studio is Jellyfish Studios and while I've always loved jellyfish images, they're catching my attention more and more. These amazing Jellyfish Embroideries from Yuliya Kucherenko would have caught my attention either way. 
• Over on the Ice Resin blog, you can find a cool Geode Mechanical Necklace tutorial. 
• Likewise, Rings & Things shared a tutorial for making a pair of Love Bead Threader Earrings. 
• I love all things fantasy, so these adorable Wool-felted Creatures from Natasya Shuljak are right up my alley. 
• While seed bead creations are not really my jam, I can't help but appreciate the time and attention that's devoted to them. The Beading Gem shared three novel beaded bracelet tutorials that she claims are easy!
• In addition to my jewelry work, I love to create with paper. These collages from found paper and photographs from artist Hollie Chastain are such eye-candy!
• I know, I know!! I'm supposed to be sharing inspiration. However, if you're worried about your small business during this chaotic time, Wellspring has curated/is curating a list of resources to help you stay informed and deal with the changing atmosphere. 
• Back to the inspiration! Here are some ideas for upcycling fabrics for your home. This is a pretty long and interesting list. 
• I should probably just direct you to go check out everything on My Modern Met because I love it all! How about these sculptures from Stephanie Kilgast that creates vibrant ecosystems on discarded trash? Just wonderful!!

 And, that's it for my week. I'm already collecting beautiful moments this week to savor when the stress of the rest gets to be too much. I hope you really do take the time to savor the small things! Enjoy those moments this week!