Saturday, December 7, 2013
Think Kit Day 7- What do you want your ----- to look like?
Today's Topic: What do you want your life (or your kitchen,
your job, your ____ ) to look like? Create your own inspiration board.
Sketch it, collage it or do it your own way.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Think Kit Day 6- Community service search
How do you want to get involved in your
community this coming year? Is there an organization that you're finally
going to join? A neighbor who could use a hand? Or do you have a great
idea that just needs a little momentum? Share how you'd like to get
involved in your community during 2014.
Until the last several year I've been very active in community service: a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement teacher, helping at our local senior center, church stuff, planning teams for Relay for Life, and a local youth art program, to name a few. But of late, I haven't been much of a community volunteer. I have one reason: I'm burned out.
My day job is a tough one. I'm also the person in charge of our extra-curricular art program and a co-chair of our prom committee. Everything I do in working for a school at a juvvie lock-up facility just makes me tired, and most of my volunteer work has always been with kids- sort of a do what ya know. My students are high risk. They're recovering drug addicts, cutters, suicidal, victims of some sort of abuse... kids who have attachment disorders, anger management issues, defiant disorder, depression--- a whole host of any and everything. Sometimes a day in the library is exhausting.
And somehow when I volunteer I get involved in HUGE projects. And I plan them or am in charge. I like being in charge and creative, but again, this dovetails right into what I do for a living.
Don't get me wrong! I like my job! Really!
But I'm a firm believer in community service. In volunteering, In helping out.
In 2014 I'm going to go back to volunteering somehow. I have no idea what I want to do. I don't want to do anything working with kids- that just feels like an extension of what I do for my day job. I want to do something different. I'm not sure what that will be. I know there are a variety of opportunities for me. I need to pick one or two...I want something out of my normal realm and something where I'm not in charge. I want to be the average worker bee...
So in 2014 I'll be on a quest to find a new and different volunteer experience. I wanna help and I want to be happy-- and have fun at the same time.
Maggie
Until the last several year I've been very active in community service: a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement teacher, helping at our local senior center, church stuff, planning teams for Relay for Life, and a local youth art program, to name a few. But of late, I haven't been much of a community volunteer. I have one reason: I'm burned out.
My day job is a tough one. I'm also the person in charge of our extra-curricular art program and a co-chair of our prom committee. Everything I do in working for a school at a juvvie lock-up facility just makes me tired, and most of my volunteer work has always been with kids- sort of a do what ya know. My students are high risk. They're recovering drug addicts, cutters, suicidal, victims of some sort of abuse... kids who have attachment disorders, anger management issues, defiant disorder, depression--- a whole host of any and everything. Sometimes a day in the library is exhausting.
And somehow when I volunteer I get involved in HUGE projects. And I plan them or am in charge. I like being in charge and creative, but again, this dovetails right into what I do for a living.
Don't get me wrong! I like my job! Really!
But I'm a firm believer in community service. In volunteering, In helping out.
In 2014 I'm going to go back to volunteering somehow. I have no idea what I want to do. I don't want to do anything working with kids- that just feels like an extension of what I do for my day job. I want to do something different. I'm not sure what that will be. I know there are a variety of opportunities for me. I need to pick one or two...I want something out of my normal realm and something where I'm not in charge. I want to be the average worker bee...
So in 2014 I'll be on a quest to find a new and different volunteer experience. I wanna help and I want to be happy-- and have fun at the same time.
Maggie
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Think Kit day 5- a friend's 2013 look back
Think Kit topic day 5: Interview at least one other person about their
favorite moments of the year. Why were these moments important? Were
they major events, a particularly memorable minute, or somewhere
in-between? Share what you heard.
I have a gal pal ("Baby Girl") at work who is 22 years old- I've become the mother she never had and she's the daughter I didn't think I wanted... and she's pretty happy with her 2013!
Her milestones this year have included moving into a new apartment with her Boyfriend of 3 years, a new "grown up" job, a miscarriage, and making lots of new "adult" friends. She hated the miscarriage and is sad and struggles with the "how are you supposed to feel" idea about this. She knows she's too young and financially not ready but, she said, it will happen when it's supposed too.
She left her high school job at Wal-Mart and is now a teacher's aide at the school where I work. She's great with our troubled teens. For someone her age, she has a great head on her shoulders, so she's young enough to relate to our students, but can still give sound advise and she's not afraid to discipline. She says, "I have friends of my own. I don't need these students to like me. Makes the job easier but I won't be a pusher over just to have it easy."
She's not overly thrilled with her new apartment but she said it could be worse.. And her dog likes it so that's important to her!
And she really likes that she's met me and several other women at school who have become a close pack of ladies who lunch. And see movies. And go out to dinner. She said having 'adult' friends, moving away from the ones she had in high school, is refreshing. Baby Girl said she can't beleive how into drama some of her friends from high school still are and she wishes they would grow up! So she loves her new in-and-out of work group of new Besties!
It was fun to talk with her. I love her youthfulness and her optimism and that she has the whole world in front of her- she's just really starting- she's 22! She's wise beyond her years at time, and then she's a goofy 22 year old- love that about her!
So cheers to Baby Girl and her 2013. I hope her 2014 treats her well!
Maggie
I have a gal pal ("Baby Girl") at work who is 22 years old- I've become the mother she never had and she's the daughter I didn't think I wanted... and she's pretty happy with her 2013!
Her milestones this year have included moving into a new apartment with her Boyfriend of 3 years, a new "grown up" job, a miscarriage, and making lots of new "adult" friends. She hated the miscarriage and is sad and struggles with the "how are you supposed to feel" idea about this. She knows she's too young and financially not ready but, she said, it will happen when it's supposed too.
She left her high school job at Wal-Mart and is now a teacher's aide at the school where I work. She's great with our troubled teens. For someone her age, she has a great head on her shoulders, so she's young enough to relate to our students, but can still give sound advise and she's not afraid to discipline. She says, "I have friends of my own. I don't need these students to like me. Makes the job easier but I won't be a pusher over just to have it easy."
She's not overly thrilled with her new apartment but she said it could be worse.. And her dog likes it so that's important to her!
And she really likes that she's met me and several other women at school who have become a close pack of ladies who lunch. And see movies. And go out to dinner. She said having 'adult' friends, moving away from the ones she had in high school, is refreshing. Baby Girl said she can't beleive how into drama some of her friends from high school still are and she wishes they would grow up! So she loves her new in-and-out of work group of new Besties!
It was fun to talk with her. I love her youthfulness and her optimism and that she has the whole world in front of her- she's just really starting- she's 22! She's wise beyond her years at time, and then she's a goofy 22 year old- love that about her!
So cheers to Baby Girl and her 2013. I hope her 2014 treats her well!
Maggie
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Think Kit day 4- a wise woman once wrote...
Today's Think Kit topic: What was the wisest decision you made this
year? Who did it impact? Describe your decision-making process, discuss
the results, or just share a little learned wisdom.
For me 2013 feels like the year of bad decisions for me... if I were more superstitious I'd blame the number 13 but.... so trying to come up with the wisest decision I mad this year was hard. It was so difficult, in fact, that I almost skipped this post altogether, or picked another topic. But...
Sometimes the small decisions are the ones that can be the wisest. And maybe this wasn't the wisest decision I made all year, but it sure was a good one.
In February I heard about this thing called Tradeschool, where free classes were offered. That's right- free! Classes! Free knowledge! I could trade items for people to teach me stuff! What a fabulous concept and completely right up my ally since I'm a lover of life long learning!
I signed up for a something called a letter writing social. Oh, I swear I won't wax poetic about my love of letter writing since I've done that a million times and bored you all to death (but if you're a new reader and want to hear my poetic waxings, go here, here, and here...). Let' suffice it to say I love to write letters and believe in putting pen to paper. That being said I thought a letter writing social would be great.
AND IT WAS! It went beyond great! It was amazing, fun, fabulous, interesting, and knowledgeable. And it really changed my entire year in several ways.
I had no idea there was such a phenomena as mail art. And let me tell ya, there is. Google it. It's pretty cool, a whole movement. It's a real art genre. Wicked interesting and I love learning something new. So with this in mind, I have to say there is no more plain Jane envelopes get sent from this girl anymore. Everything gets 'arted' up a little bit. I don't care if I do nothing more than a few stickers and some washi tape or if I try to draw something or use an unusual mailing packaging, nothing with a stamp on it leaves me without some creativity added. (great book to learn more: Good Mail Day)
In addition to learning about mail art and attempting to create my own, I've also become interested in the history of the USPS and stamps. I'm not a stamp collector now (and probably never will be) but I like looking at the stamps through history, learning about the post office, learning about mailing processes and deliveries. My family teases me that I'm single handedly trying to save the post office. Perhaps there's some truth to that... Thus I've also reinforced my status as huge nerd girl of the family.
While at the letter writing social, I also found out about some pen-pal web sites. THIS IS WONDERFUL! I signed up and suddenly I started receiving mail from strangers around the world. This was last March and I'm still writing letters to many of those folks, and new friends, since then. I send several dozen letters/ postcards/ packages a month, and receive the same! It's so nice to go to the maibox and have something other than bills, leaflets and junk. I had so much mail that I even now have rented my own Post Office Box! Nothing makes me smile more than opening that box to a stack of letters!
To top it off, I experienced the Trade School concept and love it. I've taken several classes throughout the whole year. It's a great way to learn something new, meet interesting people, do something different, and be part of a community. The ladies who organize Trade School Indy are just wonderful women!
So while this wasn't a huge decision and maybe not the "wisest" it certainly was one of the best decisions I made this year. I found an interest that influenced me all year, I met great people that I still see when I'm able, and it really has helped push my creative-ness to a new level. And... it makes me happy. And that, my friends, it the key for me in 2013. I want to be happy, and trade school, letter writing, the USPS, and mail art sure puts a smile on my face.
Happy mail!
Maggie
For me 2013 feels like the year of bad decisions for me... if I were more superstitious I'd blame the number 13 but.... so trying to come up with the wisest decision I mad this year was hard. It was so difficult, in fact, that I almost skipped this post altogether, or picked another topic. But...
Sometimes the small decisions are the ones that can be the wisest. And maybe this wasn't the wisest decision I made all year, but it sure was a good one.
In February I heard about this thing called Tradeschool, where free classes were offered. That's right- free! Classes! Free knowledge! I could trade items for people to teach me stuff! What a fabulous concept and completely right up my ally since I'm a lover of life long learning!
I signed up for a something called a letter writing social. Oh, I swear I won't wax poetic about my love of letter writing since I've done that a million times and bored you all to death (but if you're a new reader and want to hear my poetic waxings, go here, here, and here...). Let' suffice it to say I love to write letters and believe in putting pen to paper. That being said I thought a letter writing social would be great.
AND IT WAS! It went beyond great! It was amazing, fun, fabulous, interesting, and knowledgeable. And it really changed my entire year in several ways.
I had no idea there was such a phenomena as mail art. And let me tell ya, there is. Google it. It's pretty cool, a whole movement. It's a real art genre. Wicked interesting and I love learning something new. So with this in mind, I have to say there is no more plain Jane envelopes get sent from this girl anymore. Everything gets 'arted' up a little bit. I don't care if I do nothing more than a few stickers and some washi tape or if I try to draw something or use an unusual mailing packaging, nothing with a stamp on it leaves me without some creativity added. (great book to learn more: Good Mail Day)
In addition to learning about mail art and attempting to create my own, I've also become interested in the history of the USPS and stamps. I'm not a stamp collector now (and probably never will be) but I like looking at the stamps through history, learning about the post office, learning about mailing processes and deliveries. My family teases me that I'm single handedly trying to save the post office. Perhaps there's some truth to that... Thus I've also reinforced my status as huge nerd girl of the family.
While at the letter writing social, I also found out about some pen-pal web sites. THIS IS WONDERFUL! I signed up and suddenly I started receiving mail from strangers around the world. This was last March and I'm still writing letters to many of those folks, and new friends, since then. I send several dozen letters/ postcards/ packages a month, and receive the same! It's so nice to go to the maibox and have something other than bills, leaflets and junk. I had so much mail that I even now have rented my own Post Office Box! Nothing makes me smile more than opening that box to a stack of letters!
To top it off, I experienced the Trade School concept and love it. I've taken several classes throughout the whole year. It's a great way to learn something new, meet interesting people, do something different, and be part of a community. The ladies who organize Trade School Indy are just wonderful women!
So while this wasn't a huge decision and maybe not the "wisest" it certainly was one of the best decisions I made this year. I found an interest that influenced me all year, I met great people that I still see when I'm able, and it really has helped push my creative-ness to a new level. And... it makes me happy. And that, my friends, it the key for me in 2013. I want to be happy, and trade school, letter writing, the USPS, and mail art sure puts a smile on my face.
Happy mail!
Maggie
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Think Kit- Day 3-Time to get strange
Today's Think Kit topic: Share the strangest
experience of your year. Did you do something new or unexpected, see
something out of the ordinary, or have a unique experience? What was so
strange about it?
In October I was in a city in the Hoosier state- population 40,000 approx. I was driving through the business/ retail district, along the by-pass, when I saw something funny sticking out the back of a car. I thought, "what is THAT?!?" I kept trying to get close enough, because what I thought it was I was assuming it COULDN'T be! And then I figured out what it was! And I had to get a picture so someone would believe me. Really. In the trunk of the car. And not just any car but a Chevy Cavalier.
Guess there's more than one way to skin a...deer.
Who needs a truck anyway?
This certainly falls into the category of weird and strange for me.
Maggie
In October I was in a city in the Hoosier state- population 40,000 approx. I was driving through the business/ retail district, along the by-pass, when I saw something funny sticking out the back of a car. I thought, "what is THAT?!?" I kept trying to get close enough, because what I thought it was I was assuming it COULDN'T be! And then I figured out what it was! And I had to get a picture so someone would believe me. Really. In the trunk of the car. And not just any car but a Chevy Cavalier.
Guess there's more than one way to skin a...deer.
Who needs a truck anyway?
This certainly falls into the category of weird and strange for me.
Maggie
Monday, December 2, 2013
Think Kit- what did your workspace look like this year- Day 2
This December I decided jump start my blog again so I'm participating in
ThinkBox 31 Days of writing prompts for bloggers. Of course, the second
topic isn't one I could easily do but Smallbox is helping; they're awesome and give "life line" topics which I'm using today: What did your workspace look like this year? Did you use a desk,
chalkboard, table, floor, or all of the above? What was essential (or
completely non-essential) to your workflow?
I think "workspace" can be defined in several ways for me this year: the actual work space at my place of employment, the area where I write or the areas where I cook or craft. In 2013 I've actually cultivated all of these "various" workspaces.
Other than my place of employment, all my workspaces are just niches I've carved out for myself in the house. I long to have an actual study where I can spread my craft stuff, mail art supplies, swaths of fabric, a sewing machine for quilting, a computer a type writer and various tids and bits- and just LEAVE it there. But alas, that's not the way it is right now.
The dining room has become the make shift crafting area. There are 2 card tables covered with all things a paper crafter could want. Seriously, I think we have all the things. I can leave my stuff on one of the card tables but when I'm spreading out to work I work on the dining room table so everything has to be packed up and put away, or at the very least picked up moved. I did buy a set of plastic containers on wheels to hold all my rubber stamps and various papers. I have about a dozen decorator boxes where all my mail art supplies are categorized and stored. I have various expandable folders stacked under tables. To the stranger's eye, it probably looks a mess, but it's quite organized.
Essentials, I've discovered, are washi tape, a paper score board, assorted patterned papers, excellent adhesive, colored pens, 1 decent pair of scissors, and a glue pen. All the rest is just embellishment!
Happy creating!
Maggie
I think "workspace" can be defined in several ways for me this year: the actual work space at my place of employment, the area where I write or the areas where I cook or craft. In 2013 I've actually cultivated all of these "various" workspaces.
Other than my place of employment, all my workspaces are just niches I've carved out for myself in the house. I long to have an actual study where I can spread my craft stuff, mail art supplies, swaths of fabric, a sewing machine for quilting, a computer a type writer and various tids and bits- and just LEAVE it there. But alas, that's not the way it is right now.
The dining room has become the make shift crafting area. There are 2 card tables covered with all things a paper crafter could want. Seriously, I think we have all the things. I can leave my stuff on one of the card tables but when I'm spreading out to work I work on the dining room table so everything has to be packed up and put away, or at the very least picked up moved. I did buy a set of plastic containers on wheels to hold all my rubber stamps and various papers. I have about a dozen decorator boxes where all my mail art supplies are categorized and stored. I have various expandable folders stacked under tables. To the stranger's eye, it probably looks a mess, but it's quite organized.
Essentials, I've discovered, are washi tape, a paper score board, assorted patterned papers, excellent adhesive, colored pens, 1 decent pair of scissors, and a glue pen. All the rest is just embellishment!
Happy creating!
Maggie
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Think Kit- your year in photos- Day 1
I found a daily writing prompt at Think Kit and thought I'd give the project a try (It might get me just started into my blogging world again). The topic for day one is to show my year in photos. . Here ya go, my year in pictures!
Pink lipsticky kisses,
Maggie
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| This year I joined a pen-pal web site and started creating mail art. this is an example of an envelope I designed |
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| Saw Michael Buble in concert in Sept! |
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| My amazing Greyhound |
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| My friend R and I saw Maroon 5 in July- she sent me this photo so I'm not sure who gets the photo credit! |
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| In July I was so lucky to go to Florida with my Photographer friend. This is the sunset from our condo balcony. Can I got back now? |
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| Crazy snowstorm in March that canceled school for a few days. |
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| Vonnegut library (museum) is one of my favorite places to spend time when I'm in Indianapolis. I discovered it this year! |
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| Spent lots of time in Indianapolis this year. |
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| Found an October field of sunflowers... |
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| Wen to a big cat preserve in Indiana last April |
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| I'm a firm believer that cupcakes are the world's most perfect dessert so here's a sneak peak of Gigi's Cupcakes! I've snacked on these treats off and on all year! |
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| During June rains I found this guys swimming and walking along the city sidewalks in Bripple. |
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| Going to art museums is a fav hobby of mine- I find peace and happiness when I go. |
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