In Search of Inspiration...{Making Eskimos}

Good Afternoon, All!

I don't know about you,

but I am about sick to death of these frigid, arctic temperatures!

We were given a little reprieve yesterday

(the temperatures were near 45 degrees)

but today we have been plunged back down into the tundra

(the high for today is 1 degree). 

While I enjoyed yesterday's warmer temperature,

such drastic temperature changes often bring sickness.

I can back this statement up with personal experience.

I was ill nearly the entire week last week.

(Hence, my quietness on the blogging front.)

I know lots of other people who were under the weather as well.

Furthermore, things have been beyond hectic at work.

Frustratingly so!

Last week was, in general, a rough week.

For more reasons than one.

In general, when I am sick and/or stressed,

I often get a bad case of the blues along with it. 

So it's not just that I've been sick and stressed,

I've also been down in the dumps emotionally.

When this occurs,

I often go looking for inspiration.

Not in any certain area or activity,

just in general, I try to keep my eyes open

for something positive to look at/think about.

It is my personal belief that if you truly go searching for something,

you are going to find it in one way or another.

So, because I was looking for inspiration, 

I found it...lots of it!

To begin with,

you know how you can become so used 

to something that you forget that it's even there?

In other words you forget to appreciate it...

Well, I've had this little sign on my desk for about 18 months now,

strategically placed directly below my computer screen where 

I simply CANNOT miss it.

Well, I've been missing it.

I realize this isn't the greatest shot in terms of being able to read the sign,
but there's just something about it that I love! :)

The sign reads: "A Time To Celebrate".

For some reason, when I read it,

I always add the words "Now Is"

to the beginning of it.

"Now Is A Time To Celebrate".

These words did their job and perked me right up.

I faced the challenges of the remainder of the week

with a renewed appreciation of the ordinary things in life.

Like Light...Natural Light.

As a photographer, I am completely IN LOVE with Natural Light.

#2. I love trees.
Trees of all kinds.
This is one of my favorite trees
that I get to see just about every day.
A tiny little tree...
not quite two feet tall.

#3. I love Chinese Food.
I don't really get to eat it much,
but I ALWAYS enjoy it when I do.
Furthermore, being the philosophical person that I am,
I always enjoy reading the "fortunes" in the fortune cookies.
I DEFINITELY appreciated this one!

#4. My little lovelies never cease to inspire me.

Their personalities,

their sensitivity,

just who they are inspires me.

And I do my best to inspire them in return.

#5. I love doing art projects with my kiddos.

You know, I never really thought of myself as a creative person

until I began working at the Y.

I didn't think I was capable of being an artist of any kind.

Doing projects with the kids

has changed all that for me.

I now recognize myself to be a VERY creative and artistic person.

And I LOVE it! :)

Last week, I mentioned that I was planning to do an Eskimo craft with the kids.

Well, I did. And the kids did a GREAT job!

What do you think?

I simply had the kids draw a face in the middle circle of a paper plate.

Then I had them color around the face with colored pencils.

Then we used to Tacky Glue to attach white fluff around the edge of the paper plate.
(I had the kids use colored pencils because the glue
and fluff doesn't stick well to crayon wax.
Markers would probably work too.)

This one is probably my favorite.

I'm not sure why my little guy made a sad face on his Eskimo

but I love it nonetheless!

What projects have you and your kids been up to?

What ordinary things inspire you when you are feeling blue?

I would love to hear your stories!

Have a Great Week!