Stepping Out Challenge - Day 16 - 365 Days of Color Pt 2

Welcome to today's post, I am taking part in a 31 day blog challenge where I post everyday in October.  I love creating challenges for myself and joining ones by others.  My challenge for the rest of the month is to reflect on some of the series I created for myself and inspiration that I have taken away.

Listen to the Podcast

Today I am going to concluding on the topic of 365 Days of Colour 

The 365 Days of Colour was born as I realized that I had been photographing flowers over a long period of time and they were sitting on my desktop lost in the digital atmosphere and not being a blessing either to me or anyone else for that matter. 

I decided to create a yet another challenge, and for me I guess the challenges are more like projects, where I am able to get them completed because there is something driving me to get it done somehow.  I had decided not only to post an image but would couple it with an inspiring quote a scripture and a reflection for each post.  

My main aim was to bring colour and beauty to people all around the world regardless to whether they had a garden or not.  They could still enjoy the beauty of nature and perhaps seeing the image would cheer them up.

I did the challenge for a year bringing elements together and sharing and it taught me about discipline in sticking through the journey as simple as the task was it was also about showing up if not for myself then for someone else.  There are hundreds of thousands of beautiful flowers around the world, so many varieties and colours and each county has flowers that only grow in that particular climate.  When was the last time you stopped and looked at your own environment and really took it in.

We can also look at what we call weeds, that we hastily pull out of the ground  and see the beauty in the flowers that they produce.  If they grew in the right places we wouldn't have a problem.  We can see even with the weeds how the colours also find themselves in our everyday lives.

I now have a tropical garden, that I can grow things in and they do seem to grow really quickly because of the climate.  I am amazed at the number of different plants that I have managed to grow in the space and over the year with the list getting bigger.  My aim eventually is to document each with their medicinal and nutritional benefits.  There are some growing (among them some pretty weeds) that I have not yet been able to identify and so will keep on learning and sharing as I go.  Please come and visit my Gardening channel, and see the updates that I will be posting about the growth.

Tomorrow I will share my writing challenge with you. I hope during this month you find some time to challenge, be creative and stretch yourself.

Why not join me each day for the rest of October as we dive into to some exciting challenges and look at ways in which they can impact on your own life. 

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, it is never too late to start! The main thing is to take one step at a time and do something that you find interesting.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Ps:  If you are on a budget and would like to check out some gardening supplies/books at a discounted price, check out one of the links below:

Adorn it - bit.ly/AdorAT18 

Dollar Tree - bit.ly/DolAT18 

Blick - bit.ly/Blick18 

Book Outlet - bit.ly/BOOKAT18 

Stampington - bit.ly/STAAT18 

C& T Publishing - bit.ly/CNTPAT18 

Dover - bit.ly/DOVPAT18 

Craftsy Kits - bit.ly/CrafAT18 

Amazon Store - 

www.amazon.com/shop/realityarts

Stepping Out Challenge - Day 15 - 365 Days of Color

Welcome to today's post, I am taking part in a 31 day blog challenge where I post everyday in October.  I love creating challenges for myself and joining ones by others.  My challenge for the rest of the month is to reflect on some of the series I created for myself and inspiration that I have taken away.

Listen to the Podcast

Today I am going to be talking about a series on my 365 Days of Colour

I have always loved flowers, my mum started me off on my green finger journey when I was little and I saw how she took care of the house plants we had.  She brought the tropics into our home despite us living in a cold climate.  I saw her lovingly tend to these plants deadheading and taking off the leaves that were shriveled checking that the plants had enough water and nutrients, she loved her plants.  As I grew up I started to get plants of my own.  I carried on initially with house plants and as my spaces got bigger I carried the love to the out doors and in the garden.

Living in a colder climate you won't always see the rich and vibrant colours in the middle of the winter and so where ever I went I just started to take photographs.  It started out when I would go for my walks, the walks would take extra time cause I would be caught by the colours I passed on my route.  After exhausting my local community I would keep a look out for flowers in other gardens.  Some of my favorite places were parks and botanical gardens like Kew Gardens.  I was in my element, among the grounds, lost in the beauty and the scents.  I had never thought of doing something with the images.  Like most of my other challenges I created for myself they are not initially planned in advance.  I get up with an idea and then I am driven to put it in place.

There are many plants that I was able to grow in my Wembley garden and that was 13 years of physical, and financial investment over the years.  When I think about the garden I think about having another room that you can spend time in.  

When you are dealing with colder climates you might not get to enjoy sitting out there but the differences with a garden filled with the sun’s rays compared to a garden filled with snow is definitely a sight to see and has beauty to be seen and the first buds that come up in the spring and the autumn falling leaves all bring beauty in their own way.

Check out my Tropical Garden Series.  I will be sharing part two of the 365 Days of Colour tomorrow and I hope during this month you find some time to challenge, be creative and stretch yourself.

Why not join me each day for the rest of October as we dive into to some exciting challenges and look at ways in which they can impact on your own life. 

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, it is never too late to start! The main thing is to take one step at a time and do something that you find interesting.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Ps:  If you are on a budget and would like to check out some supplies/books at a discounted price, check out one of the links below:

 Adorn it - bit.ly/AdorAT18 

Dollar Tree - bit.ly/DolAT18 

Blick - bit.ly/Blick18 

Book Outlet - bit.ly/BOOKAT18 

Stampington - bit.ly/STAAT18 

C& T Publishing - bit.ly/CNTPAT18 

Dover - bit.ly/DOVPAT18 

Craftsy Kits - bit.ly/CrafAT18 

Amazon Store - 

www.amazon.com/shop/realityarts

Humour - Reflection - A reminder

Thought for the week

You are beautiful, and not defined by your past mistakes  Face your fear, name it, and then move on and laugh out loud!  We have to see our lives from many different perspectives, and when we can laugh in the face of adversity, we will find many doors and solutions making themselves available - Realityarts

Quote

Patience is power. With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes silk. ... Chinese Proverb

Scripture 

Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. Isaiah 54:4

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal Week 11 - Change

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal week 11

 

I know I should have posted this on Friday but a dark cloud decided to dwell and hinder my posting, but it is better late than never.  There were a few things that had cropped up and we have to use wisdom to get through all the little pits and hills that come our way.  One thing I came out of last week feeling is the need to have change in my life and see the evidence of things moving.  I am currently reading a book by Susan Rae Baker called Defining Moments - A gathering of women's Journeys.  It is filled with the stories of women who have been through so much and yet have turned situations in their lives and tragedies round to set themselves on the path that enables them to see their lives as whole.  I've just started the book but it has put a new perspective on so many things, it also reminds me as I care for my mother that I am not alone and there are so many people who experience caring for a parent with dementia. It has been particularly hard last week and I constantly ask myself in some of the more challenging moments how mum must feel.  I also had news of another friend with suspected Myeloma that claimed my brothers life, and it brought home that we are now in a generation where we will know more and more who loose their life, and we will probably be attending more funerals than weddings. 

This is not to dwell on all that is wrong with the world, but being grateful and celebrating life.  I decided that I will slightly change these posts and they will still have the journal page with a reflection, but I will write the things that I am grateful for within the post, and look forward to seeing what you are grateful for.  

The page reads - It is time to make a change.......

We all have those things that impact on our lives and can see us go in totally different directions.   I would like to be open to make a change from those things in my life that are currently hindering progress, stepping out and stepping up. I am grateful that I can still make changes, there is no time limit, you can be who you were called to be!   I celebrate my relationship with my mother and the one I had with my brother, through the loss and the pain it really makes me appreciate what I have and those relationships with loved ones - family and friends who are still here.  I hope you have a blessed week as you to look at areas of your life that might need to change.

Adventure - 52 Weeks of colour

A thought for the week

It is important to set boundaries so that you know where you are, where you have been and where you are going. There is a whole world out there waiting for you to make your mark, and be part of the adventure! Be proud of the many things you will achieve, whether they be big or small, you are wonderful.

Quote 

I shut my eyes in order to see. ...Paul Gauguin

Scripture

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." John 15:7

Gratitudes - Hugs

A hug can sooth away the pain, provide comfort and help you see things in a different light. 

What are you grateful for this week?

Taking Time to Notice your surroundings

As you went about your day did you notice the colours around you, did you hear any birds sing?

Frangipani in Barbados

I started 365 days of colour in 2011 and for a whole year I took pictures of flowers that I would see as I went about my day, whether doing mundane things or sunning myself on a holiday.  It brightened up my day to see the colour and delicacy of each flower, especially in the colder months to see a dash of colour peeping out against the stark grey. In 2012 July I continued with 52 weeks of colour, in which I continued to take photographs but also started to learn how to use Photoshop elements and wanted to experiment with the images more.

In doing both of these exercises I have grown to see my environment  in a very different way.  We are surrounded by beauty, but very often miss it because we are doing ten things at once.  Sometimes the smallest flower coming from a weed can brighten up the dullest day and this beauty is often right in front of our faces.

I recently met a lady walking down my street and said hello to her, it turned out she had lived on my road for the past 7 years, and we were both amazed that we had never seen each other.  In speaking to her it transpired that she was also interested in art so we made plans to get together and have a coffee.

This week as you go about your routine, take a moment to notice your surroundings, you might be surprised at what you find in your neighbourhood. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments are always welcome.  Blessings

Join me every day this month for the Ultimate blog challenge 

Gratitudes - Flowers

I love even the smallest flower that is produced by a weed, the colours and smells that some flowers produce, way they make you feel.  For a feast of colour see my 365 days of colour posts. 

What are you grateful for this week?

The Week that was....

I have had a busy couple of weeks,  It is still wet and windy here in London,  but luckily every now and then the rays of sunshine continue to tease us of pastures filled with palm trees, the rushing back and forth of the waves and the soft sand between our toes....in the meantime its a toss up of deciding whether or not to dig out my winter wear and thick socks.  The garden is picking up and the Arboriculturist are trimming the trees outside the house which makes them look slightly bare at the moment.  

The neighbours cat still seems smitten with my garden and just comes over and sits on an old chair at the back of the garden sunning himself.  He still has an expression of disdain as if I have interrupted an important meeting.

I have been doing a mixed bag of things this week, alongside work. I love being in the studio, and  I have been working on some of the sessions in the 21 Secrets and will be sharing some of the art that I have been doing.  

After coming to the end of the 365 days of colour, I celebrated with having a massage.  I will be doing another challenge and be sharing some of the digital art work that I have been doing with my photography.  I will also be contributing to Motley Soul and Mika's Create in Faith Group we share our faith, our creativity and so much more!  Here is a page from my prayer journal.

Health wise, started doing some walking again, I also came across nutritionalist Daphne Cohn and I am taking part in her challenge.  She has a range of recipes that she will send you and they are delicious. I made one this week using the following:  

Handful of spinach, 5 x cabbage leaf, Half iceberg lettuce, Nob of ginger, Cup of water, 2 bananas, 1 pear, Fruit sweetener

All of this made 1.5 litres primarily because of the fruits and especially the lettuce is 70% water.  Daphne has got a 10 day challenge going where she sends you ideas and advice for a variety of green smoothies.  

Last week I gave a talk to a group of social workers about my role as a carer and was able to use some creative exercises to enable them to look at how they relate to different issues in their own life and the experiences that a carer can feel, it was interesting to be on the other side of the coin and get a different perspective of my role through their eyes and talk about the role in a positive light. I will be doing more talks and sharing some of the creative tools I have been using.

Our City of London Festival officially begins this weekend and there are over 100 events running until 27th July, I am hoping to go to a few and will share any pictures I take. The fun starts tomorrow with a tour of the Bank of England, and on Sunday running until 13th July - there will be 50 Street pianos just waiting to be played at a variety of locations around London.  

And finally, my son has finished his exams - a big WELL DONE goes out to him, routines have changed and there is now talk of learning to drive and A'Levels which he will be pursuing in September.  He has his Prom dance next week and went out and got a suit, he looks so mature in it, and has grown a bit bigger and currently towers over me at around 6ft 2.  Time has flown indeed.... 

Hope you have a blessed weekend!