Wordless Wednesday | Little Monkey (AKA Charlie) at the Pumpkin Patch

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

What I'm scrapping these days

With apologies to those who read my scrapbooking blog, today I'm going to post a couple of recent scrapbook layouts I created. On that blog, however, I try to keep it about the scrapbooking and don't talk a lot about my life, so I thought I'd post here with some more about these pages.

I'm trying to deliberately create some pages that are more autobiographical, basically sort of like journal entries in a way, but creatively presented. The first one is "Note to Self" which is simply a photo of me and a quote I'd been thinking about this week:

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain 

Credits here: All About Me Pages

I also posted this quote on my Facebook page, and several people wondered if my suitcase was packed and where I was going. But this quote this week wasn't about traveling to another city or country. Instead, it was about taking risks, and doing things that aren't easy for me. I spent a day this week with a friend of a friend who was in town, someone I'd never met except over e-mail, showing them around San Diego. Meeting new people makes me nervous, so it took some risk on my part to do this. The quote is right. I would have regretted not taking advantage of this opportunity.

The next page, "Little Pieces of Me," speaks more for itself, but it's the kind of thing I'd want to post here anyway, it just happens to be in picture form. Special thanks to my friend and fellow scrapper Sarah who created the digital paper strips I used in this layout.

Credits here: All About Me Pages

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

I can't decide...

If these towels are deliciously adorable... or adorably delicious...

All I know is I have some seriously cute little crafty projects in mind.

And on another note, I'm learning how valuable editing photos can be. Here's the before and after:

 -- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: Eat, Pray, Love

Well, first of all, I started reading this book before I found out it was going to be a movie in about a month, starring none other than Julia Roberts. Really! Although, I can't say I'm surprised, because this book was GREAT! I actually became intrigued by this book when I read a review of Elizabeth Gilbert's next book, Committed, which I just requested from the library, and also because it surfaced once or twice as a possible book group read.

One of the most interesting things about this book is that the author is deeply spiritual, and talks about God, but has a completely different understanding of God than I do, making it clear that her God is more religion than relationship. Kind of. While her understanding of God is very different than mine, I found her devotion and pursuit of spirituality enviable. Although I'm getting ahead of myself here.

This book tells the story of the author spending one full year traveling the world after her entire life and marriage essentially fall apart. She begins in Italy, where she strives to learn Italian simply because she's always wanted to, and to learn the art of enjoying the pleasurable things in life, primarily food and "doing nothing." I for one, am like many Americans, and I really don't know how to relax or enjoy anything without either feeling guilty or getting bored and feeling like I should be doing "something" instead of doing "nothing." Four months in Italy learning how to chill out sounds kind of good.

As her time in Italy comes to a close, she returns to the US for a brief stay before departing to India for a time of meditation and spiritual study in India, living at an ashram. This is where I admire her spiritual devotion. Given, very few people can afford more than a week or two to dedicate to any kind of introspection or travel, and she spends nearly 4 months in India, meditating for hours each day. Through her time, though, she finds peace and understanding of herself and God. After India, she departs for Bali, and strives to understand balance. Her descriptions of the history and culture of Bali are very interesting, and again I found I was inspired by what she learned.

I very rarely mark pages in books, and I have to mention that there are multiple folded-over corners in my copy of this book. I found I could relate this author in some way, and even when I couldn't, I found her so interesting. I think that biographies are becoming one of my favorite genres, simply because I find it so interesting to read about other experiences, other perspectives, and other people's lives. I assume I will never spend a year living in this way, but I enjoyed every minute of reading about someone who did.

Eat, Pray, Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Here's Your Sign (Bunco edition)

Fans of Bill Engvall might recognize the "Here's Your Sign" reference, as he has a trademark bit using this expression. The idea is that those who routinely say silly things should wear a sign so the rest of us have advance warning. Now the disclaimer: the following story is completely true, although the person in this case who said the silly thing... definitely doesn't make a habit of this kind of absentmindedness!

Friday night Bunco was being held at a house where we hadn't played before. Somebody spotted my friend, the last to arrive, get out of her car and walk towards the house. I stepped outside of the front door and we had the following exchange:

Me: "Hey there!"

Her: "Oh, is this the right house?"

Me: "Ummmm no. This is a stranger's house... Bunco is next door."

[ Here's Your Sign ]

For the record... we BOTH had a good laugh over this!

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/