AMANDA'S BASKETS: STILL THINKING...

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

STILL THINKING...

So, I am still thinking about that article I posted about on Monday. It's been a very busy couple of days so I haven't really spent quality time considering the implications. Every time I have a few minutes to myself, though, the whole idea of change and what I really want to change surfaces fast so I think it is just percolating along in my subconscious.

Wish I had some concrete solutions and decisions but I really don't. It would be easy to think about my decisions in the past about change but in my mind, it would be a fruitless exercise...I can't undo any them. I figure I have to look to the now/future.

Of course, that brings it all very up-close and personal...which in the end it truly is. It would be very easy to just continue as I have been. There's nothing really that makes any change absolutely necessary. But the thing is, I know there are things that I really want to do, to change...I just haven't figured out how.

Tell me, do you like magazines? I am still hopelessly in love with the artsy-crafty type. These are my latest from my favorite bookstore in Union Square...

I have never seen Make It Mini before...and since I love small things like inchies, prayer flags and wall hangings, I had to get this one.

And, although the DO Craft Doodling magazine has lots of pictures to color, it also has several articles on pattern making.

Art Quilting, Artful Blogging and Art Journaling are staples for me. Good thing they only come out four or six times a year because they are not cheap. But then there is very little advertising.

Today was warm/hot in the mid 70's. I was walking all over Manhattan and dressed a bit warmer than was comfortable. When I left this morning, I needed the vest and jacket but by noon, it was very much overkill.

That's all for now...
Thanks for stopping by...
Talk to you tomorrow...

CRAFTING IDEAS

I am always looking for a small piece of paper to write down something which will later be disposed of. I decided to use some of the scrap paper of which I have a ton. I mostly use the paper for glueing projects. I decided to cut the paper into a small size. (Six pieces from a piece of copy paper.). But just having them sitting on my desk would get messy without a container. So, using a cardboard box, I cut it down to size and using a hot glue gun I glued the ends together. Using a picture from a magazine cut into pieces and stick craft glue, I glued the pieces to the box inside and out. I also used some decorative tape for the outside edges. And to finish the top corners which were not covered, I used straight pins with colorful tops. Looks nice and works well.

MAGAZINE IDEAS

(New) One article in the Farmer's Almanac 2024 is a list of trends. One I knew about is the trend to downsize in just about every area. Another trend that I was surprised about was called ''The Human Library' which offers people on loan to talk about specific subjects. Finally, more folks are adding pets to their family and as a result, stores are adding more pet food, toys and medication to their offerings. There's also a nice garden article which suggests mixing vegetables and flowers together for success.

RECIPE IDEAS

Have you every made Cherry Dump Cake. It calls for 2 cans of Cherry Pie Filling (21 ounces), a white cake mix, 1/4 -1/2 cup butter, melted & 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans. In a 9 by 13 pan, spread both cans of cherry pie filling. Add the melted butter to the cake mix and break apart the resulting mixture and crumble it evenly over the pie filling. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 - 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Fast, easy and very delicious.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

What if you want to establish better habits, then decide what habit you want to work on. Again, try an easier one first for that good feeling of success. Let's consider more exercise. Start small. Don't try to run a marathon right away. Set the amount of time, the type of exercise and when to do it to begin making sure that it is within your reach. If it works for you each week add a bit more. Walking is one of the best ways to get good overall movement but there are many exercise videos on YouTube of varying lengths and difficulty to check out. Change your exercise routines to eliminate getting bored. For hardcore exercise with weights, give yourself a day in-between to recover. Even on days you would rather not exercise, do it and see if you feel better. It takes an average of 66 days to establish a habit. Just think 66 days to establish a good habit for a lifetime. Sounds like a good thing to me...how about you?