Jack and I did not travel in August this year. We stayed home and played golf early Sunday mornings before the heat.
Instead of traveling, I spent quite a bit of time in August getting ready for the winter holidays - lists, cards, gift ideas. It seemed like the right thing to do, to get ahead, without rushing.
Our family has a lot of birthdays between November and January, and I like to give the grandkids old-fashioned paper books, so I went ahead and ordered everything online. Jack and I will have a wrapping party one evening later on.
Every year, I make a 'Year in Review' album for us. In August, I started to sift through the memories and collect the pictures and organize them in my photos. It was nice to remind myself of the normalcy of the beginning of the year.
Among the highlights:
- my photo shoot on gluten/grain-free recipes (story below);
- and my photoshoot on weddings and special occasions (also below).
I hope you enjoy these!
PLANNING AHEAD
Also in August I made my Live Beautifully! Planner, and this year I actually made two Planners. The details and links are below.
The first version is the classic January - December 2021.
And, since a lot of people like to begin the school year with a fresh, clean slate in September, I made a second Planner that begins in September 2020 and ends next August 2021.
(More about the Planners below.)
GOALS RESET
This month, I am looking forward to a "Goals Reset" course that I'll take in my online textile design classes. For me, this will be my personal 'back to school' refresher since I spent August getting ready for Christmas and making the Planners.
I'm looking forward to getting back to my artwork!
My September will also be filled with lots of online classes! Textile design, the business of art, and my interior design continuing education. That's a lot!
I love this quote by Jiminy Cricket: "When your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme!"
ARTWORK
Speaking of art, I've nearly finished a series of four "Angels", colorful abstracts in acrylic. I'll let you know when they will be ready for purchase.
The idea of guardian angels came a few months ago, and it's comforting to me, especially with the way things are right now in the world.
Scarf Update: My scarf - printed in Italy - is still being produced. The colors are perfect for autumn and the upcoming holiday season (online here.)
CELEBRATE
Jack and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary this month! We spent a lot of time discussing this, debating about whether to go away, take a road trip, or get on a plane. For now, we are celebrating at home, and taking a trip at a later time. That way we can celebrate love twice!
