If you're happy and you know it.....

 make a BLT for lunch!

Start with happy toast!

And grill the bacon!

We grill just about everything here in Florida year round!

Bacon has to be watched every minute but it is SO worth it!

Add some Kraft Mayo, a fresh Florida tomato and some Sweet butter lettuce and you have a winner! Oh and make a tall glass of iced tea with lots of ice!

We are hiking....some! But it is extremely hot so we are taking it easy.

 

Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway

(paved hiking trail)

Shorter hikes, closer to home.

And I'm using my time inside to get a little more house cleaning done. 

No pics of my clean house? There may be a reason for that! hahahaha!

But I have made 2 pretty journals lately.

And now they are ready to be decorated and finished.

I have to admit to jumping around on my junk journals lately and not completing any of them. When I find something pretty to add to one of them, I pull it off the shelf and work on it again. That's part of the fun of these journals. You can keep adding 'junk'!

What have you been doing this week? Do you have something I should try cooking on the grill? I'm open for suggestions!

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

and I like Thursdays HERE !  

Art Journals

 I promised a blog friend that I would do a post that wasn't about birds or wildflowers but I'll probably sneak a few of those in this post! 

I usually call my journals 'junk journals' which makes my youngest son laugh a somewhat nervous laugh as if to say, Mom's gone over the edge. 

But these journals are so beautiful, I need to use the term 'art journal'.

I bought both of these books from a sweet Etsy shop called Nudgery Faire HERE and then I proceeded to cut and glue things onto the pages. 

She is very talented and I feel blessed to have 2 of her journals....and another one on my wish list. 

Her prices are exceptional too and I appreciate that. 

The first one I bought was the Fairy Forest.

The name is enough to sell me!

And it is indeed delightful. 

I still haven't finished it. I like to leave some pages available in case I find some perfect images to add later. And I always write quotes in all of my journals.

The second one is made in a different style and is so easy to work in. The pages stay open with the ring binding.

And of course she has put a lot of special touches into this one too.

Everything about it is beautiful!

A few more pages in a mosaic!

I love cutting things out, arranging the pages and gluing things in. I need a diversion when I can't be IN the forest!

(doesn't that look a bit like a monster or a BEAR in the center of the photo?)

Be sure and check this shop if you want a a journal to work on this summer! Just look HERE!

Are you working on craft or sewing projects this summer? 

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too! 

What I do in between hikes!

I wish we could hike every day! But someone has to do the laundry and housework and hubby is planting more knock out roses and putting down new mulch. So we keep busy when we are 'in between hikes'. 

I love doing junk journals. Some of them I make myself and others I buy from Etsy shops. I love Etsy!

So here's a little pink journal I've been working on lately.

I bought some ephemera to add to this one. 

This seller has some neat things in her shop at great prices. Her shop is HERE! Check it out!

She made the door and I glued it to the front of the journal that I made.

Lots of cute things to add to the pages and tags, etc. 

I will need to get to a point with this one and then sit down and write some thoughts and quotes to finish it up. I never really complete a journal. I always have a few pages to add to when the mood hits.

OK, this gorgeous journal is made by the Etsy shop HERE! 

I placed a bookmark in the front when I tied it with silk ribbon.

She made it and put lots of special touches inside

and then I added some of my own.

It was super fun and I still have space to write inside too.

I tend to like the cutting and glueing and leave the writing for last.

One more...

Even the back of the journal is a work of art!

SO....I know you want to see my desk with works in progress.

I put some things out on my desk to start on something new but I keep it pretty neat while I am working. I like to be able to see what I am doing. I can't work when there is too much out and in the way.

With the gorgeous Florida weather (highs in the 70s and 80s) we are hiking just about every other day. That works out great and gives us time for work (hubby) and crafting (me!).

 

Have you done any arts and crafts lately?

It's FUN and addictive!

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too!

A rare and exotic Wildflower!

 

It still amazes me that we can go out into the wild and see so many amazing things.

We were fortunate to see this Longspurred Mint, Dicerandra Cornutissima on the Florida trails this week. It was between the 49th Ave trailhead and the Landbridge Trailhead. 

It is endemic to this part of Florida and is listed as endangered. More info HERE. 

We've seen it in another area nearby but this is the first time we've seen it on this part of the trail.

And to share one of my favorite things this week....

here's the big pad of Forest Scrapbook paper I bought to work on junk journals.

I've already been cutting the cover page in case it looks a bit 'wonky'!

There are so many beautiful  images and it's all a nice weight of cardstock.

I'll use these for bookmarks.

It's enjoyable to put together these journals and then sit down and embellish them later.

I thought I would write some nature quotes on some of the pages.

This is a tag journal 'in progress'. 

They are so quick and easy and I love the way they turn out!

Have you been working on creative projects this week?

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

Also I like Thursdays HERE.   

Junk Journals and Tag books

I love it when my creative juices start flowing. I have SO many ideas for little journals and tags!

When the pandemic started I made a list on my IPAD of things that help me through the lockdown. I keep adding to it and have close to a hundred things on my list now. Some you would expect, like family and faith...others might surprise you. I look at the Flagstaff webcam almost every day. I know it's crazy but I have been there many times and long to go back. I make travel plans in my mind. So the webcam makes the list.

One of my ideas is a Fall gratitude tag book using things on my summer list. 

(messy table at the top of the mosaic, tags in progress along the bottom)

And I've started working on that. Every day I design, then cut and glue and sew.

But one day I went to Etsy to look for some ephemera. Bits and bobs that I could use on my tags and in my journals. I searched Junk Journal and oh my! There were so many pretty creations that my eyes got bigger and bigger! And then I gave in and ordered the cutest little fox journal.

I exchanged messages with the sweet lady and when she sent me the journal, she sent lots of extras.

This beautiful little insert to use in a journal.

The inside of it!

And lots of those bits and bobs that I need to work on my own projects!

Visit her shop Fibro Warrior Journals HERE and be amazed! 

What fun I'm having working on crafts....

oh and shopping on Etsy!

Have you been creative this week?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too!