Day 273 | Visited

Prompt: List all the places you are grateful for having visited. Add images if possible.

Stephanie | A few places I am thankful for visiting include: Disneyland with my choir class (2001). Mexico with my Gramma (2001). Canada with my choir class, and again with my sister (2002, 2011). Sacramento CA with my hubby (2007). Palm Springs with my hubby and friends (2011). San Fransisco CA with my family (2013).

Annetta | I'm blessed and thankful for visiting a few different states and countries. I've been to  Canada, Mexico, England, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Germany. In the states I go to California every 3 months, I've been to Virginia, Idaho, Oregon, Philly, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Missouri, Colorado, and Utah. I travel more then I ever thought I would. It's both a blessing and a very hard thing for me as you have to take a flight to get somewhere.

Day 272 | Drawing Style

Prompt: In your journal draw something from your home or view from a window. No judging, no erasing lines. Just draw, sketch, or doodle it. No skipping this prompt if your journal is lined, draw anyway.

"Don't screw up your drawings. If I wanted a picture perfect drawing, I would of asked you to pick up a camera not a pencil. Everyone's drawing style is special." -Mrs. Harrison

Stephanie | I drew/painted this plant that sits in the window close to my desk. I picked him up at a thrift shop early this year without a proper description. From what I have found he is a angel-wing begonia. He has yet to flower but many new leaves have opened since I brought him home. I am just so in love with the red/purple/green/brown hues in the leaves, such a pretty plant.

Annetta | I painted my nail polish. I honestly LOVE wonky sketches that are quick, not perfect and artistic. I'm still learning this style because when I draw and watercolor I feel like i need to add every single detail. Not adding too much detail and being artistic with my watercolors is something I want to grow in.

Day 271 | Famous Or Influential

Prompt: Which 5 famous or influential people would you like to be friends with and why? Where would you hang out?

Stephanie | I really just want friends who have the same interests as myself. People who love and encourage me. I don't have many artsy friends, and I don't follow the things my friends are interested in, so it can feel very lonely at times. I just need more friends life me. 

Annetta | I don't really follow anyone whose famous or influential, but one person I would love to be friend with is Lara Casey. I've heard her speak, see you fruit and what watcher her career, she's amazing and her love for God inspires me.  

Day 270 | Rest And Relaxation

Action: Schedule in some rest and relaxation for yourself. You could get a massage, a facial, a manicure/pedicure, book a hotel for a night. catch up on a book in the bath, switch off your phone and watch a movie etc. In your journal work through some ideas, choose one and make it happen. Report back to the journal after.

Stephanie | This was a perfect prompt for me today, resting and relaxing was exactly what I needed. It has been a tough week running all around to different appointments, making sure class lessons were done, the journal was taken care of, etc etc. It was a trying week and my creativity suffered because of it. I have been very unmotivated because I am managing so much. So today I sat on the couch and worked a little on my cross-stitch project and enjoyed the sun shinning through the window. I enjoyed my coffee with a chocolate doughnut. Today was the first time in a long time I was inspired and wanted to take pictures. 

Annetta | When I schedule time for myself it's usually time in the morning where I can wake up, have my cup of decaf coffee or tea and spend time studying my bible, praying and reading an encouraging book. I try to do this every single morning and it has changed the way I see life, what I focus and so many little things. I love having my quite time in bed, at my dining table or on my couch with a blanket. If I am lucky I also get to cross stitch for a few hours, but that happens only a couple of time a week (if I'm lucky). Today I spent extra time in a book I am reading with some beautiful women and finished Women Living Well. I feel very productive when I get this time in for myself!

Day 269 | Park Bench

Prompt: Write a day in the life from the perspective of a park bench. What does it see? Who sits on it? What are their stories? What changes around it over time?

Stephanie | City folk bustle by as trees change green to.red. Lights flash, dogs bark, and children laugh. The sky above weeps and puddles form, splash!   

Annetta | I once was a park bench, but now I sit in a castle. The name of my new home is Zámek Hluboká. It is a really beautiful place. The move was hard at first, I missed the open spaces, the people I'd see going for strolls and the playfulness that surrounded me. I don't miss the lonely people, the ones who came to cry or came alone, hurt. I've learned to love all the languages I hear here at the castle. There are so many different types of people and I like to watch them all, I guess where they are from. If you are ever in the Czech Republic come visit me!

Day 268 | Next Big Step

Prompt: Tell me about the next big step you are going to take towards your dreams.

Annetta | My nest big step towards my dreams is to get some rest! I believe that everyone needs rest before taking a big step forward.

Stephanie | Right now my dreams are changing. Different things and priorities are shifting for me and my family. Right now I am focusing on improving myself to work toward becoming a better person.

Day 267 | Scream It Out

Prompt: Think of a situation or a person that is making you feel angry, sad, or frustrated. Now scream, shout or roar as loud as you can into a pillow. Get it all out. Report back to the journal.

Stephanie | Instead of screaming it out into a pillow, I got it out through painting. I have my frustrations with people right now, painting helped me express my feelings on the paper.  

Annetta | I didn't do this activity, but I do like my journal page today inspired by it. Honestly, I'm in no mood as to put the effect in screaming into a pillow. All I want to do is sit on the couch and cross stitch. Plus, when I'm angry, sad or frustrated I take it out on my house and start throwing things away that we no longer need.

Day 266 | Kindness Received

Prompt: Tell me about any acts of kindness you have received. How do you feel when someone does something kind for you?

Stephanie | I am constantly being showered in kindness by my dear friend Annetta. She has helped me in so many ways, whether its buying me lunch, supporting and encouraging my work, listening to my troubles on the phone, spoiling me with antique store treasures, so sharing her wisdom and love to help push me to become a better wife, mother, artist. She shows so much kindness and generosity, I hope that I can learn from her and share that same kindness to others. 

Annetta | I've received many acts of kindness and when I receive them, I feel valued. Hence why giving it out to others is so important. Everyone need to know that they are valued and you show them through ask of kindness.

Day 265 | September Mail Day

This months mail day, create an original piece of art to mail to each other to add inspiration to their work space.

Annetta | Today, I didn't execute the secrecy part of our mail day. I seemed to forget when checking off my to-do list that it needs to be a surprise. With this piece I tried to get outside of my comfort zone and paint in a new-ish way. I hope she likes it!

Stephanie | I actually really like the piece I made for Annetta. I usually don't like my own work, but I am pleased with this one. I really hope she loves it too.

Day 264 | Delicious Foods

Prompt: Make a list of all the delicious foods you love to eat but wish they could magically be as beneficial to you as eating fruits and vegetables.

Stephanie | I have a sweet tooth, so I wish sweets and other treats were as healthy as fruits and veggies. 

Annetta | I wish cakes were as healthy as fruits and veggies. Honestly, I LOVE veggies and I eat way more of them then fruits. I also used to really dislike cakes until recently, so it would be awesome if they were healthy. I could eat a slice of cake a night!

Day 263 | Daring

Prompt: Tell me about one of the most daring things you have ever done.

Stephanie | I consider myself to be a very cautious person, I don't do daring things. Daring people tent to get hurt, I like to stay safe.

Annetta | This might be considered as daring, but to me it was. The most daring thing I have ever done was try to give birth to my son naturally. It was actually one of the scariest experiences for me. Giving birth naturally is both brave and daring in our day and age where c-sections is the go-to choice. I did end up in a c-section and trying to go naturally almost cost my life, but I'm also one of those rare both horror stories.

Day 262 | About Me + Challenge

Prompt: Create an 'About Me' page.  Challenge: Create your pages using the same items.

Stephanie | Seattle native currently living near Joint Base Lewis-McChord with my husband and 2 daughters. We enjoy exploring farmers markets, the beach and camping together. You can find me painting, cross stitching or finding ways to get my 'creative fix'. I am an official home-school mom who consumes large amount of coffee in the morning to get going. I love fresh picked flowers, packages in the mail, baking, and star gazing.

Annetta | I am a 30 year old who came to America with my parents at the age of 5. I've lived here (in the Seattle area) for a very long time. We moved from Estonia. I am finding out that I am a very passionate person, always have been, but I tend to forget how passionate I really am. I am a workaholic and am in the process of slowing down! I have a very amazing husband whom I admire and look up to, he makes me a better person. He also constantly challenges me. We have a beautiful boy together who is in need of more siblings and God willing it will happen at the right time.

Day 261 | Goals And Dreams

Prompt: Tell me what can make you retreat from pursuing your goals and dreams.

Stephanie | What keeps me from pursing a goal or dream is being overwhelmed. Having too much on my plate or mind causes me to shut down temporarily. I can get overwhelmed by how many steps it will take to complete the task. Fear will prevent me from moving on through the steps, especially if it involves reaching out to someone new, or doing something new.   

Annetta | What keeps me from pursing a goal or dream is getting burnt out, which is a place I'm currently at. I'm finding that I need to stop pursing whatever it is that I pursue and to just be for a season. I'm done with the work that just never seems to stop. The to-do lists that just keep on going round and round in my head. I'm about ready to press pause! My goals and dreams aren't worth it if I feel like I have nothing to give!

Day 260 | Satisfaction

Prompt : What does 'satisfaction' mean to you?

 Stephanie | Satisfaction means to be happy or pleased with something you have or have done.  

Annetta | I'm learning to be satisfied with my own work and where I am in life. It's much easier then done. Satisfaction means total peace and complete pleasure. It's a rare place for us faulty humans to be. We can be satisfied with a mean, a job well done, but to me life needs to be a satisfaction.

Day 259 | Fortune Favors the Bold

Prompt : What does the expression 'fortune favors the bold' mean to you?

Annetta | To me it means that you have to be bold in order get the fortune. You need to be a risk taker and not afraid to make moves that you might loose everything in. Being bold means taking risks.

Stephanie | To me this means that those who stand out will reap good rewards. Those that follow their own path, stand up, fight, and do things differently will have good things happen. Doing things the same way everyone else does will get you the same results as everyone else. Be different and get different results.

Day 258 | Planning Ahead For A Year To Inspire

Yesterday Annetta and I took a road trip together and hiked Mt. Baker. We stopped along the way to eat some really yummy food, explore a cute antique shop, and paused to take in the beautiful surroundings. We felt it necessary to think ahead for our A Year To Inspire project. Do we continue into 2015? Do we continue exactly how we are now? Can we each commit to another 365 project? Do we stop all together? If we stop, will we lose motivation to keep active in a creative project? Do we keep going but change how A Year To Inspire works? Should we do a sketchbook project?

This has been a great project, we each have grown creatively, and have enjoyed being pushed to learn more about ourselves, but there have been times where we wanted to give up and walk away. This project is demanding of our time, time that we just don't have some days.

We have created quite the following and have been able to inspire so many people, the response we have received has been so incredible. 

So after a long talk we have decided what we would and would not be capable of committing ourselves to and have come to a resolution on what A Year To Inspire looks like for 2015. We will continue into 2015, but the project will be different than our daily journal prompts as we want to explore more creative outlets. We will be sharing more info on how A Year To Inspire will change later.

 

Day 257 | Legacy

Prompt: What legacy do you want to leave to the world?

Stephanie | A legacy of love, compassion, understanding, friendship, nurturing, funny, unique, and giving. 

Annetta | I want to leave a legacy of kids who love the Lord and know what it means to love. To leave people who have a better life because I used my gifts to help in any way that I can. A legacy of love, joy, giving and a life beautifully lived. I also do want to leave a finical legacy as well.