In February, I have been:
Hibernating and loving it. All fall, amidst the craziness of the elections in Tunisia (some context here though I haven't written about it much) I looked forward to January and February, when work would slow down and I could nest in the new apartment and catch my breath a bit. I know a lot of people hate these months, but I love the fresh start and the rest that accompany the wintry beginning of the year. Gardening has made me appreciate it even more - it's a time when fields and people lie fallow in preparation for new growth to come. Lately, I've been alternating between feeling like I'm getting itchy for warmer weather and a faster pace and feeling reluctant to leave the cocoon.
Creating nonstop. Since joining the Get Messy group, I have gone from art journaling newbie to complete addict. My workweek evenings have been pretty free lately and I love settling in at my desk with a cup of tea, hot chocolate, wine, or some combination thereof and making stuff. The "new" apartment (we've been here since October) has room for each of us to have our own desk and I am surprised how much of a difference it has made to have a dedicated space, with lots of surface area and storage, surrounded by lots of floor (which is inevitably where I end up when the table is buried).
Enjoying the snow we've had in DC. Definitely contributing to that cozy hibernating feeling and giving me some extra time to make and write stuff. Hoping we get a few more snow days and late openings in March.
Trying to implement the ideas in this post on the Sunday home. Since work and life are pretty quiet at the moment, it's the perfect time to put good systems in place for when things get crazy again. Having clean laundry and a plan for lunches and dinners during the week makes such a difference to feeling like my life is under control, and it just takes a bit of "don't be lazy" fairy dust to make it happen.
Drinking Virginia wine. Austin and I took a quick trip to Virginia on Presidents' Day weekend to drink wine and enjoy a southern change of scenery. We spent Friday night in Charlottesville, visited wineries all day Saturday, then drove to Richmond for Valentine's dinner and a night at a stranger's beautiful apartment (via airbnb). Despite the last-minute planning, everything worked out perfectly and we had a fantastic time.
Remembering how refreshing it is to get out of the city, and how invigorating it is to travel, however near or far. It's always worth the extra effort. And it's making me daydream about future travels, maybe a bit further afield.
Learning to letterpress. For Christmas, Austin gave me a spot in a letterpress workshop at Typecase Industries here in DC, something I have wanted to do for a while now. I fell completely in love with letterpress (and it didn't hurt the boyfriend's standing either). I knew letterpress was an art but I didn't realize just how much. I love the craftsmanship that goes into designing prints and operating the press. For a few minutes on that snowy Saturday, I was convinced I should quit my job and go to printing school. Pretty sure that's not actually my new life plan but I'd love to find a way to spend more time at the press.
Watching House of Cards, like everyone else in DC. I am not a very accomplished binge-watcher though so I'm only two episodes in.
Figuring out how to handle this space. I have fallen so in love with art journaling lately that the balance has tipped away from writing, which is what I set out to do. Trying to figure out the right balance of crafting and writing, and how to be consistent without losing spontaneity or going full-on "editorial calendar" this early in the life of my blog. It's all a work in progress. So thank you for coming along for the ride!
Hibernating and loving it. All fall, amidst the craziness of the elections in Tunisia (some context here though I haven't written about it much) I looked forward to January and February, when work would slow down and I could nest in the new apartment and catch my breath a bit. I know a lot of people hate these months, but I love the fresh start and the rest that accompany the wintry beginning of the year. Gardening has made me appreciate it even more - it's a time when fields and people lie fallow in preparation for new growth to come. Lately, I've been alternating between feeling like I'm getting itchy for warmer weather and a faster pace and feeling reluctant to leave the cocoon.
Creating nonstop. Since joining the Get Messy group, I have gone from art journaling newbie to complete addict. My workweek evenings have been pretty free lately and I love settling in at my desk with a cup of tea, hot chocolate, wine, or some combination thereof and making stuff. The "new" apartment (we've been here since October) has room for each of us to have our own desk and I am surprised how much of a difference it has made to have a dedicated space, with lots of surface area and storage, surrounded by lots of floor (which is inevitably where I end up when the table is buried).
Enjoying the snow we've had in DC. Definitely contributing to that cozy hibernating feeling and giving me some extra time to make and write stuff. Hoping we get a few more snow days and late openings in March.
Trying to implement the ideas in this post on the Sunday home. Since work and life are pretty quiet at the moment, it's the perfect time to put good systems in place for when things get crazy again. Having clean laundry and a plan for lunches and dinners during the week makes such a difference to feeling like my life is under control, and it just takes a bit of "don't be lazy" fairy dust to make it happen.
Drinking Virginia wine. Austin and I took a quick trip to Virginia on Presidents' Day weekend to drink wine and enjoy a southern change of scenery. We spent Friday night in Charlottesville, visited wineries all day Saturday, then drove to Richmond for Valentine's dinner and a night at a stranger's beautiful apartment (via airbnb). Despite the last-minute planning, everything worked out perfectly and we had a fantastic time.
Remembering how refreshing it is to get out of the city, and how invigorating it is to travel, however near or far. It's always worth the extra effort. And it's making me daydream about future travels, maybe a bit further afield.
Learning to letterpress. For Christmas, Austin gave me a spot in a letterpress workshop at Typecase Industries here in DC, something I have wanted to do for a while now. I fell completely in love with letterpress (and it didn't hurt the boyfriend's standing either). I knew letterpress was an art but I didn't realize just how much. I love the craftsmanship that goes into designing prints and operating the press. For a few minutes on that snowy Saturday, I was convinced I should quit my job and go to printing school. Pretty sure that's not actually my new life plan but I'd love to find a way to spend more time at the press.
Watching House of Cards, like everyone else in DC. I am not a very accomplished binge-watcher though so I'm only two episodes in.
Figuring out how to handle this space. I have fallen so in love with art journaling lately that the balance has tipped away from writing, which is what I set out to do. Trying to figure out the right balance of crafting and writing, and how to be consistent without losing spontaneity or going full-on "editorial calendar" this early in the life of my blog. It's all a work in progress. So thank you for coming along for the ride!
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