Approaching planner nirvana

I love it when an amazon.com box arrives at my desk. Today’s box of goodies includes a new planner from Tools4Wisdom.

100_0783This isn’t your basic monthly/weekly planner. It’s built to help one achieve their goals. There’s a section for over-all goal planning. From there you rank, filtering your goals down to monthly, weekly and daily priorities.

I have trouble planning my goals. I’ve started time and again to list them and break them down into bite-size chunks. But, somehow, just listing them all creates this sensation of exhaustion. I look at everything that I have/want to accomplish and within minutes it feels unobtainable and so, I take a nap.

I looked at about six different planners, scrutinizing the pages and watching YouTube videos. It was this video by Marcijd that finally sold me. Another bonus for this calendar is it starts around the month you order it (mine starts April 1) so, you’re not stuck with a planner that has a block of months already passed. You start where you are.

So here I go, diving feet first into taking a good hard look at my goals and ultimately planning them out for the next 12 months. I have a lot of balls in the air: finishing a novel and starting on the next, getting new items up on my etsy.com, shop, working with Agile Writers to plan the 2017 writer’s conference, home improvement projects, not to mention my 9-5 job…

I’m looking forward to stress-free (and colorful) goal planning!

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A walk in the park

CreativeSprint – Day 4

Take a 5 minute walk with no set destination. Make something with whatever materials you can find where you’ve ended up. Leave it for someone else to find but don’t forget to document it first!

I met up with my workout buddy after work and we walked from 2nd & Franklin to Monroe Park. Once there, I found some lovely Magnolia leaves and other tree debris and put together this rustic, au-naturale, butterfly.

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That’s my name

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CreativeSprint – Day 3

Make something inspired by your own name.

For those of you who don’t know, my name is Denise.

Thoughts on wordplay:

  • Denise, derived from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine – still-life with wine and cheese, use wine to paint a butterfly…
  • Den-ise – ice – butterfly ice sculpture, ice cubes arranged in the shape of a butterfly…
  • De-nise – nice – knees – draw butterflies on both my knees….

Choices, choices, choices…and the winner is…

…wine, of course!

I used two red blends and a Moscato for the “watercolor” portion, then added detail with markers. And bonus, I got to enjoy a glass of wine while I worked. Fabulous!

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Infinite double-vision

There’s something about the infinite reflections of facing mirrors that fascinates me. It’s like unfolding space into alternate dimensions, gateways to other worlds where infinite versions of ourselves are living and working and playing…and blogging.

Sometimes the elevator roulette gives me access to the freight elevator and since it has mirrored doors on both sides I’m given this visual treat.

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POP…

…goes spring!

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We’re riding the weather roller coaster here in Virginia. Daily highs of 55* slowly climb to highs near 80*, then a front rolls through and we’re back in the 50’s. So, I live for those blissful 75* days.

Our state capital is decked out in red, white and blue landscaping. So very bright and cheerful. I was happy to get up close and personal with the red tulips and even happier to find the surprise of a bright yellow “pop” in their center.

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Sharper in black and white

What I love best about Richmond architecture is the juxtaposition of  old and new living side-by-side in harmony.

My favorite example of this is the Old City Hall building. It’s High Victorian Gothic design contrasts beautifully with the modern glass buildings surrounding it.

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And in color, which do you think is better?

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The butterfly princess and the seed

CreativeSprint  – Day 2

Author Hans Christian Anderson was born on this day in 1805. Make something inspired by a children’s fable or fairy tale.

My first inspiration was the fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea” and since my theme for this challenge is butterflies (my blog is My Dreaming Butterfly after all) I decided to give a butterfly princess a bed of blossoms. Will she feel the seed hidden beneath them?

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