All Good Things Must Come to an End...

...and so it is with the fabulous, February of Fridays with the Great ReMe Blog Hop.  Today is the day!  But we will not go quietly into that good night *nay, NAY!* -- we are going out with a BANG!

Throughout the month, the organizers of ReMe Retreats have reveled in sharing with you how we incorporate the central message of Rest-Relax-Renew in our day-to-day lives as well as what our Motto means to us with regard to the ReMe Experience.  As much fun as that has been, we didn't want the sharing to end just because the month is over...  We are happy to introduce an all new 'nook on the net' where we can share more ReMe goodness:  our shiny, new, inspiration-packed Pinterest Board!

Follow us for more fun & inspiration!

We are celebrating the latest outlet for ReMe goodness by wrapping up this month of hopping and sharing with one last round of incredible giveaways.  So...  let's get hoppin'!

UH*Os
Upcycled, Handmade Ol' school Journals
Unique, Handy Organizational storage

Here at Thoughts Askance, I have one of my fun, Note & Sketch UH*Os (aka Upcycled, Handmade Ol'school Journals).  These retro-inspired notebooks feature covers constructed from actual 5.25 in. floppy disks (front) and diskette mailers (back) -- providing instant pockets to keep up with the bits and pieces one is bound to encounter on any good creative romp.  The pages are designed *and printed and lovingly cut* by yours truly (based on feedback from actual users), with the front sides mimicking wide ruled legal paper and the back sides blank -- wide open for sketching or free-form note-taking.  Heavy-weight, 24 pound paper makes for the ideal work surface:  thick enough to take broad strokes from your favorite writing implement (be that a dainty ball point, a free-flowing fountain pen, or the big fat marker that was the closest thing to hand when inspiration found you)!

The giving doesn't stop here, tho'...  *not by a long shot!*  Be sure you take your hopping to heart, today -- there are treasures to be found (and WON) at every stop. The Grand Prize over at the ReMe Blog is a marvel to behold!  We are pulling out all the stops, and offering a TRIO of original works to one lucky winner. That's right, gentle reader!  Not one, not two, but THREE lovely, hand wrought creations from the ReMe Founders/Hosts/Instructors!  The winner of this weeks Grande Finale Drawing will receive a Rest-Relax-Renew, stamped copper necklace from Jean Skipper, AND an original painting from Jodi Ohl, AND canvas-cover journal from me!  Hop over to the Blog for photos and additional information.

Visit the ReMe Blog for the details of the Grande Finale Giveaway!

Entering is easy:
   (1)  Leave a comment.  Tell us your favorite discovery from the Blog Hop, or your favorite thing about Pinterest.
   (2)  For a bonus entry, share this blog post with your friends through any social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) and leave another comment here -- just let us know that you shared, and where you did it.

Easy enough, right?  ...but we're not through, yet!  *what? WHAT?*  Follow the handy links provided below to see what my creative cohorts have in store for the 4th Friday fun.

• Jean Skipper:  Jean Skipper Originals
• Jodi Ohl:  Sweet Repeats

Enter anytime this weekend (by midnight Sunday, March 2nd).  All of the winners will be announced on Monday, March 3rd.  Be sure to visit with us again then for the Big News!  Here's another nifty-cool thing you can do to make sure you don't miss out on any of the happenings with ReMe:  sign up for our Newsletter.  Our subscribers get all the juicy details of new offerings and additions to the ReMe roster before anyone else!  *in Literature, they call this "foreshadowing" -- we just call it a big ol' hint, because we have even more creative collaborations in the works!*

Thanks for visiting, and hopping, and sharing!

Onward & Upward,

 - p

Words of wisdom for today:

"For pleasure has no relish
unless we share it."

                                         - Virginia Woolf

Photo Notes:

   ReMe Banner  - created by yours truly
  Pinterest Logo  - from Pinterest
   UH*Os  - taken with Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS1  - collage created in Pic Monkey
   Jean, Penny, and Jodi - from Facebook profile photos (effects applied in PaintShop Pro X2)

*All photos can be seen in a larger size by clicking on them*

ReMe Blog Hop pt. Deux! - OR – Destination Relaxation

Hi!  Thanks for visiting with me as The Great ReMe Blog Hop continues.  If you missed last weeks posts, do take time to read Jean’s approach to the first prong of The ReMe Way *Rest-Relax-Renew,* Rest.  This week, I’ll share with you what it means for me to Relax.

All Aboard!
What does it mean to you to Relax?

I have to open by saying that, as a quasi-typical Type A, this whole “relax” thing is not my natural state!  *a running joke around here is that I have two speeds:  Stop and GO!*  Rather, it has been a learned trait for me; one that I appreciate having learned, and continue to fine-tune.  As an artist with full time dreams on a part time reality, I often find relaxation in ways that may look a whole lot like ‘work’ to other people.

Day to day, for me, involves working alongside my husband and our business partner as we run a small company dedicated to providing affordable technological solutions for county agencies throughout NC.  Kevin (aka Resident Genius) designs access control and video monitoring systems that are used by County Jails, Courthouses, and Sheriff’s Offices.  He and Bob are the hands-on, front line fellas – performing installations and service calls hither and yon.  I am the ‘behind the scenes’/Girl Friday of this outfit, manning the office, ordering equipment, billing and paying bills, and assorted and sundry other tasks that keep the wheels of commerce turning smoothly.

In my off hours, I enjoy the company of fellow creatives in both a regional mixed media art guild (of which it is my privilege to serve as a member of the Board), and a local art marketing discussion group.  When not learning/growing/socializing with these dynamic crowds, there are family and friends near and far with which to correspond and connect.

Add to all of that my own artistic business venture (Arrowood Paper Arts), and the newly established joint endeavor with fellow artists JeanSkipper and Jodi Ohl (ReMe Retreats); it becomes easier to see where the notion of only having two speeds comes from, eh?  Fortunately, being actively involved in creative pursuits is its own form of Zen for me!  Quite often, the easiest way to settle my rather active mind is to immerse myself in some sort of creative activity:  sketching out one of the myriad ideas from the mind-tumbler, designing a new class/project, puzzling out a new way to use an old thing, or romping around in colorful a painting/printing session.  Allowing myself to step away from my various To-Dos and indulge in serious play is a fabulous way to recharge my batteries!

Print, Cut & Fold, Print, Print
Serious Play begets Beautiful Work

 

Another, and perhaps the most long-held, means of relaxation is to find a comfy spot and dive into a good book.  For as long as I can remember, I have been an avid reader.  I thought the notion of a ‘limit’ on how many books one was allowed to check out of the library in school was preposterous (!)  From my teen years all the way up to the present moment, the most totally indulgent thing I can think of is to curl up with a book and read until falling asleep, only to rise in the morning and return to reading, while still nestled snugly among the covers *preferably with grand mug of good coffee.*  This scenario can only be improved upon if the weather is either (a) wickedly, frosty cold, or (b) dreary grey and rainy – making such slothful behavior fully justifiable *unless the laundry is calling too loudly (?)*  In the spirit of Full Disclosure, I will confess that the former happens with a great deal more regularity than the latter!

Before you head over to “the rest of the story” on the ReMeBlog, take a moment to tell me what ways are your favorite to embody “Relax” in your day-to-day existence.  Leave a comment here, and you will be entered to win one of my handmade FolioBooks.  They make handy little project workbooks, allowing you to keep track of all the details with pockets on the front and back covers for notes/receipts/ideas-scribbled-on-cocktail-napkins/etc.  Winner to be chosen *in the tried and true manner* by Wito the Wonderdog on Monday, February 17^th (with video verification provided).   Good luck!

FolioBook by PLA
Enter a comment, here on the blog, for your chance to win!

Continue to ReMe, for some of my favorite ways to Relax in Ocracoke…

One down, one HOP to go...
The Great ReMe Blog Hop continues!

Onward & Upward,

 - p

Words of wisdom for today:

"It is nice finding that place
where you can just go and relax."

                                      - Moises Arias

Photo Notes:

   Destination taken with Samsung Galaxy S4 - edited in Pic Monkey
   Print, Cut...   Samsung Galaxy S4 - collage created in Pic Monkey
   FolioBook taken with Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS1  - collage created in Pic Monkey

   ReMe Banner  - created by yours truly

*All photos can be seen in a larger size by clicking on them*