Extrinsic Motivation- (a trip to the dieting prize box)

Lately I've been posting mostly about dieting. I'm sorry to tell those of you who aren't diet and health enthusiasts that this post is also related to my diet! But never fear, today you are in luck because this method can be applied to help you reach a wide varieties of goals. Interested yet? Read on...

I have mentioned previously that before starting this intense diet program I was really worried that I wasn't going to stick with it. I did really want to lose the weight- but I knew in the past sometimes I'd choose the instant satisfaction of a hot yummy brownie over the eventual reward of weight loss and better health. I think to some extent all of us struggle with this concept. We have grown up in a society which constantly tells us to take instant gratification over long term gratification.

So somehow I needed to figure out how on earth I could break myself of this pattern of giving up my diet for an instant reward. What could I possibly tempt myself with that could help me say NO to that brownie?

Then my mind got going in teacher mode. In school, especially with younger children, getting them to learn and participate in your class is all about finding the right motivation. So you start with extrinsic motivators (motivation that comes from an external source). You offer stickers to the students whose behavior is excellent during class, you let the students who have turned in their homework all week take a trip to the prize box, or if the whole class remembers their recorders they get a class star that may eventually earn them a pizza party. --- In other words you bribe them. You find things that the students want and are interested in and you say if you do this ____ then you get this____. Child psychology tells us that extrinsic motivation does work well but that eventually as teachers we want the motivation to become intrinsic (motivation coming from the student). Instead of the student bringing their recorder to class to earn a star- they bring it to class because they want to play recorder.

So I decided all of us aren't really that much different than kids. When I diet- or do anything- I do much better with rewards along the way. So I created a plan for myself to go along with my diet and exercise program to essentially bribe myself to stay on the diet and not cheat! Just like in teaching I am hoping that after awhile my motivation for staying on the diet won't be because of prizes and rewards but because I will really be focused on being a healthier person- and eventually that will be enough to say no to a brownie- but for now? Let's be real, I need something a little more tangible to keep my eye on the prize and say no to all the yummy temptations along the way!

How did I manage to do this? Glad you asked. My mom and I developed a pretty complex rewards program to fit with our schedule on the diet! Here is what we came up with:

First we questioned what things should earn us rewards? 
Here are some of our ideas...
- Not cheating on the diet?
- Losing a set amount of weight?
- Exercising a certain number of days or a certain type of exercise?
- Drinking all of our water?

What we ended up going with: 
- Not cheating on the diet
- Exercising
(I'd recommend not setting a goal based on the # of pounds lost- because it's already frustrating enough when you don't lose weight while dieting- try to reward yourself for practicing healthier habits instead).

Next we questioned when should we receive the rewards? 

We took out a calendar and broke it down by cycle. We have both done this diet before and tried to remember which points in the diet do you start to feel extra pressure to cheat. Then from there we scheduled check points for the rewards- some only a few days apart- some a week apart or more. Our main concern was to keep these rewards frequent enough that it'd be easier to say no to the brownie because you knew that very soon you'd be earning a reward. 

The Timeline!

The days with a colored dot= A day that we would earn a reward for making it through. 

Example: on March 30th we earned a reward for making it through the first light blue dot (first 3 days).

The colored line represents which cycle you are in.

Light Green= Cleanse

Yellow= Cycle 1

Orange= Cycle 2

Pink= Cycle 3

(Cycle 4 isn't included since after cycle 3 you can repeat diet or proceed to cycle 4)

Of course then there's the dilemma of what the rewards would be...
We tried to come up with levels of rewards. Small, medium, and large. But the trick is the rewards need to be things that you really want, something you wouldn't just buy yourself in every day life, and rewards that have nothing to do with (bad) food! So we brainstormed rewards and here is what we ended coming up with:

Small Rewards ($1-$10): Examples: Craft Supplies, Makeup, Nail Polish, Summer Scarf, Sunglasses, New Jewelry, Hair Product, Movie on Demand, Thrift Store Purchase, Flip Flops, Flowers, Healthy Treat, New Small Plant, etc.

Medium Reward ($11-$20): Manicures, Summer Shirt, Magazine Subscription, New Book, New Plants, Panera Lunch, Sandals, Shoes, etc. 

Large Reward ($21-$30+): New Decor, Purse, Dress, Massage, Live Theatre Tickets, Ikea Trip, Whitening Strips, Exercise Equipment, Antique Purchase, etc. 

(Obviously we could change our minds as long as we are within the price range) 

We also designed a handy dandy small chart (to the side) to keep track of the rewards we have earned so far. Color of dot corresponds to level of reward- and color of line at top corresponds to which cycle it is earned in. 

This schedule and rewards levels covered exactly how and when we'd be rewarded for NOT CHEATING on the diet. Newt we had to factor in how we would reward ourselves for exercise! 

Here is what we decided: Each day we should be exercising at least 30 minutes. It could be at the gym, at home, outside, whatever. For every day that we exercised 30 minutes we will receive 1 "token" so to speak. You may collect the exercise tokens up until the end of one of the cycles. Then at the end you can use them to "buy" a certain level prize. 

*you have 17 days to collect tokens 

*you may only collect up to one token per day 

*1 token is earned after 30 minutes of purposeful exercise

13 tokens= A Large Reward Level

11 tokens= A Medium Reward Level

8 tokens= A Small Reward Level

6-7 tokens= 2 extra tokens for next cycle 

1-5 tokens= 1 extra token for next cycle

*Any tokens earned above 13 may be applied to the next cycle! 

*If you end up in the middle of reward levels you must opt for the smaller level. (ex. 12 tokens is still only a medium level). 

Soooo- for each cycle you actually have the opportunity to earn 2 large rewards between not cheating and exercising! 

As we were coming up with this awesome plan- we started to become concerned about what would happen if we did cheat! We didn't want to make this rewards program soooooooo intense that if you cheated once you blew it for that entire cycle! So we decided to create the "oops claus". 

Let me explain: The Oops Claus

We as previous dieters recognize that it is sometimes hard to avoid all forms of cheating while dieting. Holidays, special events, and other circumstances do occasionally arise and we want to make it possible to feel like we can be successful on this diet. 

If a cheat does occur you must rank it from a level 1-3. 

1= small cheat (ex. extra serving of carbs, specialty coffee, type of meat not allowed, etc) 

2= medium cheat (ex. that yummy brownie, other desserts, etc)

3= large cheat (ex. entire meal cheat, etc)

Since my mom and I are doing this together we both help decide how much a specific cheat is worth. 

Once you have committed the crime- in order for it to be erased from your record you have to "pay for it" with exercise tokens. 

Level 1= 1 token

Level 2= 2 tokens

Level 3= 3 tokens

Since we didn't want to let ourselves start abusing this cheat erasing feature we created some stipulations. 

*During a Cycle (17 day period) you may only use up to 5 tokens or up to 3 instances of cheating whichever comes first. 

This way if someone has a special dinner to attend they could enjoy the meal and a dessert and be able to pay it off with exercise tokens. But wouldn't be allowed to cheat anymore that cycle without disqualifying from the end of cycle reward. 

Another thing to remember is that the exercise tokens you use to pay off the cheats may not be counted towards your final exercise token count of that cycle. So, if you used 5 tokens to pay off your cheats- you could only at most earn 12 more for an exercise reward and that is if you exercise EVERY DAY of that cycle!

That pretty much sums up our entire rewards program to go along with the 17 day diet! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! 

Also I wanted to fill you in on how it's working...

We have been using this rewards program since March 27th and it's already April 25th! I can honestly say after a month of using this it is working like a freakin charm! I've managed to earn all of my rewards so far! And in the first cycle I only ended up with one cheat- a coffee at Dunkin- and I didn't feel bad because I knew I was exercising 30 minutes one day to make up for that treat. Plus I've managed to lose about 14 lbs so far! 

Since cycle 2 has started it's been a little harder to stay motivated and I've already had 2 level 1 cheats (this past weekend when I visited Mansfield). But looking back at that weekend I totally stayed on track with all of my food- I just decided to indulge in some beverages not included on the diet. And I really think, had I not been doing this program I totally would have fell prey to that whole "I'm on vacation it doesn't matter" mindset that so many of us use as an excuse to stuff our bodies with bad foods. 

I do really think this program is helping to change the way I'm dieting. I have been getting so much more exercise, I've been able to stick to my diet without serious or frequent cheating, and I'm getting some fun little things along the way!  

I can also feel myself getting stronger and developing more will power just for the sake of being healthier. I'm not saying that I'm totally ready to ditch my extrinsic motivators- but I'm thinking that I'm well on my way to being able to intrinsically motivate myself to live a healthier life! 

If you want any help in creating a program that suits you- let me know and I can help you think through all the details! And don't limit this approach just to sticking to a diet- it can really be applied to anything! Can't kick the awful habit of biting your nails? Set up a rewards system. Can't manage to force yourself to get in a practice room and practice? Set up a rewards system! Still procrastinating going through boxes in the basement? SET UP A REWARDS SYSTEM!! I'm telling you, it will work! 

Have an awesome day! I hope you can find some useable ideas for yourself in this post :) I'd love to hear your reactions to this crazy system my mom and I created! Thanks for reading! <3 p="">

Ornament Exchange

So I might be a few weeks late in posting this, but I wanted to share with you the new tradition that began with a few of my girlfriends this winter: the ornament exchange. It was my friend Danielle's idea that we each buy or create an ornament (4 of them) and send one to each girl, and keep one for yourself. This way each year we are getting 4 new ornaments for our trees. I love this idea because as a young adult I am expecting that sometime in the near future I am going to have to decorate a whole tree and I have so few decorations that are mine. In this post I am going to share with you the beautiful ornaments I received and also give you a quick DIY for how I created my ornaments. 

Above are the lovely ornaments I received from the girls!

Left to Right: Danielle, Meagan, Alyssa

Danielle's and Alyssa's came while I was still here in PA so they went on my tiny baby Christmas tree- but Meagan's went to MA- so that made it to the family tree. I was so happy each time I received a package with a fun little Christmas Ornament inside! 

When i was thinking about how I wanted to create one i looked around online for awhile. I found some inspiration on Pinterest- where else? I liked this look (below) of a white ceramic globe with paint pen detailing. So off to Micheal's I went. I returned home with 4 white globe ornaments and black and gold paint pens. 

Before I actually did the designs right on the ornament I grabbed a sheet of white construction paper and tried a bunch of things out there. I liked the design in the inspiration picture, but I didn't want to totally rip it off. Finally I settled on a simple black silhouette of a Christmas tree. Then I had the idea to embellish each tree with slightly different designs. Here is what I came up with! 

I couldn't tell you which of these is my favorite- I really loved how all of them turned out. I deliberated a lot over who to give each ornament to and here is what I decided: Top Left: Meagan, Top Right: Danielle, Bottom Left: Alyssa, Bottom Right: Me.

The process was so simple. After coming up with a design you simply draw it out onto the ornament and let it dry completely before adding another color pen or another layer. (follow drying directions on the markers).

After they were all dry and ready to go, I wrapped them up with some bubble wrap, tissue paper, and extrememly glittery ribbon (below left), added a simple homemade Christmas card (below right), and shipped them off to Florida, New York, and Texas!

This project was so much fun, fairly simple, and very cheap. I hope we can keep up with this new tradition for many holidays to come! I loved it so much!

(Here is my 4th ornament on the tree)

Maggie got tired helping and took a nap on the wrapping supplies. Typical cat. :) 

Happy belated Holidays! 

Thanks again to my beautiful friends for starting this exchange! I hope it may have inspired some of you with a few ideas for next Christmas! 

Bridal Shower in a Box

If you haven't read the story behind this box click here! This post will give you all the details behind how I planned and executed a long-distance-bridal-shower!

Here is how I created the box:
First I chose a theme. I settled on "Snow and Winter" since she was all the way down in Texas missing out on a pretty northern winter (although we haven't much snow up here yet!) Then I gathered inspiration and ideas. Mostly I was inspired by shopping but once I got the idea I made a secret pinterest board for some inspiration. I unlocked it and you can look at it here: A Box of Winter

Next I went shopping and started crafting and assembling the box...
here is what was inside:

 Decorations:

A Banner!

 How to: 

Take Gold Tissue paper fold it in half and cut strips.

Sew a ribbon in the folded part leaving room for ties on either side. 

Take pretty papers and write your message!

Sew a pretty accent ribbon to join the pieces of paper to make a banner.

Use clothes pins to hang both banners together.

Snow Garland! 

How to:

Take paper, Styrofoam balls, cotton balls, yarn, a big needle, and ribbon.

Begin stringing the yarn through paper snowflakes, cotton, and Styrofoam balls.

Add a ribbon at the top in order to tie it to something.

Add a small cardboard snowflake at the bottom to weigh it down. 

This can be hung from floor to ceiling or draped like traditional garland.

A Bride-to-Be Sash

 I looked high and low for a not totally overpriced, tacky, or trashy bridal sash and could not find one. So I ended up making one!

How to: 

Supplies: Pretty fabric, Puffy Paint, Thread

Cut out long even rectangles of fabric (long enough to go from shoulder to hip)

Iron them in half.

Iron down one of the corners on each to create the tail of the sash

Sew together neatly using machine.

Add the desired saying on the sash and let dry! 

(for more detailed instructions contact me)

Food and Favors:

Hot Chocolate! 

 For this I took hot cocoa packets and emptied them into small jars. 

I added chocolate chips and marshmallows to the mix to add some extra fun. 

Garnished with a ribbon and peppermint stick! 

(Bottom Right Photo) shows the left over hot cocoa packets- 

wrapped up all pretty with the instructions carefully cut out and placed inside. 

Other Food and Small Gifts

Some other fun gifts we added (pictured above) include:

Dark Chocolate Peppermint covered pretzels

Hot Chocolate Cupcake Mix

Fake Snow in a can

Pine smelling candle. 

Cupcake Liners

I added a box of winter cupcake liners to go along with the mix! 

Little boxes for the bride and groom.

 Each box included: 

A small bag of chocolate

Candy Canes

A white lovebird ornament

A Stamp

Fake snow and tulle

Packing the Box:

This was where a lot of the snow came in. 

Top Left: Everything wrapped up and ready to go in the box. 

Top Right: First Layer

Middle Right: Second Layer

Bottom Left: Final Layer- Rocking tons of fake snow

Bottom Middle: Bridal sash and note to explain what is in the box.

Bottom Right: An envelope on the outside of the box to tell her she is not allowed to open the box yet and should call me for further instruction. 

Even though this was a bridal shower box- it was heavily focused on snow and winter- I hope this brings you some inspiration for the holidays! 

Throwing a Long Distance Bridal Shower

Hello! I am so sorry it's been awhile since I have posted anything substantial on my blog! In the next few days you can look forward to posts about crafty things, holidays, cats, and graduation! I'd like to kick off this blogging marathon with a brilliant crafty party idea. (this one is a long post! hang in there).

This fall I was asked by one of my best friend's, Danielle, if I would be the maid of honor in her wedding this winter. I was beyond excited to say yes, mostly because I was thrilled to be there for one of my friends during this special time in her life. Among the bridal party- are two of my other best girlfriends: Meagan and Alyssa. You might recognize all of these names-because we all were in Alyssa's wedding this July!

These girls are among my favorite people ever- we all became a group of friends during high school- and since then no matter how many miles separate us we can always know the other girls are there whenever we need them.

Once I was asked to be maid of honor- I started thinking about what responsibilities went along with that. Obviously i googled it- and panic ensued. Google was giving me enormous lists of tasks that are the maid of honors responsibility- so instead I calmed down and emailed Danielle to check what her expectations were. She was pretty mellow saying that she didn't think me throwing a bridal shower or other parties are really possible because she is all the way down in Texas! (I'm up in PA). So since then I had just been doing my best to help out from afar and be a supportive friend. Then it occurred to me- this isn't fair! Just because she is far away from her family and friends does not mean she should have to miss out on a bridal shower- so the scheming started! I contacted the mother of the bride and the other bridesmaid to concoct this outrageous plan.

I created a "long distance bridal shower". My idea started as a box full of cards from family and friends instead of a shower. The box would also include cute things to represent a shower. Alyssa contributed the idea of adding an element of gifts to be sent- and with tons of planning and help from everyone we finally figured it out. This is the email I sent out to all of Danielle's family and friends... (addresses have been edited out and spacing changed for the purpose of this post).

Hello family and friends of Danielle and Sean,
My name is Danielle M. I am the maid of honor in Danielle and Sean's wedding and I have a very important message for you!
I would like to formally invite you to partake in a long-distance bridal shower. We all know that Danielle and Sean are down in Texas, and the wedding is rapidly approaching. Danielle will not be able to make it back up North before the big day. After much deliberation among her bridesmaids, we have decided that Danielle and Sean still deserve to be showered with love (even all the way down in Texas), so we formulated a plan. Instead of having a physical bridal shower for the couple, we would like to gather up all of the cards and gifts and send them in a surprise package to Danielle. The package would be presented as her "long-distance bridal shower" and would include any cards from family/friends and other personal touches to help make them feel showered with love. 
Your Role in the Bridal Shower: 
How you can participate: 
1. Send a bridal shower card with a message of love for the couple.
2. Send a card with an additional gift card or check as a gift.
3. Purchase a gift online or in person to send for the shower.
If you have chosen option 1 or 2, here is what you should do: 
Please address your card/gift to the following address- 
(my address went here)
The card must be received by: November 26
If you have chosen option 3, please follow these instructions: 
Please have the gift mailed to the following address-
(neighbor of Danielle here)
These packages must be received by: December 1
Important Note: We know the holidays can be a financially stressful time of year, and that Texas is far away; you should not feel obligated to spend any money if you are not comfortable or not able to do so. 
Questions you may have:
When will Danielle & Sean get the packages? 
We are still working on negotiating the specifics, but Danielle should be scheduled to open the packages sometime between the 3rd - 9th of December. Please remember that this is a TOTAL SURPRISE! Do not mention anything to Sean or Danielle until after her scheduled "bridal shower!" (PS> the date did change and we had to keep everyone email updated on this)
Where should I shop for a gift or gift card? 
Danielle and Sean are registered at Crate&Barrel. 
Other nice options are: Williams & Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Be creative! 
Who should checks be made out to? 
Please make checks out to either Sean Arnold or Danielle Harmon. 
I can only send a card, is that O.K.? 
Yes! The whole goal of this shower is to shower the couple with love. A simple card with kind words is just as meaningful as a gift. 
I want to do option 1 or 2, but I missed the Deadline, what should I do? 
Contact Danielle M. at (my email here) to work something out!
Whose address are the packages are being sent to?
This address belongs to Danielle's neighbor. They have graciously agreed to accept the presents prior to the shower in order to keep it a total surprise!
If you have any further questions please email me at (my email here) or call me at (my phone number here)
Thank you so much for your time! We hope you are able to participate in showering the happy couple with love and support! I look forward to hearing from you soon! 
Sincerely, 
Danielle M.

After sending out this email I had many positive responses back. Originally I wasn't sure how people would take it. I didn't want anyone to feel pressured into feeling like they had to contribute or buy a gift if they felt uncomfortable or they couldn't afford to.

The end result was fabulous! We had about 5 people send along cards to be included in the box- and about 16 or so gifts that were mailed to the neighbors. I emailed everyone who was invited periodically to give them updates along the way and I sent along this picture of the box that I sent to Danielle.

Look at my post on how I created this box for more details and pictures! 

While this box was being shipped all the way to Texas- myself and the other bridesmaid were scheming away. We got Danielle to agree to google chat with us to "fill us in on wedding stuff". We even had to move the chat because the box hadn't arrived yet! (I made up an excuse to postpone it). We rescheduled the chat and had to re-coordinate with Sean's mother to have her not move the boxes from the neighbors yet. It was a total miracle but the box made it on the day we had rescheduled the video chat for. And it ended up being flawlessly executed. 

Danielle opened the box when we gave her the go ahead. (Meanwhile Sean's mom was moving all the boxes from the neighbors to their house). It was so fun to watch her open the box and be covered in all that fake snow. When she finished open the box I sent and the cards inside of it. She innocently thought the surprise was over. That's when we had her go downstairs only to find Sean, his parents, and the 16 boxes from more of her family and friends. The couple opened up the gifts and we watched from the video chat. It was so amazing to watch this all unfold and honestly I could not have been happier with the results! I am so grateful to all of Danielle and Sean's family and friends who participated! 

(pictures of Danielle in Texas during the shower soon to come!)

If you are ever thinking about throwing someone a long-distance-party. It can absolutely be done! Don't be afraid to try something new. I think this is probably one of the first long-distance-bridal-showers ever, and I loved it. If you have any questions about the specifics, or any hiccups along the way just comment below and I'll get back to you!

Happy party planning! I hope this inspired some holiday cheer! 

All that Glitters

Sorry it's been such a long time since I have been able to post. My schedule has been crazy lately (T-minus 13 days until Graduation)! I spent Thanksgiving in Massachusetts with my family- and it was wonderful! I love spending time with them, and miss them all so much when I am away! Ever since Thanksgiving weekend I have had some super intense Christmas spirit. In fact the same day that I drove 7 hours home from MA I decorated my entire apartment for Christmas! (Like I said kind of intense).

Along with winter and Christmas comes a lot of adorable things in the stores. I mean everything from festive holiday clothing to party decorations, or even adorable looking food! One of my favorite trends every year around Christmas is Gold. There is this beautiful sparkle on everything around the holidays and finally once a year you are allowed to wear an entirely sequin dress and no one will care. Speaking of sequins, I have been looking for a dress that I can wear to graduation, Danielle's rehearsal dinner, and for any possible New Years celebration. Honestly- I'd like it to have some sparkle. (Now I am not thinking of a full sequin dress, something a little less flashy and more classy). All this being said- a lot of my mind has been consumed in gold glittery things. And you know what? I don't even mind it. Here are some beautiful pictures of pretty gold things. I hope you have a lovely day!

 Most adorable ever. I love this wallpaper and would even consider using it in my room!

I would love a dress like this for graduation! 

Not the case I am getting, but maybe it'll be the next case I get. 

 I saw this blog post last year about this neat way to make a photo backdrop! 

 I actually already own this nail polish- it's so great! 

I need to incorporate some of this beautiful wrapping into my Christmas gifts this year! 

I'd love to add this to my collection. :)

 I need to try this Gold-Leaf DIY

 Beautiful wallpaper!

Also I am in love with these journals. Just bought them the other day :)

Something Old, Something New

For the past few years I have been filling up a journal with thoughts about life, love, faith, and everything else under the sun. Whenever I pick it up I feel a sour twinge of regret that I don't write in it more often, but a gladness that I am writing at that moment. Occasionally I will revisit the pages from my last few years. I reread the passages filled with ideas, poems, emotions, and prayers about my life. Recently I was thinking about how much i enjoy writing, and a talk with one of my best friends brought to light a thought I have hid from for awhile.

I was talking to a friend about playing at open mics. He was talking to me about hearing people play their original songs and what a personal experience that is. He also brought up the idea of how people who share their poems at these open mics are so brave: that reading a poem is possibly more personal than playing an original song. This got me thinking. I love writing so much, but generally never share my writing with others: I think it's because I am insecure with my writing abilities. I am afraid that harsh criticism might spoil my interest in writing. But today I have decided to be brave and share some selected writings. Some are old (as old as 4 years) and others are new (the most recent dating back only a few weeks ago).

I don't think myself to be some great author, or even particularly gifted in the area, but I do enjoy it. So here is my humble offering into the literary world. Please be kind with any comments, it's hard to put my writing 'out there' like this.

What is your biggest fear?

Silence-

don't leave me alone with my thoughts 

they engulf my body in a pool.

It hurts to open my eyes.

Everything is hazy

and the prettiest song of a bird is

swallowed by the water's silence.

I hold my breath

A brilliant light flickers- calling me back

but I sink as the day grows dark

my arms fight and reach out

but there is nothing to grasp.

When will the tide lower?

When will I hear the songbird again?

-2009

Thunder

In those still moments before a storm everything is thick with tension.

The thunder sets the stage, 

the wind chimes stretch before their dance,

and the birds greedily snatch food before they take their seats.

A few drops to start.

Everything is quiet except the rapidly approaching thunder.

Breeze sweeps through the trees.

Suspended in time,

Tension

waiting 

to be released.

Come great Thunder and Rain,

the world waits for its release.

-2009

Silence calls on the mountain tops

The stillness beckons my soul

I am alive in a world of dreams

I am awakened by pure beauty

A holy contradiction rests in the mountains

I live and die

I am inspired and still

I breathe and lose my breath

Cover me Fog that I might find eternal peace. 

-2009 *Set in a choral piece by Joshua Hartman

Sometimes I wish I could walk the whole world, but I would be so bored after I finished. 

Sometimes I wish I could read your thoughts, but you would lose all your mystery.

I am glad some goals are unobtainable, it means I will always have something to aim for. 

-2009

Every time I begin a new chapter of my life I worry that it won't be nearly as good as my last- usually I am wrong. 

-2010

Today

I 

had the 

strangest 

feeling, 

like 

I 

was 

falling

UP.

falling, 

from the ground

up into the 

blackness 

of

the

sky.

Everything

was

DARK-

but three words

blazed

like a bright white

fire

WHO

ARE

YOU

-2011

Ducks: 

The ducks flocked around him like kids at a parade. He doled the bread out as fairly as he could, not neglecting the little ones too small to fight for their food. He continued to toss the bread as he headed over to another area. He stayed until all the bread was gone, methodically tossing the pieces. His feet crunched over the leaves as he reached for another loaf of bread. He passed it off to a father, whose daughter came barreling towards him with giddy delight grasping for the bread. He grabbed another loaf from the box talking casually to his companions. He headed to another spot along the river near the bridge and continued to toss his humble offering into the water. He distanced himself again, entering another world where only his hands, the bread, and the hungry mouths of ducks existed. Somehow he felt more at home with these desperate creatures than he did with his smiling, chatty companions. He threw the last piece reluctantly and headed back to reality. The reality of a life trapped by walls, full of complications, limited to travel only where the bridge would let him pass. 

She shivered and picked up her things as the shade rudely interrupted her daydream. A few more feet over and she would be safe again, at least for a few more moments before the sun slipped behind another tree. She twirled her pen quietly looking around. She took a sip of her iced coffee, full of regret for not choosing a hot drink. Setting her gaze on the water she watched two ducks glide effortlessly across the crystal surface. 'So simple, elegant, and effortless to the world, all the while pumping their feet as fast as they could to stay afloat' she thought with her eyes fixed on their easy movement. She smiled and considered how we as people are just like these ducks: we try our best to appear put-together, figured out, and like we can move through our life effortlessly, all the while hiding away our tired, pedaling feet, working hard to stay afloat and keep up appearances. The wind brushed her cheek coldly and her numb hands told her it was time to go. She packed away her journal and pen and slung her bag over her shoulder: walking away from the park but not leaving the image of the ducks behind. 

-2012

That is all I will share today. I am sure that these aren't perfect. Probably full of grammar and punctuation error, but what I am sharing is not supposed to be perfect and polished, but rather raw and real thoughts and ideas. I am feeling scared to publish this post, but I want to overcome the fear of sharing my thoughts and writing. Through sharing and revisiting- I am sure I can make my future writing better. 

*All original thoughts and words by Danielle Montgomery- please do not copy without permission. 

Happy Sunday!

Hello! Just a quick fun thing to share. My post about my smash journal was featured on the *SMASH blog! Go check it out over on there site and leave me some love! Click here to see the post on *SMASH Blog, click here to see the original post on my blog!

DIY Chalkboard on the Cheap

This may be my final bedroom update post for awhile. For those of you who remember I have been slowly adding to my bedroom since we moved into the apartment. Yesterday I added an awesome personal touch to jazz up a huge white spot on the wall; a Chalkboard. I have been looking for ideas for this awkward white space foe a long time now and finally it came to me- chalkboard paint obviously. So I started considering my options. I thought about painting the wall, but honestly I felt like it would be so expensive and such hard work for that tiny small space. Plus I've already painted some crazy stuff on my walls, I wanted something I didn't have to 100% commit to. So I decided to do add a chalkboard that could attach to the wall. I looked at decals, but they were so expensive and I probably couldn't use it more than once. So I assessed what I already owned to see what I could come up with. I already owned chalkboard spray paint (which has been invaluable in making some awesome things and only cost about $7). All of the sudden it came to me- I should spray paint poster board! I wasn't sure if this would work but spending a dollar on a piece to try it seemed like a good option. So far so good. Just grab your spray, do a few thin coats of paint and let dry. It's not exactly like a chalkboard, but I can mostly erase it, and write on it with chalk so it totally works for the situation at hand. I hung it up with four tacks (1 in each corner).  Essentially this project cost me $1 and hardly any time. It spruces up the white spot on the wall and lets me use it and change the images however I want.

Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what the chalkboard looks like in my room. :) And a little Maggie Love for all of you!

 Happy Monday! Have a great week!

How *Smashing

Hello everyone! Hope your day has been smashing so far. Mine has been great. I spent the day teaching and had a lot of success in general music and in choir. I even taught a piece on the fly to our last period choir! I am becoming more confident in my musical abilities by the day! But enough about music- this post is about smashing!

Awhile ago I bought a smash journal, and did a post about it here. That post talks more about what smash journaling is, and shows an up close look at my Sound of Music page (Left column-4th one down). Essentially smashing is a type of journaling that mixes with scrapbooking and other random junk. I've used it mostly to save important things to me in a creative way. Here's what you are looking at to the Left!

Left Column (starting at top):
1. My *Smash Journal
2. Shiprock and Anchordog Page 
3. Travel Page
4. Sound of Music Page
5. Notes Sarah D. left me when she went to AZ. 

Right Column (starting at top):
1. Dream Kitchen/Food Page
2. Quote and Inspiration Page
3. Ken's Promotional Ceremony Page
4. Ticket Stubs etc. Page
5. Sarah's Travel Pages Continued

Below I have a closer look at a few pages that have some interesting features. P.S. If the picture to the left is too hard to see right click and open it in a new tab for a look at the full size image!

 What you are seeing above is my Kitchen/ Food Page. Notice the 2 pockets and the 2 flip tabs. 

The second picture reveals the whole kitchen and shows what pictures were hiding in the pocket!

The third picture shows the large flap which opens up to display some places I have enjoyed visiting for good food and drink, and above it you can see the other pocket containing receipts and a napkin each saved with a funny story behind it. 

 These bright colorful pages above are from this past summer when I worked as a counselor/director for the shiprock and anchordog project. The card is positioned so when you open it you can still see the whole card and see a few other drawings from students tied in with yarn. I have such sweet memories of these kids! 

Although simple the pages above are my favorite. My travel pages. On the left hand side you can see my list of countries and states I have visted (still adding). And on the right side I have created this little book all about different travel experiences. Traveling is one of my favorite things and holds a special place in my heart- I'll be adding to these pages forever! 

So that is just a brief view of some of the smashing I have done. I am happy with how it's turned out, and bought a second book to fill once I complete my first. It's addicting! I encourage any of you to start, the materials are not that expensive. In fact, I just bought a kit at Micheal's the other day and it came with a book and a bunch of supplies being sold for $20. I even got it 40% off with a handy dandy coupon! 

These make great presents for creative friends and family too! 

Happy Smashing!

Halloweens Past

Happy Halloween Everyone! Tonight I am not really doing anything fun to celebrate the spooky holiday. In fact I don't even have a costume this year, it's kind of sad. Some of you might know that when I was a kid I was never allowed to participate in trick-or-treating, or really anything Halloween-like. So when I got to college I started actually dressing up for Halloween. The past four years I have managed to make plans and dress up, but this year no plans, and no dressing up. :(  So in order to commemorate the day with costumes I have decided to post pictures of Halloweens past.(aka 4 years of college)

Freshman year I dressed up as Barbie! (Every little girls dream- haha)

Sophomore year I dressed up as a French Maid (the non-trashy version)

Junior year I dressed up as Baby Spice of the Spice Girls (Left to Right Scary, Sporty, Baby, Posh, Ginger)

And Senior year I dressed up as Daphne of the Scooby Do Gang! 

So as I said before- Happy Halloween to all! Hope your holiday was full of fun and lots of costumes! Crossing my fingers I have an occasion to dress up for next year!