Sylvia's Simple Shots

A robin having a bath and a lot of fun in a rain puddle morning.

There were several birds taking advantage of the puddles to splish and splash.

I found some more of the votive holders I bought a while ago for my Advent Wreath/ all year round candle display.  I had a mixture of cobalt and white before.  Now I can make it all white if I want.

Super happy to find these additional holders which gives me flexibility in my decor.

Some veggies from my sister's garden that my niece picked on her way to my place.

Fresh carrots are the best.

Some of the cucumbers are a bit on the large size but I love them too.

A few tomatoes we had for breakfast.

My niece and I had a great time at the ReUse Center and the thrift store. We came home and pulled out all our goodies before we headed out for supper at my sister's house.

Magazines, crafting stuff, each found a fountain pen amongst our tea and snack dishes.

We picked up take out and headed to my sister's house for supper.  Korean was the request of the birthday girl.

My sister had a friend visiting and her husband has been ill and was in hospital.

We talked crafting, life and much more.

It was really nice to spend time with family and friends.

I picked up this wax container at the Thrift store while my niece is visiting.

I thought I could use it when I wanted to wax my thread for stitching.

It is a high quality blend of paraffin wax.  I chose a mild scented one.  From my online research paraffin is the the best so I may try to find a beeswax candle that I can melt and fill this little container.

I was looking for a bin/tote that I could place under the phone table in the living room that would look pretty and disguise the contents.

I found the fabric tote at a thrift store for a couple of bucks, it works with the wood I have in my space.

The baskets were more expensive and now I see this is a better option for sliding on the new floor.  The wicker type basket would have scratched.

Excellent.

 

"My Quiet Time" Kit

I am working on Christmas gifts.

I put together these "My Quiet Time" kits which provides a few things for one to set aside time to be still and recharge.

I know we all want to spend time with family in these days but I believe we need balance in order to recharge our batteries.

I am an introvert so I need time alone to build up my energy.

This kit would appeal to several different practices whether that is meditation, prayer, taking time away from technology, or breathing to center yourself.

The jumping off point for this was a set of sky photographs I put into a collection recently.  They provide a contrast to my usual macro get in close type of photography and I thought gave the sense of an expansive point of view.

Thinking they would work well to be used a starting point for spending some quiet time where we can calm our spirits from the chaos of our times.

I put together a collection of 10 sky photos from several years worth of picture archives.

I was amazed that I had quite a few.  I was not aware that I regularly took landscape photos.

They fit nicely in a black metal holder which allows a person to browse through them and place the one for today's practice on the front.

They are 6x4 photographs with a nice white border around edge with no further distractions.

With the objective of engaging several senses during this quiet time I wanted to work with sight and touch.

A candle provides warmth for the sense of touch and a flame for sight.  

The flame could be used as a focus point where one can get lost in time.

It is an unscented candle as I know many people have scent sensitivity.

The candle included can be used for many sessions and when it is used up, it can easily be replaced.

Please remember: Do not leave a lit candle unattended.  Blow it out before you leave the space.

I have included some "Focusing Phrases" which are positive thoughts which one could spent time with.

They can be repeated silently or audibly depending on the circumstances of the quiet time session.

The card is stored along with the photos in the black holder.

I have added a tab so that it can be easily pulled from the holder to make a selection of a phrases in any given session.

These are only suggestions and there is room on the back to write down some personal ones.

With the idea of incorporating scent to engage the sense of smell I thought an essential oil diffuser would be a great addition.

Wanting to work the supplies I had on hand I went to my metal and wood drawer.  I had several wood shapes in there but I wanted the diffuser to have some presence and not lay flat. I found these small wood peg dolls which I thought would work perfectly.

The person can add their own favorite essential oil to the doll by placing a drop of oil onto it's head.  I placed the wood figure onto a metal disc to protect the surface it is placed on from damage the oil may cause. 

I bit of colorful thread tied in a bow around the neck added the final touch.

With a bit of research in quiet time practices it was suggested in a couple that beads could be used in several ways.  To track the count of repetitions of phrases or they could be just a way to keep your hands busy so your mind can focus during the practice.  

I am a big believer in counting blessings and the positive effect on our lives when we practice gratitude.  I would use the beads to count my blessings during my quiet time.

A person could also add a journal to their quiet time routine to record blessings.

I hope they will be a blessing to those who receive them this year.