 Ever wonder why we celebrate Autumn with bright chrysanthemums?  Today's post is about art and flowers! Today I wanted to talk about two things I love...art and flowers. In Chinese Art chrysanthemums are part of what is known as "The Four Gentlemen" or "The Four Noble Ones". They are one of four plants used to mark the seasons. The other three are: Plum blossom, the orchid and the bamboo. You will find these plants in traditional ink and wash painting from the beautiful 'bird and flower' paining category of Chinese Art in most museums or collections.  Love this style!  These plants have been depicted since the time of the Song Dynasty (960–1279) because of their refined beauty, and were later adopted in other parts of East Asia by artists in Japan and Korea.  (Plum blossoms) These colorful plants represent the four different seasons (the plum blossom for winter, the orchid for spring, the bamboo for summer, and the chrysanthemum for autumn). The four are used to mark the seasons through the year in art and decorating.  Orchids for Spring. (I'm still not happy with the placement of this table.)  (Bamboo for summer.)  And chrysanthemums for autumn. Now you know the story of the "Four Gentlemen" and why we are drawn to these colorful flowers.
Do you have any art or arraignments featuring these refined plants?
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Hi! It seems ludicrous to think I went on a "book buying fast" for most of the summer, doesn't it? I stayed away from Amazon (for books anyway) and did my best to avoid books stores, not that those really exist anymore. So just recently I've started shopping again. (You can read about the fall mini book haul here.) I held back, so it's a short post, lol. Part of my recent promise to myself has been to stop working so much and find time to do things I love. I have put so much on the back burner lately because of work, but now that I am taking time to read, make art and travel again I feel so much better! #WIN So far I've read two books from that mini haul. 
The first book I read was this delightful book on Frida and Diego by Catherine Reef. This is a lovely book filled with the artists stories, photographs, history and art.
Frida and Diego by Catherine Reef
The book itself is art.
The richness of the paintings featured are captured well.
I am happy to add this book to my collection.
Reading in front of the fire is the best.
The second book I read this week was Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
This has been on my list to purchase for sometime, but I never seemed to remember it at Amazon. The used bookstore had a well read copy for $1 so I couldn't pass it up. Next I will probably buy in hardback.
Pretty much sums up the book.
Frightening how true parts are though! Yikes!
Now I'm off for a mini road trip~ Have coffee, can travel!
And I packed the new sketchbook - Catch you later!
 Hello fellow rebels ~ Are you as tired of work as I am? AGGH! I'm ready for a loooong vacation. I know when I get stressed at work I cannot create or do much of anything. It seems I'm spending more time doing paperwork or sitting in meetings lately than actually working...sigh. So what to do? I find doodling really eases my mind and lets the tension flow out. While I'm making phone calls or when I need to just take a break from EVERYTHING - I draw. I do color some of my random drawings, but I think just the act of free drawing really helps the mind settle down and relax.  Don't judge me by my doodles...  Everything we draw doesn't have to be a masterpiece. Some times just the act of doodling will really clear your mind and release tension.  Also the colors you choose can tell a great deal about your mood.  The main idea is to have fun! Remember when you were a child and you drew and colored? We did those things for no reason other than to have fun. No pressure or stress - just fun.  And yes I have one blue eye and one green eye. Some days it is more noticeable than others. But enough about my eyes...I actually did accomplish a lot today & I think taking a break to color and doodle really helped. I've been using this trick for about three years now and it really surprises me how easy it is. What do you do to beat stress and relax? Share your ideas below..
Catch you later~  Not Guilty about much actually, lol - but the blogging challenge continues. This is a tough one, cause I really don't feel guilty about much. I work hard and live my life the way I want so I'm not really guilty about anything. #TrueStory I don't "cheat" as a vegan. I eat 80/20 healthy, plant based. I don't consume sugar, drink or smoke. I haven't had a Starbucks in so long I can't remember when?! So yep, I'm pretty boring and not guilty at all. Probably my number one guilty pleasure right now is too much online shopping.  #AnotherTrueStory But its my money and I work hard for it...so I'm not guilty at all. Lately I've been buying winter clothes, art supplies, vegan make up, stuff for the new house and of course stuff for my son.  Random purchase for the house.  Random sampling of beauty products, lol  Newest box.  Even though this kinda counts as online shopping, subscription boxes are another of my weaknesses. I'm currently receiving Vegancuts, Sketchbox, and Fab Fit Fun + add ons and up-sells on all of them. I stopped the beauty mask monthly box just because I wasn't using the masks fast enough. Now that I'm about out of masks I will restart that subscription. So compared to most people I know, thats not many at all.  Vegancuts  Good amount of random vegan snacks delivered to my door.  My TBR (To Be Read) pile of books is getting pretty low... so I'm not feeling guilty about that at all. If anything I feel like I need to make an effort to find more books. #Yikes!  And you? What are your guilty pleasures? Are you overspending or over indulging? Or are you like me and not guilty about it?
Tune in tomorrow as the blogging challenge continues~  The blog challenge continues. Read past posts here, if you need to catch up. Today I am sharing 8 things I am currently loving. These are not linked or sponsored. Just my personal finds that I use everyday and love.  Buddha Tea If you visit here often or follow me on Twitter you know I love tea! And I love trying new organic, eco-sourced products. This month I'm drinking Root Chakra Tea. Buddha Teas are not the cheapest teas, nor the most expensive, but they are some of the best. I want to say I paid about $6.50 for a box?  Garnets!  And they help plant trees!  I am also loving these three products. I love this small travel toothbrush from FFF. I picked it up as an add-on and love it! Its compact and super soft. It came with three, instead of two brush heads. I honestly have no idea what I paid, but I know it wasn't over $20-$25? I am also loving the Essential Oxygen organic toothpaste and brushing rinse. I have been using the brushing rinse for over a year, but had a lot of Earthpaste stocked piled. #TrueStory - When I find a product I like I purchase a supply of it. #NOTaHoarder I promise. Once I used it all, I bought the EO toothpaste to try. Now I really love it too. The Toothpaste is only $8.09 on Amazon and the brushing rinse is $10.27.  I still like my old brand. but wanted to try the entire line of EO together to see if it was even better together. I'm also so loving this Acure scrub and Nelson Hair Mask. I use both while soaking (and reading) in the tub, for a wonderful and relaxing afternoon. The hair mask really helps tame my thick locks and makes my hair super silky.  I love all of the Acure products! I finished off my last tube of facial scrub and decided to try this one with Sea Kelp. I'm so glad I did!  I was surprised it was green!  Between the sea kelp and the French clay this is way more than just a scrub. Really feels nourishing on my skin. Also on my list: Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day and Night Face Cream, which I also bought on Amazon for around $15USD. I not sure, but I think that was the subscription price? After using it a week I knew I wanted to try it our for several months, so I quickly added it to my monthly subscriptions. It is amazing and so light weight. In this crazy summer heat you don't want a heavy cream on your face, making you sweat even more. I have been using it for about three months now and am very pleased.  Pacifica is another brand I don't think you can go wrong with. It's not greasy at all and is easily absorbed into the skin. + Like all Pacifica products it is cruelty-free and vegan. #WIN   My last item is a couple of pens I received in a Sketchbox monthly subscription box. I am drawing more and am so pleased to try out new, professional grade products.
So how many is that?
Join me tomorrow for the next challenge post.  And the Blog Challenge continues... We are beginning to get a lot more personal, aren't we? Like most people I have issues that I need to work on... So its time for another random list!
 10 points for reading a French book and making art, lol So that was random as fuck. Do you have anything you want to share? I see you reading this, but rarely does anyone comment. I do get personal emails from ya'll and I appreciate the encouragement very much. :D
If you missed any of this random challenge you can click here and see you tomorrow. Something Your Proud of Accomplishing Recently
Hmmm, I had to think on this one… I’m proud of a lot of stuff.
What are you proud of this week? Let me know in the comments section below. And see you tomorrow for “Favorite Fashion Trend”  Blogging Challenge Day 1: Goals for September OMG Where do I start? My Goals for September are pretty ambitions. Because of course, I have my business goals, (for my day job), my blog goals and my travel goals. My travel goals are ALWAYS ambitions, lol. Plus my normal monthly goals: Walk 10,000+ steps a day, eat better, make art, spend more time with my son, world peace, etc. When people start to understand how much I have going on, they seem amazed. I’m often ask how I get as much done as I do? My short answer is I stay organized and set goals. Without clear monthly goals I personally, wouldn’t get anything done. Are you a goal setter too?  BIG SEPTEMBER GOALS
February I sucked it up and hired more help. Since then I have hired two more people and things are really shifting now. Honestly, I should have done this last year, but somehow I convinced myself I didn’t have time to train them. Sure… SMH Both of these new lifesavers are ambitious and productive. They are assets to my business and are helping me remember why I do what I do again. These angels are also allowing me time to step away from the office and breathe. This is making work enjoyable once more and not the life sucking, black hole of deadlines and never-ending paperwork it had recently turned into. #AnotherTrueStory So with this new found time on my hands I committed to going to bed, (most nights) at a reasonable hour. I usually always woke up early, but now I don’t feel like I was hit by bus! I started a practical morning routine to help me stay motivated and plan out my day. I now have time for yoga, plus a morning walk and time to make a leisurely breakfast and visit with my son. Plus with the extra sleep I feel so much better. Now when I’m at work it’s pleasant and even enjoyable again. This also helped me get to the bottom of what and why I procrastinate on some projects and not on others. I farmed out the tasks that make me crazy and got those stuck projects moving again! #Win Another big change in my professional life was I stopped taking on ‘all things’ offered to me. I also got picky with my clients. I don’t except everyone who contacts me. If I know we aren’t a good fit I refer them to someone else. With these simple changes I only commit to new, worthwhile projects that lead towards my goals. I stopped overthinking and listened to my gut/heart on this and freed up so much energy! Then a total miracle happened… I actually have time to travel again! #WTF?! Which leads me to the another BIG Goals for the rest of 2018 -  2. Plan More Trips!
I want to plan at least one trip every other month and one or two small, weekend get aways on the months I’m not leaving the state. This gives me something to look forward to and feeds my wanderlust in a productive way. If I don’t plan out days off, they just won’t happen and I need up burned out from over working. 3. Blog Everyday Another goal for September is to blog everyday. Some posts are gonna be short and sweet and some are mini novels, lol. I actually have over ten finished and queued up waiting to post. So do come back visit this silly little blog again soon. (Who knows, there might even be a new post up?) Do you set goals? How do you stay motivated and on track? I’d love to hear. Working for yourself and being a parent is taxing. Honestly keeping lists and setting goals are the only way I can survive. See you at the airport~  Hi, Hope your summer is going well. August is my birthday month and like all good leo's I begin celebrating in July and go into September, lol! (That would be a funny story, but it is actually true, lol) One of the treats I bought for myself to celebrate was a SketchBox. (Because I clearly do not have enough monthly boxes, hahahahhah!) Oh and by the way, I really did purchase it, this isn't sponsored. The first box arrived August 1st and sadly I have not had much time to draw, but I am excited to use the supplies when things slow down. Let's look inside the box:  Front  Back I opted for the Premium Box. It is $35usd a month plus shipping. You never know what you are going to get, but looking at past boxes they included such favs as Copic Markers, Koi Watercolors, Charcoals, and other mediums I was excited to try! They theme the boxes so you can try a new medium with all the tools you will need to finish a project. They have also just recently started including a "How To" video on the website to help you learn to the use the products, which I love as well.  Inside  I love the collectable pencil tin! Inside the box:
While I love all the pencils, as you can see it wasn't much of a savings over retail. But of course the Lightfast oil based pencil set isn't on the market yet and it does seem to be incredible. I can't wait to play with them all! The Pros:
I liked the box and will enjoy using the pencils. They will complement my already large collection and I feel it was a fair price, maybe not a HUGE savings, but the items were very good quality. I'm going to give it three months to see what supplies are included before deciding to cancel or purchase a yearly subscription. What do you think? Do you subscribe to this box? Do you think it's worth the money? I hope to take some time off this week and use them all.  The sunsets are totally inspiring me to draw, paint and spend more time relaxing. Catch you later!
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Author Welcome to my travel blog, my healthy Vegan lifestyle blog and my life! It's a lot, but it's my passions and I just love to write about it. Here I share tips, stories and photos from my adventures and life. This is the place where people can find daily inspiration to travel and motivation to live healthier lives and laugh a bit too! 
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