 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? 
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~ |
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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