How To Savor Summer

I had one of those funny text message conversations with my sister Sue last night...laughing about the Gilmore Girls and the antics of our dogs...talking about summer and how to fully embrace it before it is gone.

I'm aware that I do not always live in the moment. It's a real downfall. I'm eating a meal with a loved one while texting another loved one. I'm stitching a project while mentally moving on to the next one. I'm reading a new book or bible study before I've finished the last study.

I never thought of myself as someone who has attention problems, but I think I've developed some bad habits in my adult years. I think this is also a reflection of our society as a whole. Too many distractions.

So this summer, I'm trying to say "yes" more often when my husband asks if I'd like to go for a bike ride. That is one thing I can say for the Fox River Valley of Illinois...they have some fantastic bike trails. Some are even accessible from our neighborhood.

This summer, I've logged thirty-five miles. Not bad for this self-proclaimed Porch Rocker! Of course, my husband is a big show off, and he will do 35 mile trips in one afternoon. I'm not about the distance as much as I am about the enjoyment. Living in the moment...savoring the smell of wildflowers, the sight of prairies and river and woods, the sounds of birds as I pedal along.

I finally stole a little time to go down to my craft studio. I spent a little while cleaning, which always leads to crafting and more messes. Good, creative messes.

As I crafted this card, I began to wonder...how would these colors look together? What if I used Fresh Snow ink on Stormy Skies card stock? What if I added shades of brown instead of black? How would a punch of orange color add to the mix?

The end result? I love the color combo! It looks fresh and vintage at the same time.

{Today's Brew: Pedal Power (PTI), PTI card stock and inks, MFT cloud stencil}

I did a little something different with the banner sentiment to make it look like it was flapping in the wind. I adhered the right hand side with tape runner, but popped up the left hand side with a foam dimensional, curling the card stock ever so slightly to make it wave.

Life is a beautiful ride!

Tell me, how are you savoring summer?