Joy

Reward

/ Jodi / 29 Comments

reward

This week’s WordPress Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge is “Reward.”

There are so many things I could think of to post that represent “reward” in a photo, but I decided upon this one that brings so much joy to my heart and such a huge smile to my face – e v e r y single time I look at it!

As a baker, there is no greater reward than for someone to completely and thoroughly enjoy what you baked – right?

Have you ever seen greater enjoyment over eating a sweet treat than this little guy eating a chocolate Thanksgiving Turkey Oreo Cookie Ball I made this past Thanksgiving?

I snapped the photo from across the table trying to freeze the joyous moment in time.

This is REWARD to me!

Can you look at it without smiling?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Laugh, Smile, Giggle, Snort

/ Jodi / 9 Comments
giraffe naples zoo

Giraffe – Naples Zoo – Feb 2015

Laugh, smile, giggle, snort

This journey called life is much too short

To frown or grumble or sigh

Oh my

Let joy be your purpose, your passion, your port

 

In an effort to expand and evolve in my writing, I am participating in The WordPress Daily Post Writing 201 Two-Week Poetry Challenge.  Poetry is definitely a challenge for me.   Today’s assignment consists of three parts: 

  1. The word prompt is Journey:  Write a poem about anything that word evokes for you.
  2. The form is Limerick:  The traditional rhyming scheme of a limerick is a a b b a — the first two lines rhyme, then the next two, and the final verse rhymes with the first couplet.
  3. The device is Alliteration:  Using the same consonant multiple times in close proximity.

To me, the greatest journey of all is life and letting joy be our purpose and passion is the ultimate goal.  This is what inspired my limerick for today’s challenge.

Wishing you laughs and smiles and giggles and snorts!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Merry Christmas Eve

/ Jodi / 18 Comments

JOY

Wishing you Joy on this Christmas Eve…

Joy that comes from contentment

in who you are,

where you are,

who you choose to share your journey with,

and what you do with all of it.

 

Cheers & Joy-Filled Hugs,
Jodi

The truth revealed – my imperfect life

/ Jodi / 33 Comments

foils

So I know I post a lot about what a great life I have…    I try to share the “good stuff” and the “happy stuff.”

But we ALL KNOW life is FAR from perfect – Right?

Mine included!

I’ve had a few people say things recently that have made me feel a bit uncomfortable – like “I’m living vicariously through you,”  “Your life is perfect,” “Do you ever sleep?”

Really and truly – that is not my intention.  Please know my life is not perfect – not even close!  I get plenty of sleep – 6-7 hours every night (though dangit – I have tried to make due on less as I feel sleeping is SUCH a waste of time)!  And there are many other people worthy of living vicariously through than me!

I just happen to share the good times, the things that make me happy, the things I enjoy at “life in between” here with all of you.

When I originally started my blog, finding the right name was important, and LifeinBetween.me was born out of my desire to share the fun stuff, the good times, the crafts and hobbies and joys that occur in those moments “in between” doing all the things that are drudgery, the things we all have to do, the crap we all deal with.  My intention is to encourage readers to seek out these special moments that are within all of our reach if we just look for and allow them.

Behind the scenes – – – you don’t see the many burnt, under-baked, or misshaped cookie…

more flopped “gourmet” dinners than ones worthy of sharing (like a recent pork roast that had all of our mouths on fire from a teensy bit too much cayenne pepper)…

crookedly stamped or finger smudged cards tossed in the trash….

or how I have been trying for days to arm knit an infinity scarf!  (I am going to master this yet though!) 🙂

I don’t like to share photos of myself.  I have cellulite, humongous feet, chubby cheeks, a short neck, squinty eyes with droopier and droopier eye lids, crooked ears, and new wrinkles and crinkles appearing every day.  I am at that ridiculous point in life where I need reading glasses to see things up close, but then when I look across the table or room, everything is blurry, so off with the glasses, or down onto the tip of my nose like a granny, or up on top of my head completely ruining any type of hairstyle I am trying to maintain.  Then there are the hot flashes that cause my face to just glisten and glow for no good reason, and typically at the most inopportune times and ALWAYS between 7:30 – 8:00 pm EVER SINGLE evening!

Shall I go on?  There is plenty more self-deprecation I can share…

My mom is alive, but we sadly don’t have a relationship, along with some others from my family who I love, but can’t have a relationship with for my own mental health and well-being.

So don’t envy or want to emulate, but do join me in seeking out the good, the happy, the joyful, the simple pleasures, the cherished moments that make our life (in between and otherwise) good.  Because it is there – within our reach – for all of us.  And it doesn’t take much.  Like maybe a box of M&Ms with a note on to our postal carrier to thank him or her for the “Miles and Miles” they travel every day to bring us our mail (granted most is junk or bills – but remember – we are keeping positive here!) LOL!  🙂

payitforward2014 mail carrier miles and miles mandms lifeinbetween.me

Check out that mailbox we have!  Not so perfect – eh?  Quite embarrassing actually!  But I’m hoping I brought a smile to my mail carrier’s tired face today, because our mail still wasn’t in it at 4:30 pm, which means he is having a very long day!

payitforward2014 homefront hugs hero christmas wishes ornamental pine lifeinbetween.me

Or send a card to someone serving our country over the holidays (feel free to send one to Christian – our Homefront Hugs Hero for the “payitforward2014” Jingle RACK Challenge).  I crafted this card on the blank card Jill sent, and Marty is writing the note.  Plenty of bloopers on this card, but you know what we say in the stamping/cardmaking world???  A mistake is an “Opportunity for Embellishment!”

It’s all about looking on the bright side – knowing we all have dark moments, tears, loneliness, grief, heartache, imperfect families, imperfect bodies, burnt cookies, and flopped dinners.

But there are plenty of awesome things to celebrate, and I hope you will join me in seeking them and embracing them, doing your best…

at life in between…

Cheers & Imperfect (but very tight) Hugs,

Jodi

jodi mckinney lifeinbetween

Sharing & Owning Up to all the Wrinkles, Crinkles, Sags, Droops, Chubs, & Squints – Up Close & Personal

Joyful Christmas (& ‘Smart Ass’ Trivia Answers)

/ Jodi / 10 Comments

Joyful Christmas FMS163

It’s a Christmas Card TGIF Post.

And heck – before you know it, I’ll be mailing these cards out!

I love when I come across a sketch challenge, and it just speaks to me and a design comes so easily.

Such is the case with this week’s Freshly Made Sketches Challenge FMS#163.  I just loved the design.

FMS163Whatchya think?

Joyful Christmas FMS163

I’ve been itching to use my SU Joyful Christmas Poinsettia stamp (from last year) and also dying to do some water coloring.  I wanted to do something different, and water coloring on newspaper print DSP was just the ticket to feed my creative Christmas card crazies for this week.  🙂

For this card done on SU Crumb Cake with Under the Tree Specialty DSP Paper, I heat embossed the poinsettia in white on the newsprint DSP, and then used my Koi Watercolors to paint it – not worrying about “staying in the lines.”  A couple of pearl embellishments and a cheery pop of festive red with a cherry cobbler sheer linen bow finished it off.

I love it when an idea comes together easily.  🙂

So – anyone that follows my blog regularly is just dying to know the answers to yesterday’s Smart Ass Trivia questions – right?  (Even though most of you “Smart Asses” figured them out already)  🙂

Well – How long did it take you to figure out the “What Am I” is a Tea Bag?

And the “Where Am I?”  Well, that is the River Thames.

Wishing you all a joyous weekend!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

 

A Bevy of Butterflies – Sheer & White or Bold & Bright

/ Jodi / 3 Comments

sheer white flourishes and butterflies

I’ve been trying to capture some photos of butterflies lately, but have not had much success – – – YET that is – stay tuned!

So instead, I decided to create some butterfly cards..

I think this sheer white one might make a pretty wedding card.  (And it is that  time of year!)

It is done with white paper stock and white embossed SU Flowering Flourishes on clear vellum and vellum-punched out butterflies. with some pearl accents.

I think it is sheer and delicate and dainty.

sheer white flourishes and butterflies closeup2

And this is one of Nick’s favorites that I’ve ever made (he tells me).  I’m kinda partial to it too.

Though I made it months ago, I haven’t mailed it to anyone yet.  This one is made using SU’s Best of Butterflies with a water coloring technique.

best of butterflies

These butterflies are bold and bright and glittery and sparkly.  The colors just spoke “JOY” to me.  I’m saving it for something and someone special someday.

best of butterflies close up

Which one do you like better?

Sheer & White?

or

Bold & Bright?

 

Wishing you a day filled with Joy – – – and maybe a few beautiful butterflies too.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi