Thursday, August 31, 2017
THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful for the adventures, scattering of Ws, and sleeping in that comes with summer. I'm also thankful for the structure to our days, time together, and productivity that comes with fall. Both seasons are always perfectly timed for our family. What is something that you're thankful for?
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
BOOKS I FINISHED - AUGUST 2017
7 Women: And the Secret of their Greatness, written by Eric Metaxas
Kathleen mentioned this book on Facebook and it intrigued me. It's about seven remarkable women, from distant to recent history, who did what they believed God was calling them to do and changed the world through their obedience.
p. xix, We must be honest enough to recognize that each era cannot help having a pinched, parochial view of things, and of course the largest part of that parochialism is that each era thinks it is not parochial at all. Each era has the fatal hubris to believe that it has once and for all climbed to the top of the mountain and can see everything as it is, from the highest and most objective vantage point possible.
p. 66, She did not let indifference or even the irreligiosity of most in these circles to dissuade her from enjoying their company.
A Murder for Her Majesty, written by Beth Hilgartner
This is a school book that I read for myself. It's about a young girl who witnesses her father's murder and, in her attempt to reach safety, ends up pretending to be a choirboy until the truth comes out.
Kathleen mentioned this book on Facebook and it intrigued me. It's about seven remarkable women, from distant to recent history, who did what they believed God was calling them to do and changed the world through their obedience.
p. xix, We must be honest enough to recognize that each era cannot help having a pinched, parochial view of things, and of course the largest part of that parochialism is that each era thinks it is not parochial at all. Each era has the fatal hubris to believe that it has once and for all climbed to the top of the mountain and can see everything as it is, from the highest and most objective vantage point possible.
p. 66, She did not let indifference or even the irreligiosity of most in these circles to dissuade her from enjoying their company.
A Murder for Her Majesty, written by Beth Hilgartner
This is a school book that I read for myself. It's about a young girl who witnesses her father's murder and, in her attempt to reach safety, ends up pretending to be a choirboy until the truth comes out.
** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. **
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
WHEN THE MAIL IS FUN
This came in the mail yesterday and the recipient wasn't expecting it.
Naomi read the label to figure out who it was from, but it said Amazon. Not helpful.
She discovered it was a book, which she quickly and happily flipped through ...
... and then sat back to flip through more slowly.
She held it up for the camera so Aunt Beep could see that her gift, Curly Girl: The Handbook, was a hit ...
... and then promptly went to watch the DVD that came with it. I'm pretty sure this book is going to be well used! I read it a few years back and got some useful information from it, but now Naomi is old enough to read it herself and take more responsibility for her long-term hair care. If you have curly girls (or guys whose hair is long enough for their curls to actually curl) in your home, then I'd recommend buying this book or borrowing it from your local library.
** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. **
Monday, August 28, 2017
MENU MONDAY - 8/28/17
Things didn't go as planned a few times last week, so some recipes are making a reappearance this week.
COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)
BREAKFAST
* egg & veggie scramble x2
* breakfast burritos (freezer) / smoothies
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x3
DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* Asian orzo chicken salad / cucumber slices
* hodge-podge salad with lettuce, boiled eggs, veggies, and tahini lemon dressing / toast
* sweet & sour meatballs / brown rice / simple roasted broccoli
* new recipe / roasted radishes
* simple roasted pork tenderloin / brown rice / roasted patty pan squash
* crockpot beans / brown rice
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* oat & almond bars
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.
COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)
BREAKFAST
* egg & veggie scramble x2
* breakfast burritos (freezer) / smoothies
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x3
DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* Asian orzo chicken salad / cucumber slices
* hodge-podge salad with lettuce, boiled eggs, veggies, and tahini lemon dressing / toast
* sweet & sour meatballs / brown rice / simple roasted broccoli
* new recipe / roasted radishes
* simple roasted pork tenderloin / brown rice / roasted patty pan squash
* crockpot beans / brown rice
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* oat & almond bars
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.
** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. **
Sunday, August 27, 2017
ACKNOWLEDGING THE EFFORT
We live in a culture of participation trophies, which I think is ridiculous, but I do think there are times effort should be rewarded. Tonight was one of those times.
A couple months ago I noticed that Tyler often ran during our walks to the library and asked him if we wanted to try Couch-to-5K. Unlike Devon, who I forced to do it with me at nine years old, I left the decision totally up to him. Unlike Naomi, who requested to do it at seven years old, I gave him the option of quitting if he felt like it was just too hard. He's only five, after all, and I didn't have any good reason to make him finish the program.
The C25K program, which takes you from being sedentary to running three miles (or 30 minutes) at a time, has three runs per week for nine weeks and Tyler went through week six, day one. He did well at the start, but was really starting to struggle near the end. Maybe because he's five and has short legs. Maybe because it was hot outside. Who knows? I asked him if he wanted to keep going even though it was hard, or stop and be satisfied with how much he'd already accomplished. He chose to stop a few weeks ago, but hesitated a little because I take the kids out to Cold Stone when they finish the program. He decided to pass up the reward, remembering that he can always try C25K again later if the mood strikes.
Anyway, today I decided to take him out for an "I'm proud of you for trying and think it's cool you made visible progress" reward. Not Cold Stone, as that's the reward for completion, but Miranda's Bakery because we love it and we go frequently enough that it doesn't hold the same level of being special that Cold Stone does. Unfortunately, I forgot that they close early on Sundays and the doors were locked when we arrived. I gave him the option of going back tomorrow or getting candy at the neighboring Dollar Tree right then. He chose instant gratification, so I paid for the Skittles he chose and we sat at Miranda's tables to chat while he dug in.
With the box of candy.
With the bag that was inside the box.
With the mom who is proud of him.
With the cutest smile on any five year old.
He didn't eat all of the Skittles there and later called me into the living room to see what he'd made after we got home. Picture taken at his request.
Happy kid because of Skittles. Happy mom because of a kid who organized his Skittles into a pattern. And a proud mom because her littlest guy tried something that was hard.
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
8/23/17 - WORTH REPEATING
********
However, if I were to nail down suffering's main purpose, I'd say it's the textbook that teaches me who I really am, because I'm not the paragon of virtue I'd like to think I am. Suffering keeps knocking me off my pedestal of pride.
~ Joni Eareckson Tada in Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of My Diving Accident at The Gospel Coalition
********
If Miss Frizzle was a real person, I'd want to go to public school just so I could be in her class.
~ Naomi on 8/21/17
********
Oh, restless heart, do not grow weary / Hold on to faith and wait / The God of love, He will not tarry / He is never late / So I wait in the promise / I wait in hope / Yes, I wait in the power / Of God's unending love
~ I Wait from Poets & Saints by All Sons & Daughters
****************
Y'all, the word budget is not a bad word. It's not an inappropriate word. It's not even a negative word. For real. It's a POSITIVE word.
~ Crystal Paine in We Need to Have an Honest Conversation About Budgeting at Money Saving Mom
********
You are the God who always sees us, even in bare and desperate seasons / No matter what the circumstances, you are the rock on which I stand / You are bigger than all my fears, God of love, God my love / You are bigger than all my dreams, God my hope, God my peace / What will come my way, through each day I will say / God, I trust you, I trust you
~ Bigger Than, single by For All Seasons
********
However, if I were to nail down suffering's main purpose, I'd say it's the textbook that teaches me who I really am, because I'm not the paragon of virtue I'd like to think I am. Suffering keeps knocking me off my pedestal of pride.
~ Joni Eareckson Tada in Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of My Diving Accident at The Gospel Coalition
********
If Miss Frizzle was a real person, I'd want to go to public school just so I could be in her class.
~ Naomi on 8/21/17
********
Oh, restless heart, do not grow weary / Hold on to faith and wait / The God of love, He will not tarry / He is never late / So I wait in the promise / I wait in hope / Yes, I wait in the power / Of God's unending love
~ I Wait from Poets & Saints by All Sons & Daughters
****************
Y'all, the word budget is not a bad word. It's not an inappropriate word. It's not even a negative word. For real. It's a POSITIVE word.
~ Crystal Paine in We Need to Have an Honest Conversation About Budgeting at Money Saving Mom
********
You are the God who always sees us, even in bare and desperate seasons / No matter what the circumstances, you are the rock on which I stand / You are bigger than all my fears, God of love, God my love / You are bigger than all my dreams, God my hope, God my peace / What will come my way, through each day I will say / God, I trust you, I trust you
~ Bigger Than, single by For All Seasons
********
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
DADS & SONS CAMPOUT - 2017
The guys were gone Thursday through Sunday for their annual dads & sons camping trip. This year three families participated and they went to Nehalem Bay State Park. I asked each of the male Ws what their favorite parts of the trip were.
* Tim - clamming & crabbing
* Silas - making and eating crab chowder, night games, Ecola State Park
* Devon - night games, finding a cave and sunken smokestack
* Tyler - finding a clam, playing with Connor (a kid who was camping across the street), night games
Here's a picture of the whole group of guys.
Silas climbing a rock.
Devon on a giant stump.
Tyler playing in the sand.
Tim making French toast.
I snapped this picture of Tyler within minutes of their return. He lost his first tooth on the trip home!
This trip is always a highlight of the year for these guys and I'm glad they're able to go.
Photo credit: The first picture was taken by Tim and the next four by Mike Barrong.
Monday, August 21, 2017
SOLAR ECLIPSE - 2017
The totality of the eclipse ended about 20 minutes ago and we're in the 100% zone, so here's what our morning looked like. First, we opened a gift that Kit gave us last week, a package of Eclipse gum, Sun Chips, and Moon Pies. How fun is that? The two chip bags were for everyone to share, but we each got our own package with the other five goodies all to ourselves.
Tim's at work, but the kids and I tried on our eclipse glasses in the back yard.
Then we decided to move out front and set up chairs. Yes, I'm in my jams. No, I don't care.
I confess that I was pretty apathetic about the eclipse before it happened. However, it was awesome to sit out there and keep checking the status of the sun, feel the temperature drop, and see the sky getting darker. It's not something I would have traveled for, but it was definitely way better than I anticipated. The street lights came on just before it got totally dark, which made Devon happy because he'd predicted that would happen and I'd told him I didn't think it would. He won. I lost.
The minute and a half of darkness was so bizarre. You could hear people cheering around the neighborhood and someone set off fireworks (which is really dumb because it's dry outside, but it did contribute to the festive atmosphere).
Silas jokingly made a comment as it started to get light again about how it wasn't really an eclipse, just a hot air balloon that blocked the sun. Not thirty seconds later, this was our view. So funny!
And now we'll return to our regular day.
MENU MONDAY - 8/21/17
I actually had two different dinners on the menu, but we had to make some last minute changes when we realized the guys had taken our can opener camping with them. Maybe the ditched recipes will get made next week. We'll see.
COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* pesto (from a friend's excess basil harvest)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)
BREAKFAST
* egg & veggie scramble x2
* toasted coconut & pineapple granola
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x3
DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* Jen's chicken (crockpot) / brown rice / firecracker cauliflower
* hodge-podge salad with lettuce, boiled eggs, and veggies / toast
* venison meatloaf / roasted broccoli / garlic kale mashed potatoes
* rice, kale, & eggs
* crockpot beans / brown rice
* whole wheat apple pancakes / hard-boiled eggs / smoothies
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* oat & almond bars
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.
COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* pesto (from a friend's excess basil harvest)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)
BREAKFAST
* egg & veggie scramble x2
* toasted coconut & pineapple granola
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x3
DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* Jen's chicken (crockpot) / brown rice / firecracker cauliflower
* hodge-podge salad with lettuce, boiled eggs, and veggies / toast
* venison meatloaf / roasted broccoli / garlic kale mashed potatoes
* rice, kale, & eggs
* crockpot beans / brown rice
* whole wheat apple pancakes / hard-boiled eggs / smoothies
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* oat & almond bars
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.
** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. **
Sunday, August 20, 2017
GIRLS' WEEKEND - 2017
Tim and the boys have been on their annual dads and sons camping trip with some other families the last few days, which means Naomi and I have had some girl time here at home. We haven't done anything super exciting, but it's been four days to just enjoy each other's company. Dishes, laundry, and vacuuming happened as usual, but we still had a good time.
We kicked off Thursday with getting Naomi's pictures taken, then ran errands, had a trip to the library, went on an evening ride/run, watched a couple movies, and had someone drop off dessert. Friday started with Naomi trying on a ton of hand-me-downs at someone's house while we all chatted and ate pancakes and ended with a "girls only" open house at our place. We slept in on Saturday, spent our morning watching movies and working on a puzzle, rode bikes to a lemonade stand some friends had going, went on another evening ride/run, and spent the last hour of daylight playing games and eating popcorn in the front yard.
This morning she was sporting her new outfit from Papa and Nana (the third time in a week) and I decided it was time for my annual "wear a skirt for no reason" day, so we we snapped a couple pictures before heading out to church.
After a quick stop to pick up basil from a friend on our way home and some leftovers for lunch, we'll hunker down for a nap pretty soon. The guys will come back at some point before the day is done and we'll get to hear all about their adventures, but first I wanted to wrap up my time with this girl by posting these pictures.
Friday, August 18, 2017
NAOMI'S BIRTHDAY - 2017
Our church does a fifth grade girls getaway at the beach each summer and Naomi's birthday just happened to fall smack dab in the middle of it on the year she was the right age to go. This was the first year that one of our kids was out of town on their birthday and she couldn't have been happier about it. We planned on celebrating when she got home, but slipped an envelope filled with simple birthday greetings into her suitcase on her way out the door and marked it to be opened on her birthday.
Naomi had asked me months ago what the church did for kids whose birthday happened to be during this trip. I explained that it's not realistic for them to acknowledge all the birthdays that happen during church services or events and that it would just be an ordinary event where those who happened to be aware of the date may wish her a happy birthday. Curiosity satisfied, she headed off last week for some girl time that just happened to coincide with her birthday.
I was wrong. The gals who run this event went above and beyond the call of duty to acknowledge Naomi's birthday with ice cream cake for everyone to enjoy after their fancy dinner.
Wasn't that sweet of them?! Totally unnecessary and totally special, and sending texts to me with pictures of the birthday greetings from us and cake for the group was really thoughtful. Some of the girls also gave her little birthday gifts and notes, which was awesome.
Naomi had asked to go miniature golfing for her birthday celebration and we told her she should take two friends with her. So I loaded her, Grace, and Keira into the car for some celebrating after church two days after her birthday. Naomi opened her gifts from them in the Costco parking lot before we went in for samples and a gourmet meal of hot dogs.
Then it was time for miniature golfing. They smiled for the camera ...
... got silly for the camera ...
... and posed in front of part of the course.
Thanks to a generous employee, the girls were given a discount for golfing and an extra game. They played a few arcade games after golfing, then we headed out for ice cream..
Evidently it was major party mode because there was an absurd amount of sugar consumption. They'd all chosen Fun Dip as a prize after their arcade games, so there was a ton of giggling and dipping in the back seat.
Final stop, Cold Stone. Tasty ice cream and an extra punch on our punch card as a reward for actually remembering to bring the card with me. Another generous employee!
We did our family stuff that evening. We started off with her dinner of choice - honey lime chicken enchiladas, cheddar Ruffles, and watermelon - and then opened gifts from immediate and extended family.
We snapped a few quick pictures in the birthday outfit before the night was over.
Six days after her birthday she finally got her doughnut date with Tim.
It took almost a week, but we're officially done celebrating her birthday and she's enjoying the start of double digits.
Photo credit: The four pictures from the girls' getaway are from Susan Potts and Jen Maurice.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
SKETCH CHALLENGE - FIRST HALF
Back in April I read Make It Mighty Ugly: Exercises & Advice For Getting Creative Even When It Ain't Pretty, written by Kim Piper Werker and illustrated by Kate Bingaman-Burt, a book Desiree recommended that challenged me to do creative things I'm not necessarily good at or that I don't expect to turn out well ... which is pretty much anything in the art and craft part of life.
DAY 2: FAVORITE MEAL - I don't have a favorite meal, so I just did one I like. It's shredded do-it-all chicken over brown rice with some roasted broccoli.
DAY 3: CHILDHOOD MEMORY - Every Sunday night of my childhood was spent eating popcorn. Often it was just our immediate family, but it wasn't uncommon to invite people over to join us. We used a wooden bowl my dad had made and I tried to show the layers of wood in it for my sketch, but wasn't sure how to do it right. Actually, I couldn't even remember if the stripes were horizontal or vertical.
DAY 4: SOMETHING YOU LOVE ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE - Our home has a solar tube, something I'd never even heard of before we moved in. It brings so much light into our home and I want one in any future home I happen to live in.
DAY 5: FUTURE PLANS - I work on a puzzle at some point nearly every day of my life.
DAY 6: A PET YOU'VE HAD - I don't know if she fully counts as a pet, but Mama Cat is less feral than she was when she arrived a few years ago and we feed her. I guess that counts. This sketch was an attempt to copy this picture.
DAY 7: A REPTILE - I copied this turtle from this site.
DAY 8: A MAMMAL - My goal was to sketch the mammal with the simplest face.
DAY 9: AN AMPHIBIAN - I copied this newt from this site.
DAY 10: A FISH - I copied this salmon from this site.
DAY 10: AN INSECT - Making mirror images is trickier than you'd think, even when you're making up the designs yourself.
DAY 11: A MAKE-BELIEVE ANIMAL - Let's just say I like facts more than imagination. I couldn't envision any sort of animal at all, so I just started with the feet and worked my way up the body until some random creature was drawn.
DAY 13: A FERN - Well, it is a fern shape. Right?
DAY 14: A VEGETABLE - Yes, I know botanists would call it a fruit, but it's considered a vegetable by people who are grocery shopping. Since this sketch challenge is stretching my comfort zone to begin with, I figured I may as well draw my least favorite vegetable. At least it has a pretty simple shape!
DAY 15: A TREE - I laughed as I drew this because it looked like a polka-dotted version of the broccoli I drew on day two.
DAY 16: A SUCCULENT - I copied this plant from this site.
Then Drew posted a self-portrait on Facebook earlier this month that she'd done as part of Janine Crum's August sketch challenge. I jokingly said I should do the challenge for comedy's sake, then decided to actually give it an honest try. I'm not good at choosing to stretch my comfort zone (pretty sure most people aren't) and art is definitely not in my natural skill set, so it seemed like the perfectly illogical thing to do.
August is unusually busy around here and I didn't even start the challenge until day four, which was when we left town for three nights, which was right before we had guests for two nights, so it's been less daily sketching and more binge sketching so far, but that's fine. I'm doing something I'm not comfortable with or particularly gifted at simply for the sake of doing it, which was my goal.
I'll post pictures from the second half of the month later and am also putting all of them in this public Facebook album, but here is what I've done so far.
DAY 1: SELF-PORTRAIT - Ay yi yi. Faces are hard and this cracked me up. It was my attempt at copying an old profile picture.
DAY 2: FAVORITE MEAL - I don't have a favorite meal, so I just did one I like. It's shredded do-it-all chicken over brown rice with some roasted broccoli.
DAY 3: CHILDHOOD MEMORY - Every Sunday night of my childhood was spent eating popcorn. Often it was just our immediate family, but it wasn't uncommon to invite people over to join us. We used a wooden bowl my dad had made and I tried to show the layers of wood in it for my sketch, but wasn't sure how to do it right. Actually, I couldn't even remember if the stripes were horizontal or vertical.
DAY 4: SOMETHING YOU LOVE ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE - Our home has a solar tube, something I'd never even heard of before we moved in. It brings so much light into our home and I want one in any future home I happen to live in.
DAY 5: FUTURE PLANS - I work on a puzzle at some point nearly every day of my life.
DAY 6: A PET YOU'VE HAD - I don't know if she fully counts as a pet, but Mama Cat is less feral than she was when she arrived a few years ago and we feed her. I guess that counts. This sketch was an attempt to copy this picture.
DAY 7: A REPTILE - I copied this turtle from this site.
DAY 8: A MAMMAL - My goal was to sketch the mammal with the simplest face.
DAY 9: AN AMPHIBIAN - I copied this newt from this site.
DAY 10: A FISH - I copied this salmon from this site.
DAY 10: AN INSECT - Making mirror images is trickier than you'd think, even when you're making up the designs yourself.
DAY 11: A MAKE-BELIEVE ANIMAL - Let's just say I like facts more than imagination. I couldn't envision any sort of animal at all, so I just started with the feet and worked my way up the body until some random creature was drawn.
DAY 13: A FERN - Well, it is a fern shape. Right?
DAY 14: A VEGETABLE - Yes, I know botanists would call it a fruit, but it's considered a vegetable by people who are grocery shopping. Since this sketch challenge is stretching my comfort zone to begin with, I figured I may as well draw my least favorite vegetable. At least it has a pretty simple shape!
DAY 15: A TREE - I laughed as I drew this because it looked like a polka-dotted version of the broccoli I drew on day two.
DAY 16: A SUCCULENT - I copied this plant from this site.
I'm only halfway through the month, so there are more sketches coming, but I've actually enjoyed this so far. My sketches won't win any awards and it's been an amusing process at times, but I'm glad I'm doing something that doesn't come naturally to me and it's giving me an even greater appreciation for those who are naturally artistic (and I was already impressed with them).
** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. **
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