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May 6, 2018

My Everyday Life: Week 18

Here’s what this week looked like- My Everyday Life Week 18

Meal prep prep!!

This week I had a photoshoot for something coming out this Summer.

My friend Todd helped me shoot it!

My Everyday Life: Week 18 on Shutterbean.com

Cooper was involved.

My Everyday Life: Week 18 on Shutterbean.com

And there was makeup too! Thank you Salt Spell!

My Everyday Life: Week 18 on Shutterbean.com

I also broke my camera this week. SIGH.

My Everyday Life: Week 18 on Shutterbean.com

Ella loves to beg for food.

Continuing the #100daysartbeforebreakfast project

My Everyday Life: Week 18 on Shutterbean.com

It’s helping me learn all the names of the flowers and plants I see.

My Everyday Life: Week 18 on Shutterbean.com

Echinacea is my favorite.

My Everyday Life: Week 18 on Shutterbean.com

CONTINUE READING

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May 4, 2018

I LOVE LISTS

I LOVE LISTS:

  1. I’ve been wanting to take my mailbox to the next level for years now!
  2. Diet Vodka is gonna be a thing soon.
  3. note to self: The Best Beaches in San Francisco
  4. Maybe you should just ask yourself these questions?
  5. Hello, my worst nightmare. 
  6. I feel like my mom would have loved this.
  7. Everyone flooded the internet this week with their first headshots.
  8. Where I want to put all my energy into right now
  9. Detach your ego from social media
  10. Your diet has to be constantly evolving as you get older.
  11. I’ve always been curious about prison food.
  12. This is ASMR for my eyeballs.   This too.
  13. The whole foods/Amazon thing is so fascinating
  14. Harmony- what it means!
  15. Color psychology intrigues me
  16. The internet is designed for corporations.
  17. All of this is so insanely beautiful.
  18. How to Help a Grieving Friend
  19. You’re the One That I Want
  20. Senior life is a good life.

Friday Night Lights! We’re re-watching it this week.

This scoop neck shirt in Tall. It’s so good for us long torso gals.

Peanut Butter Banana Bites I get at Thrive Market (here’s 25% off your first order)

Kai Shampoo & Conditioner. It smells amazing!!!

 

 

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May 3, 2018

Currently: April 2018

Currently April 2018 - a monthly recap from Shutterbean.com

Currently: April 2018

Goodbye April. Hello, May.

It feels like everyone is celebrating the new month. I think it’s all due to Justin Timberlake- It’s gonna be May meme. Totally understandable. JT is (always) bringing sexy back and he threw May in there too.

This month went by pretty fast. It started with a family vacation. Our first legit one without my Mom (even though I brought her ashes with us!). Our first Easter without her too. I went on a quick trip to Los Angeles for work. Hoping to make it back there soon to see my brother and possibly take Cooper to Disneyland (he’s never been).

I fell back in love with working out in April. I worked out on our trip 4 times with my Dad and it jumpstarted a good habit.  I kept the momentum up this month and hope to continue the process. It’s been the last thing on my priority list the past few years because it’s the easiest thing to neglect.  Working out also means that I have less time to do things I should be doing like writing letters to people and keeping on top of laundry AND FRIENDSHIPS. Life is such a struggle for balance, isn’t it?

Lots of planning for the future this month. I’m working on a course that brings travel (yay!) and also something that will be in print this Summer. I can’t wait to share more with you!

Currently April 2018 - a monthly recap from Shutterbean.com

Let’s get into it!

My Everyday Life: Week 16 on Shutterbean.com

Inspired By:

#100daysartbeforebreakfast has been keeping me inspired. I’ve been drawing & painting flowers/vegetables that I see in my life. I give myself about 20 minutes every day to do it. Some days are more challenging than others. There have only been a few days where I wasn’t able to do it before breakfast but I still did it. I’m about to hit 30 days soon! YAY.  The best part of the project is that it is keeping me off my phone early in the morning and while I’m at it, I’m actively looking for things to be inspired to paint.

My Everyday Life: Week 16 on Shutterbean.com

Watching:

Right now as I type this we have Friday Night Lights on in the background. Could I get back into this show? I totally could. I think we might be hooked again…

We’ve been watching Love on Netflix. I think we are on season 2?? It’s been a nice little routine. Working at night and then finishing up with a few episodes before bed. They’re snack-worthy.

Also into Billions. Kinda stressful. I’m really liking this season.

Silicon Valley is entertaining us too. I like it on a Sunday night because it doesn’t give me stress. We had to stop watching Homeland because I would never fall asleep Sunday nights. Be careful what you fill your brain with before you go to bed!

We shared one of my favorite movies with Cooper- Troop Beverly Hills. THAT MOVIE IS SO DANG GOOD. He loved it and that made me happy.

Reading:

I checked out so many library books this month and only have had time to put into one. The Light Between Us– given to me by Emily. (thanks, Emily!) I’m getting into it!  My mom, brother and I had a very powerful psychic connection between the three of us and so I am fascinated by that aspect of what I am experiencing right now. I feel her presence constantly and sometimes I think she’s trying to give me signs.  I want to learn more about that and this book is keeping my interest.

Thinking About:

Mother’s Day. It’s coming up. This will be my first one without my Mom. You don’t really notice how annoying all of the commercials and reminders you see re: Mother’s Day when you have a Mom. When your mom dies, it’s extra painful. Especially on the first Mother’s Day. It’s been hard to be online because it keeps bombarding me every time I sign on.  My mom and I shared the holiday in our family. This will be the first one on my own. All I want for Mother’s Day is a plane ticket so I can get lost taking pictures in a new landscape.

Listening To:

The past few weeks I’ve been listening to Dorothy Ashby. Her music is the only thing that doesn’t get on my nerves lately.  ]

I don’t even have the attention span to listen to a podcast right now.

I’ve also been putting together a good workout playlist. Maybe I’ll share that soon!

Favorite pump jams include:

Dream Life:

Dreaming of camp as per usual. I really want to go to camp I think.

Maybe I’ll try to find one I can teach at.

Eating/Drinking:

This month I started to get back into cooking. I was sitting at the dinner table the other night thinking about how I’m never going to get a home cooked meal from my Mom again. No one to tell me to eat the rest of the salad. My mom made the best salad.  My mom was always so generous with the avocados!

How do you ever replace that? Someone have me over for dinner, please.

Out & About: Oakland Coliseum - more on Shutterbean.com!

Hot dogs at the Oakland Coliseum.

My Everyday Life: Week 16 on Shutterbean.com

Breakfast with one of my best friends, Riley in Los Angeles.

That was one amazing breakfast.

Start the morning off with a little indulgent treat! Check out the recipe for this Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal on Shutterbean.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal

That recipe made me like oatmeal again.

Chicken Enchiladas with Cumin Crema is a snap to put together. All you need is a rotisserie chicken! Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Chicken Enchiladas with Cumin Crema

That was goooooood.

My Everyday Life: Week 13 on Shutterbean.com

All the fried calamari in Monterey.

Grateful For:

The orders that came in this month for The Handwriting Club!

My Everyday Life: Week 16 on Shutterbean.com

I’m also grateful for health. I had a really annoying cold for a week this month. Sure does make you appreciate your health when you’re not sick anymore.

Monthly Self Portrait:

My Everyday Life: Week 14 on Shutterbean.com

I think this picture was probably what made me cut my hair, but I loved the light!!!

Hope you have a great May!

 

My Everyday Life: Week 17 on Shutterbean.com

Enjoy the flowers!

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April 30, 2018

Intentions for the Week

Looking to get your head in the game? Tracy from Shutterbean makes a weekly TO DO LIST called her Intentions for the Week. Here's what this week looks like:

Happy Monday, friends! It’s Monday so that means it’s time to figure out my Intentions for the Week.

We’re on week 18 on 2018 in case you didn’t know it.

This weekend we had some baseball. My Dad came to the game and we had a nice dinner of:

My Everyday Life: Week 17 on Shutterbean.com

This week I did meal prep and I made a little video too!  I spent about 7 hours in the kitchen yesterday and did some spring cleaning along with that meal prep. I even oiled my cutting boards and wooden spoons.

A post shared by Tracy Benjamin (@shutterbean) on

This week is a busy week. I have a photoshoot at my house, my brother comes into town, we have a family dinner, baseball, and a whole bunch of other things happening. If I can just get it through Friday, I’ll be all set.

 

Intentions for the Week:

  • prep for photoshoot
  • paint nails
  • make sure I have two eyebrows, not one
  • straighten up office
  • continue putting together care package for Camden
  • write the description for a photo retreat/email it
  • make a new recipe
  • keep up on laundry
  • pick up that clothes pile in my bedroom
  • clean out baseball bag/refill
  • refill snack bag
  • workout/go for a hike with Casey
  • drop off donations at Salvation Army
  • work on my painting practice #100daysartbeforebreakfast
  • find the charger for my Fitbit
  • send out orders from The Handwriting Club (thank you!)
  • make a batch of kombucha
  • write/post April’s Currently post
  • get enough rest
  • drink water
  • spend quality time with my family

Last Week’s Intentions:

  • clean out purse
  • clean out car
  • recipe testing
  • schedule haircut
  • sort out my inbox
  • work out at the gym x 3 (worked out once)
  • be more conscious of what I eat
  • make a batch of kombucha
  • make banana bread 
  • computer work/planning for photoshoot
  • work on my painting practice #100daysartbeforebreakfast
  • send out orders from The Handwriting Club (thank you!)
  • finish spreadsheet work/email project info
  • edit photos/posts
  • find the charger for my Fitbit (ugggh WHERE IS IT?)
  • stay on top of laundry
  • try to be good about drinking water

Mantra for the Week:

Every week, Tracy Benjamin from Shutterbean.com types up her TO DO list with her Intentions for the Week post. Check out this week's post!

Don’t forget to take a moment and map out your Intentions for the Week. It really helps!

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April 29, 2018

My Everyday Life: Week 17

Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life Week 17

The pixie is back! This week I chopped my hair off. I needed a change.

IT IS SO LIBERATING!!!!!!!! And so easy to have short hair. YAY

This is what it looks like when Cooper uses my paints… that white…

My Everyday Life: Week 17 on Shutterbean.com

Continuing the #100daysartbeforebreakast project.

My Everyday Life: Week 17 on Shutterbean.com

I’ve never looked that close at bottle brush until now.

My Everyday Life: Week 17 on Shutterbean.com

This particular morning I pulled from the fridge.

My Everyday Life: Week 17 on Shutterbean.com

CONTINUE READING

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April 27, 2018

I LOVE LISTS

I love lists // shutterbean.com

I LOVE LISTS:

  1. Advice/stories on grief & loss
  2. Have you ever been to a clothing swap? Looks like fun!
  3. cute things alert: fundies /plant washi tape / cat doormat /red sandals
  4. Remember Trading Spaces from wayyyy back? Look at some of the worst rooms.
  5. Look at how easy it can be to make a cool looking planter.
  6. Sometimes I say please to my Alexa. Old (good) habits die hard.
  7. Some amazing handwriting samples for you. 
  8. A healthy convenience mart? Cool.
  9. I had no idea what quinoa looked like before it’s harvested. 
  10. If I had my way, I’d eat dinner at 4 PM too .
  11. Stadium food is super fancy these days. I’m not mad at it.
  12. How did they know that I fear clowns???!
  13. When the art you create disappoints you.
  14. News to me- You can rent a family in Japan.
  15. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to eat the food in our earthquake kit.
  16. See also: accidental art
  17. I am the woman who has it all– YES SO GOOD!!!!
  18. Love— Hollywood’s Prop Food Heaven!
  19. The best places to retire in the US. 
  20. Fun fact: I hugged Gilda Radner when I was little. My mom took me to her book signing!
  21. Gmail added some new features. I like this very much.
  22. Overalls are a theft deterrent. YESSSSS.
  23. A good way to teach kids compassion.
  24. If you also love getting lost in old photos…

Looking through all the quote images I’ve made in the last few years. – it’s a lot!

Lemon Ginger Elixir for my dumb head cold.

Reading through The Bold Dry Garden right now. How INSPIRING!

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April 25, 2018

Out & About: Oakland Coliseum

We’re Red Sox fans in my household (in case you didn’t notice!). So, whenever they play the A’s in Oakland we make sure to attend a game or two. It’s a treat to be able to see them locally and now that they’ve upgraded the Oakland Coliseum it’s even better!

We went last Friday and had an awesome time. Let me show you:

Out & About: Oakland Coliseum - more on Shutterbean.com!

When you enter the stadium, you immediately hit Championship Plaza (est. 2017) where you’ll find all kinds of food trucks.

Out & About: Oakland Coliseum - more on Shutterbean.com!

CONTINUE READING