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May 31, 2017

Currently: May 2017

Currently May 2017 on Shutterbean.com - check out a roundup of the month by Tracy Benjamin

Last day of May! YAY. Cooper has about a week left of school and then we’re done for the year. WHERE DOES THE TIME GO? I feel like this school year went by so dang fast and there’s so much to be done in the next week it’s like WHOAAAAAAAA.

June will probably be the last month that I have in my current bullet journal (I started it in September!) It took me a few months to figure out how much space I needed, so I’ll be much more considerate in my next one. Will I get another orange one??? Hmmm. Something to look forward to this Summer, and you know how much I love a project!

Sidenote- in June, I will have been doing this “Currently” series for a whole year. WOW!!!!!!!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!! It’s been a really good way of getting my head in the game for the next month by reviewing what just happened. I can’t wait to go back and see what I was doing in past years…that is if I am good at keeping up this habit!

I digress….

CURRENTLY May 2017:

Currently May 2017 on Shutterbean.com - check out a roundup of the month by Tracy Benjamin

Inspired By:

Pen pals!

Seriously 100% INSPIRED.

Having a P.O. Box has the been one of the best things that has ever happened to me.  Thank you to everyone who has sent me mail. You have no idea how much it has helped pull me out of a MAJOR funk. Your kindness, magic and heartfelt letters have been so good for the soul.

YOU ARE BEING CREATIVE AND MAKING THINGS AND FOR THAT I THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

Here’s the address:

Tracy Shutterbean

P.O. Box 604

San Anselmo, CA 94929

I volunteered about 8 hours of my time at my local church thrift store this month. It has been such a delightful experience. I daydream of having a store one day filled with cool finds. But for now, I have been living vicariously through this store. It is so gratifying to see some of the displays that I create help sell items. It’s actually kind of a thrill!

The best part is spending my time with the older women who work there. They’re so delighted to have someone who is willing & able (me!) to teach them about technology and make their work life simpler. They also love the fact that I’m tall (compared to them) and can reach things that are high up on the shelves.

Volunteer your time in any way you can, if you can!  It makes you feel good and others are left feeling grateful and happy.

WIN WIN

Watching:

This month we’ve been into Master of None. For those of you who aren’t sure about Aziz Ansari—he has totally grown on me!  I thought he was kind of annoying on Parks & Rec but DANG he is funny, observant, and an amazing story teller. His book Modern Romance totally changed my mind!  How cool is that he gets to write himself into such cool positions like being a host of a food tv show with trips to ITALY.  Are you watching it?  We have Cooper singing, “Eating in Italy is my Favorite Thing!”

We’re getting excited to start House of Cards soon (goodbyeeeeeeeeeee week of life while we binge on it!). No, but seriously I am a little nervous because my internal clock has been changing a bit. I’m waking up earlier these days, and as a result, I crash a lot earlier at night which means I ALWAYS FALL ASLEEP while are watching tv shows.

I guess it prolongs series, huh? There’s the silver lining!

Also really enjoying Abstract: The Art of Design (on Netflix)   I was up late the other night (tooooo much coffee) and I watched a couple episodes. I can’t wait to watch more!  I love the way the filmmaker chooses to deliver information. It definitely catches the attention of my visual brain. Plus it’s helping me to see design in a different way.

Reading:

I definitely haven’t made enough time for leisure reading lately. I do have If Walls Could Talk on my nightstand that I’ve been reading slowly. It’s pretty fascinating to see how much things have evolved in our homes over the past few hundred years. You get to see where some of our expressions like “hit the hay” come from. This kind of stuff fascinates me to no end.

Any summer reading you’re excited about?

Thinking About:

THE SUMMER!

Cooper is signed up for one camp so far. I am going to have to shuffle my schedule a bit, so I am trying to figure out what our daily schedule will be like this Summer. I suppose he is going to be in #shutterbeancamp this summer!!!  Last year we cooked from How to Cook in 10 Easy Lessons  together and we still have many more recipes to accomplish.

I’d love to take him on some adventures around the Bay Area and maybe up north. Getting away from home inspires me (with all the new things too see & experience) and it helps me appreciate our routine.

Summer Bucket list is coming up soon! I am just waiting on Cooper to finish his and we’ll be all set.

Listening To:

This month I’ve been listening to a lot to Dorothy Ashby. One of my followers on Instagram gave me the tip (THANK YOU!). It’s the perfect soundtrack to my life right now. It definitely makes me feel happy and less stressed! Sometimes it reminds me of the movie Sideways and makes me daydream about being on a road trip. Sighhhhhhh.

Also back into the mix listening to Uhh Yeah Dude. I need their sense of humor in my ear holes right now.

 

Dream Life:

Back in Tahoe! This time I’m at some hotel. I think it might be at this hotel I went to when I was young for my dad’s business conference when I was a kid. I keep remembering stairwells. I wonder if something traumatic happened there and I am trying to relive it in my dreams?

I also had a dream that I was involved in an emergency plane crash. We landed in snow…..like buried in a snow bank.  I woke myself up before I had a chance to see if we made it out alive. I gotta take it easy on my dream life right now. GEEZ.

Eating/Drinking:

Thinking of cutting out bread (here we are again!).

Thinking of doing a cleanse (ugggh. juice or food??!).

Thinking of having a reset so I can start the summer with some good health intentions. (always the case!)

Maybe I just need a salad. (or not to eat bread)

I bought some string cheese for some protein snacks and I’ve been pairing it with pretzels and inadvertently turning said snack into DINNER and then my family is like WHAT IS FOR DINNER and I have to be like….”OH CRAP, what can I make them and not be tempted to eat cuz I just ate my weight in pretzels and string cheese???”

String cheese = yes.

Pretzels = NO

I can’t stop eating pretzels when I start.

Must remember some of these healthy snack options! 

On the flipside, I added this Ginger Brew to my meal prep routine so HOORAY.

Love ginger beer? You can make your own concentrate for drinks & cocktails. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

This month’s self-portrait:

New hair. Same sass. I am always in the freaking car these days.

Also, want to buy my favorite sweater in every single color.

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

Journal spread for May:

Currently May 2017 on Shutterbean.com - check out a roundup of the month by Tracy Benjamin

Lots of events in May. BRING IT ON, JUNE.

SO! Tell me what’s up with you! 

How was your MAY?

What do you want to do in JUNE?

Leave your stream of consciousness in the comments below. It’s fun!

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May 29, 2017

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! If you have the day off like we do, I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.

I spent most of Sunday cleaning up and organizing a workspace so that I can write letters/mail prints this Summer.

Stay tuned for more information on the prints soon!  

 It feels so good to have all of my stuff in one place. Now I don’t have to worry about having art supplies all over our kitchen table anymore. I can’t tell you how annoying it was to have to move stuff in order to get dinner on the table. No wonder I’ve been so disorganized. I have stuff spread throughout the house and never in the place where I need it / when I need it.

I hope that creating this new space helps me FOCUS (my word last week)

and brings

ORDER

to my WORK and mental clutter!

Tracy Shutterbean's workspace // shutterbean

INTENTIONS FOR THIS WEEK:

  • try to be off the computer on Memorial Day + enjoy family time
  • yoga x 2  and maybe a hike?
  • clean out freezer
  • post summer bucket list
  • post Currently- May 2017 wrap up
  • edit honey mustard wings
  • straighten up guest bedroom
  • Cooper haircut
  • catch up on letter writing
  • drop off library books
  • donate clothes to thrift shop
  • clean keyboards
  • make kombucha/meal prep
  • straighten up pantry situation  (make list of things needed)
  • LAUNDRY
  • DENTIST APPOINTMENT
  • trip to the dump
  • trip to Target
  • do a face mask/eye mask situation
  • figure out returning bookshelves
  • get as much done as I can before school break starts!
  • DELETE iphone photos- make space!

 

LAST WEEK’S INTENTIONS:

  • post my summer bucket list (here’s my summer bucket list from last year)
  • work in the kitchen on recipes (anything you want to see?)
  • LAUNDRY/dye tablecloth
  • look for an outdoor rug (still on the hunt!)
  • clean out fridge/meal prep
  • make a folder for envelopes so I can write on the go
  • no paper piles left in house  (I have like one small pile!!)
  • yoga x 2 
  • try to meditate at least twice (I spent time with my cats sans phone, does that count?)
  • oil cutting boards/spring cleaning 
  • eat lighter/cleaner  (I ate less this week for sure!)
  • book dentist appointment (still need to do this)
  • sort out library book situation   (found rogue books!!!)
  • letter writing
  • haircuts for cooper & me  (need to get Cooper’s haircut!)
  • catch up on emails/social media
  • no weeknight drinking   (I did it!!! It was kind of challenging)
  • art with Cooper
  • prune some of the plants outside
  • do some leisure reading if possible (didn’t get to that- boo!)
  • DRINK MORE WATER instead of eating   (worked hard at this!)

WORD FOR THE WEEK:

Word of the week on Shutterbean.com

Let’s see if saying this (LOUD + TO MYSELF) helps!

______________________________________________

What about you?  What are you up to this week?

Leave your intentions in the comments- I love seeing what you’re up to!

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May 28, 2017

My Everyday Life: Week 21

Here’s what the past week looked like on My Everyday Life-WEEK 21:

I forgot about cherries! So nice to see them again in the market.

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

Impromptu family adventure up to Calistoga.

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

Visiting family/cats.  Cats that are family…..

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

Cooper and his cousin Abby playing with her cat, Lily. My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

What a sweet cat!

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

Roadside attractions

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

Before it got dark.

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

Art class volunteering this week! My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

This color story reminded me of Saved by the Bell.

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

This week was a bit scary for us. Our cat Rosie went into anaphylactic shock after we came home from baseball. We saw this spider in a puddle of bile. She barely made it up the stairs and was totally limp and moaning in pain. Casey rushed her to the hospital where she was treated and stayed overnight.

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

Poor buggy. She’s just fine now.

IT WAS SO SCARY and it triggered this feeling of when Pinot was sick last year.

Having a pet almost die is really traumatic.

My Everyday Life: Week 21 on Shutterbean.com

CONTINUE READING

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May 26, 2017

I LOVE LISTS

I love lists // shutterbean.com

Welcome to I love lists! It’s Friday. Let’s surf the internet together!

  1. You should’ve asked.
  2. Billionaire bars.
  3. Obvious signs are obvious.
  4. A writer’s process
  5. Best places to eat in America
  6. Kitchen tricks that save time!
  7. Caught my eye: striped maxi/ cat sunglasses / metallic Birkenstocks
  8. How many books will you read before you die?
  9. These are all so beautiful. I love the braid one.
  10. Copycat In & Out Burger
  11. Tips for taking better pictures in museums.
  12. First new blue pigment in 200 years!
  13. I forgot how creepy this video was.
  14. Good Enough Mother
  15. These photos provide a good mental vacation.
  16. New to the food scene: spicy candy
  17. WE HAVE GONE TOO FAR
  18. Camping with Kids
  19. Something I definitely needed to read. 
  20. Things to never do as a photographer.
  21. Who wears short shorts? Dudes from the 70s.
  22. Other People Are Hard

Weekend reading:

Salt Fat, Acid & Heat

Botanical Line Drawing

If Walls Could Talk

Memorial Day Weekend Recipe Inspo:

Honey Sriracha Grilled Bacon

Grilled Chicken with Tomato Parsley Salad

Sambal Chicken Skewers

Grilled Steak & Avocado Flatbread

Ricotta Pancakes with Roasted Strawberries

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May 24, 2017

DIY Ginger Brew

Love ginger beer? You can make your own concentrate for drinks & cocktails. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Most of my cocktail choices involve ginger beer because the spicy/sweetness pairs well with gin or bourbon (my two favorite spirits). Plus, I love that tingly mouth burn you get with ginger. Maybe that’s why I love kombucha so much?

I’ve made my own lemon ginger elixir before, but never my own ginger beer/ginger brew.

Love ginger beer? You can make your own concentrate for drinks & cocktails. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Let me show you how easy it is to make DIY Ginger Brew. Your summer cocktail lineup just got a little more exciting.At least that’s what I’m hoping!

CONTINUE READING

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May 22, 2017

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:

It’s Monday! It felt like the Summer over the weekend and I didn’t want it to end. As I was typing this list and getting myself ready for the upcoming week, our cat Rosie unexpectedly got sick. Casey rushed her to the emergency vet and is staying there overnight. Please send good thoughts!

Life is filled with unexpected events, isn’t it?

I just want my cat to be OK!!!

***Rosie update! She’s resting at home. She ate a spider and threw it up immediately and had quite a severe reaction to it. Thanks so much for the love!!!***

WORD FOR THE WEEK:

focus

I’ve been feeling very scattered lately and I need to get myself back on track this week. Perhaps if I remind myself to FOCUS, I’ll be more apt to get in a better focusing zone.

How can I do that? Maybe set some timers throughout the week. I will give myself realistic timers to complete projects and I will try not to waste time and get distracted during the process.

 

Intentions for this week:

  • post my summer bucket list (here’s my summer bucket list from last year)
  • work in the kitchen on recipes (anything you want to see?)
  • LAUNDRY/dye tablecloth
  • look for an outdoor rug
  • clean out fridge/meal prep
  • make a folder for envelopes so I can write on the go
  • no paper piles left in house
  • yoga x 2
  • try to meditate at least twice (wish me luck)
  • oil cutting boards/spring cleaning 
  • eat lighter/cleaner
  • book dentist appointment
  • sort out library book situation
  • letter writing
  • haircuts for cooper & I
  • catch up on emails/social media
  • no weeknight drinking
  • art with Cooper
  • prune some of the plants outside
  • do some leisure reading if possible
  • DRINK MORE WATER instead of eating

Last week’s intentions:

  • wash car/detail the inside    I forgot how much I enjoy a clean car!
  • LAUNDRY  finished it abnormally early this week!
  • clean out fridge
  • work on birthday package for maj (compiling!)
  • go through package for Camden (compiling!)
  • plant flowers/water flowers
  • deal with paper piles (sorted through a bunch!)
  • make a new recipe (tested a few things)
  • post teriyaki chicken
  • email the tax man 
  • yoga x 2 (went once cuz I got a dumb cold)
  • stay on top of the dishes in the sink (did well until we were gone Sunday)
  • hike or dance class? (hike!)
  • book a dentist appointment/figure out insurance/ugh (got distracted on the internet when I went to look up my coverage. oops)
  • chicken teriyaki recipe- edit/write/post  here’s the post! 
  • trip to farmer’s market? (went on a trip up to napa instead)
  • delete photos off phone- AS MANY AS POSSIBLE- at least 1k.
  • finish summer bucket list 
  • clean out purse    the best feeling!
  • catch up on letter writing
  • tackle inbox (sorted out a bunch of spam and deleted stuff)
  • start doing some spring cleaning  (did a kitchen deep clean)
  • DRINK MORE WATER instead of eating (I didn’t do my best)

How about you?

What are you up to this week?
Leave your TO DO list in the comments!

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May 20, 2017

My Everyday Life: Week 20

Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life- Week 20:

Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom! I made this for her:

My Everyday Life: Week 20 on Shutterbean.com

We had my parents over for dinner on Mother’s Day.  I made a Greek feast and we got a chance to dine outside because the weather was perfect.

myeverydaylifweek20

And a little dessert to go with it.

My Everyday Life: Week 20 on Shutterbean.com

Working on my Bullet Journal/writing down my intentions for the week. 

My Everyday Life: Week 20 on Shutterbean.com

I love these plants. Especially when it’s breezy. They’re so prety and fuzzy.

My Everyday Life: Week 20 on Shutterbean.com

This week I went to Camp Covert at Covert Estate in Coombsville, Napa with a few other bloggers.

The day included harvesting vegetables, tasting wine, cooking together outdoors and feasting!

What a way to spend a Tuesday!!

My Everyday Life: Week 20 on Shutterbean.com

That’s me with some lettuce I picked.

My Everyday Life: Week 20 on Shutterbean.com

 

We got to take home some bay leaves.

My Everyday Life: Week 20 on Shutterbean.com

The chive blossoms were so pretty.

My Everyday Life: Week 20 on Shutterbean.com

CONTINUE READING