Two Ways to Express Gratitude this Thanksgiving Season

I am so blessed.

I have recently read two different novels giving insight into the differing perspectives of WW2. I also watched a movie about the genocide in Burma. I cannot relate. I am safe and secure. I have food. My needs are met. I am content in my life.

As the Thanksgiving season approaches, I am reminded to be grateful. Having much to be grateful for, I want to share that message with those around me. Studies show that exercising gratitude improves one’s psychological and physical health, self-esteem, mental strength and more. I am taking mindful steps towards gratitude this month (and throughout the year).

Here are two ways that I am exhibiting gratitude in this fall season:

By hanging this print on my wall as a reminder to me and all my loved ones…


By writing down all that I am grateful for in my journal…

I have been keeping a Gratitude journal since the beginning of 2019 and I can truly say that it keeps me grounded and constantly aware of all that I am blessed with in this life.


How are you preparing your heart for the upcoming Thanksgiving season?

Through the Tough Times

This summer was hard.

Our weather was not overly sunny or warm. There were very few days worthy of pulling out the patio furniture cushions. I did get to do some travel so that was nice, but my heart was as heavy as the clouds hovering over my head most of the summer.

Why, you ask? Well, several of my people were struggling and it weighed heavily on me. Two of my cousins (who are as close as siblings) are wading through divorce. A very close friend lost her father-in-law. One of my daughters who lives eight hours from home due to her job is missing home and desiring some changes. The other daughter is stressed out preparing for her CPA (accounting) exams that are three days long (how is that even a thing?). And then returning back to work I found out that one of our office personnel died from cancer after being diagnosed less than a year ago. Ugh…

So, yes, life is tough.

But it is not insurmountable or hopeless. Life does knock us back on our heels sometimes, but this summer made me reflect on the things that I have already overcome in life. And how they felt hard at the time. And how I struggled, but made it through. I had to be tough.

And you are tough too.

If you can relate to life being tough today, then this quote is for you! Let’s stand side by side and show life just how tough we can be…

Visit rePaperedShop to see the currently available quotes.

5 Ways to Enrich Your Mind

The other day I came across an interesting blog post that listed 25 Ways to Nourish Your Mind. I found it interesting that six of the ideas listed are all related to notebooks and journaling in some way. And they are already things that I am doing!

Start Journaling

Journaling has been a part of my life since as far back as I can remember, high school at least (and that is a long time ago for me)! I love colourful patterned notebooks and offer several options in my shop, namely blank, dotted or lined.

Get a Planner

I have been using a planner for 2 years now and I cannot say how freeing it is to have everything written down. My mind is free of the worry that I have forgotten to do something or that I will not have time to do the things I need to do. It took some time to get into the habit, I must admit, but now that I am using my planners regularly I am so much more efficient!

Create a Bucket List

Everyone needs to dream. Bucket Lists are a wonderful way to imagine what you want in life and then when you are in the throes of hard work, you remember what it is all for! I keep adding to my Bucket List as life unfolds and I am more aware of what I truly want for myself.


Try a Brain Exercise or Do a Puzzle

When I saw this one listed I nearly laughed. Puzzles and brain challenges are my jam. Doctors agree that word or number games exercise unused parts of the brain, so I am banking on that! My game of choice is something called Blackout Poetry.

You simply start with book page and look for random words that make sense together. I love a good fun challenge. I have made vintage book pages into notebooks for this purpose and I fill them to exercise my creativity.

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Start Making Goals

When your dreams and Bucket Lists are written down in your journal, and your planner is begging for you to fill your time efficiently, you will find that you want to set some long-term goals to work towards. These goals can be big lofty, I’m-gonna-get-there-someday goals, or they can be goals that are easily achieved during the week. Either way, writing them down allows them to be in front of your face regularly, making them more likely to attain. As well, setting these goals allows you to break them down into manageable and doable steps that you will portion out in your planner.

Learn Something New

This one can be a stretch, but it is always worth it. A couple of years ago I set out to learn the art of calligraphy. I bought books, watched YouTube videos, took a few online classes, then practiced and practiced and practiced. I used my journals for this daily practice and it is so rewarding to look back to see where I have come from. Finding every chance I could to do calligraphy ensured that I didn’t get bored of just writing random words. I lettered quotes, phrases, poems, and even did Bible journaling using this new skill. I cannot say I have arrived, but I have definitely progressed to where I am happy with my calligraphy.


So, do you partake in any of these activities that are said to enrich your mind?

This is my challenge to you…


Process for a Calligraphy Piece

I am not yet able to create a perfect calligraphy piece on the first attempt.

Many calligraphers can pick up a pen and their years of practice and learning have brought them to a place where they can just start writing and make a perfect piece the first time. I hope to be there one day.

In the meantime, I still have to make many versions of a quote before I can call it ‘done’. Often I will start with a pencil drawing straight from what I envision in my mind. That doesn’t always look good, so I pull out my eraser and make a few changes and tweaks. This can happen several times.

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When I feel that it is getting close to what I want I will draw the piece in brush pen, so that I can make adjustments for the width of the pen lines.

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Inevitably, once I see it done in pen I usually see a few more areas that could be better. Again, I could end up doing this a few more times. Sometimes I am happy at this point and let it rest.

But sometimes I look at this quote after a few weeks and see where I still need to make changes. When this happens I will bring the piece into my iPad as an image and then I can trace it and make adjustments from there.

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Currently, this is where this piece resides. I am still unsettled on a few things, so I will work further on it.

But eventually, this quote will end up in my little Etsy shop!

How I Improved My Calligraphy Skills

I have been doing calligraphy for nearly 5 years now.

It takes a lot of practice and a lot of patience. Along the way I have made many ugly pieces that will never make it to social media! For a long time, when I would come across offers for calligraphy classes I promptly passed. I didn’t need more instruction, I knew the basics and I just needed to practice. Slowly I saw improvement. Eventually, over time I have improved in the smoothness of my letter formation and I am getting better at composition. I am not there yet, but I am seeing a difference.

With this growing confidence I began to look at my calligraphy with a more critical eye. I could see that I was getting better, but I still was nowhere near many of the ladies that I follow on Instagram. I knew I was improving but I couldn’t quite put my finger on how to make my pieces look amazing, you know? It was then that I realized I needed more training. Very specific training. And feedback. On my work. So I went searching…

One of my calligraphy heroines is Amanda Arneill. I don’t remember how I got on to her IG feed, but I am sure glad that I did. Over the years I have taken a few different classes from her, but I was only at the beginner stages of my calligraphy. And then I noticed that she was offering a new class: Intermediate Masterclass and in that moment it sounded perfect for me. I wasn’t a beginner anymore, but I am clearly not a pro either. So ‘intermediate’ caught my attention.

The experience I had in this Intermediate Masterclass left me challenged, encouraged and re-energized toward calligraphy. Amanda has staged out the class so that there is a clear goal in each lesson. She provides the learning through worksheets, an instruction video and even live videos of her doing a calligraphy piece and talking us through it! I benefitted from her knowledge, her experience and her encouragement. Every lesson I found myself pausing the video and jotting down notes of wisdom and insight into how to letter better. Each week we uploaded samples of our own work into a private Facebook group for the class and Amanda went through each of our pieces and gave feedback on our work! This impressed me. Not only did I learn where my areas of improvement lay, but Amanda taught us how to look at any piece and see where something may be amiss and how to fix. This helped me tremendously.

Now, I don’t profess to be an expert after taking this class (after all I am still only an ‘intermediate’) but I learned more pertinent instruction for where I am right now in my learning journey. And for that I am grateful. Trust me, I still have a long way to go and I need much more practice on the things that I learned from this class, but I can honestly say that I am pleased with the difference this class is making in my calligraphy.

Amanda’s calligraphy class has taken me from here (don’t judge) to here (still don’t judge!)…

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As I said, this class has given me more confidence and has allowed me to put some of my pieces out there. I have begun sharing more on my IG feed ( @repaperedshop ) and have even uploaded a few pieces for sale in my Etsy shop ( rePaperedShop ). And I welcome any feedback that you may have.

Also, I am in no way affiliated with any kind of promotion, I am just speaking from my heart and sharing my experience. However, if you are a calligrapher or are simply interested in challenging yourself to begin calligraphy, I encourage you to check out Amanda’s classes.

Cheers friends!



Begin Again

It is said that one must fail in order to succeed.

As I started the process of building a new website and new branding around my Etsy shop I found myself failing over and over again. It can be discouraging and there were many times I questioned whether this was all worth it. But I chose to push through because I realized that no matter how many times I fail I can always begin again.

With the promise of starting over and doing it better I realized three truths:

  1. I can learn

    Each time I hit a roadblock I had to make a choice to either quit or learn how to do it better. This forced me to pursue what I was attempting to do and find a way through it. Sometimes it meant watching a YouTube process video. Sometimes I had to consult with the website support team. Sometimes I had to do some extensive research into how others were doing it. Whatever the case, I had the opportunity to begin again and learn how to do it better.

  2. I can discover who I am and who I am not

    There are so many unwritten (and written) ‘rules’ around blogging and SEO and marketing that it becomes overwhelming. In trying to follow the ‘rules’ I sometimes found that the rule didn’t fit me. I had to decide if I was making a decision based on someone else’s rules or based on what works for me. Was I going to let others dictate my online space or was I going to find my own niche? Choosing to begin again allowed me to discover what I wanted out of this, not some unknown person who writes the ‘rules’.

  3. I can improve over time

The most freeing realization in all of this was the notion that I don’t have to get it right the first time and that I don’t have to know all the answers. This lifted an enormous amount of pressure from my shoulders! If I don’t get it right today, I can work on it over time and make it into what I want it to be. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither is any good thing. Knowing I could begin again freed me up to just start even if it wasn’t perfect because I am a work in progress.

So I write to encourage you today. Do you find yourself at a crossroads? Is life feeling difficult? Have you straight up failed? Is there something you have walked away from because you feel you have failed?

I urge you not to quit. But rather take up the opportunity to begin again.

And you will succeed.

Tapping Into the Power of Quotes

Quotes are powerful.

The other day I was feeling sluggish and grumpy. Often in this state I will resort to scrolling through Instagram (raise your hand if you can relate). Suddenly Letterfolk popped up in my feed declaring, I am into fitness. Fit'ness taco in my mouth. I laughed out loud...one of those great big belly laughs. Needless to say it kicked my grumpiness to the curb. Bam!

Has this ever happened to you? 

Let's face it, life gets tough sometimes. Perhaps it is time to tap into the power of quotes.

For Guidance

Things may not be going your way or maybe just not how you expected. You need guidance to take that next step. Quotes have the power to help you be bold, courageous and determined.

For Motivation

Or maybe you are working towards a goal and you've lost sight of the end. It feels hard and you need motivation to keep going. The right quote in that moment has the power to help you push through and overcome the doubt or to remind you of how great you are.

For Inspiration  

Perhaps you are in a rut. There is a big deadline looming and you are at a loss. You need inspiration to help generate great ideas. Looking up to find a quote on the wall has the power to help you be inspired and see the possibilities once again.

For Joy  

Possibly you are feeling sluggish like I was. For no particular reason. You may need a shot of joy to feel good. With a little quote in front of you it has the power to help you smile or even laugh and remind you that things are going to be just fine.

 

Are you in need of a quote today? Or maybe a friend comes to mind who needs encouragement. Maybe you want to hang some inspiration on your office wall to help generate ideas. Or simply to make you feel good.

Whatever the reason, I encourage you to tap into the power of a meaningful quote.

Check out the latest instant downloads at rePaperedShop.

3 Reasons to Be Afraid and Do It Anyway

Fear is the greatest roadblock to creativity. 

It is human nature to be fearful of new situations. Whether it is fear of failure, fear of not being perfect or fear of the unknown, we must overcome these fears if we want to create.

1. Fear of Failure

If I'm being honest I'd have to admit that I am a bit of a control freak. No matter the situation I am always thinking ahead of what could go wrong and what needs to be in place in order to prevent the inevitable mishaps - to a fault actually (insert rolling eyes emoji). Because of this, I am sometimes paralyzed to move forward. Typically, I want to have everything figured out before I take the first step so that there is no room for failure.

So when it came to starting up rePaperedShop, it took me quite some time to get the ball rolling. I filled notebook after notebook with research, pitfalls to avoid and red flag items  needing to be ironed out before I would start. I became bogged down with all the things that could go wrong. I kept telling myself, 'Okay I'll start at the first of next month...' and then way too many months went by. I was a little afraid to move forward.

Finally I had to confront myself  (yes, I do talk to myself) and say 'Come on girl! Get it together and just do it!' It will be what it will be and you can work through it. But if you never start, you will never know what could have been. And if it fails, then it was never meant to be.

I was afraid but I had to do it anyway.

2. Fear of The Unknown

When I finally convinced myself to just open shop I suddenly realized what it takes to engage in the ecommerce world. I needed product photos (in natural light of course) with interesting sets and alluring descriptions. I needed pricing for my items and estimates for shipping. I needed strategies for marketing and packaging. I needed a positive online presence and a positive attitude. And I knew nothing about any of this. I was a little afraid to move forward.

Eventually (after talking myself down off the cliff) I decided to cut myself some slack. I don't have to have it all figure out. I can learn as I go. I made a plan to attack one new feature at a time and solve that one before moving on to the next. When I didn't know how to estimate my shipping costs, I started by uploading an approximate number, and then as I took each order to the post office and realized the actual cost I was able to slowly refine my pricing for shipping. Now, I am not out of pocket and my customers are getting the most fair and accurate shipping costs.

I was afraid but I had to do it anyway.

3. Fear of Not Being Perfect

Along with being a control freak, I am also a perfectionist. I wanted to get it right. The first time. But as I started my investigation into what it takes to kick off an online shop I became paralyzed. Should I do it this way, or that? Which is better? What if I choose the wrong one? What if I change my mind? What if I don't like it afterward? What if no one likes it? I was a little afraid to move forward.

After making myself crazy contemplating all the options, I finally came to an important realization...I don't have to have it all figured out on Day 1. I can make adjustments and add features down the road. If I try one avenue and I don't like it or it doesn't work out, I can change it. I just needed to start and so I put a few rudimentary things in place and hit Publish. And you know what? The world did not come crashing down!

I was afraid but I had to do it anyway.

But the greatest tragedy is having fear of taking the first step and never doing it...

Fear is an emotion that doesn't have to rule you. By facing my fears I was able to move past them. I was able to see a way out and talk myself through it - and usually, the reality of the situation is not as great as the feeling of fear itself. Having a plan for my next steps and just moving forward allowed me to realize my goal of opening my Etsy shop. It is not perfect and I still have so much to learn and adjust as I go, but I was determined to not let fear prevent me from achieving my creative dream.

And you can too!