WorldWar-Tori

It’s Already May @ Coffee Beans & Bliss.

I told myself I would do this every month, but I don’t foresee it sticking for too much longer. In March I moved my blog (this blog) from My Blissful Adventure, here, to Coffee Beans & Bliss. Two months in, I think it’s going alright. I’m happy there, I feel at home and am getting comfy there. So, I’d love for you to join me there *hint, hint* – but if not, here’s what you missed. 7 Easy Habit…

What Did You Miss at Coffee Beans & Bliss?

It’s been a month since I booked it outta here and took off to my new home at Coffee Beans & Bliss. For those of you that haven’t joined me over there, here are a few things you missed! Getting Your Kids Psyched About Reading. March was national reading month, so our home was flowing in book pages and imagination. At least most days! Some kids love reading, but for others it can be more of a…

This is it: hello from Coffee Beans & Bliss.

I’m moving on. For the past (almost year) and previous years of blogging attempts, this has been home. This is where it all began and where I found my passion, drive and hope for blogging and writing. It’s been small and wonderful. However, my blissful adventure, is over… say hello to Coffee Beans & Bliss. What is Happening Right Now? I’m not done blogging, but I’ve spent the past month settling…

Ground Venison & Dirty Rice #thedailybite #inthekitchen #recipes

I love venison, however I’m often at a loss of what to make with venison burger outside of well, burgers. A while ago though, I found a recipe for venison dirty rice, which sounded great (although there were some things I didn’t like/want like poblano and green peppers, plus I wanted to add more seasonings and polish sausage). So, here’s my version of venison dirty rice. Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb.…

#ontheblog Tips to brighten up and beat those winter blues #winter #mentalhealth

“Winter Blues” Or SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is a very real thing, affecting more than 3 million people in the United States alone. Commonly beginning late fall and last until early spring. For many it’s those temporary “dark months”, where even the happiest people can fall into it’s grip. I wrote this a few months ago, but teetering on whether or not to post it, but I feel like it may be…

Here is how I use my bullet journal for blogging.

1. Ideas

I tried everything from analog to digital to organize my ideas. Apps, memo pads, separate notebooks, index cards… finally I gave up and decided to go an easy (albeit less organized) method.

I took the last five pages of my notebook to list ideas. I’ll be honest, this is probably much easier if your blog has a niche, whereas I’m still all over the place trying to find my happy medium… so if you have multiple topics or subtopics to your niche, I used high lighters to color code my ideas.

I also added a flip out card to keep track of the color coding and symbols just for fun, or if I ever get fancy and actually use them.

For current/immediate ideas or posts I want to write, I keep a blog section in my weekly pages. (this picture reminds me, I really need to actually write the ideas into these pages, they’re still on a scrap of paper tucked into this spot… I’m hopeless.)

2. Blog Notes

I make this page each month and find it’s actually become my favorite and most used

page for blogging. It includes

top 3 goals

stats

post sharing (because I am literally the worst at this)

ideas – any ideas I have or want to write about for that (or the up coming) month, because who posts about Halloween in April? Some posts have a season, and I can take from my blogging ideas and add them here for quick reference.

3. Editorial Calendar

I’m going to be a hundred percent honest – I don’t use this. I add writing and posting into my weekly spreads, but for anyone who does want/need the calendar, I made one I could re-use each month and use little post its.

My favorite thing about using the post its instead of actually writing it in is that if I get an idea I want to post sooner or need to move it up a few days, I can move the post it around instead of making a mess of the page. (And thank you kind lady that gave me this idea when I first started bullet journaling, if you read this, HI! Let me know it was you if you see this!)

4. Research & Outline

Almost every blog post needs a little research and planning. I personally use a separate notebook for this, but I made a mock page (pictured above, on the right) to show you how I would if I used in it my BuJo.

5. Hashtags

This is the most recent addition to my BuJo, and

I’m still working on “collecting” them all and finding a layout that works for me. Depending on how any different topics you’re using on your IG, this could be much easier (for example, if you’re primarily a food blogger, food tags would be the majority of yours). But here’s the first go at using a hash tag page, I already see some ways I want to change it, but you get the idea :)

6. Some Other Ideas

Since I am just beginning to take this blog seriously, I still have some things to add when I get there – here are a few ideas:

blog information

domain, hosting, due dates, etc.

income reports

major goals

views & visits

traffic sources

expenses

email

subscribers, ideas, etc.

to do list

whatever you want to do with your blog: for example I want to move to self hosting, new branding and design, etc.

I always want my children to find, feel and chase their passions, to thrive on inspiration and follow their heads, hearts and dreams. I want them to experience, learn, grow and form into the individuals they’re meant to be.

SONY DSC

For Christmas I wanted to give them at least one thing to encourage the things they’re passionate about.

Trystan got sheet music for his sax.

Chase got a skateboard for his future broken arm athletics

Izzy got a an art set and a set of watercolors for her art.

And I get to document their lives through a lens, I am falling more and more in love with lifestyle photography – but if you’re a parent without the passion or talent for photography, I encourage you to also take these photos. Because someday, they’re memories.

SONY DSC

This year, while doing my project 365, I will be trying to capture more of my children, family and life in the project instead of just “art”… this year will be a photography focused mix.

SONY DSC

Rock Your Resolutions in 2017! 8 tips to achieving your goals! #newyearsresolutions #goals

Twenty seventeen is just days away, we could probably start counting the hours at this point – and for many, it’s a new beginning looming before us. And whether or not you find a fresh start and motivation with a new year, there’s no denying resolutions are a big thing – let it be the first of January, or in my case May, here are a few tips to rocking your resolutions and achieving your goals. 1.…

As for last night, I played Santa and got distracted by the shiny lights, hello beautiful bokeh!

Merry Christmas from Ethel and Chester!

Candy Canes

Edge of the World

Distretto

My Favorite

Prima Watercolor Confections sets had been showing up in my Amazon recommendations since at least summer, so I finally caved and added them to my cart.

Prima offers five (that I know of) sets of watercolors: The Classics, Pastel Dreams, Tropicals, Decadent Pies and Shimmering Lights. I got The Classics first, and quickly jumped for the Tropicals and Pastel Dreams. My review is based off the three, so I imagined the other two will live up to the same quality.

Previously, I had always used watercolor tubes or liquids, with two exceptions. I was worried, because the two pans I had used before were chalky and one didn’t seem to get much color no matter how much or little water you mixed with. So I will say, that was not the case here. There were two colors that seemed a little chalkier than the others, but overall, the colors were smooth, vibrant and beautiful.

The tins are great – they have one that flips out for mixing, the part I like most about this is it doesn’t dip down or droop, ending up with water spilling all over the place off the edges.

It also includes empty row in the middle, which is perfect for a mini-brush. It is also the perfect size to fit 6 more pans in the middle (which is what I did, took my 18 favorites and added them to one tin).

They also include a paper with the number of each pan to color match them.

*NOTE: the pastel dreams set is the only one (of the three I got) that included names, the other two sets only had numbers.

One of the main things I noticed right away on the negative side was how loose the pans fit into the tin. They slip and slide around, but more-so when closed they can fall out of their spot. I did find however, if you aren’t switching them around, you could ideally hot glue or super glue them down where they belong (or where you want them).

Another thing I noticed was that The Classics and the Tropicals don’t have names for their colors, they had numbers on the bottom of their wrapping, which makes it hard to remember their places if they get moved or compare them to other brands. However, the Pastel Dreams do have names, so I don’t know if the other two would have names or not.

  The Classics: Are a great first set – they include colors you would indeed expect to get in classic set: red, pink, orange, yellow, green, light blue, blue, purple, brown, black, grey, and white, the colors are smooth and rich.

Tropicals: Were perfect. I wasn’t sure exactly what colors to expect, but when I tested them each, they were rich, vibrant and everything I would expect on in a tropical evening scene. The only thing was that some of the colors seem rather close in color to each other.

Pastel Dreams: This was the set I was most excited to get, I absolutely love pastel colors and shades, so I couldn’t wait to try these ones out, and unfortunately this was the set that disappointed me the most. There are some beautiful pans, however, I first noted that there were two browns. I get it, brown is a color, both the other sets also included one – however, I don’t expect brown when I think of pastels, let alone two. Then there were three red/pink shades. Yes, I get red/pink, but between the red and brown that was half the set gone. The bumblebee is rich and beautiful, but it with the brown was the two pans that seemed overly chalky to me.

As I said, all of them include beautiful colors and rich paints without being overly chalky (with the two exceptions) or dry. If you use too much water or have a heavy hand, it should also be mentioned that they can become quite translucent and transparent with too much water.

I would highly recommend them to anybody looking for a few colors to take along with them, easy storage or someone just getting interested in watercolors.

They also work great in the Leuchtturm 1917 notebook (and probably other notebooks as well). I’ve been adding a splash of color to pages lately and did my Christmas spreads with these paints. They are also good with for lettering, since they don’t build up thick and pasty, they work well.

Oh! And we’ll be using them to make our Christmas cards this year, and I think Santa is bringing some for a certain little girl this year. He has yet to get back to me on that.

BuJo Christmas pages & ideas #christmas #bulletjournal

Christmas is coming and I don’t know about about you, but I’m an unorganized wreck every. single. year! But no, no not this year! I’ll be the first to tell you and scream from the rooftops that bullet journaling has had an immense impact on various aspects of my life, it’s more than a planner – but first and foremost, it’s a productivity tool. In some of the various pages/groups I follow, I see…

Let’s go back to a time when I first discovered pinterest, this was, ehh, I don’t know how long ago, but it’s been a while. In the beginning  pinned all the things. If it looked yummy, sounded yummy or even just sounded interesting even though it wasn’t even something I’d ever even make… but in dreamland where I have a dream kitchen and the dream life that includes being in my kitchen and not…

Hello Bentley

Bentley

Puppy Snooze

Wrapped Up

Sweets

Sweet

OH! Shh, I’m not supposed to tell, but sometime next summer I’m gonna be an auntie to a human baby! I cannot wait!

phenomena, and it’s not surprise. The Aurora is like nothing else, from it’s “I’ll appear when I feel like it, or I won’t.” attitude which leaves searchers waiting hours in the darkness with no promises and only hope. To it’s “now you see me, now you don’t” games, which again, leaves one already mesmerized awaiting hopefully for another show, a stronger show.

The secret to finding them is much like those old family recipes that include things like “a touch of this” and “some of that” or ‘enough, but not too much of this thing.” It’s ultimately a tricky combination of a smidgen of science and a lot of luck. There are a few things I’ve found that are quite helpful on figuring out when is the best time to head out and hunt for them, rather than just picking a night and hoping for the best, this at least gives an idea on whether or not it’s likely to be seen.

First, what are the chances? The stronger the solar storm, the better your chances. The two main resources I’ve found that help me decide whether I’m going out or not are the Aurora Alerts and the Great Lakes Aurora Hunters Group on Facebook.

Second, is the weather. If I can’t see the stars, I won’t see the auroras glow or the dance. If it’s cloudy (and the weather shows little to no chance of clearing up), I call it quits.

Third, find a nice dark place. For me, I don’t live near any big cities that give off a lot of light pollution, so this is quite easy. But if you do, head outside the city to a nice dark area with plenty of clear sky and some open space. And now, you wait. I’d recommend bringing a chair, blanket (depending on the weather/time of year), flash light and something to drink, maybe even snacks. You may be here for a while, so you may as well get comfy!

Two of the main questions I see after “how do you find them” are

Can you see them with the naked eye?

Do they look like the pictures

Yes, you can see them with the naked eye, but most likely they won’t look like they do in pictures. Unless you’re pretty far north (think Alaska, Iceland, Norway, Northern Canada, etc.) unless there is a strong solar storm, then depending how strong, you’ll be able to see them greater further south.

Most likely you’ll see a strange whitish to greenish haze or glow. And if you’re lucky they’ll start to pillar and curtain (dance) for you. They can last for hours or for 15 minutes. This is where the tricky part is, because there’s no real time that they show up.

The last time I went looking for them I was tired and sick and ready to go home. I laid on the beach for almost four hours in two sweat shirts, a coat and two pairs of pants. I was about to call it quits, I went back to my car for another bottle of water and when I came up over the hill it was like magic, they were dancing all across the sky, I could even see them over the lit up bridge.

That’s where the there’s no rhyme nor reason for how or when they show up – you just have to stick it out and hope for the best.

A little more color

More Pillars

L1917 - A Madwoman's Tale #bulletjournal #shortstories #amwriting

It all happened so quickly, late one night while planning in Lola I noticed my inserts were running low on pages. “No big deal,” I said to myself. I scooped up my laptop, popped ‘er open and headed to Etsy to grab a few from my trustworthy and favorite shops, only to find it temporarily closed! Temporary, I thought to myself… how long is that? “I can’t live like this!” I cried to my love. “She…

Up until now I haven’t shared too many things about me personally. I love photography, coffee and bullet journaling. I love the outdoors and wandering. Yes, these are pieces of me, but I know and knew they don’t separate me. I don’t stand out, because there are a bajillion people who love all the same things.

I love fall. Fall is in no doubt my favorite season ever, it always has been. September and October, they hold my heart. Let me tell you why: it’s not too hot, it’s not too cold. It sure does seem to rain a lot, but it’s not recently melted snow mucky and muddy. The temperature is generally wonderful, the smell of apples and all the adventure is to be had. The Earth turns bright and gorgeous. Everything is crisp and clean and crunchy.

The holidays are coming, but the mad dash and crazy rush isn’t quite here yet. There’s a lot to anticipate. Everything’s slowing down from the summer bustle, laying lazily in a hammock is superb. It’s the magical time of year where everything seems to be just right.

One of my favorite things about childhood was when my grandma would take us to pick pumpkins. Just before bliss was a perfect little patch on Just A Plain Farm. You were greeted by a big red barn, two white horses, tractor pulled hayride into a pumpkin patch to pick your own. Followed up by hot cider and donuts, fresh apples and choosing your pie pumpkins and decorative gourds.

Pumpkin Patch

Hayride

Apples!

First Year

I can’t put the magic of memories into words, at least not these ones. It’s something I hold onto every fall, dreaming I could take my own children to this same experience. Unfortunately, time is not always on our side, people grow old, farms close down and traditions become memories.

This year, I’ve been scouting farms and pumpkin patches in hopes of re-creating these memories with my children. A memory I am so grateful my grandma gave us. And I am also fortunate I was able to share this moment with my grandma and my oldest son the last two years they were open.

  NOTE: I don't normally post photos of my children, however for this, I felt it a must. The photos aren't superb, but they are the only ones I have of these trips, therefore I cherish them greatly.

There are a lot of reasons – and a big one is also the visitors I get in my yards. Deer. Rabbits. A skunk family that has been polite enough not to spray my house, children, car or myself (at 6 am when I disrupt them trying to pillage the trash)…. oh, and this little guy who not only visited my yard, but hung out for a few hours munching on apples.

Munchin’

Gray Fox & Apples

fox through an apple tree

Gray Fox

Gray Fox