Three word Thursday...The Little Things (and a giveaway!)

"Why not learn to enjoy the little things - there are so many of them." ~Author Unknown "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." ~Robert Brault

It's the little things in life that make me happy. Little things like finding a beautiful shell on the beach...the warm sun on my face...reading a favorite book...my feet in the sand...the salt breeze blowing through my hair...the sound of the waves breaking on the beach. Paradise.

Today I'm starting a monthly giveaway on my blog. On the last Thursday of every month I'm going to be giving away a 8x10 copy (matted to 11x14) of one of my prints from any of the "Two word Tuesday" or "Three word Thursday" posts. All you need to do is leave a comment with one of your favorite two or three word phrases by 8pm Eastern time Sunday night (April 3). Also let me know which print you would like. The print will be packaged in a protective bag and shipped in a stiff envelope. Winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

Can't wait to see your words!

Two Word Thursday...Unforgettable Memories

"Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose." ~Kevin Arnold quote "Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us." ~Oscar Wilde "The true art of memory is the art of attention." ~Samuel Johnson

I know that some people have amazing memories...they can remember what they were doing on this day in 2005. Not me. I'm lucky if I can remember what I had for dinner 2 days ago. That's why I take pictures. That's why I scrapbook. That's why I make lists. That's why I journal (I love using http://ohlife.com/ ).

We just got back from our Spring Break trip to Florida. The weather was pretty much perfect. We went to the beach and to Disney...we had a blast! I took pictures (many, many pictures). I'm planning to scrapbook some of the trip. I wrote down what we did each day. And I'm making a list of some of the things that I want to remember before we take another trip.

Things like: clean out refrigerator & empty trash before leaving for trip... cancel newspaper & put a hold on the mail... take ziploc bags (they're good to put snacks in...or seashells)... take Clorox wipes (to wipe down the remote in the hotel room)... take the luggage scale with us (it doesn't take much to get to 50 lbs)... remember to tie bright ribbon/tape onto luggage handles (easier to find them in baggage claim) take an extra camera battery (check to make sure it's charged before you get to Magic Kingdom)... also take extra memory cards... write down what parking area you're in (Journey 8, Dopey 118)... Fast Pass...Fast Pass...Fast Pass... Relax...Enjoy...Have fun!

Three word Thursday...Color your World.

"Life is a celebration of passionate colors." ~Leialoha Cator


"Every body needs a little color." ~Mark Herma


"Color is joy. One does not think joy. One is carried by it." ~Ernst Haas


"Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your pictures begin to brighten up." ~Allen Klein



(I'll be taking a break next week...will be coloring my world with Mickey & Minnie!)

Two word Tuesday...Breathe Deeply

"Smile, breathe and go slowly." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

"Things to do today: inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale... Ahhhh!" ~Kobi Yamada

"To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life." ~ William Londen

Take a long, deep breath. Hold it for a second or two. Let it out slowly. Doesn't it feel good?

Spring is just days away...take time to breathe in the fresh air (just be sure you've taken your Claritin first)! I love the spring smells of flowers in bloom...of freshly cut lawns...of the rain on the pavement. Breath in...notice the beauty around you. Breath out...let go of the sadness or the anger or the disappointment. Clear your mind. Relax. Everything will be ok. Breathe and feel peace.

Three word Thursday...Bloom and Grow

"People deal too much with the negative, what is wrong....Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

"It's vital to be growing through your life rather than going through your life. The object is not to change other people or situations; it's to do the inner work they stimulate." ~ Wally Amos

"Courageous risks are life giving, they help you grow, make you brave and better than you think you are." ~ Joan L. Curcio

"The powers of reason, of love, of artistic and intellectual creation, all essential powers grow through the process of being expressed." ~ Erich Fromm

Two word Tuesday...Tea time.

"Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea." ~Sir Philip Sidney

"Tea and books...Mmmmmm, two of life's exquisite pleasures that together bring near-bliss." ~Christine Hanrahan

"If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty."
~Japanese Proverb

"Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world." ~Tien Yihing

"Tea...is a religion of the art of life." ~Okakura

With apologies to my coffee drinking friends, there is nothing better than a cup of hot tea to start the morning. Green tea, decaf, Earl Grey, or just plain Lipton's...I love my tea. One of my favorite times of the day is sitting at the kitchen table in the morning, sipping my tea, reading the newspaper, listening to the birds chirping outside, thinking about nothing (and thinking about everything)...it's my version of meditation. Tea means many things to me...it is comfort and peace...it is happiness and hope...and it nurtures my soul. It can be fun time spent with friends or it can be time spent in blissful solitude. I read somewhere that tea is liquid wisdom...and I believe it!

I'm always on the lookout for new teas...any suggestions???

Three Word Thursday...Celebrate Everyday Moments.

"Celebrate the sacred in the ordinary." ~Sarah Breathnach


"There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate" ~Robert Brault


"Life isn't a matter of milestones but of moments." ~Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy





Celebrate the sunrises and the sunsets...take as many pictures as you can.
Celebrate the simple pleasures of life...enjoy the moment.
Celebrate the beauty of a flower that's just beginning to bloom...smile.
Celebrate kind souls...pay it forward.
Celebrate creativity...write it, draw it, sew it.
Celebrate new challenges...you can do it!
Celebrate small achievements...buy yourself flowers.

Celebrate the ordinary.

Two word Tuesday...Go Places

"To go places and do things that have never been done before...that's what living is all about." ~Michael Collins

"The more you learn, the more places you go." ~Dr. Suess

Go. do. Branch out. Go places.

Go for a walk. Go to the zoo. Go take a class. Go create art. Go take a chance. Go on a trip. Go read a book. Go to lunch with a friend. Go to the movies. Go ride a bike. Go to the beach.

Just go for it!