Mandala drawing

Mandala means circle. It is a drawing form that is known for ages already but comes to the attention of more and more people. There are mandalas with symmetrical patterns as well as drawings of all kinds in a circle. And sometimes people colors outside the circle too. The possibilities are endless.



I really enjoy working in a circle myself. If gives a sort of boundary, but sometimes I cross the boundary, sometimes I make the boundary more visible. But drawing within a circle gives me a lot of peace somehow. And I really enjoy making drawings like that.



The fun thing is that by coloring mandalas or drawing them you can make such beautiful creations. Every time I finish one, I am surprised that I am really the one who made that! Therefore it is good for my ego too ;) Another thing I enjoy about it is that I can just let it all go, I don't have to think, I can just go with the flow and see what shape things take on its own.



PS: These are not my mandalas. Just some mandalas I find very inspiring :) If you want to color your own, there are plenty to be found on the web. Or just draw a circle on a piece of paper and start drawing or coloring. I am still looking for a nice mandala coloring book though, suggestions are welcome :)

Butterfly cupcakes

When I was browsing for butterfly related things, I found these awesome looking cupcakes:



I really love decorated cupcakes. They always make me so happy! The downside is that it also make me hungry ;)

To my surprise there was a complete tutorial on how to make cupcakes like these so I decided to share it here :) Look for it here on Annies Eats.

Mushrooms

The Smurfs are little blue people who live in magic mushrooms. Think about it.


By Aleksandr Batura


By Hakki Yesillik


All mushrooms are edible - once.



As the rain sputters
into winter, mushrooms
pop their umbrellas.

Lorie Ann Grover, 2009

X-mas project: Cookie jar!

I saw this on the Shabby Chic Crafts blog. And I am so inspired by the idea! This is a low budget x-mas present that I would be very happy receiving. It are the ingredients for x-mas cookies in a jar! I think this idea is so awesome that I just had to repost it! Just click on the original blog for all the supplies and directions :) And have fun! I know I will ;)

Flowers for cheering up

I haven't had the best day today, so I am a bit down. However this is the time when I need inspiration and comfort the most. I mostly find it in nature. The beauty that is found there almost instantly calms me down. So today I post pictures from Lotus flowers and waterlilies.






“You must be a Lotus, unfolding its petals when the Sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it!” - Sri Sathya

“You are the pool, and You are the soul-swan. You are the lotus flower of the day and You are the water-lily of the night. You Yourself behold them, and blossom forth in bliss.” - Sri Guru Granth Sahib






The Lily by William Blake
The modest Rose puts forth a thorn:
The humble Sheep. a threatning horn:
While the Lily white, shall in Love delight,
Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright

Rainspiration

By Carina Sirbu

I really don't like the rain. I can enjoy a summer shower, but in autumn and winter I'd rather stay in.
I hate getting all cold and wet. Chelsea shares my opinion about this but the clients she work with have another perspective on rainy days.
This really inspired me to try and find the beauty of rainy days.

Some people actually do get inspired by the rain. Like Sheree who made a rain bento.


To see more of her bento's go here
Or this funny piece of cat art by Eric Barclay


Todays lesson:




Some beautiful nature caps:


By Dormik


By Don Paulson


By Irina Savkina

Live with the seasons: enjoy autumn!

Here are some ways to enjoy the autumn days making use of the beauty that nature brings us this season. Make sure you spend some time outdoors before it gets too cold. Winter will be there before you know it, so make sure you make use of this pretty time of year :)

Help the animals and put up strings with nuts, food for the birds or take your old bread to the pond to feed the ducks.


Try homemade soup:
Grab some of your favorite veggies, like sweet potatoes, corn, broccoli, pumpkin, peas, spinach and so on.
Mix it with a tasty stock and you are all set up. If you mix in some beans or pasta you have a very balanced meal which you can eat for lunch, dinner or freeze for later. You can also try to cook with the veggies and fruits from the season. There are tons of delicious autumn recipes out there.


Collect autumn leaves and other souveniers and get creative! Make a fall table, paint with leaves, make funny men from chestnuts, remember what you liked to do when you were a child!

Look here for some more ideas.

Enjoy a walk in a nearby forest and photograph everything around you! For some free fun rake up a pile of leaves and jump in it! Throw leaves at your friends. Search for other free autumn related activities in your neighborhood.


Make your home more cozy:
Buy some cute lamps and fall decorations! Decorate your house in style. Also get a few fleece blankets to wrap yourself in when you are cold. It is also a great time to stock up on candles again.
Like this autumn themed kitchen here or a livingroom.


Make a list of books you still want to read or movies you want to watch. Those long fall nights are perfect for quiet indoor activities.


Go apple picking and bake apple pie. Then eat it warm from the oven.

Some autumn captures

I don't really like the Autumn weather but I love the colors! Before the season turns to winter I really wanted to share some autumn captures, because it is the most beautiful time of the year! After some detours (which you can see the results of in yesterdays posts) I finally managed to not get distracted :) So here are some details of autumn by Harris Hui.








I really love his animal photos. I think they are brilliant. Squirrels are definitely one of the cutest animals around! And an autumn icon. Toadstools is another aspect of autumn I really enjoy. I am always looking for them when I go out for walks since I think they are so beautiful.

Funny loop experiment

VIDEOGiOCO -(loop-experiment)

donato sansone | MySpace Video

In spite of some parts being a bit pervy (which isnt necessarily a bad thing), I am truly amazed by the used technique. I have never seen something quite like it before and it made me laugh XD

Impossible?

Fellow blogger Creative Coquette has the following quote in her blog, which I wanted to repost because I thought it was a great reminder!



Next to that people on twitter had also inspiring things to say:
Dmusica: When love touches the heart, inspiration fills the mind
RahulDihal: "You can find inspiration in everything, if you cannot, look again."
simonscotland: Don't underestimate yourself. You never know when inspiration will strike
oliverhayes: Oh dear. Inspiration and ideas just keep poppin' outta nowhere! Keep these positive people round me! I wrote down bare mad tings.
QuickstartBiz: "Education brings about opportunity, and in turn inspiration." - Bill Frist
AimToBe: "Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance".~Unknown Author
MatLloydPoet: Todays daily inspiration is from from W. Clement Stone "So many fail because they don't get started" anyone else have any inspiring words?
Deepak_Chopra: Inspiration is that state in which mind and heart are connected.
ModEntrepreneur: "Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity." ~ Bo Bennett
LizinBali: Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it. MADELEINE L’ENGLE
cheergiver: To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. - Anatole France

If you too have some inspirational quotes, please share them :)

Funny Hamsters

I think that hamsters are such cute animals. I used to own several of them when I was a child. I came across some funny hamster pictures on Flickr and Pyza makes some really cute pictures from her hamsters. For me animals often are an instant feel good. They always make me laugh or go awwwww, how cute! Therefore I decided to share some pictures here! Enjoy!












To read more about Pyza's hamsters and to see even more funny and cute pictures look here.