I’ve decided that I want to dedicate Fridays on my blog to some fun and fabulous things I find either on the web or in my world making them… FABULOUS FRIDAYS!
Several times a week I find a website, blog, shop or whatever and I think, “I have to show this to someone!”. So I will… I’ll show it to YOU! I hope you will find something new, useful and maybe even a little bit fun here on Fabulous Fridays. You never know, you might learn something or even make a new friend!!
I actually hit on the idea on Monday while I was walking on the treadmill. I made a discovery that I just HAD to share and so it's only fitting that my FIRST Fabulous Friday include the blog, person and ideas that came to me as I was walking…
Used with Permission
My brother in law is 11 months and 6 days younger than me, we were in the same class in high school. He just got out of the hospital with some very serious health problems. It’s not right I think. He's too young for all of this. And then I think, I'm too young too…it could be me! But it has me thinking about my health in ways I haven't before. Concrete ways, not abstract "some day I will" ways. I can see how worried my sister is about him and I remember how sick I was when Warren had stints put in his arteries last winter, and I don't want my family to be worried like that about me and I don't want to be sickly either. I want to be lively, fun and full of sassiness as I get older but I have work to do. I’m out of shape and I have weight to lose. A lot of it.
I live in NE Ohio so the opportunities to get outdoors in the winter and exercise are slim to none for me… I don't "do" deep snow or extreme cold very well. So my main exercise is the treadmill. Or what I've nicknamed… the DREADmill. The treadmill is good for my body but my brain rebels and balks like you wouldn’t believe. I have read in several places that people work out more intensely when listening to upbeat music than they do say, watching tv or reading (I tried reading…hahahah! and almost fell on my keester). Music alone though isn't enough to keep my brain busy. I'm a visual person you know. So I think I've hit on a remedy and I thought I'd share it with you. In case it will be of help to some of you as well. My funny, fabulous remedy is FLICKR. Yup, the photo sharing site and one user's photo stream in particular.
Used with Permission
Everyone knows I'm a big fan of Vanessa Valencia over at A Fanciful Twist(I’m not a stalker, I swear!). I LOVE her photography madly and the stories she tells are her 8 year old self talking to my 8 year old self. That little girl I'd left behind long ago but am beginning to get a peek at every once in a while again. MAGIC!!
Used with Permission
Anyway, I was reading her blog one day when I noticed down on the right hand side a rather large button that says, "My Photos On Flickr". I clicked it, not expecting much, because my own flickrphoto stream is kind of lame-o, BUT OH MY GOODNESS! aren't there some lively, fun and enchanting photos there. If you click on a little icon at the top right of the flickr page that says SLIDESHOW you can see all of her photos in her stream and they will come up nice and big and automatically click through her HUGE volume of pictures. HEAVEN!! Some of the photos have SO MUCH to see that I see something different every time I walk/look.
Used with Permission
Sooo here is what I do, I pull my treadmill right up to the screen of my PC, get to Vanessa's flickr photo stream and click on SLIDESHOW and I put headphones on and I GO GO GO!! Part of my brain is listening to music (right now I'm listening to 70's FUNK – not too fast not too slow and a fun blast from the past!) and the visual part of my brain is watching the photos slide by.
Used with permission
AMAZING! For a while I'm seeing her photos and loving every single one of them (getting some kind of creative drool worked up!) then about 15 minutes into my 30 minute mile I begin to realize that the pictures I'm seeing are IN MY HEAD! What? Yeah, in my brain I'm seeing images of some of my supplies, stuff, props, fabrics and whatnot and they are all coming together into finished ideas and images. HOLY MOLY! Eventually, I realize I'm only seeing about every 5th Vanessa photo and my brain is making up the rest, I hit that 20 minute mark and I can literally feel my brain plugged into the creative stream of the universe. SO AMAZING!! It's like a walking creative meditation and retreat all rolled into one. By the time I’m finished on the treadmill I feel so energetic and full of creative ideas I just want to turn right around and MAKE something! It’s crazy, amazing and wonderful all at once.
Used with Permission
That is my Fabulous Friday find for this week. A way to walk on the treadmill ( it would work with a stationary bike and elliptical machine too!) and re-charge my creative batteries. If you have a few minutes check out Vanessa’s Blogor her Flickr photo stream. If you find a flickr photo stream that is your favorite let me know. Maybe I’ll start a list of them for us DREADmill users to check out. Let me know if you try this too… It would be WONDERFUL to know if this helps any of you make peace with your exercise routine. Can’t you just imagine a gym full of machines with monitors all set up with images for artsy/craftsy folk to enjoy? Oh BOY!
 |
