Stopping to Breathe (Image Heavy!)

The last two weeks have been off-the-wall crazy.
Many, many transitions. So, unfortunately blogging was placed on the back burner.

But, I will say, I've missed it so much! I finally just got caught up on reading all my favorite bloggers, so I feel back in the loop of things. I love the blogging world :)

Here's what my life has looked like in a nut-shell: 

• I got rehired at CPK (but have yet to start, so hopefully that will be soon!)
• My wonderful mentor, Sarah, had an art show and I attended that. It was so inspiring to see all of her collaborative art work with Whitney and hear their hearts behind the story of "Be Brave". It definitely encouraged me to keep working at my art, and finding my inner artistic niche.

                          

• I've been waiting for The Head & The Heart to come through my area for quite some time now, and I saw that they had pre-sale tickets for a show in Santa Ana, CA in June. Soooo, guess who is going?! Yep! I am! [Brooke, it will be so great to see you & Matt!]

• My family and I moved from Long Beach, CA to Mission Viejo, CA. It was absolutely nuts, crazy and straight up chaotic. But, it's finally over. We had lots of help and that was a big blessing. Moving is quite possibly the worst thing in the world. Okay, I am being a tad bit dramatic, but if you've moved as much as I have, you'll relate.

• My long time friend, Jack married his bride, Dawn, this last Saturday. It was such a joyous day! Jack was glowing the entire time. I enjoyed being with some of my favorite people in one room, where we danced, ate amazing food, celebrated and smiled for hours. Watching two people in love, commit to one another in front of their loved ones is such a beautiful experience, and I am glad I could witness it.

                                        

             

• I got a Knott's Berry Farm Season Pass! Whoo-hoo! I have a Disneyland pass and I love going, but I am so excited to put this Knott's pass to good use!!

• My cousin, Nico, created this month-long photo challenge where you take a unique photo everyday. I figured I'd give it a try, especially considering he is my cousin and all... :) You should try it too! 

• My mom and I went to a "Wine & Canvas" event last night. It was so much fun. I definitely want to do these more often! You are a part of a group of people and there is an instructor who walks you through step by step how to paint a specific painting. Let me just say, I love painting, but I am far from being a professional and my mom? Well, I'll just say that I don't get my creative/artistic side from her... haha. But! This is just proof anyone can do this!

                          

Creative Challenge #26 (yes, I am still attempting to finish this!!)

                                   

& I will stop here. That was a mighty full update! Now that I am done with the big move and such, I will be better about keep up on this blog. I hope everyone out there is doing well!

XO

Brenda

Updates! (Ft. New Song & Creative Challenge Update)

Happy Tuesday, everyone! The sun is out and it's 5:45, how can I complain?

I wanted to post just a general update on this last week, which includes two creative challenge updates! My goodness, I am so slow at this challenge, but I am committed! I will get to 30, even if it takes me a decade.

This was technically from the previous week, 
but my friend Nicole had a Mustache Party, 
so we got ourselves some adhesive mustaches 
and of course had a blast with the photobooth.

These are some of my favorites from LiNK (the organization I worked for). 
I went to visit them at the office and we all went out to lunch. 
They are the best :)
*not pictured: Sean Hines



My church, Rock Harbor Fullerton, just celebrated our 2nd Birthday! 
We all gathered at CSUF at the Titan Student Union, 
where we had free bowling, music, Chick-Fil-A and even a photobooth. 
It was such a great time to celebrate all that God has been doing within our church 
and also to just have a good time with community.
This is my good friend, Chris holding 40 balloons.
We had to fit these in my car. 
Let's just say it was a challenge, but we only popped one!

On Sunday, I spent the day in LA with some of my lovely girlfriends: Becky, Alex, Denise & Christie. We went to Intellegentsia Coffee Shop (I got the Herbal Tea 333 - I highly recommend it!). 

The lovely Christie & I

...& now on to the creative challenge updates!

Day 20

I was feeling inspired to sew (and if you know me, I am sure you're laughing right now), 

and I've started to fall in love with the look of big bows on shirts. 

So, I thought instead of buying one, why don't I make my own and just pin it on a shirt? 

Here is the final product of my first attempt at making my own big, beautiful bow. 

(She is definitely in need of some extra work, haha)

Day 21

I've mentioned in previous posts that I have been working on writing a new song. 

Well, it's all finished (kind of). 

I still plan on making it sound more full and better, 

but I recorded and uploaded a rough version. 

Here is the YouTube video for it! The lyrics are posted in the info section.

Let me know your thoughts!

[It's called "Ninety Days"]

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Well friends, that is all for now! I hope you all have an amazing evening & rest of your week!

XO

Brenda

Creative Challenge Pt. 4

What once started as a 30-day consecutive challenge, turned into a decently consistent challenge, which is  now currently a sporadic challenge. Sigh. Nevertheless, I am still committed to finishing this project I started last month! Here is my latest update on my 30 Day Creative Challenge:

Day 16

Myself & little Miss Brooke "planted a tree" in her backyard. 

It won't actually grow, since it was technically a tree branch, 

but you know, that stuff doesn't actually matter to a three year old.

Day 17

I taught my 9 year old niece, Kylie, how to play a song I wrote on piano. 

Let me just say, this girl has natural talent. 

She is incredible. She picks up music so quickly, it makes my heart so proud!

Day 18

Back to painting! 

It felt so great to bust out my paint supplies, 

put on some great jams and just get in a zone. 

I created a stencil and then used a thin piece of plywood as my canvas 

and used acrylic paints. Super simple. 

This is a lyric to my latest song "Your healing is my melody".

Day 19

I saw this tutorial on another blog (which linked to this YouTube video) 

on how to curl your hair without using heat. 

I thought it sounded too good to be true, so I figured I would put it to the test!

*Start with dry, clean, brushed hair

*Place an elastic band around your head

*Take small pieces of your hair & tuck it into the band & pull through

*Repeat this until all of your hair is eventually tucked tightly into the band

*Sleep on it overnight & take it out the next day!

TIP: The smaller the pieces you grab, the tighter the curl will be. 

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So, I have 11 more creative challenges to complete until I finish this project. I have to admit, it has been really challenging, but I am really glad I decided to do it. I've definitely found my inner creative self  again, and that has made me feel a lot more whole. 

Have you been creative lately? Are you currently doing any creative projects?

I'm still taking ideas, help me finish my goal!

XO

Brenda

Creative Challenge Update Pt. 3

& so the Creative Challenge continues! Well, sort of. This week I have missed three days already. I really don't even know how I did. I have been in a few interviews for a potential new job (fingers crossed!) so that has taken up a lot of my time, but still. I am starting back up today! Originally I wanted it to be a 30 (consecutive) day challenge, but now since I've missed several days already, I am just going to keep it up until I've reached my 30th Creative Challenge. 

Here are the last few challenges I've done:

Day 11 

I started to write a new song (piano & lyrics)

Day 12

For my friend's birthday party it was Medieval Fantasy themed. 

I dressed up as a warrior princess/Katniss of some sort. 

I made my costume and bow & arrow; sharpened sticks and all!

Day 13

My sister taught me how to make a crepe! 

It may seem like an easy task, 

but I am not gifted in the area of cooking, 

but I'm learning! :)

Day 14

I curled my hair with a flat iron & since that is something I do normally, 

I decided to kick it up a notch & do a middle part - something I never do.

*Let your hair dry naturally (add product, if needed)

*Curl your hair with a straightener

*Run your fingers through your hair after "curling" it so it doesn't look too fancy or done up

*Straighten the ends of your waves so your hair looks more natural & longer ;)

Final Product: Before & After

*If you're like me & you're deathly afraid of the dreaded "middle part", try this first. It's a good compromise and you'll still feel like yourself. 

Day 15

I was babysitting/watching two little girls & we made (mud) cookies, rode scooters, 

went on swings & drew with chalk. 

Using chalk definitely felt creative and it honestly made me feel like a child again, 

I highly encourage drawing with some chalk in your near future!

(Brooke, I thought of you when I did this because of your friend's creative challenge 

when she talked about chalk!)

& that is all I have for now! I am going to try really hard this week to not miss any days. I am starting to run out of creative ideas, so let me know if you have any suggestions for things for me to try!

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Happy Saturday, everyone! I need to get out in this beautiful sunshine. Gotta love Sunny Southern California :)

xoxo

Creative Challenge Update Pt. 2

If you have been keeping up with my most recent blog entries, you'll know that I've been working on a 30 Day Creative Challenge. My purpose in doing this creative challenge was to find my inner creative soul again, and stimulate my mind, daily. It has definitely been a challenge so far. Some days are easier than others, and then there are even days where I just can not think of any new creative ideas. Nevertheless, I have only missed one day so far, so clearly it is possible to do something creative everyday!

Here is my second update to this challenge. You can find my first update here. I hope you enjoy these photos and hopefully can be inspired to do your own creative challenge! Remember, you can follow my daily progress on instagram (@brendaabel) and twitter!

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Day Five, Thursday 2/16
I created my own headband/hair piece
*Take a thin fabric belt
*Wrap it around your head twice
*Knot it once at the top
*Wrap it around the back & knot it

Day 6, Friday 2/17
I made Egg Toast
*Take a piece of bread & cut a hole in the middle
*Put the stove on low heat, & pour one egg into the hole
*Let it sit for a minute, then flip the toast over carefully
*Let it sit for another minute or so & you're done!

Day 7, Saturday 2/18
I did Becky's makeup
*Let me just say this was a challenge in itself, because Becky is in the beauty field,
so clearly she knows what she is doing, but I was up for the challenge!

 Day 8, Sunday 2/19

I made Sweet Hawaiian Dip for my friend Leah's going away party, 

which was Hawaiian themed, because she is moving to Hawaii!

[Here are the basic steps/ingredients, then you can click on the recipe link for more specifics]

*Mix milk, sour cream & instant vanilla pudding

*Add toasted coconut & can crushed pineapples (undrained)

*Add lime zest & lime juice

*Mix & refrigerate for 30 minutes!

*Serve the dip on a platter with fresh fruits for dipping :)

Original Recipe

Day 9, Monday 2/20

I wrote a poem, it's called Ninety Days

Day 10, Tuesday 2/21
I created a blog for my friend, Denise, who is going to be moving to London later this year,
so she wants to capture her journey leading up to it and also while she is there.

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& that concludes my update! I am definitely still looking for new creative ideas, so please send them my way! What creative things have you been working on lately? I would love to see your progress, and things that you've created, even if it's not for the 30 day challenge! 

Creative Challenge Update!

A couple of blog entries ago, I mentioned how I had been inspired and wanted to feed my creative self. I set out to do a "30 Day Creative Challenge", where I committed to doing something creative everyday, or at least create something. I was off to a good start, and my aim was to not miss a single day, but alas, I ended up skipping yesterday. The cool thing is that I was really bummed by the end of the night because I had not done something creative. I am glad that I'm doing this, because I've really missed this part of me.

Here is my progress so far:

Day One, Friday 2/10

I helped my friend, Chris, create an art display for a show at church

*Create stencil

*Spray paint onto wood

Day Two, Saturday 2/11

I made my own Photo Strip - (I originally got the idea from this blog)

*Print your choice of photos (I like going to Kinkos because they have a photo option where you can put together a collage of different pictures, and the size is perfect!)

*Cut the pictures out carefully

*Glue the individual photos onto a long piece of cardstock paper

*Trim the sides so that you can't see the cardstock & you're done! 

Day Three, Sunday 2/12

I made music with my friends Sean & Andrew in a park

Day Three, Monday 2/13

I performed a show with my band Pilgrims at Commonwealth Lounge in Fullerton, CA

Day Four, Wednesday 2/15 (I skipped V-Day)

I put together a mini film on iMovie of videos I took at my friend, Rebecca & Ben's wedding

*8mm iPhone app

*iMovie 

You can watch the video here: 

& That is about all I have so far! I am not sure what other creative adventures I will find myself doing, but I am looking forward to seeing what I come up with! I'd like to cook or bake something this week, and also write a song. If you have any ideas for me, please let me know!

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Have you thought about doing your own creative challenge? If you do, I'd love to see your progress and what creative things you are doing, so let me know!

XO

Bren

[To follow my #creativechallenge progress: instagram/twitter: @brendaabel]

Creative Challenge

So, I've been inspired.

About a year ago, I was introduced to an amazing author, Shauna Niequist. I've written about her, and have referred to and quoted her several times on this blog. She has written two books, and I happened to start with her second book, Bittersweet, and I loved that one so much, I knew I needed to read her first book, Cold Tangerines. Unfortunately, I took an extremely long time to finish reading that book, but I finally finished it tonight! And, it couldn't have come at a better time for me. One thing I love about Shauna, is that she writes relatively short chapters, which is good for me, because I can't read for too long at a time. Tonight, I realized I only had about 3 chapters left until the end of the book, so I planted myself down, and pushed through.

These two excerpts from her last two chapters have been underlined, highlighted and marked with "!" next to them (so that I can remember these were "life changing" for me) :



Needle and Thread

"I know that life is busy and hard, and that there's crushing pressure to just settle down and get a real job and khaki pants and a haircut. But don't. Please don't. Please keep believing that life can be better, brighter, broader, because of the art that you make. Please keep demonstrating the courage that it takes to swim upstream in a world that prefers putting away for retirement to putting pen to paper, that chooses practicality over poetry, that values you more for going to the gym than going to the deepest places in your soul. Please keep making art for people like me, people who need the magic and imagination and honesty of great art to make the day-to-day world a little more bearable.
And if, for whatever reason, you've stopped-- stopped believing in your voice, stopped fighting to find the time-- start today.
...Do something creative everyday."

 -- 

Cold Tangerines

"Today is a gift. And if we have tomorrow, tomorrow will be a gift.
It's rebellious, in a way, to choose joy, to choose to dance, to choose to love your life. It's much easier and much more common to be miserable. But I choose to do what I can do to create hope, to celebrate life, and the act of celebrating connects me back to that life I love. We could just live our normal, day-to-day lives, saving all the good living up for someday, but I think today, just plain today, is worth it. I think it's our job, each of us, to live each day like it's a special occasion, because we've been given a gift. We get to live in this beautiful world. When I live purposefully and well, when I dance instead of sitting it out, when I let myself laugh hard, when I wear my favorite shoes on a regular Tuesday, that regular Tuesday is better." 

I was meeting with my mentor, Sarah, yesterday and she like Shauna sparked inspiration within me. She was asking me to really take this transitional time to discover what makes me move, what makes my heart stir. To take this time to find out the ways God has wired me, and seek the calling that He has for my life. Hearing that got me so pumped!

With both of these recent happenings, I feel like I have new purpose, and new drive for this season I am in. I will continue to wait for the thing I am waiting for, however it's going to look a little different. My heart still waits, that is absolutely certain, but it's time for me to regain what I've lost in this season, and that is art. I need to make more of it. I have repressed my creative self for far too long, and I think that is a huge reason why I've been so frustrated and upset lately. It's not just the fact that I am waiting, or that I am sleeping on my couch, or that I don't have a job - although these factors made it easy for me to justify my emptiness, they aren't the reason. It's because I've lost myself, or at least a piece of myself.

So, since I've been inspired, I need a structure to see this come to fruition. Something Shauna said that really stood out to me was "Do something creative everyday." That is where I will begin. I don't want to set myself up for failure and say, I am going to write 10 new songs, paint 5 new paintings and write a novel; so instead, I will keep it simple and start small.

For the next month, I will aim to create something new everyday. I am not sure what that will look like, and I am sure somedays will look more "creative" than others. But, my goal is to get back into the creative swing of things. This life is a complete gift from God, and I want to start giving back to Him, by adding things to this world.

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I would love to hear any ideas you might have! Send me recipes, art projects, creative ideas, etc. I am open minded and would love the help! I will post about the creative things I am producing everyday, and hey, if you're feeling you need to re-spark that creative soul of yours, I encourage you to join me!

I will also be posting my creativity on instagram, for you iPhoners, you can find me @brendaabel 
(That goes for my twitter account as well!).
If you decide to join me, I will be using #creativechallenge

Thanks for letting me rant, friends. I am excited to see where this leads. And at the very least, this will motivate me to face each day not just as battle, since that is the reality of what this season is for me, but that it is a beautiful day; a gift.

XO
Brenda