Guest Blogger: Dani Johnston

My guest blogger today holds a special place in my heart... there are some people that you meet and get to know online that become your true friends, even though you've never met in person.  Dani is that friend to me.  We're soul sisters. Celebrating our triumphs and tragedies together, inspiring and pushing each other, and just reaching out with a little note to say we're thinking of the other person.  I am so glad to be able to share a little bit of my dear friend with you today.  She took an evening for herself to write about taking an evening for yourself...pretty perfect really.  I think you'll love and appreciate her thoughts on Celebrating the Everyday.  Thank you Dani!  

So this evening, I’m sitting here at my desk, trying to think about how I celebrate the everyday. 

I can hear my daughter fussing in the living room.

She’s been fighting off a cold the past few days, and I think it might be getting the best of her tonight.

I keep trying to bring my focus back.

How do I celebrate the everyday?

But I still hear her.

My husband is fine. He is capable. He is happy to take over bedtime tonight. (In other words, he is awesome!)

But I can still hear her.

So I think about how all day I’ve been waiting for these few hours to myself. And now, I can’t stop thinking about my daughter. Maybe I should go in there? Maybe she just wants me tonight?

But wait.

How do I celebrate the everyday?

By accepting and loving this life. 

By loving my daughter like crazy of course.

But by also trusting that she is in complete and capable hands with my husband tonight. 

By dedicating some time to myself each week. 

For whatever.

For scrapbooking or art journaling.

For editing and organizing the latest giant batch of photos I’ve recently taken.

For blogging or blog reading.

For a hot bath and good magazine.

For, again, whatever.

There are so many things my daughter and I do together to celebrate the everyday. For example, we have recently built and are tending to a garden. Something my daughter loves to participate in. She plays in the dirt with her watering can. She stacks up the pots. She tries to chase the ducks around the yard. And I try to make sure that every moment with her is present and aware. I’m not perfect in this...who is? But I try.

But there need to be moments now that I have to myself. Because raising a human being is no small task. I am not just taking care of my baby. I am raising a person. This small one will soon grow and become an adult. She will soon step out into the world and make it better or worse. This is no little thing that I have taken on.

And so, in order to be present, and in order to fully and completely celebrate our everyday, I need to also tend to myself.

I’ll be honest. I’m really writing all this as a personal reminder. I have struggled with this lately, a lot. I truly let the mommy guilt slip in most of the time. I let the wife guilt slip in too. I am a pro at putting myself aside when it comes to personal time. I’ve never really been an out and about kind of girl. I’m not much for lights and noise and tons of people. But I do love a hot bath and a good book. I really love fresh paper, pens and paint. I adore my time spent reflecting and blogging. 

And so, just as I need to nurture my relationship with my little girl and my husband, I need to nurture my relationship with myself. How good can I be to them, when I ‘m not good to myself? And I know, that this is advice many of us hear all the time. Mommas and daddies or not. But how many of us really take that advice? I’m telling you again, I’m telling myself again, take it. 

It felt good to write this.

And as I’m finishing it up, I notice my daughter is no longer fussing.  My husband has settled down in his chair, with her in his arms. She is sleeping and he is happy to cuddle with his girl.

And I will go to bed myself, in a little while. Feeling refreshed and recharged. My creative spirit more fulfilled and the momma in me excited for what tomorrow will bring. Celebrating my everyday, because the everyday is right now, and it’s going by way too fast not to enjoy it.

So please, enjoy it!

Find Dani on the web

BLOG <<>> FACEBOOK <<>> GALLERY

Through the years

I am celebrating today with a walk down memory lane...these are pictures of me from when I was a baby up to when I graduated high school.  I've always been a memory keeper like my mum.  She was a scrapbooker before that was even a thing.  I'm glad she took pictures, saved memories, and passed that on to me.  I firmly believe that a life remembered is a life celebrated.  

 Uh Oh!! I'm awake mum. 

And check out the bears behind me...I used to turn them around to face the wall myself.  Maybe I thought they would sleep better that way. :) 

I'm pretty sure I still do that nose squishy smile thing when I'm really happy. 

And the laundry basket?  We matched. 

 That smile...that hair...that dress.  One of my favorite pictures.  

Oh that fake smile! You're killing me Shai.  But Micah sure can turn on the charm.  Oh that boy. 

 So I don't know for sure, but I must have cut my hair myself or something...look at the size of my bangs here compared to the picture above.  From half of my head to baby bangs before they were "in." ;) 

I'm calling these pictures "The Hair Diaries: the early years."  I was always desperate for curly hair when I was little... I had a perm two times and it never took.

Left: Here with my Dolly Molly.  She was my favorite.  She cried and moved her eyes and sucked her bottle.  A little bit creepy now when I think about it... but I loved her. 

Right: And the little brother Micah again...aahh!  Pretty cute kid.  

I remember spending as much time as possible playing in the snow.  Many treasured memories sledding and building snow forts.

And I was always artistic, even from a young age.  I'm painting a mouse here... not sure why a mouse, but its pretty good if I do say so myself. 

Elementary school: TWIN DAY... enough said! ;)  

This was just after I had gotten my first film camera.  The sepia tone makes me so happy. 

Left: the day I got baptized.  I was a very emotional teenager.  I literally cried the whole day.  Good tears, but still... 

Right: In Maui at the top of the volcano.  And yes, those are little braids in my hair.  Come on...island life, right? 

We had a Victorian Tea Party.  And I LOVED my dress. 

"Hey Shaina, go pretend to be holding up that rock.  That will be a great picture." 

Uh... OK.  And I'll make it look as authentic as possible. :P 

Yes, you guessed correctly...we were being the Spice Girls.  I was Ginger Spice.  Please tell me we weren't the only ones who did this!!

This picture makes me miss our old house.  That front porch was the best.  

 And speaking of the front porch....

"Pose suggestion...gently leaning against the antique wood stove." 

Yeah, that looks perfect! 

Now this is a sleepover: 5 girls in one King size bed.  And Grandma was kind enough to come and take a picture of us.  Pretty sure she stood on top of an end table to get us all in the shot. :)

The beginning of my Senior year of High School.  A perm that finally took! And a classic Walmart Photo Background.  Gotta love it. 

 This was my Senior Art project: a large oil self-portrait.  It is huge and I still love it.  Also pictured is my Pepto-Bismol pink walls in my bedroom.  I really had the best teenager room, with a window seat and everything.  

 Graduation Day!  I sang at my graduation ceremony.  That is my favorite memory from that day. 

This is my best friend Kelly-Anne.  We met when I was 16 and she was 15.  I was just 18 in this picture, and we're still best friends.  This picture makes me so happy. 

When was the last time you looked at old pictures? 

Do you like to celebrate your memories?

Guest Blogger: Vee Jennings

My guest blogger today is one of my favorite scrapbookers.  She makes magic with spray ink and cardstock.  Her work and creations just inspire me, and have for years.  And the cool thing about the internet is that you can really get to know people through their blog, their tweets and the things they share. Vee is someone worth knowing. :)   I am so glad she agreed to be part of the celebration this month with a guest post.  I love her perspective on Celebrating the Everyday.  Thanks Vee! 

Thank you Shaina for having me as a guest on your blog today. I am here to share my thoughts and experiences on how I  celebrate the everyday.  I do believe that everyday is a gift and should be celebrated because thoughts equal moments and these moments become treasures.  Everyday for me is a day to be respected but by no means do I expect everyday to be perfect and happy.  However, I do choose to relish in the present and beauty that each day brings.

I celebrate and cherish daily moments with my children daily because I know these moments will never come again.  Our daily routine is a bright light in my everyday.

I find that I am more balanced when I am creating, doing something I love at least once a week makes me a happier person. It is my form of therapy when I am down, it really lifts my spirits and makes me happy that I have a life to documents and share.

Daily I try to take pride in who I am as a person and in what I create for myself and my family.   It truly brings me great joy to create,to be a mother and document our lives.  By celebrating your life everyday is makes you and others around you more positive and that is the path I will continue to live because that is what works for me.

Find Vee on the web

BLOG  <<>> TWITTER  <<>>  THE DARES <<>> GALLERY

Favorite Things

These are a few of my favorite things that are making my everyday just a little bit better.  Some are new products I'm trying and some are old favorites, some are gifts.  Its the combination of a bunch of little things that make up our everyday.  I'm celebrating mine today.  

Included:  My phone and the 112 pictures I've already taken on Instagram. Stevia, a natural sweetener in little easy to use and carry packets.  My morning journal which I've written in every morning for a month now. My new Stay Matte powder from Rimmel.  Aquage uplifting foam that really does everything is says it does.  My newest addition to my elephant collection: 3 tiny elephants from my sister.  The Polaroid camera Chris saved for me out of the trash (sometimes garbage truck drivers find the greatest treasures!!).  My favorite scent: "Still" by J.Lo.  My new felt-tip eyeliner from Physicians Formula (amazing!).  My favorite grey and yellow striped scarf from Old Navy (I've had it for 3 years). 

Post inspired by this post by Kaelah of Little Chief Honeybee.

What are some of your favorite things? 

Do you have any new products you love? 

Giveaway: 52weeks Book

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

One of the greatest lessons I learned about celebrating the everyday came back in 2010.  That year I embarked on this project:  52 weeks: a poem and a self-portrait for every week of the year.  I blogged my poems and portraits along the way and at the end of the year turned my project into a book on blurb.com.  This project taught me so much...about myself, about photography, about life and how I cope with trauma, revelations, love and joy.  Its a part of me that I'm honored to share with the world.  I am more than that girl  now, but only because of her.  

This book is my heart on paper.  And I would love to share a bit of myself with you.  One of you will win a copy of my 52weeks book.  Here is a little sneak peek at what you'll be receiving. 

52weeks by Shaina Longstreet | Make Your Own Book

And if you don't win you can always purchase a copy! ;)  It is available through Blurb.com HERE in either soft or hard cover.  I'm pretty proud of it.  

>>>> GIVEAWAY REQUIREMENTS:

Leave a comment on today's post sharing a bit about a personal project you've done or one you'd like to try. 

>>>> BONUS ENTRIES:

Be a blog follower.

Follow me on twitter (@shadylane14)

Tweet about today's giveaway.
Like Shadylane Blog on Facebook. 

Spread the word via social networking. 

Please leave a comment for each additional entry. 

The winners of all giveaways will be posted the last day of this month-long blog party.  Don't forget to enter the other ones too! Links in the right sidebar.  

Personal projects are a purposeful way to celebrate the everyday.  I'm so glad I finished what I started that year and can look back on it now with joy and a full heart.  So come on!  Comment, share and try to win my 52weeks book.  I'm excited for you to see it in person.