whimsical wednesday

we are preparing for mother's day this whimsical wednesday! you can make something for your mom, shop for your mom, make plans for a meal at home or out to eat on mother's day. send your mom a card even if you will be with her. happy mail is always good to receive.  if your mother is no longer living, do something in her memory or do something for another mother that is special to you. share your mother's day preparation with the whimsey project.

this morning i made two memorials for my mother. one to an organization that helps single mothers and one to the arbor day foundation.  a tree will be planted in a national park in honor of mom.

trivia tuesday

from quite interesting @qikipedia:

in french crescent moons are called croissants.

miscellaneous monday

an article from bored panda: creativity with mailboxes!  here's the link:

https://www.boredpanda.com/creative-mailbox-ideas/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=BPTwitter

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. i am spending time with keith houston's shady characters: the secret life of punctuation, symbols & other typographical marks. today's reading was about the asterick and dagger. the asterick is the oldest punctuation mark in existence, having been first used five millennia ago. the dagger evolved from a strike mark used in editing text. interestingly, in gregorian chants, the asterick and dagger were musical notations for long and short pauses, respectively. 

silly saturday

from wildbirds.com:

Q: what happens when a duck flies upside down?
A: he quacks up!

photo friday

waif doggie and burlap kitty

thoughtful thursday

abraham lincoln:

be sure to put your feet in the right place and then stand firm.

whimsical wednesday

it's the first whimsical wednesday of the month of may! you know what that means, fellow whimzees! it's work on your own projects day. this is the day of the month for you to pay attention to projects you have in progress and want to complete. have at it and report your project activity to the whimsey project.

this morning i added to a collage that was finished with a picture that shouted, "put me in the collage!" so i did. it turned out to be a great addition to the art journal page.  i paused from project number two to write today's post. i'm working on something i was given for christmas.  film at 11.

trivia tuesday

from perkypet.com:

hummingbirds have an excellent memory. they remember every flower and feeder they have eaten at. they even remember how long it takes for a flower to refill with nectar.

miscellaneous monday

one of the happiest events of spring is the return of the hummingbirds. our feeders are new this year. we made sure to get the feeders that have perches. the birds seem to like the perches as they are able to rest while they dine. having had a feeder with a perch previously, it has been our experience that the birds linger when they have a place to alight. we hung our feeders by the dining room windows friday evening. saturday, while eating lunch, we looked up and there they were! the hummingbirds were having lunch too. the three that visit on a regular basis have returned. we are watching for more. observing the hummingbirds and the other birds that come to the farm never grows boring or tiresome. each sighting is a delightful, whimsical surprise.  do you feed hummingbirds and the other birds? what is your favorite, if you have one?

solitude sunday

we spend time with a book on solitude sunday. i am spending time with shady characters: the secret life of punctuation, symbols & other typographical marks by keith houston. the punctuation mark read about today was the @ symbol; denoting the word at. it began life as a pricing tool "at the rate of"; as in "3 apples @ 50 cents each". it became very famous when the internet became the world wild web and the @ symbol was used in web addresses as in "thewhimseyproject@gmail.com".

silly saturday

first grade crazy hair day!

photo friday

enjoying the view.

thoughtful thursday

pope john XXIII:

concern yourself not with what you failed in but what with is still possible to do.

whimsical wednesday

we are tearing paper for whimsical wednesday. tear paper? yes, tear paper. tear as much as you wish in whatever shape or size that appeals to you. what to do with it when you have torn it? recycle it, use it in an art project, homemade confetti! the possibilities are endless. share your paper tearing experience with the whimsey project.

my torn paper to be used in an art journal.

trivia tuesday

quite interesting @qikipedia:

over the course of about a mile, the carrier pigeon is faster than the fax machine.

miscellaneous monday

the metropolitan art museum offers free art books online.  take a peek:

https://mymodernmet.com/free-books-online-met-museum/

solitude sunday

we spend time with a book on solitude sunday. my time with shady characters, the secret life of punctuation, symbols and other typographical marks by keith houston continues. today's chapter detailed the history of the ampersand, the symbol for the word and. it's origins lie in the greek word for and: et.

silly saturday

from funkidjokes,com:

Q: what do you call a rooster that wakes you up in the morning?
A: an alarm cluck!

photo friday

thank goodness it's friday!

thoughtful thursday

claude monet:

i must have flowers, always and always.

whimsical wednesday

it's whimsical wednesday! we are folding a single sheet of paper into a wee book. my sister taught me how to do this, even provided a folded piece of paper as an example! but i have never put the instructions into action. today is the day.  use pretty paper after practicing on sheet of copy paper or a page out of a magazine. an internet search found the following folding instructions:

http://www.laurenstringer.com/uploads/2/5/6/4/25641572/make_a_six-page_book_out_of_one_sheet_of_paper.pdf

my efforts included a large flyer page, a pocket calendar page and a notepad page for small, medium and large books.

trivia tuesday

from postcrossing.com:

the postcard exchange program currently has 724,922 participants with 46,408,954 postcards received to members in 213 countries. and counting...

miscellaneous monday

it's april, mid-april to be precise! for miscellaneous monday let's check out a day or two from our "whimsical moment of the day" notebook. a whimsical moment notebook is any notebook, calendar, index cards, whatever in which to record a daily whimsical moment. if you haven't started keeping a daily whimsical moment notebook, today is a great day to begin!

february 9th i wrote that i looked out the window and saw a kitty sitting in the birdbath. that was funny because the kitty looked like she was perched on a throne! on march 5th i wrote the sound of tape being unrolled. you know that funny sound you hear when cellophane tape gets unrolled from the dispenser. it was a long piece of tape so i laughed at the lingering unrolling sound.  if you don't know what i mean about the sound of tape being unrolled from the dispenser, dig out your tape and unroll a long piece to hear it for yourself! 

solitude sunday

we spend time with a book on solitude sunday. my time with shady characters; the secret life of punctuation, symbols & other typographical marks by keith houston. today's chapter highlighted the octothorpe aka the #, the pound sign, hashtag. the octothorpe has it roots in the symbols for money. 

silly saturday

when horses frolic!

photo friday

buc, buc, buc...

thoughtful thursday

master sheng-yen:

there is no need to be worried about having flaws because knowing we have them can help us to improve!

whimsical wednesday

we're playing a memory game for whimsical wednesday!

quick! without looking! list five items on your refrigerator!

here's mine:
1. photo of my house.
2. recipe of a drink
3. receipts of plants purchased for the landscape
4. kid art depicting a bowl of spaghetti
5. a pineapple shaped magnet from hawaii

now you! post your list for whimsical wednesday!

trivia tuesday

from quite interesting @qikipedia:

a group of pugs is called a grumble.

miscellaneous monday

delancy place is a website that offers book excerpts.  the site offers subscriptions to have daily offerings to appear in the email inbox. or the book snippets can be read at the website. it's really interesting to read a small part of a book each day. sometimes that is enough and sometimes i want to read the book. perhaps fellow whimsees would enjoy doing the same! follow the link to delancy place:

https://delanceyplace.com/

solitude sunday

we spend time with a book on solitude sunday. i am reading shady characters: the secret life of punctuation, symbols and other typographical marks by keith houston.  the chapter just completed detailed the history of the interrobang; the punctuation mark that combines the question mark and the exclamation mark.

silly saturday

caption this picture for silly saturday!

photo friday

my wassily kandinsky or jackson pollock; whichever you prefer.

thoughtful thursday

vincent van gogh:

great things are not by impulse but come by a series of small acts brought together.

whimsical wednesday

it's the first whimsical wednesday of april! our day to work on our own projects! what did you work on? share your efforts with the whimsey project!

i'll be practicing a few origami folds that were left undone from my origami folding session several months ago.  also, i'll be doing paint blending exercises from an online art journaling course i am taking. i have been putting off the exercises for what reason i have no clue. however, today is the day i blend!

trivia tuesday

from quite interesting @qikipedia:

burning mountain in australia is a natural coal fire that has been burning for 6,000 years.

miscellaneous monday

easter was also april fool's day. it would be fun to declare that it snowed on easter and then exclaim, "april fool's day"! but it was no joke. it snowed on easter. the weather provides the opportunity to practice many important aspects of being human: patience, flexibility, preparedness, managing disappointment, humor and resilience. the lesson of weather, if we pay attention, is to work with conditions as they exist instead of working against them; especially when dealing with conditions over that which we have no control.

solitude sunday

happy easter!

silly saturday

from kidsplayandcreate.com:

Q: what is the easter bunny's favorite restaurant?
A: IHOP!

photo friday

lil mouse preparing for easter!

thoughtful thursday

nature photobook @naturepb:

When the wind blows through my hair , i close my eyes and enjoy the moment...

whimsical wednesday

we're getting ready for easter this whimsical wednesday! will you make a centerpiece for your table? make up easter baskets? dye easter eggs? look up a list of jokes to share with company on easter? share your easter preparations with the whimsey project!

trivia tuesday

from quite interesting @qikipedia:

there are 20,000 bee species of which only 7 produce honey. 

miscellaneous monday

here's some great ideas for dyeing easter eggs from mother nature network.  i will be trying the last one, the tie dye!

https://www.mnn.com/family/family-activities/blogs/ways-dye-easter-eggs-non-diyers

solitude sunday

solitude sunday is our day to read a book. i continue with shady characters, the secret life of punctuation, symbols and other typographical marks by keith houston.  eric gill was an artist who created typography fonts. he authored a 1931 book entitled essay. included in this thesis written during the rise of industralization, gill stated that arts and crafts ideology was the blending of "simplicity of expression and richness of meaning". 

silly saturday

from primarygames.com:

Q: what goes up when rain comes down?
A: umbrellas!

photo friday

frosted glass.

thoughtful thursday

haemin sumin:

when you ask a question, and you get no answer, that is the answer.

whimsical wednesday

we are celebrating international favorite fragrance day for whimsical wednesday! what fragrance do you like? use that fragrance in a special way today; wear the fragrance in the form of perfume, bring flowers of that fragrance into the house (not only will it fill the air with a lovely scent but it will look pretty), write a note to someone and scent it before you send it! share your favorite fragrance activity with the whimsey project.

i made a bottle of homemade air freshener (febreze). here's the recipe:
4 tablespoons of baking soda
3 tablespoons of fabric softener
3 cups of lukewarm water

blend the baking soda and fabric softener, pour into bottle that has a spray attachment.
add the water.
shake well before using as it does separate.

the fabric softener i used was light floral scent. to use one of my favorite fragrances, i added about 6 drops of lavender essence.

another way to add scent to the house with a fragrance i like is simple.
cut an X into a lemon and squeeze it to "open" the lemon.
set the lemon on a dish or in a pretty container and place in an area that needs to be freshened, like the bathroom or a closet.
the lemon will dry out and then you can put it down the garbage disposal. grind it up and the kitchen sink smells wonderful.

i like shalimar perfume so i dabbed a bit behind each ear for favorite fragrance day!

trivia tuesday

Quite Interesting‏Verified account @qikipedia

Pippi Longstocking’s full name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim’s Daughter Longstocking.

miscellaneous monday

we made waffle iron cinnamon rolls!
link for recipes:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/12-recipes-you-didnt-know-you-could-make-in-a-waffle-iron

solitude sunday

we spend time with a book on solitude sunday. my time with shady characters: the secret life of punctuation, symbols and other typographical marks by heith houston continues. charlemagne is responsible for the creation of lower case letters.

silly saturday

from jokes4us.com:

Q: what music do leprechauns enjoy?
A: sham-rock and roll!

happy st patrick's day!

photo friday

new friends!

thoughtful thursday

thoughts of dog:

sometimes. when i can't fall sleep. i'll pull my stuffed fren sabastian closer. and think about. all the wondrous landscapes. i've yet to zoom across. 

whimsical wednesday

listen! we listen for whimsical wednesday. all day, every day there are sounds and noises all around us. others make the sounds, we make the sounds, objects make sounds. how much do we pay attention to all this sound? for whimsical wednesday we will pay attention to sound. all day long. at the end of the day, what sound caught your attention the most? what sound did you particularly enjoy? share your experiences with the whimsey project.

trivia tuesday

from merriam-webster:

oscitancy is a fancy word for yawning.

miscellaneous monday

goodbye to sweet little girl maizie.

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. i began reading one book this morning then decided otherwise. it was yet again another memoir when i thought it was something else. i will read it but, after a series of such books, i need a shift in what to read and think about. thus, i started shady characters by keith houston. mr houston writes about punctuation, symbols and other typographical marks we use when we construct prose.

silly saturday

*sip*

photo friday

caption this photo!

thoughtful thursday

kozuko okakura:

in sadness or joy, flowers are our constant companions.

whimsical wednesday

it's the first whimsical wednesday of march! our day to work on our own unfinished projects!  i'll be working on an unfinished card project. it's one design but very many cards to complete. what are you working on? share your unfinished project.

trivia tuesday

from quite interesting:

there is a genus of tiny sea snails called bittium  and a genus of even tinier ones called  ittibittium.

miscellaneous monday

this is cool. buildings and music come together!

http://themindcircle.com/federico-babinas-archimusic-illustrations/

solitude sunday

we read a book on solitude sunday. i am currently reading, strangers tend to tell me things, by amy dickinson. amy has remarried and the man is a hometown boy she grew up with. the chapters i am reading now recount the blending of his and her families.

silly saturday

galway ireland.

photo friday

in my face!

thoughtful thursday

japanese proverb:

someone who stands behind a wall sees nothing else.

whimsical wednesday

collections! we are paying attention to our various collections for whimsical wednesday! tidy your collections, dust your collections, organize your collections. add to your collections. subtract from your collections. do something to enhance your collections. if you don't have a collection, start one! share your activity with the whimsey project and tell us about your most unusual collection!

trivia tuesday

from quite interesting:

sea urchins can drill holes in solid rock with their teeth.

miscellaneous monday

from atlas obscura:

how flamingos got to florida!

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/flamingos-native-to-florida?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=atlas-page

solitude sunday

we read books on solitude sunday. today i continue with amy dickinson's strangers tend to tell me things, a memoir of love, loss and coming home. currently she's recounting her teen years with her mother and older sisters post abandonment by her father. she describes her mother's parenting style as benign neglect.

silly saturday

photo friday

lil mouse and the first flower of spring!

thoughtful thursday

from here's your reminder:

every day may not be good but there's something good in every day.

whimsical wednesday

it's national plastic free day for whimsical wednesday! national plastic free day is a challenge to use as few plastic items as possible.we'll take the challenge to see how plastic free we can be for a single day. share your results with the whimsey project!

trivia tuesday

from merriam-webster:

"eeyore" is a phonetic spelling of the sound a donkey makes when described by a person with an english accent.

miscellaneous monday

solitude sunday

we spend time with a book on solitude sunday. today's read begins a new book, another book borrowed from a friend. it's nice to have friends to share books with: strangers tend to tell me things by amy dickinson. the title suggested a funny read, however, it's a thoughtful memoir. 

silly saturday

from jokes online:

said one penny to another penny:
together we make cents!

photo friday

team work!

thoughtful thursday

joyce carol oats:

i have beliefs, of course, like everyone---but i don't always believe in them.

whimsical wednesday

happy valentine's day! for whimsical wednesday, celebrate the day with people you love. and think about those who might need some attention! 

a handmade valentine!

trivia tuesday

from mental floss:

buckingham palace was built with jurassic fossils (meaning the limestone used in construction is filled with microbes from that geological era).

miscellaneous monday

one minute art history via open culture! so cool....

http://www.openculture.com/2018/02/one-minute-art-history-an-experimental-animation-visualizes-aesthetic-styles-moving-from-ancient-egypt-through-modern-times.html

solitude sunday

we read books on solitude sunday. my time with william g baker's "alcatraz #1259" continues. i am at the point in the narrative when mr baker finds himself close to his release date and charges in the states of oregon have been dismissed. what happens next i'm wondering.

silly saturday

photo friday

creativity is awesome!

thoughtful thursday

c.s. lewis:

you are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.

whimsical wednesday

it's the first whimsical wednesday of february so we'll be working on our individual unfinished projects! whatever you have laying around that you want to finish, have at it! i'll be working on an art journal that has unfinished pages. the backgrounds have been prepped so i can get right to it.

trivia tuesday

from mentalfloss.com:

the mongee banana, grown in japan, is meant to be eaten with the peel.

miscellaneous monday

recently i read the question, "what author's books do you have most of on the bookcase?" i had to think about that for a bit. the answer off the top of my head is thomas cahill. he wrote a series entitled the hinges of history. fascinating of various aspects of history throughout time that changed the course or nature of civilization. while these volumes might sound ponderous, they are actually extremely well written to be highly readable. and what could be difficult to understand is explained as if someone is talking to you.  there's one volume yet to be published. i'm waiting patiently. what author's books do you have the most of?

solitude sunday

we read a book on solitude sunday. i'm reading william g baker's, "alcatraz #1259". mr baker was a prisoner at alcatraz and this is his story. i often wonder about process when reading a particular book. how did the writer do his work? getting into the rhythm of this read, it seems mr baker recorded his book and it was transcribed because it was it reads exactly how he must talk.

silly saturday

from ducksters.com:

Q: what do you call a sleeping bull?
A: a bull-dozer!

photo friday

meow!

thoughtful thursday

native american proverb:

listen to the wind, it talks.
listen to the silence, it speaks.
listen to the heart, it knows.

whimsical wednesday

we are journal writing for whimsical wednesday since january has five wednesdays! what journals do you keep? if you don't keep a journal, today is a great day to begin. what journals should you keep? that's your choice. here are the journals i keep for examples:
*personal journal.
*themed journal; a journal about the farm.
*memories journal; a journal in which to record random memories of experiences i've had.
*notable notebook; a notebook in which to record random stuff like quotes, ideas, random interesting stuff.
*hobby notebook; a notebook in which to record stuff about a particular hobby including notes, photos, ideas.

trivia tuesday

from mental floss:

coca-cola, 7-up and dr pepper were originally medicinal.