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Z is for Zentangle

April 30, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner 17 Comments

As a child I loved to color and draw and doodle. Was there anything better than a new box of Crayons, the one with the sharpener in the back? Filled with a rainbow of possibilities, I could spend hours studying the various shades and memorizing the color names—Brick Red, Cornflower, Green Yellow (not to be confused with Yellow Green)…
I recently began drawing zentangles as part of my regular writing practice. (Thank you Crescent Dragonwagon and Fearless Writing!) Zentangling is like a Spirograph without the plastic frame. A small piece of artwork, the results are often surprising, sometimes reflecting my mood or surroundings, often an image of my writing. 
Doodling for adults.

With each stroke of the pen, I zone out and juice up the right side of the brain, the expressive and intuitive side.  Anything that awakens the right-brain helps with creative writing.

Skeptical? I’m not surprised. That’s your critical, analytical left-brain preaching…

A – Z Blogging Zentangle

talya

“Drawing makes you look at the world more closely. It helps you see what you’re looking at more clearly.” 
― David Almond, Skellig

Musical Pairing:

Drawing, Barenaked Ladies

I did it! I blogged through the alphabet. Thank you to everyone who played along. If you are a new follower, I hope you will continue reading Grace Grits & Gardening long after Z…

Z is for Zentangle.
Til next year…
A to Z April Blog Challenge.
Happy May!

Totally Overrated

January 4, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner 9 Comments

I remember as a kid thinking someday when I grow up, I’ll attend glamorous parties and wear fancy dresses and stay out dancing until sunrise…
New Year’s Eve is so overrated.

In our neighborhood, we have a New Year’s Eve crawl. We walk from house to house (3-5 houses) at designated times, eating and drinking among friends. At the stroke of midnight we crawl home. There is no driving which is a good thing. There is also no dancing although a few of the girls do wear fancy-ish dresses. And Kevin R. is dapper in a bow tie.

I really didn’t want to go this year. 
I wanted to stay home in my new Ugg tennis shoes (love!), drawing Zentangles with my new pens (also love!). 
Does this make me anti-social? Weird? Boring? Normal?
Instead, I forced myself to dress, donning the same black sweater I wore to the neighborhood Christmas party, only this time I didn’t wear it backwards…

Wearing my favorite black and brown taffeta skirt and suede boots, I looked as festive as possible after wallowing around on the couch playing Angry Birds all afternoon. Plus it had been drizzling…BadHairDay.

The neighborhood crowd was smaller than normal and more subdued than typical. Because we teetered on the edge of the fiscal cliff?

Because we are 50-ish?

Depressing weather? 
Sting of the Dallas Cowboy loss? Nah, that’s normal…
We counted down, kissed, greeted a new year then crawled home as random gunfire filled the East Dallas air.
Back to my Uggs!
talya
Musical Pairing:
The New Year – Death Cab For Cutie

Once upon a time there was a calendar…

January 3, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner 16 Comments

I blog because I love to write. I would blog if no one read my posts.
I am not a crafty blogger, yet I applaud all those talented bloggers who create a craft a day. I am in awe of people who fashion an entire wall unit from discarded wooden pallets found behind Home Depot. I am in awe enough to pin their pictures to my virtual bulletin boards on Pinterest, in case the urge strikes. 

My blog focus is simply about stories. Telling stories through humor or heartache or pictures or poetry. 
This is the story of my 2013 calendar and possibly my only semi-craft blog post for the year…
I LOVE this little D.I.Y calendar I received for Christmas. One page per month, blank other than the pre-printed calendar. The pages are clean and simple. The paper is heavy duty and 100% recycled.
There is open space for doodling and drawing, painting, stamping. For only $8.95, the possibilities are endless… 
I couldn’t wait to start on January.
Before
After

At the end of the year, twelve pieces of art!

Of course a truly crafty blogger would easily make this entire project with blank card stock, printing the calendar as well as creating a monthly design…. I’d rather write about it.

talya

Musical Pairing:

Dream On, Aerosmith

P.S. www.papersource.com


Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

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