TUESDAY ART DAY is on Spring Break

It's Tuesday already!  For the past few months TUESDAY ART DAY has been a consistent blog post for readers.  Since Violet was the last of the colors to explore- our Basic color wheel is now complete! It has been a pleasure to introduce you to the Color Wheel and Color Theory as it  relates to painting or other Artistic mediums. 

Even if you are not an aspiring Picasso~ I hope you have an understanding of  color and hopefully you SEE your environment in a more colorful way!

There is soo much more to cover and this is just the beginning so TUESDAY ART DAY will be back this summer with more lessons on the Color Wheel & Artistic Inspirations.

Stay Tuned for MINDFUL MONDAY'S, DOWN TO EARTH, MUSIC TO INSPIRE and many more topics.

DOWN TO EARTH: Celebrating Arbor Day

DOWN TO EARTH is going to be a regular feature on this blog.  As you may already know, Mother Nature is a constant inspiration for me.  So I'm glad to introduce ARBOR DAY as my first DOWN TO EARTH post. 

Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to Take Action by planting and caring for trees. 

It originated in Nebraska City, NE by J. Sterling Morton. The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872 and an estimated one million trees were planted that day!! Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season.  In Michigan, we celebrate Arbor Day the last Friday in April.

Below are a list of a few activities you or a Group can do to join in celebrating such a wonderful holiday. Its is a SIMPLE ACT that makes a difference.

• Enjoy the outdoors. Visit a local park or take a nature hike.
• Attend a class on tree and plant care.
• Volunteer with a local tree-planting organization. You’ll meet new people and make a difference in your community.
• Raise the flag & strike up the band, make Arbor Day fun. Make it memorable.
• Organize a beautification project in a public area.
• Get people into action~ Ask a civic or service group to promote a recycling program and save a tree. 
• Celebrate Arbor Day in a personal way by planting a tree yourself. It is an act of optimism and kindness, a labor of love and a commitment to stewardship.
• Read a book about trees. Learn to identify trees in your yard and neighborhood
• Hold a poster, poetry or tree trivia contest.  Give away trees to winners.
• Tell people to take a hike— a tree identification hike — and have girl scouts or boy scouts act as guides.
• Dedicate a forest, a tree or a flower bed in a park, and make it an occasion to talk about stewardship. Get a local nursery or garden center to hold an open house or field day. Organize an Arbor Day Fair.

To become an Arbor Day Volunteer, please click on this link:

http://arbordaynow.org/volunteer.cfm

Thank you for reading, I hope you are inspired to be DOWN TO EARTH!!

The Full Pink Moon, what is it?

I've always been fascinated by the Full Moon & its phases.  So when I heard about the Full Pink Moon, I knew it was time to do my research.  

Was the moon really going to look Pink?

The Full Pink Moon is always in the months of April.  This name came from the Herb moss pink, or Wild Ground Phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring.  Other names include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and amongst coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon because this was the time when the fish swam upstream to spawn.  

Naming full moons dates back to the Native Americans- of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring Full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year. 
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names/


Speaking of Full Moons, in August 2012 we witnesses a Blue Moon.  The phrase "once in a blue moon" is derived from the fact that it is a rare occurrence. (And Blue Moon beer is pretty good too.)

A Blue Moon is when there are 2 full moons in one Month. A full moon occurs roughly every 29.5 days and on the rare occasions when the full moon falls at the very beginning of a month there is a good chance a Blue Moon will occur at the end of the month. According to this modern day definition, the next blue moon will occur on July 31, 2015.
http://www.moongiant.com/Blue_Moon_Calendar.php



So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed learning about our moon phases.  I look forward to sharing more stories about the Moon.  Maybe you have a good story I can feature? I'd love to hear from you.

TUESDAY ART DAY -The color VIOLET

Welcome back for TUESDAY ART DAY.  Today I will be discussing the last color in the Color Wheel.  In Painting and other artistic mediums, we call Purple- VIOLET. I'm not sure why it's called Violet vs Purple.  However, I hope by now you know that a good Teacher is also a good Pupil. :-) (please leave a comment below if you know the answer!!). 

Violet is a combination of the calming

stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. 

Because the color is created by mixing a strong warm color with a strong cool color- the color Violet retains both warm and cool properties. It is also a rarely occurring color in nature and as a result, it's often seen as having sacred meaning. Lavender, orchid, lilac, and violet flowers are considered delicate and precious. The color lavender suggests uniqueness and specialness without the deep mystery of the color purple.
The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. It represents meanings of wealth, creativity, extravagance, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic. 



Throughout history, purple robes were worn by royalty and people of authority or high rank. The United States Military awards the Purple Heart to soldiers wounded in battle. 

The color has a variety of effects on the mind and body, including uplifting spirits, calming the mind and nerves, increasing nurturing tendencies and sensitivity along with encouraging imagination and creativity. 



With regards to spirituality, purple is seen as sacred, evoking your higher self thru passion & activating your third eye.  It helps align oneself with the whole of the universe. 

Gemstones are believed to increase your imagination, remove perceived spiritual obstacles, calm confrontations, and re-energize the learning of new things.
http://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-purple 

Additional words that represent different shades, tints, and values of the color purple: purple, plum, lavender, royal, amethyst, wine, pomegranate, eggplant, mulberry, lilac, thistle, orchid and mauve.

IT'S EARTH DAY! Let us celebrate by COMPOSTING

Earth Day is here! I'd like to share with you an excerpt from Kirsten Magnani, my FACE OF TODAY on April 5th 2013. Her effort in composting is truly what Earth Day is all about. I hope you enjoy this blog post but most importantly, I hope it inspires you to try it out for yourself! 

Along with her neighbors, Li and Eric, they emptied their "Earth Machines".  This photo is just half of the compost they produced in the last 6 months at their apartment complex, tge Towers. That pile is about 250-300 lbs of compost!!!!! 



Kirsten says that making compost is quite simple. It needs shelter, moisture, air and food....You just have to create the right environment for the FBI's to do their job.  (Fungus, Bacteria, and Invertebrates!) So what are the Food scraps that make up compost?

All fruits and vegetables, coffee and the filter, teabags, stale bread, old spices, used pasta (without any oils on it), crushed egg shells and nutshells.  

What you want to AVOID in a compost bin are: all animal products, bones, fish, shells, oils, & all dairy products.  (These foods need a high heat compost system otherwise they attract the wrong organisms.)

Besides the food scraps,  the FBI's need a source of carbon such as shredded paper, dried leaves or saw dust pellets.  The carbon controls the ph and it also provides the energy needed to feed the bacteria so it can break down the food.  It usually takes about 3 months for food to be turned into compost which is amazingly fast!  As far as volume, you get 1/3's worth of compost out of food scraps. So for every 9-lbs of food scraps-you'll get 3-lbs of compost!

This is a link to the Earth Machine that Kirsten is using. It is great if you live in an Urban Area. http://www.earthmachine.com/index_r.html  

The benefit of adding compost to your soil is that you are restoring the topsoil.  Compost is considered a soil amender~ which helps the soil maintain moisture, which acts as a fertilizer. Compost is SO much better for plants than 'miracle grow' (which is like giving your plants steroids).  Miracle Grow is a quick fix. It causes the leave part grows too quickly for the roots. And when there's no miracle grow... the plant starves.  Compost releases essential nutrients slowly as the roots requires. The plant won't grow as quickly as it does with chemical fertilizers but in the long run, your plant will be stronger and grow to be bigger and healthier. 
 

TUESDAY ART DAY -The color BLUE

I hope you've enjoyed our color journey so far.  I'm glad you are here because you want to be.  My classroom is always open.  Today I am revealing the color BLUE.  

This is my favorite color!!!

Blue represents both the sky and the sea.  It is associated with open spaces, freedom, intuition, imagination, expansiveness, inspiration, and sensitivity. It represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, confidence, stability, faith, heaven, and intelligence.

The color blue has positive affects on the mind and the body. As the color of the spirit, it invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming and exude feelings of tranquility. Blue helps to slow human metabolism and aids in finding balance and self-expression. (It is also an appetite suppressant!)

However, not all shades of blue are serene and sedate. Electric or brilliant blues become dynamic and dramatic.  These are engaging colors that expresses exhilaration.

Blue can be strong and steadfast or light and friendly. It is used to symbolize piety and sincerity in heraldry. The color blue in many cultures is significant in religious beliefs.  Bringing peace and is believed to keep the bad spirits away.  It communicates significance, importance, and confidence without creating somber or sinister feelings. This is where the corporate blue power suit and the blue uniforms of police officers and firefighters come from. Considered a highly corporate color, blue is often associated with intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism.


Blue gemstones are believed to aid in creating calm and relaxing feelings in crisis or chaotic situations.  It opens the flow of communication between loved ones & aids in feeling genuinely inspired to gain the courage to speak from the heart.
http://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-blue

Additional words that represent different shades, tints, and values of the color blue: sapphire, azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal, sky blue, baby blue, robin’s egg blue, cyan, cornflower blue, midnight blue, slate, steel blue, Prussian blue, turquoise and blue jay blue.

VACATION! IT'S FINALLY HERE, ahhhh

Today I am embarking on a week long vacation! 

Like most of us, I haven't taken a vacation, yet alone UNPLUGGED in a very long time.  

I'm traveling to Costa Rica, where I will be participating in a Womens Yoga & Spiritual retreat! I've always wanted to do this and I am so thankful to be fulfilling this dream I have.  I know I will have lots to share when I return, so be ready for a bit more of a focus on SPIRIT.

I don't plan to force spiritual concepts on anyone.  In my classroom, I encourage learning because you want to.  I only ask that you BE OPEN.  

One of my sources for inspiration is this blog.  I plan to share insight into what awakens my soul, maybe it will also awaken yours.  I hope you embrace the SPIRIT within yourself. If you are unable to locate your Spirit.....try to unplug, even for a night or weekend.  Take time to fill your own cup first. (Something that we may rarely think of taking the time to do) I know you will enjoy it. If you need help with this, please email me your info & I'd be more then happy to help. 

thefabricofreallife@gmail.com 

Remember, no judgement here. We are all connected & need 
to help others....as they have helped us!

TUESDAY ART DAY -The color GREEN

Thanks for joining me again as we explore more of the Color Wheel.  Today we are highlighting GREEN.  Traditionally, it associated with money, finances, banking and Wall Street....but we know it means so much more to our psyche then that!  

It is the dominant color in nature & is understood to be the most restful and relaxing of all colors. Since the spring season is here & all of the plants are emerging with fresh growth and life after the cold winter months-Green symbolizes life, renewal, harmony, nature, freshness, and our environment.  The color green affects us both physically and mentally in several different ways. It is soothing, relaxing, and youthful. This is a color that helps to alleviate anxiety, depression, and nervousness. It can also help to enhance vision, stability and endurance. In the light spectrum visible to the human eye, Green takes up more space then any other color which is why it is the easiest color for the human eye to view.

I love the concept that Green is a natural choice in interior design as an ideal background or backdrop because we as humans are so used to seeing it everywhere. Depending upon which colors are used in combination with the color green, it has both a warming and a cooling effect.

The color green is known to have healing powers. Green gemstones are believed to help create balance, promote change or growth, increase feelings of hopefulness and optimism, and break the emotional demands of others. How's that for geology! 

Additional words that represent different shades, tints, and values of the color green: emerald, sea green, sea foam, olive, grass green, apple, mint, forest, lime, spring green, leaf green, aquamarine, chartreuse, fir, kelly green, pine, moss, jade, sage, yellow-green, sap, viridian.

http://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-green

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FACE OF TODAY

The FACE OF TODAY continues to motivate me to find and recognize people who are making a difference in this world.  
 
I first met Kirsten a few years ago at work event.  I immediately noticed her kind energy.  As we started talking I quickly found out that she was aware of the poor food quality & methods that we have the in USA.  We talked about Urban Farming and many concepts that connect us to our roots, literally.  She is like a Cosmopolitan Farmer, combining city and country.  Kirsten truly cares about the environment.  But what I loved most? She took ACTION! She stood up and did something....it was a SIMPLE ACT

I asked Kirsten if I could share her story of Composting in NYC. This is what she wrote: 

When you smell mature compost it takes you right into the forest under the tree canopy.  I got started composting because I wanted to channel my sadness/frustration which spurred from too much garbage and so I took a positive action.  I enrolled in a 'Master Composter' course at the Queens Botanical garden in NY. There I learned the science of composting and a bit of community organization. Through out this course, I've met fabulous people that share my same goal.  I continue to work with other Master Composers in our Jackson Height community compost site, JHScraps. 

In many cities children have never been in a true forest, they've never experienced that moist sweet aroma of mother nature. This isn't what originally inspired me to get into composting -but it keeps me going.  Doing community composting is a wonderful way to get to know your neighbors at every stage- when you are collecting the food scraps, maintaining the bins and harvesting the compost. As I work with people I'm amazed how once they start to compost~ there's no going back!  Especially when they realize how much they were throwing away into landfills.

TUESDAY ART DAY -The color YELLOW

Welcome back and thank you for joining my blog today!
 
With Summer just around the corner, Yellow will be popping up everywhere.  This is because yellow signals to us the season of change- when flowers bloom, the sun is out and everything is so much brighter! These feelings of comfort increase as the season of summer draws closer.  Yellow is a color that represents vitality, life, energy, enlightenment and curiosity. 

This is a bold color & it knows how to make a statement-it's spontaneous! 

As the brightest color in the color wheel, it is one of the easiest colors for the human eye to see. It brings our awareness to whatever piece it’s in.  Due to this intensity, Yellow is often used in billboards and road signs. When paired with black, it really grabs your attention- Some examples of this are school buses, bees, tigers, taxi cabs and yield signs.

Yellow is suppose to stimulate the brain and mental awareness, making you more decisive. The color helps activate the memory, encourage communication, enhance vision, build confidence, stimulate the nervous system, increase mental activity, and increase muscle energy.
Yellow evokes a variety of meanings, from rich and elegant to religious and joyful.  It is the color of sunshine, hope, and happiness. It stands for freshness, positivity, clarity, energy, optimism, enlightenment, remembrance, intellect, honor and loyalty.

Yellow gemstones are believed to aid in clarity for decision-making, boost concentration, increase energy, and offer relief from burnout, panic, nervousness, or exhaustion.  http://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-yellow

Additional words that represent different shades, tints, and values of the color yellow: Lemon, yellow ocher, butter, golden, banana, saffron, canary, cream, mustard.